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Chapter Text

The republic is in shambles.

Fire and soot still burn the back of Obi Wan’s throat as he types in the coordinates for Aldearaan into the old ship’s map. Years of meditation had trained Obi Wan for moment’s like this, moments where he feels the wild need to gasp for breath as he struggled to breath against his own crippling worries, so his breath comes out calm and even.

Practiced, perfected.

He hadn’t sat down in hours, refusing outright when the medical droid had offered him a seat, but now the adrenaline was running off. The aches and pains of fighting, of running and twisting, of loss echoed in his body. Still he refused to sit in the pilot seat as the vessel lurched into space. He could sit when all this was over.

A small cooing sound called out through the empty expanse of the ship. The ship itself was small, made to carry three people. The amount of people that were supposed to walk away from Mustafar. However, when left all alone, the ship seemed larger than it was. The metal belly of the vessel seemed to take noises and amplify them, somehow echoing the silence and the rapid pace of Obi Wan’s heart.

He felt like a droid, programmed to obey as he forced himself to take a step, and then another towards the sound. The hypothesizing hum of the ship's engine masking his footsteps.

Before him was the last remnants of two people he loved very much. In what was little more than a basket, the only thing the medical droid seemed to have to carry the children, laid two babies.

One seemed asleep, clinging on to the others tiny fingers, while one laid awake.

The childs brown eyes didn’t seem afraid of the metallic sterile environment, instead her eyes seemed to search everywhere and anywhere. When they landed on Obi Wan her little head tilted to the side, as if to get a better look at him.

Obi Wan simply stood and met the baby's eyes.

He was trained to be a warrior, to be a Jedi knight and then a master. He was taught to expertly maneuver battlefields, to negotiate to save lives, to move and work with the force in tandem.

He was never trained to care for babies.

He had once cared for a child. A wonderful, angry, troubled child that he had found himself loving despite everything. He hadn’t been prepared to care for that child, but he had done it.

Yet this was different.

Because back then the name Skywalker hadn’t meant anything to him.

Now it meant the galaxy.

Obi Wan felt frozen staring at the baby girl. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t seem to figure out what to do. She was His. She was His daughter. And he had failed Him.

Yet the girl hardly seemed to be aware of the tragedy she had been born into, instead she giggled softly, her baby attention turning to focusing on her brother's hand.

Obi Wan hated the feeling of relief that flooded through him once her gaze was no longer on him.

He couldn’t get attached to the twins. He had a mission, a duty, a final promise to his friend. The girl was to go to Alderaan, the boy would go to Tatooine. They would be safer there, safer away from him. Safer from the destruction that his hands caused.

And then what would happen to him? What would he then do next?

Obi Wan didn’t know. He didn’t feel that it mattered much.

How had he gotten here? How had he allowed for all of this to happen? Everything Obi Wan knew was gone. The republic, the Jedi Order, the peace he thought he had created. The Clone War was over, but what had replaced it? An empire? An empire of what? Of lies? Of betrayal?

Obi Wan could feel his hands tremble. He felt rooted to his spot above the children, frozen as the past twelve hours, the past decade seemed to crash around him.
His padawan, his friend, his brother, gone. Burnt at Obi Wan’s hands, left to die on Obi Wan’s command, crying in pain, in anguish, at Obi Wan’s actions. It was his fault. His failure. Obi Wan could feel his breath turned ragged, the fear, the panic, rising above years of training. He felt like he was suffocating, felt like he had been sucked into the dry expanse of space, a sadistic punishment for his shortcomings.

A small ping broke through Obi Wan’s thoughts. A second ping, and then a third, was enough to cause the man to pause.

Turning his head, Obi Wan looked towards the cockpit, suddenly realizing the tears that had started to blur his vision. The holo transmitter was blinking blue, a tiny metallic sound rang every few seconds. A transmission.

Who would send a transmission?

Tentatively Obi Wan moved forward, assessing the blinking command center. He pressed a button, receiving the communication. Not a holo message, not a video, a simple string of basic words.
“Stronghold’s breached.”

It took a few moments of rolling the words over Obi Wan’s tongue to realize what they meant. His eye’s rushed to see the sender of the message, a familiar call sign. A call sign he had almost forgotten due to the chaos of the past month.

It sent a sharp pain through his chest.

The call sign was Mandalorian in nature.

He didn’t need to know anymore to know who it was from.

The smell of burnt flesh is a smell Obi Wan had become familiar with over the war. It was a smell he despised, a smell that sunk into his robes and held fast. Mustafar and its pain seemed to still cling to Obi Wan yet now the smell reminded him of another occasion entirely.

The smell of burning flesh and silk. The weight of the strongest woman he knew in his arms. Her blonde hair messy, her light blue eyes focused only on him, her blue tunic turning sticky with blood.

If he had closed his eyes and held his breath, he might have been able to imagine a different life. A life where he could hold Satine in his arms and pepper her with kisses as she laughed in protest. A life where he had walked away before everything could turn to ash. A life where they might have been happy.

“We have a daughter.” The words cut sharp. Obi Wan had struggled to take them in, too focused on stopping the bleeding, too focused on Maul circling the two, ready to pounce like a beast on his prey. Satine had grabbed his hand, forcing him to look at her. Her face was stricken, he was sure she could feel the pain, that even as she was dying she could feel the hole in her chest, yet she showed no sign. “Find her, Obi Wan.”

She had whispered that she loved him, that she had never stopped.

A bunch of good that ever did her.

Obi Wan had been persistent. The following days he had hardly slept until he had tracked down every one of Satine’s secrets. Cody had helped him, he never asked a single question, perhaps he should have.

Obi Wan had tracked Satine’s movements prior to Maul’s attack. He found a stronghold, an old house of Vizsla that Satine had visited often. He wasn’t sure what he was going to walk into, he wasn’t sure what any Vizsla would have to do with his daughter.

He expected to find a group of Death Watch soldiers, a group of Palace guards, Mandalorian warriors of any variety. Instead he found a single woman.

The woman had dark hair and a pale complexion. She wore little armor but a silver blue tunic and in her arms was a baby. The woman looked Obi Wan up and down, he couldn’t have looked well put together, running on little to no rest and he hadn’t had found time to get rid of the ash and blood that covered his skin.

“You’re late.” Was all she said.

With a quick turn, the woman disappeared into the home, beckoning Obi Wan to follow.

He had learned a lot over the woman’s kitchen table.

The woman’s name was Runa. She had defected from the Vizsla clan, instead siding with Satine, her childhood friend. But the woman did not interest Obi Wan, the child in her arms did.

The baby was so small. When Satine had told him they had a daughter he had expected an adult woman, a child conceived during Satine and Obi Wan’s time on the run. A child born of young love and mistakes that Obi Wan struggled to bring himself to call mistakes.

But this child was not an adult, she was hardly more than a newborn.

“You must have many questions.” Runa’s voice was Mandalorian, sharp and rough but sung like a battle chant. Obi Wan noticed how Runa sat in a protective manner, shielding the sleeping girl from him as Runa sipped tea.

“How?” Was all Obi Wan could fathom.

Runa raised an eyebrow before smirking. “I think you know how.”

Obi Wan hated the heat that flourished over his cheeks and ears. “When then?”

Runa sighed. “She realized some time soon after you left after one of your missions.”

“Which one?”

“I don’t know. Which visit could have led to a child?” Runa bit back before taking a sip from her mug. Obi Wan couldn’t tell if he was relieved that Runa seemed to dance around the subject or annoyed at how she avoided it.

There were a few nights where he and Satine had…relished in their younger days. Evenings that had started with passion that neither had wanted to address, turned to nights of refusals to talk about their feelings, forbidden to, even behind closed doors, leading to a desire to simply feel, to simply love in the only way they felt they could. If they claimed there were no feelings attached, then there were no attachments. No worries. No rules broken.

It always ended with awkward mornings of realizations and mourning of what they had lost so long ago. One would wake before the other, often Obi Wan as it had turned out, and stare at the person that could have been their lifeline in another universe. They would study the person, memorizing every detail, every crease or dimple, Satine would memorize Obi Wan’s grey hairs, Obi Wan would memorize Satine’s unpainted lips, and then the early riser would slip out of the room and return to their duties as if nothing had ever happened.

Looking back, Obi Wan realized there was a good amount of opportunity for a child to be conceived.

“She didn’t tell me.” Obi Wan stated instead of divulging this information to Runa. The mandalorian still had a stoic expression, one the great negotiator couldn’t quite read.

“No.” The small girl started to stir, mindlessly Runa rocked the small child in her arms. “She wanted to, if that's any consolation. She chose to protect you in the end.”

“That was my choice to make.”

“Maybe it was. She still made the choice. It wasn’t easy on her by any means.”

“What do you mean?”

Obi Wan could not tell if Runa was glaring at him or it was simply her expression.

“Forgive me, Kenobi. May I remind you that Satine’s parliament had been riddled with Death Watch sympathizers and members? That her sister had defected to join a terrorist group? The poor woman hardly had any friends besides diplomacy.” Runa let out a breath before sliding back in her chair. “She was alone. There was no one she could trust, no one she could turn to.”

Obi Wan wanted to shout that he could have been there, that he could have helped her, but he thought that would be pointless. It wouldn’t have changed Satine’s decisions, after all his love was now cold to the touch.

“It’s surprisingly easy to hide a pregnancy when you're known for interesting fashion choices.” Runa offered. It seemed like a joke, at least a poor attempt at one. “She gave birth alone about a month ago, only a midwife and a few handmaid's knew.”

“And what was her plan?” Obi Wan asked, just now realizing that Runa had placed a mug of tea in front of him sometime in the last few minutes.

“To raise her daughter in secret. She knew Death Watch was a threat, she knew they would come for her and her daughter. It was decided I would raise her while Satine focused on Mandalore. Satine would visit often, and eventually, when it was safe, she would announce her daughter to the public.” Runa was still rocking the little one back and forth, however her pose seemed to instinctively hide the child from Obi Wan’s sight.

“A month ago?” Obi Wan asked, the first part of the conversation finally processing in his head. “She gave birth a month ago?”

“Yes.” Runa answered curtly. “She is a month old.”

Runa seemed to pause, she looked Obi Wan up and down and then looked back to the girl in her arms. As if it took a lot of effort, Runa opened up her pose and stood up, taking a few steps to Obi Wan before offering the small baby for Obi Wan to hold.

Hesitantly Obi Wan reached out, suddenly aware of his hands. How big they seemed compared to the child, yet the baby didn’t seem to mind. The child remained asleep, stirring ever so slightly to nuzzle deeper to Obi Wan’s hold.

Looking at his daughter, Obi Wan couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotions. His chest seemed to hurt, the same sort of pain that had plagued him for the past few days every time he thought of Satine, but a new pain as well. A sharp cold stab that seemed to bring tears to his eyes.

His daughter.

His blood.

His last remnants of Satine.

The baby was small but their cheeks were chubby, healthy he thought. She was swaddled in a dark greenish blue wrap that had sleeves built in, small golden details traced the hem and cuffs of the sleeves. Wisps of ginger gold hair had started to grow, still short and curled tightly.

For a while that was all Obi Wan could do, hold and look at his daughter. He felt as if he was holding his breath, afraid that if he breathed out too hard his daughter would disappear, turned to ash.

“What’s her name?” Was all Obi Wan could get out, a quiet whisper from the great speaker.

“Satine named her Senaara. After-” Runa had started to say.

“The Mando'a word for bird.” Obi Wan finished the thought, still in awe of the little baby in his arms. “Senaara Kryze.”

At that Senaara opened her eyes, drowsily and through a yawn. Light blue eyes met Obi Wan’s, eyes just like the ones that refused to leave his own a few days ago. At that moment Obi Wan knew he would do anything for the small child in his grasp.

The euphoria did not last long, a knock at the door pulled Runa away for a moment, but she was back soon enough, yelling as a flash of blue amour forced her way into the dwelling. Obi Wan instinctively stood, one arm holding his daughter into the crook of his arm, the other rested on the hilt of his lightsaber.

The intruder quickly pulled off her Nite Owl helmet, revealing her flaming red hair and scowl. Runa continued to yell, claiming that Bo Katan ought to leave, that she ought to go after the damage she caused, but Bo did not seem to care or notice the other woman.

Instead she beelined for Obi Wan, stopping a few paces before him, her eyes scanning and landing on the prize.

“Is that her?” Bo Katan’s powerful voice had been reduced to a whisper.

“How do you know about her?” Runa spat, pushing herself in front of Obi Wan.

“Satine left a message in case of her…” Bo Katan trailed off, still too focused on the small baby in Obi Wan’s arms. Obi Wan twisted, thinking of Runa as he kept Senaara farther from Bo. “It doesn’t matter. I’m here for my niece.”

“You’ll be disappointed then.” Runa answered. “It is Satine’s will that I raise Senaara unless Kenobi decides to.”

At this Obi Wan looked up. Satine didn’t trust him enough to tell him of their daughter, but she trusted him enough to raise her in her absence? Obi Wan looked down at the girl, she was still awake, silent and curious. He had never imagined himself as a father, he was never supposed to, but now, looking down at Senaara? The idea felt good. Felt like hope.

“He’s a Jedi.” Bo Katan retorted. “His kind don’t have kids.”

Right. The reason he had never allowed himself to think of himself as a father. The Jedi order, the code, the rules. To become a father would be to walk away from the order, to walk away from everything he knew.

“Then I will raise Senaara.” Runa shrugged, as if the fate of her future and Senaara’s wasn’t troubling for her. “It is Satine’s will.”

“What will it be Kenobi?” Bo pushed past Runa, the other woman cursing under her breath as she did, “You're not fit to raise a kid, you're not going to walk away from the order either. You’ll be the coward you always were.”

Obi Wan knew these were fighting words, words meant to enrage him, to bait him, but all Obi Wan could think about was that Bo was right. The war raged on, the republic was struggling, the order needed him. Yet here in his arms was a young girl who might need him just as much.

“If this got out, you would be over Kenobi.” Bo hissed. “So make the right choice.”

“Whatever choice he makes, will be fine.” Runa sighed, seemingly exasperated.

“Senaara is the heir to Mandalore, the choice he makes will affect the rest of this planet and its people. Senaara belongs with her people”

It had suddenly occurred to Obi Wan that he hadn’t said anything the entire time Bo had been there. It occurred to him how odd that must seem, yet all his speech seemed to have left him once his daughter was in his arms.

Bo’s words forced reality back onto the Jedi. The galaxy was at war, Obi Wan was a Jedi, the war needed Jedi. Senaara was a product of forbidden actions. There was no world in which Obi Wan could walk out of the Viszla home without destroying someone’s future, his own or his daughters.

Gently, Obi Wan readjusted his daughter, holding her to his chest so the drowsy baby could hear his heartbeat. He rubbed the little baby’s back, a soothing motion that he wasn’t sure if it was for him or his daughters benefit.

“You can keep her safe?” Obi Wan’s voice was hardly a whisper, his eyes never leaving Senaara’s head. Before Bo could answer, Runa stepped forward, her gaze serious.

“I made a promise to Satine. If needed I would give my life for the child.”

Obi Wan weighed the answer in his mind. He knew the choice he was going to make, the correct choice, the analytic choice, the one he was trained to make, but for a moment he liked to pretend he was unsure. That there was a possibility he walked away with his daughter in his arms.

But he knew that could never happen. The ramifications, the order, what would they think? Not to mention Bo was right, Senaara was the heir to Mandalore, the next in line for Mandalore sovereignty. How could he take the baby in his arms away from her home?

For a moment it was nice to pretend.

Obi Wan had left soon after, placing a final kiss to Senaara’s pale forehead, gaining a giggle from the tiny bundle. Runa had reaffirmed her promise, and had reminded him that if he were to change his mind, she was open for discussion. Bo had leaned on the kitchen counter, a smug smirk on her lips, it disappeared when Runa told her to leave, stating that she was Senaara’s guardian and did not want a terrorist in her home.

Obi Wan left before the two women could fight.

Walking away felt like pulling away from a bind, a cufflink that tied him to the house, each step broke bones and stretched skin.

Somehow it was still easier than walking away from Mustafar.

“Stronghold’s breached.”

The message blinked back at Obi Wan, pulling him back from the present, away from the last moments with his daughter.

That had been two months ago.

Has it really only been two months?

The crushing weight of time seemed to land its bony body on Obi Wan’s shoulders. Happily content beside the growing anxiety that clung to his chest.

The message had to be from Runa.

Obi Wan looked back at the twins. The girl had fallen asleep beside her brother. The two looked peaceful, innocent. He needed to get them home, he needed to get them to safety. He made a promise to himself, to Padme, and to Him.

But Obi Wan would not lose another person.

Without realizing what he was doing, Obi Wan deleted the Alderaan coordinates, typing in the coordinates to Mandalore. From what he heard Mandalore had been involved with a battle prior to the fall of the republic, Ahsoka had been sent there.

Oh Force, Ahsoka.

He couldn’t think about her now.

The ship lurched as it redirected, Obi Wan left the co-pilot switch on, still refusing to sit as he walked back to the twins. He had realized suddenly that he hadn’t been referring to their names as he thought of them. It felt easier that way. Less personal. They were a mission, a promise, a last redemption.

He had to succeed.

-

The ship touched down on the rocky terrain, a rough landing but Obi Wan couldn’t complain. The twins bassinet hadn’t moved thanks to the force as the rest of the cargo hold shook.

Obi Wan knew something was wrong as soon as the all too familiar smell of ash hit him as the tarmac lowered.

Ahead of him the Viszla home was burning. Large portions of the stone walls had seemingly been blasted to pieces, the once tall columns crumbled as ash rose and flames danced across the foundations.

Obi Wan didn’t look back. Quickly closing the tarmac behind him, he raced into the chill damp atmosphere. The crumbling foundation held little resemblance to the home Obi Wan had remembered, the small kitchen that he had met his daughter in was nothing more than stone and fire, the sitting room he had passed through was only marked with burning tapestries.

Obi Wan’s mind raced. Where were they? Where was his daughter?

A shallow cough broke his train of thought. Spinning around Obi Wan found Runa, half buried under a slab of stone, blood trickling from a gash on her head, her black hair pulled back haphazardly.

Within a moment Obi Wan had the stone lifted and floated away, revealing Senaara, slightly larger than when he last saw her, hidden in the folds of Runa’s clothes. The relief that crashed through Obi Wan’s body was enough to make him stumble as he ran to Runa and his daughter.

Runa was awake, but her legs did not look good, having been crushed under the wall. They were hidden under wrapped cloth, but the cloth had long turned sticky with blood. She still smiled at Obi Wan as he kneeled before her.

“You’re late again.” Runa broke into a coughing fit, blood spraying from her mouth. Obi Wan tried to speak but she cut him off. “You need to go. Now.”

Runa lifted the baby, who promptly started to wail at being moved. Runa whispered sweet reassurances, trying desperately to get Senaara to quiet down. Senaara, as if picking up on the destruction all around her, didn’t want to quiet. Obi Wan could see the tears start to gather in Runa’s eyes.

“Death Watch came. Take her and go. It’s not safe.” Runa’s voice was firm even if her gaze never left Senaara. She handed the baby to Obi Wan who took his wailing daughter into his hands carefully, as if she might break. Senaara’s cries did not cease but they seemed to quiet in her father’s arms.

“I’m not leaving you behind.” Obi Wan tried to argue, leaning down to scoop Runa up from under her shoulder. Runa pushed him away however, breaking into another coughing fit.

“I can’t walk. Go.” Runa hissed, her voice hoarse.

Before Obi Wan could fight her again, there was a hole in Runa’s head. The bang hardly registered in Obi Wan’s head, the ringing sending aftershock through his ears like the spray of blood that covered his face and his daughter's once blue swaddle. Senaara started to cry louder, back to her wailing. Whatever comfort Obi Wan had offered was now gone as her pseudo mothers head dropped down, the red burns starting to leak sticky blood down the woman’s sharp face.

The stronghold had been breached. It was not safe.

Obi Wan broke into a run, one hand holding his daughter to his chest, the other hand holding his lightsaber as he rushed to the ship, deflecting stray blasts from what must have been a Mandalorian in the wreckage.

It didn’t take long to get the ship in the air, piloting it at speed Obi Wan didn’t know were capable for such a small vessel, but nonetheless he left the Mandalorian atmosphere in haste, careful to make sure he wasn’t followed. He jumped the ship into hyperspace, although he wasn’t sure where to go.

In his arms was his daughter, now whimpering. In the cargo hold was a bassinet with the twins, still sleeping unaware of the danger they had escaped.

Once the autopilot was reenaged and the ship steadily hummed through space, Obi Wan found himself back in front of the bassinet.

Three children. Two newborns. One three month old.

Two that belonged to two people he loved very much, one that belonged to him and a woman he had loved all his life.

And he was all the three had.

Slowly Obi Wan lowered himself to the floor, tightly holding his daughter in his arms as if he might lose her. Senaara kept crying, a small shrill call. It reminded him of a bird. For a silent moment Obi Wan wondered if that was why Satine had named her Senaara, if Satine had heard their daughters cries and thought of the flying creature and wished for that freedom for her child.

He held his daughter into the crook of his neck, his beard gently brushing across his daughter's forehead as he tried to replicate Runa’s final act, whispers of reassurance, of love, of promise.

He kept his eyes on the twins, now eye level to the top of their crib. They seemed to be about to wake every time Senaara’s cries got louder than before, yet they never did. This left Obi Wan playing a horrible game of balance, of trying to quiet his daughter while making sure the twins wouldn’t stir. It suddenly hit Obi Wan once again that he had no experience with children. That he did not know how to care for the daughter in her arms, let alone the twins that were in front of him.

He could take the twins to where they needed to go. He could take the girl to Aldearaan, he could take the boy to Tatoinne. He could run from Senaara, finding an ally who could take her in, and could raise her better than he ever could. He could find Bo Katan, but then again Mandalore was no longer safe.

Yet sitting here, as Senaara’s cries turned to whimpers and the boy stirred in the bassinet, Obi Wan couldn’t imagine leaving the children anywhere where he wasn’t with them.

Careful not to wake them, Obi Wan picked up the boy and then the girl. He lowered himself against the wall, finally sitting as he held the three children. Each twin in a crook of his elbow and his daughter on his chest. The twins kept sleeping, his daughter laid awake, yet now silent, her ear to his chest as if she was just now remembering his heart beat.

He couldn’t abandon them.

He couldn’t take them to Aldearaan, to Tatooine, to Mandalore.

He couldn’t lose them too.

And so, on the floor of the vessel that was supposed to save his family, Obi Wan found a new one. Three children that needed him as much as he needed them.

Senaara, Luke, and Leia.

Chapter Text

He doesn’t know how he does it.

The empire’s takeover upset a lot of the galactic system. Families fled from their homes, villages became ghost towns, newcomers moved in, taking up residence on well hidden graves.

The moon Corun is no exception. The desolate rock, often damp and dry, covered in dry grass. Storms roll through the valleys dailey. Good for farming and the occasional mine, but mostly forgotten by the larger galaxy. A small moon in the outer rim. A perfect place to disappear.

Obi Wan pilots the ship during a rainstorm. He takes down in an abandoned field.

Perhaps if this had been before the fall of the republic, Obi Wan might have cared more about where he would land, care more about what moon or planet he would attempt to hide on. It’s no matter anymore. Corun was close, it was easy, it was mostly deserted.

The ship feels naked not in a hangar or docking station, but Obi Wan knows the storm is too strong for any danger to be present. The lashing rain and low hanging clouds are enough of a cover for the time being.

The man has other things to focus on.

He gives the babies a last look, Senaara had finally calmed down between the twins in their bassinet, before descending off the ship into the storm. He doesn’t feel any life around him, the force hums content with the rain and foliage but no intelligent life.

Obi Wan pushes forward, ignoring how heavy his robes grow from the rain, and finds the home that must have once owned the field he had landed in. The home is abandoned, desolate, but the walls hold strong and from what he can see, there are no leaks. The fireplace is damp but he can build a fire and the cobwebs tell him that it’s been awhile since anyone was here, no one is coming back.

Obi Wan knows it’s more logical to move the children one at a time. He is only one person after all and the wind and rain is relentless, but the moment he steps back on the ship, he can’t imagine departing from the tiny things again. Instead he calls on memories, refugee twi’leks who would wrap their babies to their chest and back.

Quickly, he undoes his belt wrap, slips off the long part of his robe and wraps the twins to his chest and back. The babies protest at first but settle down once again, the rain hitting the metal of the ship gently ushering them to sleep. He holds Senaara in his arms, the little one hasn’t fallen asleep yet, hasn’t since he’s started holding her. Her blue eyes scan Obi Wan silently. He doesn’t know what to do about it.

He carries them into the home and places each one down, carefully unwrapping the twins. He feels thankful for a moment that the twins are so sleepy before wondering if that’s a bad thing. What if they're sick? What if he’s missed something?

Senaara yawns and watches him. He offers her a smile and she smiles sleepily. At three months she is bigger than the twins but not a lot. Obi Wan’s mind starts to work on a cover story if he’s questioned, spinning scenarios and possibilities in his mind.

Senaara starts to babble, reaching for Obi Wan. He doesn’t know what to do but oblige the girl, picking her up and holding her back in his arms. She feels right there. She continues to babble, small chirps and clicks. Just like a bird.

It suddenly hits Obi Wan that the children are going to need food. Not just food, but formula. Both of their mothers are gone and he might not know very much about babies but he knows enough to know they need nutrients like any other species.

He feels very stupid when he considers that he never thought of that.

Obi Wan makes quick work of the house. He cleans and rearranges, taking a forgotten mattress and cutting it, building frames to make makeshift cradles. He finds what food was left in the house and quickly discards it, the mold long since crept in.

As much as he hates to wait, he waits till the storm passes to find the nearest village. He thanks the force as he gazes into the fields, still heavily coated in fog, disguising his shabby ship as he walks out in the fields, the twins strapped to his chest and his back, Senaara in his arms.

The village is quiet but he finds what he needs, the credits he still has from the ship come in use as he purchases formula, nearly forgetting that he also needs to eat, only reminded by the low rumbling in his stomach.

The locals eye him warily but no one approaches him or asks many questions. Maybe the babbling babies scared them off?

The next few days don’t feel real. Jedi training, war missions, and battle planning sessions could never have prepared him for the hell that taking care of three babies could bring. Once Leia is asleep, Luke gets lonely, crying and crying till Leia will wake, but by then Luke has tired himself out and will fall asleep leading to Leia getting upset and the cycle begins again. Not to mention Senaara who still refuses to sleep, and will start wailing at any noise too loud for her to handle. The children need to be fed, they need to be held, they need to be rocked and loved and handled.

The twins take to formula, Senaara does not. She fusses and cries, pushing the bottle away, Obi Wan starts to wonder if Senaara had some special Mandalorian formula beforehand that she still remembers for being better.

Obi Wan’s once pristine robes are covered in wrinkles, in baby spit, and tears. He hardly has time to reflect on the days that lead up to this, he only has time to worry about the babies. He hardly sleeps, he hardly eats. He moves on command, not as a Jedi Knight, but perhaps as a father.

Corun likes to storm, Obi Wan learned that quickly.

Rain pours and attacks the house, pattering soft lullabies for the children to listen to. The twins and Senaara love the music the rain makes, when it rains they sleep better. But if thunder rolls through the clouds, Senaara screams and cries. It upsets the twins, they don’t like the sound of screaming. Obi Wan hates the realization that when storms roll through he needs to separate the kids.

It happened to be a night like that when a storm settled its angry head around their pasture. Rain pelted the stone walls, the rhythmic song of rain cascading on the roof was lulling Obi Wan’s eyes to close, even as he fought to keep them open. He had Leia in his arms, he had Luke asleep in her crib, and Senaara lay awake in her own crib in the other room.

Separated for the storm, Senaara seemed to babble looking for a response, her soft coos and chirps quiet against the storm.

Leia, still awake, had caused a ruckus before Obi Wan could tell she was hungry. Screaming and crying, Obi Wan found himself trying to argue with her, promising her things that she couldn’t even understand. The great negotiator found himself begging a few week old. He now bounced her gently as she sucked from a bottle, her tiny hands grasping and failing to hold onto Obi Wan’s hands.

It was moment’s like this, where the house was almost silent, that caused Obi Wan to think. He didn’t like thinking anymore.

It always brought him back to three places, Sundari’s throne room, Mustafar, and beside Padme’s bedside. They weren’t pleasant places to be.

A flash of white quickly leaked through the windows. Lightning was on the horizon, which meant a roll of thunder was near.

Obi Wan started to stand, careful to adjust Leia in his hands as he prepared for the booming echo and the shrill cry of his daughter.

Predictably, thunder boomed, a large cacophony of sound carried itself through the home. A moment of silence before Senaara’s cry broke through the air. Obi Wan was already in her room, trying to shush her and lift her up into his other arm, a task he was surprisingly clumsy at.

Leia’s bottle slipped from his grasp as he lifted Senaara up. He was able to catch the bottle with the force before it hit the floor, but the disconnect from the formula was enough for Leia to start to pout.

“Shhh, shhh sen’ika.” Obi Wan tried to soothe his daughter as she cried and cried, her blue eyes closed for once as she wailed. He had tried to start speaking mand’oa to her when he could.

“Come on, you're going to wake Luke.”

Leia started to scowl at the loud noise beside her. Obi Wan tried to figure out if he should put Leia down and risk her screaming at him, or keep her in his arms and also risk her screaming at him.

Gently he started to rock the both of them, desperate to quiet one while keeping the other from crying as well.

A second roll of thunder comes through the valley, it pains Obi Wan to watch Senaara’s eyes widen before she cries even louder. Leia starts to twist in his grasps, she starts fussing. Suddenly Luke’s cry calls out from the other end of the house. It takes everything in Obi Wan to not cry.

