Star Wars 1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own any Star Wars stuff, just having fun with the SW universe.

Synopsis: This is an AU set during AOTC. Imagine that Qui Gon fell, but so did Obi, or so everyone thought! Maul survived and continues his master's work, always with an eye to replacing his master. It's definitely Obi-sentric with the usual suspects popping up to aid and abet our favorite 'jedi'.

Reviews: Always welcome! This is a monster of a story that I have written long hand and I'm slowly converting it to the PC to post, so chapters and posts may be slow in coming. Apologies in advance!

His face felt like it was on fire. He tried moving, but everything hurt and screamed at him to just stay exactly where he had fallen. He knew he couldn't stay there, he had to move before the next exhaust cycle flooded the tunnel with burning toxic waste from the city's main reactor, so despite his injured body's complaints he rose to his feet and clinging to the tunnel wall, slowly made his way out and to the service entrance, which he found to be locked.

His heart sank as his grief overwhelmed him. What was the point in going on? Qui-Gon was dead and the sith monster still lived, it was probably tearing the castle apart right now, no one able to stop it as it decimated the small rebel forces of the Queen. The Queen! That poor child! He gripped his chest as it was suddenly hard for him to breathe.

He clung onto his connection to the force and let the grief flow through him and into the force around him, giving him some comfort. He wasn't sure why, but he suddenly felt like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders and realized the sith had just left the planet. How could he possible know that?

The unmistakable rumbling signifying the exhaust vents were preparing to open, sent a ripple of force warning to him and without really thinking about it he used his force skills on the lock mechanism and swept inside, feeling briefly strengthened by the cleansed force around him, no longer powered by the sith's presence. The door swung shut behind him as the super heated material engulfed the tunnel.

His spurt of energy waned, however, and he found himself stumbling over the service tunnel and into the Naboan night where his exhausted mind gave in to his screaming body and he collapsed into the long vibrant green grass.

The memories of the fight with the sith came flooding back to him, unwanted, filling his mind with grief and despair at his lack of control that led to his downfall.

Qui-Gon and the sith were separated from him by the energy barrier and he looked on in horror as Qui-Gon fell. Almost immediately after the mortal strike, the barrier opened and Obi-Wan launched himself at the sith. His movements were so fast and fluid, the force guiding him so completely, he hardly noticed his anger rising as he failed again and again to find the killing blow to bring down Qui-Gon's attacker. He could feel Qui-Gon's life force draining away, the jedi master dying while he continued the frustrating battle. The more they fought, the angrier Obi-Wan became, taking foolish risks to end the battle quickly instead of gauging his enemy and pressing him into making a mistake. At one point the sith had tried to push Obi-Wan down the shaft behind him, but Obi-Wan had rolled to the side and sprung back to his feet to continue the assault on the tattooed menace before him.

He would remember the moment Qui-Gon died for as long as he was granted life. The strong bond they shared was shattered inside his mind and the pain and overwhelming loss caused him to scream and clutch his head. The sith's blade had been mid strike and without Obi-Wan defending himself it swept up into the padawan's face, burning the skin across the right side from the ear to his cheek and up into his hair line.

The force of this blow did have him tumbling into the shaft and the last thing he remembered was the sensation of falling.

He opened his eyes on the Naboo night, the stars bright above him. They grew blurry as tears filled his eyes and flowed down his face. The physical pain he could deal with, but the trauma of the severed bond was in danger of consuming his soul, his utter failure to protect his master shamed him to the core. How could he face the council after this? The simple answer was that he wouldn't, couldn't go back. They had been right all along, he had never deserved the right to be a jedi knight, why hadn't he just stayed on Bandomeer like they had wanted? What foolishness to think he could possibly be worthy of Qui-Gon. His betrayal seemed worse than that of Xanatos. Qui-Gon had placed such faith in him and he had repaid it by allowing that monster to destroy him.

He couldn't go back, he could just let the life force drain out of him, here on this world, become one with the force and rejoin Qui-Gon in its warm eternal embrace.

But the Queen, his thoughts drifted back to her, for some reason. It suddenly felt like the will of the force was pulling him in her direction. She still needed protection, his mission was not yet over it seemed. The sith lord had left, but he could easily return and Padme was vulnerable to his presence. He would complete the mission set out to him and Qui-Gon, he would protect the young Queen from here on. Padme would still have her protector. But how to do so without being detected?

His thoughts went back to the handmaidens Padme constantly had with her and the ease with which she had concealed herself within that group. He could do something similar. His obvious skills could get him close to her, within her security detail and his force presence could be shielded, he had done that before. His physical wounds would heal, but the scarring on his face would remain, he decided, to further hide himself, but also as a reminder of his failure, an open wound to his arrogance and anger enveloping him during the fight, a path he would not take again. When next he faced the sith lord, he would be ready, he would be focused and with the will of the force behind him, he would succeed.


	2. Chapter 2

After his secret recovery, it had not taken long for the former jedi to work his way quickly through the ranks of the royal guard. He had allowed his hair to grow out a little so his bangs swept over his eyebrows and as they had grown his hair color had proven a more auburn appearance. He had grown a beard during his recovery, also and he liked how it felt, so he had trimmed it into a neat fashion that fit his face comfortably. It also managed to age his boyish looks somewhat, further departing his appearance from the one of jedi padawan.

He clipped accent was dropped as the lyrical accent of the Naboo people seemed far more appropriate to his new role. His first test had been with Captain Panaka only a year after the reactor incident. The man had been introduced to the new recruits and Kenobi had been singled out for special mention due to his exceptional scores on all tests, but especially hand to hand combat and weapons training.

"Private Latterrie, I hear good things about you." The captain said.

"Thank you, sir," came Kenobi's crisp reply. He relished every challenge presented to him, and with only 6 months in the service he was being noticed and admired by everyone around him.

"I understand you have a prosthetic eye."

"That is correct, sir."

"And despite that, your aim is keener than your instructors, I hear."

"Perhaps a replacement program should be instigated." came Kenobi's dead pan response, with the subtle hint of a smile enough to have the captain grinning and Kenobi's companions murmuring their amusement.

Captain Panaka caught himself and whipped a quick glance to the group assembled rendering them silent once again.

"Careful, Private, we don't take kindly to that sort of talk back in the royal detail."

Kenobi's fellows gasped, the royal detail was the highest order of the guard, it took years to be considered for the roll, but somehow seemed fitting for Latterie to be headed in that direction.

"Keep up the good work, I've got my eyes on you," said the captain as he moved to the next young guard.

That had gone well, thought Kenobi and he couldn't help but swell a little with pride at his progress so far.

/Don't get too cocky/ he felt himself say and he resolved to keep his head down and focused on the goal of getting into the royal detail.


	3. Chapter 3

The Naboo cruiser sailed over Coruscant with the two fighters in close formation. The landing platform had been cleared for their arrival and although Kenobi had returned to the Republic capitol several time over the last ten years since the sith incident, this time he felt apprehensive, as though something was about to happen. Captain Panaka's recommendation had elevated him to the position of Chief of Security to Senator Amidala when the senator had been elected. Now known as Captain Latterie, he was as close as he could be to the senator without being one of her decoys, and that was hardly going to happen anytime soon. His prosthetic eye had been irrevocably damaged in a fire fight during a palace invasion by separatist terrorists about a year ago, so now he sported an eye patch instead. He still had his short, smart hair, even more auburn and a little grayer than before and the beard was well trimmed.

He landed his ship and went to the senator's side as she descended from the second fighter. She had become an extraordinary young woman of towering intellect but she had gentle humility with it, a trait very few of her counterparts seemed to display.

"You see," she said at his side, her helm still on as he had trained her. He removed his, still feeling apprehensive. "The threat was unfounded."

He nodded as her decoy and his men began to disembark.

"Perhaps for now, my lady, but we must be vigilant. This – "a sudden flare of warning came to him though the force.

"Get down!" he yelled out at the people on the ramp as he threw his body over Padme, pulling her down onto the deck.

In an instant after his words were spoken the cruiser was rocked by a massive explosion that ripped into the hull. Kenobi rolled across the deck, still clutching Padme, as debris from the cruiser crashed into her fighter, sliding it over the deck.

"Are you hurt?" he asked her urgently as they recovered and he pulled her back to her feet. He sensed her immediate fear for her people and he looked up to see the destruction. The cruiser smoldered and it was obvious there were casualties both on the deck and inside the ship and he dashed to his people as Padme ran to hers.

Lieutenant Typho, one of his best men, was badly injured, his face was badly burned, but he had shielded Dorme from the blast somewhat and her injuries were much less than they would have been without Kenobi's warning. The two other men present on the platform were shaken, but otherwise unhurt.

"Get them clear of the ship!" he yelled to the recovering men, who leapt to Dorme and Typho's aid, Padme already at Dorme's side. Assessing that Padme was as safe with his men as anywhere at that moment, Kenobi began to pull debris from the ship entrance and called to the people inside. The responses were weak, but encouraging and he pulled more debris out of the way to get to them. Above him the cruiser creaked and groaned over the strain of supporting the bulk of its mass on its broken back.

Sabe was helping her guards get back to their feet and Kenobi noticed the pilot and co-pilot helping each other out, both bloodied, but walking wounded at least.

"Sir," called out one of Kenobi's newer recruits and he looked down to see Private Nawe pinned beneath a bulk head by his badly broken arm.

"Lad, you really do get yourself into some trouble!" said Kenobi as he knelt beside the young man. He was a fearlessly loyal and earnest boy who needed his enthusiasm curbed a little to make him into a fine officer and Kenobi had grown to like the lad, reminding him of his early padawan days.

Kenobi looked down at the injury and realized if the arm was set it could easily be pulled free with little movement from the bulkhead.

"OK, Nawe, brace yourself," he said quickly and calmly as he gently but firmly gripped Nawe's arm. Nawe flinched at the touch to his injured arm and had a look of grim determination.

"Ready?" Nawe nodded, grimacing against the anticipation.

"OK, then, One, Two. Wait, is that Corde naked?"

"What?" exclaimed Nawe, looking up, and Kenobi pulled hard to set the arm. Nawe screamed and almost swooned, but Kenobi gave him a nudge through the force, he still had to get the lad's arm free and both of them out of the ship, which was continuing to creak and strain above them. The sooner they got out the better.

"Nicely done, sir" croaked Nawe at Kenobi's distraction.

"I'm sure you'd have done the same for me; now let's get you out of here."

He was able to slide Nawe from the bulk head and pulled him to his feet, a twinge of pain running up his left side. He didn't have time to register it, however, as the creaking became much louder as the super-structure of the cruiser began to buckle and Kenobi swept the two of them out of the ship and down onto the deck as the split in the craft could no longer support the two halves and they folded into each other, blocking the entrance Kenobi had made into the cruiser.

As they picked themselves up, Kenobi noticed the medical barge was already docked and a fire suppression ship was clearing up the last of the fires. The injured were being moved on med-cots and Kenobi led Nawe to the nearest one where the lad sat down as a healer assessed his arm which hung limply at his side.

"Thank you, sir" he said breathlessly, wincing at the healers touch.

"Just don't make a habit of needing to be rescued, there's a good lad." and he lifted his left arm to ruffle the boy's hair.

"Sir!" Nawe exclaimed, and Kenobi felt the pain in his side suddenly flare, "you're bleeding!"

Kenobi reached to his side against his ribs and gasped at the touch of the wound. Withdrawing his hand he saw his fingers covered with his blood.

"How strange," he exclaimed and the healer who had been tending Nawe spun around to examine the wound on the young captain.

"Med-cot here!" she called to her colleagues and just as Kenobi's knees buckled, the cot slid in behind him and he sat heavily on it.

"Let me get a better look here, Captain," said the medic as she pulled the arm up and pulled apart the torn fabric.

"It's just a scratch," said Kenobi, already sending healing force to the wound now he was aware of it. It must have happened while he and Padme were dodging debris in the immediate aftermath of the explosion. Shock and his subconscious connection to the force had effectively shielded him to the initial blow. Now it was catching up to him and he was glad of the med-cot for now.

"It's rather deep, there's a lot of blood here," she slapped a bacta patch over the wound and had Kenobi hold it in place with his right hand.

"Let's get you both to the infirmary"

"Wait, we have to make sure there's no one left inside," said Kenobi rising from the cot. The medic pressed her hand to his chest with surprising strength and he sat back down.

"You both are the last, everyone is out. Let's go!"

As the cots moved off, Nawe lay back while Kenobi sat up surveying the wreck of the platform. A spike in his force senses had his head spin around to a small craft traveling slowly between a series of buildings, and although he didn't get a really good look at it, he instinctively knew it was the source of their aggressor.

The med-barge was a hive of activity. Typho was the worst injured and medics swarmed around his cot while most others were walking wounded. He and Nawe seemed to be the next with Dorme suffering some burns to her hands that had already been dressed and Padme was sitting with her, soothing her warn brow. Sabe sat the other side with a lightly bandaged face, but otherwise looking good.

Nawe's arm was placed in a bone knitting cast and his pain medication had knocked him out. Kenobi's side was cleaned and re-bacta'd, the patch secured around his chest. As soon as the medic had finished, he replaced his shirt and went to Typho's side. He was badly burned down his left side and bacta had been smeared over his damaged skin. His left eye was swollen shut and his left arm was shredded to the bone in some areas.

"He'll need immediate bacta submersion once we get to the infirmary." Said the medic nearest the concerned captain.

"He'll pull through, he's a fighter," said Kenobi quietly as he sensed Padme approaching his side.

"I should never have returned," she almost sighed as the adrenaline she had been relying on left her system.

"He knew his duty, my lady, we all do. This vote is important to the republic. You can't blame yourself for this."

"No," she said equally quietly, "and neither can you."

He turned to her, his face a mixture of confusion and horror, how could she have known his feelings of guilt?

"I know you too well, Captain, you must promise not to blame yourself either."

"I should have realized it was too quiet up there. We had the deck checked thoroughly, but I should have overseen the landing myself. A few minutes delay for you and the cruiser while I rechecked everything and we could have avoided all of this, I should have –"

She took his arm to stop him as he flinched at her touch, his wound still smarting.

"You saved us, Latterie, no one died here thanks to your warning. You have nothing to recriminate yourself for."

He turned back to Typho wondering if the young Lt. would feel that way.

"Thank you, my lady," he said, not wanting to look on her at that moment, his feelings of failure and guilt surfacing again. It could have all been so much worse, but the fact of the matter was he had been unable to keep his group secure on such a simple mission. He just wanted to get to the infirmary, he knew he'd feel better with Typho in the bacta tank.


	4. Chapter 4

"I'm sorry, Captain, but I must insist," said the healer, a medic called Kravis, who had treated Kenobi on the barge, "you've lost a lot of blood and your work up shows a slight infection despite the speedy application of the bacta patch. So I want you to sit there, quietly, while we run through 2 packs of antibiotics and some much needed fluids via your IV. Only then will we talk about you walking out of here, young man."

Her hand was firmly placed on his chest, preventing him from rising from the bed. He had to admit he did feel surprisingly light headed from a wound he was already sending healing to and the infection explained that. However he had been through worse and was becoming frustrated with the medic.

"I'm needed elsewhere," he began, trying to squirm out of the medic's way, but she held firm.

"Sit and wait for the IVs to run through or I use this sedative and you'll be here until tomorrow morning. It's your choice." and she brandished a hypospray to emphasis her point. Kenobi always hated infirmaries, not least after losing his eye, and now his weakness was preventing him from doing his job and his frustration had been steadily rising until the hypo was produced. He sat back in the bed with a heavy sigh. He could cope with a few hours of rest conscious rather than an overnight stay and he could check on his people in the meantime.

He was sharing his room with the still dozing Nawe, who's arm was well on the mend.

"How are the others?" asked Kenobi as the medic busied herself with the IV.

"Lady Dorme's burns are healing nicely, we're keeping her in for observation overnight. Lady Sabe and Senator Amidala have been released along with Lt Danova and Corporal Nacto. The rest of your party was relatively unscathed and have returned with the senator. That just leaves you, Private Nawe over there and Lt Typho still here. He'll be submerged at least until tomorrow morning.

"May I see him?" asked Kenobi and the medic gave him a glare. "I'll take it slow, it's just that Private Nawe's snoring is rather annoying."

As if on cue, a louder snort from the young man drifted to them.

"Oh, very well," she said, "but take it easy, any dizziness, lie down."

"Of course," he replied and she helped him off the bed and slowly led him to Typho's room where the tank had been set up. The medic sat him down in the arm chair in the room, but once she had gone he stood and approached the floating form, dragging the IV with him. He placed a hand on the glass as he saw the healing man drift in the bacta.

"It should have been me on the platform, my friend. Old Uncle Panaka's going to have my head when he gets wind of this! Still, a few new scars might just improve your chances with the ladies! They do love a man of adventure!" He smiled at his injured friend for a moment but then his heavy heart sent the smile from his face and he suddenly felt very weary. He settled himself back in the arm chair, turning away from Typho's gently bobbing form.

Padme had been right, of course, she had just chosen the wrong person, he was the one who should not have returned. He should have realized that the attack was what his apprehension had been all about. His connection to the force had been fluctuating of late, sometimes a crystal clarity of connection that filled his soul and reminded him of his power and training and then at other times, like the recent trip here it had felt distant, almost isolating and he couldn't tell if this was to protect him or protect the flow of the force from him. He often wondered if this was a side effect of his force suppression techniques he employed whenever he returned to the capitol. It had taken him years of practice, but he could almost completely mask his force signature at this point and it had become almost second nature to shut himself down from the force flow around him. He could tap into that flow subtly without having to open himself up to it completely, but that did mean the connection could be tenuous at times and the signals he got from the flow could become confusing.

His decision to hide his true nature was backfiring and his friends were paying the price for it. He shook his head, he couldn't let his despair get the better of him. What would the consequences have been if he hadn't been there to warn them of the explosion? A flash of Dormes destroyed body came to his vision, with Padme weeping over her, comforting her in her dying moments, Lt Danova and Private Nawe already dead spread across the deck having taken the full impact of the blast. He shook his head clear as he sat back in the chair.

Typho's physician entered and adjusted a few settings on the tank before turning and jumping at the sight of Kenobi staring at Typho.

"I'm terribly sorry, Captain, you startled me!" she exclaimed recovering. "Quite a bunch of folks you have on your team." She had a worn smile and a bedside manner that reminded him of a certain Mon Calamarian and he smiled back.

"And how are you feeling?" she came over to check on him out of instinct rather than any real problem.

"I'm fine, thank you, I just wanted to see how he was doing for myself."

Her touch on his wound was gentle and her exam was cut short by his question as she looked at him gravely.

"Considering the damage to his left arm when he came in, we're very pleased with his progress. It will need some rehabilitation but he should get full movement back in about a month. He'll lose the eye" she said sadly, "we did all we could to save it, but the damage was too great."

Kenobi nodded, remembering his own pain and fear when he realized his right eye was destroyed after the sith's strike and then his resignation on hearing the prosthetic had fused the optic nerve after a charge bomb had gone off in front of him during the terrorist attack in Theed. The sudden silence in the room was becoming uncomfortable.

"Oh, well," chirped the former jedi," between the two of us we'll have one working pair, that's got to be worth something." He flashed a sly grin at the physician who returned his smile with a reproachful grin and then returned to her exam of him.

"Well, there's certainly not much wrong with you!" and she slapped him on the shoulder a couple of times. "Get some rest, he won't be out of the tank until tomorrow."

"If it's all right with you I'd like to stay here for a little while." He said all serious again. She looked over at him with a worried look, but he quickly continued to alleviate her concern. "Private Nawe –"

Realization swept over her face.

"Oh, I heard him down the hall, I understand! Alright, you can stay, but don't fall asleep in that chair, it will only aggravate your side."

"Fair enough," he replied to the receding doctor. Sleep was the furthest thing from his mind. He settled further into the chair and focused his force energy gently to his side. He had never been very good at healing himself or moving into healing trances on his own, but he could direct the force at least to speed things up and fight the infection and without the distraction of Nawe's snores it was much easier to reach the calm he needed to achieve his goal.

Medic Kravis replaced his IV with a fresh pack of fluids later that afternoon and he certainly felt rejuvenated but was still unable to convince her to allow him to leave. "I'll get the crystal work ready so you can leave as soon as that one has run through." She had assured him, so he continued his vigil over Typho.


	5. Chapter 5

He needed an excuse to stretch his legs and decided to check on the others. His first thought was of Dorme and he headed down the hall to her room, passing Nawe who was still dozing, that boy could sleep through anything!

He came to her door and lightly knocked before entering. She was startled by his entrance, but quickly hid her fear from her face, even though he could sense she was still very shaken by the experience and he subtly sent waves of reassurance to her through the force and her body became less tense as he moved to her bed. He looked down to see her hands heavily bandaged, while the burns to her face seemed almost healed thanks to the immediate application of bacta.

"How are you feeling?" he asked gently as he indicated he wanted to sit. She nodded and used her right hand to show him the chair and then looked down at the bandage.

"I'll be OK thanks to Typho. Is he-?" she began, close to tears.

Kenobi chuckled and smiled warmly at her. "He's going to be just fine. It was quite a tackle he had on you. I think he missed his calling as a Togruta wrestler!"

Dorme chuckled a little, but tears of pain and guilt soon replaced her amused expression. Kenobi reached out and hugged her close. Over the years he had grown quite attached to Padme and her decoys and protected them as closely as he did the senator.

"Everything is OK, Dorme, I promise you," he gently rocked her as the pent up stress of the incident came flooding out of her. She could still see her burning hands and Typho's smoldering body pressed so close over her and her horror at the broken ship above them that she was sure would fall on them at any moment. Then there was Padme cradling her and comforting her. Wasn't that Dorme's job, to comfort and protect? How she had failed in her duty.

Sensing her feelings, Kenobi held her still more tightly and spoke gently into her ear.

"I'm so proud of you," he began, "how you conducted yourself after the explosion. I knew I had nothing to worry about with you, that you would make it through this. Padme is privileged, we are all privileged to be working with you. Well done, old girl!"

She chuckled a little through her tears. Trust Latterie to make her feel better and make her laugh with his odd little colloquialisms. She sniffed and sat up with a whispered "thank you".

"Oh dear," she said then, looking at his jacket where she had been crying into him. She began to wipe him off with her hand.

"Well, don't do that!" he exclaimed playfully, "you'll rub it in more, here use a tissue," and he grabbed some tissues from a box on her night stand to clean it up himself, only to have the tissues begin to disintegrate and get rubbed into the fabric. This had Dorme laughing and he threw up his arms in mock exasperation only to begin laughing himself. He handed her the shredded tissue.

"Here, dispose of this will you?" he asked and the waved her hands while trying to control her hysterics and Kenobi looked around for a trash bin.

Just then Medic Kravis entered and to add the absurdity of the situation for Dorme's amusement, Kenobi suddenly hid the tissue from the medic's view as though it was some illicit substance.

"What's going on in here?" she asked suspicious of the scene.

"Oh, nothing, we were just cleaning," replied Kenobi with a sly look to Dorme who had her giggles under control.

"Well, I came to check your IV and tell you, Captain, that you are now cleared to leave." She came over and handed him a datapad and then began to remove his IV. "just place your mark on the screen, please."

"Oh, good, hold this please," he said, retrieving the tissue from its hiding place and trying to hand it to Kravis. She just indicated the trash and he grudgingly threw it in. He placed his thumb print on the pad and rose to leave but then he felt Dorme's bandaged hands reach for him.

"Could you stay, just for a little while longer?" she asked. He turned back to Kravis with a questioning look.

"It' fine with me, in fact if I knew you'd stay for the Lady Dorme I'd have brought you in here sooner!" and she turned to leave, taking the IV with her.

Kenobi sat back with Dorme and held her hands gently, and for a while they were just quiet, Dorme needing the reassurance his physical touch brought to her. Eventually they started talking, just small talk, both happy to be in each other's company.

Cpl Nacto showed up a couple of hours later asking for Latterie and even before he entered the room Kenobi knew something was wrong. Dorme was much settled and extremely glad to see Sabe who had accompanied Nacto to the infirmary. Leaving the ladies to chatter away, Nacto and Kenobi headed for the corridor.

"So, what's bothering you Cpl?" asked Kenobi once they were outside.


	6. Chapter 6

I'm going to try to respond to reviews in the chapter headings as I type this up, so please review!

Bek-K: You ask some wonderful questions that I hope will be answered in the next few chapters. I hope they don't disappoint!

"So, what's bothering you, Cpl?" asked Kenobi once they were outside.

"Can't hide anything from you, can we Captain," he said, once again impressed by how well Latterie could read people. "They assigned a Jedi to the senator."

The news felt like a hit in the face to Kenobi and only his excellent control prevented his true feelings of horror and fear of discovery from flashing across his face.

"A Jedi, really," he said carefully," whose idea was this?" He had a feeling he already knew, he just needed his suspicion confirmed by his young subordinate.

"It was the Chancellor, you know he has a soft spot for the senator."

/What could that man be planning/ thought Kenobi, he never did anything without a serious plan behind it.

"He says it's because of our depleted security capacity with you and Typho still out of commission."

"I would hardly call my present condition 'out of commission'."

"That's what Senator Amidala said," Nacto continued," but the Chancellor insisted and there were Jedi Council members present who agreed."

Kenobi's heart skipped a beat. The Jedi Council? Could they know? Had they possibly sensed him and his failure to cope with the situation? He gathered his thoughts and reined them in so as to not miss Nacto's words.

"They decided on Master Yoda and his apprentice and you'll never guess who that is!" The lad was beaming at the thought of revealing the padawan's name and instantly Kenobi knew who it was.

"Skywalker," he said quietly, only one padawan name would elicit such excitement from a Naboo native and that was Anakin Skywalker, the lad who had single handedly destroyed the control ship over Naboo all those years ago. Kenobi wanted to hide, to scratch the name from his mind, to abandon everything and find a very small hole to crawl into. But that was out of the question. His loyalty to the people he had brought together around him, the very person who was telling him all this, he was with them to the end, whatever end that would be. If he was to be discovered now, it would be fitting it was the chosen one Qui-Gon had taken such risks to secure.

/You got your wish, old master/ he thought to himself /Anakin will be a Jedi./

"The senator is livid, she doesn't think it's needed, but when Skywalker's name was mentioned she grudgingly accepted. Master Yoda has to take care of some other Jedi business right now, apparently, but he was happy to have Skywalker start this afternoon."

"He's at the apartments right now?" Kenobi was surprised it had all happened so quickly.

"Yes, he was inspecting security when we got the call that you could be released, so he sent me to get you. Sabe asked to come and see Dorme. I think she plans on staying here tonight if she can."

"I can't see them having a problem with that. Besides, I would like one of us here when Typho comes out of the tank tomorrow. Seeing her, Dorme and Nawe will do him some good. Let's get moving, I want to meet this Jedi."

Secretly Kenobi was dreading this meeting. He had hidden himself from Padme and Panaka, but this would be a real test of his force deception techniques and internal force suppression. He and Anakin had not spent much time together, but they had met and physically touched. It was merely shaking hands, but who knew, perhaps that was enough for the chosen one to sense his deception. Thankfully it sounded like Master Yoda wouldn't be there, so that was something. Even so, Kenobi was getting one of his very bad feelings, but he knew he had to get over it and braced his force defenses for the encounter.


	7. Chapter 7

They were at the apartment all too soon and Kenobi was suddenly very nervous of entering their foreign residence. He had studied the schematics of the building many times, as had his men, so he knew his way around the place pretty well by now. He was immediately struck by the powerful force presence in the apartments and looked to the sitting room where the force signature emanated from.

"Good to see you back, Sir," said Lt Danova as he saluted. Kenobi was glad to see him too, his vision while in Typho's room suddenly returning to his memory, the force perhaps giving him a gentle reminder of his usefulness after all.

"Good to be back, Lt," he said, "How's the Jedi behaving himself?"

Although obviously annoyed by his presence, there was a certain amount of awe radiating from both Lt Danova and Cpl Nacto.

"I have to admit he knows his stuff, Sir, and put us through our paces when he arrived. You could tell he was testing us and security here, but you could also tell he was impressed with our responses and the set up you had us instate. He's eager to meet you."

"I'm eager to meet him," said Kenobi nodding at Danova's response. "Did he have you change anything?"

"I think he's waiting to talk to you, out of respect for your position."

"Really?" Kenobi was surprised. "This should be interesting."

He made his way slowly and deliberately up the stairs to Padme's sitting room, putting off the meeting for as long as possible, checking his mental shields and suppressed force signature as he went. He knocked lightly, preparing one final time for his entrance.

"Come in," can the senator's voice and it seemed somewhat lightened from the last time he had heard her voice. He opened the door to find Padme and Anakin sitting next to each other on the couch in quiet conversation.

Padme turned from her conversation with Anakin when he entered and rose to greet him.

"Captain, I'm so glad you're home," she said and he took her hand and bowed to her.

"I'm glad to be home, my lady," he replied, "although I'm sorry I missed all the excitement." He looked over as Anakin who rose to meet him. He held out his hand to shake Skywalker's.

/Oh well,/ he thought, /now or never!/

Anakin took his hand, studying Kenobi's face as Kenobi studied his. There was no trace of the scrawny boy Qui-Gon had introduced him to on the Naboo cruiser and he had a quiet confidence that was obviously the result of Yoda's teaching. He was taller than Kenobi, although his pale Jedi robes seemed overly bulky for his slim form. The padawan braid he had was much more colorful than Kenobi's own had been at his age, but of about the same length. His features were handsome enough, but it was the piercing blue eyes that struck Kenobi. They seemed to almost glisten with controlled power and the force certainly did swirl around him. Kenobi had not been expecting quite such a penetrating gaze from the padawan and he felt for an instant he was discovered, but Anakin gave nothing away in his passive features.

"Jedi Padawan Skywalker, at your service, Captain," his voice was confident and controlled, his hand shake firm.

"It is a pleasure to meet the hero of Naboo," replied Kenobi.

The accolade had obviously been branded about the apartment a lot since the Jedi's arrival and he seemed genuinely embarrassed by it.

/I'm sure Yoda was good at teaching humility/ Kenobi thought, remembering the Jedi Master's ample use of his walking stick on young padawan's legs if they got too cocky. They moved to the sitting area where Padme and Anakin sat while Kenobi stood behind the senator.

"You've done excellent work here, Captain. The security seems well taken care of." After Anakin's embarrassment had worn off he was once again studying Kenobi's face as though trying to place it.

"Thank you, Jedi Skywalker." The Jedi's continuing scrutiny was beginning to concern Kenobi, who remained behind his mental shields. "Although, any advice you can give will be greatly appreciated. This attack has left us all shaken. How will you proceed with your investigation?"

Anakin lessened his intense gaze on Kenobi to answer the question.

"My mandate is to protect the senator in this situation, certainly until my master can join us. Coruscant security forces have begun an investigation and I believe interviews have been scheduled for the morning for everyone here."

"Perhaps you mere presence will draw out these aggressors," said Padme.

"If that is the case we will be ready for them, I assure you, Senator," said Anakin to her. Kenobi couldn't help notice the immediate connection the two seemed to share. He remembered they had spent more time together than he and Anakin had done and it was obviously calming Padme to have him present. Even though having the Jedi there threatened to expose him, he was glad Padme would have someone to lean on in this young fellow if that were the case and he had to leave her service, even though the very thought of having to depart caused him physical pain. He was able to hide his discomfort before either Padme or Anakin sensed it and Padme rose to leave.

"Well, it's been an extraordinary day, if you'll excuse me, I shall retire." Anakin rose and watched as she left. Kenobi could feel Anakin's regret at her leaving, but the lad quickly suppressed it to turn back to Kenobi and those piercing blue eyes were once again locked with his.

"Pardon my intrusion, but have we met before?" asked the young Jedi, still examining Kenobi's face, trying to place him. Kenobi could sense that his shields were holding and his force signature was still subdued, but he was engaging with the chosen one so he remained cautious, his response short and guarded.

"I'm sorry, Master Jedi, I would have remembered meeting you. Perhaps we can discuss any security changes you wish us to make."

Anakin thought for a moment on Kenobi's words, but if he suspected anything he didn't mention it and moved to leave the sitting room.

"Of course, Captain, let us remove to your office."

He left the room and Kenobi moved to follow him, breathing a sigh of relief. So far so good, he thought to himself, but there was still Yoda on his way and this was only the first meeting with Anakin. What would happen as time went on in the young man's company? He decided to do his job to the best of his ability until he was discovered and then face the consequences of his actions.


	8. Chapter 8

Anakin and Kenobi spent the next hour going through Anakin's increased security changes, including having the padawan sequestered to Padme's sitting room for close proximity to the senator should she need his protection. He assured Kenobi that his force senses could keep the room scanned. Kenobi agreed to it along with many of Anakin's proposals.

"I'll inform my people and set everything up for you."

"Thank you Captain. If I may I would like to contact my master to let him know our progress here. May I use your office?"

"Of course, Master Jedi, take your time."

Once Kenobi was gone, Anakin made his call to his master.

"Good to hear from you, it is my padawan. Goes well, the mission does?" the image of the small Jedi Master wavered in the comm. station.

"The senator's security was already very thorough, Master, my presence is not really required."

"And yet a disturbance you sense within this group, yes, mm?"

Nothing got passed the green gnome, thought Anakin.

"Yes, Master, it's the security chief, Captain Latterie. He hides it well, but he has a connection to the force and I know I've met him before, but he has denied it."

"The dark side, do you sense in him?"

"No, Master, quite the opposite. He is obviously highly dedicated to the senator and her people, his security plan shows that and the loyalty his people feel for him stems from his faith in them, that's not something easily obtained. I believe he is suppressing his true force nature, but I sense he is doing so to protect his people, not himself. Do you wish me to confront him with my suspicions?"

Yoda rubbed his chin thoughtfully and hummed to himself.

"Keep Captain Latterie under close watch, you must, but confront him do not. To meet this young man, I wish. Make him suspicious, do not. If a threat you do not see in him, then observe him you must. If know him you do, guide you the force will. Soon will I join you and confront him together, we will."

"As you wish, Master. May the force be with you."

"The force be with you, my padawan."


	9. Chapter 9

After speaking with Padme, Kenobi returned to the sitting room to wait for Anakin. After having spent more time with him he was becoming impressed with the young man. His astute observations had proven very useful in just shoring up one or two holes in Kenobi's security plan, but on the whole he had agreed with Kenobi's decisions and listened to Kenobi's point of view on his proposals.

/You would be proud, Qui-Gon, he's going to make a fine Jedi Knight. Of course, with Yoda as his master, how could he go wrong?/

Anakin swept into the room, removing his cloak and laying it over the chairs.

"How did the Senator take the changes?" he asked. He flipped on the camera set up in the room and was met with static.

"She turned it off?" he exclaimed.

"Apparently she doesn't like the idea of us out here spying in her."

"What is she thinking?" Anakin said almost heading from the room. Kenobi raised his hand to Anakin's chest and stood between him and the corridor to her bedroom.

"I have her R2 unit scanning the room, he has the latest in dragnet scope tech."

Anakin stepped back and Kenobi could see him tense for a moment and then relax.

"I have the room covered, Captain. I should be able to anticipate anything about to happen in there." He moved to the couch and sat there for a moment just focusing on the senator's room. Kenobi remained in his guard stance observing Anakin, feeling the force swirl around the young Jedi and then sweep over him and past him to fill the senator's room. He gently allowed his own force senses to ride the wave created by the padawan into the room and was impressed by the power behind this man's force skills.

As an observer into the young man's power, he sensed a growing sadness emanating from Anakin that had him turn his attention back to the physical form on the couch. He had slouched forward and was rubbing his forehead with his left hand.

"Is everything alright, Master Jedi?" asked Kenobi genuinely concerned. Anakin had shown such control, what could possibly shake that? Anakin looked up and gave Kenobi a sad smile as he sat back.

"Nothing, really, I'm just a little tired."

"Don't Jedi sleep well?" asked Kenobi trying to lighten the mood. Anakin's smile broadened and he got up from the couch.

"About as much sleep as a chief of security officer, I should think!" Kenobi smiled broadly back.

"Yes, I often think –" Both men instantly sensed the danger, but Anakin, being the younger man leapt past Kenobi into Padme's room, saber drawn and slashed the poisonous grubs that were about to attack the senator.

Kenobi entered the room and saw Padme safe. His attention was then drawn to the droid outside the window and without really thinking, just trusting the force that was screaming at him to stop that droid he jumped for it, using the force to shatter the glass moments before his body passed through the window.

He grabbed onto the flying droid and gasped as his side burned from the sudden aggressive movements. The droid tried to zap him off, but Kenobi held on concentrating on the zapping appendage and ripped it off with a force pull that sent the arm spinning off into the Coruscant night.

Without even trying, he could sense Anakin already on his way in a speeder. So much for hiding his force sensitivity from the chosen one. The droid seemed to be heading towards a building with brightly lit billboards and he noticed sudden and deliberate movement on a platform at the height of the droid was flying. He anticipated the shot moments before it exploded the droid, which he had released before the shot hit. As he fell, he sensed the speeder Anakin flew approaching fast and it swept up beneath him and he slid into the passenger seat.

"Thanks," he said breathlessly, "he's going that way," and he pointed to the receding bounty hunters ship.

"What the heck were you thinking?" exclaimed Anakin as he deftly flew through the traffic.

"Wasn't really thinking, just had a feeling it would lead to the culprit. Had to take it. He's down there," again Kenobi pointed as Anakin swerved the ship in response.

"Yes, I can see him,"continued Anakin, "who are you?"

"No one of consequence."

"What the heck is that supposed to mean?"

"Just drive!" exclaimed Kenobi.

Anakin swung the speeder around.

"Where are you going? He went that way!" yelled Kenobi, becoming annoyed with the Jedi.

"This is a short cut," said Anakin and once round the bypass he pulled up and glared at Kenobi.

"Now, tell me who you are," said Anakin with his most intimidating voice, but Kenobi wasn't falling for that.

"You lost him, just to ask me that again?" he fumed.

"I'm deeply sorry, Captain," said Anakin sarcastically.

"Some Jedi you turned out to be, he went completely the other way."

"Well, I thought I'd take a data crystal from your archive," and with that he leapt from the speeder into the traffic below.

Kenobi took the pilot seat and looked over the side to see the retreating form of the padawan. Despite himself he smiled at the boldness of the move.

/I think I like this Jedi/ he thought as he took the speeder controls.


	10. Chapter 10

I hope people like the chapter sizes. I've been trying to get about a thousand words per chapter, but that doesn't always work with the breaks I want to put in it, so bare with me while I find the right rhythm for this.

By the way, I love the fact that Word2007 knows the correct spelling for Obi-Wan Kenobi and lightsabre. I'll have to see how far this goes!

Jedi Angel001: I definitely liked the idea of Anakin being the calm one, still having all that power but just much better at dealing with it and Obi as the one who's a little less stable, shall we say! I can easily see Obi's devotion for the Jedi order getting transferred to his new 'family' with the Naboo and I'm glad that has come across. Yes, what will happen when Yoda turns up, I wonder(?)

Thanks again to my reviewers, hope the future stuff entertains.

/I think I like this Jedi,/ Kenobi thought as he took the speeder controls.

He swooped the speeder down to follow the brilliant white streak through the force he knew was Anakin and saw it shoot off south as he hit the bounty hunters ship. The chase was fast and furious, with the small craft weaving in and out of traffic, allowing Kenobi to gain on the pitching craft.

A force warning had him shoot his hand up and the hilt of a sabre sank comfortably into his palm and he set it down beside him.

The small craft ahead was smoking badly and descended rapidly. Kenobi found they were sinking to the club district. The small craft made land fall and Kenobi sensed Anakin roll off the ship and start to give chase on foot, so he landed his speeder ahead of the pair and double backed to them, hilt in hand.

The bounty hunter dashed into a garish looking place as Kenobi and Anakin met just outside.

"He/She went in there to hide!" they said simultaneously and both smiled at each other for their combined thought.

"He is a she," commented Anakin, "and she is a changeling." Kenobi nodded at this new information.

"You ever deal with one before?" he asked of the Jedi. Anakin shook his head as they moved inside.

"They can be a little tricky, you'll probably need this," and as he passed the Jedi he tossed the lightsabre hilt over his shoulder.

"Thanks, you head to the bar, I'll flush her out to you," and he moved into the crowd.

"I'll get a drink then," Kenobi said to himself, happy to let Anakin take the lead. It was actually refreshing to be the decoy for a change and it did mean he could order a shot of Coruscant ale while he was there.

"You wanna buy some death sticks?" asked the Balosar who had come up next to him. Kenobi laughed and put his arm around the young creature's shoulders, then pulled him close to whisper in his ear.

"You don't want to sell me death sticks."

"I don't want to sell you death sticks."

"You want to go home and rethink your life."

"I want to go home and rethink my life."

"There's a good chap," said Kenobi as he squeezed the lad's shoulders gently and then slapped him on the back as the figure moved off. He turned to the customer next to him and indicated the receding Balosar.

"Great kid," he said earnestly. The patron nodded, looking a little confused and went back to his drink as Kenobi finished his. Anakin was returning from his sweep of the bar and Kenobi sensed the changeling was close.

A force warning had him spin around, his blaster raised and a single shot rang through the bar. The changeling yelped, clutching her right hand that had been aiming her own blaster at Kenobi's back, the blaster now a molten mass on the floor.

"Jedi business," called Anakin with his most authoritative voice. Force enhanced as it was, Kenobi understood the general murmur from the crowd as everyone turned back to what they had been doing.

Kenobi swung the hunter's good arm over his shoulder and hoisted her up and they left the bar out a back entrance where the hunter collapsed to the floor, still clutching her decimated hand.

"Who hired you?" demanded Anakin, getting into her face, but she remained stoic.

"Tell us now, or I blast your other hand off," said Kenobi quietly, deliberately and with much conviction.

The woman looked with fear at the two men, first Kenobi and then Anakin. One hand gone was bad enough, but both and she was as good as dead in her line of work when she considered the enemies she had accumulated over the years.

Anakin laid a restraining hand on Kenobi's shoulder, which the former padawan shrugged it off.

"Jedi have rules that I don't have time for right now. Tell us!" intensifying his demand with his own force enhanced authority.

"It was a bounty hunter named..." A toxic dart shot into her neck and Kenobi released her to the floor, looking up to the assassin who had fired the shot. His hand went to his blaster and he fired as the hunters jet pack spurted to life.

A shot pierced the casing, sending the bounty hunter crashing behind the building he had been perched on. Kenobi leapt to his feet to chase down the fallen figure.

"Come on!" he yelled over his shoulder at Anakin, who was tending to the dying woman. He removed the dart from her neck, but the poison had done its job well and she died moments later. He secured the curious dart in his belt and turned to where Latterie had been only to find him gone from the scene. The strange force signature he had come to associate with the security chief was brightening with the chase and very easy to follow. It seemed he was becoming less able to shield himself from the padawan.

"I'm not done with you yet, Latterie," he said quietly as he joined the chase.


	11. Chapter 11

Kenobi spotted his new quarry untangle himself from a garbage pile and he managed to fire off a couple of shots from his double blasters, causing Kenobi to duck behind a billboard. He gave a quick glance from his hiding place and saw the back of the man racing off.

He resumed the chase and sensed Anakin following him and gaining on him fast.

/Good,/ he thought to himself,/he'll get this guy quickly./

The man ducked down a side alley and Kenobi almost lost him in his haste to follow and capture him. He paused and reached out with his feelings and sensed the man very close and blasted the door to a warehouse next to him so he could cut through the building and cut the man off. He dashed through the warehouse, blasting the door on the opposite wall and saw the man jump on a hover bike. Kenobi leapt for the one adjacent and passed his hand over the starter mechanism, feeling the ignition and clicking it on.

The fleeing bounty hunter half turned and shot at Kenobi and the remaining bikes which crumpled on themselves from the blasts just as Anakin was approaching them. He dived out of the way and Kenobi swerved his bike clear of the ensuing explosion of vehicle parts. Anakin could only look on as the bounty hunter and Latterie raced off across the industrial district basin. He still had a good hold on Latterie's mysterious force signature and something told him the young chief was getting into some serious trouble.

The swoop bikes weaved their way through the close streets of the warehouse district, heading deeper into the industrial territory. Kenobi had never been this far across the Coruscant surface before, but his lack of knowledge of the streets was made up for by his force instincts which took over his body as it directed the bike with ease through the streets.

His pursuant's bike suddenly shot over the lip of a runway overhang above them and Kenobi quickly followed suit. As his bike came over the lip, a sudden darkness descended over his force senses with a presence he hadn't felt since…

He drew his blaster and fired at the figure in black out there in the distance. The light from the double bladed lightsabre glowed against the rusty brown backdrop behind him. He defty deflected each shot Kenobi fired, but Kenobi's hatred was rising and he positioned his bike to charge the sith lord, dodging his deflected shots as they came back at him.

Perhaps if he had remained calm he could have anticipated the shot that hit him square in the chest. As he was thrown from the bike by the impact, his anger suddenly seemed released to the force. He hit the ground hard and rolled across the runway as his momentum ran through him.

He clutched at his damaged chest, expecting the shot to have gone through him, but he was somehow still alive. The sith's blade had absorbed some of the blast energy and his armor had protected him somewhat, but he could feel the flesh of his chest burning and it was becoming difficult to breath as the pain of each breath exponentially increased with each gasp for air. He curled up on the deck, blaster still in his hand as he sensed the sith approach him.

Maul placed his foot against Kenobi's shoulder and pushed him onto his back, glaring into Kenobi's face, but once he could exam the man below him a look of surprise covered his face.

"You're supposed to be dead, I killed you myself," he said.

Kenobi could barely breath, but he raised his blaster to fire off a succession of shots at the sith lord.

Deftly, the sith deflected this last onslaught and chuckled as he raised his hand to pull the weapon from Kenobi's shaking grip.

"You didn't really think that would work, did you?" Maul asked mockingly and he lifted the former padawan off the deck and held him in a force grip that was slowly tightening around the Jedi's neck.

He had missed the opportunity to witness the life force leaving the master's eyes back then, so now he was determined to witness it from this padawan thought lost. He examined the man he held suspended just inches off the ground. He was clawing desperately, but weakly at his constricting throat and the crystal blue sparkle of his one eye was beginning to dull. The eye patch was obviously a remnant from his previous encounter with Maul, which drew a dark smile across the sith's face. Another amusing factor was the uniform, not that of a Jedi, but a mere underling for that Naboo senator. Such was the life for a failed Jedi, he supposed. It seemed odd that they would expel him for his failure to defeat the sith lord, these Jedi were insipidly forgiving. Could this man he held have decided to leave the order?

A sudden realization hit Maul as he used his abilities to probe the man's force signature. It was being suppressed to a great extent, no wonder he had not noticed the man's presence before. That was impressive, to be shielding and suppressing his force nature almost completely. So he was hiding from the Jedi. Suddenly the man in his grip had potential he had not foreseen and he ever so slightly released the force choke, just enough to allow the former padawan to gasp enough air not to expire.

His leering grin grew as the man's strength began to wane and his arms slacked to his side. Maul brought him in close to his face, the one eye of his captive half closed, his consciousness rapidly slipping from him.

"It will take more than a couple of laser blasts to stop me."

"Try this," came Anakin's clear, confident voice and Maul was hit by a wall of force he had no defense against. His grip on the former padawan was lost as he was tossed high over the runway and into Jango's shp. He picked himself up as Jango rushed to his side, blasters firing on the new arrival. The blue blade of the Jedi deflected each bolt with as much skill as Maul had employed deflecting Kenobi's.

"Get moving!" hissed Maul as he limped into the ship, Jango quickly following. Maul cursed his fallen quarry for distracting him from the other Jedi's presence. But the possibilities in this former Jedi held within him were intriguing. He would have his hands round that throat again very soon.

Anakin rushed to the fallen Latterie, who's chest was still smoking from the blaster impact. Latterie's eye shot open and he gasped at Anakin's touch. His left arm shot up and grabbed at Anakin's robes.

"Stop him, stop him. The sith…" he managed before he sank into Anakin's arms.

Anakin looked up to see the ship taking off and leave. That was strange, the ship obviously had powerful weapons, why had they failed to fire on the two men? There was nothing Anakin could do about that now, he had to tend to Latterie. He lifted the surprisingly light figure of the security chief in his arms as he thought on his last words. How could he have known that was a sith? The order had tried very hard to downplay the Naboo incident and only a few of the Queen's forces had witnessed the dark lord, how many of them would have known the word sith? The mystery could wait, Latterie needed a healer immediately.


	12. Chapter 12

Thanks for the responses so far:

elektralyte: I'm glad you like the way Obi is shaping up, I think he would rely more on his humor without the constraints of the Jedi Order. Keeping that up without it becoming annoying is going to be the challenge! I agree with the whole Anakin, thing, I think Obi was out of his league a bit, although I know that's not a popular stance among Obi fans! (Oops, just lost half my readers with that comment!) I love Obi too, otherwise I wouldn't be writing about him, but the guy was still a kid himself in many ways when he took on Anakin, so I really wanted to explore how Ani would turn out with Yoda as his master. Let's not forget that Yoda spawned a Sith Lord in Dooku, so he's not exactly the best master ever! Anyway, suffice to say, thanks ever so much for the encouraging comments and really hope I can keep this up!

Valairy Scot: I really wanted to keep a lot of the story outline, certainly to start with, and as events moved on, changes things enough to keep it fresh, but still have those 'Oh, yeah, I recognize this' moments. Old Anakin does come across as a bit friendlier in this version, doesn't he? I think my favorite moment is when both Obi and Ani have that line about the bounty hunter entering the club. It's a moment of mutual respect that shows them that they can actually work well together.

Bek-K: Thank you so much for the encouragement. I just hope this next chapter doesn't disappoint! As for the rapid updates, I have a feeling I'm not going to be able to keep up this pace! We'll see how it goes!

Anyhoo, on with it, then.

/Oh no,/ thought Kenobi, /not again/ as the bitter taste and smell of bacta flooded his awakening senses and he heard himself groan. His eye flicked open and the ceiling of an infirmary met his gaze. His right hand came up to wipe the sleep from his eye.

Suddenly the bed behind his head began to rise up and he began to make out the rest of the room. It was much the same as the one he had been assigned to earlier, however his visitor elicited a strangled cry from his lips.

"Master Yoda," came his cracking voice, his eye wide in surprise and horror. After his adventure with Anakin and the sith it really shouldn't have come as a surprise, but it was the impact of waking to see the green gnome without the chance to establish his shields that he later suspected the Jedi master had wanted.

Although his face was grave, his force presence was hopeful and warm, his love for Kenobi being his predominant message through the force.

Kenobi, instantly feeling unworthy of such love and unable to compose himself within his mental shields, let his head fall forward into his raised hands and wept tears that had been waiting ten years to flow. How he missed Qui-Gon at that moment, his grief completely overwhelming him. Yoda said nothing, he didn't need to. He jumped onto the bed and threw his arms around his former student, his own grief at Qui-Gon's passing presented to Kenobi as a sign that the young man was not alone any more.

They remained holding each other for some time. Yoda spoke only after Kenobi's tears were spent and his breathing was easing.

"Knows, no one else does," he said softly into Kenobi's shoulder. "Suspects, Anakin does, but revealed nothing, he has at my request."

Anakin, the chase, the sith! It suddenly came back to him.

" What of the sith?" He asked desperately, looking up from his hands at his old master.

"Sith Lord, gone to ground he has. Find him, we will. With her people, hide Padme will. My padawan she has for support. Decoys left behind, she has. Well trained, they all are. Worried about you, they are." He smiled at the thought of the loyalty and affection only Kenobi could elicit from pretty much everyone he met. "

"Impressed, I am with your work. Surprised, also, with your decision to hide, padawan."

Kenobi closed his eyes and turned from Yoda at that name.

"Don't call me that. I haven't been worthy of that since I let Qui-Gon fall," he spat out with perhaps a little more vitriol than he had intended, but it seemed fitting.

Yoda took Kenobi's chin in his small hand and pulled Kenobi's face to meet his own.

"Believe that, I do not. Knight you would have been, to face such a foe and survived."

Kenobi was stunned and horrified at the same time. How could Yoda be saying these things? He had tapped into the dark side, he had felt it in that vicious battle. It had cost him the fight, led to his failure to save Qui-Gon.

Taking the lead again as he sensed Kenobi's turbulent emotions, Yoda continued while Kenobi thought over the encounter with the sith once again.

"Desperate, you were. Unprepared to face such a threat, you both were. Jedi Master, you tell me which, could have done better, mmm?"

"Well, there's you," came the obvious conclusion from Kenobi's lips.

"Unique case, I am. Old enough to have met first sith, these old bones. Vain have I become, think dark side I am?" he asked in mock horror.

Kenobi smiled at the green gnome.

"Well, maybe after those meditation sessions you used to subject us to."

Yoda chuckled. "Missed that, I have. No sense of humor, your peers. Entire Council's humor trapped on Hoth, I suspect!"

Kenobi's smile slowly dropped as he began to be aware of his current predicament.

"What will happen to me now?" he asked, mindful of the Council after Yoda's comment.

Yoda breathed a heavy sigh and sat back in his chair.

"Discuss with the Council, I must. No longer hidden, can you remain."

Kenobi nodded sadly. What had he really expected? Not only had he let down the order, but now Corde, Dorme and Sabe were without their security chief and his people had been lied to all this time. How could they trust anyone who replaced him now? There would always be the fear of betrayal in the back of their minds.

"Betray them you have not," came Yoda's calming voice as Kenobi's dark mood threatened to send him back into despair. "Love them, you obviously do and save them you have. Remember that, they will. Fear of that, have none."

"Thank you, Master, for not informing them. It is only fair to them that I do that. They deserve no less."

Yoda nodded gently, his waves of love and assurance giving Kenobi the strength he knew he was going to need to confront his people.

"Once fully healed, you are, come to the temple you must. Only then, to the Council, will I speak. On your side, in all of this, will I be. Promise this, I do. The force be with you, my friend."

"May the force be with you, also, master."

The green gnome leapt from the bed and headed out of the door. Kenobi watched him leave and then relaxed back into the pillows.

"Well, that went better than I expected." Kenobi sighed.


	13. Chapter 13

So, my actual job is in need of my attention! Updates are going to be a little less frequent, but I'll still try to keep updating as much as I can, I'm having too much fun with this thing! I hope chapter 12 wasn't too bad, I had some editing issues and I'm still not completely happy with it, but for the way the story pans out, I hope it makes sense.

Mrs Kenobi: The Anakin personality transplant was a deliberate move. I kind-of had the same feeling about Anakin, although I do understand the reasoning behind the angsty lad running around in AOTC. It just really got on your nerves after a bit, poor chap. As for Jango and Maul, as soon as I came up with that pairing I instantly had the whole relationship worked out and I hope you like where that relationship turns out. I'm a big fan of the old cliffhanger technique, so you can expect more of those in the future!

Thanks again for the continued interest. Please keeping reviewing, it's really fun to do these chapter intros.

"Well, that went better than I expected!" Kenobi was surprised at Yoda's attitude and grateful for his silence over his identity. He felt so tired and the thought of confronting the Council was daunting enough. He knew in his present condition it would be disastrous to face them.

He looked down to his chest to assess his current condition. Beneath his hospital gown, his chest was smothered with bandages, the smell of bacta hitting his nose again and he turned from the injury. He had obviously been submerged at some point so this was just the outer skin repairing now that the major internal injuries had been dealt with.

He let his head fall back to the pillows behind him and breathed slowly, composing himself. How would he begin to tell them?

A gentle knock on his door broke his train of thought and out of instinct his mental shields raised and he sat up off the pillows.

"Come in," he called, his dry mouth leading his voice to sound cracklier than he had intended. In came Medic Kravis with a tray and a pleasant smile.

"Oh, Captain Latterrie," she gave him a mockingly disapproving look," you really do get yourself into some trouble."

"All to see your delightful smile, Medic Kravis."

"Oh, I'm sure!"she placed the tray on the side table and checked his chest.

"How does it feel?" she asked, all professional.

"A little sore, but not too bad."

"Take some really deep breathes for me," she commanded and after the first couple he felt the tightness increasing, which she quickly noticed and motioned for him to slow down.

"Alright, light breaths again," she said and his breathing eased back to normal and the tightness lifted. He suddenly felt very tired again and sank deeper into the pillows.

"It will take a while for that tightness you're feeling to pass, so don't go over exerting yourself, OK?"

He nodded slowly as she placed the tray over his legs.

"It's not much, but you do need to eat, so try to get through this and I'll be back in a couple of hours to check on you."

"Do or do not, there is no try." Kenobi said half to himself. Medic Kravis, who had turned to leave turned back with a quizzical look.

"What rubbish! Of course you can try out something. How else will you know if you like it or not." She smiled and left.

He did try what she had presented but he really didn't feel terribly hungry at that moment and after only a few bites he pushed the tray away, his head feeling heavy, the strain of his encounter with Yoda overcoming his energy reserves and he dozed lightly for the rest of the afternoon. The next time he woke, Medic Kravis was trying to leave quietly with the tray so as not to wake him.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she said as she realized she had been unsuccessful.

"It's OK, I do feel a lot more refreshed after that little nap." He did feel better and his voice was returning t its usual strength.

"I'm glad to hear that," she said smiling, "are you up for a visitor?"

Internally Kenobi flinched, but kept that from the medic.

"Who is it?" he asked.

"Not Master Yoda, if that's what's concerning you. Crafty old bugger got around me, you weren't ready to see anyone so soon after waking from the tank. It had me concerned, anyway."

Kenobi smiled at Kravis' annoyance.

"Who is it then?" he asked again impatient to learn the truth.

"Oh, I think you'll be pleased," she said knowingly as she left, leaving Kenobi slightly confused.

In came Lt Typho, limping slightly, but on his feet, his left arm in a sling and his left eye patched up.

"Typho!" exclaimed Kenobi, "It's so good to see you!" his smile beamed at the young Lt who had seemed apprehensive on entering the room, but on Kenobi's response his big smile was reciprocated.

"Well, sit, take a load off, old man!" said Kenobi and indicated the chair by the bed.

"How do you feel?" he asked of his friend as he sat down.

Typho had to ease into the chair and did his best to hide his discomfort.

"Better than I look, I assure you, Sir," he said adjusting himself slightly as his body settled into the chair.

Kenobi's smile left his face as he studied his friend.

"I owe you an apology, Lt," he said looking down at his lap. Typho looked on his Captain with surprise. "It should have been me on the ramp, not you."

"Sir, you had your duty to protect the senator and from all accounts you didn't exactly come out of the incident unscathed. I'll take a side slice to a missing eye any day of the week, but we did our jobs, Sir, that's all anyone could have asked of us."

"Exactly," replied Kenobi, "now you can start believing that." He looked intently at Typho again. "You did good work that day, never forget that we didn't lose a single one of us up there. Dorme lives because of you. How is she, by the way?"

The question knocked Typho out from his deep thought on Kenobi's words.

"She's fine, her hands are completely healed and she had a rough couple of nights but she's traveling to join Senator Amidala tomorrow and I think heading home will do her some good. Corde and Sabe are remaining to decoy the senator."

"Wait, how long have I been asleep?"

"You were submerged for two days, Sir, and asleep for another two after that. We thought we'd lose you, Sir. It was touch and go for a while. That Jedi saved you, he gave some of his force energy, or something, I'm not sure about the details, but it sustained you until he could get you here. When Kravis finally said you were awake we were all relieved."

"No wonder I feel so darn tired." He was already feeling drowsy again, his body calling out for more rest, but he held it back. He had a feeling something somewhere was very wrong and that he'd need his strength soon. A sense of concern was rising inside him and he suddenly knew exactly who was at its center.

"How's Nawe?" he asked, studying Typho's face when the mention of the private had Typho look up intently into Kenobi's face.

"How did you know?" he asked.

"Know what?" Kenobi pressed on, "Something has happened to him, hasn't it?


	14. Chapter 14

_I'm trying to separate my comments from the text using italics, this time, 'cause I'm not having much luck with other techniques. I use Word2007 for typing this, so if any one has any tips on doing this, please let me know!_

_Jedi Angel001: Yep, you can understand the poor chap hating healers so much, the number of times us writers have him visiting! I also knew the whole secrecy thing wouldn't last once Yoda showed up and I thought this would be a good moment to do that. _

_Shinen no Hikari: Wow! Cool! Thanks for that, I had no idea Yoda wasn't Dooku's master! It won't effect this story, but it's good to know, thank you._

_Okey Dokey, let's get back to it, then!_

"Something has happened to Nawe, hasn't it?"

"Corde asked him to pick something up for her at the Dawn Market this morning, but he hasn't come back yet. We were starting to get concerned when we got the word you were awake. I have Lt Danova and Cpl Nacto out looking for him now, but it seems odd, him disappearing like that. The ladies are confined to the apartment, just in case this is another attack on us. It's probably nothing, the boy probably got lost again!"

A dark shadow in the force was descending over the room and a horrific thought came to Kenobi's mind, a vision of Nawe in a hangar on the planet's surface, his body trembling at the punishment inflicted on it by black and red tattooed hands, all for Kenobi's benefit. He gasped and gulped down several breathes as the sith's voice slipped into his mind.

"Come alone," was all it said as it flashed through his mind, the touch lingering a little too long for comfort and Kenobi shivered as it left a dark streak in his mind behind it.

"I have to leave, now!" he said and he threw back the covers of his bed and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Typho got up to assist, but looked at the Captain with horror.

"Sir, we just got you back, don't you think you should be taking things easy." He helped steady Kenobi as he stood on shaky legs. The shock of the sith entering his mind galvanized his body into action and the call to sleep was suddenly suppressed under those shields he had spent ten years perfecting.

"Help me get my clothes, there's a good chap," he requested of Typho who continued to stare at his crazy friend.

"You can't leave, Sir!" he exclaimed as Kenobi made his way to the closet, trying to make it on his own, but leaning on Typho a little. He opened the closet door to reveal a pristine, new uniform. He looked questioningly at the Lt.

"The senator insisted on a new uniform, Sir," Kenobi took it out and examined it, the breastplate a fine leather-durasteel weave, the blue under shirt freshly pressed. His officer's hat was his old, familiar helm and he examined it closely. He placed it on Typho's head and smiled, immensely saddened by his hew decision.

"It's yours now, Typho, old man. Keep them safe," he said as he carefully put on his clothes, his chest feeling tight again, but his urgency to get to Nawe overcoming his injury.

"I…I can't take this, Sir,"

"I hereby promote you to Captain, my old friend. If it doesn't fit, get it adjusted, it's got a good few years left in it."

"No, Sir, I can't, I don't understand! I'm not - "

"If you say you're not ready, I'll knock you flat on your back," came Kenobi's hasty reply. "Look, 'Captain', this was always meant to be your command. And now the balance of things is returned."

"Why? You're not hurt that badly, Sir, you are leaving, afterall!"

"This has nothing to do with my health, my friend. It has everything to do with the preservation of yours and the others."

"You know where Nawe is, don't you, and you're going after him."

"Absolutely, Captain," replied Kenobi getting his boots on.

"Stop calling me that, Sir!"

"It's who you were always meant to be, Typho old man. Accept that and we can move on to rescuing that lad of ours."

Typho, still concerned and confused by his captains actions realized Latterie had never let them down once in his years of service to the Naboo people and he believed him when he said he would rescue Nawe, so for the time being, until all this craziness was sorted out, he would assume the temporary position as captain until Latterie came to his senses.

"OK, then, let's get moving. Wait, how do you know where Nawe is, anyway?"

Kenobi was dressed and heading out the door when he paused and remembered Medic Kravis. How was he going to get passed her? Oh well, it's not like he could hide who he was any longer if he was going to get to Nawe in time. He spun on his old friend and motioned him to the bed.

"Well, it's a little hard to explain. You should probably sit down here." He had Typho sit on the bed.

"You see," he sighed heavily as he prepared himself to reveal the truth, "I used to be a Jedi padawan, which means I can do this rather well." He laid his hand on Typho's forehead and sent the strongest sleep suggestion he had ever attempted.

The large man sank back gently onto the bed as Kenobi guided his body into a more comfortable position.

"I'm most terribly sorry, my friend, but I have to move." Typho wouldn't be asleep for long, Kenobi could already feel his subconscious fighting off the suggestion, but it would do to get Kenobi out.

He pushed the call button and Medic Kravis was immediately there. Her shocked face was exactly what Kenobi had been hoping for as she moved over to the sleeping Typho.

"Oh my goodness, what happened here?"

"I don't know, he was fine and then suddenly he was flat on his back like that."

She turned to get help when she noticed Kenobi's attire.

"Wait, what are you doing out of bed and in that get up?"

"That's what concerns you?" said Kenobi as horrified as he could fake. "See to Typho, now!" he yelled at her and she immediately returned to tending to the new Captain.

"I need a med-cart in here," she called over the comm. and Kenobi moved closer to the door. Moments later in rushed four other medics pulling in the med-cart and Kenobi took his opportunity to slip out of the room and to the transport bay.

A garish orange speeder was his only choice, but he started it up with no problems and shot over the Coruscant city-scape, flashes of Nawe's torment bombarding his vision. He was running out of time.


	15. Chapter 15

The hangar loomed large ahead of him, the smell of jet fuel thick in the air. He parked the speeder a block away from the building that shimmered with dark power barely contained within it. How was the Jedi order missing this? Maul was taking a big risk allowing his obvious strength to resonate in the building and it greatly concerned Kenobi. Was he that desperate to kill the former padawan? It seemed such a waste to expend so much power to obtain the failed Jedi. Kenobi contemplated broadcasting his force signature, hoping Master Yoda, or one of the Council would come after him, but he decided not to risk it until Nawe was safe. A nagging voice in his head tried to convince him that Maul would not trade fairly with Kenobi for Nawe's life, but he cleared that from his mind. He couldn't let that darkness cloud his thoughts, he needed to stay alert and in the moment or they were both lost.

He headed for a side door to the hangar and found it unlocked so he moved inside, his force senses outstretched, not wanting to be surprised by the dark lord. He made his way through a section of haz-med crates to the open section of the hangar where the bounty hunters ship towered above him.

His force senses guided him to come around the ship where he saw the huddled form positioned such that the blaster fire from the ships guns would rip it to pieces and he dashed to the heap of flesh that was Private Nawe. His uniform was in tatters, the back completely missing, just a mass of blood, torn flesh and shredded fabric where a vibro-whip had eaten into him. His left shoulder blade gleamed white in one area and Kenobi knelt down in front of him, truly horrified by the injuries. He felt for a pulse in the young man's neck and gasped a sigh of relief to feel it there barely registering against his fingers, but surprisingly steady. The boy's face was a mess with bruises and lacerations, the nose broken and his mouth swollen. Kenobi could tell a number of teeth were missing. But what horrified him the most was the smell of burnt flesh coming from the lad's chest. As gently as he could, Kenobi uncurled the unconscious man's arms to reveal chest wounds caused by the release of electrical charge into a body. Kenobi had heard of such dark powers, but had never seen them for himself and placed his hands on Nawe's head and bent down low to rest his head gently on Nawe's. The lad moaned at the touch and Kenobi backed up a little, his hands still resting on the broken body. Waves of healing through the force were sent to Nawe from the former padawan. Kenobi gave as much energy as he could to his young subordinate until his own injury began tugging at his strength, reminding him of his own failing system.

"That's enough," came the low, calm voice of the sith as he descended the ramp to the ship. Kenobi ignored his command and continued to give of himself to the boy, despite beginning to feel light headed.

"I said, that's enough," the voice hissed and a force push from the dark lord had Kenobi flying into a stack of dura-crates that were, thankfully, empty. Kenobi got slowly to his feet and faced off with his old adversary, Nawe's crumpled form between them.

"The boy's torture was rather unnecessary, don't you think?" called Kenobi to the sith as they circled each other, Kenobi shortening his distance to the prone figure.

"It got you here pretty quickly, didn't it? And he will survive thanks to your loving ministrations."

"A holo-vid saying 'Please pop over for some Tatooine Conasta' would have work just as well."

"Where would the fun be in that? Now, get on board."

"I'm not leaving him like this in some hangar to die after we leave." Kenobi still felt dizzy and the edges of his vision were blurry, but he was determined not to let Nawe remain in such a precarious situation once they left, so he stood his ground against the sith. It seemed for a moment that the creature before him had some admiration for his stance, but that feeling was lost as the bounty hunter emerged from his ship.

"He's here, let's get this over with," and to Kenobi's horror he raised his blasters to gun down Nawe, but the sith, never taking his eyes off Kenobi, raised his hand to the bounty hunter to stop him.

"We're leaving, Jango, get back on board." Jango lowered his weapons but remained on the ramp.

"He's seen us, you're not going to let him live!"

"It makes little difference now. We have what we came for." Jango hesitated for a moment until Maul shifted his yellow eyed gaze from Kenobi to him. His demeanor immediately changed to more of a resigned slouch and he turned and entered the ship.

"I'm not with you yet, not until Private Nawe is taken care of." He moved to the young man once again and could feel his body improving, the healing energy Kenobi had sent was already at work on his injuries and the shoulder blade was no longer visible. He could easily die from the remainder of his injuries, however, and the cold hard floor was no place for him.

Maul's eyes narrowed as he surveyed the pair. It would be so easy to take Kenobi by force and allow the insignificant fool on the floor to perish, but a part of him knew that the easier path to gaining Kenobi as his puppet was to indulge the man at this moment and allow him to save the boy.

Maul's master had taught him the subtle art of manipulation over these long years since his first encounter with the Jedi, which had been rather aggressive and obvious. Even though it might seem easier to break Kenobi through force, he knew just by looking at the man and from their recent encounter that violence to his person would only strengthen his resolve to fight. His compassion would be his undoing and at that moment Maul needed him off balance to plant the seed of trust that he could twist to loyalty as he worked over the former Jedi's psyche. A greater desire to see the fallen padawan at his side and under his control allowed his blood lust to sink beneath the veneer of his dark shadow.

"As you wish, he will live. I know you have been in contact with the Jedi Master Yoda. Contact him now, but mention nothing of me or this ship. I will be monitoring." As he spoke, Kenobi could feel his dark presence within his mind almost like a thunder cloud hovering over his mental walls, a spy poised on the edge of his consciousness.

Kenobi he couldn't do anything creative with the sith so present, so he turned his back on the sith and the ship, his vision full with Nawe and the hangar. 

/Master,/ his mind reached out to the gnomish Jedi, /I have need of you./

He visualized the journey he had made to the hangar from the infirmary and sent that in the mental broadcast as well. He had not done such a communication through the force for so long he wasn't even sure if it would reach the master and his body was paying the price. The tightness in his chest was returning and he had to break off the link before he was sure it had gotten through as he sank to his knees, feeling drained and slightly feverish. Maul's abrupt removal of his presence from Kenobi's mind didn't help. He gasped for breath as he fell forward, his hands out to stop him from falling over completely. He tried to compose himself, to slow his breathing and relieve the pressure he felt in his chest.

"We're done here," came Maul's voice through the ringing in Kenobi's ears and he felt, more than witnessed, the dark lord sweep to his position and hook his hand into Kenobi's armpit and half lift, half drag him to the ship ramp. Kenobi recovered somewhat and stumbled up the ramp.

He was barely aware of Jango opening a slim containment cell in the cargo hold, just large enough for him to slide into on his back like his dorm bunks back when he was a youngling.

"Where are we headed, anyway?" he asked dreamily as his lucid thoughts began to slip away.

"Nowhere," came Jango's reply as he sealed Kenobi inside the detention berth, but the word 'Kamino' traveled carelessly through his mind and Kenobi managed to direct it out to Nawe's unconscious mind with the last of his strength. As he sank into a dreamless darkness, he hoped Nawe would figure out what to do with that last word from his Captain.


	16. Chapter 16

_OK, so this is going to be interesting to see how you guys respond to the next part. _

_But before I continue, I just wanted to thank all the authors on the Fan Fiction site who have inspired me with their amazing stories. When I found this site, I never dreamed I'd even be posting stories here, let alone going down the route of AU, but the quality of writing and the amazingly diverse themes and topics for old Obi's (and others, but let's face it, mainly Obi's!) adventures helped me really experiment with my work, so if you haven't done so already, check out my story favorites, you might find something you hadn't come across before that gets your creative spirit souring! I do have some SLASH fics in there, so check the ratings if you're not into that kind of thing._

_Right then, on with it. _

Obi-Wan awoke feeling completely refreshed. He was lying in a large, very comfortable bed with soft sheets, which was the last sensation he was expecting. The room was expansive, gleaming white and the architecture was smoothed and rounded, giving the room an odd combination of clinical yet nurturing.

He swept the sheets off his body to rise and examine his luxurious prison and noticed the white pajamas he was now wearing, a similar soft fabric to the sheets on the bed. This was all very confusing. He had expected to find himself in a sith torture chamber, or at the very least a dingy cell somewhere in the bowels of a wretched fortress. His current surroundings had thrown him for a loop.

/So, they intend to break me with opulence. Can't say I don't approve!/ he thought as he continued his examination of the accommodations.

He looked out of the panoramic, domed window to see a turbulent ocean, dark gray-blue storm clouds rolling above. Lightening truck the swirling waves in the distance, but no sound reached him. There was a constant sheen of rain water descending the window and yet the view was crystal clear through the storm. He could see the domed buildings around him. They seemed to form an artificial island in the turbulent ocean.

/No escape that way,/ he thought to himself. He continued to survey the island when he saw the landing pad with the bounty hunters ship parked in the rain. If he could get to that he might be able to get off world, now he just had to figure out how to get to it.

As he contemplated his options, the growing sense of the living force that he had noticed when he first awoke, was steadily accumulating. He came to the realization that there was finally no need to hide his true nature here, everyone knew what he was, so he opened himself fully to the flow of the force, a move he had not performed since the death of Qui-Gon.

The force greeted him warmly, like an old friend, and he allowed his perception to be carried along its flow around the island. There was a mass of living force here. New life was being created on an incredible scale, the living force was practically visible in its eddies and waves and Obi-Wan could sense that the turbulence of the atmosphere on the planet was being fueled by this abundance of living force. It was intoxicating and invigorating. The thing that had Obi-Wan concerned, however, was its innocence and the presence of the sith was working its way through the flow, manipulating and influencing the direction of the eddies ever so subtly. If Obi-Wan hadn't already become familiar with the sith's presence, he doubted he would have noticed it was even there.

/What is this place? Some kind of thriving colony?/

"They're cloners," the sith's voice suddenly coming from behind Obi-Wan caused him to instinctively use a force push on the nearest piece of furniture, a chair as it happened, towards the dark lord's head. Maul, not even flinching, caught it without looking at it, his yellow eyes locked with Obi-Wan's deep blue orb.

"I have the natives here building me an army," he said lowering the chair, his voice calm and matter-of-fact. Although he didn't show it, he was very pleased with the response his presence had elicited from the former Jedi. He could feel the fear and frustration building in the man before him, his confusion at his pleasant surroundings fueling that fear with the anticipation of what was to happen to him. This had been a much better idea than straight forward torture, but he knew he always had that option if the need arose. Now was the time to really mess with the Jedi's head.

"An army I had hoped you would join me in leading." He studied the face of his adversary, looking for signs of shock or surprise and smiled at the glint of both that the Jedi quickly suppressed.

"And what makes you think I would ever take such an insane course of action?" asked Obi-Wan as coolly as he could. Internally his mind was flipping. How could this creature even contemplate such a thing, it was complete insanity. Of course, he was dealing with a sith, so it was anyone's guess as to what it was thinking.

"Because I trust you," the dark lord spoke quietly and calmly, moving closer to Obi-Wan, who instinctively stepped back towards the domed glass window.

"Come again?" said Obi-Wan, no longer hiding his complete confusion.


	17. Chapter 17

"Come again?" said Obi-Wan, no longer hiding his complete confusion.

Perhaps he had died and this was some alternate universe playing out in front of him, or he was still asleep, his exertion to Nawe taking the same part of his mind with him and he would wake up in the dingy cell he had been expecting, allowed to wallow in his misery. He even shook his head just to make sure he was awake.

Maul was enjoying himself immensely as the waves of emotion swept out of the Jedi, his mental shields straining to cope with the sith's words.

/Perfect, the man is teetering on the edge and so very soon will be mine to command!/

"I trust you to make the right decision in this, because you have sensed it. The living force of this place. It's where you were when I came in, you were enveloped in its flow. That's why you didn't detect my presence here."

Obi-Wan was uncomfortable with the sith so close to him physically and mentally, but despite that, the man had a point. The living force was in everything here.

"You're a man who inspires loyalty, Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"Don't you dare use my name!" Kenobi spat instinctively, surprised at his own spike of hate at the sith naming him. Even Yoda had refrained from addressing him so intimately. The last person to speak his name to him had been Qui-Gon and now the very man who had struck the fatal blow to his beloved master was talking to him as if they were brothers.

He suddenly found himself on the floor, on top of the tattooed fiend, his hands tightening around the dark lord's throat. His hate was overwhelming his body and taking control. The sith's red eyes were flaming, not with surprise or anger, but delight! Kenobi instantly released him and sat back, shaken by his emotional explosion, his head clasped in his hands.

The sith was chuckling quietly to himself as he saw Kenobi shaking on the floor next to him. This was going to be easier than he thought.

"Impressive," he said still remaining unerringly calm through the whole thing. Kenobi marveled agt his restraint as he tried desperately to regain control over his body that was boiling to squeeze the life from the sith. For Qui-Gon, for Nawe, he could feel it whispering to him, but he partitioned the internal voice from the rest of his psyche and brought his breathing under control.

"So, what do I call you to prevent asphyxiation?" asked Maul still sitting on the floor at Kenobi's level.

"Don't call me anything, bury me in a cell somewhere , throw away the key and forget I even exist! Or, better yet, take me to the edge of this island and toss me over the side. I'm sure I'll make a resounding and fatal splash."

"How are you supposed to lead my army from the bottom of the ocean?" asked Maul as if talking to a small child.

Kenobi couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had just tried to kill the man and he still expected Kenobi to work for him.

"You are completely insane!" yelled Kenobi, his emotions of anger, fear and frustration rising again in turmoil, threatening to lash out have him lose control again.

Maul raised his hands to calm the distressed Jedi.  
"Think about it, for a moment. Think about the opportunity I'm giving you here. You command the army as you see fit. You felt it when you scanned the island. They are all innocents under my influence. Think of what they could achieved guided by you."

"What are you saying? That I would have autonomy over them? Why would you do that? None of this makes any sense."

"As I have said already, you inspire loyalty and you do it not through fear, as I have been trained to do, but through faith and mutual trust. And that insipid false conviction that there is a moral good in everyone, buried deep in some, but it's there if you can find it. Well, this is your chance to find mine. Command my army and be witness to my benevolence."

Kenobi didn't like the sound of that.

"Just what would I be commanding this army to do, exactly?" he asked skeptically.

"A simple enough task. Protect the Republic from it's enemies. All it's enemies," he said darkly.

"To place you as Supreme Chancellor, I suppose?"

"Not at first, there are some obstacles to overcome first, but eventually that would be the goal. And why not? Do you honestly believe the Republic even functions as a democracy anymore?"

Maul had a point, but Kenobi was not going to admit anything to the red and black tattooed fiend.

"What you are talking about is tyranny, nothing more. Let's not try to cover it up."

Maul merely shrugged his shoulders, thoroughly enjoying himself in this confrontation. Kenobi had gone from trying to kill him to engaging in conversation to the killing attempt again, which had shown Maul that Kenobi's physical strength was not something to be underestimated. Now he was actually listening to Maul's plans. Fascinating!

"I refuse," said Kenobi flatly, thinking of wiping that grin off Maul's face with a table leg, but breathing through the rise in hate again, allowing it to wash through him and out into the force. If he didn't know better, he'd say that the storm outside had just gained ferocity as the large rain drops lashed down the dome.

"Be reasonable," said Maul as calmly as he could, his true self becoming irritated with this unusual approach to Kenobi.

/Why don't you just break his legs or bust his ribs or something,/ it cooed to him, /at least you'd feel better./ Although tempting, that would destroy everything he had just worked so hard to build and there would be plenty of time to teach the Jedi how a sith punished insubordination once he was on board.

"I've studied your tactics and you have the uncanny ability of achieving your goals with the least casualties on either side, a goal desired by any general, surely."

"I'm no general," came Kenobi's short reply.

"Not yet, but with training in the field you could be the greatest general that ever lived, remembered down the ages not as the failed Jedi, but as the great General, the savior of the Republic."

"It wouldn't be a Republic any more, remember?"

"From a certain point of view. Now shall we inspect your troops?"


	18. Chapter 18

_OK, so things have been a bit slow for the last couple of chapters, but that's about to change, so bare with it! _

_Torli: Wow, thanks for the encouragement! I'm really thrilled you like it, I was really worried people would think it was too out there and lose interest. The updating is probably going to drop off over the next few postings as my job takes priority over this story, but I'm galvanized by the interest to get it up here! Thanks again! _

_elektralyte: Yeah, the update thing is not going to last, I'm afraid, I'll try to keep reasonably up to date. As for Maul, I always thought it was a waste of such an enigmatic character and I understand the motivation behind killing him, but it did get me thinking about the what-ifs. It's just taken me 14 years (Oh my goodness, really? Fourteen years? Yikes, I'm old!) to a) come up with something that's hopefully plausible and b) find a place to post it! I think the next few posts should keep up his developing character and I hope I've done him justice. _

_Here goes, again!_

"Now shall we inspect your troops?" The sith lord picked himself up off the floor.

Maul gestured to Kenobi they were leaving, but Kenobi stayed where he was.

"That wasn't a request, 'General'," he continued and he pulled Kenobi up off the floor with the force. Kenobi had to rebalance himself quickly once Maul released him to prevent another trip to the floor.

"I hardly think silk pajamas are appropriate attire for a troop inspection, and as I said, I'm no general!"

"You refuse to tell me what to call you, so it's my only choice at the moment. As for the clothes," he headed to the hidden elevator Kenobi had not seen until now, "they're pretty common round here. No one will bat an eyelid. "

Having no choice but to follow, Kenobi headed to the elevator, his bare feet slapping against the lift floor a stark contrast to the silence as he had walked over the carpet in the apartment.

"I hope the floors aren't too cold. First impressions and all that. It wouldn't look very good for the future and 'Great General' to be hopping about the inspection site," he said sarcastically as the elevator began its descent. Maul merely looked Kenobi over and chuckled lightly. He was about to make comment, when the elevator doors opened and Kenobi came face to face with the most striking woman he had ever seen.

Her skin was a most intriguing silver-gray and she had tattoos similar to Maul's that laced with much more grace across her face than his. She was athletically slender and dressed all in black with the glint of two curved lightsabre hilts at her waist. But the most memorable thing about her was her hardened penetrating stare from deep purple eyes and Kenobi was transfixed by her presence.

"Hello there," he said softly, still locked in that gaze. Her irises suddenly became swirling pools of rage and disgust.

Her response to his greeting was to slam him into the back of the elevator with a force choke that had him lifted off the floor.

/Well, at least I don't have to worry about cold floors!/ he thought to himself as he clawed at his neck.

"This is your replacement for me?" hissed the woman.

Maul just folded his arms and watched how the scene would unfold.

"How could I possibly replace you, Assaj. You offer far too much entertainment. But perhaps you should introduce yourself to our guest before he succumbs to your gentle touch."

The hold on Kenobi only seemed to intensify around his throat.

/I've had about enough of this!/ he thought and thrust out a force push of his own that sent her slamming into the bulkhead behind her where she slipped to the floor momentarily stunned.

"Charming!" said Kenobi, feeling his throat. Ventress leapt up, blades raised and Kenobi instinctively reached for the closest blade, that of Maul. He flipped it on just in time to defend himself against her attack, the red blades clashing together bathing everyone in a red glow.

Through the hiss and splatter of the blades, both Assaj and Kenobi heard Maul chuckling to himself, witnessing the whole scene with much delight. They both turned to glare at him, which only amused him even more and he folded his arms and leaned back against the lift wall.

"Oh, please, don't mind me, do continue."

