#obi never strays too far from luke

[pomplalamoose]

Hey bae 🙏 do you think we could get something about turning sith!luke to the light side?💗

Hiii dear anon, thank you for your ask🩵

It's been a while since I received one and I'm sooo excited, especially since I get to talk about Sith!Luke, my beloved

I wasn't sure what exactly you wanted but I hope you like this discussion of possible scenarios anyways <33

• when it comes to turning Sith Luke back to the light, I think it really depends how and why he choose the dark side in the first place and what interpretation of him we're talking about

• if, for example, he turned during the original trilogy, you'd have to approach him differently than it would be the case if he grew up raised by Vader

• while his struggle to remain on the right path for himself and the galaxy is often highlighted in the movies and books, trilogy Luke never strays too far away from what Obi-Wan and Yoda taught him

• he certainly has his darker moments in which he considers everything he loves lost, but ultimately, even then, he'd rather sacrifice himself for the greater good than reach for the power Vader, and later the Emperor, offer him

• "Never. I'll never turn to the dark side"

• "Soon I'll be dead and you with me"

• so should he fall or, for whatever reason, deliberately make the decision to join the dark side, I see two possible ways in which this could turn out, his stubbornness and wish for justice and equity being one of the more important factors

• 1) he's convinced it's for the best and in favor of many

• it's hard to resist a seemingly easy solution in times of crisis, especially if it's offered in a tempting way and Luke is by no means unreceptive to manipulation

• however I do believe he'd realize his misconception rather quickly and so the most prominent thing keeping him from pursuing the light again wouldn't be his ignorance but his deep shame

• because of the weight he carries he's very hard on himself and no less so as a Sith

• consumed by the dark side he'd probably be less focused on improvement but on self doubt and hatred instead

• he may even go as far as to remain in this situation willingly as a way to punish himself

• not only would he think himself deserving of being miserable but also think it's for the better if he never comes near his loved ones again, afraid to hurt them

• here his stubbornness hurts him decidedly more than others because obviously there's still good inside of him, he just isn't allowing it to be there in favor of another misconception and self doubt

• ("I don't deserve to be around my family after what I did.", "Because what if I'm truly evil and don't know it?", "What if they fall victim to one of my mistakes and get hurt?")

• in this case it'd definitely be possible to make him see reason

• Luke is able to and eager to learn from the past, as well as adapt to a new point of view

• if he can believe it's for the best to join the dark side, he can believe the opposite once more

• it may need patience and coaxing, much affection, assurance and insistence but through your love (romantically as well as platonically) he'd be able to find himself again

• 2) his opinion of the galaxies political situation changes to such an extent that he's convinced his fall to the dark side is genuinely important in order to implement a just system

• I will be honest, I have no idea how that would even happen but let's stick with the idea anyways because we're taking about Sith!Luke here

• (maybe he was brainwashed???)

• in this scenario I imagine it to be rather difficult to make him reconsider

• not only is he now convinced of what he's doing is inherently good but also of the fact that the people not sharing his opinion have some devious plans to make those he's so set to protect suffer

• Luke firmly stands by what he believes in and while that is a wonderful attribute to have it's rather problematic when it's used for harm

• that man is ready to fight for his convictions and I see him defending them in a way similar to how he resisted the dark side in RotJ

• he's still Luke though and not stupid, I belive it still possible to reason with him especially if you're someone he admires or otherwise holds dear

• in order to get him to listen to you though you'll need time and patience to get under his skin

• now let's take a quick look at the interpretatiom of the Sith!Luke I write about

• to some extent he's still the same person as trilogy Luke but while they share certain traits, they turned out like opposites due to the circumstances they were exposed to during their lifes

• basically my Sith!Luke is a "What if Luke and Leia were raised with the dark side by Darth Vader"-version in which he grows up in a galaxy after the Empire defeated the Alliance and thus doesn't know anything about Jedi since they just,,,don't exist anymore

•(granted, this is a rather dark AU but I saw no other way in which Luke would act like he does in my fics, without any hope of him changing his ways)

• (there are of course works that discuss a different outcome, exploring Luke turning to the light side despite being raised as Sith, so it is of course a possibility if that's what he's set up to do)

• (I, however, like to center my Sith!Luke around the idea of just that being unthinkable since it's so far fetched and ooc for a person so full of light and good)

• (please keep that in mind when continuing to read, xx)

• this too is the only case in which I think it wouldn't be possible to turn him to the light side because the concept in itself is a foreign and outdated one

• it does exist, yes, and Luke is aware of it too, after all he's well studied and educated, has to be if he is to be the successor of his father

• but it is nothing that seems worth looking into further since the classical "fight" between good and bad is a thing of the past

• because while Luke may not agree with every political stance his family takes he knows he'll be the Emperor sooner than later, able to make changes as he likes

• in this regard, depending on the role you take on in his life, you might be able to slightly influence his decisions and/or his treatment of a certain group of people

• if you're important enough to him he'll listen to what you have to say, though he won't necessarily implement it into the system

• you are well advised to approach such attempts carefully though since you don't want him to suspect you of disregarding his status and position

• or, even worse, want to alienate him from his family and loved ones

• because no matter the universe, Luke would move worlds for those he cares for and accordingly (mainly Sith!Luke) grows easily suspicious when someone so much as questions their behavior, motives, etc. or insinuates to be against them

[maes-flowers]

For them, for us (Obi-wan Kenobi x reader)

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

Authors note: I had to repost cause I wasn't showing up in any tags lol but if you like this story and want to be added to the taglist let me know down below!

Warnings: Very clear signs PTSD (panic attack, nightmares, and hypervigilance) arguments, violence, some fluff, and I think that's it

Prologue

You hated nighttime.

Especially the nights you would shoot yourself out of bed in the middle of the night due to your mind reliving memories you wished would leave you. But the war, the screaming, the bloodshed, and the mistakes you've made in the past haunted you and every breath you took.

Your chest heaved as you blinked rapidly, your eyes adjusting to being open as you took in your surroundings. The small and familiar hut in a cave provides a soothing comfort as you sit on the small bed you shared with Obi-wan. Your hair toppled down your shoulder grazing your bare arms as you shuddered from the cold desert air blowing in creating goose bumps to appear on your skin.

You closed your eyes again for a moment but images from your nightmare came quickly flowing back.

You hated the nights you couldn't fall back asleep even more.

Sighing, you lifted the blanket from your body and stood up. Your back popping as you stretch the sleep away from your muscles. Looking down you stared at the sleeping man below. who had been knocked out cold after a day in the sun before you got home from your own job.

“At least one of us gets a nice night of sleep.” you whispered quietly.

You grabbed your shawl from the floor and draped it over your shoulders, you weren't sure what time it was but you knew it was way too early for you to be awake. You stood awkwardly in the middle of the place, unsure of what to do. Your options for entertainment are already limited on any other day, but even more so when your overworked husband was sleeping a mere few feet away.

Until your eyes landed on the large metal pool you kept in the corner of the cave. You stared at it in thought, it was early so you'd be safe from anyone witnessing you and be safe from Obi-wan's scolding if you were to practice right now. 

While Obi-wan had completely sealed himself from the force, you still kept in touch with it much to Obi-wan’s disappointment. Although not as much as your younger self did but enough to keep you occupied a few nights a week if you were lucky. From practicing small mind tricks on animals, levitating objects around your small home, and last but not least practicing your lightsaber skills.

With a mental stick you had managed to steal from a scraper site since your actual lightsaber was buried deep in the sands of Tatooine.

You slid on your boots and grabbed the pole and headed outside giving one more glance to Obi-wan's sleeping form as you stepped away.

Tatooine had no moon on the planet, but  instead had two suns so it never truly became fully dark. Which had made sleeping even more of a task than it already was before having to keep scraps of fabric on any possible crevice light could come in. at least it was convenient on the nights you sneak out.

You never moved too far from the entrance to your home, always keeping the place in your line of sight. After an incident where you strayed too far from the cave and didn't hear or see Obi-wan come up behind you resulting in you slamming the pole right into his stomach you promised you wouldn't let that happen again. 

 Twirling the pole in your hand, you did a couple practice swings in the air, stretching your muscles in your shoulders and arms warming your body up. the weight was heavy in your hand as you began to move. Your mind went to your master, Stass Allie as you went to strike your imaginary enemy. The stern but kind woman had specialized in force healing but also was one of the best lightsaber duelists you've ever seen and was the main reason you were the Jedi you were. You had hoped dearly that she had made it out alive when order 66 was implemented.

You shook your head to get rid of the thought as your body went on autopilot. You grunted as you threw the pole and quickly brought it back with the force. You kept your breath low and steady as you got on your knees, your body performing the moves that allowed you to attack a person's legs before rolling back up, switching the pole in your opposite hand as you turned around quickly, redoing the stances of basic lightsaber forms again. Getting used to the unbalance of attacking  with your nondominant hand. 

You smiled at the familiar feeling, you felt like you again even for just a brief moment as you pretended you were back in the temple and your and your friends lives weren't ripped apart by the empire. 

You had to give up your actual name in public places, opting for ‘Kilian’ to avoid anyone connecting the dots of your identity, leaving your home on Coursant, and getting rid of your saber. And although you would do it again if it meant protecting the twins and being with Obi-wan, you would be lying if you said you felt like you lost a huge part of yourself. You gritted your teeth and slammed the pole right into a rock, metal bending awkwardly to the right when you staggered away.

“Y/n.” a voice you very quickly recognized as Obi-wans called out to you, dropping the bent makeshift weapon you looked over at him. 

Expecting the usual look of disappointment, all you found was worry.

You panted from the exertion, you sat down on a small rock and hung your head between your legs.

“Stupid pole.”  You heaved, not enjoying the slight twinge of pain in your hip. “What are you doing up?” you asked.

“The same reason you're awake, I assume.” Obi-wan sighed

You heard the sound of boots grazing the rocks on the ground, keeping your eyes low until the man in front of you kneeled down in front of you. 

“Bad night?” he asked.

“Bad night.” you echoed pathetically.

Slowly looking up you came eye to eye with Obi-wan, his hand coming up and pressing into the tender muscle of your hip. You groaned at the feeling and leaned forward until your head planted on his chest, thankful he knows you well enough to do the small action without asking.

“Kriff, I love you, do you know that?” you said, relaxing at the small massage his large hands gave you, you moaned softly at the relief of the knot coming undone.

“I have a faint idea.” he mumbled, his hands leaving your hip and opting to grab your hand, his fingers running over the small band around your finger. Although you and Obi-wan never got officially married, you both had made rings soon after you arrived on Tatooine and called it good enough. No one else needed to know besides you two anyway.

“Did you have a nightmare?” he asked, you looked up from his chest and shrugged as if it was no big deal.

“Ah you know, just the usual.” you said, “I'm assuming you did as well?”

Obi-wan looked down, his sheltered reaction confirming the obvious.

“Glad to see nothing has changed in the Kenobi household.” you joked sadly, although you enjoyed the small laugh the man let out. He looked up at you, and you pushed the longer copper strands away from his eyes.

Obi-wan truly hasn't changed too much in the last ten years, the mullet he sported years before had returned and his beard had grown a tad longer. With some fine lines around his eyes, most likely due to the powerful rays of two suns and the constant squinting during the mid afternoon as he worked outside. He still remained the unfairly handsome man you met decades ago in your eyes. 

“Quit judging the old man.” he said, you gasped at that and jokingly pulled at the roots of his hair lightly, smirking at the quiet groan he let out under your grip.

“I'm not! I'm admiring you and plus you only have five years on me.” you said, running your hands down until each one was on each side of his jaw. You leaned forward and kissed him, happily accepting Obi-wan's grip returning to your hip as you deepened the kiss. He gave you a few more moments before he reluctantly pulled away.

“Come back to bed,” Obi-wan said, you sighed at the thought of going back to the nightmares. 

“I know, I feel the same way but I know you work tomorrow and you need some sleep.” Obi-wan said, already noticing your apprehension to the idea.

You just nodded in defeat, you knew he was right. You worked at the local tavern in the town and although you didn't go to work early you worked late often.

You stood up and grabbed the pole, Obi-wan following beside you as you both walked back home.

As the two of you laid back down, you reached for Obi-wan as you curled up under his larger frame, tucking your head under his chin.

“Tomorrow morning, you think we can go check up on Luke?” you asked, sleep already reclaiming your mind. “It's been a few weeks since I was able to go with you.” your voice trailed off at the end, letting your eyes fall shut.

“Of course, Love.” Obi-wan said, but he received soft snores in response.

🖾

You and Obi-wan sat silently on the small mountain that overlooked the Lars residence, it had been weeks since you had come with Obi-wan to do your weekly check in on him. You were catching up on sleep from the unruly schedule your job had from work and your insomnia. In result, you slept in late today as well, having to take the very, very old speeder bike you managed to buy off one of your regulars for a good deal to meet up with Obi-wan who had left an hour before. The two of you both held binoculars to your eyes as you watched Luke run away from his chores.

“Where is that kid going?” you mumbled to yourself, watching Owen Lars stop what he was doing and looked for Luke.

You watched as Obi-wan scanned the larger area surrounding their home, but you kept your eyes on the side of the house. Chuckling at the sight of Luke climbing onto the roof and sliding goggles over his head.

Your smile dropped as you then saw him act like he was podracing, you put down the binoculars and watched in disbelief. That was the most Anakin-like thing you've ever seen the kid do, and you wouldn't be lying if you said that the sight alone did not punch a hole of grief into your stomach.

“Wow.” you mumbled, looking over at your husband as he slowly lowers his own binoculars. 

Obi-wan stayed silent as he started ahead. You wish you knew what he was thinking at that moment of seeing the spitting image of his friend. You were about to comfort him but heard you watch beep at you and you cursed, quickly standing up. You dusted off your pants as you grabbed your stuff.

“You need better time management, Starlight.” Obi-wan said, looking up at you. You ignored the way the new nickname turned your face red as you rolled your eyes.

“Ha-ha.” you said displeased, leaning down and kissing his head. “I'll be back later tonight, I love you.” 

You stepped toward the cliff edge and peered over, the drop wasn't too far and you could see your bike right below you.

“Why must you insist on taking the most unsafe routes?” Obi-wan chastised, you looked over your shoulder as you crouched down.

“Because it's fun.” and with that you dropped down and landed on the seat of your bike on your feet, the uneven weight making you wobble as you sat down on it properly. You looked up and saw Obi-wan looking over the edge, a small smile on his face as you waved to him and sped off.

🖾

The day after seeing Luke, the Tavern was disgustingly slow. To the point you should've just stayed home since the jobs pay was terrible without tips. You sighed as you closed the bar early, as one of your co-workers told you to just go home.

So when you were walking through town you didn't expect to see Obi-wan and Owen Lars talking to each other. Owen's face was tight with annoyance as you heard his voice the closer you got to them.

“Anakin is dead Ben,” Owen reminded. “And I won't let you make the same mistake twice.”

You sighed, knowing Obi-wan once again pushed the boundary Owen had set with Luke. although you hated it you kept your distance so you avoided situations like this.

