thecooler | Look Who’s Back

Entry tags:

Look Who’s Back

Who:Obi-Wan Kenobi and you
What: Back from ~~hiatus~~ ~~torture~~ extra testing.
When:Day 30
Where: Common Area
Warnings: None that I know of.

Having been gone for about a week, Obi-Wan Kenobi was finally back in the common areas again. He hadn’t told anyone, but he had volunteered for extra testing. Was it out of curiosity? An attempt to find favor with their mechanical captor? A chance to relieve boredom? Or an attempt to put distance between him and Anakin again? Probably all of the above in varying degrees.

It didn’t much pay off though. The Jedi was exhausted and flustered, and looked like it as he sat on one of the sofas. He had returned to his room to find LACUNA had left him a prism crystal. Not what he was hoping for but he couldn’t say he was surprised. He could swear the computer hated him. The feeling was becoming mutual.

He’s turning the crystal over in his hands, looking at the little bit of light that refracts from the room’s lighting. It’s pretty at least, but it didn’t do him any good.

It’s also a bit depressing to note that he has fallen behind on cleaning for essentially nothing. It’s been a month now and he was no closer to finding a way out of here than the first day. Not to mention this place was starting to feel claustrophobic. Such conditions wasn’t good for anyone’s mental well being. Being in prison and a slave labor camp was arguably better than this.

So here is one downtrodden Jedi if anyone cares to approach or talk to him.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Someone will approach him eventually, though not necessarily on purpose. He's been around for a little over a week and has learned the layout of the shared areas well enough, and also that he has no idea what any of the food in the kitchen is until he opens it.

Not that that has anything to do with Obi-Wan, because the man isn't in the kitchen, but Noctis has decided to take his chances with a can of...something, a fruit bar, and water. He doesn't have enough hand space to carry all these plus his cane, so he finds himself wandering too close to the couch and bumping into the back of it.

"Whoa!" He doesn't crash hard enough to drop anything, but Obi-Wan might end up with some water spilt on him. Nice to meet you sir, you look thirsty. "Ugh...hate this couch."

Edited (didn't notice some weird wording until days later) 2018-10-31 17:02 (UTC)

Obi-Wan hadn't been paying him much mind. That is until this stranger bumped into the couch he was sitting on and splashed some water on his shoulder.

He looked at it with a sigh, and glanced up at the grumbling someone.

"Somehow I doubt watering it will get you in better graces."

At least it's only a bit, so it's not the worst first impression he could have made.

"Maybe. Either way, I didn't do it on purpose."

The man's voice isn't familiar, and clearly not female, ruling out that it's Aerith, Yuna, or Padmé.

And now that he knows where the couch--and Obi-Wan, sort of--is, he can follow the back of it down to the other end, trailing one wrist along the back.

"Do you mind if I sit over here, or would I be interrupting anything?"

Obi-Wan watches the man for a moment and suddenly comes to a realization. Looking on as he makes his way along the couch and then asks to sit.

"Not at all," he said politely.

There was a pause for a moment as he then broached the subject in a hopefully sensitive manner.

"Forgive me, I didn't realize you couldn't see it."

"Thanks," he replies, settling at the end and arranging his stuff in his lap. Or dumping it, rather, since none of it's open yet. "It's not a big deal, it's not something I like to advertise."

Misjudging the placement of the furniture multiple times is embarrassing enough, even better when he's done it with an audience. Obi-Wan is a good man for not making fun of him; he appreciates that.

"I don't recognize your voice, so I don't think we've met before."

Obi-Wan can certainly understand that, so he will let that subject drop out of respect. But no, he wouldn't dream of making fun of someone for something like that.

Though he could possibly move the couch somewhere else so its not as much of a problem.

"No, I believe we haven't. I'm Obi-Wan, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You must be new?"

She had been here a few days by this time. She had her room and jump suit. Her weird shoes and her uncomfortable lack of lightsabers at her hip. She had ran into a few others who had been testing apparently. Obi-wan had been too it seemed.

She came around to the common room and saw him before she felt him. A hand came up to sink over her mouth holding a breath physically in for a long moment before she let go.