Assaj withdrew to lash up and around for another attack and Kenobi swung the blade to defend once again. She pressed into his blade and he had to use both hands to keep her strong arms from bringing her blades down to his flesh. He managed to push her back far enough to once again force push her to the far wall and he leapt from the elevator and began to back down the hall as she recovered and came at him with a guttural cry of anger at how he had managed to do that twice to her now.

Unable to see his pets fight from his position in the lift, Maul exited slowly and observed the pair as Ventress drove Kenobi back with her advancing attacks. He could see exactly what the former Jedi was up to and he had to admire the man's form. His skills had not dulled over the years and he quickly manipulated the situation to his advantage.

The couple continued their dance to the end of the hall where Kenobi, who had been retreating, now took on the offensive that drove Ventress back far enough for him to suddenly twist out and away from her blades and dart through the door. They slid shut behind him and he ran the blade down to fuse the doors. It wouldn't hold the dark duo for long, but he had a slim window to get some distance between himself and his foes.

He heard Assaj's frustration driven scream as her force push against the doors merely buckled the metal. He had disappeared from view by the time she had sliced through the doors.

Maul merely smiled at Kenobi's swift actions. They hadn't surprised him and it was not difficult to discern his unusual force signature as it danced with the excess of force speed through the island.

Maul flipped on his communicator.

"Jango, Kenobi is on his way, you'd better be prepared."

"Yes, Sir," came the stark reply and he closed the link as he moved to the smoldering door.

/Ventress/ called Maul through their link in the force, /stand down./

She growled at his words and continued her pursuit. She could almost taste the Jedi at this point and wasn't about to let her quarry escape.

Maul sensed her defiance and lanced a spike of dark force energy through their link into her mind. She clutched her head, her brain feeling cooked, and she sank to her knees, a cry of pain and frustration echoing down the hallway.

/Do not defy me, Ventress. Break off the pursuit and await my orders. And prey Kenobi doesn't outwit you the next time you meet!/

"Oh, believe me he won't." she said darkly to herself. The man was now only a walking corpse as far as she was concerned, she would just have to educate him of that fact when the time came.


	19. Chapter 19

_Torli: Thanks for the comments. I do like the idea of Assajj and Obi, but it's unlikely to happen in this story. I have another monster of an AU that I am contemplating posting which has a A+O pairing, but that needs a lot of work before I'll start that one. Just from checking the site today there were three new A+O stories, so I'll be keeping an eye on those! I was concerned that the humor would come across as a little too slapstick, but it seems to be working! And have no doubt, they will meet again! (Da-da-darr!)_

Kenobi continued to race off away from Ventress and Maul, who he was sure would run him down at any moment. He deactivated the blade in his right hand and threw it back the way he had come, bile rising in his stomach at the thought of handling the blade carried by his master's murderer. He had been desperate at the time and his own self preservation had kicked in, but now that he had the chance to think about it, all he saw was Master Qui-Gon being skewered by the red beam and it was no longer acceptable to allow Maul's tainted blade to rest in his hands. A foolish move, perhaps, but there were limits to his desire to escape and the memory of his beloved master was not something he was willing to compromise for a mere weapon.

As he kept going through the complex, he realized the emptiness of the corridors he was racing through was purposeful, his path had been cleared. Before he could focus on this realization he seemed to pass into a section of the complex that seethed with new life and the living force seemed to literally envelope his being, lifting his shields with a gentle weightlessness and release that had him breathing heavily as though he had just fought off the entire Trade Federation droid army. He felt exhausted and invigorated at the same time and he doubled over, his hands on his knees.

After composing himself, he was able to look up and out at the rows and rows of incubator chambers that rotated through the chamber. All thought of Ventress disappeared from his mind as he was transfixed by the site of the tiny living clones floating in the artificial amniotic fluid, their limbs mere stubs in this area of the development cycle. He couldn't turn away, the force calling him to see the life here.

"My sons," the voice drifted to Kenobi through his force haze, "each and every one of them. Do you have any idea the burden of responsibility that's been placed on me?"

Kenobi turned slowly to face Jango, who was out of his armor and without his helmet, suddenly looked terribly human.

"He'll destroy them. He doesn't care about any of them. He will sacrifice my sons to attain his goal. And there is nothing I can do about it. But you can."

"By working with him? Is that what he wants you to suggest to me?" asked Kenobi in horror. How could he possibly think aiding Maul's aggression in anyway was a good thing?

"You misunderstand me," began Jango, "You can destroy him."

Kenobi chuckled darkly to himself, this just another surprise to rack up for the day! What could have given the bounty hunter the impression Kenobi could defeat the sith lord? The euphoria of his connection to the living force after years of suppressing his abilities was rapidly disintegrating as his own self doubt at facing Maul again and his inevitable defeat.

"And you greatly over estimate me," he said dejectedly. "There's no way I can defeat this sith. I can barely remain on my feet long enough in his presence to last a simple conversation!"

"I'm not expecting you to defeat him alone, but you have allies you are not even aware of."

"With all due respect, bounty hunter, you've tried to kill me and mine a little too often of late for me to think that's even plausible." He raised himself into a defensive stance, ready to push the man out of his way with a force shove. Jango moved back a step, reading Kenobi's body language as aggressive and he almost looked afraid but Kenobi quickly dismissed that as part of his act.

"I don't mean me," said Jango suddenly sounding desperate, which further confused Kenobi but again he considered this to be Jango's act continuing. "I mean another lost Jedi."

"What are you talking about?" asked Kenobi intrigued by Jango's statement and once again off balance. He was finding it increasingly difficult to focus on the conversation with the living force continuing to swirl around him and draw his attention in a million different directions. He realized that each new mind in its development was contributing to the cacophony and it was all becoming increasingly chaotic around him.

"Sure the name of Count Dooku means something to you?"

Brought back to the present, the name of his Master's Master caused him to gasp and he clutched his chest as the pain of remembering his heart breaking at the moment of Qui-Gons death overwhelmed him. All memories and old pains from that moment became like open wounds. His eye socket seemed lanced with pain and he cried out and clutched at the eye patch. Jango was at his side immediately and swept him through the chamber.

Recovering, Kenobi pulled away from him as they left and he realized they were almost at the bounty hunters ship.

"What would you know of Master Dooku?" he spat at Jango, remembering his callousness towards Nawe.

"I've walked across this galaxy, it's my job to find the lost. I can take you to him and together you can defeat the sith." He seemed to beckon the former Jedi towards the door leading to the ship that was outside being pounded by the storm.

A skeptical Kenobi paused and Jango moved back to him.

"Look, at least I'm offering you a way off this planet. Could it be worse than staying here?"

Kenobi shuddered at the thought of encountering either Maul of Ventress again right now. But this all seemed too convenient, for him to be presented with such an obvious way out.

"And you would abandon your 'children', just like that?" He eyed the bounty hunter who sighed heavily, looking back towards the clone development chamber.

"I have a chance to free them from him and I'm going to take it, even if that means leaving them in his care at this moment." He turned back to Kenobi to get in his face. "I will be back and they will have their freedom from his destructive plans."


	20. Chapter 20

_So, one of the cable channels showed 'A Life Less Ordinary' last night, and I forgot just how funny that movie is. Old EM is so adorably charming, one of my favorite scenes is when he and CD are in the phone booth and he just can't get the ransom demand right! Really lovely! If you are an EM fan and you haven't seen it I recommend you take a gander._

_(Sincere apologies for the bad Maori! But I thought I'd give it a try!)_

_Anyhoo, on with the story, now where were we… _

" I will be back and they will have their freedom from his destructive plans." He said this with such conviction that Kenobi could only nod in acceptance. The man truly believed what he said and there was no warning of deception through the force coming from him, only his passion to his cause.

If Kenobi was going to defeat Maul he would need help. Whenever they met, Maul always managed to have the upper hand, whether mentally or physically. He still felt he couldn't return to the Jedi Temple, they would spend weeks testing him for his loyalty and even then there was no guarantee they would even act on any information he gave them if they had any doubts about him. Yoda on his side was one thing, but he would have needed the whole Council on board to take any decisive action. Perhaps this was all his own insecurities talking, but the Temple was no place for him.

Dooku might be more sympathetic to his situation, his master had always spoken fondly of him and the force around Kenobi grew warm and as close to comforting as he had felt over the last few hours now that his thoughts were moved to seeking out the Count. No one had heard from the master in many years, not since before Qui-Gons death. He was considered one of the missing twenty and Kenobi certainly hadn't thought about him in a long time.

The whole complex suddenly rang with claxons and the lighting went from brilliant white to glaring red as security lights began flashing.

"Boba, get it going!" yelled Jango into his wrist comm. and Kenobi noticed the ship rotating.

"Let's go!" cried Jango and he grabbed Kenobi's nearest numbed limb, his right arm, and pulled him outside. Once in motion, Kenobi followed out to the ship, his bare feet slapping along on the rain soaked floor outside. Both he and Jango were completely soaked by the time they reached the ship and they ran up the ramp which was already retracting. As the hatch closed it rammed into the top of Kenobi's shoulder and he went sprawling into the ship.

"Sorry!" came a boy's voice from the front of the ship. "It's still a bit sticky and slams when wet."

Kenobi got to his feet rubbing his shoulder.

"Next time, I'll get on first," said Kenobi to Jango as he helped him to the cockpit. Blaster fire suddenly ran out at them from the security turrets placed around the landing platform.

"Er, dad?" questioned the boy, but Jango just got next to him and indicated a chair for Kenobi.

"Just get us out of here, Boba."

The lad skillfully maneuvered the craft between the blaster turrets as the ship ascended into the storm clouds, and Kenobi felt his stomach lurch as the ship suddenly shot up out of the atmosphere to break from the planets gravitational pull.

"Oh, I really hate flying!" he said as he finally managed to pull his harness closed tight around his body and settled deeper into his seat, eye clenched shut.

Jango punched in the hyperdrive coordinates and the swirl of hyperspace enveloped the ship.

"Good work, son," said Jango and he clapped the lad on the shoulder. Boba beamed with pride over his shoulder and then glared at their passenger.

"Who is he, Dad?" he asked as Kenobi shook off his nausea. A thought came to his mind, a name one of his fellow younglings had used for him when Obi-wan had proved too difficult for her to annunciate.

"I'm Ben," he said hoarsely. "Just watch where you're flying."

"It's hyperspace, stupid, the ship flies itself!" said Boba smugly.

"Boba," reproached Jango, "Ben is our guest,"

The boy turned to the ships controls and huffed.

"We can talk in the back," Jango said, indicating the back of the ship, "and I have your uniform back there."

"No thanks," said Kenobi, remembering the containment cell he'd been placed in to get to Kamino, and although he wanted to get out of the wet PJs he wasn't ready to put his old clothes back on just yet. He knew he would need to change soon, he was starting to feel cold in the cockpit, but it gave him an alertness that the dry, warm clothes would seep out of him once he felt their warm familiar embrace. "I think we can stay here to have our little 'chat'."

"Suit yourself," said Jango. "Boba, puta tatou ehinu kai."

"Otira Papa –"

"Boba! Puta tatou ehinu kai, no naia nei!"

The boy slouched out of his chair and into the galley. Jango hopped into the vacated pilot's seat and checked the readings.

"OK, then," he said, turning the chair to face Kenobi. "We're headed to Geonosis. Once I realized Maul's plans for you I used my contacts to find Dooku and from all reports, that was the last place he was spotted."

"What do you mean 'once you realized Maul's plans for me'? You didn't know why he wanted me?"

"Why should I? Maul trusts no one, and gives us underlings as little information as he can. I thought he just wanted revenge on you for surviving the encounter on the hangar deck thanks to that other Jedi. But it was clear that wasn't his plan at all, he wanted you on his side. It was the only explanation for his indulgence of your wishes over the boy."

Kenobi remembered the scene inside the hangar and Jango's part in it.

"Remind me to repay you for my friend's treatmen," he spat at the bounty hunter.

Jango just scoffed.

"Please!" he exclaimed, "you really think my intervention would have resulted in anything but my own painful death? I even tried to put the poor lad out of his misery, but Maul prevented that. The boy has to live with the mental and physical scars of that encounter. Think on that for a moment."

/Dear Nawe!/ Kenobi thought of the joyous, enthusiastic kid he had known, the realization that that lad was no more and a very changed man would emerge from such a trial.

"He's young and strong, he'll survive," said Kenobi, not looking at Jango and saying the words to convince himself rather than anyone else. "What could possibly lead you to work for such a man as Maul?" asked Kenobi, wanting to know the motivations behind this man's actions.

Jango simply replied by looking lovingly to the galley, causing Kenobi to raise his eyebrows in surprise.

"Your son?" he asked.

Jango turned to him and Kenobi saw the genuine affection in the man's eyes.

"When offered so much, how could any man refuse?"

"Maul gave you a son?" then realization set in, "He's one of the clones!"


	21. Chapter 21

"Maul gave you a son?" then realization set in, "He's one of the clones."

Jango nodded slowly. "The others have been grown at an accelerated rate, but Boba is untouched. Just a boy growing up with his father."

Kenobi nodded in understanding. What he wouldn't give to have the only father he had known at his side right now. His thoughts drifted to the Noobians under his charge for so long. He had encouraged them to think of each other as family, it had only brought them closer together, made them into a stronger team. Over the years Kenobi had come to the realization that this unconditional love of family was something Jedi lacked. In their desperation, almost, to route out any dalliance with the dark side, the order had forgotten the fundamental purpose of this kind of attachment, to strengthen, to support, to comfort in times of greatest need. The unconditional love of a father for his son was something Kenobi could understand and witnessed in Jango.

Jango continued, answering Kenobi's unasked question next.

"I tried to leave after Boba was born, I wanted to but Maul has a way of finding your weakness and exploiting it rather efficiently."

Kenobi remembered his encounter with Maul in the suite when he first woke up on Kamino, how he thoroughly seemed to know Kenobi and how to manipulate him.

"Last year I was approached by the leader of the Nemoidian Trade Syndicate who offered me sanctuary for the assassination of senator Amidala."

Kenobi suddenly felt a shiver run up his spin at Jango's words, intently staring at the man. Jango continued, but his gaze fell away from the former Jedi.

"Maul encouraged it, seeing it as a way to elicit revenge on the Senator and to further destabilize that part of the system. I had a team set up and preparations for a Palace raid that could look like a Separatist Terrorist move, but suddenly Nute Gunray contacted me to call it off. Someone had managed to convince him it was a bad idea, I later found out that was Count Dooku. I managed to track him down and he convinced me he could shelter Boba and myself from Maul, so I decided to return to Naboo to personally recall my associates from the mission. We were intercepted by Maul, who had brought along his latest batch of young clones."

He paused for a moment, Kenobi sensing his fear and disgust at Maul rolling off him in powerful waves of emotion. "He destroyed one, broke him to pieces, right in front of me, while Boba was off playing with the others. I was so completely impotent, there was nothing I could do, the horror of this situation just destroying any hope I had left."

He closed his eyes, willing the images that were flashing through his mind to disintegrate. With a simple mind trick that Kenobi was surprised even worked, he was able to help turn the images Jango was witnessing, aiding in his mind cleansing. It was obvious Jango knew what the Jedi was up to, Maul had touched his mind before on many occasions, especially after that particular incident, but his touch had been dark and damaging, whereas Kenobi's touch was delicate, understanding and in no way forceful.

"I sent the go ahead to my people on Naboo and the attack took place while Maul had Boba and I sequestered on Kamino. The attempt was unsuccessful, no doubt in no small part to your presence there." He looked up to Kenobi with eyes that showed the hint of gratitude and guilt that he could already sense from the bounty hunter.

"Yes, well, I suppose I should be thankful you weren't there. I could have lost more than my eye implant!" Jango's confession was tearing him up inside, part of him wanted to leap over and rip the man's own eyes out for what had happened, but he had to remember how seeing Nawe's battered form had him submitting to the dark lords will. Unconditional love had its challenges, also.

A call from the galley brought Boba back to their thoughts and the two men looked at each other, one questioning, and the other saddened once again.

"Boba knows nothing of Maul's cruelty," said Jango as he rose to head back to his son. "I have taught him to be cautious of both Maul and Ventress, but he's a child and they have been his friends. Mention nothing of them to him, please."

Kenobi simply nodded and unstrapped his harness. The dampness of his clothes was suddenly returned to him as he pealed himself off the chair.

"Perhaps a change of clothes is in order, after all!" and he followed Jango into the back.

Boba had set out the food on a narrow bench that separated the small kitchen from the rest of the ship.

"Smells good, thank you, Son," said Jango as he settled next to Boba, "the first room past the cells has your clothes, you can get dry and change in there." Kenobi nodded his thanks and headed back there.

The room consisted of two bunk beds, a fresher with sink and a small closet where he found his uniform. He pulled it out and examined it. The whole outfit had obviously been cleaned and pressed, which surprised him, but he wasn't complaining. He really hadn't fancied coming across the stains of Nawe's blood all over them.

He dried off and slipped into the comfortable clothes, feeling restored just by having them soothingly against his skin. This was whom he was, Captain Latterie, chief of security to the Senator, Padme Amidala, of the Naboo, not some fallen Jedi to be picked over by dark and light forces. He suddenly longed to be going home, back to Naboo and to Padme's service. He looked around for his hat, where had Jango put that? Had he hidden it on purpose? That would be typical, having to return without a full uniform, how uncivilized! He began to search a little more desperately for his headgear, he couldn't return without it.

He spun around to look at himself in the mirror, uniform pristine, hair in disarray, eye wild with his fear. The memory of giving the hat to Typho popped back into his head. The fear melted away from his face to be replaced with a heavy sadness as he looked over his clothes again. They didn't seem to fit him quite so snugly any more.

He took off the armor, so that he just had the blue undershirt on and he straightened it a little so that it didn't look quite so oversized. His stomach grumbled and he headed back to the galley where Jango and Boba were tucking into the stew and bread Boba had prepared. When he saw Kenobi coming, Boba got a bowl and dished some out for the Jedi.

"Thanks," Kenobi said quietly and started eating. Boba and Jango looked questioningly at each other, but Jango gestured for Boba to keep eating, so the lad put his head down and ate his fill. Sensing the growing awkwardness at his subdued attitude, Kenobi perked himself up, trying to break the tension.

"This is great, Boba, thank you, what's in it?"

The lad's attitude towards their new arrival had changed since his talk with his father. Jango had explained that by helping Ben, he and Jango would be able to come and go from Kamino whenever they wanted and Dad wouldn't have to go off on so many of his missions any more. He would miss his brothers, but he'd be back to see them again soon. Now he had an opening in the conversation with Ben and he was going to use it.

"It's just some nerf meat and a few Dalso vegetables. You're from Naboo, aren't you? We were there last year, weren't we Dad. But we had to leave, which was a real shame, it's beautiful there."

"Yes, there will always be a part of me that remains on Naboo!" said Kenobi with a wicked grin flashed at Jango before he continued with his food.


	22. Chapter 22

"Yes, there will always be a part of me that remains on Naboo!" said Kenobi with a wicked grin flashed at Jango before he continued with his food.

If Jango was going to reply, he was cut off by the alert from the cockpit and he got up.

"We're coming up on Geonosis, I'll cut the sub-light engines. You both stay, enjoy your food."

He left the excited Boba with the Jedi, knowing Kenobi would not reveal anything of their earlier conversation and confident Boba could keep the man engaged in conversation. He had had to lie a great deal to appease his sons worries, but the more Boba trusted Kenobi, the better and he could do worse for a surrogate father. Geonosis would not be the sanctuary he had led both passengers to believe, at least not for Jango.

He sighed heavily as he switched off the engines and the stream of stars became the pin pricks of normal space. The familiar orange colored planet filled the view screen and Jango began plotting their course to avoid the ring of asteroids that surrounded the planet.

The proximity alert sounded and Jango looked up to see a fleet of drone ships ascend from the ring system and approach.

"Craft identified – Firespray-31-class Pursuit Special – designation – Slave 1 – occupants are requested to stand down and await tow to planets surface – Bounty Hunter Jango Fett – arrest warrant issued and craft impounded – resistance will be met with deadly force – open communication to confirm message received."

Jango went to flip on the comm., but was met with a wash of sparks. He was thankful his clothes were still damp from their run to the ship, otherwise he'd be on fire right now. Perhaps they hadn't left Kamino as unscathed as he had hoped, but there had been no warning. Almost immediately after his thought on the subject, a red flashing indicator on the panel winked at him. "Bit late now!" he said to the inanimate light that was clearly mocking him.

"Open communication to confirm message received" came the drone again.

"Yeah, I'm trying!" called Jango, attempting to re-route the comm. systems through another panel of circuits, hoping that would solve the problem. He had known his arrest was inevitable with his return to Separatist territory, he just didn't want the drones thinking he was running, but without the ability to communicate with them, they were sitting ducks.

"Final warning," droned the droid ship, "Open communication to confirm received – failure to comply will result in deadly force – final warning."

Unable to establish the return signal, Jango had no choice. He was not going to sit there while they blasted his son out of existence, so his only option was to resist. He swung the ship around and boosted the engines to head for the ring system where he hoped they could out maneuver the drones and get to the surface in one piece to find Dooku.

The ship lurched to the left at the unmistakable impact of laser fire and Jango quickly maneuvered the ship to avoid the drones, their blaster cannons firing. Kenobi and Boba raced to the cockpit, after their food was unceremoniously dumped on the floor with the ship's unusual shift.

Another hit rocked the ship before the shields had time to re-establish and a panel exploded in a mass of sparks. Kenobi grabbed Boba and shielded them both with a force barrier as the tiny superheated metal fragments rained down inside the confined space.

"What the.." started Kenobi, as a drone ship ran at them, blasters firing wildly. "I wish these people were more pleased to see us!"

"Strap yourselves in, this is going to get bumpy," called Jango. He took the controls and slipped on the harness for the pilot's seat.

"Boba, timata pupuhi!" and the lad was in the gunner's station while Kenobi sank back into the only other seat available, his hands fumbling for the straps as Jango flew between cannon bolts. Boba began firing using the ships substantial blasters on their attackers and Kenobi was rather glad he was in the ship and not facing those guns. A drone exploded off to their right, thanks to Boba's sharp shooting and Jango swerved them away from the debris.

"Great shot, Boba," came his father's encouraging words, "Now, let's see how well they can really fly."

"Oh my," Kenobi commented as the stars swept through the view screen to be replaced by enormous, rotating boulders. Jango skillfully navigated through the maze of spinning rock, but the drones continued to give chase and their shots were getting closer. The proximity alert began blaring at them.

"Seekers!" cried Boba and he released the counter measures, which took out two, but a third remained on their tail. Jango continued his weaving maneuvers, but the missile was unshakable.

"I can't keep this up forever! Now what?"

"You won't have to," His quiet, determined voice had the Fetts turn on Kenobi. "I have a plan."

Drone 4 – missile 3 still on target – remaining to engage if target not destroyed – missile closing – contact imminent – dodging around asteroid to avoid collision – missile impact in 3 – 2 – 1- missile impact – flying through debris field – damage minimal – shielding replacement needed for upper third wing quadrant – request sent – scanning for target – scanning for target – scanning for target – analysis of debris – parts from a Firespray-31-class Pursuit Special – scanning for target – energy readings – negative – communication frequencies – negative – final scan analysis – target destroyed – returning to base for completion of repairs.

Kenobi could feel the heavy presence of the droid ships receding to the planet's surface.

"OK, we'll just wait here for a few more moment and then we can make our way to the planet. Care to explain our welcoming committee while we wait?"

"The planet's security must have been beefed up with the increase in tensions between the Geonosians and the senate." Came Jango's almost rehearsed sounding response.

"Perhaps," said Kenobi skeptically. Jango was suddenly doing a very good job at hiding his emotions and had become very difficult to read. The strongest emotion he was projecting was his love of Boba and his need to keep the boy safe.

"Our communications array went out before I could respond to their hails and they took this as a sign of aggression. If their planet security picks up the ship, we'll be facing a rematch. We'll need to find a place to land away from the settlements and make it in on foot to avoid detection" Kenobi nodded, Jango's plan a sound one.

"Cool move! Hiding on the asteroid like this," said the excited Boba.

"Thanks, I thought it was pretty good too!" came Kenobi's reply. He hadn't been sure it would work, but as it turned out it had saved their skins rather effectively. He'd have to remember that for the future.

"OK, then. Let's get to it," he said and Jango started up the engines and began their decent to the surface.


	23. Chapter 23

_OK, so before I continue, I just wanted to address something that's been bugging me from Star Wars: The Clone Wars. There was recently an episode on Mandelore with Duchess Satine's "nephew" in it. If you haven't watched it, I recommend you check it out at especially if you are an Obi fan, because the nephew not only looks like our favorite hero, but he does the whole chin rub thing that has become synonymous with Obi-Wan. Watch it and make the decision for yourself, it's probably just me over thinking the whole thing, but seriously take a look. I have a feeling the animators are totally messing with us on this! "I look forward to your letters!"_

_AndrossKenobi: Good, I'm glad you're still wondering about that. I want you guys to be questioning why my characters are acting in this way. I love the idea of first impressions not necessarily being that revealing about someone and if Kenobi has been hiding his true nature for the last ten years, just who else is doing the same kind of thing? _

Jango re-plotted their course to the planet's surface, trying to find a secluded spot to set down that wasn't too far from the main city complex. He knew the planet quite well from previous visits, but this was the first time he had had to hide his approach. The ship had sustained heavy damage from the drone encounter and he hoped it would make it to land fall in one piece. As they approached the outer atmosphere those hopes were dashed.

Blaring alarms broke out throughout the cockpit as the plasma began to build up around the craft. The ship began vibrating strongly as he tried to maintain control.

"Damn it!" he exclaimed. "Why is nothing ever easy!" He fought the controls, but the craft had begun to spin. Realizing the danger of this free fall, Kenobi dug deep inside himself and began to extend his force consciousness around the ship. He clenched his eye shut, focusing on his task completely, blocking out the sounds from the cockpit. The sirens, the creaking of the metal framework, the circuits frying, all was blocked from his awareness as he slowly began to position the craft so that what was left of the heat shielding was protecting the habitable section of the ship.

"Jango, get Boba to a containment cell and strap him in, then get back here, I'll need you." Although his voice was barely a whisper, Jango made out every word with crystal clarity and he guided Boba back to the cells.

"But, Dad – " began the boy.

"Not now, Boba," and he secured his son in the cell, knowing the impact would be significantly dampened by the time it reached that part of the ship. He raced back to the cockpit to witness Kenobi sitting stock still, right hand raised, fingers outstretched and ever so slightly rotating in sync with the rotation of the ship.

"I'm back," he said, not sure if the Jedi was aware of his presence or not.

"Take the controls. Once we're in the atmosphere, try to slow us down." Again the voice was so quiet, yet so clear. He immediately sat and grabbed the control stick, testing that it responded to his movements. Once they broke through the top layer of atmosphere, the super heated plasma dissipated to be replaced with billowing tendrils of smoke that enveloped the view screen. The claxons finally getting on his nerves, Jango hit the mute button on the control panel while yelling "shut up!"

He let loose the flaps that extended out of the ship. The turbulence grew as the left side flap sheared off and Kenobi strained to keep the ship level as the ground came up to meet them.

"Get back there!" he hissed to Jango, the desert floor now visible and he wrapped a tendril of force around the flailing right flap to stabilize it and the tumbling ship.

Jango hesitated, but a glare from Kenobi's half open eye had him leaving the cockpit to secure himself in a cell.

The craggy mountains lining the valley they were heading for raced passed as Kenobi made one last effort to reduce their speed with a force push out towards the sand. Touch down threw his concentration off completely and as the craft toppled end over end, he could feel the stew he'd had with Boba rising in his throat.

/Keep it down, keep it down, keep it down/ he repeated over and over in his mind quickly as he was continually jostled. They must have come to the base of one of the great mountains because there was a sudden final impact that stopped their progress and Kenobi was slammed into the left wall, smashing his head into the cabin wall. Sparks were flying, this time inside his head. It took him a moment for those sparks to stop spraying through his vision and he realized he had slumped forward in the restraints. He gingerly raised his hand to his head and felt the gash oozing blood that was now sliding down over his face.

His hearing came back slowly, starting with a low rumbling that increased to obvious yelling. He released the straps and immediately fell to the view screen that was now below him. Picking himself up, he looked up to see the way back to the cells above him and the ship hatch that had been pulled from the ship allowing the bright light of the Geonosian sun to flood the ship.

He could hear Jango and Boba pounding on their respective cells and realized they were trapped. He quickly began to climb up to them using the cockpit chair to reach up through the cockpit. Boba's cries were becoming desperate, so he made for his cell first. He could see the boy pounding on the side door, grabbing at his throat. The air supply must have been compromised and the child was suffocating. The door and enviro-controls panel had been ripped off, so Kenobi calmed his breathing and with a tendril of force, reached for the internal release. The trigger twitched for a moment and then flipped open and the door released. Boba fell forward and Kenobi managed to hold him up with one hand while the other grasped an exhaust pipe that had become exposed.

"Can you climb up and out?" asked Kenobi breathlessly.

"Dad!" exclaimed Boba, struggling against the Jedi. They were in danger of toppling back to the cockpit, so Kenobi shook the boy and sent him a mental slap, which had the child staring at him with shocked eyes. He immediately regretted the move, but he'd had no choice.

"Boba," he began, gently but firmly, "I'll get him out, I promise, but you must climb out so that I can do that."

They stared at each other for a moment as Boba regained his composure, convinced by Kenobi's words. He looked around for hand holds and began pulling himself up to the open hatch. Kenobi returned to the locked cells, Jango's struggles frantic and weakening. Once again he focused on the internal workings of the door, this time finding the connection sheared and the circuits twisted out of position. It was taking too long to manipulate the mechanics, so he tested the cell door, hoping he could sense the frequency of the material as he had with the window in Padme's suite. He motioned to Jango to move back from the door and placed his palm against it. Digging even further into his growing connection to the force, he began the simple vibration that began to build on itself until the shattering point of the material. Once shattered, he punched through the shards and heard Jango gasp in several breathes as the fresh air rushed in.

"Can you make it out?" he asked, already pulling himself out of the way and Jango nodded as he began pushing through the door with his booted foot.

Kenobi headed out the way Boba had gone. The lad shot his hand in to help him out as he approached the hatch.

"Careful, it's pretty rough round here, I snagged my arm on piece of twisted shielding over there." He indicated the offending ship part as he pulled Kenobi up.

Once out, Kenobi turned back to help Jango, who appeared the least injured of the three of them now. The three of them found it easy enough to slide and crawl of the side of the ship and sat on the orange sand that had piled up around the side of the craft on impact.

"Well," said Kenobi breathlessly, "that was an adventure!"


	24. Chapter 24

The sand that swirled around him was a deeper orange than he was used to. This was not his old home. The storm seemed to settle and the maelstrom dissolved into an arena, the howling of the wind becoming the howling of a huge crowd. He walked across the sands to three pillars that stood in its very centre. Three figures were chained there, two men and a woman, was that Padme?

He paused at seeing her, watching in fascination as she nimbly removed her restraints and began to climb the pillar. He was one of the other men, how could this be? He continued to watch the scene as his vision swirled with the sands, he could barely make out the other man and he moved towards him. A rumble from behind had him spin around as a great lumbering beast drove at him and he rolled out of the way and across the orange sand, idly reaching down to touch it, feel the clay like quality of it in his hand. The screech of another creature met his ears and he looked up to see an enormous reptilian like insect rise up on its hind legs and move to strike the third man. Before it could strike, another figure leapt in front of it with a sparkling jabber and thrust up into its neck, where upon it toppled back and away from them. Anakin rolled to his feet and came face to face with the spearman.

"Obi-Wan," he said, as he was jolted from his vision back to the simple room on the farmstead. How had he gotten back here, again? His recollection of the last few days slowly drifted back to his increasingly aching head.

"Obi-Wan? As in Obi-Wan Kenobi?" came the lyrical tones of Padme, who he recognized immediately. "Now that's a name I've not heard in a long time. What made you think of him?"

She placed a soft cool cloth on his forehead and it eased the headache that had suddenly started building.

"I had a vision," said Anakin, his voice croaky and his lips too dry for comfort. She quickly brought him some water for him to sip and he was very grateful to her for that. He marveled at her beauty in these simple surroundings, her hair cascading down her back in large dark curls, her dark brown eyes full of concern and, he knew now, love. How he ached to be able to show her how much he shared those feelings, but the code would forbid such things. He would have to make an impossible choice soon, but at that moment, still feeling the effects of the Sand Mans poison rushing through his system, he could keep that decision for a clearer headed time.

"With Obi-Wan?" she asked, "I suppose it does make sense, this is where you two met, all too briefly."

"He's in trouble," said Anakin, feeling a little stronger and sitting up. She helped him to get more comfortable against the back of the bed with a number of larger pillows for support, her face twisted into one of concern and sadness.

"Anakin, Padawan Kenobi died on Naboo at the hands of the sith over ten years ago. Don't you remember?"

He shook his head gently, as this only made his headache feel even worse. He sighed deeply, unsure of how to break the news to her, the news he was just realizing himself thanks to the vision.

"There's something I have to tell you. It won't be easy for you to hear, but you must." He took her hands gently in his, knowing that this might just solve his earlier dilemma for him without even having to choose between Padme and the order.

/How am I going to do this?/ he thought as he looked into her hypnotic eyes. In a way it was wonderful news, a lost Jedi had been found safe and well. On the other hand, Obi-Wan had lied to her and her people who had put their deep and abiding trust in him. He was not sure how she would take this information, or the fact that he had suspected the man named Latterie since their first meeting and mentioned nothing to her until now. He could not bear the thought of seeing her disappointed in him.

"Obi-Wan is-" he began but was stopped by the entrance of young Owen Lars.

"It's time," he said quietly, sadly, his demeanor subdued since Anakin returned with the wrapped body of his step mother. He had loved her as his own mother after she had joined their family and he had almost lost his father trying to rescue her. Now his step brother had returned and with him he had had to experience the death of another mother. He realized the Jedi must be going through something similar, but where had he been these last five years? If only he had been here a month, a week, a day sooner, even, perhaps more could have been done to save her.

He left the two young people to themselves, Anakin still looking green from the poisoning wounds he had sustained from the ceremonial blade used by the Sand man accused of the worst crimes against Shmi's person. As his right as the accused, the Sand man had challenged Anakin to fight to the death. Anakin had succeeded, proving his allegations to be true, but he had received a number of deep wounds for his trouble. The tribal leader had acknowledged Anakin's victory and the other four Sand people involved in Shmi's capture and abuse had been left to the desert by the tribe, who believed the desert would swallow them to return them cleansed in their next life. The lad had returned with Shmi's body and been able to stagger to the first of the farm building before collapsing from the strain of his injuries and his overwhelming grief enveloped his weakened body.

Anakin stiffly lent forward and pulled his legs off the bed and set them down on the floor. Just this movement had him breathing heavily, but Padme was at his side to stop him from falling forward. Their faces mere inches from each other, they could feel each other's breath drift across their cheeks. His deep blue eyes locked with her brown eyes and all thoughts of the universe outside were lost to them both once again. Were they there for an instant or an eternity? Neither could tell, but the love, the passion that flowed between them was no longer capable of being hidden. She leaned in and he found the light, delicate touch of her lips against his own and he didn't want that feeling to go away. He leaned into the kiss and delicate touches descended into passionate caresses and he lifted his hand to reach into that mass of curls. He winced as a burning wound on his arm complained at the move and the moment was broken. Still breathing heavily, but for different reasons, he leaned back away from his love. Her face was flushed with excitement and a little embarrassment at her forward approach, but her smile was warm, how could he not love that perfect being before him. He smiled warmly back at her, but his smile was tinged with sadness.

Misunderstanding his sadness as his grief, Padme placed her hands on his shoulders as the comforting friend came to the fore.

"Are you sure, you're up to this?" she asked gently, supporting him as he rose to stand.

"I have to do this, Padme, I have to lay her to rest." He took her support, grateful for her strength at that moment. As they approached the door to his room, he straightened himself and pulled away from her. He was determined to attend the simple funeral supporting himself and Padme stepped back just a little so that he could take the lead from the room.


	25. Chapter 25

Clieg Lars, Owen, Beru and C3PO were waiting in silence for Anakin and Padme to appear. Cileg hovered in his chair close to his son who had his hand resting on the older man's shoulder. Clieg looked over at the two other graves next to the new one created for his beloved Shmi. His first wife and infant daughter would always be in his heart, but Shmi had been the wife he had always wanted, an equal who was smart, funny, the most beautiful creature he had laid eyes on and so loving, so kind, so open to him and his family. He just hoped he had helped to make her last years more pleasant than the harsh life she had experienced before, a place she would want her son to feel like his home. She rarely spoke of Anakin, he remembered, not because her love for him was diminished, it was obvious his departure was a painful subject for her, even after all these long years, but when she did speak of him her words were filled with love and pride. Having met the young man for himself, he could see the strength of his mother shining within him, his power controlled, his demeanor that of a disciplined warrior.

/You had great reason to be proud, my beloved/ he thought to himself as Anakin and Padme stepped up from the main building out onto the baked sand. The boy still looked ill, and Clieg regretted having the funeral so soon after the lad had woken up from his fever, but they could not wait another day, the traditional mourning period of six days would be over at sunset. He nodded to Anakin as he moved passed the assembled folk and Anakin respectfully nodded back, remaining somewhat distant to his step father. It was completely understandable, they had only met 8 days ago and at that meeting Clieg had explained everything, seeing the relief and hope in the boys eyes fade to fear and quietly controlled rage. It had been a heartbreaking transformation. Now, the boy exuded sorrow, but there was something else. Whenever he glanced at his traveling companion, Clieg noticed hopefulness in Anakin's expression that reminded him of Shmi so much that he knew it could only be rooted in love. Well that gave him some comfort at least, the boy had some one close to help him through this difficult time.

Clieg approached the grave and spoke openly about his love of Shmi and how she had transformed his and his family's lives, how much he would miss her. Anakin was finding it hard to listen all that closely to the man's words, his own emotions threatening to send him to the desert floor with soul draining grief. Remembering his old master's words on such things he knew he couldn't block these feelings, he had to experience them and let them go, so he opened his being to the comforting force and allowed the tendrils of warmth to wrap around him and sweep away the cold feelings twisting at his heart. His footing slipped again and there was Padme using her body to support him, but giving the appearance that it was her that needed the support and he gave her a tight hug in gratitude.

When the ceremony was over Clieg and the others had slowly gone inside, leaving Padme and Anakin at the graveside. Anakin knelt down stiffly and ran his hand over the sand to smooth over some of the rough areas. He lifted a handful of the yellow grains and let them fall between his fingers. They drifted down, caught on the breeze and as they fell they changed color to orange and collected on the boots of a Naboo security officer. Anakin's headshot up and there was Obi-Wan towering above him, his face full of fear. The apparition raised a bloodied hand in defense.

"Sith!" it said before being blown away by a gust of wind that swept around the farmstead. Anakin gasped and sat back on the once again yellow sand.

"What happened, another vision?" asked the concerned Padme as she came to his side. He was shaken for a moment, unable to take his eyes from the spot where Obi-Wan had been.

The chirruping of R2-D2 came to them as the droid trundled over the sand. It was obvious he had something very important to tell them because he stopped in place and rocked from side to side will bleeping excitedly. Anakin and Padme followed him to the ship where a transmission of some kind had been picked up from the planet Geonosis.

The image was not the clearest holo ever seen, but it was obvious to them both who the person was.

"Latterie!" exclaimed Padme excitedly, and she played the message.

The sound and picture quality were intermittent, but they could understand most of what was being said.

"This is .." he seemed to be looking off camera for a moment and then sighed heavily and clenched his eye shut to continue, "this is former Jedi Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi. I seek Count Dooku, I believe he is here on this planet and I need his help. If you can here me it would appear that the entire Geonosian army believes me and my two traveling companions to be rather dangerous and I assure you this is not the case, we just have extremely limited communications capabilities at the moment and would really like this misunderstanding cleared up if that's all the same to you! Please, if you get this message, relay it to the Count or whatever authorities might be able to help three stranded travelers who are not looking for a fight! We have an injured boy with us who needs ..wait.." The image suddenly blurred and blaster fire was heard. The image finally settled on the Geonosian sandy floor and the image of droideka loomed large for a moment before the message ended abruptly.

Padme turned off the comm., her face one of shock and she turned to face Anakin, who was mulling over Obi-Wan's call for Count Dooku. His master had often spoken of the venerable Jedi Master who had taught Qui-Gon Ginn. But he had left the order a long time ago. What was Obi-Wan thinking? Why wasn't he trying to contact the Council if he was in that much trouble?

"You knew, didn't you?" came Padme's accusing voice, her features stern. "That's why the name Obi-wan has been on your mind lately."

"I didn't know for sure until my vision this morning," he replied, seeing the hurt in her eyes.

"But you suspected and you said nothing."

"I couldn't be sure and the last thing I wanted was to reveal him and have him disappear on us again, or falsely accuse someone."

"You speak of him as though he is some kind of criminal. Is that what you think?"

"No, he's only ever been motivated with protecting you and your people. He's just lost his way a little."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"He should have revealed himself to the order a long time ago, we could have helped him through the grief of loosing Qui-Gon. Quite frankly I felt the loss of both knights that day. Thank goodness Master Yoda was there for me, I doubt I would have become the padawan I am now without his help. And yet I can't help feeling I've lost ten years of getting to know the man closest to Qui-Gon, the one man who truly believed in me. I could have learnt so much from him."

"This isn't about you! He's not your responsibility any more. He chose us for his family at a moment when he had lost the only family he had previously known and how he defended us! I am just saddened he felt he had to hide his true nature. We would have accepted him no matter what. Feel rather foolish that I was unable to detect his deception."

"I don't think you have to worry on that score, he had us all fooled. Although I suspect Master Yoda probably knew from the moment I mentioned my suspicions to him."

"I'm going after him," she said as she moved to the nav computer to bring up Geonosis. Anakin laid a hand on her arm.

"Wait, lets just think about this for a moment."

She pulled away from him and continued with her programming. "He's still one of my people and I owe him my life a dozen times over. I'm not going to leave him out on some other desert planet and it's obvious, vision or no, that he's in trouble."

"Padme, the sith are involved in this, I've sensed it. We need to be cautious. How could we even have received this message what he said about their communications is true?"

"The frequency is an emergency channel open to Nubians through a simple hand communicator. The ship picks up anything on that frequency if we're in range and is able to amplify it. I doubt if Lat- " she paused to correct herself, "I mean Obi-Wan even knows there was a Naboo cruiser close enough to pick it up, the signal was so weak. Certainly if we had been on Naboo we wouldn't have been able to get it. Now, lets get going!"

"No, Padme," said Anakin, determined not to rush into things, despite his growing concern for the former padawan. The force was calling him to the man's aid, but he knew he couldn't face the threat of the sith alone. He needed the councils' support. "Let me contact the Jedi Council first, they must be alerted to the presence of the sith in all this. Besides, you are a representative of the Republic and the Geonosians are known Separatist sympathizers. Intervention in another planets affairs could constitute an invasion of their rights to autonomy."

She turned to look at him with impressed eyes and he continued. "Remember how close the Republic came to war with the Separatists after the Theed incident last year. We were able to negotiate through that very delicate situation once Nute Gunray was revealed as the instigator."

"Yes, it was a shame his ill health meant he never made it to trial." She had often wondered about that, at the convenience of his sudden decline and death mere days before the trial would have begun. But that was not the point right now, her Latterie, her protector and friend, her dear hidden Obi-Wan was in serious trouble and there was nothing anyone could do to stop her from going to his aid.

"I'm going to get him back," she said clearly, moving now into the pilots seat, "you can send your message to the Jedi Council if you like, but I'm leaving once the engines warm up."


	26. Chapter 26

_Torli: I'm so glad you like the way things are going. This next chapter should answer some of your questions and then we get back to how old Obi is doing in the next one. Thanks for another encouraging review._

_JediAngel001: Yes, I really liked that from AOTC, that Padme was willing to go after Obi and she's not the sort of person to sit by while one of her own is in trouble. I also loved the idea that even in this universe, Padme and Anakin would still have that connection, with the same passion, so how would they handle it? _

_I'm thinking of writing out the whole thing with the Sand people, but I really want this to get finished first. I'd like to explore the Padme/Anakin relationship a bit deeper because I kind of threw them in there at you folks without much explanation, but I had to get things moving. I have this rather wordy chapter of explanations before we head back to our hero so please bear with me. Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed so far and for the continued interest. _

Master Yoda was a worried creature, which was an unusual position for him to be in. However, it was an increasing feeling that he was having trouble releasing into the force, another unwelcome reminder of the order's continuing loss of connection to the force. His padawan had contacted the Council with Obi-Wan's message and asked for guidance. With or without him, Senator Amidala was going after her ex-security chief, so the Council had decided to have Anakin continue to protect her.

It seemed events were tumbling out of their control and the discovery of the clone army on Kamino thanks to the boy Nawe's message from Obi-Wan had led the Senate to move to a frighteningly aggressive position and assume the clones as their own, despite warnings from the Jedi Council over such a move. The Jedi were the protectors of the Republic, using their subtle skills, not these clones bred for brute force.

All trace of the sith was gone by the time the Jedi teams of Shaak Ti and Luminara Unduli with their respective padawans had arrived on Kamino. The Kaminoan Chairman had been expecting Jedi to take control of the forces once they were ready, all one million men and although he knew of the bounty hunter who had been the template for the clones, his employers had rarely returned and always acted as Jedi, respectful and dignified. His description of Master Sifo Dias was that of Darth Maul, and his apprentice was a woman completely unknown to the Jedi, an Assaj Ventress.

Something, some distant echo through the force was itching at the back of his head, making his ears twitch. The dark side was growing and had been very slowly building for the last ten years. It was so ingrained, however, in the daily flow of the living force that it was barely perceptible except to those most connected to its flow. Qui-Gon would have noticed it had he been here, Yoda was positive about that. Many on the Council were still skeptical of the old gnome's musings on the state of the force. Only Mace and Ki-Mundi seemed to take him seriously. And now the debate over Kenobi had begun again, which only further saddened his heart.

"It's obvious the man has taken a step too far to the dark side," came one voice.

"Say this, how can you? Worked to help us, he has."

"You call disappearing for ten years and coming back only when a sith just happens to show up helping us?"

"Knew nothing of the sith, did Obi-Wan. Sensed his fear and grief reopened, I did."

"Then how do you explain his actions to leave with this Darth Maul creature?"

"To save the boy, was his only concern. Nothing of this army, did he know."

"How can we be so sure?" These words came from Mace, who looked gravely at Yoda.

"Know Obi-Wan's heart we all do. Put others above himself, he always has. If knew of this army he did, told me, he would have. Faith in him, I have."

"And what of his desire now to find Count Dooku, a known Separatist sympathizer? Do you still have that faith in him?"

"Desperate, he is. Alone, he feels. Master of his Master, hope this brings to him. Still grieving, he is," Yoda said quietly. "Home he should come, but afraid of this Council he still is. Considers himself a failure to us."

"All feelings that lead to the dark side, Master Yoda," came Ki's lyrical voice. "We must be cautious with him. I say we bring him back here, to the temple, to best assess his motivations now and over those lost years. He should be treated with respect but, as I said, with caution. Perhaps Count Dooku could be approached to encourage him to return on his own, rather than us actively seeking him out."

"Old student of mine, Dooku is. Contact him I will. His assistance will I ask for."

"So now we're conspiring with Separatists? This is not going to go down well in the Senate."

"Needs us, one of our own does. Abandon him I will not. Autonomy in our own affairs, we still have. Mindful be, of your accusation."

"This bickering is pointless," came the low tones of Mace once again. The bickering was also out of character for them, but no one dared to mention that even though it was clear through their faces and further subdued force presence. They were becoming increasingly blind to the force, as though it were draining away from them. The consequences of which were reverberating around the room.

"As Master Yoda has pointed out," continued Mace, "Obi-Wan is one of us, as was Master Dooku. With tensions as high as they are right now between the Republic and the Separatists, and with Senator Amidala involving herself in this matter, it would be prudent to have Jedi mediators between both parties and though the skills of Padawan Skywalker are great, he will need assistance in any negotiations. As Master Yoda has had dealings with Master Dooku before, it is fitting he approach the Count. I shall accompany him."

"Settled, it is. Leave now, we shall. Clone army we leave in your hands." Yoda wanted to get moving. The more he thought on his two old students, the more dread he sensed. He could suddenly sense the storm of the sith approaching Geonosis and the fear that he was continuing to have trouble releasing out into the force, hung within his mind.

A young Padawan entered the chamber just as the Council was breaking up and he approached Master Yoda.

"The Chancellor requests an audience with you, Master Yoda," he said quietly, "it is regarding Private Nawe and Captain Latterie."

Yoda nodded and sighed. "Be with the Chancellor, I will, shortly." With that the Padawan bowed and left. Yoda moved to approach Mace, who was already leaving.

"Bad feeling about this, I have," he said to himself as he hobbled over to his friend.


	27. Chapter 27

_JediAngel001: I so want get to that conversation, but I need to get everyone caught up with Obi, so we'll have to wait a little to see how that meeting goes! Thanks for the speedy response to this chapter!_

_AndrossKenobi: Thanks so much! I'm so glad it's chugging along so well._

_So, I have no idea what Count Dooku's first name is, so I made one up! I looked, I really did, but the internet let me down! Curse you internet! Maybe I didn't look hard enough, so perhaps someone could enlighten me and I'll retroactively insert the true one. Promise._

_Okey dokey, Now where were we? Ah, yes,….._

For once, Kenobi wanted to wake up in familiar surroundings. Right now he was suspended in an energy field with force binders holding his wrists and ankles locked in place. He dimly recalled being knocked flat on his back after a droideka appeared out of nowhere and slammed several heavy blaster shots in their direction. His already battered skull hit the ground heavily, and that was about it until he woke up the first time with a bunch of Geonision natives poking at him and asking him questions. That hadn't lasted long as he had drifted off rather quickly, thinking the bug-like people sounded like R2 when the droid got really excited.

His head was still pounding right now, but it wasn't as bad as he had expected and he could feel the bandage placed over the wound above his left eyebrow.

/That's something, I suppose./ he thought to himself as he was slowly spun in the field. That was not helping his headache and a wash of nausea swept through him, but he managed to breath through it.

He was alone in the cell, which had him worried about Jango and Boba. If they had treated him, they surely would have taken care of the boy and Jango had been unscathed the last time he had seen him, he just hoped they weren't getting quite the same treatment as he was. He had admitted he was a force sensitive over the comm., so it was obvious they were taking the extra precautions for his benefit, but they had no way of knowing about Jango and Boba, he just hoped Jango was better at communicating with them than he had been.

A force presence was drifting towards him. It felt oddly familiar, but he could tell it was shielding itself, much like he had done for all those years. He decided to test his growing connection to the force and reached out to it, hoping to slip in under those shields. He took things very slowly, not wanting the person to become aware of him too soon and block him out. He knew this figure was heading in his direction, and probably already had the former padawan on his mind, so Kenobi exploited that to appear as though he was present as part of the persons own thoughts. It was a trick he was sure would have the Council screaming "Dark Side User!" but he was fed up with being out of sorts all the time and his connection to the force was growing and welcoming him further into it's bright glow the more he explored his newly fully opened connection to it. He wondered if this was happening to other Jedi, or if this connection had been growing for some time and the only reason he hadn't sensed it before was because he had closeted himself away from it.

The mind he approached was elegantly protected with shields that seemed almost fluid with their complexity. It was unmistakable whose mind he was ever so gently probing, the grief that Kenobi felt for Qui-Gon ran through this mind like echoes, and it was obvious that Dooku used part of that in his shielding. There was also great pride and love for Qui-Gon that had Kenobi backing out of the mind probe, suddenly feeling very guilty for intruding on such private feelings. Later he realized that had been Dooku's point to using such feelings about Qui-Gon in his shielding as it made an effective deterrent to force sensitives who might try such probes. Kenobi had to control his own feelings towards his dear master before they threatened to overwhelm him and he was barely aware of his cell door being opened.

A gasp from the man entering had him look up to see the tall elegant figure of Count Dooku who raised his arm and used the force to turn off the force field and binders holding Kenobi in place. He fell rather roughly to the floor, feeling weakened by the need to control his emotions and Dooku came to his aid to help him stand and guided him to the wall where he activated a ledge bed.

"Count Dooku, I presume?" said Kenobi as he recovered his composure.

The Count merely replied by taking Kenobi into a great bear hug and Kenobi found himself clinging into the man as waves of love swept over him that reminded him too much of Qui-Gon. He pulled away to look into Dooku's face that was beaming with relief and joy.

"My dear Obi-Wan," he began, "what an honor it is to finally meet you. Qui-Gon spoke so highly of you."

Obi-Wan pulled away, not sure what to make of the sudden affection.

"Where are my friends? Where is Boba, is he alright?"

Dooku withdraw a little from Obi-wan so as not to crowd him, realizing his outburst had shocked the boy beside him.

"Boba is fine, his injury was minor and he is comfortable in my apartments. As for Jango, the Geonisians have him in custody for his crimes against the Separatists."

"What do you mean? What.." and then it hit him, the reason Jango had been so guarded about their trip here and why the security forces of the planet had been so aggressive towards them. His attack on the Naboo home world had been a set up against the Separatists and he had agreed with them to call it off, only to give the go ahead anyway. It had been under duress and Obi-wan could understand a man protecting his son, but he had gone back on his word with rather dire consequences, which had almost led to war.

"Oh, Jango, why didn't you tell me!" said Obi-Wan quietly. Perhaps another path could have been chosen, he would have had Jango send him to the surface in an escape pod or something to avoid all this. "How is Boba taking the news?"

"Not well, I'm afraid," Obi-Wan could tell the Count was concerned for the boy, but there was something he was hiding. "The Geonisians won't let him see his father, that's why I came down here to get you. These people have no quarrel with you or Boba, you are free to leave whenever you wish. I was hoping you could calm the boy."

It was only at that moment that Obi-Wan realized the door to the cell had been left open since Dooku's arrival. He got up, a little shakily at first, but without help and he stood for a moment unsure of what to do next. He wanted to find Boba and reassure him, but he also wanted to speak to Jango. Then there was Dooku, who he had a million questions to ask about his former master, and the Count's own motivations in his obvious Separatist sympathies. Then he remembered that feeling that Dooku was holding something back.

"When is his trial?" he asked, sensing this was the area of inquiry Dooku wanted to avoid talking about. Dooku studied Obi-Wan's face, he had wanted to keep that for another time, but the perceptive lad had come straight to it.

"The trial has already taken place in his absence where he was found guilty on all charges. I'm sorry, Obi-Wan. The penalty is death by public execution."

"When is this to be carried out?" asked Obi-Wan urgently.

"Tomorrow at midday within the Geonosian arena."

"Can't anything be done? You could speak on his behalf. Le me talk to him. Let me talk to the authorities here, maybe we can make a deal."

Dooku rested his hands on Obi-Wan's shoulders, his face stern but understanding, just like Qui-Gon used to get when Obi-Wan needed calming down.

"I have tried, believe me, I have tried to have the sentence commuted to imprisonment, but Geonosian law is rather cutthroat, shall we say. I have some influence here, but not enough to through out an entire civilizations judicial system."

"His crime was against the Separatists as a whole, not just these people. Couldn't we appeal to another world where this barbarity is not accepted?" he asked desperately. Jango had risked his life to get Obi-Wan face to face with this man and away from Maul. Now he understood the sacrifice Jango had made with that decision and it was haunting him to know someone would suffer for his escape. It showed just how desperate Jango had been to willingly fall into the Geonosians hands.

"I will see what I can do, Obi-Wan, but as I said, my influence has it's limits. Now, we must get you somewhere more comfortable and Boba has been asking after you. As for an audience with Jango, I think that is something I can arrange for you."

"Thank you, Master Dooku," Obi-Wan replied, unsure of how to address the Count.

"My dear boy, call me Ryn."


	28. Chapter 28

Yoda hobbled into the Chancellor's office accompanied by Mace, where Palpatine was working behind his desk.

"I'll be with you in an moment, gentlemen," he called, not looking up from his work. Yoda approached and leapt up into one of the overly cushioned chairs Palpatine had at his desk. The vanity of the Chancellor had always left a bad taste in Yoda's mouth, but he hid his feelings well and Mace sat perched on the other chair so as not to sink too deeply into it.

Palpatine closed his data-line and looked up at the two masters. The Sidious inside him hated having to be so civil to these people, but the politician, Palpatine, found the deception positively intoxicating and loved the idea of his dark side rumbling away just below the surface, so close to, allegedly, the two most powerful Jedi in the order. It was hard sometimes to refrain from smirking the whole time they were in his presence, but he had learned to control such feelings so well, they had no clue about what he truly felt about them.

"Ah, my dear friends," he began, "It has been brought to my attention that the missing Security Chief of Senator Amidala is thought to be on the planet Geonosis and that he is in fact a former Jedi padawan called Obi-Wan Kenobi, the very one thought killed on my home world some ten years ago."

"Informed of this, by Senator Amidala we have been. To Geonosis, she is heading with my padawan."

"Young Skywalker?" Now there was a lad with promise. It had been difficult to forge much of a relationship with him over the last ten years, but he had been able to witness the raw power that the child possessed. Another few years, especially if his new plans over the war worked out, and the lad could be a potential replacement for Maul who was becoming an increasing threat, especially now he had his young acolyte, Ventress. But this was thought for another time. Right now the arrival of this former padawan had the potential to through an electro-spanner in the works and he needed it to be dealt with.

He had to admire the audacity of the youth to conceal himself so completely, even from the sith Master himself. He had met the man on more than one occasion and found him to be intriguing with a rare dry wit, but nothing exceptional. He was regretting not probing more deeply into the man's mind that first time they had met on Amidala's election to the senate. He had been a young lieutenant at the time, as Palpatine could recall it. Maul had been foolish enough to allow the man to live, which could mean only one thing. Maul wanted him for himself, further proving Sidious' suspicions that Maul was thinking of his end game with the sith Master.

With Amidala headed for the planet he could use this to his advantage and perhaps escalate tensions yet again. If he was lucky, he could cascade events towards the war he inevitably wanted. How could he make sure the Separatists were headed in that direction? Palpatine felt a surge of dark power wash over him as his new plan tasted so delicious in his mind.

"Good, I feel much better knowing she has a steady mind at her side for the negotiations. However, I would feel so much better if a Jedi Master were present."

"Preparing to leave, we already were," came Yoda's voice. He had never come to like Chancellor Palpatine and call him friend as he had with Chancellor Vallorum. After the accusations of corruption had ruined the man's career, he had disappeared from public life until ill health took him too early from the flow of the living force. Yoda couldn't help feeling he would have handled the Separatist crisis with more evenness than Palpatine, who seemed to be still smarting from the Naboo blockade, even though that incident had propelled him to his current position.

"Well then, I am so sorry to have delayed you with news you already had. Please give my regards to Senator Amidala and thank padawan Skywalker for his attentiveness. Bring our lost friend home safely, so that we can welcome him back from the dead properly."

Both Mace and Yoda rose and bowed to the chancellor and moved to leave. In the anti-chamber Yoda recognized the young Naboo officer heading in to see Palpatine.

"Private Nawe, to see you looking well, most wonderful is," and he bowed to the young, stern looking man before him. His facial reconstruction wounds were still a little puffy, but overall his physical appearance was almost back to the way he had been before the horrific assault perpetrated on him.

"Thank you, Master Yoda," he said quietly, bowing in return, "did you find Captain Latterie?" he asked with a sudden urgency. Mace and Yoda looked to each other and were about to answer, when the Chancellor's secretary interjected.

"The Chancellor will see you now, Private," he said and Nawe hesitated, waiting for an answer.

"Found, he has been, well and safe," Yoda replied taking the boy's hands and saw the relief wash over him, "to help him, we now proceed." The boy's forehead wrinkled in confusion. He understood that his captain had been taken by powerful forces. But the great Jedi Master Yoda was needed to help him? That didn't sound so good at all.

"Let me come with you!" started Nawe, suddenly.

"Private, the Chancellor is waiting," came the impatient voice of the secretary.

"Please, Master Yoda, I can help, I know I can be of some service to you."

Yoda released his hold on the boy.

"Sorry, I am, young Nawe, but here, you place is. Tell you this, your captain would. Protect your own people here, you must. Return with Latterrie we shall. See him again soon, you will."

"Private!" snapped the secretary, and Nawe waved him off for his final words on the matter to Master Yoda.

"You are right, he would say that. Please, when you see him, will you tell him how.." he paused for a moment, "how sorry I am for getting him into such a mess. I owe him my life and I have no idea how I'm ever going to be able to repay that."

"Serve your people, as he served them," came Mace's deep tones, "that would be a fitting tribute to your Captain."

Nawe nodded enthusiastically, content with their responses and he headed into the office.

As they left, Yoda looked over his shoulder to see into the Chancellors office just before the doors closed. He saw the Chancellor wrap his arm around Nawe and lead him further into the room.

"Ah, young Nawe, so good to see you looking so well," he overheard, "you know, my boy, I have been watching your career with great interest."


	29. Chapter 30

_SeraphimXII: Thanks for the encouragement! Maul will return, oh yes, he will return! It's just taking longer than I had expected! Keep reading!_

_AndrossKenobi: I really hadn't even thought of writing in Palpatine, but it seemed a good way to re-introduce old Nawe and try to explain how Obi could have remained hidden from a sith master who was in the same room with him! As for Dooku …._

Boba was scared. He hated being scared, but his fear was the only thing he had to cling to in these rooms right now and it made him angry, which was giving him the strength to climb out of the window and onto the ledge that was probably several hundred feet above the orange sand. He had thought to climb down and find his dad, but he had not counted on the structure of the mountain-like building he found himself on. So he sat there, looking out over the rocky terrain, the valley floor below him. He rather liked the way the wind was racing passed him, blowing his hair in complete disarray, as chaotic as his world had become.

Of all the things he was scared of the most, when he truly thought about it, it was how easily his father had lied to him about the safety they would find in this place. How could he have done such a thing?

The last thing he had said to Boba before they were separated was "Trust Ben," but he was being carried off on a gurney. This Count Dooku character had been nice enough, but he gave Boba the creeps, no old man should be that tall. At least he had gone to find out how Ben was doing, that was something.

So, he couldn't climb down, he couldn't climb up as it was just as treacherous. He was trapped, as caged as he had ever felt stuck on Kamino only this time dad wasn't coming back from a mission, he was stuck in a jail cell somewhere waiting for the inevitable execution that was to take place tomorrow and there was nothing Boba could do about it. There was one thing he could do and that was to scream and shout and yell out his frustration at the howling wind. He let the wind drive the pent up rage from his body as he rose on his knees to force everything out. Perhaps his dad would here it and somehow, he didn't care how, come and take him away, back to Kamino if they had to, but away from here.

He sank back onto his feet once the cry was done, wondering what the sensation of falling from such a great height would feel like. Probably not half as bad as the impact when he hit the sand, he pondered. A lull in the blistering wind allowed him to hear the voices of people approaching the apartment and he quickly scrambled to get back into his room. The apartment doors opened and there was Ben, looking tired, but none the worse for wear.

He ran at Ben, fists clenched and pounding on the Jedi.

"This is all your fault! We wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for you! Get my dad out of this!" He continued to pound into Obi-Wan, who took the boys punches, knowing he just needed to release the frustration he felt towards his dad out on someone. The punches quickly slowed and all that was left was a small boy, sobbing into Obi-Wans chest. He knelt down to Boba's height and held the boy close to him.

"I'm so sorry, Boba, I had no idea this would happen, or I never would have taken your dads offer of help. Look at me, Boba," he held the boy back a little so that their eyes could meet, "I will do everything I can to get Jango out of this, I promise you." Ben spoke with such conviction, Boba knew he was telling the truth, and not some half truth his father had spouted, but an assurance Boba could believe in. Ben looked over his shoulder at Dooku who had entered the room with him.

"May we have some time alone, I think Boba just needs a little space right now."

"Of course," he said bowing and taking the doors, "take all the time you need. I shall discuss things again with the Geonosian Judiciary."

"I don't trust him," said Boba rather bluntly immediately after Dooku had left.

"I don't trust him either, not yet anyway. But let's not forget you had me pegged for the bad guy when we first met!"

Boba looked rather sheepishly at Ben. "Sorry about hitting you," he said quietly.

"Completely understandable, old chap, would hit myself if it would help any!"

"You're odd!" said Boba through his chuckles.

"So I've been told!" said Ben smiling at the lad. "I meant what I said, Boba, I'm getting your dad out of this one way or another. The Count is working through diplomatic channels, but if that doesn't work we'll have to come up with something else. You up for another little adventure?" he asked with his must playful smile. Boba nodded vigorously and then remembered the success of their last one and his expression turned to one of concern. Ben lifted his hands and shook his head. "No crash landings, I promise."

"OK, I'm in. What's your plan?"


	30. Chapter 31

"You owe me the head of a Jedi, my apprentice" his master had said, "I suggest you deliver it too me before your usefulness runs out ."

He pondered his master's words as he sat in his ship, the Geonisian world moving across the view screen as the asteroid he had parked on slowly spun in its orbit of the planet. Of course his master had found out about Kenobi, it was inevitable, but it amused Maul to no end that the great sith lord had had the man practically sitting under his nose for the last ten years. He wondered how many times they had been in the same room, neither knowing the true power they shared.

His impatient colleague broke his thoughts.

"Well, let's get going then. Why are we still waiting here?"

"Patience, Assaj, patience," she could really get on his nerves sometimes. She had all the power of Kenobi and none of the discipline that made such a fine warrior. Her technique was sloppy and yet stunningly beautiful and although he had taught her a great deal since finding her, she still thought she knew better then he about a great many things. She was completely wrong, of course, and in a few more years of instruction she would figure this out, but for now her arrogance got very annoying indeed. The most fun way to deal with her when she was like this was to be as condescending as he could possibly manage.

"Now, why are we here?" he asked her, slowly.

She narrowed her eyes, recognizing his tone. If she didn't need him to teach her the ways of the dark side he would be in very small smoldering pieces right now. He was extremely talented and she knew she didn't know enough to usurp him yet, but the day was soon approaching when she would cut that sanctimonious tongue from his smug little face.

"To start a war. Although it hardly seems worth it after you gave up your army."

"That was never my army to begin with."

"That's not what you told the Jedi," she spat out the title, not wanting to honor the man by using his name.

"And, of course, I'm going to reveal my mind to a potential threat to us, just like that!" he said sarcastically. "I only had to make him think that was what I wanted. The man is naïve in his affection for the living force. He would have believed anything that had him coming to the rescue of innocent souls."

"Why would you want that kind of man on your side?"

He turned his darkly yellow eyes, which flared with an outer circle of red, on his companion.

"Mind your place, acolyte. I do not answer to you."

"No," she quickly replied, standing her ground against his gaze, the heightened anxiety she felt an obvious ploy on Maul's part through their mental link, "you answer to your Master. I bet he was not pleased when he discovered you had let the Jedi go."

Maul's hand gripped tightly around Assaj's neck and he pulled her face close to his.

"What takes place between myself and my Master is between us. Don't think I haven't noticed your desire to assume my role. You are not prepared for that just yet."

He pulled her face to his, smashing their mouths together and forcing his tongue into hers. He wrapped it around her tongue while twisting inside her mind through their link, spiking her arousal even as she tried to pull away.

A beeping from the controls made him break away from the kiss prematurely, and he released his grip on her throat, leaving her gasping and her face flushed.

"Ah, our guests have arrived. We should inform our friends on the planet's surface that the spies of the Republic are about to make their entrance. How should I phrase it? 'The Senator from Naboo and her Jedi protector – no, her Jedi enforcer – are here to determine your weaknesses and report back to the Senate, so that the Jedi and their new army can sweep in and destroy you all before you can respond.' How does that sound?"

He turned back to Assaj, who was still recovering from his aggressive embrace.

"I think that will do nicely," he replied for her, as the small Naboo cruiser was guided to the surface by the patrolling droid ship.


	31. Chapter 32

_So, I just found the "Alerts" section for stories and accidentally imported all of my favorites in there, including all of the completed stories! So I then had to remove all of those erroneous entries. Oh boy, there are going to be some miffed authors out there! Their inboxes are going to be flooded with alert messages! Sorry!_

_Shinen no Hikari: Thanks for the info on Dooku, I was going just a little crazy trying to find Dooku's first name! Now I don't feel so bad about making one up. As for the Ventress back story, I was thinking more along the lines of the comics with her origin on Ratatac where she was trained by Ky Narec before he was killed. I felt Maul would have spotted her potential and started training her himself now that he wasn't in two pieces. Thanks again and I hope you're enjoying things so far._

Obi-Wan was shaken awake by Boba.

"It's time, come one!" he whispered excitedly, pulling Obi-Wan up. Once he saw the man was sitting up on his own he dashed off to get his pack.

Obi-Wan shook his head clear of sleep and placed his feet on the floor. He didn't remember going to bed with his boots on. That was odd. Wait, he didn't even have black boots like this they were more like…

His stomach suddenly twisted and he clutched at it, his hands trembling and itching terribly. He pulled his arms away from his chest to look at his hands as the skin seemed to become covered with some kind of black paint that ran down his arms and over his palms. Thin red lines began to appear in a frighteningly familiar pattern and he raced over to his basin where the mirror revealed his face also becoming covered with the black paint and he frantically tried to wash it off. It only seemed to speed up the process and his hair fell away to reveal small horns. He looked over at Boba who had returned.

"Ben!" he screamed and Obi-Wan shot awake, sweat covering his body, his breath hitching in his throat.

"I didn't mean to startle you," said Boba at his side, "but it's time to go." He stood back up from his kneeling position next to the bed and left to get his pack.

Obi-Wan tried to calm his breathing, opening himself to the comforting force, allowing his fears to wash away through its flow. He walked over to the nightstand and washed his face, at first nervous to look at his reflection but then determined to check for horns forming in his hairline. He breathed a cleansing sigh of relief when he found no stubs.

So, Maul was close, that was certain. They had to leave now. His conversations from earlier in the day had not been very successful and now was the time to act.

Dooku had not returned with good news. The Geonosians wouldn't accept moving Jango anywhere as a possibility. According to Dooku, they were trying to gain a stronger position within the Separatist movement and they saw Jangos conviction and sentence as a way to show that. A number of high ranking officials from many systems with Separatist sympathies would be in attendance and it was hoped this show of strength would raise them to the Separatist Council.

It appeared that Dooku had been working with the Separatist leadership for some time through peaceful means to try to avoid open conflict with the Republic and so far it was working. He had managed to help them avoid open war, but tensions were at their highest and he felt the slightest thing could tip the balance at this point. He was convinced it was the dark lord behind the escalation in tensions, but his calls to the Jedi Council seemed to fall on deaf ears. Obi-wan found that unlikely, but he kept his thoughts to himself. If the Council was experiencing the awakening to the force he was feeling, it was not possible for them to be missing such an obvious explanation for the situation the galaxy found itself in.

That got Obi-Wan thinking about his connection to the force and the Councils responses so far. His mind went back to the hangar where Maul had taken Nawe. That place had exuded the dark side blocks away, it had almost been a black beacon in a fog of white. How could the council, with members of far greater power than himself, have missed that? Unless they were not experiencing this awakening that his system was going through. What if, instead of having a growing connection to the force over these years he'd been away, they were having their connection diminished? He had inadvertently shielded himself from this with his disappearance and now that he had reestablished his open connection, the force, which had been deprived of connection to its guardians, was flowing through him with added vigor to make up for the lack of connection to other light siders. It was a stretch and Obi-Wan had never been good at conspiracy theories, but he could see it being plausible, especially if what Dooku said about the Council's response to him was true. That was the thing, he couldn't exactly go and ask them right now! Still feeling frustrated with the whole situation, he had gone to see Jango after an audience with the bounty hunter was finally granted.

He had not been much help either. The man was as stubborn as a nerf! All he would say was that he had done this for Boba. Obi-Wan couldn't see how getting himself executed would help Boba in any way.

"Maul would find us and destroy us for what we've done," he had said.

"Then why do it?" exclaimed Obi-Wan, "Why didn't you send me down here on my own, we could have set up a rendezvous or something, we could have avoided all of this. I would have protected you."

"I'm sorry, Ben, but on your own you are no match for Maul and Ventress. You need help and I just couldn't risk Boba falling into their hands. As soon as I met you I knew you were the one person who would do everything in your power to keep him safe and inevitably free my sons from their slavery. They are what are important now. Don't let my sacrifice here and my faith in you be unfounded."

"Jango, I'm no boy's father. He needs you. We'll find a way to get you out of this."

Jango rested his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "Take care of Boba. That's what will get me out of this. Knowing that Boba is safe with someone who will never give up on him makes me feel more free than any bird flying through the Alderanian mountains. You should go and check he isn't doing something foolish!"

Obi-Wan's time with Jango was up and he had been led from the room before he could respond to Jango. As he had said, he was no father! He barely knew how to talk to the lad, let alone take care of him. His use of humor would only go so far, how did Jango expect this to work? That had pretty much clinched Obi-Wan's decision. That night they were busting Jango out and the three of them would head off and away from the whole mess and figure out who best to trust. Then it hit Obi-Wan, it was so simple! He could go home to Naboo, Amidala was there with Skywalker, they would help, he was sure of that. Why hadn't he thought of that earlier? He had raced back to Boba to tell him of his plan and the two had decided to get an early night so they would be ready when the time was right.

He headed into the main room of the apartment he and Boba had been given to share. Obi-Wan checked that the hall was clear and they made their way out. Obi-Wan sensed a certain amount of tension rising around the whole place and thought it odd that they had not encountered any guards or patrols as they made their way to the detention block. The reason for the few guards was made clear to them when they approached the cells. It was as if every guard in the city was gathered around there, swarming and swooping through the area. What could have happened to draw such attention?

"What are you waiting for, do your distraction!" hissed Boba over his shoulder.

"I don't think I can distract this whole army, Boba. We're going to have to think of something else."

"Well if you won't I will!" said the boy and he moved away from the wall they were hugging. Obi-Wan put his arm across Boba to stop him.

"Wait, we can't get through this. Let me find out what's going on. I haven't given up yet." He urged Boba back to the wall and from their hidden position he reached out with his feelings to search the cell block. He sensed Jango in his cell, unrestrained and pacing, awaiting his fate. They were so close to getting out of this.

His mind drifted to the next cell and his breath caught in his throat.

"Padme!" he gasped.


	32. Chapter 33

"Padme!" he gasped.

How could this be? The occupant of the next cell was obvious, the waves of brilliant force energy were swirling around the whole area as he recognized the distinct force signature of Skywalker. What were they doing here in the first place? They should be safely on Naboo right now, it didn't make any sense.

"What's wrong?" asked Boba at his side after he had been silent for too long.

"Something unexpected. We need to talk to Dooku, now."

"But Dad!" Boba protested and Obi-Wan turned on the lad.

"Please, Boba, this is not good. We need to find out what's going on here. We can't help him like this." Boba was taken aback by Obi-Wan's intense gaze, which softened when he saw the boy's fear.

He placed his hands on Boba's shoulders and knelt down to be on Boba's level. "Boba, we are not going to help your father by getting caught by those guards, no matter how much we want to smash them into very small pieces. Besides, something else is going on here. I have to know what's happening so we can come up with a better plan." 

"He's running out of time," said Boba quietly, his anger and fear boiling inside him, but he felt better able to restrain himself looking into Obi-Wan's crystal blue eye.

"I know, Boba, I know and we are still his best hope of getting out of this, but we are going to have to be patient, just for a little while. Can you do that for him?" Boba thought about it for a moment, realizing he really had no choice and nodded slowly, looking down at his feet, trying to hide his disappointment at this new development.

"Come on," said Obi-Wan quietly, "Dooku has some answering to do."

They moved stealthily back the way they had come, but found their way pretty open once again until they approached Dooku's apartments. A contingent of Geonosian soldiers had formed a perimeter around his door while the Geonosian leader spoke to the Count. He looked genuinely confused, from Obi-Wan's point of view into the scene and although he could only make out Dooku's words, he got the gist of the conversation.

"This is a complete surprise to me, also, Poggle, I had no idea - " Poggle stopped him and continued, gesturing wildly. "But what motive could the Republic have to send spies now?" The Geonosian continued. "This is ludicrous, where did this information come from?" Poggle seemed to gloat over the response to this and Dooku seemed frustrated with his reply. "I don't expect you to only take my advice, but we should be wary of others motives. We know Senator Amidala has powerful enemies, they could easily be setting her up." Poggle seemed unimpressed and continued with his explanation. "Such signals can be faked. The Jedi are peacekeepers, I find it hard to believe Master Yoda would be leading an army of clones here. Allow me to contact the Jedi and I - " This openly angered Poggle and his gesticulations became more animated. Dooku once again looked shocked. "You think so little of me? After all I have done to ensure relations have remained peaceful?" Poggle seemed quieted by this but continued his accusing tone, even if it was more subtle. Dooku's frustration at the conversation was growing, Obi-Wan could tell and suddenly he felt the Count's presence reaching out to him as Poggle mentioned the name Kenobi. Dooku realized Obi-Wan was listening and thought quickly to respond to Poggle's inquiry. "They left a number of hours ago, Kenobi not wanting Boba to be here when his father is put to death. You have nothing to worry on that score." While speaking to Poggle, Dooku sent a mental warning to Obi-Wan.

/Leave, now, before they come looking for you. The execution has been moved to dawn and there is no telling what they will do to you if they find you wondering the halls. I have a hangar set up some distance from the city where a ship is laying in wait for me, but you and Boba take it./

Obi-Wan was shocked at how easily Dooku had established this link with him, but it made sense, after all he had taught Qui-Gon everything he knew, practically, so it would be easy to establish a connection through that old broken link of Obi-Wans.

/What of Padme and Skywalker?/

/How did you know about that?/

/They are no spies, what's going on?/

/There is no time! The war is on us! Get out of here!/ And with that Dooku shoved Obi-Wan through their link and out of his mind. Obi staggered back a moment as the last flash from Dooku's mind showed him where he needed to go to get the ship.

Obi-Wan pulled Boba back down the hall, leaving Dooku to deal with Poggle and he led Boba to a garage where Dooku had shown him they could find a swoop bike.

"How good a pilot are you, anyway?" he asked over the roar of the bike as they swept over the sands.

"Best you've ever seen!" said Boba proudly from behind the Jedi.

"That's good to hear, Boba, old man, because we're going to need your expertise." Keeping the boy occupied right now was his best bet at keeping him calm.

"Once we get on the ship I'll see if I can contact the Jedi who seem to be on their way here. Maybe we can get their assistance and find out what the heck all this craziness is about!"

The Hangar was high in a mountain ridge that the bike was able to swing into with a little nudge of the force. Once inside they quickly made their way to the craft that looked more like an escape pod than a spaceship.

"What a piece of junk!" exclaimed Boba at the rather lackluster craft.

"Well, it's all we've got, let's check it out." They moved inside the small cabin which was just big enough for the two of them and scanned the controls.

"You find any weapon systems?" asked Obi-Wan, working at the communications.

"Nothing, no canons no blasters. I think it has a fresher in back, but that's about it."

Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows in resignation. "Oh well, we could always flush on them, I suppose!" he said sarcastically.

"What do we do now?" asked the increasingly agitated Boba. Obi-Wan's own frustration was in danger of clouding his judgment so he breathed calmly and switched the comm. to the low Jedi frequency used in times of distress, he just hoped they hadn't changed the actual frequency after all these years.

"Master Yoda, this is Obi-Wan Kenobi on Geonosis, do you read me?"

There was nothing but static, so Obi-Wan tried again and the link suddenly spluttered open.

"A while since this frequency used, old padawan," came Yoda's distinct voice, "gladdens my heart it does to hear your voice."

"Yours too Master, but I have grave news to report. The Separatists appear to think they are at war with the Republic after the spies Senator Amidala and Padawan Skywalker were captured and the leadership was informed you were leading a clone army here. Master, are you in charge of a clone army?"

"Senate assumed clones for Republic, it did," came the crackly response, "None did we bring, diplomatic mission, this is."

"Poggle, the Geonosian leader, claims they picked up an invasion fleet following you. Could you, by any chance look out the back of your ship!"

"There's no fleet following us, Kenobi," came the unmistakable voice of Mace Windu, "now, explain your behavior to us. Why have you sided with these Separatists?"

"Explanations can wait, the Senator and Skywalker are in imminent danger and I sense the sith lord Darth Maul is either on planet or rapidly approaching. I feel he is behind this terrifying turn of events and I think he is desperate to turn this misunderstanding into the chaos of a galactic war. How soon can you get here?"

"Out of hyperspace we will be momentarily, Obi-Wan."

"We need more time!" Kenobi was running out of options, he needed that execution postponed so that Yoda could get there and sort things out.

"Well, we could land this thing in the arena," said Boba quietly, almost missed by Obi-Wan. He turned and looked at the boy's hopeful face. "That might give us a little time."

Obi-Wan smiled and rested his hand on Boba's shoulder. "Yeah, it would until they opened fire on us and our defenseless ship."

"I don't see you coming up with anything!"

Obi-Wan shook his head, Boba was right, he hadn't thought of anything useful. In shaking his head his gaze fell upon the mechanism that truly flew the ship once in space, the solar sail. It was made of one of the most robust but flexible materials known in the galaxy and its surface was dazzlingly reflective and the spark of an idea came to him.

A slow smile played across his face. "Boba, old man, you are a genius!"


	33. Chapter 34

Anakin was becoming impatient. He continued to rotate in the force-field, unable to completely focus due to his still recovering body, his weakness only added to his sense of powerlessness at that moment. How had he not seen the danger until it was too late? Padme's ship had been escorted to the Geonisian capital without any problems, but as soon as they stepped out of the craft he had felt apprehensive and grabbed Padme's arm to get her back into the ship, only to be swarmed by the Geonosian warriors and separated from her almost instantly.

His guards had chatted and clicked at him during the only interrogation he had received in his cell once they got there, but his understanding of their language was none existent. Perhaps if he had been feeling better he could have read their minds for a translation, but it was too difficult, especially with his focus on Padme. He could sense her close, in the next cell in fact, and she was obviously having the same frustrating time, but at least he could sense she wasn't being restrained to the same extent their Jedi visitor was being held.

It had not been easy, but he had gotten a few hours sleep, only to wake up a few moments ago with a mass of aches and muscle cramps, which he tried to work out. Now feeling uncomfortable and frustrated, he tried to break through his restraints again.

Movement outside the cell drew his concentration away from his task and he could feel Padme being pulled up and out of her room just as his door opened and three Geonosians came in, with about a half dozen waiting for him outside.

/So few? I must be loosing my touch!/ he thought to himself as one of the warriors in his cell hit the release and he landed gracefully on the floor as the force instantly found him again. He looked up and was about to spring into action, when he saw two guards either side of Padme with blaster rifles aimed at her head. He nodded to her and she nodded back with a sad, apologetic smile.

They were led to a small hover-chariot where they could at least have a moment.

"They plan to execute us as spies." Her voice was strained and she looked tired. Unlike him, she had not been able to sleep, the thought of her beloved in such danger because f her foolish desire to save a man who wasn't even here. According to Poggle, he had left the night before. At least Obi-Wan would be free.

Anakin leaned in to her, cursing the fact that he couldn't hold her, his hands, like hers, bound to the chariot.

"It will be alright, I promise."

"I wish I could share your optimism." She was determined to fight once she got the chance but things were not looking good for them.

"Padme," he said gently and how it melted her heart to hear him speak her name. She looked up into his beautiful deep blue eyes that shone with the love and respect he had for her that she knew was reflected back to him through her own eyes. "When we get out of this, things are going to change. I can't deny what my heart and the force have presented to me in you."

They leaned into each other and their lips met in a kiss of pure love and hope. It lasted for only a fraction of a second, but in that kiss was contained a lifetime of passion, and it left the two of them shaken as the chariot moved off and they parted to turn to face their fate.

The crowd of Geonosians erupted in cheers and jeers as the two were led into the arena where Anakin recognized the pillars from his vision. Already positioned was the man Anakin had seen. He looked around the stands hoping to make out where Obi-Wan would come from, but all he saw was a mass of insects.

