Strike the Past

Chapter 5 - Qui-Gon

Obi-Wan avoids the cockpit; that's where Vader's probably going to be much of the time. This... is not how he expected his mission for finding Luke to go, at all. Anakin is alive. He's... he's alive. And Obi-Wan has no idea what to think of that.

He survived. Somehow. Obi-Wan still clearly remembers the moment the... screams stopped. He was closing himself off to the Force, didn't want to feel the pain from his bond with Anakin, couldn't handle feeling it break. But he'd been certain in that horrifying moment when he heard everything suddenly quiet – he wasn't back at the landing platform yet – that Anakin was gone. But apparently, he's still alive. And he's been a Sith all this time.

"I am what you made me."

He can't help thinking back to their fight, of Vader's fury, and... (Not that he can blame him for that.) The armor is... at least somewhat for life support, isn't it? He doesn't want to know.

Vader should have had the best medical treatment, though, right? It couldn't be... that bad.

That doesn't stop the guilt gnawing at him, though, any more than it has the past two years. Even if he doesn't know what else he could've done. He should've finished it. (Surely, it would be better, even for Anakin's sake, if he hadn't had to survive that day.)

Nor does Obi-Wan know what to think of the... end of their fight. He still remembers the pain from the lava licking across his own skin, and he'd been terrified for a moment that he was going to die there, like that. The same way he thought Anakin had for years.

He thought Vader would let it happen. He still doesn't fully understand how it didn't end in his death. He was in too much pian to really register anything, but he's almost certain he'd felt that black hole of a presence wrap around him, pulling him out. But he doesn't know for sure. (Doesn't know if he wants to, because of the implications that would come with that.) He could have imagined it. Because why would Vader save his life, after... everything that's gone between them?

There's also the small fact that if Anakin is alive, that means – that means it's his duty to finish it, like he should've before. At least if he's still with Sidious, which he obviously is. (But can he really do that, after last time? He doesn't think he could handle seeing Anakin lying at his feet again. And he can't stop remembering the feel of those flames, and he'd left Anakin in that, and – and Anakin might've just saved his life, which makes no sense, when he could've killed him on Mustafar multiple times.)

It can't be good that Vader knows of Luke and Leia, though. Obi-Wan was supposed to protect them from the Sith, whoever they will be. And he'll... have to do what he must. Even if he doesn't know that he'll have the strength to.

It must've been longer than Obi-Wan thought it was, because suddenly, the ship is coming out of hyperspace. He reluctantly heads to the cockpit.

Vader is flying, with the same skill Anakin always used, and it hurts to watch. The armor makes him unrecognizable, and that makes it marginally easier to be near him, though. He... doesn't know if he's ready to see Anakin's face again. (What does he even look like now?)

Like before, they lose control of their ship, dragged towards a steadily growing light. The next thing Obi-Wan knows, he's waking up in his seat, sunlight streaming in the front window.

Longing rushes through him as he looks outside. It's a perfect reflection of the last time, of times long gone, and it's nearly enough to take his breath away. He knows as a Jedi he needs to let go, but he can't do that. Doesn't know how he ever could stop missing Anakin and what they had.

Especially not when with the sheer strength of the Force here, he's suddenly feeling it again, like he hasn't in years. And he can keenly feel his long-buried bond with Anakin. Last time they were here, their bond had been extremely active and overwhelming, too. But it's different when all Obi-Wan feels from their bond is darkness, and he can't block it out properly.