Whispers in the Dark

By Arriss

Chapter XXV – Dreams pass in time – Part I

Luke awoke from his meditative state visibly shaken and with chills that raced all through his body. He didn’t move, he couldn’t, and he felt numb as his mind lingered on what his father had done.

“Father…why?” he ever so quietly said to himself. He didn’t even bother to fight the tears that flooded his eyes. “How will I tell Mom and Leia?”

__________________________________*****__________________________________

Unwilling to disturb Mara, Obi-Wan had left her comatose form on the bed next to his wife and retreated to the balcony outside their bedroom to sleep under the stars.

Sakoya had wanted to join him and as much as he wanted her too, he wanted her to rest suitably and so left her to sleep in the bed. But there was a…restlessness…that Obi-Wan felt yet couldn’t explain. He lay awake in spite of his closed eyelids and tried to relax. Unfortunately, it served no purpose – he still couldn’t sleep.

He had every confidence in Anakin’s ability to defeat the Emperor in this final battle, but couldn’t shake the dread he felt teetering on the edge of his consciousness. He found himself staring at the stars twinkling far above him and yet not seeing them at all.

 

Luke’s sudden distress radiated through the Force and jerked Obi-Wan out of his stupor. He easily sensed that something was dreadfully wrong with the young Jedi and it centered on…

“Anakin?” the Jedi Master said aloud, his forehead wrinkling in confusion. Quickly getting to his feet, Obi-Wan turned and headed to the double doors of his suite. He had just opened one door to step inside and nearly collided with a distraught Luke Skywalker.

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“What is it?” Obi-Wan asked, his voice quivering ever so subtly as he led Luke further out onto the balcony – his earlier feeling of trepidation now drifting around each of them.

Luke’s blonde hair shone through the darkness while the rest of him remained obscured. Blue eyes, so much like his father’s, welled up with tears as the young man looked at his uncle. “He’s…gone…” Luke shakily said. The sadness in his voice and on his face tore at Obi-Wan and he reached out to his godson.

As Luke shed his tears into his uncle’s shoulder, he unexpectedly felt a familiar presence and turned around.

Anakin stood a short distance away, his ethereal form iridescent in the cover of night.

“Father, why? Why did you have to die?” a distressed Luke asked, wiping the tears from his face.

“I could say it was the will of the Force, because it is, but I don’t think that’s what you want to hear,”  Anakin replied.

Luke took several deep breaths and reached into the Force to help soothe his anguish.

There was a definite pang in his heart as Anakin not only watched his son but felt the sorrow coming from him. “I can’t change what happened, Luke. I didn’t plan it this way but I did what I had to do in order to defeat Sidious.”

“He is gone then?” Obi-Wan asked his old friend, his own sorrow edging to the surface.

Anakin nodded. “Never to return.”

Luke stepped away from Obi-Wan and walked toward his father. With an outstretched hand, he held it up to Anakin’s proffered one, palm to palm. “I think…I understand, Father.”

The ghostly form smiled lovingly at his son. Anakin knew Luke possessed the wisdom of his mother and the look on the young man’s face only served to strengthen that sentiment. “I believe you, but I would like to explain so there is no doubt that you do. You already know how powerful Sidious had become while he was alive. Once he died, his soul came to the place of neutrality, where each of us saw him. His Force powers kept him there instead of moving on, as he should have. He wasn’t ready to give in to the finality of death and clung to every shred of power he could, which resulted in tapping into the neutral plane of existence.”

“And that’s what you did?” Luke asked, much more composed than he had been a few minutes ago.

“Yes. What Sakoya had told me was true. I had to match him to defeat him. As a result, I became one with the Force.”

“And with it you gave your life,” Obi-Wan stated with a slow nod.

“Yes, Master.”

“You fulfilled the prophecy, my old friend.”

“This time, Obi-Wan. One never knows what the future will bring…or who.”

“Self-sacrifice and selfless compassion – you are indeed a Jedi Master.”

“But Mom…and Leia…” Luke interrupted.

“We’ll take care of them,” Obi-Wan assured both father and son.

“Of that I have no doubt. I know both of you will protect each of them. Padmé will understand more than Leia…” Anakin paused as he thought of his wife and daughter and all he had left behind. Thankfully, he had the Force to absorb the overwhelming emptiness he was experiencing as he felt a soothing shield wrap around him.