He never used to cry. When he was younger, sure, but you learn quickly in the Jedi Order to control your emotions. He’s felt an extreme need to cry in the past few days, pushed down only by the robotic need to care for the kids.

But at this moment? As he finds himself sitting next to Luke’s crib, Leia in his lap, whining and fussing, begging for attention, Senaara wailing on his chest, held by his left arm, some traumatic reaction he can only guess was from Runa’s death and her home getting destroyed, Luke sniffling quietly in the crook of his right arm, seemingly just upset by the fact that the two other babies are upset.

It’s taking everything in Obi Wan to keep breathing. To keep looking forward, to keep mumbling sweet words to the kids.

That’s when he sees it.

The mug on the table, half filled with cold tea that he meant to drink and never got to.

It’s shaking. Not just that, it's floating ever so slightly. Shaking and floating.

That’s the final straw.

Obi Wan had accepted that he was going to raise these children alone.

He accepted that he was going to be alone, that he was going to struggle.

He accepted that the world had fallen apart, that the pain he had would follow him.

Yet he had still been in denial.

He knew that for sure now.

He knew it from the moment he held Senaara. From the moment he held Luke and Leia. It didn’t matter which one was doing it now, connecting to the force, manipulating the force, using it.

Children born from powerful Jedi, being born with power. It did not seem far fetched. Could the force be genetic? Obi Wan didn’t care.

Tears started streaming down his cheeks as a small smile came to his lips. He didn’t know why he was smiling when fear wrecked his body. Why he felt warm while the cold of guilt and realization crawled through his chest. The children would be hunted, they would be in danger. To be a Jedi was dangerous now. Senaara was in danger already, a Mandalorian heir stolen from Mandalore, the twins were safer, both parents dead, but their legacy could hang a person in a second.

Obi Wan sat there, feeling like an old man. How old was he? The idea of age seemed so foreign to him. He was young, he knew that. Thirty five. That was how old he was. The number came to him as he felt a sob rack through his chest. He held the three babies closer, cradling them the best he could. As he forced himself to breathe.

His breath came ragged and short. Desperate and obsessive as he felt his face wet with tears that he could not stop. His heart beat raced and suddenly he couldn’t hear the sound of the rain or the children crying, just his own racing heart and quickened breathing.

Everything he tried to ignore came back at a rushing speed. The fire, the pain, the loss. The entire order was gone, every kinda smile that had passed him in the temple hallways, every child who laughed as they played with training sabers, ever master who had sat on the council, all dead at the hands of the clones, at the hands of separatists, of the empire, at the hands of…Him.
The closest thing Obi Wan had ever had to a family, the order, was gone, and with it the family he did have. Their names felt so foreign now, so far away. All either dead or dead to the world. Cody turned against him with the flick of a switch, Padme dead at the hands of husband…god her husband, Ahsoka lost to the galaxy, and Him.

Obi Wan had killed Him.

He had died and burned at Obi Wan’s hands. He was going crazy, he had turned, fueled by the dark side, fueled by hate, but it was still Obi Wan’s hands that had killed Him.

Obi Wan couldn’t bring himself to whisper the name, couldn’t bring himself to even think about it. It hurt too much.

Obi Wan felt like he was suffocating, gasping for air at the damp chill of the home. He could feel his face contort as he tried to breath, as he tried to stop the tears that refused to stop running. He felt powerless. He was tired. He was worn.

How could he think he could do this?

A small hand reached for his beard suddenly, causing Obi Wan to look down. Luke, with his little blue eyes looked right into his own, tiny hands fumbling with the uncut strands of beard that he could reach. Obi Wan paused long enough, thrown off by the action, to realize the children weren’t crying anymore.

Leia was asleep in his lap, she had tucked herself into his chest. Luke watched him with careful eyes while Senaara laid her head on his chest, her ear to his heart beat. A heartbeat he knew was still racing. Carefully Obi Wan pulled the kids closer, holding them closer as if they would disappear.

Luke yawned and nuzzled into the crook of Obi Wan’s neck, closing his eyes as he did. Senaara didn’t close her eyes but she yawned and cuddled in as Obi Wan’s breath slowed. Obi Wan, with his hands full, couldn’t wipe his tears, but he did close his eyes.

He fell asleep for the first time in days.

Chapter Text

It took a few months on Corun, but Obi Wan found a rhythm.

At dawn, when the dew covered the fields and the storm clouds had dispersed from the night before, he would wake. Without waking the babies, he would leave the small room he had put back together, walking outside to the small garden he planned to fix up once he could, and he would sit and watch the sun rise.

Closing his eyes, he would find the last bit of normalcy from the time before, a time that seemed farther and farther away with every passing day. He would meditate, feeling the force flow through and around him. He would feel the breeze on his neck, gently playing with his unkempt hair, he would feel the roots of plants that he was yet to discover in the garden, he would feel the children's sleeping breathe, and eventually when the sun had found its way above the mountains to the north, he would feel his daughter waking.

Senaara would always wake before the twins, and she would always take the longest to fall asleep. The young baby never seemed content to just sleep, or to rest, and thus she was always Obi Wan’s sign that his meditation was over.

Senaara wouldn’t cry. She was content to just stare at the ceiling, playing with the small tufts of scrap Obi Wan had been able to sew into something that resembled a tooka. Yet Obi Wan hated leaving her alone.

He would slip back into the home, pick up his daughter with gentle hands as she would burble back at him nonsense as he shushed her for the twins sake. He would wrap her to his chest, to free his hands, as he moved around the small kitchen.

Most mornings he would give himself the gift of a cup of caf. The beans on Corun were quite bitter, one would say even sour, but Obi Wan didn’t mind too much. The small ritual of grinding the beans and placing them in the little junk machine the house had come with, while his daughter told him nonsense about what he could only imagine was her dreams, came to mean more than any good cup of caf could ever.

Once the caf was done, he would make a bottle of formula for the little girl and the two would drink together.

Soon after, one or both of the twins were cooing or crying, allowing for the rest of the day to start.

Obi Wan knew that soon he would need to do something to get more credits. The babies were not anywhere close to being off formula, and he had no way of making that from scratch. He had gained a large array of skills through his time as a Jedi, making him an invaluable asset to whatever job he may choose.Yet the issue would always be concealing the fact that he had once been a Jedi.

That and the fact that Obi Wan couldn’t bear to be alone from the kids for too long.

In the meantime, Obi Wan tried not to think of the future. The future seemed to be too fickle to be thought of for too long. Whatever you could imagine or want it to be, the future had a way of twisting into something entirely different.

Instead his mornings were spent feeding the twins their bottles while Senaara babbled in her crib. Afterwards he would let the children lay on mat he had been able to trade for. It was a soft , squishy thing, made of some sort of foam. Obi Wan would scatter different toys for the children and he would let them explore as they wished.

Luke would often refuse to crawl around, instead deciding to lay on the mat, staring at the ceiling, or whining as he crossed his little arms. On the bad days, Luke would start to cry, apparently the thought of being separated from Obi Wan for too long, being a thought that he could not live through.

This meant that during “mat time”, Obi Wan normally had to swoop in and hold Luke. However after a few weeks, something miraculous happened.

Leia, who had enjoyed “mat time”, finding the toys, even if they were just scraps of fabric and carved woods, incredibly enjoyable, had taken notice of her brother’s whimpers. Instead of ignoring him, or pouting as she had done days prior, she crawled to him, dropping a carved hound into his chest expectantly.

At first, Luke only looked at the carved piece in shock, before a ring of laughter escaped his lips. Leia would continue to grab the toys and drop them on her brother, who would respond with laughter that felt like relief to Obi Wan.

Senaara started off quietly staying in her corner as she played with her scrap tooka. However it didn’t take long for her to follow the sound of laughter to the twins, joining in on the silly game.
Obi Wan didn’t know why he felt so relieved when the children got along, he just knew that he did. Maybe he feared for some odd reason that he had broken the ability for Skywalkers and Kenobi’s to get along. Watching the three kids giggle together seemed to slowly unspin that fear.

While the children played, Obi Wan found he had a talent for carpentry. While his padawan had been an expert at metal parts and pieces, Obi Wan found that old wood, worn with age and memory, seemed to sing for him. It had started out small, the first day the babies had been occupied for more than three minutes, he found himself fixing up the makeshift cribs he had made.

He had been timid, refixing the boards of wood, rescrewing them together, sanding, shaping, making the once crude crib into a small bassinet. He ended up repeating the action with the other beds, finding the work with his hands oddly soothing. It was good to do something that didn’t involve the children.

Once the bassinets were done, Obi Wan started to carve little toys. Tooka’s, hounds, bantha’s, anything that came to his mind. The small comfort of a slab of wood and a sharpened knife in his hands, helped Obi Wan feel simple.

Simple wasn’t a bad thing. In fact it was welcomed.

Sometimes he fixed the kitchen table, sometimes he redid the headboard of his bed. Whatever it was, it was something to keep him sane when the rest of his life seemed to surround three crying babies.

Around noon he would eat a small meal, sometimes ration bars, sometimes something nice, like jerky, that he bought as a treat from the market. The babies would get another round of formula.

He would take the babies on a walk, as the storm clouds rolled in. Taking his time walking through the valley, each day rotating where each baby ended up, on his back, his chest, or in his arms. Sometimes they would visit the market, Obi Wan was careful on those days.

When he returned, the babies would go down for a nap.

This should have been Obi Wan’s favorite time, silence and peace. No chance of screaming or crying, no formula to be burped onto his robes, no sniffling or pouting. But the absence of the children’s lively spirits, the absence of sound and something to distract him, often weighed heavy in Obi Wan’s mind.

The babies helped him forget everything that had happened. When they slept, and he was left awake staring at the wall, the world's colours dulled once more and he was left with the sickening feeling of guilt that clawed at his chest.

He tried meditating, he tried to work on his wood projects, but they all felt empty without the reassurance of babies giggling in the room over. Obi Wan considered napping alongside the babies but he quickly stopped when it became harder to sleep at night.

Somehow this was the toughest part of the day. Sitting and waiting for the twins to rest.

Waking them up was easy, Senaara, perhaps due to being three months older, perhaps from her lack of love for sleep, often woke up on time. The twins would follow soon after and thus would start the easy afternoon of rain. Before a quiet dinner and sleep.

In the beginning, Obi Wan had slept in accordance with the rules of the house. There was a room for the babies and a room for him. But soon he found himself waking up to nightmares of his own, leading to him moving and falling asleep on the floor of the kids room. The dirt floor started to hurt and thus he soon moved the bassinets to his own room, making the empty room into what he liked to think of as a playroom, or at least the room he put Senaara in when Senaara couldn’t handle the thunderous nights.

It surprised Obi Wan how much personality children who were only a few months old could have.

Leia was stubborn. She would pout when Luke took the wood charm she wanted, she would scowl when Senaara cried too loud, she would cross her arms as if mimicking the father that she would never get to meet.

But even with every face, every cry, every bite, oh yes she was a biter, Obi Wan couldn’t help but see his old friend, Padme, in her. The little girl's hair was coming in, dark rich brown that complimented Leia’s warm brown eyes. Warmth that she got from her mother, and a scowl and stubbornness that she got from her father.

Leia was the most likely to refuse anything out of the three kids, most likely to pick a fight with the other two, the most likely to cry if she didn’t get her way, although Obi Wan hardly ever knew what way she wanted. Obi Wan found himself negotiating with a baby, something he never knew he could do.

The great negotiator meeting his hardest challenge yet, the baby of a diplomat and rebel.

Luke was different. He was happiest when being held by Obi Wan. He didn’t quite care how, if he was simply resting on Obi Wan’s chest, if he was being held, or sitting in the crook of Obi Wan’s arm. If he was being held, he was okay. The minute the connection broke, the boy would start to whimper and cry.

He would never wail, as if too scared to make too much of a noise, but he would look around, with those big blue eyes, and a trembling lip, till Obi Wan scooped him up again or Leia or Senaara cuddled or made him laugh.

Luke’s hair was coming in blonde, just like the blonde that Obi Wan’s padawan had once had. It was clear, in looks, that the boy was going to take after his father, however in personality, he was different. Not quite Padme, not quite as focused, but sensitive and sweet.

Senaara had found her place among the twins. Obi Wan had often found the three in a cuddle pile or all three playing some game that only a baby could understand. Senaara seemed to accept the twins as her own, as an extension of her and Obi Wan could see that in the way Senaara conducted her “mat time”.

When Leia started to pout, Senaara would tap the girl's nose leading to a round of giggles from the brown haired baby. When Luke started to whimper at nap time, Senaara would cuddle closer to him till he fell asleep.

The girl remained hypervigilant. Any sound louder than Obi Wan’s voice was enough to send her into a wailing spiel. Any time she was told to sleep, no matter how many stories Obi Wan’s voice carried, no matter how soft he sang lullabies for her to hear, she would reject sleep, even as her eyelids stayed heavy.

Obi Wan didn’t know many Nabooian lullabies, he didn’t know if Tatoinne had any, but he did know the songs of Mandalore. Story songs that Satine had taught him years and years ago when they were on the run, soft songs that the not yet duchess had sung in order to soothe her shaking hands. Obi Wan had learned them then and had sung them to her as she fell asleep in his arms after hard nights.

They came naturally, so naturally that it scared him as he sang the tunes of war and love to the three children. The song of Cabor the guardian, the mythosaur and the hound, the phantom of the valley. He wasn’t very good at the start, off key and too low. But he found his rhythm.

He knew only one Nabooian lullaby, half the words had faded from memory but that didn’t stop him from humming those parts. He felt he needed to honor Padme in some way, some form. Senaara was Mandalorian but Luke and Leia would always be Nabooian.

The children never minded what he sang or how he sang it, they listened and fell asleep. Obi Wan didn’t take it as a sign his performance was nap worthy. It was time’s like this where he felt he could feel her, just out of his grasp, watching, listening.

Sometimes the breeze would pick up, whistling through the house, like a second voice. He liked to think it was Satine, sitting beside him as he rocked Leia, as he fed Luke, as he patted Senaara. He often wondered if she could be proud of him. Proud of the life he had somehow found.

Maybe this was the life they could have had together if he had stayed, or she had run away with him.

He’d never know now.

All he knew was the three babies in his arms, needed him as much as he needed them.

There would be times where Obi Wan was reminded of the children’s hidden ability. When Senaara cried too loud, the old clay mugs would shake, sometimes shatter. Out of the corner of his eye he would see Leia reach for a toy too far from her gasp, and watch as the toy seemingly moved towards her outstretched hand. He could see it in the way that the birds outside the nursery windows would quiet when Luke looked at them.

For now it was safe. For now Obi Wan remained out of sight from the village, only showing his face to trade or buy food stuff and formula. For the most part no one gave him a second glance. Obi Wan preferred it that way, it was better, safer.

The kids for the most part, never showed anything dangerous when they took their market trips. The babies were much more excited about the new colours, smells and noises rather than revealing themselves as the last of a dying kind.

No one ever asked Obi Wan about the twins or who he was. He often wondered how he would respond if he was ever asked.

Bed time was Obi Wan’s favorite time of the day. It was normally when Corun’s rain clouds, that had spent the day accumulating, broke and let the crash of rain fall upon the house. The pattering of raindrops soothed the children to a quiet peace, allowing for Obi Wan to give the babies formula with little hassle, eat whatever he decided was good enough for dinner, before bringing the children to the nursery.

The four of them would cuddle up, Obi Wan in a chair that he had built himself, Leia and Luke in the crooks of his arms, Senaara on his chest. He would tell them stories, anything he could think of talking about. He knew their minds were too tiny, too small to understand or learn from anything he was saying. He could probably spout nonsense and the kids would still be happy, just enjoying his voice.

It scared him a little, how much the kids held on to him. How much they enjoyed his company. The simple act of hearing his voice was enough to calm the three for bed, lulling them into a serenity that Obi Wan wondered if he had ever felt.

It was through these stories that the three got their nicknames.

It had started with a story of Tatooine, of what Obi Wan remembered of it. He talked of a young blonde boy who loved to pod race, who had a soft heart and a wicked mind. He told stories of the boy, stories that he had once heard himself, with a quiet passion that the children enjoyed.

In one such story he remarked on the double suns of the planet. Twin suns that had been called. Looking down at the two bright faces of the twins, he couldn’t seem to find a more perfect nickname. His double suns.

Senaara’s nickname came soon after. Some nights Obi Wan told stories of Padme, of Satine, of Ahsoka and Cody. Name he was afraid to forget, stories he was afraid to lose. It helped him hold on a little bit longer to his life before.

Satine had always loved stars. It had been a hidden hobby, tracking constellations on Mandalore, making star charts. Obi Wan had eventually gotten it out of her that her mother had used to call her “Star” and her little sister, “little star”. When Obi Wan told that story, watching Senaara’s quiet blue eyes, so much like her mothers, he realized that there was no other way to describe his daughter.

His daughter, and his twins.

His double suns and his star.

Chapter Text

“So what’s your story, big guy?”

Obi Wan looked down on the shorter alien. He wasn’t sure what they were. He was sure he could remember if he had gotten a better night's rest but Senaara had kept him up with the thunder. The creature was short and stumpy, with slightly green skin. He had a funny look to him.

“Excuse me?” Obi Wan’s voice came out more tired than he had wanted. Luke was asleep on his back, the young one had decided to start his nap early so Obi Wan could only hope that he would sleep through the rest of his nap with the other kids. Senaara was on his chest, quiet, her ear to his heart again. Leia was in his arms, craning her neck to look at a stall behind her.

“You kinda just showed up one night.” The creature shrugged. Obi Wan had never asked for their name but the thing was the main seller for milk in the small market. “They yours?”

“Yes.” Obi Wan answered simply, ignoring the creature’s imperfect grammar, placing the credits on the market stall’s counter.

“How old are they?” The seller asked, leaning on the counter. He didn’t take the credits, he didn’t hand over the bottles. Obi Wan tapped his foot impatiently.

“A few months.”

“Siblings?”

“Triplets.” It was a lie, but close enough. Three months apart. Obi Wan felt lucky that Senaara stayed small, but it also worried him. Mandalorian children were supposed to be big and strong, but Senaara hadn’t grown into her heritage. She looked only a little bigger than the twins. It worried him slightly.

The seller eyed Obi Wan, looking him up and down. Obi Wan kept his breath steady, matching the seller's bug-like gaze.

Obi Wan had changed a lot in the past few months. His once well groomed hair had grown longer than he liked, curling at the back of his neck. His beard had lost its polished style, growing gruff and unfiltered. He made sure to keep it soft, the babies liked to play with it. His grey hairs seemed more present.

Force. How did he even have grey hairs yet?

Obi Wan stared down at the seller. The creature stared back, taking it in.

Eventually the green thing nodded, took the credits and handed over the bottles.

“Your name, big guy?”

“Ben.” Obi Wan took the bottles and walked off, no longer wanting to be in the presence of the questioning seller. Ben was the name he had decided on a few months ago, he didn’t know why. He liked it. It was simple.

Just like how he was supposed to be.

The market was quiet as it often was. Obi Wan had realized accidentally that his chosen time to visit was the time that the villagers were least likely to be out. The rain clouds hung heavy in the sky, ready to burst. Most stalls closed at this time, packing up for the day just as Obi Wan would walk in.

The village was small. Stone homes, a few on each side of what could be a street, lined with small fence posts of wood or rock. The street was dusty and wet from past days of rain, empty except for a few sparse stalls that would soon disappear.

Obi Wan walked with his head down, both to help his hood cover his face, but also to whisper sweet nothings for Leia and Senaara to babble at. The few villagers that were out hardly gave him a glance as he walked through.

A hum of a ship rang through Obi Wan’s ears, growing in intensity as the ship came closer to the village. It wasn’t the scuffy engine that the villagers might have tucked away, it was military in style, strong and loud.

Taking a cautionary glance up, Obi Wan watched as a ship sped through the sky. To high to worry about now, to low not to keep on the radar. It was the first ship Obi Wan had seen since he arrived on Corun and even as he craned his head, he couldn’t make out the model. The thought left him uneasy.

The ship passed but with it came a roll of thunder. Senaara started to whimper, kicking her feet slightly in her wrap. Obi Wan placed a kiss to forehead and continued home.

-

Senaara’s eyes finally fluttered closed.

The twins had fallen asleep an hour earlier, Luke’s earlier nap miraculously hadn’t messed with his sleep schedule and so he cuddled with Leia in their bassinet. Each baby had their own crib, their own bed, but Luke wouldn’t sleep without Leia or Senaara by his side.

Obi Wan sat on the ground, listening to rain just outside the window as he felt Senaara’s tiny hand let go from his index finger. He smiled softly, carefully removing his hand from the bassinet as to allow for his daughter to sleep.

Standing up, Obi Wan found himself in the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of water. A timer was ticking in the back of his head for how long he could exist alone before he started to think too hard about everything that had come before. He knew he should climb into bed, he didn’t trust the storm clouds outside and had a feeling the storm would develop into more than just a downpour by early morning, which meant an early morning for Senaara, but he felt good in the kitchen.

The cool chill of the clay mug in his hand, his free hand on the stone counter, the rain gently dancing on the metal roof. He stood in darkness, lit alone by the reflection of Corun’s planet, but it felt good.

He felt calm.

Calm was good.

“If only you could see me now, cyare.” Obi Wan kept his voice soft. The message was for no one else but him and her. The old mandalorian words that she had taught him, slipping in as if he were a mandalorian himself.

Beloved. That’s what cyare meant. Satine had whispered it to him many times when they were young, what he would have done to hear it one more time. He made sure to whisper it often to the babies, his babies now. His beloveds.

He wanted to say more, but he didn’t know what else there was to say. No one responded, he knew no one would respond. The rain poured on as always.

It wasn’t thunder that woke Obi Wan.

It was the sound of a com link crackling alive within the house.

Obi Wan’s mind woke faster than his body could keep up. A com link in the house? The only communication device that he still had was the ship's communicator. They ship was in a dig out in the field, covered by brush and old grass. The comlink was not his.

So then who did it belong to? The house was small, it wouldn’t take long for the intruder to get to his room, with no doors it would be hard to barricade or hide. Should he stay in bed, biding time till he learned more, or should he get up and start moving?

It’s possible the intruder is nothing more than a lost villager. That was the best option, that was the safest hope.

The intruder took a step, the sound dampened by the moist dirt under the intruder’s boot and the raging rain outside. What wasn’t dampened was the clang of armor grinding together as the body moved.

Obi Wan knew in a moment that the intruder was Mandalorian. Beskar had a ring to it. A vibration that other metals failed to hold a light to when struck together. A mandalorian was in his home.
And then a second step. And then a third. A click of a blaster being reloaded. The shake of a weapon’s belt being jostled.

It wasn’t just one mandalorian, there were multiple.

Obi Wan was up in a moment, not to engage but to protect. Avoiding the gaze of the arch to the main home, Obi Wan scooped the sleeping children in his arms, quick to wrap the twins to his chest and back. The twin’s slept on, helped by Obi Wan’s urging with the force for them to stay peaceful.

Senaara however woke up at being jostled. Obi Wan knew it wasn’t ideal but he couldn’t hold her if he had to fight or flee. He tried to slide her in beside Luke on his chest but she started to whine, upset at Obi Wan’s sudden fear. Obi Wan did his best to shush her as he finished wrapping her in. She didn’t seem to calm, instead she quieted, a tiny frown on her face.

Obi Wan was as quick as he could be. In seconds his saber was in his hands, not yet ignited, he was crouched in the corner of the room, hidden by the wall as he sat next to the open arch.
Reaching out with the force, Obi Wan confirmed that there were four assailants in the home and what could be two more outside. He wasn’t quite surrounded but the front door was not an option. The rain raged on outside, yet the window was a possible escape route. The square cut in the stone would be tight, but it would work if needed.

Obi Wan held his breath as the sound of beskar footsteps moved towards the arch. His side was pressed against the cool stone wall, he would have liked his back, but Luke was sleeping there and he didn’t want to squish him. Senaara watched him with curious eyes as Obi Wan waited, his grip tightening on the hilt of his saber.

The tip of the mandalorians shiny blue boots steps across the threshold of the room. Obi Wan waited, praying silently that the mandalorian’s visor would not pick him up so close to the ground.
With a flick of his fingers a few cans in the kitchen tumbled over. The mandalorian turned quickly to investigate, leaving behind Obi Wan who did everything in his power not to let go of his breath too loudly.

He didn’t listen too hard, but he could hear the curt response the warriors gave to each other as they investigated the sound. They were distracted. That was good.

Carefully as he could, projecting as much calm as he could on Senaara, Obi Wan made his way to the window, tracing his fingers over the rough edges. It would be a tight fit, especially with the babies strapped to him.

He didn’t have a choice at the moment.

The rain kept falling as he slipped his legs over the window sill, sliding them through to the other side. The patter of rain that quickly drenched his sleep pants was expected but not welcomed. He made sure to be careful with the babies, not letting their heads hit the cool stone or let their bodies get squished between the rock and his own body.

He was able to slip out, pulling his hood over his head to shield his eyes from the rain. As the water drops hit Senaara’s face, she started to cry again. Obi Wan was quick to try and shush her, pulling his cloak to cover the babies in their wraps, but Senaara kept crying.

At least the rain seemed to mask her muffled whimpers.

That’s when the thunder broke across the clearing. Senaara’s wails followed.

Obi Wan started to run quickly over the fields. He could hear the ring of blaster fire and silently prayed to the force that the mandalorians didn’t have any jetpacks with them. With the force alone and his head start, he could make it to the ship before they could follow, the jetpacks would destroy any chance he had.

The fog was thick but Obi Wan knew how to move around. He had explored these fields on his walks, he knew the land better than the soldiers behind him. Twisting through the path, carefully on the slippery grass, Obi Wan tried to pat Senaara’s back with his free hand, the girl was still crying as the storm raged on, his other hand still held his blade.

The ship was at the bottom of the hill, it had been left in a small ditch, long grass and fallen branches concealed the vessel from the sky. They were quick to remove, a wave of the hand and the disguise was flying out into the storm, the silver hull of the transport ship shone in the rain.

The ramp lowered with a push from the force, the blaring white light of the vessel bleed through the dark of the night, reflecting on the rain. It felt unnatural after living so long on sunlight and planet light. Senaara seemed to quiet down, her wide eyes taking in the white light.

The view of the ramp was suddenly blocked, an armored mandalorian landed in front of Obi Wan, a blaster raised and ready to shoot.

Looks like they had at least one jet pack.

“Give her up.” The crackle of the voice from inside the helmet was recognizable even with the roar of rain in Obi Wan’s ears. With the light to her back, it was hard to make out the nite owl symbols on her blue and white helmet, but Bo Katan didn’t seem to care. “She belongs to Mandalore.”

“She belongs with her father. That was Satine’s wish.” Obi Wan’s voice came out stern and harsh. He was too tired to deal with this.

“You’re a hard man to find Kenobi.”

“I do what I can to protect my children.”

“Children?” Bo Katan’s helmet tilted. “What have you gotten yourself into?”

“Nothing I can’t handle.” Obi Wan retorted, aware of the Mandalorian warriors that were slowly creeping behind him. They were still a few yards off. He could make it. “Mandalore is no longer safe.”

“I can keep her safe.”

“You didn’t keep Runa safe.” Obi Wan knew he was playing with fire, but he needed to get Bo set aflame.

“Death Watch was quick, we didn’t-”

“Death Watch is still active. Therefore my daughter is not safe.” Obi Wan answered, never raising his voice. “She will never be safe on Mandalore. Satine was never safe on Mandalore”

That did it. Obi Wan silently asked Satine for forgiveness as Bo Katan lunged forward, Obi Wan took it as his opportunity, jumping into the air, using the force to propel his action. He landed ahead of the armored warrior, a few steps from the vessel's ramp. Bo Katan landed on the muddy grass, cursing under her breath as she slammed her fist into the mud. Obi Wan hated leaving her behind but he knew she could not be reasoned with, not yet at least.

Without looking back, he quickly boarded the vessel, raising the ship into the gloomy night sky. Ignoring the rain that covered his window to the world, as he sped into the stars before the Mandalorians could even follow him.

-

Only once the stars were racing past them, the hyperdrive in order, did Obi Wan finally breathe. Senaara didn’t cry anymore, her lip trembled as he slipped her out of the wrap to hold her and rock her as she whimpered over the unsettling events that had occurred.

The old medical bassinet that Obi Wan had taken from the medical droid was still on the ship, allowing for Obi Wan to reassure the awakened twins and set them to sleep once again. Leia had watched him warily, as if she didn’t believe his soft words, but she had fallen asleep with the help of the ship's steady hum, her brother’s soft shirt clutched in her fingers.

Bo Katan was after him. Somehow she had found them, almost taken Senaara, almost had the twins hurt. Obi Wan closed his eyes, trying to breathe as he rocked back and forth. For himself and his daughter.

Senaara was the heir to Mandalore. Obi Wan couldn’t change that, it was her birthright, a burden and gift from her mother. But Senaara was also a baby, and Mandalore was crumbling. It wasn’t safe for her. It wouldn’t be safe for any of them.

Satine would understand.

Wouldn’t she?

Obi Wan hung his head, shifting Senaara onto his chest. She put her ear to his chest as she normally did, quieting as she found his heart beat.

Not only was he hiding from the empire, but now he was hiding from Mandalorians. This would be fun.

A funny thought crossed him then, that his padawan would have found this funny, that the great negotiator had made enemies of the government and the most military trained group of people in the galaxy.

Obi Wan could almost see him, his tanned skin, his darkened dirty blonde hair, his shining blue eyes, so much like Luke’s. The way he leaned on walls, the way he would laugh, the way he would fight with Ahsoka, gentle teasing and full of tough love.

Ahsoka.

The name came foreign in Obi Wan’s mouth.

Mandalorians were after him. He was on the run from the empire. When the twins woke up, all three kids would need formula, they would need attention, he would need help.

