sparky // a padawan story

chapter 64. exile.

I refused to leave the ship when Master Yoda and Senator Organa told me we had landed. They took my backpack inside for me and told me to take all the time I need.
So I stay there, in the same position I've been in for the past hour or so, curled away. Until I hear a familiar, comforting voice.
"Where is she? Is she... oh, Arlo, come here." I look up from the slight comfort of my knees as Obi-Wan kneels down to me, examining my pitiful state, then wrapping me in a hug. My tears wet the charred and ashy tunic as I bury my head in his shoulder, muffling my cries. He speaks quietly into my ear. "I know, I know, shh. I'm sorry. It's okay. We're okay. Come on, let's go get you patched up, little one, yeah?" I have no will to argue with him, so I just nod into his shoulder. He helps pull me up off the ground, and I automatically feel dizzy and queasy from the blood loss. I cling onto him a little tighter. "Oh, dear, that's not good. Up you go, then." He scoops me up easily, careful not to touch the wound on my shoulder, and carries me out of the ship and to the medical facility on Polis Massa. My head rests in the crook of his neck, wetting it with my tears.
It reminds me of when he carried me into the temple all those years ago.
Things seemed so much simpler back then.
He starts to softly sing, hardly even audible, and I begin to unwillingly drift to sleep.
—
"You regret it now, don't you?"
I open my eyes. Surrounding me is a black void. Nothingness.
I turn around to the voice. "Father."
He walks cooly up to me. The gash I left through him, the same that killed him, still runs across his front. "You shouldn't have come for me. This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't."
"I had to stop you."
"Did you now? Because you could've stopped Vader. Now the galaxy is going to suffer because of your naivety, your foolishness. Do you want to see what could have been?" No. No. No. No. I want to say no, but my mouth won't open. "Hmph. That's what I thought. Shall we?" He steps towards me and lightly pushes me backwards, and I feel myself being sucked into the void, the black hole, back, back, back...
And into the High Council Chambers.
Anakin sits there, tears streaking down his face as he gazes out the window. I hear the whir of the door open, and a clone of me walks in.
"Anakin? They told me you were in here, I... are you okay?"
"Arlo?" he asks as he turns to me. "It's... it's nothing, you wouldn't understand."
"Maybe I won't, but it won't hurt to get it off your chest," my clone tells him as it goes to sit next to him. "So tell me what's up. You've been really out of it lately, you know. I feel like, since Ahsoka left, you've been drifting from Obi-Wan and I. We miss you, and we're worried."
"Don't worry about me."
"But we care about you, and you're family. That's what family does, right?"
"...Right."
"So what's up?"
"I just... saw a premonition. Of someone I care about dying."
"Ahsoka? Obi-Wan?"
He shakes his head no. "Who it is doesn't matter."
"Obviously it does, if you're this shaken."
"The premonition isn't the only thing."
"What else?"
"Chancellor Palpatine... is the Sith Lord behind all this," he says shakily. "Master Windu and a few others went to arrest him. They told me to stay here."
"I... I can't believe this. Palpatine? How could we have not known?"
"I don't... I don't know."
"I'm so sorry, Anakin."
"He told me that... that he could save Padm—" Anakin stops himself as he starts to say Padmé's name.
"Anakin... I know. So does Obi-Wan. And Ahsoka probably did, too."
"Does the Council know?" he asks, quickly and panicked.
"Relax, Anakin. They don't. And we're not gonna tell them, you know that. We care about you. And we know she makes you happy, sometimes when no one else can."
"He told me he knew how to save her. She's pregnant, and she's going to die in childbirth. I can't lose her, Arlo, I just can't."
"You aren't actually considering—?"
"I know I shouldn't. But I don't care! I'll do whatever it takes to save her."
"She's not going to die, Anakin, we won't let her. You don't need a Sith Lord to 'save' her. What if he's just using you and your vulnerability for Padmé to get what he wants? Everyone knows that you're stronger with the Force than almost everyone else. Why wouldn't he want you to join him?"
"He's been my mentor, a friend, I can't just abandon him—"
"I know it's hard, but sometimes you'll find that leaving toxic people behind can be the best thing you can do. Think about it. Has he ever seemed manipulative, or cruel?"
"Absolutely not."
"Anakin. I'm serious. We've all had our doubts about the Chancellor's competency. Surely you have, too."
"But they're going to kill him. They can't!"
"Anakin, you hardly ever follow the Code correctly. And you killed Dooku."
