"Fate's Crossing" - (Post TPM/AU)

Category: Story, *Angst* AU (sort of)
Rating: PG-13 Timeline: Between Eps I and II
Spoilers: Big ones for Episode I Disclaimer: These characters are the property of George Lucas. No copyright infringement is intended.
Summary: A black hole, a past revisited and choices presented to Obi-Wan Kenobi after the events in TPM.
Feedback: Please, I'd love to hear your thoughts
Email: jedikkate@yahoo.com
NOTE: This story is finished, I will be posting it in parts, one a day for around six days. Thanks!


FATE'S CROSSING by Jedi Kate

I.

In the entire galaxy there was nothing as beautiful, or as dangerous, as a collapsed star. Obi-Wan Kenobi stared at the purple swirls of gas and barely fleeing light, making sure his headstrong apprentice kept his eyes on the navicomputer, not on the sight portal.

A dying star was beautiful to look at, but death to touch, even from a very great distance. The gravitational pull it exerted was enough to warp the universe around it, up to light years away, and Obi-Wan wanted nothing to do with its lovely, but fatal kiss.

"There's a slight tug on the gravitrol but not enough to worry about Master." Anakin Skywalker adjusted a minute reading. "I'd say we can get a bit closer."

"I'd feel better if we kept as far away as possible. I've heard there are wormholes surrounding this particular star as far away as the Middle Rim. Are the shields holding?" Obi-Wan put a firm hand on the young man's shoulder as the ship shuddered within the dying star's immense gravitational pull.

"Holding and well." Anakin grinned. "Don't you worry."

Obi-Wan returned the smile, a bit wistfully. His padawan was no longer a little boy, he was eighteen now, growing closer to his Trials every day. Strong in the Living Force, Anakin was a brilliant student as well as Obi-Wan's pride and joy, as difficult as it had been for them at first.

Obi-Wan hadn't wanted the responsibility of any padawan, let alone the one his master had proclaimed as The Chosen One, but a single dying breath had changed that, and so much else, forever.

//Train the boy. Promise me my Obi-Wan, you will train the boy.//

//Yes, Master.//

Yes, Master ... what strange words to use in the sealing of two fates, Obi-Wan thought sadly. In the first months following Anakin's apprenticeship, Obi-Wan had mentally retracted his promise to Qui-Gon a thousand times, with a bitterness that bordered on rage, furiously pounding his pillow with frustration and sorrow night after night.

How cruel Qui-Gon had been to force Obi-Wan into that promise, he wasn't ready, he didn't even *like* the boy, he never got to enjoy his own freedom as a knight and by the Force, how unfair it all was.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Obi-Wan grew used to the idea, even began to enjoy his role as mentor on occasion. Grew to love his apprentice with the carefree affection of an older brother, but always wondered what his life would have been like if the Sith's blade had never found his master's heart. Even after nearly ten years as Anakin's master, he still wished he could know what the other path might have held in store for him, if anything at all.

A series of loud warning beeps interrupted Obi-Wan's reverie.

"Master ... I think we're losing power." Anakin sounded calm, but Obi-Wan could hear the fear hidden beneath his quiet words.

"Do we have enough to back up and get out of here?" Obi-Wan took the navigator's seat and began to study the readouts.

"I don't think so," replied Anakin hoarsely. His fingers began to fly over the controls. "We might be able to ..."

Suddenly, an overwhelming flash of light filled the cabin with white brilliance and Obi-Wan instinctively threw his hands up over his eyes to shield them from the blinding glare. The ship took a spinning dive and Obi-Wan's stomach lurched toward his throat as he reached out for Anakin, hoping to end his life protecting his padawan if at all possible.

For they were both going to die, of this much Obi-Wan was certain.

Pressure then, tearing at his head, blinding him

 

This is off to a great start! Can't wait to see what you have planned in the next part!

 

FATE'S CROSSING - Part Two
jedikkate@yahoo.com

III.