Obi Wan’s hand hovered over the console of the cockpit.

“You can’t keep running alone.” Satine had said that once. She had been worried for him, fretting over his youthful ability to get into trouble. He couldn’t remember the scenario. She had yelled at him so many times. “People want to help you. I want to help you.”

Satine would have done whatever it took to keep Senaara and the twins safe. She wouldn’t have cared that the twins weren’t hers, she would have wrapped all four of them in her arms and promised them safety. She would have found allies for where her strengths failed.

Obi Wan took a breath, careful and practiced before typing in an old transmission code. A code outside of the Jedi’s secure channels, for those were certainly monitored by now, a code that he had forgotten existed.

He waited, the soft ping of reassurance that the connection had been sent out rang through the ship. Senaara’s eyes started to close, her ear still to his chest. Obi Wan simply kissed her forehead and waited.

“Who is this?” A voice crackled through the transmission.

“We don’t say names.” Obi Wan felt relief flood through him but he did everything in his power to hide it. “Are you safe?”

The voice paused, a small gasp echoed through the transmission and then a small break in the female's voice. “You’re alive?”

“Yes. I’ll explain but-”

“Raada. Outerim. Now free of imperial control. We can be safe there.” The voice came fast and sure. It brought a smile to Obi Wan’s tired face.

“I’ll be there in half a day.”

The voice on the other end paused, as if afraid to let go of the transmission. Obi Wan sat in the silence, afraid to disconnect as well. The emptiness of space suddenly feeling large.

“See you soon master.” Ahsoka half whispered through the transmission.

“I’m not your master.” Obi Wan chuckled. The old joke coming back between them.

“I know.” She responded. She sounded so much more tired than when he saw her last. The chipper voice of the once padawan had been replaced by one that held too much sorrow. “Is he…?”

Obi Wan didn’t answer. The silence went on for longer than Obi Wan wanted before he could find the simple words to say, “I’ll see you soon.”

They both sat on the transmission, afraid to speak. The lack of an answer was enough. It hung in the air.

Obi Wan eventually ended the transmission. The short feeling of relief having quickly been replaced by grief. How could he tell her that he had killed Him? How could he tell Ahsoka about Luke and Leia? About Senaara?

Carefully, Obi Wan placed Senaara in the bassinet beside her sister and brother. That’s what they were now, weren’t they? Obi Wan found himself thinking. They were his children now, they were siblings now.

Senaaea seemed to stir, her blue eyes opening and meeting his.

“Rest Star.” Obi Wan whispered, giving her and the twins each a kiss to the forehead. “We have an adventure to go on.”

Chapter Text

Raada was beautiful. The planet seemed almost completely green from space, a sparling land of forest and hills.

The coordinates that Ahsoka had sent matched an old republic map for a small farming settlement. As the ship lowered into the atmosphere, the thick forests came into focus, flanked by farming fields, streams of irrigated water separating the crops, with small groups of people milled about within them.

Obi Wan landed the ship in a small station. He took notice of the ripped empirical flags as well as the destroyed buildings that seemed to scar the landscape. Powering down the ship, he was careful to pull his cloak on, strapping his saber to his side, as he hid the babies, still asleep thanks to the quiet hum of the ship and now the station. He pulled the hood of the bassinet over the three before slipping the carrier into the vent below his metal floor.

He knew he couldn’t take them with him, as much as he trusted Ahsoka, he didn’t trust the empire to not have found some way to make this a trap. He couldn’t afford to put the children in danger. As he rescrewed the grate above the bassinet, the pang of guilt of leaving the three behind hit him, but he knew he had to move forward.

Walking off the ramp, Obi Wan was greeted by an older gentleman, he asked for the ship's information, for a name and how long he would be parked in the station. Obi Wan answered with as much truth as he could afford.

As soon as the man promised Obi Wan no one would board his ship until he was back, Obi Wan was off.

It wasn’t hard to leave the station, it was rather quaint, not like those Obi Wan had grown used to throughout the war. He found himself walking out into a strange sight. The village was small, but it showed signs of war. AT-AT parts were discarded all around, workers were sawing through the metal legs to move it piece by piece. Scorch marks peppered the stone buildings and the empirical logos had been painted over with fresh paint.

It was quite a relief to see the empire rejected.

The sun still shone on these villagers as they worked quietly. Obi Wan could see the bandages that covered not yet healed wounds, he could see the way that groups walked as if someone was missing. Raada was empire free, but what had been the cost?

Obi Wan didn’t know what to do as he stood in the sun, hood pulled over his face. All his Jedi training seemed to leave his mind as he froze. Ahsoka had told him little more than to come to Raada. He didn’t know where to meet her, how he was to meet her, anything at all.

He must have been lost in thought because suddenly there was a presence beside him. He was really losing his Jedi Knight touch.

“Are you just going to stand there?” Obi Wan remembered enough of his training to keep looking forward. Ahsoka, beside him, did the same. He should have known she was trained enough to handle him forgetting his training. “I know a place where we can talk.”

Obi Wan paused. He didn’t want to leave the children for too long, he didn’t want to be too far from them either. But he didn’t know how to say that. Instead he nodded, letting Ahsoka lead him forward towards the village, her montrals hidden beneath a dusty blue cloak.

They didn’t walk long before entering a cantina. The shadow’s cast by the low roof and small windows seemed to bring a breath of shadow that was welcomed. Ahsoka walked up to the bar, but before Obi Wan could order something sharp, a torguta behind the bar nodded to a backroom. Ahsoka got up without a word, beckoning Obi Wan to follow before he could stare too long at the bartenders missing montral, replaced by a scarred mound.

Once in the room, a shabby storage closet full of bottles and odd fruit, Ahsoka pulled her cloak off, allowing her white montrals to glow in the faint light from the tiny window. Ahsoka didn’t waste time, barreling into Obi Wan and wrapping him in a hug. Obi Wan, slightly stunned by the action, soon returned the gesture.

He didn’t say anything when he heard Ahsoka’s short breath turn to sniffles, he simply lowered himself to sit on a crate, still holding the young girl in his arms, rubbing her back tentatively.

The two didn’t have to say anything. They were the last of a dying kind, they knew too many dead people, the names of which laid heavy on their tongues as they held each other in the small storage room.

It was Ahsoka who pulled away, wiping her tears as if Obi Wan hadn't known she was crying, as if she thought she was too old to cry. The thought made Obi Wan’s heart hurt once more.

“I thought…I would have thought…”

“I got away. The last I heard you were on Mandalore.” Obi Wan bit his lip, suddenly realizing the possibility of Ahsoka and him crossing paths on that fateful day when he had gone to save Senaara. “How did you…?”

The words seemed to disappear from his tongue. How did she survive? She must have had to kill those in the 501st, her brothers, her protectors, her friends. The image of Cody found its way back in his head, the way Cody had turned from the Cody he knew, the Cody he trusted, into the puppet he became for the empire.

“Rex gave me a message, before he…” Ahsoka didn’t have to finish the thought. “I was able to save him. I got the chip out but… we crashed.”

It seemed the easiest way to say it. Obi Wan wasn’t going to ask if they actually crashed, or if it was the easiest way for the torguta to say her friends had died at her hand. He knew she wasn’t going to ask him those questions, so why would he ask her?

“Where's Rex now?

“We split up. Safer that way.” Her gaze turned to the floor.

“I’m going to guess that you had a hand in what happened here.” Obi Wan offered a chance to escape the current conversation.

“Yeah well…the people had a fighting spirit.” Ahsoka shrugged. “I was taught to raise hope. I was taught to ignite sparks to fight. I just did what I was trained to do.”

Obi Wan suddenly felt guilty, not for the republic, for Padme, for Satine, or for Him, but for hiding. It hit him that as he was hidden, caring for newborns, the galaxy had been thrust into a nightmare. A nightmare that he had been trained to protect it from.

He hadn’t just turned his back on his training, he had turned his back on the galaxy.

The realization felt suffocating.

Here was Ahsoka. She had walked away from the order at seventeen, she had turned her back on everything she knew, her training, her family, her identity. And somehow she was still more a Jedi than Obi Wan felt he had ever been.

She hadn’t hidden. She had fought.

“What happened…to him?” The question was enough to pull Obi Wan out of his guilty spiral. Ahsoka looked at him, her blue eyes seemed so much more tired than he was used to. She was taller now, he found himself looking up to match her gaze.

Obi Wan didn’t know what to say.

He didn’t know how long he sat there with his mouth slightly agape. He just knew that at some point Ahsoka decided to spare him the pain.

“It’s okay. I’m not sure I can handle the story now anyway.” She offered a small half hearted laugh. He wasn’t sure if it was supposed to fool him or herself. “Why…why did you reach out now?”

“I’m in trouble.” Obi Wan sat up straighter on the crate.

“Aren’t we all.” Ahsoka offered a smile. It looked strange when her face still had dried tears on its cheeks.

“At first I just had to hide from the empire, but now…Mandalore, or what is left of it, is after me.” Obi Wan watched Ahsoka study his face, her brow furrowed as she seemed to search his eyes for something.

“You're not telling me something.”

“You are correct.” There were so many things she deserved to know that he wasn’t ready to tell her.

“Why?” She seemed less hurt than he expected, almost as if she had expected this. She turned, starting to rearrange the bottles on the crates. “After all the secrets, why are there still things hidden?”

“I’m sorry Ahsoka.” Was all he could find the strength to say. “I can show you.”

At this she paused. Ahsoka stood slowly, turning to face him. “Show me?”

The walk back to the station was silent. Obi Wan observed the villagers that would smile and wave at Ahsoka, calling her “Ashla.” He kept his hood down as Ahsoka kept her own, they didn’t speak. The secrets between them seemed to sit heavy in the hot air. Once they were back on the ship, Obi Wan felt like he could breathe again. The cool air was welcomed in comparison to the warm atmosphere of Raada.

“So what do you have to show me?” Ahsoka finally spoke. She seemed to be looking around the old junk ship, most likely concerned on how Obi Wan had ended up with it. The cargo hold was tiny, it felt smaller with another person in it.

Obi Wan was quick, his mental timer telling him it was just before dawn on Corun for the babies. He was quick with unscrewing the grate on the floor, avoiding the confused looks of Ahsoka. The torugta got on his knees and helped him remove the grate once it was unscrewed, yet she stepped back when he pulled up the still close bassinet.

“You found a force sensitive child.” She guessed.

“Close.” Obi Wan could feel a dry chuckle start in his throat. “I wish that was all it was.”

Carefully, Obi Wan carried the closed bassinet to the work table it had sat on for some many months. He took a breath as he opened the hood, thanking Satine and Padme quietly when he saw the three were still fast asleep. Leia had curled into Luke’s side, while Senaara held a fistful of Leia’s shirt. They seemed unaware, peaceful almost as they slept on.

“Three kids?” Ahsoka asked before she paused, getting a good view of the babies. “I don’t understand.”

“They’re mine.” Obi Wan said in reflex before realizing the connotations of such a statement. “Not biologically. I mean, yes, one is biological, I mean…”

Obi Wan cut himself off from the muttering mess he was becoming. He closed his eyes, trying to regain his thoughts, as Ahsoka moved closer, reaching out instinctively to the children. Her orange hand grazed Luke’s cheek carefully.

“Two of them, twins, they’re…well they’re His.” Obi Wan gestured to Luke and Leia. Ahsoka remained quiet, her eyes dancing over the children, her mouth slightly parted. He gestured to Senaara, still wrapped up among the twins, “And she's my daughter. Satine and I.”

“And the council thought I broke the Jedi Code.” The remark got a laugh out of Obi Wan, Ahsoka turned to him with a soft smile on her face. “You’ve been taking care of them, haven’t you?”
Obi Wan nodded, unable to meet Ahsoka’s eyes as she stared into his.

“I have a lot of questions.”

“I know.” Obi Wan sighed knowing the hard part of the conversation was coming. “I need help. But I can’t risk their safety if I…”

“Either I agree to help you, whatever that means, or I don’t get answers.” Ahsoka finished for him. “We live in a world now where knowledge is more valuable than any credit.”

Obi Wan looked up, finally truly looking at the young woman’s face. Her once bright orange skin seemed dull now, more like dusty terracotta than the bright blossoms he might have once compared her skin to. Her white markings seemed different, like they had grown with her, grown with her sorrow. Her once bright blue eyes seemed fogged, touches of grey had found their way in. She looked so different from the young girl he had once met.

“I need to go into hiding. These three kids…they deserve a life. A safe life from the shadow of their parents. From the empire, from Mandalore, from expectation. They deserve safety and time. Time to become…” Obi Wan couldn’t bring himself to say it. The word seemed dangerous even when alone.

“Their force sensitive.” Ahsoka gasped, “All three?”

“Yes.” Obi Wan smiled softly, looking back at the children. “I can’t imagine there's many of us left. They are the future in a way.”

Ahsoka was silent for a moment. She just stared at the children, her hand reaching out again to gently trace Leia’s growing hair.

“I have contacts.” She finally said. Her gaze never leaving the babies. “There are others…like Raada. Other’s against the empire. If I go…if we go, you’ll make us turn our back on them.”

Obi Wan closed his eyes, reminding himself to breathe. The guilt from earlier seemed to crash down, hitting him all at once. “Yes. For their safety.”

“He would have wanted them safe.” She finally said. “All three of them. He would have put them above the galaxy.”

“But does that mean we should?” Obi Wan found himself saying.

Ahsoka finally looked up, searching his face once again.

“You can’t do this alone. You need me.” Ahsoka hummed to herself. “We’re just protecting a different kind of future.”

Obi Wan watched her, and she watched him. They each seemed to search for the hesitation that the other would bring, yet it never came.

“A few pilots out here know the outer rim better than any old republic map. I can reach Bail-” Ahsoka started.

“Bail? You have contact with Bail Organa?” Obi Wan found that it surprised him. He suddenly found himself looking at Leia, remembering he had almost given her to the man.

“Yes. He’s the one quietly gathering help.” Ahsoka nodded. “I don’t have to tell him much, but he could get us resources, and more.”

Obi Wan nodded at that, mulling the idea over in his head. Bail was good, he had been a friend of Padme. Yet knowing him, he was a mind that liked answers. He liked to know before he acted.

“There is someone else we can reach out to. He has experience with undercover work, he could help us get new identification cards, new ships, identities.” Obi Wan mused. Ahsoka turned to him sharply, catching the small smile growing on Obi Wan’s lips.

“You better not be talking about who I think you are.” Ahsoka grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to look at her.

“All I’m saying is, Bail would ask questions. You and I both know who I’m thinking of wouldn’t.” Obi Wan shrugged.

“We don’t even know if he’s alive.”

“If anyone survived Order 66, it would be him.”

“I’m already regretting this.”

“No, you’ll forget all about any regret once the babies wake up. Then you’ll remember all of it plus a few more reasons when all three start screaming.”

“I’ve missed you.” Ahsoka’s words seemed to slip out. She paused, seemingly embarrassed. Obi Wan was too tired to care.

“I’ve missed you too, Ahsoka.”

-

It didn’t take long for Quinlan Voss to respond to Obi Wan’s short message. Obi Wan knew the former Jedi had many secure message lines from his undercover time, it just took time to find the right one.

As predicted, Quinlan did not ask questions, simply sent Obi Wan some coordinates for an outer rim planet and some directions on how to get to a Cantina. Ahsoka had audibly groaned when the message had come back, having hoped that Quinlan would have ignored the message, allowing for them to go to Bail.

Quinlan was a loose cannon, but a trustworthy one. One that Obi Wan knew wouldn’t double cross him, one that he knew would simply help him regardless of danger. Quinlan was a good man in that way.

If they had still been in the Clone Wars, he might have had the same reaction as Ahsoka, but somehow a war, betrayal, and three children change you.

The children had woken up an hour earlier, and he watched as Ahsoka teared up when holding Senaara. Senaara seemed to be the first to trust Ahsoka, perhaps she was just tired after such a night, but she found Ahsoka’s heartbeat, her ear to the woman's chest, and quickly fell asleep.

Obi Wan didn’t have the energy to wake her up in an attempt to save the baby's sleep schedule. He also didn’t have the heart to take Senaara away from Ahsoka who seemed frozen, gently petting the baby's soft golden red hair back.

When the twins started to wake, Obi Wan gently took his daughter so that Ahsoka could help hold his twins. Leia had started out distrusting the new addition to the family, pouting and reaching for Obi Wan as Ahsoka tried to whisper sweet hellos. Luke had simply whimpered, his lip trembling again.

Obi Wan had done his best to encourage Ahsoka not to give up, but the young woman didn’t seem to have any intention to. She lifted a free hand and gently dragged her pinky down Luke’s forehead and to the tip of his nose. The action seemed to confuse the young boy before Ahsoka repeated it again, humming as she did. Obi Wan could feel the shift in the force, but before he could ask what Ahsoka was doing, Luke was giggling, reaching for her hand as she kept doing the action.

Leia had needed a little more. She eventually had started to cry, not because she was scared or sad, but simply the little baby knew that was the only way Obi Wan would pick her up again.
Obi Wan thanked the force that Ahsoka didn’t take it personally. She simply held onto Luke who had taken to babbling quietly to her, and took Senaara back into her arms as Obi Wan switched to carry Leia, who quieted down as soon as Obi Wan was holding her again, a smug look on the baby's face.

Ahsoka had helped Obi Wan buy some more formula and food for the journey, before the five set out. It was strange to be asked what food he wanted to have, the idea of choosing food based on his own preferences seemed so foreign. Living off a few credits with no hope for more, putting formula above all other food seemed to leave an effect on a man. Luckily Ahsoka remembered enough of his food preferences from before the fall. It wouldn’t take long to get to Quinlin’s meeting planet, but the future after that was still unsure.

Ahsoka had taken a seat at the pilot seat, something Obi Wan still felt strange doing. He wasn’t a pilot, not like his padawan was, and not like Ahsoka had started to become. He had always been much more of a passenger.

Leia still eyed Ahsoka warily, but she seemed to be calmer in Obi Wan’s arms. The flash of stars from the trip through hyperspace seemed to calm even Obi Wan as he settled in the co-pilot seat.

“So, answers?” Ahsoka asked, wiggling her finger in front of Luke’s giggling face. Her gaze stayed on the boy, as if looking at Obi Wan would bring unwanted tension.

“Where do you want to start?”

“Luke and Leia are Anakin’s. Who’s their mother?” Ahsoka tilted her head slightly when Senaara yawned in her sleep. Obi Wan felt a small smile come to his lips.

“Guess.”

“Why?”

“If anyone in the world could be the mother to Anakin’s kids, who would it be?” Obi Wan knew it was slightly mean, but he couldn’t help himself.

Ahsoka seemed to stare ahead, her brow once again furrowing. It took her a few seconds but her eyes widened suddenly, her mouth opening in shock.

“No!” It came out louder than she seemed to want it to. She quickly shushed herself, whispering apologies to Luke and the now awake and yawning Senaara. “It was Padme wasn’t it?”

“Yes.” Obi Wan found himself chuckling. “Padme and Anakin.”

“Oh my force, how did I miss this? Did you know?” Ahsoka was smiling now, one hand on her forehead, the other on Senaara’s back.

“I think I always did.” Obi Wan sighed. “I didn’t have it confirmed till everything was falling apart.”

“They were so obvious.” That got a chuckle out of Obi Wan. “I mean I thought they were just really really good friends. I once told Padme she and Anakin were really similar and ‘no wonder they got along so well’.”

“Yeah, well they were married.”

“No!” Ahsoka was laughing now, really laughing. Obi Wan started to chuckle, reaching over to take Senaara back to his chest so that she could go back to sleep. The poor girl's eyes kept shutting every few seconds. “Married? When? For how long?”

“They were married before the war started.”

“I can’t, I just…” Ahsoka seemed to keep laughing, Luke started giggling. “And she got pregnant huh?”

“Hm.”

“Did she die in childbirth?”

The question caught Obi Wan off guard. “Something like that.”

Ahsoka tilted her head at that, but she didn’t press. “I don’t know why I never saw it. Or put it together. Just knowing it now, it feels so obvious.”
Obi Wan simply nodded.

“Then that leaves the other question.” Ahsoka mused. “You and Satine?”

“More obvious or less obvious?”

“More obvious, but in the way that I knew, but never thought you would act on it.” Ahsoka seemed to have quieted, gently tapping Luke’s nose. “Satine was…well Satine. And you were Master Kenobi. Poster boy for the Jedi. I thought it was just always going to be a…well will they, won’t they, but they never will.”

“Senaara wasn’t planned. I believe the twins were to some extent.”

“Oh.” Ahsoka paused, her voice quiet before it was replaced with a teasing tone. “Oh, oh, oh Master Kenobi.”

“Don’t start.” Obi Wan sighed, hanging his head down in preparation for Ahsoka’s incoming taunts.

“Oh I’m going to start. At least Anakin was married!”

“I thought we as a galactic society moved past ideals of ‘purity’.” Obi Wan groaned.

“Wrong. Some cultures still have them, especially the Jedi culture where sex, marriage, any of that is forbidden!” Ahsoka’s teasing tone was sweet but still cut deep. “You’re telling me you and Satine where not in a relationship and still had-”

“I really don’t want to hear this from you.” Obi Wan found himself hiding his head between the babies, his cheeks turning an annoying shade of red. He felt too old for this, too old to be made embarrassed by a seventeen year old for his personal life.

“Now you’ve got me interested.” Ahsoka was practically beaming. “Were the rumors true?”

“What rumors?”

“That well…you abided by the rule that sex wasn’t an attachment?”

Obi Wan stared at her, dumbfounded. “I’m not talking about this with you.”

“Oh come on! Please!”

“There were rumors about this?” Obi Wan felt mortified. Leia was grabbing at his beard, which at least allowed him to look at her rather than Ahsoka.

“The padawans traded a list of names.” Ahsoka giggled. “I added Assaj Ventress to the list myself.”

“Okay, I have never slept with Ventress-”

“But you admit that you slept with some people?” Ahsoka grinned.

“Senaara is living proof of that.” Obi Wan groaned. Senaara remained sleeping on his chest but Leia was now tugging at his beard.

“Okay, but at least confirm for me that Satine wasn’t the only person you’ve slept with?”

Obi Wan turned his head to look Ahsoka in the eyes. She had a gleam in them that annoyed him slightly, but it reminded him of his padawan too much for him to hate it. “Fine, yes.”

“Thank you.” Ahsoka smiled as if she had won a small battle, and perhaps she had. “So you and Satine, huh?”

“It was very much like how you framed it.” Obi Wan sighed, gently pushing Leia’s hand away from his beard. “Senaara just happened. Satine didn’t tell me till she was dying in my arms.”

“Oh.” Ahsoka was quiet now. “Is that why Mandalore is after you? Because Senaara is the heir?”

Obi Wan simply hummed in response.

“Was it Bo Katan? Did she try to kick your ass?”

“I’ll have you know I kicked her ass.”

“Does it concern you at all? That you're taking Senaara away from Mandalore? From her aunt? With the twins, it feels easier. Padme is gone and Anakin…” Ahsoka seemed to search Obi Wan’s eyes again, searching for any reaction. “...is dead. The twins don’t have a family do they?”

“They do.” Obi Wan sighed. “Anakin had a step brother, and if anyone was going to end up as an uncle for the kids that wasn’t me, it would be Bail. Plus Padme had a sister and…”
Obi Wan trailed off.

“I’m going to guess the difference between Senaara and the twins then, is that everyone you listed doesn’t know about their existence. But Bo Katan, maybe not the whole of Mandalore, but Bo Katan, knows Senaara exists.” Ahsoka looked forward to the stars. “Bo knows you have her niece, and she’s not going to stop till the heir of Mandalore is brought home.”

“She sees it as a kidnapping even if I am her father.”

“No, she sees it as an act against Mandalore.” Ahsoka sighed, a solemn tone brought into the once light atmosphere. “I was there, when it fell in around her. I’m not sure how much galaxy new’s you’ve gotten, but Mandalore is…gone. It crumbled with the republic and the clans were scattered. The empire’s taken land up, Mandalorians, they don’t care if you’re death watch or peaceful, they’ve been pushed out.”

Obi Wan listened, taking in the information best he could.

What’s happened to your home Satine?

To the world you had worked so hard to build?

I’m so sorry.

Was all he could think.

“Mandalore is destroyed, anything that isn’t rumble is soon to be. Bo probably sees Senaara as the key to fixing that, to rebuilding Mandalore.” Obi Wan watched as Ahsoka’s eyes found Senaara on his chest. The little girl had fallen asleep and seemed to doze peacefully unaware to the expectations that had been put on her.

“Am I doing the wrong thing then?” The words came out quiet. “Taking her away from Mandalore?”

Obi Wan couldn’t look at Ahsoka. Ahsoka seemed to watch him for a moment.

“No. I don’t think so. I didn’t know Satine for very long, but I think Senaara would have come first. Before Mandalore. Before duty.” Ahsoka paused. “I think having Senaara would have broken Satine.”

“What?”

“It’s easy to be for peace when all you have to fight for is a nation. If she had had someone to care for, Senaara perhaps, it might have challenged a lot of her beliefs. Once you have a person, something tangible, something you can hold, to fight for, it’s different than fighting for an idea.” Ahsoka shrugged, returning to dangling her finger in front of Luke’s smiling face.

“How did you become so wise?” Ahsoka’s words hit harder than Obi Wan thought. What had he been fighting for before this moment? The idea of the Jedi? Of the republic? Looking down at the two children on his chest, Luke in Ahsoka’s arms, he felt he finally had something to fight for. Although he hadn’t really fought in the past few months.

“I learned from you.” Ahsoka smiled. “I learned everything else from Anakin.”

The two ended up laughing, a soft sound that didn’t quite fill the cockpit. The rest of the ride was easy, mostly concerned with the three children.

Obi Wan taught Ahsoka how to make a bottle, he taught her to feed the kids and keep them entertained. Leia bit Ahsoka’s finger in the process, her frown seemed to say it was purposeful, but as soon as the bottle was in the baby's mouth she seemed to warm up to the torguta. He taught Ahsoka the small things about caring for children, changing their diapers, setting them down for naps. Ahsoka took in any and all knowledge as quickly as she could, bringing the same enthusiasm she once brought to training.

Never once did she ask about Him. About what had become of her master, of Obi Wan’s padawan. Obi Wan didn’t know what he would say if she asked.

Chapter Text

Kaddak was a lawless planet. Obi Wan had heard rumors of it during his time as a Jedi, but had felt lucky enough to never have been sent there on a mission. It was the perfect place for a Jedi like Quinlan to lay low and the type of place that Obi Wan’s padawan would have loved.

Anakin.

It felt easier now to say his name. With Ahsoka it was easier to forget the Anakin he had to fight, the one he killed, and just remember the one that Ahsoka knew. The reckless, crazy pilot, stubborn, compassionate, mess of a friend.

Every time he thought the name or spoke it, the doubt and grief still found a way to crawl into his chest. But perhaps it was more manageable with Ahsoka around.

Kaddak seemed to still evade empire control, and thus it seemed a good choice on where to meet. The people there knew to not ask questions, unless it would lead to some credits, so Obi Wan was already mentally planning on leaving the babies on the ship with Ahsoka, no matter how much the young torguta might protest. The kids would draw eyes and suspicion, something that Obi Wan could not take at the moment.

Besides, Quinlan knew Obi Wan. If either Ahsoka or Obi Wan was going to meet him, it was best that it was the latter.

Ahsoka had initially grumbled, but once Luke was back in her arms, cooing and reaching for her montrals, she seemed to settle down. She had to basically push Obi Wan out of the ship once they had landed, he kept rambling about the nap schedule, the feeding schedule, Leia’s favorite way to be held, Senaara’s issues with sound and more.

It scared Obi Wan how afraid he was to leave the children. He was attached.

Ahsoka and Obi Wan had activated a single line of communication, two coms that Ahsoka had been able to get operational with the mechanical knowledge she had gained from Anakin and a few spare parts around the ship.

The Kaddak atmosphere smelt like signed fur. It was an odd smell but it seemed to be present everywhere as Obi Wan passed the station attendant, passing a few credits to the toydarian who clicked in recognition.

While Raada had been small and underdeveloped in a charming sort of way, the settlement had had no ways to progress or grow on its own, Kaddak seemed undeveloped in the way that the people had every opportunity and chance to grow and progress but had decided against it for whatever reason.

The streets were lined with a mismatched of buildings, some were stone and brick, others sleek metal, many had scorch marks or were falling apart in some way. The sky was blocked by large warm coloured tarps that stretched between the buildings, these themselves seemed mismatched but for a city full of disagreeing people, yet they spread from building to building, protecting anyone in the street from being seen in the sky.

The air had a thin sheen of smoke, but from where Obi Wan could not decide. All sorts of beings flanked the sides of the seat, sticking to the shadows of the tarps. Obi Wan stuck to the patches of light that spotted the road, avoiding the Kaddak citizens.

The directions to the cantina were simple and thanks to the promise of the planet, no one gave Obi Wan a second glance as he pulled his cloak tight around his neck.

The bar looked small from the outside. The hot climate had pushed for a lot of the buildings to be slightly underground so Obi Wan had expected a small establishment such as the one of Raada, carved into the dirt and stone.

Obi Wan was very wrong.

As soon as Obi Wan passed the threshold of the door, he was met with a descending staircase to a labyrinth of a bar room. Lights were flashing, people were dancing, a strong smell of alcohol filled the air. The main cavern of sorts, held a rotating bar, run by a couple of bar droids and twi’leks, a rodian band was playing high above the crowd, lifted on a platform that levitated over the majority of patrons. People were dancing, some were screaming, the corners of the cavern were filled with booths and tables that were as full as can be. Tunnels lead out of the cavern to force knows what, Obi Wan watched as partners seemed to entice the other pulling them through the tunnels while other groups of shady looking individuals went down other halls.