He and Padme were chained with their hands above their heads to the pillars. Anakin looked over at the other man and nodded.

"Good morning," said Jango to him as though this was a perfectly normal set of circumstances. /Oh, he's met Obi-Wan, alright!/ thought Anakin as he turned to check on Padme. She seemed to be fiddling with something in her hands, but he couldn't see what it was. His attention was broken from that as the roar of three distinct creatures was heard and he focused on their assailants.

The first was the enormous insect like lizard that he had seen in his vision. It towered above the Geonosian guards and didn't take kindly to being prodded with an electro-jabber. The next was an enormous beast of burden with three horns and scaly skin protecting its back and legs. The last was a large predator with an huge mouth filled with sharp teeth, its claws were long, curved and looked like they could shred the skin off a gundark. It took a particular disliking to the Geonosian who was trying to guide it towards the three prisoners, and it leapt for the warrior, slicing him in half.

Poggle screamed something to the crowd and they erupted once again cheering on the creatures as they approached the pillars. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Padme continue to struggle with her cuffs and tried to us the force to release his, but his fuddled mind was still having trouble focusing on such delicate work. He desperately needed to get to her and protect her.

He rolled around the pillar as the lumbering beast trundle towards him and this time he noticed Padme climbing her pillar and sitting on top while she undid her cuffs completely. He let a smile curl his lips in admiration as he rolled out of the way of another charge from his attacker.

He glanced at the third figure and saw him swinging the chain above him while dodging the insect like creatures claws that where taking chunks out from the pillar above him. The man managed to stand his ground as one claw swung at him. At the last second, he dodged and had the chain positioned just where his head would have been. With a loud crunch, the chain was snapped in two and the man was free, although at that moment it meant he was free to roll under the creatures flailing front claws.

Suddenly, Anakin picked up a force warning from a familiar presence, he looked up to see a small ship rise up over the lip of the arena.

"Get behind the pillars, now!" he yelled as he spun around and clambered up his pillar to the top so he could jump down the other side. Padme slid down the far side of her pillar, but the other man was confused and still avoiding his assailant who threw another claw in his direction.

A brilliantly white light filled the arena and the crowd screamed as the deflected rays of the sun fell upon them, blinding them to the arrival of Kenobi who leapt from the small craft and force pushed the ground to allow him to land softly. The creatures were equally blinded and began lashing out in panic, trampling the terrified guards and pounding into the arena walls. The crowd was swarming and diving, trying to escape the, now burning light and Kenobi hooked his arm under Jango's and pulled him behind the pillar closest to them.

"We thought we'd come and rescue you," he said breathlessly to the stunned Jango, highly amused by Jango's surprise.


	34. Chapter 35

"We thought we'd come and rescue you," he said breathlessly to the stunned Jango, highly amused by Jango's surprise.

"Boba?" he asked, recovering from his shock. He had resigned himself to his fate, believing Boba free and safe, and thought the whole struggle at the pillars had been futile. Still he was a survivor and he wasn't going down without a fight, but this was the last thing he expected.

"He's flying the ship, rather well, I have to say," said Obi-Wan obviously impressed. Boba had gotten used to the controls extremely quickly and once he realized they were going after Jango he had taken on an air of fearlessness that reminded Obi-Wan of a certain young kid from Tatooine. Their first part of the plan had worked, now they just needed to get out of the arena and get back to the hangar where Yoda and Mace could pick them up.

Chaos still ensued around them as Obi-Wan glanced across to Anakin. He would have some strong words with the Jedi once they were out of this, but for now he just needed the man to listen. "We'll be moving to the exit gate over there," and he pointed to a hole where a mass of Geonosians were swarming. Anakin looked skeptical, but Obi-Wan continued.

"Trust me, just focus on that exit, grab Padme and start running when the distraction starts."

"This isn't the distraction?"

Obi-Wan smiled at Yoda's young padawan. "Do you know anything about Geonisian sand?"

"What!" exclaimed Anakin completely perplexed.

Obi-Wan flipped on his comm. with Boba. "OK, start the sand storm and head on out, we'll meet you there."

Suddenly the brilliant light was gone and replaced moments later by a great roar of over charged engines and the sand swirled up and around the arena floor, completely obscuring the four figures from the continuingly chaotic crowd, all desperate to get out of the place. Obi-Wan grabbed Jango and led him to the exit through the swirling, suffocating sand. It was slower going than Obi-Wan had wanted, but they were well hidden and being completely ignored by the few Geonosians who flew past them to get away.

A force warning sent Obi-Wan rolling to the floor, dragging Jango with him and the lumbering reek beast that had been such a threat to them earlier now blindly raced through their position, followed by the nexus predator that lashed out at the creature over Obi-Wan and Jango's heads. "That was too close!" said Obi-wan as he pulled Jango to his feet and they got to the exit, forcing their way through and out of the storm. He ducked down a darkened hallway while a steady stream of the Geonosians swept through and outside. He was waiting for Anakin and Padme but he sensed something was wrong.

"What are we waiting for! Let's get moving!" said Jango, pulling at Obi-Wan's grip. But Obi-Wan held firm, he wasn't leaving without the others. He sensed Anakin close and he was worried, agitated and to Obi-Wan's horror, carrying a stricken Padme. He released Jango and ran to the opening as the two emerged from the storm. Anakin looked terrible, as though the world had just collapsed around him. Padme was curled up in his arms, her face contorted in agony, a large bruise already forming on her cheek.

"What happened?" exclaimed Obi-wan immediately at their side and he guided Anakin to the shadows where Jango was still hiding. Anakin sank to the floor, gently laying Padme there. She gasped at every movement, sending cold chills down Obi-Wan's spine. Anakin's distress was rolling off him in waves at the thought of Padme hurt and Obi-Wan had to shake him to get any kind of answer.

"The reek just barreled into us, I wasn't fast enough," he said breathlessly.

"You weren't fast enough? You shouldn't even be here, what were you thinking! The Separatist have decided to go to war because of this. And now.." He bent down to check on Padme, "dear friend."

He could sense it was very bad. She had several broken bones, internal injuries and a possible concussion. As he lent over her she raised a shaky hand to his face which she stroked gently.

"Oh good, we found you," she said dreamily as she began to slip into unconsciousness and both Jedi panicked. Obi-Wan laid his hand on her forehead while Anakin held her closer.

"No, no!" Anakin cried, his illness still making his connection to the force hazy at best and his emotional state regarding Padme further clouding his abilities. This was all too close to his final encounter with his mother, holding her close in his arms as her life force slipped away from him. He had been able to control his anger and fear at that time, but this was too much for his weakened system to take.

Obi-Wan was becoming swept along by the powerful emotions rushing through Anakin and he had to block the boy from his mind as best he could. That meant he could not aid Padme as well as he wanted as he was fighting a battle on two fronts, the one that raged inside Anakin and the one that raged inside himself. He was so close to taking his hands and wrapping them around the boy's throat for bringing Padme into this mess. But that would not help Padme in any way, so he tried his best to focus on her. He knew they didn't have the time for this, but there was no way he was moving her in this condition. He concentrated on her most life threatening injuries and did his best to send all the healing force he could to her broken body.

"Come on, Padme, I know you can't wait to chew me out for hiding the truth from you for so long, so let me help you get your fighting spirit back." His voice was soothing as the force healing swept through her and she gave a soft sigh as his touch traced over her forehead. He breathed deeply, asserting that his ministrations would have to do for now until they could get her to the proper healers.

He stood with some help from Jango, who was still with them. His best chance of seeing Boba again was to stay with Obi-Wan, even if that meant having to wait for him to see to his friends. But that seemed to be over now, so they would be off to get Boba and leave, which was the only thing he cared about right now.

Obi-Wan turned to the deflated Anakin who had remained on the floor clutching Padme desperately. They didn't have time for his moping right now so he was perhaps harsher than he should have been considering the boy's emotional state, but they had to get moving.

"Anakin," he said with the authority Qui-Gon would use on him when he had been a disappointment, "get up, now. You won't help Padme like that. Boba is waiting! Come on!"

Anakin seemed to snap back into focus and he swiftly but carefully rose with Padme in his arms. She was barely conscious at this point, and still very ill, but she would survive. They moved off down the darkened hall, heading for the garage where Obi-Wan had found the swoop bike. They were about to race into the place, when both Obi-Wan and Anakin felt the powerful presence of Dooku waiting for them.

"Stay here," said Obi-Wan to his small group of followers, "I'll handle this."


	35. Chapter 36

"Stay here," said Obi-Wan to his small group of followers, "I'll handle this."

Although, truthfully he didn't really know what he would do. Dooku was still an enigma to him. He was holding something back behind his protective shields and that made Obi-Wan nervous as he approached the man cautiously. He had certainly done everything he could to help Obi-Wan and for that he was grateful. But Obi-Wan could not get the feeling that he was missing something. There was no time to dwell on that now; both Boba and Padme needed him focused on their current situation.

"Obi-Wan, what are you doing here, this is madness!" he exclaimed looking around constantly for the army of Geonosian warriors he was sure were on their way. What was the boy thinking? He had given him a way off the planet with the child; they should have been light years away from this place by now and out of danger. He had lost one son already to the sith monster, he would not allow his vision of loosing Obi-Wan to be fulfilled too, he had to leave!

"Padme needs medical attention, now, and all five of us are leaving this world together." His voice was surprisingly authoritative considering his anxiety. Dooku wasn't fooled and stepped up to him his arm outstretched to Obi-Wan's shoulder, but Obi-Wan backed away, not wanting the man's touch. "You would have had me leave without her and the others. Why was that?"

Dooku paused his advance on Obi-Wan and looked around again. His force senses were screaming at him to leave, but he just couldn't without Obi-Wan, his one last connection to his dear Qui-Gon. The man's death had been the most painful experience he had ever felt, the loose of such a pure spirit of the living force had ripped a huge gash into his consciousness when it had happened and it had never truly healed. Now his padawan's padawan was before him, his eye defiant with the sparkle of Qui-Gon still within him. If he had to bring the rabble with him to save his grandson, so be it.

"Because I knew you'd do something foolish, like this! I have a shuttle that can get us all to the hangar." He turned to leave, but Obi-Wan stopped him.

"What are you not telling me?" asked Obi-Wan, sensing Dooku's rising fear.

"Let me explain once we are moving. Bring them this way; I have the Geonosian leaders mind blocked. Their people won't bother us if we move quickly." He headed out and Obi-Wan beckoned the others to follow him. A mind block was a delicate thing, especially if used on more than one subject, so Dooku got them moving quickly through the hangar to a waiting shuttle.

They carefully brought Padme on board and let her lie on a low bench that ran along the side of the vehicle. Anakin remained at her side as Obi-Wan watched over them and once they were all settled aboard he moved to Dooku to finish their conversation.

Before he could ask his question again, Dooku thrust out his arm to Obi-Wan holding a lightsabre hilt. His plan to silence the former padawan worked as Obi-Wan stepped back from the hilt, frozen in time by its presence, witnessing with a sudden horrid and morbid reality the vision his mind intended to display to him.

_Qui-Gon fought with all the skill he possessed, but it wasn't going to be enough. He would fall, that was inevitable, but the longer he fought off the sith, the sooner Obi-Wan could reach him. If he could only have the boy at his side, this creature would have been destroyed by now, but Qui-Gon's body was slipping in its exhaustion. Another slip and - Force! It was over! Force! This was what a mortal wound felt like, it seared through his body and for a brief moment it was as though it was rejecting the very idea of the impalement and he remained on his feet. That was until the blade slid out and all movement was down, graceful, but down. Not like this! He could have held on for just a few more seconds, he was better than this, he certainly wasn't that old! He tried to clear his mind. Focus on Obi-Wan, shield him from this pain, he'll need his strength to defeat the sith. Obi could do it, he had to do it, for the sake of the children, Padme and Anakin. Oh, Anakin! Taken from his mother and Qui-Gon in almost the same breath, he only had Obi-Wan left to protect him. It was so much to ask of his padawan, but surely he would not deny his master's dying wish. Let me hold out until I can explain to him, the boy must be trained and there is no other I would trust with such a task. The future, or may be it is just a possible future, I see them living as brothers in a world of peace. The chosen one will bring it, Obi-Wan must see that. Oh, Force, let the fighting end so I can speak to him. But it's calling, it's removing the pain, not so blinding any more. Then why can't I stand? Grant me one last try at the monster. I hear them so close to me now, keep going Obi, you have to finish this so I can tell you how much I – Force, no! Just a moment longer, just –_

Obi-Wan found himself on the floor of the shuttle, Dooku at his side resting a comforting hand on his shoulder, Jango now piloting the small craft. Dooku was speaking, but Obi couldn't make out the words, they were so quiet, while the ringing in his eyes was still high pitched and whiny. He looked down at the saber hilt resting on the floor where Dooku had left it after coming to Obi's aid. He reached down and picked it up. It was deceptively light in his hand, but it felt good to hold one again and be able to examine it carefully. As the ringing subsided he became aware of Dooku's words and slowly rotated the hilt to familiarize himself with his master's blade.

"Obi-Wan, you never truly grieved for him, did you?" asked Dooku gently.

Obi shook his head slowly, continuing to examine the object in his hand.

"I'm so sorry. If I had known I never would have presented this to you so suddenly." He placed his hand over one of Obi's and Obi looked up at him. The eye of a distressed child fell upon Dooku to be met with eyes of concern and compassion from the old man.

"How did you get this?" asked Obi quietly, still reeling from his vision.

"Master Yoda thought it appropriate to gift it to me. It would have gone to you to keep or dispose of as you saw fit, so now I return it to you. I feel you are going to need it very soon."

He stood for a moment and glanced over at Anakin, still tending the stricken Padme. She was very pale and barely lucid, this did not bode well for what was ahead. He knew he should have just grabbed Obi-Wan and left before they could follow and slow them down. But then again, they had three force users now to face off against two sith, the odds were in their favor for the moment.

"Here," he called to Anakin and he tossed the boy his saber. "I managed to get this before we left. How good are you?"

"Good," was his only reply as he deftly caught the hilt and turned back to Padme. He rested his hand on her forehead and sent more of his energy to her. He wished he had paid more attention in healing tech, but there was little he could do about it now.

"Don't over do it!" called Dooku. "We're not clear of the planet's obstacles yet, lad." He returned to the still form of Obi-Wan on the floor.

"Why don't you come over here and help me out, then?" asked Anakin, as calmly as he could. The Count really did rub him the wrong way. He could sense Dooku was not entirely happy with the way things had turned out and for some reason Anakin felt he had to protect both Padme and Obi-Wan from him. He had wanted to go to Obi-Wan's side when he saw the man slide slowly to the floor, but a groan from Padme had brought his attention back to her.

"I have over reached myself already in aiding our escape. Trust me when I tell you we will all be needed in the fight ahead of us."

"You're talking about facing Maul, aren't you?" came Jango's voice, suddenly sounding desperate. "Oh no. Boba!"

"I'll not let them hurt him." Obi spoke quietly but with a determined air.

"How can you say that when you're here and he's there?" Jango replied.

Obi flipped on the com. link to Boba.

"Boba, can you hear me?" there was only static that met his request. Jango leapt from the shuttle controls, which Dooku grabbed to prevent a crash. Jango clung to Obi's arm and screamed his son's name into the device. "Boba! BOBA!" he shook at Obi's side and Obi reached up to calm him.

"He probably just left the ship to wait for us. He's a smart lad and has been warned about Maul now. He's going to be fine." Obi felt he sounded more like Qui-Gon than ever and his force enhanced intense sincerity had Jango soothed at least for the moment.

The vision, he was realizing, had not been a mere projection. These had been Qui-Gon's actual thoughts moments before their link had been severed and that severing had been so ferocious, a part of Qui-Gon had been pulled through it to rest deep inside Obi's mind. If he had returned to the Order, a mind healer would have recognized the damage and helped Obi seal and heal the broken bond, would have helped him release this last part of Qui-Gon to the force and allowed Obi to grieve appropriately for his fallen Master. Without such help, the memories were trapped inside the former padawan unable to find peace. With this new knowledge of his master's last moments he no longer felt robbed of the man's presence. He could feel the strength of the master coursing through his veins, giving him back some of the serenity he had lost all those years ago.

They were fast approaching the hangar, and although none of them spoke, there was a certain foreboding that hung in the air. The unmistakable presences of Maul and Ventress boiled over them, and they were both prepared.


	36. Chapter 37

_Chandlia: Thanks so much for the encouragement. I loved the idea that though Jango was the clone template in both universes, but Maul and Dooku's treatment of him would produce two very different personalities over the same time period . And Maul was just too cool to waste in TPM, so how could you not explore that character. He's also had ten years to develop and I hope I've managed to convey that. As for old Anakin, I've really liked writing him as a more level headed kind of guy dealing with his same feelings for Padme. We'll see how that all plays out._

_In the mean time…_

Latterie Protocol 411 – Auto-reboot after forced shut down – Audio receiver initialized – no immediate interaction – Visual receiver initialized – Low setting established – Where in the galaxy am I?

R2 looked around the repair yard and realized he was completely alone apart from the stacks of droid parts that surrounded him. He noticed the head and torso of an R4 unit watching him from across the room and they quietly signaled to each other, R2 checking he still had his legs. The R4 unit signaled his sadness with a low, slow whistle, but chirruped that the coast was clear from where he was positioned, if R2 wanted to make a break for it. R2 obliged by extending his third foot and made his way across the room. There was nothing he could do for the stricken R4, but it explained it was scheduled for repair in two days, so it would be back to working order soon.

Wishing the little droid the best of luck with his new limbs, R2 moved off in search of his mistress. It was all coming back to him, now. They had landed on the Geonosian surface after being escorted to the capitol and almost as soon as his feet had glided onto the surface, a charge spike had shut him down completely. Captain Latterie had programmed the reboot protocol after R2 had been shut down during the Theed attack the previous year and it had taken a while to instigate this time, but R2 was very thankful that it had worked. Now he just needed to locate his ship and have a little chat with the GPS to find Senator Amidala.

Tracking signal initiated – locating H-Type Nubian Yacht – It appeared the yacht had been left in a hangar not far from his current location, so he trundled along, keeping his bleeps and whirs to a minimum not wanting to draw attention to himself.


	37. Chapter 38

_Shinen no Hikari: Totally cool! I had no idea Maul survived! And that story really makes sense when you think of how Owen obviously feels about Obi in ANH. Thanks for that. _

Boba was feeling euphoric. He had helped Ben create just the right amount of chaos to cover both their escapes and now all he had to do was wait it out for them to arrive back at the hangar. He, Jango and Ben would head out while the Jedi Masters Ben had contacted could stay and sort out the whole mess. They would be free and clear.

He approached the hangar after taking a long sweep through the valley and dunes that stretched out between the arena and the hangar. Ben had advised him to fly high and away from the turbulent sands to avoid leaving too much of a trail and to check that he wasn't being followed. Boba had impressed himself with his piloting skills as he had made his way back and couldn't wait to recount his little adventure to Jango and Ben when they got back.

He swung up to the platform and his heart skipped a beat as the figure of Maul was slowly revealed to him standing on its edge. He pulled back on the control and the craft lurched to the side to head up and away from the platform, but it didn't get very far as the ship seemed to be held in place suddenly and Boba was thrust over the controls due to the sudden stop. The craft was being pulled down, back to the hangar and, recovering, Boba could see out of the view screen that Maul had his left arm extended, the hand balled into a tight fist as if gripping something. The arm was slowly lowering as the craft too began descending.

Boba climbed painfully back into the pilots seat. Ben had warned him about Maul and Ventress, but neither of them had suspected they would know about the hangar. Boba found he had some control of the ship and spun it around to point directly at Maul, whose face was frozen in concentration. Boba slammed the control forward and the ship shot down towards Maul's position. All Boba hoped to do was break Maul's concentration enough for him to fly back up, out and away from the valley. It worked for a moment and Maul jumped out of the way of the ship, but that leap was the last thing Boba remembered before an image of Ventress filled his mind and she uttered one word that sent him into a deep sleep. His last conscious thought was, that was an odd choice of word, I must now forget I ever heard it.

He sprang back to consciousness in what seemed like seconds later, but he found himself in a corner of the hangar, Dooku's ship across the way, appearing completely undamaged. He shook his head, trying desperately to remember how he ended up outside the ship and what had caused him to black out in the first place. One second he was staring down at an escaping Sith, the next he was on the cold floor of the hangar deck.

Ventress stalked over to him from her position at the hangar entrance. He backed away from her and she smiled coldly at him.

"Is that any way to react to an old friend?" she cooed and knelt down by him. Her eyes were glistening, in anticipation of facing off against Jedi, the child was a bonus handed to her by her master. She had always liked the young clones to toy with, they could so easily be manipulated and created the most interesting noises when tormented. She reached out to him and he backed up some more. She merely moved closer to him, getting down to his level and locking eyes with him. Such dark, almost black irises, the boy had, which on any other man could lead to a dull expression, but the mix of fear, excitement, anticipation that rolled off Boba had the effect of creating a sheen to the iris that reflected more light, giving the eyes an inner halo that intrigued the Sith hopeful. Now backed up completely to the wall, Boba had nowhere to go when she reached up her hand and gently caressed his cheek and jaw. She leaned in closer to him and he felt sure she was about to tell him something when her eyes lit up with exhileration and she released his face and turned to the hangar entrance. There stood Maul again, his back to the boy, hands clasped behind him in a way that reminded Boba, unnervingly, of Ben for some reason.

Recovering from his encounter with Ventress, Boba quickly did a scan of his surroundings and found nothing new since he and Ben had first gone there, so where was Maul and Ventress' ship? He moved forward to get a better look at what they were up to. Maul spun round, his yellow eyes fixed on Boba and the boy suddenly felt his body lifted off the ground and slammed through the open door to Dooku's ship where he hit the side wall and slumped to the floor. He tried to get to his feet, but it was obvious one of his legs was broken and before he could pull himself to the door, it was slammed shut and the metal twisted and buckled under the pressure exerted on it through the force. Boba was trapped inside the ship, he'd have to be cut out of the thing.

"Oh, well," he said quietly to himself and thinking of how Ben would cope in a situation like this, "at least I'll have the chance to use the fresher!"

He tried to get into a more comfortable position as the rumbling, burning pain from his leg began to rise. His breathing was becoming shallow, hitching in his lungs, but his current position, sitting up with the leg stretched out in front of him was certainly an improvement. He looked up out of the enormous view window and gasped down a gulp of air as Maul was right there in front of him, those piercing eyes penetrating his soul. The Zabrak was in his head, peeling through his recent memories, trying to gather all the information the child had locked inside his mind on Obi-Wan and Dooku. It was a very unpleasant experience, the memories being pulled to his mind's eye and then shoved out of the way for new ones to be pulled forward and examined. "Why didn't he do this while I was asleep?" thought Boba as the pain suddenly soared.

"You wouldn't have been able to see this," came Maul's voice through the rolling memories, and suddenly Boba realized he was being fed a memory directly from Maul's mind. Boba screamed as the secret his father had been trying to hide from him for the last year was finally revealed. He was not the first Boba.


	38. Chapter 39

"They're here," said Maul in barely a whisper and Ventress withdrew her blade hilts and held them out ready to ignite. "I'll take Dooku and the boy," he turned to hold Ventress' gaze, "you have one chance to redeem yourself. Dispatch Kenobi, or I'll take your head myself. Remember, his compassion and his grief over his former master are your distracters. Keep his focus away from the fight, but be warned, he is not to be underestimated. His anger will make him powerful and his fear for his friends will make him unpredictable. Don't let him get the chance to fool you like he did on Kamino."

"I know what I'm doing, he'll not get past me again." She hissed at him, eager to get on with it. She was still at a loose as to why Maul was testing them both with this trial. Hadn't she proven herself time and time again to him that she was the one he should officially claim as his apprentice so they could defeat Maul's master? This former jedi was her last test then. And he would suffer for his humiliation of her on Kamino.

"See that he doesn't. Once he is defeated, collect Jango and we shall leave. I do not wish for the bounty hunter to get out of this as easily as he hopes to."

"What of Boba and Amidala?"

"Use them against Kenobi as you see fit. Now, let us welcome our guests."

The shuttle swooped in to the hangar and the three force users leapt from it to land between it and the Sith. Jango remained inside with Amidala, ready to take off if things looked like they were going bad for the Jedi. He knew Obi-Wan would not abandon Boba, he just hoped he was still alive and somewhere they could find him. Despite his growing anxiety, he put his faith in Obi-Wan and tended the ailing Amidala.

The senator was in a bad way. Despite the warning from Dooku, both Obi-Wan and Anakin had sent some of their force energy to help her, but it had not been enough, she needed a healer. She was vaguely aware of the situation they found themselves in, and was terrified of losing both Anakin and Obi-Wan, especially now she had found him again. How she wanted to assure him, let him know everything was going to be alright. She couldn't begin to understand what he had gone through for the past ten years, but it did explain so much of his loyal and determined character, and how he managed to beat himself up over the smallest of errors. She chuckled, remembering his pleasant, if distant behavior towards her and her entourage. This brought on a fit of coughing and the pain in her head rumbled through her skull. She lay on the shuttle bench, looking up at the ceiling, cursing her weak body for being unable to aid the two men she cared most for. Her mind drifted to Anakin, the dear boy grown into a man of extraordinary control and yet such passion flashed in his eyes whenever he gazed upon her, she was lost in those eyes just thinking about his dear soul. Did he know just how much she needed that soul in her life? His declaration in the arena had been one of love through duress. Once this was all over and they were walking together back on Naboo through her parent's estate once again, would the Jedi Knight feel the same way? She pulled herself up into a rather uncomfortable sitting position so that she could see into the open hangar deck, the three men facing off against Maul and Ventress. At that moment she just hoped they would get the chance to see her home again, one last time. Jango had no weapon, if they were caught without the protection of the jedi they were dead. She focused on the stand-off, which seemed to last an infinity, determined to not allow her fear to keep her from witnessing the battle. She owed both Anakin and Obi-Wan that much.

"Well, are you coming?" asked Maul playfully of Kenobi, who's intense stare turned to one of surprise. Ventress shot a quick glare to her companion before she remembered to focus on the former Jedi.

Taken aback momentarily by Maul's question, Obi quickly recovered, holding his Master's lightsabre hilt tightly in his hand, the weight of it suddenly greater than he had at first thought. His concern shifted to Boba, who he sensed was close, but the boy's presence was clouded and confused.

"Where's Boba?" he asked of the Sith, who merely rolled his eyes and shook his head gently.

"My dear Kenobi, you never disappoint me, but that was not an answer."

The small craft acting as Boba's prison flew across the hangar to the open platform that led into the deep valley.

"No!" screamed Obi and he leapt to the side of the hangar and threw a force sling around the ship, preventing it from shooting off the platform and plummeting into the valley floor. He barely had time to send the craft back into the hangar before Ventress was upon him with her blades smashing down to him. He rolled away and flipped on Qui's blade, holding it to defend against the sudden attack. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Dooku's craft rock precariously on the platform and he nudged it just enough to get it back inside the hangar before Ventress began an onslaught of blows driving Kenobi back towards the shuttle.

"Such a waste," she cooed at him, "the boy was an interesting diversion while we waited for you, but Maul wouldn't let me keep him." Another slash from her blades came at him as his back pressed against the craft they'd arrived in, her words horrifying him. He could feel his anger bubbling, he needed to get to Boba quickly and he ducked in under her attack and pushed her back across the hangar with a force push against her chest. She flipped back through the air, and regained control of her body to land gracefully on her feet and made a dive for Kenobi who was headed to Boba's position.

He got a glance at the prone figure inside the ship pressed up against the dura-glass. He was deathly pale, his right leg twisted and swollen. The condensation that formed on the glass around the boy's nose and mouth assured Obi that Boba was alive, but he was in as desperate a situation as Padme and this was all Obi's fault. How could he have left the child alone? He knew Maul and Ventress were on their way, and with their resources and skills it should have occurred to him sooner that they would have known about this place. Obi thought he was being so clever with his plan, his over confidence had blinded him and now Padme and Boba were paying for it.

Ventress was at his back in an instant and he had to turn and duck around from her blows. But the defensive stance he took didn't last long as his hatred spiked at her arrogance over Boba's treatment. He slashed fast and hard, driving into her counter blows and the blend of green and red blades became blinding. Maul had been right, the former Jedi was formidable when riled and Ventress relished this new challenge at her own power. How could she crank up the fury that burned between them and force Kenobi into a mistake?

"Maul was right, you are so much more powerful than that failed Master of yours." An increase in the pace confirmed she was getting to him. "He fell so quickly to my Master, certainly not a worthy opponent for a Sith. How did he ever train such an efficient fighter as you?" The blows continued to rain down on her as the energy from the Jedi peaked. She broke away for a moment, rolling to her side and away from the flashing green blade. He glared at her, his eye sparkling with his rage at the mention of Qui-Gon and her slow smile was enough to draw a scream from his lips as he launched himself at her again. How dare she comment on something she knew nothing about, had she been there? Had she seen how Qui-Gon fought for his life, the times he had come so close to taking Maul's head?

/Calm yourself, Obi-Wan/ through the blur of movement that his limbs had become he heard his master and he slowed his pace, pulling back a little from the aspiring Sith. Ventress noticed the change, the sudden cessation of blows and witnessed some of the passion in his hate burn lower within his eyes. He was actually calming down before her and began a much more controlled confrontation with her.

Now it was his turn to witness her anger mount at her failed attempt to rile him further. She swung at him with the twirling blades, but hearing Qui-Gon's voice, even if it was merely his own mind bringing down his fury, had brought him back into focus at least for the moment. He had to get passed Ventress to be of any use to either Boba or Padme at this point. He could sense the intense battle between the three other force sensitives present. The combination of Anakin and Dooku could take on Maul, that was a fight he knew he couldn't win. But against Ventress he had a chance. He had bested her once already, he could do that again and he just needed to hold out until Yoda and Mace arrived.

A swing from Ventress' left blade came up a little too close to his cheek and he responded with a slash that hit home through her red shield of blades to graze her right upper arm and she hissed at him with a force push from her raised left hand. He flew back and managed to turn and use his left arm to cushion his impact against the hangar wall. The sand stone crumbles around him, churning up dust that he swept up around his torso as her blades flew at him again to find purchase.

"Of course I understand why you hid all these years after you let your master die. How could you return after such failure?"

/Stay calm/ he thought, /it's just words./

The hiss of the three blades slicing against each other was almost deafening to him at this point, but her words rang out crystal clear, more than likely force enhanced as they danced across his psyche.

"And what pleasant surroundings you found yourself in," the cooing voice was back, it seemed to provoke more of a reaction than anything else. "She really is a beautiful woman, Obi-Wan." She let that sentiment sink in for a moment as another cycle of blows began. "Did you ever get your hands on that soft, pliant skin?"

"Enough," he said barely audibly as the strikes continued.

"Oh, how sweet she smells, even from here." Ventress actually paused to breath in the air around them.

"Enough!" he called and whipped around and slipped down to sweep her legs out from under her, but she had been ready for that and flipped forward over him to bring her blades down on his back. He twisted out and slashed at her blades to deflect them and rolled round to get back to his feet as she straightened back up. The problem was that the shuttle was now behind her and her purple eyes gleamed as Kenobi realized his mistake.

She leapt for the shuttle entrance, Jango thrown out of the way with such a force push that he fell motionless to the floor. Obi-Wan immediately followed her inside, but Ventress was already in position, red blade tip to the unconscious Padme's throat. How could he have been so reckless, this was exactly what Ventress wanted!

Ventress lifted her other blade tip to Kenobi who took on a defensive stance in the confined cabin. Ventress smiled at him and shook her head, then moved the tip of the blade pointed at him, indicating he should lower his weapon. He looked to the two fallen occupants of the shuttle, closed his eyes in defeat and lowered the blade, his sense of failure overwhelming all other emotions.

"All those years you took such care of this child and now we find ourselves standing over her broken body. What could my master have seen in you? You claim to be a man of compassion, and yet those who place their lives in your hands find themselves in the direst of circumstances. Boba, Jango, Padme and Qui-Gon."

A sudden intense spike of hate focused on Ventress from Kenobi and she found herself clutching at her throat, her blades forgotten on the floor. Kenobi held his left arm out to her as she rose off the floor. She had gone too far. He would not have her mention those names again. He was running out of time for Padme and Boba, and she was in his way. She writhed above the floor, kicking out where she could, trying to get any kind of breath back into her lungs. He could sense her fear at him, now, and he liked how that felt, the control over her body, the realization that a simple squeeze would free them from her forever, Boba would never have to face her and Padme would never be this close to her ever again.

He released her and she fell hard to the floor, gasping desperately while Obi looked at his own hands in horror. He had never done anything like that before, the force choke was not a Jedi technique. He could justify it as being the only way out of a desperate situation, but that was a cop out and he knew it. He pulled her blades to his side and now placed the tip of his blade to Ventress' throat, his hand suddenly shaking.

Recovering from her coughs she looked up at him and began a low laugh.

"You couldn't do it," she said through her laughs, "you truly are weak. All that power at your fingertips and you fail to use it."

"I may still," he said quietly with a conviction that had Ventress re-examine his face. There was a steely coldness that still remained, but the subtle tremble to his sword arm betrayed his internal conflict. She rose quickly and moved to the blade tip as he backed away unsure of how to proceed. He could kill defending himself in a fight, but this was different somehow, now she was unarmed, defenseless, he could not take that life as it stood before him and she knew it.

"That is not who you are, Obi-Wan Kenobi," she was gleeful with the control she had over the situation, despite facing down a lightsabre. "You dwell here," she indicated the two bodies in the cabin with them, "with their lives in your hands, with my life in your hands and you will always choose life over any alternative. So I suggest you back out and we can continue our dance."

"Why should I, I have you taken, it's over." He was saying this to convince himself more than Ventress. She was correct about him. Like this there was no way he could take her life, especially when he had come too close to killing her out of pure hatred. That was not an option anymore, he could not allow it. That was not his path, he couldn't let them all down by taking it so easily.

Her smile only increased with his declaration and she pressed further into him until he was at the shuttle entrance.

"You have the chance to defeat me in battle and be done with me, or you live with the thought that no matter how hard you try to protect them I will always be coming after them. And not to kill them, oh no, that would be too easy. I can think of much better ways to divert myself with them." She pushed him out of the shuttle and he back flipped to avoid falling. Once he had landed she flipped over him and held out her hands for her blades.

"Well?" she challenged him with Maul's words, "are you coming?"


	39. Chapter 40

_RoMythe: Thanks for looking that up, and as for mix up, please don't worry about it. You look the time to actually find something, which is more than I could, so well done for that. And this is an alternate universe story, so I'll make it his Pen name when he writes his memoirs…if he survives long enough to write them, that is Hahaha! (Evil laugh!) _

_chisscientist: Thanks for that, I do hope you like the way things are going. I've been humbled by the continued interest in this story. It's been a real motivator._

_As for a review, I love reading them, especially if readers want something clarified, or they can't understand a particular behavior, because I love explaining that stuff and it sometimes comes across much better when I've been given a question to prompt my response in the appropriate direction. So please review at any time._

_On with it then…_

/Oh, this is too easy,/ thought Maul as Kenobi yelled and leapt past him to save Boba from Maul's throw of the small craft. Ventress was at his back almost immediately and Dooku moved to defend Kenobi. That was the moment Maul had been waiting for and he struck out at the distracted Dooku with a force push that had the old man stumbling. He flipped back as Anakin swung at him, but his twin blades spun in front of him to successfully block the swift blows from the Jedi. This one was fast, and Maul sensed the power pulsating off his being through the force. His master had warned him about the gnome's padawan, and he had not over estimated the boy's abilities as he stepped back from the lad, allowing him to display his technique while Maul allowed him be believe he was gaining the advantage.

Dooku had recovered and his anger flared in his eyes as they flashed at Maul. To think that this man had once been favored by his master was rather laughable. Dooku's former padawan's death at Maul's hands and his belief that Obi-wan was also dead led him into Sidious' grasp. His rather feeble attempt to usurp Maul had only left the man humiliated and determined to ruin every Sith plan and now Maul could sense the end game being played in Dooku's mind, momentarily focusing on destroying his Jedi Son's murderer, rather than aiding his Jedi Grandson.

The three blades clashed as they moved about the hangar, Maul defending against, then attacking whoever got within his long blade swings. Anakin leapt over him so that he now had two sides to confront and Maul was impressed with how quickly these two had fallen into step with their attacks. Then it occurred to Maul that both men had the same teacher, the gnome, who he sensed not just entwined in their force signatures, but approaching the planet. They had little time left to play these games and Maul intensified his aggressive pattern, now knowing the weaknesses both men possessed from their similar lessons.

He held off their blades along his glowing red one and grimaced a long smile.

"She will rip him apart," he said, locking eyes with Dooku, "and you will experience first hand the agony you missed when I drove my blade into your padawan's chest." Dooku grimaced and leaned into the blades a little too far. Maul simply relaxed back and Dooku fell forward and down, allowing Maul to now push against Anakin and send him several steps away so he could swing down onto Dooku's back. The old man still had some strength in him, and from his prone position he thrust the saber hilt into the back of Maul's knee. Maul anticipated the blow and flipped back out of the way and was about to bring the blade down on the prone Dooku when Anakin placed himself and his blade between them. Maul smiled once again, twisting out and around underneath the boys blade to send Dooku across the hangar deck with a release of force lightening while still holding Anakin back.

/One down,/ he thought to himself as he noticed Dooku's smoking body was not getting back up. He could focus his full attention on the arrogant fool in front of him now. The boy's force signature was extraordinary in its complexity and control, but there were signs of the veneer cracking, especially with recent events swirling around the boy's guarded mind. Maul sensed a deep connection to someone very close physically to their position and while still fending off the continuous barrage of blows he glanced about them, trying to discern the source of this weakness within the padawan.

He noticed Ventress and Kenobi heading into the shuttle and probed more deeply to its contents. He sensed, with much amusement, the bounty hunters sudden and unexpected journey into the bulkhead. He had to sweep up in another arc over the padawan as his attention was brought back to his own fight. This boy was actually getting faster! His master must be very close now, it was time to end this.

/The woman!/, his mind revealed as he was hit by the spike of fear Kenobi felt towards the senators perilous situation. It was obvious the boy felt it too, as his attention was immediately focused on the craft.

/Excellent!/ thought Maul as the distraction was obviously linked to this boy's deep feelings towards Amidala and his lack of control in that split second was all Maul needed. The boy staggered back from the blow of the red blade hilt to his face and Maul curved the red blade up, slicing off the boys left arm from the elbow down. Anakin collapsed to the floor at Maul's feet and the blades rose up to take his head.

The dark side soared around him as he felt Kenobi's hate envelope the hangar and for a moment it was the Sith lord who was distracted, basking in the power that whipped around the former Jedi. But the fool broke off his connection to its flow, making Maul suddenly nauseated by Kenobi's ability to reject that path. Still, it was a start, there was definitely more to be worked on there.

The kick he felt to the back of his knee brought him down over Anakin who raised his blade and sliced at the Sith lord. The blade caught Maul's saber hilt, slicing it in half, the blade pointed towards the boy immediately deactivated. He spat in the boy's face and punched down across his head. Anakin lay motionless before him and he stood up to tower over the fallen padawan, blade ready to strike the killing blow.


	40. Chapter 40 true

_RoMythe: Thanks, it's tricky describing that kind of thing when you have no fighting experience! So I'm glad that worked. As for the name, I was thinking Ryn could be the name his friends call him, while Jard is his more formal name. Thanks for sticking with it, I hope you enjoy what's coming up next! _

The blow did not find its mark. A green blade that Maul vaguely remembered encountering before intercepted the Sith and he looked up into the face of Kenobi, straining to keep the blade away from Anakin with the blades of Qui-Gon and Ventress.

Obi-Wan had seen Maul towering above Anakin from the shuttle entrance behind Ventress and the scene in the Naboo reactor room seemed to be playing out in front of him. Ventress had descended from the shuttle entrance and he leapt over her to exit the craft as he raced to save the boy from Maul's blow. The clash of the blades had shuddered through his already drained body, but there was no way Maul would take this life, even if it meant the end of his own. Ventress screamed behind him and he spun around, the green blade held against Maul's, the red one he had failed to relinquish to Ventress raised just above his waist in defense against the unarmed Sith. Maul picked Ventress up in a force choke before she reached her taken blade and he held her there for a moment, examining her.

"Failure," he said with barely a whisper and she looked on in horror as he tightened the grip. Kenobi turned back to Maul and brought the red blade round to take off his head, but Maul pulled Ventress into Kenobi, knocking him off his feet, the blades deactivating as they slipped from his hands. Maul brought the hilt of the green one to his grasp and Kenobi scrambled to grab the hilt of the red one and flipped it on as he rolled her unconscious body off him. He got up, ready to defend himself.

Preferring the balance of the green blade to his shattered double blade, Maul casually tossed the broken one away and lit Qui-Gon's saber, to Kenobi's horror.

"Give that to me," he demanded and launched himself at Maul, the fury and fear crashing over him, Maul's destruction his only goal.

Maul could sense his prize was tiring and his desperation was making him sloppy. A frustrating series of blows from Kenobi missed their target and he openly cried out those frustrations in increasingly aggressive grunts. Maul knew he merely had to bide his time. How ironic, Maul's patience would be the Jedi's undoing. 

Just as in the reactor room, the Jedi's failure to end the confrontation quickly was driving him to take foolish risks, and Maul's blade found purchase in an exposed left arm. The sting of the blow had Kenobi stagger back, but his determination seemed to increase and Maul found himself pushed back, unexpectedly, by a series of spinning moves from Kenobi's glowing red blade. But Maul saw a new opening, he anticipated Kenobi's final strike and rolled under and behind the man with a force speed that left Kenobi's back exposed and Maul sliced across this new target.

The pain exploded through Kenobi's system and his scream of shock and horror echoed around the hangar. He fell to his knees and then forward into his face, coughing at the dust the move churned up and from the agony the blade had burned into him.

"Here we are again," said Maul calmly, although his breathing was fast and uncontrolled, "only this time it's your own master's blade that deals the strike to bring you down. You couldn't even hold onto this," he playfully tossed the hilt gently into the air several times, spinning it around in his hands, "you have so much to learn, my apprentice."

"Not….apprentice…Never!" hissed Kenobi, amazed anything in his body could move. The pain was paralyzing, but he did seem to be able to get small gasps of air into his lungs if he was very careful.

"Are you sure about that?" Maul came and knelt beside his head and Kenobi flinched to get away, but made it only a fraction of an inch before the white spike of pain from his back stilled his movements once again. Maul brushed the sweat soaked hair out of Kenobi's eye to see the iris swirling a deep purple, almost as purple as Ventress'. What a disappointment she had been. She had completely underestimated Kenobi's connection to Amidala, just how strong it was and she had let that glorious moment of Kenobi's awakening slip past her. This man at his feet would make a formidable replacement with the proper training and motivation.

"Yoda and Mace are almost here, mere moments away. And how will they feel when they learn of your actions here today? Do you think the great Obi-Wan Kenobi will be welcomed back into the fold? Or that the house of Naberrie will allow you to set foot on Naboo again? I am your only hope, Obi-Wan." Maul's last words were almost lilting with affection, Kenobi thought, but that was probably his mind descending into oblivion, playing tricks on him.

He whimpered at his current condition. He couldn't help himself because he knew Maul was right. The Jedi would cast him in a cell for sure, his anger always had been a problem and now it had so easily come to consume him, they would never believe he could reject it as he had been able to do in the shuttle. As for the Naboo, he had brought Amidala into such danger, he could never face those people again. He truly was alone and Maul offered a way out.

But that was the last thing he wanted. Better to die here, better to join Qui-Gon in the force, that had to be the only answer to this. But he couldn't abandon Boba, he had promised Jango. He couldn't leave Padme in the shuttle alone. They needed him and his very person could be the bargaining chip.

"For Padme….for Boba….live" it was almost impossible to speak now, but he had to hold on, just a few moments longer. He had to save them.

Maul sighed heavily. Kenobi really was so predictable, he would have to curb that if they were going to defeat Sidious.

"If you come willingly, then they live. I will leave them to your masters." Kenobi barely gave a nod in understanding.

"Good," said Maul and he placed his hand on Kenobi's forehead, "now, accept my power. I'm not carrying you anywhere."

Kenobi felt consumed by a heat that enveloped his limbs, deadening them to the pain of the wound to his back only to create a new, deeper driving ache that penetrated his bones. He gulped down several catches of air at the realization he could breathe deeply again, only it burned his lungs and he coughed violently.

"Get up!" said Maul and he hauled Kenobi up off the floor. The flames of Maul's energy seemed to haze over Kenobi's vision as though everything was smoldering slightly. Maul led the way, his torso ablaze through Kenobi's eyes and very easy to follow.

As they approached Maul's ship, the sith stumbled and grabbed the side wall. He was expending more of his energy to sustain Kenobi than he had thought. Something inside Kenobi seemed to be soaking it up and releasing it back out of his system. He looked back to the man who was hunched over, his body reaching its exhaustion point.

"How can this be?" hissed Maul and he released his hold to shut off the connection before he was bled dry. As soon as the connection was broken, Kenobi collapsed to the floor unable to sustain his own weight. Maul could see that dark energy continue to sweep through him and be released out, effectively cleansing the former Jedi's system of the dark power.

"Not possible!" hissed Maul and he moved to grab Kenobi to drag him onto the ship when he felt the powerful presence of Yoda and Windu finally arrive on the scene and they were heading down the path to him. Self preservation kicked in as there was no way he could take on 2 Jedi Masters of their caliber in his current condition, so he pulled himself onto his ship, once again cursing Kenobi for cheating him once again.


	41. Chapter 41

_So, before we begin, I need to do some serious apologizing for the last couple of days fiddling with the chapters! I was reading through everything and discovered the I had posted chapter 27 twice, so chapter 29 was a repeat. I thought I had remedied the situation only to discover that I had totally messed up the chapter order and had to resubmit chapter 40 with a different name or it wouldn't accept it! _

_Anyway, the short explanation is, READ CHAPTER 29 (LABBELED CHAPTER 30) AS THIS WILL FILL IN SOME GAPS! The chapter begins "Boba was scared…." and has my responses to SeraphimXII and AndrossKenobi's comments. Apologies again, hope this whole thing hasn't put you off! _

_Valairy Scot: Well, then this chapter will either really entertain or really frustrate you! Sorry in advance if it's the latter! I will admit that I hadn't realized it would take this long to get to them, but there was a lot I wanted to get through with the Maul/Kenobi confrontation. I found it really hard to write the action stuff and it took way more chapters than I expected! _

_RoMythe: I'm glad you liked that last one. Nice idea about the two names thing, I'm sure I can work that in somewhere! Yep, there goes Obi again, wouldn't be an Obi story without a large dose of self sacrifice, especially in his current condition. So I said in the reply to Valairy Scot's review above, it was really difficult writing those scenes and took way more words than I thought it would and you're completely right about getting it all into the text. Thanks again for the helpful comments._

_The Anti-Stratigist: Thanks for the encouragement! I really appreciate it. Updating has been troubled, lately, as I rally haven't had as much to work on this as I had at the start, but the Thanksgiving break should give me some time to run off a few chapters. _

_Meanwhile….._

Before Maul could close up the ship, he was pulled from the craft and flipped in the air, so he ignited the green blade, which milliseconds later smashed into the similarly colored one of Jedi Master Yoda. He made a quick look around for Mace Windu, but he was not present. Then, as he and Yoda faced off, he sensed through his link, Assajj facing off with the dark skinned Jedi. This would be a real test for the both of them, separated like this the masters had foolishly weakened themselves and both Sith had a chance after all.

Yoda breathed out his shock at seeing Qui-Gon's old blade in Maul's hands, but he didn't have time to dwell on that now. The Sith lord had to be defeated. His connection to the force took over as his deceptively small figure whirled and whipped around the Sith. Maul was keeping pace for the time being, matching blow for blow as the Jedi master became a blur of green fluidity around the Sith.

/Dooku has joined in!/ exclaimed Ventress over their link, /Get back here!/

Momentarily distracted he felt the sting of Yoda's blade rake his left thigh and he spat out a gasp, his eyes falling on Kenobi as he swung down and away from another strike aimed at his legs. He thin smile spread over his lips and he moved back into the fight with increased vigor.

/Tell them of what Kenobi did to you in the shuttle. I think you'll be surprised by the Count's reaction./

Another spinning attack got too close to Maul's horns for comfort, he could feel the heat of Yoda's blade through the sensitive appendages on his head. It was time to end this ridiculous scenario. He pushed his attack into the green blur, trying to drive him back enough for Yoda to have to flip off the wall behind him an go up and over Maul so all Maul had to do was feign to the left and twist the blade up into the annoying gnome.

Yoda must have sensed his intention, because he slid down to the right to avoid Maul's blade as it sang in that low hum singeing the hairs in the Jedi Master's ears. Maul spun around and deliberately sniffed the air to take in the burnt smell, smiling devilishly at the Jedi master who had bounded away from Maul, suddenly seeming distracted.

"Problem, is there, Master Yoda?" asked Maul in mock concern. The Jedi master's face was awash with confusion and pain as he glanced at the prone form of Kenobi. "Dark side you sense in him, maybe?"

The two powerful force sensitives circled each other, Kenobi between them.

"Fine apprentice, he will make," Maul continued, enjoying immensely the experiment in Yoda syntax he was employing.

"The dark side, this one, would never truly embrace," his voice was calm, quiet, hiding the exhaustion he was feeling after so short a fight. The force energy of the whole place seemed to be draining away from him the more he pressed his attacks into the Sith and yet he sensed the Sith was faring no better. Yoda had barely managed to avoid having his ear sliced off and it had shaken him. Now the Sith was openly mocking him, trying to goad him into something reckless, a path he was not going to descend as words replaced physical action while the two tried to re-compose themselves. Another problem was that something was wrong with the encounter Mace was facing. He had sensed his old student joining the conflict, but the man was clouding his connection to Yoda.

"How can you possibly say that for certain? He has obviously touched on that part of himself before, you sense the dark forces swirling around him as we speak and you should have seen how effectively he caught my associate in a force choke hold earlier. Really quite literally breath-taking!"

Could this be true? Was Obi-Wan capable of such dark force manipulation as to perform an effective force choke? And yet Ventress lived. She had been recovering as Mace and Yoda entered the main part of the hangar and Mace had taken it upon himself to stop her from escaping, allowing Yoda to seek out their fallen friend. And Maul had been right about the dark tendrils of force that were hanging around the former padawan. In this lull in proceedings Yoda took a moment to look back at them. It was this atmosphere around Obi-Wan that was so draining to both conscious force sensitives. It was as if these tendrils were drawing on the power around to penetrate into the boy, but a surprisingly familiar force presence was keeping them at bay. There was a great deal of hope for Obi-Wan yet and Yoda was not about to give up on the child.

"To me, you will surrender," came Yoda's calm voice again, this time betraying a little of the strain he was feeling.

"Nice try at changing the subject," said Maul, unimpressed with the Master's response. He had successfully blocked from Yoda the confrontation that had taken place in the main hangar between Mace, Ventress and a fully recovered Dooku, but now was his time to escape and he wasn't leaving empty handed.

"He's mine, now," he grimaced at Yoda, "or as good as, as far as your precious order is concerned. Do you think they will banish him off somewhere, or study his behavior as they lock him in a cell deep within the temple?"

"Jedi Order, like that, does not work," Yoda desperately wanted to move Obi-Wan from between them, but such a move exposed both Yoda and Obi-Wan to Maul's blade.

"So, forgive and forget, they will?" Maul scoffed at the Jedi Master, who clearly knew nothing of his own people's paranoia at this point, delicately maneuvered by Maul's Sith Master. "I rather doubt that, you old green gnome."

"Leave with him, you will not." Yoda raised his blade again and with a force speed that was astounding, even to Maul, he leapt across the room and swung down on the stunned Maul. The sith apprentice barely had time to ignite the blade and defend himself as the flurry of strikes crashed into him. A swing to his left arm found a whole in his defense and he winced as the blade slashed across it, swiftly followed by a jab to his right leg that, combined with the one on his left thigh, had him stumble back away from Yoda in time to roll away from a head taking swipe. Suddenly his prize didn't seem worth the price of pissing off Jedi Master Yoda.

He reached out and grabbed Kenobi's body and flung it up into the air. The hangar cavern above them was vast in this section, much to Maul's relief and he held the man suspended a good fifty feet above the ground. Yoda was momentarily distracted by the former padawan's assension and tried to prevent it, but the Sith apprentice had a strong force hold around Obi-Wan.

Yoda reached deep inside himself and felt the force flow between him and the force presence of Qui-Gon he had sensed surrounding Obi-Wan. The presence seemed like an echo, now Yoda realized, an echo of the long past Master that Obi-Wan was projecting in an effort to protect himself from the dark force tendrils around him.

/Help you, allow me to/ Yoda sent out, hoping to make some kind of connection to the echo. It took a moment of intense thought and force flow, but Yoda found himself in control of the echo and was able to begin to guide the form back to the hangar floor. The echo drifted over the large open wound on Obi-Wan's back and Yoda nodded in understanding, not that the echo could comprehend that, the nod was merely a reflex to this new information. As the body approached the floor, he turned it so that Obi-Wan would end up on his stomach. Once Obi-Wan was safely down, Yoda examined the empty hangar, Maul's ship having left while he had been bringing Obi-Wan down. The Jedi Master breathed deeply, regaining some of his composure and force sensitivity now the darkness surrounding Maul had left.

A spike of pain pierced his newfound peace as the extent of Anakin's injury was suddenly thrust through his training bond with the boy who had been unable to shield his Master from the intensity of it.

/Master! Master! Don't leave us here! Don't leave../ The cry through the bond was heartbreaking and had Yoda leaping back up the path he had taken to get to Maul and Obi-Wan.

/Leave you, I never would, my padawan. Coming I am, hold on/ and he sent waves of assurance and drew some of the pain he sensed in the boy away from his wound and out into the force as Anakin was unable to perform the task by himself.

The scene before him totally surprised him. He had never expected to find the hangar so changed from when he and Mace first entered. His immediate concern, however, was his padawan and he dashed to the boy's side. He stroked Anakin's sweat covered brow and the usually brilliant blue eyes of his apprentice flashed open to reveal pain glazed orbs and the boy's breathing hitched in his throat.

"Calm, my padawan," caressed Yoda with his voice, continuing to send his reassurances to Anakin and channeling more of the boy's pain out into the force. "Healing trance, we will attempt." Anakin nodded quickly, wincing as a tendril of pain wrapped around his injured arm. With Yoda's help, they guided him into the welcome embrace of the living force and Anakin allowed it to surround his consciousness, the midichlorians given their cue to begin the deep healing and protection such a wound would need. With his padawan comforted, he brought his attention back to the confusing surroundings he found himself in.

Mace was sprawled on the deck, his clothes and skin smoking from receiving force lightening directly to his head and chest. His force signature shone brightly, however and Yoda sensed he would recover momentarily after a brief healing trance the Master had placed himself into. Anakin was as he had left him, but the bodies of Padme and Jango were now positioned outside of the shuttle. They had been positioned with great care, Padme with a rolled up robe beneath her head. The other small craft they had noticed when they first entered the hangar was in pieces, the entire front view window had shattered and the duraglass strewn around the deck. There was something missing as well, and for a moment he wasn't sure what it was until he remembered Anakin's horrified words.

He glanced over to the place his ship should have been and found it empty. The ship was missing.

"Yoda?" asked Mace hesitatingly as he rolled onto his back breathing deeply.

Yoda came to his friend's side and helped him into a sitting position and began to answer Yoda's unasked question.

"It was Dooku, he betrayed me to the Sith," Yoda sensed his friend's shame at not being more cautious with the man. He placed a hand on Mace's shoulder waiting for Mace to explain.

"I thought he was there helping me as we faced off against the Sith, but she began talking about Obi-Wan as though he had turned and how that would sit with the order. I was not about to allow her petty insults get the better of me, however they would appear to have had quite an effect on the Count, as he suddenly turned on me, grabbing my neck and hitting me with a Sith power of force lightening I have never encountered before. I don't seem to be able to recall anything after that. I'm terribly sorry, my friend."

Yoda was taken aback by this revelation. Dooku was Sith? How could this have happened? He had trusted this man with his life on more than one occasion and now he had almost killed Mace, a man he had claimed to hold in such high esteem. What could have possibly made him turn on Mace like that, it didn't make any sense? But then, his position had changed only after Ventress mentioned Obi-Wan and his actions towards her. Suddenly, he realized the echo of Qui-Gon was no longer present in his mind. When had that happened? And what did it mean for Obi-Wan?

"Yoda, what is it?" asked Mace as he saw the concern and urgency cover the Jedi Mater's face.

"Obi-Wan!" exclaimed Yoda and he fled back down the path to the hangar Maul had used. There was no sign of the former padawan, only a patch of blood drying in the oppressive heat of the desert planet.


	42. Chapter 42

_Valairy Scot: Yeah, Yoda is never going to give up on old Obi, and what reason does he have to trust Maul anyway, so Obi still has an ally with Yoda. I look forward to reading what you have to say about the rest of the chapter. BTW, just saw that there is a new chapter of "Even Jedi Cry", I can't wait to read it!_

_Shinen no Hikari: OK, I get that force choke is not perhaps as shocking as it might appear, however this would be Obi-Wan that we're talking about using it, and certainly in my AU that's the last thing Yoda would be expecting from him and this is an ALTERNATE UNIVERSE story! As for the force lightening thing, if you read it Mace says it was, and I quote, "a Sith power of force lightening I have never encountered before." So I have something planned to explain that! Hoo ha ha ha ha! (evil laugh!)_

_SeraphimXII: Thanks for the comments, this next chapter should answer your questions. And don't count out old Maul yet, he's not exactly the giving-up type. And I have a feeling he's going to be seeking blood rather soon._

_mtfrosty: I really liked writing the confrontation between Maul and Yoda and I hope it was convincing that Yoda would get upset, especially with Maul calling him the green gnome. And thanks for the review, I love reading and responding to the comments. Hopefully the next few chapters should get updated pretty quickly!_

_Michelle Erika: This is a power play that Maul and Ventress are involved in, and they are willing to do anything to get the upper hand. At that moment Maul is royally pisse off with her, and that action not only allows him to vent his frustration at her, but it totally shuts her up and throws her for a loop, are those feelings her own or are they part of his game? I picture the whole sith hierarchy as essentially a power play of one-upman-ship where they are constantly trying to balance working together and maintaining or gaining power over the other, depending on which one is the master and which one was the apprentice. Thanks for the review, it gave me an excuse to write about my idea of their philosophy!_

Boba was tired. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this tired. His head still ached from Maul's mind probe and his leg was throbbing something awful, even after the pain killer Dooku had given him. The old man had looked pretty much spent himself by the time they had settled on the Jedi ship and he had braced Boba while he set the boy's leg, which had hurt worse than the original break and Boba had screamed, he just couldn't help himself. The tears of pain and fear had streamed down his face. That horrific pain had subsided now to the draining ache he felt starting in his leg, but it had crept up through the rest of his body and was settling around his heart and his eyes. Ever since Maul had invaded his mind, everything looked grey, all the color seemed to have bled out of his surroundings and there was an insistent ringing in his ears that he really wished would just go away. Dooku had tried to encourage him to sleep, but he couldn't close his eyes without seeing the vision Maul had planted in his mind, and that was in brilliant, vibrant colors, scarlet being the predominant one.

His attention returned to the man lying on his stomach on the bed in the small cabin. Boba had slipped from the bed to the floor when Dooku had entered carrying Ben over his shoulder, which looked uncomfortable for the both of them. Dooku had gently lifted him and placed him on the soft sheets using the force, Boba guessed, to get him there without disturbing the long, deep slash to his back. Boba had moved out of the way as Dooku sank to his knees to tend to Ben. Now Ben lay quietly, his back coated with the bacta patches from the med kit Dooku had found the painkillers in. As Dooku was cleaning out the wound, Boba had shuddered at the moans and gasps coming from his friend, but there had been nothing Boba could do in his condition. He was close enough to reach up and take Ben's hand in his own and Ben had grasped it, clutching and squeezing it with his discomfort, Boba wincing at the pressure on his hand, but determined to be there for his friend. Now Ben was silent, his breathing deep and much more controlled. Boba still held his hand, not wanting to let go, afraid that if he did the man would disappear and Boba's one point of stability would be gone.

He looked towards the cockpit where Dooku had disappeared to after tending the two of them. He still didn't trust the man, but he had saved Boba's life, which had to be worth something. He couldn't help feeling there was some other motive behind the old man's actions, but he wasn't in the mood for asking. He just wanted Ben to wake up so the man could work out how they would get out of there.

The boy's eyes grew intensely heavy, but he tried desperately to shake it off.

"Stay wake, Boba, stay wake," he said to himself in a quiet mantra, there was no way he was sleeping on this ship. Ventress was somewhere on board still for one thing and for another, he had no idea what nightmares awaited him there as reminders of his father's betrayal.

"Well, I could tell you how you got here, I suppose" he said to Ben who had become silent again. "Where do I start?"

He shuffled down the side of the bed so he could switch his hands holding Ben's before it went to sleep completely. He shook it to get rid of the pins and needles feeling as he thought about what had happened after Ben left him in to pilot the ship back to the hangar. He wasn't ready to talk about that yet, even to an unconscious man, so he skipped ahead to the moments after Maul had left his mind.

"I saw you fighting Ventress and then Maul after Dooku and the bloke in Jedi robes went down. I tried to get out, I really did, but the door was crushed shut and the dura-glass was so strong I.." he was choking on the frustration he had felt at the time and then composed himself, not wanting to tire himself out even more with hysterics. He breathed out deeply a couple of times and resumed his story.

"I saw you fall and I thought it was all over, we were done for, and when Maul left with you I pounded on the glass, but you didn't even turn round." His emotions were threatening to overwhelm him again. How was this helping? He only felt more tired and alone after this.

"Come on, Boba," he chastised himself, "pull yourself together, old man." Using the phrase Ben had used on him helped him to re-focus on the events and he got back to the story.

"It could only have been a matter of moments after you left when I saw Assajj start to recover and get up. I thought she would come after me now, so I stayed as still as I could, hoping she wouldn't remember I was here. But her attention was not on me, it was on this ship landing straight across from where I was. Two Jedi came out, they must have been the folks you talked to. One of them was a little green gnome and I thought 'What the heck is that supposed to be?' but it turned out to be really cool watching it go after Ventress. Then the other Jedi took over from the green thing. His lightsabre was purple, although you probably already knew that. He was Master Mace Windu, wasn't he? And the green guy was Master Yoda, had to be. Human, talk like that, never would!" he concluded with a giggle. He looked up at Kenobi's face, hoping for some response, but receiving none he continued.

"Well, Yoda disappeared off down the path you and Maul had taken. Mace was getting the better of Ventress, you could tell, he totally controlled that fight, she was in real trouble, and then Dooku joined in on Mace's side and I thought we'd finally be rid of her. But then they seemed to all be talking at the same time. Well," he thought about it for a moment, "I guess Mace didn't do any talking, it was just Assajj and Dooku, and she said something that had Dooku really shocked and then he pulled back behind Mace as Ventress pressed forward and Dooku grabbed Mace's head. There was this weird curling green lightening that came from his fingers into Mace, it looked really painful. He fell to his knees and Ventress leapt for Dooku, but he zapped her two, only she went flying and hit the dura-glass in front of me! It actually cracked the glass! Mace was getting up and swung at Dooku again, but that old man can move really fast when he wants to and this time he had his hand on Mace's chest and he just kept sending that lightening into him. I swear the man was smoking by the time Dooku let him fall to the floor. Then Dooku just looked up and straight at me."

Boba caught his breath, remembering the terrifying moment he realized Dooku knew he was there and the thought that he was next for the lightening treatment.

"He came over to me and I tried to scoot to the back of the ship. When he got to the ship he looked concerned, not upset, which was what I was expecting. He put his hand on the glass and it shook for a second before completely shattering, like you did to the detention cell Dad –" he stopped himself from going any further, shaking slightly at his slip, "no, I mean the way you rescued Jango, you remember?" He looked up again, more urgently this time, he really needed Ben to talk to him, say something reassuring and then something stupid he could laugh at.

Still nothing. He sighed deeply and went on again.

"Anyway, I was free, but facing Dooku, who had just taken out Ventress and Mace. So I really wasn't expecting what happened next. He asked if I was OK! That was too weird. He had to ask me, like, three times before I realized he actually meant it. So I told him about my leg and he was really careful in lifting me out and towards the Jedi's ship. That's when Ventress sprung back up again, but Dooku held her at bay and, would you believe it, he offered her a ride! How could he do that! I was really pi-" he looked up at Ben quick as he corrected himself, "I mean I was really annoyed by that. She's around in here somewhere, I don't know where. Anyway, he set me on the bed in here and we got moving, but I could feel we were hovering for a minute or two and then we moved off again and Dooku brought you in. Man, I thought you were…, well…., I thought you were dead. But Dooku fixed us both up. I just don't know abou him, Ben I really don't." He shook his head as his eyes slipped closed as the drag of sleep seemed to be pulling him down.

"Oh well, I guess we'll find out soon enough where we're headed." He lifted his head and rested it on the bed behind him opening his eyes before the images of destruction could return.

"Wake up, Ben, please," he sobbed out, "I can't hold on much longer, please just wake up!"

" 'Sokey…Boba,…'Sokey.." Ben's voice drifted down to him and the hand he had been holding slipped free to rest comfortingly on Boba's shoulder. "Getsome…rest…" and Boba found himself finally succumbing to his body's call to sleep.


	43. Chapter 43

_This chapter deals with the aftermath of the Geonosis encounter for Anakin and Padme and deals with some medical stuff that I really wanted to include, but I am not a medical professional, so the descriptions might not be quite right. I guess I just want you to bare in mind that the force is involved with everything. (Oh, this is so going to backfire on me!)_

_SeraphimXII: I'm glad you liked it, and I thought it would make a change, seeing the events from an unexpected point of view. Dear old Boba has had a rough time of it lately, so I thought he needed a little bit of comfort at the end of things. I'll endeavor to update soon. Thanks again._

_Shinen no Hikari: As you are clearly not enjoying this story, please remember that no one is forcing you to read it! And considering what this next chapter has in store, you are seriously going to hate me, so you should probably just put this story aside. I completely understand._

"I won't be swayed in this, Master."

Anakin lay in the large bed, his left arm still bandaged at the stump, awaiting the operation to attach the internal structures that would allow for the prosthetic to connect properly. Yoda thought he looked overly pale, his piercing blue eyes still slightly out of focus from the pain medication and the haunting aura of one who had faced the power of a Sith lord. Anakin was exceptionally talented, but still a padawan with so much to learn, so much to give to the order. And he was throwing it all away, right before Yoda's eyes.

"What you think is right, you must do, my padawan, of course," said the Jedi Master, sitting up on the bed. He was reminded of his brief encounter with Obi-Wan under similar circumstances, both men hurting and somewhat confused.

"But, Anakin, not to be taken lightly, this decision of yours. Spoken with Padme, have you?"

Anakin looked down at the sheets that covered his legs, the pattern of the Naboo royal house embroidered on the thick material. The closest decent medical facility that was now in friendly territory had turned out to be on the Naboo home world and they had remained on the planet while their recovery was taken care of, Senator Amidala had insisted after she considered herself wholly responsible for the casualties from the Geonocian encounter. The Naboo Queen had taken things a step further and the entire party was being treated by her personal physicians and technicians within the Palace complex of Theed. Trying to avoid drawing too much attention to the situation, Yoda had agreed and he had sent Mace back to inform the council of events on Geonosis.

Now he was presented with his lovesick padawan taking the impossible road of leaving the Jedi order for the sake of the former Senator. Padme had resigned as the representative of Naboo almost as soon as she had recovered enough to understand the consequences of her actions to rescue her Latterie. Even reassurances that the Sith had obviously manipulated the situation and had been planning to start a war to destabilize the region for some time, she had been unable to accept that it was not, in part at least, her fault that the conflict had escalated into war. Anakin was more determined than ever to be at her side, to be the rock she had been for him during his recent time on Tatooine.

"She's still in surgery for the.." he was still having trouble coming to terms with the severity of her injuries and so was she, another reason he had to be strong, had to be there for her. "…the hysterectomy."

No children. Ever. It had devastated her. The energy Anakin and Obi-Wan had channeled into her body had prevented her from bleeding to death internally, but the structure of the uterus had been ruptured and the damage had not been repaired in time to save the organ. Further complications had led to her eggs being effectively unharvestable, despite the best efforts of the Naboo surgeons. Jedi healers had been sent for, but arrived too late to help with the damage, the force seemed to be playing a cruel joke on the poor child. Now she was undergoing the last of the surgeries to remove the remaining damaged tissue.

Yoda could feel the strong emotions rolling off his padawan, emotions that betrayed his true and powerful feelings for Padme, feelings that could not easily be released into the force, as he had hoped the boy would be capable of. He was a powerfully sensitive conduit of the force and the thought of this boy outside the protection of the order concerned him greatly. But then there was the fact that the order itself was under siege constantly from the oppressing power of the dark side that had so clouded their abilities lately. He was becoming more convinced that removing this boy from that oppression was the right thing to do. But there was a feeling of tremendous doubt in his perceptions. The force had been his guide for so long, and now with increasing frustration, it was lacking in any guidance or seemed to send conflicting and confusing signals to him. How was he supposed to tell anymore?

He lifted Anakin's chin so that he could gaze into those troubled eyes again, the thick circles beneath them draining further color from his face. He had grown fond of the boy over the last ten years. A fiercely driven, enquiring mind had surpassed Yoda's expectations again and again, and his lightsabre skills and force abilities had rivaled every padawan in the order. His shining beacon within the living force had been an inspiration to many younglings, who considered the team of Yoda and Anakin to be the ultimate goal to aim for. Now, it was clear he was driven with a different purpose, one he would not be swayed from and he would pursue it with the same passion he had approached his training, of that Yoda was certain.

He knew it was pointless to argue the point further, the boy had made up his mind and nothing the green gnome said would dissuade him from his current course. He breathed deeply for a moment and leant in to touch their foreheads together for a brief moment, before he drew back.

"With the council I must consult. Much to inform them of I have. Like this they will not. But your side they will need to hear. Beside you I will remain." Anakin looked up, nodded and let his head rest against the pillows, his conversation with Yoda tiring him more than he had expected.

"When would you want to do this?" asked Anakin, feeling the weight of the Council suddenly falling on him, it seemed. Yoda was about to speak, when he sensed the approach of a visitor to the room.

"Later will we talk more, my pad-" he had to correct himself, "..Skywalker... Now, someone else in need of your council is." A long smile spread over his face and he turned to the door.

Sabe entered after a quiet knock and she bowed to the occupants.

"Forgive me, Masters," she began, coming into the room, "but Master Anakin asked me to inform him once Padme was out of surgery."

"Yes, thank you, Sabe," said Anakin, already starting to get up gingerly, Yoda assisting his former padawan. "I'll be there shortly."

She bowed and left the Jedi to prepare for the short walk to Padme's room. He stood tall behind Yoda who briefly nodded to the young man, sending his own love for the boy through their link, aiding Anakin's energy reserves for the vigil Yoda knew the young man would soon be undertaking at Padme's side.


	44. Chapter 44

_SeraphimXII: Sorry for the confusion, but I thought I'd move these characters on a bit as they will become important again as the story continues. I also thought it would be interesting to explore what would happen with their relationship after such an event. Old Obi's words from the movie "You will be expelled from the Jedi order!" came back to me and I thought, well what would happen if he was expelled? He's supposed to be the Chosen one and he's 'choosing' to abandon the Jedi! As for Padme, I've read stories where she's died having had the kids, but never something where all prospect of having the kids is gone and I wanted to explore that situation. _

_AndrossKenobi: Point taken, I'll probably post more than one chapter at a time, which will mean longer times between posts, but I agree that the chapter lengths have been getting shorter and I can see how this would be frustrating. Apologies for that._

Anakin was surprised at how shaky his legs felt under him as he made his way to Padme's room. They had not been injured and yet were not doing what was asked of them in this simple trip. Yoda, at his side, slowed down, leaning on his stick a little more heavily.

"Slow down, you must, legs not as long as yours I have," and he nudged the young man's calf to get him to pull back. Anakin wasn't fooled by his old Master's comments, but was grateful for the excuse to take things a little slower. He always did have a tendency to over exert himself and now was no exception as he desperately needed to be close to Padme.

They entered the ante chamber to the suite of rooms Padme and her entourage had at the Palace and all eyes turned to them, faces full of concern and fear, others with flashes of anger at the Jedi's presence. It was understandable after all, Anakin had been assigned to protect Padme and only brought her into danger both on Tatooine and the tragedy of Geonosis. It was not something that the room's occupants openly expressed, but the flow of emotions in the room showed the hostility towards him and his Master coming more from the blood relations of Padme. Her parents sat by the door leading into her bedroom and they rose at the Jedi's entrance, only to sit almost immediately, comforting each other.

Dorme came over to Anakin and took his hand to lead him to the bedroom. He sensed her nervousness, but no hostility towards him from the hand maiden. If anything she seemed genuinely pleased he was there, and led him quickly through the room.

"She's been asking for you, she woke up almost as soon as she got back here and wanted you inside first." On hearing this he realized some of the hostility had been raised due to this simple request of their daughter, and he couldn't bring himself to look upon Padme's parents as he moved past them. He was just about to head through the door, when Padme's mother touched his arm and he paused to look down at her with eyes of deep regret at the situation. Although tears welled within them, her mother smiled suddenly warmly at Anakin. He was surprised at this and moved to touch her hand, only to remember his left hand was gone. He closed his eyes and simply nodded at her and then turned into the room.

Padme lay sleeping it seemed, propped up in the large bed against the far wall of the room. It was less opulent than the one he had found himself in and had been filled with obvious touches from her family residence where he had spent such a brief but happy time with her recently. So much had happened between them since then, and surrounded by these trappings, she looked so small and vulnerable, more so than at any time he had seen her. He moved to the side of the bed and eased himself into a chair as Dorme moved to see how Padme was doing.

"Looks like she dozed off for a moment, the surgeon said that might happen. It could be a while before she wakes up again."

"I'll stay for a while, if I may." He looked at Dorme who was straightening the covers over Padme. He had noticed a change on all Padme's people since returning to Naboo. It was as if they had matured into something a little more distant and quiet. He reached up and took Dorme's hand, knowing the source of her underlying concern.

"How are the others taking the news about Latterie?" he asked as she stopped and looked to the floor. She thought about her response very carefully and Anakin realized that, although they now knew of his secret, they really hadn't had the time to process it, with the illness of their Mistress and the horror of this war starting. He rubbed her hand with his thumb, sending subtle waves of reassurance to her as she turned to him and sat gently on the bed so as not to disturb Padme. She sighed heavily before she began. Where was she to start?

"Some better than others," she said softly, "Nawe was particularly shaken by the whole experience, not surprisingly. I think at first he blamed himself terribly for what happened with Latterie's disappearance, but then he moved to blaming him for his injuries and had some trouble dealing with his anger for a while. Chancellor Palpatine was wonderful and really helped him a lot and he's been accepted into the Republic Guard Academy, he leaves tomorrow."

It had been difficult for them to come to terms with having someone they trusted so completely turning out to be someone completely different. She had loved him as a close friend, confided many of her concerns and fears to him, and she had to admit he had always been there for her, even recently with the terrible bombing of their ship. But now, even though she knew his character was good, she felt cheated, like she had only known half a person. He had never exactly lied to them, but he'd never felt close enough to them to reveal his true self. Perhaps he was doing it for noble reasons, it didn't make up for that empty feeling she now felt, knowing the man Latterie was gone and replaced with this former Jedi. It would have been easier if Latterie had been a man who had died, rather than this limbo she felt. At least then she could have mourned for him. But all she really wanted was to see his face again, reach out to him and hold him close to her, just as they had done in the hospital room where he had made her laugh over some silly mess of tissue.

Realizing she had been contemplative for a while she looked back up to the inquiring eyes of the Jedi before her, witnessing the same calm serenity in adversity she had seen within her Letterie and strangely she found comfort in that. And she squeezed his hand reassuringly and smiled.

"Gregar, I mean Captain Typho, thought he'd dreamt the whole thing about Latterie claiming to be a Jedi!" she chuckled to herself, trying to lighten the mood. "He's been the best at pointing out what Latterie did for us all, how he brought us all together. He's been an excellent replacement, which is just what Latterie would have wanted, I'm sure."

"We'll be alright, he trained us well and Gregar is continuing that training. We're not likely to forget that training any time soon considering in what good stead it's placed us. And we're going to need it with this war coming. I just wish…"

She was cut short by the murmur coming from the occupant of the bed.

"Padme?" asked Dorme gently, turning to her Mistress and getting off the bed. Anakin let go of her hand and lent forward to see the stirring woman. "How do you feel?"

"Better for the rest, thank you Dorme." Hear voice was a little hoarse and sounded weaker than he had ever heard her, but it was so good to hear he really didn't care and held back a quiet sob as his feelings for her rushed up through his body, his sense of relief at her waking overwhelming him.

"Anakin?" came the sweet voice, a little stronger this time. "Oh, my darling, how long have you been here?" And she tried to lift herself to reach for him, but Dorme gently pressed her back into the bed.

"He still has both legs, he can come to you!" she said playfully and backed away so that Anakin could get to her and embrace her as gently, but firmly as he could.

Dorme backed away from them, smiling warmly at the happy reunion. "I'll leave you alone for a while. Call if you need anything and remember, you do have other visitors, don't tire each other out." And she headed out of the room.

Anakin just wanted to hold her like that, despite the discomfort to his still injured body. He wanted to breathe in her warm scent and hold even that inside himself, not wanting to have any part of her leave him. But a gentle pat from her hand on his back indicated she wanted to be released from the embrace. He sat back on the bed, his eyes studying her face, examining every line and crease, eventually falling into those deep pools of dark brown, sensing nothing but her love flowing freely from her healing form and his own love washed over her like a cleansing breeze. Her gentle eyes closed and for a moment he thought she had perhaps fallen asleep again, overcome with the power of their feelings.

But her eyes reopened with a sudden deep sadness in them. She glanced down at her belly, covered with the light blanket Dorme had carefully placed over her.

"We'll get through this, Padme, together," his voice gentle and nurturing to her ears. It wasn't that she had wanted children right now, but the thought of never having that experience, to feel another life grow inside of her, feel those tiny kicks and rolls, hold her own child in her arms. She shivered, a coldness of feeling she had never known draining her body. He was there to warm her, her shining knight, and she sank back into his arms, the warmth of him soothing her, making the world bearable again. It was her turn to breath him into her lungs and that sweet scent lifted her more than his words.

"I'm so glad you're here," she said, barely a whisper, but he heard and held her closer, bringing her into his hold and she turned to place her side against his chest , her legs bent in a half curl. He stroked her arm, her head resting against his chest and he gently placed his chin on the top of her head. "I can't face them just now, I need .." she paused to compose herself.

"Take all the time you need, I'm not going anywhere."

She looked up at him and his injured arm.

"The operation is tomorrow and I'll be fitted with the new arm in a matter of days. It's almost over, for both of us."

"How can you say that? I started a war, Anakin! No matter what others may claim, it was my direct actions, that you even warned me about, that have plunged this galaxy into a terrifying conflict."

"A conflict that has been building for years and was so far towards the brink that any tiny move on either side could have triggered the situation. Let me remind you that the Clone army, alone, was enough to place both sides on tender hooks. Please, Padme, don't take this whole thing on yourself, it will crush you under its weight and I couldn't bear to see that, my dearest love."

He pulled her head to rest on his chest again, his love to her flowing so freely through the force, she gasped at the touch of his feelings on her mind. This direct connection they had formed was something completely new and unexpected and she reciprocated his feelings of love and comfort whole heartedly.

"Padme," Anakin gasped as he felt the connection between them suddenly growing into something more akin to a Master/padawan training bond, only deeper, a connection of soul to soul that exposed their minds to all aspects of one another. "It truly is the will of the force." His voice was merely a whisper, as the force around them and within them seemed to sing through their huddled forms, binding them together, forming one soul within two bodies. Suddenly the empty, cold feeling from before was completely gone from Padme and a new, greater spirit began emerging from deep within her. Anakin, for his part, just basked in the awakening of his love and rocked her gently on the bed, feeling her strength returning to her mind and body.

After what seemed an eternity they came back to themselves, breathing deeply and evenly, as though they were waking from the most restful sleep either of them had experienced. Anakin let Padme sit up against the pillows and he sat back on the bed, admiring her infectious smile, his own smile aching his face.

"Wow," said Padme quietly, "OK, that was …. extraordinary, to say the least! What happened?"

Anakin giggled and shook his head. "I have no idea, but I really liked it! It felt so …"

"So completing, like we were one being!"

"Exactly," he said enthusiastically, all thoughts of their earlier conversation stripped from both their minds. "Like the force was bringing us in from the cold."

"That's exactly how I felt about it!" she replied and gazed into his excited crystal blue eyes. Now she was the one giggling. "I love you." She said earnestly and he took her chin in his hand and drew it to him and with their lips barely touching he whispered "I know," and then took her lips to his and descended into a kiss that electrified his senses.

A rather demanding knocking and disturbance at the bedroom door had the two break from the kiss and turn just as the door burst open to reveal Yoda getting past Dorme.

"I'm most terribly sorry, he rather insisted," she tried to explain as the green gnome trundled over to the bed.

"It's alright, Dorme, Master Yoda is most welcome at this time," came Padme's crisp reply and her warm smile brought tears to Dorme's eyes to see her Mistress looking so radiant. She bowed and closed the door behind her as she left.

"You felt it, didn't you Master?" asked Anakin as The Jedi Master jumped from the chair to the bed, his face concerned. He placed his walking stick on the covers and held his hands out for the two young people to lean into. Placing his palm on each of their forehead he breathed in a large sigh as he felt the deep connection that had formed between them. This was not supposed to be possible, this was something unique between force sensitives. And no Master/padawan link had ever been this close, this complete in his many years of experience.

"What does it mean, Master Yoda?" asked Padme from her bent position over the Jedi Master. Both Anakin and Padme shot each other a playful glance, feeling the Jedi Master testing their bond. He breathed in deeply several times and then broke from the connection none the wiser as to how this could have happened. The force was certainly changing around them, perhaps here they were outside the influence of the Sith. But that didn't explain the strength of this bond between them. Anakin's abilities were considerable, and Yoda himself had practically released him from his obligations to the order, but it all seemed to be happening too fast for the almost nine hundred year old Master.

"Say, I cannot, for know I do not" he said honestly to them and looked up into their beaming faces, "cautious you both must be. Sith, I'm sure, aware of this, will be. Protected you must be."

A somberness suddenly descended on the pair as the creeping reality of their galaxy slipped back into their beings. They lifted themselves from Yoda's palms and held hands, Anakin nodding his understanding, Padme feeling weighted down again by the situation.

"We will return with you to the temple as soon as we are rested," he began, Padme nodding in agreement as he spoke.

"No!" exclaimed Yoda, much to the surprise of both of them, "Jedi Temple, no place for you, will be," at first Anakin was rather hurt by Yoda's words, but the Jedi Master continued to explain his outburst in calmer tones.

"Safe there, you will not be. Influence of Dark Lord felt even there. Hide, you must, study this connection you must, but this conflict, avoid you must. Sensed this I have. Terrible time approaches and from this, protect you, we must. Find place to hide, you must, out on the Rim."

An idea flashed to Anakin.

"Tatooine!" he exclaimed, "I have family there, but none that anyone within the temple knows about. It's out of the Republic, and the Hutts have autonomy. No Separatist is going to dare to cross the Hutts."

"For a start, good place this will be, but stay there too long, do not. And of this, mention nothing to anyone outside this room. Trusted, they can be, but defend them all, you could not. Comes first, your safety, in this. To the temple, return will I and study also, this new connection."

