The Strength Inside of Me (Obi-Wan Kenobi) Intertriology. Slight AU FINISHED!

WOW! Are Ben and Obi going to fight back? Will Obi be able to piece it all together? The new/old ship, no Qui-Gon and the Temple, the increasing darkness.

Looking forward to more!

 

Ben sat in the brig of the Imperial Star Destroyer next to...himself. He'd been able to cover the complexity of the ships design to the fact that his former apprentice had been very skilled in mechanics and mainly in ships, which hadn't been a lie. Obi-Wan had gaped at it with the awe Ben remembered from when he had been younger. Ships were in Obi-Wan's blood just as they had been in Anakin's and it was the one thing that the Master and Apprentice had always been able to agree on.

Although the memory might have been looked on with fondness if Anakin hadn't gone to the Dark Side becoming Vader and helping Palpatine drive the galaxy into supplication. Instead it brought a shiver up Ben's spin and a frown that mirrored the one of the young man next to him.

"I'm sorry," Obi-Wan whispered beside him.

"I had the situation under control and you interfered unnecessarily," Ben admonished.

A struggle waged in Obi-Wan, one that Ben for the first time couldn't figure out. "How?"

"Excuse me," Ben said.

"How did you have it under control?" Obi-Wan asked with more fortitude.

"Do you talk to all your Master's this way?" Ben asked, knowing that Obi-Wan did not.

Obi-Wan stiffened at the recrimination. "That mind trick had no Force backing behind it."

Now it was Ben's turn to straighten. "What do you mean?"

"I couldn't feel you using the Force," Obi-Wan clarified.

That was something that Ben had not expected, but in a way it made sense. He didn't feel his own effects on the Force like he did with another Jedi so it would go to show that Obi-Wan would not sense him. A wry smile touched his lips as he realized he was chastising himself.

"What's so humerous?" Obi-Wan asked, sounding as though he could need a pick-me up, they both could.

"You wouldn't understand," Ben answered.

"So what can we expect when we reach your apprentice?" Obi-Wan changed the subject.

The shiver returned. He had wished never to face Vader again, but at least Luke was still safe on Tatooine. The Stormtroopers had just focused on him and his younger self. He didn't know how he was going to explain Obi-Wan to Vader who would remember what his mentor had looked like when they had first met.

"That pleasant huh?" Obi-Wan said, seeing the shiver.

"Worse," Ben countered. "We've got to figure a way out of here."

"The Force is still our ally," Obi-Wan said. "A solution will present itself." Ben snorted. "You disagree?"

Ben stared at Obi-Wan for a long while, comparing the youthful features to the ones of himself, the age that the youth would morph to. This Obi-Wan trusted so whole-heartedly in the Force and that good would always triumph over evil, Ben knew better. The Force betrayed you as surely as anything else.

"Things are rarely what they appear, even the Force," Ben said emptily.

Now it was Obi-Wan's turn to watch him, although the boy didn't understand what he was seeing, Ben felt a prickle run through him at the intensity of that stare. When had he been bereft of that purity of youth?

"I think you've been hurt Master Lars, do not think that all that is good has left you," Obi-Wan whispered.

"You sound as though you speak from experience young Obi-Wan," Ben said in a more snapped tone then he had meant.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "Not mine, my Masters. I don't know if you were at the Temple before Xanatos turned, but Master was haunted by that for years. Eventually the pain dimmed." No the pain didn't dim it just became numbed, a taboo inside of your mind. "In time all wounds heal."

He really believes it. I really believed it. Do circumstances change us that much? Or is there a part of him that is still buried in me? Ben hoped so. That meant that Vader hadn't won completely.

"I'll help you, just as I helped Master," Obi-Wan promised. "Together we'll push away the darkness."

"Together," Ben muttered and an idea struck him. "I think I have a way out of here."

 

Fascinating. I just caught up and I have to say, I'm definately intrigued. I generally don't go much for time crossovers, but this is too interesting to pass up. Hope to see more soon.

 

fascinating. love the comparisons of young and old.