“Owen,” you called at, your voice hard. “Let's not go to cheapshots, shall we?” you stopped in front of him. You had seen Owen in town more often than Obi-wan had, as he stopped in once in a while for a drink and something to eat. You had the opportunity to see Luke once with him as well, he reluctantly allowed you to introduce yourself. You knew he was protective of his nephew but you knew Obi-wan was as well.

“I know you care, and I don't hold that against you but you have to understand we are not trying to make him a soldier or anything like that.” you kept your voice low so no one could hear you. “We care about him too, and the sooner you see that the easier this will make everything. Don't forget without us you wouldn't even know that little boy was alive right now so don't directly insult my husband for a tragedy he had no control over.”

Owen just looked at your silence for a moment before he shook his head.

“Leave him on the farm, with his family, where he belongs.” he warned before he walked away.

You sighed and pinched your nose, shaking your head.

“ Why is he so stubborn-” You halted your sentence as you heard the shouts of the villagers.

“Move,” A deep voice rattled. “Move! Get out of the way.” 

Your fight or flight activated as you saw the figure in all black armor walk down the street pushing away citizens in their way.

“Behind the wall, go.” Obi-wan hurried, his voice in a quiet rush as the both of you backed against the wall.

“You know why we are here,” a man with a ragged voice announced, his face green contrasting poorly with the black armor. “There is a jedi hiding on this planet and we need to know where he is! Tell us the location and you will be rewarded well.”

“Or you'll be punished!” a woman's voice called out, as she walked down the street. Tall and powerful as she sauntered around the crowd. “Hands go first! That way, when you reach for anything you will think of us.” she warned.

You watched an older woman begin to yell at the inquisitor.

“This is the outer rim!” a woman's voice called out. “You have no rights here.”

You watched as the inquisitor turned to the woman, her hand moving toward her saber. You stepped forward on instinct, your body wanting to help but Obi-wan arm flew out and kept you pushed against the wall.

“Don’t.” he hissed.

The Inquisitor  turned on her saber and quickly sliced off the woman's hand, your hand flew to your mouth as the crowd around you gasped at the screaming woman.

“All we want is information!” she yelled circling around the crowd like a predator. “If anyone knows anything about a jedi…” her voice trailed off when she looked at Owen.

“You know something?” she questioned, Owen shook his head.

“What's your name?” she asked, her tone calmer than before.

“Owen,” he said.

“Owen,” she echoed, as if getting used to his name on her tongue. “Farmer, right? Have a wife? A kid?”

“My family’s of no concern for you.” he said, and you wanted to smack him across the face at the attitude.

“Might be, you got a Jedi on that farm too?” 

“No.” Owen replied. “I have no love for the jedi, they are vermin and I kill vermin on my farm.”

You began to search for any possible escape routes, heart pounding so hard you could hear it. Owen was going to sell you out.

“You protect your family,” she said, stepping forward and adjusting his vest. “I like that Owen.”

She leaned forward and looked him in the eyes.

“You think you can protect them from me?” she asked. 

When Owen said nothing, you almost cried in relief.

“Tell me where the Jedi is, or this man and his family die!” she shouted. You launched forward, but Obi-wan once again shoved you back against the wall.

“Damn it Ben,” you seethed, not even daring letting anyone of those monsters hear his real name right now. “She is threatening Luke!” you whispered.

“The Jedi are cowards! They abandoned you! And you do not need to protect them because they will not do the same for you.”  she shouted and looked at Owen. She stepped forward and hovered the blade right in front of his neck. You curled your fists, digging your nails into your palm as you watched Owen stand still, but his face showed fear.

You heard a hand slam down on a crate.

“Enough!”  the green man shouted. “If you remember anything, a reward will be given.” he told the crowd.

“Stand down Third sister.” the man warned, you watched her glare and held her blade up. “Now!”

She deactivated her saber and walked away, you waited until they were out of sight before you ripped Obi-wan's arm away and headed toward Owen. 

“Are you okay?” you asked.

“Yes, I'm fine.” he replied curtly.

“Owen,” you said as quietly as possible. “If I had sensed those people coming I would've told you not to come to town today, I'm so sorry.” you said, the apology sincere. Being able to sense people like that is a large reason you kept your connection to the force in the first place. Owen looked at you and nodded.

“I know.”

You heard Obi-wan come up behind you, his hand grazing your lower back as if you would slip away again.

“Thank you owen.” Obi-wan said, the farmer glared at him.

“I didn't do it for you.” he  said distastefully before walking off.

 You felt your heart hammer in your chest, if that went any worse and Owen Gave away you and Obi-wan's position you'd be dead right now. You felt bile at the back of your throat as you stepped away from the man behind you and threw up. You didn't want to think of the odd looks you were getting right now as Obi-wan pulled back your hair as you quite literally threw up the adrenaline and fear your body had created in the last ten minutes. Your hands trembled severely as you felt an overwhelming sense of doom fill you, you hadn't been that close to someone so dangerous since the purge and you were not reacting well to it.

 Tears began pricking your eyes as you spit on the ground, trying to rid your mouth from the gross taste.

“I cant breathe” you gritted out. “Need somewhere safe.” you gapsed, although your hyperventilating made the words sound choppy and was hard to understand.

You could hear Obi-wan's voice call out to you but you didn't understand what he was saying as your whole body began to tremble and blackspots dab the edge of your vision.

The last thing you remember was the feeling of your body falling forward.

🖾

When your eyes opened again, you felt like a speeder had run you over, your body stiff as you adjusted to the light. You recognized home quickly at the  feeling mattress under you, the smell of home and the desert calming your nerves. Using your arms you slowly dragged your body up into a sitting position and began to move your legs to stand up.

“You leave that bed and I will not hesitate to restrain you.” Obi-wan's voice said from behind you, turning around and you saw him hold a wet rag in his hands, coming to sit with you on your guys bed and wiped the cold rag across your head and you sighed at the slight shock against your hot skin, the surprise on your senses proving a nice distraction for a moment.

“You haven't had an attack like that in years.” Obi-wan murmed. “I never get used to them.”

“I'm sorry,” you cringed at the sound of your rough and raspy voice. “I'm so sorry” 

You were embarrassed at the way you reacted to everything, you always kept a front and tried to have those moments of sheer fear of your safety in private. Even after all these years there were times like today you felt like you were back in that temple.

“I thought Luke was going to  get hurt, and then I assumed Owen would rat us out and I just…”  you groaned in frustration. “I can usually keep them at bay until I'm alone. I don't know what happened.” Obi-wan put down the rag and pushed your hair away.

“They still happen?” he asked, a slight tone of disappointment jumped out at you.

You nodded.

“Not Often, like before.” you scratched the back of your neck. “ Now it's just once every few months at most.”

“Why didn't you tell me?” he said and you looked up at him.

“Because sometimes talking about it hurts more.” you admitted. “You of all people should know that.” you took a sip of water from your canteen, pleasantly surprised to see there was no taste of bile.

Did he brush your teeth while you were passed out?

“You're right,” Obi-wan said. “I do know, it's not fair of me to expect you to tell me when I hold myself back as well, I suppose.”

“Yeah well,” you shrugged. “Good thing I like you enough to excuse it.” you said, a small smirk twitching at your lips as Obi-wan rolled his eyes.

Obi-wan pulled you in and kissed you softly, chapped lips slotting perfectly against yours. Shuddering under his touch you wrapped arms around his neck dragging him closer. You went to grab the bottom of his shirt when you heard a loud beeping. You pulled away from him and looked around, searching for the source of the sound.

“What is that?” you asked, looking over at Obi-wan, concern growing when you saw his pale face. He quickly stood up and walked over to the table and pulled a small box from it. You watched in confusion as he clicked open the box and dug around, but soon quickly also paled at the sight of his jedi robes.

Which he kept in the same box he also kept the emergency holoprojector Bail Organa gave you both when he took Leia to Alderan. 

You scrambled out of bed and joined him at the table as he grabbed the holoprojector and answered.

“Senator Organa?” Obi-wan asked.

You saw Bail and Breha standing together, Bail's arm wrapped around his wife's shoulder as she cried.

“Obi-wan? Y/n?” he called out, “It's Leia…something has happened.” 

You and Obi-wan looked at eachother, your hand grabbing his bicep to ground yourself.

“What happened?” you asked, your anxiety from earlier quickly bubbling up.

“She's gone, we don't know who it was. There was no ransom, no leads but whoever they were, they knew where she would be. They…” Bail cleared his throat.. “They were waiting.”

“She needs you, both of you.” Breha begged. “We can't trust anyone else.”

You were about to respond, kriff you were about to pack a bag and hop on the nearest transport ship and head straight to Alderan but Obi-wan cut you off.

“What about the Senate?” he asked.

You turned and looked at him in disbelief.

“We cannot let this become public, it would draw too much attention.” Bail argued,

“Well what about a guard, or-or a bounty hunter?” 

“Obi-wan!” you gasped at your husband, how is he not freaking out about this and being so dismissive.

“Only you two know how important she really is, if she is discovered…” the senator trailed off.

“We cannot leave here, Bail.” Obi-wan said. “Our duty is to the boy.”

“What about your duty to his sister?” Bail spat, but Obi-wan shook his head.

“It's been ten years, I'm not who I used to be.” he explained, and you watched the couple's faces fall. “Find someone else.”

You snatched the projector off the table and held it tight in your hands, Obi-wan looked over at you in surprise. You stepped away when Obi-wan took a step toward you and you backed away faster.

“Stay here!” you snapped. “I can't even-” you didn't bother to finish your sentence as you quickly left the cave, walking far enough so Obi-wan couldnt hear you.

“Bail, get any information about what happened and get on the soonest ship to Tatooine, I can try my best to convince him but the man is so stubborn I'm sure I'll need you too.” you demanded. “Even then if he doesn't agree to go then I'll go by myself.”

Bail nodded in response.

“Don't worry you two. if it's the last thing I do, I'll bring Leia home.” you comforted, tone softer. “I'll see you soon Bail.” and with that you hung up the call.

You sighed and rubbed your face, not excited for the argument that was about to start as soon as you stepped back into the cave. 

You put the holoprojector in your pocket and made your way back.

When you stepped into the cave you saw Obi-wan still standing at the table, his arms crossed and looking ahead, angry and worried at the same

“You are being too reckless you know we ca-”

“What was that?” you interrupted, not caring for what he had to say. “The senate? A Bounty hunter!? That little girl is practically our niece and you want some random person to go save her?”

“We cannot leave the boy here alone.” 

You glared. “He's not alone and you know that but Leia? She is, and whoever has her could kill her! I know we both think Luke could be force sensitive but what if Leia is too? She's just as important!”

“Do you think I don't know that?” Obi-wan snapped.

“From how you're acting? No I don't!” you exclaimed. “If you're worried about the inquisitors being here then i'll gladly turn myself in to get them to leave this planet if that will give you the incentive to go get her.” you mouth tumbling out the harsh words faster than you can think.

Although you quickly regretted the words when you saw the look of hurt on the man's face, you still continued on.

“What did we agree on when we decided to come here in the first place?” you asked. “For them, not just Luke and not just Leia. protect both of them.”

Obi-wan stayed silent and avoided your gaze.

You grabbed your shawl from the hook on the wall and slid it on.

“Just…sleep on it.” you suggested. “I'm going to go on a walk.” you both needed space from one other.

