Obi-wan Kenobi sat in the small room of the transport and stared down at the baby he held in his arms. He looked into the child's eyes. Eyes that were innocent and uncorrupted by war and betrayel and sorrow. He could feel the energy of the Force that flowed through the child's being. The pure, white, all encompassing energy that he was so familiar with. He stared into those eyes and wondered how it all had come to this, how things could have gone so wrong. An aura of despair and misery emenated from him as his thoughts turned inward to a time that he didn't like to remember, but one that he could never forget.

It had started so many years ago, the first time he met a young boy name Anakin Skywalker. Even then, when he had looked into the boys eyes for the first time, his Force sense had given him a brief, but powerful flash of foreboding. Looking back now, if he had paid more attention to that feeling maybe he could've prevented the events that were to come. But Master Qui-Gon had been vehement in his insistance that the boy was the Chosen One, the one who would bring balance to the Force. So Obi-wan had pushed aside his doubts and trusted that his Master was doing the right thing. But then his Master had been taken from him, killed by a Sith Lord, and his dying words had elicited a promise from him that he would train the boy, make him a Jedi. His own training had only been just completed, but out of love and respect for his Master he had made this promise. A promise that at times, in the deepest part of his mind, he had regretted. On days like this, he felt the regret down to his very soul.

Through the years he had trained the boy, bonding with him and trying to reign in his care-free and strong-willed personality that often times clashed with the older man's more sedate and centered nature. The clash of wills was strong and made for some very heated arguments but Anakin learned the ways of the Force quickly and soon surpassed his Masters skills.

Together they had fought wars, blazing through the galaxy and becoming heroes of the Republic. They were partners, friends, brothers. The product of a promise that had turned into a friendship that he thought could never be destroyed. He had been wrong about that as he had been wrong in his insistence that he could train the boy as well as Master Yoda could have.

His arrogance, the boys confusion and manipulation, and the love of a woman had been their undoing. Anakin had wrongly believed that he could save the woman he loved from death if he learned and drew upon the powers of the Dark Side. Powers that could easily destroy someone as confusion-laden and impressionable as Anakin had been. And that's exactly what had happened.

And now everyone would have to pay the price for their mistakes. Many had paid the price already with their lives. He winced as visions of the massacre assaulted his thoughts. His head still ached from the cries of the souls that had been so coldly and ruthlessly wiped out. Even the children had not been spared, and his heart cried out for each tiny pinpoint of light that had been darkened forever when they died.

Then came the source of his deepest regret and sorrow. The greatest and most tragic battle he'd ever had to endure. A battle that had destroyed his friend.... his brother, and almost destroyed his own mind and soul. He had tried to reason with Anakin, had pleaded, had begged, but to no avail. The boy had been lost and that loss would be his burden to bear for the rest of his life. He would carry it, re-live it, and do his best to accept it.

The only glimmer in the dark and tragic events that had transpired was the birth of Anakin's own children, a boy and a girl, twins, born of the union of he and his love. His heart ached at the thought of Padme', who had made the greatest sacrifice of all. Another innocent life lost. His soul cried for the children who would never know their mother and what a strong, compassionate, giving person she had been. Even in the end, after all the heartbreak and grief that she had endured, her last thoughts were of hope and redemption. "Obi-wan, there's good in him...still." Her words came hauntingly back to him, but his heart and mind couldn't accept that there was anything left of the boy and young Jedi that he had known and loved. In an instant, everything had come crashing down and his failure had unleashed a menace that the galaxy might never be able to recover from.

The children might be the only hope for the future of a galaxy in turmoil and had to be protected at all costs. The girl had been given to a trust-worthy man and his wife. She would be protected and given a good life, full of love and limitless opportunities. He, himself had agreed to take the boy to Tattooine and entrust him to the care of the child's family. He had also promised that he would remain on the planet and look after the boy. This small sacrifice would start him on his road to redemption, to try to make up for his failure and save his own soul in the process.

