Within the hidden hospital upon the asteroid-like planetoid of Polis Massa, Obi-Wan sat at a conference table alone.
Padme laid dead a room away, and her children, Anakin's children were being cared for by a droid, and were under both Master Yoda and Bail Organa's scrutiny.
In his hand-crumpled up into a ball-was a handwritten letter delivered by Bail Organa. The words ate at him.
As a man who always strives to live by the tenants of the Order, he found that as he aged, he began to question the ideals he was raised on.
Master Qui-Gon had always instructed him to think beyond what the council wanted, and to act on what he thought was right.
…Obi-Wan had ignored such counsel when it came to Duchess Satine, and he blamed her death at his own hands. Then, when he had finally tried to act in the interests of his student, and best friend, to finally open himself up to his emotions, he was scalded with the heat of betrayal.
It was only thanks to his devotion to the Order that he gathered the courage to face Anakin, to face Vader.
Now, less than a few days had passed since that tragic duel, and Obi-Wan learned that his brother in all but blood had lived.
Bitter feelings mixed with hope, self loathing, and resentment. He hated himself, that he could not bring to celebrate the most vile traitor in the Order's history. That some small part of him yet hoped that Anakin was still somewhere inside, that Vader was nothing more than a contraption under the control of Darth Sidious.
Such fantasies were unhelpful, but with the destruction of his home, and all the people he cared for, they were the only straws Obi-Wan had left to cling to.
Exhaling slowly, Obi-Wan recognized that he was beginning to slip, and silently recited the Jedi Code to center himself in the Force.
'There is no emotion; there is peace. There is no ignorance; there is knowledge. There is no passion; there is serenity. There is no chaos; there is harmony.'
Feeling a small sense of revitalization, Obi-Wan wondered at the note's mention of his master. Master Yoda had even mentioned something about communing with Qui-Gon as well.
Was this Revan character perhaps in contact with his Master all along?
Obi-Wan frowned, and stroked his beard at the thought.
'I must meditate on this.' Obi-Wan thought to himself.
As Obi-Wan had this thought, the door to the meeting room hissed open. Both Yoda and Bail stepped in, and took a seat.
"Trouble you, this Revan does, Master Kenobi?" Yoda calmly asked.
"My apologies, master, but have you ever heard of a Jedi in the Order that goes by that name? From the sound of things, he almost appears to be a Jedi Shadow, but that is impossible, that subsect has been erased since the Ruusan Accords." Obi-Wan said, and shook his head in confusion.
"Hrm." Yoda briefly closed his eyes as he looked to the side in thought. "Many temples there are unaccounted for. From one of them he likely originates."
"Sorry to interrupt, masters, but from our talk, Revan said he had returned to the Temple from another Galaxy. Is it possible he is a Jedi older than the Ruusan Reformation?" Bail spoke up, and added on to the conversation.
"That is a possibility I had not thought of, except the odds of a lifeform exceeding a millennia are extremely rare." Obi-Wan rebutted.
"But not impossible." Yoda added.
"I researched the name Revan in my family archives. There wasn't much, but from what I learned, sometime 3,950 years ago or so, the Jedi Order was on the verge of collapse. A man named Revan waged war against the Republic, and the Jedi. The text is unclear, but my ancestor seems to imply that he had resurrected the Jedi Order, and prepared the Republic against the Sith Empire, before disappearing from history. Is it possible that the Revan from this story is the same one we are dealing with now?" Bail explained what he knew, and questioned.
"Troubling news if the case this is. Dangerous, Revan is, a threat to the galaxy he could be no less than that of Sidious." Yoda cautioned.
"But Master Yoda, this could be a pretender attempting to rebirth the Order for all we know. His actions so far have only proven his commitment against the Sith." Obi-Wan argued in favor of Revan's exploits.
"I must speak in favor of Revan as well. Although his methods to seek my attention were…questionable, he is a man of ambition, one who can achieve results. No offense, Master Yoda, but swift action and Jedi are not two phrases that exactly go hand in hand." Bail said with a smidgen of hostility.
Obi-Wan withheld a sigh. He was, of course, aware of the Organa's trouble with children, as it had been a galactic scandal for the last five years that Alderaan would go without an heir.
To learn that Bail's wife had her child healed, and brought back to life certainly spoke volumes of both Revan's skill and his character.
Not just any Jedi could accomplish a feat as great as this. In fact, possessing such an impressive ability only gave credence to the theory that this man was the same Revan who had disappeared millenia ago.
Obi-Wan could only surmise that Master Yoda had come to a similar conclusion, otherwise he would not be so openly opposed to Revan. He also wondered at the contents of the personal message left to Yoda. What had Revan revealed that had the venerable Grandmaster so weary?
If he was being honest with himself, Revan seemed to exude the type of arrogance and direct approach to things that Anakin possessed. It was a bitter realization, but because of this awareness, he found himself more inclined to support Revan.
He had seen what the inaction of the council had led to. What his inaction had led to.
"No offense taken, Senator. Concerned with history, I am. Worry, you need not." Yoda patiently nodded at Bail's slight barb, and didn't take it personally.