A restless night followed, filled with terrifying dreams for
Obi-Wan. Dreams of Anakin reaching for him, arms outstretched,
screaming his name. Obi-Wan awoke with a start, only to return
to a slumber that was more horror than rest. The sun rose over
Theed, but it brought no warmth as Obi-Wan shivered helplessly
and pulled the thermal wrap high around his shoulders, trying to
alleviate the chill.

He had to gather himself and quickly, he swore silently, or any
chance of retrieving Anakin would be lost forever. Shakily, he
rose, pushed the covers away and swung his legs over the side of
the pallet. Rubbed his eyes and looked around, marveling at the
memories that came flooding back.

Memories of sitting in this very medi-unit, numbly watching
Naboo physicians work futilely on his dead master, his long
silver hair askew and stained with blood, knowing their work was
all for naught. Sitting here long after they'd taken the body
away, staring at the sterile walls, wondering what exactly was
he going to do now that his world had shattered to a complete
stop.

The familiar ache flooded Obi-Wan again, but he violently shook
it off. There was no time for this pointless wandering, he had
to escape this warp.

But how ... that was the question.

Behind him, the medi-unit's door quietly slid open and Masters
Windu and Yoda entered. Obi-Wan reeled at the sight, so similar
to nearly a decade before, but this time ... this time both
Council members were smiling broadly, the heavy sorrow
of their past entrance nowhere to be seen.

Yoda tapped up to Obi-Wan, gimmer stick in hand. He beamed
at him, his long ears tipping up, eyes sparkling. A small
clawed hand patted Obi-Wan's knee. "Done well you have."

Obi-Wan stared at him, still cold with shock. "Thank you,
master," he rasped.

Mace Windu regarded him closely. "Qui-Gon told us you were a
bit shaken after the battle. I hope you are recovered." Deep
voice, filled with concern. "If not, we can call to Corusccant
for healers ...."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "No, I'm ... fine. More or less. My
memory is just a bit rattled. I ... I don't remember the
details of this particular battle that clearly." Truthfully
enough, and Obi-Wan hoped they wouldn't guess at the true nature
of his dilemma.

A small hand touched his and Yoda's dark eyes studied Obi-Wan,
as if reading his thoughts. "Forgotten have you?" the Jedi
master mused. "Surprised I am, for such a battle is not easily
lost to the memory. Perhaps wish to remember, you do not."

"Perhaps," Obi-Wan agreed hoarsely. "It's just such a ...
surprise to be here, that's all." He hesitated. "I could have
sworn we were losing that fight."

"That's the strange part. You *were* losing, according to Qui-
Gon," Windu replied slowly. "You were separated by cycled laser
walls after the Sith had divided you. Qui-Gon was left alone,
and weakening. But, on what he thought was his final rally, you
appeared outside the walls and with one stroke, made short work
of the Sith from behind." Narrow eyes regarded Obi-Wan. "In
truth, we're very curious as to this, especially about getting
through those walls. Do you remember any of this?"

Obi-Wan felt the blood drain from his face. "No," he said,
averting his gaze. "I remember the battle, being trapped behind
the walls ... but, no ... nothing after that." Or, nothing
after that in *this* universe, Obi-Wan thought with a sharp pang
of bitterness. In his own universe, the problem was the exact
opposite: he could not forget the misery that followed in the
wake of that one fateful battle.

"At this moment, matter it does not. Focus on the present we
must." Yoda murmured comfortingly. "Much work to be done now,
a ceremony is to be held. You must be ready for this, Obi-Wan,
your strength you must gather."

"A ceremony?" Obi-Wan blinked, confused.

Windu smiled, his brown eyes shining. "Of course, padawan. I'd
say a young man who was so ready for his Trials would have some
inkling as to when he's passed them, wouldn't

 

Absolutely amazing, Jedi Kate! You write extremely well. I love the all the emotion and insight into Obi-Wan.

 

I love AU's! I'm glad to see Obi-Wan got his formal Knighting. More please!

