He's on a ship. He can tell by the alarm blaring in his ears. It's shaking beneath his feet signaling that it's going down. Azelynn is there, and standing before her is Darth Vader.
Obi-Wan tries to reach for his lightsaber on reflex, but he is frozen in place.
"Azelynn," He calls to her instead, but his voice is unheard.
Her face is morphed into a sad expression. She peers into a smoking chasm beside them, her eyes far away.
"Join me, sister." Darth Vader says to her.
"No!" Obi-Wan yells on instinct, but once again is unheard.
With what Obi-Wan has learned about Azelynn, he didn't worry much about her going to the dark side, but as she looked up at Vader with a pained expression Obi-Wan knew his worst fears have come true.
Vader held out a lightsaber to her, and with a shaky hand, she took it.
"Azelynn don't!" Obi-Wan yelled again.
She ignited the lightsaber, and her face is reflecting its red glow. Obi-Wan can see the void expression in her eyes, much like Anakins were when Obi-Wan lost him.
That's when Obi-Wan woke up. His eyes still seeing her face in the glow of a Siths lightsaber even after he opens his eyes.
Obi-Wan is panting and in a cold sweat. He sat up in his bed, and ran his fingers through his tousled hair. The perspiration on his forehead helped hold the strands back from his face.
"Just a dream," he muttered to himself. "Only a dream."
"It was no dream," a familiar voice spoke. Obi-Wan jumped in surprise, and looked up to see the apparition of Qui-Gon standing in his room.
Obi-Wan eyes widened. "Qui-Gon!" He exclaimed. Obi-Wan is on his feet in an instant, and took the few steps needed to stand before him. He examined his late master giddily, like a child does with candy. Qui-Gon looks exactly as Obi-Wan remembered him. "I've been trying to reach you," he said to him.
Qui-Gon gave him his kind smile. "I know, I've felt you."
"Then why am I only now seeing you?" Obi-Wan wondered.
Qui-Gon looked away, an expression of guilt appearing on his features. "Because now, you are ready."
"Ready for what?" He questioned.
"The future." He replied and moved to sit down at the foot of his bed. Obi-Wan followed, sitting next to him.
"The dream," he started. "It wasn't a dream was it?"
"No," Qui-Gon said darkly.
"A vision." Obi-Wan concluded. He knew very little about Force visions, but he knows Anakin had them and it didn't turn out well. "I think it's the same one I've been having but can never remember." He found himself saying.
Qui-Gon nodded. "Different variations of it, but yes. This time it was strong enough for you to remember."
Obi-Wan shook his head in disbelief. "It can't be true," he said. "It can't be."
Qui-Gon looked at him sadly and didn't say a word.
"Then I must stop training her. I need to take her back to her home where she will be safe-"
"You can't stop her training and hide her away. She will not have it."
Obi-Wan sighed, knowing he is right. After everything Azel has been exposed to with the training and knowledge of the Jedi, she won't wish to quit. Besides, she wants to find her mother. That drive will never leave her until she accomplishes it. "Master, I-" He began distraught.
"Obi-Wan," He interrupted. "There are many ways this vision can play out. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you which path is the correct one. But you must continue on."
Obi-Wan stared at him, completely lost. "Why are you telling me this then? Showing me it?"
"The Force is showing you, it is not I. But perhaps it believes your knowledge of it will change the outcome."
Obi-Wan shook his head. "I can't. That is a path she chooses, not me. I couldn't stop Anakin, not even his wife could-"
"Obi-Wan," he interrupted gently. "I need you to know something."
Obi-Wan looked over to him, and found that deadly serious expression on his old masters face. Qui-Gon looked directly in his eyes as he spoke, "I do not blame you for Anakins path."
Obi-Wan looked away, shaking his head. He has had over seven years to prepare for this conversation, and now that it is happening he can't even face it. He squeezed his eyes shut, sadness and guilt washing over him. Even after all this time, it still hurts.