"I only killed him because the Chancellor made—" His eyes widen in realization. "He... made me."
"See what I mean?"
"Then I have to go help Master Windu—"
"No, you don't. He told you to stay here."
"Since when do you trust the Council?"
"Who said I did? I may not trust them, but I do trust Master Windu's judgement. He is wise. And when he comes back, he's probably gonna make you a Jedi Master, don't you think?"
"...Can you stay until then?"
"Sure. And, you know, I bet we could even get ahold of Ahsoka, too. Let's see how she's doing, yeah?"
"Yeah, sure. Let's talk to Ahsoka." Anakin and my clone share a smile as she pulls out a com and calls Ahsoka. As Ahsoka, Anakin, and other me begin to talk, I feel myself falling back... back... back into the void of the black hole. Voices begin to speak to me.
I hear Ahsoka's voice echoing first. "You should have left when you had the chance..."
Next is Padmé. "You could have saved Anakin!"
Ahsoka again. "You should've worried more about him than your father, no one was there for him!"
Back to Padmé. "Now I'm dying, because of you!"
Last... is Obi-Wan. "If I hadn't taken on a new padawan, I could've focused more on Anakin. Instead, I was worried about your problems instead of his, and now our brother is gone. This is entirely your fault!"
I try to scream. But no noise comes out.
—
"No!" I scream as I shoot upright in a hospital bed, breathing heavily. I feel it about to come... the hole...
Seconds later, Obi-Wan runs into the room. "I came to come wake you, then I sensed something was wrong, what—? Oh, no, no, no, no, no." He panics slightly as he walks over towards the bed and kneels down at the side of it, close to me. He mumbles to himself, hardly audible. "Okay, what do I do, what do I do... blast... uh... no sedative, you don't like that... I, uh, can read? Would reading help? I saw you brought my poetry book, thank you, by the way, uh— no, no, that won't work..." I wish I could help him, but even I don't know how to stop this. He winces at the sound of my shaky sob as I bring my knees up to my chest and hug them close to me. I can feel the black hole swirling inside of me. Any second. I just want it to be over with. It hurts.
"Make it stop, Obi, please," I plead. It comes out in a hoarse whisper.
Obi-Wan looks conflicted and worried for a moment, but then stands up slowly and sits down next to me on the bed, carefully taking me into his arms. I immediately cling onto him as if he's a lifeline, head against his chest, and he holds me a little tighter. I feel the hole slowly begin to dissipate inside of me. Obi-Wan feels it, too, and smiles softly down at me.
"There, there, you're okay, dear," he practically coos as he gently brushes a tear off of my cheek, a tear I didn't even realize had fallen. The other hand rubs my back at a soothing pace, occasionally fumbling with the end of my ponytail. For the first time since Order 66 was put into effect, I feel safe. Secure. Obi-Wan's got me. We stay there for a few moments until I calm down.
"You're w-welcome. For t-the book," I say, voice cracking slightly.
Obi-Wan chuckles softly and shakily. I look up at him, and he looks on the verge of tears, too. "I'm just glad you're safe, Arlo. We're gonna be okay, you hear me?" I nod at him. "Good. I guess I need to tell you what I was coming here for in the first place, then. I believe Padmé is about to go into labor."
"Really?" I ask. Obi-Wan nods. "The baby... is it...?"
He sighs. "Anakin's. It's Anakin's."
"I... can't believe this. Any of this. It's just... so much... all at once."
"I know. But we'll figure it out. We always do." He helps me stand up from my bed. I hadn't even noticed that my shoulder was wrapped up where I was shot, or the bandage covering my side until now. However, I'm still in my dirty, bloody tunic. Obi-Wan sets a hand on my back to help guide me through the hallways. We stop in front of a room with a glass window. Padmé lies on a bed in a white medical gown. We stand by Senator Organa and Master Yoda.
"Feeling, how are you?" Master Yoda asks me.
"A bit better, I suppose," I tell him. We stand in silence for a few moments until a medical droid hovers over to us.
"Medically, she's completely healthy," it informs us. "For reasons we can't explain, we are losing her."
"She's dying?" Obi-Wan questions, shocked.
My face falls. "How?"
"We don't know why. She has lost the will to live," the droid further explains. "We need to operate quickly if we are to save the babies."
"Babies?" Senator Organa asks, confused.
"She's carrying twins," the droid tells us. My eyes widen. Twins?
Obi-Wan paces towards the window and places a hand over his mouth as he leans against it in distress. I walk over towards him and stand next to him.