This was the type of place that Obi Wan had known well during the war. A hub of information that a Jedi could use, a place that he could let go under the guise of a mission.

Now? It made him feel slightly sick.

The once welcomed smell of alcohol, well fermented spirits, sickly sweet drinks, was overwhelming. The music felt too loud, the people too close together, Obi Wan couldn’t help but think about how bad this environment would be for the babies.

That caused him to laugh. He had just walked into a bustling club and the only thing he could think about was his children. He had changed. That scared him.

Slipping through the crowd was easy enough. No one seemed to be paying attention to anyone else, all wrapped up in their own joy or liquor, but Obi Wan didn’t want to take any chances so he kept his head down and hood tight over his face.

There were no directions once Obi Wan got to the bar, and so he put trust in Quinlan. Slipping into a free seat, Obi Wan ordered a single shot, perhaps for nerves, perhaps because he missed the taste of fire in his throat. He took it quickly, not ordering a second, wanting to keep his head clear.

“Do you come here often?” Obi Wan had expected Quinlan but turned to find a twi’lek sitting beside him. Their skin was a reddish orange with rusty patterns on their leeku. Obi Wan had to squint in the dark of the club but he figured the alien was probably a guy with the strong jaw line and seemingly charming smile. Obi Wan looked the twi’lek up and down before turning back to his empty glass.

“No.”

“You’ve been missing out then.” The twi’lek kept their voice smoothed. It slightly unnerved Obi Wan as he started to look around in hopes of finding Quinlan in the crowd. “Are you looking for some fun?”

Obi Wan stole a glance back at the twi’lek, suddenly realizing the man was wearing something tight in the darkness. He was leaning on the bar, his posture open, his stance flirty. Obi Wan quickly looked away realizing what the twi’leks goal was. It wasn’t that the twi’lek wasn’t nice to look at, he might have entertained the man’s advances during the war, as he did for others.
Maybe Ahsoka was right. Maybe he did sleep around more than normal.
Nonetheless, the idea of entertaining the twi’lek was out of the question. He had a goal today, he had to get back to the kids.

“I’m not interested.” Obi Wan muttered, avoiding the twi’leks gaze.

“Are you sure? You look like you could show me a good time.” The twi’lek reached out to trace Obi Wan’s shoulder. Obi Wan held his breath unsure how to proceed.

“Hey Arzo, your boss is calling for you.” Obi Wan felt the hand leave his shoulder and his breath leave his lungs. The twi’lek looked back, frowned, slowly getting up and disappeared into the crowd, allowing for Quinlan to lean on the bar beside the seat the man once sat in. “Ignore him, he would have left once he realized you weren’t going to pay.”

“Do I look like I’d pay?” Obi Wan sacrificed a small glance at his friend. Quinlan was smiling at him, his face uncovered, but his locs were now braids, pulled back into a bun. He still had his yellow line across his face but for the most part he didn’t look much different, he must have had a lot of trust in the establishment.

“You look like you forgot when a razor was.” Quinlan scoffed. “Follow me, I’ve got a quiet place for us to chat.”

Obi Wan reached up to rub his beard. It had gotten longer, messier. Maybe he should shave? Quinlan started off through the crowd, Obi Wan followed hurriedly, desperate not to lose him in the roaring club. Quinlan didn’t look back, seemingly trusting the other Jedi to follow.

Quinlan led them to the edges of the cavern, finding a hall to duck into. It was quieter here but the walls were thick with drunks and couples or trios who didn’t seem to care that others could see.

Obi Wan fell into a step behind Quinlan, careful not to draw attention. He kept his head down but Quinlan surprised him by laughing, and pausing so that they could walk together.

“No one cares who we are down here.” He grinned, pushing Obi Wan’s hood down. “I have some privileges down here that will keep us safe.”

“You can never be too cautious with the empire.” Obi Wan muttered but Quinlan simply hummed in response.

“Trust me, these people are cautious enough for all of us.”

Quinlan turned a corner, pressed his palm to a scan reader and a door in the wall opened. Obi Wan followed his friends inside the little dwelling. It was damp and cold, refreshing from the sweltering heat of bodies pushed together that the rest of the club seemed to share.

The room itself seemed to be a small meeting room, a table in the corner, a booth of seats, a mini bar in the opposite corner, with a single light coming from the middle of the room. Cool white light lit the room like moonlight, cascading over Quinlan’s face and hair.

Quinlan wasn’t wearing any jedi robes, but then again Obi Wan didn’t expect him to. He wore a dark tunic that sat slightly loose, showing off his shoulders that had been adorned with decorative paint. His lightsaber was nowhere to be seen but Obi Wan couldn’t imagine it was far.

“Make yourself comfortable Obi Wan, the room isn’t tapped and no one will bother us.” In a show of confidence, Quinlan poured himself a drink and offered one to Obi Wan. As much as Obi Wan wanted to take another shot, he didn’t, reminding himself of the kids back on the ship. “You know I was surprised when you reached out.”

“Really?” Obi Wan sat in the booth, letting Quinlan come to him.

“You always operate in your own sphere. But I guess a lot of our spheres have been broken, haven’t they?”

“I suppose they have, yes.” Obi Wan sighed, his head starting to hang. It was quiet here, the walls must have been soundproof.

“I have access to reports, who is confirmed dead, who isn’t.” Quinlan started to swirl his drink, watching the cascading green shine in the dim light. “Your padawan isn’t on the list if that’s what you're here for. But just because they aren’t on the list doesn’t mean…”

“Anakin is dead.” The words stung to say, but Obi Wan knew he had to say them. This wasn’t the conversation he was hoping to have. “I’ll have that drink if you're still offering.”

Quinlan simply nodded, crossing to the bar once more and pouring out a drink from an orange bottle. Obi Wan didn’t quite care what his was, the exhaustion was already slipping in, he suddenly remembered he had been up for nearly twenty four hours now, never having rested since he left Corun.

“Aayla was shot down by Bly.” The words didn’t register for a moment in Obi Wan’s head. Quinlan placed the cup below Obi Wan’s hand, taking his seat once again across from him, his own brown eyes now down ward.

“Aayla…” Obi Wan tested the name in his mouth. Quinlan’s apprentice. The blue twi’lek that he had watched Anakin talk to on occasion. A new pain seemed to hit Obi Wan as he took a sip from the glass. The liquor was strong, not strong enough. “Bly and her had been close.”

“Any commander and their general had been close.” Quinlan sighed. “Perhaps I was lucky never to get a battalion.”

Obi Wan thought of Cody. Of the man who had stayed by his side for years, the man who had slid thermoses of tea in his hands after a long day, the man who would sit by him when the quiet hum of anger, of fear, that was so forbidden sang in his ears, the man who wouldn’t question when Obi Wan couldn’t sleep, instead taking first watch with him.

He thought of his men, the brothers of Cody. Waxer, Boil, Gregor, their armor a mess of yellow paint on white, hints of orange. All gone, dead or switched off.

He had been lucky to know them.

“She was your padawan.” Quinlan nodded, taking a sip from his cup. “She was a sweet girl. Tough too. Your boy, he was fun.”

“I suppose he was.” Obi Wan mused.

“We basically raise them don’t we? Master Tholme raised me, Master Jinn raised you. I raised Aayla, you raised Anakin.” Quinlan was staring into his drink now, the common chuckle missing from his speech. “How have you been my friend?”

“Surviving.” Obi Wan offered a dry chuckle, trying to move past the feelings that had once again settled over his chest. “That’s what I’m here for actually, I need help.”

“Oh the great Master Kenobi needs my help?” The chuckle was back as if the darkness that had followed them into the room had left. “What good can I do for you?”

“I need new identification cards-”

“How many? For where? To hide or to…” Quinlan rolled the next work on his tongue. “Or to rebel?”

Obi Wan hated the pause that he gave. “Hide.”

“Huh, never thought I’d see the day.” Quinlan scoffed. “Where are you planning to go?”

“What do you recommend?”

“What are you looking for?” Quinlan clicked his glass on the table. Obi Wan watched him.

“Somewhere no one is looking. Somewhere where no one will look too closely at a few new stragglers. Somewhere…where children could be raised.” Obi Wan's gaze had returned to the glass. He found himself afraid of Quinlan's response to his quiet declaration. Quinlan, to his credit, did not react. He simply nodded.

“Ratisk. Far out, very little around it, very little on it. Small settlements, small farms. Mostly untamed. No one cares about the planet, no news makes it to the planet.”

“No news?”

“No communication towers, no contact with the outside world. You are dead to the world when you land, you stay dead to the world but the galaxy stays dead to you.” Obi Wan looked up at his friend. Quinlan wasn’t looking at him but instead at the door, tapping his finger on the table. “Perfect place to disappear.”

“Do you have a ship?”

“I can get one for you.”

“How much?”

“I’ll make it free.” Quinlan looked back at him, a smile returning to his lips. “How many youngsters?”

“Three. I need an additional identification card for a young adult togruta.”

“Hm.” Whether or not Quinlan knew that it was Ahsoka did not show on his face. “How old are the kids?”

Obi Wan bit his lip. “6 months.”

The two continued on discussing the facts without giving too many away. What the hair colour for each of the kids was, what names to put down, eye colour, numbers. They worked at it, Quinlan tapping away on a datapad as he did so, Obi Wan nursing the orange liquor in his glass. Obi Wan would become Ben Vanth-est, Ahsoka would become Ahsla Vanth-est, his niece. The children would become members of the Vanth-est family, his children. They would play the family act, feign a smaller tragedy than the one they had experienced.

Obi Wan watched as Quinlan worked steadily, importing pictures that Obi Wan had taken of the four, rearranging facts on certificates and licenses. Eventually the two had fallen in silence, no questions needed to be answered, simple patience was all that was needed now. Occasionally Quinlan would speak into a com on his wrist, but no words were spoken back, Obi Wan could see a small earpiece on the former Jedi, decorated to appear like an earring.

After a few hours, the door hissed open, causing Obi Wan to tense. The commotion of the outside came climbing into the room, tumbling about before the door closed behind it. Obi Wan looked forward, regretting taking the seat with his back to the entrance. His hand found the hilt of his saber, still strapped to his belt. Quinlan gave no such notion of paranoia, he simply lifted his head and smiled softly.

“The ship you requested is ready.” The voice was familiar, sharp tongued and sultry. Obi Wan cursed under his breath as he recognized the woman’s tone. “Had to take care of a few…people, but for the most part it’s good. Numbers have been wiped clear, clean slate.”

Asajj Ventress entered the corner of Obi Wan’s eye now, hanging a cloak over the bar. She seemed unaware of Obi Wan, leaning over the counter to grab a bottle of something purple, pouring it into a tall glass. She turned then, taking a sip, her blue eyes landed on him. She raised an eyebrow but didn’t reach for the sabers tucked at her belt.

“Kenobi.” She held his gaze as she took another sip from her glass.

“Ventress.” Obi Wan stared right back, refusing to back down, his grip tightening on his hilt.

“Please don’t kill each other.” Quinlan chuckled. “This isn’t the Clone Wars anymore.”

“She’s associated with some…unsavory types.” Obi Wan countered.

“I could say the same for you.” Asajj bit back.

“She’s on our side, my side at least.” Quinlan stood up, finding his way between the two. “Obi Wan is here for help that I am giving, Asajj is here to help me give it. We are all helping each other.”

“Is he paying you anything for your services?” Asajj sneered. Obi Wan notices her bald head had grown slightly fuzzy with what seemed to be regrowing white blonde hair.

“No, I’m doing it as a favor.” Quinlan wrapped his arm around Asajj’s shoulder. She looked up at him, as if slightly shocked before crossing her arms, allowing him to lean on her. “Can’t you see the poor guy looks like he’s had it rough.”

“We’ve all had it rough.” Asajj huffed but she seemed calmer somehow with Quinlan next to her. Obi Wan didn’t miss the way her eyes found Quinlan for reassurance.

“Oh.” He couldn’t stop himself in time, the realization coming more unexpectedly that he thought it would.

“Funny how things like this happen.” Quinlan laughed, hearty and light. It sounded so strange next to the walking shadow of a person beside him. “I told you I had special privileges around here. Everyone’s scared of her.”

Quinlan had a toothy grin, Asajj rolled her eyes. “One of these days I’m going to poison you.”

“Maybe, but you’ll realize you’ll miss me and you’ll give me the antidote.” Quinlan squeezed Assaj’s shoulder. “You said the ship was ready?”

“Yes.” Asajj sighed, taking a sip from her glass again. Her eyes made it back to Obi Wan who was trying not to look too shocked as he tried to imagine a timeline for how Quinlan and Asajj had gotten together. Asajjj rolled her eyes before bottoming the rest of the violet drink. “The papers you had me print are in here.”

-

After shaking off his shock, Quinlan had helped Obi Wan review the rest of the papers while Asajj paced in the corner of the room. Obi Wan held his tongue on any of his burning questions but Quinlan had responded to them without Obi Wan even opening his mouth. Survival is hard, it's harder to survive alone. Quinlan had tried to reassure Obi Wan that Asajj was walking a path neither dark nor light, but Obi Wan wasn’t processing his words too well. He was reaching hour twenty six without sleep and knew he was going to crash soon.

He’d rather do it on the way to a new home.

Just as their meeting had been brief, their departure was as well.

Quinlan wrapped Obi Wan in a tight hug, told him to take care of himself and gave him directions to the hangar of the new ship. Obi Wan thanked him, gave him directions to the old ship, watching as Asajj leaned on the wall, watching the two like a hawk.

Don’t worry, you’ll have your man back soon enough.

Neither of the two mentioned any more names of the dead. Neither mentioned what they had lost. Neither mentioned how leaving the other felt like leaving behind a piece of the old world. Obi Wan simply started off through the crowd once more, eager to avoid anyone and everyone as he found the stairs back to the dusty world above.

He returned to the old ship that had served home well, finding Ahsoka asleep with Leia on her chest, Luke curling on her stomach, Senaara, awake in the crook of the orange woman’s arm. Ahsoka’s legs had been propped up on the opposing chair, her breath was shallow, allowing Leia to rise slowly with her chest.

Obi Wan smiled at the sight, reaching down to pick up Senaara who cooed quietly to him as he started to collect his things.

The old ship had served him well. It had been sturdy, easy to maneuver. It was where he first decided to keep the twins and Senaara. It was with him when he protected the children time and time again. It was also the ship that he took to his biggest failure. It was the ship that Padme laid dying in, the ship that was supposed to save Anakin.

It would be missed.

Ahsoka woke easily, excited over the prospect of baby wrapping. She eagerly wrapped the twins to her front and back, happy to hold them as they continued to sleep. She insisted on wrap practice, helping wrap Senaara into a sling to Obi Wan’s chest even as Senaara still lay awake.

The five set off to the new ship, finding it quickly and easily. It was slightly bigger, with a true cockpit, living space and cargo hold. Ahsoka marveled at the engine and compulsers, something Obi Wan didn’t have much care for but Ahsoka assured him were very good. They found a new bassinet on board, an interesting contraption that Obi Wan knew he could enjoy more once he got sleep.

Along the walls of the cargo hold were baskets of supplies, food, packets with their labels hidden, credits, and spare parts.

Quinlan really had thought of everything.

It didn’t take long. Ahsoka took over the piloting, swinging herself into the seat and typing in the coordinates that Quinlan had given Obi Wan. Obi Wan put the twins down in the bassinet, noting that it was large enough for possibly all three of the children, with a range of buttons that he would explore later. Ahsoka had encouraged him to sit beside her but he soon found himself drifting off to the light of the stars passing by.

The last thing he remembered was Ahsoka gently picking Senaara up from his chest, whispering little noises that the young girl responded to with little chirps.

Maybe they would be okay.

Maybe this family would work.

Chapter Text

The home on Ratisk was small but cozy. Walls of thatched hay and clay kept the inside cool, the dirt and long grass roof seemed to be teeming with small green growth. There were five rooms and an additional bathroom, three bedrooms, a small kitchen, and a small living space.

Moving in had been easy. With very little to carry, Ahsoka and Obi Wan had taken little time moving the small amount of belongings they had from the ship into the small house. Once they had gotten everything, Ahsoka had flown the ship around until she found a small cave, big enough to land the ship in. She and Obi Wan had worked the afternoon away, covering the entrance with brush and bracken. A quick escape if needed.

The first few days were spent with quiet work and quiet peace.

Ahsoka took to learning the forest that surrounded their little field. She spent hours in the trees, scouting out perimeters, exits, entrances, the type of animals that crossed the river to the east path.

Obi Wan took to his new wood working skills. Ahsoka would bring him trunks long forgotten from the forest, he would turn them into cribs for the babies to sleep in. Luke’s crib had carvings of sun’s blazing in the sky, Leia’s had moon’s glowing in the night, Senaara’s had stars that shone down.

Ahsoka collected shiny rocks and stones, Obi Wan carved figures of tookas, banthas, and dancers, together they strung them into a spinning dazzling sight for the children to look at from above their beds.

There was a well in the back of the house, along what could have been a patio, a collection of stones embedded in the earth. The well had a pump attached witch all together had a chain and lock sort of mechanism. Ahsoka took over the well and pump as her job early on. Obi Wan didn’t mind, he was more focused on the patches of raised dirt that suggested a garden was possible. Among the supplies that Quinlan had given them, he had been given a series of seed packets. Obi Wan had assumed them must be native to Ratisk, and thus had taken care when planting them among the garden beds.

Ahsoka had found the nearest village by day four. On the outskirts of their forest, to the south of the river, a small settlement existed. Similarly thatched roofs, with similar clay walls, men walked with baskets at their hips, a communal fire burned in the middle of the circle of homes, women chatted under shaded roofs.

A mix of human based persons and miralans, with the occasional zabrack. No sign of the empire, no signs of blasters or defense weapons. It was as if the people didn’t need them, not here so far from everything else.

The two stayed away from the village for the most part, they didn’t need anything yet and hopefully they wouldn’t need anything soon. The longer they could establish themselves, the better.

Ahsoka took up hunting. Obi Wan didn’t ask when she returned with the body of a rabbit-like creature, or the following days when she brought back an avian animal. Obi Wan simply nodded and helped her take care of the meat, careful as they drained the blood and roasted what they could for dinner.

He once asked to join her, confused on how the only injury on the animals was a clean cut to the throat. No struggle, no fight. Ahsoka explained it was something she was better at on her own.

“I talk to them. Through the force.” Ahsoka had barely whispered. “They come forward if they are ready to go.”

Obi Wan didn’t ask again.

The children adjusted well to the new home. All three babies enjoyed laying in the grass as Obi Wan sunk his hands into the garden. Senaara had started to sit up on her own now, followed soon after by Leia. They two would crawl and pass handfuls of pulled out flowers while Luke drew shapes in the dirt.

There were no rain storms here to scare Senaara, hardly any loud noises at all. Luke constantly had someone who could hold him, whether Ahsoka or Obi Wan, he no longer cared, he just liked the feeling of skin on skin. Leia enjoyed having another person to babble commands at, Ahsoka was happy to follow the little general.

It felt good. It felt nice.

Obi Wan found himself smiling, he found himself laughing. Ahsoka could make the children laugh no matter how hard they cried. She would swoop them up, tickling their little bodies as they squealed. They would play with her montrals, she would only correct with a terse word when they pulled. And in the late night she would sit with him in silence, just her presence being enough for him to survive a cup of tea without his mind wandering too far. She was what all of them had needed.

“This is our life.” It wasn’t a question, but it wasn’t a statement. Ahsoka sat in the wooden chair that Obi Wan had finished carving that morning, she rocked slightly, a cup of tea in her hands as she stared out into the sky. Obi Wan beside her in the rocking chair.

“Yes. Somehow it is.”

“Leia’s just like him.” Ahsoka’s voice broke off as the grief resettled amongst them. “She’s got fire.”

“Hm.” Obi Wan sipped from his cup, watching the stars. He wished he had a star map for Ratisk. Satine would have loved charting the stars from their new position.

“What happened to him?” Ahsoka turned slowly. “I think I’m ready now.”

Obi Wan’s breath hitched, his grip tightening on his cup.

“It’s not a pretty story.”

“His stories were never pretty.” Ahsoka gave a dry laugh, her finger tapping the clay mug anxiously.

“He wasn’t well by the end of the war.” Obi Wan chose his words carefully. “He was afraid. Afraid of losing Padme, afraid of losing anyone else.”

Ahsoka bit her lip. Obi Wan hoped she wasn’t thinking about how he had lost her.

“He was manipulated. He fell.”

“Fell?” Ahsoka looked forward, her eyes turning glassy. “What does that mean?”

“The dark side…it had called to him. He turned. He had a delusion that Padme would die with childbirth. He was told that she could be saved.” Obi Wan hated the words as they left his mouth. Hadn’t Anakin been right? Padme had died of childbirth. But at the same time, she would have never gone into labour at that moment if he hadn’t choked her. It was a self fulfilling prophecy wasn’t it? “Palpatine was-”

“Sidious. I know.” Ahsoka sighed. “Maul told me all about it.”

“Maul? When did you encounter Maul?” Obi Wan found himself sitting up suddenly , tensing.

“When I was on Mandalore. He had expected you, told me all about what I had missed. He offered me a spot as his apprentice.” Ahsoka scoffed.

“You as Maul’s apprentice? Now that would have been interesting to see.” Obi Wan mused. It got a chuckle from the torguta.

“Yeah well, I rejected him. He was right though. I know all about Palpatine leading both sides, all about how he is the true villain.” Ahsoka put some dramatic emphasis on her words. “Palpatine was manipulating Anakin, wasn’t he?”

“It would appear he had been manipulating Anakin long before any of us could pick up on it.” Obi Wan sighed. “But yes. He told Anakin he could save Padme. He convince Anakin to fight for him.”

Obi Wan let the words hang in the air as Ahsoka’s eyes grew distant. He didn’t want to mention the bodies or the blood, the Jedi and children that had been lost at their friends hands. Yet he knew Ahsoka could sense it. The way Ahsoka’s hand trembled slightly as she held her tea.

“Oh Obi Wan…” the words came out like a whisper but landed like a knife. Ahsoka turned to him, her glassy gaze meeting his. Her face was contorted into some form of sympathy, empathy maybe. It scared him to look at her like this. “You had to fight him, didn’t you?”

Obi Wan didn’t respond. He simply took a sip from his tea, eyes on the horizon. The only sound being the soft coo of a strange white bird that Obi Wan had seen around the little home. It’s sea green feathers glowing against it’s white back.

“He chocked Padme.” He couldn’t say kill. Anakin loved Padme, he would never kill her. The suffocation wasn’t what tore her heart to peices, it was the betryal, the heartbreak. “He tried to kill me.”

Ahsoka didn’t say anything, she listened with her lips persed together and her gaze hardened on Obi Wan’s face. He couldn’t look at her.

“He was out of his mind. He was afraid, he was hurt. He wanted me dead. I didn’t want to…I didn’t want to fight him.” Obi Wan’s gaze turned downward to his tea, his thoughts racing like the breeze that had picked up behind him. He hated the way his eyes burned like they did on that night, the way he knew he was going to cry. He hated the way that Ahsoka watched him, with such quiet intensity, her face unreadable.

“There was lava and fire everywhere. I did what I was trained to do, we were trained to take down sith. He had become one. I hurt him. I let him burn as we fought.” The words were coming quick now, rushing to leave Obi Wan’s mouth as he struggled to draw another breath before another word blocked his throat. His vision was blurred, the tears threatening to fall. He couldn’t see Ahsoka anymore, she was just a smudge at the corner of his vision. “He was screaming. He cried out at me. He was in pain, he was suffering and I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t end his suffering, I couldn’t give him mercy. I left him to wither away, I left him so that I wouldn’t have to say I killed him. But I did.”

The words broke in his throat. The tears were falling now, his hands trembling as they grasped his tea mug, knuckles white.

“I left him to die a painful death. I let him burn and die through fire.”

He felt lightheaded, no doubt from the lack of oxygen, no doubt from the way his chest hammered. He couldn’t breath, the fire, the ash it all came back. All he could see was the ghostly glow of red and embers, the screams of his brother as he was betrayed, the shot from Cody’s gun, the blasts from the men that had once flanked his sides, Padme’s lifeless body on the gurney, the burn of ash in his throat. He didn’t know why he was back there, he didn’t know how he had gotten back on Mustafar, the world thick with smoke.

“I killed Anakin.” The words came out fast. Faster than he could recognize what he said. Faster than he could realize what the words meant.

Obi Wan heard a bang. He found himself flinching, an odd sensation, the fear of it being a blaster shot ringing through his ears. He almost missed the pain in his hands until his eyes focused long enough to see the blood. The tea mug was gone, what remained were a handful of shards that had sliced through his thick hands. The tea, now dampening his pants, felt warm, splashed over his lap when the cup exploded. The shock and resgistration of what had just happened was enough to cause Obi Wan to freeze, his breath caught in his throat.

He felt a hand on his back. Strong and steady. Ahsoka squeezed his shoulder quickly before disappearing into the house and returning with a small med kit. She didn’t talk, her face didn’t betray any thoughts as she wrapped his hands in gauze and bandages, careful as she wiped the cuts with bacta wipes. She picked up the shards from the grass, collecting them in her own now empty mug. She did so wordlessly, even the small white bird had gone silent as she worked. Obi Wan couldn’t help but watch, tired now from his emotional overtaking. Tears streamed quietly down his cheeks but he couldn’t feel them anymore, to embarrassed with the way the force had reacted to him, to ashamed of his confession.

Ahsoka took the shards away and returned with a new mug of tea for Obi Wan to drink from. He didn’t touch it as she placed it on the small table between them. His hands were still sore and stung painfully. He tried to look at her, but looked away once she met his eyes.

“You didn’t kill Anakin.” Her voice was level, it unnerved him.

“I did Ahsoka.”

“No. Anakin died a long time ago. I don’t know when, I don’t know whitch time or situation caused it.” Ahsoka didn’t break eye contact even when Obi Wan didn’t match her gaze. She still looked at him, her blue eyes steady. “Anakin died during the Clone Wars. The man I said good luck to before I went to Mandalore, was not the man I met on Christophis.”

“He was. Anakin was always angry, he was always going to become that man on Mustafar.” Obi Wan felt his voice come out strained. Ahsoka’s voice stayed level, as if she was afraid to feel.

“No, he changed.”

“But that was still him.”

“He killed Padme, didn’t he?” Ahsoka’s words were sharp.

“No.” Obi Wan hated the way he could still feel the sting of tears in his eyes. “She just…died in childbirth.”

“Because he choked her.” Ahsoka finally turned back to the horizon, her own voice finally breaking.

Obi Wan didn’t respond. He could hear Ahsoka’s breathe turn into whimpers as she tried not to cry to loudly beside him. He tried to reach over, to place a hand on her shoulder as she had done for him, but she flinched. He pulled his bandaged hand away, returning them to his lap.

“The twins…they will never know he was their father.” It wasn’t a question, it was a statement that Ahsoka whispered to the fields. Obi Wan was afraid to answer. “No child should live with that burden.”

“That’s why they are children of the Vanth-est family now.” Obi Wan muttered. “No more Skywalkers, no more Kenobi’s.”

“No more Tano’s, no more Naiberries.”

“Naiberrie?” Obi Wan paused, confusion clouding his voice.

“Padme’s real last name.” Ahsoka mumbled. “Amidala was a political name, Naiberrie was her family name. The name that Luke and Leia should have gotten.”

“Right.” Was all Obi Wan could say. The silence between them grew, an uncomfortable tensions settled like fog over their shoulders. How could Ahsoka not see that Anakin had made the choice that lead him to be a sith? How could she defend him? Was she even defending him? What had she meant by he had died? Anakin was Anakin. He had always been Anakin.

“If the world was perfect,” Ahsoka hesitated as she broke the silence, as if looking for the right words. “What should have happened?”

“What?”

“Play the game with me Obi Wan.” Ahsoka wiped the tears from her cheeks, even as more came down. “Perfect world. Go.”

Obi Wan paused, stunned by the question. He tried to simplify such an abstract idea to where everything had gone wrong, maybe if he could change that, then everything would be better. But the more he thought, the farther back he realized that change would have to be placed. The farther back he thought, the more he started to worry about his choices and actions that had lead him here.

“You’re taking forever.” Ahsoka chuckled softly. “What you would changed in the last year. Is that simpler?”

That was simpler. He didn’t have to question what would happen if Qui Gon had lived, if he had stayed on Mandalore with Satine, if he had never become a jedi at all.

“I would have tried to save Satine.”

“Wow. Everything that has happened, and that’s the first thing you do? Save your young love?” Ahsoka’s voice still trembled but it came out with a hint of laughter.

“I’m playing this as I get sent back in time and have the chance to fix everything for real. I get sent back a year, so yes, the first thing on my list is to save Satine.”

“How would you do that? Get dramatic for me.” Ahsoka’s lips twitched into a smile.

“Better tactical plans. Technically, I have time, a month and change. I would go to Bo Katan and get her on Satine’s side, make her a spy.” Obi Wan mulled the idea in his head. “I would tell Bo about Senaara.”

“Woah woah woah. You’re breaking the rules!” Ahsoka cut in.

“How?”

“You aren’t actually going back in time. This Obi Wan doesn’t know Senaara exists, you have to play this with only the information you had at the time.” Ahsoka stole a sip of tea from the mug she had laid out for Obi Wan. He didn’t stop her.

“Fine. We get Bo on our side. We get Satine out, I fight Maul, I win.”

“Do you kill him?”

“No.” Obi Wan knew this answer. He had thought about it a lot over sleepless nights. “I take him into custody, the mandalorains would take care of him.”

“I’ll let the unrealistic scenario slide.” Ahsoka jokily huffed.

“How is it unrealistic?” Despite himself, Obi Wan chuckled.

“Mandalorian’s against Jedi? It doesn’t end well.”

“You don’t know mandalorain’s well enough then.” Obi Wan smiled. “They can take a Jedi or a sith any day if they truly wanted.”