The small bump of the transports landing shook him from his thoughts. He opened his eyes, drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to focus on the task ahead of him. He wrapped the blanket tighter around the baby and stood up, willing his legs to carry him forward. He was tired...so very tired. He pulled the hood of his cloak over his head and stepped out onto the landing platform into the heat of Tattooine's twin suns. Well, I've come full-circle he thought, Back to this god-forsaken planet and all it's memories. This is the pennance I have to pay for my mistakes. But when he looked down at the child in his arms he knew it was a pennance he was more than willing to pay, even if it meant giving his own life in the process. "I owe you that much," he whispered to the child, "I owe you everything." He would do whatever it took to make sure the boy was safe and grew up to fulfill whatever destiny had been chosen for him. He wouldn't fail Luke as he had failed Anakin. With that vow he hugged the baby closer to his chest and made his way through the spaceport.

He arrived at the Lars homestead just before sunset. Beru met him at the door and took Luke into her arms. Obi-wan felt the instant bond between the woman and the baby. He sensed that these were good people and that they would take care of Luke and love him as if he were there own. With a smile Beru turned and made her way up the small dune to where Owen stood, and together they gazed up at the twin suns setting into the desert sand. With one last look, Obi-wan climbed onto his eopie and rode away into the gathering darkness.

Obi-wan arrived back at Mos Espa and walked through the streets until he found a cantina. He went in, surveying the room as he walked toward an empty table. His nerves were on edge and he was tempted to shut down his senses to the din of the crowd around him, but he had to stay alert for any signs of danger. He and Master Yoda had been careful in their planning, but there was still the possibility that he could have been tracked to this planet.

He sat down and ordered a meal off of the holo screen, but when the Er' Kit waitress delivered the food he found he didn't have the appetite to eat. Instead he just sat, staring morosely into the plate and pushing around the leafy morsels with his fork. His waitress, Brysh, he noted from her name tag, came back to his table and inquired about his meal, concerned because he hadn't touched it.
Forcing a smile, he said, "It's fine. I guess I just wasn't as hungry as I thought I was."
With a nod she said, "Let me know if you require anything else", and walked away from the table.

He sat for a few moments more then stood up, left some credits on the table for the food and started making his way toward the exit. As he neared the door a Rodian appeared before him and put a hand to his chest to stop him. Obi-wan's hand instinctively went to his lightsaber but stopped just short of drawing it, not wanting to draw attention. The Rodian stared at him and said sneeringly, "Jedi...". He spat the word out as if it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Obi-wan sensed the creatures aggression and reached up to remove the Rodian's hand from his chest, but the creature grabbed hold of his tunic roughly.
"I have no quarrel with you," Obi-wan said, "Let me pass."
The creatures snout twisted into a sneer and he said "Scum!"
Obi-wan frowned at him and said, "Have we met? Have I wronged you in some way that I'm not aware of?"
The sneer on the Rodian's face turned into a snarl and he replied, "You wrong me just by being in my presence. I can smell the treachery and betrayal all over you."
"I'm afraid you have confused me with somebody else," Obi-wan said, " I'm sure we've never met before." As he spoke he reached out with the Force to see if he could sense any recognition of the creature, but he found none. Growing puzzled and more uneasy he asked, "What's your name?"
"Laum...Laum Farr," the Rodian said. "That's a name you would do well to remember."
"I'll keep that in mind," Obi-wan replied with a touch of sarcasm. "Now if you'll kindly remove your hand from me maybe we can have a civilized conversation and straighten this out."
"I doubt your capable of civility," Laum replied.