"Do you... think there's a chance, that maybe, Anakin...?" I begin to ask.
Obi-Wan shakes his head. "Anakin is gone, Arlo. He is now Darth Vader. But I didn't kill him. I... cut off his limbs, and left him to burn. Left his fate up to the Force. He was defenseless. And I'm not going to kill a defenseless man."
"So he's still alive... but he's not Anakin. He's not coming back, then."
"I'm sorry."
"...It's not your fault, Obi-Wan. You weren't the one to fail him. You did everything you could have done. We've always known he's had a little more darkness in him than the rest of us. Maybe... maybe it was hopeless from the start."
"We always have hope, Arlo, no matter what goes wrong. You just have to look hard for it." He sighs as the medical droid lets him into Padmé's room as she begins to give birth. I stay standing by the window worriedly. Inside, Padmé cries out in pain as Obi-Wan stands by her head and talks her through it reassuringly. Senator Organa worriedly sits down in the chair next to where I stand. Soon, we hear the cry of the first twin. It's a little boy.
"Ee-see-tah oy-doh," the midwife droid tells Obi-Wan and Padmé in the room.
"Luke," Padmé exhales while the child coos as he's handed to Obi-Wan. The boy's name is Luke. Obi-Wan holds the child down to Padmé so she can see it and smiles at her reassuringly. "Oh, Luke," she breathes while she grazes her hand across the baby's cheek. She whimpers and Obi-Wan's face falls as she begins to cry out in pain once again.
"Ooh-bah, ooh-bah," the midwife droid says. "Ooh-bah." We hear the cry of the second twin, and it's a girl. "Ee-see-tah oy-dah."
"It's a girl," Obi-Wan tells Padmé.
"Leia," Padmé breathes out. The girl's name is Leia. Padmé's breathing becomes more and more erratic and slowed. She doesn't have much longer. "Obi-Wan?" she asks. He's still bent down to her, holding Luke. "There's good in him... I know... I know there's... still..." Her head falls slowly to the side. Obi-Wan's face falls as he stands up slowly in disbelief. She's... dead. Just like that.
"No..." I mutter. Master Yoda looks away sadly while Senator Organa beckons me over to the chair next to him. I sit down and bury my head in my hands. Padmé, my friend, is gone. With her goes Anakin's joy, happiness. Anakin Skywalker, the closest thing I have to a brother, dies with Padmé.
—
Our ship enters the atmosphere of Naboo to bring Padmé's body back for her funeral. I saw her in her casket. She looked beautiful, peaceful. She holds a necklace with a small widdled symbol on a piece of wood. And they made it look as if she's still pregnant. Because her children must remain a secret at all costs. I sit next to Obi-Wan, across from Master Yoda and Senator Organa, at a control table.
"Hidden, safe, the children must be kept," Master Yoda tells us.
"We must take them somewhere where the Sith will not sense their presence," Obi-Wan says.
"Hm. Split up, they should be," Yoda states.
"My wife and I will take the girl," Senator Organa offers. "We've always talked of adopting a baby girl. She will be loved with us."
Obi-Wan nods in agreement. "And what of the boy?"
Master Yoda thinks for a moment. "To Tatooine. To his family, send him."
Obi-Wan nods again. "I will take the child and watch over him. Arlo can stay with me." He looks over to me as if to ask if that's what I wanted to do, and I nod.
"Until the time is right, disappear, we will," Master Yoda tells us as we stand to leave. He stops us as Senator Organa leaves the room. "Master Kenobi, Padawan Arlo, wait a moment." We sit back down. "In your solitude on Tatooine, training, I have for you."
"Training?" Obi-Wan questions.
"An old friend has learned that path to immortality," he tells us. "One who has returned from the netherworld of the Force. Your old master."
"...Qui-Gon?" Obi-Wan asks, shocked.
"So you were right, he is capable of consciousness after death," I say, surprised, but only a little.
Master Yoda nods. "How to commune with him, I will teach you. And, before you go..." Yoda stands on his chair. "Step forward, Padawan Arlo." I do as he says, and Obi-Wan taps me gently closer to the ground to tell me to kneel as he stands behind Master Yoda, who takes his small green lightsaber and holds it upright, then places it over my right shoulder. "Arlo Just, by the rite of the Council..." he starts as he then moves his saber over my head and to my left shoulder, "By the will of the Force..." He moves the saber back over to my right shoulder. "Dub thee, I do, Jedi Knight." He flicks the blade up and chops off my padawan braid, letting it fall in front of me. "Great things, you still have yet to do, young Arlo. Great, great things."