Moving to the couch she dropped down in front of it, in front of him, sinking to her knees and looking up at him.

"Master Kenobi..." Her words a breath of a question and relief all at once. Bright blues looked up at him in bewildered wonderment, but a smile played on her face as well. He was so young!

The Force felt dull here. Not that it wasn't present, but there was such a lack of life. Surrounded by cold metal walls all the time, it felt far away aside from the beings living here with him. Such a lack of light. Anakin was only a dark cloud in the Force these days. It was depressing.

He felt something as someone came into the room, but he suspected it was Aerith or maybe Yuna. The most light filled beings he knew here other than himself. Thus he didn't even lift his eyes from the prism in his hands.

But when that someone dropped in front of him, and said his name, he blinked once and looked up. His lips parting slightly and his eyes widening slightly in surprise. The woman in front of him was both familiar and not. While he might look young, just as she remembered him really though a little more weathered, she looked older.

"Ahsoka?"

Her name spoken in disbelief, and yet... he knew the impossible seemed to be so here. Anakin shouldn't even be living, and yet here he was. And here she was.

She didn't like how the force felt here, and liked it less when she reached out for Anakin and still couldn't feel him. Not yet. Like home.

Feeling Obi-wan was a breath of fresh air though. Seeing him more so. She was almost surprised that he recognized her, and the moment he said her name a smile brightened her face, blue eyes watchful of him.

"The one and only." Cocky as ever, or at least in an Ahsoka way. "Might be a bit older than you recall, hmm?" He was, after all, a bit more alive than she had thought.

He would never not recognize her. Older she may be, she was still Ahsoka. She certainly looked different but her face, though matured, was still the same. That cocky little remark tugged his lips in a smile.

He said nothing at first, and rather suddenly reached out to her to pull her into a tight embrace. He wasn't usually so sentimentally physical in his affection, but for certain people, for Ahsoka, he made an exception.

"Oh my, young one, it is so good to see you again."

There was just a hint of emotion in his voice, but it was enough.

Most the Jedi weren't so physical in affections, and that was something that Ahsoka had grown up in, but Anakin was a hugger to a point and Ahsoka was as well. She had already done the same thing to Padme, reaching out to abruptly hug her.

Yet having Master Kenobi do the same was surprising, and more than welcome. Her arms looped around him and she sank into the hug a bit more then she should, but it felt good. He's alive. That felt amazing.

"And here I thought I'd never see you again myself. First Padme and now you." Dead to her, as she didn't know Obi-wan just went into hiding.

A lot has changed, and very quickly too. Obi-Wan was overwhelmed with seeing a friendly face that he actually knew. A bit of light and hope in such a dark cold place. So when she wrapped her arms around him, his only tightened. Though he was mindful of her lekku. They had gotten so long!

"Neither did I," he admitted.

After a moment he then pulled back, a bit of moisture shining in his eyes from the joy he felt. Reaching up to place a hand fondly on Ahsoka's cheek.

"After what happened with the clones, I feared what might have happened to you. But now, you're so grown up."

She must have survived, and that warmed his heart with relief. But he then blinked once as something she said finally clicked.

"Did you say, Padme?"

She held the hug for as long as he let it, and squeezed softly as he drew back, settling on her shins again and looking up at him as he touched her cheek. If there was a bit of moisture there it couldn't be helped.

"Rex and I both managed to get away when the others turned. We staged each others deaths and went our own ways. I've... been keeping busy otherwise. It takes more then an army turning on me to stop me." She said with a small wink.

And a smile. "I did say Padme. She found me at the pods."

"Rex? I thought all the clones had turned."

But he shook his head because it didn't really matter how. It was good that they had gotten away.

"He's always been a good man, and it takes more than that to stop me as well."

Not many had survived. In fact, Master Yoda was the only other one he knew for sure.

"When did you both arrive?" And then there was a moment of pause. "... Have you seen Anakin?"

Edited 2018-11-01 18:25 (UTC)

"Not all of them turned." She said with a fond smile. She knew of a few of them retired and now helping the rebels.