"How?" He found himself asking in a rough voice he barely recognized.
"Because it is not your fault." Qui-Gon said. "Anakin made his choice. No one else but him."
"But I had the strongest influence on him."
"And you did everything I would've done. I'm proud of you, Obi-Wan."
He shook his head. "I failed him, Master." He spoke darkly.
"No, Anakin failed himself. He made a call that he thought was best at the time, and got swept up in it. You cannot blame yourself for that, Obi-Wan. This guilt you are feeling is wrongly placed."
Obi-Wan didn't say anything, but he wore a frown as he processed Qui-Gons words. He stared at his hands in his lap, toying with the hem of his robe. "What do you mean he made a call and got swept up in it?"
Qui-Gon was silent for a moment, and Obi-Wan looked at him. "Master?"
"It is important for you to remember this conversation in the future, it will do you some good." He said without answering his question, and stood up from his place and faced the door. "Whatever path Azelynn chooses, it will not be your fault either." He stated over his shoulder as if it were a side note.
"So she is doomed then?" Obi-Wan asked, getting an odd feeling that Azel turning is set in stone.
"Not necessarily," Qui-Gon said. "But the choice is hers alone to make."
"I don't know what to do Master," he said, and Qui-Gon turned to look at him. "She's extraordinary with the Force. She's strong, smart and determined. It's not like anything I've ever seen."
"I know," Qui-Gon said. "Even I have felt her. I would very much like to sit in on one of your training sessions, if I may." He said the question more like a statement.
"Of course, Master." Obi-Wan said, noting that it means he will be seeing Qui-Gon again in the near future.
He nodded his thanks. "I must be going now."
Obi-Wan felt a pang of disappointment. They have so much to discuss, so much to catch up on. Despite his hesitation over the past seven years, he finds he is beyond happy that Qui-Gon is here with him. He only just got him back, and now he must leave again. Obi-Wan has to remind himself that he will be back again soon.
Qui-Gon wore a frown on his face as he stared at no particular object on the floor, making Obi-Wan share the same expression.
"Master?" Obi-Wan questioned, standing up. Qui-Gon looked up at him then.
"You have a visitor," He informed him. "Go easy on him, Obi-Wan." He pleaded in a stern tone.
Before Obi-Wan could ask what he was talking about, there was a knock on the front door. He was about to ask Qui-Gon who it was but with a blink of his eyes his old master was gone.
Obi-Wan took a sudden breath, one moment he was looking at Qui-Gon and the next he disappeared. It was a little startling if he were to be honest.
The knocking on the door came again, louder this time and more incessant.
Obi-Wan opened his bedroom door and walked over to the front door. He kept in mind Qui-Gons words, and wondered what he could possibly mean by them.
Obi-Wan glanced at the clock, and read it is nearly two in the morning. He was opening the door when he absently noted that Azel is not back yet.
And as he stared at the man standing on his porch, he knows exactly why Qui-Gon said what he said.
--
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Maxwell asked Azel as they approached the Jedi Temple.
"No, but I need to do this." She informed him.
"Azelynn, I don't think-"
"Circle around a few times. We don't know if it's guarded or being watched." Azel kept her eyes on the building and potential inhabitants as Maxwell modestly circled the premises. She mostly suggested it for Obi-Wans sake. This way if he ever finds out about this, at least she can say she was careful.
Once they deemed the place safe, Maxwell landed the speeder behind a fallen pillar within the shadows. It is true that it hasn't been touched since the war began, the place looks entirely abandoned since then. Especially considering there are massive statues and structures strewn over the grounds. There are scorch and blaster marks across the nearby wall from the last battle.
"Stay here," She told him as she jumped out of the speeder. "I need someone to keep watch."
Maxwell looked conflicted. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" He asked yet again. "You don't have to do this."
"I do," She told him. "And I need to do it alone."
Maxwells expression did not change, but he reached into one of the speeder compartments and pulled out a flashlight. "It'll be dark in there." He said and handed it to her.