Finally, he said, “Leia will need your guidance. She doesn’t understand the Force the way I had hoped she would at her age… Remember, just because I am one with the Living Force doesn’t mean you won’t see me. I’ll watch over all of you and most of all…I’ll be waiting when each of you cross over.”

Anakin’s ethereal form began to fade from view and then was gone, leaving the two Jedi to stare at the stars.

The last words that resounded in either Jedi’s ears was, “Tell Han I’ll be watching.”

__________________________________*****__________________________________

Padmé sat at her desk, reading the brief from the last Senate session on a datapad when she felt a blanket of warmth surround her. Anakin had given her such sensations through the Force numerous times over the years and she smiled at his heartwarming gesture. She always felt more complete when he was with her, where each of them could share the details of their day or just spend time together.

“Ahh, my handsome Jedi, missing me already?” Padmé coyly commented aloud in her private office. She set down the datapad and walked over to the window, hugging herself as she walked. “I miss you too. We had little time together before you and Luke left to help Ben and Sakoya. I’ll be glad when you both are home again.”

“I’m always with you, Angel,” Anakin’s voice whispered in her ear.

“Yes, I know you are,” Padmé replied without turning around. “As I am with you.”

“How is Leia?”

Padmé sighed. “Missing you and Luke…and Han of course.”

Anakin didn’t reply.

“Really, Ani, she loves Han. Can’t you give them your blessing?” Padmé turned around and unexpectedly gasped. She wasn’t prepared for the apparition of her husband standing before her, his near translucent body outlined by a bluish glow. “A-Ani?” she hesitatingly asked and little by little stepped forward. Her beautiful brown eyes filled with concern and bewilderment.

“Padmé…” Even in his ethereal form Anakin nearly choked as he said his beloved’s name. Seeing her filled him with excitement…and dismay, for it truly meant his demise was a inevitability he couldn’t escape.

“Ani?” she asked again, reaching out to touch his face only to watch her hand pass right through him. “No, Anakin! Noooo!!” she sobbed as she retreated back a step, her hand clamped over her mouth and her eyes wide in horror.

“It-it was the only way, Angel…” Anakin couldn’t say any more. His heart was breaking at seeing his dearly loved wife trembling before him.

“I-I didn’t feel it happen,” Padmé uttered, still in shock of what had occurred.

“I was in the spiritual realm…and…I didn’t want you to feel it. I wanted to tell you myself… I had to merge with the Force – it was the only way to defeat Palpatine. He was too strong…” Anakin wanted to console her but couldn’t in his ghostly form. He could only watch her crumble to the floor, looking up at him and then covering her face with her hands.

“You-you can’t…come back?” she asked, glancing up at him as tears streaked down her face.

Anakin sadly shook his head and quietly said, “…No.”

“And Luke?”

“He’s alright and with Obi-Wan and Sakoya.”

“Thank the Force I didn’t lose you both,” Padmé uttered just above a whisper as she managed a sigh of relief in between her grief-filled sobs.

“I’ll always be with you, Angel,” Anakin said as he began to fade.

Suddenly Padmé was on her feet and rushed over to her husband’s retreating form only to grasp at air as she tried to hold him. “I love you, Anakin,” she cried out in between more sobs.

“And I love you, Padmé.”

__________________________________*****__________________________________

The sun was just beginning to crest over the ocean, coloring the sky in an array of bright colors to herald its return.

Luke looked upon the dawn with mixed feelings. He knew his father would always be watching over him, guiding him in the ways of the Force and offering his opinions when he felt it necessary. Still, he glanced sideways at the Jedi Master standing beside him and was grateful for his presence. “I’m glad you’re here with me, Ben.”

Obi-Wan looked over at his nephew. Although their relation wasn’t one of blood, the deep friendship he shared with the young man’s parents was close enough to be considered as such. He loved the twins as much as if they were his own children and had had a hand in raising them these many years. The Jedi looked upon the man and saw the boy he once knew within those eyes – Anakin’s eyes – but could also see his mother reflected back. At least you were able to be with them as they grew and matured, my brother, he thought wistfully.