 

This gets more and more intriguing! Excellent explaination for why Obi-Wan could not sense Ben using the Force.

He didn't know how he was going to explain Obi-Wan to Vader who would remember what his mentor had looked like when they had first met. - I'm looking forward to seeing what happens and what Ben's plan is. Also how is he going to explain all the changes to Obi-Wan?

 

I think Ben might well have to explain the truth to Obi-Wan. Sooner or later, he'll piece it together himself.

 

Wonderful posts Zara, I shudder to think if the Empire will figure out the truth about our boys here

MORE!

 

A strange resonance was filling the Force, it had been distracting Vader for the last couple of days, and the officers on his Star Destroyer had not ceased to observe it. Considering that two of their rank had been suffocated for the smallest of reasons because of the imbalance.

Vader's temper was not much better today. A squad of stormtroopers had contacted him, explaining that they had picked up two Jedi, a Master and Apprentice, from what they had described, and had asked if he could rendevzous with them outside of the Tatoo system.

Of course, Vader's first reaction was to raise his right hand, ebony gloved fingers pinching as he Force chocked the officer that had relayed the request. That man's underling had stepped forward a minute later, his adams apple bobbing up and down several times during their conversation, as the officer tried to look him in the eye without looking at him.

It was not the first time Vader cursed being trapped behind this mechanical suit, that he wished he could free his sking from the cold touch of metal, and once again breath air that was not regulated by his mask. But he could not change it, not yet.

Palpatine had promised him that the powers of the Dark Side were immeasurable and that it was Vader's lack of growth that kept him from walking as any man did. Vader had not concentrate all the hatred, all the aggression,... and fear, into the Dark Side, if he truly wanted to be healed. Vader had found his object of loathing early on, Obi-Wan Kenobi, former mentor, teacher, father figure...and friend.

Despite that his current state had been the result of a dual between himself and his former Master could not relieve the part of Vader that was still Anakin from thinking of Obi-Wan as someone to look to for answers. And the great hatred for the man, mixed with the love of a son towards a father sometimes vied for dominance. Vader was happy to report that the part of him that was Anakin was slowly decreasing day by day. Soon he would vanquish the last bit of vulnerability, the weakness inside him, and be free.

Sometimes he regreted that Kenobi had died with all the rest of the Jedi, he would have taken pleasure in killing his mentor himself.

If Vader could sigh, he would have. The part of him that was Anakin screamed against the brutality that the Vader part of his mind devised.

Silence, he commanded the tiny voice and it quieted but did not stop.

He would just have to treat these new Jedi as if they were Kenobi himself. Destroy them as he had not been able to destory him.

A thrill coursed through the nerves of his living skin at the thought of a possible challenge. It had been long since he had faced someone who had given him a challenge. Would one of the Jedi give him the thrill he so desperately needed. Sometimes it was only that thrill that told him he was alive.

"Admiral, Ozzel," Vader said.

The Admiral was quick to step to his side. "Yes, m'lord."

"Take us to the Tatoo system," he ordered.

 

Really good posts! I really like the psychoanalysis on Vader - you really got under the mask. What will he think if he finds that it is indeed his Master coming - in double?

Keep up the good work!

 

hmmm, i think ben and obi better leave soon, because vader is not going to be happy to find them. on the other hand, anakin might be.

 

A wry smile touched his lips as he realized he was chastising himself.
I rather enjoyed that line!

So, Vader's on the way to Tattoine now? The interaction between Ben and his younger self is just superb! I can't wait to read more!

 

I think we might be seeing a chance to redeem Anakin. There's a lot of him still inside Vader. Palpatine is the one preventing him from being healed.

 

Vader is going to be in for a shock when he sees who the Jedi are. As is Obi-Wan if he finds out that Vader is Anakin. How will that affect things if he gets back? Can he prevent Anakin turning?

 

Shloz

Really good posts! I really like the psychoanalysis on Vader - you really got under the mask. What will he think if he finds that it is indeed his Master coming - in double?