She smiled in gratitude. "Thank you," She said, intending for it to reference more than just the flashlight.
"Be careful," He told her before she could walk away.
"I'll try to be quick," She said to him. "An hour tops. If you see something out here, or someone, I want you out of here." Before he could protest, Azel added. "You don't need to be an accomplice, or even known to have affiliations with me. The Empire knows about me, they don't need to know about you too."
Maxwell still looks skeptical.
"Just say yes." She pleaded.
"Yes," he said with a sigh and sat back in his seat.
"Thank you," she said yet again. "I'll see you soon." She told him before turning her back to him.
Maxwell watched her go. It took ten minutes of him bickering with his inner self about this decision, before he pulled out his com and rang the one person who should know about this.
When there was no answer, Maxwell waited another 10 minutes before he decided to go get Obi-Wan himself. Maxwell has been alive long enough to know his gut instincts are almost always right. And right now, they're telling him to get Obi-Wan.
--
Azel stared at the chain locked doors with a frown and arms akimbo. She has no idea how she is suppose to get inside. She has no idea how she expected to get inside. Despite this obstacle, Azel still feels the need to be here--to be inside. There has to be a way.
She can't explain the feelings except that they must be coming from the Force. She felt its pull towards this place, just as she has felt it towards that mysterious box Obi-Wan has. Except this time, Obi-Wan isn't here to stop her. The Force wants her here, and Obi-Wan always said to let the Force guide her. So that is exactly what she is doing.
This particular area is still light from the Coruscant moons, but it is at the end of a long entryway that is well hidden, so she has no need for her flashlight yet. Azel looked around her for something, anything, to pry open the doors with.
There are fallen pillars and statues everywhere. Most of them have smaller broken shards to them. Azel went over to one statue in particular and glanced around at the pieces strewn about. She noticed that this statue is different from the rest. It is more gray and metallic like, she assumes that this one signified something of greater importance than the rest.
Her train of thought is distracted as she sees a thick metal rod protruding from part of the statue. Azel tucked her flashlight into her belt and used both hands to pull it free. It didn't budge. She tried again from a different angle, and again and again. She tried moving the massive structure but it also did not move.
She let out a huff of frustration before she considered trying something else. She placed her hands on the rod once more, and closed her eyes. Using what she remembers from training with Obi-Wan, she channeled the Force, and pulled with as much strength as she could muster.
The rod broke free, and Azel landed on her back. In her hand is the rod, and she looks at it with a smile on her face.
She quickly jumped up and ran towards the doors. She placed the rod in between the chains and tested out different angles that could pull at the links. Once she found a proper hold, she leveled all her weight onto the rod as she pushed down on it. The links snapped instantly, and Azel dropped the rod to move the chains off the handles.
Once the handles were free, Azel didn't hesitate to crack open the door and let herself inside the Temple.
Here it is truly dark. Azel pulled out her flashlight in order to see around her. She is in a massive room with stairs at the very end of it. Considering she has never been here before she has to trust in the Force to navigate her.
Azel has never been a fan of the dark, and is really not a fan of the dark in a foreign, abandoned building.
But the Force will guide her and give her strength. That is what Obi-Wan taught her, what she has read in holobooks, and what the Jedi rely upon. And Azel is a Jedi just like her brother.
Well, she's almost a Jedi like her brother was.
She reached another long stretch of walkway. This time there are windows that touch the floor and reach all the way to the ceiling, therefore giving her light as she walked. She flicked off the flashlight.
Here she is really able to observe the inside of the temple. The ceilings are incredibly high up, the floor is carpeted, and between each window is a pillar that rises to the ceiling. The design was clearly created with the intent of giving the most respected individuals somewhere elegant and classy to live.
It's intimidating.
Azel couldn't believe Obi-Wan grew up here. She couldn't believe her brother did.
After the long stretch of path, Azel found herself turning down a corridor. This one is also a long stretch. Azel can only imagine the workout one person got just from walking from one side of the temple to the other.