“Fine, fine, continue.”

“With Satine alive, I would make sure she knew I loved her. She would tell me about Senaara…or at least I hope she would.”

“What about the council?”

“I would keep it secret, Satine would request me for ‘help on Mandalore’, I would get to be apart of Senaara’s early life. But I would tell Anakin. I would bring him to meet Senaara and I would tell him about my doubts, about my fears, about my mistakes. I would tell him how proud I am of him, of everything he has done.”

“He would have liked that.” Ahsoka’s voice was quiet.

“Yes. He would have. He would tell me about Padme and her pregnancy. He would tell me his fears and I would guide him, I would help him before Palpatine could. I would be by his side, I would have him ask the question that I would be struggling with: whitch is more important, my family or being a Jedi? Through the magic of this being a perfect world,” He eyed Ahsoka, daring her to interrupt, “We would come to the conclusion that the Jedi Order needed to be changed, that the war needed to end and we needed to do something so that the twins could be born into a safe world and Senaara to be raised in a good one.”

“Ambitous.” Ahsoka hummed, but that was all she said.

“We would end the war together. Anakin would resist Palpatine’s tempations and manipulation, he wouldn’t beahed Dooku-”

“He did that?” Ahsoka gasped, a small smile on her lips, before stopping, “I mean, countiue.”

“The order would take Palpatine into custody before Order 66 could be issued. The galaxy would celebrate, a new leader would be elected to the senate, perhaps Bail. Not Padme, not yet, she’s still pregnant and needs rest. I would work on the council, trying to make them see reason, that attachments do not stop us from being good Jedi. When they don’t listen, I would reveal my secret about Satine and Senaara. When the council becomes outraged, Anakin would step up and make things worse. But because this a perfect world, the council would see reason.”

“Yeesh. Sure, okay. Sounds easy when you say it.”

“Padme would still give birth early, I like the twin’s being so close in age to Senaara, but she would do so safely on Naboo with Anakin by her side. Satine and I would come bearing gifts, Senaara at Satine’s hip. While Death Watch is taken care of, Runa, she was the gaurdian of Senaara, would live on Naboo to help raise the three kids together. They would be cousins, but siblings at heart. Anakin and I would continue to be good jedi, the kids would stay with their mothers, eventually starting training when their older. You-”

“Oh no.”

“You, Ahsoka, would rejoin the order after it’s been changed. You’d be the official aunt to all three of the kids, I would be the uncle for the twins, Anakin would be Senaara’s uncle.” Obi Wan hummed his words as they came, the idea’s sparking new ones. “Cody would be there, and so would Rex. Clones would be rehabilitied for civilian life on…Mandalore. Yes, Mandalore. Cody would be Senaara’s uncle, Rex would be the twins. Anakin would get a scrappy tooka that looks like it survived four fires and a dust storm. The poor thing would hate everyone and everything but Padme and thus Anakin would accept it.”

Obi Wan contuied on, building this perfect world. The people they had known, placed perfectky within their family, pets for the children, vacations, the children growing up loved and with their parents. He watched as Ahsoka smiled, and chuckled, no longer interrupting his steady stream of story. Her eyes started to flutter closed and he took it as his cue to lower his voice but not stop.

Obi Wan watched the stars as he talked about Bo Katan being an aunt to Senaara, as he talked about the twins admiring their mothers outfits. It felt peaceful to imagine a different world, a world so different from what he had lived.

He could still feel the quiver in his voice, the odd chill that ran through his body, a memory of the sobs he had restrained, but here, out in the fields, with a tiny home, three children asleep inside, and Ahsoka asleep in a chair beside him? Obi Wan felt at peace.

How strange that felt.

Chapter Text

Every planet, every culture, every clan had its own tradition for the day of one’s birth. The Jedi didn’t celebrate life days except for their thirteenth, but the babies before Obi Wan would not turn thirteen for another twelve years. Naboo had traditional life day practices, parties, and cake, while Tatooine had a smaller celebration of being given the day off from work. Mandalorian’s recognized lifedays but often didn’t celebrate. It was individual clans that would dictate traditions regarding life days, passed down generations as Satine had when she taught Obi Wan Clan Kryze’s customs.

Qui Gon had been adamant on celebrating Obi Wan’s life day, Obi Wan had been adamant on not. Qui Gon would get small treats from the markets, gifts from past travels, and attempt to give Obi Wan a day off from training, which only lead to Obi Wan training alone. Obi Wan had hated it, seeing Life Days as nothing more than an excuse from people to slack off.

Obi Wan still made sure to get Qui Gon a gift when it was his Life day. He thought his master deserved it, if he fought so hard for Obi Wan’s celebration.

The only time Obi Wan willingly celebrated his Life Day was his thirteenth. It was a tradition for the Jedi, a day of reflecting on their own padawanship. He had taken the day in stride, but still ignored Qui Gon’s cake and gifts.

After Qui Gon died, Obi Wan stopped celebrating his Life Day. He saw no use in it, and with no one to push him to celebrate, he had no reason to do it. But he did start a push to celebrate Anakin’s life day. It was one of the small things that Shmi had done for her son and Obi Wan hated the idea of disappointing her. When Anakin remembered that Obi Wan must have a life day, Obi Wan had refused to tell him what day it was. He didn’t want a celebration, he didn’t want any form of recognition.

Anakin had somehow found it anyway. Obi Wan had forgotten it was his life day when he had woken up from a long mission the previous night. It had been during the Clone Wars and time tended to meld together. He had forgotten the significance when he got dressed and left his tiny room on the ship. He had no expectation for anything special for the day, it was supposed to just be to travel home to Corosuant.

But Anakin always made it special. Obi Wan was bombarded with sudden cheers and applause, the 212 and 501st held banners and poorly wrapped gifts, a cake that Ahsoka had decorated sat on a table, Anakin at the forefront, a giant grin on his face.

It was the echo of surprise that woke Obi Wan up, causing him to sit quickly in his bed. He didn’t know why panic rose in his chest, the memory was sweet, it had been good. Still he felt cold from the sweat that clung to him and his sheets.

The window allowed a steady stream of cool breeze from the outside into Obi Wan’s room. It helped chill his body and his mind as he forced himself to breathe. No light was peering from his window, it must have been early morning, pre drawn. Obi Wan was alone, that was strange. Normally he woke up from his nightmares with a baby wrapped in his arms, from some point in the night where they had woken up crying.

Being alone felt weird now, perhaps stranger than before.

It suddenly occurred to him, possibly due to the dream, possibly due to his mind wandering as he attempted to sleep, that he didn’t know Senaara’s exact life day. He had given Quinlan a date, a time between when Senaara would have been born and the fateful day that the twins had been born, so that his ‘triplets’ could have a life day that almost represented all of them.

Yet he didn’t know when Senaara had been born. What day, the time, what the situation was. He would never know, perhaps. That scared him. He knew everything about how the twins were born, but nothing about his daughter.

It suddenly occurred to him that Senaara would be a year old soon. He felt the urge to celebrate her life day, to do something, but he didn’t know when it was. They didn’t know when his daughter would reach that milestone.

He hated that.

Three days, he decided. In three days he would celebrate Senaara’s life day. Quietly, as it wasn’t her recorded life day, but he would still make it special. He would do something nice for her, something good. He would celebrate this day every year, a quiet day for Senaara.

He would do the same for the twins he decided. On their real life day. He would celebrate their recorded life day with all the zest the children deserved, but he would celebrate their real days, or as close as he could to their real days, as well.

The quiet choice was enough to make him feel safe once again.

He fell asleep soon after.

-

“I think that’s a wonderful idea.” Ahsoka was holding a bottle to Luke’s lips but Luke was squirming away. The togruta was doing the best she could to bounce him to soothe him. “What do you have in mind?”

“Clan Kryze had some traditions. Nothing the locals here would be aware of.” Obi Wan glanced at Senaara who was sitting quietly on the couch, her new stuffed tooka in her grip as her eyes followed the glowing sun marks from the window.

“Satine taught you?” Luke finally took to the bottle, his little hands reaching to touch Ahsoka’s. Leia still refused the bottle, but she wasn’t whining like normal. Just glaring at Obi Wan as he rocked her.

“Mm. She was very serious about her traditions while we were on the run.” Obi Wan remembered the fire Satine had had. She would refuse to do anything till she had respected her culture, it was a debt to her parents was what she said. The parents that had died in a bombing. The parents that were supposed to carry out her traditions for her.

“What were they?”

“The mother starts a string of beads. A new one is added each year on the child’s life day. The first is for their name sake, then there are traditionally thirteen for each year of life, sometimes more. When the child completes their Verd’goten, they get their final bead.” Satine had been adamant about creating her sister's beads. Even when she was separated across Mandalore from them, she still worked to create them with what she had, sending them through secure channels. She had said that if their mother couldn’t do it, it was up to her. Obi Wan knew she had started one for Senaara, must have, but wherever it was, it was long gone now. “It’s a warrior's story, traditionally attached to a Mandalorian’s belt.”

“So you better get started. Senaara needs two beads in the next three days.” Ahsoka nodded. “Is this something I can help with? Or does it traditionally go to the father if the mother can’t do it?”

“It’s my responsibility.” Obi Wan scooped Senaara up, holding her to his chest. The little girl simply giggled as Leia finally took to her bottle.

“How many mandalorian traditions do you know?”

“Not enough, mostly Clan Kryze rituals. Anything that Satine obsessed over during our time together.” Obi Wan kissed Senaara’s forehead gently, before giving a kiss to Leia who squealed. “Enough.”

“Well let’s give these kids three good life days.”

-

On the morning of Senaara’s chosen life day, Obi Wan woke early. The nightmare of Satine’s cold body in his hands clung to his breath as he woke with a start, sitting up quickly as the first bit of dawn crawled through his window.

It was ironic, he supposed, that on the day meant for their daughter, he started it by being haunted by the day he learned of her beautiful existence. He could still feel the warmth of blood on his hands as he wiped his hair back, now long overgrown, and ruffled his beard, fluffy but better kept.

He got up, knowing he couldn’t sleep again after a nightmare with Satine. Satine, Qui Gon, Anakin, and Padme were the messengers of insomnia. Nightmares with any of the four, always ended with alertness that no amount of caffeine could ever bring.

The house was quiet at dawn, no babies crying, no Ahsoka fixing broken machinery, just him and the clay walls. He got a cup of caf, not that he needed it, and walked barefoot to the little work bench he had built a few months prior.

On it, sat a beskar coil, the hardest thing to acquire of the three objects, luckily scraped together and melted down from different tech pieces that Ahsoka had gotten her hands on, a small carved bird, it’s wings outstretched, mid flight, and a single bead painted like the sky, two sun shone in yellow and orange. A strong connector, a symbol of Senaara’s name sake, and a symbol of her brother and sister.

The bird talisman was already beaded, but Obi Wan hadn’t yet beaded the bead. It wasn’t time.

His hand gently traced his work. Satine would have been proud, his cuts and mold was inspired by her careful work that he had admired years ago. She should be the one touching the beads, the one who would give them to Senaara today. She should be here. The thought still stung after so long.

By breakfast, the house was alive. Leia was loud, squealing in joy as Ahsoka played a variation of peek-a-boo and surprise with her, Luke in her arms, curled up sucking his thumb quietly. All three children had been fed, all three were set for the day.

Obi Wan was rearranging the objects in his bag, Senaara already secured to his chest through the baby wrap. The pattern wasn’t Mandalorian but the colours were blue, white, and yellow. Clan Kryze where it mattered. She was quiet, her ear to his heart beat as she often did, her blue eyes looking elsewhere.

He was going to take Senaara up on a hike. They would make camp under the stars before they would return late at night. Clan Kryze had no event for the day, only the bead ceremony, but Satine had loved the quiet treks through Mandalore’s scenery, and she had loved the stars even more. There was no mandalore here, but Satine would have enjoyed the quiet forest nonetheless.
Ahsoka had agreed to care for the twins for the day, she was excited for the personal time with the kids, the night before she went on and on about her plans. Walks through the forest, bath time with all the little toys she and he had made, bedtime with stories from the temple.

Obi Wan gave a quick kiss to each of the twins foreheads, he received a babble or two in response, before he slipped the pack onto his bag, called a quick goodbye to Ahsoka, and was out the door.

Ahsoka still knew the surrounding areas better than Obi Wan did, but Obi Wan didn't mind, intent on allowing the force to lead him. He started off towards the woods, away from the pastures, heading for the river.

Senaara didn’t make a sound, simply tangling her hand in his tunic. Her eyes stayed on the forest around them. Obi Wan made sure he went at a slower pace than normal, to allow for his daughter to take in the expanse of the nature around them.

The force was quiet, there was no demand except for a slight pull north. Obi Wan obliged as he walked.

The day was spent quietly, the only sound being Obi Wan’s own voice as he told Senaara stories of Satine, of Anakin, of months prior. Senaara would giggle or chirp in response, but the baby seemed to understand there was some form of importance that came with the day. Her often eager voice was quiet as Obi Wan walked on.

By midday, Obi Wan came across a rock ledge at the edge of the river. The jutting stone allowed for a canopy and the running river offered a soothing sound. It felt right, the peace that the area brought, and thus Obi Wan made camp.

His pack did not carry very much except for an assortment of baby food, two meals for him, a blanket and pillow, as well as an assortment of odd gadgets that Ahsoka had hidden away. It didn’t take him long to get settled, setting up a small ring of stones for a fire and taking a seat facing the river. He unwrapped Senaara and sat her on the blanket, handing a bottle of formula over for the little girl to grasp as excitedly as he took out his own meal, a sandwich he had packed with haste.

There’s not a lot you can do with a baby, even if that baby was year old now. Obi Wan was content with doing nothing with his daughter if it meant it was just them together. Peacefully existing in a place that Satine would have loved.

Senaara sucked at her bottle, as Obi Wan ate his sandwich. A happy quiet sitting between them. When Obi Wan was done, he washed his hands in the river and opened the small jar of pureed apples and carrots from the garden and surrounding forest. Senaara climbed happily into his lap, clapping her hands in excitement over recognizing the jar’s colour.

The twin’s liked sweet food, shuura, plums, muja, and long fruit. It was a challenge, especially for Leia, to get them to eat the more savory fruits and vegetables that Obi Wan had grown in the garden. Senaara had no qualms with savory food, but she was an extremely picky eater still. What Senaara would and wouldn’t eat appeared to be chosen at random, leading to Ahsoka and Obi Wan scrambling to figure out what Senaara did like.

It turns out it was apples and carrots. Apples and carrots every day, every meal. Sometimes Obi Wan could get away with getting his daughter to eat a longfruit or peas but those were lucky days. He’d learn to stop fighting the picking eating for now, not until he could actually communicate with his children.

Senaara should be around the age where she could start talking, yet as she sat in Obi Wan’s lap, happily chewing on her rubber spoon full of the red orange mush, no coherent words came from her lips.

Leia felt closer to speaking. The way she would focus before making sounds, the way her sounds flowed from her mouth, almost words, almost there. Luke was similar to Senaara, but that felt more acceptable, he was only nine months after all.

But today wasn’t about them.

“It’s pretty here, right star?” Obi Wan kept his voice quiet. No one else needed to hear it. Senaara didn’t give him a sign she was listening, more focused on Obi Wan’s hands as he scooped up more of her food, her tiny fingers reaching in anticipation. It brought a small smile to Obi Wan’s lips. “Your mother would have liked it here. She would have loved you with all her heart.”

It didn’t hurt as much to talk about Satine. It just felt empty, like the space beside him should have been occupied by her. “You are loved more than you’ll ever understand.”

Senaara looked up at that, her eyes tracking Obi Wan’s before yawning. It got a chuckle from her father as Obi Wan helped her with one more bite of food.

Obi Wan didn’t talk much after that. Senaara grew tired, she often took a nap with the twins after lunch and thus he wrapped her to his back, humming quiet lullabies as he watched her eyes closed and her breath even out.

The forest was quiet, the water ran with a silent song beside him, and thus Obi Wan meditated. He kept his back straight, posture well, hands clasped together, eyes closed, as he tried to breathe with the force. He focused on the sound of Senaara’s tiny breath, the feeling of her tiny heartbeat pressed to his back. It felt good to clear his mind, it felt good to just exist as he once had.
Satine had made fun of his meditating when they were younger. She had thought it a waste of time and effort but she had stopped the insults when he got her to do it with him. For a woman that fought for peace, he was unsure she had ever truly experienced it. Perhaps that was why she fought so hard for it.

Obi Wan didn’t feel at peace, he didn’t believe he ever would again, but what he felt was similar. As the sun set behind him, and as Senaara woke quietly, calm with the presence of her father, Obi Wan kept breathing.

Obi Wan restarted the fire, working to get it going with some still wet wood. He fed himself and Senaara once again, laughing as Sneaara made a mess of her fruit mush. He helped clean her up, whipping the burgundy from her lips and helping her play in the river water to wash up. Eventually he was ready.

In front of the fire, with the stars just coming into view, Obi Wan sat Senaara on his lap. He held out the beskar link, the carved bird at the end of it, and the new bead to be added. He placed them on the blanket in front of him, watching as Senaara reached for the pieces.

“Not yet, star.” Obi Wan chuckled. “Satine would want us to do this properly.”

Senaara turned, looking up at her father curiously. Obi Wan smiled softly.

“Senaara Kryze. You hold the name of Clan Kryze, you are a descendant of Satine Kryze, and Adonai Kryze before her. You are a child of mandalore, of the rocky plains, of the ragged seas, you are a child of the stars.” Obi Wan recited the customary monologue the best he could, translating to basic. His mando'a was good, but not that good. He changed the names where he had to, changed the words when required. He kept his voice even as he could. Senaara watched him with an odd intensity. “You will grow into a warrior, for that is your destiny. Before you is your thread and your song. You have lived for a year, and you will live many more before you become a warrior. Until then fight for your family, for your honor, and for mandalore. As you’re Buir I present you with your warrior song. Accept your bead as a symbol of your perseverance. Akaanir verd’ika. Shereshoy cyare.”

With that, Obi Wan raised the bead, allowing Senaara to touch it, before slipping it on to the beskar link, tying it off for another year. He allowed Senaara to hold the link then, her wide eyes taking in the sight.

“Ni kar’tayl gar darasuum.” Obi Wan whispered, laying a kiss to his daughter's forehead. “I love you eternally. ”

Senaara put the warrior’s song in her mouth, chewing slightly on the bird. The kid was teething, so Obi Wan knew this was going to happen. Yet he hadn’t expected what happened after he gently took the link away.

“Buir.” The word was small, easily missed. It sounded like a bable, it sounded like it could have been any baby nonsense but Obi Wan froze at its sound. Senaara repeated the word, looking straight at him, her hands grasping for him “Buir.”

Buir. The mandalorian word for father.

Obi Wan placed the link down, picking his daughter up in his arms and holding her to his chest.

“Yes my star. I’m right here.”

He didn’t even care that as the two watched the star’s together, tears pricked at his eyes.

-

When the day came for the ‘triplets’ documented birthday, Ahsoka and Obi Wan decided to celebrate it like a traditional life day. This was the day that the children would think was their life day as they grew up, this was the day that the triplets would believe they had been born.

Ahsoka and Obi Wan had worked to make little gifts for the children.

Ahsoka had traveled to the village, ignoring any odd looks, to barter for some soft fabrics. Obi Wan had reminded her that they could be resourceful and revitalize the animal pelts from her hunt, but Ahsoka was adamantly against the idea. Apparently the idea of giving the children real animals pelt off put her.

She was able to get her hands on a soft beige, almost yellow furry fabric, a patterned blue and green cloth, and a purple mullin felt. The yellow fur was most likely an animal pelt, but Obi Wan didn’t point that out. Ahsoka was focused for the following weeks, sewing and filling the fabric to make animal-like shapes.

Ahsoka hadn’t sewn before, she hadn’t done anything remotely like this. Obi Wan offered time and time again to help but Ahsoka was adamant that she does this on her own. Claiming that the scraps of fabric that Obi Wan had made and decorated were not suitable for such wonderful children.

In the end, Ahsoka finished the night before the lifeday. She stared at the three stuffed creatures, a look of awe and exhaustion of her face. Obi Wan sat beside her, passing her a cup of tea, as he looked on at her work.

A bantha, made with the yellow fur. The horns were carved by Obi Wan, soft wood that was made for chewing as Luke was teething now and was chewing on anything and everything. Any details were either sewed on or the fluff was dyed with collected crimson flowers that turned the beige to orange.

A tauntaun, made with the purple mullin fabric. Its horns were also shaped by Obi Wan, yet Ahsoka had been very critical of the shape. It looked good now on the little stuffed tauntaun, but the weight was off and the stuffie could not stand or sit on its own. Obi Wan had to reassure Ahsoka that Leia wouldn’t care, that Leia would just be excited for a new toy.

Finally, a kiros bird with the blue and green patterns fabric. The colours matched the colourful nature of the bird, the patterns not so much, but it was the thought that counts. There was no need for any wooden pieces, Ahsoka had found Obi Wan amusing when he became saddened when he realized this, but Ahsoka just reminded him that he had his own gift he was working on. Senaara would enjoy the bird, no matter if it had a wooden piece or not.

The last touches Ahsoka did was a painted marking on the back of each stuffie. While in town, Ahsoka had bought a selection of books on Ratisk. Books on the animals, on the land, on the people, but most importantly on the flora. She had originally bought it for Obi Wan and his garden but it helped her learn that a budding patch of white flowers near the home were basic in terms of pH, meaning it could be used to dye the fabrics a lighter colour. Ahsoka painted diligently to add a sun to the bantha, a moon to the tauntaun, and a star on the kiros bird.

Obi Wan had worked on something smaller. Three charms, small ovals, painted light blue. Two with circles, two suns, and one with a star. Sanded till soft, attached to a necklace, a bracelet, and an earring.

A month prior Ahsoka had gone into a crisis over the fact that Padme and Satine’s children did not have their ears pierced, believing that earrings would be a statement to their legacy. Obi Wan didn’t see much sense in it but he understood that it stressed Ahsoka out. Perhaps this was her way of coping and trying to honor the two women's legacy.

So Ahsoka had sat the babies down, used numbing from the strangely large amount of first aid Quinlan had left them with, and pierced Senaara and Leia’s ears. She then felt worried about leaving Luke out and thus pierced his ears. After, Ahsoka’s hands started to shake, confirming to Obi Wan that this was a symptom of something larger unresolved and thus he sat down and allowed Ahsoka to pierce his ears.

In the end, all the children had pierced ears, meaning he could gift earrings.

The two didn’t bother wrapping the gifts, as the children would struggle with the unwrapping. Instead, they laid out the gifts the night before, and made plans to bake something sweet in place of a cake.

The morning came fast. There wasn’t much fear that came with it. Unlike Senaara’s chosen lifeday, the day was meaningless in everything beside paperwork. It was perfect to celebrate the kids.
Ahsoka and Obi Wan worked in tandem, waking the kids, rocking them when they cried, getting them to drink and to slurp up their mushed food. On normal mornings the two gave the children the same mush as the others, sometimes something separate for Senaara if she rejected the breakfast, but for the most part the same. Instead this morning, each kid got their favorite mix of baby food.

Leia was happily grinning into her shuura and plums. She was babbling commands for more as Ahsoka struggled to keep up with her scooping. Luke was quieter as normal, enjoying his muja and longfruit witch Obi Wan helped him eat. Senaara was already strapped to Obi Wan’s back, having finished her mush when the twins were still sleeping.

Leia had said her first word a week after Senaara’s lifeday, the very simple command of “no”. The little girl used it for everything and anything, even when she meant to say yes. Luke remained quiet, but Obi Wan wasn’t worried.

Leia liked to happily tell Ahsoka “no” as Ahsoka tried to scoop more food for her, even as her hands motioned for more. Ahsoka, or “Oka”, as Senaara had started to say, simply shook her head playfully and helped the young girl to her plums.

The day unfolded lazily. Ahsoka took the three outside, setting up a blanket for them to play on. Obi Wan joined them, a piece of wood and a carving knife in his hands. He didn’t know what he wanted to make, just knew he was going to trust his hands as he did.

Ahsoka giggled with the kids, playing peek-a-boo and pretending to be wounded when Senaara lightly punched her arms. Ahsoka whispered encouragement to her little “mandalorian warrior”, while she used the force to float Luke up into the sun, watching him giggle and grin. Obi Wan chuckled as he watched, letting Ahsoka have her time with the children.

She was their aunt. Maybe she was their older sister, in a way. According to the paperwork she was their cousin. Nonetheless, while Obi Wan had become all three's father, she had become something just as important.

By Lunch, the children were put down for their nap. This allowed for Ahsoka and Obi Wan to move around the kitchen freely, mixing flour and grain, pureed apples in place of traditional eggs, jogan fruit and shuura added in chunks. They covered the pan with a metal plate before nestling the batter into the fire, covering the metal tin in coals. Obi Wan worked to cook down shuura and jogan into a sauce while Ahsoka set out the gifts on the kitchen table, waiting for the children to wake.

The cake came out fine, thick and fluffy. Ahsoka poured the fruit sauce over it, allowing it to soak before placing cut fruit on it. Obi Wan placed it behind the gifts, careful to make sure it had cooled down before cutting it to be ready.

Senaara woke first, calling out her new favorite word “Buir” until Obi Wan went to collect her, gently waking the other children up. He carried them into the kitchen where Ahsoka was waiting. It was a challenge with all three of them, but they all held on as Obi Wan carried them.

“Surpise!” Ahsoka threw up her hands in emphasis. The children cooed, reaching for the new objects before them. Obi Wan smiled, placing them down in their high chairs, fashioned from his own work, and placed their new stuffed toys in front of them.

Leia grabbed first, holding her tauntaun close, squealing with excitement. The little general’s grin was large as she started to squeeze the cloth close to her, already drooling slightly at the purple fabric. Luke was more apprehensive, he always seemed to be, tapping at her bantha, feeling the fur in his hands before taking the toy and promptly chewing on the stuffed creature's tusks. Senaara simply patted the bird before her, calling out “Buir”, over and over. Whether she was telling Ahsoka and Obi Wan that the bird was named Buir, or that the bird was in fact Obi Wan, was unclear, all that mattered was the three children accepted their gifts with a mix of giggles and squeals.

Obi Wan squeezed Ahsoka’s shoulder as she smiled, covering her mouth slightly as tears seemed to gather in her eyes. Perhaps they had all become more emotional since the fall of the republic.

The five ate cake with no issues. Senaara made a mess, covering herself in moist crumbs and fruit sauce, Luke skipped on the cake, more focused on the fruit syrup, as he tried to lick the fruit sauce from his sister's shoulder as Leia demanded more and more. Obi Wan could hardly contain his laughter as he tried to answer each child's demand and each child’s squeals.

Ahsoka stepped back, putting the stuffed animals in each child's crib, claiming that she wasn’t the kid's dad so she didn’t have to handle messy cake activities. Obi Wan had shouted back that she was their aunt but she had pretended to not hear.

It felt right being called the children’s father. Senaara was his by blood, but the twins were his in every other way. Sitting in front of them, even as they covered themselves in sticky fruit and crumbs of cake, even as they squealed and screamed, and cried together, he knew he would make the choice to keep them again, and again, and again.

After cake, all three kids had a bath. It was very much needed after the fiasco of sticky fruit and thus Ahsoka filled the basin with water from the well, and Obi Wan got to work filling the tub with hollow floating toys for the children to push around and splash.

The baby's hair had grown out, as it does, and all three children had a mess of hair that needed to be cleaned and brushed through. Leia’s hair was coming out curly like her mothers, dark brown wisps fluffed up like a halo when Obi Wan dried it with a towel. She was looking more and more like Anakin, even with baby fat and baby features, Obi Wan could see it. The way her eyes glinted, the way she smiled, crooked and full of mischief. At least she had her mother’s beautiful curls.

Ahsoka joined to help brush the childrens hair. For someone with no hair at all, Ahsoka tended to enjoy the act of brushing through knots and curls. Obi Wan didn’t mind, three squirming children who couldn’t sit still, was a lot for anyone to handle, he was appreciative of the help.

As Ahsoka brushed through Luke’s blonde hair, Obi Wan turned his attention to Senaara’s. It looked like she was going to have his own red hair. Satine had always called it a light auburn, Anakin had called it ginger, Padme had said strawberry blonde. It was easier to say red. Nonetheless, Senaara had his hair.

For a while Obi Wan couldn’t figure out why that bothered him. His daughter looked like him, how could that be a bad thing? It wasn’t until he realized that it was the absence of Satine that distressed him. The absence of her blonde hair, her face structure, anything beside the light blue eyes that adorned his daughter's face. Senaara took after her father, and was missing her mother. It hurt in a way that Obi Wan couldn’t describe.

As the sun started to set, Obi Wan carried the children to bed. Luke whimpered till he was moved into Leia’s crib, as he did every night. Obi Wan hoped each evening would be the one that Luke would sleep on his own, yet each night he moved Luke to either Senaara or Leia’s crib without question.

Ahsoka had slipped away to make dinner, leaving Obi Wan with his children. His voice was soft as he sang them lullabies, mixing the mandalorian ones and the nabooian ones. Mand’oa mixing smoothly with basic.

Carefully, Obi Wan took the charms he made and slipped them into the children. The bracelet for Luke, who wriggled at the new sensation, the necklace for Leia, who grabbed it with tiny hands, and the single earring for Senaara who shook her head feeling the new weight.

For the most part they accepted it. A symbol of Obi Wan’s love for his children, a symbol that they were three, not two, or one, but three. Obi Wan smiled softly.
Luke cuddled in nicely beside Leia, clutching his new Bantha, the tusk still in his mouth as his eyes closed. Leia took longer, she seemed to fight to stay awake, listening to the song that flowed through the room but she fell asleep soon after Obi Wan kissed her on the forehead.