“As am I. Let’s go inside, we have some explaining to do,” Obi-Wan said as he patted Luke gingerly on the back.

__________________________________*****__________________________________

By the time Sakoya had awakened and readied herself, everyone had already gathered in the main area of the suite. Knowing she had been through quite an ordeal, they had waited patiently for her to emerge.

 

Xar’ek was beaming at the sight of the red-haired Jedi as she walked into the room. “Morning, Red,” he happily said in greeting.

Sakoya smirked and replied, “Good morning to you too, scoundrel.”

“Me? A scoundrel?” Xar’ek playfully retorted. “Well, now that you mention it…”

Sakoya glanced around the room and smiled at the familiar faces she saw. “Bail, I’m so happy to see you!” She approached the Senator and gave him a warm hug.

“And I’m happy to see that you’re alright. You gave us quite a scare.”

“I’m sorry. Although I admit I was pretty nervous myself.” Sakoya turned and then greeted Han and Chewbacca. “And how have you two been?” she asked with a sly grin.

“We’re good as ever. We even had the chance to dunk Xar’ek in the ocean,” Han said with a laugh.

Sakoya’s eyes opened wide. “Oh really? This should be interesting.” The Jedi then espied Luke and hurried over to him. “Luke! How are you?” she asked and hugged him tightly. Her facial expression quickly changed to one of worry. “What’s wrong?”

Obi-Wan walked up behind his wife and placed his hands on her shoulders. “I’m sorry to interrupt but I have some important news to tell everyone.”

“I’m sorry, love,” Sakoya apologized and moved alongside her husband.

Obi-Wan cleared his throat and after a sideways glance at Luke, began to speak.

“All of you know that Luke, Anakin, and I journeyed to what we thought was the dark side of the Force to rescue Sakoya and Mara.” Obi-Wan paused for a moment – he didn’t think it would be so hard to explain the situation and reached into the Force for guidance.

Sakoya glanced up at her husband’s face and clearly saw the sadness etched in it. She then looked over at Luke and he wore the same expression, although she could feel that both of them were restraining themselves. It was then that she noticed someone was missing. Nooo! Oh no! Her mind reeled at the thought of something happening to Anakin. She took a deep breath and listened as her husband began speaking again.

“Anakin and I went forward…and found Sakoya and Mara. As you can see, Sakoya is fine although Mara is still in her coma. We hope that the antidote for the toxin will bring her out of it… As expected, it didn’t take any time before Emperor Palpatine made his presence known to us…” Obi-Wan quickly glimpsed at Luke before continuing. “I brought both women back with me… Anakin stayed to battle Darth Sidious.”

Luke spoke up, unwilling to leave all of the explaining to his uncle. “My father died with the Emperor and is now one with the Force. Sidious will never again be a threat.”

A stunned silence overcame the room – no one spoke and each of them couldn’t believe this incredible news. Anakin Skywalker – the Chosen One of Jedi prophecy…dead?

“But his body…all of you were in a meditative trance.” Bail was slightly confused. “Is he still in the bedroom then?” A shudder ran though the Senator at the thought.

“No,” Obi-Wan said with a shake of his head. “As soon as he became one with the Force his body disappeared, just as Yoda did.”

“Once we arrive back on Coruscant we should have a proper ceremony for him,” the Senator suggested.

“Oh, Luke,” Sakoya sadly said as she reached out and hugged him. “I’m so sorry,” she said as tears began to pool in her eyes.

“The will of the Force…” Luke replied as he buried his head into her shoulder.

 

Everyone in the room offered Luke their condolences and remembered the vibrant Jedi with admiration. Not only was Anakin an exceptional Jedi, but a loving father and husband, and an extraordinary friend. His piloting and lightsaber skills were unmatched and his humorous nature tended to get him, and others, into trouble…from time to time. Obi-Wan fondly thought of their mud fight upon their arrival to Dagobah so many years ago and couldn’t help laughing. The holo still hung in the Skywalker home for all to see, just where Anakin wanted it.1

“To be a Jedi doesn’t mean you can’t have humor. The ability to laugh at yourself reminds you to enjoy life,”  Anakin had once told his Jedi Master.

Yes, Anakin would be greatly missed.