“I love you.” you called out softly as you left.

~~~~

Neither of you said a word to each other, you watched him leave for work silently. Sitting on the bed, your head rested against your raised knees as you thought about Leia. She had looked so much like her mother when she was first born you wondered if she continued to look like her or even act like her.

You didn't move much that day, your body almost stuck in the position well into the evening, until one of two suns began to descend into the sky and the security system went off. You sat up straight as you saw a shadow grow closer and reached under your pillow grabbing your Vibroblade. A hooded man walked in, and you stood up. Your garud high as you stepped forward.

“Bail?” you called out, the man turned to you and pulled down his hood. You smiled at the sight. Greyer hair and more weight on his form but still Bail Organa.

“Master Y/n.” he said, you raised a brow at the old title.

“Please,” you chuckled lightly, walking up to him. “That is a meaningless name now, y/n is fine.”

Bail shook your hand, his grip tense and clammy. You frowned at the anxious show of the usually level-head man.

“Have you spoken to him?” he asked.

“Yes, last night's discussion was very…unproductive I must say.” you looked at the watch on your wrist. “But Obi-wan should be home soon, I'm hoping you'll have a better chance with him. You're much more coherent with your words than I am.”

“I'm sure you did fine, you were always too hard on yourself dear friend.”

You laughed.

“Yeah well, thankfully I was better with A lightsaber than with politics.”

“You should have not come.” Obi-wan's voice announced.

You and Bail turned around, to see Obi-wan walking in. He gave a stare that screamed ‘Really?’

“She's heading to Daiyu,” Bail started. “They hid their signature behind a freight transport, the ship is on its way there now.”

“I can't.” Obi-wan sighed.

“She's my daughter Obi-wan”Bail begged

“I'm not the man you remember.”

“Well you're going to have to be!” Bail shouted. 

“I can't leave the boy Bail!” Obi-wan argued, his gloves hand clenched at his side.

“This isn't about the boy and you know it!” Bail rubbed his forehead, soothing a worry line. “You've made mistakes, we all did. It's in the past…move on and be done with it.” he looked at Obi-wan.“You couldn't save Anakin, but you could save her.”

You watched the conversation anxiously, is that why he was scared? Did he think he'd fail?

You hoped not, or else that argument the night before was going to make you look like a jerk.

“And what if I can't?” Obi-wan asked desperately, pain and insecurity woven into the features of his face.

“There is no one I trust more with my child than you two. So please old friend, one more fight for her.”

Obi-wan stayed silent for a long time, you and Bial stood there patiently waiting for his answer.

“Okay… I'll do it.” he finally relented.

You smiled in relief at that, happy you didn't have to sneak off from him in the middle of the night. You glanced over at Bail and put a hand on his shoulder, trying to give him comfort.

“Go home, go to work like normal and tell no one our names or anything like that . The more kept under wraps the easier on everyone.”

“Whatever you say,” Bail agreed. “Just bring home my daughter.”

You gave him a determined nod watching Obi-wan shake his hand before he pulled back up his hood and leave.

You and Obi-wan both turned to each other, you looked down and cleared your throat thinking about what to say.

“I'm sorry- the two of you spoke at the same time, you chuckled when Obi-wan gestured for you to do first.

“I'm scared too.” you confessed. “No, actually I'm terrified of failing someone who needs my protection like I did back at the temple.” you laughed bitterly as you placed a hand on your chest. “But I can't live with another child's death on my hands, not when I could do something about it” you said, voice wobbling with emotion, Obi-wan frowned and grabbed your hand. “And I know you don't feel like you could be that person to help her after what has happened, but I know you can.”  you wiped your eyes with your free hand. “We couldn't save Anakin or Padme, but we can help her and I think we owe that to them.”

 “I'm sorry,” Obi-wan pulled you in. “You're right.”

You shoved your face into his chest.

“I'm sorry too.”

🖾

Your boots pounded into the packed sand of the town as you made your way to the transportation station, your hands constantly fidgeting your side to make sure the long v shaped bodice over your shirt crossed over your chest, long fabric draping over your hips and covered your recently retrieved lightsaber strapped to a harness on your thigh.

You felt like yourself again like this, the lightsaber at your disposal and with the former general at your side to the point You almost began to expect people to call you commander again.

You had been a commander with Ahsoka Tano during the war, often working with Obi-wan and his battalion on his flagship when you weren't on Coruscant.

You missed lwhen your biggest issue was hunting down General Grievous and protecting high profile senators.

You were too far in your own thoughts. You didn't notice Obi-wan stop in front of check in, your body slamming into his back and forehead hitting the hard muscle.

“Dank Farrik.” you said, as you stepped over and looked up at the taller man who started down at the ticket in his hand. Hesitance  was radiating  off of him and your hand laced with his and you gave an encouraging squeeze.

“Well?” the worker impatiently asked. “Are you coming or not?”

He looked down at you and you nodded.

“We can do this,'' you soothed, walking up to the worker and handing her your ticket while Obi-wan followed behind you with your hand intertwined with his, only letting go when you were on the other side waiting for the worker to hand him back his ticket.

The warm metal on your finger gives a stark reminder of how your present self was going right back into the life of someone you haven't been for long you thought that part of you left in the grains of sand ten years ago.

Or maybe, you thought for a moment.

That person never left.

Taglist:

@graciexmarvel​

[knightotoc]

Musical Numbers for Star Wars Characters

I’ve been a Theater Kid longer than I’ve been a Stanakin

Anakin, who caves to temptation: Out There (context: Barnum is psyching himself up to cheat on his wife)

Out there somewhere just out of sight, There’s a world that’s blazing with light! Ain’t each man alive got the right? To stray just a mite from the straight and narrow, Shoot through the night like a flaming arrow...

Obi-Wan, chivalrous and delusional: The Impossible Dream (context: Don Quixote keeps a self-imposed vigil over his armor while he stays at a shitty hotel)

To dream the impossible dream, To fight the unbeatable foe, To bear with unbearable sorrow, To run where the brave dare not go.

Padme, who’s got a bad feeling about this: The Best of Times (context: the homophobes are vanquished and it’s the grand finale! love wins!)

Now... not some forgotten yesterday! Now... tomorrow is too far away!

Ahsoka, who has lost everything, even her faith: Endless Night (context: Simba mourns Mufasa after Timon and Pumbaa unknowingly mock his words)

Sleepless, I dream of the day When you were by my side, guiding my path. Father, I can’t find the way.

Luke, who has tasted adventure: Giants in the Sky (context: Jack has gone up and down the beanstalk)

And you’re back again, only different than before... After the sky!

Old Luke finally returns to the Force ... and to Leia: No One is Alone (context: the giant is vanquished but at a terrible cost -- a different sort of grand finale)

People make mistakes, Holding to their own, Thinking they’re alone... Just remember, Someone is on your side... Someone else is not.

Rey pins all her repressed hopes on one old loser: The Wizard and I (context: Elphaba’s embarrassing magical secret is out, but to her shock it’s landed her an awesome interview)

And this gift or this curse, I have inside, Maybe at last I’ll know why!

Kanan is starting to really believe in Hera’s rebellion thing: Step One (context: Charlie Price realizes he can save his family business by making shoes for drag queens)

I used to live in limbo never dying to begin, But now it’s sink or swim, so I’d better dive right in --

Revan in an amnesiac haze: Once Upon a December (context: Anya sees problematic dead people manifest as rosy visions)

Far away, long ago, Glowing dim as an ember, Things my heart used to know, Things it yearns to remember.

Malak, Revan’s sidekick unto the end: Waiting in the Wings (context: Cassandra vents her frustrations as her perfect friend Rapunzel sleeps)

Guess we all are born with parts to play, Some of us are stars, and some are just in the way.

Kreia, bitter and thriving: So What? (context: ❤️👑Sara Kestelman!👑❤️)

If it ended that way, Then it ended that way. And I shrug and I say, So what?

And now these get really degenerate

Maul tells Ezra about the Dark Side: The Beauty Underneath (context: the Phantom is hanging out with Christine’s son and realizes that he’s his son too -- yes this is from the sequel, this song fucks)

Do you find yourself beguiled By the dangerous and wild?

Hux is the spy!: Damned for All Time/Blood Money (context: Judas sells out Jesus)

I have no thought at all about my own reward!! I really didn’t come here of my own accord!!!

Exar’s evil ghost taunts his righteous ex, Ulic: Superstar (context: demon Judas taunts Jesus on the cross)

Did you mean to die like that? Was that a mistake or Did you know your messy death Would be a record breaker?

Important observation: Both the sequel trilogy and the Tales of the Jedi comics have unsatisfying endings, but they would have both been perfect if they had made Huxlo and Exlic recreate Jesus Christ Superstar. Woulda been hot!!!

Daegen Lok (he’s rad as fuck, trust me) reunites with Hadiya’s old defeated generals to try to take down the Jedi again: Are You In Or Out? (context: the villain song from the better Aladdin sequel. kind of offensive lol)

I’m the one you need for a dirty deed. I’m the best; success is guaranteed!

The Knights of Ren’s ghosts make fun of Rey: One (finale) (context: our beloved cast of wannabe actors take their bows and are subsumed into a flawless ensemble, just like how the KoR became one with the Force)

One moment in her presence and you can forget the rest, For the girl is second best to none, son! Ooh! Sigh! Give her your attention! Do! I! really have to mention! Sheeee’s theeeee Oooonnne!!!

[jasontoddiefor]

Title: threads spun

Summary: In another life, Obi-Wan Kenobi would have fought plenty of other Jedi Masters for the right to train little Luke Skywalker. In this one, Luke is 19 and just lost his family when Obi-Wan teaches him how to do a proper Padawan braid.

AN: I’M BACK FROM NANO WITH NEW FANFICS.

The boy just lost his whole world, and he clings to Obi-Wan's robes with shaky hands. His eyes are bright blue, his hair a fair gold color, and for just one short moment, Obi-Wan isn't sure whether the child in front of him is nine or nineteen, whether his name is Anakin or Luke.

It is the reason he gave Luke to his family in the end, even when the Force and all his selfish desires were screaming at him not to. The newborn, the son of his Padawan, the child that was Luke Skywalker, had deserved better than a broken man who didn't even know who he was without a thousand lights illuminating him. A man who'd risk forgetting that he was not holding the child he had raised, the child he had left to burn.

Obi-Wan closes his eyes and the moment passes. 

He doesn't ask the boy if he's alright because it is obvious that Luke is not and it would be cruel to demand an honest answer. Luke can't be standing straight after he experienced such tremendous loss for the first time, nobody would, and Obi-Wan is saddened that he can't give Luke the time to grieve.

Despite all this pain, Obi-Wan still dares to hope for light and life.

He is relieved to see that Luke doesn't take all the hurt and anger to hide it within himself. Obi-Wan has never taught Luke a single lesson about Jedi philosophy, the way they grieve and handle all the emotions that are too large for this world, those that are capable of tearing the galaxy apart. And yet Luke controls his feelings exactly as a temple-raised youngling would, not pushing them aside or letting them overtake him. He takes timed breaths, centers himself on the world surrounding him and not on his anxieties. Pride fills Obi-Wan's heart as he watches peace and balance return to Luke's mind.

In another life, Obi-Wan would have fought plenty of other Jedi Masters for the right to train him.

He can almost hear his family laugh at him, playful jabs about him being so eager to train yet another Skywalker and see what colors they could draw nebulas in. It isn't Obi-Wan's fault; he has always loved a challenge, and Luke, racing in Beggar's Canyon at an age no boy should step into that death trap, would have certainly been a joy to teach and guide.

He could have taught him so much, so much he still needs to teach him, but the clock is ticking and time has always been a cruel mistress. Not purposefully, she wouldn't dare, but she is absolute and eternal, and like death, she takes.

Obi-Wan silently wonders how much time he has left. He knows exactly where they are heading and despite the legends he has wrapped around himself in his exile, he's neither crazy nor a fool. They are attempting to pull off a plan that they wouldn't even have dared to suggest during the Clone Wars, not with so many untrained people. He's been called reckless plenty of times, his ability to talk himself out of seeming like an adrenaline junkie being his only saving grace. Still, Obi-Wan is acutely aware of the danger they are in.

But they have no other choice. They may have the Death Star plans in their hands – and wasn't it utterly predictable that it would be Artoo to carry the plans for a weapon of mass destruction? – but Leia can't stay in the Empire's hands.

Luke and she were so strong in the Force at their birth already. While Obi-Wan is convinced that Bail must have taught Leia at least some shielding techniques, half-trained children can't withstand a Sith Lord for long. Should Vader or worse, Palpatine, learn what Leia could become capable of, they would have so much more to worry about in the future.

The Rebellion might as well be lost.

"You have grown into a fine young man, Luke," Obi-Wan tells Anakin's son instead.

"I have?" Luke echoes, curiosity coloring his voice, highlighting a cadence similar to Padmé's despite his heavy Outer Rim accent.

"I brought you to Tatooine," Obi-Wan tells him. The journey hadn't been an easy one. They had to change ships multiple times and every time somebody had mistaken Obi-Wan for Luke's father, he had wanted to stop and cry like the infant in his arms. "You were a very sweet baby."

"Oh." Luke falls silent again, but his hands have stopped shaking. In his dirty white robes, he reminds Obi-Wan just a bit of a messy Padawan. He wears Anakin's lightsaber well, even if he doesn't know how to execute even the simplest of lightsaber forms. Frankly speaking, it is a bit terrifying to see how quickly he picked up the weapon and had gotten comfortable with it. The Force curled around Luke's every movement, guiding him like a beloved teacher.

Luke will need a teacher if he is to face the darkness that would catch up to them soon.

Obi-Wan feels much older than he actually is. The fault lies partially with the harsh marks that Tatooine has left on his body, but also with the life he has led. He isn't sure if he can teach another student, no matter how much he wants to, but he has to try at least for Luke's sake. That is, if the boy truly intends to follow the path of the Jedi.

"Luke," Obi-Wan says seriously, thinking of the one who gives life, the name granted to such a young child, "Do you truly want to become a Jedi?"

"Yes." There is no hesitation in Luke's reply. "I want to follow my father's footsteps."

No, Obi-Wan wants to weep. You don't. You can't ask me to cut you down as well; I couldn't bear it.

"It is admirable to want to follow the path of someone you respect," Obi-wan starts carefully instead. He can't tell Luke what became of Anakin Skywalker. The child deserves better. "But I am asking about your own inclinations. The path of a Jedi is not an easy one, and you have to follow it for your own sake if you want to succeed."

Now Luke does hesitate. He looks down at his hands, curls them into fists and relaxes them again.

"Yes," Luke finally replied. "Yes, I want to be a Jedi."

"Then I'll hope you'll give me the honor of teaching you. I'd like to take you as my Padawan."

Obi-Wan had said these words over three decades ago to another lost blond boy, the language a little different, their surroundings certainly more peaceful than the ship of a smuggler. He tries to banish the image from his mind.

"Padawan," Luke repeats slowly. "What does it mean?"

You should know, Obi-Wan thinks. You should know what it means and be overjoyed and celebrate this day.

He can't hold it against this boy, not even against himself or, dare he think it, Anakin because choices had been made, but away from it all, Obi-Wan can only blame the Sith who ruined them, continues to hurt them.

"It means that I want you as my student, teach you all I know so that you may surpass me someday."

Bring us back to the light, rebuilt all that we lost. Obi-Wan is asking him for so much when just days ago it would have been enough for him to someday see Luke marry that boy he's been crushing on for years and live the rest of his days happily, far away from the war.

And now he dreams of home again, the rooms full of plants and droid parts, poetry collections, board games, and warmth so kind and all-compassing that no nightmares can haunt you.

"You'd really teach me?" Luke asks as if he'd be honored and the right to be taught not already something he possessed since his birth.

"Of course."

"I'd be honored to accept," Luke replies with a shy smile.

Obi-Wan returns his smile and reassuringly squeezes his shoulder once. Luke leans into the touch and so Obi-Wan lets his arm linger around the boy's shoulders as he continues to explain traditions long lost. "Traditionally, we would now braid your hair and put in the first bead."