Keep up the good work!

Too many people dislike Anakin and don't take the time to flesh him out, I always wondered after seeing 'Return of the Jedi' what part of him snapped back into place to make it possible for him to go back to the light.

PaddyJuan

hmmm, i think ben and obi better leave soon, because vader is not going to be happy to find them. on the other hand, anakin might
be.

Vader will be pleased in his sadistic way, but Anakin will be pleased and slightly confused.

ForceAchtungBaby

A wry smile touched his lips as he realized he was chastising himself.
I rather enjoyed that line!

So, Vader's on the way to Tattoine now? The interaction between Ben and his younger self is just superb! I can't wait to read more!

I was originally going to have the younger Obi-Wan's essence travel into the older Obi and vice a versa, but I thought it would be more interesting if they could talk to each other.

TorontoJediMaster

I think we might be seeing a chance to redeem Anakin. There's a lot of him still inside Vader. Palpatine is the one preventing him from being healed.

Yes, good ol Palpy. He has convinced Anakin into ruining himself.

Sabe126

Vader is going to be in for a shock when he sees who the Jedi are. As is Obi-Wan if he finds out that Vader is Anakin. How will that affect things if he gets back? Can he prevent Anakin turning?

That is indeed the question.

 

Obi-Wan lay awake in the bunk next to Ben's, no matter how hard he tried to calm his mind the harder it became. He had never had this difficulty before and it distrubed him greatly. It amazed him that Ben could drift into restfullness so easily, especially the way he shivered every time he spoke of his apprentice. The sadness the man bore was heartbreaking to Obi-Wan and his mind was plagued with ideas to help him lift it. That it was a long standing sadness was evident for Ben's shoulders hunched continuaally without the intermitent straightening that showed the attempt to maintain strength.

Ben reminded Obi-Wan of a one of the linpel trees he had seen in the Temple. The pale leaves and drooping branches of the trees seemed weighed down and strong but underneath the ground the roots were well established and firm. One of his teachers had told him that Linpel trees could withstand winds up to two hundred kilometers and not be ripped from their resting place. Ben seemed the sort to not budge once his mind had been made up, that he would remain firm.

The strength was something Obi-Wan hoped to embody himself if anything so tragic were to happen to him. He had witnessed first hand what it did to a Master who had lost and apprentice to the Dark Side, could see the hatred in that apprentices eyes focused on the one who had shaped and molded them. However, he did not know what thoughts had entered Qui-Gon's mind when Xanatos had turned or what Ben thought of his own lost apprentice. Qui-Gon had still loved Xanatos but he had also chased after him with a fervence that had surprised Obi-Wan. Could you love and hate someone at the same time? Did Ben hate his apprentice for what he became?

Obi-Wan didn't see that, he only saw the deep regret and even a little fear. But it wasn't so much of the apprentice but something he might fail at. Obi-Wan smiled in his bunk at the thought that he could not read Master Ben in the Force and yet he could read so many other signs to the man's personality. He would like to think that he had a few of the qualities that Master Ben possessed, that strong stocism among them. He wished to help allieve the weight of regret off of Ben as he had with Master but breaking Ben's resolve was proving to be harder then breaking Master Qui-Gon's.

Turning on his side, Obi-Wan scrutinized Ben. There was so much mystery surrounding the older Jedi, so many questions he dodged that Obi-Wan desperately wished to know. Like why Master Qui-Gon still remained dormant in the Force or for that matter the Temple. The trust he felt towards the older man made little sense, considering Obi-Wan rarely felt the need to bond with any but Qui-Gon and the few friends he had made throughout the galaxy.

Obi-Wan jerked when Ben suddenly cried out. "No. Please don't do this," the older Jedi cried. "Turn away from it." The words soon quieted to a murmur though but Ben continued to struggle in his bed.

The older Jedi was dreaming about the turn of his apprentice. Obi-Wan wanted very much to nudge Ben awake, to releave him of this one thing, but he knew better then to wake a Jedi in the middle of a dream. He himself could be possessed by them and Master Qui-Gon could only try to sooth him with the Force having already being punched in the face once by an irate Obi-Wan.