Obi-Wan smiles at me proudly as I grab my braid from the floor and stand up, walking out of the room beside him. "At least one good thing has come of this," he says to me as we stop walking and he puts a hand on my good shoulder. "I hope you know how incredibly proud I am of you, my former apprentice."
I grab his hand and place the long braid in it, closing his fingers around it. "Well, I couldn't have done it without you, Master." He takes my braid gratefully as he wraps me in a hug.
Arlo Just, Jedi Knight.
That would take some getting used to... if there was anyone still around to actually call me that.
—
Obi-Wan and I step out into the warm Tatooine evening. The twin suns are still up, but it's starting to grow slightly dark. Obi-Wan carefully holds a swaddled Luke in his arms while I slip on one of Obi-Wan's brown robes and sling my backpack over my good shoulder. I flip up my hood, then put up Obi-Wan's for him, since his hands are full.
"Well, Arlo, Luke... welcome home," he says as we look out into the barren desert land before us. Luke softly coos as Obi-Wan looks down at him.
"Some home this is," I mutter, pulling Obi-Wan's spare robe that fits far too big tighter around me.
"I suppose we can just leave this escape pod here. It's nowhere near where we need to be, anyway," Obi-Wan tells me. We begin to walk across the sandy terrain. It's no wonder Anakin hated it here so much.
"So who are we trying to find, anyway?"
"His family. Owen Lars, I think his name is. He's a moisture farmer. His father married Anakin's mother after he left to become a Jedi."
"And we're 100 percent sure they're nice people? They'll take good care of Luke?"
"Yes, Arlo, I'm sure. Why?"
"I just... don't want to put him into a situation like I was in, you know?"
"Ah. I understand. Well, in the unlikely chance that does happen, we'll be here to take him in and raise him. Little Luke here will be just fine, I'm sure."
"If you say so, Obi-Wan."
"We're all gonna be okay, Arlo. I promise."
"What are we even gonna do? Where are we gonna live?"
"We'll find somewhere hidden, but close enough to Luke to keep an eye out for him. We'll find somewhere to rest first, then I'll go talk to Luke's uncle just to be sure that he's okay with taking him under his roof, then we'll hide."
"One last mission together, right, Master?"
"If that's how you want to look at it... then yes. One last mission together."
"It's easier to think about it like that. It's just an undercover mission to protect Luke. It makes it feel a little more normal."
"The only thing about that is that it's not normal anymore."
I sigh. "I know."
We continue to walk across the desert, the only sound coming from the crunch on our boots as we trudge across the rough sand and Luke's occasional coos. The air begins to get a bit cooler as the sun begins to sink slowly. The wind howls around us, sending some of the grains of sand hovering around in swirls above the ground. We hear the hoots and hollers of something in the distance.
"Those are Tusken Raiders, I believe," Obi-Wan tells me. "I'm pretty sure they're the locals around here. We'll have to be sure to keep an eye out for them."
I nod in agreement as I look out in the distance to the side of me. "Look there, Obi-Wan, it looks like some sort of town, or spaceport, or something like that."
"Yes, good observation. We'll have to keep that in mind. And look here, this rock valley. You can hide out here while I go and find Owen Lars," he says as we walk in that direction, in between the two large slabs of sandstone. I sit on a large, flattish rock as I put down my backpack next to me. My legs are tired. Obi-Wan suddenly hands me the swaddled child and places him securely in my arms. "I hate to leave you two, but—"
"Uh, Obi-Wan, I'm not sure how much I trust myself with a newborn—"
"You'll be okay. I'll make this quick, and I'll be just a klick or so that way if you need me," he tells me, pointing in the direction he's going in. I open my mouth to speak in protest, but it's too late. Obi-Wan's already walking away. But he's going to come back, I need to remember that.
I look down and baby Luke in my arms, who starts crying when he realizes I'm not Obi-Wan. Of course he has to start crying now.
"Kriff, okay, shh, Luke, it's okay!" I tell the baby as I rock it gently. He wails a little louder. "Come on, Luke, Obi's gonna be back soon! He's just going to find your home, okay? You just need a nap, little guy, you look really tired. If you take a nap, I bet you'll wake up again with Obi, how's that sound, yeah?" He obviously doesn't understand what I'm saying, because he keeps crying. "Luke, we're gonna get killed by these raiders if you don't hush!" And the boy continues to sob.