When he said it took more than that to stop him too she frowned, brows drawing together. "I reached out, but I couldn't find you. All these years, I haven't found anyone." No one but Anakin, but that... that wasn't Anakin anymore.

"Ah, I'm not sure about Padme, but I just arrived the other day. You were doing... puzzles? And no, I have not seen Anakin." Her voice went a bit harder as she said his name though. Flatter.

Obi-Wan went quiet for a moment, his brow furrowing at the tone of her voice. It wasn’t exactly what he had expected.

Glancing back towards Anakin’s room, the Jedi then rose to his feet. Reaching out to take Ahsoka’s hands.

“I think we should talk about this privately.”

After all, they didn’t live in a large space, but their quarters provided the needed privacy.

She didn't say anything to that at first, looking around a moment, before nodding to him. "You lead the way." She said simply, moving to stand with easy grace, even in this jump suit.

Her place was right there, or if Obi-wan didn't mind, his was fine too. But this seemed like it was going to be a conversation that was needed.

Obi-Wan nodded as well, leading her to his own room as that's the one he can get into. Using his fingerprint to enter, he allows Ahsoka inside as well.

The room is as spartan as any other with just the basic furniture. The Jedi placing his prism crystal next to his network console before motioning for her to sit. Either in the chair or on his bed. He will sit on the other.

But yes, he had a feeling this would be a needed conversation as well.

"A lot has happened since we last saw each other," he said quietly. "I can tell you everything, though I would like to know where you stand as well."

She followed, figuring it didn't matter who's room they went to, they would be much of the same in 'comforts'.

She came in and took the end of the bed, folding in on it with her leg under her, the other off the side. she rested her hands on her knee and leaned a little.

"A lot sure has happened for me as well. You realize I'm almost as old as I think you are right now?"

"Has it been that long? I admit I'm not as good at judging the ages of Togruta," he said a bit sheepishly.

He had thought she was a little bit younger than him still at least.

"Anakin he's... he's not who he used to be."

She smiled faintly to the comment, a pull at her lips as she said simply. "Thirty three. It's been.... years. I reached out for Anakin, for you. For Master Yoda or Plo Koon. Anyone, but the Force felt so empty. You were all gone."

"And yes, I've learned more about Anakin." Hes the Emperor's pet now.

"Not quite my age then," he said with a dry chuckle. He's 38 now after all, but it was close.

There was then a grim pause.

"What happened with the clones... he was part of it. He turned to the Dark Side and slaughtered all the Jedi in the temple."

"Closer than it was before." She pointed out, and wanted to keep it clear that... a lot has happened that he might not know about.

She took a slow breath as Obi-wan confirmed what she had thought she had learned herself. The temple, all of it, was Anakin. She closed her eyes and nodded. The road to Vader must have come shortly after that. "And he's kept up that hunt since then."

"So he survived," Obi-Wan said quietly. It was a shock to see Anakin here, and so the thought that he survived beyond Mustafar was still startling... but not as much as it could have been.

"I'm so sorry."

He feels like he failed in every way possible.

She opened her eyes again, looking to the apologizing man.

"There was nothing you could have done at that point. It was Palpatine. He had his fingers into everything, and now he's Emperor of his own empire. the empire rules everything. Even Darth Vader, who I just... I-- ... before coming here I discovered that Anakin is behind the mask."

"He's still in there, but I don't think I'm strong enough to reach him."

She didn't understand, she didn't know why he was apologizing.

"I tried to kill him, Ahsoka. He shouldn't have survived, I don't know how he could have."

But what she said, it reminded him of Padme's last words as well.

"Neither am I."

He had tried, and he was still trying. But nothing he did, none of it seemed to make any difference.

She stopped at that, eyeing him. It had to take a lot of a Master to try to kill his apprentice, especially as close as these two had been. "I'm sorry." She said softly in return, blue eyes sadly looking him over.

"Everything's a bit of a mess, isn't it? And here I thought I was alone in the universe." She let out a deep breath, shaking her head. "Is he still.... is the Anakin here still on that path?"