"It's decided, then, we go to Tatooine and figure out what happened and why between us, while Master Yoda returns and tries to find out all he can about this within the temple," said Padme summing up. "But first, I have to talk to my people and you have surgery tomorrow, so I suggest you head back and get some rest."

Her voice was strong and confident again, reminding them both of the Queen she had once been and both Yoda and Anakin found themselves marveling at the glow she now seemed to exude at them through the living force. She felt rather disconcerted suddenly by their gaze and began to brush them off her bed.

"Well, gentlemen, I believe our meeting is concluded," she said, mockingly taking on her politician tone, making Anakin smile, and the Jedi rose from the bed and bowed to her as they left.

"Oh, Anakin," she said as he was almost at the door. He turned to face her and although she was across the room in her bed, he felt the gentle caress of the force against his cheek and then drift over his lips, leaving them pleasantly tingling.

Padme was very pleased with her manipulation of his force signature to be able to do that and she smiled at him as he recovered from the caress.

"Just wanted to see if that would work," she said quietly and he replied simply by smiling ruefully at her and blowing her a kiss.


	45. Chapter 45

_SeraphimXII: Well, this chapter gets back to the main man. I wanted to get that stuff out of the way so I can move on with things. I'll get to Palpatine in a little bit, but first it's all about the Obi! Thanks again for the reviews!_

Obi-wan felt tired. Obi-wan felt sore, everywhere. But most of all, Obi-wan felt old. He was a fit guy, he kept himself in shape and was only in his mid thirties, he shouldn't be feeling like this, but his last few encounters in this galaxy had pretty much drained him of years of his life, or at least that's how he felt right now. He tried to pull his eye open to look on the world he had been placed in, but his body didn't want to respond right now and though his other senses were returning to him, his sight seemed to be in need of a little more time.

He sighed heavily, realizing his breath was obstructed by something soft. His left arm came up to feel what it was and immediately the flesh of his back protested against such a move and he couldn't help releasing a groan as he slowed the movement enough to get the hand to his head without so much discomfort. He found he was lying on his stomach, hugging a body pillow for support. He tried again to open his eye and this time it obliged him, as the scent of doleena flowers reached his nose, one of Qui-Gon's favorites. From what he could see of the room it was very well furnished and very large with a high ceiling and large oval bay windows. The light cascading in was turning a deep orange red as the sun was beginning to set and it bathed the room in a warming glow. The tightness in his back was easing and he was able to pull both arms up to his head and pulled himself up stiffly into a sitting position. From here he could take in the rest of the room, his host's impeccable taste in décor reminiscent of the suite he had on Geonosis. The royal insignia of the house of Dooku confirmed his suspicions and he gazed out over the dense rainforest now turning a deep purple with the sun having almost set. So, he was on Serenno with Dooku, but who else was with them?

The last thing he remembered clearly was feeling Maul's oppressive power suffocating him from the inside out and that was about it. Wait, there had been a moment, a need to comfort Boba, the boy had sounded so lost. Obi-Wan was suddenly hit by the boy's presence in his mind and he spun around on the bed, immediately regretting his decision as his back angrily resisted this new, fast movement.

"Damn it!" he exclaimed as he turned more slowly and slipped his legs off the bed. At least they seemed to be working for him better than the rest of his body and he moved slowly to the sleep couch where Boba was dozing. The boy was restlessly moving under the blanket covering him and a quiet moan escaped his lips as Obi-Wan laid a hand on his troubled forehead. Dark rings under Boba's eyes indicated he had not been sleeping well, and although Obi-Wan wanted to talk to the boy, it seemed that right now, Boba needed a proper rest, not this draining sleep he found himself in.

"It's all right, Boba, it's all right," said Obi-Wan as he gently stroked the boy's head, smoothing out the furrows on his brow which Boba had created in sleep. Boba began to relax under Obi-Wan's influence and his breathing became calm and deep as he sank into a more restful sleep. "We'll talk when you wake up, OK?" He pulled the blanket up to Boba's chin and patted him gently on the shoulder, then rose to greet the visitor he had sensed arrive while he took care of Boba.

"Count," he said quietly, turning to face his rescuer, "I take it 'thanks' are in order."

"It's good to see you up, Obi-Wan. Boba has been very concerned about you." There was something distant about the former Jedi Master that Obi-Wan hadn't noticed before. He seemed uncomfortable with this meeting but Obi-wan didn't have time for that now. He wanted answers of a different kind.

"Where are the others?" he asked suddenly urgently needing to know Padme, Anakin and Jango were alright. He couldn't sense their presences on Serenno and that worried him.

"As far as I know, Padme, Anakin and Jango are with Master's Yoda and Windu. The Senator's confiscated cruiser arrived just as we were leaving with you. I have no doubt they have been well taken care of."

"And Maul and Ventress, what were their fates?"

"Of Maul, I have no news at this time. I believe he escaped before he could be apprehended. He had certainly abandoned you by the time I reached you. I would imagine Master Yoda had something to do about that. As for Ventress, she decided to refuse my hospitality. A pity really, I think she would have been most useful to our cause."

"We have a cause, Count?" asked Obi-Wan skeptically.

"Please, call me Ryn, Obi-Wan. You are among friends here. And there is much we can learn from each other." He moved closer to Obi-Wan, his hand outstretched to guide him to a large couch in the room. Obi-Wan just gave Boba a quick glance to check he was still sleeping soundly and then moved to sit.

"Delna, bring in some tea for us, please," said Dooku into a small comm. station in the room, as the two men sat down. "As you wish, Master Jard," came the crisp accented reply.

"Jard? So not Ryn, then."

"Only to my close friends, Obi-Wan. Jard is my more official name, but slightly less formal than Count Dooku, which I always thought a little pretentious! But it does the job adequately," he said with a smile, the distance Obi-Wan had felt earlier dissolving away as Ryn seemed to become more comfortable with the situation. Obi-Wan guessed he was unsure of how Obi-Wan would react to him and had been apprehensive about that, but there was still something that Ryn was holding back and Obi-wan continued to remain cautious around the man.

"How is Boba, really?" he asked, "I seem to remember he was injured somehow." The boy had taken the time to inform Obi-Wan of their situation in the shuttle, but it was incredibly hard for Obi-Wan to remember details.

Dooku looked grave as he spoke about what the boy had endured.

"His leg has healed well. A night in the bacta pool had it fixed and there was no need for a bone knitter, he just wore a protective brace for the first couple of days you were both here."

"How long have we been here?" asked Obi-Wan, knowing he was not going to like this answer.

"It's been seven days since the battle on Geonosis." Actually, that didn't sound so bad, thought Obi-Wan, although he was rather surprised his back was still bothering him after that time, especially if they had bacta pools here. He would concern himself with that later, Dooku was continuing to address the issue of Boba.

"There is something else you should know. He won't let me examine his mind, but it has been entered without his consent and, I believe, tampered with."

"What!" exclaimed Obi-Wan, and he pulled himself off the bed and back over to the sleeping form. Boba was still deeply asleep and looked content, but now that Obi-Wan truly examined him, he could sense the tendrils of Maul's dark energy remaining twisted around Boba's thoughts. He couldn't see what they had left inside Boba's mind, but he wasn't about to let the boy suffer their presence any further and held his hands to Boba's face, drawing on the force to sweep away the wisps of dark power that remained inside the child. As the tendrils felt themselves being dissipated, they attempted to lash out at Obi-Wan, but something within him batted the attempts away, something familiar, the scent of the doleena flowers assailing his senses again. With the darkness washed from Boba's body, Obi-Wan removed his hands and rose on unsteady legs. Dooku was at his side to guide him back to the couch, just as there was a light knock on the door. Obi-Wan sat down heavily, breathing hard at the exertion, his back once again protesting all the recent rapid movements of his body.

"Come in," called Dooku as he helped Obi-Wan sit. The young man waved him away, feeling frustrated at his obvious weakness. "Ah, Delsa, just in time it seems," he said moving to take the tray the young woman brought in. She looked over at Obi-Wan who was leaning forward, his head in his hands, trying to get the dizziness that enveloped him to leave. Once Dooku had the tray he noticed her interest in the young man.

"Thank you, Delsa, that will be all."

"Yes, Sir," she said with one last glance at the pained figure on the couch and then she left.

"Here," said Dooku suddenly at Obi-Wan's side, startling the man back to the room. He looked up to see the cup of tea handed to him and he grasped the saucer, his hands shaking slightly causing the cup to tinkle. He used his other hand to hold it in place, the warm steam from the liquid warming his chilled hand.

"Thank you," he said and he sipped at the brew, which coursed through him, re-heating his trembling limbs and helping him relax into the seat. Dooku sat next to him, a comforting hand on Obi-Wan's knee.

"You're still recovering from a brutal assault on your body and mind, young man. You need to take things easy for a while."

"So I see," agreed Obi-Wan whole-heartedly. "I've been injured worse than this before, though. I thought I'd be coping better than this."

"I studied your force signature when we got you stabilized. It seems you were invaded by something that had to be purged from your system, I'm guessing it was Maul's influence over the force that was trying to corrupt you. You effectively had something similar to an allergic reaction to it and -"

"Qui-Gon!" gasped Obi-Wan as the events he was barely aware of thrust forward in his consciousness. It had felt like his old master had been wrenching the infection of Maul's force presence from his body and releasing the dark energy back out into the flow of the living force to be cleansed.

"I thought as much," said Dooku, slowly nodding his head.

"But, how?" asked an increasingly confused Obi-Wan. The dizziness was returning with the sudden revelation and he rested back on the couch, only to have to sit back up quickly as his back once again made its protest. He hissed air through his clenched teeth and Dooku rose, allowing him to sprawl on the couch face down.

"I don't have any easy explanations for you," Dooku replied, honestly. "But I have a notion that might explain some of what happened to you. Do you remember when I gave you Qui's saber? How you felt, what you saw?"

The dazed Obi-Wan nodded gently, trying not to aggravate the pounding in his head. Dooku, who had moved to an armchair opposite him leaned in to examine his face.

"Perhaps we should wait until you've had a chance to rest."

"No!" came Obi-Wan's desperate cry, "No, I need to hear this, please." His breathing was back under his control and he had managed to maneuver a cushion under his chest and head for support.

"Very well," said Dooku continuing, uncertain about the young man's health. He decided to get through this as quickly as he could so the boy could rest properly.

"Receiving the blade stirred up memories. But those memories were not your own, they belonged to Qui-Gon himself. When he died, you and he were still linked through your training bond, and a powerful bond it was that had formed between the two of you over the years. It was no wonder the pair of you were so highly desired for the many difficult missions you faced. When the bond broke, I believe there was a transference of part of Qui-Gon's force strength to your mind, but the overwhelming events of the Naboo incident within the reactor room would not have brought any of this to your awareness. You effectively still have a tenuous link to your old Master, Obi-Wan and a part of him resides inside you."

Obi could sense it now, it was like an echo of his dear master, which at that moment was sustaining him and keeping him focused enough to understand the conversation. His years of force suppression had prevented him from feeling any of this and his re-awakening to the force made more sense now, Qui's mastery of the living force having been perhaps part of this transference.

"Everything looks so green," he said as his vision did seem to take on a pale green hue. Dooku nodded in recognition of the statement.

"Yes, if the living force were to manifest a color, green would be it, my friend. There is so much to learn about this change you are experiencing. I can guide you, but ultimately you must be the one to follow your own path."

Now things were getting confusing again and Obi-Wan thought for a moment that he had missed part of the conversation.

"I don't understand, what path, what are you talking about?" His eye was suddenly feeling very heavy and the whole scenario was like a weight on his consciousness, dragging him down to sleep. Dooku quickly realized what was happening to Obi and went to his side and helped him up off the couch.

"Let's get some rest, it's been a trying visit for you and we'll need all our strength for what lays ahead." He led the wilting Obi back to the bed and positioned the pillow to best support the young man. Obi managed a muffled 'no', but was unable to put up any resistance, cursing his old feeling body again, especially as it was Dooku, so many years his senior, who was helping him. He sighed deeply as he lay his head on the pillow and sank into the darkness of sleep.

_/Obi/ he was drifting through a fog covered swamp /Obi, it's this way/ _

"_Which way?" he asked as he stumbled through the vegetation. He moved a hand to clear some branches out of the way and brushed his cheek, only to gasp in surprise. There was no eye patch there. He stopped for a moment and brought both hands to his face, feeling his unscarred cheek and eye lids. His hands moved down over his beard and he looked down to see the uniform of the Naboo security chief he had once been._

"_Oh, it's a dream," he sighed and looked around again. There was no color here, everything seemed to be in grey scale except him, the deep colors of his uniform looking almost vibrant in the shaded world he found himself in._

_/Of course it's a dream, now get a move on, I don't have much time./ The voice was rather insistent, so he followed the sound to a clearing with a small table and chairs where a robed figure sat waiting for him._

_He moved to the figure's side and it indicated the chair opposite for him to sit, but he wanted to see who he was meeting. The figure rose when he got too close and towered over Obi-Wan to the height his old master had over him._

"_Qui-Gon!" Obi gasped and wrapped his arms around his beloved Master, who enveloped him in his strong arms, the bear hug Obi had missed so much. The big man chuckled and the warmth and color of the place briefly filled the clearing until Qui pulled away from his former padawan._

_/To business, young one,/ he said and sat back down in his chair, his hood remaining up, but the tell tale beard and chin protruding from the shadows cast by the hood. Obligingly, Obi sat opposite Qui as the taller man began to speak._

_/There is a change coming, a change that will sweep away the Jedi way of life as we have known it. Something new must emerge from this purge and you must help to prepare the way of a new order./_

"_A new order?" asked Obi, "Is that this cause Dooku was talking about?"_

_/Dooku has seen some of what is to pass and takes his own path to weather the storm that approaches./_

"_Yes, he mentioned something about paths and I was wondering what he meant by that."_

_/Know this, padawan mine, for any to survive what is to come, there will need to be a blurring of the lines between the light and dark. This is how true balance will be achieved. You cannot have the light without the dark. But the polarization of our order to the Sith has created such imbalance, the force itself is taking action and has already begun what must be done. And you will see that soon enough./_

_The figure moved closer to Obi and Obi found himself leaning in to listen to Qui's words._

_/It has been so good to see you once again, my dear Obi-Wan,/ came Qui's voice sadly, and he reached up to stroke Obi's cheek affectionately, /and my time in this place is almost up. We shall meet again, soon. But first, there is the small matter of rescuing an associate of yours./ And with that the hood was pulled back to reveal the bloodied and pained face of Ventress._

"Assajj!" gasped Obi, as he woke suddenly, his arms pushing him up off the pillow. His back felt itchy and stretched, but no piercing pain wrippled across the flesh, which was a great relief. He sat up, wiping the sweat that had suddenly formed on his skin, out of his eye, his hand pausing on his protective eye patch.

"Well, that was not how I expected that conversation to finish!" he said to the pitch black night around him.


	46. Chapter 46

_My apologies for the long update with this one. I have a plan for where this is going, so bare with me. Also, I got my other story pretty much finished, so I can focus on this over the winter break. _

_David-El: Thanks for your comments. I realize your review was for as far as chapter 12, but I hope the following clears up some things. If not, let me know and I'll clarify anything you have problems with. _

_I can totally see Yoda taking Anakin on rather than Mace, after all it was Yoda who brought Qui-Gonn and Obi together in the first place, it wouldn't surprise me if he felt responsible to Anakin as his only connection to the pair he obviously as a deep and abiding respect for, especially for Obi. I always interpreted Yoda's skepticism at Obi taking on Anakin as a padawan as an indictment of Obi's abilities to take on the role of Master so soon after becoming a knight, rather than Anakin was not to be trained at all. It's Mace who declares Anakin will not be trained at the Council meeting and from the movies I get the impression that Mace is never keen with Anakin being around, so I really don't think he'd be taking on that role. But I could be reading that wrong, I'm willing to accept that. As for the Dooku thing, I have been reliably informed that Yoda was not Dooku's Master, however he was Dooku's teacher, right? He calls him, 'my old padawan' in the AotC movie, so at some point in his life he was Yoda's student, just as Anakin had been Obi's student, but when Anakin turns he's a full knight and no longer under Obi's tutorage, so all I meant was, just because the teacher is great, doesn't mean the person won't get tempted by the dark side. So I'm not in any way disputing the fact that Dooku was tempted after he became a master. Thanks again for the opportunity to talk about this, I hope you're still enjoying the story._

After waking so suddenly, Obi didn't feel like sleeping, he had too much to think about. He got up off the bed and found he was much more able to move around, his back not really bothering him very much at all. How long had he slept, he wondered, to be feeling so much better now. He took the comforter off the end of the bed and pulled it round his shoulders to head outside on the cold veranda. The night wind was rushing through the dense forest below him, and he reached out with his force senses to feel the fast flow of the living force all around him.

He drifted back to the dream he'd just woken from, trying to remember every detail his former Master had spoken. He couldn't deny that his connection to the force had been on the increase in recent days but the idea of working with the Sith rather than defeating them, which seemed to be what Qui was implying, was not something he could get his head around just yet. All of his encounters with Ventress had involved sabers and the only blending that was going on was the potential blend of flesh with said saber, so the prospect of helping her out was rather strange. But a feeling in the pit of his stomach told him she was in trouble, and the anguished look on her face in the dream was not easy to forget, there was no way he was leaving her wherever she had ended up. All he had to do was find her.

"Ben?" came a groggy sounding voice from behind him. He turned to see Boba at the doorway rubbing his eyes. Obi smiled and went over to him, taking him in a large hug and wrapping the warm comforter around them both.

"It's good to see you, old man," said Obi to the boy who held on to the older man as he slowly woke himself up. "How are you feeling?" He led Boba back inside to the relative warmth of their suite and closed the door to the veranda behind him.

"Good," came Boba's reply, "well, better, anyway. We've had some rough times," he said sadly and sat heavily on the couch he'd been sleeping on. Ben pulled a chair up and sat opposite him, taking a moment to do a non-intrusive scan of his young friend. Despite his removal of the dark tendrils left behind by Maul's assault, Boba's mind was still deeply hurting and seemed almost fixed in one spot, but without digging deeper, Ben had no idea why that was.

"Boba, I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you," he said quietly, leaning towards the boy and holding his knees that had started trembling. "Are you cold?" he asked rising, and he folded the comforter around Boba's small frame. The child looked like a wrapped present in the great folds of material, but there was room next to him for Ben to sit on the same couch, so he moved beside Boba and placed his arm around his shoulders, pulling him close, so Boba could rest his head on Ben's chest.

"I know Maul did something terrible to you and I can help you get through it, but you're going to have to trust me with this. Do you think you can do that?" Boba just nodded very gently, stiffening a little unsure of what was to come. "OK, then, I need you to breathe deeply and try to relax. I'm going to need to see inside your mind, your memories so I can heal the damage he caused."

Boba tensed, suddenly very afraid, "No! You'll see, you'll see!" He pulled on the comforter to get away from Ben. "Why weren't you there? Why did you send me back there in the first place? Did you know? Is that why you didn't mind them finding me? Because I'm so disposable?"

"You are not disposable, Boba. Where would you get an idea like that? Is that what Maul placed in your mind? Show me what he did, please."

"You can't change it, you can't take it back. I'm not really Boba, so don't call me that!"

"Not really Boba?" sighed Ben, trying to fathom what had been done to the poor child. This was getting him nowhere. "OK, OK, I can't change it, but I can at least see if this is something real or another one of Maul's tricks."

"A trick?" asked Boba, feeling a sense of hope coming from his friend, "It could be a trick?"

"I can't guarantee that, Boba, but I wouldn't put it past Maul to do something like that. And whatever I find out, know that I'm right here with you. I'm not going anywhere."

Boba looked nervous, but he had to see if this was real or not, and he knew he couldn't keep going over the images Maul had left him with or he would go mad. Trusting Ben was easy, even if he hadn't prevented what had happened, Boba remembered the desperate fight Ben had undergone to rescue him, and even a badly wounded Ben had managed to comfort Boba on the ship to Serenno. Boba had insisted on being close to Ben during his recovery and had felt the oppression within his body and mind lifted somewhat once he had woken.

"Just promise me one thing," asked Boba, pulling the comforter closer, "no matter what you find," his eyes were suddenly intensely focused on Ben, "be honest with me, please. Don't sugar coat it or hide it, just tell me if what he made me see was real."

Boba's expression and conviction behind his words made the boy seem much older than his ten years. It was now Ben's turn to nod slowly, unable to take his eyes from the frightened, yet determined child before him.

"Of course, Boba, we'll find the truth, together." This seemed to be enough for Boba as he settled his head onto Ben's chest again. Ben leaned back into the couch and got them as comfortable as he could and began to reach out to Boba's mind, keeping things slow and gentle, taking care to enter Boba's mind without causing more damage.

"Take some deep breathes, Boba, it's going to feel like I'm pressing down on you, don't resist, just let me see what you see." Ben began the slow breathing he wanted Boba to follow and the boy quickly fell into rhythm with the former Jedi. Ben found it easy to move into the fragile mind, bringing the force energy swirling around him in to shield and protect those parts of Boba's mind that were clearly his own experiences. It wasn't difficult to bring the invaded material forward to examine, Maul had seen to it that the memory would bounce back up to the boy's surface thoughts the more he tried to suppress it. Boba tensed in his arms, the comforter twisting in his clenched fists.

/Oh, Jango. Why didn't you tell me!/ thought Ben as he played the sequence through, looking for any sign this was a created memory. But Maul had been able to leave clear mental markers that confirmed the validity of the scene, and Ben felt his body shiver from the cold detached attitude Maul had in destroying the child in his grasp. Ben quickly sequestered the memory to a corner of Boba's metal library, and removed the mental cord Maul had used to spring it constantly forward. He checked over the boy's mind, sending force energy to help heal the damage such maneuvers had inevitably caused and then as carefully and gently as he had entered, slipped slowly back out of Boba's mind.

Their breathing continued to remain in synch as the two of them recovered from the deep meditation they had undergone. Boba reached up and rubbed his forehead.

"The headache will last for a while, I'm afraid, but I'll get you something for that." Ben moved to rise, but Boba stopped him.

"That can wait. Was it a trick? Can you stop me from seeing it?"

Ben looked sadly at Boba.

"I'm sorry Boba, it wasn't a trick, Maul did kill that boy and made your father watch."

Boba pulled away from Ben and rose to his feet.

"He's not my father, don't call him that!" he said, close to tears.

Ben also rose and took Boba into another hug.

"Don't say that, Boba, when you know it isn't true. Jango considered every one of you as his sons. He would die for any one of you, without question."

"How can I believe that, when he lied to me about everything?"

"Think, Boba, did he ever once lie about how he felt about you or your brothers? Did he ever give you reason to doubt his affection for you until Maul placed this memory inside your mind? The anguish, grief and frustration he felt through those moments are evidence enough."

Boba pulled away again and turned on Ben.

"But they weren't for me, they were for the real Boba, not some cheap clone knock-off!"

"Don't you understand, you are one and the same with that child in Jango's eyes. Every one of you is one of his sons and he holds each of you as dear to his heart as the next. Perhaps that wasn't the case in the beginning, but even before this incident with that Boba, Jango's connection to you all was changing. This tragedy that you've been forced to witness clinched things for him, and ever since he's been trying to find a way to free all of you, by any means necessary. Boba, he was prepared to die for you in the arena, never forget that devotion to you that he expressed through that sacrifice."

"Then why not just tell me? Why the lying?"

"I'm new to this fatherly role, I have no idea. To protect you, to protect all of you, I don't know. You'll have to ask him that yourself."

Boba sighed heavily, feeling drained by the whole thing. "And how am I supposed to do that?"

Ben smiled, seeing the exhaustion in the boy's features. "Oh, I'm sure we'll think of some daring do to get to him! Now, let's get some rest while there's still some night left. You won't be bothered by those memories quite so much. They're still there, I don't have the skills to remove them, but I've put them somewhere out of the way for the time being."

"Oh yeah," said Boba as Ben led him to the bed, "put them with my algebra classes, then?" he chuckled wearily.

"Actually, I found a particularly sterile set of lectures about astro physics that I thought could bury them quite nicely." He smiled at Boba's wince at the mention of that class and pulled the comforter over him.

"Wait, where will you sleep?" Boba asked even as he settled and sank into the fluffy pillow.

"Ah, well I have our escape plan to formulate."

"We're prisoners here now?

"Well, no, but 'escape plan' sounded better than 'walk-out-and-borrow-a-ship plan'." Boba chuckled and rolled onto his side. "Sleep well, my friend," said Ben and he turned back to the couch, now contemplating the rescue of two former foes.


	47. Chapter 47

_OK, this was really tough to write and I'm still not happy with it, so reviews would be greatly appreciated on how I can improve this one and I'll probably edit it and re-submit once I'm happy with it._

_I had intended to get through a whole bunch of chapters, but this one had me stumped for ages, so sincere apologies for not posting sooner! _

_pacificuser: I know this review was for the first chapter, but thanks for that! I just hope you still think that's the case after 46 of them!_

The chaos of the senate floor was intoxicating. At least it was to Palpatine who sat basking in the gloriousness of the raging emotions flying around the senate. The war had fueled old feuds and conflicts long thought resolved as the senators made their desperate attempts to either remove their home worlds from the conflict, whether to avoid Separatist invasion or Clone warrior occupation, or gain as much power as they could squeeze from their neighboring systems and within the senate itself.

What were they even arguing about this time, anyway? Palpatine was only partially aware of the words flying around. At that moment he was more concerned with the dark energy flowing around them, through them, a dark energy that fed his shadowed system.

It hadn't worked out exactly to his plan, everything had escalated a little more quickly than he would have liked, but Maul had been right about Jango and his reaction to the former Jedi. The cascade of circumstances leading to the confrontation on Geonosis had been perfect.

The Jedi order was in complete turmoil. Their "Chosen one" had chosen love over obligation and taken the traumatized Padme as his wife and they had sequestered themselves on Naboo. He'd take care of them soon, they were too dangerous together to keep around. That type of clean up was what Maul was for, although he was still smarting from Kenobi's escape. Maul had had the former Jedi in his grasp four times recently and although he couldn't help feeling triumphant over the man's involvement in setting up Amidala to take the fall for the war's official start, he still wanted Kenobi either dead or secured where he could pry into that force sensitive soul and read the changes that were happening there, for he had felt those changes for himself.

Anakin had been the one to overwhelmingly escape the dark side influence Sideous had been laying on the Jedi since his rise to the rank of Sith Master. He had felt the boys awakening two days ago, an inevitable and unwelcome occurrence once he left the order, him being the fabled chosen one. But chosen one did not mean invincible and his vulnerability was dangling from his sleeve in the form of the dear Padme. They were no longer within his grasp, and it would have taken too long of a game to pull them in to him, the pair strengthening each other it would seem, so better to get rid of them now before they realized their full potential together. And something told him that the whole story over their seclusion was not the complete truth. Let them have their moment, then. But his contacts on Naboo were beginning to dig further into the situation.

He found the prospect of pursuing Kenobi far more interesting. He had missed the opportunity to bring Dooku into his fold, how fitting it would be to tear down the hope the old man had found in his surrogate grandson. The problem was getting hold of Obi-Wan to influence and getting him to come back for more. From what he remembered about their brief encounters, this was not a man who could be swayed by simple flattery. His actions spoke of a selfless quality that Maul had wanted to keep from Palpatine, to use as his own tool against Obi-Wan. But the fool had no idea what Palpatine truly knew, how could he?

He quite understood his apprentice's desire for this man. Ventress was all chaos, Kenobi was all control. What a stunning contrast, and how elegantly Obi-Wan had shielded his presence, a fellow secluded soul Palpatine was almost eager to compare notes with. He had not revealed his true identity to anyone, not even Maul, and for a brief moment of indulgent thought he saw himself revealing all to Obi-Wan. Realizing the implications of such thought, he quickly suppressed his desire for this release and came back to the senate floor where Amedda was calling for order once again.

"We will have order in this assembly, delegates, calm heads will prevail," came the Vice-Chancellor's strong voice over the slowly quieting senators. Palpatine rose and nodded in agreement.

"Yes, let us not forget that we are at war and our continued bickering only strengthens our enemies." He curled his fingers together in a lattice and brought them up to his chin, a gesture that always brought his audience to complete silence, his calmness and contemplation bringing them some comfort. His darker self chuckled at the obvious manipulation they were all too blind to see.

"Now," he said, looking up at the floating bays around him, "it is late and we are getting nowhere with this dispute. Perhaps an evening of rest and pleasant company will cool our heated minds."

Several of the senators threw up their hands in protest, knowing this would only further delay the outcome of this proposed legislation, but the Chancellor's word, as always, was final in this matter and the bays drifted away, most other senators not directly involved in the conversation at hand already leaving.

"This doesn't look good for us, Chancellor," whispered Amedda to Palpatine as they waited for the senate to clear, "these shipping lane route relocations need to be concluded quickly, or the Separatist lines may be able to take up the slack."

"And tomorrow we will have the plans; that of _our_ design; prepared and ready for presentation and signing. I assure you it will not take long for this bill to be passed once our proposal is given. And the Republic will have that much more control over the systems in the region. We can begin charging our low toll rates and as the conflict escalates we will begin our hike, using the continued war effort as our excuse. It is simple, pay or be forced to use unsecured routes. And with a tighter control of manifests we will be able to keep track of shipments between worlds, all to keep tabs on our more rebellious delegates."

Amedda smiled and nodded. "I'll have the proposal ready for the opening session, my lord."

"Good, good," cooed Palpatine as the central station retracted beneath the senate floor. An incessant beeping rose in volume once they were out of the room and Amedda quickly excused himself to allow Palpatine the privacy to answer his comm.

"There have been developments," came the low hiss of his apprentice.

"Very well," came Palpatine's crisp reply. Instantly snapping off the communicator, he headed to his office.

Without breaking his stride through the ante-chamber he commanded: "I am working late and not to be disturbed, under any circumstances unless I contact you." His guard and secretary's conditioned minds threw up no resistance to his manipulation and his influence lay heavily in the air. It would blanket all potential visitors with a sense that this was not the time to speak with their Chancellor and subconsciously direct them to leave as soon as possible, whether spoken to by his staff or not.

Once inside his office, he locked the room down and slipped on his concealing cloak, his physical movements quickly slipping from Chancellor to Sith as he moved to his inner chamber.

The small droid controlled craft slid from the building roof, Sideous in the back. It skirted low over the dense city to the industrial district, Maul's presence a dark raging beacon easy to find for Sideous and yet so easily hidden from the Jedi at this point. Sideous wondered if they would notice his apprentice if the twin blades were cutting off council members' heads within their precious temple.

The war and the heightened tension was flooding the force flow with an overstimulation of negative energy which fueled Sideous and his kind, but diminished the Jedi at every turn and their continued arrogance and fear of appearing weak prevented them from even willing to believe they had a serious problem on their hands. Perhaps one or two would concede something was wrong, but they were few voices in a maelstrom of darkness and could be picked off as the war continued.

The craft swooped into the hangar, Maul already waiting for his master. As he descended the craft ramp, Maul chucked him the plans he had been waiting for. He flipped on the holo-projector to display the Geonisian super weapon.

"Excellent, my apprentice," he flipped it back off and glared at Maul who was now in a kneeling position in front of him, "although you still have failed to produce the head of that troublesome Kenobi."

He struck out with his blue lightening into the submissive body before him. Maul collapsed onto all fours, grimacing at the sustained force lightening streaming through his body. Turning the pain to hate was simple enough and with Sideous and Kenobi to split the hate between, it allowed him to resist the Dark Lord's punishment more easily. He was past bringing Kenobi to his fold, the man would die the next time they met. But first he would strip away that protection he had managed to gather from nowhere and destroy the mind behind that unexpected force manipulation. He had the former Jedi's sabre concealed within his robes and relished the opportunity to dangle it in front of a decimated Kenobi only to wield it through his broken body.

"Well," came Sideous' cold voice after the punishment was dealt, "explain your continued failure to me, my apprentice.

"Not failure, my Lord," Maul hissed through clenched teeth as the pain subsided," merely a delay in the inevitable. "

"You were foolish to under-estimate the power of the Jedi, a mistake I trust you will not make again?" Another surge of force lightening was channeled through him, just to drive the point home.

"As my lord wishes," said Maul as he overcame the energy flow, the hint of sarcasm not lost on Sideous. Perhaps once, a long time ago in their early relationship, Maul had feared Sideous enough to hide such feelings of disrespect. However that time had long past and the only reason Maul continued to allow Sideous to hold him back was because he knew he was still not powerful enough to take down the Sith Lord alone. And Sideous knew it, which was why he kept the Zabrak around for the time being. Both Sith knew that their final confrontation was looming, but for the moment each one would play the other's games.

"Now, what were these developments you wished to speak of?" Palpatine circled the still submissive Maul, who looked up into Sideous cloaked face.

"Dooku plans to run for Chancellor of the Separatist senate. He has strong support from the banking clan and the techno-guild."

"This is not news to me, I have my own people within the Separatist Alliance. Tell me something I don't know or leave!"

"I have it on good authority that he will recommend General Grievous is removed from the head of the Separatist Army and more clear headed leadership should take command. He's keeping that very much to himself, but his rhetoric to his close supporters is quite clear. I believe he intends to re-open talks, especially with the Jedi once he's elected."

Sideous mulled over his apprentice's words. It was no surprise Dooku wanted to bring about a peaceful settlement to the conflict, especially if it foiled Sideous' carefully laid plans, but to remove Grievous would be catastrophic to the Separatist army, forcing them to rethink the overly aggressive strategy that Grievous had instated. Sideous needed him in control to keep tensions high and the war raging for a good few years before the Separatist army could crumble. This would call for immediate action.

"Then we must make the good General indispensible. I trust I can leave that in your capable hands. You won't get distracted by another wayward former Jedi along the way?"

"All in good time, my Master," said Maul as he rose and bowed low to Sideous. He looked up into the man's red rimmed yellow eyes, seeing the contempt Sideous now held for him and the two of them glared at each other for a moment, the battle of wills determining who would break away first. Maul knew that if it was Sideous, it would be over between them and cursing the fact that this was not the time for their end game, he lowered his eyes, taking the role of submissive again. He didn't see it, but he felt the smile of distain as it pulled itself across Sideous' face and the Zabrak rose and left for his ship.

"Oh, and Lord Maul," called Sideous as Maul ascended into his ship, "loosing Kenobi was one thing, loosing Ventress, now that was just careless." Sideous chuckled as Maul disappeared into his ship.

/Where was that charmingly chaotic child, anyway?/ he thought to himself as he made his way back to his own transport.


	48. Chapter 48

_Jedi Angel001: Thanks for that. I'm glad I got Maul's position across. There is more to explore with this dynamic, and I can't wait to get back to it once I figure out how to write it!_

_No45: Wow, I'm really flattered that you signed up to FF just to review. And I know what you mean about getting the short chapters, I'm working on that, and I think the last couple have been about the right length. I also see your point about getting back to the action, there's been some personal stuff I wanted to get through, but now the action should pick up again. Trust me!_

Obi-wan woke up with a start again for the fourth night in a row. All his dreams ended the same way, with Asajj's face looming large, frightened and hurting. There had been no further contact from Qui-Gon, only these haunting nightmares about his former adversary and he knew he had to do something about it quickly, she was fading fast wherever she was. He stood up and moved to the centre of the room where he sat cross legged and breathed deeply to calm himself and shake off the feelings of abandonment and fear that the dreams always left him with. After two more cleansing breaths he opened himself to the force, feeling its flow circling around him and through him. He reached out, searching for the now familiar twisted flow of Asajj that the dream still held and he tried once again to trace it back to its source. Every night he had tried this and failed, but there was something more urgent about this particular dream that had him determined to find the dark acolyte before it was too late.

In the back of his mind were the two conversations he had had on the subject, one with Boba yesterday and the other with Dooku this last evening.

"You really are crazy, aren't you?" Boba had exclaimed as Ben had explained his dream and the need to find Ventress. "The woman is evil, I'll admit I didn't see that until the hangar, but it's pretty obvious to me now!" The boy deftly dodged a blow from Ben's training pike as they sparred in one of the training rooms in Dooku's palace. Having recovered from his injuries and finding both he and Boba filled with a nervous energy that radiated around the building, Obi-Wan had decided to continue to draw Boba away from his recent memories by focusing the lad on physical exercise. He found the boy to be exceedingly adept and graceful with his aggressive moves, but lacking in refined defensive ones and began instructing Boba in more successful techniques of self defense. While they sparred they often talked about various things, but this was the first time Asajj's name had come up. Now Ben was regretting confiding in his young associate.

"Well, we have already established my lack of sanity during our acquaintance, but she's in trouble, I just know it and I think I can do something about it. And you did ask me to be honest with you, or had you forgotten that little pledge?" He swung up again at Boba, trying to drive the lad back to the other side of the mats. He had quickly been able to slip back into suppressing his force abilities as he had for his Naboo recruits and he rather enjoyed the purely physical challenge of keeping the boy at bay. Boba was able to duck under another swing and tried to sweep his stick under Ben's defenses, but Obi stepped over the strike and back to smack the pike to the floor.

"Nice try," he said with a wry smile, lifting the pike with his own and tossing it back to Boba's waiting grip. "Besides, I don't get the impression that she's all evil, just misguided."

"Misguided? The freak show has tried to impale you with a lightsabre in every encounter she's had with you!" Boba circled the former Jedi cautiously, assessing the situation before him before making his move to attack again.

"True," Ben replied, studying Boba's movements to see where the next attack would come from, "but she had been under the influence of Maul for some time and I'm guessing that's not an environment for cozy Java Juice by the fire!"

"No, we get back to the impaling thing, which I think everyone wants to avoid, right?" He clipped the tip of Ben's pike, causing it to rise slightly as he swung the other end around, Ben's pike quickly swishing down to block it and push away, sending Boba back a few steps. "And you remember your promise," said the boy waving his stick at Ben accusingly, "you said you'd help me free my brothers, right?"

This time it was Ben who clipped Boba's pike. "I do remember, Boba, and I intend to, as I promised, but Ventress is in immediate danger and if I don't do something soon, it will be over for her, I just know it."

"Good riddance," said Boba under his breath as he readied for another assault, but Ben held up his pike to stop the bout.

"You speak of what you do not understand, young one. " said Ben, suddenly sounding more like Qui-Gon than himself. He shook it off but continued his harsh stare at the startled boy. "I'll not abandon a fellow tortured soul when I can feel the anguish pouring forth like a gieser. I thought you of all people would understand that."

Boba had hung his head and Ben had felt terrible as he realized what that had brought to Boba's mind. He went over to the boy and rested his hand on his shoulder. He often forgot how young the boy was, his easy manner and obvious physical agility and knowledge making him appear far more mature than he actually was. The revelation of who Boba actually was reminded him that the child was, practically speaking, only five years old unlike the original Boba who had been born without the accelerated growth gene his fellow brothers had. Having sensed the memory transfer Maul had performed in the hangar, it had not been difficult to see how the Sith lord had simply moved the original Boba's memories and experiences to this new host. It had made him shudder to think of the way these clones were so easily manipulated and transformed, and along with the physical training regime, he had begun to show Boba rudimentary techniques to shield his mind from further invasive attacks. Remembering how easily the Sith lord had slipped into his own consciousness after their battle on Geonosis, and the fact that Boba was no force sensitive, he wasn't sure how successful those techniques would be against a powerful force user like Maul, but they would give Boba a fighting chance at least.

"I'm set on this, Boba," he said quietly, kneeling in front of his friend. "Once I have a lead I'll be leaving," Boba looked up in horror, "but I'll surely need the best pilot I've ever seen by my side, if he's not too busy swinging training pikes around!"

"I don't like it," Boba admitted, clearly relieved Ben wasn't thinking of leaving him behind, "but you do get yourself into a heck of a lot of trouble when I'm not around!"

"Hey, that was…" Ben paused to ponder Boba's words just long enough to raise a smile from the boy, then he continued with a devilish twinkle in his eye. "Yeah, maybe I should pop a restraining bolt on, just in case of emergencies!"

Obi chuckled to himself remembering his last comment in that conversation. It had been a more uncomfortable experience discussing the matter with Dooku and he breathed deeply, still feeling an uneasiness that crept through his system in recent days with his dealings with the Count.

Dooku had offered to take Boba on in his staff, but even though he wanted to believe Dooku was on the level, Obi definitely didn't like the idea of the impressionable lad being influenced by him, especially after the dream vision with Qui-Gon. Perhaps it was also because of Dooku's own response to Obi's enquiries about Ventress that had only heightened his feelings of apprehension around the Count.

That conversation had been over dinner which the two men enjoyed alone. Boba never felt comfortable around the Count and Obi wasn't about to push the boy into something he didn't want to do, so he had taken to eating his evening meal in their apartment while watching holovids. It also allowed Obi to talk more openly about things he was cautious to bring up around Boba, including the current whereabouts of Maul, which had led to the discussion of Ventress.

"As far as my network informs me, Maul has gone to ground, no one has heard hair nor hide of him since Geonosis," came Dooku's swift reply to Obi's enquiry. "I believe he and his master are keeping hidden to allow this war to diminish all opposition to them. Think on it, my friend, by having the Republic and Separatist movements battling it out, all they have to do is sit back until both sides have worn each other out and the Sith lords can consolidate their control over each group either to combine them, or as I foresee it, to use them in their own end games for each other. Remember, Obi-Wan, the Sith apprentice will seek to over through the Sith master, it is their way as you have witnessed firsthand with Maul's attempted recruitment of you. We cannot underestimate how far these creatures will go to achieve absolute power over each other and they will sacrifice all under them to achieve their goals. Without Ventress or you by his side, Maul has weakened his position and must find allies elsewhere."

"So you know that Ventress has not returned to him?" asked Obi curiously.

"Why should she? She was a failure in his eyes when you so clearly defeated her on Geonosis."

"I did no such thing, I allowed my feelings to cloud every decision I made in that confrontation, from trying to save Padme, to facing off Maul alone. Thank goodness Yoda showed up when he did."

"Ah, you remember that, then?"asked the Count as he continued with his meal.

"Only vaguely," Obi had suddenly lost his appetite, remembering the awful feeling of Maul's dark control seeping over his body and through his limbs and then the sickly ache that had consumed him as his body and Qui-Gon's energies had rejected the darkness, Yoda's pointed ears bobbing up and down as the little troll walked towards him the last clear memory he had from that fight. He desperately wanted to change the subject, so he brought up Asajj again.

"Do you have any idea where Asajj went after she left you?" he asked, studying his Master's master for a reaction. The Count was still keeping something about Ventress from him and Obi was determined to find out what it was.

"I am sorry, my friend, but I have not had news from her since we parted. She asked to be dropped in the Y'Toub System and as I had a transport heading in that direction anyway, I obliged her. And that was the last I heard from her." Obi listened carefully to his words, he wasn't sure why, but there was hidden meaning in everything he said, as though he was admitting only part of the truth. Typical politician, he thought to himself.

"Do you think she was seeking the Hutts?" asked Obi, trying to fathom any reason for wanting to go to that particular sector of space.

"Why all this interest in Ventress? The woman very clearly wishes you harm, she admitted that in no uncertain terms when I went to pick you up."

"I just thought she might know more about Maul's whereabouts, maybe even the identity of this Sith master."

"I assure you, there is nothing useful we can get from Asajj that we can't get from other sources. Forget about her, my friend. Let us concern ourselves with bringing some calm and measured voices to the tables of power in this conflict."

Dooku had proceeded to talk about his plans to run for the Separatist leadership and his plans to remove the current General of the Separatist army from the front lines. Obi had seen the creature Grievous on one of the holonet broadcasts Boba had had on one night and on this Obi had to agree with Dooku that the General was overly aggressive and openly hostile to any criticism or talk of compromise. He was the perfect weapon for the Sith to continue this conflict indefinitely and the fact that he gloated over his obtained four lightsabres from fallen Jedi sickened him. All talk of Ventress had been over at this point but the dream persisted and this last one showed him that things were getting worse.

So, he pushed the conversations from his mind and focused once again on Asajj's signature, trying to trace its current source. He followed the force flow through the palace and out over the planet, remembering Dooku's words about the transport she had taken. He could sense the echo of her presence there at the space port, but even this had felt wrong, somehow, and trying to continue the trace only left him frustrated again when the wisp of a link dissipated. He was running out of time.

Another cleansing breath brought him no comfort, so he lifted himself up and walked outside, the forest swaying gently beneath him. Perhaps he was wrong, perhaps this was a futile mission, just the crazed imaginings of a man who desperately wanted his connection back to his old master and believing this was the only way to that. Why did it have to be Ventress? Why was she his test? He had to admit that her suffering was genuine, he could feel it permeating his system. So why couldn't he follow it, and why such a strong connection to this torment, anyway? Were they really so much alike? What might he have become in her situation, taken on by a Sith lord?

The thought made him shiver out on the veranda. Why should any of that matter right now? She was in pain and he could feel that, and the force was showing him all this for some reason, it had to be to save her, perhaps even redeem her, if that was possible. Qui-Gon had mentioned a blending of the light and the dark, a way to keep the balance through mutual understanding. And it seemed she was the key to begin this understanding. It was worth a shot, if only to be reunited with the warm welcoming glow of Qui-Gon's presence, however briefly.

Unbidden, Qui-Gon's words over Dooku came back to him and he pondered the Count's words on Ventress.

He said he had not had news _from_ her since they parted, as opposed to that he had not had news _of_ her. And she had asked to be dropped in the Y'Toub System, known to any sentient being as Hutt territory, which immediately had Obi feeling tremendously uncomfortable. A long forgotten memory of his encounter with a certain Hutt on the Monument came back to him. This time the shudder was enough to return him indoors. No one would go there willingly, surely? She was desperate he supposed after the Geonisis encounter and perhaps she had allies there, but his force senses were in doubt about that, something was very wrong with the mention of that system. And what business would Dooku even have in that region, he dreaded to think, it seemed completely against character for the Count to be dealing with anyone from that sector of space. The Hutts had something to do with this, he was certain of it all of a sudden and he refocused his attention on Nal Shadda.

Sitting on the floor again to meditate he let his feelings stretch out again, no longer focused on Ventress specifically, but intrigued where the flow of the force would guide him using the direction of the Hutt planet as his reference. It was hard going, this was not something that he was adept at, but he released his hold on the crude matter of his form to allow the force full control of his faculties. For a while he felt himself drifting and swirling around with the flow and was about to give up once again when he felt something, a growing anguish that was reaching out to him but weakening by the second. He dug deeper into himself and the force, no longer aware of anything around him, just focusing on the source of the anguish, knowing his goal was finally achievable. He felt a rush of energy flow to him and pull him to the mind he sort as Ventress used the last of her strength to latch onto the force power she had detected searching for her. She pulled him the rest of the way through the planet's atmosphere, showing him clearly the path he would need to take to get to her and he found his consciousness traveling through the walls of Jabba the Hutt's palace down to the lonely, tainted and demoralizing cell where Asajj lay huddled in on herself, eyes staring out as blank as the wall they looked upon.

"Nothing left.." he heard her breath out and almost immediately the connection was lost and he found himself back in his apartment, the disorientation causing him to topple over. The sun was just rising on the horizon and he blinked a few times to get his bearings and clear his head. The thing that had stunned him the most was the fact that she had not appeared physically hurt. Unfed and slightly dehydrated, but otherwise physically unharmed. It was her mind that had been damaged, a flash of her scraped through thoughts the last thing that remained from the encounter. This was damage only a force user could inflict and it had been clear from the flash that only one mind had been close enough to her recently to perform this kind of torture.

"Dooku,"

He got up and roused Boba.

"I need you up and ready to go in five minutes," he said, perhaps more coldly than he had intended, but their current surroundings were leaving a foul taste in his mouth and he wanted them away as soon as possible, especially before Dooku could find out what he was planning.

Boba got to his feet and shook the sleep from his form, never having seen his friend look so detached before. It was more than a little frightening and he quickly obeyed, heading for the fresher.

Ben was already dressed by the time he exited and with an expression of impatience that had the boy dressed in mere moments. He grabbed an apple from their fruit bowl and tucked into it as Ben motioned for them to leave. The headed out into the hall, but Ben held Boba back as a number of Dooku's people moved about the floor.

"Not that way," he said quietly, still with a dangerous edge to it that Boba was finding uncomfortable, but he was not about to mention that and have the older man glaring at him. So he followed Ben back into the apartment and out onto the Veranda.

"We'll have to go a more scenic route," Ben said as he looked over the edge of the balustrade. Boba's eyes grew large as he remembered his ill fated attempt to climb down the Geonisian landscape.

"Er, Ben, I don't think I can climb down there," he moved to the edge to look down himself at the sheer drop below then. He looked over at Ben who moved closer to him and turned to look back at Boba, his eye suddenly appearing almost purple in the early morning light and his smile giving him a dangerous air.

"Who said anything about climbing," and with that Boba found himself suddenly lifted into the air with great ease, Ben's left arm raised to him, keeping him suspended with the force. He quickly climbed the balustrade, still holding Boba off the floor.

"Wait, wait," gasped Boba, but Ben's gleaming smile was his only response. "Ben?" he asked, panic rising in his chest.

"Breath out, it will be easier," came the unnervingly calm voice again, only this time at least some of the coldness had passed to be replaced with the playful warmth Boba had grown to appreciate the more he heard it coming through his friends words.

Without being able to give it much thought, Boba found himself propelled over the edge of the balcony and he exhaled quickly before gravity took hold and their two bodies began to plummet to the forest floor below.


	49. Chapter 49

_Michelle Erika: I know this is for chapter three, but, yeah, after having just watched the Mythbusters Marathons over Christmas I now realize that the kind of power behind that explosion would really have those guys only fitting in very small jello molds! Oh, well, poetic licence and all that, and force barriers and any other alternate universe hackney that breezes over such problem, right? Hope it's not detracting from your enjoyment of the story!_

They sailed down the cliff face the palace rested on, the trees below Boba looming larger by the second.

"That'll do," he barely heard Ben say as he suddenly felt a sharp change in direction as his body felt swung over to the cliff. His lungs felt like they were bursting at this point, his stomach high in his chest, but all descent seemed to slow and he could finally draw breath into his aching lungs, the dizzying movement causing him to lose sight of Ben for the moment.

He stopped falling completely and was still suspended above the ground, but this was not the forest floor he had expected. Ben had directed them into a cave within the cliff face and was recovering from a roll he had had to perform to land and still maintain Boba's suspended position. He now carefully set the boy down, who, after regaining control of his shaking legs, rushed at Ben and began an unarmed attack Ben had taught him just the day before. Allowing Boba to vent his fear and frustration momentarily, Ben raised his arms to defend the boy's blows but made no attempt to stop him.

"Don't do stuff like that!" screamed Boba, only to be met with Ben's quiet yet infectious laugh. The relief of landing had him laughing soon also, but he continued his attack for a few more blows until the laughing hurt his side and the adrenaline rush had worn off. All laughing ceased and he glared at Ben.

"Really, Ben, you could have warned me, damn it!" He kicked at the ground, frustrated at his lack of control in any of this situation. He had begun to rely so heavily on Ben for everything and the man was suddenly acting so recklessly. What had happened to cause him to do something so, so crazy! He really didn't understand this man at all and suddenly he craved the company of Jango who had at least offered more stability than his new friend.

"I can't take much more of your excitement," he said quietly, looking down at his dust covered boots.

A far more serious and composed Ben knelt in front of Boba and gently raised the boy's chin, so Boba could look at him.

"I'm sorry, Boba," he said softly, his eye appearing deep blue again, "I was rather agitated this morning and I let those emotions get the better of me. Can you forgive me?"

There was genuine concern in his voice and Boba nodded lightly, lowering his eyes again.

"Besides," said Ben, his smile returning, "you have to admit that was kind of fun!"

Boba screwed up his face momentarily, thinking of the incredible rush of exhilaration through his system as he had begun the fall, the air whipping past his face, the forest expanding beneath him, how every color of the morning had become intensely vibrant.

"Well, maybe," he had to admit, "but next time, because I just know there's going to be a next time, please, give me some kind of notice, preferably in writing about a week or two before hand!"

"I'll see what I can do," said Ben holding Boba's gaze for a moment to reassure him before lifting himself up from his knelt position and looking around the cave. He had chosen just the right place to land, they were in an exhaust vent just above the palace hangar and he reached out with his senses to the area ahead of them.

The hangar itself was relatively empty, a few maintenance staff drifting around, but the ships were being ignored at this point and the vent opened up above a craft that might suit them, so Obi waved Boba to follow him and they moved down the shaft.

It didn't take much to open the grate over the ship and Obi could see it was perfect for what he had in mind, he just hoped it was fueled up enough. He slipped out of the vent and dropped into the top of the craft, a simple force hold to help him land silently on it. He crouched and looked around to check where the hangar crew people were. Once satisfied it was clear, he looked up to Boba and had him sit on the edge of the vent and then gently guided him down with the force.

"Better?" he whispered when Boba was crouched at his side. "Much," came the lads reply as he too looked about the hangar for signs of life. Obi moved to the back of the craft and reached out through the force for the hatch mechanism, which clicked and hissed as it was opened. Boba looked intently out to see if anyone had heard, but there was still no sign.

"Come on," whispered Obi over to Boba, who slipped past him and into the ship first. Obi followed with one final look around. It wasn't a very large craft, but adequate for their trip to Nal Shadda. Once inside, Boba rubbed his hands together, eager to get at the controls of the ship.

"All too easy," he said excitedly as he planted himself in the pilot's seat.

"We're not out yet, old man," came Obi's reply. It had gone surprisingly simply so far, which was not quite what he had been expecting. However, he was not about to waste this little gift from the force, so he looked over the controls and tapped the fuel gauge as Boba brought the ship up to power. Not completely full, but enough to get them off the planet and out of the system at least.

The engine noise had attracted some attention by this point, so Obi switched on the comm.

"Just taking the boy for a quick spin, he's never been in one of these before," he said. He knew a mind manipulation was out of the question, Dooku would have made sure his people were immune to such invasions, so he just used his most affable voice possible. The craft was already moving off out of the hangar as a response was starting to come through, so Obi shut off the comm. before any protests could be made.

"That won't fool anyone!" said Boba as he took them out across the forest floor.

"It's not supposed to," said Obi quietly, setting a cause for a refueling station he had used many times with Qui-Gon and later during his Naboo career. The owner owed him a favor or two and refueling would be a breeze.

"Then why say anything?"

"It just stalled them for a brief moment so we could slip out. No communication at all and they could easily come to the conclusion the ship was being stolen by someone."

"It is being stolen by someone. That would be us."

"Yes, but now we're out of the range of hangar security. How long do you think it would have taken them to lock a tractor beam on us if they hadn't heard from us?"

"Fine, we're out, but where are we going anyway?"

"Just take us into orbit and we can let the auto take it from there. Then we can talk about it."

Boba was silent for a moment as he guided the craft out of the atmosphere.

"It's Ventress, isn't it?" he said quietly as the stars filled the view screen.

"Yes," said Obi slowly and cautiously, knowing how the woman made Boba feel, "I found out where she is and she's in a bad way. I had to act before …"

"It's alright, I understand," came the boy's reply, "I mean, I don't completely understand her or you or any of that force stuff. But I do understand why you're going after her. It's the right thing to do."

Obi placed a hand on his young friends shoulder, and Boba looked up at him with a sad smile.

"Thank you, Boba," he said, "I know how hard this has all been on you, and I won't lie to you, it's not over yet. But I can't think of anyone I'd rather have watching my back."

The familiar beeping of the hyperdrive drew their attention to the controls and moments later they felt the pull of the craft as it entered hyperspace. Obi took a moment to check the readings and then turned his chair to face Boba, hands slapping down into his thighs.

"Well, why don't we see what we can find to eat on this thing, if anything! I'm famished." Boba chuckled, still the edge of sadness in his laugh. "And I would like to explain things, if you're interested."

Obi couldn't call Boba's smile beaming, but at least the pained sadness had left it as the boy realized how much Obi trusted him. The two friends left the cockpit to find the galley.

Meanwhile, back on the planet, Dooku paced his office and then looked out in the direction of the ship as he felt Obi's warm but troubled presence leave the system. As soon as he had mentioned Ventress he knew he had lost his grandson, at least for the moment. Let the boy indulge his desire for adventure and daring rescue, he would soon learn his true place within the scheme of things, and when the boy needed him he would be there to scoop him up and away from his destructive course, just as he had done already. You'd think the boy would be grateful, he thought to himself, that he would at least try to see things from Dooku's point of view. Obi would see that Ventress had been a necessary sacrifice to determine the true identity of the Sith Master and although she had not been able to reveal his identity, as that knowledge was clearly nowhere in her mind, he had been able to glean more information about him than he had expected and it _would_ prove to be invaluable, he was sure of that.

After another moments thought on the situation Obi was heading into, he moved to his desk and flipped on is comm..

"Prepare my shuttle," he said and then turned the system off, turning back to face the direction in which Obi had gone.

The world was grey, ashen, cold. Nothing seemed to make any sense within her mind. She had touched something welcoming, searching for her, coming for her, but it had been so fleeting, had it even been real? What was real, anyway? How could there be warmth anymore in anything or anyone?

Ventress continued to stare at the wall opposite her prone position. At least that was a constant and she could focus on it now without a searing pain shooting through her mind. She shivered as the cell temperature penetrated her body and she pulled her legs in even tighter, clasping her arms around them, feeling the bones grinding together. This pain she could handle, the physical damage to skin and bone a welcome relief. She had been trained to accept this kind of pain easily, it had come almost naturally to her, but the mind invasion had been something totally different. This had stripped away the person she was, teasing and pulling apart memories, skills learned, experiences good and bad, everything she had known, so that now it was a jumble, with moments of complete coherence and others of complete confusion.

There were names mixed with faces and places, no clear strands between them, but two names screamed out to her through the mists and chaos. Ky was the first, but nothing else linked to it. Even though she knew this name was singularly important to her she had no way of knowing in what capacity. Was it good, was it bad, was it male, female? The more she focused on the name, the greater the headache flooding her system and another wave of nausea had her doubled over into the fresher. How thoughtful, she thought as she continued to dry heave, they at least left me with some convenience.

Returning to the floor where she had been laying, she sat up and closed her eyes, recalling the second name buzzing around in her mind. This one she knew was bad news, this Sidious. This was the cause for her captivity here, the source of her aggressors constant invasions. It had been a man who had buried his psyche into her mind and proceeded to rip it apart in search of anything to do with the name Sidious and from the few pieces that would occasionally reform into coherence, Sidious was not a good thing. The identity of the invader had been concealed from her, but just as he had demanded a picture of this Sidious, so she would demand a picture of this man from her aching mind. But once again lucidity was fading and the panic of that overwhelming feeling of confusion suddenly rushed back into her, causing the shivering to intensify.

A startling pin point of light, almost out of reach of her perception, darted before her grey vision. Hope is a curious thing in one so consumed by despair. It can be confused with self delusion and ignored so easily that it fades before the person can grasp it, but this pin point had teeth, tiny and sharp, knowing the person to whom it was trying to reach, knowing the familiarity with physical pain that would draw her attention to it. She winced at the insistence of the presence and reached out to it as she would to swat an annoying Nat and it anchored itself in the tendril of force she had used to remove it, pulling her up and away from her predicament.

The sensation was unfamiliar and harsh, but not damaging, more like the firm grip of a friend pulling her through a busy, bustling crowd, not wanting to get lost, but needing to hurry before hands slipped apart due to the flow of the crowd.

"Bring him here," came a calm, but insistent voice, and she saw something ahead, a desert world on the outer rim. The hands were slipping, she was being pulled back and she hated it.

"Who?" she screamed, half to ask who was leading her there, half to ask who she should bring with her, but the connection was broken, the hands had slipped apart and with a thundering crash of will she was back in the cell, her head thrown back to the wall behind her with such force her vision immediately flashed brilliant white and then nothing.

"Now, Boba," came Ben's soft words as they approached the palace, "I need you to stay with the ship and come get us as soon as I tell you we've made it clear. Can you do that?"

Boba nodded slowly, a little unsurely, but he never took his eyes off the view screen as they made their landing on the blind side of the fortress' security. The plans Ben's friend had been able to get for them had been extensive and Boba had marveled at the creatures ability to find everything Ben asked for at their refueling stop, and although he had been extremely cautious of the owner at first, he had quickly come to like this 'Dex' character Ben seemed to know so well.

The plan was simple enough, Ben would infiltrate the palace and get Ventress, and the two of them would simply exit the way Ben got in. Once outside, Boba would be ready to pick them up at the drop of a hat. Jabba employed Gramorean Guards for his cells, they were easy to command, but equally easy to manipulate, so that wouldn't be a problem for Ben. And Ventress was being completely ignored by everyone in the palace, Ben had no idea why, but that also worked to their advantage, no meals were brought, no one came to interrogate her, nothing. It seemed Dooku was done with her and content to have her waste away there, Ben guessed his arrangement with Jabba including that she be left alone. Why, he couldn't begin to imagine.

The seemingly impassable ridge that the fortress backed onto was no easy feat to descend, but not impossible, especially for a force user and Ben made his way down to the sewer hatch Dex's plans had shown him. That Besalisk never failed to amaze him, and once again the old devil had come through for him. Maybe, finally, Obi owed _him_ a favor, but he doubted Dex would ever ask for it. His old friend had warned him about such a risky operation, but Obi wasn't swayed. He'd pass this test and he'd figure out what they would do next once he had Ventress secured.

The smell was terrible, but at least it was dry in there and it did make it much easier to find, his own scent masked rather well, he had to admit. Taking out the thermal burner he made short work of the large grate and moved inside. Moving further along the tunnel, he found an unused sloose leading into one of the cells. He force jumped up to the hatch and grabbed onto the sides of the short tunnel, his presence still undetected at this point and he hauled himself up and out into the small, empty cell. It appeared that this section of the palace was completely deserted, and that unnerved him, he was sure there should be some presence here, but there was nothing. Sudden panic hit him as he thought Ventress had been moved, but he felt her weak force signature a few cells down and, taking one last look around and sensing nothing through the force, he moved to her.

The desperation in her signature was almost unbearable as he moved around to see her curled up on the floor. She had never looked so tiny to him before, her physical height having been comparable to his own and always held so strongly and defiantly. This was in complete contrast and he clicked the lock open to rush to her side. She was trembling as he pulled her into his arms and a quick scan revealed the recent self inflicted head trauma. The chaos of her mind, however, had a deeply demoralizing effect on him as she was unable to control any of her thoughts and feelings as he was hit by wave after wave of her confusion and madness. He suddenly felt completely trapped in the cell with her, spiking fear that at any moment she would recover and destroy him, or Maul would reveal the rouse and the two Sith would tear him apart, or Boba would be caught and subjected to Jabba's known cruelty. Terrifying images of dark futures where Sith ruled and Younglings were cast over cliffs of oblivion assailed his consciousness. He had to escape her clutches, leave before she destroyed his sanity.

Looking down at her silvery pale, sweat gleamed skin, the torment raging across her own face even when unconscious, he knew she was going through much worse torment than he and it allowed his mind to quiet down, to begin to shield itself from her chaos. Slowly he pushed her back out of his mind and began to gently lay a blanket of force around her troubled mind. It was a temporary measure, but he found he could cocoon the storm within a force induced sleep that took her past the madness and into something resembling a healers' room. He pictured the place he and Nawe had found themselves in after the explosion on the platform and how, despite the circumstances, it had offered him some comfort and he allowed Ventress to borrow that place for a more calming rest, perhaps it would encourage her battered mind to continue the road of healing he could sense she had tried to start in her cell.

Once he was sure she was deeply asleep, he sent a surge of protective, healing force to her skull and hoisted her over his shoulder.

"I'm sorry you had to see this, my friend." Dooku's presence startled him as he turned to leave the cell. The man had done an excellent job at concealing his presence, but Obi remained as calm as he could. He needed to get Ventress out and away from here as quickly as possible and the old man wasn't going to stop him.

"How could you have done this?" said Obi, standing his ground against the Count, "Get out of my way before I - "

"I have no intention of stopping you, Obi," Dooku's voice was even with just a hint of regret, "but I have to ask, where do you intend to go?"

"You think I'll tell you anything right now?" he said brushing past Dooku and heading to the cell he arrived in. He couldn't let his panic rise, even if Dooku was letting him go he had to move quickly, he needed to make sure Boba was alright and get the three of them somewhere, anywhere.

"She gave me no choice!" called Dooku behind him and Obi spun on the Count, his eye blazing deep blue.

"There is always a choice, Dooku," the name spoken with vitriol.

"Would you have let her be if she could have revealed your master's killer?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Within that mind were the clues to Sidious' true identity, I couldn't miss that opportunity. And I gave _her_ the choice, to help me, to free herself from the clutches of the Sith. But she refused - "

"So you ripped it from her! And then left her here to rot! Why not just kill her outright once you were done with the shell, because right now, that's all she is, a mere shell of a person. And for what, do you have what you wanted, do you know who this Sidious creature is?"

"I believe I am very close to -"

"Very close? By the force, man, do you know or not?"

Dooku stepped towards his grandson, arm outstretched to him, "Obi-Wan –"

"No, Count," said Obi, backing away, "Keep your distance or so help me I'll see you fly through that wall behind you. This is not justified. I don't care how close this witch came to taking my head, this fate is worse than anything she could have done to me, and to abandon her after your vicious treatment of her is inexcusable! Why? Why?"

"To lure him here, to bring him out. Don't you see, Sidious is quiet because he's searching for her. He knows she holds secrets about him and he will seek her out, it was only a matter of time before he sensed her, just as you did. At least that was my plan, until you took so much interest in her location when we discussed it the other evening. Then I knew I had lost this battle and nothing I said would stop you from your course of action. So I won't stop you, but I will ask you again, where do you intend to go? Because Sidious will find you both and I can't protect you if you leave me."

"So, that's what this is about, you protecting your legacy?"

"I wish to protect my friend."

"But only me, right? Boba's apprehension around you isn't born from misplaced distance, he knows he's worthless to you, just as Ventress clearly is now that she's served her purpose."

Dooku attempted to respond, but Obi raised his free hand and shook his head.

"We'll take our chances together and I'll find my own way, you won't choose it for me. Now, are you truly letting me walk out of here, or do I have to get back into that sewer?"

Dooku hung his head and sighed deeply, knowing the influence Qui-Gon was having on Obi's actions, even if the boy was denying it. Bringing that up with Obi now would not have been a wise move.

"You will return to me, Obi-Wan, when you see reason once again," he said as he moved down the cell block to another hallway leading to a side exit from the palace.

"I seriously doubt that," said Obi as he lugged Ventress behind the Count. He flipped on his communicator and spoke quietly, "Boba, we're heading out, follow my signal to the rendez-vous point."


	50. Chapter 50

_Holy Comoly! This will be chapter 50! I never intended this to get this long, and it probably shows! Oh well, hope you're still enjoying what's been played out so far. I do love to read and respond to reviews so if you are so inclined please feel free to comment. Thanks a bunch!_

Boba brought the ship up and over the ridge he'd been hiding it behind and headed to the signal source, surprised that it led to the roof of the palace wing housing the detention block. There he saw three figures, one standing very tall, the other two huddled together. It was clear Ben was cradling a sleeping Ventress in his arms and was he rocking her? This was a very odd picture indeed and Dooku's presence had his already frayed nerves causing his hands to shake uncontrollably. The man looked unarmed, but Boba had seen the lightening spew from his long fingers, so he set the craft down as close to Ben as he could and grabbed his blaster before racing to the back hatch.

He raised it to aim in Dooku's direction and then hit the hatch release, trying desperately to still his shaking hands. He knew the blaster would more than likely be torn from his hand if trouble started, but it made him feel better to at least have this between him and the old man and he could probably get one shot off before he was down and that was good enough for him right now.

Dooku just stared coolly at him as the hatch opened, Ben was already on his feet and hoisting Ventress back up as the door opened.

"He's letting us go, Boba, get back in the ship," came the man's commanding voice and Boba found himself heading back to the cockpit, whether he wanted to or not and the blaster clattered to the floor, forgotten.

"Don't be foolish, Obi-wan, you have nowhere to go."

Ben faltered on the ship ramp and re-adjusted the weight on his shoulders. Dooku was right, he really didn't have a clue where to go after this, but he just couldn't stomach the thought of having anything to do with Dooku right now. The weight of Ventress pressed deeply into his shoulders, she needed a mind healer, and although he hated the idea of taking her back to the temple, it seemed that would probably be his only logical choice at the moment. He had no skills to heal that damaged of a mind, the best he could do was make her comfortable, so really, what was best for her right now? Continuing to run and see her slowly destroy herself trying to repair her shattered mind, or face the consequences of all his actions and head home where she could get the proper treatment, Boba could be reunited with his brothers, and he, Obi, could finally explain and be judged by his kind.

"They will bury you both," came Dooku's calm, even voice as he seemed to read Obi's mind at that moment. "The council will deem you both unsalvageable and they will unknowingly place you within the dark lords reach and the boy will be sent to Kamino as another clone slave."

"The council would never knowingly abandon us like that, and I will keep Boba safe.. somehow," Obi began, trying to convince himself more than Dooku, who merely sighed and replied, "I see." Not condemning, not accusing or pleading, just resigning, knowing that although Obi clearly had no plan for this, Dooku would in no way feature within it.

"All I can say in parting is good luck, my friend, and watch your back with _both_ of your young companions. I will always be here, Obi-Wan, if you should ever need me."

Unsure of himself and his situation once again, he turned to his Master's master one last time, his face trying to hide his confusion and apprehension.

As he turned back to the ship he said "Thank you," quietly over his shoulder to the Count, almost hoping he wasn't heard, but the words fell gratefully on Dooku's ears, the last physical connection to his beloved padawan disappearing behind the closing hatch. Before the craft had left the roof he was already walking back to the main palace buildings, ready to pay Jabba for his services.

Boba sat staring at the controls, hands hovering above them, unsure of where to go. It was clear no one was going to stop them, so his daring plan for out-maneuvering any pursuers was out the view port, and Ben still had no response to his enquiries of where they should go now. So he set a cause for the only place he had felt any sense of security recently. He set them on a course to Dex's station.

Ben, for his part, had not left Ventress' side since getting back on board and Boba had no doubt it had something to do with her condition. She was always pale, but the woman had been practically translucent when he had picked her up from the rooftop, and he had felt Ben's healing presence before, so presumably he was helping her as he had helped him. He just hoped that Ben wouldn't lock him out and forget him now that he had this new pet project to work on, Ventress being a fellow force user.

They were heading out of the planet's atmosphere when Ben finally returned to the cockpit and sat heavily in the co-pilot's seat. Boba looked over to him and the man looked exhausted, rubbing his tired eyes and sighing deeply. He noticed Boba's intense scrutiny of him and shot him a worn grin.

"Great job, Boba," he said, his hand on the boy's shoulder affectionately tapping it. "Dex's is the perfect place to recoup. Sorry I didn't think of it myself."

"I liked that guy, and he seemed to know how to handle you, so I thought he'd be our best bet right now."

Ben chuckled, "Yes, and now he has three of us to deal with, won't that just brighten his day!"

"How is she, anyway?" asked Boba. Despite her recent treatment of him, Boba had good memories of the sith from his days on Kamino, he had once counted her as a friend after all and that was hard to forget, especially after seeing her so vulnerable on the planet's surface. He had never seen her like that before, she was always such a proud, confident, if terrifying, creature.

Ben breathed another heavy sigh, wiping the thin layer of sweat from his brow that had formed during his exertions to start some kind, any kind of healing process within Ventress' mind.

"It's beyond my skill to help her," he said, unable to hide the disappointment in his voice, "I tried, but she needs someone with greater knowledge of mind repair. I've done all I can to keep her stable, but the constructs keep failing, her own will is trying desperately to piece everything back together and it's undermining all I'm trying to achieve."

Obi-wan thought back to his work within her mind. Just the short time between his work with her in the cell and getting her back on board, she had been able to demolish the healing barriers he had tried to place around her memories. Words and images had assailed him on his next attempt as she fought against his work. He was constantly unable to convince the shatters that he was trying to help, and more of her experiences buffeted against the shields he had had to raise in order to prevent himself from becoming enveloped in that trouble psyche.

"Her mind did keep trying to show me things hidden within it, but there was no context for any of it. Boba, do you know anything about an 'order 66'?"

Boba froze at the mention of the order number, his surprise and horror at the instant recollection of the order's implications missed by the exhausted Ben.

"Oh, .. I ..," he quickly had to think of something, he couldn't reveal what he knew about that, his old clone programming slamming through his system to conceal what the order meant. Cover and misdirect, came the auto response to the inquiry, despite the free spirited memories of the boy, Boba, trying to break through the programming. It sent an ache through his body to lie to his friend, but what would be the man's response anyway? He could so easily use this as an excuse to be rid of Boba forever and his promise of freeing the clones as void. There was the possibility that by freeing the clones this order could never be given, but the programming wouldn't allow him to take the chance and imposed its dominance over the Boba persona.

"I don't know, it doesn't sound familiar to me. Why?"

"I got the impression it was something to do with your brothers, she was dwelling on it a lot. Probably nothing, just part of the mess Dooku left her in."

Boba frantically tried to regain control, trying to reassert his stamp on this form, but for now the clone programming persisted, remaining tight lipped and focusing on the task at hand, piloting the ship.

Obi looked over at his quiet companion and saw the suddenly focused face staring into the view screen and for some reason, Dooku's words from the rooftop came back to him.

"Is everything OK, Boba?" he asked.

"Yes, sir, everything is fine, we'll be entering hyperspace momentarily."

"Boba," he replied, surprised at the boy's sudden formality, "something _is_ wrong. You know you can tell me anything."

The Boba persona won out and shook off the clone trooper within him and buried it deep, returning Ben's concerned gaze with a sad smile.

"I'm sorry, I was thinking about my brothers for a moment. You just reminded me of my obligations to them and to jango."

"Boba, you're not obligated to any of them. You are your own man, you can choose your own path. I understand your desire to see your brothers free, I do, truly, and I will do everything I can to help you. But they have no power over you, this is your choice, old man."

Obi couldn't help feeling responsible for the boy's predicament. Jango had been so misguided to think Obi would be any good at this and now there was the very distinct possibility Boba would have to suffer the fate of his brothers if they returned to the Republic and Obi couldn't let that happen. He looked down at the read out giving their current destination.

"Boba, you got on with Dex, didn't you," he said, an idea forming in his mind.

"Yeah, I really did," acknowledged the lad, remembering the amazing stuff the old guy had on that station.

Ben breathed out heavily, hoping Boba wouldn't be offended by his proposition. After all, he wasn't truly planning on abandoning Boba with the Baselisk, it would be temporary.

"I have to get Ventress to specialists, and that means getting her to Coruscant and the Jedi temple." Boba tensed immediately, predicting what was coming, but needing to hear it from Ben's lips before he would believe it.

"But I want to keep you from the situation just in case they decide to separate us and send you back to Kamino."

Boba started to respond, but Ben held up his hand to stop him and continued.

"Now, wait," he said, keeping his tone low and even, "I don't intend to stay, I'll just be dropping her off and leaving to come back to you. But in case I get delayed I'd rather have you some place with someone I trust. You can understand that, can't you?" He truly hoped Boba did because he had no other ideas at this point.

"I can't believe this," said Boba, his worst fears realized. He was being abandoned for the witch. "After all we've been through and you want to drop me off at that station!"

"Boba, you know that's not true, if there was any other way to help Ventress, believe me, I would do it, but this is her best chance at a recovery and I can't think of a safer place than Dex's for you to hang out temporarily while I deal with this."

"No, don't leave me behind, please, I can't lose you, too," he cried.

"You won't lose me, Boba, I promise you."

"You promised to help me."

"And I will, have I not helped you already?"

Boba couldn't deny that. Ben had helped him a great deal already, but this still felt like a betrayal, despite everything Ben told him.

"My fear is that they will send you back to Kamino to join your brothers, yes, but to be lost within them and I couldn't let that happen. At least with you free and with Dex, the two of you can be coming up with strategies and plans to free them all. You've seen the resources at Dex's disposal. Why not learn how to use them yourself?"

Boba hadn't even considered that and it showed in his expression. Ben smiled at the confused looking face.

"Believe me, Dex is our ally in this and there is a lot you can learn from that wily old Del-fox. More practical stuff than the hokum you could get from me!" he continued, trying to sweeten the deal.

Boba thought for a long time about the possibilities.

"And you'll come back?" he asked earnestly.

"Of course, Boba. And I dare say you'll have a thing or two to teach this old nerf!" he said smiling and tapping his head.

"Like trouble avoidance?" Boba suggested with a smile.

"Ah, well that seems to be an incurable condition at the moment, doesn't it, old man! And I must say, it seems that its trouble that finds _me_ rather than the other way around."

"Really?" said Boba sarcastically, "you keep telling yourself that!"

They spent the rest of the trip reminiscing about their recent exploits, both friends confessing thoughts and fears at certain points, a worm familiarity between the two that belied the fact they had only recently met. In the back of his mind Obi couldn't help feeling that this would be the last time the two would have the chance to be this open with each other and he was determined not to waste it.

It didn't take more than a simple request to Dex to have Boba sequestered at the station and with neither friend in any way comfortable with goodbyes it was brief with all the outward appearance of a simple parting, but Dex was no fool and saw through the acts of both of them, their genuine affection for each other showing through, Boba trying desperately to hide his tears from Ben.

Once Obi had left, Dex kept the boy as busy as he could. He found him later asleep, sprawled over the schematics of an old speeder mod Dex had been working on for years. He helped Boba to his room and settled him in. Then he went to work on the grander project Obi had asked him to start, finding out everything he could on the cloners and their training techniques, with special attention to orders, and the one order numbered 66.

Once on their way back to Coruscant, Ben went to check on Ventress once again. Although she still continued to break down his protections, she was spending more time within them, resting and recuperating. The only problem with this was she was getting stronger all the time and the rails of force waves assailing him each time he tried to help her were increasing in power and he knew if he didn't get her help soon she would be able to overpower him and there was no telling what she would be capable of then.

On several occasions he found her reaching out through the force for someone or something called Ky, but it was a disconnected, grasping call through the force and even the gentlest probe through her mind caused him to dizzyingly fly around in the maelstrom, catching only glimpses and glances of memory but nothing coherent enough to grasp onto to help her pull into a pattern of memory. It was wholly frustrating and maddening to him, so he could only imagine how devastating it was to her. Had Dooku truly known the damage he had caused here? This torture sickened him and he released her again, confident his protection would hold at least until they were within the Coruscant system.

He moved away from her side when he heard a moan from her lips, something he wasn't expecting so soon and he was back at her side, wanting to keep her quiet so he could give her back some peace.

"It's alright, Assaj, stay in the safe place I made for you, it will help with everything, I promise you."

She shook her head, almost imperceptibly, but then she shot her purple eyes open with such an intense look, he immediately backed away from her. Before he could recover, those eyes were burrowing into his soul and he clawed at his throat as he felt it tighten from the force choke she suddenly held him in.

"Ventress, stop, I'm trying to help you, really I am," he gulped and spluttered out.

"Tatooine," she said calmly, the intense gaze remaining, but the force grip easing into one of a force hold, but still around his throat and lifting him off the floor. "Bring him here," she intoned, her eyes still boring into him.

"Who? Bring who to Tatooine?" he asked, fearing the answer, but she declined to give it, merely rising from the cot and staggering for a moment, her malnourished body finding it hard to remain standing.

"Let me help you," said Obi, but she kept silent, still staring into him, as if searching for some meaning to her own words. He reached out to her mind to try to discern where this lucidity had come from, only to feel a mental strike across his own psyche almost like a slap in the face and he had to shake his head to clear it from the thunder clap that rang through his ears along with the mind assault.

When his eye refocused he found he was being pulled with the force to the doorway Assaj had just left. He had to put his hands up and use them as leverage to avoid hitting the door frame as the unrelenting pull dragged him into the cock pit area and he was still raised off the ground.

"You can let me down, you know," he said to the back of her head, "it's not like I can go anywhere," and with that the hold on him was released and he dropped heavily to the floor.

"Although, some warning would have been nice! At least now I know how Boba felt during our drop."

Distinctly helpless and small, that was how he had felt just then being so easily controlled like that, and immensely frustrated at having no choice in the matter. His current predicament suddenly seemed quite well deserved.

"Why Tatooine?" he asked as she settled in the pilot seat and he in the copilot seat. Silently her hands flashed over the controls.

"Tatooine," she repeated," bring him here," was her only response and he noticed the fractured way she spoke those words, almost as if she was trying to say something else, but at that moment those were the only words she knew.

"Do you mean me?" he asked, guessing at this point. With the coordinates set the ship lurched into hyperspace and she poised her hands back over the controls as if waiting for something.

"Tatooine," she said again, this time clearly trying to say other words, but failing. "Bring him here!" she screamed, several veins standing out on her skull.

Worried she would strain something, he reached out again ever so gently trying to establish a link to her as he had done while she slept, but the mental slap was able to penetrate his own shields this time and it felt like a claw had just scratched at his mind.

"Stop that!" he heard himself say, as the pain eased and he realized it was partly in chastisement of himself as much as directed to her and he decided to back off, not wanting to make the situation even worse.

He looked up just as the stars reappeared and they were over the desert planet. Her shaking hands moved back to the controls and began to take them into orbit, but she seemed to fight with herself and their angle of descent suddenly changed awkwardly and Obi found himself grabbing the controls as he realized they were on a crash course.

"What are you doing!" he cried, pulling hard on the ship yoke and turning it to try to correct their flight.

She suddenly began wrestling with him for control again and they locked eyes, both suddenly as horrified as each other.

"Tatooine," she said, the sadness and regret palpable in every syllable and she released her struggling, still staring at him, but his attention returning to the view screen as he fought the spinning craft for control.

"Bring him here," she said in only a whisper as she slumped forward in the seat and the control panel.

"Just great!" he exclaimed as he noticed her slumped form and used a gentle force push to send her back into the seat. He did all he could to pull the ship through the upper atmosphere and managed to hold it up long enough to find a level section of the vast desert below them where he could guide the ship to a somewhat safe landing. It was a bumpy descent, but he had time to fasten Assaj's restraints and his own before they touched down none too gently but without the craft tipping over, just burying itself deep enough to need digging out before it could fly again.

He checked on Assaj and found her deeply asleep again, his protections back up, almost as if they had never failed in the first place. Seeing she was secure here as in the small cabin, he got up and headed out of the craft to see how much work he'd need to do to get the ship out. Using the force, he could probably have pulled it clear, but his body was screaming for rest and his continued buffeting of Assaj's mental protection meant his access to the limitless supply of the force was numbed for the moment. The relentless heat from the suns bore into him and he remembered how much he disliked this planet. The last time he had been there suddenly flashed through his memory.

"You're a Jedi too?" he saw the boy, Anakin, before him for a split second, "Pleased to meet you." The grown man spoke in his mind's eye and he had to look around just to check he was still alone. Something had been so immediate in that voice, so present.

"Anakin?" he called out cautiously, half expecting the young man to pop out from behind the nearest sand dune.

A sudden warning through the force had him leaping away from the ship as the head of a Krace dragon shot at him from the dunes. He rolled away as its clawed hand crashed down on the position he had just vacated and then he flipped over as the other great front claw came down to grasp him. He instinctively reached to his belt for a weapon, only to find nothing there, this situation having been the last one he had expected to find himself in.

The beast's head shot at him again and he rolled away, the creature's great body in danger of crushing the ship. He had to draw it away from the thing, it would crush it like a java juice synth-cup. Another swipe and he ducked low enough to sprint for the dunes.

"I don't know how I'm going to get out of this one," he breathed quietly to himself and thought of the prone Ventress. The great creature was turning to follow him, so he reached out to its mind, hoping to calm it or misdirect it, and it seemed to be working as the creature lumbered towards him. He stepped back, drawing it from the craft and sending calming waves of force to its agitated mind. It became clear that the creature thought this was a territory invasion that it was apparently defending itself from them, which surprised Obi, he was sure he was on the beasts lunch menu, but the two of them continued their slow pace back into the dunes.

A mental blast wave hit the two of them as Ventress sprang awake and frantic in the pilot seat restraints. Obi felt suddenly blinded and whirling as the power of her uncontrolled access to the force assailed him and the dragon was lost from his sight.

A great claw swept down and clipped his right arm and spun him across the sand, the creature screaming wildly and thrashing about. Obi bounced over the surface, tumbling down a particularly deep dune bank. Above him the dragon flailed its great arms and swung its head around to strike at the craft, the source of its elevated anguish, sparks flying from it. This caused the Dragon to stagger back and become interested in Obi once again. Obi only had a few moments to recover before the dragon was on top of him again swinging down with its great head and Obi rolled out and away, the dragon taking in a mouth full of sand for its trouble.

Obi clutched his broken arm, his own blood oozing through his fingers, his breath hacking through his lungs from the exertion. "Back on the menu, then!" he gasped out.

Another dodge had him landing on the injury, it was all he could do to roll onto his back to see the creature loom above him and rear up in triumph to bring its jaws down onto him, but inches from his body, the head suddenly shot back up as if lashed by some unseen whip.

Ben gasped in his breath, frozen to the spot where he lay as the head tried another swing at him, only to be slapped away again. The beast staggered back shaking its aching head, looking around for the source of this assault. It backed up several steps, allowing Obi to pull himself into a sitting position and look around himself to find the source.

Ventress stood on a high sand dune to his left, her purple eyes glaring at the suddenly writhing creature. It tried to take another swing, this time directed at her, but the head snapped back again, its breathing rasping through its throat and Obi could clearly see the constriction that Assaj was placing there with her all to familiar force choke. The beast held her gaze for a moment and suddenly the hold was released, the beast completely calmed. It bowed its head gently towards its new master, who continued to glare darkly at it.

Suddenly the beast began shaking violently, its scream starting low and then rising to a cacophony of overwhelming sound.

"Stop!" screamed Obi to Ventress, rising to his feet, "It's over, you've won, stop this!" He tried desperately to scramble up the dune to her. She was killing it, after she had the creature subdued, it was no longer a threat to them and had only been trying to protect its home. But the slippery sand and his exhaustion and injury were working against him. His scrambling and screaming seemed to be falling on deaf ears. He reached up to her with pleading eyes, she had to stop, she had to listen.

"Please," he cried, his throat sore from the hollering, the sand around him turning red. She looked down on him with those orbs of power and fear, and they almost instantly softened, seeing her desperate, prone companion. All thought of the dragon left her mind and, released, it slumped to the desert floor, itself totally exhausted by the ordeal and unable to keep itself upright. The head landed to Obis side and he could see the intelligence behind the glazed irises, the body heaving as the creature breathed in great gulps of air.

"I'm so sorry," he found himself saying to the creature, the voice of Qui floating through his words, almost beyond his perception. He looked up to see Assaj approaching them and she glanced down at him apologetically, and then turned those purple orbs to the fallen creature. She reached up and it flinched away from her touch, which clearly distressed her as much as her approach distressed the creature, but Obi felt something he had never felt from Ventress before, warmth. She sent a warming tendril of force to the creature, which it seemed to accept willingly and she was now able to touch it's face and the creature nuzzled into her hand, sinking to the sand then, presumably asleep. Obi for his part was stunned by this affectionate transaction between the forms that had been only moments ago trying to tear each other apart.

He backed up a little as Ventress turned back to him. She gave him a look that reminded him of the reproachful faces Bant was known to through him when seeing his latest injury and although it unnerved him to have her come in close to him, he felt rather resigned to the fact that she was at his side.

He looked at his arm and back at Ventress.

"Yes, yes, I know," he began, "Tatooine, bring him here," with a tone more like a chastisement of himself at getting into another great mess. "Boba's never going to believe this one!" She knelt at his side and helped peel back the fabric of his shirt to reveal the extent of the wound. Each touch elicited a hiss through his lips, but he quickly felt the wave of warmth directed at him rather than the dragon. It was completely disconcerting, this tender side of the creature known as Ventress.

"To what do I owe this possession?" he asked through clenched teeth as she gently examined the arm and lightly brushed away the sand from the deep gashes.

"Tat - " she began, but stopped herself, still unable to say anything different and the sparkle of tears starting forming in her eyes, but she continued her gentle ministrations.

"We'll have to work on your vocabulary," he said quietly, "but it looks like you've lost nothing of your skills, which is good, right?" He was trying to catch her eye, but she was determined not to look at him. It was so unbelievable that this was the same woman who had tried to kill him on Geonosis, the one who had tormented Boba there in that hangar, but he had to remind himself that it was in fact that woman, and this quiet acceptance of each other could easily descend into the chaos she had been experiencing recently.

All thought of their previous encounters was swept from his mind as she gripped down on his arm and began the only force healing she had ever experienced, that shown to her by her Sith masters.

In a moment of complete clarity she saw the truth of her Master's teaching. Injury was a sign of weakness and healing was a form of punishment as far as her teaching was concerned and it was the only teaching of healing she could bring to her attention at that moment. It alarmed her greatly that the man's reaction was to claw at her grasp of him, and try to pull away. Didn't he understand what he had to get through to see the error in his fighting technique? Surely he had been through this before, why Ky had..wait, …, no, Ky was … was… What was she doing?

She immediately released him, his cry fading into the sand. She grabbed her head, trying to desperately hold onto the moment of clearness, Ky coming to her to stroke her cheek, but it was lost as Maul loomed large and scraped his fingers over the same cheek so tenderly caressed an instant before. And then the maelstrom swirled within her again and she screamed out, lashing at the two figures at her sides, the scales of the dragon scratching into her, proving she was alive and the man there reaching to take her flailing arms, proving she had to fight for her freedoms again.

They wrestled for a while as she tried to focus on what had been happening and he was talking to her calmly, and with some familiarity, she did know him didn't she? He pulled her in close, just holding onto to her, in a sign of affection? That didn't seem right, there were light blades flying around them in another memory that crashed into her again and she pulled away from him, trying to place him. Not Ky, but of Ky? That also didn't make any sense, but it was ringing around in her ears now.

"Stop that!" was what she tried to say, but once again those were not the words from her lips.

"Argrh!" she screamed, pushing out with all of the force she could muster, the man flying through the air up over the dunes and out of her sight. "Good, one less thing to deal with," she thought idolly, only to have that thought crash out from her and suddenly she was completely alone, hadn't there been someone with her a moment ago? This was all so maddening.

"Make it all stop!" she railed to the sky and almost instantly, someone was there at her side, a woman, face all compassion and comfort.

"Nice," was all she managed, before the woman raised her cloak and swept it over Assaj's head, sending her into a welcome darkness.


	51. Chapter 51

It was intensely cold, wherever he was right now and Obi groaned as he pulled himself onto his feet, shivering as the biting wind chilled his bones. He looked down and found himself dressed in his padawan tunic, his cloak missing. The icy air of his surroundings rushed passed him and through him as he was able to pull his arms in around his trembling body, the crunch of deep snow beneath his feet.

"Really?" he called out to the force induced dream, "Hoth? I'm stuck on Hoth in this one?"

_Come and sit with me, my padawan_, called his old master over the gusting winds and he stumbled to the small table he recognized from his last encounter with the ghost.

"Yes, Master, but.." he saw Qui-Gon raise his hand to stop him as he continued his stumbling steps to the table.

_You have a fever brought on by the scrape that dragon gave you, I'm afraid, dear padawan_. Qui-Gon looked apologetically at his former student, and Obi finally made it to his chair. As he sat, a wave of heat rushed over him and the scenery folded into the lava covered world of Mustafar. Sweat ran into his eyes and Qui-Gon brushed it clear from his forehead. Obi leaned into the touch of his old master relishing this physical contact, even if it was all part of his minds delusion. Minds. Delusion.

"Ventress!" he exclaimed, looking to Qui-Gon with horror, "she's still out there!" he turned as if to leave, not really certain how he would actually achieve that, but Qui-Gon caught his hand and he turned to see his master smiling at the young man's concern for his former enemy.

_She's in safe hands, as you are right now, my friend. Talk with me a while._

Obi-wan wrenched his hand away, frustrated with feeling like a child in all of this, constantly needing to be taken care of, having the whole situation pulled out of his control at every turn. At least that's how he felt here and now. Another giddying rush of scenery change had them back in the snow, the table and chairs gone, but the snow storm swirling around them.

"I'm not your puppet in this!"

_I never claimed you were, padawan_ –

"And stop calling me that, you damned force ghost!" he found himself thrusting out his arms into Qui's chest, the great man stumbling back a few steps. He immediately regretted his outburst and stumbled back himself as his surroundings swept into the intense heat of the lava flows again. He felt Qui-Gon grab his shoulder to prevent him falling into the fast fierce flow and he found himself clinging desperately to the solid form of his master.

"I'm sorry," he heard himself sob into the tall man's robe and Qui-Gon held on tightly to him.

_Let me give you some peace, my dear Obi-Wan, if only for a moment_.

The chaotic world dissolved around them to be replaced with the lush green of the Naboo forest where he and Qui-Gon had encountered the Gungan. His clothes were sopping wet due to his escape from the droids and they slid to the forest floor, Obi still clutching at Qui-Gon, but too weak to remain standing. He still felt the shivers of ice, followed by waves of heat wracking his body, but the intensity of the changes was somewhat lessened and he found he had more control over his emotions, the heavy sobs easing.

_That's it, Obi-Wan, calm your mind and then we can talk_.

Obi was gently rocked easing him further into the hold. He had wanted to speak again with his former master so much since their last encounter, but now he just needed some comfort. Perhaps this was the reason Qui-Gon seemed to be treating him like a child, because he suddenly felt like one. He just hoped his rescue of Ventress was enough to get some answers.

_Just as you desire answers, so do I, young one_, came Qui-Gon's gentle but firm tones.

"Is that why you brought me here?" The heat rose up from the exhaust port deep in the Theed palace as Obi shook his head, reeling once again from the swirling world around him.

_It is you that has brought us here, my former padawan_, said Qui, still keeping Obi sitting upright but held close to him. _Why did you do that, I wonder?_

Qui-Gon looked around, the room empty and the shields that had blocked Obi from him that day shifting on and off without control.

_Be quiet_, he said raising his hand and the shields ceased their incessant drone. Turning his attention back to Obi he ran his hand through the boy's sweat soaked hair_. What did you want to say? What led you here? _he continued calmly.

"I don't.." Obi began, but stopped himself, Qui-Gon knowing him too well to be fooled by that. He breathed out a deep sigh, this being the moment to explain himself to his master.

"I failed you, so terribly, I'm so sorry," he said into the man's robes, "I wasn't fast enough, I didn't have the control to finish the fight and I lost you."

_How could you have failed me, Obi-Wan? You lived, you faced that foe alone and you survived._

"But I couldn't stop him, I should have stopped him, master. I could have saved you, I could have gotten through those shields and helped you, together we would have put an end to him, I know it. But I was too weak, too slow, so useless." He lashed out again, arms pummeling into Qui's chest. He grabbed the arms and pulled them down, continuing to comfort the troubled Obi.

_Obi, is that what you've thought all these years? Is that why you never returned to the order?_

"How could I face them, master? I let you die, I could have finished that fight if I had only kept control, but I was so scared for you that my fear turned to hate in an instant and all I saw was his face over yours, consuming you and I had to wipe the world clean of him, tear him into tiny pieces for what he had done to you."

_So, now we come to it, at that moment, in that one instant, you were wishing to exact revenge. This is what you have held deep within your heart for so long, the true nature of your pain. _

"I felt your death and that ended it. If it hadn't been for that shattering of our bond, I would have gone down a dark road, one I can't afford to go down again." He hissed as the heat within his body suddenly shot up to his right eye, all imagined sight lost from it once more. "And yet I did when faced with him on Geonosis and even on Kamino."

Qui-Gon shook his head and pulled Obi away a little so that he could look in the man's face, and he found the raw wound there that Maul had inflicted resulting in the loss of his eye. He brushed his thumb over it, soothing the wound away, but the eye remained sealed.

_Obi-Wan, despite what the order would have our young initiates believe in these times, you are human. You have flaws just like anyone else. Of course you felt those emotions at that instant in a battle for our very existence, yours and mine. And you punished yourself beyond anything you deserved. Three times you have stepped upon a dark path, and yet you have come through each trial stronger and more connected to the flow of the living force. Have you not felt it for youself? Could you have achieved your search for Assaj before these recent encounters? To touch the dark side, as you have, and triumph over it does not make you in any way weak or useless, Obi-Wan._

"You can't be serious! Look to your own former student, Xanatos. Surely his fall is an indication that this is not a path to take."

_I always thought there was hope for Xan, you know I did, just as we both feel there is hope for Ventress. Do you think the council will see her in that way?_

Obi lowered his head, acknowledging what the council's response would be.

"Once you start down the dark path, it will dominate your destiny." He intoned from one of his old lessons.

Qui-Gon nodded, _Yes, so we have been told for all these years, and we keep our knights and masters on pedestals, to such a degree now that one false step and faith can be crushed. You do not deserve to have gone through this, Obi-Wan, but it shows that the best of us can be lost without real reason to be_.

"But I chose my exile, I wasn't forced into this situation."

_That is where my blame comes in, I and the Jedi elders are the ones who failed you._

"No, that's not true, how can you say that?"

_I fell into this trap also, Obi-Wan, I held you on such a high pedestal. I had foreseen you becoming a great Jedi Knight and I was the one who didn't prepare you for this. The Jedi Elders and Council have become the same way, almost to the point of idolizing themselves in their self proclaimed purity to the light. If it were not for Master Yoda and Master Windu, I would say there was little hope for them at this point._

"How could any of you have prepared me for this, master? Now you punish yourself undeservedly."

Qui-Gon continued_, I raced ahead, I thought to defeat the Sith before he could cause any more damage. My own arrogance at my abilities blinded me to the danger of separating us and I fell for the trap. And it cost me almost everything. In my last moments I thought of you and Anakin. I wanted just one last chance to tell you how proud of you I was, how proud of you I am, that I needed that connection to you, that Anakin would need your calm guidance, and that there was no one I could see protecting him, teaching him and just loving him as you could._

"Yoda did a pretty good job, master, Anakin is a fine Jedi," Obi said sadly.

Qui-Gon smiled. _Yes, he is that, and so much more now that he has left them to become his own man with Padme at his side_.

"What!" exclaimed Obi-Wan, totally shocked. They were on the Naboo cruiser, now, seated next to each other in the queen's audience chamber. He looked over at the empty chair of the queen and back to his former master, his old familiar cloak and robes feeling warm and comforting.

_You'll see soon enough, and I had hoped we would stay here for a while longer, but our time is almost over. So you must listen to me._

"No, don't leave me again, I need to understand this and I still don't."

_Please, Obi-Wan, I have much to say and little time left. Firstly, know that I am always here, _he touched Obi's head_, and here, _he touched the man's heart_, and you have done more in recent days to secure my faith in the will of the force than any of the council. Second, the players in this war are not done with you yet, the apprentice looks for one to aid him defeat the master and the master looks for one to defeat the apprentice. They both still see that person as you._

"Why? That's still something I don't understand from either of them."

_Their motivations are hidden from me, but I do know that you will have to make a choice very soon that will change the course of this war._

"No pressure, then!" he scoffed, the chills suddenly rising again.

_Obi-Wan, remember your words to Boba, and apply them to yourself. You are not obligated to anyone, you are your own man and you have the right to choose your path. So trust yourself, and know that I trust you to make the right decision._

Qui-Gon embraced his Obi-Wan one last time and Obi took the hug warmly as it chased away the chills he'd been feeling, but it was over an instant later and he found himself toppling over where Qui-Gon had been sitting, hitting the floor hard.

He jolted awake, his body shaking under the soft blanket, his heart racing, his breath gasping as though he had been running hard. A cool cloth was draped over his forehead and a strange face loomed over him, completely covered in linked metal plates. Some strange language was said over him by the figure which disappeared from his line of sight. He tried to sit up, but found he had no strength in his upper body and sank into the pillows. His heart was still racing, but his breathing seemed more controlled and he turned to look around the room, which turned out to be a tent. Ventress lay peacefully asleep in the next bed, her skin no longer the terrifying translucent color it had been when he had found her, but still very pale. A sudden hitch in his chest caused a hacking cough to wrack his body and he found himself doubled over from the pain and exertion of it. He was barely aware of the tent flap opening and a gleaming white figure entered to help him back onto the bed.

"You do need looking after, don't you, Laterrie!" came Padme's tender voice as she wiped away the sweat that had gathered on his head again.

"Padme?" he tried to say, but got as far as the "P" before another round of coughing assailed his already weakened system and she held him down, sending a wave of healing force to him. He stared up at her in awe, but her only response was to brush the hair from his eyes and place a light kiss to his forehead.

"Just relax and have some water, then it's back to sleep for you, you old scallywag!"

He cringed at the accolade she had chosen to call him, but he was grateful for the drink as it passed his lips, soothing his throat and cooling his burning stomach.

"Thank you," he managed and with a more confident voice her continued, "but how.." he began and she touched her fingers to his lips.

"Not just yet, the fever has broken, but you're still pretty heated. Get some rest and we'll explain in the morning."

Once again he was being coddled like a small child and it infuriated him, despite his obvious condition.

"No!" he exclaimed, dragging himself up into a sitting position and immediately regretting it as the tent began to spin, but he shook it off, determined to get some control back into his life. "What's going on? How did I get here? How did _you_ get here? How are you using the force! Please.." he could feel his energy fading even has he spoke and his body was slumping over the side of the bed.

She guided him back to the soft mattress and laid a hand over his eyes. She hated seeing her dear friend in such distress and knelt down to place her head on his chest lightly.

"Dear Obi-Wan, don't worry about all that now, just know that you and Ventress are safe and we can talk in the morning. Go back to sleep." She sent another wave of her feelings of kinship and love to him and felt him relaxing under her, so she tried the technique Anakin had shown her the day before and settled a blanket of force healing about him, latching onto his bubbling mind and guiding him into a force healing trance.

She gazed down at her dear friend as he sank further into the pillows, his breathing deepening, if a little rasping, but nothing a few days rest wouldn't cure. She brushed his cheek with her hand and pulled the blankets back up around him. She checked on his arm, which was bandaged, but she could sense the bone already knitting well and the gash clean and sealed. Lastly, she wiped his face off, which elicited a soft moan from the sleeping man, just as the tent flap opened and Anakin moved to his wife's side.

"How's our hero doing?" he asked, looking over at Obi-Wan.

"The fever has broken," she said standing up, but still looking at Obi, "He'll get stronger the more he rests."

Anakin wrapped his arm around Padme's shoulder in a comforting embrace and reached out with the force to sense the man's condition for himself and was pleasantly surprised to feel his wife's excellent work with him. Padme had shown incredible progress with her new found connection to the force and was an astute, patient, but voracious student of his teachings. They had focused on force healing as it seemed she had a natural affinity to it and he was immensely proud of her work with the fallen force sensitives present.

He kissed her on the forehead and she looked up at him, her eyes tired, but happy to have her friend finally safe with them.

"Wonderful work, darling," he said comfortingly, "but you should get some rest yourself, it takes it out of you, accessing the force to such a great extent as that. A wise master once told to me 'the Force's energy is limitless, however a Jedi's stamina is not.*'" And he smiled affectionately down into her face. "I'll sit with them for a while, you get some sleep."

They hugged again and she left him to remain vigil over the two very different patients they had acquired. His looked down at the former Jedi padawan and thought back to their first meeting.

From what he remembered of Obi-Wan, the man had seemed pleasant enough, but he didn't have the presence Qui-Gon had, it was far more subdued and observant to their surroundings, but decidedly distant to Anakin as he recalled. He could remember the shock of discovering Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's deaths and despite the elation everyone had felt around him after the battle for Theed had been won, his heart felt crushed and he had wandered the palace alone that night, trying to find some peace. It was this way that his future master had found him, tears soaking his desert clothes, huddled with his knees under his chin feeling the chill of everything around him. The green gnome had been small enough to squeeze in beside him within the alcove he had discovered to hide in. And for the longest time, he had not spoken, just gently made his force presence more known to the scared and saddened boy. How Anakin had latched onto that warm, but slow flow of knowledge and understanding, and before either had spoken a word, a rudimentary training bond had formed between them without any forcefulness behind it. When they had begun to speak, it had been quiet, comforting conversation that had led to the simple truth that they were master and padawan and as they eased each other out from the alcove, everything Anakin had hoped for blossomed within his soul and he found his place within the Jedi order.

He chuckled to himself, he had not thought about that encounter in years and he silently thanked the sleeping Obi-Wan for allowing such memories to come back to him. Satisfied Padme's healing trance would hold until Obi was significantly better, he turned his attention to the former Sith assassin.

She was finally sleeping peacefully. He had managed to piece together a number of her more pleasant memories and was helping her build on those within her damaged mind. He had managed to keep the darker moments from intruding for the time being, but he knew he would have to start re-introducing them to her so that she could begin to recover fully and understand the implications of her tortured upbringing and training under Maul's attentions. Thank goodness he had found and reconstructed the work of Ky Narec in her past. A gentle probe into her psyche showed this was where her dreams were placing her at that moment. If only he had survived to help her continue her training, she would have been a formidable force for good. She still could be, if they could find someone to perhaps replace him in her eyes. The obvious choice was Obi-Wan, but considering the history of these two, he was not about to suggest this, or force the issue within Assaj's mind before he had spoken with Obi-Wan. Although, it was tempting to remind Assaj who had managed to save her this time. He ultimately decided to wait and find out Obi-Wan's feelings on the matter, he wasn't about to force either of them into something they didn't want.

He sat on the floor, basking on the slightly chaotic swirl of the force around the two of them. It was obvious the force intended them both to be a part of this shifting it was experiencing, but it was almost as though their parts had not been decided yet. He allowed his thoughts to drift through the past, moving through the present and guided gently into the future.

He shot his eyes open, shaking from the exertion. Or was it fear? He wasn't entirely sure, but his vision of the Jedi temple in flames, Coruscant burning, the senate building collapsing in on itself, left him shaken. And the voice he had heard screaming at him reverberated around his skull, even now as he stared at the worn fabric of the tent.

"Save the younglings!"

*(This is from the story "Collapse" by Susan Zell (very good Obi-centric story) on FF and I really liked that way of putting it. Thanks Susan, hope you don't mind! If you want to find the story, it's in my favourites list on my FF website.)


	52. Chapter 52

_Pascal () : Wow! Thanks for your kind remarks, they have inspired me to get back on this. I now know where this is finally going, so I hope you continue to enjoy the ride!_

_Michelle Erika: Thanks for all the chapter reviews. I hope you can forgive me the huge canon story change, but I will be explaining that more in later chapters as well as a little in this one. Don't count old Dooku out yet, even after everything that has happened since your comment on the Count. I can understand you not seeing Anakin giggling, but they've just been through something extraordinary and that can leave even the most controlled and sedate person feeling giddy and child-like, so I was trying to put out that completely out of character move to emphasize that, but I can see why that isn't necessarily working! As for the conversation with Qui-Gonn, I hope you like the way this will play out in later chapters. And where is the real Boba? Well, I think that's going to depend on your 'point of view'!_

The vision had shaken Anakin tremendously. He couldn't tell when this would happen, but a deepening pull in the pit of his stomach told him it was rapidly becoming the true future and things needed to be done to save as many lives as possible. He quickly got up from his seated position and dashed to the tent flap, only to have it opened into his face as Padme rushed into him, hugging him close. He noticed that it was very dark outside, he must have been meditating over the two prone forms for several hours without realizing it.

"What happened?" she asked stepping back and looking up into his worried looking face.

"We have to contact Master Yoda immediately, I think the Jedi are in serious danger and I'm not sure what we can do to stop it. But I do know the younglings need to be taken out of that building as soon as possible."

"The younglings? What did you see?"

"The temple was in flames and the senate building was collapsing in on itself."

"Well, then the senate should be warned also, shouldn't it?"

"No, Padme, we can't let them know, there are too many voices that could easily spill our concerns to the dark lord."

"You still feel the senate is the key to finding the sith master, don't you?" she said, gravely.

"I know you still have friends there, Padme, but ever since leaving the order, the darkness I have sensed whenever reaching for answers within the force always leads me back to the senate. The dark lord has a strangle hold over the surface of Corescant and the temple is choking under the pressure consuming the planet. I wish we could do more to convince the council, and I'm relieved we have Masters Yoda and Windu on our side, but we are going to have to be subtle about this if we are going to save those younglings' lives."

"How much time do we have?" she asked, gripping onto him, feeling his very force presence strengthening her.

"I don't know, but I'm not taking any chances. We'll contact Master Yoda immediately and see what he can start arranging. This war has reduced the number of Masters at the temple and they are relying on their senior padawans to step up into those positions and this will make them all increasingly vulnerable. It's early days in this war, but imagine the demoralizing cascade throughout the order if the temple were attacked and any of those young lives lost. We have to act now, before the sith lord can take advantage of those young ones."

"Chief Jrk'Orr'Ark is talking of moving the tribe tomorrow evening. He won't be happy if we intend bringing more outsiders here. Remember how he felt about introducing Obi-Wan and Ventress. We'll need a new hide-hole."

"I know, Padme, I know," he said rubbing her arms affectionately and drawing her into a hug, "and we won't abandon those younglings. So we're going to have to think of something fast."

He looked back at the two occupants of the tent, their fates intrinsically linked to his vision. He had witnessed firsthand the power within these two force wielders, one a raging chaos, the other ready to explode given the right circumstances. He suddenly had no time left to be there for them both, so he took the only decision he could under the circumstances.

"I'm going to need you to handle Obi-Wan. Do you think you can do that?" he asked, brushing Padme's cheek. "I have to get Assaj stabilized. We're going to need all the help we can get."

"You think she'll help us, really?" said Padme, looking into his deep blue eyes with concern and she reached up to hold his face, feeling the warmth against her skin. "Your continued mind reconstruction is amazing, but it's just so risky for you if she slips back into her old sith ways."

He smiled down at her and she immediately felt better, even if her question went unanswered. The last couple of weeks had been a whirlwind for her and although this new experience of knowing the force was exhilarating, it was also extremely disconcerting and she was coping as best she could, thanks to Anakin's guidance, but she couldn't help feeling everything was going just too fast for everyone involved. And Anakin looked so tired these days. It felt to her that his abandonment of the order had placed an enormous new weight on his shoulders that was threatening to pull him down and she wasn't sure she knew how to help him with it. The new deep connection she had formed with him allowed her to literally give him her own strength and she was grateful she could offer him that much. He positively gleamed within her and warmed her from the inside with a controlled power that often left her feeling small when in his presence, but he would always manage to elevate her in his eyes to his level such that she was never overwhelmed by his presence.

His vision had been powerful enough to flush through her system and bring her running to his side, deeply concerned for his wellbeing. She had not seen any of it, but hearing him reveal it to her was in no way comforting.

"I understand the risks, but we have to try, we can't leave her in the state she's in and I have established a connection through her mind to her time with Ky Narec, the Jedi I told you about from her past. It won't be difficult to build on that, she trusted me enough to release that much of herself to me and I intend to repay that trust. We have already learned so much from her about our foes, and more about sith techniques than the Jedi order has ever known compared to what Dooku could glean using his crude techniques. "

Padme nodded sadly. She knew Anakin was the best person for the job. He astonished her every day with his expanding abilities, but he still had the stoic control of a Jedi, and her faith in him was complete.

"I know you are right, of course, and I can handle Obi-Wan, you don't have to worry about that."

He smiled warmly at her, holding her tight. How complete he felt with her presence within his soul. She was his strength, he was sure she knew that and felt that. Her innocence to the ways of the force were, quite frankly, refreshing to him, and the more he taught her, the more she had questioned his teachings and together they had found better ways of doing so many things. He had never been very adept at healing techniques, but Padme had taken an immediate shine to it and found interesting and exciting new ways to channel the force around the injured party to more efficiently stimulate healing within them. When questioned why it had never been tried this way before, he had honestly admitted that it had probably never been thought of, because of the indoctrinated training within the Order. Her response had been a simple "oh" and then she had gone back to treating her patient.

"I doubt that in your care he'll be too difficult. Now, I must contact Master Yoda and let him know about these developments. Then we will have to see to our two guests."

"Can't that wait until morning? After your call you should rest, and they won't be harmed by a few more hours of sleep either." He shook his head to protest, but she was having none of it, the man needed some sleep. "Don't give me that, I'm the healing expert here these days. Send the message and then rest, healers orders."

He rolled his eyes and she slapped him playfully on his backside. "Don't be cheeky."

He leaned down to her and brushed her lips with his. "How could I possibly be cheeky to you, my lady," and he sank into her embrace, taking her into a deep kiss, feeling immediately radiated with her warmth once again.

Obi woke up feeling much cooler this time, his lungs not feeling as though the fires of Mustafar were raging through them. He had had no further dreams with Qui-Gon and quite frankly he was rather relieved by that, they had left him feeling completely out of control and helpless, which was never a pleasant feeling.

He vaguely remembered waking to see Padme, but had that been a dream too? She had used the force to a Jedi Knight standard of skill, that couldn't be right, could it? Hadn't he been suffering a high fever? That would explain the hallucination of her Bant impression. Probably just the after effects of that run in with the Krayt* dragon. Boba was right, he really did get himself into a heck of a lot of trouble!

_(*Yep, I messed up, I meant Krayt dragon, but was convinced it was Krace dragon for some reason! And I claim I'm a geek worthy fan, really, quite shameful!)_

Boba! The lad was probably going crazy waiting for word from him. He would have to contact him once he figured out exactly where he was and if that was even possible. He looked around the tent to find the cot next to him empty. Where was Ventress? Had she even been there? Nothing was very clear, but he did recognize the décor. It was Tatooine, most definitely, this was a Sand person tent, not the mud huts their people were usually associated with, this must be one of the wondering tribes that he had read about in his old studies way back when he was still a padawan. He was surprised he even remembered it.

He sat up and placed his feet on the floor, the floor rug feeling warm and comforting under his toes. He stood up and walked to the tent entrance, pulling it open to reveal a rather bustling village of sand people. A couple looked up from their work to look at him, but for the most part he was ignored. He was about to go exploring, when he heard a familiar voice coming from his left.

"Ah, nice to see you, sleepy head!"

He turned to see Padme dressed in the robes of the villagers, but her head was uncovered, unlike the other people present, and he looked back around just to check they were all OK with that.

"Let's talk back inside, it will be getting too warm out here soon," and she swept to his side and guided him back in.

"Padme, I .." he didn't really know where to begin, he was so confused by the situation he found himself in and being confronted with his former charge brought up his recent past and treatment of those who had trusted him most. "I'm so .." he cleared his throat for the third time, "I'm so sorry I couldn't reveal who I was, I-"

She held up her hand to stop him and pulled him down to sit on the cot he had just risen from. He couldn't bring himself to look at her, so he stared at the floor rug, now feeling cold beneath his toes.

"You were hurting, confused, alone and I dare say afraid. You took extraordinary action to protect me, Obi-Wan, and for that you will always have my gratitude."

He looked up into her face and saw her affection for him there, affection that puzzled him, but he was not about to lose that image from his mind so he held her gaze.

"When Anakin and I left Naboo we had to keep so much secret from the ones we love back there and it tore me up inside for a while until I was able to come to terms with the fact that without that deception they were all in great danger and I couldn't allow that to happen. You kept your secret to keep us as safe as you could, to get as close as you could to help me and look at the price you paid," and with that she stroked his face close to his eye patch. He found himself pressing into the soft touch, unable to remember the last time anyone had touched him merely to show how much they cared about him. Yoda had been able to comfort him briefly on their re-acquaintance in the healers after his encounter with Maul, but that had seemed so fleeting. A ghostly feeling of Qui-Gonn's hand on his shoulder, rubbing it soothingly came to him and he no longer felt so alone.

Padme continued, "I can't say I agree with all of your choices, but know that I do understand them." She smiled warmly at him and removed her hand. She couldn't help noticing how he leaned in ever so slightly as she withdrew it. Had anyone ever just held him to comfort him, she wondered. He had been there to comfort the people under his command and those he protected, but in his long service to her she had never seen that comfort being returned. He was the strong one, the tower which held and protected the others, no wonder they had all taken his departure so hard. It had never occurred to them how much they had relied in their dear Latterie until he was gone from them. How human he seemed to her here and now, and yet she could sense that tower of strength still very much rooted inside of him, her force presence invigorated to be so close to his contained power.

For him, it was like sitting next to a beacon of light within the force, she glowed within its flow. The light rolled off her in waves of warmth. "What happened to you? How did this happen? How did you get here?" he suddenly found himself blurting out.

She chuckled to herself at his questions.

"Well, here's the quick version, as we don't have much time." She cleared her throat and sighed heavily, still smiling at him, excited to be able to reveal this to someone finally.

"So, I believe the last time we saw each other was on Geonisis, correct?"

Obi-Wan hung his head, remembering the reason she was on that planet in the first place. She placed her hand under his chin and raised his face up to face her own.

"Obi-Wan, you are going to have to forgive yourself for some things, you know. I went there of my own free will. What happened there was a result of my choices. You can't keep punishing yourself for what you can't control. Now, do you want the story or not?"

He nodded gently, feeling as helpless as he ever had in his dreams with Qui-Gonn. He knew what she was saying was right, that didn't make it any easier to bare at this moment, however, but he did want to hear the story.

"OK, then," she continued, "Masters Yoda and Windu found Anakin, Jango and I and took us to Naboo to recover, where Anakin got a new synthetic arm and I, well,.." she paused and looked sadly into his face, "I healed." Then her face bloomed with joy that rippled through the force around them. "But Obi-Wan, something wonderful happened. Anakin and I formed a new force bond as a result of that healing and somehow, I don't really know how, I was able to access the force and I've been learning since then to manipulate it and use its flow. My control is rather rudimentary at present, but it's incredible, Obi-Wan, to feel its flow around you and through you." As she spoke of her connection to the force, her presence began to glow even brighter within the force and Obi-Wan marveled at it. He was awe struck at the strength she now possessed and could understand why she and Anakin were in hiding.

"That's why we came here," she brought her attention back to him and her signature became more subdued again, "Anakin has a way with people, and together we were able to convince the tribe chief and his people to take us in. It was tricky convincing them to allow you and Assaj to join us, but we've been able to do a lot around here to help the tribe, so you are both honorary members of the tribe. Especially after Assaj managed to tame the Krayt. Now it keeps following her around, the two are almost inseparable!"

"Assaj tamed the Krayt dragon? The woman has a mind as sliced as thin Waneeka meat! How did she manage that?"

"Well, it was actually partly your fault, you know."

"How could it be my fault? The thing tried to rip my arm off!"

"Exactly, and that rather vexed our dark tattooed friend, so she tried to kill it at first, but you helped to convince her to stop. Don't you remember?"

"I remember flying through the air at one point, but that's about it."

"Ah, yes, sorry you didn't have a softer landing, but Anakin didn't catch you in time. He's very sorry about that."

"I'll have to remember to admonish him appropriately the next time I see him!" he said returning her smile. How she had missed that devilishly cheeky grin.

"How is she, really?" he asked, a little surprised at his own concern for the sith acolyte.

"Doing well, under Anakin's guidance. Did you know she was Jedi trained for many years?"

"No, I had no idea about her past. It was all such a jumble in there, I really didn't have much luck getting anything clearly."

"His name was Ky Narec, does that mean anything to you?"

"Ky, yes, I remember her grasping for memories associated with that name."

"It seems he trained her after her parents were killed. He and Assaj became very close and she was extremely fast at picking things up. He had been banished from the order, apparently. That probably explains why neither you nor Anakin had ever heard of him." Padme chuckled, remembering when Assaj woke up that morning. "For an instant, she thought you were Ky, this morning. It was rather, well, exciting, shall we say, to see her spring to your defense. But Anakin calmed her down. He was really impressed with your work to help her get here."

"Oh, that was mostly her, she kept repeating this phrase-"

"Yes, 'Tatooine, bring him here' she was saying that when we found you, we're still not sure why."

"After hearing what you said about your growing power, I thought it was you and Anakin who called for her."

Padme shook her head. "No Obi-Wan, we had nothing to do with that. Anakin felt your presences enter the atmosphere and we came as quickly as we could to the crash site and found you falling and Assaj standing next to the Krayt, but we didn't call her here."

"Once again the mystery deepens, seems the story of my life recently."

"Oh, it's going to get better."

"Of course it is. Do tell!"

"Anakin had a vision while he meditated here over you both. He saw the Jedi temple in flames and heard a voice call for him to save the younglings."

The news pierced Obi-Wan's heart at the thought of those young lives in danger.

"What must we do?" he asked, immediately wanting to get involved.

"Well, first, you need to reassure that young lad of yours."

"Boba, my goodness, of course! Poor lad, I rather abandoned him with, well, with an old friend. Oh, they're going to gloat over this one," said Obi-Wan, testing his previously broken arm.

"We'll need his and Dex's help with this, do you think you can get them to help?"

"Oh, I think I can – wait how did you know it was Dex?"

"I may be a force sensitive these days, but I'm not entirely without my own perceptions. Lattierie trusts few people outside of his crew, and the only own he'd trust enough to take care of one of his own would be Dexter Jetster."

"Nice to know you remember something I taught you!" They stood up together and headed out of the tent. It was obvious now that the villagers were starting to pack up.

"We're moving?" he asked.

"They'll be heading out this evening, it's better to travel with all of them together at dusk. We'll get this call put through and then you can help me pack up our stuff."

"Oh, lucky me! Where is Assaj during all this, I feel she shouldn't miss out on such an exciting exercise!"

"Still healing with Anakin," she said and he nodded.

"Ah," he replied, "that's what they want you to think, when really they're off sunning themselves on the cliff top over there, or something. We could just follow the Krayt droppings and find out!"

"I have missed, you," she said, suddenly turning and hugging her old friend. It felt rather uncomfortable at first for him, but that quickly dissolved as he felt consumed by her warm force presence and he held on to her.

"I missed you, too, dear Padme," his voice suddenly quiet and deep, needing the reassurance her touch now gave him. They stood like that for a moment, the villagers looking on while continuing their preparations for the move. Suddenly feeling very self conscious, Obi-Wan released his old friend and cleared his throat.

"That call," he muttered.

She smiled warmly at him and led the way to the comm.

"Boba, Dex, this is Obi-Wan, can you read me?" came the crackling voice and jittering image over the comm. and holoprojector in Dex's workshop. "Oh.." Obi-Wan could be seem reaching for the controls, "..oh..darn!..it's..Oh, is that better?..Boba, Dex? Are you there?"

Boba's left hand flipped the comm., but switched it so that the holo didn't transmit out.

"Uh, everything's under control. Situation normal."

"Boba? Is that you? Are you alright?"

"Er, we had a …an engine leak here…now..but everything's perfectly all right..now..We're fine..," his right hand still held the blaster trained on Dex as the Baselisk stood across the workshop, all four arms raised, eyes dark sparkling orbs. "We're all fine here…now..thank you…How are you?"

"Well, that's the reason I called," said Ben, looking rather sheepish in the badly swirling image.

"Assaj and I, well, we crashed on - "

"You crashed!" exclaimed Boba, his attention suddenly drawn to the image of his friend. The man was incorrigible, it was like he was a walking disaster magnet or something! He suddenly remembered his previous focus of attention and immediately looked back to Dex's position, but the Baselisk was nowhere to be seen. Boba's eyes darted around the room and he held the blaster up and spun around, trying to fathom where the wily guy had gone.

"Yes, you see Assaj decided to take over the ship and take us to Tatooine."

"Aha," said Boba, rather distracted from the conversation.

"But we're both OK, or as OK as a mind warped force sensitive and an incredibly ex-Jedi can be these days. The holo isn't working here, are you seeing anything?"

Boba looked around again for Dex.

"Not at this moment, no," he said cautiously.

"I just wanted you to know that we're OK and, well, we're with friends, but that's about all I can say right now, but it does mean we have some more allies we can count on. I'm sure of that, Boba."

"That's good, that's good," said Boba slowly, still not sure where Dex was, but feeling that the Baselisk was close now.

Obi-Wan's expression turned to one of concern, sensing something was obviously wrong.

"Boba, are you and Dex getting on OK?"

Boba was suddenly drawn back to the holo, his mind racing. Dex knew, he had found out some how about order 66 and he knew what it meant. Boba's clone trooper training had kicked in immediately once he had found out moments ago and he had Dex in his sights and ready to fire the blaster, but he just couldn't do it, the boy had frozen, caught between the two personas that raged inside his mind, struggling for supremecy. Just when he had thought the sickening automaton world of the clone trooper had taken over, there had been Ben, calling for him and Ben's friend, Dex; Boba's friend, Dex. And Dex had turned to see the struggling conscience of Boba written all over his face. In his panic, Boba had answered the call from Ben, of course he had answered, the clone trooper voice in his head returning the clipped first response, but now the struggle was back on, Boba was fighting hard to get control back and focusing on Ben was the only way to do it.

"We've had some problems," he began and he saw Ben tense immediately, "but we're about to sort them out. Can I call you back?"

"Boba, I-"

"Please, Ben, just call back in a few moments, we're in the middle of something."

The hot breath of Dex was suddenly just behind his left ear and he spun around to face the gleaming orbs of the Baselisk. The blaster was swatted from his hand as his arms were pulled to his sides.

"Boba, you're worrying me," said Ben, openly concerned.

"The boy and I have some issues over the hover bike we need to clear up, Obi-Wan. Won't take a moment."

Dex never took his eyes off Boba as he spoke and with one of his free arms he brushed over the comm. controls.

Eased a little by hearing Dex's voice, Obi-Wan too moved to his comm. controls.

"Alright, I'll call again later, if you're sure there's nothing wrong."

"Oh, we're sure, aren't we, Boba, everything will be much better after our chat, won't it."

Boba nodded at Dex, who used his head to point to the fact he should vocalize his consent.

"Oh, yes, Ben. It will be. Yes."

Still not totally convinced by their words, but certain he couldn't get involved any further, Ben acquiesced and signed off the comm. Dex turned back to Boba and smiled, showing his large mouth of sharp teeth.

"Now, young Boba, we will discuss that clone programming of yours, starting at order … Oh, I don't know, why don't you tell me?"

"Please, don't tell Ben. He'll never help me now."

"What makes you say that? Did you give the order?"

Boba looked confused. "No, of course not."

"Did you program the order into your brothers?"

"Dex, what are you driving at?"

"What I'm saying is, this order has nothing to do with who _you_ are, 'Old Man'," he said using the nickname Obi called the boy, "and your man, Ben, will figure that out pretty quickly."

"But what if he doesn't?"

"Give the man some credit, Boba. He knows you, not this clone alter ego floating around in there," with one of his hands he poked Boba's head.

"But I'm having trouble keeping that buried. What if it takes over, what if someone or something issues me this order? What about my brothers? Anyone could trigger them to become mass murderers in a heartbeat."

Dex shook his head.

"Not if I'm interpreting this order correctly. It has to come from high in the chain of command. It would have to come from someone higher in command than the Jedi themselves and from my intelligence, that means someone in the republic senate, again, pretty high up in the senate."

"Why have such an order in the first place? I mean, I don't trust Jedi as far as I could kick one, but to think of them as traitors to the republic seems crazy?"

"I know how you feel, Boba, there's few among them I trust, but to think of them as enemies to the republic_ is_ crazy. This is the work of someone threatened by them, someone very powerful indeed, and we need to tell Obi-Wan about what I've learned and what you know. Now tell me, Boba, if I say the phrase:

'Tuhera te wakapuaki ki'

Does that mean anything to you?"

Boba's eyes widened as the phrase sent his mind to a hidden memory of him and Jango standing on Kamino watching the waves crash into the pylons below them.

"My dear Boba," said his father, "how do I …?" he felt himself held close to Jango for a moment, then Jango knelt down to his height and stared into his eyes.

"My son," he began, "only by now you must know that you are not the first Boba. The phrase I'm using to hide this from you only works if you know who you truly are. Oh, I am so sorry you had to find that out, but in so many ways that's good because now you can use the training indoctrinated into you here," he indicated the island station around them, "against the ones who would use your brothers as disposable weapons in their ridiculous clawing for power. As you know, there is an order created to become the single command that must be followed no matter what the cost. That order is number 66. Ever since the first Boba's death, I have been seeking a way to countermand this order, whether it has been issued or not. This is where you come in, Boba. You will become my key in all this. With these words that I give you now, you will have the power to countermand order 66, whether issued or not. But you and only you must utter these words to every clone you meet. Are you ready?"

Boba remembered nodding at this point, transfixed by his father.

"OK, this is what you'll need to say:

'Boba says 'mana whiriwhiri''

Now, you repeat that."

He heard himself repeat the phrase.

"Again!" his father demanded, so he did.

"Again!" and he did once more.

"That's my good boy," said his father with all the love his broken heart could muster, "that's my Boba," and he held his son tightly in his arms.

Boba opened his eyes and looked into Dex's worried face. He found he was lying down in his bed.

"I'm sorry, Boba, old man. I had no idea that would affect you so much! Here, have some water."

One of his great hands carefully gave Boba a glass of water, which Boba drank down completely once he had sat up.

"Oh, Dex," he said breathlessly, "I know how to free them, how to cancel the order should it be issued. Dad showed me!"

His eyes were gleaming with excitement and Dex rested his hand on Boba's shoulder.

"I thought it had something to do with you. I caught the phrase hidden in a couple of transmissions from Kamino recently. Not every signal, but enough of them to realize someone was trying to send something out. If I hadn't been looking closely at the transmissions I never would have found it. You can thank Ben for that one."

Boba looked shocked as Dex continued.

" He's the reason I was even looking into this mess, so I think that should tell you something about him. Kamino is where Jango was sent, you know, after he was picked up. Apparently the Kaminoans insisted he return to them and help with the clones' training once they found out he was alive and in Republic custody, and although he's effectively under Republic arrest, he's been continuing his work there with your brothers. As the original source for the clones, he's invaluable to them and the Republic right now, so they're keeping him secured there."

"Then that's where we should go, now, and free them all!" Boba practically leapt off the bed.

"Now, hold on there, Boba, lad," said Dex, has hand firmly holding the boy in place, "let's not go rushing off into this. How exactly are you supposed to free them?"

Boba looked suspiciously at Dex.

"It's a phrase only I would know. Why?"

"Don't you think you should test it?"

"No, this is it, this is what we've been waiting for! I can free them all!"

"Boba, you do realize they are fighting a war, right? And defending thousands of worlds across the galaxy."

"And no doubt dying in their thousands too! Don't you see, that's why it's time now to save them."

"At what cost, Boba? If all the clones suddenly start acting independently, what hope does the Republic have, or the Jedi , for that matter?"

"What do I care about that? My brothers deserve to be free, just like everyone else, let the Republic worlds fight their own battles."

"Boba, you know that wouldn't work. The separatist regime would over run world after world with their droid army and the Jedi would be as dead as if order 66 had been issued anyway. Is that what you want?"

Boba hadn't thought about that.

"Besides, I still say it's worth testing this phrase of yours out. Don't you? We have some idea of the clone programming, but who's to say what their experience in the field would have done. I think it's worth seeing for yourself what happens when you speak your words to some of them?"

Boba was torn, his desire to save his brothers conflicting with the truth Dex was saying.

"Let's at least call Obi-Wan back. He's sure to be concerned about you after our last call."

Boba was still having a hard time feeling good about telling Ben about the whole thing and Dex made sense, it would be worth testing it, then at least Boba would have proof for Ben that the phrase would work.

He nodded his consent and Dex laid a comforting hand on Boba's shoulder.

"It's just," Boba began and looked up at Dex who loomed large over him.

"I understand, Boba, the longer we wait, the more of your brothers are sacrificed to this war. But you are right about one thing. We have the key," and he ruffled the boy's hair, "and we'll get the chance to use it soon."


	53. Chapter 53

_I know this has been ages in coming, but it's spring break right now, so I should be able to get this finished! Well, I'll get as much as I can done, because I have a half dozen other stories I really want to get to, but I can't until this one is over. Anyway, thank you all for your continued support, I really appreciate the reviews, so please keep them coming, and I hope you enjoy the latest developments._

_Pascal: Thanks for sticking with the story, I'm so glad you like it, and I'm finally getting back to it! Hope you like it!_

_Michelle Erika: Yeah, but if you think about it, there's this clone walking around with about three personalities hanging out inside his head, the dead Boba, the Boba that he believes he's been for the last year and the Clone Trooper that was his training up until Maul originally messed with him to give to Jango as a Boba replacement. And you make a good point about the aging thing, but hopefully this story is moving at a speed that means it's not an issue at the moment._

_Ialoga: Thanks for the review, I hope you made it further than chapter 1! If not, then this is moot, but if you are still reading I'd love to hear what you think._

"Is this really necessary?" asked Obi as his blade clashed with Anakin's, "It's starting to get warm out here." Anakin was fast, almost blindingly so and Obi's old, much abused of late body was not responding as well as he would have liked against the younger, well trained man before him.

Anakin, for his part, merely smiled as he continued to test Obi's skills with the blade. He had seen him fight, but all too briefly, and now the older man needed his abilities strengthened if he was to face either Maul or Sideous in the future. The former Jedi also needed to be fully in tune with his deepened connection to the force, now that he was no longer expending his energy in suppressing his force signature. Anakin was continuing to increase the pressure he was placing on the man and at every step, Obi would reach further, unknowingly driving his force presence deeper into its flow and Anakin couldn't help but admire the way Obi was handling his onslaught.

"Just keep your focus on the moment," Anakin intoned, making Obi flinch, remembering his old master's words, but he did his best to hide it from his assailant.

They continued in their dance of blades in the shadow of the mountain that loomed behind them, the speed of their movements becoming a blur in the heat haze. The fine sand became whipped up around them in a whirlwind, drawn in and around them as the living force almost rejoiced in the power the two were wielding against each other. At this moment, Obi suddenly realized just how much he had suddenly been able to accomplish and his sudden realization caused him to pause long enough for Anakin to get in a swing that Obi had to leap over Anakin to avoid. Anakin was ready for him and hit out with a force push that had Obi sailing across the sand. He skidded to a stop in a sand bank and quickly spun around to rise and face Anakin. But the young man was gone.

Obi spun around several times to try to see him, and then realized the new lesson was not meant for him to rely on his vision. He breathed in deeply and held his blade in front of his face, the low hum helping to shut out the sounds of the swirling sand and the rumbling desert around him. He stretched out with his feelings to the living force, and saw the ripples caused by Anakin's presence in the mists, even though Anakin was attempting to suppress his signature just as Obi had done for all those years, but Anakin had only been doing this for a matter of weeks. Obi had years of experience with this and it was no trouble at all for him to home in on Anakin's physical presence, his blade sweeping to slice at the boy's head. Anakin let out a quiet gasp, surprised at how quickly Obi-Wan had found him, but he was quickly countering the blow and dissolved back into the swirling sand. Once again, Obi stilled his mind and movements to reach out for the Jedi.

Suddenly, Anakin swept over Obi-Wan and kicked at his side as Obi tried to turn to counter the strike, but was toppled over and Anakin's blade held to his throat. Both men breathed heavily and the sand around them slowly dissipated. It was then that Obi realized Assaj and her new friend had been watching them, Assaj sitting at the creature's head, which rested on the baking sand. The heat didn't seem to bother her, but Obi could feel the sweat beading and cascading down his face, stinging his eye. She nodded over at him in acknowledgement of his presence.

"Or," he called over to her," you could help!"

She replied with a slow smile and raised her shoulders. He looked over at the dragon that had its eyes as slits, but focused on the former Jedi.

"Sick 'im!" called Obi-Wan, gesturing for the creature to attack Anakin. It merely looked to its new companion, who shook her head in a negative, so the creature looked back at Obi and made a noise not unlike a 'humph'.

"Fine," said Obi-Wan, "it seems my only option is to yield," and he raised his hand, which Anakin took and pulled Obi to his feet.

"Remind me never to fight you to the death!" said Obi-wan as he recovered and they headed for some relative shelter from the sun.

"You did very well, I thought," said Anakin openly impressed with Obi-Wan's obvious skill.

"Still lost, didn't I," said Obi sadly, "can't seem to get past that."

"You're still holding back, Obi-Wan," said Anakin, sitting beside Obi who had broken out the iced Leaph juice, "so tell me, what are you afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid," said Obi suddenly snapping enough to have Assaj and the dragon sitting up and staring over at them. He realized his over reaction when he felt the subtle reassurance Anakin sent to them both through the force and their less subtle reaction to his calming influence, the two settling back onto the sand. Obi looked down at the sand covering his Naboo issue boots. They really did make those things to last didn't they!

"I'm not afraid," he said more quietly and deliberately, sounding as if he was trying to convince himself more than the Jedi in his company. Anakin laid a hand on his shoulder and Obi-Wan looked up into the young man's face. He suddenly felt like he was transported back to the temple and seeing Qui-Gonn resting his hands on Anakin, the boys shoulders. Feeling a little embarrassed to have that boy comforting him now, he slipped from Anakin's hold.

"I'm sorry Obi-Wan, I'm not trying to be Qui-Gonn."

Obi-Wan smiled at the mention of his old master.

"You would have made him proud."

"You still do."

"I don't know about that! Whenever we 'meet' it just gets so frustrating, I feel he's constantly testing me, like I'm still not quite worthy of whatever it is he wants me to become."

"And what is that, do you think?"

"I have no idea!" said Obi shaking his head and chuckling a little to himself, "something between a Sith and a Jedi, something to bring the force back to balance. What is that? I mean, let's face it, we all thought that was what he thought you, or the chosen one at least, was for. What a burden to land on you when you were a child, I don't think that's something I'll ever be able to forgive Qui-Gonn for."

"Why not?" asked Anakin equally quietly, wanting to keep the man talking. This was the most he had spoken since they had met and it was good for him to finally open up about his feelings now that he was heading down that road. The more he got to know Obi-Wan, the more he liked his company, it reminded him of his old master and the teachings of Qui-Gonn were also quite clearly present, but there was also the refreshing point of view that he displayed in his interactions with the force, something honed by his years in Padme's service no doubt. Also, the man had a wicked sense of humor, something Anakin had never really picked up despite his old master's best efforts.

"Anakin, you were a recently freed child slave, less than universe wise, and he thrust you into a world of Jedi and Sith, no less! He should have taken more care with you, quite frankly, treated you with a little more respect, rather than laid the fate of the Jedi on your shoulders. If he had his suspicions he should have spoken them to the council in private, without either you or I present."

"And yet he praised you openly in front of them, he said you were ready for the trials. As I see it, he was respecting us both by presenting his feelings openly to us all, rather than going behind our backs and having our fates decided without our knowledge."

"I wasn't ready for the trials," he could sense Anakin was about to speak, so he quickly continued, "I know what I said at the time, but I was shocked by Qui-Gonn's decision, I thought I was being left behind, so of course I agreed with him, what else could I do? Later he told me he foresaw me becoming a great Jedi knight! Yeah, I turned out just 'great' didn't I!"

"Yes, you did," said Anakin, nodding slowly, and for a moment Obi smiled thinking Anakin was also being sarcastic, but it was quickly obvious there was no sarcasm to the young man's response, so he looked surprised at his young companion.

Now it was Anakin's turn to smile.

"Obi-Wan, perhaps you never became a Jedi Knight, but you have proved again and again that you are a good man, the best man to have in a fight, or on a rescue mission, or to take care of a wayward clone child! Take some credit for your actions for a change. Would Qui-Gonn keep coming back if he didn't think you could pull this all off?"

"Oh, dear," said Obi, sadly.

"What's wrong?" asked Anakin, concerned, but Obi was chuckling again.

"First Padme, and now you!" he said looking up at Anakin again, with the sparkle returning to his eye, "I'll have to be careful, or Assaj will be over to comfort me next, and I'm not sure how I would handle that! Maybe her Krayt can give me a foot massage, I've been feeling a little drained lately, I'm sure that would perk me right up!"

Both men fell silent, however, as a sense of immense change washed over all the force sensitives present. An instant later and Anakin's communicator was bleeping at him.

"You have to watch this, both of you," came Padme's voice over the comm.

Anakin tapped on the holo to reveal a news announcement that Dooku had been elected the political leader of the separatist regime. A crowd had gathered outside the Seprartist capitol building on Raxus and Dooku was addressing his supporters.

"My friends, a great opportunity has been afforded us today. With this vote of confidence in my leadership, I feel we can move past the petty conflict we can find ourselves in this day. As such, I have contacted the leaders of our armed forces and called for an immediate cessation to all aggression perpetrated by our movement to Republic forces. Furthermore, I have submitted a request to address the Republic Senate to begin formal negotiations on behalf of our cause. I have just heard word that the Chancellor himself has welcomed this move and will make a joint statement at the beginning of the next senate session. I truly believe this will be the turning point in the war that we can surely head off before it has done its worst to us all. Please join me in affording the _Chancellor_ the credit he deserves in bringing about these events," and with that he began applauding as the crowd erupted in cheers and chants of anti-war sentiment, obviously relishing the Counts calls for an end to the conflict and the Republics response, the emphasis in his last sentence not lost on Obi-Wan and Anakin.

"But, my friends," called Dooku, raising his hands to cool the crowd, "we must be vigilante. There are still those who would see this grasp for peace slip through our fingers."

Great calls from the crowd of "No!" erupted from the gathering and Dooku had to raise his hands again to quiet them.

"There are, my friends, there are," he continued sadly. "And we must hope that calmer, more open minds prevail, and I would hope they would join us at the Republic capitol to see that the plans of those who would try to thwart us are prevented from doing so."

Obi-Wan and Anakin looked at each other, realizing Dooku was addressing Obi-Wan specifically.

"It's the vision, isn't it?" said Obi quietly to Anakin, noting that Assaj was moving to join them. Her attention was transfixed by the shaking image of the man in the holo-projector.

"Keep watching," said Anakin, still quietly at Obi-Wan, as he stood and placed himself in front of Ventress to block her view. She moved to get passed him, but he placed his hands on her shoulders and moved to catch her glance.

"Assaj?" he asked, soothingly, "Assaj, everything is alright."

She looked up at him with horrified eyes, the swirling purple orbs showing a mixture of fear, rage and confusion. He smoothed over her emotions with a force blanket similar to the one Obi-Wan had used when they had met in Jabba's palace and the pained expression relaxed somewhat and he noticed the Krayt, who had been hunched as if ready to spring to rescue his friend, also relaxed to a less aggressive stance.

"I'll not let him near you ever again, I promise you that, OK?"

Her expression didn't change, but her force communication, which was much more coherent than her verbal communication since the assault, showed him that she did understand him and was even grateful for his presence. She raised her hands and placed them on his arms to confirm her feelings on the matter. An intensity to her eyes changed the expression of her face and Obi knew that look, he had felt that emotion directed at his own person from her only recently, but it was clear that now he was not the target of her emotional response.

Anakin shook his head slightly, not losing her gaze.

"No, Assaj, not revenge. We will seek justice for what was done to you, I promise you that, but not vengeance." He reached up and brushed her cheek as a tear slowly fell down her agitated face.

"Ky taught you better than that, and you know it," his smile returned, if a little more sad this time, but he saw the obvious internal struggle his words had caused and it gave him hope. She nodded gently and broke off from his hold on her, the Krayt already approaching her, head bowed to receive her leap to his head. Once aboard, the creature quickly turned and bounded off across the desert floor. Kenobi watched her leave, part of him wishing he could join her on her race across the planet's surface, finding her absent force presence leaving a gap in his own.

Anakin turned back to him, and saw the thought of exacting revenge on Dooku actually very much in the forefront of Obi's mind, but Obi knew better than to harbor such thoughts and released them out into the force. Anakin looked back to the broadcast, feeling the intensity of Obi's feelings, nodding in sympathy and turned to look at the former security chief.

"We're going to need him, though, as much as he needs us, of course, don't you think?" came Anakin's conclusion.

Now it was Obi's turn to nod.

"It pains me to say it, but, yes, this is what Dooku's been driving for all along, a chance for peace. And I think he knows who Sideous is."

"Palpatine," said Anakin, hunching over as he sat next to Obi-Wan, "it's so simple, so easy to see once you know. How could we all have been so blind?"

"Hey, I did manage to hide from the entire Jedi order for ten years. Apparently it's not that hard!"

Anakin gave Obi a sideways glare with a half smile, the former Naboo security chief's whimsical grin impossible to withstand for long.

"I wonder how Padme is taking this," said Obi, serious again.

"Not well, I can sense it. We should head back and plan our next move. Things are rushing in at us again. And contact Boba, we have a delivery system for his message."

"His what?" asked Obi-wan, rather puzzled by Anakin's response.


	54. Chapter 54

_Jedi Angel001: Thanks for the continuing interest in this story, I'm really glad you liked that last chapter. Hopefully this one gets the whole thing moving again!_

Obi-Wan looked down at the freshly pressed uniform he now found himself wearing. How had it come to this, that he was sitting next to Anakin looking out across the Coruscant skyline from the window of their transport, Boba sitting in front, next to Dooku. By now Padme and Assaj were approaching the Jedi Temple where Yoda and Mace waited to help them escort as many of the Younglings as quickly and quietly out of the capitol as possible. There was so much risk to the plan, but they had little choice now that Sideous had been revealed to them. Everything from Anakin's vision screamed that this was the time to act, there would be no other time when Sideous would be this close to absolute power and yet so completely vulnerable to the collapse of his own plans.

Boba scratched at the collar of his slightly oversized tunic. He was extremely nervous, his part in the proceedings crucial to the chaos they wanted to avoid. It was clear that they had one shot at delivering his message to his brothers simultaneously over the broadcast of the joint statements of the very different sides in this conflict. His test with Dexter Jetster had left him confused and worried. He and Boba had picked a world in the outer rim to test his message on a small patrol of two Clone Troopers, and the results had not been anything he had expected.

_Dex hid behind the rock and gestured for_ _Boba to go ahead, just as the two man patrol came over the ridge. At first the two men raised their blasters in surprise of the figure in front of them. _

"_Crickey, Kid, you almost got your head blown off!" called the first, raising his weapon when he recognized the face of a young cadet in Boba._

"_State you name, Cadet, and your unit," said the other a little more coolly. Boba swallowed, or at least tried to with his suddenly very dry mouth. His first attempt at communication ended in a slight cough as the dryness prevented the words from coming out._

"_Are you alright, Kid?" asked the first, sounding more concerned. And he moved to Boba's side._

"_Are you sure you should be getting that close?" asked the second with suspicion. The first looked back to him._

"_Boyle, he may be a Cadet, but he's still a kid! And he looks pretty out of it, something happened to his unit, must have for him to be out here on his own." He turned back to Boba and knelt beside him, handing him his canteen._

"_Here you go, kid, just take a couple of sips and try again." He took off his helmet and set it beside him while Boba composed himself and took a few gulps of the water._

"_He didn't say take it all, Kid!" said Boyle and he came in to swipe the canteen away as Boba handed it out to him._

"_I didn't, but thanks for that," said Boba and the second stopped Boyle from being too aggressive with his grab for the canteen._

"_What's your name, Kid?" he asked, "I'm Waxer and this charming trooper is Boyle."_

_This was it, now or never, thought Boba and he took a deep breath._

"_OK then, well my name is Boba and Boba says 'mana whiriwhiri'." He squinted, not sure what to expect from the delivery of the message._

_The reaction wasn't immediate, both Clones having frozen in place for a moment. Boba was thankful Waxer had removed his helmet so that he could see the man's face, the look of shock and slight awe traveling over the familiar looking, if completely bald, head. How Boba missed his dad right now, this was not the job for him. He could stare down a Sith Lord from a hundred paces, but this was different, this was family, and he hated seeing his brother looking so lost. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. The two men should be leaping for joy, free from the bonds of their slavery, ready to follow Boba to Kamino and free their father. Waxer turned slowly to look at the still helmeted Boyle, who slowly took his helmet of at this point. They exchanged a puzzled look and then both turned back to Boba, faces full of questioning looks._

_Speaking in his father's ancient tongue, Waxer asked "Are you sure this is from Boba?"_

_The response was automatic, and later Boba realized this had also been part of the programming Jango had set up, as confirmation of his words._

"_From father to son to brother, the choice is yours." The lyrical forgotten language seemed to make the words fill the air around them._

_After a tense moment, Waxer breathed out a huge sigh of relief. Boyle just started laughing, a very disconcerting feeling descending over Boba. _

"_Is..is that OK?" he asked, completely unsure of the situation. Boyle grabbed him into a bear hug and swung him around in the air before setting him down._

"_Boba, this is, well, so unexpected, to say the least!" said Waxer._

"_Now, this happens now?" said Boyle, still chuckling and gripping his side._

"_What do you mean?" asked Boba, not sure what was going on._

"_I was just getting to like this dump, and now I have the chance to leave! Permanently!"_

"_We can't leave," said Waxer turning to him. Both Boba and Boyle stared in disbelief._

"_You did hear what he said, right? It's Boba, it's actually him, we're free, Waxer, don't you see that!" he moved to Boba's side, helping him to his feet. "Come on, Kid, let's go get Dad." Boba beamed at him, this was what he had been expecting, the release of his brothers to go get their father and leave this crazy conflict behind. "You too, Waxer."_

"_No," said Waxer quietly, also standing, "I'm not leaving."_

"_What? Are you just totally crazy these days? I know it's a strange climate here, but the suit really should compensate for that you know!"_

"_I've been given a choice, and my choice is to stay. I'm not stopping you, but I'm not leaving this place and abandoning my post, or the Jedi."_

"_Now I know you are crazy! We're cannon fodder for those generals and you know it. Do you see them off on patrols into enemy territory? Or fronting the assaults that decimate our numbers against endless droid battalions?"_

"_Yes, I have, and so have you, or are you so quick to forget their role here. I am a soldier, it may be only programming, but it's still who I am, and I have some loyalty to our commanders even if you don't."_

"_Don't question my loyalty, Waxer, I've proven myself on the field more than once. But this boy is our means of securing freedom for every brother we meet."_

"_And every one of them will have the same choice we have here today, and some of them will choose to go back, as I am doing. That's what choice is, Boyle, you can't take that from me, it's what I've just been awarded. If you have any respect for me or this chance we are being given, you have to let me make this decision for myself, just as I am letting you make your decision. We are soldiers and we have a job to do, I am choosing to finish it."_

"_It's not our war, we didn't sign up for it. We were specifically grown to fight when others were too afraid to and every moment across this galaxy our brothers are paying the price. How could you not want to see them all free, we have the means to do that now."_

"_It was not fear that had us grown, it was need. You've seen the natives of this world. Without our presence do you really think they would last an afternoon with the droid forces pounding this planet? Sometimes the strong must protect the weak, and we are nothing if not strong, my brother."_

_He smiled at the conflicted look on Boyle's face and he laid his hand on the man's shoulder._

"_It's alright, Boyle, I respect your decision, I really do. When this is all over, I'll look you up and take that drink of Coruscant Ale we always promised ourselves we'd have. But I'm not turning my back on these people, or the Jedi here to help them."_

_He looked back to a horrified Boba._

"_This isn't right!" exclaimed Boba, "You're free, I don't understand, come with us."_

_Waxer knelt next to Boba again, a warm smile heartbreakingly like his fathers. "Boba, it's been an honor to meet you, and I can never repay the gift you have bestowed on me this day, and my choice reflects that. I hope that one day you will understand this."_

"_No," said Boba shifting from under Waxer's hand, "I can't, I won't. Do you have any idea what I've been through to give this 'gift' to you! "_

"_I can't begin to imagine, Boba, but I know this has been a hard road. But you must have realized what your gift would mean." He looked into the eyes of this child who was close to tears from his frustration, and Waxer's face softened even more. "My goodness, how could you, child?"_

_Boba was going crazy, this was just what Dex had warned him about and he had walked right into it, believing this situation to be unthinkable and so he really hadn't afforded it the attention it had deserved. Now his mind was flipping, trying to think of any way to convince his brother to come with him._

_Boyle had rejoined them, listening intently to Waxer's words._

"_You really won't be swayed in this, will you?" he asked of his best friend, his closest brother. Waxer was right, of course, and it wasn't just a sense of loyalty born of programming that was coursing through their veins. Boyle knew in his heart the right thing to do, no orders this time, no higher authority demanding he take action, but the realization that he could use his strength to protect the vulnerable. This wasn't about the corps or the Jedi, or even his other brothers at this instant in time. Waxer was showing him the real choice. Could he live with himself if he abandoned the people here to the droid army? _

"_Take care of the kid," said Waxer, rising and clasping Boyle's shoulders. "He's going to need your protection if he's going to reach us all eventually."_

"_What do you mean, eventually?" asked Boba, "Take me back to your base, the others here need to hear this, now that I know it works. I have to keep going." This man was a unique case, surely. His other brothers would rally to his side. Let the people here take care of their own problems, the Seppies weren't all that bad, right?_

_Dex came out from his hiding place behind the rock when he heard Boba's desperate statement. They had agreed to test the phrase and report back to Obi-Wan, and now the boy was going off script, so he had to step in. The Clones instantly raised their weapons again, Boyle standing in defense of Boba. Dex ignored their heightened aggression and addressed Boba._

"_Boba, that wasn't the plan and you know it. We tested things and now we know, so now it's time to tell Ben, right?" Perhaps by reminding Boba of his friend would help bring the boy back from the edge._

"_But this isn't working, you heard him," he said indicating Waxer._

"_You know this Baselisk?" asked Boyle, already in a protective stance in front of the two other Clones present. _

"_Yes, he's a good friend, he got me here and helped me find the key to free you all." _

_Both Troopers dropped their weapons, although Boyle still eyed him with suspicion as Dex moved to Boba's side. _

"_I warned you what might happen. And here we see it played out, just as I predicted. We have to think about the consequences of our actions here, Boba. Ben needs to know about this."_

"_Why? These aren't his brothers, this isn't his problem."_

"_I do believe you are his problem and he takes his responsibilities very seriously."_

"_Oh, yeah, he leaves them behind, right?"_

"_Boba, you know that's not true."_

"_Yeah, well it still feels like it. I mean, I'm the one risking my life out here with this key in my head while he suns himself on Tatooine with his force fancy friends."_

_Waxer and Boyle backed away from the verbal sparring taking place between the two and began discussing their predicament between them while the storm of words continued between Dex and Boba._

"_You know why he's still there, Boba, the man is a walking hospital visit! Goodness knows how he's managed to survive this long, but survive he has to repay the loyalty his friends afford him. And he deserves to hear what's gone on here."_

"_So he can find an excuse to put off helping me again with freeing my father, no doubt."_

"_You honestly believe he is doing that? Or maybe he's with the one group of people with the power to actually pull of a real rescue, not just for your father and brothers, but for the whole darned galaxy, did you ever think about that?"_

_The two were almost touching noses, the tension between them as thick as the planet's atmosphere. It was suddenly broken by Boyle's quiet words._

"_I'm staying too," he said, as Waxer replaced his helmet. Boba immediately turned on him, his face full of disappointment and disbelief._

"_No! You can't, this isn't happening, it just isn't happening." He leapt at Waxer and began pounding on the armor, using the unarmed tactics Ben had shown him. Before Waxer knew what was happening, Boba had knocked hi m to the floor and was about to continue the assault when Waxer stopped him._

"_Is this what you really want?" he asked the startled Boba, " do you want brother fighting against brother, because that is what you'll get if you free us at this moment, here in this world. I know for a fact that there will be those who wish to leave and those who will wish to stay and the chaos will tear them all apart. This will only allow the Separatists to win."_

"_Seppies, Repos, what's the difference who wins?" asked Boba, "This is not our war, don't you see that?"_

"_Maybe I do," said Boyle, sadly, "but other brothers will not. We all feel it intensely when one of us dies, but not one of us has died at a brother's hand. Could you live with yourself if, as a result of this action, we start killing each other? There has to be a better way."_

"_And you know if there's anyone who can come up with it, it will be that crazy Jedi friend of yours," cut in Dex._

"_Ex-Jedi," said Boba, about as sadly as Boyle had sounded. The last thing he wanted was to see the Clones at conflict like this and he reached down to offer Waxer his hand to help lift him to his feet._

"_I'm so sorry I did all this," he said waving his hands around as if they would encapsulate the whole afternoon's conversation._

"_Don't ever be sorry for opening our minds to this, Boba. It's going to be hard, but freedom often is, I believe!" said Waxer, brushing the dirt from his armor. "I would just ask one thing of you," he said looking suddenly very serious. Boba looked up into the face of his father, his brother, his adulthood. The stern features softened again to a warm smile. "Could you show me that move you did to get me on the floor, it was brilliant!"_

Boba chuckled remembering Waxer's request. He felt Obi-Wan's hand on his shoulder.

"Everything OK, Boba?" he asked, the concerned father voice still new to Ben and a little uncertain.

Boba turned to look at him, the visor still down over his eyes, as was the visor on Ben's helm. It still unnerved him to look on the clean shaven chin of his friend, although not quite as bad as when the helmet was removed completely. By shaving his face, Ben had lost about ten years of age and his eye had gone from piercing blue to a deep ocean swirling blue that didn't so much pierce your soul as completely open it up and bare it to the sky! Glad to know the man was his dear friend and not his enemy, he smiled up, grateful for the relieved smile that was returned.

"I'm fine, Ben, really, just thinking about something else."

"Well, keep your mind on your mission here, young man," came the cold tones of Dooku at his side. Boba snapped his head round to put on the face of stoic resignation, but he still felt comforted by Ben's hand on his shoulder.

"He knows what he has to do, Count, he won't let us down," said Obi-Wan, immediately in Boba's defense. Dooku sighed heavily, Obi-Wan the only one capable of making Dooku seem humble.

"Yes, of course, I must apologize, young Boba. I know you will do your best, for _Ben_." His emphasis on the word 'Ben' was not lost on Boba and he wondered if his Jedi friend had picked that up. Of course he had, what was Boba thinking! Nothing seemed to slip past Ben's keen senses, well except maybe weaponry! That had Boba almost chuckling again, but he knew better than to release it this time. Focus, Boba old man, he could almost hear Ben say in his head. You don't want to mess up the most important message you've ever sent in the history of your short life!

Obi-Wan dropped his hand from Boba's shoulder and looked back out of the window as the Senate building loomed large ahead of them. Not long now, he thought to himself and he looked to Anakin beside him. It had taken a great deal of his force abilities to help hide the true identities of the group around the Count. Both he and Anakin were posing as the Count's personal bodyguards assigned by the Count's family after his election. It had not been difficult to suppress his own force presence back to where it had been for his Latterie years, but training Assaj and Padme had been difficult and for Assaj it had been pretty much impossible, so he had managed to create, with the help of Anakin, a force bubble around her that Padme had been trained to open should the need arise. They had had little time to perfect the techniques, but it would last for as long as their purposes needed, and as long as the plan went smoothly, neither of them would be anywhere near Sideous.

Now it was Obi's turn to pull at his collar, the fabric suddenly feeling rather itchy. He'd done covert work before, but this was a little different. He'd been in the presence of Sideous before as well, but not only was Sideous aware of who he was, the sith lord was bound to be on edgeand so his senses would be even more heightened. Obi-Wan doubted that Palpatine could have foreseen this happening and Dooku's presence was sending rippels through the dark force energy that had cocooned this section of the planet's surface. Dooku's evidence of who Palpatine was had come from a series of sources, not least of which was Assaj's mind and Obi still shuddered at that every time he had to look on the Count. But the problem was that none of that evidence was permissible in a court, or Dooku would have immediately submitted such evidence to the Jedi. It would have to be up to Boba to strip Sideous of his control of the army so that the threat against the Jedi could be taken out from under him and they could take him down before he could agitate the Senate into false action. The fact that no tangible proof against Palpatine existed had been a sore point when Anakin and Obi-Wan had confided in Padme with their plans.

"_He has no proof!" exclaimed Padme as they continued to debate their next move. "How can you so quickly assume Dooku is telling the truth? He has given you no proof and I hardly think that a slight emphasis on a name over a broadcast is evidence enough for anything." She was terrified it was all true, of course, and deep down in her heart she could feel the truth of it rising within her soul. Outside the small homestead they had found to shelter in, the sand storm raged around them, fueled by her fear and anxiety. Anakin tried to comfort his wife, but Padme was too shaken by the revelation to be able to receive such attention. He looked to Obi-Wan, who rose and spoke with the familiar command his former employment with her had afforded. _

"_My Lady, what's done is done, as you quite clearly pointed out to me, and we must move on from this to bring about the end of his reign here."_

"_Do you know how close I came to revealing our plans of seclusion to him? I thought him to be like a second father to me, I truly believed he had our best interests at heart. I gave him that office on a silver platter! I am the cause of all this misery." She threw her hands to her face and sobbed openly into them, shaking uncontrollably and Anakin swept his arms around her, throwing the force around her also, like a protective cocoon to absorb her grief and undulating guilt. He helped her guide her swelling feelings out through the force and Obi watched and felt the dark waves tumble from them and a grateful living force hurried them away from the pair. Padme's sobs became the quiet cries of one too exhausted to continue any coherent thought and Anakin scooped her up and carried her to the simple bed space of the small place._

_Although obviously abandoned some time ago, the place was relatively undamaged and was certainly a welcome change from the Tusken tents they had been spending so much time in, Obi had to admit. Perched on the top of a hill on the southwestern edge of the Dune sea, it consisted of a single large room divided into a living area, a raised kitchen, and bathroom. Obi suspected there was a cellar beneath, but their stay wasn't intended to be extensive, just for the duration of the storm, which was already quieting down._

_Anakin made Padme as comfortable as possible on the shelf bed in the tiny homestead. She held onto him and quietly sobbed into his shoulder for a moment as the final waves of guilt washed through her._

"_Oh, Anakin, how could I have been so misled?"_

"_Dear heart, he did this to us all, there was nothing you could have done. He has played the Jedi order, the senate, the entire galaxy for all this time."_

"_And you intend to depose him, don't you. You and Obi-Wan have decided already what will happen next. Your vision is coming true, isn't it?"_

"_I do hope we can avoid as much of it as possible and removing Palpatine will change everything. We are so close to ending this all, Padme."_

"_I know, my love, and I see why it has to be you, but please promise me you won't underestimate Palpatine the way I have. I'll follow your lead in this, but make sure you have a way out should things go wrong. Please, for me."_

It had been uncomfortable for Obi-Wan to overhear their conversation. It must have been a similar conversation they had had after Geonosis, the only difference being the subject. Padme had managed to hide it well, but there was a sadness that hung around her presence now, stemming from the loss of Latterie, not Palpatine. As the Senate building loomed large ahead of them, he was exceedingly glad she was not with them.

So it had been decided that Obi-Wan would contact Dooku and offer assistance. It had been a smug looking Count who had first appeared on the view screen to greet Obi-wan.

"_I'm so glad to see you looking so well, Obi-Wan," he had said in that cool aloof tone of his, trying to hide his affection for the former security chief, but Obi-Wan could feel the man's emotions towards him and it still unsettled him._

"_We need to talk, the situation is a lot more complicated right now."_

_The smug smile had quickly faded and a meeting had been set up between Dooku, Obi-Wan and Anakin, although Anakin was clearly not wanted by Dooku. Obi-Wan had insisted and once again the boy was indulged by his surrogate grandfather, hoping this would mean Obi-Wan was willing to join his cause. However, what he heard from Anakin quickly had him changing his plans._

"_So this boy could cause the whole Clone army to lay down its weapons?"_

"_I didn't say that, but we do have an opportunity here to save a great many lives, clones and Jedi alike. This broadcast of which you speak would deliver Boba's message to almost every clone stationed in the galaxy, and with the separatist army shut down by your previous actions and the cease fire holding, Sideous has no excuse to instigate the fatal order. I'm sure by now he's aware of your knowledge of who he is and this will make him desperate. All you'll need to do is ask for a closed session, just you, him, his trusted aides and your trusted aides. He'll acquiesce believing we'll take each other out and he'll have an easy shot at you. That's when we reveal ourselves and it will be three against one. I believe the odds will be in our favor."_

"_Don't underestimate him, Skywalker. This isn't some petty tyrant on a ragtag world you former master would assign you to depose. He wields great power, and never forget his apprentice. We have no idea if he will be close in this crisis. How can you even be sure Palpatine will rise to your bait?"_

"_Because you will help raise the stakes yourself with your speech."_

"_I prefer to keep out of such gravely hostile situations, young man."_

"_Fine," said Obi-Wan, "Anakin and I will take him down, you sit in the antechamber and read a good holo-novel while we dispose of him," and with that he started for the door._

"_Wait!" called Dooku to him, "don't act so rashly, dear boy. Of course I'll assist in the take down. You're going to need my help, but realize the consequences here. He's still the Chancellor of the Republic and it will be difficult to explain your actions to the senate."_

"_He's right," said Anakin, thoughtfully, "we have to get him to reveal who he is out in the open."_

_Obi-Wan looked over at him._

"_This was your plan!" he said surprised._

"_Yeah, but I never said it was a good one! We really don't have a lot of time to come up with something, right?"_

_The three men remained quiet for a moment as they thought on the predicament._

"_Ideally we want him to reveal himself during the address when the whole republic will be watching," said Anakin._

"_He'll be most on his guard at that moment, however," said Dooku, "and expecting something from me."_

"_He won't be expecting me," said Obi-Wan quietly, "I don't think you boys can help."_

"_What do you mean?" asked Dooku, once again concerned for his grandson._

"_He and I share something neither of you have a great deal of experience in."_

_Both Anakin and Dooku looked puzzled at each other and then back to Obi._

"_Force suppression," said Obi, "it's a technique he must be using to hide his true nature, and if he can do that, I can push him further into that suppression, just as I've been doing with Assaj to hide who she is. Now that I'm aware of whom he is and what he's been doing, I can push back onto that barrier and crush his abilities in on himself."_

"_That sounds risky," said Anakin._

"_This whole situation is risky!"_

"_We can't underestimate him, as Dooku says," said Anakin, "that's been our error this whole time. Once he's aware of what you're doing, he'll fight back, with a vengeance!"_

"_That's what I'm counting on. Once he starts to push back against me, he'll have to start stretching himself. I'll hold him back as long as I can so that when I release my hold, the pressure he's built up trying to break through will suddenly be unleashed all at once."_

_Dooku cringed when he heard Obi's plan._

"_No, my boy," he said, shaking his head, "he's far too powerful for you, he'll break through as soon as you begin."_

"_You have no idea what I'm capable of," said Obi-Wan darkly and both Anakin and Dooku were taken aback by his shadowed expression. Anakin moved to his side, sensing Obi's aggression towards the Count and with his back to Dooku he moved in close to Obi-Wan._

"_Careful, Obi-Wan," but Obi held Dooku's gaze._

"_I know what I'm doing," he said, still with the coldness hanging in his words. "I can hold his force presence down long enough for him to panic into action. Until I release my hold, he'll be unable to sense the rest of the room, and a man who prides himself on controlling any situation will surely wish to regain that control. The easiest way to do that will be to break through the hold I have on him and the longer I can keep him subdued the angrier he will become. That's why you can't help with this, you're both going to be needed when I release him. Count, you'll need to keep the speech going, I'm sure you'll find something to talk about! And Anakin, once Sideous is free, he's going to be at a heightened sense of force connection, so he'll know we're all here, it will be up to you to engage him first while I recover and Dooku can shift from politician to warrior!"_

"_I don't like it," said Dooku._

"_You don't have to, can you play your part?" asked Obi-Wan._

Obi-Wan scratched his freshly shaved chin as the group made ready to disembark the shuttle onto the senate landing pad. Sensing his agitation, Dooku turned to him and surprised the former security chief with a smile of stoic assurance which turned to an expression of grim determination as the ship settled on the pad and the doors opened in front of them. After he turned back to face the assembled crowd, Obi-Wan realized there had been so much of Qui-Gon in that expression he almost felt his former master was there, standing in front of him. The forward guard moved off the ship, closely followed by Dooku and Boba, with Obi and Anakin falling into step behind them. The crowd present erupted into applause as Dooku stepped from the ship and he raised his arm in acknowledgement of the warm reception. Flags of the Separatist and Republic movements inter-mingled together as they were frantically waved about by the enthusiastic crowd. The war had only last a matter of weeks, but it had shocked the galaxy which had been at peace for so long, few remembered how brutal war could truly be and it had galvanized both sides to seek a swift and peaceful resolution.