 

FATE'S CROSSING by Jedi Kate

V.

The post-knighting, post-triumph celebration was a noisy affair,
filled with loud laughter and multiple toasts. Queen Amidala
sat at the head of a long table, dressed in her battle uniform
alongside her officers, her handmaidens surrounding her, all of
them smiling and talking with various members of the Naboo army,
as well as Boss Nass and assorted Gungan generals.

The Jedi were seated further down the table, in places of honor,
with Yoda closest to the Queen. The meal chime rang as course
after course of rich foods arrived and Obi-Wan felt gleefully
overwhelmed, even partaking in some mulled eldberry brandywine,
a drink he normally avoided.

Seated next to him was Qui-Gon, as carefree and happy as Obi-Wan
had ever seen him. No words passed between the former master
and apprentice during the first hours of the meal ... there was
no need for them. The warm joy felt during the knighting
ceremony still pulsed between them, a tangible, living emotion,
more expressive than any speech.

Obi-Wan had often dreamt of his master's survival, dreamt of his
knighting, but had never gone further than that, thinking quite
rightly that he'd tortured himself with enough dreams. There
was a point where daydreams become obsessions, and besides, he'd
been far too busy with Anakin's training to let his mind go idle
for any substantial period of time.

How strange it was then, he mused, that in stopping his dreams,
he'd let the best part of what might have been go unwished for.

Sitting next to his master, equal to equal, sharing the best of
a Jedi's world in a triumphant celebration of life, this was
better than any dream he could remember.

Another glass of eldberry poured and Qui-Gon whispered a joke in
his ear about Jedi and strong spirits, cautioning him not to try
and slice his meal with his saber, as he'd seen one inebriated
Jedi unwisely attempt to do many years before.

"Who was that?" Obi-Wan whispered back, the wine warming the
back of his throat in a not entirely unpleasant manner.

Qui-Gon chortled. "Who do you think?"

Obi-Wan gaped at him. "No ... you??"

Qui-Gon merely grinned in reply and Obi-Wan nearly snorted the
wine out of his nose. He coughed and spluttered, then laughed
again as Qui-Gon patted his back with a warning glance. "And
that's between you and me, my friend. Just because you're a
knight now, don't think you can go running around tattling on
your old master." He arched an eyebrow. "Remember, I still
have a few good Obi-Wan stories of my own."

"Yes, I'd say you do." Obi-Wan wiped a bit of spilt wine from
his chin. "But ... honestly, slicing dinner with your
saber?"

Amidala rose and held her hand up, motioning for silence. The
table immediately quieted at her solemn expression. "Friends,
thank you for joining us on this great day for Naboo." She
glanced at Boss Nass, who returned her gaze affectionately.
"And for Otoh Gunga. Without you, all of you, there wouldn't be
much to celebrate tonight. But while we revel in our freedom,
let us remember our friends who cannot be with us this evening,
remember those among us who made the ultimate sacrifice so that
Naboo might once again live in freedom and peace. Without these
brave souls, our world would no longer exist as we know it."
Her eyes lowered, sadness etched onto her young features. "I'd
like to especially mention a dear young friend we've lost, who
bravely gave his life for a world that he'd only begun to know."
She raised her glass, the tears evident. "To Anakin Skywalker
... may he live in our hearts forever."

"To Anakin Skywalker," the gathered murmured mournfully, joining
her toast.

Obi-Wan's stomach roiled and he clutched the table, his knuckles
whitening as the bleak reality set in. Anakin ... dead at ten
years of age, killed aboard the Trade Federation battle station,
his young life, as well as all his promise of greatness snuffed
out as one would extinguish a candle.

The boy's mother, alone now in the universe, no hope of saving
her lone legacy, her hopes for her son's future ..

 

This is a great story JK, I read it on one of the Lists...fantastic!!!

 

Up!

 

Great story Jedi Kate! I'm looking forward to more.