Obi Wan sat in the rocking chair he had built, keeping his voice steady as he listened to the breathing of his children slow. Senaara drifted off soon after, the smell of smoked meat filling the house. Obi Wan looked out the window, watching the stars as clouds rolled by.

He knew that the twins' real life day would come, and he knew it would be hard. He knew that the events of Mustafar, of the past decades would come back and haunt him. He knew on that day he would wake in a cold sweat, that he would struggle to handle the burn in his chest.

But he also knew that such a horrible anniversary was still the day that two, out of the three best things that had ever happened to him, were born. He would make the day special, not calling attention to it, similar to how he tried to do with Senaara. He could take the twins on a trip on the ship, piloting like Anakin. He could make them some new clothes, like Padme. He didn’t know what he would do. But for now, it was all three of their life days.

And so he hummed, singing soft words memorised long ago. Rocking softly in his chair as he watched the three babies, sleeping peacefully in their cribs.
His children, happy and safe.

Chapter Text

“I hate you.”

Anakin’s words cut deep, the smell of burning flesh clung to Obi Wan as he struggled to breathe. His friend, his brother, below him, burning, screaming. The lava rolling around them, thick and slow, the hum of anger, of pain fills his ears. Padme is in the corner of his eye, she’s laying there on the ground, her face pressed against the landing pad. Blood pooling under her. Ash is in the air, ash is in his lungs. He can’t breathe, his lungs burn, they sting-

Padme shouldn’t be bleeding. She was choked, she shouldn’t be bleeding.

Obi Wan sits up quickly, gasping for air as he feels like he’s just resurfaced from drowning. Perhaps he looks like it too, his body is drenched in sweat, the sheets stick to his limbs as he frantically tries to shove them off, tangling himself in the process.

Ratisk is hot, but recently it’s been muggy. The humidity clings to Obi Wan as he wipes his face, seeing the thick gleam of sweat that covers his arms and chest. It takes a bit, breathing in and out, counting as he does so, but Obi Wan is able to breathe again. Yet the tremble of fear still rattles in his chest. He can still hear the echoes of his brother's screams. He can still taste the ash on his tongue. He’s able to center himself eventually but by then he knows there is no sleep waiting for him.

Throwing on a shirt, Obi Wan leaves his tiny room behind, ignoring the mess his bed is in. He pours water from the jug, takes a long drink as he watches the stars.

“I’m so sorry Anakin.” It’s all Obi Wan can say. It’s all he will ever be able to say. He had cut off Anakin’s legs, just as he once did for Maul, he had taken Anakin’s limbs, his ability to run. He had left him to die. Even if Anakin was alive, he wouldn’t have been able to take a step towards Obi Wan. He wouldn’t have wanted to.

Ahsoka asks no questions when she gets up with the sun. Obi Wan never asked when he found her awake before light, already nervously tinkering with some device. She never asks when she finds him trembling with morning light. They don’t ask, they don’t tell.

Instead Ahsoka helps him prepare for breakfast wordlessly. They eat leftovers from the night before, they prepare baby food, they work without words, the force pulsating between them.

“Buir!” Leia’s voice is the first real sound that morning. She has taken to using the name for Obi Wan as well, Obi Wan hasn’t corrected her. “Buir! Buir!”

“I’ve got you Leia.” Ahsoka swoops in, picking up the baby. “You’re Buir is busy with you brother and sister.”

Sure enough, Obi Wan’s hands were full with Senaara and Luke. Luke was supposed to be eating his shuraa mush but he was rejecting it in any way he could. Senaara was in Obi Wan’s other hand, pressed to his chest as she reached for something far behind him.

“Soka!” Leia squealed at being carried. Ahsoka simply chuckled, carrying the girl on his hip outside to the garden. Obi Wan was going to do some work on the garden that day, pruning, weeding, and reseeding. Ahsoka had promised to stay close and help watch the kids while he did, laying out a blanket and toys for the children to chew, play with, and squeal at.

Luke however was still refusing his food.

“Come on Luke.” Obi Wan muttered, doing his best to scoop the mush into the little boy’s mouth. Luke shook his head, turning away with each bite. Luke was hardly a picky eater, but he did have spells like this. Obi Wan sighed, rocking back and forth for Senaara who babbled little sounds into his ear. “Just one more bite.”

Luke looked up at him with his big blue eyes. The echoes of a man lost stared back at him. It was as if the small boy was challenging him. With a hesitant move, Luke took a small bite of mush. Obi Wan gave out a sigh of relief, scooping up the boy from his high chair, sliding him beside his sister as the three headed outside.

Ahsoka had already set out the blanket, a soft rectangle that Quinlan had given them in their initial supply. The ends had become tattered but the family couldn’t care very much about that. Leia was already sitting up, her tauntaun in her hands as she clapped excitedly as Ahsoka made faces for the little girl.

“Hope you’re ready for two more trouble children.” Obi Wan smiled as he leaned down. Senaara crawled away quickly, reaching out for Ahsoka, who outstretched her hand. Luke clung to Obi Wan’s tunic, his little hand balled up until Obi Wan pried it away. Obi Wan whispered reassurances as he helped Luke sit down, placing his bantha in his hands.

“I’m always ready for my favorite three trouble children.” Ahsoka mused, letting Senaara crawl in her lap. “My little disasters.”

Obi Wan chuckled at that, turning to his garden. The once vacant garden beds were now overflowing with shrubbery and flora. Herbs grow in clumps, strings of beans, roots, and berries covering the once barren ground. Obi Wan had cultivated about five separate plots, watered, rooted, and toiled with them for months. Somehow, it had become enough, enough for all five of them to live on once Quinlan’s food supplies had run out.

With Ahsoka’s hunting and Obi Wan’s gardening, the two had cultivated a steady stream of food, meaning they only had to visit the village on rare occasions. Obi Wan knew he was always one bad harvest away from needing to visit the village, but for now the family was safe. They were content.

“Ey, Leia play nicely.” Ahsoka’s voice quipped. Obi Wan turned to see Leia grabbing for Luke’s bantha, her little knuckles clenched around the yellow fur.

“No!” Leia’s favorite word ran out through the clearing. It was followed by the girl's laughter as Ahsoka lifted the bantha with the force, pulling it away and setting it in Luke’s hands. The little boy watched on, his lip quivering as it did often.

While Senaara had taken to talking first, uttering the word ‘Buir’ on her lifeday, the little girl had stopped there. The two words that Senaara could say, or really ‘would’ say was Buir and Oka, referring to her two caretakers. She wouldn’t say anything else, instead keeping with her baby babble.

Leia on the other hand had picked up words quickly. Buir(Obi Wan), Soka(Ahsoka), No, ToTo(TaunTaun), Lulu(Luke), and Naara(Senaara) all came easily to her. She could babble a mile a minute with a range of words or half words she had picked up, which somehow made it harder to understand her. While ‘no’ was in her vocabulary ‘yes’ was not, meaning she often used ‘no’ even when she meant yes.

Still Leia always had something to say. She was like her father in that regard. Perhaps one day with the right vocabulary she could speak like her mother.

Luke however, remained quiet. There were a few nights where Luke had said something similar to a word, a babble that sounded like ‘Buir’, a babble that sounded like ‘Soka’, but nothing fully formed. It was as if the little boy chose not to say anything.

“That’s Lulu’s bantha, okay Leia?” Ahsoka waved her finger in Leia’s face. Instead of showing remorse, Leia reached up, grabbing at the orange finger, attempting to pull it closer. Obi Wan chuckled at the sight, turning back to his garden.

The root vegetables needed to be checked, and the beans needed to be collected. It was a simple day of work ahead of him and thus he got to it, digging through the ground, worker cloth covering his hands.

Every so often he would pause as he heard baby laughter from behind him. He would watch for a few minutes as Senaara played with Ahsoka’s montrals and Leia crawled about, grabbing fistfuls of grass to play with. Luke remained on the corner of the blanket, holding his bantha to him.

As he worked, Obi Wan’s mind tended to wander. He found himself back where his mind always seemed to want to go. Back on Mustafar, back to the same question: how could he have stopped it?

After playing the game with Ahsoka, he had often toyed with the concept of what he would change and how. How could he have reached Anakin at that moment? What words could he have used differently? What could he have said to make sure Anakin could meet his children?

It was agonizing to think about, but Obi Wan couldn’t help but play the game.

He always found himself wondering what would have happened if he had never become a Jedi in the first place. Would Anakin have ever been found? Would Qui Gon have still died? Would the fall of the republic still happen?

He knew it was illogical. The Clone wars were bound to happen no matter who started it or who ended it, but could things have gone differently without him? Could they have been better?

The thought made him feel sick.

The heat of Ratisk bore onto his back as he worked. His arms were sore from shoveling the previous day and the way he had his legs swung under him for the best digging point hurt his shoulders. He didn’t mind, savoring the odd taste of pain. It reminded him he was alive still.

“Obi Wan.” Ahsoka’s voice was a whisper but it held urgency. There was fear in it, a tremble of anticipation.

Obi Wan froze, twisting the mini shovel in his hand so that it could be better used as a weapon. He turned quickly, surveying the fields, afraid that her voice was a warning of danger, that he would need to protect the children from danger.

He was wrong.

Ahsoka’s voice didn’t hold fear. It was amazement.

Luke stood. He stood. Hands outstretched towards Obi Wan, his little face focusing as he lifted a foot, planting it on the cool ground, and then another, and another. Obi Wan held his breath, dropping the shovel at his side. Luke took another step, and then another before tipping over, falling into Obi Wan’s arms.

“Oh my dear boy.” Obi Wan smiled, holding his son close. Luke didn’t seem to care, he just grabbed Obi Wan’s tunic once more, holding it close to him.

“He just started walking. He just got up.” Ahsoka sat there in amazement. Senaara, unaware of the event, pulled gently at her fingers. “He must have seen something he wanted.”

Obi Wan stared down at the boy who had adjusted himself into the crook of his chest. The boy who looked like his father, the boy who’s blonde hair rivaled Anakin’s on Tatooine, the boy who’s blue eyes sparkled like the ones that had once hated him, the boy who now held him close, afraid to let go. The boy who had walked to him because he had wanted him.

“You’ve done so well.” Obi Wan whispered as he kissed Luke’s head. Luke simply squirmed slightly at the touch but he didn’t say anything. The boy never had to.

The rest of the afternoon was uneventful, as it should be. Luke stayed in Obi Wan’s lap, inspectring dirt and roots as Obi Wan worked with his garden. He let the boy chew on cleaned roots if he asked for it, cutting shuura and fuja for him to suck on. Ahsoka played with the girls, helping them roll over in the grass as they played with their stuffies, wooden figures and water from the well.

Ahsoka could have tried to get the girls to walk, making that the day's goal, but both Obi Wan and Ahsoka seemed to have the quiet understanding that today was Luke’s victory. The boy who hadn’t yet talked, had walked before the others.

He had taken steps that the others couldn’t.

Obi Wan layed another kiss to his son’s forehead, this time Luke didn’t fight it.

Chapter Text

“Not sleepy.” Leia shook her head, her little arms crossed over her chest.

Obi Wan watched as Ahsoka tried to reason with her, kneeled down at her height. The little girl stood in her nightgown, but had refused to move from the spot where she stood.

“Come on, the sooner you sleep the sooner tomorrow will come.” Ahsoka tried to reason, holding out the stuffed tauntaun. The name Toto had stuck with her as her vocabulary grew, Toto the loyal tauntaun.

Leia rejected the bribe, turning away and closed her eyes in protest. Obi Wan chuckled.

Luke was in his crib already, adapted and made larger as the children had grown. He was sitting, holding his bantha to him, still chewing even with his new teeth on the tusks. Senaara was in the corner of the room, rummaging through the collection of storybooks that had been bought at the village. She selected a story they had read many times before, the story of the Monarch, the Jedi, and the Bard. It was an old story but Senaara loved it, constantly requesting it.

“No.” Leia repeated, turning fully away from Ahsoka. “No, no, no.”

Senaara hobbled over to her sister, holding out the book for Leia to see. Leia looked down at it, inspected it, and then sighed in a dramatic fashion not fit for a toddler. Leia took the book from Senaara’s hand and passed it to Ahsoka in a sign of defeat. Ahsoka smiled.

“Thank you Leia.”

“Naara sleep.” Leia grabbed at her sister's hand, guiding her to her crib where Obi Wan waited to lift them both up. Leia kept her arms crossed, a sign of her disapproval that bed time was even a thing, but Obi Wan kissed her forehead earning a giggle from the little girl.

Senaara stayed quiet as Obi Wan placed her in her crib but she called out the quiet reminder for the storybook, “Buir.”

“Yes star, I know.” Obi wan chuckled, kissing her on the forehead and then Luke before taking his seat in the rocking chair. The book on his lap ready to go.

“I’ll leave you four to it.” Ahsoka smiled, waving at the three kids. Luke waved back as he yawned but Leia still kept her chin up. Ahsoka chuckled and ruffled the girl's hair as Senaara watched.

Obi Wan watched her leave, quietly thanking her as he opened the story book, smiling softly at the children that watched him with eager eyes. Luke was already laying down, his bantha wrapped into a thick hug as he watched Obi Wan with drooping eyelids. Leia was slightly turned away, her chin still high as she kept her eyes wide open, staring out the window. Senaara simply leaned on the bars of the crib, ready to listen, her posture tired but alert.

“Are you ready, my dears?” Obi Wan kept his voice soft as he narrated the story. It was a common one, one he remembered from his time at the temple. An old story passed down, each planet with its own version. The version he held in his hands was similar to the one he had been told, decorated with a range of beautiful watercolor figures.

The monarch was a leader of a planet who befriends a young Jedi and a young traveler. The three set off on adventures across the galaxy so the monarch may learn to rule her planet when they return, the Jedi to learn empathy, right from wrong, and the traveler to become the bard, the storyteller, the one who can turn words into actions. It’s a simple story, a sweet one.

The clones had never been told the classic story. It was such a basic one that came with so many republic childhoods. With so many variations, you were bound to hear a version. But Kamino had no reason to tell the clone cadets bedtime stories, and thus the clones had never heard the tale.

This was found out on a mission to Naboo. Ahsoka and Anakin had been comparing the version of the story they had heard. Anakin’s tatooine version had the Jedi have a forbidden relationship along the way with a rodian princess, Ahsoka’s temple version had no such romance but had the Monarch deal with an arranged marriage. The two would have gone on comparing stories if Rex hadn’t asked what they were talking about.

Anakin had been shocked that Rex didn’t know the story. He had been even more shocked when Cody confirmed that he had never heard the story either.

This led to Anakin forcing himself, Ahsoka and Obi Wan to reenact the story over firelight for the 212th and 501st to watch. Anakin took the role of the Jedi, making Ahsoka the Bard and Obi Wan the Monarch. It was a wonderful night, full of laughter and missteps. The actual genders of the three adventures changed from myth to myth so the three had fun leaning into both aspects of the retellings. At some point during the night Anakin activated his ‘feminine’ charm when the three met the rodian he believed the Jedi was supposed to fall in love with.

Once the story was nearing the end, and Ahsoka and Anakin couldn’t run around playing every other role needed, the two ended up forcing Rex and Cody to join in to help. Rex ended up playing a rodian princess, which somehow Ahsoka and Anakin had agreed that the Jedi could have for the purpose of their performance.

But if Anakin got his part of the story, then Ahsoka got her part. That was how Cody ended up playing a duke from the Monarch’s home who Obi Wan was now in an arranged marriage with.

Obi Wan had remembered whispering apologies as Cody laughed at the ridiculousness of it. The two had ended up engaging in a dance, Fives on the drums, Echo played a lute. The two had never truly played instruments before but they were able to keep a good tune for Cody and Obi Wan to clumsily dance around the fire.

Obi Wan had remembered laughing into Cody’s shoulder when they finished, any lingering anxiety from the day of missions had dispersed as Cody held him, slapping him on the back, his own laugh echoing through the memory.

By the end of the story, depending on the myth, the Monarch would reject the marriage and choose to rule alone. Ahsoka had decided she didn’t like that the Monarch ended up without a partner and chose for the marriage to work out. When Obi Wan protested, bringing up the literary reasons for the split, Anakin shut him down.

Anakin and Ahsoka probably just liked the idea of having a wedding scene to wrap up their epic tale. Cody had just smiled through it all, reassuring Obi Wan that he wasn’t embarrassed

The story book told something different. The rodian princess and the Jedi had a torrid love affair that ended with the rodian dead, the Monarch had the arranged marriage but dueled their way out of it, becoming friends with the Duke instead. Obi Wan didn’t mind the changes, but he did mind having to skip certain pages and words when the story got too bloody. Maybe the children of Ratisk were more involved with violence than other children, the water colors bleed together as he flipped the pages.

He wanted the children to be as far away from violence as they could be.

-

Obi Wan’s lightsaber was hidden under the floorboard beneath his bed.

The once trusty weapon had been hidden away for the safety of the family. If anyone were to see it, they would know Obi Wan was a Jedi, and that would put the children in danger.

Obi Wan would have thought he would miss the extension of himself. He thought he would pull it from its dungeons more often to hold it and to feel the power that once sat at his belt. Yet he never did. Never once did he feel the pull of the weapon, never once did he miss the power that hummed through him.

The saber sat forgotten, replaced by wooden spoons and carving knives.

Obi Wan was sleeping alone in his bed. Senaara had been up for a few hours when the worst of the storm overhead had rumbled but she now slept quietly in her crib, alongside Luke who had rolled on top of her with little concern.

The storm had settled down, turned to a quiet drizzle around the house. The thatched roof took away most of the sound but for what it was, the cool breeze was comforting. Obi Wan would have slept peacefully if he could, the story of the Monarch, the Jedi, and the Bard fresh in his mind, if he hadn’t heard the metal pail tip over.

The well did not rely on rainwater. The dig was deep enough that the ground water filled the basin and the pump could easily filter the water. The pails were there for when Ahsoka or Obi Wan wanted to run a bath or have the children play in the water. They were often left untouched by the well, but the metal cling of the pail’s hitting each other and tumbling into the stone well was unmistakable.

Obi Wan woke up with a start. No matter how peaceful he could sleep he remained on alert. With the outreach of the force, he could feel that Ahsoka had woken up, she was moving quickly in her room.

Reaching out further, Obi Wan could sense that it was two individuals. The cool hum of metal reacted to his sense, they had blasters or at least some form weapons with them each. They were strong, men of some stature.

Obi Wan didn’t hesitate to lift the floor board, slipping his saber into his hand. He considered putting on a shirt, but the need to reach the children as fast as possible outweighed that.

He and Ahsoka had contingency plans for this. Obi Wan would get to the children, he would protect them. Ahsoka would take on the attackers, protecting the house. Ahsoka had a blaster and her carving knife with her, if someone had mistaken their home for something else, she wouldn’t give away that they were former Jedi. If they got close enough to the children, it would already be too late for them.

Obi Wan carefully made his way to the children’s nursery, avoiding the open windows and arches. The rain pattered on as he scooped up Leia and placed her in the sun crib with Senaara and Luke. The three of them didn’t wake, simply rolled over into each other. Obi Wan was careful as he slipped the crib off its stand, built for this purpose, as he carried the wood bassinet to the corner of the room where a small colourful rug covered the corner. Obi Wan used the force to push aside the toys and pillows that covered the corner, using his free hand to move the rug away, revealing the hidden storage compartment that Obi Wan had built. Large enough for the crib, good enough to hide the children from someone who wasn’t looking. Obi Wan gave the children a kiss on each of their foreheads before placing the crib into the earth, covering the top with the wooden cover, slipping the rug over and back into place.

Obi Wan stood in the middle of the room, handing over his saber as he waited. He listened, trying to break through the song of the rain. Ahsoka had already left, otherwize he would have felt her in the home. All he did now was wait for Ahsoka to return with news.

He kept his breathing steady as he used the force to hook on to the children, feeling their sleepy presence. He tried to reach out, to hook on to Ahsoka, but caught nothing. The rain was interfering.

The ring of a blaster shot rang through the air. Obi Wan didn’t flinch, he stayed steady, waiting. Ahsoka could handle it if needed. She would be okay. A second ring of fire, and then a third. Obi Wan kept looking forward, keeping his eye on the window and the door.

A scream rang out through the storm. That caused Obi Wan to pause. It might have been the wind that had picked up, maybe a by-product of the rain, but the scream sounded like Ahsoka. He tried to reach out with the force again but came out empty.

Panic was creeping in now as another blast rang through the valley. Obi Wan looked back at the corner where the children were hidden, he bit his lip, grip tightening on the saber.

He would not lose Ahsoka.

Obi Wan left the house around the backway, staying near to the cold walls in an effort to avoid the raging rain. It was hard to see, the rain fogging the valley and making visibility difficult. The rain was still nothing like Corun or Kamino, but it still soaked Obi Wan as he moved. He remembered suddenly he still wasn’t wearing a shirt. At least he could avoid the wet clothes feeling.

The blaster fire had paused. Obi Wan walked carefully, reaching out for Ahsoka. The force still turned up with nothing as he went. He came across a blaster mark now burned onto the house, smoke slowly rising. Obi Wan traced his fingers over the darkened mark.

The blast had come from the north, the attackers had been there at some point. Obi Wan started to move. If he learned anything from the war, you don’t run towards blaster fire, but at this point he didn’t have much choice.

As he walked, his feet sinking into the rising water in the valley, he found a string of beads from Ahsoka’s headdress. Pocketing them quickly, Obi Wan kept moving, his connection with the children waning the farther he walked.

After going a few more paces, he found nothing more but the rain that whipped his back. He was far now, too far for comfort. Obi Wan didn’t risk calling out Ahsoka’s name, he knew that would only put her and him in danger. He started to retrace his steps, ready to return, hoping that Ahsoka had solved whatever issue she had come across.

A hand reached for Obi Wan’s shoulder. A gloved hand, a rugged leather, wet from the rain. Obi Wan swung around, his saber lighting up in an instant, the blue glow against the rain illuminated the figure in front of thim.

It was a man. Obi Wan was right. The man’s face was wrapped in cloth, a thick poncho wrapped the man’s neck and chest, only his eyes were visible and those were covered in a visor and goggles. The man held a blaster aimed at the sky.

Obi Wan didn’t hesitate. The blaster fell to the wet grass in pieces, the edges burned orange from where his saber had cut through them. The man tried to react, but Obi Wan was quicker, he grabbed the man’s free hand, twisting him to a locked position before slamming the man to the ground. Obi Wan held the blade to the man’s throat, watching as the light saber singed the poncho’s cloth.

The rain poured on between them, Obi Wan waiting for a sign on what to do next, the man breathing heavy. He didn’t want to kill this man without reason.

Obi Wan could see the man clearer now. The attacker’s body was covered in a black bodysuit, similar to a pilot suit. Pieces of armor covered random parts of his body, white armor that resembled clone armor in nature. Scuffs of yellow paint covered the white, long worn away with dirt and damage. The man was drenched like he was, the rain kept pouring. Loud and screaming in Obi Wan’s ears, he almost missed what the man said.

“General?” The question was quite, as if the words surprised the man more than being flipped on the ground. The voice was a voice that Obi Wan had heard more times than he could count, but it came with fear now.

Obi Wan furrowed his brows, trying to examine the eyes that were hidden under the cloth. He didn’t lower his blade, the memories of blasts firing past his head as he attempted to survive the men he had spent years beside was still fresh in his mind. It’s hard to forget the stinging feeling of betrayal.

Any clone was now programmed to kill him. The clone didn’t have a blaster anymore but they were trained to kill without one. If the clone got free he could hurt him or the children. It was smarter to kill him now, safer to end this.

But the clone spoke again, this time their voice pleaded. “Obi Wan.”

Obi Wan let the rain hit his back as he stared down, desperate to see anything more of the man below him, any other signifier that he wasn’t right. That the man below him wasn’t Cody.
The man grabbed the hand blaster attached to his hip, but didn’t lift it. Instead he threw it farther into the sea of wet grass, putting his hands up.

“I’m going to remove my mask.” The clone kept their voice steady as they reached up, pulling off the visor and goggles, throwing them to his side. Obi Wan watched, not removing the blue blade from the man’s throat. The clone reached and pulled down the black cover mask, revealing the scar that Obi Wan had stared at so many times. The odd ‘C’ that cradled Cody’s eye.

It was Cody. There was no denying this.

“I got the chip removed, Sir. I’m in full control.” Cody’s voice remained monotone, steady as if he were trying to console Obi Wan. Obi Wan didn’t lower the blade, he didn’t move. His eyes never leaving Cody’s as he stood silent in the rain.

The memory of blaster fire and betrayal sat between them.

“Check the left side of my skull. You’ll find the incision line.” Cody twisted his head, mud stuck to the curls that had grown out slightly. Sure enough, Obi Wan’s lightsaber illuminated a short slit that had been stitched together. Obi Wan didn’t say anything.

He had thought about Cody as much as he thought about Anakin or Satine. Another former constant in his life, gone in a moment like the others. He had often thought about the chips that Ahsoka had mentioned. The one she had removed from Rex.

Rex had been able to get a message out to Ahsoka before he had fully slipped away. Rex had been able to fight the control. Cody hadn’t. Cody had shot first, he hadn’t hesitated, he hadn’t attempted to fight the chip.

Why was he here now?

Obi Wan still didn’t move. The newly familiar feeling of powerlessness seemed to seep into his skin with the rain. Could he even trust Cody?

“I wouldn’t blame you Sir. I don’t even deserve the decency to ask for a quick death.” Cody’s words still seemed carefully picked but Obi Wan knew better. He knew Cody was getting nervous, he knew this was Cody panicking. “Rex found me, he got me out of the empire. He helped remove the chip, we’ve been looking for you and General Skywalker.”

Cody had been tracking him? With Rex? He knew that Cody was a good soldier, he could track a man down if given the command, but it would take time. Him and Rex together would take even less. But this meant they were finable. This meant the empire could find them if they wanted.

“We went looking for The Path. We found General Voss leading the organization. He told us where to find you.” So Quinlan betrayed them too. But that didn’t feel right. Quinlan wouldn’t have so easily given up information unless he believed it was for the greater good. That must mean Quinlan trusted Cody.

Obi Wan used the force to grab the discarded blaster, taking it in his free hand as he slowly lowered his blade. Cody sat up slowly, shielding his eyes from the pouring rain.

“Rex and I planned to knock on the door Sir. We had tried but we were separated, Rex was pulled into the mist.” Obi Wan mentally noted that meant Ahsoka had probably attacked him, planning to disorient the ‘attackers’ using the rain as cover. He just hoped Ahsoka had realized who it was before she or Rex had gotten hurt. “Sir, I…”

Obi Wan didn’t say anything as Cody’s voice trailed off. Cody watched him, expecting something but Obi Wan felt too tired to say anything in response.

“I’m sorry.” It could barely be heard over the rain, but the words rang through Obi Wan’s ears nonetheless. Cody stood, head down, the rain hammering on his armor and poncho. Obi Wan watched him for a while, scanning his old friend's face, watching the rain soak him further.

It was a surprise to Obi Wan as much as it surprised Cody when Obi Wan pulled the other man into a hug. It felt desperate, the way that Obi Wan held onto the other man, one hand cradling Cody’s head, his curls looping around Obi Wan’s thick fingers, his other hand wrapped under the man’s arm, palm on the middle of his back. Wet cloth against skin was not a good feeling, but Obi Wan hardly minded as he held on, afraid to let go.

Cody didn’t return the hug for a moment, the clone was frozen in place before he slowly wrapped Obi Wan in his own covered arms. The slick clone under suit was cool against Obi Wan’s bareback.

“I’m sorry.” The words were said again, this time whispered into Obi Wan’s ear. Obi Wan didn’t speak, he didn’t answer, he just stared forward through the rain, knowing that if he were to cry, that the rain would hide any evidence. “I’m so sorry Sir.”

Obi Wan didn’t say anything as he helped Cody collect his discarded things. He handed the blaster back, which Cody took with hesitation. Obi Wan turned, beckoning Cody to follow, up the hill towards the house, still shielded by the mist and rain.

Cody attempted to draw an answer or reaction out of Obi Wan, but Obi Wan felt speechless. Memories circled in his head like the storm around the valley, echoes of too many memories played over and over as he took each step with Cody by his side. He didn’t know what to say, or how to even say it.

A light was shining through the house’s window by the time they got to the top of the hill. Obi Wan opened the door carefully, not surprised when he found Rex and Ahsoka sitting at the kitchen table, talking over hushed whispers and a burning candle.

When his presence was made known, Rex stood quickly, as he had been trained to do when any General had walked into the room. Obi Wan signaled for him to sit but still didn’t speak a word as allowed Cody in, closing the door behind him.

“Oh good, you found Cody.” Ahsoka’s voice was low, even though there was no longer a threat.

“I heard a scream, are you alright?” Obi Wan finally spoke, his eyes finding Ahsoka’s. She watched him now, as she often did, trying to figure out what was happening in his mind.

“Yeah. Rex blasted near my foot, I tumbled.”

“She was the one that came at me ready to slit my throat.” Rex offered a small chuckle. It felt awkward in the tension that had grown in the home. “We should have waited till after the storm, it makes sense you two would be antsy.”

“Let me get that. Your poncho is soaked.” Ahsoka hurried towards Cody who seemed surprised at her sudden interest. He removed the sopping wet cloth and allowed Ahsoak to hang it by the window. Obi Wan watched Rex instead, still feeling conflicted about the two being in their home.

Rex’s hair was still short, not grown out like Cody’s. The blonde contrasted his darker skin which still wore the undersuit of the clone armor. The thin, but well insulated, dark under suit shone oddly in the candle light, both Cody and Rex were missing most of their armor, but they still had their boots and an odd plating here and there.

Obi Wan stood quietly, his arms crossed as he waited.

For what? He was unsure.