I try to think of things Obi-Wan does to help me when I can't sleep. He makes me tea sometimes, but I can't give a baby tea... he reads, but I don't trust myself to hold a newborn and Obi-Wan's book at the same time, in case I drop the child... oh, he sings, too. So as the boy continues to cry and wail, I sing the same soft song that he sang to me for the first time all those years ago.
Quietly while you were asleep
The moon and I were talking
I asked that she would always keep you protected...
Luke's crying stops and turns into small, short whimpers. I carefully use the sleeve of my borrowed robe to wipe the tears off of his tiny cheeks.
She promised you her light
That you so gracefully carry
You bring your light and shine like morning...
I continue to rock baby Luke back and forth as the whimpers begin to fade away.
And then the wind pulls the clouds across the moon
Your light fills the darkest room
And I can see the miracle that keeps us from falling...
Luke gazes up at me intently and coos happily as I sing quietly. It's not nearly as good as Obi-Wan, but as long as it calms Luke down, I really don't care how good it sounds.
She promised all the sweetest gifts
That only the heavens could bestow
You bring your light and shine like morning...
Luke's eyes begin to droop in exhaustion as I finish the song.
And as you so gracefully give
Her light as long as you live
I'll always remember this moment
His eyes close completely and his tiny snores are the only noise that fill the air of the Tatooine night. I stop rocking him and look down at the boy, and begin to speak as if he can understand me.
"...Remember to always be selfless, Luke. Like your mom. But... just this once... worry more about yourself. Be selfish. Do what's best for you, and save yourself. Just like I could've done. Save yourself, and live a happier life than I have. Make friends. If your family loves you, be sure to appreciate them. Don't take anything for granted. Stand up for yourself when you have to. Just... be a better person than I am, and you'll be fine. Be like your mom. She was an incredible person, Luke, and I'm sorry you never got to meet her. I would've done anything for a mother like her. Well, I kinda had someone like her once, I suppose. Her name was Satine. Her and your mom were good friends, actually. But she was selfless and brave, just like your mom. And both of them always stood up for what they believed in, no matter what. I hope that's the kind of person you grow into, Luke. Not just some boring moisture farmer, or whatever your uncle is, but a freedom fighter. You're our only hope, Luke. And hope... well, hope is all we've got now."
—
A while later, Obi-Wan comes back, riding on the back of an eopie. He hops off the back of the creature as he walks towards me and kneels down in front of where I still sit, looking at baby Luke, still fast asleep in my arms.
"I found a small abandoned hut just less than a klick ahead," he tells me. "That's where we can live for now. You go there, and I'll take our little friend to his new home." I sigh sadly as I look down at the child in my arms and hand him over to Obi-Wan. "I know it's hard to let him go, Arlo, but it's for his own good."
"I know, I know. And either way, we'll be watching over him."
"That's right. I'll meet you back at the hut. You'll know what I'm talking about when you see it." I nod as he walks away with little Luke Skywalker and climbs back onto the back of the eopie, riding off out from between the rocks that form two large walls around me. I stay sitting for a moment before picking up my backpack and sliding it onto my good shoulder, then start in the direction Obi-Wan pointed me to. I walk alone as the suns sink further and further towards the horizon and the warm, dry desert air begins to grow colder. I kick small rocks to myself as I walk. After a little while, I see a small home. This must be the hut Obi-Wan was talking about. I approach the door, knocking for sure measure, and enter when no one answers. Inside is a small living space just big enough for the two of us, and it's a mess. It looks like the home was ransacked. I sit my backpack down by the door and begin to straighten up as a distraction.
As I clean, I begin to think. Were there any other clones that disobeyed Order 66 like Boil did? Did Ahsoka's company try to kill her, too? I have a hunch that she's still alive, but I have no way to be sure, because I can't find her Force signature. If she is alive, she may have cut it off to protect herself. So they probably did try to kill her. Or maybe she just heard about what was happening. Either way, I understand.
Speaking of that, does the rest of the galaxy know that all of the Jedi were just hunted down and killed? Are there people out there who don't believe what our new Emperor, Darth Sidious, is telling them? If word travelled out fast, does Korkie think I'm dead, that I got killed alongside the rest of the Jedi? Will I ever be able to leave here to tell him, or even look for Ahsoka, and say that I'm okay?
Will the galaxy forget about what the Jedi believed in and fought for?
Will my name, Obi-Wan's name, all our names turn to dust?
Will there ever be an end to the pain?