 

Oh my force! I am sitting here in tears. This is so amazingly beautiful.

 

Top!

 

FATE'S CROSSING by JediKate VI.

Obi-Wan slept deeply that night, a welcome dreamless slumber.
He could have sworn he was asleep for only a few minutes when a
gentle shake to his shoulder woke him and he opened his eyes,
peering owlishly through the still-dark room.

"Come on," Qui-Gon whispered. "If we want to borrow one of her
Highness's ships, we'd better do so before the sun rises."

"Borrow a ship?" asked Obi-Wan groggily, sitting up with a
groan. He blinked, then rubbed his eyes, suddenly fully awake.
"Oh, yes ... you're right."

"One of the newer shipment vessels should be good. They have
enough range to make it to the Nebulas and are sturdy enough to
withstand most hardships." Qui-Gon went to the door and glanced
up and down the hallway. "As I thought, everyone is still
asleep. If we pretend we're going somewhere we're supposed to
be headed, the guards won't look twice at us."

Obi-Wan quickly retrieved his robe and slung it over his
shoulders, double-checking the power cell on his lightsaber out
of long habit. "Ah, feigned innocence. That's an old trick,
for sure."

Qui-Gon's eyes twinkled. "What other sort of tricks would you
expect me to know?"

Obi-Wan bit back a laugh and followed Qui-Gon down the hallway,
both of their faces a study in casual serenity. How strange and
wonderful it felt to be walking at his former master's side
again, their steps tapping down the polished palace floors in
perfect tandem, just as they always had. Obi-Wan never had to
run to keep up, nor slow down and wait, they were in sync,
mentally and physically, almost since the first day they met,
despite their differences.

Besides, their differences were the main source of their
strength, or so Qui-Gon had always claimed. They complemented
each other, one filling the gaps in the other one's talent and
style flawlessly. They could move as one, or move apart,
leaving no space unattended, no road unexplored.

Obi-Wan had missed this, this completeness, almost as much as
the friendship and care of the man next to him. And ah, to
regain it, only to lose it again forever ... could any fate be
quite as cruel?

They entered the main palace hangar and Qui-Gon nodded politely
at a sleepy looking guard who snapped to attention. "Good
morning, sirs. Up early this day, aren't we?"

"Yes." Qui-Gon nodded and raised his hand in front of the
guard's eyes. "We're going to borrow one of her Majesty's
ships. There's no need for you to remember we did this."

The guard blinked, then slowly nodded. "There's no need for me
to remember that you borrowed a ship."

"You do your job well," Qui-Gon added as Obi-Wan hit the ramp
controls for a mid-sized freighter. "Have a good trip."

"I do my job well," the guard agreed cheerfully, as the ramp
lowered and the Jedi boarded. "Have a good trip."

Obi-Wan settled in behind the controls and the ship's engines
hummed to life. "Did we really need the happy send-off?" he
asked sardonically.

Qui-Gon favored him with a wicked grin. "We need all the luck
we can get."

The hangar's exit filled the viewscreen, followed by the rising
sun. The sky was a clear shade of pink, with a hint of the blue
to follow as the palace fell away and soon, the darkness of
space enveloped the ship.

With a short sigh, Obi-Wan set a course for Nebulas Five. His
fingers hesitated over the final entry, mutinous thoughts
already crossing through his mind. It might be way too late;
there were no guarantees that even by returning to the wormhole
he'd save Anakin. What good would it do anyone then,
sacrificing this existence for another unknown, even less
attractive one? Perhaps this is what Fate demanded of him,
maybe it was reversing itself for a reason and fighting against
would be pointless, or worse, wrong.

Obi-Wan could feel Qui-Gon's eyes on him, and knew he could hear
his thoughts. "Is it so wrong, my master?" he whispered. "Is
it so wrong to want to stay in world where almost everything is
going right?"

"The key word is almost, Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon grasped the tight
shoulders and kneaded th

 

Great stuff!

 

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Toppers!!!

 

up!