The tight nit group moved quickly over the concourse to a platform set up where Palpatine and his group waited to greet the Count. Both Anakin and Obi-Wan could already sense Sideous' subdued presence, and Obi-Wan continued his mental preparations to begin just as Dooku began his speech. He didn't want to risk the Chancellor disrupting Boba's message, so he would hold back on his attack until after that had been delivered.

"Welcome, Count," said Palpatine as difficult to read physically as ever, but there was a subtle hint of tension in his voice. Good, thought Obi-Wan, I can use that.

"I trust you had a pleasant flight in?" he asked, keeping the small talk light.

"It felt good to come back for such an important purpose, Chancellor, I can't thank you enough for this opportunity to speak to the Republic and the Senate."

"This war has shaken is all, Count, and I am pleased I can be part of the solution, rather than part of the problem."

"Indeed," replied Dooku as Palpatine moved to the speaker array that had been set up. The moment he moved to the podium, the holo-camera's that had been floating around studying the crowd and their reactions, all focused on Palpatine with varying angles and distances from the platform, but none getting too intrusive.

The crowd was finally stilled by Palpatine's presence at the podium, his hands at his sides, his physical stance tall and commanding.

"People of the Republic, people of the galaxy, we stand on this day, within the shadow of our great Senate building, with the hope of peace in our time." The crowd screeched and hollered in approval of Palpatines words and his fake smile almost had Obi-Wan convinced of his sincerity. The Chancellor pretended to chuckle his own approval as he once again controlled the crowd with his mere presence.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, my friends, we have much to discuss inside, but I am hopeful we can bring about a permanent solution to our grievances and remove the threat of conflict from our galaxy for another thousand years!"

Once again the crowd threw up its own arms and the flags were rigorously swept over heads. Obi-Wan had to admit it was intoxicating to see the crowd react in this way, pulled through the scene by Palpatines expert hands. But he had to focus on his task and missed completely the unease of the Republic guard who was standing slightly to the side and behind him.

The guard, who had been watching Obi-Wan from the moment he stepped onto the platform, was now drawn even more to the physical presence of the Count's personal bodyguard, and once the guard figured out why this figure was so familiar, he was going to confront him, but for now he would do as he had been trained, and observe the newcomer until he was certain of his identity.

"And now, my friends, I know you will join me in greeting our honored guest here today, a man who shares my desire for peace, a man who has fought tirelessly to achieve this meeting, the man who we owe the foundation of our success here today, Count Dooku."

He gestured for Dooku to approach the podium, and Dooku and Boba moved forward. The hushed crowd murmured in slight confusion at the site of the old man and the young boy approach the microphones.

"First, my young friend here has asked to say a blessing over these proceedings in his own tongue, if you would allow it?" asked Dooku, looking over at Palpatine.

The Chancellor looked confused for a moment, but the look was gone in an instant, wanting to save face with the crowd and sensing no threat from the boy, so he nodded his consent, as though it was all part of the plan.

Boba gave a quick, hesitant look to Ben, who nodded ever so slightly, his lower face still passive, his eye still shielded by the visor.

Boba carefully removed his helmet, the brilliant Coruscant sun blinding him for just a moment as his eyes adjusted, and he held the helmet close under his arm.

"_I can do this, Ben, I can," said Boba as he and Ben travelled from Dex's station to Soreno, before either Anakin or Ben had had the chance to speak with Dooku. Boba and Dex had broken the news over the clone key to Ben, who had been shocked they had risked themselves in such a way and he had had some choice words with Dex about it, but once he realized this was what Anakin had been talking about he had calmed down somewhat, although Anakin's plan for Boba was not sitting well with him._

"_Well, I don't like it, I don't like the thought of you so close to that man." The plan would have Boba at the joint meeting with Palpatine and Ben wanted Boba as far away from Sideous as possible._

"_This is the chance, Ben, I can reach all my brothers. We all saw Dooku's broadcast, it was on every holo-net projector in the galaxy and this meeting will be no different. Instead of talking to just one or two men at a time, we will get all of them, it will be fantastic!"_

"_Or horrific! I just don't like it."_

"_You're going."_

"_That's different, Boba and you know it."_

"_Why, because you're a force thingy and I'm not?"_

"_Partly, yes!"_

"_Please, let me do this, Ben, you promised you would help in any way you could. Besides with you there, what could happen!"_

_They stared at each other and burst out laughing._

"_About everything that can go wrong!" said Ben through his laughs. He managed to control his laugh down to a slight chuckle as he knelt in front of Boba._

"_I swear, Boba, you've grown a foot since we last met!" his sparkling smile soothing Boba's fears._

"_More than likely, Ben!" he replied as Ben settled in front of him._

"_But seriously, Boba, you don't have to do this, we can find another way to get your message out, how about a holo-vid or something sent out from another building?" It was obvious he was grasping at straws and now it was Boba's turn to smile._

"_No, I know" said Ben, sadly shaking his head, "the Chancellor would never go for that, it has to be as much a surprise as we can make it so he can't counter it with something. Just promise me you'll get clear and to Dex as soon as things get dicy, OK?"_

From his position at the podium, Boba could immediately make out the Baselisk in the crowd, a Republic flag in one hand, a Separatist flag in the other and his other two hands hidden from view, probably fingering the pistol he'd managed to get through the security. How he'd managed that, considering how tight the security was, was beyond him, but Dex was no stranger to concealment tech, and he saw Dex wink at him through the crowd.

Boba shifted a little in his place, taking the deepest breath he had ever taken in his life, it seemed to take an age to clear his lungs. He opened his mouth, ready to speak. His father's final words to him, before they had been parted, rang clearly and confidently in his ears.

"_I love you, son." _

And with that, Boba opened the lock.


	55. Chapter 55

_Anna Camp aka Obi-quiet: Thanks for the constructive criticism. I always worry that I'm pacing things too fast and tend to speed things up, so it's good to know I can slow things down a little. I'm really pleased you liked the little nods to the original movies, it's great fun coming up with those and hopefully they aren't too corny! Looking at your comment about the future Solo's, I really wanted to play with the idea that such a small change could lead to breathtaking consequences, and the force as an entity that has to adapt to these vicious and swift changes. Hope you like where they end is all headed. Thanks again for all the posts._

_Du1387: Thanks for your comments, I really do appreciate it and more is on the way. It's just going to take a little while to get just how I want it!_

_Assassins Stole My Pants: Holy Commolly, well I hope the next part lives up to the rest of it, thank you! By the way, you have the best username ever!_

As soon as the child opened his mouth, everything felt slightly off kilter for Sideous, and he could feel the living force swelling around him and the podium, making him feel confined and constrained somehow. So, Dooku was prepared to begin the end game, that much was obvious! But who here would truly listen to him? The Senate was so wrapped up in their own petty problems, he doubted they would take anything the old man said seriously. But with all the media holo-recorders floating around there was still the risk that someone might respond, so he kept his senses sharp, keeping the dark forces that ran through his veins in check even more so now he knew the power play was beginning.

He checked on his own force cocoon, making sure it was still intact and placed his focus on his most immediate threat, Count Dooku. The old man had now moved to the podium and was beginning to waffle on about peace, no hidden meaning to these fool words, that was clear. Perhaps he had underestimated the Count after all.

But then it happened, the claustrophobic feeling suddenly growing in intensity inside his head. This was wrong, very wrong. It was like something was pressing down on his cocoon and crushing it with a force he had not felt before. He had to remain calm as another floating camera swooped down at the group on the raised platform around him, and for an instant he thought that was the cause of the feeling, his dark inner persona ready to swat it away, but he had better control than that, and focused on maintaining the cocoon, even though it seemed to be reducing in size now from the suppression being caked onto it. His eyes darted around the scene, someone had to be doing this close to him to be able to be this powerful and Dooku was still talking, it was clear he wasn't the one behind this. It would take a massive amount of concentration to maintain the pressure, which was building by the second.

At first, Sideous let the compressing take place, he was capable of sinking further into himself like this and he knew the power behind this intrusion wouldn't be able to hold on for long. But his darker tendencies were becoming furious. The sheer arrogance of the invasion to his mind and attack on his force abilities was almost enough to have the persona lash out, but once again Palpatine held it in check.

The presence was becoming unbearable at this point, however. This was a strong mind he was up against, and one highly skilled with suppression techniques. Not Maul, the fool was too obvious for this and Sideous' own dark teachings always left his force signature on his students, which he didn't detect in this presence. There was, however, a familiar feel to it. He had to know who this person was, who had the audacity to challenge him at his own game. Not Jedi, but of Jedi, came a sudden phrase to his mind, an echo across the force flow and it struck him like a slap in the face.

Of course, it was so simple, Obi-Wan, formerly Latterie, an artist in the technique of force suppression. Now he was aware of it, the familiarity of the presence bloomed into understanding and Sideous knew he had his assailant identified.

Ever so slowly he drew the cocoon in. He carefully gave the impression that what Kenobi was doing was working, forcing Sideous down into himself. It was obvious what the dear boy was attempting, but that was just it, it was an attempt and not a very good one at that. Sideous would snare his prey soon enough and they could really talk. The presence continued to build as Kenobi pressed down, and Sideous allowed the presence to seep into his cocoon ever so slightly, just enough to build a grip on the force presence and hold it in place for when the time was right.

He suddenly felt like smiling as Dooku continued his long speech, the length obviously meant to give Kenobi enough time to get Sideous worked up enough to show himself. But plans change, dear boy, thought Sideous as he checked the firmness of his hold.

With a sudden punishing yank on his force cocoon, he had Kenobi off balance momentarily, but it was enough to scoop part of the boy's presence in through the cocoon where he could hold it more firmly.

/Now, now/ cooed Sideous, /you really didn't think that would work, did you?/

To Kenobi it felt like he had been sucked into a dark, twisting world of shadows, black spikes and shards of black glass and he shuddered both inwardly and physically on the platform. He was aware that Dooku was still talking, but everything had slowed to almost a standstill in that physical world. Now a part of him was trapped inside Sideous' mind and he needed a way out as soon as possible. Realizing that his plan would have to change rather quickly, he decided to keep Sideous distracted with his presence for as long as possible and indulge the mind of his enemy.

/Well, I'll admit this is not the outcome I had been expecting, but at least I'm saved from Dooku's ramblings! He does like the sound of his own voice, doesn't he? Something the two of you have in common./

Sideous smiled at the bold presence before him. Not what he ever expected from the stoic, silent Latterie. He almost regretted having to destroy this elegant mind. But all in good time.

/You are terribly predictable, I'm afraid. And not very subtle. I had expected more from you, I really had. Lord Maul still claims you a threat, but I find this to have been all too easy./

Kenobi felt the dark lord's presence swirl around him, attempting to suffocate him in this darkness, but Kenobi had his own light to shine and a brilliant light it was. Sideous winced as its intensity grew.

/I think you'll find I'm full of surprises./ He could feel his strength already suffering under this new sustained strain, but he for the time being he found he could keep up with the dark lord, /You might want to back off a little, I here force light burns itch something terrible!/ and he intensified his presence.

It was beginning to show physically, however, as the continued pressure to Palatine's psyche and his own battle behind enemy lines was taking its toll on his body and he was dimly aware of the sweat running down the back of his neck. It gratified him to be aware of Palpatine also showing physical signs of the strain, his eyes suddenly having a slight glazed look to them.

Within Sideous' mind there was now a battle on two fronts, one within the cocoon with Kenobi glowing like a winter festival ornament and one on his cocoon, the presence suddenly intensifying. How as Kenobi doing this? He knew the lad had gained strength since Geonosis, but this was something else, something new and the force itself was on Kenobi's side in this, Sideous could tell. Now his dark side could really sink his teeth into a worthy opponent and he tried to do just that with the glowing presence within his mind, but the intensity of Kenobi's persona increased again at the attack.

However, Sideous noticed something. A subtle draining in the presence after the attack, a weakening of the control Kenobi was displaying. Sideous attacked again, this time with his force presence and the dark memory shards strewn about him. Kenobi did well to deflect them, but the brilliant white beacon was becoming stained, yellowing ever so slightly from the onslaught. Sideous' physical form smiled as he sensed the physical form of Kenobi tensing, he was so tempted to turn to him completely to see the young man struggling so valiantly within his mind to the detriment of his physical form. But he kept his control, the cocoon closing in around them. Kenobi realized the problem with this as the dark shards encroached on his beacon like presence. But he couldn't let go now, not yet, he had to get Sideous to slip, he couldn't let this creature win here.

The cocoon was now causing their presences to come closer together and Sideous reached up to envelope the stained glow of Kenobi with his darkness, the sting of the light force burns becoming irritating but bearable. Kenobi tried to push his way out, but Sideous held him firm, the dark presence cooling the brilliance wherever it touched. Come on, Kenobi, he thought to himself, not like this, you are better, stronger than this, use it.

/If you don't mind, it's getting a little close in here,/ he sensed out to Sideous and reached inside himself for the connection to the living force he had been holding back on. The flowing green power around him fuelled his efforts and he struck out at the darkness, the shards shattering at the touch and Sideous' dark senses screamed in anguish and surprise at this new sensation.

/Fool!/ he screamed and lashed out like a whip at the now glowing green presence. Kenobi gasped as great welts of darkness appeared in his presence where Sideous struck out. Obi-Wan had not prepared himself for this and found he had shrunk down in his presence and tried to expand back out to defend against the next blow. Sideous chuckled and lashed out again at the shrunken former Jedi, relishing the mind scream he felt echo around his cocoon. Kenobi did his best to defend himself, but he knew he was losing this battle. At that moment, he also realized the consequences of Sideous' actions with this dark presence pounding into him. Soon he could let go, let it all go and stop the pressing down, oh so very soon. He just had to hold on a little longer while the darkness built up against him. He regrouped inside the darkness, realizing he had to keep Sideous attacking and building until the control of the Palpatine persona could be broken and all that was left was Sideous. Would it be enough? Could he just hold on for a few more strikes? Another crushing blow came to him from Sideous' darkness and Obi could feel his presence condense further, his grip on the situation slipping.

No! Too soon! He felt himself saying, only to hear Sideous chuckling and swelling inside the cocoon, ready to explode another savage attack on the shrivel of a presence Kenobi had left within Sideous' mind.

"Latterie!" exclaimed a physical presence too close to him for comfort, the hate and revenge soaked words expressed impossibly slowly, and despite the struggle in Sideous mind, Kenobi turned to the Republic Guard who had uttered the words. Something struck him in the left side and he looked down, the slowness of these physical movements in complete contrast to his mental faculties, which grieved at the terrible calling of his name.

He found himself stumble back from the force of the blow as the pike pierced his armor and drove through him to come out the other side, just below his ribs. All connection to Sideous was lost, the pressure on the dark lord released in an instant.

A wave of blue lightening struck at Obi-Wan from Sideous and then travelled down the pike to also assail the guard still clinging to the other end of it and the two seemed caught in the field for an impossibly long time, Obi-Wan's mind and physical presence paralyzed by the combination of the pike and the force lightening ripping through his body, his throat burning from the scream of defeat and horror at his situation. The two force lightening victims collapsed to the platform floor as Sideous stopped the flow, Kenobi's helmet falling away. The crowd, who had been holding its breath, erupted into screams of panic and outright fear at the sight of their exposed Chancellor, tearing away from the area in a confusing stampede, Palpatine still crackling from his display of force lightening, his cover totally blown.

Sideous lowered his hands, fully aware of the folly his involuntary actions had done as the cocoon had shattered outward once Kenobi had released him, his hate and humiliation of Kenobi's attack overpowering his self control. His hand whipped to his concealed saber, igniting it instantly and already fending off blows from both Dooku and Dooku's other bodyguard, now hideously revealed to him as Skywalker.

Obi-Wan gasped for breath through the building haze of pain pulsing through his body, but he could hear the clash of sabers and just made out the three force wielders facing off against each other. Boba was at his side immediately, pulling him away from the Republic Guard who was beginning to recover. The guard looked up to see the fight, all others who had been present on the platform already having fled and he turned to Boba, who was trying to drag the stricken Latterie from the platform. He removed his helmet, the young, scarred face full of horror at what he had done. Obi-Wan recognized him instantly, how could he have missed the presence of the young man?

"Nawe? Why?" he asked simply of his former subordinate. All Nawe could do was shake his head in disbelief. How he had hated Latterie for betraying them all and abandoning them when they needed him most. Palpatine hadn't abandoned him, he'd helped him see what Latterie really had been, a traitor all along, right? That was what he had been, wasn't it? Otherwise how could he have let Nawe fall into Maul's hands in that terrible hangar? It had all been Latterie's fault, right? He had to blame someone, that was it wasn't it?

But the pain in Obi-Wan's eye said it all and Nawe came to his senses for the first time in weeks, his new mentor revealed as a creature of pain and hate in an instant of clarification and the world of hate that Nawe had been living in only recently descended into a world of guilt. How could he have hurt his captain? It was horrific to see the man who had chosen Nawe from all the recruits in his class for the senator's entourage with his pike sticking out of his body. He moved to Latterie's side, only to be stopped by the child in a man's uniform.

"Help me," he demanded of Boba, who was already raising his small blaster at Nawe for his actions, but Latterie had taught Nawe well and he moved to duck away from any blast and swat the weapon from Boba's hand, but Boba held his ground, obviously also trained by the former security chief now bleeding profusely between them. Switching tactics, Nawe raised his hands.

"I was wrong, I made a mistake. Let's fix it, now!" he said in his most commanding voice.

Obi-Wan reached up to Boba' arm, his face contorted, but still holding onto the situation.

"I believe him," he said, the strain written into every word he spoke.

Boba looked from Ben to the guard and then nodded quickly. Nawe moved to Latterie's side, his first thought to remove the pike, but that would have been disastrous. Holding the weapon steady, he quickly snapped it off, which caused Obi-Wan to grimace and Nawe looked down on him with apologetic eyes.

"Sorry," he said weakly, and Obi nodded in understanding, the pressure from the weight of the whole pike easing now there was less bulk present. "We need to get him out of here."

He then hooked his arms under Obi-Wan's and lifted him to stand. Obi-Wan held back another cry as the movement sent waves of pain shooting through his body, but he channeled them out, the living force surrounding him, helping him find his feet.

"This way," said Boba and with Nawe on one side and Boba on the other, the three of them moved off the platform to a waiting Dex. He had seen everything unfolding and was already waiting for the huddled group, ready to blow the guard's head off when he got the chance, but for now the kid was helping, so he decided to see how far that would go.

"Temple healers," came Kenobi's voice barely a whisper, but all three unharmed people present nodded in agreement and they got Obi-Wan to Dex's transport. Obi-Wan couldn't help but let out another gasp of pain as he was directed to the seating in back, Boba keeping pressure on the wound on his side.

Once inside Dex brought his blaster up into Nawe's face before the Republic Guard could enter the ship.

"No!" exclaimed Obi-Wan from the back of the ship. He hissed back his breath as he had to lean forward to touch a hand to Dex's arm.

"Why not? Look what the fool did to you!"

"Kill me later, get him help first! You could be there by now!" came Nawe's cool reply. Dex grabbed Nawe by the neck and pulled him into the transport where he threw him onto the floor.

"If he dies," said the Baselisk, waving his blaster at Obi-Wan and then back at Nawe, "you won't die, kid, not for a very long time, but you'll wish that you had."

"Enough!" called Kenobi, as he suddenly felt a familiar metallic taste in his mouth.

Dex turned to the transport controls and the small shuttle hurtled to the temple. It was mere seconds away from them when a dark shadow suddenly over took the small craft and a separatist droid ship raced over them.

"What the - " was all Dex could exclaim as the drone ship released its missiles and they streaked across the sky, burying themselves into the side of the Jedi temple.

"No!" screamed Obi-Wan, as the building erupted into a flurry of masonry, orange flame and black smoke. An insant later, a rumble from behind them had boba looking back to see the senate building rocked by its own assault from droid controlled ships.

"What now?" exclaimed Dex.

"Temple, now!" called Obi-Wan, clinging to the physical world with utter desperation. What could have possibly gone so terribly wrong?

"The ship's caught in a tractor beam!" cried Dex as he tried to steer the craft, but it was being pulled straight up and into the ship above them. Obi-Wan felt a shiver go up his spine as the force sensitive on the bridge of that ship washed his presence over the depleted Obi-Wan.

"Maul! It's Maul!" he said and both Nawe and Boba flinched at his side.


	56. Chapter 56

_Princess Ashira: I do love my cliffhangers! I had want to get a new chapter out each week, so I could move on to some other stories I've had lying around but as you've probably gathered that's really not working right now! Thanks for the comments on my writing, I do hope the typos aren't too jarring! I am usually so excited to get the chapter up I tend to miss the odd spelling mistake! My apologies!_

_JediAngel001: We shall have to see how it all pans out for them, including the outcome of that guard! (Evil laugh ensues!)_

_Michelle Erika: 'I'm so glad you're here to tell us these things.' But seriously, thanks for that, my spelling really does leave a lot to be desired! Yes, and the gnome thing, didn't catch that either! Oops!_

_Anna Camp aka Obi-quiet: Yeah, things ain't great for our heroes! I hope the Palpatine explode is plausible, I think he's just both thrown off guard with Obi being present and also arrogant enough to think he has the situation completely under control that he'd think he could handle Obi's attack and not over do it, but re-reading the chapter I have to wonder if that's come across enough._

_So, this is a shorter chapter again, but I really wanted to get something out as I hadn't written in a while and this was bugging me on my desktop all weekend. I tried to use actual trooper names from the show, but I'll apologize now if folks don't like the personalities they have here, I would just like to remind readers that this is an Alternate Universe story so expect differences. I have one more short chapter I hope to post by next weekend and then it's back to Obi's troubles. Hope the Obi-philes aren't too disappointed! As always, it's great to receive reviews, as it gives me a chance to explain stuff._

_Anyway, here we go again!_

"You still got issues over that 'cloud', Echo?" Commander Cody looked over at the trooper huddled over the sonar screen and its controls.

"It's not a cloud, I swear, there's something odd about it, sir, it's moving far too regularly for a cloud. I'm sure it's a ship, sir," replied Echo, continuing to adjust his readings to get a better look at the object of his concern.

"A ship! In Coruscant air space, goodness, what a surprise!" came Fives from across the control room of the Republic Arquitens-class light cruiser. The skeleton crew that was left on board now that most of the clones were on shore leave were simply maintaining the ship in high orbit until called to retrieve their comrades. All fighters had been requisitioned by ground security to cover peace talks and only one battalion of troopers remained in the living quarters. It's not like anything was expected to happen.

"It's far too big to be your average atmo-transport and I thought there was a no fly zone around the Senate and Jedi Temple today. It's well within that vicinity's air space." Another adjustment of the controls didn't allay any of Echo's fears. The last thing he wanted was to cause a false alarm that would ruin the peace talks, but there had been an uncomfortable feeling hanging in the air all day and this unexplained reading was really bugging the usually un-phased clone.

"Probably just a flock of Dovraci gulls. You know how they play havoc with the sonar," said Commander Cody over Echo's shoulder, becoming more interested in the strange collection of blotches on the troopers screen.

"But, sir, with all the security around the place right now, shouldn't we at least check it out?" asked Echo, looking over his shoulder to his commander.

"Agreed, Trooper Echo, we'll take a closer look and –"

"It's starting," interrupted trooper Hevy, "the transmission is coming in from the Senate, wait, isn't that ..?" Everyone's attention was suddenly drawn to the holo-vid transmission of Dooku and Palpatine's joint address. The order had come from Master Yoda himself, that every clone would have access to the transmission and Commander Cody had kept the feed open since the dignitaries had begun to arrive.

"Turn up the sound! He's going to say something," said Trooper Droidbait moving to the screen for a closer look at the face of the boy at the podium of microphones. He was barely visible over the array of mics, but it was clear to every clone in the room exactly who that boy was, despite his slightly older looking face. Facial recognition order 1101 introduced by their father had kicked in by now and the control room was hushed as the image fluctuated briefly before Boba's words were spoken.

"Did he just say what I think he said?" asked Fives as the boy moved away from the mics.

"Of course he did, we all heard it!" Dooku's words were completely lost to them all as the realization of Boba's brief speech sunk in.

"But what does that mean? Is the war over?" asked Echo, his cloud problem ignored for now.

" For us it is. We're free, my brothers! No more rules, no more regulations, no more Jedi on our backs and talking down at us. Come on! " came Hevy's words as he moved to leave the control room of the ship.

"What are you doing?" demanded Commander Cody, confused by the boy's words and Hevy's sudden actions. "Remain at your post, trooper!"

"No, sir, with all due respect. I don't have to follow your orders, Sir! I know exactly where I'm going," continued Hevy as he moved to the exit.

"Kamino," said Fives almost too quietly for anyone to hear, even though many of them were thinking the exact same thing.

"Who's with me?" asked Hevy, turning back to his brothers as the doors opened in front of him.

"Wait, we can't just abandon our posts like that, we'll leave the planet vulnerable," said Commander Cody.

"Vulnerable to what? The droids are all off, remember, it's over, this awful war is over and we don't have to take orders from anyone ever again," said Hevy, standing his ground against his commander.

"Then why do we have to go to Kamino, anyway?" asked Droidbait.

"To free father, of course. He found a way just as he promised he would and now it's done. We are all free men," said Hevy, surprised that his brothers hadn't already sided with him.

"Free to do what? We've been bred for two simple purposes, to fight and follow. How can you think it's so simple to just leave that behind?" asked Cody, feeling somewhat lost with the sudden change in command structure the current situation seemed to be evolving before him.

"Because I've seen the galaxy and I want in, not as just another face through the haze of white armor, I am my own man and I choose to free my father," said Hevy, desperately trying to keep the ripple of doubt he suddenly felt from contaminating his words.

"Doesn't sound like you're the one doing the choosing if you're just going after father," came the voice of Cutup from the gunners position.

"He did this, he deserves the same freedom we've been given. He's no different from any clone to the Kaminoans, he's just a living source for our DNA," continued Hevy.

"He's a criminal," said Cutup and everyone present either gasped at the pronouncement or simply glared at their fellow clone.

"What did you say?" demanded Hevy, his patience quickly deteriorating with these so called brothers of his. How could they not be rallying to his side on this?

"I said the truth, you can't deny it." They all knew what Cutup said was true, but it didn't make it any less shocking to hear it from the lips of their brother. "He's a criminal who abandoned us and was forced back to us, not because he wanted to but because he was made to. If I'm a free man now then I have the right to speak my mind, and that's how I feel about father. Look how he used Boba to get to us. He used a child to free us."

"'By any means necessary'," said Hevy, quoting their father's words to them on attaining victory hoping this would go some way to explain their father's actions.

"Well I say it's Boba who deserves our loyalty here," said Cutup, looking back at the holo-vid hoping the boy's face was still visible. "He spoke the words, he's the one to rally to right now."

"And he'd say 'get father'," came Hevy's reply to that.

"Fine, we'll get Boba and _then_ get father," said Fives, trying to calm the heated conversation.

"I'm not going with any of you. I don't see why we should have any loyalty to any of them," said Trooper Slick from his position at the helm. He had remained silent up until this point, but had to speak out now before his fate was decided by the others present.

"You can't be serious!" exclaimed Hevy.

"Yes, I can, that's also part of this freedom we've been given and I choose to just get away and out from all this." Slick gesticulated his arms around them and to each of them, indicating their conflicting feelings on the subject of what to do with their new found freedom.

"What's one less brother, there are over a million of us!" said Fives, standing to side with Hevy.

"My cloud, it's moving! That's definitely not a cloud!" exclaimed Echo, his attention brought back to his station by Slick's movements.

"What does it matter now, let's get Boba and go," called Hevy as he and Fives were already heading out of the door to get to one of the small speeders they had on board to ferry men to the planet's surface.

"It's moving to the Senate building, something is happening there," continued Echo, not listening to Hevy at this point. He dashed to Slick's station and shoved the trooper out of the way, almost knocking him down.

"What are you doing?" asked Slick, recovering from the shove.

"I'm trying to get a signal to the Senate to warn them, but our communication frequencies are being jammed." His efforts were becoming frantic as realization set in that his actions were futile.

"That's strange, the holo-vid transmissions are fine, it's just our comms that are down," said Cody, checking the control systems for the ship.

"What the - !" came Cutup's voice, the trooper having taken over the interest Echo had instilled in him over the sonar readings. "Those are Separatist droid fighters, heading right for us from your phantom ship, Echo! Fighters one through four are breaking off from the main group!"

"What's the Chancellor doing!" exclaimed Slick as he was transfixed by the events now playing through the continued holo-vid feed. The Chancellor seemed to be vibrating from what he could see.

"Ooh, what is going on!" All the troopers watching saw how the man behind Palpatine had been impaled on the Republic guard's pike and now writhed on the floor as what looked like lightening ripped through his body from Palpatine's fingers.

"Boba!" exclaimed Cody as the horrified face of the boy flashed over the transmission before the feed finally went dead.

"Try to raise anyone at the Senate, warn them about the ship and those fighters," called Cody to Echo.

"That's what I've been trying to do!" exclaimed Echo, still working on communication.

Ignoring Echo's declaration, Cody looked over to Slick. "Maneuver to intercept those fighters!"

All thought of leaving left the thoughts of Hevy and Fives as their warrior instincts and training flipped back on at the thought of Boba in trouble. Every man returned to his appropriate station and the sync of the group slipped easily back over the room.

"We're not going to be fast enough!" exclaimed Slick, the ship sluggish even under his skilled manipulation of the controls.

"Target the fighters!" called Cody.

"They-re splitting up, two headed for the Senate, two for the Jedi Temple," said Echo. "Where are the fighters we sent down?"

"Probably coming out of their sudden confusion, just as we were," said Cutup. "They'll get here."

"Damn, this ship is too slow for my taste. Head for the Senate building and Boba, the Jedi can fend for themselves," said Cody.

"But they have children in that temple!" said Fives.

"And plenty of older heads to take care of them," replied Cody.

"We have to warn them!" said Echo.

"And just how do we do that with all the comms down?" asked Slick, the ship finally moving as he wanted it to.

"They've hit the Senate building! It's in flames! Where's Boba!" demanded Echo.

"I managed to get the holovid feed open again," called Cutup. "It seems he and three others made it to a speeder before the missile hit the building. Looks like they're heading for the Temple."

"The Temple's been hit, too! It looks really bad! What do we do?" cried Echo.

"Get to that shuttle. Save Boba at all costs," said Cody.

"The Separatist ship is already on them, it's pulling them in." noted Hevy.

"Well, get us to it! Ram it if you have to, I don't care, it's not leaving with Boba!" Commander Cody suddenly sounded very desperate and all the men looked over at him after hearing his orders.

"You can't be serious, you'll destroy this ship!" exclaimed Slick.

"I'm not letting Boba fall into Separatist hands. Do any of us want that?" The low murmur of a negative was all he needed. "Alright then. Now, get us on that ship!"


	57. Chapter 57

_After re-reading the first posting of this chapter and reflecting on comments from a number of sources, I realized just how much I rushed into writing and posting it when it was far from ready. The whole thing with Obi's new 'powers' read like a "Jump-the-shark" moment, so I decided to do a little editing and post something I was much happier with. My apologies for the confusion on this, but I really felt I couldn't leave that chapter up the way that it was. I feel much better about how this one turned out and although it pretty much follows what I had before, the force power stuff just seems less out there and more plausible in the context of this AU._

_Anne Camp aka Obi-quiet (review of chapter 56): Yeah, sorry about the length, but I really needed to get that set up for the next Obi section, which will come after this chapter, I promise! I guess I should have stipulated which ship Cody wants them to ram! Oops! But it's not giving anything away when I say it's the Separatist craft that Cody is planning to hit. _

_Anne Camp aka Obi-quiet (review of chapter old 57): I knew this wasn't working when I hastily posted it and your review only confirmed my suspicions, so thank you for your honest opinion. As my husband pointed out, if I had an editor they would have made the same comments and I'd have had the chance to change things before it was read. This was definitely a time when the review process worked! Please keep up with those honest opinions, I am curious to know what you think of the edit. _

"So, what happens now?" asked Dex of the three huddled men. Obi looked over at Nawe and Boba, seeing the terror in their faces at the thought of facing Maul once again. Both of them had suffered abuse at his hands and the memories of those abuses were crippling them in this dark hour. The ship lurched as it was pulled up into the hangar and Kenobi could make out several battalions of battle droids lined up to await them. He had no answer for this, and the force was unsettlingly quiet to him at the moment, probably brought on by his encounter with Palpatine and compounded by his wounded side. Now with Maul's sickening presence rapidly approaching his weakened mind, he could only visualize horrific outcomes to every scenario as it flashed through his brain. And then the awful truth struck him that escape at this point was futile, their gambit had failed and a deepening hole of despair was threatening to consume him. A flicker of vengeance rippled through his turbulent emotions and a desperate plan formed in his hazing mind.

"We destroy the ship," he said calmly, the taste of his own blood creeping through his lips. His lower body was practically paralyzed with his pain and he knew he didn't have long, but he was damned if he was going to allow Maul to use any of these people against him, or have them suffer needlessly on his behalf. He was so overwhelmingly tired of the whole damn thing. The assault on Palpatine was still haunting his brain, like it was still being shredded, the daggers of darkness pressing into him. He had nothing left to put up against Maul, he just wanted the whole thing to be over and the destruction of the ship seemed more worthwhile than anything else he could think of at that moment. The three other occupants looked on him in horror, but Nawe was quickly at his side, the fear in his eyes shifting to determination. He knew what his Captain was asking of him. He knew what fate awaited them if they allowed Maul to take them and he knew he was not the man to live through that again. But if there was a way to take the red stained menace with them, then he was in.

"At your side, Captain," he said earnestly, but shaking at the same time. He had prided himself on his courage in the face of adversity once, a long time ago it now seemed, but Latterie was here, his true captain, and he would follow that man to his death, the loyalty he had forgotten he possessed rising to the forefront of his being now he was confronted with the return of his personal hell. He looked over at Boba, seeing the fear he felt at meeting Maul again reflected in the child's eyes.

"No," whispered Boba, pulling away from Ben and Nawe, "I can't.. I mean, maybe we could –"

"Boba," came Dex's voice as he moved to his young friend's side. He had no experience with this Maul character, but it was apprentice to the monster in the senate and that was enough, along with the men's reactions, to know this was not a man to trifle with. He had to admit that this was not the turn of events he had foreseen in his future, but against the odds that they were about to face, it seemed even the wily old besalisk couldn't see how they would get out of this one.

"Will it end this?" he asked Obi-Wan who was turning grey with each passing moment.

"Destroying Palpatine is only half the battle. If we can stop Maul here, it will truly be over. The dark side will have no conduit within a sith lord to take hold. I have to believe that the fighting will turn back in our favor, and we can move on from this horrific debacle." Another coughing fit wracked Ben's body and he lurched forward, "besides," he grimaced, "I could really do with a good long rest in the force, don't you think?"

"But..?" spluttered Boba at the realization that this was happening. His mind was frozen in time, fixed on the instant that Ben had spoken the words to destroy the ship, quite obviously with them in it. "This can't be happening! We should have won! I don't want to –"

Ben reached out to him and pulled him close as the boy's tears ran down his face, his emotions in turmoil.

"I thought it would be you and me saving Dad," he sobbed into Ben's shoulder.

"You already have, Boba," came Ben's calming voice as he hugged the child. How he wished he could get the boy to safety. But there was no where to send him, even if he could at this moment. The senate and temple were under attack, there was no safe place close on the surface any more. Maul had won and there was no way Ben was going to let Boba feel the twisting hate of the sith lord's torment.

"Listen to me, Boba," Ben continued trying to quell another bout of coughing from preventing his words coming across. He pulled Boba away from his shoulder so he could look the boy in the eye. "You did it, old man, you freed them all! Your father would be so proud of you, as I am proud of you. I wish things could have been different. But I made a promise to tell you the truth, always, and this is the end, Boba. Maul cannot be allowed to take advantage of your brothers' freedom. He must be stopped. And right now, we are the only ones who can do that. If we destroy our ship in this hangar, we can burn that droid infested craft out of the sky, with Maul in it!"

There was still fear in those eyes, but also a pride of purpose that Ben hadn't seen before. The thought that he had truly made a difference in the lives of his brothers was just creeping into Boba's consciousness and with it a sense of confidence in his ability to handle this difficult situation. With Ben at his side he had shown he could accomplish anything and the destruction of Maul at first sounding beyond attainable was becoming plausible. His father had sacrificed everything for him, almost his own life in the Geonosian arena. It was time to pay back in kind even if that meant Boba's own life.

"Just how do we do that?" asked Dex, "I mean, we can overload the engines and set a fuel fire, but that will take time. Not so much time if I have some help, mind you." Dex placed his hand on Boba's shoulder and the lad looked up into the Besalisk's gleaming eyes. The creature seemed actually excited by this prospect. "Help me, lad?" he asked casually. Boba took another glance at Ben, his anxiety still written all over his face, but resignation soon followed and he bowed his head.

"What can I do?" Boba said quietly. Ben pulled him in for another hug and Boba clung to him, not wanting this to be real, but horrifically aware how real it all was.

"This way, kid," said Dex and he led him to the back of the craft where the engines were easily accessed in this model of ship.

"We need to keep them off this ship," said Ben to Nawe, who had retrieved the weaponry on board.

"I understand," Nawe said gravely. A fire fight in a hangar full of droids was not going to be easy, especially with a sith lord and who knew what else on board. But they wouldn't get passed Nawe without a fight, that was for sure.

"Help me up," said Ben as the craft moved through the docking hatch to sit in the main hangar. "I'll keep Maul back as long as I can. You just keep the droids busy."

Nawe placed Ben's arm around his shoulder. Ben could barely move his legs so they struggled to the crafts's entrance and Ben slid to the floor once they got there. Nawe crouched on the other side of the door frame, ready to begin the defense of the ship. He placed one of the weapons in Ben's shaking, bloodied hand. Ben looked at it for a moment, the weight of it pulling his arm to the floor where he discarded it and shoved it over the Nawe. The lad looked puzzled and was met with a rueful smile.

"Can't lift the uncivilized thing anyway," came Latterie's breathy response to his former Private. Nawe nodded in quiet understanding. He took a quick glance to see that Dex and Boba were already at the main engine and several sparks sprang up and hissed at their attention.

The craft finally settled and the droids approached. Ben looked out briefly to take in the scene. He felt Maul's presence, but the Zabrak himself was not in the hangar deck as far as he could tell. Ben had a feeling that would change once their defensive stance reached his awareness. Right now the sith was probably feeling pretty good about everything, he had everything exactly where he wanted. Palpatine would soon be dead thanks to Dooku and Anakin and he was in control of the separatist fleet, and had managed to score a hit on the Jedi temple. Thank goodness the evacuation plan would have secured most of the younglings out already. Obi-Wan knew he couldn't dwell on that right now, he had to keep the ship clear until they could set the engines off.

"Why isn't the door opening?" came the metallic drawl of a droid from outside the ship's door.

"Maybe it's malfunctioning, check the circuits."

As the droids approached, Ben gave the nod and Nawe who hit the release so the ramp fell on the unsuspecting droid. Then Ben reached up a slightly bloodied hand and pushed out with the force in a wave that arched droids across the deck, metallic limbs crashing into one another and brief sparks indicating the carnage he had unleashed in their ranks.

"Blast them!" called the first recovering commander droid and the fire erupted over the ship. Nawe gave back in kind, his shots well aimed at commander droids. But Ben felt a darkness suddenly building in the pit of his stomach as the presence of Maul shifted close to him. A lance of dark pain spiked in his mind as Maul's anger washed over him.

"Foolish!" was all he heard as he shook his head to recover and he reached up to grasp at Nawe, before the young man was wrenched from the craft and all firing ceased. Ben could only watch in horror as Nawe flew across the hangar and into the grip of the tall cyborg Ben recognized as General Grievous. Nawe struggled for a moment, before Grievous grabbed his flailing arms. Still Nawe pulled against the crushing grip, until Grievous grew tired of the boy's attempts and wrapped his fingers around Nawe's left forearm and twisted it sharply. The snap of the bone was heard around the hushed hangar and Nawe screamed out his pain as the grip on the injured arm only tightened.

"Stop!" screamed Ben from his prone position on the floor of the craft. Grievous looked up at him, holding Nawe now by the throat, suspending him in the air.

"We surrender," called Ben and he raised his hands to show it. He glanced at Nawe, who, through his pain hazed eyes realized what his captain was doing. Nawe and Ben were now only buying time for Dex and Boba to finish their job on the craft. They just needed to keep the distraction going for a few more moments and then everything would be over, it would all have been worth it.

Grievous jiggled Nawe in his grasp like a rag doll to indicate his control of the situation, which drew further cries from the captured youth. Despite his best efforts to keep his pain under control, the general's treatment of his broken form only brought out fresh waves of vocalized agony. Grievous stilled him for a moment so the cries died down enough for him to yell over him.

"Get out," he called to Ben, "all of you."

"Wait, we are in need of medi-" Ben began, but Grievous reached out with his other arm and grabbed Nawe's right leg, snapping the thigh bone with a flick of his wrist. The boy's cry echoed around the place and when it finally died down to an unceasing whimper, Grievous spoke again.

"Indeed you are! Now, everyone get out!"

"Where are your manners, Grievous," came Maul's seemingly disapproving tones. "Obi-Wan, let's take a look at you, shall we?" and he pulled the former Jedi to his side a little more gently than he had extracted Nawe, but none the less it was stiflingly painful as the wound in Ben's side was agitated.

"Hold him up," commanded Maul of the droids close to him and their hard unforgiving bodies holding him in place were no more of a comfort. Maul shook his head disapprovingly and fingered the remains of the pike in Ben's side.

"You gave up too easily, my friend," he said quietly. Ben gasped and shook his head to clear the sweat that was pouring into his eye. All movement was frozen, however, when Maul gripped the stump and twisted it in place. Ben's head shot back, he couldn't breathe, his body gripped with such agony. He was being spoken to but there were no words he could understand. All he knew was that this was the end, this was his breaking point and the force would welcome him home at any moment.

"I'm here!" came the crystal voiced call of Boba from behind him. "Don't hurt him!" the boy cried and he rushed through the crowd of droids so he could stand next to Ben.

"I'll stop my brothers, I'll lead them to the center of the galaxy and never come back, just please leave him alone."

"No, Boba," Ben had meant to say, but a strangled croak was all he could manage as Maul's grip tightened, but at least the twisting had stopped.

Maul reached out and patted Boba on the head.

"That's a good boy for coming to Obi-Wan's aid. But I think you are all still holding out on me." At this, the twisting began again and the paralyzing pain became blinding. The blood was rising into his mouth and began to gurgle within his throat.

"Stop it!" screamed Boba and he reached up to pull Maul's arm away only to be struck by a hit of force lightening from Maul that shot him across the hangar to Grievous' feet.

That assault on Boba, Obi-Wan _did_ feel and his hate and frustration over his weakness around Maul welled up with his desire to protect his friends and rid the galaxy of this tattooed menace. It felt like a mixture of love, hate, loyalty and vengeance, the power of which was something Ben had never known before, and although he was terrified he would be lost in this overwhelming flood of positive and negative emotions, it seemed the force itself was riding his emotional wave to power his weakened body and fuel the fire of life rushing through him and swirling around him.

"Enough!" he exclaimed and an explosion of force power erupted through his system in a wave of force energy that spread out from deep within him to strike out across the whole hangar. He was lifted off his feet momentarily, the force in such a rush to leave his body, it seemed to stretch out every muscle, every joint. His throat felt like it was blistering from the cry pulled from his lungs.

Everyone was sent flying away from the epicenter. Maul was the first to recover enough to see the suspended body of Obi-Wan touch back to the floor, then lean forward almost doubled over. He was hugging his chest with his arms, obviously completely drained by the outburst of force strength. Maul raced to the man, blades drawn ready to split him in two for tossing him so carelessly aside. But right as he reached the weakening form, the deck lurched wildly to the left as a large and heavy Republic ship slammed into the Separatist one. Maul looked over in complete surprise as the hangar suddenly became filled with clone troopers from the Republic ship, all firing on his already sparking droids. The power from Kenobi's force surge had shorted out almost all of the droids present and Maul looked over to see even Grievous struggling with several of his limbs twisted together in a mass of crumpled metal.

Ben had stumbled at the impact of the ship but rolled onto his uninjured side as another spray of blood was coughed from his raw throat. He sensed Maul's sudden flare of anger at this invasion at the change of circumstances, but knew it wouldn't phase Maul for long, so he kicked up under Maul's defenses to strike the dark sider's stomach while he was momentarily distracted by the clone's shots at him. The hit sent Maul back a few steps in surprise as more laser blasts assailed him from the growing crowd of clones. Suddenly finding some remaining strength in his limbs left over by the force rush he had just experienced, Obi-Wan rolled onto his feet and leapt up to body tackled the sith lord, pulling him to the hangar floor. Maul growled in his indignation and swung up with the blade, trying to split the man's head in two. Kenobi shifted to the side and aimed a head butt at the Zabrak, which clipped one of his lower horns, tearing through the flesh of Ben's head.

Ben hissed in pain from the head scrape as Maul rolled out from under him and force pushed him into a pile of droids. Then, he looked around for the boy, Boba. Maul pulled the crumpled shape of the boy to him and grabbed his collar. All the while, clone troopers had continued to fire on them, and Maul had used his saber to deflect many blasts back to the clone brothers, who's reactions were mixed, much to his amusement. Some just ran, many screamed for help from their injuries, while others did what clones had been trained to and stood their ground, all trying to maneuver to Boba's position. The instant Maul had him in his grasp, however, the firing died down and eventually stopped, a murmur of confusion rushing through the hangar as the brothers fumbled leaderless with their liberator so darkly threatened.

"This way, boy, or I'll use your head as a saber holder." And as he dragged the semi-conscious Boba with him , he looked over at the stooped former Jedi. Kenobi could wait, Maul thought, he was at deaths door as it was, that last surge of force energy already dissipating from the man, but the arrival of the clones had posed a new problem and he needed time to regroup, but Boba was not getting away from him that easily. The child would be his to dangle in front of every clone he met on his way to Kamino where he would scythe the child in front of Jango, piece by small, tantalizing piece.

But then, everything changed. A rush of dark power flooded his every pore and the intoxicating power of complete control over the dark side of the force rippled around him, through him, consuming the fiber of his soul with its all encompassing energy and strength, the double ended blade falling from his hand, no longer needed. His master was dead, long live the new master. Now it was his turn to be smug and show the true power of the dark side. He still holding the boy's collar, his attention turned back to the cockroach attempting to stand and face him, fully aware of what had just transpired. An outpouring of lightning erupted from his tattooed hands, crashing into the feeble Kenobi who shook from the power of the onslaught.

Maul glided to the prostrate figure and hovered over him gloating at his fallen prey.

"Kneel," he commanded of Kenobi, who looked up at him with defiance in his good eye, which turned to agony as Maul flicked his fingers and launched the lightening back into the trembling frame, Boba's body still loosely held in his other hand. "Kneel!" he called more forcefully and aided the body with bone crushing force to make it comply. Kenobi, for his part, shifted against the constraint the force energy field tried to inflict on him as he was twisted into a kneeling position.

Maul raised his left and placed it under Ben's chin, lifting it up to look down into the gleaming blue orb of his foe.

"Now, young Kenobi, you will die," he said grimacing at the fallen Jedi. Kenobi could hardly hear anything, he was spent, the loud ringing that passed for sound reverberating around his aching skull, but once the words fell through the haze within Obi-Wan's mind, he smiled slowly, and then, to Maul's perplexing features, he started a low chuckle and he shook his head ever so slightly, holding the sith master's gaze with his blue eye beginning glaze over, but none the less defiant.

"Soon I'll be dead, and you with me."


	58. Chapter 58

_Valairy Scot: Hope this wasn't too long a wait! I feel pretty good about this one, but we'll see what the response is!_

"Soon I'll be dead, and you with me."

Maul had no time to think and mere instinct took over. He dropped both Obi-Wan and Boba and threw his arms up in the direction of the transport, thrusting a force barrier around it, knowing it was of little use, even with his deeper connection to the dark side of the force.

The blast was immense, catapulting molten fragments of the ship in all directions. The shockwave slammed into Maul's body, but he managed to stand his ground as it swept over him. He found himself falling, however, all balance gone from his system and he looked down at himself in horror at the durasteel plating sticking right through his torso. But what had caused him to fall was the dismembered left leg that lay at his side, sheared off just above the knee. He roared with anger at his predicament and sought out the cause of this violence against his person. The bright force presence of Kenobi had been blown into a pile of crumpled droids over to his right and he tried to move to get to him, to sever his head from his body with his bare hands, but he found it was impossible to move. Cursing his inadequate physical form, he reached out through the force, feeling the force damage his former master had inflicted on the mind of the fallen Jedi and chuckled to himself. But before he could bring his concentration into focus to exploit Obi-Wan's already afflicted psyche, he felt a metallic grip in his collar and the clanging feet of Grievous could be heard as he was dragged away from his enemy.

"No!" he screamed at the cyborg, or attempted to as an eruption of blood rose out of his throat and down the side of his face. This only fueled his anger further and he still continued to struggle, only finding his body unresponsive from the neck down. A rage filled him that he had never felt before and he lashed out with uncontrolled waves of force energy, hurling debris and droid parts in a whirlwind of destruction as Grievous continued to pull him from the hangar.

The force of the explosion was nothing like the power that Obi had expected it to be and he dared to open his eye to see the back end of the ship blown open and flaming, the debris still cascading and falling around the hangar. He crawled to the prone Boba and pulled him over, brushing off the dust from his face. The boy gasped for breath as he came round and grabbed onto Ben in a strong bear hug.

What had happened? Ben asked himself as he surveyed the wreckage. It looked like only one of the engines had blown and the exposed fuel cell was leaking but relatively undamaged. That wasn't supposed to be the extent of it, it should have been a much more powerful explosion, they should have all been obliterated by it.

He looked down at Boba who was still clutching him for dear life and tried to pull him away a little, but the boy stuck to him like glue squeezing his throbbing side and through the adrenaline pumping through his system he was reminded of his injury rather painfully.

"Boba!" he exclaimed, grimacing from the boy's embrace, "please!"

Boba released his hold and sat back, his face full of horror. Without the boy to hold onto, Ben slumped exhausted to the floor, his breathing fast and draining. "Much better," he gasped out, "thank you."

"We're alive!" exclaimed Boba as he shuffled to Ben's side, but looking around the hangar. The clones were recovering and heading in their direction as he spoke. Ben tried to prop himself up on an elbow, but the effort was too much and he lay back on the deck looking up at the ceiling where a number of structures were smoldering, several others already on fire.

"Somewhat," was his only reply, feeling his body beginning to succumb fully to his ordeal. But something was wrong, Maul was still alive. He looked about the deck and saw that both Grievous and Maul were gone. This could not be, the dark lord had to be destroyed, now before he could escape and run havoc across the galaxy. Ben had a mission to complete, a conviction that was the only fuel he needed right now.

"Are you hurt, do you need a medic?" called the first clone to Boba's side and he shook the man off him as he was helped to his feet.

"Not me, the others," came Boba's reply as he indicated an already rising Ben. He gasped at the man's stamina in the face of such odds, how was he even moving? His attention was drawn elsewhere as another clone called out to them.

"Found another one, pretty badly beaten up. We need to get them out of here." He waved to his brothers to help him with the unmoving Nawe. Boba realized Grievous was nowhere to be seen and scanned the deck for Dex, who was leaning against the remains of their ship, his clothes still smoldering slightly and several deep burns lacerated the left side of his body. Boba was astonished his friend had survived the explosion.

"Yeah, what he said," Dex said pointing at the clone who had indicated they needed to leave. "The other engine didn't go, and the fuel cell is leaking badly, we really need to leave before it remembers to blow us all up!" He started moving with surprising speed to Boba's side, the lad staring at Ben. The former Jedi had retrieved a blaster from the droid pile and he was hugging his injured side with his free arm.

"I have to finish this," he said when turning to his friends, "I have to make sure it ends here, I have to keep…" he stumbled a few steps and winced as his body screamed at him to stop. Dex and Boba looked on him with confusion at his mumbling words.

"No," he whispered, "not now.., so close…" Both Dex and Boba came to his aid and stopped him from falling onto his face.

"Alright, move out!" called the clone commander to the assembled clones as the men carrying Nawe moved across the hangar deck back to the Republic cruiser. The commander turned back to his young brother who was helping the man holding the blaster. This man looked more and more unstable to the clone commander with each passing second.

"It's not the time, lad, we have a way out, we need to take it," said Dex, trying to be comforting. But Obi-Wan shook his friends off, they couldn't stop him from this, he had to end this, Maul had to die, it was the only way to find any peace in this and the exposed and damaged fuel cell on the transport would need only one blast to completely rupture and tare the ship apart.

"Why couldn't it have been over!" he screamed out, realizing the dark lord had somehow managed to reduce the full blast. The besalisk had his four hands raised in defense as Obi swung the blaster around wildly.

"Now Ben, old man, no need to do anything rash."

Ben shook his head. "We could have destroyed him." He swayed again, but managed to keep his feet, "It could have ended." He rubbed his forehead to clear off the sweat now running off him in sheets it seemed.

Dex and Boba looked at each other for a moment and then moved ever so slightly closer to their erratic friend.

"We still may, that second engine is going to go any second. Let's at least get the boy out of here," said Dex as Boba made sure he moved into Ben's line of sight.

"I have to stop him leaving this ship." He didn't seem to be able to listen to Dex any more, the thought of destroying Maul consuming his senses, making him deaf to Dex's words. Ben looked up at his two friends, eye full of sorrow. "I'm sorry," he sighed out the apology and held Boba's gaze for just a moment before raising the blaster to fire on the fuel cell.

"No!" screamed Boba and both he and Dex leapt at Ben, Dex using his bulk to knock the fallen Jedi back into the pile of droids, while Boba pushed up on his firing arm, the blaster shot shooting up into the hangar ceiling sending a shower of sparks down over them. Ben writhed beneath the combined weight of Dex and Boba and was in real danger of shaking them off completely when an idea struck Boba. He leapt off Ben and turned to the nearest clone who had been poised to shoot Ben. He held out his hand and shouted "Blaster, trooper," to the man, who out of pure reflex tossed his weapon to Boba. He caught it and switched the setting to stun just as Dex was finally pushed off Ben and the man started to rise. Without hesitation, Boba shot his dear friend in the chest with the stunning blast and Ben slumped back into the droids as the impact of the blast swept over him. Boba immediately tossed the weapon back to his brother and rushed to Ben's side. He was out cold and breathing shallowly but steadily.

"I…I'm so sorry, I.." he tried to think of the words for his friend, but none came as Dex got to his feet and hoisted Ben up into his arms.

"Come on, Boba, that engine could blow at any moment, we need to get off this ship."

Boba nodded his agreement, and seeing that the clones had already moved Nawe to their ship, he quickly followed. "Let's get out of here!" he yelled to his brothers just as the hangar began filling with droids again. The fire fight back the ship was fierce, and many troopers were cut down by the onslaught, but they did their duty, dying with the knowledge that they had used their freedom to save the one who had freed them.

The republic cruiser began to disengage when the full, final blast from the exploding transport ripped through the hangar, starting a chain reaction that saw the separatist ship breaking up and continuing to explode as the republic cruiser pulled away. Great chunks of debris began to rain down on the Coruscant skyline, crashing into nearby buildings. The republic cruiser could be seen lurching to the side as a great gash was blown into it from the force of the separatist ship's destruction, and it turned sharply to get away from the death throes of the separatist ship. A keen eye watching the scene unfold would have seen a small black craft leave the remnants of the separatist ship and shoot off into the sky headed for the upper atmosphere.


	59. Chapter 59

_Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I know it's been a while, but I've had some issues about whether I even want to continue this as it's grown into such a monster of a story! Anyway, the next few chapters will be absent an Obi as I wanted to catch up with everything that's been going on during this series of events on Coruscant so that I can get back to Obi-centric stuff. As always, reviews are most welcome, but I'll reply using the messaging service on ff rather than post them at the beginning of chapters. I don't think that's been terribly useful! _

_This chapter mentions events from the episode of Clone Wars where Jedi Doa died, which is not in the correct time line, so I would just like to remind everyone that THIS IS AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE STORY! before I get reviews slating me for bringing it up._

_OK, now I feel a little better! Here goes…._

As Dooku was greeting Palpatine outside of the senate, Clone Captain Rex was walking the halls of the Jedi temple with a very small, green Jedi Master.

"Ah, good to see you, it is, young troopers," called Master Yoda as he showed the slightly confused man into the communications room where two other white clad clones waited for them.

"Er, excuse me, Sir, but why am I here again?" asked the clone captain. He had just been promoted to captain after his commanding officer had sacrificed his life to save their men on the emergency evacuation of Ryloth. The mission had been a disaster from the start and the clones had barely escaped with their lives. Had it not been for the sacrifice of his captain and the loss of the Jedi Master Doa, none of them would have made it and he had been eager to get back into the fray when, out of nowhere, the cease fire had been announced. Now he found himself in the awkward position of tourist as it seemed to him with this walk around the Jedi temple and he was unsure of his role in the new found peace.

He looked at the unfamiliar armor of the two troopers already present as the small Jedi turned to answer his inquiry.

"Good question you ask, yes, good question." The green gnome chuckled to himself and moved to the control station in the middle of the room.

"Your attention to the holo-vid, may I ask you to turn," said Master Yoda and everyone present saw the boy at the podium clearing his throat. Rex tensed for a moment, was that Boba? Was he actually going to utter those words Rex had longed to hear since his captain's death?

"A deep breath, you should take, Captain," came Yoda's voice at his side as the realization of Boba's words washed over him. It was actually happening, he was free, he was no longer a warrior in this army of same faces, he was just Rex and it felt great. No more ordering men to mindless deaths. No more racing across battlefields, innocents screaming in his arms for their slaughtered kin left behind. How he had hated that helplessness in the pit of his stomach eating away at him inside and hidden behind his trooper training. He almost doubled over from the strain of the release from the grip it had over him. He had not realized how much he had relied on his indoctrinated training for the support to hold the man together after Ryloth, and he wondered how his counterparts were faring. He looked up from his hunched over position, having grabbed the sides of the holo-projector involuntarily and he shook his head to clear it, attempting to stand. The fellow troopers in the room were at his side, helping him before he realized they had moved.

"It's quite a shock at first sir," said the first, his helmet removed, his clean shaven head suddenly recognizable to the former captain.

"Waxer?" The bald man nodded and looked over to his companion, who Rex immediately recognized also, "Boyle?" The two friends exchanged smiles and then looked to their Captain. "Yes, sir," both clones said on hearing their names. "But, how?" exclaimed Rex.

"Contacted them, young Boba did and find them I did for this new mission. Help us with our younglings, will you?"

"I..I'm sorry, Master Yoda, but.." Rex looked from his comrades to Yoda with confusion. How were they here? His pod mates from the Kamino Academy here in the Jedi temple, it was crazy. He half expected Cody to come through the doors any minute, carrying their father on his shoulders!

"Little time we have, and many lives wish we to save. Not like Ryloth, this will be," the green gnome's statement shot Rex back to the conversation. No, not like Ryloth, nothing would ever be like Ryloth ever again, the former Captain thought.

"I'm your man, sir," he said saluting the authority he saw in the Jedi before him, not because of his programming to obey the chain of command, but because he knew what he had to do to set things right, he was not leaving anyone behind this time, because of his orders. Perhaps those orders had saved him on Ryloth to live and fight another day, but that had not been his choice. And he would have gladly given his life that day to save one more innocent from that horrific battle ground.

Yoda stared for just a moment, his clear green eyes taking in the conviction of the freed man before him. Once he had read the report from Ryloth, he had known Rex was the perfect man for the job. With the help of Waxer and Boyle, already names given to him from his former student, he had the small non-force sensitive team that could discretely ferry away the younglings from the temple.

"Move quickly we must," he spoke to the three men, "younglings prepared and ready to move, but quietly, it must be done. Acquired cargo freighters we have, yes. Fit for our younglings they are, but small and vulnerable they also are. Off world they must go, into hiding they will flee. Grave danger for them to stay here, it seems. Protect them, you must."

"But, why us, sir, I mean, you're Jedi. Surely you can protect them better than we ever could."

"Decoy, we must become. Defend temple from aggressors, we will, and shield your escape we shall. Begin immediately, you should, and save them we all will."

"This way, Gentlemen," said a dark haired woman, showing them the way to the lower levels of the temple," the children are eager to meet you."

"Thank you, er, Miss.."

"Call me Padme"

: PAGE BREAK : PAGE BREAK : PAGE BREAK

Assaj watched the three clones leave with Padme, keeping out of site of her former students/toys. She shuddered at the memories she had worked through with Anakin, the senseless torment she had inflicted on many of the clone brothers in her time on Kamino, all in the name of supposed training, but she knew better than that now. She knew she still had that twisted version of herself caged inside her mind, her only voice still screaming within that cage to be set free and wreck the universe and everyone on it for the destruction of her perfect Ky, but that voice was not what ruled her now. Her master's true teachings of compassion through passion, understanding through standing for what was just, these were the truths of his words, not the revenge that Maul had driven to the surface, not the quick and easy path but the long and difficult road.

She still struggled against her darker emotions, but Anakin had shown her his own demons and she had been witness to Obi-Wan's, and that gave her hope, she was not alone, she was not a freak of nature tossed on the winds of force that swirled around her and within her. Her new found control was terrifying at times, but now she knew how to release that fear back into the swirl rather than use it as toxic fuel to her abilities, and although spoken language still caused her problems, telepathic communication was becoming something of a specialty of hers, especially between her and Padme.

That young woman's boundless compassion for others had been intimidating and somewhat intrusive for Assaj in the beginning, and the former sith had been openly hostile to the woman she saw as her rival for Anakin's affections. But that had quickly melted away when Assaj became witness to the deep bond within the force that held those two people together. It was a tether of force strength that staggered her senses, like nothing she could have dreamed of experiencing within the sith order. And that had been the moment when she realized nothing would come between them, it was a cord of love protected by the will of the force itself.

At first Assaj's reaction had been one of despair, such a deep connection to another luminous being unachievable for her and she had fled their company briefly, her dragon companion wailing his sorrow at her heart break as they had travelled across the Tatooine wasteland. But once again she had found release through the force, realizing how her strong emotions were tearing her dear creature apart beneath her. And she had sung to him, soothing his troubled mind to sleep that night as they lay together on the cooling sand dunes. She had guided them back to the camp the next morning where a worried Padme had greeted them. The shared relief they had felt in this simple reunion had been enough to form a bond between them that Assaj found brought her a new way to communicate with the former senator that felt so much more comfortable than the forced telepathy Anakin had had no choice in using to help Assaj through her mental break. Hidden as she was right now to the party leaving for the lower levels, she took comfort in the constant presence of Padme within her mind.

/I'll be back to get you once these transports are away. Keep an eye on the senate building, something doesn't feel right./ she heard her friend send. Assaj was still having problems with sensing the subtleties of the force fully and although she hadn't felt anything strange, she trusted her friend and once the group was out of visual range, she headed into the communications room where Master Yoda stood, his chin in his left hand.

"Ah, young one, come, interesting this will become, yes?" he was staring at the images being transmitted through the holo-vid, his concern for Kenobi, Dooku, and his former padawan, Anakin, perhaps hidden from a non-force user, but plain to see for anyone able to pick up the way the force wrippled about the Jedi Master. With her witty banter still eluding her, she found herself studying faces and forms much more closely, and this creature's ears twitched when a release of anxiety found its way out to the force flow that engulfed the temple. Assaj found herself standing behind the small creature and she felt compelled to rest her hand upon his shoulder, her own concern for Kenobi and Anakin shown to him. Dooku was another matter, but Padme had coached her well on shielding her true feelings for the Count, which were still caught within the cage that held her former sith memories in check. Even so, she knew she'd feel better once her friend returned and they could leave with the last transport.

Both Assaj and Yoda felt the shockwave through the force at Kenobi's release of Palpatine's mind, the dark wripples of force shuddering into them. It was Ventress who recovered first only to see her savior impaled by the Chancellor's young guard. The scream that erupted from her lips pierced the room and the Jedi master pulled away from her to cover his over sensitive ears. She slammed her hand through the control panel and raced to get away from the images. This had to be what Padme had meant, this was not how things were supposed to go.

/Obi-Wan is hurt, I have to save him/ she sent out to Padme.

/Wait, I felt it too, but we can't abandon the younglings!/ came the senator's reply.

/_We're_ not, _I_ am/ sent Assaj as she stormed from the communications room.

/Assaj, I know how you feel, believe me, I owe Obi-Wan more than I can ever repay, but we have our duty as he has his, please-/

/No! I have to get to him, I have to save him, now!/

/You think I don't want to rush to Anakin's side, to be there when he faces the man who betrayed my people, who has subverted his grip on power into something corrosive and would see the destruction of everything free and light. But I know I have to be here for these young ones who would otherwise be lost./

/I'm not you, Padme, I don't have the luxury of your faith, but I do know I can't leave Obi-Wan, not now, please don't ask me to do that./ and before Padme could respond, she cut off their link, not wanting the protection it afforded her anymore. She realized it was partly the side of her that craved the fight of things, to dive into chaos and bury herself within the raging force emotions being thrown about the senate building at that moment, but she couldn't resist it's pull, the caged sith spirit within her perhaps taking back some control. And yet it was to Obi-Wan's side that she wished to rush, the urge to protect her former enemy overpowering in its intensity. She wasn't prepared to call it love, that would be taking things to a whole new level of crazy and she didn't need that right now. He had never given up on her, despite her treatment of him, her vicious actions on Kamino at their first meeting and her vicious words to him on Geonosis, using Padme to bait him. He was the one who had found her so broken, he had tried so hard to stabilize her, to bring her back from the brink of insanity, even after everything that had transpired between them. He still didn't accept it himself, but she saw the light within him as a purer warmth than even Anakin had shown to her, a man tested again and again by the living force and never found wanting. That light wasn't about to be snuffed out by the twisted abomination that ruled the republic right now. She would see to that, she thought to herself as she swept through the halls of the temple to the hangar deck.

"Not your path, this is, young one." Assaj jumped to the side of the walkway at the sound of Master Yoda's voice. How had the troll managed to keep pace with her?

"With Mistress Amidala you must go," she shook her head vigorously and turned to continue on her path to the ships. The Jedi Master vaulted over her to land in front of her, his gimma stick held on the top by both hands.

"Help him, you cannot, face his true fear he must," she looked on him confused for a moment until she suddenly felt a presence within the force she had not expected. The dark presence of her former master pressed onto her consciousness like a layer of thick, all covering oil and she shivered. She then glared at the Jedi Master still in her way, wanting desperately to drop kick the diminutive Jedi when she realized Yoda had been aware of the Sith's impending arrival and said nothing. If looks could kill, he would have melted into the temple carpet beneath their feet.

"Necessary, this is, if broken of his doubt Obi-Wan is going to be,"

She looked at him with skepticism in her eyes. How was a deeply wounded Obi-Wan supposed to face a Sith lord at full strength, it would be a massacre of her friend. The green troll was hiding something, but she didn't have time right now to figure it out, so she went to vault over the Jedi when his stick swept up and struck her legs rather more painfully than she could imagine and she toppled over him. He turned slowly and walked around her to again be in her way to the hangar deck. He sighed deeply, knowing his words would not stop her continued attempts to leave. Now it was a case of delaying her for a few more moments and thoughts of Obi-Wan would be put to the back of her mind.

"Resist this, you must. Your destruction only this would achieve. Further fuel for Darth Maul, your presence would provide, and destroy you both, the Sith lord would. Return to the communications room we should and await the senator, you will."

Ventress got to her feet, rubbing her legs where the stick had hit and shaking her head to refuse Yoda's explanation. The Jedi master was really getting on her nerves, now and she could feel the skin on her face heating up and reddening despite its usually pale silver hue. She shot her hand up and out with what she thought was a massive force push, but the Jedi master merely leaned into the force wave un-phased by her assault and she found herself toppled backwards by his returned force shove. It was just enough to knock her off her feet, but it still stung her pride rather fiercely and she scrambled to her feet ready to through another, more forceful wave at him when both force sensitives froze in their tracks, sensing the immediate threat to the temple. They rushed to the nearest window, both immediately throwing up their arms instinctively to deflect the two missiles fired at the temple. One shot out to the empty council chambers above them, but the other one was heading for the hangar deck that Ventress had been so adamant in reaching not moments before and both Yoda and Ventress used their combined force strength to twist the missile fins, causing the projectile to via off course and hit the outside landing platform, rather than penetrating the building. A huge piece of casing flew towards them, shattering the window in front of them. Assaj ducked down as the broken glass flew at them, but no impact hit her. She looked up from her prone position to see the Jedi Master keeping every piece of glass as well as the missile casing suspended above them. With a wave of his hand, the debris moved away from them and landed harmlessly at their feet. The Master turned to her, drained by the excursion, resting heavily on his stick.

"Begun the attack has, fight by my side, will you?"

She smiled at him, finally feeling that the pent up energy that was coursing through her veins would be put to good use at last. Recovering quickly, Yoda took his sabre hilt from his belt as Ventress leapt through the room and back down the hall she had been using to get to the hanger, this time in the opposite direction to head for the temple entrance where the sounds of droid blaster fire could be heard. The Jedi Master was not far behind and felt gratified that the troubled force sensitive child was within his field of protection, whether she realized it or not.


	60. Chapter 60

_Okey dokey, so.. I tried to write a chapter from Boba's point of view, but that didn't work! So I tried to write the scene between Palpatine, Dooku and Anakin and that didn't work! So I've decided to go back to the source and return to our much beleaguered hero as he comes to terms with the aftermath of the whole Sith lords encounter. Hopefully I still have some surprises for you in this story and it has some legs under it again after a really tough bout of writers block. I guess we'll see what you all think of the direction it's going in, shortly! Thanks to all the readers who have been coming back to this, I hope to keep you entertained for a while longer. _

_Of course, it helped that Clone Wars is back on and the Blu-ray SW is out! So here goes, review or not, no pressure! But please bear in mind that this is supposed to be confusing, as it's written from Obi's perspective. Thanks._

The room was vast, he could tell that from the air flow that swirled around him. Even if his other senses seemed muted, his sense of touch of this breeze seemed heightened in that moment. He could barely see what was in front of him, everything was blurring in and out of focus and he couldn't concentrate properly. He could tell he was sitting down, hunched forward, his elbows resting on his knees. Every muscle in his body ached with a deep draining pain and his side felt warm and heavy. He'd been wounded there, hadn't he? Seemed like a long time ago now, a long time…

He reached up with his right hand to scratch at the thick stubble that was itching on his face and noticed his left hand was rising with it. Trying hard to focus on his wrists, he suddenly became painfully aware of the glowing blue force binders circling them, their incessant low hum the only sound his ears were capable of hearing right now. He lifted his hands to examine them further and his head also lifted at this point, taking in more of the space around him as his eye gained some control.

The republic senate, that's where he was right now, he suddenly realized, the cascade of senate booths swooping up to dizzying heights above him, the sight of which only adding to a rising sense of nausea. And then it hit him, he couldn't feel the flow of the force at all. Even when he had been in force binders before, he had still been aware of its presence around him, the comforting feeling of it just outside of his reach. But this was something different. It felt like there was nothing there, no connection to anything else around him, just a blank thick heavy fog within his mind that pressed down on his consciousness. He gulped down several breaths of air to prevent himself from throwing up and felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to look into the concerned eyes of someone he vaguely knew from some of Senator Amidala's meetings. It was Bail Organa, the revered senator from Alderran, what was he doing there and what was he trying to say?

Then Obi-Wan realized it wasn't that the senator was _trying_ to say anything, he was quite clearly saying something, something slowly and carefully to make Obi-Wan understand him, it was just that Obi-Wan was not capable of understanding him in his current condition.

How had it come to this? How was he reduced to this shell of a man in front of the whole senate? He tried desperately to remember his last coherent thought before this waking dream state had descended upon him. He closed his eye to Bail's alarm, trying to think as clearly as he could, but Bail was shaking him to get him to open his eye again, which he suddenly felt obliged to do. The shaking actually seemed to work, because this time his eye was able to focus almost completely on Bail's face and his voice was no longer a mush of sounds, but words were actually forming into some coherence.

"..can you …me Obi-…?...need to pay…right now. This is imp… come to your senses, young man. Can you understand what I'm saying to you?"

Obi-Wan blinked slowly and Bail hung his head, sighing heavily at Obi-Wan's slow response and glazed eye. The look of pained anguish creeping over the former Jedi's features wasn't helping alleviate Bail's concerns either.

"This won't do," he said to himself and he rose from Obi-Wan's side to face the senate and the emergency leadership who had assumed the role of Chancellor in the power vacuum left by the assault on the senate and the death of Palpatine only seven days ago. Bail looked out at the half empty senate floor, so many former friends and some enemies no longer present, no longer within the republic! It had astounded the man of peace how quickly the aligned worlds had hemorrhaged away from the hold the former Chancellor had held over them and the republic that had lasted for a thousand years was disintegrating before his tired eyes.

"Please, Co-Chancellor Amedda, this is unacceptable, the accused is barely aware of his surroundings,"

/Accused?/ thought Obi-Wan, looking into the distance in his attempt to see the horned, blue councilman. "he must be allowed more time to-"

"The accused will stand at this time, Senator, and answer for his crimes before his known associates can attempt to claim him. Stand, Kenobi!"

Automatically, Obi-Wan stood on his very shaky legs and Bail was at his side, steadying him. Obi-Wan seemed only partly in control of his actions, finding himself influenced surprisingly easily by the directions given to him by those around him.

"I'm accused…?" his voice sounding croaky and crackling, Obi-Wan looked to his helper for answers, but none came as Bail refused to look him in the face as he led him to the podium. He placed Obi's hands on the stand to keep him from immediately falling back down and Obi leaned forward to place less pressure on his still aching side.

Before he left, Bail was able to whisper "I'm on your side in this," then he looked up to the rest of the room and stepped back behind the confused former Jedi. Obi-Wan, for his part, was still trying to fathom what the heck was going on. He looked back up to the central station where Amedda towered above him as a giant blue flickering flame and he tried once more, in vain, to change the focus of his eye to the central station of the senate.

"You stand before this senate as the last surviving member of the conspiracy with the separatist leadership to destroy the republic and assassinate Chancellor Palpatine. How do you plead?"

"Last surviving…what? What has happened, is Palpatine dead?"

"Your co-conspirators were able to murder the Chancellor in cold blood within these very walls," Amedda raised his arms and a low growl seemed to spread around the senate floor. "Thankfully they perished as the Battle for Coruscant was fought and won by our loyal troops, those same troops having secured your person for this tribunal." A half-hearted cheer was pulled from the assembled crowd of senators, but most remained silent. Obi-Wan could only clutch desperately at the podium in front of him, the words not making any sense in his mind.

"You are the only one left of your little band and will face the consequences of your actions. How do you plead on the charges of conspiracy and intent to commit murder?" His concentration suddenly found a pin point of clarity at the implications of Amedda's words.

"They're dead!" cried Obi-Wan with rising panic, "Anakin, Ryn," a sudden awful thought struck him, "oh, Force, Boba! Is he alright?" He looked around at Bail, who could only look into Obi-Wan's hauntingly unfocused eye, once again the answers not forthcoming from the senator. "I tried to kill him… must hate me … only trying to stop Maul…to stop Grievous…" he began mumbling in his confusion, trying to organize some semblance of thought within his mind.

"What did you say?" asked Bail quietly, gleening only half of Kenobi's meaning just as Amedda began speaking again and Obi-Wan found he could do nothing but turn to listen to the former Chancellor's aid. Bail cursed under his breath at the distraction Amedda had won over Obi-Wan.

"So, you admit your association with the enemy. He admits his guilt even before this house."

"Where is Boba? He's just a child!" yelled Obi-Wan.

"The accused will refrain from such outbursts or he will be restrained further!" called Amedda and he struck his staff down to silence the murmuring senators.

"Now that we have established your guilt in the conspiracy and assassination of our beloved Chancellor, we demand that you reveal the full extent of the Jedi order betrayal. Tell us, who else knew of your secret mission to undermine the Chancellors allies from your trusted position inside the Naboo political system?"

"My what…!" said a highly confused and increasingly distressed Obi-Wan. Anakin, Dooku and Boba were dead and now the Jedi were thought to be traitors? Maul and Grievous were free to ravage the galaxy and he felt he was the most hated person in the republic! What in the name of the Force was going on here? Was this even real, or some hideous nightmare he had found himself twisted into? His concentration was rapidly failing him again, his vision blurring in and out of focus and the dialogue was flying around his head like increasingly buzzing insects.

"I have no … idea what … you're talk…" Bail was at his side as he began to sag down to the floor of the floating bay, "please… what's happening to me?" he asked desperately of Bail, whose face was shocked by the former security chief's deteriorating condition.

"This is enough," he said as he supported Obi-Wan and then he turned up to the councilors, his eyes locking with Amedda's.

"This is enough!" he called out and pulled Obi-Wan gently to the bay seating at the back of the floating booth, allowing him to lie down completely on the seating. Then he turned back to the council.

"You cannot expect to get anything reliable for your inquiry from Kenobi under these circimstances. He is still recovering from severe injuries and the force suppressant medication you insisted he be placed on is obviously affecting him both physically and mentally. I refuse to have this man subjected to further public hearings until his health can be stabilized and the dose of drugs reduced to something more manageable to his system."

"I will not have this only remaining conspirator in any position to be able to escape the justice of this body," called out Amedda, the two other councilors nodding in agreement. Bail rolled his eyes at the predictable response of Amedda's chosen co-council. He had quite obviously avoided any kind of balanced arrangement, choosing from known sycophants to the Palpatine regime, which Bail had to admit had kept the republic together, but strained it to breaking at every opportunity. Bail's personal choice for interim chancellor, Mon Mothma, had quickly been shut out when the whole conspiracy over the Jedi had been revealed and her name had been implicated in the papers. That had been the point at which Bail had realized the evidence was completely fabricated. All he could do now was try to get to the truth through Obi-Wan and keep the young man alive long enough to discover that truth. However, the strain Amedda was trying to place on Kenobi's shoulders would grind the former Jedi into the ground if Bail didn't do something to protect him. He was risking a lot to be Kenobi's advocate, but he wasn't about to let the last of the republic descend further into the paranoia and fear that had enveloped it.

"I agree we need to make sure he faces the consequences of his actions, but what can we truly learn from him in this state?" Bail turned and gestured to the semi-conscious body lying on the seating behind him. Sadness swept through him as he looked on the crumpled form, his remembrance of the strong, loyal young man to his dear friend Padme making him even more determined to keep Obi-Wan as safe as possible under the circumstances.

"Have you forgotten the attempt to retrieve him?" called out Amedda from above him.

/Ah, yes/ thought Bail, /you mean the attempt on his life that was masked to look like a rescue attempt/. It had been sheer luck that Bail happened to be visiting the medical facility where Obi-Wan was being treated in bacta for his side wound. The senator had merely thought to check up on him at that time, having been given permission to represent him by the co-council. He had found the attack in progress, so he and his security detail had proceeded to fend off the would-be assassins, but Amedda's associates had quickly twisted the event into the lie of an escape attempt. Since then, Kenobi had been removed from the tank before his healing had finished and been placed under heavy guard within the detention cells of the senate building with minimal contact with anyone. Amedda still needed Obi-Wan for this sham of a tribunal, but once it was over ….

"We cannot risk him being taken from us," continued Amedda, "before our questions are answered in front of the remaining loyal representatives of the republic. This hearing must be completed in public, we must be open with our people, and he will be present for all proceedings. The faster we get this done, the sooner we can get back to defending ourselves from the threats of the separatists, the Jedi and the rogue clone army. However, this organization is not without mercy, a mercy this man did not show our former Chancellor. We will call a short recess for Kenobi to gather his wits, however I will not allow his dose of force suppressant to be reduced. Once he leaves the senate floor I do not want him to be in any position to influence his guards. We shall reconvene in one hour."

"Well, it's better than nothing, I suppose," said Bail under his breath as he bowed and returned to his young charge. His friendship with Padme over the years had led him to admire the young man lying before him and it was for her sake that he would stand by Obi-Wan now. The booth was floating back to its docking port and Bail knelt down before the glazed eye of the former Jedi.

"You'll have to endure this a while longer, I'm afraid, my friend," and he pulled Obi-Wan into a sitting position. A republic guard entered the booth and Bail stepped back as he approached Obi-Wan, whose mind was no longer in the senate chamber, but fixated on the horrific words that had been forced upon him. They thought his hiding had been some organized plot! They thought the Jedi were traitors because he had been too afraid to return to them all those years ago. He had started out wanting nothing but to save the galaxy from the nightmare of Sith rule, only to find that his nightmare had become something much worse and he had been its instigator.

He felt a sharp scratch at his neck and the muted feeling of his senses expanded exponentially and he slumped forward, his body feeling like the Galtro slime Dex used in his more exotic slush drinks. He felt strong arms grab him by his sagging shoulders and lift him to his feet and he was hauled out of the booth and down the hall that shone a bright red in his unfocused eye. He must have passed out at that point because the next thing he knew he was being shaken again by Bail and when he opened his eye this time, it was much easier to focus on the face of the senator.

"Well, you look a little better, but you're still not all here, are you, Obi-Wan," said the Senator with a worn, sad smile. He handed Obi-Wan a glass of water and helped him hold it to his lips. Obi-Wan felt the cool liquid sooth his throat and stomach, and the nausea eased a little, his equilibrium still out of reach, but at least the room had stopped tumbling out in front of him.

"Now, just sit there a moment and get your head a little more cleared. They'll be back for us shortly, and I'm sure you have questions. So I'll start and then you can ask me whatever you want."

Bail moved to sit opposite Obi-Wan and moved his chair so that their knees where almost touching. He leaned in close as Obi-Wan settled back in his chair to listen to the Alderanian speak.

"Firstly, Boba, as far as I'm aware, is fine and well protected within the ranks of the rogue clones."

"Thanks goodness, dear Boba," sighed Kenobi deeply, his throat protesting its use slightly. But his confusion only increased. "Rogue clones?"

"Yes, after the events at the senate building, a large group of the clones began abandoning their posts and formed themselves into their own army. They attacked Kamino two days ago and have occupied the planet in liberation of their nation, or so they have claimed."

"Jango…" whispered Obi-Wan, remembering Boba's desire to free his father, "They went there for Jango Fett, their father."

"Of course!" exclaimed Bail, "I had forgotten he was sequestered there at the Kaminoans request. They claim their aggressive tactics were only to take that planet, but the senate is very concerned that they plan further attacks against the republic in retribution for the enslavement inflicted on them from birth. After all they are warriors, born and bred."

"And now they have the freedom to be something else, anything else that they wish to be," Obi-Wan was surprised at how terrible he sounded, but glad to see Bail recognize the earnestness in his voice. He chuckled to himself and said quietly, "they have no obligations to each other," thinking of the conversation not so long ago that he had with Boba over his plans to free his father. Then his last coherent moments aboard Maul's ship above the Coruscant skyline came flooding back to him and he shuddered at his emotions and actions in the hangar before his young friend. "He must hate me so much. No wonder he abandoned me."

"You weren't abandoned, Obi-Wan," interrupted Bail, "from what I understand, you were arrested and taken from Boba's ship along with a rescued Nawe, by four clone troopers who decided to remain loyal to the republic and jump ship. If anything, Boba and the remaining clones were trying to prevent them leaving with you. Why would you think he would hate you?"

Bail's words only made Obi-Wan feel more retched over his actions with Maul. He gulped down a few more breaths before he could explain himself to the senator. "I tried to kill him…, to kill Boba…, to kill us all on that separatist ship. It would have been the end of the sith for good, Maul and Grievous were both aboard and injured. I could have finished the whole awful business with one shot and it was breaking my heart to do it, but I had no choice, I had to take the shot." His voice was gaining strength with each word, but it was a strength born of rising guilt and frustration at his impotence to change anything for the better.