“The empire’s getting rid of clones.” Rex started, sensing the questions that had been left unanswered. “I found Cody on a clone recovery mission. I got him to defect, got him the chip surgery as I had gotten. He was adamant that we find you too.”

Obi Wan looked to Cody, who looked away and shrugged.

“What’s a clone without their General?” Rex chuckled, trailing off. His general wasn’t here, only his commander. “There are clones that need us, but the resistance that's growing needs Obi Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka Tano more.”

“You came here to ask us to fight?” Obi Wan sighed. “We’re done fighting.”

“General, people need you.” Cody’s voice came cold. “People are dying out there. Everyday clones are charted off to unknown planets to be experimented on. Whole royal families go missing, Mandalore’s been controlled.”

“Mandalore?” Obi Wan paused. Controlled?

“We left for a reason Rex. We’re hiding for a reason.” Ahsoka tried to cool the flame that had started. “We can’t fight.”

“That’s not the Ahsoka I knew.” Rex responded, yet unlike his brother, his voice wasn’t cold. “We can protect Jedi. We have contacts, you wouldn't be in danger for that reason.”

“We’re not hiding because we’re Jedi.” Obi Wan grumbled.

“Then why?” Cody grabbed Obi Wan’s shoulder, forcing him to look at him. “Why have you abandoned the galaxy? We fought for years for a better world and the minute it fell apart, you left.”

“Maybe because someone tried to kill me.” Obi Wan knew it was cruel, but his mind was reeling and he felt sick. The guilt was clawing at him, the pain of realization was suffocating. He could see Cody’s eyes widen in guilt, taking a step back.

“We’re fighting for a better future, in our own way.” Ahsoka cut between the two men. “In a few years we’ll return to the galaxy. We’ll fight then.”

This was news to Obi Wan. He had liked imagining a world where the five stayed on Ratisk and lived the quiet life they had put together. Yet it made sense. Ahsoka could never stand by while others were hurt, perhaps Obi Wan was more selfish than he thought.

“What could possibly be more important than the galaxy?” Cody grumbled. Obi Wan glared at him. Ahsoka rubbed her brow, sighing deeply as she turned to Rex.

“Would you like tea? You two can stay for the night but we don’t have any spare bedrooms.” Ahsoka yawned as she went to start the fire in the kitchen. “Mint or Hibiscus?”

“There’s a third bedroom.” Cody eyed Obi Wan who refused to meet his gaze.

“Still, we have a sofa that you can use. We can pull out some pillows and make a bed on the floor.” Ahsoka maneuvered the accusation. “If all you were here to do was try and recruit us, I worry that you will turn up empty handed.”

“Who lives in the third bedroom?” Cody asked again.

“Cody.” Rex warned him, his voice suddenly cool.

“I said, who lives in the third bedroom?”

“It’s none of your business.” Obi Wan muttered. Cody simply glared at him. All the warmth that their reunion had once brought had dissipated by now.

“Are you keeping Anakin in there?” Ahsoka dropped the mug she had started to carry, it shattered on the ground before she could catch it. Cody’s eyes stayed trained on Obi Wan, who had turned to face him at his accusation. “He slaughtered the Jedi. He was the reason Order 66 was given. You know that right?”

Obi Wan glanced at Rex, who’s gaze was now downturned. “Who told you that?”

“Clones have always been a network of information. I knew the brothers who stormed the temple with him. I thought he had killed you for the longest time.” Obi Wan ignored the way that Cody’s voice seemed to break at the final words. “He is beyond saving.”

“Anakin is dead.” Obi Wan hated saying the words. He hated the look of shock and remorse on Cody’s face even more. “He died the day the republic fell.”

Silence drew on between the four. Ahsoka moved slowly, picking up the pieces of broken clay, Rex sat quietly with grief painted on his face as he stared at his hands. Obi Wan held his glare on Cody, Cody held it back as penance.

“I’m sorry.” Cody mumbled.

“You’ve said sorry a lot.” Obi Wan sighed, finally looking away. “Anakin is not the one in the third room. Now please, if you would like some tea, allow Ahsoka to make it. You can stay for the night, but if you plan to fight against the empire, please do it elsewhere.”

Cody opened his mouth to say something more but he swallowed his words. Obi Wan held his gaze for a moment before turning his gaze downward, turning away.

“One of you can use my room. I’ll sleep in the third bedroom. It’s late. I’ll see you all in the morning.” Obi Wan didn’t wait to see the clone's reaction, he simply nodded at Ahsoka who was watching him again.

-

The children were still asleep when Obi Wan peeled the carpet back and lifted the wooden planks that concealed them. He had closed the door behind him, shielding the secret from prying eyes. He knew the clones wouldn’t hurt the children, but if they were returning to the galaxy, it was better they didn’t return with the knowledge of the children. People can be endlessly loyal but torture strips any redeeming quailites from a person.

He carried the sun crib back to its post, attaching it with care, but he didn’t remove the children. The three babies were closely packed together, with little room on either side but the children were so tangled together that Obi Wan knew moving them would just wake them.

Instead he gave each a kiss on the forehead before collecting a group of pillows for him to lay on. The room was full of soft things and so it was not hard to find something to lay over the hard floor. He had slept on worse during the Clone Wars, trained himself to sleep on anything, but when he had the luxury, he would take it.

Yet even with blankets and pillows, Obi Wan knew he wasn’t going to sleep.

His mind was a battlefield in every way that mattered. Blaster fire and commands played in the background of his thoughts, memories of missions and cascades with Cody by his side, Rex joking with Anakin. His thoughts would never let him stay on his successes for long, on the happy endings and the bonds he had created, they always ended up back when Cody shot at him. When Order 66 had destroyed all the happiness of their paths.

He wasn’t sure how long he laid on the floor beside the sun crib. He just knew the storm had quieted to a drizzle by the time he gave up on sleep, pulling himself up.

The dawn was coming soon, he could tell by the way the sky had started to light slightly. Obi Wan rubbed his face, wrapping the blanket he had grabbed around his shoulder so that he could cover his still bare chest as the chill crept into the room.

He debated staying in the room, waiting for the children to wake, but he felt thirsty and the need to move his legs was strong. He couldn’t stay in the tiny room, he felt cramped by echoes of a past he could no longer return to.

Obi Wan moved out of the room quietly. The main area was empty, the fire still had embers burning but nothing more was out of the ordinary. Obi Wan was quiet as he restocked the fire, filling the kettle with water once more.

He moved in sync to the sound of the rain as he prepared tea. The action was soothing, familiar. It grounded him as he moved around, steeping the mint leaves and pouring the honey into the mug.

He didn’t even register that Cody had gotten up from the couch and was now leaning on the banister, watching Obi Wan as he worked. Obi Wan caught him in the corner of his eye, but he didn’t do anything to allude to the idea that he knew.

Cody simply watched.

Obi Wan prepared a second cup of tea, hibiscus and cinnamon, the way Cody liked it. It was an apology of sorts, the closest thing that Obi Wan felt he could do. Cody took it without a word, sipping quietly as Obi Wan blew on his tea.

That stood in silence, no light but the fire in the corner.

“Don’t you ever get tired of fighting?” Obi Wan’s voice was quiet as he stared forward.

“I was bred to fight.” Cody’s voice was monotone as always.

“I was raised to fight.” Obi Wan sighed. “I just want a few years of peace.”

“That peace comes at the cost of lives Sir. You were the one who always fought for others. I’ve always tried to follow in your footsteps.”

“I know.” Obi Wan’s voice was quiet. “When you’re attached to nothing, you fight for everything.”

“What?”

“Before I had nothing to fight for, so it was easier to fight for the republic. I didn’t have anything, I wasn’t allowed to have anyone. I have something to protect now. I have something to fight for. It makes it harder to fight for everything else knowing I could put them in danger.”

Cody sat with that answer for a bit, mulling it over.

“What’s in the third bedroom?”

Obi Wan sighed, rubbing her beard.

“My children.”

Cody didn’t seem surprised. He didn’t seem shocked, he simply asked, “How many? How many are actually yours?”

That earned a chuckle from Obi Wan.

“Three. One that's mine and Satine’s. Two, twins, that are Anakin’s.”

“Let me guess, and Padme’s.” The clone smirked, earning another chuckle from Obi Wan.

“You’re right.”

“Rex will be thrilled.” Cody nodded into his mug. The silence returned soon after.

It was good to be next to him again. It felt safe.

“I need to stay for them. I need to make sure they’re safe, above all else.” Obi Wan tried to explain but the words stuck in his throat.

“They’re like you right? Jedi?”

“Could be.”

Cody nodded again, sipping his tea with the stoic attitude he seemed to bring to everything. “So you are protecting the future. The next three Jedi warriors who could or could not save us from the empire.”

“Maybe.” Obi Wan hated thinking of the children that way, but he knew Cody hadn’t meant to reduce the children to soldiers. That was simply how the clone had been raised. “You can stay here. If you would like to.”

Cody mulled this over for a moment. “I need to make sure the galaxy is ready for your return. Safe for when the children are ready.”

“That’s your right.” Obi Wan tried to hide the disappointment that ate at him. “Rex?”

“Right now? He would choose to return. Our brothers need our help, they need us to save them from the empire. If he knew about the kids…” Cody paused. Obi Wan watched him. “It might make it harder but he would still choose to return. Anakin would have fought for the clones, for the people without voices. Just like you would have.”

“You don’t have to be me Cody. You’re your own man. I’m not your general anymore.”

“You’re as good a man as any to follow Sir. You’ll always be my general.” Obi Wan smiled into his tea. Cody simply hummed. “I’d follow you into any battle.”

-

Rex and Cody never met the children. The two clones had been offered but decided against it, perhaps they knew it would make it harder to leave, perhaps for Rex he wasn’t ready to face the man he had lost.

Instead Obi Wan had prepared a quick breakfast for the four of them before the clones set out to where they had stored their ship. The only semblance that the two had even crossed the threshold of the house, was the scribbled transmission code for Ahsoka or Obi Wan to use in case of emergency. The two had entered under cover of night, and left under the light of dawn.

Obi Wan watched as Ahsoka’s eyes never left the ship as it entered the atmosphere, only looking away once the speck of silver had disappeared into the clouds.

“You wish you had gone with them.” Obi Wan kept his voice steady. Ahsoka didn’t look at him.

“I don’t know. I’m needed here, you can’t do this alone.” Ahsoka seemed like she was trying to convince herself of this fact rather than Obi Wan. “I’m doing the right thing.”

“We were trained to bring a voice to the voiceless.” Obi Wan breathed in the morning air, fresh after rain. “It doesn’t feel right to hide.”

“No. It doesn’t. Anakin would have fought.”

“He would have.” Obi Wan agreed. “Just like we will.”

“Once they're old enough.” Ahsoka added.

“Once they’re old enough.” Obi Wan nodded.

Ahsoka leaned onto Obi Wan who took her sign of comfort as consent to wrap his hand around her shoulder. The two stood there, watching the clouds roll by, taking with them their last remnants of their life before.

Chapter Text

Senaara was crying. She had been crying.

The night had been a mess.

It had started with Ahsoka trying to make water fun for the kids. She had taken the three toddlers to the river during the afternoon. She’d worked to find the calmest, shallowest part of the creek, all to allow them to splash about.

Luke and Senaara had chased each other about, squealing as the water moved about them. Leia was much more interested in the mini waterfall that brought the water to the pool, running her tiny hands under it. Obi Wan had stayed behind, opting to work on fixing the moon crib after Leia had broken its spool during one of her late night escapes.

Everything had been fine until Leia had slipped on the wet rocks, skidding into the water. Ahsoka had rushed forward, pulling her out from the shallow water so that she could breathe, but the damage was already done. Leia was wailing as her tiny knee bleed, a small scrape from her fall. Ahsoka did her best to clean the wound and give Leia kisses to calm her. Senaara waded over, careful to hang onto Ahsoka so that she herself wouldn’t fall, so that she could give Leia’s knee a kiss as well.

Which meant no one was watching Luke.

Luke had made it out of the pool, finding the mud around the river to be much more exciting. By the time Leia wasn’t crying, but whimpering, in Ahsoka’s arms, Luke was covered in sticky mud that he was happily patting.

At least they were by water.

Ahsoka had to basically drag Luke back into the river, he hadn’t wanted to leave his drawings in the mud, in order to scrub him clean of the dirt. Yet even as she poured water from her hands, the mud stuck to his shirt and pants. Brown clumps laced his blonde hair, dirt was smeared on the back of his tunic, through it all the little boy was grinning.

Ahsoka sighed, not yet exasperated, as she listened to Luke’s giggles as the water poured over his head.

“More!” He laughed as the water slid down his face.

Ahsoka simply shook her head, turning to watch his sisters who were now splashing each other with water.

The walk back home had been easy. When the kids got tired of walking, Ahsoka wrapped them into the baby wrap, picking them up for a ride over the fields. They were still small enough to fit, but old enough now to choose to walk aside her, holding her hand, forcing her to walk slowly to accommodate their tiny legs.

Luke ran ahead, collecting flowers as he went. Leia held Ahsoka’s hand with a promptness, as if she were leading Ahsoka and not the other way around. Senaara, who had grown tired, was sleeping on Ahsoka’s back. The children had already had their daily nap, but the sign that Senaara was starting to sleep again was good. Ahsoka and Obi Wan often let her sleep if she decided to.

They arrived home as the sun had started to set. Obi Wan welcomed them, Luke running into his arms, Leia just after him. He had picked them up, spinning them in a circle as they laughed.
Ahsoka gently woke Senaara who grumbled at being awake. Senaara’s frown lessened when her father held her but she still seemed upset.

Obi Wan had tried to question the streaks of dirt on Luke’s once pale blue shirt, but Ahsoka told him to ignore it. Children will get dirty if they want to. Obi Wan let it go, but not before whipping a leftover smudge of mud from his son's cheek.

The night truly started to get bad when Ahsoka put the children down in the living room so that she and Obi Wan could start dinner.

Leia had been quick to get into play mode, grabbing Toto and Luke’s bantha, toddering towards the window ledge that she often enjoyed. Luke stayed back, seemingly looking for the bantha before realizing that Leia had it.

Luke followed his sister, determined on getting his comfort object back, but Leia didn’t turn at her brother's advances. Already happily puppeteering the two stuffies.

“Laylay.” Luke urged, grabbing Leia’s arm. She pushed him back, to focused on the animals.

“No.”

“LayLay.” Luke urged again, reaching for his bantha. Leia just moved the two stuffies away, ignoring her brother's pleads. “Laylay!”

“No!” Leia turned her head up, grabbing the two stuffies and turning away towards the couch. Luke followed, trying to grab for his toy but Leia shoved him, holding the two stuffies to her chest, an annoyed frown on her face. “No! Mine!”

Luke fell back. It wasn’t a fall that would hurt him, often the children’s falls didn’t result in scrapes or bruises, but it was a fall that would spook him. He started to wail as Leia turned her chin up, walking away with the two toys won in her arms.

Obi Wan sighed, leaving Senaara where she was sitting with her tired frown as he attempted to console Luke while Ahsoka tried to get the bantha from Leia. Luke just kept crying, even when he was picked up and rocked, pushing his head into Obi Wan’s chest.

Ahsoka on the other hand found it difficult to get the bantha from Leia’s grip. The little girl was putting all of her strength in making sure the yellow toy did not leave her hands. Obi Wan wouldn’t be surprised if the little girl was channeling the force unknowingly.

“Leia please.” Ahsoka crossed her arms. “That’s your brothers.”

“Mine.” Leia stomped her little feet in response.

Ahsoka leaned down to try and grab the bantha once more but Leia slapped her hand away, starting to cry in frustration.

“Aye. No hitting.” Ahsoka’s voice turned stern. “That’s not yours.”

Like a tea kettle, Leia’s cries got louder and louder as her grip on the two stuffies got tighter.

Two screaming children.

Obi Wan felt his ears go numb to the sound as he bounced Luke on his hip, trying to whisper words of encouragement. Luke was not having it. Leia’s cries were less teary and more out of frustration but that didn’t mean they hurt any less to hear.

Senaara’s frown just deepened as the girl stared forward.

“I’ll give you some shuura before dinner if you give me Bantha.” Ahsoka relented, looking to Obi Wan for approval. Obi Wan nodded.

Leia perked up at this, tilting her head as her wails quieted down.

“Shuura?”

“Yeah. I can cut some up right now for a treat. Just give me Bantha, okay?” Ahsoka offered a smile, which Leia considered. Slowly, as if it pained her, Leia handed over the bantha stuffie before requesting to be picked up, her little hands grabbing at the air.

Obi Wan watched Ahsoka let out a sigh of relief, as she picked up Leia, handing the bantha to him on her way to the kitchen. Obi Wan accepted the trophy before displaying it for Luke.

The little boy looked up, studying the stuffie as if it may be a trick, before grabbing it and holding it close. His cries turned to a whimper, which Obi Wan took as a good sign, as he rocked his son, watching Senaara start to crawl towards the toy bin.

He could hear the excited giggles of Leia as Ahsoka chopped the fruit into bite sized pieces. His daughter was clapping with excitement, her own stuffie now abandoned on the floor. Obi Wan sighed.

Things were supposed to be better after that but three toddlers can’t make any evening easy if they tried.

Luke remained upset, hiccuping every few minutes, tears still welled in his eyes. He was calmer now, holding his bantha like a lifeline, but he wouldn’t play with Senaara when Senaara would toddle to him, offering him random blocks of wood.

Leia enjoyed her winnings of the shuura as Obi Wan mentally noted to talk to Ahsoka about rewarding bad behavior. He was sure he had heard that once, that a parent should reward good behavior, enforcing it, while discouraging negative behavior. Screaming over having to share with your brother is not good behavior.

Yet even as he worked on dinner, he couldn’t think of anything else he or Ahsoka could have done. Leia liked to scream, and if she wanted, she would. The two had learned early on that Leia had stamina. If she was really upset, she could wail for hours before getting tired, only stopping once she got something she wanted.

What could he have done differently?

Luke was going to cry until he got his bantha. While not as loud as his sister, his tiny whimpers were somehow worse than the piercing cries of Leia, and the little boy remembered. He would not lose sight of what upset him like Leia might.

“Stop worrying.” Ahsoka hit him with a towel.

“I’m not.”

“Your brow is furrowed and you’ve got your thumb and forefinger on your chin. You're thinking about something and it's making you anxious.” Ahsoka pointed out, sliding behind him as she went to grab a pot. “Anakin always said that was your telltale sign.”

Obi Wan simply hummed in response. It was easier to talk about him now. To see Anakin as the father to Luke and Leia, rather than the man he became. Anakin had always been good at sensing Obi Wan’s superficial feelings.

“We should stop rewarding Leia.” Obi Wan started to say as he grabbed the shuura from its basket. “It’ll enforce the bad behavior.”

“Look at you thinking like a parent help book.” Ahsoka giggled, slipping her diced vegetables and spices into the pot. “What would you suggest when she gets like that?”

“I don’t know.” Obi Wan hated that he didn’t have an answer. He didn’t have an answer to a lot of these parenting questions.

“Well we should figure it out. She really likes Luke’s bantha.”

“Maybe we let her play with Senaara’s bird?” Senaara was attached to the bird, needing it beside her to sleep, but the girl shared more easily.

“Leia doesn’t like the bird.” Ahsoka filled the pot with water, mixing the simmering vegetables and spices together. Soup for dinner. Obi Wan liked that idea. While she worked on the adult dinner, he got to work mashing the shuura and longfruit for the twins.

“Where are the apples?” Obi Wan asked as he reached out for the fruit basket, his fingers not tracing the familiar fruit.

“They should be there.” Ahsoka called from the fire.

Yet they were not. Obi Wan sighed, wondering how they could miss this. The apple tree’s nearest to the home had been picked dry since they came in season, meaning he had taken trips deeper into the forest in order to find trees still ripe for harvest. Senaara was near dependent on her mash of apple and carrots, he had been so careful to keep stock.

Obi Wan peered out the window. It was dark already, not a good time to go looking through the woods. Senaara would have to settle for carrots and shuura.

Obi Wan went to the pantry to pull the carrots, only to find to his horror that those were missing too.

“Ahsoka?”

“Yeah.”

“Did you use the last of the carrots for the soup?”

Silence.

“Kriff.”

Ahsoka and Obi Wan were left with two choices. Try to get Senaara to eat shuura and longfruit mash, or go to the village and hope they have a stall still open. The way the dark had already cascaded over the sky, the answer was chosen quickly. Perhaps tonight Senaara would not be as picky an eater as she had been.

They were wrong.

The two were very wrong.

Senaara’s frown only depended when she stared down at the mash in front of her. Mash that was definitely not her mash. Mash, that to the toddlers mind, probably appeared as a personal insult to her being.

Senaara didn’t cry, her face just scrunched up and she started to call out in desperation, “Buir. Buir. Buir!”

“Sorry Star, that’s dinner for tonight.” Obi Wan sat across from her high chair, prepared for the fight that would ensue. He lifted the baby spoon to the girl's lips, as Senaara turned away in protest. “Come on Senaara, just a few bites.”

“No.” The girl shook her head frantically. Obi Wan glanced at the twins who were happily eating their dinner. Ahsoka was scoping the mush for Luke, while Leia was balancing the spoon in her own tiny hand. Ambitious as always.

“Star, please.” Obi Wan pleaded as he could see the tears starting to gather in his daughter's eyes. “It’s just shuura. We’ll have apples and carrots tomorrow.”

Senaara met his eyes as she seemed to consider his words. She opened her mouth, as if to cautiously invite the mush. Obi Wan sighed in relief, helping her take the bite of baby food. Senaara considered it, closing her mouth around the spoon. The toddler sat there for a moment, Obi Wan waited in expectation.

Senaara promptly spit out the mush and started to cry.

“Kriff.” Obi Wan sighed, the sound of toddler cries once again rising through the house.

“She does not like shuura.” Ahsoka chuckled, but he could hear how tired she was. He could feel how tired he was.

“Come on Star. It’s not that bad.” Obi Wan tried to negotiate, but Senaara had stopped listening. She was sobbing now, probably because she was hungry, probably because she was tired. Obi Wan rubbed his face in defeat.

“I need to go to the village.”

“It’s dark.” Ahsoka sighed, picking up Luke who had finished his bowl. “Are you sure? What happened to not rewarding bad behavior?”

“I can’t listen to all three screaming again.” Obi Wan relented, already moving to grab a cloak and some credits. “Is picky eating a bad behavior?”

“It’s an annoying one. Take Senaara with you.” Ahsoka mused, starting to help Leia with her mush. “If she cries for any longer the twins will start screaming too.”

That’s how Obi Wan ended up trekking through the forest, a crying Senaara wrapped to his chest, on his way to the little village on the other side of the woods.

Senaara had not stopped crying. Senaara had gotten quiet, then loud, whimpered and then wailed. All Obi Wan could do was rub the little girl's back, pleading with her to be quiet as they walked. The little girl's ear was to his heartbeat, as she often did, but that didn’t soothe her.

Obi Wan knew the woods weren’t dangerous. The beast would avoid him as long as he kept the force calm, no one dangerous traveled the parts. He felt safe for the most part, but the lingering need to be quiet in the dark, gained from many years on the battlefield, made the whole situation very uncomfortable.

The village didn’t have much light, old generators helped keep the main street alit but everything else about the settlement looked like a ghost town at night. Obi Wan first tried the fruit stalls that he had seen on other brief visits, all of which were closed for the night. He then tried the little store, only to find its light dark and the door closed.

Grumbling to himself, Obi Wan tried to whisper reassurance as Senaara continued to whimper in his arms. This was turning into a failed mission, one that he didn’t know how to recover.
Senaara would eventually fall asleep, crying herself into exhaustion, but he hated the idea of her going to bed hungry. It made him feel like he failed her somehow. How could he miss that they were running low on the only two foods Senaara ate? How could he have been so incompetent that he had ended up in this position?

“Can I help you?” The basic was heavily accented but it was understandable. Obi Wan turned in surprise, finding a young woman behind him. She looked like a mix of miralian and human, her tan skin was interlaced with green. Her hair was the familiar purple but with a dulled undertone reminiscent of humans. Her hair was braided into bronze cylinders that held the rest of the hair, which was half wrapped in a cloak and a long dress.

“I’m not sure.” Obi Wan tried to walk away, he’d rather not talk to anyone if he could manage it.

“The store opens in the morning.” The woman offered. “Do you need something for the babe?”

“We’re fine.”

“The babe’s crying. I haven’t seen you around town often, you're the man that lives on the other side of the woods?” There was no malicious intent in her words, but Obi Wan didn’t trust it.

“I should get going.”

“What do you need? It sounds like they're hungry. My grandmother is the midwife of the town, I’m in training.” The girl seemed a little embarrassed as she explained this, looking away. “Do they like shuura?”

“No.” Obi Wan chuckled. “They really do not.”

“Then what are they crying for?”

The girl looked honest, harmless really. Her smile was awkward but sweet, like she truly was trying to help. Obi Wan was so tired, Senaara was still whimpering, a steady vibration on his chest.

“Apples and carrots.” Obi Wan sighed. He needed help. He hated that he had to get it here, so open, so vulnerable. “She won’t eat anything else.”

“I have some at home.” The woman turned to leave but paused realizing Obi Wan had no intention to follow. “Mashed right? Wait here.”

The woman returned a few minutes later, a generous jar of mush in her hands. She passed it over quickly, shyly, as she focused on Senaara. Obi Wan thanked the woman, the feeling of relief being overwhelming as he finally had the one thing that would quite Senaara in his hands.

He knew the woman was watching him as he left the village. He knew her gaze lingered as he disappeared into the forest, her mind burning with questions he would not answer. She had been kind, that had not been lost on him, but the fear of danger stayed.

He had never brought the children to the village before. Neither had Ahsoka. Until this point the village had no idea the children existed. Obi Wan sighed, noticing his beard brushing Senaara’s forehead.

“I got your mash.” He whispered. Senaara didn’t seem to understand, her little hand clutching his tunic as tears still streamed from her eyes. She had gotten quieter but her body hiccuped with sobs.

“I wonder if any of this will be easier when you're older.”

-

Obi Wan was half asleep when he heard the knock at the door.

Why was someone knocking?

The night before came back to him, the trip to the village, Senaara wailing in his arms, Senaara eating her dinner and promptly falling asleep at the table, no need for bedtime stories, kissing the twins who were already sleeping.

Who would be knocking?

Obi Wan got up quickly, exhaustion clinging to him as he dressed. He was at the door in a second, brushing his messy hair back from the front of his face. Ahsoka was beside him in a second, they eyed each other warringly before opening the door.

On the otherside was a short old woman. Miralin, with blue tinted green skin, her hair was covered by a headdress that was simple in nature. She wore deep blues and blacks, her face a crossroad of wrinkles. She looked kind, but strong. As if she could carry barrels on her shoulder but if the wind blew the wrong way, she would be swept with it.

“Uh…hello?” Ahsoka asked. The woman simply smiled, spoke something that Obi Wan and Ahsoka could not understand, and pushed her way into the house. “Wait, hold on.”

The woman didn’t answer, continuing to speak in the language of Ratisk. One that was not taught at the Jedi temple, a criss cross of clicks and harmonies. She hobbled around the living space, finding the children’s nursery with ease and allowing herself in.

Ahsoka looked at Obi Wan, and he looked at her. A silent understanding between them that neither understood what was happening. The woman didn’t seem a threat, but they didn’t understand what she was doing except for the fact that she was dangerously close to the kids.

Obi Wan followed the woman, calling out to her as she let herself into the nursery, clicking her tongue at the three children who still laid asleep.

“This is a private residence.” Obi Wan tried to say. The woman waved him off, scooping Luke in her arms, “Hey, no, put down my son.”

The woman clicked her tongue in response, too focused on Luke. She was checking his ears, gently prying his lips open to look at his mouth. The boy had woken up but hadn’t started to cry, he was giggling as the older woman held him, reaching out to touch her diamond spots on her face.

Obi Wan went to move forward, prepared to take his son back by force if needed but the elderly woman swung around, evading him with ease. She seemed to weigh Luke in her arms, tilting her head in thought.

“I don’t think she means harm.” Ahsoka seemed unsure, her stance still ready by the door.

Obi Wan didn’t answer, more focused on putting himself between the woman and the two other cribs. The woman paid him no attention, tapping Luke’s nose and watching him reach up towards her. The woman was humming now as she tapped the toddlers knees, watching Luke kick back in response.

There was another knock at the door. Obi Wan didn’t remember the door closing behind him, meaning whoever was knocking was doing so on an open door. Ahsoka was gone in a second, returning with the woman from the night before. Her speckled green skin flushed.

“Maidra!” The young woman called out, rushing past Obi Wan to the elderly woman. The two quickly conversed in their language, the tension rising between the two. Obi Wan eyed Ahsoka, she eyed him back before the young woman turned back to the two. “I’m so sorry.”

“What are you doing here?” Ahsoka asked, keeping her voice level.

“I’m sorry, I’m Nerva. This is my Maidra, my grandmother. Her name is Tenva.” The young woman started to ramble, letting out a quick gasp of surprise when Tenva handed her a squirming Luke. Nerva adjusted quickly, placing Luke on her hip, bouncing him gently as if it were second nature. “I told her about our encounter last night. She set out in the morning, I didn’t know she would.”

The pieces were falling together. Yet Obi Wan didn't step aside even when Tenva put her hands on her hips, silently demanding him to move away so that she could get to Leia.

“For years, decades really, my Maidra has been there for every birth. She’s practically the…uh what do you call it in the inner rim? The doctor? She’s practically the mother and children’s doctor.” Nerva rambled on. She seemed to realize that she was nervously rocking Luke, and so she handed him over to Obi Wan, who took his son back with a watchful gaze. “She was insistent that she make sure the children are healthy. Have they been seen by a midwife? Or a doctor?”