"Braid my hair?"

Obi-wan nods and thinks of all the times his Master ran his fingers through Obi-Wan's hair, tugging at his braid and saying one thing or another he hadn't paid any attention to because he'd been too awestruck by the fact that he had a Master at all. "Yes, all Padawans of the Jedi Order have a braid. It shows your dedication to your studies and how serious you are about them. It means that you know that this is not an easy task or an easy path to take, but that you are willing to walk it anyway."

Luke thoughtfully looks at Obi-Wan, then he reaches up with his hand, putting a strand of hair behind his ear.

"My hair is not long enough to braid it properly," Luke mutters, dismayed.

He's pouting more than he is actually hurt by the thought. Nevertheless, if he lingers on it, he might ask more questions about what other chances life has denied him and because of it, Obi-Wan wants to distract him quickly.

The distraction comes at the price of remembrance, a fourteen-year-old Padawan clinging to what remained of his braid, burying his head in his Master's chest, and crying after enduring days of torment. Obi-Wan had fixed Anakin's hair then as well so he wouldn't have to deal with too many looks once they were back at the Temple. His braid had been short, but it had been there. For a moment, Obi-Wan tries to recall who had assigned that mission to them, whether Sidious had already sown his seeds of discord then.

He lets the moment go. "Don't worry, I can help you."

He had done plenty of braids during his as a Padawan and later as a Master. When the war had been going on, he had helped frenzied Padawans countless times with their braids.

There was an almost meditative process to the act of braiding and letting others braid your hair. It had soothed innumerous over the centuries and now it will once more calm another. Luke sits still when Obi-Wan begins to part the stray strands of hair on the left side of his head into three. Luke's hair really isn't all that long, but it is definitely more than enough to work with. Slowly and withs steady fingers, Obi-Wan braids another bond with his second Padawan. Luke is a kind child and this war will hurt him incredibly. Obi-Wan can only hope that what he will pass onto him will be enough to have him keep his path, to wander in the light even when the darkness reaches for him with the intent to consume.

Once Obi-Wan is finished with the braid, he reaches for his belt, takes an old leather cord from there, and wraps it around the tip of Luke's hair.

"And finished," Obi-Wan announces.

Luke, who had closed his eyes, opens them and immediately reaches for the hair, twirling it between his two fingers in a fashion reminiscent of Obi-Wan in his youth. He had only managed to get rid of that nervous habit after his won braid hat been cut. Whether Luke would act similar, Obi-Wan doesn't know, but the thought of seeing Luke ascend to the rank of Knight of the Order, no matter how small, splintered and broken it is right now, it makes his heart beat a bit quicker.

"How does it look?" Luke asks.

"As it is supposed to," Obi-Wan replies. "I believe Mr. Solo has a mirror in his fresher if you want to take a look."

Luke races off before Obi-Wan can say anymore. He returns a few minutes later, already with more color in his face than he had in the hours before.

"Thank you. Master." Luke tags on the honorific only belatedly, unsure whether it fits and it is all the convincing Obi-Wan could ever need.

"You are welcome, Padawan."

Obi-Wan Kenobi has a student once more and he will not fail him.

[labyrinth-runner]

Oooh could I request “Your cheeks are rosy and cute.” With Obi-Wan x reader?

Word count: 1600?

No warnings :D

“You know I hate the cold,” you muttered as you made your way down the ramp onto the planet, shivers running down your spine. Your light clothes were fine on Tatooine, but here you found them lacking.

“If you think this is cold, you would never survive Ilum,” Obi-Wan chuckled.

You shot him a look.

“You’re the one wanted to come along while I went to visit Bail Organa,” he smirked.

“Because Tatooine is... well, I can’t even say its nice, really, because it isn’t. It’s a bunch of sand and heat. When you mentioned going off world, how else was I supposed to react besides jumping at the chance?” you asked. “I just didn’t think Alderaan would be this cold.”

“It’s not, darling. It’s fall here.”

“I would hate to see winter,” you shot back.

Obi-Wan wrapped an arm around you. “Smile. Here comes Bail.”

You plastered your best ‘I’m happy to be here’ grin on your face as the Viceroy came to greet you in the secluded docking bay.

“I apologize that you couldn’t land at the palace,” Bail murmured.

“I’m supposed to be dead,” Obi-Wan replied. “I’d be surprised if you had suggested I meet you there.”

“Fair enough, M- Ben,” Bail replied, catching himself. “We can’t accommodate you in the palace, but we have a lodge hidden in the forest that you two can stay in.”

“I can assure you, anything is better than sleeping in the ship,” Obi-Wan replied.   You watched as a blush settled on his face and a slightly masked look of hope settled into his eyes, “Will I get to see her?”

Bail gave him a sad smile, “Perhaps not up close. She’s become quite nosey lately. The last thing Breha and I need is her asking more questions. She’s already found one of the rebel bases.”

“She sounds a lot like her mother,” Obi-Wan said with a wistful smile and a faraway look.

“You should have seen her on her Day of Demand. I almost thought I was looking at Amidala for a moment. She had that same fire in her eyes that her mother would have when addressing the Senate,” Bail replied. “She even went to Naboo.”

“Oh?” Obi-Wan asked with an amused smile. “How did that go?”

“Oh, you know. Explosions. Madness. Too close for comfort for my liking,” Bail chuckled.

“I’ll bet,” Obi-Wan replied.

“Well, let me show you to the cabin,” Bail smiled, pulling the hood up over his face. 

The two of you followed suit as he led you to a speeder. 

“You know, Bail, most people would not feel comfortable being driven to the middle of the woods,” you joked.

“We’re not most people, are we?” he asked with a knowing smirk.

“No, I suppose not,” you replied.

When you reached the cabin, Bail handed Obi-Wan a comm-link. “If you need anything, use this. It’s a direct link to me.”

“Of course, Viceroy,” Obi-Wan nodded.

The two of them shared a long look before Bail turned to leave. “I’ll be back later tonight with news... and photos of the princess.”

“I look forward to it,” Obi-Wan replied before watching the Viceroy walk away.

He let out a sigh.

You placed your hand on his shoulder. “Credit for your thoughts?”

“It... felt like old times,” he admitted, turning to you. “I know that sounds odd. Especially since nothing has been like old times since... well, old times.”

“He’s your friend whom you haven’t seen in years. It’s normal to feel nostalgic,” you replied as you gently led him into the cabin.

“It’s just odd,” he sighed, leaning against the dining table.

“Odd, how?”

“We watch over Luke. He watches over Leia. Seeing the two children separated. Knowing what life they could have had if...” he trailed off.

“They’re loved. That’s all that matters,” you replied, cupping his cheeks. 

He leaned into your touch, giving you a small smile. “I suppose you’re right.”

“I know I am,” you winked. “Now... help me start a fire. I am freezing.”

Obi-Wan chuckled and set up a small fire in the hearth. “We’ll need more wood. I’ll gather some. You stay here and keep warm.”

You nodded, setting up a kettle over the fire to boil water for tea. Then, you proceeded to wrap yourself in a thick blanket and sit as close to the fire as you could without getting burned or inhaling smoke.

Losing track of time, you stared into the fire and contemplated everything Obi-Wan had said. It was a shame that the children didn’t know their biological parents, and it could be said that they were becoming more like them. But... you couldn’t help but think about how much of their personalities came from the Lars and Organa families. Perhaps, out of respect for their biological parents, they had tried to attribute things to them in order to keep their memory alive. You missed Padmé as much as the rest of her friends, but you knew Padmé would want credit to be given where credit was due. For instance, you’d seen Breha many times when Padmé had come for diplomatic visits. She had every bit of that fiery personality as Padmé. Leia could have just as easily gotten that from her as well. The Lars were sweet and kind people, accepting people. Much like Luke from what you could see. Sure, Luke may get his tinkering from his father, but you could see a lot of his aunt and uncle in him. What you didn’t understand, though, was why the Lars never claimed to be his parents. In a way, you always thought that would save them from answering a lot of tough questions later on.

The kettle whistled, pulling you from your reverie. Swiftly, you took it down, poured yourself a cup, and then placed the kettle on the outskirts of the hearth to keep warm.

“You look like you’re ready for a snow storm on Hoth,” Obi-Wan teased as he came back into the cabin.

Turning, you shot him a grin, “I made tea.”

“Aren’t you wonderful.” He placed the wood in the holder and came closer, chuckling at just how bundled you were. He settled into a lotus pose on the floor next to you and poured a cup of tea for himself. 

You leaned into his side as he leaned his head on top of yours. He wrapped an arm around your shoulders and sighed.

“You sigh as though the fate of the entire galaxy rests upon your shoulders,” you commented. 

“I’m just worried.”

“About Luke?” you asked softly.

“Mmm.”

Gently you took his cup from his hand, placing it on the ground before crawling into his lap.

“You worry too much.”

“I fear I used to not worry enough,” he replied.

“You had to come. There was no way around it. The discussion would not have been secure if you took a call at home,” you said, wrapping your arms around his neck.

He smiled, looking up at you. You were wrapped in the warm glow of the fire. Your cheeks were tinged pink from the heat. In that moment, nothing else was more beautiful than you. In that moment, he saw you for what you truly were: home.

“What? What is it?” you asked, blushing slightly.

“Your cheeks are so rosy and cute,” he commented, reaching up to cup your cheek. He gently tapped your cheek with his thumb for emphasis.

“Its from the fire,” you replied dismissively.

“Doesn’t make it any less true,” he murmured, slipping his hand around to tangle in your hair. 

Slowly, you felt yourself being pulled closer to him. A gravitational pull that could not be ignored. You’d lived with Obi-Wan for years since the passing of your friend. It wasn’t as if you didn’t have feelings for the Jedi Master. But, you knew that your purpose was more important that your personal feelings. More than that, you knew who he was, and what he stood for. You would never ask any more of him than what he would give freely. On the whole, you were just very good friends. A couple to the outside world, but a companion to each other, mostly. There had been nights where loneliness took over and you’d lost yourselves in each other just to feel again. 

But, tonight wasn’t like that. There was something different in his eyes. On those other nights, he almost would look through you, trapped in a far away world that only the two of you working your bodies in tandem could bring him back from, banishing the numbness and guilt away for another short while and granting him a respite from the demons in his head.

Tonight, he looked at you. He saw you, and only you. He didn’t see his past. He didn’t dare to look forward to see the future, because the future was never set. He only saw the present, for the gift that it was. In that moment, he understood why Qui-Gon chose to live in the moment.

His lips were inches from yours when you pressed forward to meet him. You felt a warmth in your chest that wasn’t from the fire. His kisses were like a warm mulled wine, intoxicating as his tongue slipped over yours. His other hand came up your back to pull you close. His arms were a blanket, wrapping you in him as he gently laid you down on the blanket you had been using. His kisses seared as they strayed from your lips and ravished your skin.

I love you.

The words were clear in your head.

A different kind of heat enveloped you as you realized that with those words he had banished the last remnants of cold within you. 

Perhaps Alderaan wasn’t as bad as you thought.

[honestlywrites]

Forever (Obi-Wan x Reader)

Request: Obi-Wan and reader subtlely marrying after order 66 please 🥺🥺🥺 Thank you

-

The fact that you couldn’t even attend Padme’s funeral was devastating to you. The Jedi were dead. The Senate was overthrown by the new Emperor Palpatine and his Republic. Anakin was gone and Obi-Wan was a shell of a man. When Order 66 was carried out, you were lucky to be at your apartment in the city rather than the Jedi Temple. You knew nothing about Obi-Wan and his escape until he messaged you to meet him at the Senate Dome because Padme was giving birth. Upon arrival, you were notified that Padme had already passed after giving birth to her two children. Seeing Obi-Wan hold young Luke and Leia made you love him even more because you had always known that he would make a wonderful father. 

“What is going to happen to them?” you ask him softly, holding Leia in your arms. You gently brush the stray hairs out of her face, looking up at your lover.

“They are to be separated. It is far too easy to find them together because of their lineage and so Luke will be going to his Aunt and Uncle on Tatooine while Leia will be adopted by Bail Organa,” he explains softly, his eyes staring sadly at you. There is a veil of sorrow that Obi-Wan wears and your heart breaks for him knowing that the loss of all his colleagues would be devastating.

 “And where will we go after?” your arms gently bounce the small child, meeting Obi-Wan’s gaze. 

“We?”

“Yes, you did not think that I would leave you alone?” you frown.

“Well, with everything that’s happened I expected to live the rest of my life in exile,” he states sadly, his words dripping in guilt.

“Obi-Wan, I love you. I always have. I loved you even when I knew you were more loyal to the Jedi and I continue to love you even after the Jedi have been destroyed,” you carry Leia in one arm, reaching out to gently caress his cheek.

“So what will we do?” he asks, uncertainty painted all over his face. 

“Whatever you want to do, Ben,” you smile, fondly using his nickname from his youth. Obi-Wan remains silent for a moment, reaching up to gently hold your hand in his. 

“Get married?” he asks and your eyes meet him, staring in shock.

“Are you serious?”

“Marry me,” he mutters and you smile, tears welling in your eyes. You had been dreaming of this moment since you met Obi-Wan, but knew that it would never become a reality. Now that the Jedi have lost the war, it was a possibility born out of despair. It is a gift of hope.

The two of you set into motion after you agreed, working quickly to get Luke to his family. You let Obi-Wan give him to Beru and Owen for he was more familiar with them than you are. Once Obi-Wan got back on the speeder, he would finally be yours for the rest of your life. He drove quickly to Mos Eisley, set on getting back to Naboo where you were born. The ship ride to your home planet was relatively short and landing back on the planet filled you with memories of when you were young when you were simply an associate of Padme. 

“I can’t believe all that has happened,” you tell him, taking his arm as the two of you traverse the forests of Naboo. “You are incredible, you know that?”

Obi-Wan shakes his head and looks over at you, smiling but burdened with the hardships of war. 

“I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with you,” he whispers as the two of you arrive at the small house located on the edge of the forest. There, the officiant for your marriage was waiting. He had also presided over the wedding of Anakin and Padme, the memory of the two lovers replaying in your mind fondly.

In the small cottage that had once been your family’s house, you get ready, putting on a simple white gown with your hair done up off your shoulders. Obi-Wan waited outside on the dock of the lake, the sun glittering on the surface. When you walked out, your breath caught in your chest. He was dashing in his Jedi robes and while he was no longer a Jedi, he looked handsome in a uniform. The vows were simple and the only witness was the officiant, but it was beautiful and perfect. When it was time, you touched your lips to his and prepared to spend the rest of your life with your husband. 

[darnloveablecharacters]

Theory Time

I know it has been said before many times, and with many different versions but I couldn’t find anything that did a deep dive into the fact that it could actually be possible. So... here’s my version. I would love to hear other theories or holes you find in my line of thinking here! I will be unfortunately be working from the Game of Thrones TV series since the books are not yet complete.

DARTH MAUL IS ACTUALLY THE NIGHT KING

****Spoilers for Star Wars EU and Game of Thrones ahead****

Gif aren’t mine 😊

Update: Play This Song while reading....

1)      Appearance

I will admit that I wonder if they were fully aware of The Night King’s resemblance to Darth Maul at the time but... this requires no further review so moving on.

2)      Timeline – This is legitimately the biggest stretch I had to make for this to work

All we know, is that the events of Star Wars took place “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.”

The events of Game of Thrones, as well as placement, is unclear so it could be safe to say that it happened a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…. But in the opposite direction.

3)      The Actual Theory

Let’s start with Maul. He cheated death, in the craziest ways throughout the entire EU because the Force and hate and will to live and such. Seriously, just when you think he’s gone… boom… he’s over there yelling:

The question that one would ask is…. Why? Well, Obi-Wan needed him in his life for things to play out as they did. Let’s review key moments:

Qui-Gon’s death – now Obi-Wan is a Knight and will train Anakin.

Satine’s death – the one person that would have the highest chance of making him question his position with the Order, only seemed to solidify his resolve, ensuring he would be around to face Anakin.

Their Last Battle – “Tell me, is it the chosen one?” Even on that day he thought he was fighting for vengeance, but do we actually believe that he existed for any reason other than to ensure events would carry on as they did? That would mean that he could only leave that plane of existence when it was certain that Luke would follow his intended path.

Now…. I REALLY wish I knew what source this came from, I got it off Wookiepedia and it just works so dad diddly gum perfect.

Some years after the Battle of Endor, Maul's remains were discovered by the Iridonian scientist Drell Kahmf, who maintained the former Sith Lord's brain within a bacta tank. Kahmf was able to connect Maul's consciousness to a solid-state hologram program that developed an apparition of the Zabrak warrior. Upon the intervention of Luke Skywalker, however, Maul was removed from the galaxy for good.

LUKE REMOVED HIM FROM THE GALAXY FOR GOOD. 

mmkay, it didn’t say he was returned to the Force so where the eff did Luke send him?

"Then darkness took me, and I strayed out of thought and time, and I wandered far on roads that I will not tell."

—Darth Lord Night King Maul (actually Gandalf the White, don’t judge me I’m a friggin nerd.)

At the exact same moment, in an attempt to create an army to defend their homeland, The Children of the Forest kill a First Man who becomes: Night King Maul. A shadow of what he once was, he is neither living nor dead. He is still powerful though, remember he spent time with the Nightsister Mother Talzin? Theoretically, because he is not technically alive his control of the Force is diminished; however, assuming he picked up her techniques, he would be able to use their magick and it would thrive with his connection to death. We’ll come back to that though…

Now, being who he is… instead of helping the Children, he leads the White Walkers against them in an attempt to effectively take over the world. They lose the War for the Dawn and retreat, ultimately fading into legend and prompting the creation of the wall. Remember after he got chopped in half by Obi-Wan and we all assumed he was dead for some weird reason? Yeah…

This simply had to happen for the timeline to play out as the Force willed it. 😊

Now… 8,000 years pass and again, being who he is, he’s still alive and he spent that time refining his skills. The Nightsisters powers revolve around illusion and deception. With 8,000 years to refine the skill of illusion you could see this powerful Sith Lord finding a way to make it more than that. Power over the weather? Really not much of a stretch with that much time on your hands.

The Necromancy is the biggest connection to the Nightsister magick though… specifically the eye color. When Nightsister Merrin raises her zombie sisters, their eyes are the biggest giveaway to what they are as they all share the same ghostly green color. Darth Night King’s zombies all share the same ghostly blue eyes. We can argue the color difference but realistically, he’s a not quite alive and not quite dead dude who had 8,000 years to work on this. He is blue now so... make them blue.

Now, to the events of the Song of Ice and Fire: we don’t really get a sense of his true return until the moment Jon Arryn dies and everything basically goes to hell in a handbasket. And so, he begins to fulfill his purpose and I’ll only review, again, three moments.

Jon Snow – When they evacuate Hardhome, Lord Night King Maul has brought his army of undead and Jon Snow becomes only the second in known history to kill a white walker, confirming that valerian steel works too. However, as they’re leaving the Night King makes a show to raise all of the fallen, giving Jon enough information about his power to possibly defend against it. Not the best tactical move in my opinion…. But it was pretty dang cool looking.

Bran Stark – He would have stayed in that cave for like 100 years… but King Maul said “nope” and tried to kill him after Bran connected with him in a vision. This forced Bran back to Winterfell as the Starks reunited and, with their combined information, began the final preparations for the last battle.

The Battle of Winterfell – What else would have brought everyone else together than an epic battle for mankind? Seriously, if the White Walkers hadn’t returned to the world at the exact time they did… Jon would have never left the wall, the free folk wouldn’t have come south, Bran would still be chilling in a cave and probably be a tree, Sansa and Arya probably would have eventually been killed by the Lannisters and then Daenerys would have come in and eventually leveled the Seven kingdoms. The most important moment here is the silent conversation between Night Maul and Bran which I assume goes something like this. “Are you the chosen one?” “Yup.” Cue Arya because he knows he’s fulfilled his purpose.

What is the true connection here? Darth Maul and the Night King were never the main antagonist. Instead, they were both present to harden and guide the protagonists, Obi-Wan and the Starks, setting the path for The Chosen One to win the fight against the true enemy. Political Corruption.

Why did I just write a 1000 word essay on this you ask? Honestly, I just had this random amusing vision of at the end it all… Bran is meditating and Force ghost Luke appears at his side. Bran knows who he is, because he’s his brother born out of purpose. The only words spoken between them as they look over a now peaceful kingdom is Luke saying “Good job” with absolute pride.

G.R.R.M, I know you will probably never see this, but it could be legitimately be the end of the book… just saying 😊

[mysteryofren]

The First Order Will Be Finished

chapter 33 of So Happy Together

Masterlist

note: i feel like this is the worst chapter ive written but im sad the first order is going to be ending soon :( i also involved some real life events in here bc obi-wan would be a die hard blm activist. anakin is an all lives matter bastard i dont care what you say.

 The day was finally here. Phasma was leaving tomorrow afternoon, and you all had 1 last day as a whole group.You all had slept over at your grandfather's house. You decided to stay there for the summer, and so did Elaine. Your grandfather was camping with you all, but he had to work so he wouldn't be able to help at Amilyns. You woke up and tiptoed out of your room. Peeking into his room you saw he was still in bed. He usually left for work at about 9. Looking at the clock on the wall you saw it was only 7:30. You walked to his bed and gently shook him awake. 

“Good morning my dear.” he said through a yawn. 

“Can I get the keys to the truck? We might need it to help Amilyn move furniture.”

“Of course they're in the den on the table beside my chair.” you nodded and went to get the keys when he called out to you. 

“Come back.” you walked back to the bed beside him, and he grabbed your face and pulled you to him. He kissed your forehead, and smiled before laying back down.

“I love you pop pop.” you said.

“I love you too. Have fun, and i'll see you tonight.” you walked out the room and headed downstairs. You got to the den and saw Gideon sitting in his bed. He usually slept with you, but every now and then he would get up to walk around or go to his bed. He stood up once he saw you, and trotted over. You scratched him behind his ears, and grabbed the keys from the table. Gideon followed you as you walked outside. You picked up a stray ball and chucked it out towards the forest. He ran after it, and you continued walking to the shed. After you opened it you grabbed the tents you knew were in there. You walked over to your car, and placed them in the trunk. Going back you noticed Gideon had given up his ball and had begun chasing a squirrel. He ran around a tree trying to see where it had gone when he saw it he began baying at it. You walked over to him, and patted his back when he sat down and just looked up the tree. Going back to the shed you grabbed the sleeping bags that were also stored in the shed. 

 You weren't sure why he kept so many in the shed. When you camped as a kid there were only 3 of you, but he had 2 tents, and 6 sleeping bags. Maybe they just kept them around in case they lost some. After you had your car packed up you went back inside with Gideon. Your grandfather was in the kitchen eating cereal. He was in his pajamas and was scrolling through his phone.

“Have you seen all those protests happening recently?”

“Not really, I haven't been on social media lately, why what's happening?”

“Just another innocent man being murdered by police.” He held the phone up to you as you looked at the article. 

“Thats horrible.”

“Yes I know. It seems as though not much has changed from when I was your age.” he had a sad look on his face. You walk over to him, and hug him before heading upstairs.

 Once you reach your room you see Phasma and Elaine are still asleep. You wake them up, and let them know you guys are leaving in a few minutes. You go to your closet and look for something comfortable to wear. You pick out a pair of plain black leggings and a baseball t-shirt that used to belong to your dad. You walk out while Elaine, and Phas get dressed, and go downstairs to feed Gideon. He laid next to the cupboard where you kept his bowl. As you brought it down he perked up, and went to the spot where you kept his food. Before putting it down after filling it you crushed up his meds and sprinkled them over his food. You placed it down and he eagerly began eating. Grabbing his leash you walked to the den and picked up his dog bed. This was going to be Gideons first time camping with you, and you knew it would be a fun little surprise for him. You walked out of the house and put them in your car with the rest of the camping supplies.

 When you came back in, Elaine and Phasma were downstairs already. You smiled as you asked them.

“You guys ready to go?” Phasma looked sad. You knew it was because it was her last day.

“I guess,” she replied. “I just don't want today to end. When I come back everything will be different.”

“It will be, but we won't be.” Elaine said as she hugged her. You all headed out to the truck and drove to the address Amilyn had given you for her new store front. It was deeper in the city, and was way bigger than her last place. It was on the corner of a building so it was the size of 2 stores. Perfect for how many patrons she had gotten since you met her. Once you got there you parked, and saw Hux was already there. You get out, and walk in with the girls and see him on a computer with Amilyn.

“Damn Red you got here fast.” Elaine teased him.

“He's helping me pick out art to hang in the cafe. Isn't he the sweetest?”

Phasma went over and patted his back. “He sure is.” 

He smiled at her and kept looking with Amilyn. You saw some chairs stacked up by the door and went over and grabbed 3 of them and set them up by the couch. You all sat down and looked at art for about an hour before you heard a car pull up.

“Matt and Kylo must be here.” you said as you looked out the window. First it was the sound of 3 car doors closing that seemed weird. Then you saw 3 people get out of the car. Matt was the first to walk in. Then Kylo. to your dismay the last one to walk in was Ben. He smiled at you while he walked in. You smiled back knowing this was going to be the hardest day ever. 

“Hey sorry we're late we had to stop at the store and get camping gear for us.” Matt said as he walked over to Elaine and kissed her.

“You guys are camping with us? I thought it was only you going with us for that.” you said to him as he finished greeting everyone else.

“Yeah. Mom heard me and Hux talking about it and told me to take them. I don't even think they want to be here.” Kylo was giving you a smirk that had Han written all over it.

“Oh I want to be there.” He said while still looking at you. Ben looked at him with anger in his eyes. He hit Kylos shoulder. Kylo looked at him and gave him a shrug.

“Alright, well, why don't we all get started while Hux keeps looking for art. Phasma, Matt, and whichever one of you is Kylo, help me get the curtains up over the window.” they all nodded and gathered together. She looked at Ben standing alone.

“I'm sorry I don't know your name.” she reached out to him to shake his hand, and he took it.

“Im Ben Ma’am.” he shook her hand and she smiled at him. 

“Well, Ben, I have some ovens I need moved around in the kitchen. Do you think you could do that for me?” 

“Course. I just need you to tell me where you need em” He responded.

“Alright Elaine, and Rose do you guys think you can set the tables up?”

“Yeah no problem.” Elaine said, You both walked over to set them up. Luckily they stayed built during the move. All you had to do was move them to their rightful places. Sadly there weren't enough tables to make the cafe look full.it was clear she was going to need more. You walked into the kitchen where she was helping Ben move the ovens around to let her know. 

“I ordered some more yesterday. I'll just put them in whenever. Do you think you could help Ben finish this? I'm gonna see what else needs to be done.” you nodded and took her place helping Ben with moving the last oven.

“So you excited for tonight?” he asked as you both began to move the heavy object. You figured if you act civil the night will go by quick.

“Yeah. I just wish we had more time. All of us together. I'm worried about Hux going so far away.”

“He's gonna be fine. He's smart. I know Matts really scared about Elaine leaving.”

“Me too. We’ve been with each other for 4 years.”

“You were only in 8th grade when you got here?” 

“Yeah it was before Luke did away with the middle school program.”

 You guys finally got done moving the oven and went into the main area to help more. Surprisingly you guys didn't take most of the day to get everything done. Amilyn had given you a few more things to do before it was close to time for you all to go. You had gotten almost everything set up except the few tables that were missing and the art Hux had ordered. You all sat on the couches she had set up. You had ordered pizza for everyone and you all sat with each other and ate.

“So what are you all doing after this?” Amilyn asked as she bit into her slice.

“We're heading to my grandfather's house to pack up for tonight.” you answered.

“That sounds fun. I can't believe this is my last time having all 5 of you with me.”

“6 actually.” Kylo corrected.

“Oh yeah Kylo is a first order member now.” you informed Amilyn. Ben looked confused for a second before he spoke.

“Wait, he's a part of your group now? He's barely here!” 

“Well all of us like him and he didnt fuck any of us over.” Elaine said passive aggressively while she took the last bite of her pizza into her mouth. Matt hit her shoulder and looked at her. 

“Well it's true.”  Ben looked sad for a second before going back to eating. You had told Amilyn what happened between you and him a long time ago so she knew what Elaine meant. 

“So Kylo when do you go back to school?” Amilyn asked, trying to get to know the newest member.

“School starts again in august, but i'm going back in about 2 weeks.”

“Oh good, at least I have time to get to know you.” She smiled at him and he attempted to smile back, but didn’t do so well.

“Well I do have something I want to say.” Amilyn put her pizza down on the small table in front of the couches.

“I have never in my life met a group of such amazing men and women like you guys. Hux, you are so smart, and kind. You are nothing like your father, and you will always be better than him.” she said facing him. He got up from his spot next to you and walked around the table to hug her.

“Elaine. You're such an extraordinary young woman. You are so beautiful, and you're so talented. Your personality is the biggest I've seen ever in my life and I know you're going to do so many things with your life.” you looked to Elaine to see she was crying and hard. Matt held her while she cried and Amilyn continued.

“I never had kids with my husband. We never wanted any. You all are the closest thing to children I have, and I couldn't ask for a better group of kids to love.” at that point you all got up to go hug her. All of you piled onto her, with the exception of Kylo and Ben. Amilyn had started crying too at some point while you all held onto her. 

“We love you amilyn. I don't know what I'm gonna do when I can't come here whenever I want.” Elaine said through her tears. You all got up, and you ran out to the truck to get your bag. You came back inside with it, and pulled out your camera. You handed it to Ben and grabbed Kylo's hand. You dragged him back over to where Amilyn was sitting. You sat him down, next to Amilyn, and sat next to her as well. Hux sat on the other side of you between the arm of the couch and you. Matt, Phasma, and Elaine got behind the couch, and crouched down to get in closer. You wrapped your arms around Hux, and Amilyn while smiling. Once Ben took the picture he handed it over to you. 

 The image developed, and you all looked at it. This was one of the last pictures you guys would take as a group. The last time you all would sit and talk with Amilyn. You handed the small photo over to her. You explained that you wanted her to have it to remember your last day as the first order with her. The last time she would have you all in one place together. The time came. You all had to leave. Amilyn had to go home to get some more paperwork done before she could officially open. You and the girls got into the truck, and Hux got into Matts car with him and the other boys. You began the drive back to your grandfather's house, and tried not to cry. It was 4 in the afternoon. By this time tomorrow. The first order will be finished.

tags: @wumboho @pylopenpolo @duty-isnt-always-honour

[sylvesterelle]