Abruptly, Ben's eyes snapped open and Obi-Wan was struck by how similar to his own they were. Ben had known about his father's name and had seemed to read him as well as Obi-Wan read him.

Ben turned him and gave him an embarrassed smile. "Did I wake you?" he asked rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"No," Obi-Wan shook his head. "I was about to wake you."

"That could have been dangerous," Ben said and again Obi-Wan felt the familiarity.

Obi-Wan sat up a little. "Can I ask you a personal question?"

A wry smile touched Ben's age lined face. "You can but I'm not sure I can answer you."

Obi-Wan becoming used to this sort of dodge nodded. "How did your apprentice turn?"

A pale fell over Ben's face. "H

 

Palpatine may have convinced Anakin to ruin himself. However, the flip side of that is Anakin can also redeem himself if he wants to. He just needs someone to show him the way.

 

"Is that your apprentice?" Obi-Wan asked as they both felt the incoming darkness.

Ben nodded solemnly. "It is." He was too late then. He and Obi-Wan had been working on coordinating their usage of the Force so that when that they could break out of the Star Destroyer before Vader arrived but the Dark Lord had come too quickly.

"I've never felt anything so...." Obi-Wan trailed off, unwilling to hurt Ben with the scentence.

"So evil, young Obi-Wan?" Ben queried with the jaded tone of the lost. "You will, believe me."

"What will he do to us?" Obi-Wan asked and Ben was morbidly pleased that his younger self could face such an encrouching darkness without flinching.

Ben shrugged, not really sure what Vader had in mind or whether it would change once he realized who his captives were. Yes, Vader would definitely devise a clever torcher for his former Master...Masters?

Ben shook his head. He couldn't let Obi-Wan suffer under the hand of Vader it wasn't the boy's time yet. He would meet that in a number of years, he wouldn't let him suffer it now.

"Obi-Wan, listen to me. You need to get out of here. My apprentice will want me, you don't need to be involved," Ben said. "When I give the signal you make your get away, get to whatever ship you can find and just fly."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "I can't do that Ben. I promised you that I would help you and I will not go back on my word."

I gave Qui-Gon my word, I will train Anakin, the words sprang to Ben's mind, his words that had been spoken when he had been Obi-Wan Kenobi. "Blast why do I have to be so honorable?" Ben cursed in a murmur.

"What?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Nothing. Obi-Wan you have to get back to Master Qui-Gon where you belong. I cannot have your death on my mind," Ben tired again.

"I would dishonor my Master if I left you, Ben. Trust in the Force. I know you've forgotten it, but please I can't let you die either," Obi-Wan argued back.

Ben knew that he could spend the rest of the evening arguing with himself and it would do little good. Both Kenobis' were endowed with a protective clause. He couldn't well leave Obi-Wan and Obi-Wan couldn't leave him.

"So we face him together," Obi-Wan said.

"Alright, but we don't try to use our powers unless I say so." Ben instructed catching Obi-Wan's azure eyes in his to make sure the boy understood his meaning.

"Of course, Master Lars," Obi-Wan said, and to Ben's relief there was none of the tell tale signs of disobedience in Obi-Wan.

The door to the brig slid open and Ben gasped at the same time as the dark forboding figure, drapped all in black with the mask of some demonic dream walked in. If the mask would have allowed a gasp from Vader there would have been one. Instead the dark Lord stopped dead in his booted tracks and looked from Ben to Obi-Wan and back again.

"Obi-Wan," the name was whispered in the deep regulated voice that encompasse Vader.

The boy next to Ben stiffened wondering how this creature knew his name, Ben was fast to intercede.

"Hello, Darth," Ben said, drawing the attention away from his younger self.

"So you aren't dead my old Master?" Vader said, almost contemplatingly.

"No, not yet," Ben answered flippantly.

Vader took a step forward as though he would pick up Ben and throw him against the nearest wall in his rage. "Do not tempt me old man," Vader intoned.