Azel found herself climbing another set of stairs before she stood at the entrance of a massive room. There are no doors for this room, the threshold is open towards what is inside. Walking in, she took in her surroundings. There are mirrors with pedestals before them in a line from one side of the room to the other. On either side of the entrance are racks upon racks of clothing... Jedi clothing.
What initially felt like a pointless discovery, with Azel walking back out the door, quickly turned into an internal battle. She stopped at the top of the stairs.
When is she ever going to have this opportunity again? How long has she worn these horrendous tan tunics from Tatooine? She is no longer a slave, she is no longer on that planet. Here she is on Coruscant, with a Jedi, training to become a Jedi like her brother once was, and she still looks like a young slave girl.
But, how safe is it to wear Jedi robes nowadays? Azel doesn't think it's even close to being safe... but Obi-Wan doesn't seem to have trouble pulling it off. Why couldn't she?
Azel isn't who she was back on Tatooine. She is a Jedi in training, she has witnessed war and death in its finest, she is a fighter with undying determination to find her mother.
She is the sister of a Sith.
No, she is the sister of a once Jedi.
She has the ability to restore the family name, and restore honor to the Jedi. Azel took hold of her necklace absently. Azel is no longer the girl she once was, she is the girl that is going to change this galaxy.
Azel squared her shoulders and turned back into the room. It is time to start looking the part.
--
Obi-Wan stared at Maxwell, knowing full-well he is alone but still looked around him to be sure.
The dark haired man didn't need to say anything for Obi-Wan to know something is wrong.
"Where is she?" Obi-Wan asked him, his voice taking a deadly tone that surprised the Druid and even the Jedi himself.
Maxwell swallowed and backed up a few steps, Obi-Wan followed him with each movement. Maxwell was down the couple steps of the porch and standing in the grass when he stopped, resulting in Obi-Wan stopping to look down at him.
"She's at the Jedi Temple," Maxwell said evenly, despite his obvious nervousness.
Obi-Wan composed himself of his overwhelming worry and fear, reminding himself that he is a Jedi and needs to act accordingly.
"Why?" Obi-Wan asked, but even as the question left his mouth he knows the answer. This is Azelynn. She is curious, she is training as a Jedi, and most importantly the Temple is where her brother grew up. Of course she will go there. How could he not have predicted it before?
Probably because the subject never came up. But the girl has grown good at shielding her mind. For all Obi-Wan knows, Azel was planning this all along.
"All she said is that she felt the need to do it. I can only assume it has to do with the Force." Maxwell stated.
Obi-Wan ran a hand down his face and walked past Maxwell to his own speeder.
"Stay here," he told Maxwell, and jumped into the drivers seat.
"I can help-"
"You will stay here," he demanded once more, calling upon the Force.
"I will stay here," Maxwell repeated robotically.
"Go back inside and wait for my return,"
"I will go back inside and wait for your return." He repeated before doing just that.
Obi-Wan sped off, trying to cope with all of the feelings rushing through him. He feels guilty for mind-tricking Maxwell, but it's for his own good until he can retrieve Azel safely.
He is also feeling a sense of dread having to go back to the Temple. He hasn't been there since the war.
And then there is his worry for Azel, and even slight anger that she would be reckless enough to do this alone.
But would you have said yes if she came to you?
Obi-Wan tightened his grip on the handles, knowing the answer immediately.
He can only hope that nobody will see them, and that Azel is alright.
Obi-Wan circled the Temple a few times before landing his speeder in the shadows. As he stepped out he could feel all the tension within the Force. There is so much death and sadness here, it is like a literal graveyard.
Obi-Wan felt sick. This was his home, the only one he has ever known, and it is now reduced to rubble, tainted with war, and plagued with death. He wants to be anywhere else in this moment, he doesn't want to face his old home. He doesn't want to face his failure.