Obi-wan let the comment pass and said," What is this treachery and betrayel that you spoke of?"
"Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about," Laum said, "Word travels fast in the galaxy, even to the Outer Rim."
"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about," Obi-wan said, trying to put some confidence in his voice even though his Force sense was rattling with apprehension. "Would you kindly explain?"
Laum replied with a derisive snort and said, "Eveyone knows that the Jedi were the cause of the fall of the Republic."
Obi-wan's senses tingled louder but he managed to reply, "I don't know where you get your information, but it's wrong. The Separatists and Palpatine were the ruin of the Republic. His lust for power and control is what brought about it's destruction."
"So you say," Laum replied. "That's what you would have everyone believe."
"Palpatine masterminded the Republics downfall by taking over the Senate, among other things," Obi-wan said through pursed lips.
"Palpatine only took over the Senate to keep the Jedi from moving in on it," Laum growled, "Your so-called Council was manuevering to gain control of it, thus controlling the Republic."
"That's not true," Obi-wan said, "The Jedi were the protectors and peace-keepers of the Republic, we had no desire for control of anything."
"Don't try to humor me with your affectations of humility," Laum snarled, "The Jedi secretly lusted for power just like anyone else and now everyone knows the truth."

Obi-wan listened to the Rodian's words and winced inwardly. It was evident that Palpatine and his minions had already started spreading lies throughout the galaxy in yet another attempt to gain the confidence of the people for the New Order.

Trying a different tactic Obi-wan said, "Why do you even care about the Republic's demise? This planet is far beyond it's reaches and influence and the wars had little effect here."
"You think I chose to live here," Laum snarled, "My father was a Republic Senator and when the Senate was disbanded he found himself out of a job. My family was forced to go into the black market trade to survive." He looked at Obi-wan with contempt and added sarcastically, "That's how we ended up on this lovely little planet."
So that was the source of his anger, Obi-wan thought, a misguided perception of wrong-doing.
"I told you, the Jedi had nothing..",
Laum cut him off, saying, "My father died here. And my mother couldn't handle the responsibility of raising a family alone. She left us in the middle of the night and we never saw her again. My younger siblings were sent off-world to new homes and I was left here alone to fend for myself."
Obi-wan looked at Laum earnestly and said, "I'm very sorry about your situation, but nobody is to blame except Palpatine himself."
"Don't dare to condescend to me Jedi," Laum said vehemently, "You can't fool me with your overtones of virtuosity."

Obi-wan sensed the Rodian's rising anger. He had also noticed that several of the cantina's patrons had stopped to watch the growing confrontation and were whispering among themselves. Not wishing to draw any more attention he reached out with his Force will to try to diffuse the situation.
He looked Laum directly in the eye and said firmly, "I had nothing to do with your misfortunes. You will forget this matter and let me go on my way."
Laum's eyes seemed to drift out of focus for just a moment, but rapidly snapped back to attention, bearing down on Obi-wan. "Your mind tricks won't work on me, Jedi." he said. " And you've just proven my point of the Jedi craving control, even to the point of trying to bend a person's will to conform to their own."
He looked around and, too, noticed the people staring at them. "But perhaps we will save this matter for another time when there aren't so many prying eyes." He gave one last withering look to Obi-wan and said, "We'll meet again, Jedi." With that he turned and stalked through the crowd and out of sight.

Obi-wan watched him go. He let out a breath that he had been unaware that he was holding and gave one last glance around the cantina. Their observers must have decided that the show was over for they had resumed their conversations. Laughter and occassional hoots and bellows filled the place once more. He ducked out of the door and stepped out into the street. He stood there for a moment letting the chilly night air cool his skin. So that's one more thing I have to worry about, he thought, defending myself against lies. He hoped, though, that this was an isolated incident and he would be able to live on Tattooine in relative obscurity. But he was definately going to have to find a home away from here, away from the population and inquiring eyes. A place where he could find peace and silence and be able to meditate and sharpen his Force skills. His failure to control the Rodian's mind had shown him that his powers had weakened. Perhaps from fatigue or lack of focus or even perhaps from a slight loss of faith. He fought to push that last from his mind. He couldn't allow himself to believe that he'd lost faith in the Force, or humanity or most importantly himself. If I lose my faith, he thought, then I'll truly have nothing left.

With that thought lingering in his head he started down the dusty street to find a room for the night.

Obi-Wan tossed in his bed, nightmare visions and fragmented voices haunting his dreams.

The cries of the Jedi....

The children laying dead on the floor...

"Destroy the Sith, you must..."

Anakin at the Temple...

"I will not kill Anakin..."

The fear in Padme's eyes...

"You're going to kill him aren't you?"