"I thought it was the Emperor who tempted you Darth," Ben retorted, unable to keep the hurt inside from rising. He used to hope that his boy was somehow buried inside the mechanics of that life giving but not life solving suit.

With that Vader's anger snapped and Ben was catapulted into the wall. "You speak too freely my old Master," Vader intoned.

Ben's throat was being constricted by the unseen workings of the Dark Side. "Perhaps I didn't speak freely enough," he managed to squeeze through the decreasing of his larynx.

Obi-Wan stood up and faced Vader toe to toe using the Force to pushe the Dark Lord away from Ben. "Leave him alo

 

"Upping."

 

aaaaaahhhhhh!!!

O.O

staring froggy plastered to the monitor waiting for more.

 

Two excellent instalments! Am on the edge of my seat!

He could not imagine losing Master Qui-Gon and then losing any apprentice he might take later - Poor Obi-Wan it's a good thing that he doesn't know what he will have to go through.

Blast why do I have to be so honorable?" Ben cursed in a murmur - LOL!

And Vader knows, what will he do?

 

Wow!
Vader seeing his former Master(s) - now that must have been a Kodak moment!
All kidding aside those were two superb installments!

 

Great posts, I can't wait to see what's going to happen now.

 

Up.

 

I would think Vader would ask what was happening here.

Great post though. Can't wait for the next one.

Any chance that Obi-Wan and Ben might be able to get through to Anakin?

 

Vader didn't know what to make of the young man strapped to the interrogation chair in front of him. The young man who looked like his former Master just several decades younger. Was it true that this was Obi-Wan Kenobi's son? That was what the older Kenobi had intonated but the similarities were so close that Vader could not quite believe that this young boy was his former Master's son.

It showed in the defiance so plainly written on the young features of the young Jedi Apprentice. The same look the Anakin part of Vader remembered from when Obi-Wan had argued strongly with Qui-Gon. First with the idea of involving a nine year old boy into a dangerous mission and then questioning whether that nine year old boy should be trained.

"What's your name boy?" Vader asked.

The young Jedi clenched his lips to a thin line before answering. "Ornsar," he answered.

The shields built around the boy's mind were so tight that Vader could not break through them to see if he was lying. But the fact that this young Jedi bore such a striking resemblence to the man he hated most, the man he had so wanted to please and never could, Vader's hand struck out and smashed against the young Jedi's cheek.

Ornsar's head lulled. "Tell me the truth boy?"

"Truth is held from a certain point of view," Ornsar said and Vader's hand flew to assault the other side.

"Do not quote things your father drilled into my head, young one," Vader hissed through the breath mask.

"Did you ever listen to anything he said, did you ever take the time to see what kind of man he was," the young Kenobi snapped back.

Vader's hand paused in mid swing and Anakin emerged from behind the black facade. "What do you see, young Ornsar?"

"I see man who spent years training his apprentice, who loved, and cared for him, and that apprentice decided to throw that all back in his face," Ornsar answered. "However, it's not too late. I know he still cares for you."

"Your father cares for little then his duty," Vader counteered once again hiding behind the veneer of darkness he had built up around him.

The younger Kenobi suddenly looked up at the black mask of the Sith Lord with such a look of pity that Vader was caught off guard. "You despise him for his duty?" he asked. "Then you never truly understood him."

"And what of me?" Anakin came back to say. "A boy born to be a slave, who he never thought could do it."

"Now a man who has enslaved himself to the dark side," Ornsar answered back.

Vader caught himself then, he had let this young boy direct him away from the questions he had wished to pose to him. "You're clever boy, but not clever enough."

Vader stepped out of the hallway and waved the stormtroopers to send in the interrogation droid. With an ominous hum the black globe hovered into sight and followed the Sith Lord into the interrogation room.

"Now young Jedi we will discuss how it is you came to be here and where you and your father have been hiding?" Vader threatened.

The boy did not flinch as the interrogation droid pumped him full of nerve firing truth serum.