"Whether Revan is a copycat, or if he is trustworthy can be determined at a later date. For now, we must plan what to do regarding his actions, and our future." Obi-Wan suggested, changing the topic away from old hurts, and shifting focus towards the future.
"I've organized a meeting between some like-minded senators, as well as with a few Separatists. It will be challenging to hash anything out, but the first step to peace begins with dialogue. I intend to invite Revan to this summit, and would be honored if you two Masters would attend as well." Bail offered.
"To ally with the CIS rubs me the wrong way. After the genocidal campaign Grievous conducted against the Nightsisters, and the bloody actions he undertook during the battle of Coruscant, one can only imagine that he only engaged in these daring assaults after receiving the blessing of the Separatist ruling council." Obi-Wan voiced his concern.
"I share your misgivings, my friend. However, the clone army is too formidable for the Delegation of 2,000 to wage war against. We make up less than 15% of the Republic's Systems. The people are war fatigued, and even of those who share Republic sympathies, it is not guaranteed that they will ally with us. The CIS are an unfortunate-necessary-component to any resistance against the Empire." Bail smoothly rebutted.
Both men were slightly hot under the collar as they stared each other down, as this was an incredibly touchy subject. However, as Obi-Wan was a seasoned diplomat, and Bail a multigenerational politician, both men knew when to step back, and let cooler heads prevail.
"...Well, they do call me the Negotiator. I suppose I'll tag along." Obi-Wan sarcastically remarked.
"I'll be happy to host both of you until such a time passes." Bail smiled.
"Unnecessary this is. On Ruusan, I shall wait." Yoda quietly answered with his eyes closed.
Bail shook his head with a smile. "Obi-Wan?"
"...the children deserve to be with a caretaker, and these Taozin Amulets you delivered work remarkably well…if I am to continue the war, I cannot devote time to looking after them. Very well, Bail, I will be in your care." Obi-Wan lightly bowed.
Initially, Obi-Wan wanted to exile himself to the far reaches of the galaxy. Watching over the twins would be the excuse he needed to go into hiding. However, Revan's note had instilled guilt in his heart, and he felt that he still had more to give the Order. That so long as one other Jedi drew breath, there was still hope for a comeback.
"Excellent, when we find the surviving Jedi, yours will be a welcome face, and make my job of rescuing them easier. Now unless there is something else, I'll leave you two to speak alone. Master Yoda, Obi-Wan." Bail inclined his head, and then left to speak with the nursing droid.
As soon as Bail left, and the door to the meeting room slammed shut, a silence that stretched more than 30 minutes passed as both Yoda and Obi-Wan meditated on the Force.
Yet for all the meditation, Obi-Wan still had his doubts gnawing at his heart.
"Worried that Vader discover the children, he will? Turn them to the darkside for his own ends, hrm?"
"They are hardly a few hours old, and yet they are like stars within the Force, ones no less dim than their father…these Taozin Amulets must never leave their sides so long as the Sith control the galaxy." Obi-Wan said in concern.
"Worry not, Obi-Wan. The Force has not abandoned us yet." Yoda comforted.
Obi-Wan looked away, it certainly felt like it.
"What of the other survivors, will you broadcast an announcement? If they heeded Revan's warning, they would only listen to your word." Obi-Wan questioned.
"Remain in the limelight, I will not. My post as Grandmaster, I resign." Yoda said.
For the first time since Obi-Wan knew him, Yoda well and truly looked his age. Tired, hunched, weak, it was a sight that almost broke Obi-Wan. That if even the greatest Jedi to have ever lived was defeated, what chance was there to triumph over the Sith?!
"But you can't do that! If the Order is to survive, the Jedi will need you." Obi-Wan rushed to say. 'I need you' went left unsaid.
Yoda glanced at him, and smiled.
Obi-Wan ducked his head, as if he were an initiate being scolded by the venerable Master Yoda for the first time.
"Need me, you do not. Before me, the Order existed, after me, the Order shall exist. Fear not, Obi-Wan, alone, you never are." Yoda then hopped off his chair, patted Obi-Wan on the leg, and then hobbled out of the room.
Obi-Wan also left the room, and went to stare out a window into the vast emptiness of space.
Despite Yoda's comforting words, Obi-Wan felt lost.
Loneliness gripped at his psyche, and he placed a hand on the cold window.
"Master…Qui-Gon. I need your counsel. Now, more than ever." Obi-Wan muttered to himself.
"Oh Obi, you only needed to ask." A sad, calm voice said from behind.
"Master?!" Obi-Wan turned around, but there was nothing there.
Slumping his shoulders, Obi-Wan turned back to the window, but what he saw surprised him.
Hovering just outside was a blue apparition of his master.
"It has been too long, Obi, I've watched you grow into a fine man. I am proud of you."
"Master, it really is you!" Obi-Wan took a knee, relief hit him as he sensed fatherly love coming from the ghost.
"No need for that now. Let's go on a stroll, we have much to discuss." Qui-Gon phased into the building, and walked besides Obi-Wan.
Wiping away a tear, Obi-Wan found himself smiling for the first time since Order 66.
Perhaps there was hope yet.
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AN: Writing in Yoda gave me migraine it did.
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