"Walking the path of light has become a lonely one," he said with a slight nod. "As far as I knew, Master Yoda and I were the only ones that survived. We both went into hiding on separate planets."

So that might answer some of those questions she had. But yes, there's definitely a little bit of a different demeanor to Obi-Wan. His confidence wasn't there like it used to be. He was a bit more of a broken man.

"He is, yes. When I got here, it all happened a couple weeks ago. For him, he was still in the middle of it. He's tried to kill me a couple times since we arrived."

She didn't walk the path of the light anymore. Not strictly. Still light sided, but she pulled from other paths. That didn't need to be said though. The last thing she needed to see from him was disappointment in her too.

That did answer some questions, and he heart sank again as it had once before. "It's good to hear you and master Yoda go away at least. I never knew." They were all so very good at hiding if anything.

Her face twisted a bit in a frown. "I wont let him harm you here. Not if I can help it. Or Padme. He's got to learn; got to see. This isn't home." If she had to fight him again, she would.

"There's little use in fighting here," Obi-Wan said firmly. "However, reasoning with him is just as futile, I'm afraid."

He had tried, and failed miserably.

"I don't want to see you hurt either."

"I'm not here to fight, but I do intend to make a few things clear." She said firmly, jaw locked a bit as she took a breath.

"But I promise I won't purposely go and antagonize him." But she will go to talk...

Obi-Wan again nodded, this time in acceptance. Confronting him and talking to him was her right. It would have to be done eventually. Her promise not to provoke Anakin made him feel a little better.

"You may not have to," he then said. Anakin was good at getting provoked all on his own.

"But he may be more inclined to listen to you. He sees me as nothing but a traitor."

She would run into him sooner or later. Might as well make it sooner, right?

She may not have to, no. The man was going to be antagonistic on his own. That was fine. She wasn't one to back down anymore.

"I don't know. I abandoned him, remember? I left. I left you both. I was welcomed back to the order and turned away from it. How do you think he's going to react to that? Maybe if I had stayed, things would be different."

“If you had stayed you might be dead,” he pointed out.

She did have a good point though. Any rational person wouldn’t blame her, but Anakin was not rational.

“No matter what he may say or think, it is not your fault. If anyone here is to share blame it would be me. As his master I should have seen this coming.”

She wanted to protest that, that old spark of Snips coming alive to say she might not have died. But he made a good point. She didn't make a comment, only nodded.

"I don't believe that, Master. Someone is to blame, and that someone is Palpatine, not you. Don't ever think you didn't do all you could do." She had reached out to squeeze his knee, resting her hand there a moment. "No one saw it coming, not even the other council members."

Placing his hand on hers, he accepted her comfort, if not her words entirely. The wounds were deep and still raw. He wasn’t sure they would ever really heal.

“No, I failed him. I didn’t protect him from the threat that was right under our nose, and I couldn’t bring him back from it either.”

It was a heavy burden and guilt that he placed on his shoulders. Only made worse by the knowledge Anakin would survive their fight on Mustafar. To go on terrorizing the galaxy and any remaining Jedi at Palpatine’s side.

She could feel the guilt and the pain he was under. It was thick in his words. She gave his leg another squeeze and leaned there, looking up at him.

"Just know someone out there doesn't believe it's all on you. Let that be a start to your healing. If you let him down, so did I, for not seeing the threat sooner. Padawan or not, I was perceptive. We both could have noticed more. Anakin is smart though. It's not ALL on your shoulders, Obi-wan."

He squeezed her hand back and mustered a small smile, trying to be strong for her as he nodded.

“Thank you, Ahsoka. Perhaps with us all here to help him, there may yet be some hope.”

All of the people that loved him most were here, and most importantly there was no Palpatine. This gave him a sliver of hope to hold onto, even in this dismal place.

She gave him a hopeful smile, drawing back to her self and leaning there, still watching him.

"Now that's more like the Obi-wan I knew. There may still be hope. We're all here now, and who knows, maybe it will change things in my future. And if not, at least maybe we can enjoy each others company now. We just have to reach him."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Look Who’s Back

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject