𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐓𝐖𝐎, 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐄

𝐎𝐁𝐈-𝐖𝐀𝐍 : 𝐈𝐈𝐈

Time Period: Before the events of Obi-Wan Kenobi

"WHEN I LAST SAW YOU, I WAS BUT THE LEARNER. NOW I AM THE MASTER."

Darth Vader stood in the center of Obi-Wan Kenobi's home, lightsaber blazing.

The former Jedi Master poured boiling water into his mug, and stirred it. He continued his tea-making until he was satisfied, and then spoke.

"Vader."

Obi-Wan took a sip of his tea, and kept his back towards the former sith lord.

"What exactly are you doing?"

"CLEARLY I AM HUNTING YOU DOWN."

An uncomfortable silence passed between the two.

"GREETINGS. KENOBI."

Obi-Wan sighed, then finally faced his former student.

"Haven't you had enough hunting people down for one day?"

"IF ONLY...IF ONLY YOU WERE WRONG." The man sighed. "I AM... TIRED, OBI-WAN."

He raised an eyebrow. 

"Would you like to talk about it?"

"IT HAS BEEN YEARS OF DARKNESS, OLD MAN, WHERE IS THERE TO START?"

Obi-Wan nodded, and after a few minutes, tried to provide a bit of comfort to his fallen apprentice.

"Well...I find that the best thing to do, in times of darkness, is to start at the beginning. Trace your steps back to where it all started. Closure, my friend, is not something that happens so easily. It takes time, effort, commitment, and there is pain nearly everywhere you look. Grief is a recurring battle. Heartbreak is an frequent enemy." 

He took another sip of his tea.

"But what I've found is that you don't have to battle alone. People who care about you will be more than willing to help. While it's true that ultimately only you are to heal yourself, you can always ask for guidance.

You were made the Chosen One for a reason, Anakin. With that blessing comes many curses, and once I feared that you wouldn't be able to withstand it. But time has told me that you can shoulder the burden. You were and are still willing to bear that pain. No, the pain won't ever go away. But you do learn to live with it."

Vader stood there, deep in thought. 

"I UNDERSTAND, MY OLD MASTER. ALL MY REGRET, IT IS A WEIGHT I SHALL CARRY FROM HERE TO ETERNITY, BUT IT SHALL BE A KINDER ONE WITH COMPANIONSHIP. I LIVE WITH MY SCARS, MY PHANTOM PAINS, MY ARMOR AND APPARATUS. THEY WERE EARNED, AND I SHALL WEAR THEM WITH HUMBLE PRIDE.

HOWEVER, OBI-WAN, I HAVE QUESTIONED THE 'CHOSEN ONE' BUSINESS.

FOR ALL I HAVE SEEN, I DO NOT THINK IT WAS REAL.

IT MAY HAVE BECOME REAL, FOR IF ENOUGH PEOPLE PUSH THEIR WILL INTO THE FORCE, IT SHALL BE DONE– NO MATTER HOW SMALL THEIR SENSITIVITY, FOR ALL LIFE IS OF THE FORCE."

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. 

"What do you mean?"

"FOR ALL I HAVE SEEN, IT MAY HAVE BEEN... A CONSTRUCT. PERHAPS IT WAS A VISION, BUT IT IS SO VAGUE THAT IT WAS TO BE NONSENSICAL. A THOUSAND YEAR OLD VISION OF VAGUENESS IS TOO CARTOONISH TO BE RELIED ON.

IT MAY PAIN YOU TO CONSIDER, BUT I KNOW MY MOTHER OFTEN TOLD THAT I HAD NO FATHER AND THAT IT WAS QUITE LITERAL. BUT OBI-WAN, NOT TEN YEARS LATER, YOU REDISCOVERED A PLANET THAT CAN CLONE HUMANS. THERE ARE OLDER WAYS TO DO SO THAT DO NOT INVOLVE DECANTING CLONE TUBES, BUT NATURAL PREGNANCY.

KNOW THAT OUR ADVERSARY BARGAINS WITH MANIPULATION AND CONTROL, AS MUCH AS HE CAN MUSTER ACROSS ALL OF SPACE, AND TIME IF THE WORST COMES. IT WOULD NOT BE OUT OF LINE FOR DARTH SIDIOUS TO MAKE A PERFECT APPRENTICE.

I FEAR IT MAY HAVE ALL BEEN RIGGED FROM THE START."

Obi-Wan pondered this. Because if Vader was right...it would mean destruction for all of them, were everything to continue the way it should.

"I fear that your theory may be right. But if it is...I wonder about Sidious's past. How he came to be the monster he is. After all, monsters aren't born, they're created."

He sighed.

"I can only pray that the guidance you gave Anakin will save us. Because if not...we are doomed."

"IT TAKES MORE THAN ONE MONSTER TO CREATE AN EVIL EMPIRE, OBI-WAN."

"Yes, I suppose you're right."

"I FEEL THAT THE JEDI'S SUPPOSED SLAYING OF THE SITH DID NOT, IN FACT, SLAY THEM IN THEIR ENTIRETY, BUT MERELY DROVE THE BELIEFS UNDERGROUND.

I KNOW WELL THAT THE RICH AND POWERFUL FOLLOWED ASPECTS OF IT. THE SITH CODES BELIEVE IN POWER AND DOMINATION ABOVE ALL ELSE, AND THAT APPEALS TO GREED AND CORRUPTION. THE ON-COMING EMPIRE WAS A PLAYGROUND FOR SUCH CRUELTIES. YOU DO NOT GET A MENTALITY LIKE THE ON-COMING EMPIRE FROM A MERE TWO SITH LORDS, RAISED OR FALLEN OR NOT, IT TAKES MORE THAN THE RULE OF TWO TO BRING A GALAXY TO ITS KNEES.

WHEN THAT DARKNESS COMES, IT WILL BE FAST, AND ONE ONLY GETS THAT SPEED AND THAT MUCH POWER AND ORDER WITH LONG TERM PREPARATION. IT IS THE SYSTEM ITSELF THAT IS AGAINST YOU AND THE JEDI."

Obi-Wan shook his head. 

"The Jedi are no more, my friend. Sidious made sure of that."

"DON'T BE SO SURE OF THAT, MY MASTER."

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A/N: Most of the Vader dialogue was written by @/thistechnological terror on tumblr!

Tbh most of this is probably unfinished but I wanted to get a good look of how yall like it :)