I hardly even notice that I finished tidying up. I got back outside and watch as the suns finish setting, beautiful shades and hues of purples, pinks, blues, and reds painting the sky as the yellow and orange balls of light disappear.
Painting the sky... maybe, when we die, we all get a chance to paint the sky. I think Padmé is painting this one. The twin suns are her twin babies, Luke and Leia. Red like the fires on Mustafar, where she lost Anakin. Blue like his lightsaber, the one he fought so valiantly with. Dark purple like the nights on Coruscant, probably some of the only real quality time she got to spend with Anakin, and pink like their hearts beating as one. Because Anakin Skywalker is dead, just as dead as Padmé is.
I feel myself fall onto my knees helplessly as the pretty colors are painted over with black. It's a new canvas, ready for someone new to paint on it. I feel defeated. Just as I thought things would finally get better for me... of course all of this had to happen. Nothing good ever happens to me, why would it?
I feel Obi-Wan's presence approach, and he kneels beside me, alone. No Luke. It's just us two against the galaxy now.
I start to speak quietly and shakily, and Obi-Wan wraps a comforting arm around me. "I have suffered my whole life. I honestly couldn't tell you how I made it to sixteen. But that's the thing: I'm only sixteen. I'll be seventeen in a month. I am a child, and now I know that I have so much life left to live. So much I haven't done. My life has revolved around this war, and the only thing that truly got me through it was the hopes for when it was done. And you know I hate the 'what if's', but now it's the only thing I can even think about. We could've been a normal master and padawan one day, training in the temple instead of on a battlefield, going on peacekeeping missions instead of hunting down our enemies on the daily. You'd help me train for my trials, and I'd become a Jedi Knight, not a premature one, like I am now, and then we'd go on even more missions together. Maybe I'd even get a padawan someday, and you'd tell them stories of the insanely reckless things we've done together. Or even, possibly, Ahsoka would come back to the Order, and us and her and Anakin could go back to the usual chaos we caused around the temple. And all the clones would keep in touch, and get their rights, come back to visit for tea and to reminisce on all the memories we've made. One day, maybe Anakin and Padmé could've been open about their relationship, been happy together, raise their kids in the temple. I could've been their awesome, fun aunt. Or I could've gone to visit all the planets we've ever been to, no longer war torn, take in all the sights that the galaxy has to offer. But now... now, I'm right back where I started. Scared and hiding. I threw away my whole future for this. And I feel horrible for saying it, but I should have left when I had the chance. I should have saved myself." I take a shaky breath in. "Now I don't know how I'm gonna keep going."
"You'll keep going with me, dear. I'm always here for you."
I cling onto him tight as I look up to the sky full of stars, beautifully shining down onto the sand.
And it's a sad reminder of the tragedy of existence.
Everything good dies eventually.
Even the brightest of stars, when they finally decide they've had too much and explode, destroying every single particle in its path.
—
THIS IS IMPORTANT (and sort of long), PLEASE READ!! so obviously this is the last chapter of part 7, but it is NOT the last chapter in this book! there is a part 8 in the works right now that will take place around a year after order 66 (so that means arlo will not be in rebels, as fun as that would have been it just doesn't fit in with the timeline), however, i'm still finalizing my whole plan for it. and i'll go ahead and say straight up that one of the ideas i have involves a character that is rumored to show up in the upcoming bad batch series (you can probably figure out who i'm talking about lol). so while i figure out my exact plan and begin drafting part 8, this book will be ON HOLD until further notice. i'm really sorry, i hate do so this, but i want this book to be as good as it possibly can be, and i think this is the best option to achieve that. but that doesn't mean i'm stopping writing! i have a few (actually a lot of) other books in the works at the moment, and the first two i'm planning on publishing are an obi-wan x fem/jedi oc and an ezra bridger x fem/jedi/jarrus oc, so hopefully that's exciting to you all! i'm still debating whether i want to release them at the same time or not, but i for sure want to write a few chapters before i actually publish them, so it may be a few days.
and, of course, i couldn't be more grateful for all the love and support i've gotten with this book. i started writing this back in november because one day i randomly thought "what would it be like if obi-wan actually had a padawan during the clone wars?" and decided to jot a few ideas down. i had NO idea it would turn into something like this. i never realized how much i love writing until now. i may write for myself, but i do it as much for you all, too. your positive feedback on my story makes my day whenever i see it, and i couldn't be more thankful for all of you.
as always, THANK YOU FOR READING!! :) -a 🪐