"So what happened?" asked a concerned Bail.

"I…that's the last thing I remember… I mean… I was about to… The rest is…" he shook his head once again, the nausea rising up and this time there was no fighting it, the contents of his stomach erupting onto the floor to the side of his chair as he leaned over the arm rest.

"Oh…I'm so sorry…" he said quietly as Bail rose to call for assistance. Then he moved to Kenobi's side.

"It's quite alright, Obi-Wan, let's wash your face and hands, that should help you feel better." The senator helped Obi-Wan to stand and led him to the fresher in the corner of the office they were in. Obi-Wan looked over the room as they moved through it.

"How did I end up in here? Why am I not in a detention cell?"

"There was no way I was having you sent back down there in your condition. It's the force inhibitor meds they've been pumping into you over the last five days that are really making your recovery difficult and there was no way you could recuperate down there. Besides, my personal offices within the senate are rather conveniently placed just across from my booth on the senate floor, so I had you moved straight here after that last session."

"Didn't you hear what Mas Amedda said? I'm a traitor to the republic!" scoffed Obi-Wan. But his tone changed as he looked at the young man at his side. "You are risking a great deal for me, senator," he continued more thoughtfully as he cleaned the thin layer of sweat off his face and neck. He had to admit that did make him feel better. "I don't know how I can repay you for your kindness. And quite frankly, I'm somewhat baffled why you would try."

"Well, if we're being frank with one another other, you can talk to me about everything you know of what happened that day. I was there on the platform and even I don't really know what happened between the six of you up there. Elite Guard Nawe is under such heavy security it is near impossible to get to see him at the moment and the two of you are the only ones your really know what happened on the separatist ship."

"Nawe," said Obi-Wan quietly as they moved back to the seating, the cleaning droid having done its job well. "I'm sorry the poor lad was dragged into this. Do you have any idea how he is doing?"

"Officially, he's still in a medically induced coma after the injuries he sustained on the separatist ship. But I have my concerns for his safety, and yours."

"What do you mean?"

"Three days ago there was an attempt on your life, someone does not want you testifying in these hearings. I have a feeling Nawe is as equally in danger, but his actions that day to try to prevent Palpatines assassination, as the Coruscant media saw it, gave him the notoriety of the Hero of the republic and it makes him more useful alive to Amedda and the council, at least at this time. Things are changing so quickly and so unpredictably that his security could change at any moment."

"This is… wrong, so… very wrong." Obi-Wan was mumbling again and Bail reached forward to rest his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder, hoping to bring him back to his senses.

"I know it's difficult for you under the circumstances, but I need you to focus on me right now. We don't have much time before they come back for you and anything you can tell me about what happened that day will help me to help you. The Chancellor's evidence against the Jedi has been so damaging and I need –"

"Wait! What evidence, what are you talking about?" Obi-Wan was almost out of his seat at Bail's words and the senator had to keep his hand pressed into Obi-Wan's shoulder and push him back into his chair before he could aggravate his various wounds further.

"Please, Obi-Wan, you need to remain as calm as you can, you are still far from healed." Obi-wan sighed heavily, his blood pressure rising to audible levels within his head.

"Alright, but this must be explained to me now, what is this madness?"

"It boggles the mind, it truly does, but apparently Palpatine had been gathering evidence for years on the illegal activities of the Jedi order and how they had influenced system worlds with increasing un-republic tendencies."

"That's preposterous!"

"I agree, my friend, but there it is. The evidence that was presented after Palpatines death was rather damning, but an obvious fabrication, in my personal opinion. However, I am one man in a galaxy of worlds who have long held the belief that the Jedi held a position of too much power. Many of them have been looking for an excuse to disband the order and use force sensitives for themselves. Had the evidence come to light before his assassination it would have been more carefully examined, I'm sure and been found wanting. However, the assassination of Palpatine has elevated him to something of a revered all-knowing being of unprecedented integrity in the eyes of the narrow minded, and you'd be surprised how many of them there still are left in the republic."

"By the force," gasped Obi-Wan, "by striking him down we made him more powerful than we could possibly imagine! The order has been disbanded?"

"All Jedi council members have outstanding warrants against them, along with some senior knights, but the majority of the Jedi have simply been told to return to their homeworlds, no longer held to the Jedi temple with Jedi Order obligations. Sadly, a great many are missing, but now that the war against the separatists has resumed, the senate has little time to track down the wayward remnants of the Jedi. What were you thinking in taking Palpatine on so publicly?" exclaimed Bail.

"That was the point, to take him on publicly so he couldn't hide behind his republic persona. He was the Master of the Sith, didn't everyone see his actions on the platform? I may be doped up to the nines, but I know what I saw, what I felt. Heck, my muscles still ache from the electrocution he inflicted on me and –" His body was trembling at this point, remembering the agony of the force lightening wracking his body and the look of horror and anguish plastered across Nawe's face as he too took the dark lord's punishing power through his limbs.

"Just breathe, Obi-Wan,"said Bail, sounding suddenly very distant, "let me get you some more water." He swept from the room and Obi-Wan leaned back, his head flopping back so he could stare at the ceiling. As much as he tried, he couldn't bring his breathing under control and the lightheadedness he had been feeling all day was swamping his consciousness again.

The glass window behind him shattered and he spun up from his seat as the maelstrom of the Coruscant atmosphere rushed in. He instinctively ducked down in front of the chair to protect himself as a shower of glass shards rained down around him.

"Bail, don't come in here, I think it's another attack!" he yelled over the howling wind and stayed hidden a moment longer, hoping the senator heard him and didn't inadvertently end up in the line of any fire that entered the room. But it quickly became clear that no fire or ship or intruder was coming and he looked tentatively up from his hiding place. The wind had died down somewhat and Obi-Wan could feel the flow of the force pulling him to the opened window. He felt his mind lean in to the feeling of the flow around him and through him, cleaning him better than the face wash had. He was very surprised at the sudden lack of force inhibitors in his system, but his attention was quickly drawn to the opening as the wisp of a cloak fluttered above him and he looked up just in time to see a figure move up the side of the building and disappear from his line of sight.

"Bail, there's someone out here," he called back to the senator, but got no response. "Senator!" he called again, but no sound came from the apartment, only the wind whipping around his body.

He looked up and felt the surge of the force around him again, compelling him to follow the dark figure, so he climbed out onto the ledge and pulled himself up over the side of the building to follow the wisping cloak. It was a strain on his injured side, but he found the gentle slope of the building aided his ascent and he found a channel running between the apartments that allowed him to conceal his presence from anyone inside the building, or outside in a security craft.

/Well, this is rather convenient!/ he thought to himself as he continued his slow progress up the building. He was becoming unsure of his motivations for following the figure, and just where the figure had gone to, when out of the corner of his eye he saw the cloak flutter again as though the figure had just slipped inside the wall ahead. On approaching the same area, he saw the faint outline of a door in the paneling, something he would have completely missed if he hadn't been looking for it. He felt around the outside edge for a moment, trying to find a latch or handle. His hand smoothed down the left edge to a series of hidden keys, and his fingers seemed to dance over them until he heard a click and the door opened slightly, allowing him access to a narrow walk way leading back into the building. It was musty and cramped, but still the draw of the force pulled him on and he found himself following it's every command of his tired limbs. He stumbled on down the path until it came to another closed panel and he felt around this one again for a keypad of some kind. On finding nothing, he sighed heavily and sank his head against the door. What was he doing here, how had he even got this far without alerting someone? Why was the force even leading him through this maze? As his head rested there on the door, it seemed to heat up with his presence and it slid open suddenly, his body weight upon it sending him sprawling to the floor.

Coughing, he picked himself up as he examined the surprisingly large room he found himself in, the hooded figure staring right at him. He leapt back at the sudden sight of the figure, who lunged at him and slammed him into the wall behind him, its fingers grasping his throat. He reached up to pull the hands away, but nothing would shift them, the vice grip tightening around his neck and throat. His legs buckled under him and he crashed to his knees, pulling the figure down slightly with him, causing the hood to shift and Obi-Wan raised his left hand to knock it off the face completely.

His eye widened in horror as he looked into the eyes of his younger self, the face of the young padawan who had taken on Maul in the reactor room, the padawan braid tumbling from behind his right ear. There was so much hate reflected in those eyes, the hate for Maul, the hate for himself in being too slow to get to Qui-Gonn, the hate for Qui-Gonn for rushing ahead and leaving him behind.

"This is your place!" his younger self spat out and the grip at his throat continued to tighten.

OBI – OBI – OBI – OBI – OBI – OBI – OBI – OBI – OBI

Bail poured out a little of the water from the glass as he had over filled it and just wiped off the outside. He looked at his reflection in the mirror of his modest kitchen area, thinking to himself what was he doing here, what did he really want to achieve? A groan from his charge brought his attention back to the here and now and he headed out to find Obi-Wan in a fitful sleep. Concerned for the young man, he put the glass of water down and moved to his side. A quick glance at the chrono and he knew the guards would be returning soon, so he decided to wake Obi-Wan so they could perhaps speak a moment more before the time was done.

He touched Obi-Wan's shoulder lightly and shook him gently at first, then with more vigor as the former Jedi seemed unable to respond.

"Obi-Wan, you need to wake up, I need more from you, come on, my friend," he continued to shake him, but without response. He slipped in front of him and placed both his hands on Obi-Wan's shoulders and shook him harder this time.

The response was immediate, as Obi-Wan's eye flashed open and he grabbed Bail's throat roughly as his had been grasped in the dream. Bail saw hate and fear fill Obi-Wan's eye, but it quickly faded to horror at the recognition of his victim and the grip loosened.

"I'm so.." he started to say, the anguish and shame of this actions washing through even those two words, but it was too late for that as the republic guards entered to return them to the senate floor. They immediately took in the scene of Bail kneeling in Kenobi's strangling grip and raised their weapons. Obi-Wan saw it too and switched to pull Bail's body against his as he spun him around, now holding him in a head lock.

"I'm sorry about this, Senator, truly I am," he whispered in Bail's ear as he pulled him up to stand in front of the two guards. "Drop your weapons, now, or I snap his neck." He barked at the guards. They hesitated for a moment and Obi-Wan tightened his grip, causing Bail to wince and suck in his breath sharply. "Now!" he yelled and tried to enhance his voice with the force flow he had felt in his dream, but it was still a fog within his mind and totally useless until his body had a chance to flush the force poisoning drug from his system. But their fear of getting the senator killed out-weighed their bravado and the pikes clattered to the floor.

"Seal the doors," once again there was the hesitation and concerned shared looks between the guards and Bail. His voice and determined gaze had them convinced, however, and the two guards sealed themselves in with Obi-Wan and Bail. "Get down, flat on the floor," continued Obi-Wan as he moved to the discarded weapons. He had to pull Bail down so he could reach the nearest one and, still holding Bail in the head lock he flipped the charge from kill to stun and aimed at the first guard.

"You don't have to do this, Obi-Wan," said Bail as he misread the young man's intentions not having seen the switch to stun, "there is no need for killing here."

"I couldn't agree more Senator," he said as he fired into the backs of the prone guards, the blue haze surrounding them for an instant as their bodies slumped against the floor, unconscious.

"There is nowhere for you to go, Obi-Wan," said Bail quietly as he felt the grip Obi-Wan had on him lessen, and he tried to swing his elbow up to catch Obi on the jaw, but the former Jedi leaned back to avoid the hit and swept under the senator to face him with the pike lifted to his chin. Staring down the pike with some sadness in his eyes, Bail continued, "I could have helped you."

"I know, that's why it's especially hard for me to do this, but in the long run it will turn out for the best, trust me." And he pressed the pike to Bail's collar bone and pressed the trigger, catching the limp form of the Alderanian as he passed out from the blast. Obi-Wan laid him gently on the floor and made sure all three of them were clear of the window behind them. A quick search of the republic guards and his binders were slipped from his wrists, which he rubbed to reduce the tenderness he felt there. The binder removal did nothing to help his connection to the force, but at least it was one less thing to worry about.

He had to find that room, it was obvious what it had been, Palpatines inner sanctum and could act as a safe haven for him at this time. There was no way anyone would understand his actions towards Bail as the guards had seen them, and he couldn't let Bail involve himself further in the situation that was already well out of hand.

It disturbed him to think that a part of Palpatines memory seemed lodged in his mind and his encounter with his younger self in the dream had shaken him greatly, but the potential wealth of information he could get from that room would be invaluable if he could get it out to his friends and he could hide there at least for the time being and recover from the inhibitors that still drained his force connection.

How to get out of the window, however? With the doors sealed it really was his only hope out of the building and he did know exactly where to go, unnervingly. He picked up one of the discarded pikes and pulled out the safety mechanism to re-wire the thing to overload. Then he placed it at the seam to the window frame. He could hear the guards outside the door begin cutting through and he hoped he had enough time before they were upon him. He pulled the three bodies to cover and crouched down himself as the high pitch of the pike pierced his ears and he blocked the sound with his hands.

The pike exploded and the glass shattered at the impact, sending shards across the apartment and wisping away into the Coruscant air in the turbulence that followed. Kenobi quickly got to his feet and pulled himself up and out of the window, just as the doors behind him split open and he quickly ducked into the channel his dream had shown him, concealing himself completely from the agitated guards rushing through Bail's apartment.

Still concealed by the channel walls, he quickly made his way to the door panel he knew was there and fumbled for the keypad. This time his fingers didn't glide so easily over them and he had to concentrate as hard as he could to come up with the correct combination, another disturbing part of this escape route, the fact that he was tapping into the dark lords knowledge to aid him.

He slipped inside the walkway, just as the unmistakable engine noise of a republic skiff came up the side of the building, but Kenobi was secure in the knowledge that no one had seen him. His heart was still racing and his side ached terribly from all the activity he had exerted on it, but he stumbled down the path to the second door.

He pressed against it as he had done in the dream, but this time nothing happened, the door remained closed. He pressed on it again several times, trying to figure out what could make it open, but nothing he did would work. He slumped to the floor, his exhaustion reaching its peak and he closed his eye for a moment to gather his senses and his breath.

He awoke to a nagging feeling pressing on his mind, a tendril of living force seeping through the fog of the inhibitors and he shook his head, reaching tentatively for the familiar feeling. He breathed a deep sigh at its touch in his mind, welcoming him back, if strained by the remnant of the drug still running in his system.

The force! The door had a force activated mechanism, probably one attuned to Palpatines own unique persona, no wonder he was having trouble accessing it. Obi-Wan could feel the dark memoires of his traverse through Palpatines mind, the cold shards of the dark side pressing into his mind like picks of ice, trying to slice and puncture his inner light. The voice of Palpatine in his head, the arrogance and hatred like a decaying ooze that wanted to seep into the punctures left by the shards. Obi-Wan had tried so hard to keep them from penetrating his concealed inner light, but there had been something there within himself, buried deep with his grief and fear that had moved to embrace the false strength the dark side seemed to be offering him.

The door suddenly popped open and he found himself tumbling inside the room, much as he had done in his dream. He sprang to his feet, half expecting his younger self to be there ready to throttle him, but no hooded figure met his eye, only the large and sparsely furnished room of the sith lords hidden inner sanctum. There was a simple couch, a large desk and chair and two other exits from the room. It was obvious that one led to Palpatines actual office, but the other one would need to be investigated further, just at a later time. He was done in and needed a longer rest than the slight recuperation his nap outside the force door had afforded him. He settled himself on the couch and got some much needed sleep, the drug wearing off all the time and allowing him to sink deeper into the comforting arms of the force as it welcomed him back gladly into its flow.


	61. Chapter 61

_I have to make a huge shout out and thank you to Beloved Daughter for her amazing reviews. I was deeply touched that anyone cared that much about this little story, so thank you so much for the feedback, Beloved Daughter, it was insightful and just plain fun to read them all._

_Also, a thank you to Valairy Scot for her kind comments. _

His mission had seemed to be a simple one: head into the senate building and get the message to Kenobi that he wasn't alone and his rescue was imminent. He felt proud that he had been chosen for such a mission, it had been a long time since he had been within the senate building and his recall of the internal structure had served him well so far. The only problem was that Kenobi himself had managed to mess things up. According to internal security coverage, he had managed to fly out of Senator Bail Organa's broken window and subsequently disappeared! How was R2 supposed to get his message delivered now? At least there was no footage of a Kenobi sized splat of meat on the dura-crete below the window, or anywhere in the vicinity for that matter, so the man was around somewhere, it was up to R2 to find out what had truly happened.

R2-D2, hero to many droids throughout the republic due to his involvement in the end of the Naboo blockade oh so many years ago, trundled through the halls towards the closed off offices of the Alderanian delegation. His wheels glided over the deep red colored carpet, but his new plating still rattled. He had been re-plated with a rather garish yellow and black covering that really didn't fit his barrel frame as well as his stylish blue and white covers did, but it did allow him to slip around the building without any one recognizing him. This disguise was meant to make him look like the newer R3 models that had pretty much replaced his fellow R2 units, but his rise to fame after the Battle of Naboo had meant that he was far too useful to be replaced; just upgraded and cleaned professionally every year with the best oil bath money could buy! He was sure he'd need one of those after this mission was done and placed the appropriate order request within his memory banks to be retrieved at the appropriate time.

His focus quickly returned to his intended target as the corridor swept past him on his journey through the senate building. He had good memories of the former Nubian Captain. Kenobi, as Latterie, had always kept R2 included within the security detail of Senator Amidala, and the upgraded protocols that Kenobi had insisted he get installed had saved them on many occasions, not least of which had been the escape from Geonosis so recently done. As he thought on his quarry, he was reminded of the fire fight in Theed due to the separatist terrorist attack that had left Latterie temporarily blinded after a charge bomb had gone off in front of him and it had been R2 that guided the captain to safety where Latterie had recovered enough to co-ordinate the counter attack that saw the plot dissolve and the culprits brought to justice. Immediately after that, Kenobi had made it quite clear to everyone that the R2 unit was not to be considered owned by anyone, he was a colleague and collaborator within the group and this gave the unit a sense of pride in his work, allowing him to rise to any occasion. When Amidala had approached him with her request of him, he had practically jumped at the chance to help the man who had accepted the little droid as one of his team. However, things were not going completely to plan.

"Hey!" called out a Republic guard as R2 raced past him to his destination at the Alderan delegation offices, "Hey, tech-droid! Stop!"

R2 froze as he heard the guard approach and he turned round slowly, his squeaks attempting to convey confidence.

"It's over here, this is the office with the systems failure," and he pointed his rifle to the office immediately adjacent to Senator Organa's. R2 turned back to Bail's office and jiggled, trying to indicate that's where he needed to be, but the republic guard just placed his rifle in front of the droid. "Come on, we haven't got all day, fix it so I can get back to duty."

R2 grumbled a series of beeps but complied and headed for the office, the guard now in tow. It was deserted except for the terminal station in front of the offices bay window, probably emptied after the residents planet government departed from the republic, a common occurrence throughout the senate building of late. In their haste to leave, they must have left the terminal running and it was obviously suffering from the lack of maintenance from its original owner's absence. The guard stood next to the desk as R2 huffed to himself and began his work.

The computer itself was friendly enough to talk to but evasive over the problems it was having. After convincing the machines software that he wasn't a republic security droid in disguise, the terminal had quickly helped him diagnose the problem. Its external frequency monitoring system had sparked after the explosion from the office next door had sent a pulse wave of energy through the listening device the system was hooked up to within the Alderanian delegations offices. This had caused the terminal to be picking up previously undetected signals coming from within the senate building structure that were causing major error alerts across the terminals systems. R2 was unable to locate the source of the strange signal as it was shielded somehow from his efforts, but he was able to block the signal to the terminal and send the terminal software through a reboot that cleared the error messages, much to the relief of the computer. R2 completed his repair with a final sweep through the software, making sure to strip the terminal of the memory of the strange signal but storing the strange signal frequency within his own monitoring software.

He was about to chirrup his intention to leave to the guard behind him, when the data analysis he had been running on the signal flashed a name through his visual circuits to get his attention. That name was Palpatine, and R2 froze in his tracks, his terminal access extension still attached to the terminal port. The terminal itself enquired as to his behavior, to which R2 merely reminded the machine of his intention to remain silent over the listening device. If the terminal could have turned its head and whistled quietly to itself, it would have, and it remained silent from then on, choosing to ignore R2s presence even though he was still connected to its access port. This allowed R2 to gain entry into the senate's internal network.

Pretending to continue to work on the terminal, R2 sifted through the information from the signal. A horrifying realization came to him; the signal was coming from somewhere very close to him and was responding as though the instigator: in this case it seemed to be Palpatine: was still present! He couldn't help a worried series of sounds from flowing through his communications box, but he caught himself before it got too obvious, although he could see the guard shifting impatiently on his chosen spot by the window.

"Come on, rust bucket, how long does it take to fix a terminal?" he called to R2, who made the sound that was effectively him blowing a raspberry at the indignant guard. "Fine," said the guard moving from the window, "I'll wait outside for your lordship to finish, just make it quick."

As he left, R2 could hear him mumbling under his breath about how beneath him this job was, but R2 had other concerns as he tried to work back to the source of the signal through the senate systems available to him through the terminal connection. Now knowing that it was Palpatine that was the instigator, he concentrated his search within the systems of the Chancellor's floor, where the new ruling council of three had established their own offices. With the activity that Kenobi's escape had generated, he noticed that the three had barricaded themselves within those offices, but the old office of Palpatine was relatively unguarded, probably due to the fact that everyone seemed haunted by the former Chancellor's presence. Could that have something to do with the signal itself? R2 himself was not a superstitious droid, but he knew fear and how sound frequencies could really mess with mechanics and biological forms alike. It was possible that the signal was a left over tool of Palpatines from before his demise. That seemed more likely than his original thought that the former chancellor was still alive! Or at least he hoped that was the case, anyway. His innate fascination with investigation and mystery was driving his logical mind to head up there, to the signal source, but that wasn't his primary mission, he had to remind himself, he was there for his man Latterie, even if the man was missing.

He detached his connection to the terminal as the new signal hummed around his circuits. It wouldn't take long for some other droid to notice this interference within the senate building systems; it couldn't be that just one terminal had been affected by either the blast or this frequency. So was it worth investigating further before a less morally programmed unit found out about it? He paused for a moment as he trundled to the suites door.

He twisted his head around the vacant room pondering his options. Was it worth the risk of finding the source of this signal and seeing what kind of information could be gleaned from the former chancellor's offices, especially if, as he suspected, no one had gone there since the events that led to Palpatines death. His window of opportunity was closing, and if he had learned anything about his friend Latterie, it was that the man had an uncanny ability of getting into and out of trouble on a regular basis and something told him this was no exception. In fact, Latterie would be the first to encourage him to follow his developed instincts and investigate, the unit was sure about that. His curiosity got the better of him and he made his way through the automatic doors to the suite. He scooted past the guard and headed for the elevator, his plating rattling more from trepidation than ill fitting now he was off on this new course of action.

Meanwhile, at the source of the signal…

"This is your place!" rang the voice in his head once again as Obi-Wan found himself falling from the couch to the floor. This was the third time his restless sleep had brought him to that dream, those fingers at his throat, those yellow and red eyes so alien in his own face and yet so hauntingly familiar. With his senses no longer inhibited by the drugs they had used on him, Obi-Wan was finding his dreams were becoming more vivid, more powerful as he tried in vain to continue his rest. At least his side didn't throb anymore and he was glad to have the comfort of the forces flow moving around him. But it did little to settle his growing need to leave this office and find a way out to his friends.

What must they think of him now, he thought to himself as he picked himself up off the floor and sat back on the couch, placing his head in his hands to rub away the tiredness that still settled around his eye sockets, a deep aching pain in the whole of the right side of his face. He had failed to keep Palpatine distracted and been unable to aid Anakin and Ryn in their assault, not only that but he had allowed the only other sith in existence to slip through his fingers to wreak havoc on the galaxy once again. He shuddered, feeling the warmth of the force draining from him completely as his dark mood only seemed to intensify in this place.

He looked up from his hands and out of the corner of his eye he saw someone sitting at the desk over to the left of the room. He froze for a moment, uncertain of his options, uncertain if the figure was even real and his eye darted to the chair which was empty as soon as he looked directly at it. He breathed a sigh of relief and sat back into the couch, letting the cushion give him some physical comfort at least. He opened his eye again and once again, though he wasn't looking directly at the chair, he felt certain someone was sitting there, typing away at the terminal. He shuddered as he looked to the chair again and found the seat vacant. What was happening to him now? He hated his mind's eye being taken over like this, his dark dreams threatening his sleep, his dead enemy haunting him even now, the dark cloud of Maul hanging just out of reach. In his frustration he picked up the chair with the force and hurled it across the room with a roar of anger and horror at the power and ease of the throw. He looked down at his outstretched hand that was shaking, causing the chair to vibrate against the wall. He dropped his hand, the chair collapsing into a heap of metal and plastic, still twisting in on itself until his breathing calmed and he could let it go.

That had been unexpected, to say the least! He was usually much better at controlling his anger and he sat back down on the couch to gather his thoughts. He couldn't let this get the better of him, he needed to leave this place even more urgently than before, but he needed a plan. He moved to the desk to take a closer look at the terminal. Perhaps he could access that as easily as he had accessed the antechamber he found himself in.

He sank to his knees to get level with the screen, now the chair was gone, uncomfortable with the sensation of feeling the surprisingly warm air around him, but despite that warmth he could feel his body shivering at the thought of placing himself within Palpatine's shadow. However, he had more pressing issues and looked for a way to turn on the terminal.

There was no security on the terminal, why should there have been. Obi-Wan found it unlikely Palpatine would have bothered with it on something so deeply concealed in his sanctum. The arrogance of the man disgusted Obi-Wan once again and he struck out at the desk, venting his hatred of his dead enemy. He should have suffered so much more for what he put Padme through, that sweet child so betrayed by one so close.

_Oh, you mean just how you betrayed her and her entourage, you mean?_ came his own thoughts to his head as he scanned through the array of menus presented to him. _Conveniently forgot about that, didn't you!_

Obi-Wan chose to ignore this internal dialogue as he tried to find plans to the senate building that would help him find a way out of the infernal place.

_You can't ignore the fact that everyone who puts their faith in you ends up getting kicked in the arse. You almost killed Boba, you let Nawe get twisted apart by that psychotic cyborg, and did you not see the flesh rendered from Dex's body as you waved that blaster at the flaming ship? The clones were right to get your beaten carcass off their ship before you killed them all with your recklessness._

"Quiet," he said out loud, continuing to study the screen as his attention was drawn to a connection to a hospital bed, the occupant of which was very familiar to him.

_And, lest we forget, the ultimate betrayal of a padawan to his master. Just how long did it take for Qui-Gonn to suffer before you allowed his assailant to best you? Oh yes, until he died!_

"Shut up!" screamed Obi-Wan and the couch flew across the room at his outburst, slamming into the door leading to the official office of the former chancellor. Obi-Wan found himself trembling with his rage boiling through him. "How dare you bring up Master Qui-Gonn! Just shut up!" the couch flew back across the room, cushions and wood splinters showering down around him like a surreal snow storm of debris. "What is wrong with me?"

_You're a failure, that's what's wrong with you. You can't even keep a simple emotion like anger from spilling into everything you're doing here. See for yourself._ Obi found his fingers dancing over the controls of the terminal and Palpatine's office came full screen. A black and yellow plated R3 unit had just entered and was proceeding to lock the door behind it. _They've sent a tin can to investigate your ruckus. You really are that foolish to think no one heard your outbursts against the furniture. _

The voice in his head continued to rant about his obvious failings, but Obi-Wan was still examining the droid as it explored the rooms with caution. There was something strangely familiar about that droid, even though he was pretty sure he'd never come across one so badly paneled before. Those colors were completely wrong for that unit.

His head twisted to the left as if he had been slapped across the right side of his face, as the pain in that side suddenly spiked.

_I'm not done giving you a piece of our mind, you arrogant little sh-_

"R2!" exclaimed Obi-Wan as recognition set in, the voice in his head shoved into a quiet corner as his memories of the little, fearless droid flicked before his eye. "R2-D2, you sly old Mando dog! How the heck did you end up in here?"

It felt like a wave of cleansing force washed through him as he continued to watch his metallic friend pensively examine the empty office, and he leapt for the door that led to the droid. He was about to press through the dented doorway, when the terminal began beeping at him and he was reminded of the vulnerability of another friend now revealed as being in imminent danger.

"Too dangerous to keep him alive with Kenobi loose," came a voice through the decryption program that Obi-Wan had found was constantly running on all communications passing within the senate building. Palpatine had managed to keep amazingly close tabs on every single delegation and this transmission was coming from Ameda himself, an avatar of the (alien) hovering over the translated phrase. 

"I agree," more words came through the decryptor as another avatar floated by, this one looking vaguely like one of the faceless blobs that had been hovering around Ameda in the haze that was Obi-Wan's encounter with the council earlier. "The boy is a liability, and our time to act is now while Organa is incapacitated. Send the order."

"It cannot come back to us," came Ameda's next decrypted phrase.

"Understood," was the only response and then the communication seemed to be over as no more words popped up on his screen.

"Nawe," said Obi-Wan softly, as it was obvious that was who they had been speaking about, he was the only person who could verify any of Obi-Wan's story and Bail had indicated his close attention to the boy's safety. It didn't sound good for Bail, either, if they were saying he was incapacitated somehow.

_Oh, well done, another ally fallen due to your lack of control_, buzzed his inner monologue.

"SHUT UP!" he screamed and using an uncontrolled pull on the force, ripped the door leading to Palpatines office completely off its hinges and across the small room. To say the droid was startled by the sudden creation of the opening in the wall in front of him was a vast understatement. The droids scream echoed around the otherwise empty office. Obi-Wan quickly grabbed at the droid with the force and pulled him into the concealed room, then tossed the door back in its place, his breathing rapid and rasping. Once in the room, R2's scream turned to a whistle of intrigue as he took in the scene and panned to look on his assailant. He jiggled from side to side in his excitement to have found his captain as he watched Kenobi slide down the wall, clasping his head in his hands. Once his initial shock was over, his concern circuits quickly switched on and he lulled his whistles into the tune of questioning concern.

"Just a moment, old fellow.." sighed Kenobi, "..I .. I just need a moment." he looked up from his prone position with a sad smile on his face. "Don't get me wrong, it is good to see you, R2, it's just …" he trailed off as the weariness in his limbs seemed to return, "…just a few moments, …please." And he resumed his bowed head position against the wall

R2 chirruped his understanding and moved to the terminal at the desk, seeing that his presence too close to his captain would merely upset him more. Besides, he had to see how the signal he had followed had been programmed and maintained. Logging in he quickly found a translation suite within the software and began downloading everything he could from the terminal. The intricacy of the programming was circuit board blowing! He found tendrils of programming seeped in to every control system on the planet, mainly for monitoring purposes, but there were key shut off or override protocols for many major systems, including power stations, mass transit stations, medical facilities, even major event venues across the surface of the planet. R2 couldn't help whistling in bewilderment at the complexity of the system. But he couldn't help noticing the gradual degradation that was occurring within the matrices. It would take years for the full effect of the breakdown of this system to take effect, but the damage was already starting, and would eventually result in the shutdown of the planet as the republic hub, R2 was sure of that.

Obi-Wan was brought out of his attempted meditation by the sounds coming from his companion. He rubbed his face, the right side of which feeling like it was burning at this point, and he looked up at the droid. His breathing had been brought under control at least, and he felt able to focus on his predicament once again without his darker emotions overwhelming him.

"So, what did you find, my old friend?" he picked himself up slowly and moved to the terminal to spy over the droid to see what he had been up to. R2 used the translation program to write his findings out in Basic.

"My goodness, R2, this is deeper than I realized!" he scanned through R2s further findings and his hastily thought through patch ups for some of the more crucial systems. "Not bad for an old tin can!" he said complimenting the droid and tapping him on the top of his left leg. R2 chirruped, clearly meaning "It was nothing, really," and continued to put into place a series of stability checks that would trigger over the next month or so within the system programming. It wouldn't help prevent the breakdowns, but it would alert those involved in the systems to check through these added protocols Palpatine had put in place and bring the instability of the programs to the operators' attention. What they then did with that information was up to them, but at least they would be getting a decent amount of forewarning on the subject.

While R2 continued his work at the terminal, Obi-Wan decided it was time for them to get going as Nawe was in imminent danger, and who knew what they would face at the medical facility. He quickly had the twisted form of the door wedged back into the space it had more sleekly occupied before his outburst, but at least it would take a mighty shove to remove it now. He then headed back to the desk.

"How's your patch up work going?" he looked over the droids domed head to see the cascade of data streaming faster than his eye could scan it. "Well, when you 're finished saving the planet from meltdown, we have an old friend to rescue, if that's not too much trouble!"

R2 chirruped his readiness, waiting for his captain to command him once again.

"It shouldn't be too difficult to slip into the medical district, but we're going to need some authentication to be able to get in to grab Nawe. What can you do from here? Do you think you could get him released into our custody?"

It took mere seconds for R2 to bring up the medical facility that was taking care of Nawe. Through the terminal he quickly found the security protocol personality and after a moment or two of convincing the system that he was calling from the Chancellors office, it didn't take long for him to slip in the order for Nawe's release to a Plain Clothes Republic Guard and his dashing black and yellow service droid. He created a unique ten digit security pass that he would then input once they reached the facility as confirmation of what he had informed the security circuits and thanks to Palpatines own security, it was easy to conceal the deception behind the façade of the authority of the senate. Once again R2 was staggered by his own ingenuity as he displayed his plan to Kenobi, who chuckled to himself at the droids obvious pride in his work.

"Great, R2," he said still smiling at his metallic friend, "just don't get cocky!" And with the rudimentary plan set in place, he guided the droid to the chancellors escape craft.


	62. Chapter 62

_Many thanks again to Beloved Daughter for her kind review, and to Sara as well. It was great to write from R2s point of view, so I'm glad someone else liked it._

_I can't believe I've been writing this thing for over a year (General Reader: (with sarcasm) Yeah! Neither can we!) I had no intention of making it this long when I started! But I really like where it's ended up so far. Here's to not jumping-the-shark before I finish!_

_Slight change of subject, SW Clone Wars killed off one of my absolute favorite clones this week. Clone Waxer was first seen in season one helping out Obi and the Twi'leks, then in season two saving Obi on Geonosis. He met with a horrific end, two groups of clones were tricked into attacking each other, so he was killed by his own, loyal, brothers and it was heartbreaking to watch them realize their mistake and then find out it was Waxer who was in command of the other group of clones. I am not usually an emotional person, but I actually cried, it was like I was mourning a dear friend, I was in complete shock. I knew this kind of thing was inevitable, that many of the characters that I had grown to love in this series would have to get killed off at some point, but Waxer and Boyle captured my heart right from the start, I still count 'Innocents of Ryloth' as my favorite episode of the whole show. Anyway, I just wanted to express my sadness at the passing of a beloved character who will be sorely missed from the show. You can expect another release of grief when they finally kill off Boyle, I just hope it isn't this season, and I hope it isn't as horrific as Waxer's, I don't think I could cope with that! _

_But you don't want to read this nonsense, you came here for …_

"Great, R2," Obi-wan said still smiling at his metallic friend, "just don't get cocky!" And with the rudimentary plan set in place, he guided the droid towards the chancellors escape craft.

/Wait, how did I../ his legs buckled beneath him and he grabbed for R2's domed head for support as the realization hit him that he just knew where that second door led, even without thinking about it. This was getting worse, his knowledge of Palpatine's world was becoming too easy to access, and once again his head throbbed with his growing horror at the dark lord's influence even after his death. Another wave of pain shot through the right side of his face, causing him to grasp at his cheek and eye socket. It was swollen and tender, and there was a burning sensation that was building within behind the fused skin. He took a moment to take a few deep breaths and managed to stand back up, much to the relief of the little droid, whose whistles had become high pitched with distress.

"It's alright..R2,..just a little … Arrgh!" he cried out as another wave of pain erupted across his face and he fell to his knees, forehead resting on the carpet. It felt like the scarred skin was actually splitting open and something was pressing into the eye socket itself. His vision was suddenly bombarded with what looked like a constant shower of multi-colored sparks and his head remained pressed to the carpet as the burning pain continued.

"Not possible!..Not possible!." he whimpered as he became aware of his body's actions. The split skin was cooling now and he found movement returning to the healing eye lids as they spasmed for a moment before he was able to take control of them. The sparks were starting to die down as well at this point and an intensity of color flooded his vision as the eye continued to reform itself. The surface of the eye felt like it was being scratched with sand paper, but his control over the lids allowed him to ease the constant feeling of irritation by blinking over the freshly reformed surface.

R2 had turned around at this point and was whistling in low, concerned sounds, even leaning over a little to be able to touch Kenobi's shoulder with his domed head. Physical contact was something the droid had observed was very important to humans, and there really was no one else present who could help his friend, so he hoped his simple gesture would be enough to comfort him. He had no idea what was happening to Obi-Wan, the man was clasping his hands to his face and in obvious pain. R2 cursed the fact that he was no medical droid, that's what Obi-Wan needed right now, and he was about to head to the terminal again to see if he could access some human diagnostic program, when Obi-Wan sighed deeply and lifted his head.

The droid let out a long low noted whistle at the sight of his friends face. The right eye lids were no longer fused, but open, revealing an eye that was completely blood shot, the iris appearing a deep, almost black, purple. Instinctively the droid backed off a little, having never seen anything like that before. He had been aware of Kenobi being able to heal Nawe somewhat after the lad's first run in with Maul, but this was unprecedented and more than a little intimidating. The look of horror on Kenobi's face wasn't helping much either, but R2 quickly overcame his initial shock as Obi-Wan's head sank into his hands and he began to shake as heavy sobs wracked his body. It was still R2's friend sitting there on the floor, all too human before him and he moved back to the man's side to rest against his shoulder once more. How he wished he had arms right now, to wrap comfortingly around his good friend.

**/This **_**isn't**__**right**_**,/** began the stream of conscious thought that whisked around Kenobi's head **/This isn't supposed to **_**happen**_**! How **_**could**_** it happen? How can I **_**see**_**? **_**What**_** am I **_**becoming**_**? I'm **_**losing**_** myself, I'm losing **_**that**_** which **_**defines**_** me. I'm **_**not**__**worthy**_** of this **_**healing**_**. I'm **_**not**_** that **_**person**_**. I'm not **_**dark**_**, but I'm not **_**light**__**either**_**. I don't want to have to **_**choose**_** between those **_**extremes**_**. Why should I **_**have**_** to choose? **

**Why can't I go back to the way things were with Padme? I knew my place **_**there**_**. I had **_**faith**_** in my own abilities there, at least for a time. I **_**knew**_** my **_**purpose**_**, at the **_**very**_** least. But I don't **_**have**_** that now, I have a **_**twisted**_** reality **_**polluted**_** by the **_**memories**_** of two dead men **_**swirling**_** around inside my **_**head**__**vying**_** for **_**supremacy**_**. Thank **_**goodness**_** I didn't get too close to **_**Dooku**_** or **_**he'd**_** be flying around in here **_**too**_**! **

**How **_**selfish**_** does that**__**all sound! How **_**self indulgent**_**, how **_**arrogant **_**to think of myself as the **_**centre**_** of the **_**maelstrom**_**, because **_**that's**_** what I **_**feel**_**, that I'm the **_**pivot**_** to the turmoil **_**around**_** me. '**_**I'm**_** the cause of Qui-Gonn's fall**_**, I'm**_** the cause for the injuries sustained by my crew in the blast on the platform, **_**I'm**_** the cause for Maul's assault on Nawe, **_**I'm**_** the cause for almost getting Jango, Padme and Anakin **_**executed**_**, **_**I'm**_** the cause for Boba being left in the hangar to be **_**tormented**_** by Ventress and Maul, **_**I'm**_** the cause for Dooku's assault in Assaj, **_**I'm**_** the cause for **_**Ryn's death**_**, **_**I'm **_**the cause for the fall of the **_**republic**_**, **_**I'm**_** the cause for Maul's escape, **_**I'm**_** the cause for the Jedi Order being **_**disbanded**_**, **_**I'm**_** the cause of **_**Bail's**_** predicament, **_**I'm**_** the cause for Nawe's life being in danger **_**once again'**_

**Perhaps **_**some**_** of those are valid points, but to assume**__**the progress**__**of the **_**galaxy**_** revolves around **_**me**_** is **_**the most preposterous notion in existence**_**. I am **_**not**_** omnipotent. I don't control the fate of **_**anyone**_** but **_**myself**_**. And I know I've made some **_**bad**_** choices along the way, but they were **_**my**_** choices, and not all of them were **_**all that bad**_**, I **_**have**_** to **_**admit**_** that to myself. **

'**I saved a **_**great many people**_** the day the fake separatists attack Theed, my warning to my crew on the platform over Coruscant saved lives, I saved Nawe from his torment in the hangar, I gave **_**Jango hope**_**, I gave **_**Boba**_** a **_**surrogate father**_**, I gave Dex a **_**teammate**_**, I saved Padme from certain death at the hands of Ventress, **_**I saved Ventress**_**, for crying out loud, I **_**held down**_** the **_**most powerful evil**_** this galaxy had **_**seen**_** in a **_**millennia**_**, if only for a moment'. **

**I am **_**not**_** the failure I would have myself **_**believe**_**. I have **_**strength **_**and it doesn't just come from the **_**force**_**, but from my **_**friends**_**, from my **_**encounters**_**. I am **_**not**_** all powerful, I never **_**claimed**_** to be, but I **_**wield power**_** with more **_**grace**_** than I have **_**ever**_** admitted to myself. So maybe it's **_**time**_** to dwell on **_**that**_** for a change. Maybe I don't **_**need**_** to be the one to protect everyone, **_**shield**_** everyone from **_**my**_** mistakes, because **_**they**_** have choices **_**too**_**, and I had so **_**easily**_** forgotten that. **

**All I can do from here on in is make the **_**best **_**choices I can and hope those **_**around**_** me do the same, because that is **_**all**_** I can wish of them and all **_**they**_** can wish of **_**me**_**. I am not a **_**puppet**_** to the **_**force**_**, or my **_**former master**_**, or **_**any sith lord**_**. I am **_**Obi-Wan Kenobi**_**, and I am a **_**good man**_**./**

Obi-Wan took in a series of calming breaths and the shaking finally stopped, the droid's offer of comfort actually helping him a great deal to calm himself and find some semblance of peace. He wrapped his right arm around the droid and looked up to the droids camera port. R2 was gleaming, or so it seemed to him seeing the droid through his replenished vision, the polished black and gold plating almost alive with movement as light bounced across the surface. It was difficult to turn away from it and he smiled at his twittering friend. His new formed eye still felt scratched through, but it was certainly working extremely well.

_There_, came Obi-wan's other inner voice still stubbornly trying to bring the young man where it could control him further, _our midi-chlorians have been waiting ten years to do that_, _you stubborn, obnoxious, self indulgent,_ -

"I get it!" yelled Obi-Wan to the ceiling, sending R2 back a few steps, and his head fell back into his hands as a groan of exasperation came from his throat. He looked up quickly and apologetically at R2.

"Not you, my friend," he said to reassure the droid and a sad smile crept across his face. He reached up to tap him gently on his shoulder. "I have a rather complicated relationship with myself right now. But I'm working through the issues, old man. I'll be right as rain after a spot of rescuing, I'm sure"

R2 shook his head and chirruped, which Obi-wan took as meaning the droid knew he wasn't fooling anyone with that attitude.

"Don't judge me, R2," he said harshly, his emotions still mixing around his mind despite his self proclamation of being a good man. "It's very unbecoming of a tech droid."

He got to his feet and sighed deeply as he looked on the obviously hurt little droid.

"I'm sorry, R2, you're not catching me at my best," he chuckled sadly to himself and under his breath whispered sarcastically, "A good man, indeed! What rot!" The droid nudged him in the side, showing he wasn't that hurt by his former captain's words.

**/**_**Nawe**_**!/** screamed his consciousness, **/**_**Enough**_** with the **_**self hate**_** for **_**now**_**. **_**Get. Nawe**_**!/**

He rubbed his head again from the internal slap-in-the-face he had felt and moved to the door leading to the ex-Chancellor's shuttle.

"Come on, R2, let's get Nawe out of trouble,.. _again_!" and the droid chirruped what could only be described as a chuckling noise.

_Transition – Transition – Transition – Transition_

"Come on, oh Mighty Hero of the Republic, I want to talk to you."

The voice was strangely familiar to Nawe, but he couldn't quite place the woman's voice. He just had to open his eyes now and find out who was calling to him. The light at first was rather blinding, but his eyes quickly adjusted to the calming colors of his hospital room. He looked over to see the face of Medic Kravis peering at him from the left side of the bed.

"Hello there," he said, slightly slurred from his waking lips, "fancy meeting you here!" and with that he yawned and stretched to get into a sitting position where he scratched his head.

"Yes, yes, please to see me, that's great. Kenobi is missing!"

That got him awake!

"Missing? What do you mean, he's missing? What happened?"

Kravis shock her head.

"It's not clear, but the hearing was in recess when he just took off out of a window! No sign of him anywhere, and the senate is going crazy! They've closed off all access to the senate building, and increased security here around you, although I'm not sure how much more secure this place could get. It's locked down tighter than a B'omarr monk's underpants."

"Medic Kravis! I'm shocked!" exclaimed Nawe mockingly, trying his best to lighten the mood as his former captain would often manage, "I find it hard to believe they even _have_ underpants!" to which the medic laughed hole heartedly, but quickly placed a hand over her mouth to silence her guffaws and glanced to the door of his room, hoping her outburst wouldn't have anyone burst in.

The whole situation with the republic crumbling away and the Chancellor's death had left a tension in the air that clung to everything around the pair and within the building they were housed in. After Kravis had realized Nawe was being sedated unnecessarily, she had taken a risky course of action to wean him off the medications and convince him to play along with her plan so that the two could at least talk and find some comfort surrounded by strangers as they were. Nawe was the only patient on that floor of the facility, the rest of the rooms occupied by various security personnel from numerous systems all vying to be the ones to protect their Hero of the Republic, especially after the failed kidnapping attempt on his person and rescue attempt on Kenobi, that had seen the alleged Jedi traitor transferred to the senate building.

Anyone else would probably have been honored by the accolade of Republic Hero, but Nawe had found it repulsive when Kravis had first told him about it. He had not been able to fully confide in her about what had happened that day, as it was clear she was still as brainwashed as most of the Republic had been to Palpatines evil, but her familiar presence had lifted his mood a great deal over the couple days that their deception had, so far, lasted.

"If he comes here, he'll have to get through me first, young man!" she said, determined to protect her charge.

"I don't know how to convince you, Kravis, but he's not what you think."

"I know what I saw, Nawe, I'm not a fool. It's no coincidence he's the traitor and you're the hero."

"Stop that, right now! You have no idea what he went through out there. What he was prepared to sacrifice to save us all, what we all were – " he faltered as he remembered how they had been prepared to die to stop Maul and how the plan had all fallen apart before their eyes. It had taken Medic Kravis some time to convince him he was still alive after he had woken up that first time in this room and she had needed to restrain him to keep him from tearing the room apart when he found out about the aftermath of that fateful day and the terrifying fate his former captain was facing in the senate hearings.

"I'm sorry, Nawe, I didn't mean to upset you, I just wanted to let you know we're ready if he comes here."

Nawe shook his head.

"He won't come here," he said sadly, "he'll find somewhere safe to go, he'll get off world, he doesn't owe me anything." He looked at her concerned face, realizing rescue wasn't what she had in mind.

"And he won't be coming here for revenge, either, that's not how he thinks, believe me!" He shook his head in disgust of the very thought of that notion.

"How can you be so sure? You're the Hero of the Republic for your defense of the Chancellor."

"I asked you to stop calling me that!"

"Well it's true, you revealed the conspiracy and stopped him from helping the others, and then he and his cohorts kidnapped you for your valiant efforts."

"They didn't kidnap me, I went with them, I'd do it again if I could, I'd help them take on Palpatine if I could!"

"Don't say that! He was a great man, he held this republic together."

"He tricked us! He lied and he cheated and he burned us all with his control over us. Didn't you see his release of power into Kenobi and I? I felt in that instant the hate and contempt he had for everyone of us. I saw my role as his puppet positioned in just the right place for his purpose. He used me, manipulated me, twisted the love I had for my captain, a man who saved my life again and again, into something sickeningly wretched and hateful. I saw the truth of him as he turned my body to, what felt like liquid fire. And even with my pike sticking through his body, I saw the love my captain had for me pierced through with confusion, disbelief and shame. He actually felt ashamed of himself. I could feel him try desperately to remove the worst of the pain from me in that instant. So don't claim to know what happened there, how could you know what we went through!"

They both sat in silence after his outburst, Nawe breathing heavily, Kravis in shock after his revelations. She didn't know what to think, it was all so mind bendingly complicated than she was prepared to handle and she stood up away from the bed and headed for the window where the night lights coming from the surrounding buildings just didn't seem as bright to her as they had only a few nights ago.

"You have to realize," she said quietly, still facing the Corruscant night, "how central to our existence Palpatine has been these last ten years. He _was_ the republic, as has been made clear by the way his death has destroyed it." She turned back to face him. "You're asking me to believe that the person we put our complete and total trust in was actually our deepest and darkest enemy and that no one in the entire galaxy of systems saw that, except the leader of the separatists, a lying former Jedi and an untried Jedi padawan? Please tell me you see how crazy that sounds?"

"I don't deny that," came Nawe's quiet reply, "But can you honestly say that the man you knew as Latterie would be capable of that level of deceit. You were there, Kravis, when I was brought in after suffering at the hands of that tattooed menace. I would have died on that hangar floor if Kenobi hadn't intervened. He gave up his freedom for me that day and paid a far heavier price for it in the long run."

"Yes, well," said Kravis darkly, "people change."

"That's right, they change. They are not what they first appear. Just as Palpatine was not as he first appeared to us all."

"That's different, he –"

An incessant beeping came from the room's communications system.

"Quick, lie back down, be asleep!" hissed Kravis quietly and helped Nawe settle back into his coma pose, one they had practiced many times in such instances. Nawe sank into the pillows and breathed deeply as he heard Kravis move to the com station. She cleared her throat, took one last look at her faking-sleep patient, and then answered the call.

"Medic Kravis, there's been a multi-vehicle mid-air collision, we're getting swamped down here. Leave your patient and come down to assist, immediately!" Kravis recognized one of her young colleagues as the caller.

"Oh my goodness, I'll come down right away!" She turned off the com and turned to Nawe who was sitting back up now that the call had ended. They both shared a worried look.

"I'll have to go, but I'll get back as soon as I can." And she touched his knee in reassurance. He nodded his understanding and settled once again to fake sleep for when she opened the door to his room.

He had meant what he said about Kenobi not wanting to come for him, so the thought of this being a ruse didn't occur to him until the slim figure slipped in through his window and he sat up in complete surprise, startling his intruder who had assumed the lad would be asleep.

The two stared at each other for a moment, and then Nawe heard a sound that sent a chill down his spine, the snap-hiss of a lightsabre being ignited.


	63. Chapter 63

_Beloved Daughter: Thanks for the review, all will be revealed as to the intruder below! That whole chapter came to me in an afternoon while waiting at the Doctors office, the conversation between Nawe and Kravis really flowing pretty smoothly, and I wanted to get the view of an outsider to all the shenanigans surrounding Kenobi at the senate. I think you are right about the stream of thought that Obi has, it needs further structure editing, so I'll make amends on that and update it. It was very hard to write that part and I definitely wanted it to come across as a little confusing, but if it's not getting the message across then it's still not right. Hopefully there will be another update in about a week as I have some momentum going again and I can see where I want to take the story._

_Linnup: Thank you so much for the two reviews. I love slipping in dialogue from the movies when it fits in with what's going on. I wasn't planning on bringing in any Manderlorien stuff into this story, but we'll have to see how things pan out! I'm a fan of the Obi-Satine dynamic, but I don't think I'll bring that in here, it's pretty complicated as it is! I appreciated your suggestion for writing my own universe, so I thought I'd explain why that's unlikely to happen. One of the reasons I like writing in the SW universe is the fact that I don't need to come up with very much! The details of the thing have been so well documented that I can just dip my toes in and come up with something recognizable. I wouldn't even know where to begin to create something as well rounded, there'd be too much time taken up with describing stuff and I don't have the patience for that. But as I said, I really appreciate the comment and I was very flattered by your review. _

_Ranger Do-Urden: No apologies necessary, I have been on the receiving end of some heated reviews in the past and I am just glad you took the time to express your genuine interest in this story. I keep forgetting how much I've actually written with this story! I had to do some furious editing on one of the chapters after I completely forgot a really important part that happened ages ago and just before I posted I had to re-write a whole sequence! Anyway, now that Clone Wars is on hiatus (Can you believe the cliffhanger they left us with, oh my goodness, poor Obi I'm…Oh…Sorry..got a bit sidetracked!) I'll be able to move along with this and hopefully get several chapters out there over the next month or so._

_I know us writers harp on about this a lot, but the reviews you have all sent really do egg us on to complete stuff, especially when, as a writer, you're going through a tough patch where the muse has flown the roost, so to read these posts this last week was especially touching and got me straight back to the computer and notebook to get this chapter out. _

_OK, so just a quick reminder. This is not a romance story! Just in case that gets mixed up in things, I repeat, this is not a romance story!_

"Get under the bed, now!" hissed the figure in front of him. Nawe was still in shock at the sudden entrance of the figure, so he didn't move at first, but then the door to his room burst open with random blaster fire emptying from the new intruders. He dove under the bed for cover, the sound of blasts being deflected by a swinging blade filling his ears. The thuds of three bodies hitting the floor ended the sounds of battle and the blade was turned off as he looked out from his hiding place. He looked on the saber wielder with new admiration, but there was always the chance this figure meant him harm.

"I'm Asajj Ventress, and I'm here to rescue you," said the woman before him. It was obvious to him now that he'd had a chance to look on her voluptuous figure that she was female, how had he missed that? But the name was a mystery to him.

"You're who?"

The patience of Asajj was not something she had ever truly mastered and Yoda's seemingly menial task of protecting the "Hero of the Republic", who at that moment looked like a wet-behind-the-ears child to her was proving to be less than patience inducing. So she rolled her eyes and spoke more slowly to get through to him.

"I'm here to rescue you. I'm a friend of Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"Old Latterie? Where is he?"

"Knowing him, on his way here to do my job. But he's not here now and we need to get to the roof where master Yoda is waiting for us with a transport. We're not out of this yet."

"What's going on? Why did those people just try to kill me?"

"My guess is you've outlived your usefulness. And with Kenobi on the loose, it makes you a liability the ruling council can't afford to keep. Plus it gives them more to blame Kenobi for if they claim he killed you. Grab a blaster and let's get moving."

"Wait, why should I trust you? How do I know you're not here to kill me once we get to the roof?"

"Really?" she exclaimed, glancing and pointing around the room at the dead hunters she'd just slaughtered to protect the whelp. "After I –" she sighed heavily, staring at him in disbelief, "you know what, you stay here with that one blaster and ponder that thought while the countless assassins descend upon. I'm going to Master Yoda."

And with that she left the room. A rather stunned Nawe fumbled for a blaster and headed out after her to be met with further blaster fire and the chance to see Asajj in action. She now wielded two purple blades which arched around her, lighting the hallway, the main lights having been either switched off or blasted out. Her assailants fell swiftly and she was dashing off down the hall to the staircase, and Nawe had to jog pretty hard to catch up.

"Ah, the skeptic follows!" she said as they headed for the stairs just as another set of attackers emptied from the elevator behind them.

"Up to the top, quickly now!" barked Ventress as she pushed Nawe up the first few steps. Then she turned back with relish to their pursuers and leapt into their blaster fire, sending it back into them as she swept to their position. Several limbs flew past her head as her blades bit deep through their flesh. A pattern of disarm, then behead overtook her conscious actions as her training kicked in. She found herself breathing heavily, not from the exertion, but from the exhilaration she felt with the force flowing through her aggressive actions and into the searing flesh of her assailants to power her shots and her victory. She knew the dark flow and its intoxicating effect on her body and once this batch of aggressors had fallen, she stood for a moment to allow the dark thoughts to pass into the force around her, dissipating and allowing her to surface above the darkness once more. She still had a job to do and Nawe was far from safe. She would feel a lot better once they left the building and could use the boy to find Obi-Wan. Now that she had her voice back there was so much she wanted to tell him, to talk to him about. The half conversations they had had now desperately wanting to be completed verbally.

'Soon', the force flow seemed to be soothingly communicating to her, and at that moment that was enough for her, no questioning the meaning, no hesitation in the suggestion, she just knew it to be true, that soon she would be in the calming presence of her friend.

With the hallway clear of attackers, Asajj dashed back to the staircase and leapt up them two at a time to catch up to the tiring Nawe.

"Hold on there, Slow-Steps," she said and grabbed him around the waist as she leapt up the next flight. Once up, she ignited her blades again and slashed the steps away from beneath them, as a horde of hunters ploughed their way up the stairwell below them. Ducking a volley of blaster fire, Asajj got ready to move off again with her young charge. Nawe had been firing at them as she had completed her maneuvers and once again she grabbed around his waist and leapt up the next set of steps, leaving only another five sets until they were on the roof.

Suddenly, from the floor immediately above them, a door swung open and fresh blaster fire rained down on them. Using her body and blades to shield him, she backed them against the staircase wall behind them and Nawe continued to fire from behind her, once over her shoulder, then under her arms, then to the other side of her as she shifted in front of him. His moves seemed to flow with her own almost seamlessly as they covered the holes in each other's defenses, but the shots were getting closer and closer and far more intense with each volley. The ping of grapple guns firing below them had Nawe concentrate his fire downwards, and although his aim was good, taking down several opponents, they seemed to be relentless in their attacks and endless in number.

A gasp from Asajj had Nawe snap back to his rescuer, who stumbled to one knee as a shot got through her blades. Nawe grabbed her injured arm and she hissed at the touch but was able to draw strength from him to continue to deflect back shots to the hunters above them, keeping them at bay. But the two new formed allies were pinned down and things were becoming desperate.

Nawe kicked out at the grapples as the figures below began their assent, knocking two of them off the rails and the fading screams affirmed his success, but another grapple shot up and buried itself in his foot, causing Nawe to yelp and claw at the thing as it dug deeply into his flesh dragging him to the edge of the rail.

/Yoda!/ screamed Asajj through the force to the absent gnome as another bolt came too close to Nawe before she deflected it. But the answer in the force didn't come from the roof as she had expected, but from the floor below them where she had found Nawe. A surprisingly loud bellow of rage filled the stairwell and suddenly all firing from below them was turned on the new presence that was flinging bodies away from it. The hook in Nawe's foot was wrenched free, pulling the skin off his foot with it and he clutched at the gaping wound, howling as his blood seeped between his clenched fingers.

"He's here!" gasped Asajj, distracted by the turbulent presence of Kenobi as he tore the blasters from the hunters' grasps. The distraction was enough to cause a bolt to fly through Ventress' thigh and she screamed out her failure and the pain that shot through her body as she collapsed against the wall.

Another howl from Kenobi saw him leap up past the fallen pair to the hunters above them and a terrifying gurgling sound descended on them. Asajj realized Obi-Wan was using his bare hands to rip into the hunters and the lifeless body of one of them fell past, a stream of blood pouring from the gaping hole in his throat.

"No!" exclaimed Ventress to the surprise of Nawe, who still clutched his damaged foot. But he mistook her cry as a moment of compassion for their assailants, when really what she felt was the darkness that was enveloping her rescuer. Obi, the light beacon, was cruelly tainted, she could see that and feel that as he continued to decimate the attackers.

"Obi-Wan, Stop! This isn't you!" she screamed, "help us get out of here, please!"

That seemed to do the trick, the desperation in her voice had Obi-Wan spin around and he saw her pleading eyes. She looked on him in horror at his right, blood red eye and his brow furrowed in apology for his recklessness. The man he had been holding at bay raised his concealed knife to strike at Obi-Wan's throat, but Obi's head snapped around as he lifted his free hand and twisted it, using the force to snap the man's wrist. He then dumped the writhing body over the rail and down the stairwell leaving the remaining hunters staring on in horror at the fate of their companion.

Obi turned to them, his face becoming stern once again as he looked on the cowering fellows.

"Tell Ameda I know it was him that cast this roll and I have the proof, so he had better leave me and mine alone. Do you understand?"

The frozen men nodded once before Obi used the force to push them back through the door which he barricaded with a twisted part of the railing he ripped from the stairwell. Then he dashed to the stricken Nawe and Asajj. He cast his eyes down, unable to meet their gazes with his own, feeling ashamed by his viscious actions and the guilt at the healed eye that he didn't deserve to be looking at them with.

"Can you move?" he asked of them, assessing their injuries. Nawe was losing a lot of blood, but Asajj's wounds seemed quartirized. Instinctively, Obi went to rest his hands on Nawe to heal the wound, but something stopped him. He suddenly froze feeling a battle inside of himself. Nawe and Asajj stared at each other for a moment, not sure what was happening, when the tension suddenly broke as R2 rose up on his jets. His whistle had Obi whisk around and he stared at the droid then back to Asajj and Nawe.

"R2, take Nawe, I have Asajj," and with that he scooped her up into his arms and leapt as she had with Nawe up the rest of the stairs to the roof. He kicked the door open and sprinted to the glowing force presence of his old teacher.

"Ar, good to see you once again it is, my friend."

"No time, they need help and we need to leave, now!" gasped Obi as he lay Asajj down at Yoda's feet.

"Your skills they need, better than mine by far in this area, proven that you have already."

"No!" snapped Obi, angry that Yoda would suggest he touch them to heal them. That was tapping into a part of himself he just wasn't ready to confront at the moment. By using those skills he was confirming that his own healing was legitimate somehow and that was the last thing he felt, so healing someone else was only going to sink him further into his personal hell, rather than truly assist the injured party. How did he know that such contact wouldn't merely pass on this tainted feeling that seeped into his consciousness into another host to ravage as it was ravaging him with every action he took. He shivered at the thought of his hands being used as such violent weapons inflicting such sloppy, pain inducing kills and the fact that at the instant of the kill he had secretly reveled in it. He had to get off that building, now!

"We need to get going before more of Ameda's goons show up," he said changing the subject.

Obi looked at the craft Yoda and Asajj must have used to get there.

"What a piece of junk! We can't get off world in that thing! What were you thinking?"

"That best thing at the time we found was. Hard for Jedi to find way off world it is now."

"You shouldn't even be here! The plan was for you to get the younglings off world before –"

He couldn't take this right now. His emotions were raging, he was furious with them all for being there and he wasn't even sure why. But talking only seemed to make things worse.

"I'm leaving," he called and stumbled into the transport feeling drained, but he headed for the cockpit to get it ready to leave.

"Take us here, you will," said Yoda suddenly right behind him.

"What!" exclaimed Obi in shock, not expecting the Jedi master to be almost on his shoulder.

"Here you will take us. From there a ship we will find."

"You're kidding, right! A diner?"

"Trust your old teacher, you will Obi-Wan. Much to discuss when get there we have."

"I just want to get off this planet," said Obi as he started the engines. Nawe and Asajj were situated in the back of the craft at this point where R2 and Yoda took care of them while Obi flew the small vessel low over the Coruscant surface with the lights off, the force guiding him through the maze of buildings to their destination.

/Something is very wrong/ said Asajj to the Jedi master as her eyes never left the back of Obi's head. /He's not well, he's more unbalanced than I've ever sensed him to be./

/Agree with you I do, young one./ conceded Yoda, /but little we can do to help him here. Soul healer, he needs and neither of us fill that role can./

"Aid your recovery this will Hero Nawe," said Yoda out loud to the quiet lad and he placed his hands on the boy's foot stemming the flow of blood and guiding the flesh to bond together. It was a patch up job, but it would keep for the time being. Just as Asajj was gazing at the back of Obi's head, Nawe was staring with deep concern at his former captain.

"Master Yoda, my I ask you something?" he enquired quietly, not wanting Obi-wan to hear him. Yoda merely nodded while treating Asajj for her injuries.

"Is…is he..alright? I mean, I've never seen him actually get angry before. He seems so…different."

Yoda nodded again.

"Hurt deeply inside he is, healed he needs to be. Calm we must be and patient with him."

"I hear you all talking about me, by the way, can't tell you how much I appreciate the secrecy!" called Obi from the pilot's seat. "And I'm fine, I just need to get a descent sleep, for crying out loud! Now either talk to me like I'm actually present, or quit talking all together! We're here, by the way."

And he landed the ship in the parking lot to the diner Yoda had indicated. Feeling uncomfortable remaining in their presence after hearing the two conversations, he left the ship as quickly as he could to breath in the relatively cool Coruscant air. Of course, it was obvious he was anything but fine, but he was damned if he was going to admit that to them as they discussed his health behind his back. Why were they even in this ridiculous part of the planet, anyway? The place looked completely dead, their's was the only ship in the lot, but he had to admit getting something to eat was a good idea, although what that had to do with a ship was beyond him. He stumbled a couple of steps to the wall of the diner, holding himself against it as a deep ache took over all his muscles and he took a series of deep breathes. It had been quite an adventure, rescuing Nawe and finding Asajj there too, then getting to the roof and seeing Yoda still here on Coruscant. That had been overwhelming, his light beacon within the force singeing at Kenobi's tortured soul and making all communication prickly and painful. How could he have made Asajj stay here with him with so much danger surrounding them. It also left the younglings out there vulnerable to Maul's influence. Didn't they realize this was exactly what the sith wanted? The Jedi scattered and the younglings unprotected. If he were out there that's what he'd be doing in Maul's place, seeking out the vulnerable and playing them against each other, finding the strongest and bending them to his will to create a grand army of the sith, and hang the rule of two, he would be creating his own myth of the sith to see the order last a thousand years of war and conflict throughout the -

NO!, That wasn't what he wanted at all! Oh how his head ached, how he hated the ease with which his darker thoughts consumed his conscious mind. Without realizing what he was doing, he was banging his head to the wall with a steadily increasing force, the pain it generated draining all the pain and internal hiss of the mess Palpatine had left behind.

A warm hand was placed on his shoulder, but it quickly felt like a fire was burning through his flesh at the touch and he spun around swatting the offending hand away, wanting to be furious with the owner of the hand, only to look in complete shock on the Diner's owner.

"Dex!" he exclaimed at the appearance of his old friend and grabbed the basalisks shoulders to steady himself as he felt his body begin to shake, overwhelmed by the emotions he was feeling towards the heavily scarred Dex.

"Dex I.." he could feel his body heaving as great sobs of guilt, hurt, relief, frustration, so much his body and mind was having difficulties dealing with. He was suddenly thrown back to the small shuttle trapped in Maul's grip. There were four of them on that shuttle, weren't there? Where was Boba?

"Boba!" he gasped, feeling confused and constricted, "Where is he? Did Maul take him?" He began to scan his surroundings for the boy, still clutching Dex's shoulders. "I can't see him. What's the point of getting a new eye if I can't see anything! Is he safe?"

The concerned look Dex gave him was mistaken for pity and Ben pulled away from him.

"I don't need your pity, you old basalisk, just answer the question!"

"Which one?" Dex asked calmly to the startled Ben. He was still shaking, his head aching terribly and his fresh eye incredibly sore and scratchy. He shook his head and rubbed at his eyes coming back from the transport ship to find himself at the back of Dex's diner.

"Let's get you inside with a nice cup of Java juice, lad," said Dex softly and wrapped his arms around Ben for support.

"Don't patronize me!" exclaimed Ben, "I know you think I'm damaged somehow, that I can't cope with all this," and he waved his hands around at the small group gathered in the parking lot and then up to his new eye, "but I'm perfectly capable of seeing myself into a 2-bit diner."

He flung his arms around him, hugging himself after feeling suddenly terribly cold and very alone. They couldn't understand, none of them could, he was changing both physically and mentally and their looks of horror, pity and regret were tearing him apart. He just wanted them to leave him alone, he wanted to slip away, find somewhere quiet to meditate but he slumped along into the diner instead. He found a booth at the back of the joint and slid in deep into the corner, sliding down to rest his head on the leather cushion, hiding himself as much as possible from them. However, he couldn't help feeling that perhaps a Java juice wasn't such a bad idea.

The others entered quietly and sat together at the other end of the place, Nawe huddled in the corner with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders courtesy of Dex, who returned with steaming cups of Java juice for them all. He slid Obi-Wan's over the table to him, but got no response from the prone figure, so returned to the others at Yoda's request. Yoda and Asajj sat the other side of the booth to Nawe and Dex, neither talking for the moment, waiting for the maelstrom of Obi's presence to drift into sleep, which it did pretty quickly once he had settled down.

"So, what's the plan?" asked an exhausted looking Nawe. He'd lost a good amount of blood from his foot wound and it still pained him, but his mind was preoccupied with getting Obi of world and to people who could help him.

"I have a ship that might suit us," said Dex to the assembled group. He looked up to the booth where the limp body of his friend was lying, but a quick glance to Yoda told him the lad was not to be disturbed. It was clear the former captain needed to decide when he could face the group once again, and although it was a risk, Yoda was willing to take it. Obi-Wan might not want to come back to them, but Yoda had faith in the boy, even now, that he would choose the path leading back to his friends.

"Tell us of this ship, you must, but wrong something is, yes?"

Dex sighed, the gnome knew everything!

"Yes, master Yoda, the price for the ship is extremely high, even with my contacts and calling in all the old favors I have on this ghastly world. I'm afraid everyone wants to leave the planet and there just aren't enough transports, especially for our little mission here," and he pointed to Nawe and Obi.

Yoda nodded in agreement.

"Help with that, I can," he said and grinned at the four armed Dex.

/He's up to something/ thought Asajj casually, her thigh throbbing, but feeling better thanks to some guidance she had received from Padme during her stay on Tatooine. She wasn't about to ask the gnome for more help and he seemed OK with that.

A low moan from the hidden Obi-Wan had her attempting to leap up in concern, however, and she was about to go to him when Yoda laid his hand on her shoulder.

"Time it is not for your true reunion," he said quietly, "rest he needs and distance from us all for now, give him."

From the sounds he was making, he didn't seem to be getting any rest, but the gnome hadn't led her wrong yet and she'd learned a thing or two from him too since meeting him at the Jedi temple after all this craziness had ensued and they'd been thrown together to survive the Jedi Order dissolution. She was feeling pretty exhausted herself after so much exertion and her injuries so despite her desire to listen to the gnome and basalisk talk she found herself drifting off and quickly slumped into the seat and dozed off.

She was walking through shadows, and pulled back darkened curtains as she tried to find her way through the mirky surroundings. Someone was screaming, tormented by an unknown assailant and she knew she needed to get to them, whoever they were, they needed her.

She gulped down several breathes of air as she recognized the Nar Shaddar holding cell she had been dumped in during her ordeal with Dooku and paused in her journey. Maybe she didn't want to go any further inside, maybe those calls and cries were her own. She had not been able to completely recall her torment in this place and Padme had warned her that potential flashbacks might occur and there was always the fear in the back of her mind that the rage she had managed to control with the force sensitives she had been thrown in with recently would crash out of her and hurtle her back into the dark cycle Maul had wanted her to follow.

Another mournful, despairing cry of pain came from the cell ahead and she realized this was not her voice, it was far too deep, too masculine, too hauntingly familiar, she had caused such a scream to come from that throat, she vaguely remembered when trying to heal him herself in her confusion after the Krayt dragon attack.

She couldn't abandon him now, no matter what location she found herself in. She stepped forward cautiously, not really wanting to see her rescuer in torment, but feeling obligated to go to his aid. She edged to the cell door where his huddled form was twitching in between kicks and hits from another figure present. It was suddenly obvious to Asajj that both men were Kenobi and they had been fighting each other tooth and nail from the looks of things, but the one on the floor was the worse for wear at this point. Another scream came from that Kenobi on the floor as he was kicked savagely in the stomach, a spray of blackened blood emptying from his body. He looked up to see Asajj, his pale blue eyes glistening with tears and his skin covered in sweat. The other figure immediately spun around, it's yellow and red eyes gleaming through the bloodied and beaten face and he laughed out and then lunged at her, startling her to wakefulness.

She shot up out of her seat and rushed to Obi who was tossing and turning on his bench, shivering. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him awake, only to get blasted across the diner as he released a powerful force wave to shove the presence he felt shaking him as far away from himself as he could. The loud crash of her body hitting a table at the opposite end of the diner had all eyes focus on the recovering Obi.

He couldn't believe what he had done, staring for a moment at his outstretched hand, the horror of his actions on waking, once again hurting someone who was just trying to help him. He clambered from the booth and raced from the diner, desperate to get away from them all before someone, anyone else got hurt, or worse, he lost the battle inside himself allowing him to turn into the one thing he couldn't bear to become. He felt as beaten down as the dream had left him, the red/yellow eyed version of himself feeding off the aggression he had felt towards the hunters for harming his friends, and the frustration at finding Yoda and Ventress still in harm's way after the plan had been for them to flee. It never occurred to him that they had done that for his sake, rather it was further proof of the failure of his plan and he felt like another weight had landed on him.

He could sense his old teacher following him as he had started to wander through the Coruscant back streets, but he really didn't care. He was damned if he was going to acknowledge the interfering gnomes presence and the fact that there was no one around this part of town allowed him the freedom to continue his walk-about.

After wandering for a few more blocks, however, he stopped and hung his head, the weakness creeping back into his limbs and he breathed a heavy sigh. He sensed Yoda behind him still keeping his distance, waiting for Obi-Wan to make the first move.

/I'm still running away, aren't I? Even after all these years, I'm still running away from that fight, that moment of hate. And the little gnome knows it!/

He turned to see the Jedi master sitting on an upturned box, using his stick to push at a pile of discarded food containers.

"Hmph," he said, almost clearing his throat as Obi's attention was placed on him. "Always preferred 'old troll' to be thought of. Old gnome from where I do not know came."

Obi chuckled at the Master's words, feeling somehow comforted with the thought the master could sense them.

"I have to stop running," confessed Obi-Wan quietly, "but I'm not sure how to do that."

Yoda looked up at the disheveled visage of his former student. Dark and light forces were battling ferociously inside him and twisted around him, pulling him in every direction `to get a hold on his soul, but that beacon of force within Obi-Wan was still burning, just muted by the damage Sideous and Maul had inflicted on him. It was not a question of hope to save the young man at this point, but a question of time that the healing would need to get the Obi he knew existed, the one so much greater than the hacked up shell standing before him. And he smiled warmly, realizing that his affection for Obi-Wan was what the boy needed to see. He opened his arms and waited, never taking his eyes from the turbulent storms of Obi's, one dark blue, the other still a swirling mass of red and purple.

Obi was startled to see his master appearing so open to him. For a heart stopping moment the darkness within him swirled up, wanting to crush the creature in his own trick, but Obi knew better than to trust such feelings and took a tentative step forward, his face softening and the start of a smile creeping towards his features. Yoda took a step towards him and Obi knelt down to receive the embrace he desperately needed. This physical contact was a real booster to his internal strength and although still feeling generally exhausted, his mind seemed clearer and his limbs lost some of their heaviness and pain.

"First step, this is. Much work this will take. But at your side, always, will you find us."

"Us?" questioned Obi, but he felt her presence even before he looked up into her deep purple eyes full of concern.

"I'm so sorry," he blurted out, rising to move to her," Are you hurt?" and he scanned her body as she backed away a little, suddenly intimidated by his concern for her.

"I'm – " she began, but a lump was forming in her throat with the threat of tears not far behind. The dream had been bad enough, returning her to the scene of her torment and then to be confronted by the hateful persona of Kenobi had shaken her to the core. Her back still ached from where she had landed on the table after his throw, after she had only wanted to get him as far away from that place as she wished to get. So she was unsure how to approach him and had wanted to remain in the diner, but something had drawn her to him, a mutual pain she knew she could help him overcome if he would only accept her help. She stopped speaking, however, when she saw the look of genuine euphoric surprise on his face.

"You're talking!" he exclaimed and clasped her shoulder, "Of course you're talking! You were talking in the stairwell, I heard you myself. This is wonderful!" His genuine smile was like a wash of fresh energy through her system, she'd never felt anything like that before and she stood dumb struck in front of him just gazing into his eyes. A sense of relief swept over her and she was suddenly laughing uncontrollably at the ridiculously jubilant man before her. His infectious smile was the complete opposite from either visage from her dream and her only response to his sudden emotional change was her own uncharacteristic behavior, a laugh she wasn't even aware she could achieve. It broke all the tension that had been between them and he found himself laughing also.

Just as they both seemed to calm down, Yoda cleared his throat and they looked down on the old troll. His ears twitched, causing his white tufts of hair to fan out around his proportionally large head. They looked back at each other and immediately burst back into deep roles of laughter, tears streaming down their cheeks. For his part, the Jedi Master began to hobble back to the diner, confident the two would soon join him and the others.

"Hmph," he grumbled as he passed the pair, "Hungry I am. Yinpatta stew I need."

After a few more moments, Obi-Wan's breathing eased as he came down from the high created by his laughing. The tension was rising again between them, but he knew it would never be as bad as it had been earlier, and perhaps his self imposed cocoon could do with some cracks to let his friends in. That laugh from Vetntress was worth hearing again.

"I needed that, thank you." He said breathlessly.

"Me too," came Asajj's reply between her receding giggles, and she wiped the tears from her face. She knew he was still deeply hurting, but something had shifted him closer to her and she was determined to cling to any hold she could get on his light side. She would never see those red and yellow eyes within his face again.

"We should really find out what those three have been planning in our absence," said Obi and he too wiped his face with his hands, the tears having a cleansing effect on his skin, "and the thought of Yinpatta stew is too tempting to pass up."

They started the walk back to the diner in silence. For Obi it was because he just needed to find a moment of peace to himself without having to communicate with anyone. To him the silence was a comfort. To Asajj, it was more like a barrier between them that she wanted to break through, but knew it had to be Obi who did that. It was becoming uncormfortable for her, however and she finally broke the silence as she spoke softly.

"What is Yinpatta stew, anyway?"

"You've never had -?" came Obi's startled reply and he sighed, reaching over to place his arm around her shoulder, "well, you're in for a treat, it's the best stew in the galaxy. That'll put hairs on your head!"

And as the two companions made their way back to the diner ….

Grievous stalked through the medical frigate, his dark cape swept behind him. The click of his curled toes had the crew quickly shuffling out of his way as he moved through the ship. The detention section of the facility was teaming with insipid life as the captured force sensitive fugitives Maul had him accumulating were struggling with their droid minders, some fighting to maintain their Jedi nature, others writhing in desperation as the force was removed from their grasp by the drugs his work force was pumping into them. Each one was being isolated from their fellows in slightly different ways, all to test the best ways to bring the beings under control. They had only managed to secure five creatures so far, but the reports from Grievous networks were bringing in countless opportunities to exploit as more of the ex-Jedi were sent to their home worlds. They were becoming such easy prey and although Grievous was a warrior at heart and wanted to get back to the front lines of this expanding conflict, he could see the usefulness in his bosses experiments. There was a young Togruta female who was giving them some trouble, but Maul had singled her out early after they had found her defending the broken body of her master and she had taken out a full battalion of their droids before succumbing to their superior numbers. If Grievous felt admiration, he would have felt it for this child, but all he saw now was a potential lieutenant of exceptional quality that Maul could bring to full potential.

He continued through the ship to Maul's suite, where he found the sith once again submerged in the bacta treatment that was completing his healing. The wound to his stomach from the plating had almost killed the Zabrak and the skin around the closed wound still looked angry and inflamed. But the severed leg was much improved, he would be ready for the permanent prosthetic after the next treatment. He had spent the last two days, when out of the tank, getting the fitting correct and calibrating the servos to the perfect balancing point for his body. It was painstakingly tiring work, even for the sith lord who had become so frustrated at the lack of progress on one occasion that he had shattered his bacta tank with the twisted remains of one of the service droids Grievous had assigned to him. Needless to say, all the droids were now reticent to assist the sith, but what choice did they have? The two present now chatted to themselves over the changes they had made to Maul's specifications while he continued his healing.

Grievous waved his hand at them and they left the room as the general circled the tank contemplating breaking the news of Kenobi's escape to him. He couldn't put this off, Maul would undoubtedly find out and have his limbs removed rather more painfully and inconveniently than Grievous would like, so he ran his hand over the controls and Maul's eyes immediately shot open as his body floated to the top of the tank.

/This had better be good, Grievous/ he thought out to the general below him. Grievous was still finding this form of communication very disconcerting and shook his head to clear his thoughts as he felt the sith's presence billow over his mind. He had to cough violently for a few moments until he could regain his composure. His hatred of the Jedi Order had driven him to the separatist cause and Maul's assurances that he would be able to eradicate that Order had certainly come true, now the general merely craved revenge against those force sensitives who clung to the delusion of the Jedi way and Maul was allowing him to indulge his vengeance with their force sensitive captives, so the discomforts of Maul's leadership were tolerable, for now. The need for the mind intrusion was the breathing mask Maul refused to remove until he was completely free of the bacta treatment, finding it a tedious waste of time to remove the apparatus every time he had to descend from the tank.

"My lord," Grievous began, "Kenobi is missing on Coruscant, the senate let him slip through their fingers."

Maul's reaction surprised him. The sith chuckled in his head, it felt like ice picks piercing his soul and he shivered despite himself.

/What concern is this to me,/ Maul slipped back into the bacta, /What do I care for one lost soul within the maelstrom of talent that lies at my feet merely waiting to be scooped up and educated to the path of the sith. My new order will rise up to meet the fools who bathe themselves in the light even now and we will have a conflict to last millennia as we battle across this galaxy and the next. As for Kenobi, he will join us soon enough of his own free will, and I will have him crippled at my feet before I give you the pleasure of separating his head from his body. Now leave me in peace!/

The last sentence spiked within Grievous' mind to bring the general to his knees, as Maul established his dominance in their dynamic. The cyborg was unable to prevent the gasp escape his voice box as the spike within his mind continued to dig in deep, making sure the point was drummed home in the subordinate. Maul continued to chuckle as he sank back below the bacta surface and released the general from his mind. If Obi-Wan thought to escape him so easily, he was sorely mistaken, their end game was about to begin and he could feel the dark side of the force throbbing with anticipation at their final confrontation.


	64. Chapter 64

_Ranger Do'Urden: Thanks for the review, it's reviews that get me motivated to write more and get updates out there. Now that the semester is over and grading is finished I can get down to the work of getting more done on this. I meant what I wrote about the endgame for Obi and Maul and it's my goal to get this done before the next Clone Wars episode on the 6__th__ Jan. I know there is a big Maul thing going to happen and I would like this done so I'm not overly influenced by that when it comes out. Oh, and a very Merry Christmas to you too!_

_Linnup: Ooh, I hate it when that happens! But the fact that you took the time to post anything is greatly appreciated, so thank you so much. Dear old Obi has some stuff still to deal with, but I'll let you into a little secret…(whispers low into computer keyboard!)…I hate sad endings!_

_Beloved Daughter: Wow, that was a speedy review, thank you! I only posted the thing a few hours ago! Anyhoo, I thought that might surprise people having those two show up as partners. I also liked the idea of Asajj and Nawe working together and I might do more with that, we'll have to see… And as for Boba, well…_

**OK, so before I get reviews s#$ting on me for Jango's back story, let me explain that I took some of it from the SW:Bouty Hunter game and added some stuff of my own to account for the switch of Maul being alive and Dooku not involved in the whole clone building process. Some characters do not appear as shown on the box! Also, consider Ahsoka to be younger and less experienced than the one we see in Clone Wars.**

"And is that the last they've heard?" asked the young Boba of the clone trooper in front of him.

"Yes, S-," Boba cringed as the trooper began to call him "Sir", but the trooper corrected himself, "I mean, yes, Boba, Kenobi and Nawe are nowhere to be found and Dex has gone silent."

Boba looked thoughtfully out of the Kamino base window at the undulating waves as they crashed against the pilons beneath the super structure. Surrounded by his brothers he had thought he would never feel alone, but he felt more alone and isolated than ever before and although the faces around him were all known to him, he was swimming in a sea of strangers as unfathomable to him as the raging sea beneath him. He turned back to the familiar face of the trooper, seeing the slightly older version of himself.