The molten lava of Mustafar...

The dangerous red glow of Anakin's eyes...

"If you're not with me, then you are my enemy..."

The snap-hiss as the lightsabers ignited...

The fiery river...

Anakin's hand at his throat...

The Chosen One...

"I hate you..."

"I hate you..."

"I hate you..."

He awakened with a jolt as those words echoed through his head. He fell to his knees beside the bed, sweat and tears streaming down his face. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." he whispered over and over. Finally he curled onto his side on the floor and fell into a fitful sleep.

The sunlight streaming through the small window of the room awakened Obi-wan and he sat up, his body aching from sleeping on the floor. He slowly stood up and stretched gingerly to loosen up his sore muscles. He glanced at the chrono on the bedside table and saw that it was late in the day. He had so much to do, but all he wanted to do was bury himself in the bed and shut out the world for awhile...a long while. But that would have to wait. Right now he had other things to attend to.

Resolutely he picked up his tunic from the bed and noticed for the first time how worn and dirty it had become. New clothing, he added to his mental list of things to do. Then his eyes fell on the burned and scorched places on the cloth. Unbidden images of Mustafar rose in front of him. "No," he admonished himself, "Can't think about that right now." He put on the tunic, picked up the bag containing his few belongings and stepped out into the Tatooine day.

He stood there for a moment letting his eyes adjust to the brightness, then looked up and down the street. What to do first, he thought. His stomach gave him the answer as it rumbled with hunger. Looking to the street again, he turned to his right and started walking.

Buying some fruit from a vendor, Obi-wan ate it slowly as he ambled down the street and took in his surroundings. For as long as he could foresee this was going to be his home so he might as well become familiar with it. He thought back to the day that fate had brought he and Qui-Gon and Padme' to this planet. A day that had changed their lives irrevocably. The thought of how cruel fate could be creeped into the back of his mind and he pushed it away quickly. He couldn't go down that path, wouldn't allow himself to go there.

After awhile of aimless wandering he found himself in the Slave Quarters. He stopped and looked up at the hovels stacked on top of each other. As he gazed at them he wondered which one had been Anakin's home. He longed to be able to find it and explore it and try to get a sense of what Anakin's childhood had been like. When Anakin was a child he had told Obi-wan little about his life on Tattooine and after the death of his mother Anakin had refused to speak of it altogether. Obi-wan had not pushed him to talk about it. The boy had been emotional and high-strung as it was without having to dredge up painful memories.

With a sigh Obi-wan turned away from the hovels and started walking again. Even if he could've found Anakin & Shmi's home it had been so long that any trace of their lives here would have been wiped away. He would just have to remember the stories that Qui-Gon had told him of this place and be content with that. Besides, these thoughts were leading him to a dark place that he had to stay away from.

He found himself once again amid the hustle and bustle of the inner portion of the port. He made his way slowly through the crowd to the merchant stands and purchased the supplies that he needed, then with the remaining credits that he had left he procured a speeder and loaded his things into it. He climbed in and sat there for a moment thinking. Now to find a place to live, a place far away from here. But first he would go to Owen & Beru's, to check on Luke and make sure they had everything they needed.

Obi-wan started the speeder and was fixing to pull away when he felt someone watching him. He looked to his left and saw the Rodian from the night before standing in the shadows of a doorway. What had his name been? Laum Farr...that was it. Yes, Obi-wan would definately remember that name. The Rodian raised his hand in a mock greeting to Obi-wan, the perpetual sneer twisting his snout. Refusing to acknowledge the creature Obi-wan put the speeder in motion and left the Rodian behind.

Arriving at the Lars' homestead, Obi-wan walked up to the door and pushed the buzzer. After a moment the door slid open and Beru was standing on the other side. When she saw Obi-wan she smiled and ushered him into the house. "Sit down, make yourself comfortable," she said. "Can I get you anything? Something to drink maybe?"
Obi-wan smiled and shook his head, "No, thank you. I'm fine." He settled on the edge of the couch and said, "I just wanted to check in on Luke and see if there was anything you or Owen needed."
Beru smiled again and said, "Luke's fine. He's such a good baby, we haven't heard a peep from him. He's sleeping right now if you want to look in on him."
"No, I don't want to disturb him," Obi-wan replied.
"Well, I'll go get Owen," Beru said, "He's out back, the moisture vaperators are giving him trouble again." She turned and disappeared into the back of the house and Obi-wan heard her calling to Owen.