 

Obi-Wan was recounting some stories of Anakin’s youth when an unexpected beep erupted from the computer console. “Excuse me,” he politely said and walked over to the viewscreen and activated it, which indicated he had one message waiting.

“Padmé…it must be. Of course Anakin would go to her – she must be devastated.” The Jedi entered the proper code when prompted that would decrypt the transmission and waited for the familiar voice to begin speaking.

Taken aback when his inputted code rejected, Obi-Wan checked the transmission log and noticed something peculiar. “Padmé was not the originator, merely a messenger. Intriguing.”

“Is something amiss?” Bail asked as he came up beside the Jedi.

“Padmé retransmitted a message but I can’t access it.”

Bail looked perplexed. “That’s odd. You said she retransmitted it…from where?”

“I can’t decipher it.”

Xar’ek noticed the two men hovering over the computer and it piqued his curiosity. “What’s going on?” he inquired.

The Jedi Master looked up and said, “You’re the encryption expert – tell me where this message originated from.”

Xar’ek moved to the other side of Obi-Wan and hit a few keys on the console. When that didn’t work, he sat down at the desk and said, “Give me a few minutes.”

__________________________________*****__________________________________

At last, Xar’ek managed to break through the numerous layers of encryption and reveal not only who sent the message but its contents.

“It came from someone calling themselves, ‘Liberator’ and it’s audio only.”

Bail Organa looked surprised and said in a rather urgent tone, “Please, play the message.”

Shrugging, Xar’ek pushed a few keys and the audio began.

“Greetings, Krotn, I regret that I have not been able to contact you but the opportunity did not present itself. With this message, I have transmitted the schematic we discussed. I trust you will find everything in order.” The transmission ended as quickly as it began.

“Who in blazes is ‘Krotn’?” Xar’ek wondered.

The Senator nodded and answered, “Me.”

“You?” Han looked skeptical as he joined the conversation.

“Yes. This is my contact in Reynard’s organization. We had to have an alias for me to correspond with in case of transmission traces. This must have been re-routed to Padmé from my staff and she sent it here.”

“Why not send it to your ship?” Cela asked as she approached, feeling rather overwhelmed by the days events so far.

Bail turned toward the teenager and amiably replied, “I’m sure my staff did that as well, but they must have assumed that the Chancellor and I would be in contact and Padmé would have a sure way of reaching me.”

“Oh.” Cela looked downward, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

“We have some planning to do,” Bail informed everyone.

__________________________________*****__________________________________

Obi-Wan stood in Mara’s ship, ready to transmit, via hologram, his update to the council, but he felt…apprehensive. Was it because of Anakin’s death or more? The Jedi’s eyes roamed the quarters of Mara Jade – the personal assassin to Darth Sidious. The quarters Cela had given him access to in order to contact the council in privacy. But also, unlike the Millennium Falcon, Mara’s ship was equipped for such a type of transmission.

It unnerved him that he could feel the conflict and pain that resided in the room as it reached out to touch him, as if to deprive him of his own suffering. Obi-Wan felt an emptiness in the pit of his stomach as he realized that the energy of the room seemed to feed on despair, which made the Jedi want to convey his report that much sooner and leave the ship.

He visibly shuddered as his intended audience came into view.

Obi-Wan respectfully bowed. “Greetings, Master Moven, Master Neegn.”

“Greetings, Master Kenobi,” Master Moven said in return.

Slowly, Obi-Wan said, “Jedi Knight Jade is free from her spiritual imprisonment and although Mara Jade is as well, she remains comatose. However…Master Skywalker” Obi-Wan paused. He found it more difficult to continue than he thought and it was with sheer determination that he managed to now. “was successful in thwarting Darth Sidious…he will never again be a threat. As for Anakin…he is now one with the Force…”

The other two Jedi Masters bowed their heads. Master Neegn closed her eyes and said, “Yes, we felt his passing. You and he were close and your pain in this situation is –”.

“Manageable,” Obi-Wan interrupted. “The mission must continue, in spite of my personal feelings.”

 

Obi-Wan continued his briefing, detailing the plan for Reynard’s capture in addition to the quest for the antidote. There was no need to contact the Supreme Chancellor as the Jedi Masters informed him that they would update her as soon as possible. Once his meeting concluded and the hologram vanished, he sat down and openly wept.

1 Alliance Chapter 3

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