"Well, let me know the moment you hear anything and keep all our communications open for any news, whether it's from Coruscant or Tatooine. Something big is coming and I want us prepared for it."

"Yes, Sir!" the trooper said once again on automatic pilot, "Oh, erm, sorry S- er Boba S- I mean,"

"Please, just go," said the growing boy and he smiled grudgingly at the trooper as he left. A chuckle from the other side of the room had him turning to see Jango still working on the new uniform plans.

"It's not that funny," he said moving to see how the designs were looking.

"Oh, yes it is," said Jango, satisfied with his work, "Your brothers never treated me with this much respect, Boba, you should feel honored by their show of it."

"But I don't deserve it, all I did was say a few well chosen words, your words, in fact."

"Arr, but I didn't say them. You did, and that makes all the difference to them."

"They're all at least twice my age!" exclaimed Boba, gesturing in the direction the last trooper had disappeared down.

"And you've already seen more than any of them will ever see in their lifetimes! At least I hope they won't see such things." Jango had been truly devastated when, on his reunion with his son, Boba had told him that Maul had shown him the truth behind who this Boba was. They had been distant ever since, Boba finding it very hard to trust Jango and craving terribly the open company he got from Ben. Jango had known that the boy would form a strong bond with the former Jedi, he was just surprised it was as strong as it was and felt tremendously jealous of the man, even though he was absent from their community.

As Boba's ship had left the atmosphere of Coruscant, he had remained by Ben's side as the medics fussed over the ailing man, but the planet's security had sent the bridge crew into a panic for no reason Boba could fathom and the clones had insisted he head for the bridge. That had been the moment that the small group of loyalist clones had slipped away with Ben and the republic guard who had impaled Ben. Dex had stepped in to stop Boba from launching a full on rescue attempt at that instant. He had pointed out that now that Ben was in republic custody there was no way they would hand him over without a fight that would see Boba's brothers slaughtered. He had promised to stay on the surface, revealing his ownership of a small diner that had been a front for his dealings for years. Boba could remember his shock at the admission as this was the first he had heard of it from the basalisk, but knowing how the creature worked it made total sense that he would have a hand in the goings on of Coruscant, and what better way to do business than at a diner.

'Always keep some secrets for a rainy day' had been Dex's reply with a wink as he had disappeared from the ship in one of the escape pods. He had promised to keep Boba apprised of all news from Coruscant, but they hadn't heard anything from him in days. It was becoming obvious to Boba that their communications were being monitored from somewhere outside of the planet and that worried him even more, but it made sense that Dex would remain hidden then if he also suspected such a thing.

As for the Kaminoans, they had put up no resistance whatsoever to the clones taking over the facilities and creating their own nation. The Kaminoans themselves were an innately peaceful people, despite their exceptional training techniques in all forms of warfare. It was clear that Maul had supplied them with much of the training materials they had used on his brothers, but it was their unique teaching styles that had created the army of warriors that he now had at his disposal. A lesser man would have seen this as his opportunity to exploit such in built loyalty in his brothers, but Boba was finding it all very disturbing and humbling that they would have placed all their faith in him after the unlocking of their subtle programming. This was why he needed Ben, he would know how to deal with this all, he could direct them properly, give them advice and lead them to whatever it was they needed to be led to.

"Maul will be coming for us, won't he?" he asked his dad. Jango put down his plans and looked up at the son who had changed so much in the last few weeks. He was taller and loosing that chubbiness to his features that the pre-adolescent clones still had. He had forgotten that this Boba was aging as his fellow clones were, not as the boy he had asked of Maul had been. Jango cursed himself for having to place so much on a five year old boy who was still coming to terms with his status in this new dynamic. He nodded in response.

"And the republic, and the separatists," he sighed heavily, "we really have made some enemies, haven't we!"

"It's not our fault!" exclaimed Boba, "surely the senate at least can see that! If anything we're withdrawing from all this, we just want to be left alone!"

"But as far as they are concerned from what they believe of Palpatine's propaganda, our nation was bought and paid for with republic credit. They feel that we owe them our very existence and so our loyalty."

"Doesn't that amount to slavery? I thought the republic was against that sort of thing!"

"I'm no politician, Boba, but I would guess that's not how they see this situation. We are a commodity, at best, in their eyes, and nothing more. Cannon fodder to face their threats so they don't have to get their hands dirty."

"Well, they'll have to get them dirty now. We're not at their beck and call, we're beings just like everyone else." Boba moved away from the man called 'father', but it sounded so tainted, he couldn't bring himself to call him that.

"Why did you do it, Jango, why did you agree to make us?"

Jango tried to hide the pain of hearing his son call him 'Jango' like that, but Boba saw the hurt he'd caused immediately and looked away, ashamed of his words, but still unable to call the man anything else right now.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, "I just can't.."

"It's alright Boba," said Jango sadly, "You have a right to know my motivations, and perhaps you'll understand me a little better. That can only be for the good, right?"

Boba shivered in the cool air of the facility. Everything was so prickly between them, the wound Maul had inflicted on them both with his vicious actions still hanging between them, but Jango hoped this would ease things a little between them, feeling that Boba was prepared for the truth of his words.

"I was a man of aimless pursuits, wondering the galaxy and bargaining lives away that were not my own and I was very good at it. I had no ties, no worries and I liked it, a free agent in a galaxy that was trying to bring everything under one order, the republics order and I could seamlessly slip between the lines, just trying to find my way in the universe. But it was never enough, I took on more missions, more dangerous bounties, trying to find something to fill the hole inside myself. I had a Toyderian spotter, Roz I called her, I'd set up on a hidden base who was annoying as hell, but she was the closest thing I had to family and was my constant after every job, after every adventure, she was there to praise my victory or pick up the pieces."

"Pick up the pieces?"

"More times than I'll ever admit! She knew what was missing from my life and I was too blind to get her hints until it was too late. You see, there was this job I started, just a simple recon and recov in the beginning, but it developed into something much more complicated. It was a test, an elaborate test that Maul was putting me through to offer me the ultimate prize, to be the template for a new breed of warrior. Imagine the ego boost! Of course, I wasn't the only test subject, there was another, a man called Montross. He killed Roz and I realized I had no one, nothing left. Suddenly, the money, the fame, nothing had any meaning for me anymore and I realized I needed something, someone in my life to care for, to protect and someone to care for me. That was you and your brothers, Boba, all of you. I had to pass Maul's test, if only to have someone to pass on my knowledge to. And see the work that has been done here, we've built a nation together!"

"And the first Boba?" asked the young clone, "Would you tell me about him." Both Jango and this Boba had been trying to bring this up since their reunion, but this was the first time either of them was in the place to deal with their feelings on the issue. Although Jango's face looked sad, Boba could see a light in his eyes as he began recalling the infant he had cared for, a light that had been in Jango's eyes whenever he looked on this Boba, until the child had revealed what he knew about his past and Maul's cruel trick at revealing the truth. Secretly, Boba hoped his father would look on him again with that light and perhaps this was the start of that journey back to the mutual affection and trust they had experienced before all the horror of their parting.

"Well, I became a father, literally overnight! The Kaminoans were amazingly patient with me as I struggled to raise yo-, I mean raise him," the slip struck a chord of hurt in them both, but Boba held fast, wanting to hear this finally, wanting the love to return to their relationship and so Jango continued, seeing the strength in this Boba so reminiscent of the original and feeling closer to him than he had in a long time.

"He was all limbs, I remember, and could get into anything and everything, but was so quiet, so observant. The first time he threw a tantrum was a complete surprise and mystery to me and the only thing that would calm him down was –"

"The Tilian lullaby!" exclaimed Boba, as a memory of the song came to him, a memory from the long dead Boba's mind, but he found it mingling with one of Jango singing that to him while he tended to his wounded arm on Geonosis while Ben was fixing his Naboo communicator to contact Dooku for the first time. Here was his father, the father of his brothers, a man who had done everything to protect his family, everything physically possible. He had been prepared to sacrifice his life for the boy and his brothers and he had even made sure that Boba had someone to take care of him when he was gone.

"Would you sing that for me now?" he asked tentatively, to which Jango looked on him now with that light in his eyes Boba desperately craved. And he opened his arms to receive his son.

"Yes," he breathed out with a relief that filled the room and calmed the storm outside, "yes, of course."

Boba ran into his father's arms and held on tight as his father began the song that he knew so well.

-NNN-NNN-NNN-

It was pitch black in the room, but the feeling of fresh air flowing through it meant it had to be vast. The droids had dumped Ahsoka there some time ago and she had huddled in on herself once they had left, feeling only the cold of the floor through her leku and damp skin. This dark was in complete contrast to the brilliant white of her cell where she had been unable to sleep under its gaze. Not that sleep was something she really wanted to do anyway. Whenever she slept she would see the decaying face of her former master looming over her and telling her how low she had sunk, how much of a failure she was, how unworthy of the Jedi she was. Just as he seemed to be there now in this oppressive darkness that she couldn't escape.

"Do you know why you are here?" a voice asked much more closely to her head than she liked and she whipped around in the dark to find the source, even lashing out with a force push away from herself. But nothing seemed to be there and she huddled into herself again.

"I'll ask again," came the voice a little more distant this time, "do you know why you are here?"

"I.." she started to say quietly, but she was determined to show that famous defiance that had seen her almost sent to Bandomeer rather than claim a Master. "I suppose I'm here to die."

The laugh was not a pleasant sound, it rattled through her bones as it sank in around her and the darkness.

"Perhaps," came the reply and she shivered, "but certainly not before we've had a chance to get to know each other." She heard something rattled across the floor and she instinctively scurried away from the sound, only to feel the cold metal of a saber hilt gently hit her knee. He clasped it in her hands and raised it up, lighting it and holding it out to try to see more of the room.

"An impressive training blade for one so young," came the voice in the darkness, "your master must have been very pleased when you created that one."

She swung it around in the direction of the voice, but only the swish of the blade was the sound in the room.

"The question is, did he show you how to use it?"

The red blade shot down at her without warning and she had only milliseconds to defend herself from the heavy blow. She wasn't as strong as her classmates, but she was fast, always had been and slipped underneath the blow with her blade raised high to deflect it. She could feel that this had not been the full force attack her assailant was capable of, but he was clearly testing her abilities, probably looking for weaknesses for a final strike.

The red blade had extinguished immediately after her move and she was left in the green light of her own blade again. She looked around, reaching out with the force to try to pinpoint the attacker, but ever since arriving on this ship she had had trouble with her force skills. She suspected they were being dulled on purpose, but why they hadn't been removed from her completely was a mystery to her, until now. Now it was clear this connection was being tested also.

The red blade shot out at her again and she swiftly ducked and parried the blade away from her as it came to rain down a series of increasingly powerful blows. She found herself drawing on the force even more, clasping out for her connection to it and reaching within herself to fend off the blows. The more she fought, the more she could feel the force flowing through her limbs, coming back to her being and guiding her movements. She had always excelled in saber class and it was showing as she took to making more advanced moves. A swelling pride in her own abilities was giving her confidence in her moves as the two blades danced together. She began over reaching her position, trying to gain the upper hand in the fight and found the tables turning in her favor. Now she was no longer defending herself, she was aggressively pursuing the blade as it backed away from her in increasingly desperate back peddling away from her growing power.

Suddenly the blade was gone again and she stumbled forward onto the cold floor, breathing heavily, the sweat beading on her face and dripping down her leku.

"Most impressive," cooed the voice, some distance away from her and, she realized, completely unphazed by the fight. She also realized that the blade had not been held by anyone, it had been floating through the fight, guided by the force in it's assault on her. "I can see why Master Plo took you as his apprentice."

"Don't speak his name!" she screamed as she lashed out at the disembodied voice around her. Her anger even surprised herself and she suddenly felt the coldness of the room oppressively constrict her body to a crumpled heap on the floor, wracking her form with heavy sobs as she remembered the death of her beloved master. He had fought so valiantly at her side as the droids kept coming and coming on them within their hidden cave. And then HE had come, the cyborg menace that she had seen on the holovids before they had left the temple for this disastrous mission. He had twisted and flipped around them while the droids continued their onslaught and to protect his padawan, Master Plo had given his life, sliding off the cyborgs four blades when the monster had been done with him. Ahsoka had tried, how she had tried to stop him, but Greivous had wrenched her blade from her fingers and thrown her into the waiting grip of the numerous battle droids. With a rage she had not known she was capable of, she had ripped herself free of their grasp and shredded metal from metal in an attempt to destroy every droid that had dared to touch her grieving form. Her face off with Greivous, however, had been a disaster. Her anger made her sloppy and wreckless, and he had quickly reduced her to an unmoving carcass under his metal foot. She had woken in the bacta tank on the separatist ship surrounded by battle droids, all strength removed from her body.

"What is it with former Jedi and their master's names?" asked Maul as he approached the shivering child. "You'll have to get over it if you want to survive here." And he lit his blade now securely in his grasp.

"Maybe I don't want to survive," said Ahsoka quietly and unmoving on the floor now beneath him.

"Really," he replied, and he brought his blade down to slice off her head. She instinctively rolled away and her blade was lit to hold his at bay.

"Seems your body is under a different impression," and he smiled down at her, which surprised and angered her at the same time. Now that he had a face she could look into, she saw only a target for her aggression and lashed out in earnest at the visage which merely bobbed and weaved away from her moves, barely lifting his blade to defend himself from her wild attack.

"You have strength and aggression on your side, but you lack the skills to use them to your advantage," he said as she continued to advance and swing at him.

"Let's see how far you can really take this," and he switched on the other half of his blade to spin into her attacks. Immediately he saw the change in her moves to accommodate the new blade, which had him even more intrigued with this adept child. She was truly amazing to watch as her fear was transformed to fuel her attacks into him. He let her lead the fight as they danced around the training room for a good half hour, until he noticed the sag in her shoulders cause her blade not to arch as high as it had and not punch at his blades as strongly.

Now it was his turn to show her what anger and aggression could do as he powered into his attacks with increased fervor. She was stunned as she was forced to stumble back under his blows and the fear began to truly rise within her eyes as she was driven back to the wall of the training room.

"Good, good," Maul continued to attack as he guided her thinking, "now you feel it, the fear within you building. So use it, take me down with it, hit me back with the power you feel welling in that fear, release it into your blade and strike me down with it!"

She couldn't help it, it was such a powerful feeling, it was so easy to just lash that to her blades and find the power to push him back and away from her. But she couldn't, she knew what this led to, what this fight was all about, the fight of the light versus the dark. It was all too easy to give over herself to that feeling of victory quickly won by allowing her fear to consume her and lash out at the sith before her. And she couldn't do it.

Maul saw the hesitation in the child and relished the thought that she had been so close, but she needed to be taught that chances were fleeting and action was needed. He slapped her hard across the face, sending her reeling across the floor way from him. Her blade had slipped from her hands with the shock of the blow and skittered across the floor. He then lifted her up off the floor and pulled her to him, the force grip around her throat constricting her breathing. He called her blade to his hands and clipped it to his belt.

"Well, that was most exhilarating, Miss Tano, and an excellent place to begin, my young apprentice,' he squeezed at her throat as he called her that. "But you still have much to learn, so I suggest you sleep on what we have started here as your true training begins tomorrow."

He released his hold on her and she sank to the floor where he left her in the dark to listen to her inner demons.


	65. Chapter 65

_Beloved Daughter: Glad you liked that! I had been planning to catch up with Jango and Boba so that seemed as good a time as any and I think it turned out pretty well. And I like your line! I can totally see Obi saying something like that! As for the Ahsoka thing, I wasn't going to go there, but then I thought, what the-the-heck I've pretty much included all the other major players I never thought I'd get to so there it is. I also like the idea of Mauls actions mirroring Obi's comments about what he would be doing in Maul's place, so that was nice to bring that in. I just hope the process is plausible to the characters…_

_Linnup: I know, It's a pretty big spoiler alert, but I'm notorious for reading those things and as I said, it's just not my style to end things sadly. Ooh, nicely spotted with the blades thing! I always loved the purple blade of Mace, and I thought it would be appropriate for a former sith teetering on the edge of that light/dark barrier to have similar colored blades, but I honestly hadn't considered the Ilum situation regarding blade crystals. So she could either have slipped off world and retrieved them, or she could have picked them up from a stash at the temple! I will have to think about that! Apologies for not following through with my idea. Maybe I'll have Obi question her about that and an answer will be more forthcoming from the character! As for bounty hunters, funny you should mention that! I love that you think I can pull off adding more characters, so thanks for the vote of confidence, it got me back to the keyboard with this and gave me an idea that will pop up very soon! And lastly, dear old Maul, well, I wouldn't say he's channeling Sideous so much as just using his training and adapting that training to his own needs. He's had that extra ten years to mature and see how Sideous manipulates people, so I can see him using that in his training, rather than just brute force. It's a fine line between the light and dark as far as I read things, and with a new order of Sith and Jedi emerging from all of this, there will be influences from all over the place. But I don't see Maul as channeling Sideous, rather accessing the knowledge passed down to him from Sideous and using that to his advantage. Does that make sense? Let me know if you'd like more on this and I can send a private message that might explain it further, I just don't want this to get too heavy in a review thingy! But It's certainly an interesting question and got me really thinking about the differences between these two Sith personalities._

_It has occurred to me that I never wrote how to pronounce Nawes name! Think of it as "Nar-Way" so following the Nabbo tradition of the letter e at the end of the name pronounced as '-ay'. Just thought I'd through that in there as I was starting to write this and looked at the word for a while._

_OK, so once again I've waffled on about stuff probably much longer than I need to! Anyone got any good message board suggestions for my waffle! It would probably lead to better thought out plot-hole fillers! And boy am I concerned about what you think of the plot in this one! Let me know if the Anakin sequence is convincing, 'cause if it's not I'll go back and re-write it…somehow…_

The news from Coruscant drifting through the holo-net had moved on from the escape of Kenobi from the senate building to the sudden disappearance of the Hero of the Republic from his hospital room. The story was broken by his medical staff after, it was revealed, the republic ruling council had attempted a cover-up. A medic called Kravis had found a blood bath of local bounty hunters and independently paid security enforcers littering the Hero's room and hallway leading to an even more grizzly scene in a stair well where several victims, once again identified as local bounty hunters, had been found with their throats ripped out. Burns on many of the victims had been confirmed as those seen from the use of a lightsabre, and no sign of the Hero had been found. An initial investigation had claimed that the hunters had been hired to protect the Hero, but two survivors came forward with claims that they had been hired to kill the man, Nawe, and they had witnessed the sabre wielder be the one protecting the Hero. Further investigative reporting and a number of strange tip-offs to several holo-net news providers had lead the conspiracy back to the temporary council. The conspiracy was continuing to unravel as more people began speaking out against Councilor Ameda and his two cohorts and they saw their tenuous grip on power begin to collapse around them, plunging the republic even further into its demise. Martial law was being threatened over the people of Coruscant, but with the number of clones willing to enforce such laws dwindling as more and more of them defected to their newly forming nation, and the republic guard stretched to its limits the threat was pretty weak. For all intense and purposes, there was no longer a republic of planets standing proudly in the night, and a new volume of history was beginning.

++Forward++Forward++Forward++Forward++

Boba sat in front of the holo-projector, looking at the blinking light urging him to turn it on. He stood up and paced the room for the third time before sitting down to stare back at the projector. He was dreading the contents of the message that had been sent to him privately. It had been encoded from the planet Serenno and had the seal of Count Dooku's family on it. The projector was rotating the recognizable image as it waited for him to respond.

"It came in this morning, Boba," had said his brother, Dogma, excitedly. At first Boba had hoped it was a message from Dex, everything still being disturbingly quiet from the republic capitol, but Dogma had quickly assured him this was not from a republic relay transmitter. "and it's for your eyes only, really specifically! I brought it to you as soon as I had the whole thing downloaded." And the young clone had handed him the data crystal. Boba, however, was reticent to open it. He had been instrumental in Dooku's death, after all! He had been there on the podium moments before the old man had flung himself into attacking the Chancellor of the republic, so he was not looking forward to having to explain his inaction on the Counts behalf to the Counts family. But his curiosity got the better of him and he flipped the button to play the message, taking in a deep breath and wincing slightly at the possible ear bashing he was about to receive.

An unfamiliar woman's face appeared on the screen, but there was nothing threatening in her expression. There certainly was a sense of authority, however, that he got from her appearance and she held herself very straight and tall as she spoke to him through the projection.

"Master Boba Fett, my name is Mina Bonteri, acting President of the separatist regime and long time friend to Ryn Dooku." Boba remembered Ben mentioning that the Count used that name with his close friends. "Forgive my forward approach, but you are the only contact I have within your community and my message is urgent. Firstly, I hope to alleviate some of your understandable apprehension at my communiqué by informing you that the political arm of the separatist organization wishes you and your newly formed nation no ill will. We stood behind Ryn when he looked to settle our disputes peacefully and he informed me personally of your mission to the capitol and the confrontation with the traitor Palpatine. That creature was able to deceive a galaxy and it has been hard to keep our own group from crumbling as the republic has begun to, but we have prevailed and will not fall to the deceits of Grievous and his new master. I assure you we have severed all ties to the droid forces that Grievous confiscated and the droid manufacturing factories on Geonosis have remained silent while they determine the extent of control our former General has over the droids. We have other resources for our defense and I have been given the separatist senates full support in asking you to consider the protection our collective systems can provide you and your brothers if your require assistance. I can understand your reticence at accepting such an offer, considering your nations original purpose, but consider this an offer of friendship, with the obligations of mutual success rather than servitude as the republic no doubt requires of you. Your nation's expertise will be invaluable to those among us unused to the hardships of conflict and we are willing to negotiate terms for an exchange of information and personnel to facilitate as smooth a transition into state hood for your people as we can offer. This is obviously a matter on which you will wish to digest and seek advice from your people and so I leave the next step in our relationship in your capable hands. Please feel free to discuss this matter with your advisors, and I look forward to hearing from you or your representatives soon."

The speech left Boba completely stunned, this was the last thing he was expecting from the message, but the woman had not finished and her face took on a sadness that was unexpected to Boba and he looked more intently to her visage as she continued.

"The second matter I need to address is of a far more personal nature. I have been asked by the Royal court of Serenno to ask you to attend the formal funeral and testament reading of my dear friend Count Ryn Dooku. The republic has refused to release his body to the court, but a formal ceremony will take place once all the beneficiaries to his testament can attend. I have been informed that the last two beneficiaries who have not been contacted are yourself and an Obi-Wan Kenobi. In contacting you, I believe a message can be sent to the missing man in question and I would request that you do so as soon as you can. It is imperative that Master Kenobi attend, which brings me to my third reason for contacting you. I would have you relay the message that he and any of his kind will find a safe haven within the folds of the separatist regime at this time. The Jedi are not our enemy and it is clear to us now that they never were, but part of the treacherous manipulation Palpatine held around himself. Our young force sensitive children are in dire need of guidance if they are to avoid a life of exploitation, and the Jedi offer their best chance at that. I know this is a lot to lay upon your shoulders, young man, but you have proven a great ally to my dear friend, Ryn, and you are my only link to Master Kenobi and his kind. Please relay my message with the assurance that the separatist regime can be a powerful ally to you, your people and the Jedi. Good luck with your newly freed people and may the force be with us all."

Boba sat back as the gravity of the message began to sink in and the image of the woman faded.

He stood up quickly and headed out of the room to his father's study, message crystal in hand.

"Dad," he called, "you have to see this. Dogma!" he yelled, and Dogma shot his head in through the door. "Contact Skywalker on Tatooine and get me Dex on the line even if you have to go to Coruscant and attach his arms to the holo-projector yourself!"

-Next—Next—Next—Next-

The room was spinning above him and around him in a swirling mix of grey, brilliant red and vibrant green. No, it wasn't the room that was spinning, it was the senate booths as they whistled around their heads, the three combatants whirling around the senate floor, booths flying around them as the force maelstrom erupted around them and through them. Blades flashed in front of his eyes, once red, once green, once blue, all pale against the vast open space between them in one instant and then glaringly bright and heated as they flew to each other spiraling in and out of range as the force tornado they had formed together wrestled to grapple them each in turn and plummet them to the ground.

Anakin gasped at the weight of the situation upon him as the chancellor sailed passed his head, red blade narrowly missing his torso as Anakin's booth swerved to avoid the cackling sith.

"Yes, you glorious fools, strike me down with all of your hatred! And see your republic burn!" exclaimed Palpatine as he swung around again, blocking an attack from the weakening Dooku. Anakin saw an opening and leapt for the distracted chancellor's booth as the siths back was turned, but the lightening striking his chest told him how wrong he had been, the sith prepared for the move. He seemed prepared for everything, every trick Anakin could think of was just wasting his energy away as the battle raged. Anakin crumpled to his knees as the stream of heated energy crackled through him, fusing his mechanical arm to his saber as he thrust the unwanted energy out of his system the quickest way he could. His scream echoed around the space, coming back to slap him in the face it seemed as the power coursing through him was suddenly gone. It allowed him to recover enough to see Palpatine staring at his severed arm in disgust, the sith's blade buried deep in Dooku's chest as the Count's swing continued up through the arc it had been traveling to severe the limb. Anakin was swift in his final swing and took the head clean off the sickening creature known as Palpatine and it disappeared over the edge of the booth, as did the body of Dooku as it slipped down the blade and into the oblivion below them. And Anakin could feel his body follow them, falling down into the blackness of swirling booths as they began collapsing on themselves, crushing each other under their collective weights. He twisted up to look back at the booth he had come from, only to see the headless body of Palpatine rise up, open its arms and lunge at him, the sith's scream erupting from the gaping hole in its neck.

Anakin leapt up from the bed, shaking from the nightmare once again haunting his sleep. He sat on the side of the bed and placed the palms of his hands over his eyes, the cold metal of his right hand stinging his cheek and he winced as he let go with that hand. Padme was immediately at his side, having woken up sensing her husband's continued distress and she came to kneel in front of him, brushing his hands from his face completely so that her own could replace them and she could wipe away the thin film of sweat that had accumulated there.

"Again?" she asked, to which he merely nodded, eyes still closed and breathing slowing to a more controlled attitude. She nodded also and moved to hug him, holding him close knowing that this physical reassurance was what he needed in that moment. They held each other for a while as Anakin continued to bring his breathing down and their mutual bond through the force calmed the waves of emotion running through Anakin.

Padme backed off from him and clasped his face in her hands again, a warm smile across her features. "Alderanian Black Tea," she said earnestly and waited for him to nod once before getting up and taking him by the hand to their little kitchen. Since returning to Tatooine to hide from the raging republic, the pair had set up a temporary encampment for the running Jedi with the help of the Sand people tribe and Anakin's step-father. With a pining Krayt dragon as protection, none of the locals had given them any trouble and left them to their own devices so far, but they both knew that wouldn't last. Someone would sell them out before too long and they needed a more permanent home for the young ones. Anakin's greatest concern was that the Hutts would intervene and the sooner they were off world the better. As for their temporary accommodations, Padme had snuck Anakin out of the camp to the little homestead they had discovered while Obi-Wan had been with them, even if it was for just one night, she had assured Anakin. She could sense how drained he had been from the battle with Palpatine and the dark taint left behind from the encounter that anyone facing such a foe would surely suffer through. The dreams had started the first night they had come to Tatooine after the Tantive IV had dropped Anakin off on Naboo and he had been whisked away to the desert planet as soon as Padme had received word of his escape from Coruscant. Padme was still unclear as to how the senate ship of her dear friend, Bail Organa, had come to be in the possession of her exhausted husband as Anakin was unconscious when he had been returned to her, and only through her careful administering of her force healing had she been able to bring him back to her.

The dreams were replaying the scenario of his and Dooku's battle with Palpatine in intertwined snippets of memory and imagining that mingled to give a confusing picture of the events that day. Bail had been unable to accompany the craft as he was trying to get Kenobi and Nawe the help they needed and had chosen to remain on Coruscant to oversee the transition process, but his crew had made it clear the people of Alderaan were still the allies of the Jedi despite any official statement to the contrary. It was good to know they still had friends in the republic, even if that republic was crumbling before everyone's eyes.

She had Anakin sit at the small table while she busied herself with the tea. As soon as the bag opened the aroma filled the small space, reminding her of Captain Antilles words of encouragement to her in the note he had left with the small bag of leaves. Now she let the tea brew as she moved to the table herself and sat opposite Anakin and held his hands in hers. He looked up with his tired, but smiling face.

"Show me," she said gently and for a moment he looked pained, but his features relaxed as he leant forward. She did the same and their foreheads touched. He sighed at the warm touch of her skin to his chilled head and he relaxed even further as the bond on her end of things blossomed out to greet his troubled thoughts and the dream spilled from his memory into her own. At first, he had been very concerned about such an open connection concerning these nightmares of his, but he quickly realized his mind needed a release other than merely flowing them through the force and out of his system, he needed help understanding many of the images the dreams presented him with and he was thankful for the smooth communication their bond afforded them, never having been the best at verbal communication. The cycle of the dream cascaded out of his mind and together they allowed the cleansing wash of the force to guide their emotions away from the images so that they could separate the strong emotions from what they saw and piece together the truth of what happened to Anakin and Ryn.

This was the first time Ryn had appeared as himself in the dreams. Before this his persona had taken on the form of a young Obi-wan, a crushed Yoda and a tall proud Qui-Gonn. Also, the circumstances surrounding his death had previously been blurred or concealed or not even taking place within the dream sequence, just a stomach plunging knowledge of his demise at some crucial moment in the history. The look of anguished resignation on the elder man's face this time assured Anakin that he was seeing Ryn's final moments, and the horrid realization that the man sacrificed his own life so that Anakin could take the fatal shot at Palpatine was threatening to draw Anakin into a pit of guilt over his assessment of the Count's behavior towards them all. Padme was there to guide him away from the dark places his mind wanted him to languish in, by showing him within their shared vision, the situation reversed, with Anakin now the one sacrificing himself for the killing move Ryn could perform. The two former Jedi had gone into that room with one purpose, and though it pained her greatly to admit it and re-show it to her dear husband, that purpose had been to defeat Palpatine or die trying. There were no other outcomes to their scenario. The force surrounded the pair in their grief and together they allowed it's cleansing flow to wash over them, it's reassuring drift giving them the peace they needed after such a traumatic experience.

As they resurfaced from their meditation together, the tea aroma settled in their noses again and Padme took a moment to press her hand to Anakin's cheek before rising and getting their tea.

"So, that's how they died," she said quietly settling back into the seat, "Dear Ryn," she sighed out heavily. "Obi-Wan should know." She sipped at the steaming liquid as the last images of the dream came to her mind where Palpatines torso rose from the booth. "But I'm not sure about that last part, that couldn't have happened, surely?"

Anakin didn't look up but stared into his dark tea for a moment. "It's a sign that the dark side is merely rising once again, that by removing Palpatine we took off the head of the beast, but the body still remains and intends to grow a new head."

"You mean Maul?"

Still staring at the tea, Anakin took in a deep breath. "I hope so."

"What do you mean, you hope so? Who else could it be?"

"We have a lot of lost Jedi out there, Padme," he said as he gazed out of the small window. "And we both know that the dark side envelops young minds seductively and quickly." He turned back to look on her beautifully calming face, her dark brown eyes allowing him to focus his thoughts into a crystal clarity only Padme's gaze ever allowed him to achieve. "Maul is our biggest threat at this moment, but imagine the harm he can wreak upon the galaxy of lost force sensitives. There are no rules any more, we are the proof of that, you and I and our relationship here. The Jedi have to change and see that family and familial attachment is the pure expression of love we need to keep us in the light, but if we are changing, then the sith will too. There is no need for a rule of two in the chaotic construct that Maul wishes to descend upon our galaxy. The rule of two is the antithesis of chaos, that's kind of why they came up with it in the first place, to prevent the sith from fighting amongst themselves rather than against the Jedi, but without the Jedi, the sith can battle it out against each other across the universe for all they care, and just spread more chaos. Palpatine was all about control, that's why the senate is crumbling without him, because he had so much power over them all, now they have lost the one thing that held them together. But Maul couldn't care less about that kind of power. He wants them fighting amongst themselves. He –"

Anakin stopped for a moment as both he and Padme felt a ripple of something through the force, something distant but inviting.

"Boba," they both said together, and their faces lit up at their mutual intuition. Anakin rose from the table, finishing off his tea and taking Padme's empty cup.

"I'll clean up, you let them know at the camp we're on our way," he said and Padme nodded her approval.

"Very domesticated, aren't we!" she said poking fun at her usually messy husband.

"Yeah," he said as Padme headed for the communicator, "only problem with this bond we share is I get all of your obsessive cleaning habits rolling around in here." and he tapped his head as he cleaned the cups and emptied out the tea pot. "Besides, Alderanian Black tea smells great when first brewed, but leave it out too long and it smells like Dug dung!"

"Anakin!" said an exasperated Padme as she turned on the communicator.

"Well, it does," said Anakin under his breath as he continued with his chores.

==Further On==Further On==Further On==

Obi-wan was finding it harder and harder to stay awake. His stomach was full of warm, comforting stew, and the Java Juice was not doing its usual job of keeping him from nodding off. The low murmuring of his companions and the humming of the run-abouts engines wasn't helping either. As they flew to the industrial district where Dex's transport was waiting, Asajj was relating her and Yoda's time on planet once again to an enthusiastic Nawe. Obi couldn't help noticing how attentive young Nawe was to her words. But, amusing as it was, it didn't stop his eye lids from drooping. Of course, as soon as his eyes did close, he was confronted by the sith eyed version of himself and he would shoot back up awake, jerking his head up in a very distracting fashion. After the third time this happened, Obi felt Yoda settle his hand on his shoulder.

"Rest, you will take," he said earnestly and Obi felt compelled to agree with him and they moved to the back of the small craft. Yoda sat next to Obi as he sank into the floor and then curled up on his side, the old Jedi Master allowing him to use his cloak as a pillow. All the time, Yoda was speaking quietly to him, soothing his worried mind and bringing memories of his crèche days, of all things, to the forefront of Obi's thoughts. A long forgotten lullaby popped into his head and without realizing it he was singing it gently to himself, the repetitive rhythm and rhyming scheme keeping his mind from straying to darker thoughts and places. He felt enveloped in the warm glow of the force, as his body was infused by the croaky voice of the diminutive master singing along with him, allowing his body to relax even further into the pillow and into a deep, dreamless sleep. Yoda could feel the caged animal of Obi's strengthening darker feelings straining to reach the unconscious mind of the former Jedi so that they could continue their 'conversation', but for now the old master was able to fend off the spiked attacks the darkness flared into Obi's soul and he left the boy cocooned in his force blanket.

When he returned to the group at the front of the ship he found that Nawe had not faired any better and was slumped awkwardly in his seat. Asajj, who was the closest to the boy, lifted his head up and positioned it into a more comfortable position and was thanked with a loud snore that erupted from the boy's nose.

"Admirer, you have in that one, mm?" said Yoda.

"Oh, really!" came her reply as she moved to Kenobi's vacated seat away from the noisy sleeper. "Can we please talk about where we're headed, now our mission is asleep!"

Yoda looked over at the sleeping Obi-Wan and then back to the snoring Nawe, who was slipping to the side again, so he nudged him with the force to keep him from sliding down the seat. "Good team you make."

"What!" exclaimed Asajj, "What are you talking about!"

"The stairwell? Anticipate your every move, he could, felt connection you did."

Asajj sighed heavily, "Dire circumstances make for strange bed fellows." To which Yoda raised an eyebrow.

"Bad choice of words," she continued after seeing his expression, "the point is we didn't have much of a choice! Now drop it before I drop you!"

"To think about, something it is," said Yoda quietly. To which Asajj merely glared at him. Anyone else would have been a pile of dissolved mass under that vitriolic gaze, but Yoda was immune to such things. He sighed deeply as he felt the struggle still inside the cocooned mind of Kenobi and he layered the thick force blanket he had placed around the man with the memory of the lullaby once again. Ventress could feel his efforts, remembering Obi doing something similar to her damaged mind as they had escaped her physical prison on Nar Shadda.

"He'll be alright, won't he, I mean.." she stumbled over her words especially with his predicament baring similarities to her own battle with her inner demons.

"Strong in the light side of the force, this one is, fight it will be, but prevail he will. Control his demons he will."

"But never escape them, right?"

"Just as you do, young one."

"Let's hope he's better at it than I am!" to which Yoda chuckled.

"Yes, much better we all hope!"

"Hey!" she laughed at his joke at her expense, but it was obvious from his expression he was just trying to get a rise out of her. The more time she spent with the old troll, the more she appreciated his company. His humor was as dry as Obi's and it was refreshing to her that they had both been able to joke in her presence, most people still regarding her as too damaged to test with such things, either wanting to protect her from the world or just get out of her presence altogether.

"We were going to talk about this Serenno business," she said, bringing the conversation back to the moment at hand. Dex had managed to get his rust-bucket of a transmitter working with Obi's help and had managed to get Boba's messages finally that the boy had been sending. They were all intrigued by the information he had to impart about the separatist regime's offers, but both Yoda and Obi had been skeptical of how much the political arm of the movement could achieve, but it was heartening to know that they had rejected Grievous and Maul and their plans.

"_Why didn't Maul just take control of the whole separatist regime when he had the chance?" Dex had wondered, to which Yoda and Obi had come up with a number of possibilities._

"_After his assault on Coruscant both Maul and Grievous were seriously injured, he may be taking his time to recover and also consolidating his forces for a more aggressive stance later," replied Ben._

"_Stray Jedi he's also been picking up. Feel them I can moving into darkness, but not death, swallowed by a storm it seems to me, from which struggling to escape they are. Beginning a new force war my guess is and young pawns these are."_

"_He is also a creature of chaos, and I believe he has the patience to watch that chaos reign around him, using that to fuel his desires of conflict. I do not doubt that he has set his sights on destroying the Separatist regime as he has the republic," continued Obi-Wan._

"_Not afraid he is to wait things out. Our opportunity this is to regroup as swiftly as we are able, lost and vulnerable of our kind find and protect we will while we can."_

"_It's certainly worth talking to this acting president, she seems reasonable," said Nawe, wanting to join in the conversation. _

"_Boba mentioned that Padme spoke very highly of her, so including Padme in our negotiations is a certainty," said Asajj._

"_Then settled it is, head to Serenno we will and Boba there we will meet, then to Naboo we will move to meet with the Separatist leadership."_

Below the small transport the industrial district stretched out as far as Asajj could see. The numerous hangars that they flew over all looked the same to Asajj, But she was sure the Basalisk knew where he was going.

"What more is there to discuss, young one?" asked Yoda. "Destination we have and plan for the future we have. What more need you?"

"I don't know, Master, I just feel we're missing something, it's all fallen into our laps quite easily, don't you think? How convenient for the Separatist regime to open their arms to us, and how conveniently quiet Maul and Grievous have suddenly become. I can't help feeling that there is more than just a storm coming, more like a maelstrom of galactic proportions, or something!"

"Easy this situation is not," he replied, "convenient perhaps, but faith in the force we must place. Guided by the hand, we are and clear a path has been made, I feel. Foreseen this, I did not, but force flow in this direction leads me. Of this a good path will come, and help our 'mission' we will. Now, ready you must be, for easy this is not, as I said." And he moved to the back of the craft to settle next to Obi who continued to sleep peacefully for a change.

"Talk straight, I wish you would!" she whispered to herself as she settled back into her seat, Dex's light chuckle from hearing her comment making her smile as he continued to pilot the craft to their new destination.

With Yoda's attention focused on the sleeping Obi-Wan and Asajj focused on the path ahead of them, none of the small craft's occupants noticed the Telgorn drop-ship that was trailing them at a distance just out of scanning range.


	66. Chapter 66

_Just finished watching the latest SWCW episode. Holy comoly! How much did the confrontation between Boba and Ben rock! It was totally unexpected and slightly weird to see that when I've been writing about them getting along for so long in this story! Overall, it has to be one of my favorites, certainly from this season, perhaps for a while, 'cause we get to see Obi doing stuff on his own for a change. The face transformation thing was rather cool, too. Can't wait to see what happens next, the whole thing really has an excitement to it that's been lacking this season. _

_So, this is going to be the last chapter I write on this for a while. I've brought it to a pause point, rather than an end point, just because I am heading into a really busy few weeks at work and I really need to focus on that right now. I also have several other stories that I know will not be as popular as this, but really need to get out of my system before I can come back to this and give it the conclusion I want to give it. For everyone who ever reviewed this story, thank you so much for giving your time to comment, whether for good or ill, on this little thing. I have had a great time writing this and developing the story and characters and I do want to come back to this, but I need a break from it for a while. Here's hoping you guys aren't too miffed with where I leave things!_

_Valairy Scot: I know, it's never going to end, I'm going to be writing this thing as my great grandchildren wreck my SW lego collection with their actual laser swords or something! I am coming up on a place to pause this story and work on something else, because I really want to work on something else! Wait, didn't I say that like ten chapters ago or something? Oh heck, I'm doomed! See , this is why writers need editors! Anyway, looks like you're still having fun with it, so thanks so much for the review. You know what we need? Another chapter of "Even Jedi Cry"! That's what we need! (Sneaky grin at blatant request!)_

_Linnup: This was a great review, thanks so much for all the great input. Glad you like the Maul/Sideous explanation. I also like the crystals explanation and I hope the Nawe and Asajj thing isn't getting too heavy, it's not supposed to, I just wanted them to have that connection, they have a surprising amount in common and young Nawe is a pretty impressionable lad! I totally have a plan for the NJO, it's either going to go down really well, or really badly so that's going to be interesting! The separatist offer was great fun to write once I came up with it and I totally see it as the clones being offered the role of advisors, rather than foot soldiers, so that might need to be clarified, maybe in Boba's negotiations with them, we'll see. The dream thing was a lot tamer than I originally planned, I honestly thought it wasn't too bad, so my apologies if it went too far! I've read quite a few stories about Yoda spending time in the crèche and getting on really well with younglings, so the thought of him singing lullabies wasn't a stretch for me and I'm glad you thought it was a nice moment, that's what I was going for, trying to mirror what Obi had done for Asajj when she was having her 'issues'. I should have clarified that the ship they are using is just a run-about for surface travel rather than a ship capable of leaving the surface, they are on their way to get to the ship that will take them off world and are being trailed by this ship over the surface of the planet. Probably need to edit that! Thanks again for this, I had a great time reading it all and coming up with my own comments. _

_Beloved Daughter: I love your reviews for the structural criticism you add and you're right about that sequence. I broke it down already, but it needs more work to make it manageable. For the separatist thing, I have a plan… and those folks trailing the dudes, well …_

"It's a SS-54 assault freighter!" gasped Nawe as they entered the hangar.

"That's 'light freighter', to you, lad. Where's the payment?" called the pale skinned Zabrak as she stepped from the open side of the ship. Seeing a Zabrak, even if she was un-tattooed, was still unnerving to Obi-Wan and a feeling of distrust immediately surfaced in his opinion of the woman. He knew it was irrational, but his mind was working on less than rational behaviors these days so he just kept his distance, hanging back in the small crowd of entrants to the hangar. At her side was R2, having been leant to the captain a few days ago to get the ship ready for their departure.

Dex stepped forward to the captain's side and began a quiet conversation that the others couldn't hear.

"Will we all fit in that thing?" joked Nawe. Obi-Wan was smiling at the thought of his dry humor rubbing off on the lad when he sensed Yoda's hesitation to move forward with the group. He turned to look on the Master who had placed his staff on the ground and stopped moving all together.

"What are you up to, Yoda?" his inquiry causing both Asajj and Nawe to turn to look on the master. "What did you arrange for payment for our passage out of here?"

"To remove you both from this world, we need," said the Jedi Master ignoring Obi-Wans words for a moment. "Reliable captain, only one we found. Stay, Dex and I will."

"I knew you were up to something!" said Asajj moving to Obi's side.

"No! You can't!" exclaimed Obi-Wan to his former teacher, the revelation completely taking him by surprise. He stared wide eyed at Yoda, his still healing right eye looking merely blood-shot at this point, but gleaming with barely controlled power. The Jedi council was in as much trouble with the republic as he was and now the crazy old troll was planning on staying? "They need you," he pleaded, thinking of the younglings out there vulnerable to Maul. "I need you," he continued, thinking of the only moment of peace he had managed to glean in recent days being the master's gentle voice soothing him to sleep. "I can't take this path alone."

"Alone, you never will be, Obi-Wan," and he looked to Nawe and Asajj for a moment, "new family you have built and continue to build it, you will. Need me for that, you do not. Need you they now do. Strength in you, they see, strength to overcome so much you will. Foresee this, I do."

"Why didn't you tell me this before, if you have so much faith in me? You obviously didn't trust me with this simple matter!"

"Stay here, you would wish. Keep hiding, you would wish. But leave you must, hide no more, strong one."

"How can you call me strong when I can't even sleep through my demons?" Ben gasped, to which Yoda merely smiled and shook his head.

"Fight them, you do, and keep them at bay, you do. With those who love you watching your back, always will you prevail. Found them you have, and return to them you must. More of personal demons, you know than any Jedi Master before you. Touched the dark side, you have, you do, but rule you it does not, never will. Now, your time is, Obi-Wan. Use your knowledge and heal the new Jedi, you will."

"But I can't even heal myself! Look at me, I'm teetering on the edge of chaos and I could fall into the abyss at any moment! You can't be serious about this!"

"Yes, abyss before you. Same abyss as opened the day with Maul, you fought. Held open, it always will be, yet enter it, you never will. And know this in our hearts, we do," he gestured to the other occupants of the room and Obi-Wan saw the conviction in their faces. He hadn't seen it before, but there was a sense of faith around them that was focused on him. There was concern mixed in there as well, but the undercurrent was a certainty in the course he would place them on.

He looked stunned to Asajj who just smiled at him with pride, of all things. His startled gaze fell on Nawe, who had the look on his face Obi-Wan remembered from their days aboard the Naboo cruiser heading to the capitol such a long time ago, before Obi-Wans past had been revealed and all the craziness of their journey had begun. Obi-Wan couldn't see it within himself, however, and found himself humbled by their show of faith in him.

"See this, you do not," said Yoda as he moved to Kenobi's position and the man kneeled to allow him to rest his three fingered hand on his shoulder. "To see this, need you do not. For others to see, it is. Fear of this, the sith has. Use this, you will, and lead the lost from the dark, you can. But leave, you must, or hidden, you will remain."

"But I –"

All three force sensitives felt the great wave of warning it washed over them and they looked to the walkway above their heads. It would be swarming with armed assailants at any moment and they had to leave now.

"We need to go, Dex," called Obi-Wan as he raced to the freighter with the others in tow. He looked over his shoulder to the diminutive master, "you can't think of staying now, surely?"

"Protect your escape, I will," he said, lifting his saber to his hand.

"No, there's too many of them! Master, please!" pleaded Obi-Wan at the Master's side. "Don't do this."

"I will do what I must, Obi-Wan," said Yoda, echoing Qui-Gonns words to him from a past that was still haunting him. He stood up, looking in horror at Yoda and the conviction he felt coming from the troll. The crazy creature had known this was going to happen, he knew he'd have to stay behind, and he knew the hangar would be assaulted as they escaped. Well, Obi-Wan wasn't going to let this one lie. He had failed to speak up against Qui-Gon and look where that had led things, he wasn't going to make that mistake again.

"No, Master," he said quietly, "to leave you here to face this alone, that would be hiding, that would be running away from my problems once again. You said I have a family that needs me, well that family needs its crazy old grandfather figure just as much and I can't see Anakin taking that role anytime soon, that's your purview, Master." He finished with his customary cheeky grin and Yoda failed to disappoint with his own grin spreading across his crinkled features.

But any further conversation was ended by the eruption of blaster fire from above and the great hangar doors that had been standing open began their slow close. The others had made it inside the ship at this point and were gesturing for Ben and Yoda to follow them and Obi-Wan could see the pilot frantically trying to get the hangar doors to re-open, the shiny dome of R2 spinning so frantically, he could almost hear the squeaks the droid was surely making. Through his deflections of the blaster fire, he looked up to the hanger control room and saw a Duros with a large brimmed hat look down on them and nod his head to the observant Obi-Wan, his own toothy sly grin spreading across his deep blue features.

"Come on, you slow-pokes!" yelled Asajj from the open bay door.

/Ship, get clear of the hangar, and for us, swing back around/ called Yoda to her through the force as he and Obi-Wan deflected the shots back into the assault from above. She nodded her understanding and hit the comm. to the pilot.

"Get us out of here, we'll swing back for them."

"OK, but you're paying for any damages to my girl. I'll be keeping a tally." Came Sugi's reply. She hit another control button revealing two heavy cannons on the front of the ship. "Now she's an assault freighter," she commented to herself.

"What!" exclaimed Nawe to Asajj, "we can't leave them!"

"We're not, we're coming back for them, we need this bucket of bolts off the ground so we can take out their ship, or we'll be in a fire fight into the atmosphere!" and she pulled him from the doorway as it swung closed. He dived for the bay window to look at the two former Jedi moving about the hangar deflecting shots aimed at them and the ship. The craft lurched to the side as one shot got through their defensive wall.

"That's one," called Sugi from above them as they lifted off and the engines began their turn. To Nawe they were moving far too slowly and he strained to see what was going on as the ship turned and moved to the now closed doors. The ship was hit by another stray shot.

"That's two," the calm voice of the captain rang out, "and he's jammed the doors, the slug-dung!" She pulled the ship into a turning lurch around before it could smash into the hangar door, but the side engine scraped across its surface.

"New paint job, too."

"You know who's out there, don't you?" asked Nawe, perceptively looking at Asajj as he grabbed for the side of the ship trying not to fall over. Asajj merely twisted her body and crouched a little, the shifting of the ship having almost no effect on her balance.

"It's Bane," she hissed out at Dex who nodded in agreement.

"Bane?" asked Nawe.

"Cad Bane," came the reply from Dex. "Best bounty hunter in the galaxy save one, but he's helping his son build a nation right now, remember?"

"And from the looks of things, Bane has brought quite the crew with him."

"Hold on!" called Sugi from above them about to blast the hangar doors wide open, but Asajj was at the comm.

"Wait, fire then veer a sharp left, trust me!" she yelled out.

"Done." Was the only reply she got.

The doors in front of them erupted in a shower of debris as the blaster cannons fired and then the whole ship lurched to the left, just missing the blasts coming from the canon mounted on the Telgorn dropship that was hovering just outside of the hangar. Before it could run off another volley, Sugi rolled her freighter into the line of fire and blasted the thing with her own cannon. The ship rose up, but not far enough as the bottom was struck by the blasts and it began a spin that had it careen into the side of the building, a smoke trail obscuring the freighter's exit. Sugi punched them forward through the smoke and away from the building to be able to swing around and head back for the two former Jedi.

She had been paid for a job and she was damned if a few hot headed bounty hunters were going to prevent her from getting paid. Dex had never steered her wrong and she wasn't about to abandon anyone who called him 'friend', no matter what their affiliations. And she hated anyone wounding Halo, her well fought for ship. So the chance to take out the Telgorn dropship was too good an opportunity to miss. Of course, there was always the bonus of screwing up Banes plans.

Nawe picked himself up off the floor of the cargo bay as the ship swung around again to assault the bounty hunters. From the window he could see the building they had just left in flames, smoking terribly. Anyone inside would be blinded at this point by the billowing smoke coming from the gaping hole left by the cannon fire, the subsequent blasts punched into the building by the other ship and the Telgorn dropship that was smashed into the side.

"Where are they, I don't see them!" he exclaimed and Asajj lay a hand on his shoulder as she too looked on the mess of the building.

"They're still in there, I can sense them." She seemed to pause and Nawe stared at her wild eyed, not getting any other information from her.

"They're in trouble, we have to get in there before the others arrive," she said.

"More are coming?" said Nawe, looking to the skies. Asajj breathed out, removing Nawe's anxiety from her feelings and pushing them out into the force, taking some of his own and releasing that too. His breathing calmed a little and he nodded slowly at her in acknowledgement of her actions. Calmer heads were needed and he still had his captain to retrieve. Her strength astounded him again, and he was grateful for her presence.

"Take us down, we're going for our people, but keep the engine running," said Dex into the comm. and the ship dove for the smoking opening.

Hovering a few feet from the ground, the three companions jumped out. Dex stood by the opening, ready for them, while Asajj took a firm grip of her saber hilt and Nawe drew his blaster from its holster. A great chunk of the building's roof collapsed into the smoking hole as they got closer.

"Stay close," said Asajj as they moved into the black. But once inside Nawe moved away from her, searching for his captain. A green blade was flashing and dancing around the hangar as the orange blasts came from somewhere. As Asajj went to Yoda's side, Nawe began to grow deeply concerned as he couldn't make out any purple blade flashes that would indicate Obi-Wan was still in the fray.

A groan from some fallen debris to his right, had him on alert, but the smoke suddenly rose up to obscure his vision. His anxiety spiking, he moved to the location of the sound, feeling his way through the hangar.

"Obi-Wan?" he asked as he approached what he thought was the location of the sounds.

A hand gripped down hard on his right wrist. The pain of electrical energy coursing through his limbs brought him to his knees and the blaster clattered out of his hands. 'Not Obi-Wan then', he had the briefest of moments to think as the energy seemed to peak within his body and mind and he only hoped he would pass out as he felt his bones on the verge of exploding. The intense energy was gone as abruptly as it had started and he looked up to see the figure who had grabbed him towering above him. Without releasing the grip, he stepped into the light to examine his prize. Nawe noticed that the blaster fire hadn't stopped, his friends had no idea he was in this predicament. He moved to stand and grab at the Duros, but the energy surged forth again and he was paralyzed by its field, unable to even scream out his pain.

"Now, now, no heroics," said the heavily accented Duros as he bent down to Nawe's ear. Although Asajj hadn't described him, Nawe instinctively knew this was the Cad Bane character she had been concerned about and Nawe had fallen for the ploy like a foolish child. No wonder she doesn't have any respect for the so called hero of the republic, he thought as Bane's grip tightened around his wrist.

Bane brought Nawe's face up to look into his own. This had been too easy, he knew the boy was naive, but he had thought his history might have taught him something. The boy struggled in his grip, but Bane held fast. The boy had spirit at least, but what did Bane care of that, as long as he got his money.

"Wouldn't want the Hero of the republic to singe into oblivion." And for good measure he intensified the field around Nawe, who crumpled at his feet. "Get up," he said as he released the field again and pulled the weakened Nawe to his feet, holding him close as a body shield in case the Jedi did anything fancy and he pushed them towards the two still fighting off his men.

"Surrender yourselves, or I see how long it takes to cook Hero boy here." The electricity struck Nawe again without warning and he convulsed in the hunters grip. Released again, he found himself barely able to breath, he was hyperventilating terribly. But he had one last burst of energy left within him and he steeled himself for the moment to use it.

Both Yoda and Asajj stopped their assault at seeing Nawe so stricken. Seven hunters remained standing, but their blasters were now clearly trained on the two force wielders.

"Come back, you should not have," said Yoda as they lowered their weapons and Asajj stared at the troll with amazement.

"That's what you told me to do, you ungrateful green pile of sh-"

"Shut up!" yelled Bane as he hit Nawe again with the energy field.

"You'd better stop that right now," said Asajj so darkly quiet that it had everyone pause for a moment, but Bane merely chuckled.

"Now I have your attention, where is Kenobi?"

Yoda's face fell at the mention of Obi-Wan and Nawe's shocked gasp at seeing such despair on the master was painful for Asajj to hear as she too looked on the saddened troll. Instinctively she reached out for her friends force signature and was shocked that she found nothing. No, this couldn't be right, he had been there only a moment ago, no, this was not possible, her thoughts streamed and swirled within the force eddy around them all, causing a feeling of disquiet to descend on all of the hangar occupants. She could feel the panic rising in her system as Yoda spoke again.

"Fallen, he has. Killed him, falling walkway did,"

Asajj screamed and the seven hunters covered their ears from the piercing sound, but Bane just narrowed his eyes, raising his blaster to take her down.

A force wave erupted from the former sith acolyte that sent everyone flying across the flaming hangar. Bane and Nawe landed in a crumpled heap. Although Bane had landed beneath the lad, he was still gripping Nawes wrist, and he struggled to get up as Nawe squirmed above him. He reached for the button to hit Nawe again with the energy field, but with the last of his strength, Nawe elbowed Bane in the stomach with such force he found himself letting the squirming hero go and the lad rolled away from him.

Bane grabbed his blaster to end the boys life, after all he just needed the head to claim the reward at this point. But a purple blade was suddenly between him and his quarry. It was his turn to roll away as the blade swung down at him, the man known as Kenobi now on the offensive and advancing on him. Bane fired off a volley from his blaster at the man as he recovered to his feet, but each shot was spun away from its target as he pressed forward. A deflected shot hit the blaster barrel and it spun out of Bane's grip, so he fired off his wrist darts. The blade slashed twice and both darts could be heard tinkling away from them on the floor.

Bane shot up in his ankle rockets, and Kenobi stepped back to avoid getting nasty burns from the heated air left behind by the disappearing hunter. He reached up and closed his hand into a fist, the force flowing up through his system and out to crumple the left rocket, sending Bane into a spin. The Duros was still able to control his assent, rather surprisingly as he headed for an undamaged section of walkway. So Obi-Wan crushed the right ankle rocket, but Bane was able to shoot a grapple to the walkway and swung up and over the rail to disappear into the billowing smoke. Obi-Wan was about to continue the chase, when a sense of great distress washed over him from his companions.

"Nawe," he said quietly as he approached the huddled Yoda and Asajj around the very still Nawe. The remaining hunters had either fled or been struck down by Yoda as Asajj had rushed to the crumpled form of her young charge. She had remained at his side as his breathing had weakened and the color had drained from his face. Now she looked up with horror in her eyes, that Obi-Wan never expected her to express for another being.

"His heart," gasped Asajj, clutching the lads small, cold hand. His breathing was erratic and his lips were turning blue.

"Damage, too great it is. Our help he needs," said Yoda, holding out his hand for Obi-Wan to join them. Obi-Wan understood, the amount of power that had been forced through Nawe was enough to cause his heart to explode, and the usual CPR technique for such injuries was not going to help the young man. There was no time for hesitation in this situation, he knew exactly what had to be done. He nodded to his companions and knelt down at Nawes side.

"We don't have much time," he said gravely, and laid his hands in the boy's chest. "Here, Yoda and I will protect him, you heal him as fast as you can." He lifted his right hand and took Asajjs to lay over Nawes heart also. Yoda placed his hands on the boy's head.

"No!" Asajj exclaimed, trying to pull away from Kenobi's grip, but he wasn't letting her go, "what if I –" she said, still nervous of her healing power that had been far more brutal in the past. It had been her training to use healing as a means to punish the weak, so the comfort of the patient was not ever considered. Obi-Wan, remembering her attempt to heal his arm, looked up into her eyes with calming compassion.

"You'll be fine, and so will he," and with that, he closed his eyes and used his skills to wrap the damaged heart with a protective force blanket in readiness for the flow of healing energy it was about to receive. He could feel Yoda placing the boy into a similar state the master had used to help Obi-Wan sleep while they made their way to the hangar. With the protections in place, he allowed the energy of Asajj to drift into the boy and take the brunt of the healing.

The reason her healing had been so painful had been the speed and imprecision within it, and she had improved her technique since then, Obi-Wan could tell, but it really was speed that they needed at this moment. So the protections were an unavoidable necessity and Asajj was able to repair the ripping and tearing the energy field had inflicted without too much extra trauma being inflicted on the lad. A gentle massage of the muscle after such powerful manipulations through the force had it beating again, and after a few more moments, watching for irregularities in the beat, all three of them gently removed their presence from Nawe, allowing him to rest in the folds of the force they had all left behind. Without further comment, Kenobi scooped up the figure and the three of them headed for Sugi's ship.

"Come on, come on!" called Dex and the four companions rushed to the ship. They piled inside and the ship swung up into the upper atmosphere as the bay door swung shut.

"Still feel like staying, Master?" asked Kenobi ruefully of Yoda as he set Nawe down on a shelf bed Asajj activated for him.

As Obi-Wan stood up from laying the boy down, he turned to see Asajj staring at him, anger in her eyes, and she slapped him across the face with such force that his head spun to the side. With Nawe situated and relatively stable, her mind had sprung back to the haunting moment of no longer feeling Obi-Wan's presence around her. He had no idea how devastating that had felt to her, it was like a part of her ceased to exist in that moment and a chasm of pain and rage had filled the hole that had been left. Her release of that rage fueled energy had sent everyone in the hangar reeling, but left her with an emptiness of feeling that was still bleeding within her.

"How could you," she choked back, "how could you have tricked me like that." It had given them the moment they needed to distract Bane, but at what cost to her fragile stability on existence.

Taking the full force of the blow, he calmly turned back to her, his eyes full of apology but hers still displaying the anger and fear that threatened to dissolve into hate. "I thought you were dead, you idiot, you know what that almost did to me?"

"Almost," he said quietly and went to rub his cheek while looking past her to the stricken Nawe. She saw his gaze was looking over her shoulder and she knew he had had no choice. But she had little frame of reference for loss and it had felt like a durasteel hammer had shattered her heart at the thought of losing one so close to her and with Nawe being destroyed before her eyes she had lashed out with a force wave, wishing to crush everything, the hunters, Bane, especially herself, in that collapsing building so that she could rejoin the force with them. But Nawe was here with them, Obi-Wan was here and they had made it clear, she should be feeling good, but she needed time away from him, away from the deception that almost cost her everything. He looked back to her with sad eyes, knowing how much he had hurt her and that her forgiveness would not be forthcoming.

"Stay with him, he's not out of this yet," he asked of her and her face softened as she looked on Nawe. She turned back to him, her eyes equally saddened, but she nodded in agreement and returned to Nawes side.

"Serreno, long time since I have visited," conceded Yoda as Ben moved to join him. "Still here, Coruscant will be. Captain, I must speak with." And he hobbled over to the service elevator.

Dex moved to the stricken Nawe and looked back at Ben, whose face was reddened by Asajjs blow.

"What happened?" he asked concerned for the boy and for his friend.

"He'll be fine, just a little mishap with Cad Bane," said Obi-Wan as they flew up and out of the Coruscant atmosphere.

"Did you get him?" asked Dex, coming over to Obi-Wan.

"No, he got away, and will be back, no doubt," said Ben quietly. "He doesn't give up on a contract, especially if it's humiliated him with a defeat. Bad for business!"

"You certainly have a way with people!" joked the Besalisk, pointing to Bens red face.

"Well, who could resist my magnetic charm!" Dex gurgled a scheptical chuckle at his young friend and moved away to find a bunk of his own, while Obi-Wan looked over at Asajj covering Nawe with a blanket, remembering her reaction to Ben's supposed death.

Concealing his presence within the hangar as he had done for all those years on Naboo had saved them, as Master Yoda predicted it would, but he felt terrible putting her through that emotional rollercoaster, even if it had meant the difference between some of them getting away and all of them getting away. He knew they would need to talk more about that and he rubbed at his bruising cheek. He also knew he would need Padme at his side when talking with Asajj. Right now he could tell she had her focus fixed on Nawe, the well being of her 'little brother' the only thing she was thinking about, using her newly formed relationship with the Hero of the republic to avoid Obi-wan and her emotions towards him.

That brought him to Nawe. The lad would need a confidence boost after his gaff had casued them to be at Bane's mercy. The lads own concern for his 'big sister' would help with that and Obi-Wan realized this was the source of their connection, a relationship as close to siblings one could get without actually being blood relatives.

Obi-Wan caught himself picturing his 'family' as Yoda had called them, and his attention to the flow of the force guided these images to their destination. Perhaps Serenno would allow them all to pause and recover, not least himself.

++Onward++Onward++Onward++Onward++

'Don't stare at his eye, don't stare at his eye, don't stare at his eye,' Boba repeated the mantra in his mind as he waited on the landing platform for his friends ship to show up. It was starting to get to be late evening and the runway was lit up brightly for the approaching ship. Boba stood next to his father, Padme and Anakin, along with several Serrenno officials speaking with the Count's personal medical team, and Mina Bonteri with her small protection detail. Boba liked her, she was wise and strong like Dooku but without the creepiness that old man always had about him. He hoped his assessment of her would be what Ben thought of her once he met her. Even though his relationship with his father was fairing much better in recent weeks, it was still Ben who he found himself needing approval from and thus his mantra continued as the ship descended to the platform.

Yoda had informed them of Bens change in appearance and Anakin had explained how such a transformation was possible, but Boba was still having trouble thinking of his friend with both eyes functioning. He had gotten so used to seeing that face, he was terribly worried he would offend his dear friend by staring or blurting out something inappropriate in front of everyone. His heart was racing as the craft touched down and the engines were cut off. The bay door opened and he looked expectantly at the small group as they made their exit.

A hover bed sped past him and he was suddenly reminded of the injured Nawe. He looked up to see Obi-Wan carrying the lad, Asajj at his side. Both Ben and Asajj looked haggard and worn-out as the medics fussed around Nawe and they placed him on the bed. Monitors and a breathing mask were attached to him and they whisked him off the landing pad, Asajj at Nawe's side holing his hand. She and Ben had exchanged a few words that seemed to leave Ben looking a little better as he turned to see Boba and their eyes met. Ben's gleaming orbs were slightly mismatched colors, but the sparkle of Ben was within them both and he raised his hand to Boba, beaming a great smile at the clone. That was all the recognition Boba needed as he raced to embrace his dear friend.

Boba thumped into him and Ben wrapped his arms around the boy as Boba did the same to him. They stood there for a moment and then Ben looked up, realizing they were all being stared at.

He smiled self-consciously at them and pulled Boba away from his chest.

"Missed you, too!" he said to the top of Bobas head and Boba looked up, tears streaming down his still very young looking face.

"I'm so sorry, it was all my fault, we never should have left you, but I had to stop you, we'd won, we were getting out, I didn't realize what you meant and now he's out there hurting people and I should have taken better care of you and –"

Ben lay his hands on Boba's shoulders to stop the stream of consciousness flowing from the boy's lips. His own eyes were watering, he suddenly realized.

"Can you forgive me?" Ben said quietly, and knelt in front of the confused Boba. "I never should have put you into that situation, Boba, you did what you had to, I'm the one who needs to apologies, not you, old man." He wiped away the tears from Bobas face, his smile a little sad this time.

"I am so proud of what you've achieved for you and your brothers. What an accomplishment, you did it, Boba you freed them all! Jango was right to place his faith in you, we all were."

"But I lost you," Boba whispered, looking down, feeling ashamed for abandoning Ben to the republic and Coruscant. Ben lifted his chin so that their eyes could meet again. Bobas mantra slipped through his thoughts and Ben found himself able to pick up the thread of the thought. He chuckled to himself.

"It's pretty impressive, isn't it!" he said quietly to his cohort in a conspiratorial way, allowing Boba the chance to really study it now that the subject had been breached. The colors within the eye swirled and danced with light and strength, with the twinkle of Ben's wicked humor always present.

"I was just misplaced for a moment," Ben continued, "never lost, old man. And, you know me, I just had to find the most roundabout way to get back into the flow of the universe, right?"

Ben's face took on a seriousness, however, as he noticed the group of other attendees approach them. How tired he already felt. The journey from Coruscant had seen them all in vigil over the ailing Nawe, who was suffering further complications from his electrocution. It had drained all three of the force users present to keep him as stable as they could. The boy's blood chemistry was messed up and despite their combined abilities, none of them had that level of medical knowledge or force healing abilities, so they had merely been able to maintain him, not heal him further. So facing these newcomers was not something he relished, even though he knew it was inevitable.

He looked back at the smiling child in his arms and pulled him close again for a much needed and comforting hug before he had to face them all.

"It is like breathing a breath of fresh air through these tired lungs to see you again, my friend," he said, "and we'll talk more later, OK?" A quick mutual nod had Ben standing up to greet the others present as Boba moved to give Dex as big a bear hug as he had given Ben.

Obi-Wan looked up to see the acting separatist president approach him next, Padme and Anakin hanging back to wait for everyone else to talk to him. He had the uncanny feeling both of them were studying him, looking for something, but their force presences were not intruding on his own, so he decided to pay it no mind. Behind them all, still standing where the group had started, he could see Jango hesitating as to whether to join them all or not.

"Master Kenobi," Mina bowed to him. He stepped forward and clasped her hand.

"It's Obi-Wan, please," he said and she nodded to him.

"Obi-Wan, may I offer my deepest condolences for your loss." On hearing this Obi-Wan was slightly confused and then remembered why they were there.

"Ryn and I were not that close, I'm afraid," he said and noticed the tension that comment elicited from her and the Serenno officials, "but I do appreciate your sentiments."

"I'm sorry," began Mina, "but I was under the impression that Ryn considered you to be his family."

"Yes, a suppose he did," said Ben almost to himself, "we just had a different way of seeing things sometimes." He glanced to the main building where Asajj had entered with Nawe and the medics. "I wish I had known him in a better time. Perhaps things would have been different."

"I understand," she replied, "he spoke very highly of you and I believe he shared your feelings of regret. His choices would not have been my own. However, he passionately believed in the freedom of the peoples of the galaxy, free to make their own choices and I thank you for your actions on Coruscant against Palpatine which have given us the opportunity to make them. I would consider it a privilege to have you attend the ceremony at my side, as a sign of friendship to all force sensitives and an acknowledgement of the sacrifices you all made that day at the republic capitol."

"I am humbled by your request, but –"

She smiled warmly at him in understanding. "You need to be with your friends, of course."

"But perhaps master Yoda would be interested in accompanying you. The same sentiment would surely be conveyed if you attend with him."

"A wise idea, one that Ryn would have approved, no doubt. If you'll excuse me I shall approach him. It was a pleasure to meet you, Obi-Wan Kenobi." She bowed and moved off with her entourage to greet the small Jedi master, and the Serenno officials moved to intercept Obi-Wan. The first man was dressed in fine dark red robes, the crests of several royal houses embroidered on the chest, the house of Dooku most notably on the top. The other offcicials were dressed with more subdued robes, but the royal crests were still the predominant features. The first man offered his hand to Obi-Wan as he began to speak, which Obi-Wan took.

"Master Kenobi, my name is Lord Loraku and I and my associates are the official executors of the Dooku estate. There is a most urgent matter regarding the Counts wishes that we need to discuss with you."

Obi-Wan sighed heavily. It just never ended, there was always something, he was always moving. Couldn't he just have a moment to gather his ragged being! He felt bone tired after having found little comfort on the ride there after the adrenaline was still pumping through is body with the encounter at the hangar back on Coruscant and Nawe's condition draining his energy reserves. He just wanted to curl up and sleep for about a millennia, with no troubled dreams or sith worries to interfere.

"I see," replied Obi-Wan, shaking the official's hand. "Well, I don't mean to be rude but it has been a long trip and my friends and I are in need of rest." He could feel the start of a bad headache rumbling through his temples.

"This is a private matter, Master Kenobi, that we can only discuss with you and it must be conducted before the official proceedings can begin. I understand that you must be tired after your journey here. Perhaps we could speak with you first thing in the morning."

"Yes, the morning," he said, rubbing his eyes as the sting of tiredness rimmed them, "that sounds fine. Thank you for your understanding."

"Good, it's settled, then," said Loraku, "We look forward to seeing you then." He bowed and moved back inside with his colleagues deep in conversation. Wondering what that was all about, Obi-Wan breathed out a large sigh as the gauntlet of greetings continued.

As Yoda stepped up and introduced himself to Mina, Obi-Wan slipped away from them and into the warm embrace of Padme and confident firm hand shake from Anakin.

"Glad to see you made it," he said to Anakin, feeling the intense force presence of the young man before him and the feeling of relief rolling off him at Kenobi's presence. There was a look in his eyes, a shared horror of experience at the hands of Sideous that haunted them both. Now it was Kenobi's turn to feel a sense of relief. The thought of being able to talk to someone who had also been touched by that foulness was actually quite good.

"It's good to have you home, Obi-wan," Anakin said pointedly, and the sense of family sprang into Obi-Wan's mind again.

"Not quite home yet, Asajj is going to skin me if we don't get to her Krayt dragon friend soon!"

"Then I should go and reassure her that he's pining for her as much as she's pining for him." He looked at his wife, still clinging to Obi-Wan and smiled towards the former Jedi, who merely reciprocated the gesture. Anakin placed a hand on his wife's shoulder in recognition of her show of affection to her Latterie and then headed in to the building to find Asajj. As Anakin walked off, Ben noticed Dex walk with Boba to Jango's position and introduce them. As they shook hands, Jango looked back up to Ben and nodded in his direction, a simple thank you from a grateful father. Ben nodded back his 'you're welcome' and the group turned to head indoors, Sugi and R2 in tow. That left just Obi-Wan and Padme on the platform, the sun having set behind the forest surrounding them.

Padme moved away slightly to raise a hand to his face and turn it to examine the new eye, much to Obi-Wan's surprise.

"Well, at least Boba showed some discretion!" he commented as she released him and stared up at him.

"Headaches," she said flatly and he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"It's great to see you, too!" was his reply.

"You're getting terrible headaches from that healing, aren't you?"

"Well I-" he began sheepishly, but she interrupted him.

"And I know you haven't been sleeping,"

"Is this really the time for –"

"Absolutely, or you'll try to fob it off, bury the pain even further and cause more damage to yourself than has already been inflicted on you."

He broke away from her and moved to head inside, but she grabbed his wrist and pulled him around to look at her again.

"Don't hide from this, don't hide from me."

"I'm not trying to hide, I've actually figured out that the whole hiding thing hasn't been working for me and I'm not doing that anymore. That's why I'm here and not skulking around Coruscant right now. I'm actually ready to face up to things and get this new order on the move."

She stared at him, impressed with his speech, his conviction. But she knew him better than that and pulled him back to face her.

"That's not what we're talking about here and you know it. " She pointed to his eye. "That didn't come from you, that wasn't your decision. You didn't consciously choose to miraculously heal your own eye. This isn't about your inner demons and the struggle you're facing on that score. Anakin showed me a glimpse of what it was to touch Sideous' mind, but Obi, you took that beast into yourself."

He stared at her in horror at what he knew she was going to say next. It was something he had realized a while ago, but he was still having trouble admitting it to himself. Yes, he had his own demons, just as other Jedi did, and he had touched the dark side and pulled himself from it. But those demons were getting help and that's what he was truly afraid of. Perhaps Yoda knew, perhaps the others knew a little of this, but none of them knew how much of the dark lords filth had been left behind, how much he purged from his soul everyday to keep the abyss out of reach of him. It was working, he was defeating it bit by bit, but the toll was dragging him down. And when he slept, that was when his own darkness and inner fears began to eat away at him.

She saw all of this with the unclouded eyes her force presence had been gifted with. Her own strength she offered to him as she folded her arms around him again. He tried to pull away, not wanting her soul to be further scarred by his failings, but this was a sweep that passed from her through him and out, forcing so much of the darkness Sideous had seeped into him, that he tensed every muscle in his body, feeling that if he didn't he would be swept away with it.

"That should help," she whispered into him as she held on to his shaking body, the force wave dissipating from them. He took in a series of deep breathes and forced his body to stop shaking as she pulled away slightly.

"Better?" she asked.

He tried to speak, but found that a nod was all he could manage at that moment.

"It's not all gone, but both Anakin and I can help with that. We'll see you healed, dear friend," and she stroked his face tenderly as the Serenno stars began to come out. "let's get inside, the air is getting a little chilly."

"Thank you," he said quietly as they had moved off. She was back at his side, guiding him to the building.

Anakin was on his way to talk with Asajj when he sensed his wifes distress. Using his enhanced force speed, he raced to the landing platform where he found Padme leading a drained looking Obi-Wan. He went to the former Jedis other side and between them they led him into the small foyer.

"I'm fine," he said, swaying slightly as he tried to pull away from them, feeling suddenly dizzy, "just need to sit down for a moment," and he leaned towards a chair as his feet suddenly didn't seem prepared to move in that direction.

Before he could collapse to the floor, Anakin swept him up, bridal style and moved to a sofa.

"Well, that wasn't necessary," said Obi-Wan as the room spun around him in Anakins arms. That headache that Padme mentioned was beginning to pound, but the dizziness was gone and he could see a little more clearly, at least once he was placed on the sofa.

"I'm sorry, I hit you pretty hard, didn't I," said Padme as she felt his forehead. It was hot, as though a fever was building and she didn't like the fact that his face was losing all of its color.

"I'll be alright, just give me a minute to catch my breath," he said as he leaned back into the cushions. There was a lightness to his being he hadn't felt in an incredibly long time. The living force seemed closer to him, reminding him of his days in the temple with Qui-Gon, meditating on some aspect of the living force the Jedi padawan had perceived as intensely complicated, only to be marveled by the simplicity of his masters message, whatever that message happened to be at the time. He chuckled to himself as he sank deeper into the soft cushions and was vaguely aware of Padmes concerned voice. Why was she asking if he was OK? He felt great, not quite at peace, but comfortably close to it. Her voice faded as he sank deeper into the calming folds of the force.

He felt a warmth rising up the left side of his body and he began to become slowly aware of his surroundings. He could feel the crisp sheets beneath him and over his chest and realized the warmth was coming from Serenno's sun as it crested the forest. The pillow supporting his head smelled of (name of QGs fav flowers). He pried his eyes open on recognizing the fragrance and tried to look around. There was a general heaviness to his body that he hadn't been expecting and just turning his head took considerable effort, but with each passing moment as his body woke up more he found he was able to control it a lot better. This was the room he and Boba had shared on their first visit to the planet. He settled back down into the bed, not wanting the comfortable feeling to go away, wanting to sink back into the force and not resurface for a very long time, but his body continued to wake up and become aware of the people around him.

They were all there, his family of sorts, and none of them seemed aware that he was awake. Boba was talking with Anakin and Dex, vigorous arm gesticulations from all three showing they were deeply engrossed in conversation over some new mechanical device that had them focused away from everyone else and over in the corner of the room away from the rising sun. Master Yoda and Nawe were sitting quietly on one sofa, speaking in hushed tones with Padme and Asajj who were sitting opposite them. The scene was wholly comforting to him, as comforting as the envelopment of the force had been and he suddenly didn't feel the need to disappear from their presences anymore, he needed them, all of them in his life and he was grateful he was being granted the opportunity to have them all here together.

He cleared his throat and moved to sit up a little more, only to have all activity in the room cease and focus on his rising form. Before he knew what was happening, many pairs of hands were helping him sit up and maneuvering pillows behind him to give him a more comfortable position on the bed. His murmuring assurances that he could perform the movements by himself were covered by every voice making a comment on the matter, all combining into a good humored mix of conversation between the eight friends. It ended with Padmes calming voice over the rest of them.

"Let's not crowd the man,' she said, standing back from the bed and they moved into a circle around him. "How do you feel, Obi-Wan?"

"Good," he replied simply and looked from face to face.

Dex was beaming at him, the Besalisk obviously enjoying the company of fellow engineers. Boba was growing each time Ben looked on him and there was a maturity flourishing in his cheeks, but the boy he had met not so long ago still sparkled through in those dark eyes. Anakin's force presence was almost blindingly reassuring in its strength, but the young man was also smiling broadly that reminded Obi-Wan of their first meeting back on Tatooine with Qui-Gon. Padme was at her husband's side, never aging, her force presence resonating in perfect sync with Anakins, a calming complement to the Chosen One's controlled power. Nawe looked pale, but he also seemed to have grown in statue with Asajj at his side. For her part, Asajj looked more confident and had a color to her cheeks that made her purple eyes glisten in the new sun's light. There was no forgiveness in her eyes, but there was a sense of understanding there that Obi-wan was intrigued to discover more of for himself.

Master Yoda had jumped up onto the bed and was sat on Obi-Wan's lower right thigh, studying the young man's face. He rumbled his approval at seeing his friend awake and looking less worn out.

"How are you all? Nawe, you look much recovered, those medics must be miracle workers!"

A low murmuring chuckle of humor confused him and he gazed to each of them again. Then he realized he had slept longer than he suspected.

"Oh no, not again!' he exclaimed and his friends laughed gently at his realization, "OK, then, how long?" he asked of them, feeling annoyed at their amusement at his expense.

"Five days, Obi-Wan," said Padme, touching his hand gently with her own. He winced at the thought of being incapacitated for so long. But her face was full of compassion and he resigned himself to the facts of his situation. "But you needed it, dear heart, you're body still needs to build up its defenses to the physical world and the force battering it's taken. Don't feel bad about it."

Obi-Wan thought about what she had said for a moment.

"I don't," he said with surprise, knowing that he had needed the rest and this was as good a place as any to take that rest. Then he thought about the reason for being on Serenno and he felt the guilt rising in him again.

"But the funeral, they didn't delay things for me did they?" Padme shook her head and they all looked at each other with knowing looks, Boba in particular was beaming with excitement to tell him something, but a hand on his shoulder from Anakin had the smile replaced with a solemn expression more appropriate to the question Ben had asked.

"The funeral went ahead the day after you arrived," said Padme, the designated spokes person for this information it seemed. "There was also the matter of Count Dooku's testament that had to be addressed and after much discussion between the royal houses of Serenno, that was read publicly two days ago. Obi-Wan, what do you know about the right if succession on this planet?"

Boba was smirking at this point, unable to contain his excitement, but Ben was still very confused.

"I don't, .. I mean, I have no clue," came Ben's awkward reply.

"Well, it appears that –" Padme began, but Boba couldn't hold his tongue a moment longer.

"You're the new Count!" he blurted out to the shock of everyone present. The companions had agreed that it would be Padme who would break the news to Obi-Wan, as the most diplomatic person on the room, and their shock was directed at Boba for his indiscretion.

For his part, Ben just stared in complete shock and awe at Boba's words,

"You can't be serious!" he gasped out, looking from the boy who Anakin and Rex were attempting to reign in, to Padme who was smiling gently, hoping he wouldn't take the news too hard.

"The Serenno governing body needed time to verify your hereditary on your home world of Stewjon, to confirm that you were not in line to inherit any such title from that planet's royal houses, that's what they had wanted to confirm from you when they asked to speak with you that morning, but your illness prevented them from addressing you directly, so they found out for themselves and that allowed them to go on with their intention to name you the full successor to the House of Dooku. It's all yours now, Obi-Wan, to do with as you please. It's what Ryn wanted all along. You are the new Count Dooku."

The only thing Obi could find himself doing after hearing this news was to start hyperventilating at the thought of leading a royal house. It was like a ton of responsibilities had suddenly landed on his head and shoulders and he could feel himself falling forward at the gravity of the information. There was a lot of fussing about him that followed as he allowed his body to relax onto the bed and his breathing quickly returned to his normal even pace.

"We're here for you, Obi-Wan," said Anakin, his hand on Obi's shoulder replacing much of the weight he had felt with a sense of support he had never been aware of before. "This is an extraordinary opportunity not only for you, but for us all, and we are all here to offer our complete loyalty to the new house of Dooku."

Obi-Wan looked up at him and seemed to hear his words rolling around in his head as their sincerity set in.

The man was right, of course. This was an amazing opportunity. A new beginning was starting and he had to admit that despite their recent encounter at the hangar, there was a sense of hope blossoming within his soul brought on by this news and the fact that they had left the corrosion he had felt the republic capitol was perpetrating on his mind and body.

"I have a good feeling about this," he said surprising himself as he looked at his dear family gathered around him, their smiling faces of relief at how well he was taking the news clear on their faces.

They were in a safe place, at that moment, away from the prying eyes of the collapsing republic, hidden from the sith and protected by the separatists. It was a far cry from where Obi-Wan had ever thought to find himself and he knew the road ahead was going to be anything but easy. However he couldn't help feeling that the force was finally well and truly on his side and there was a light at the end of the tunnel ahead of them all that was drawing him to it. And, as he had said to them all, it felt good.

_**OK, so that's it for now, but there is still Maul to deal with and the rise of the new sith and Jedi orders, so there is a lot for me to work with and get back to this after a little break.**_

_**Best of wishes to you all.**_

_**MobiObi**_


End file.