As he waited, Obi-wan looked around at the neat and tidy house. He wondered again, as he sometimes did, what if would've been like to grow up in a home like this. He had been brought to the Jedi temple as an infant and had lived there until he was twelve. Then fate had brought he and Master Qui-Gon together and their long journey had begun. A journey that had ended in death and sorrow. Obi-wan frowned as he thought of Qui-Gon. He hadn't allowed himself to think of his Master in a long time, and now he realized how much he missed him. How he longed for Qui-Gon's wisdom and guidance and quiet grace. His assurance that things were going to be okay. Master Yoda had told him he could commune with Qui-Gon, but Obi-wan didn't know if he had the courage to face his Master after everything that had happened. Maybe in time he would be able to find that strength. For now he just had to focus on making it through one day at a time.

Obi-wan heard footsteps approaching and he rose as Owen entered the room. Obi-wan gave a slight bow and said to Owen, "I hope you're not having too much trouble with the equipment."
"No more than usual," Owen replied gruffly as he sat down in the nearest chair and wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand.

Beru appeared from the kitchen area carrying a tray of drinks. She saw Obi-wan standing and said to him, "Surely you're not leaving so soon. Please sit, have a drink." She offered him a drink from the tray and he took it and settled again onto the couch. She walked over to Owen and gave him one of the two remaining glasses, then taking the last one for herself she went to the couch and sat down beside Obi-wan.

Sipping his drink, Owen looked Obi-wan over and said, "We didn't expect to be seeing you again so soon."
Beru looked at Owen reprovingly then said to Obi-wan, "Of course, we're delighted that you're here. We don't get too much company out this way."
Obi-wan smiled at her, then turned to Owen again, "As I told Beru, I just wanted to check in on Luke again and make sure that there wasn't anything you needed."
Owen studied Obi-wan, took in his slumped posture, the tattered clothes, the hollow look in his eyes. To Owen, Obi-wan looked like he couldn't even take care of himself, much less anyone else. Obi-wan saw the look in Owen's eyes, felt his judgement, and it made him uneasy. Not knowing what else to say Obi-wan reached for his glass and took a long drink.

Finally Owen said, "We have everything we need." Then added a bit coarsely, "I'm quite capable of taking care of my family."
Obi-wan looked up, startled. "Of course you are," he stammered, "I didn't mean...I just wanted to help."

Beru had been silent, but now she put her hand on Obi-wan's arm and said, "There is one thing you can do."
Obi-wan looked at her and said, "Yes, of course, whatever you need."
She looked at him for a beat then said, "Tell us what happened."
Confused, Obi-wan looked at her and said, "What? What happened?"
"To Anakin," Beru said quietly, "Tell us what happened to Anakin."

Obi-wan felt a chill run through him as he realized what Beru was asking. He couldn't relive it again...he couldn't. But as he looked at her and then to Owen he realized that he owed them this. They deserved to know what had happened. Taking a deep breath he began to recount the grim story as Owen and Beru sat in silence, listening.

After he'd finished Obi-wan sat with his head in his hands, trying to collect himself. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked up to see Beru looking at him with compassion in her eyes.
"Obi-wan, you did the best you could." she said. "You did what you had to do."
"No," he said, "There must have been something else I could have done. I should have tried harder."
"You did what any other would've done in your position," Owen said.
"They wouldn't have had to," Obi-wan replied hoarsely, "They would've stopped it before it got this far...before it became unavoidable. I should've seen it sooner, but I was blinded by the promise to my Master and by my friendship with Anakin. I was too close, I..."
He stopped, putting his head in his hands again. He felt Beru's hand on his shoulder once more, comforting him.