He’d endured pain in his life. More than his fair share.

But there was no pain like this.

When Palpatine tore the life force from their bond, it wasn’t just his pain he was feeling; a sensation all too familiar, one he’d trained himself to block out. It was also her pain. Her suffering, like a phantom limb, tearing through him with all the force in the world.

He could feel it searing through her joints, feel her teeth crack as her jaw clenched too tight. He felt every atom of her scream out in pain, and his, too.

What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? What happens when all the power of the dark side tries to break a pair that was never meant to be apart, a soul that was never made to be two?

Read on Ao3

He could feel the edges of his vision white out, but Ben Solo fought to hold on. He’d just found himself again, found her again. He didn’t want to let go. Not like this, not ever.

But how could he fight this? This was elemental. But so were they.

Before Ben could finish the thought, Palpatine released his hold on the pair and let them fall to the ground, puppets cut from their strings.

But there was still one tie left.

Ben could feel her, fainter than she’d ever been since that first day in the forest. His body was screaming at him, broken and bloodied on the stone ground. Movement seemed like a far off dream, and he could only catch a glimpse of her arm wraps, stained dark, and the curve of hand where it’d landed so close—but not close enough.

But behind it all, behind the pain, behind the fear, he could still feel her. A dual pulse in his blood, a gravity he’d long since stopped fighting.

Over the remnants of the bond, he heard her voice.

Ben.

He felt a spark in his chest, fighting against the pain.

 Rey.

Warmth bloomed across the bond, tinted as it was with pain and the near-separation that would have undone them both.

Gritting his teeth, Ben pulled on every last reserve of strength he had. Every bit of anger, every bit of pain, yes, but also the love. For his parents, for Rey, for the hope she’d given him when he thought all way lost.

He drew on it all, dug deeper into his very bones, and felt his fingers twitch.

An inch, maybe two. That’s all he needed.

If he died, he would die with his hand in hers. And, well, if somehow he survived this, it would be with her too.

He felt the dirt brush against the back of his hand, gravel digging into open wounds. Closer.

In the back of his head he heard Palpatine, saw a flash of lightening ripping into the sky.

It could wait. It would have to wait.

His fight was over. Only she remained. And he’d come to far to fail now.

Wish a last push, his fingers brushed against hers, and it was like a thousand suns dying at once.

Where there had once been visions, now he saw only light. It was like looking into the Force itself, the whole of it, all at once.

Her fingers tightened around his, and he heard her voice once more.

Be with me.

 I’m here.

He could feel her pulse of amusement, however improbable.

No, Ben. Not you.

She squeezed his hand weakly, just once.

And he understood.

With the last of his strength, Ben dropped his defenses, built from youth. Let all the noise of the world rush in, let the Force he saw pour through him, instead of trying to rip his way through as he had so often before.

It hurt, nearly as much as the bond. But it was a good hurt, a fire he welcomed—it cleansed as it burned. And there was Rey, guiding him through it as she once promised she would. Prompting him, gently.

Be with me, he called.

Her voice joined in.

 Be with me.

Their fingers gripped with renewed strength.

 Be with us.

Where there were two voices, more appeared. Dozens, then hundreds.

Be with us.

Some she recognized, he could tell through the bond. The stormtrooper, he thought. Finn. And the pilot.

The chorus grew.

 Be with us.

And these voices he knew.

His mother, her voice. He’d never thought he’d hear it again. He felt the spark within his chest grow as she lent him her strength.

There was Luke, too. And Obi-Wan, and Yoda--who he’d never met, but heard enough stories that they felt as familiar to him as the others.

They were all there, his family, past and present.

And one more.

 Ben.

The voice called out to him alone.

 You know what you must do.

Ben choked back a sob, the motion sending pain through his broken ribs.

All the years he’d spent praying to hear that voice. Screaming out for help, for guidance. For a voice in the dark to tell him he was on the right path.

 You can end this story, Ben.

 You know what you must do.

He nodded, a tear falling down his cheek.

He’d known the second he laid eyes on her. Whatever their fate, it would be tied together. Whatever the future of the force, they would be its herald.

 Yes, Grandfather.

From out of the dark came one last voice—more familiar than the rest.

 Go get ‘em, kid.

At once, he felt the voices combine into a single note, ringing louder than any sound in the galaxy. As it built to a frenzied crescendo he fought the urge to cover his ears, knowing it would do no good.

It was a living sound, and it burned brightly in the space between their interlocked fingers, growing until it encompassed their hands. All at once it burst, and he felt it flood through his body, the energy, the light. Felt Rey experience the same.

They knew what they had to do.

As one, they rose from the ground, hands still clasped.

Their lightsabers appeared in their opposite hands, where none had been a moment ago.

Together, they lit their weapons, the combined glow forcing back the shadows of Palpatine’s lightning.

Lightning he turned on them with a snarl, crackling through the cavern and leaving the scent of ozone in its wake.

Their blades hummed as they crossed in front of them, throwing off sparks in every direction. The vibration of the impact sent shudders down the wrist holding the blade, threatening to give out.

But he held on.

He felt more than heard Rey scream next to him—not in pain, but the battle cry he had memorized from that night in the woods.

He leaned forward, pushing all his weight against the lightening that threatened to overwhelm them.

Together, they took a step forward.

Turning the lightening back towards the Emperor, forcing him to endure the power he created.

They took another step.

And another.

Ben could feel the tide of power turning, overwhelming its master.

He heard his soul’s voice in his mind, her strength kindling through him.

 It’s time, Ben. Let’s end this.

With one final surge, they pushed back as one, against the man who had killed their families, threatened their friends, who would have them trapped in darkness, who would tear them apart as if they weren’t born to be together.

The light fractured as their sabers gave one last pulse, burning with power enough to collapse a planet, or end an Emperor. The cavern fractured above them, stones raining from the ceiling as the man who was once Palpatine exploded in the burst of light, his very being unmade by their power.

A life-force, he had called it.

To give, and to take away.

As darkness settled in the cavern, Ben and Rey Solo sunk to their knees. The lightsabers clattered to the floor, kyber crystals irrevocably damaged.

In the light of the burning star destroyers above, Ben could see nothing but her face. His love. His heart.

Her eyes were wide, mouth parted as she panted for air. He could see the blood trailing from her eyebrow and couldn’t help but reach out to wipe it away, cradling her face in one broad palm.

“Ben,” she whispered, both in his ear and in his mind.

She wrapped her hand around his wrist, turning into his palm. She mirrored his gesture, endlessly gentle as she cupped her hand around his cheek, wiping away a stray tear he hadn’t realized was falling.

Her pulled her near, pressing their foreheads together as he closed his eyes, overwhelmed with feeling.

“I know, I know Ben,” she said, gripping tighter “I feel it too.”

He opened his eyes to see her staring up at him, and he didn’t have a name for what he saw there. Like he was hope. Like he was possibility. Like he was the answer to all the questions of family she’d ever dreamed to ask.

Like she wasn’t all that to him, and more.

His eyes flicked down to her lips, running a thumb across the cut that marred them. Characteristically impatient, Rey pushed forward, closing the gap between them that was never meant to exist.

And Ben didn’t see visions. He didn’t see Force.

He just saw her, burning with the brightness that had kept her alive all these years, that had led him to her, that he knew he would follow the rest of his days.

His twin flame, the savior of his soul.

Rey.

[keeloca]

SW ficlet: Or Else Into the Light

Recently returned to the light, the man who was Darth Vader struggles to find peace through meditation. And old friend shows up to help. This, too, is hard.

The first time he might have fled, given the chance:

The initial meeting with representatives from the Chandrilan House ran unexpectedly short, and once he had nodded a curt goodbye to the other member of the council, he allowed himself to retreat to his room. Normally he would remain in the common areas, doggedly inserting himself into the daily lives of the Rebels. He would do it unobtrusively, if possible, as not to provoke conflict or promote tension, but he would always be very much there, undeniably present. Letting himself be seen; claiming a space; helping where he could and was allowed.

He supposed that this, too, was a kind of penance.

Not only that, though; not even primarily that. He knew that if he wanted to make a real difference here with the Alliance, they would need to accept him, trust him. That could not be achieved if he hid away in his rooms.

Perhaps it could not be achieved at all. Incidents of actual (attempts at) violence or overt hostility had been surprisingly rare in the few weeks since he had thrown in his lot with the Rebels, but the undercurrent of fury and suspicion just barely held in check rarely abated. If Luke had been there it might thave been different, but Luke was not, and it was not.

Turning a corner, he pushed open the wooden door to the chambers he had been assigned upon their arrival early this morning. The room was spacious by Alliance standards, and luxurious. As per Chandrilan custom, the furnishings  were simple enough, but the bed was large, the floor antique stone tiles, and the windows high and arched. The vivid blue of the carpet accented the earthy browns of the stone and wood.

As the door closed behind him, he felt his shoulders sink just the fraction of an inch. Solitude was a luxury he rarely indulged in nowadays, and while his own company was not something he'd wish upon his worst enemy (well, maybe upon his worst enemy, one last time), it was a relief to be away from angry, fearful eyes and angry, fearful thoughts.

He'd drawn strenght from those not so long ago. Not anymore.

Less fear here though, and a lot less anger, than on the main base. Only the High command, of which he was now a very inofficial member, had been invited to Chandrila for the covert negotiations. The truly formidable Mon Mothma had arranged the secret conference held in a small town far, far away from the capital and prying Imperial eyes, and though she'd never come outright and said it, he had been given the distinct impression that the House's willingness to meet with them was due in part to his own recent defection. Though having him join them was closer to a PR disaster than a victory for the Rebels, there was no denying that his presence changed things.

Things became possible that had not previously been so.

There'd be a formal dinner later, and he'd be expected to attend. He did not look forward to it. One of the relatively few perks of being Darth Vader had been the tacit understanding that he did not, as a rule, need to show up for any state dinners or other functions, unless he so chose or there was particular threat to be dealt with.

A glance at the ornamental time piece over the door told him that dinner was still more than two hours away. That was a lot of time to kill, particularly for someone who had not bothered to cultivate any hobbies beyond work and the occasional tinkering with machines for the past twenty years. Stuck here, there was little enough in the way of work he could do, and he doubted the Chandrilans was in need of a repairman.

With a inward sigh he decided it was a good time as any to have another go at meditation. Removing his boots, he sat down in the middle of the thick carpet with his legs crossed, and closed his eyes. Took a deep breath, and reached for the Force.

Always more suited to action than to contemplation, he had often struggled to stay relaxed and centered while sitting still and doing nothing. At least as a Jedi – as a Sith and drawing on his pain and hatred and rage it had proved much easier, and a source of both rejuvenation and sharpened focus.

Thus he had learned the value of meditation, as he had learned so many other things: much too late and for the wrong purpose. And now, when he ached to simple rest in the light and let its warmth and peace permeate him, it was again proving very, very hard.

Impossible, so far, every time he had tried.

He was not one to balk from a challenge. Taking another deep breath, he forced himself to unclench his fists and relax. Slowly, calmly, into tranquility, nothing but the Force around him -

Five hearbeats he managed. Five hearbeats, before they started creeping up on him: memories and visions, guilt and grief, the remnants of a pain and rage so vast it tainted everything, coloured it black and red.

It was always like this, as soon as he let himself lower the shields he kept so carefully in place at all other times. Those shields allowed him to keep walking and talking rather than succumbing to the weight of the past twenty years, but the second he let them slip –

Jaw set, he tried to ignore it, push past it, reaching for the tranquil light, but to no avail. It fled him, and all that was left was the roar of his own churning mind.

Breathing heavily and with heart hammering, he opened his eyes. The taste of defeat was familiar by now, but no less bitter for it.

Too hard. Too hard, even for him.

Kark that. Setting his jaw, he closed his eyes once more. His younger self would have given into sulking by now, he knew with some shame; that boy had been so used to mastering almost everything with ease that he had little patience to practise the rest.

That boy was gone, for better and for worse.

Again, he relaxed, iron will overriding they body's natural response to the stress and anxiety.

”Don't worry so about relaxing,” a soft voice intoned. ”Concentrate instead on the sensation of your limbs pressing down on the floor.”

He sat completely still, frozen. The voice had come from behind him and been utterly, impossibly familiar. He'd have dismissed it as an audiotory hallicunation, not entirely unknown to him these days, had he not also been able to feel the intruder's presence, steady and bright in the Force.

Obi-Wan.

He did not turn. Did not move. Did not even attempt to parse the many, intense and conflicted feelings coursing through him.

”The sensation of your limbs pressing against the floor,” Obi-Wan repeated, giving no indication that he had noticed the turmoil had had caused. ”And breathe.”

Belatedly, he realized that he had been holding his breath, so still had he been. Now he carefully let his chest rise and fall with a long, slow breath. Another.

And another.

”Focus on the sensation of your limbs pressing against the floor,” Obi-Wan said for the third time, and this time he did, if only because utterly at an loss what else to do. Focused: bottom and heels, pressing down, the floor hard and somewhat cool against them.

”Good,” Obi-Wan said, and the small, casual word brought with it a wave of pleasure that threw him. It was absurd that such a tiny morsel of praise could mean anything to him now. Absurd, that the man he had murdered would offer it. ”Now, your calves.”

He did as he was told. And so, part by part, he was guided through a careful examination of his restored body in the very first, the most basic, of all meditation exercises. Nothing about the Force, light side or dark – although of course everything that existed was about and of the Force, and so too was this. Whenever his mind began to stray and the darkness began to stir, Obi-Wan's calm voice drew his attention back towards his hands, his spine, his neck. Breathe, in and out. Feel your chest rise and fall, unassisted. Listen to the faint humming of a generator two rooms away. Whatever is, let it be.

Nothing else was said. He kept his eyes closed and never once turned his head to catch a glimpse of his unasked helper. When eventually he realized that he was alone once more, he could not have said how long it had been so.

Even as he rose, his initial feelings of unease and confusion begun to reassert themselves, disspelling the calm of the meditation. Yet this was tempered by the knowledge that for a little while, he had known peace. Not impossible, then – not even now, and not even for him.

He wondered what it had cost Obi-Wan to grant him that, and for what purpose it had been done.

---

The second time was sought and feared in equal measure.

For the next few days he kept busy enough that there just wasn't time to meditate. There were meetings, longer every time, a renewed effort to socialize, lightsabre practise to pick up, and would you look at that, it appeared the Chandrilans did need a repairman after all – the state of the basic maintenance techonology of the villa was not up to scratch, if you looked hard enough...

Eventually he was forced to admit he was making excuses. This annoyed him so much that he stormed to his room and more or less threw himself down on the carpet, cursing himself for a coward.

If pressed – had anyone known to press him – he would not have been able to say what scared him more: that Obi-Wan would show up again, or that he wouldn't.

As it turned out, the voice came almost immediately, before he had had time to take more than few breaths.