But he still found himself walking to the entrance, knowing this needs to happen. Azel is in there somewhere, and there is a chance she could get lost or someone could see her. She shouldn't be here, especially alone. The Force, despite its cold stillness, is still so strong in the Temple.
As he approached the entrance, he noticed there were chains on the door handles, and saw Azel had broken them with something metallic on the ground. With a frown, he picked it up and examined it. Turning around, he walked over to some of the fallen statues.
And there is his answer. Azel had broken off the porcelain lightsaber from the grandmaster statue.
He let out a huff, having anger, sadness, and amusement shoot through him. Of course Azelynn would defile the number one most sacred sculpture in all of the Jedi Temple to break into said building.
He can already hear her justification against his disapproval--It's already destroyed, and I needed to get inside.
Obi-Wan grumbled under his breath, something that sounded a lot like she's definitely his sister to his ears, and went inside the Temple.
It's dark beyond the doors, and he came unprepared. But he remembers he has his lightsaber on him, and ignited it.
It's bittersweet. His lightsaber in his hands and at the Temple once more. He tried not to think about the last time this happened.
He walked through the main entrance of the Temple, forcing his mind away from all the bodies he had seen. He briefly remembered Senator Organa telling he and Master Yoda that he would make sure the bodies were cleared of the Temple, and the fallen Jedi would be given a proper ceremony. Obi-Wan was thankful for his kindness then, and is even more appreciative now as he walked through the Temple.
He came upon one of the main corridors with several windows. It is one of many passages that lead to some of the main rooms in the Temple.
Obi-Wan flicked his lightsaber off, the massive windows allow him the light he needs to see. He felt the Force here, it is less intense--less clouded by death.
This is where he allowed himself to stop and open himself up to the Force in order to sense Azelynn. She is the only living creature in the building, with the exception of himself and some rodents. Obi-Wan sighed in relief at this knowledge.
Obi-Wan walked, allowing the Force to guide him towards Azel. However, he found himself stopping halfway down the passage, looking off to his left. His heart skipped a beat in his chest as he realized where he stood. Obi-Wan has passed through this corridor many times in the past, but it is one instance that sticks out in his mind.
He could remember it as if it were yesterday. The day he asked Anakin to spy on the Chancellor. Like many of Obi-Wans regrets, he remembers the specific details of it. Where they stood, the tone in their voices, the exact words they spoke.
Why are you asking this of me?
The Council is asking you.
Obi-Wan could kick himself for being so ignorant. He doesn't doubt that was one of the moments that led to Anakins downward spiral. There Anakin stood, telling him that the Council is out of place for such a request, and Obi-Wan--his supposed mentor and friend--was justifying it.
He pushed Anakin into a position he should have never been in, should never have been asked into. He was forced in the middle of a war and it claimed him for itself, making him the face of darkness.
Obi-Wan bit back his emotions, feeling moisture in his eyes. Qui-Gon had just told him that he doesn't blame Obi-Wan for this, he said Anakin made his choice. But just because Qui-Gon doesn't blame him, doesn't mean he doesn't blame himself.
In fact, Obi-Wan blames himself most of all, and cannot seem to feel otherwise.
Why are you asking this of me?
Why are you asking this of me?
Obi-Wan let out a ragged breath. Why did Obi-Wan ask him to do it? Why was he so blinded by the Council? Why was Anakin so blinded by the Chancellor? Why was anything the way it was?
Because Anakin, Obi-Wan thought helplessly, I thought I could make you see the Chancellor for who he is. I thought I could protect you.
But even as Obi-Wan thought on the answer, he knows it isn't the full truth.
I was a Council member Anakin, and I put the Council before our friendship.
A tear fell from Obi-Wans eye. He wiped it away hastily.
Why are you asking this of me? Anakin asked him. But Obi-Wan knew, even then, what Anakin was really asking: Why is my best and closest friend that I trust with my life asking me to break the Code and be dishonorable?
That unspoken question chills him to the bone.