Owen looked at Obi-wan with concern and apprehension. "You have to move on", he said, "You have to make your peace with it and get on with your life."
"I know," Obi-wan replied sharply, his voice rising with anger and pent up emotion. "But it's not that easy. And what do I have left? The Republic is gone, the Jedi are gone, my friends are gone..."
"You have your life", Owen interrupted. "How many people died at the hands of Palpatine and his allies? How many people sacrificed their lives so that others could be free and not have to live in fear?"
Obi-wan looked up at him, anger burning in his eyes. Then the words of Master Yoda came to him, "Anger leads to the Dark Side..." He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, willing himself to calmness.

"Owen..", Beru said softly with a small shake of her head. Owen looked at her, then back to Obi-wan. He leaned forward in his chair and said, "You were spared because the gods, or your Force, or someone had a plan for you. You were meant to live on, to look after Luke and to carry on the ways of your Jedi. That's your destiny. That's what you have left."

Obi-wan felt a touch of shame at Owen's words. He was right. He had his life, or the remnants of a life anyway, and he had the Force to guide him. He had to pull himself together and focus on what lay ahead. He was a Jedi to the very core of his being. Honor, duty, sacrifice...that was his purpose. That was his life. But even with those convictions he could feel the darkness creeping closer, dancing around the edges of his mind, threatening to close in on him. He had to regain control or he, too, would be lost. He would have to fight with all the strength he had left to keep that from happening.

Abruptly Obi-wan stood up saying, "I'm sorry. I know you didn't ask to be put in this situation. We're grateful for your kindness."
Beru looked at him with conviction in her eyes and said, "We may not have asked for this but we will do what we're asked with no regrets. You don't have to worry about Luke, he'll be well taken care of. You can ease your mind and focus on healing yourself."

Obi-wan rubbed his hand across his eyes, trying to wipe away some of the weariness. He felt like he'd lived a hundred lifetimes in the last few days.
Beru sensed his fatigue and said, "Why don't you stay here for the night. You need to rest. You've had a long and difficult journey."
Owen looked at her somewhat reproachfully but said, "Yes, we have a spare room, you're welcome to stay."
Obi-wan sensed that Owen's feelings weren't exactly agreeable to the situation, but he pushed the thought from his mind and said, "No. I thank you for the offer and your kindness, but I can't. I need to be alone, to think, to meditate..." His words trailed off and he started toward the door.
Beru stopped him with a hand on his arm and said, "You're welcome here anytime. Our door is always open to you."
"Thank you", Obi-wan said. He marveled at this woman, at her strength and courage and generousity. "I'll be close. I'll be watching."

Owen stood by the door, arms crossed over his chest. Obi-wan approached him and extended his hand. Somewhat reluctantly Owen accepted it for a brief handshake. "Thank you, too, for what you are doing."
Owen said nothing, only replying with a nod of his head. With a last look around Obi-wan turned and walked out the door.

Owen and Beru stood together and watched Obi-wan as he climbed into his speeder. Looking to Owen, Beru said, "Do you think he'll be alright?"
Still watching Obi-wan he replied, " I don't know. He'll likely go mad if he doesn't slay his demons. I don't know if we'll be able to count on him or not."
"I guess we'll just have to have faith," Beru replied softly.

Obi-wan stood at the edge of the Dune Sea, gazing at the shimmering mirages that the bright sun cast on it's surface. The hood of his robe cast his face in shadows and he stood there motionless, arms crossed over his chest. The quiet and solitude he'd found out here had been the first semblance of peace he'd had in many days. He could think more clearly and the burning images of the past events that had haunted his mind incessantly were not quite as vivid and came less frequently.

He had made his decision. He would start again. A new home, a new name, a new life. He could not, and would not, forget the past, but he vowed that he would not let it torment him forever. He would work through it and slowly release the hold that it had on his mind and soul. The Force, and Master Qui-Gon, would guide him on this journey, the hardest journey he would ever have to make.

He drew in a deep breath, then turned and climbed into his speeder. With renewed resolve he started across the Sea toward a new beginning...a new hope.

The End