Gratitude then, wordless and overwhelming. Something sharp and painful lodged in his throat, and for the first few moments his attempts to swallow it down distracted him from Obi-Wan's instruction. But the other man was patient and repeated himself without reproach until he was heeded.

It was easier this time, and became easier still the time after that, and the one after that.

They remained on Chandrila; negotiations were going well. Others joined them, delegates from several different worlds, as what had begun as a small and tentative meeting grew into something different and larger. The rumour was spreading: Darth Vader had joined the Rebels. The Rebels might have a shot. Trusted or not, liked or not, he was needed now, and kept busy at almost all hours of the day. So much knowledge to share, so much to plan and prepare – and so many times to be presented and paraded about, he is here, ours, all that power, notice how he isn't strangling anyone.

He played along, to the best of his ability. But no matter how much he had to do, or how late it was when he returned to his room, he always took the time to meditate. Once more, and with the help of his ghostly guide, it offered the rest and clarity he could find nowhere else, least of all in sleep.

Obi-Wan was there every time, appeared the moment he closed his eyes, always. The dead Jedi never appeared before that, and never tried to coax him into conversation. Indeed, he never offered anything at all that wasn't instruction. The man on the floor kept waiting, heart in his mouth, for the other to say something, and finally force him to acknowledge his presence.

Obi-Wan never did. Obi-Wan had always been patient, and wise.

They were well into their tenth session when he was finally the one who spoke, the words spilling over his lips almost involuntarily:

”Why are you being kind to me?”

At first there was no answer. The silence dragged out, enough that he almost began to suspect that the other had left. But he could still feel his steady presence in the Force, and eventually Obi-Wan replied: ”Would you prefer me to be unkind?”

Yes, he thought but did not say. It wasn't entirely true – but not entirely false either. It'd be easier in some ways, he suspected, if the friend he'd betrayed would rage and berate and condemn. He could deal with that; was used to it; could not deny its appropriatness.

”A question for a question is not much of an answer,” he said instead, evenly. Control – he was good at it now, had needed to learn to survive, and he wondered if Obi-Wan appreciated the irony of that.

”Perhaps not,” the ghost of his old mentor conceded. ”But perhaps it is part of the answer.” A brief pause. ”Perhaps I am being kind, as you put it, because I believe you need me to be. And perhaps what you judge as kindness is merely the absence of expected unkindness.”

”There's no reason for you to help me.” Curt, almost angry.

He could damn near hear Obi-Wan raise an eyebrow. ”On the contrary. It is quite obviously in everyone's best interest to keep the Chosen One firmly rooted in the light. Anything I can do to aid that is a direct service to the galaxy, and to the Force.”

There was a familiarity to this that was both comforting and deeply unsettling. The cultured voice, calm, reasonable, and yet utterly unyielding, Obi-Wan may be humble, but he was also stubborn – and utterly confident in his own understanding of the Force, and his place within it. It seemed death had done nothing to change this.

He nodded. ”I see. Your presence here is a means to a end. Your duty as a Jedi. That is all.”

That made perfect sense. The Chosen One was a terrible weapon, no matter which side wielded him, and only a fool would refuse the use of such power when facing the might of Darth Sidious. It was the only reason the Rebels, with great reluctance and after much debate, had accepted him, after all.

And so there was no reason for a simple statment of this fact to hurt so.

Obi-Wan's voice was infinitely gentle, and almost as sad. ”That is not all. But I think it might be all you're ready to accept right now.” Another pause, longer now, and he imagined the other rising – if indeed he had been sitting, did spirits bother to sit? – as he prepared to make his leave.

The man on the floor had yet to turn and look at him. In all their time together since Obi-Wan first appeared, he had yet to do that.

There was a sense of withdrawal, a growing distance – but right before Obi-Wan's presence faded entirely, the murdered man added, very softly: ”When you are ready, I'll still be here.”

He opened his eyes then, and looked over his shoulder. The room was empty, dust dancing in the shaft of light falling through the arched window. A sense of peace, and – implausibly – affection, lingered, like the trace of perfume once the wearer has left the room.

Slowly, he stood and walked over to the window. Beyond the small town the neiden fields stretched out, budding green as winter once more gave way to spring. He could hear birds singing in the distance, and the sound of a gentle breeze rustling the high trees. Somewhere close by a child laughed.

Anakin Skywalker raised his face towards the sun, and let the light warm him.

[onlyhoped-a]

I had always wondered how Obi-W.an stayed under the radar on Ta//tooine when the planet residents legitimately knew him as B.en Ke/nobi, Crazy old Ben Ken;obi. One way this is explaned, through John Jackson Miller’s book “K.enobi” is that Ken/obi is a very common name on Tatooin..e. I personally like that. The idea that Kenobi is an old settler name on the sand planet, perhaps even distant, distant ancestors to Obi-W.an. Though, he doesn’t take the time to explore the other Ken..obis on his planet. As far as he’s concerned, Luk.e is the only family that matters.

[spectral-musette]

Happy Skywalker Family AU, featuring Auntie ‘Soka coming to babysit the twins

(late Christmas present for @the-far-bright-center​)

ficlet under the cut (~900 words)

           “Come on, Padme. You trusted Ahsoka to smuggle you across enemy lines and guard you from assassins during the war. Taking care of two seven-year-olds for a long weekend is a vacation compared to that.”

           “Our twins? A vacation?”

           “Maybe a… busy vacation.”

           “It’s not a matter of trust Ani, I just worry! It’s not too late to book a bigger cabin and take them along with us...”

           “Padme, they’ll be fine. They’d be bored to tears on the nebula cruise and end up spending the whole time on the holonet.”

           “Then maybe we should’ve planned a family vacation… one of the waterparks on Naboo…”

           “And we will. But this is our getaway. The Senate is on recess, and you need to relax. Remember how romantic Satine told you the cruise was?”

           “It did sound wonderful... It’s just… we’ve never been away from them for so long!”

           “And we’ll both miss them. And they’ll be too busy going to the interstellar zoo and riding the sky sailer simulator at the arcade and any other fun Ahsoka planned for them to miss us a bit.”

           “You’re probably right.”

           “You know I’m right.”

           Delighted squeals of Auntie Soka! pealed through the apartment.

           “Go on, I’ll be right out,” Padme instructed. “I have a few things left to pack.”

           “Do you?” Anakin asked, glancing at her full suitcase.

           “Yes, I do. You’ll see,” she added, smiling mysteriously.

           He caught her around the waist and kissed her on the neck a few times before she succeeded in shooing him out to the living room.

           “Hey Snips,” he greeted the young Togruta being pounced on by his enthusiastic offspring.

           “You two are going to miss your transport,” Ahsoka predicted.

           “Nah. It doesn’t take that long to get to the spaceport.”

           “Not the way you handle a speeder.”

           “Look what Auntie Soka brought!” Leia said, holding up a familiar crystalline object – a toy from the Temple creche, a tiny kyber shard polished into a marble trapped in a maze of twisted transparisteel tubes, some clear, some frosted. Anakin remembered trying to master it, guiding the crystal out of the maze to the hidden opening while Obi-Wan, gentle and encouraging, held the toy still. If you got it moving fast enough, the crystal would sing.

           “You don’t mind, do you?” Ahsoka asked quietly, watching him intently.

           He smiled. “No. Brings back good memories, that’s all. It’ll help me teach them.”

           “That’s the general idea.”

           “Auntie Soka, come see my new model starfighter,” Luke begged, tugging on her hand.

           “Of course, little Skyguy,” she laughed, letting him lead her on.

           “Daddy.” Leia set down the toy and held up her arms expectantly.

           “Yes, Princess?” He obediently picked her up.

           “I’m not a princess,” she argued, putting her face against his chest to hide her smile.

           “No? But your mom used to be a queen, you know.”

           “I know. It doesn’t work like that on Naboo,” Leia scolded.

           “Well, you’re still my princess.”

           “You’re so silly.” Leia put her arms around his neck, attuned, as always, to the nuances of everyone’s feelings. “It’s just the weekend, Dad. Auntie Soka will take good care of us.”

           “I know she will. You’re going to have a great time.”

           She gave him a knowing look, uncannily close to Padme’s, in miniature.

           “Go tell your mom we’re going to miss the transport if she doesn’t hurry,” he instructed, setting her down.

           “Is it really the first time you’ve left them?” Ahsoka asked, looking up from the toychest.

           Anakin nodded, ruffling Luke’s hair in passing.

           “Boy, when you do attachment, you really do attachment,” she observed, grinning.

           “Why is this a surprise to anyone?”

           “They’re not going to get kidnapped or catch nerf pox or any of the other terrible things going through your head right now.”

           “Don’t tell Padme or we’ll never make it out the door,” he warned.

           Leia returned, leading Padme by the hand, and Anakin lifted the large suitcase.

           “Guess who’s coming to the zoo with us!” Ahsoka leaned down and took the twins’ hands in hers. “I’ll picture his face, and you two…”

           “Uncle Rex!” the twins chorused.

           “Reinforcements,” Ahsoka told Anakin.

           “I taught you well,” he complimented.

           Ahsoka grinned, letting go of the twins’ hands briefly to fold hers and make a mock-bow.

           Anakin turned to Padme, who was regarding their children with a tenderly anxious expression. “Are we ready? Did you pack the…”

           “I packed everything,” Padme assured him. “And if I didn’t, 3-PO did.”

           “We’ll holo when we get to the Grotto Nebula,” he promised, kneeling down to enfold both twins in a tight embrace.

           “Mooooom,” Luke complained as Padme covered his face in kisses, and Anakin felt a bittersweet pang at the memory of his own mother doing the same.

           “We’ll miss you. Be good to Aunt Ahsoka,” Padme instructed, tucking a few stray wisps of dark hair back into Leia’s coiled braids.

           Gripping hands and dragging the suitcase, they managed to make it out the door and into the speeder.

           “Be honest.” Padme snuggled against him as he steered into the swiftly moving traffic lane. “You’re nervous about leaving them too.”

           “Terrified,” he admitted.

           “Should we turn around?”

           He started to laugh, and Padme soon joined him, holding tight to his arm and putting her head against his shoulder.

           But it wasn’t until they were settled in their cabin on the luxury transport that they both admitted that maybe a second honeymoon had been a good idea after all.

[holocron-inthe-restrictedsection]

Created for @avada-matata for @jedifest Alien April fanwork exchange!! 

Prompt: Ahsoka + Time

(I made the drawing first, then thought I’d write just a little snippet to give it some context…

and then the little snippet became a lot longer than I meant it to be. Oh well.)

Enjoy!

It had taken a long time, but Ahsoka had finally found another entrance to the world between worlds. She had debated for years whether or not she should go back; she had seen how it had tempted Ezra, recognized the power it could yield, and was horrified at what could happen if the Emperor had access to the strange world. But she felt that it held the answers she sought. Answers that no living being could answer.

She hadn’t been on Yavin during the attack on the Death Star, but the name of the young pilot that fired the killing shot spread through the Rebellion like wildfire: Skywalker.

Of course, she sought out the boy immediately, and the world spun when she laid eyes on the young man who was so obviously his father’s son. They had talked, and Ahsoka had prodded to find out what young Luke knew about his parentage, but he had even fewer answers than she did. Looking into his wide eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to tell him what had become of his father. Not until I understand how it happened.

Ahsoka had thought that perhaps she wouldn’t be granted access to the doorway, which was deep in the ruins of the Jedi temple on Vrogas Vas. No longer a Jedi, she expected some sort of resistance to her approach. None came. On the contrary, she felt drawn to a particular stretch of rock that appeared to be the remains of a vast wall. Ahsoka stopped before it, resting her hand on the ragged stone. But how to enter?

A hoot from above drew her attention. The green and white convor came to rest on a broken statue to Ahsoka’s left. The Togruta smiled at the creature. The Daughter’s vessel had never strayed far from her in recent years, and she was grateful for the company.

“May I enter, Morai?”

In response, the convor spread a wing in the direction of the wall. A faint blue light began to emanate from the rock, soft and inviting. She took a step towards it, but hesitated. The place beyond was ancient, imbued with power she couldn’t understand. Perhaps it was best to leave that realm in peace. But she needed answers. I need to know.

Ahsoka stepped through the doorway.

First, there was darkness. She trusted that she would not plunge into an abyss as she walked forward blindly. But then, she was not truly blind. She felt the world opening up to her, felt it morphing and brightening. And as she walked, voices began to surround her, echoing through the world. Ahsoka strained to hear them all. Some, she recognized; others, she couldn’t place the speakers.

Koh-to-yah, Little ‘Soka.

You never would have made it as Obi-Wan’s padawan. But you might make it as mine.

I want to learn the ways of the Force.

You and your precious Jedi Order.

And become a Jedi, like my father.

He’s my brother.

Light shimmered around her, and she stepped from the doorway and emerged in – what appeared to be a world suspended in space. The voices continued to speak as she gazed at the transparent lanes that arched between doorways as countless as the stars that enveloped her.

If you strike me down, I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.

I exist where there is no future or past.

Life doesn’t cease at death, but merely changes form in the Force.

I can only show you a place where the answers will be revealed to you.

The Force will be your guide.

Ahsoka felt…so small. The galaxy was vast and incredible in itself, but this place… she could barely comprehend it. She had seen the past here.

Morai hooted softly from behind her, and the convor landed lightly on her montrals. “How do I even begin?” Ahsoka asked. The voices quieted for a moment, as though pondering.

You turned her against me!

She spun around.

You will not take her from me!

That was Anakin’s voice, clear and full of – anger. It reached for her like a grasping hand, and she began walking on the transparent path, trusting the Force to show her the way. She did not know how long she walked for; did time even exist here? Eventually, she found herself before a circular doorway. Morai called mournfully and took flight. Ahsoka sensed the Dark Side beyond this doorway, something evil and awful. What if she wasn’t strong enough to face it? What if it was the Emperor again, attempting to claim possession of the power here? She had barely escaped last time. Her companion perched herself above the door, fluttering anxiously as a red haze filled the interior. Ahsoka took a breath to steady herself. She could not turn back now.

A landscape began to take shape through the mist, as though sucking the red color into its water. No, not water. Molten lava flows ebbed around volcanic land masses, its rock scorched and broken. Smoke and ash plumed in the air.

And – Ahsoka took another step forward – up the river of lava, two blurred figures stood in close quarters on some sort of skiff, blue blades of light arching towards each other. She knew their fighting styles too well, recognized their presence in the Force. But she could not understand the sight of Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi attempting to kill one another.

Dread crept into her heart. “What is this?” Ahsoka whispered.

Through the doorway, their blades locked, energy crackling between them. With effort, Obi-Wan leapt backwards, clearing the skiff and coming to rest upon the sloping land.

It’s over, Anakin. I have the high ground.

And even from here, years and lightyears away, Ahsoka could feel the hatred rolling off her former master. Her heart rose into her throat.

You underestimate my power!

“No. No. Don’t. Anakin, please.” Ahsoka stretched out a hand to –

To what? To push them away from each other? To help Obi-Wan? To help her master?

Don’t try it, Obi-Wan pleaded.

“I can’t.” The words caught in Ahsoka’s throat. “I can’t do anything.” The sound of her own voice rang in her ears, but it wavered. “This happened years ago.”

And he leapt. Anakin leapt, roaring as he spun through the air, angling his lightsaber to bring it down on his former friend –

Obi-Wan was quicker.

Ahsoka screamed as the blue blade passed through Anakin’s arm, his legs. She screamed as he hit the rocks and rolled toward the lava, barely stopping himself at the edge of the bank as he dug his mechanical fingers into the land.  

You were the Chosen One!