And because Obi-Wan knew he couldn't answer with the truth, he decided to divert the question and ignore the one between the lines. From a certain point of view he went with the truth, but in the form of complete unsatisfying bullshit.
The Council is asking you. He said pathetically.
--
Using the Force to levitate the flashlight around her (which took some concentration), Azel changed into cotton and linen tunics that are styled similar to Obi-Wans. They're incredibly comfortable and allow her to move around much more easily than her previous tunics.
Her leggings are gray, but her knee-high black boots are hiding most of the lighter fabric. Her undershirt is white, although it is not visible underneath the layered gray tunics. The sash around her waist is black, and has a two-toned black leather belt sitting on top of it.
Azel observed herself in the mirror and her eyebrows shot up. She looks... good, badass even. Her attire is more tightly fitted to her body than Obi-Wans is, considering it is fit for a woman. The neckline dips, exposing some skin and even part of her necklace, but not enough to expose what is at the end of it. There are no sleeves, just the tunics wrapping around the tops of her shoulders.
She is missing something. Just as she thought it, she realized she needs a cloak. Azel stepped off the pedestal and walked over to the female cloaks. She browsed briefly before finding a thin black one. She smiled and went back to the mirror.
Placing it on, she found it's fitting in the arms, and stretches down to her ankles. It is perfect. She placed her hands on her hips and admired herself with the cloak. It really tops off the attire. Azel smiled to herself, feeling proud and confident.
"Enjoying yourself?" Came a cold voice from behind her. Azels heart nearly stopped, and her levitating flashlight fell, flickering off.
Azel jumped down from the pedestal to grab the flashlight and turn it back on. When she did, she found Obi-Wan on the other side of it. He is squinting and putting his hand up. "Azelynn," He said her full name, and Azel understood immediately and pointed the flashlight to the side of him. It created enough light for her to see his angry expression.
"What are you doing here?" She asked him.
"What are you doing here?" He shot back at her with hands on his hips. He approached her, standing only a few feet away. "Do you understand the danger you could be putting us in?"
Azel blinked, and swallowed thickly. She has never seen Obi-Wan this mad before. She has seen him annoyed and irritated, but anger was never something she expected from him.
"We circled the building," she explained. "No one is here, and no one was watching. We landed in the shadows, so even if they were they wouldn't see us."
Obi-Wan ran a hand down his face in exasperation. "Why am I not surprised that even on a date you can't stay out of trouble? I can't let you out of my sight for five minutes-"
"Technically, it was a couple hours before I came here-" His pointed glare made Azel stop mid-sentence. "Never mind." She muttered.
"You didn't answer my question," he said to her. "What are you doing here?"
"I don't know," Azel answered honestly. "The Force was calling to me from here."
"The Force told you to break into the Jedi Temple to change your clothes?" He snapped without thinking.
Azel looked at him in disbelief. "Don't tell me you're upset about this." She gestured to her robes.
Obi-Wan sighed and shook his head. "No," he commented. "But perhaps you should inform me first that you plan on popping into the Jedi Temple for a wardrobe change."
Azel resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I told you, I don't know why I'm here. I just stumbled upon this room when I was walking around."
"Is the Force leading you somewhere in particular?" Obi-Wan asked her with a frown, pushing aside his annoyance with her. The Force doesn't call to just anyone and without reason. Despite his feelings about how they ended up here, they should probably figure out why.
Azel shrugged apologetically. "I'm not sure, but it's been leading me through the Temple so that's something, right?"
Obi-Wan considered this, and nodded. "If you're quite finished here, then we should find out why the Force has called you here."
Azel nodded. "Alright, let's go."
~~
A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for reading again! So how many of you have seen The Last Jedi? Because ohmygod. I can't wait to see it a bunch more times! I won't say anything for those of you who haven't seen it, but I'd advise you to go soon because it was awesome.
I felt a little awkward writing Qui-Gon, I hope I did him at least a little justice here. Maybe I'll go back and fix it up later on, but for now this is it.
Until next time my lovely readers. xo