Think Twice

Chapter 18

            He tensed when he felt the Mandalorian’s hand hit his shoulder. It had taken serious restraint not to slice her in half. Sidious was dead, but he was still on edge for some reason. He looked down at his corpse where it was sprawled across the tarmac, the robes spread out around him almost like a halo, but there was nothing sacred or holy about the man in front of them. If he even was a man anymore. Either their blast of the force or his fall revealed the true depth of the Sith corruption. No longer the kindly looking elderly leader of the Republic; his face was twisted and grey, wrinkled and ugly, and his golden eyes stared at the sky as though any second, they could blink again. 

            “Impressive,” Bo Katan said, finally releasing him. “To bad you couldn’t save any of the action for us.”

            He had half a mind to tell her off. Mandalorians might be legendary warriors but fighting Sidious had been no walk in the park; not even for someone as powerful as him. In fact, had it not been for Ahsoka, he’d have died up there. He glanced up at the broken window of the chancellor’s office, where the remaining glass shards glinted in the afternoon sun. It was a long way up, but he was certain several of the Jedi were still standing there looking down at them. He clenched his fists, unease spreading through him. Why was he so anxious? The day he’d long hoped for had arrived. Freedom. Freedom from his cruel master, freedom from his bonds of slavery, freedom to make his own choices...

            But every second he remained here on the capitol of the Republic, spread this unease further through him. Staring at the corpse of his master didn’t help. It felt surreal, it felt wrong. Something was wrong. He could feel his death. There was no way he’d survived a fall like that, or a blast like that. In fact, he was no detective, but he would wager Sidious had died before he’d hit the ground. Very possibly before he’d even been blasted out of the window. So, if he was dead, why didn’t he feel relief? Why didn’t it feel like it was over? Why didn’t it feel like victory?

            He hadn’t needed to see her to know that Ahsoka had glanced up at the sky at the exact same time. “You’re about to get plenty of action,” he said in annoyance. “Dooku is here.” And that’s why it hadn’t felt like it was over. Sidious was dead, but even in death he still had a stranglehold on everything. Even in the event of his death he had plans in motion.

            He’d come here for one purpose and one purpose only; to destroy the most evil person in the galaxy. He wasn’t here to fight a war. He wasn’t here to save the Republic. He wasn’t here to stop Dooku, Grievous or the droid army. And he should have left when he had the chance. No matter how this ended, he was going to lose. 

            He started backing away but froze when he saw Ahsoka some distance away. It felt like time slowed around her as he studied her pretty face. She was directing the Mandalorians and then other Jedi and even the clones. She stood tall, she radiated authority and confidence. You almost wouldn’t know she was afraid. She was a born leader, like she was made for that role. All she’d needed was to be believed in.

            Obi Wan may have been a good master, but he’d sheltered her. He’d kept her behind him, doing all the hard work himself. And maybe he’d thought he was protecting her, but all he’d really done was cripple her confidence in herself and her abilities. There’d really been nothing new he’d taught her. The only thing he’d done was change her perspective. And maybe they’d found a few things in the force that likely no one else would understand, but... everything she was now, had already been inside her. All he’d done was help it come out.