The agony in Obi-Wan’s cry seemed to be torn from her own throat.

It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them!

Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness.

Obi-Wan turned his back on Anakin and picked up the fallen lightsaber. He stepped further away. Revulsion clouded her thoughts. “How can you leave him like this!” she shouted at ghosts.

I HATE YOU!

Tears spilled from her eyes as Anakin screamed, his face contorted, his eyes warped.

You were my brother, Anakin. I loved you.

Ahsoka waited with baited breath for her master to say something, to say anything. But before he could, a fleck of fire from the molten river sparked onto the fabric of Anakin’s clothes. Within seconds, he was engulfed in flames.

Hatred and fire burned through what remained of Anakin Skywalker, and Ahsoka could take no more. She whirled around and staggered, pressing her hand to her mouth, trying to stifle her sobs. But what was the point? There was no one to hear her. Her legs gave out and she crumpled to the floor, weeping, Anakin’s screams of agony fading behind her.

Ahsoka sobbed until her head ached, and even then, she lay there, suspended among everything that ever would be, letting the voices of the long-dead and the yet-to-be-born wash over her.

“I don’t understand.” Ahsoka’s murmur was barely louder than the other voices. “How did it come to this?”

How indeed.

The voice was unfamiliar, and Ahsoka raised her head. Morai stood before her, cocking her head inquisitively. Ahsoka had hoped the Daughter would offer her guidance, but it appeared the being either could not, or would not.

The voice spoke again, a male voice reverberating through the Force.

You may go from doorway to doorway, Ahsoka Tano. But in chasing the past, you narrow your knowledge.

“But I need to understand what has happened in the past to know how it will affect the future,” Ahsoka protested, wiping her eyes. “I need to understand…if only for my own peace of mind.”

Ah yes. The past, the present, the future. The passage of time seems so straightforward. But time has no meaning in the Force.

“I don’t understand.”

When Ezra Bridger pulled you from the temple on Malachor, was he not both young, as you had seen him not moments before, and older, as you saw him here?

“Yes. I suppose he was.”

Through the Force, we exist in every moment. Once you understand that, you can open yourself to every instant, to every corner of existence. You become truly one with the Force, and experience it all as it was meant to be – as one, cohesive thought.

“That sounds like far too much to bestow upon a single being,” Ahsoka said, getting shakily to her feet. “I don’t know that I would be able to process it.”

Eventually, you will master it.

The mere thought was too large for Ahsoka to wrap her mind around it. And this was certainly far beyond what she had been taught of the Force. “Who are you?”

I? I was once known as Qui-Gon Jinn. I trained Obi-Wan Kenobi to the best of my abilities. And I continue to teach him even now.

Ahsoka hesitated. She sensed no evil here, but no shining presence of the Light Side either. It reminded her of the Bendu. True balance in the Force. “And will you teach me? I want to understand.”

Yes. I will help you understand the Cosmic Force. And it is the Force that will be your guide.

She let out a breath, expelling her grief, her confusion. For the first time in quite a while, she felt at peace. “I pledge myself to your teachings.”

Then let us begin.

[i-wish-we-were-jedi]

Why is no one talking about this anymore?

I had a bit of an epiphany earlier this week. Let me share it with you.

So in the past few years since Revenge of the Sith came out, there has been a lot of speculation on what it means to “bring balance to the force” especially in light of Anakin Skywalker being described as “the chosen one.” There were many of us who questioned whether or not he really was the chosen one, but it was confirmed in the Clone Wars (the Mortis Arc) that he is in fact the one who will bring balance to the force. So how did he do it?

There are a couple fan theories that I’ve looked at, but the one that seems to be the most popular among fans mostly relies on the fact that before Anakin came along, there were 2 Sith in the galaxy and roughly 10,000 Jedi. Then after Anakin’s fall to the Dark Side, and the Scourge of the Temple and Order 66, there were 2 Jedi (Yoda and Obi-Wan) and 2 Sith (Sidous and Vader). And this would make sense except for just a couple things:

The first being that even though it is shown that there are only two from the dark and two from the light in the galaxy, it is very clear that the Dark Side has the upper hand. And if we go by the logic that numbers=power, in the last few years of Anakin’s life, he kills both Obi-Wan and Sidious and Yoda dies, before returning to the light and dying himself, leaving Luke, a Jedi, the last remaining force-user that we know of in the galaxy. So by the numbers=power logic, he just destroyed the balance because there are no sith and one jedi.

The second thing that puts quite a few cracks in this theory is one of Luke’s lines in TLJ (and I haven’t seen the movie in a while so forgive me if I misquote): “To say that when the Jedi dies the light dies is Vanity.” “The force doesn’t belong to the Jedi.”

Why is this line so significant? Because in saying that, Luke completely debunks the idea that the power of the force users and the power of the force have any real impact on each other. Basically, killing all the Jedi did not kill or even weaken the light side. Just as killing the sith did not kill or weaken the dark side.

So if Anakin didn’t bring balance that way, then how did he bring balance?

To answer that question, it may be best to look at another gnawing question: What does “Balance to the force” mean?

Well, balance in it’s most simplistic definition means being equal to one another. Or in this case, we might say neither side is more powerful than the other.

Remind anyone of anything?

So how does this relate back to our chosen one, little Ani?

Well, simple definition is, I don’t know. Maybe Anakin strayed too far from his chosen path, maybe the Father of the Force got it wrong and Anakin was never the chosen one to begin with. Or maybe what he didn’t accomplish in life, he is doing in death through his grandson.

Either way, the force is closer to balance than we have ever seen it now, but it isn't done yet. My belief is that Anakin isn’t finished yet. He is doing something in the Nether world of the Force, and we will see him again in some form.

And meanwhile, we get to see these two be completely awesome.

[masterofthelivingforce]

Masterpost of threads

With @thewanderingsoul (Rey)

Lost and found on Jakku - Rey finds a Force artifact. Qui-Gon feels her from the Force and comes back as a ghost to investigate the disturbance.

Tiny Lost Child - Padawan!AU Rey is 6, Qui-Gon is 26. Their first meeting is fated by the Force. [finished] 

A new Padawan for Qui-Gon: One year after he Knighted Feemor, Qui-Gon is looking for a new Padawan - and of course, he wants Rey.

Teasing a Jedi - Padawan!AU Set two years after Rey was knighted. Sexy times happens. (Qui-Rey)

A dept paid in blood: Mordern au. The Vampire AU nobody asked for but that I desperately needed.

With @mcsterskywclker (Luke)

A new Jedi - Luke explores the temple of Alaris Prime, Qui-Gon appears to guide him.  [ended]

Stranded planetside - Qui-Gon keeps Luke company as he fixes his X-wing  [abandoned]

With @brokenspaceprince  (Kylo Ren)

You’ll never be free from me - Qui-Gon is sent to keep an eye on Kylo Ren. Kylo is thrilled. Can ghosts be murdered?  [ended]

A new Master in an old time - Ben Solo travels back in time, to a Gray Jedi who might show him a different path. 

With @bencannolikenobi (Obi-Wan)

The timeline’s all wrong - When Qui-Gon dies, he rejoins the Force… Only to wake up twelve years later. General Kenobi is shocked to meet his Master anew. (QuiObi)

Hoodie for the feckless - Modern!AU Obi-Wan is out in the cold with only a t-shirt. Qui-Gon offers him his hoodie.  (QuiObi)

To be young again - Obi-Wan is deaged to a toddler. Qui-Gon is defeated by the cute. [ended]

Frip him hard: Shameless smut. Qui-Gon has been away on a long mission and Obi-Wan is thirsty. (QuiObi)

With @beststarpilot (Anakin)

The long path to Knighthood - Anakin is Qui-Gon’s Padawan. As much as he likes his Master, he’s eager to become a Knight.  [ended]

With @nieithryn (Mace Windu)

Flirting with danger - Qui-Gon and Mace space. The battlelust becomes simpler lust. NSFW. (QuiMace)

With @thesarcasmofasoldier (Obi-Wan)

Young and wild - Wereanimals!AU Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are both from Stewjon, but the first is a lion, the second is a coguar. Qui-Gon is assigned Obi-Wan as his Padawan to teach him to control his animal side. It’s a rocky start.

Valentine confession: On Valentine’s Day, Obi-Wan has the courage to confess his love for his Master. (QuiObi)

With @onlyhopc (Obi-Wan)

It goes on - Qui-Gon doesn’t die on Naboo, and wakes up to face his mistakes and his feelings.

The Fall: On Apsolon, Obi-Wan is too late. Qui-Gon kills Tahl’s murderer in hate, and steps into the Darkness.

With @therapardalis (Thera Pardalis)

King and Lionheart verse:

A Jedi lost in outer space - Qui-Gon finds himself stranded on a Force-forgotten planet in the Outer Rim. Seems like Captain Pardalis is his only way out of there. (October)

Oh no she’s hot: Qui-Gon looks at Thera Pardalis and has naughty thoughts. (November)

Tahl and Micah are too noisy (My drabble, January)

How to fail and the sequel - Qui-Gon is oblivious and he makes a fool out of himself. Things could turn out right for him and Thera in the end, though. NSFW (February)

Why can’t people just shut up already (Panth’s drabble, March)

Movie night - Thera is a damn tease, and she knows it. Shameless NSFW. (March)

A chat between friends - Qui-Gon and Thera talk of attachment and unsolved issues. (April)

Modesty what’s that: Qui-Gon returns exhausted from a mission, and Thera pampers him. (April)

Master of bad choices: Qui-Gon has a fallout with the Council and seeks comfort in Thera’s arms. (May)

Thera deals with the fragility of life (Panth’s drabble, May)

Happy Birthday Thera!: It’s Thera’s birthday, and Qui-Gon gifts her with a lightsaber. (June)

Meeting a star: Their favourite actor, Ha’at Boi, is in trouble, and the Jedi send them to help him. Happy coincidence? (July)

Sparring is showing off: Ha’at asked to see Qui-Gon and Thera spar.

Night at the premiere: Thera and Qui-Gon are invited to the premiere of Ha’at’s movie

A thoughtful gift: Micah gives Qui-Gon glow-in-the-dark condoms. What are Qui-Gon and Thera to do but they them? NSFW

One more dance - After a successful mission on Darla, a ball is announced. Qui-Gon is invited, and he asks Thera to be his plus one. (August)

Vacation on Scarif: exactly what it says on the tin.

Valentine’s day: Qui-Gon is so cheesy. I can’t.

I’m not calling you a liar: one of Qui-Gon’s old lovers appears with a baby, saying that the child is his. Things go south fast.

Thera’s Life Day gift to Qui-Gon

Qui-Gon’s Life Day gift to Thera

Other AUs:

A difficult night - Qui-Gon goes to a bar to drink his heartbreak away. Thera is there to play babysitter and counselor. [finished]

In time of crisis - Thera really tried to be ok with an open relationship, but she hit her limit.

Of lions and men: Gladiator!Au where Quinn is a werelion and Thera came to free the lions from the Colosseum.

Fauns in space: Qui-Gon is a faun with a streak of very bad luck.

With @negotiator-kenobi (Obi-Wan)

In your skin - Soulmate AU where what you write appears on your soulmate’s skin (QuiObi).

Equivalent Exchange - Qui-Gon is dying, but Obi-Wan is given a choice by the Force: be able to heal his Master, but lose him anyway, because Qui-Gon will forget about him. Obi-Wan accepts. (QuiObi)

Adventures in dating - the fake dating AU everyone needs. (QuiObi)

Give me some sugar: Sugar Daddy AU. Qui-Gon feel lonely and Obi-Wan has a little brother to care for.

With @thezabrakassassin (Maul)

Of learning and manipulation - Maul survives Naboo and is brought back to the Temple for interrogation. Qui-Gon wants to learn all he can about the Sith, but there’s always a price.

From ashes of hate: Maul was rescued as a kid and became a Jedi, Qui-Gon fell after Tahl’s death. Sith and Jedi meet, and they’re more alike than they would have expected.

With @theironlyhxpe (Obi-Wan)

Of past and future: Timetravel AU: A Sith artifact unwittingly activated by Obi-Wan and Anakin brings back a 25 years old Qui-Gon. Ansgt and smut happens. (QuiObi)

Unexpected confession: Qui-Gon brings up his feelings for Obi-Wan in an unexpected way. [finished] (QuiObi)

The first touch: Sequel to Unexpected Confession, the first time QUi-Gon and Obi-Wan are intimate.(QuiObi)

Birthday boy: it’s Qui-Gon’s 70th birthday, and Obi-Wan decides to make it a good day.(QuiObi)

With @darksidewalker (Anakin)

First date: It’s Valentine’s day, and Qui-Gon asks Anakin out on a date. (Quikin)

Flowers and weeds: It’s Valentine’s Day, and Anakin gives Qui-Gon a flower. How can he not return the favour by taking him to his greenhouse? (Quikin)

A big start:shameless smut. (Quikin)

With @lcstjedii (Rey)

Maybe too much aggression: (AU) Rey is a youngling at the Temple, but everyone says she’s too reckless, to angry. Qui-Gon sets out to discover why.

With @obiwankeno-bae (Obi-Wan)

to be tagged

With @galaxyofmisguidedstars (Dooku)

Sithly beginnings: Tahl’s death and his thrist for vengeace made Qui-Gon Fall hard. Trying to come to terms with his new identity in the Dark, he seeks out his former Master, in need of council.

With @stillsalvaging (Rey)

An old ghost: Rey reads the ancient Jedi text, looking for anwers - what she gets is a guide.

With @shieldshawk (Clint Barton)

Underground City: Qui-Gon needs a guide to navigate an undeground city. Clint just so happens to need money.

Oh look a shiny: (Marvel AU) Sorcerers don’t interfer with earthy business - unless the dimensions are at risk. Quinn does his duty, but that puts him in SHIELD’s path...

With @partialparseltongue (Harry Potter)

The herbology professor: (Hogwarts AU) Quinn was hired to teach one year at Hogawarts, and gets to know Harry Potter - and look, he’s adopted a new stray.

Haunted greenhouses: Harry Potter died in the summer of his fifth year. Professor St. John finds a ghost in his greenhouse.

With @astrawalk (Thor)

A god far away from home: Thor is catapulted by the Bifrost into a new Galaxy. Qui-Gon always had the bad habit of picking up strays, so...

With @justastarkgenius (Tony Stark)

Magic and iron come together: After IW, Tony Stark has taken to checking in on Stephen Strange. One day he meets Quinn St. John instead.

With @ariadne-inthesky (Ariadne)

A woman not to be trusted - Ariadne is an explorer who specializes in finding lost artifacts. Qui-Gon just so needs an artifact to be found.

A beating heart of stone - AU where Ariadne’s family wants to marry her off. Qui-Gon accepts to marry her to save her from that and oh no look they’re in love now.

With @keeperoftheliars (Asha)

The Mandalorian ways - Death Watch tries the diplomatic route... Except that the Order sent Qui-Gon Jinn, who knows the Mandalorian well. Asha is not going to have an easy time with him.

[akathecentimetre]

@onslenderaccident​: górecki's symphony of sorrowful songs, that's the tone I'd like. specific to obi-wan, satine, padmé (only if it's au living padmé), luke, leia. dealing with loss and how time does not actually heal all wounds, but merely turns our attention away from them, but these wounds still exist, much like abysses in the ground, and sometimes our focus strays and we fall in.

[Dang - I want to see how YOU would write this! :-)]

He had never asked whether Satine would have ever wanted to be a mother. It didn't seem like the sort of question she would welcome - nor one which had an appropriate time of asking, or that she would necessarily have an answer to. On the only occasion when the thought had occurred to him, the immediate answer that his own knowledge of her provided was that she would have taken refuge in that old abdication of courage (which was a statement of courage in and of itself, in other ways) that would have been saying that she wouldn't want to bring a child into the sort of world she hadn't been able to change for the better. She had adopted sons and daughters via other paths, cultivating Mandalorian youth, thinking of them as vessels of peace while she herself was to be left behind, irrevocably damned.

On Tatooine, with Padmé still a half-ghost in their shared hut, he hears her asking questions of no one. Where has he gone? she asks, and he steps forward and tells her that Luke isn't far away, that she can go and see him, that he can be hers. She recoils at the thought of it, thinks the past polluted in ways he cannot allow himself to believe for fear he would be swallowed up by it too.

With the sweetness of the innocent, Luke forgives her - indeed he never understands that there is anything to forgive at all. When Beru brings him tripping across the desert to see them, he thinks Padmé finds absolution in his very presence, in the sound of his chattering voice, in the cheerfulness of his eye.

"Don't cry," Luke says once, when he catches sight of Padmé's ill-disguised grief, as her prior composure returns to her only slowly over the years. He frowns for her, and looks to Obi-Wan for help, and Obi-Wan ('Ben,' now, because it's easier for Luke to say) doesn't know what to tell him.

Years later, when Padmé is herself enough to want her daughter, too, to want to reach back out to the stars that betrayed her and remind them that she and everything she is cannot die, she stands by Obi-Wan's side and watches as Luke frantically runs towards his speeder, towards the certain knowledge of his loss; when he returns, with the stench of death and incinerated farm equipment on his clothes, she steps forward and lets Luke cry on her, to clutch at her, to be the strength Obi-Wan hadn't quite known how to provide.

Beloved and chosen, he thinks, and looks up at the sky, suddenly possessed of invincibility.