Obi Wan bit his lip, looking to Ahsoka who gave him the same unsure look. “No. They haven’t.”

Tenva spoke something in her language, it sounded like a joke, but Nerva didn’t laugh. Instead she translated with a steady voice, “She says the boy is healthy. She wants to check the girls now.”
Obi Wan paused. Tenva looked old, but not frail. Maybe not a threat but still, he didn’t like letting anyone else hold the children. He hated that there were strangers in the house, he didn’t like how his last resort the night before had turned into this.

“Ben, step aside.” Ahsoka used his fake name easily, as if she had always called him that way. “She means no harm.”

Obi Wan took a step and then another, swinging Luke to his chest so that the boy was closer, his eyes never leaving Tenva and the twins.

Tenva worked gently. She would pick Leia up, checking what she could, weighing the girl in her arms with her experience. Nerva would do her best to narrate what Tenva was doing, translating the questions and comments for Ahsoka and Obi Wan to listen to.

Obi Wan had to admit that Tenva was good with the kids. Leia liked her, smiling and calling out words when Tenva prompted. Nerva mentioned that Tenva thought Leia was a strong little warrior in the making. That had gotten a smile from Obi Wan.

Senaara’s check up was similarly successful. Whatever test Tenva was putting the children through they had passed easy enough. Obi Wan didn’t know why the check up made him so nervous as he leaned against the wall, Ahsoka beside him. The two gave the midwives space as they walked around the room, testing the children’s progress and whatnot.

Eventually Ahsoka offered tea as she started to prepare the children’s breakfast. Once the three toddlers had eaten, Tenva watching the entire time like a watchful eye, Obi Wan set them to play, turning to the guests.

Nerva sat beside her grandmother, nursing a mug of mint tea while Nerva spoke to her in their language, quick and precise. Nerva simply nodded, seemingly still awkward, before translating for Obi Wan and Ahsoka. They talked about the milestones. Which kid was speaking? How much? How long? Who slept through the night? Who was walking? All three? Who runs? The steady stream of questions were answered with ease, even if Obi Wan’s heart hammered at the idea of people in the house.

“She says they are healthy.”

“Good.”

“Do they…have a mother?” Nerva asked the question after Tenva prodded her. Obi Wan chuckled softly at how uncomfortable the younger woman was.

“No. She’s dead.”

Nerva nodded, translating the answer for Tenva, who nodded at the information. She spoke a few words back which Nerva took in, processing them with a quiet sigh. She turned back to Obi Wan and Ahsoka, a smile gracing her anxious face.

“She says you’re doing a good job.”

Obi Wan was taken aback.

“Most parents fall apart with three kids, you’ve done well. She says the children are healthy, happy, and hitting their milestones for the most part. They love you, and so…well…good job.” Nerva offered a smile, but it was nothing compared to Tenva’s grin as she nodded to the words she didn’t understand.

Suddenly Tenva reached across the table, patting Obi Wan’s hand. She gave him a comforting smile, squeezed his knuckles, and then returned her hands to the mug of tea.

Obi Wan didn’t know what came over him. He just knew he was suddenly holding back tears.

“Ignore my uncle, he’s a big softie.” Ahsoka wrapped her arms around Obi Wan, hugging from the side. “Thank you for coming.”

Tenva left as fast as she arrived. Nerva apologized a few more times for the random interruption, which Ahsoka assured her was alright. By the time the miralian and the mixed mirialan had left, Obi Wan still hadn’t risen from his kitchen seat, the elder woman’s words still stuck on replay in his mind.

“Buir.” Senaara was beside him, grabbing at his pant leg. He looked down at her, a smile gracing his lips as she lifted her up to his lap, and shoved her stuffed bird in his face, “Buir! Buir! Bird!”

“Yes my dear, Bird.” Obi Wan watched the twins in the living area, chasing each other as they giggled after a ball. Ahsoka was still at the door, breathing in the warm air.

No one was crying.

But if they were? He felt he could handle it.

Chapter Text

Ahsoka had been tinkering on the odd pieces of scraps she had collected for hours. Obi Wan had given up trying to understand her obsession with mechanics and gears. He assumed it had something to do with Anakin, that this was just another odd way she had learned to cope. But with nothing needing fixing within the house she had turned to creating something new, hidden in the shade from the house’s patio.

Obi Wan didn’t mind this, it let him spend time with his children uninterrupted. However the toddlers had recently learned to run and they often did so with great glee. Their tiny legs didn't take them far but they took them fast, leading to an exasperated Obi Wan to chase after them all at once.

Surprisingly it was Luke who ran the most. The boy hardly did it to escape, but to feel the freedom of wind in his long blonde hair. Giggles escaped the boy as he lapped around the furniture, teetering on his little chubby legs as he ran with no goal in mind.

Obi Wan just made sure to keep an eye on him as he braided Leia’s hair, who had taken residence in his lap. She was telling him a story about the bug she and Senaara had found with a solemn seriousness that he recognized from her mother but had no right to be found in such a young girl.

Senaara sat beside them, her head in a picture book that she was analyzing with a quiet intensity. It was the monarch, the Jedi, and the bard again, yet this time a different edition. Senaara had asked for another copy when Obi Wan explained the story was told differently in different pages. Senaara hardly used her words, not like the twins often did, and so Obi Wan had rewarded the few words with the book she examined.

“Where’s ‘Soka?” Leia asked, looking up at Obi Wan. He nearly let go of the strands of hair he had just spent twenty minutes braiding, but two years of doing Leia’s hair had taught him to keep an iron grip.

“She’s working love.” Obi Wan answered simply, reaching out his free hand so that Leia could place her chosen hair tie in the palm of his hand.

“Play! Us!” Luke had stopped running, collapsing in front of Obi Wan and his sister in dramatic fashion.

“I can still play with you.” Obi Wan tied off Leia’s braid, admiring his work with the knowledge that Leia would probably take it out in an hour. “We can go outside and play-”

“No.” Luke shook his little head sitting up. “Soka’s fun.”

Obi Wan stifled a laugh. “She’s fun huh?”

“Forest.” Leia nodded very matter of factly as if the single word was all the explanation needed.

“Ah, she takes you to the forest.” Obi Wan let that mull over. “So if I took you to the forest, would you have fun?”

“No.” Luke sighed as if Obi Wan was somehow being stupid. “No ‘Soka.”

“Yeah.” Leia nodded. “No ‘Soka.”

“Alright, well Senaara, what do you think?” Obi Wan turned, placing a hand on his daughter’s shoulder. She looked up, her ginger hair falling in front of her eyes as she pushed it away with an awkward clumsiness. “Do you want to go to the forest cyar’ika?”

Senaara just stared at her siblings and her father before giving what could have been a shrug or a shake on her head. Obi Wan wasn’t afraid that she hadn’t understood, he had picked up that the young girl understood a lot more than she let on, but she often didn’t respond in the way the twins did.

“No ‘Soka. No forest.” Leia crossed her little arms.

“Okay, okay. We don’t have to go to the forest. How about outside?” Obi Wan offered, picking Leia up from under the armpits and placing her down standing up. “I think we can have some fun outside.”

It took some convincing but the twins finally got their little boots on, running to help Senaara who was a little slower than them, and headed out into the sunny outdoors. Obi Wan made sure to bring the children to the opposite side of the house from where Ahsoka was in order to give her some space. She had been quiet all morning, he knew she could get snappy if overwhelmed.

Luke was running again before he fell into the dirt. Obi Wan bit his lip, counted to three just in case, but Luke got up again, face full of smiles, and ran off to the well, touched the stone, and ran back before running past Leia, placing a hand on her shoulder before running off again.

Leia took that as competition, and chased after him, the air filling with giggles as the two played what Obi Wan could only assume was an early version of tag. While he took a seat under the shade, Senaara sat beside him, leaning on him as she opened her book again.

“Hey Star?”

Senaara didn’t look at him, just nodded a little.

“Do you wanna go play with your sister and brother?” Senaara and the twins had grown very close, never knowing any other children as they grew. Obi Wan had been hit with the realization that the three actually believed they were siblings a few weeks ago and hadn’t figured out what he thought of it yet. He knew Senaara wasn’t sitting with him because she didn’t like her brother and sister, but rather the regular children-like activities that the twins thrived with, didn’t appeal to his daughter. Sometimes she needed an extra push.

Obi Wan made a mental note to talk to Ahsoka about his daughter's behavior. Tenva had assured him it was normal for children to present differently and have different timelines of milestones, but Obi Wan often wondered if there was something different with Senaara.

Senaara shook her head, looking back to her picture book, tracing the outline of the monarch. Obi Wan sighed, knowing what he had to do.

“You don’t have to chase each other, but we’re outside, do something with nature cyar'ika.” Obi Wan reached over and picked up the picture book, taking it from his daughter's grasp. Senaara reached for it again, her brow furrowing in an eerie way that reminded Obi Wan of Satine, but she didn’t cry. Her little fists balled together, yet she stood up and walked into the sunlight, sat down and laid like a starfish in the grass. At least she was in the sun.

Obi Wan chuckled, placing the book beside him. His gaze returned to the twins who had picked up sticks and were attempting to sword fight. Their tiny chubby bodies could only hold the sticks in a clumsy manner, and the ‘swords’ hardly actually made contact with each other, but the looks of concentration on both of their faces warmed Obi Wan’s heart.
They were turning into little Jedi’s, no matter how hard he tried to prevent it.

It was then that Obi Wan heard a small explosion.

Obi Wan had been around enough bombs in his life that he could tell what was military grade, what was made to demolish, and what explosions actually were dangerous. The small boom that he had heard from behind the house was none of those things. He could tell it was small, maybe impacting a radius of a foot at most, and made from poor material.

Ahsoka’s project.

Obi Wan sighed, looking back at the three kids. Two fighting in the soft grass, one laid out with her eyes closed, and he walked to the other side of the house.

He was met with a soot-covered Ahsoka who was cursing under her breath at the amalgamation of wires, chips, and metal on her work bench. The culprit of the explosion seemed to be a small memory chip that she had accidentally overloaded. Obi Wan didn’t know much about mechanics but being around Anakin and Ahsoka had taught him enough to understand where the mistake had happened.

“Are you alright?” Obi Wan asked, passing Ahsoka a rag from his pocket. She thanked him and started to wipe the black from her face.

“Miscalculation. That’s all.” Ahsoka sighed, putting her goggles back down and accessing the pile of scraps. She reached for a tool and immediately got back to the wires, crossing them over each other in some pattern that only she could understand.

“Okay.” Obi Wan didn’t leave. He could see the stress in Ahsoka’s shoulders. He could see the way she held herself as if she might break if she let go. Her normal spark and quips had been missing from the conversation, as well as her smile. Her lips were stuck in a straight line as she focused on the…metal ball? Artistic rendition of a scrap? Melted mouse droid? He wasn’t sure, but she seemed fully focused on it. “Is something bothering you Ahsoka?”

Ahsoka paused for a moment before shaking her head and pushing her lekku behind her shoulder so it would stay out of the way. “I’m fine.”

“You’ve been cooped up here, working on…this thing.”

“I’m making a toy for the children.”

“One that explodes?”

“That wasn’t supposed to happen.” Ahsoka huffed.

“What’s it supposed to do?”

“It’s supposed to run. Luke could chase it. I don’t know.” Ahsoka sighed, leaning back. “I was inspired by one of those cat toys, but I don’t know how to make things. I just know how to fix things.”

Ahsoka sighed, pulling off her goggles. “And I’m not even good at that.”

“There’s something more, isn’t there?” Obi Wan sat beside her, taking the rag from the table and getting the smudges that Ahsoka missed on her face. She didn’t look at him as he did.
“Today…it’s the day that I left the order.”

“Oh.” Obi Wan paused, wondering how he missed this fact. He realized that he never really wanted to remember that day.

“I don’t know. It’s stupid.” Ahsoka pulled away, rubbing her face.

“Nothing’s stupid.”

“I keep thinking…I just…” Ahsoka groaned, as if that was easier that saying the words on her tongue. Obi Wan imagined he knew what she was going to say, but he still wanted her to say it for herself. “What would have happened if I had stayed.”

“We’ll never know.” Obi Wan sighed. “Everything could have been different, or nothing could have changed.”

“I keep wondering If I had stayed, If I hadn’t left…if the twins would still have their parents. If I could have stopped Anakin, I could have stopped him from getting to the point that you had to…” Obi Wan could see that Ahsoka couldn’t bring herself to say the words. To the point that you had to kill him. But Obi Wan knew the thought well.

“Maybe. Maybe if you had stayed he would have taken longer to fall. Maybe you could have saved him. Or he would have had to watch you die. Or he would have taken you and made you fall with him.” Obi Wan sighed. “We’ll never know. That’s the hardest part.”

Ahsoka leaned back in her seat, rubbing her eyes. Soot still clung to her orange skin.

“I’m so tired, Obi Wan. I can’t sit still. I can’t stay here every day. All I see is him.”

Obi Wan tilted his head now, watching the young woman.

“I see him in how Leia commands us, I see his heart in Luke, I even see him in Senaara when she glares at us and she isn’t even his.” Ahsoka laughed, a tired chuckle that seemed more out of defeat than joy. “And Leia looks so much like her. She looks like Padme, and Luke is sweet like her, he is Padme’s son and Leia is Anakin’s daughter. Anakin and Padme…they were the closest ....”

Ahsoka trailed off as her voice broke. Obi Wan watched the tears spring in her eyes.

“I don’t think they ever knew how much they meant to me. And I can’t imagine what it’s like for you. I didn’t know Satine well, I met her on a mission once, I worked with Bo more than I worked with Satine and I still see her in Senaara every day. I still see the quiet leader, and it hurts, Obi Wan.” Tears were coming down Ahsoka’s cheeks now, smudging the soot. “The only freedom I get is working on this, on projects, on whatever’s broken and I feel so guilty. I feel ashamed that I can’t face them, but I can’t.”

Obi Wan reached forward, putting his hand on Ahsoka’s shoulder. She surprised him by leaning into his chest, crying into his tunic as he rubbed her shoulder.

“I feel like we're surrounded by ghosts.”

Obi Wan sighed, breathing deeply to prevent his own tears from falling. He understood every word Ahsoka had sayed. He had heard it in clarity that he had struggled to find. He knew the irony that Ahsoka would never know, that he had had this conversation once before with Anakin himself. That Anakin had once cried to him about the loss and the faces he sees everywhere. The clones, his mother, Qui Gon. Now Ahsoka was the ghost of Anakin while she cried about his other ghosts.

Obi Wan just held the young girl, remembering she had only just turned twenty.

“Ahsoka?”

She didn’t respond, but he knew she was listening.

“I’m sure someone in the village needs your mechanic skills. No one out here probably had the knowledge that you do.” Obi Wan kept his voice even as he spoke. Ahsoka stilled slowly in his hold.

“What are you asking?”

“I’m offering. We’ll need an income soon. Why don’t you start to work as a mechanic? It would get you out of the house, give you something to do.”

Ahsoka sat up quickly. “But what about the danger?”

“It would help us to actually socialize. To make us normal for everyone.”

Ahsoka didn’t smile but she wiped her tears. “Are you sure?”

Obi Wan smiled softly. “I can handle the little ones. If you need to get away, I’m more than happy to help you do that.”

It was the words that Obi Wan wished he could have once told Anakin. The choice of freedom that he wished he had once given. Yet this wasn’t Anakin. And that could be okay.

“Wait,” Ahsoka started to laugh. “Where are the children?”

Obi Wan paused, suddenly realizing how much time he had spent in the shade of the backside of the house. He stood quickly, breaking into a run as Ahsoka followed beside him. They turned the corner of the house to find the children all huddled together, all three. Three heads of ginger, blonde, and brown hair was all they could see as the children crouched to the ground, whispering and pointing to something the two couldn’t see.

“Well at least they didn’t wander off.” Ahsoka sighed but Obi Wan watched her still. Ahsoka’s head turned sharply back towards the children, her gaze furrowed.

“What is it?”

Ahsoka took careful steps forward towards the children, a look of fear in her eyes. Obi Wan, confused, followed. It was only once they were closer that he was able to hear the sound of force,
small but vibrant, a song Ahsoka must have keyed into quicker than he did. The two towered over the three, finally able to see inside the circle.

Senaara’s palms were open as a small rock floated in between them. Leia and Luke watched in awe, their own hands reaching forward to gently brush the stone as it floated. Senaara was focused, her brow creased, her little mouth in a frown as she kept the stone spinning mid air.

“Senaara!” Obi Wan’s voice was louder than he wanted it to be. The sudden presence of the two adults scared the children as they pulled away from each other, the rock dropping to the ground as Senaara’s concentration broke and she looked up in fear. Obi Wan, trying to contain his own fear in his chest as he searched the fields for any sign of an onlooker, went on to shout, “Don’t do that. Don’t ever do what you just did without me or Ahsoka, do you understand?”

Senaara’s eyes had gone wide and her lip quivered as she nodded her head. Obi Wan turned to the twins, who had taken Senaara’s side, holding on to her arm or leg. “The same goes for you two, you are not to do that ever. You never know who is watching.”

The twins nodded quickly, but Senaara was crying now, her eyes stuck forward on the horizon.

“Obi Wan…” Ahsoka tried to calm him, but Obi Wan had already realized his mistake. He turned trying to breathe the fear out of his system. The children hadn't used the force yet, not in such an obvious way, not with such control. He hadn’t been prepared, hadn’t planned how he would explain the force to the children, children who could hardly string more than three words into a sentence. How could he even begin to describe the danger they were in for just existing? He knew he overreacted but he needed to breathe.

By the time he turned back, Senaaras was gone, Luke had gone with her while Leia stayed with her arms crossed, her glare on Obi Wans.

Anakin’s glare.

“Obi Wan, that was…a lot.” Ahsoka tried to reason but Obi Wan was too tired for that.

“I know. But it’s dangerous for them. I just…I just want to keep them safe.”

“Why?” Leia asked, her little foot tapping.

“Because bad men will come for you.” Obi Wan sighed.

Leia stepped forward, grabbing at Obi Wan’s tunic, her sign for wanting to be picked up. “Why?”

Obi Wan obliged, lifting her onto his hip. “Because they want you to use what you can do for evil.”

“Why?”

Obi Wan realized he was entering a loop of ‘why’, a common occurrence with Leia, and so he turned to her little face and asked, “Where is your sister?”

“No.”

“Why no.”

“Cry.”

“Yes, I know I made her cry. I want to make it better.”

“No.” Leia turned away, crossing her arms. Ahsoka stifled a chuckle as Obi Wan sighed, walking into the cool walls of the house.

It wasn’t hard to find Senaara. She was on the couch wrapped up in a swarm of blankets that Luke seemed to be adding to, holding his own crocheted blanket from his crib and throwing it on top of his sister.

When Luke saw Obi Wan, he simply frowned and stood in front of the blanket pile as if to guard it from his father. Obi Wan sighed, put Leia down, who ran and cuddled around Senaara in the blanket pile and stuck her tongue out at him.

Senaara was still crying. Obi Wan could hear that much.

“Hey Luke, can I speak to your sister?”

Luke shook his head.

“I want to apologize.”

Luke paused, looked back at Leia who shook her head. Luke shook his head at Obi Wan.

“You might need to barter with them.” Ahsoka chuckled from the kitchen. “Shuura?”

“No.” Obi Wan sighed. “Luke, please. I want to make this better.”

Luke looked unsure, but he stepped aside. In all honesty Obi Wan could have stepped around Luke or passed him easily but he wanted to give his son some authority.

“Hey Star.” Obi Wan sat beside the blanket pile, he kept his voice low. Leia looked up at him and squinted her eyes. “Can I talk to you?”

The suspicious pile under the blankets didn’t move, it just kept crying.

“I’m sorry for raising my voice. You scared me, but I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that.” No movement from under the blankets. “I’m going to take the blankets off.”

Obi Wan reached down and slowly started to remove the blankets till all that was left was his trembling daughter, curled with her back to him, her gaze still towards an unknown point in the horizon, her cheeks still wet with tears, and her body wracked with hiccuped breaths.

As he had done before during similar meltdowns, Obi Wan reached down and picked her up, holding her to his chest. On instinct, she moved her head to find his heart beat. He held her there and rubbed her back as she cried into his tunic. Senaara often cried for longer than the twins did. Often he wasn’t sure she was crying for the actual trigger after a point, or just to cry. No matter why she cried, he held her just the same.

Leia moved over to lay against Obi Wan’s side, her tiny hand finding her sister's hand. Luke took a little more time, having to climb the sofa was still hard for his little body, but he took Obi Wan’s opposite side, placing his hand on his sister's elbow. Obi Wan sat between them all, allowing them to breathe together as Senaara’s cries turned to whimpers.

Ahsoka caught his eye from the kitchen. She nodded at him. He smiled at her.

Tomorrow she would go to the village and get a job. Tomorrow Obi Wan would prepare the children for days without their aunt. Tomorrow he wouldn’t yell at the children, and they would have a good day.

But for today? He was content with his children and their little home.

Chapter Text

“But why can’t we go to the village?” Luke chose his words carefully, still struggling with his sounds. Obi Wan nodded along, waiting for the boy to finish his thought, patient as the boy kicked his feet. “The other kids are there.”

“We like to stay safe.” Obi Wan answered, helping Luke get his sandals on. “If we stay here, no bad men will come looking for us.”

“But no bad men have come.”

“It doesn't mean they won’t bud.” Ahsoka chimed in, carrying Leia on her hip. “That’s why we stay safe. Do you remember why we need to stay safe?”

“Because our hands do weird things.” Leia said very matter of factly. She didn’t slow her words for anyone, allowing them to tumble from her mouth.

“Yes dear.” Obi Wan nodded, tightening the velcro on Luke’s shoes before giving his son a pat on the back. Luke smiled at him, hoping down from the stool and rushing towards Ahsoka and his sister. “You can do things that others can’t. That makes you very special, but it also means that people will want to take you away from me and your aunt.”

“And that’s bad.” Leia nodded, reaching for the brush that Ahsoka pulled from its drawer. Her brown hair was a knotted mess, as Obi Wan had forgotten to brush it the night before. Ahsoka shook her head, laughing a little as she repositioned Leia’s head.

“Look forward Leia.” Ahsoka mused, holding the girl's head in place as she started the battle of hair brushing. For a woman who had no hair, Ahsoka was much better and much more patient at doing the children's hair than Obi Wan was.

Luke sat beside Leia, watching with interest. His own blonde hair had once been the same length, until he and Senaara had requested for their hair to be cut. Luke had wanted it shorter, shorter than Obi Wan’s hair even, but long enough that it still covered his face like a halo. His short hair reminded Obi Wan of Anakin's hair cut, he was sure Ahsoka saw it too.

Senaara had asked for even shorter hair, but Ahsoka was able to talk her out of it, instead only cutting the young girl's hair to a little above her shoulders. Senaara had accepted the cut, especially once Leia had gotten to work making tiny braids all throughout the base of her hair, weaving in flowers and yarn, in an attempt to make her feel better. It puzzled Obi Wan why his daughter wanted such short hair. Satine had had a bob but never a pixie cut. He didn’t know where Senaara got it from.

Obi Wan had been careful with all the hair cutting, to make sure each child had a padawan braid. He didn’t know why he did it, the children weren’t padawans. He and Ahsoka didn’t even feel comfortable teaching the twins the ways of the force, not when there was still so much at stake, but he liked incorporating mini lessons throughout the day, teaching them to mediate, to trust themselves.

In those way’s the three children were his and Ahsoka’s padawans. But they were still his children, and protecting them, even from the force, would always come first.

The children were four now, happily coming into themselves. Sentences came easier to them, they could run faster than Obi Wan liked now, and they had a lot of opinions about the world.
Three years on Ratisk had changed Obi Wan, but not in the way he expected. His once pristine beard was fluffy, with an appearance of neglect. But he knew that wasn’t the case. He trimmed every morning before the children got up, Leia had been very vocal about her hate for a scratchy beard, and Senaara wouldn’t let him hold her if it grew too long. His hair was longer too, often tied back in a small ponytail or bun that Ahsoka often teased him for.

The two former Jedi had exchanged robes for tunics and loose pants bought from the village market. Ahsoka preferred tops with no sleeves, accustomed to the wind on her still muscular arms. Obi Wan preferred looser tops, they allowed for more movement when he had to inevitably chase the children around the house.

The family's mornings were simple, often filled with bright chaos that Obi Wan had learned to treasure.

This morning, while the twins were quick to get ready, happily requesting their breakfast, Senaara remained in her room. With the twins occupied with Ahsoka’s steady hair braiding, Obi Wan went to look for his daughter.

The nursery wasn’t much of a nursery anymore. The walls were painted overlapping colours, parts of Ahsoka’s continued exploration with the Ratisk fauna book. The cribs had been recycled and rebuilt into children’s beds, still sanded and built with Obi Wan’s own hands. Toto the tauntaun, the bantha, still affectionately named Bantha, and the bird, that Senaara had announced a year ago was named Bo, had become slightly dirty, their cloth tattered and re-stitched, now sitting on each of their respective beds.

Obi Wan’s heart had dropped when Senara had first called the bird Bo. Obi Wan and Ahsoka nad never used Bo Katan’s name in the house; there was no way that Senaara could have learned it before choosing it. It chilled Obi Wan in an odd way, the fact that Senaara could still be haunted by her Mandalorian past.

Senaara wasn’t in bed. She was sitting quietly in the corner of the window, watching the wind chase leaves in the fields. Her golden red hair shortly cropped, a few of Leia’s mini braids remained from the night before.

“Are you coming out for breakfast?” Obi Wan tried to sound casual with his request. While Luke had been the quiet one in infancy, Senaara had become the quiet one now. Senaara turned to face him, Satine’s eyes finding his as Senaara paused before nodding quietly, slipping off of the window sill.

Senaara hardly spoke in the morning. If Luke chose his words carefully, Senaara hardly chose words at all. She relied on the twins to speak for her, which they did with quiet excitement.

As much as Obi Wan wanted to let Senaara stay and watch the fields to her heart's content, she and he had things to do.

Obi Wan had taken the job of teacher for the children, as well as father, and semi force mentor. There was a school in town, led by the sister of Nerva, who Obi Wan had become good acquaintances with. Yet he didn’t trust it. Not yet.

The children were still so young. One slip and they could use the force, revealing to everyone in town who and what they were. It wasn’t safe. It never would be. Obi Wan had taught Anakin all he knew about the galaxy, he had taught Ahsoka diplomacy and linguistics. He could handle teaching these children to read and write.

Once the children were fed, Ahsoka went off to the village where she had a small mechanic’s job. It wasn’t much but it put money on the table and allowed Ahsoka to grow good relations with the other villagers. She would return with supplies and food just before sunset, as she did everyday, where the family would come together for dinner.

Ahsoka gave each kid a kiss goodbye, wrapping them up in a tight hug, before heading out the door. Obi Wan watched with a small smile, preparing his lesson for the day as Luke and Leia chased each other around the house. Senaara sat at the table, playing with her porridge and broth.

“Okay, trouble pilots. Are you ready for today’s lesson?”

-

Morva arrived by lunch time. Her visit was unexpected, putting Obi Wan on edge.

He and the children had gone through the aurebesh alphabet together, going through the basic words and word structure. Leia, ever the efficient learner, has taken to happily writing her name over and over, enjoying the feeling of the stylus in her hand. Luke had taken to whispering the letters as he wrote them. Obi Wan had chuckled when the little boy's tongue was stuck out in concentration as he traced the letters for his name on the flimsi. Senaaara remained quiet but wrote with steady hands, Leia grabbing at her ink and babbling over its smooth lines.

Morva looked like her sister Nerva. Similar dark skin dappled with green from her mirlian heritage. She’d been the village's school teacher for years now, well loved by the town and the children.

She had offered to take the three on for students multiple times when Obi Wan brough the three to the market as a treat. She had offered to care for them and help start their education. Obi Wan had refused time and time again.

Yet here she was, at his home.

Desperate perhaps.

Obi Wan mentally prepared himself. Morva was a sweet woman, overtly kind, stumbled over her words, dedicated to the children and yet somehow the only person in the village who had had the guts to stand up to a group of bounty hunters that had passed through the planet a year ago. It was solely because of that event that Obi Wan wasn’t too surprised when Ahsoka announced that she and Morva were ‘trying something’.

Ahsoka had no experience with romantic or sexual relationships. The closest she had gotten to having either, as she shared with Obi Wan one late night, was with Barris. The two had slept in the same bunk, held each other through the night, giggled as they held hands, but nothing more.

Ahsoka was sure she had had feelings for the mirialan. She knew Barris had felt the same way. Yet the two never truly talked about it, at least never in a definitive way, and before they knew it the missions had picked up and they had seen each other less and less.

Then Barris framed Ahsoka for terroism. So that ended any possibilities of their relationship going anywhere.

It had been late when she had told Obi Wan this. They had been sitting outside under the star filled sky. The children had been put to sleep and Ahsoka had just come off from a good day in the village.

Apparently Ahsoka had realized that she only liked girls after she left the order. She had been too afraid to try anything then, still too glued to the Jedi teachings, but she had caught feelings for a mechanic named Trace.

Obi Wan had listened as Ahsoka went over her crushes with steady intrigue. It reminded him of being younger and sneaking into Quinlan’s room so that they could talk about the other padawans. Who Obi Wan had found enticing, who Quinlan had convinced to hold his hand. At some point the two had gained crushes on each other, but Obi Wan didn’t share that with Ahsoka. He instead enjoyed listening to the younger girl.

Ahsoka had confided that she had had a friend named Kaedan back on Raada. A friend that she had kissed. Ahsoka’s first kiss was behind Selda’s canteen, Kaedan had gotten on her tiptoes and caught Ahsoka off guard. It wasn’t an unwelcome gesture, but Ahsoka hadn’t been expecting it.

This had surprised Obi Wan, but he had no place to talk and so he just listened as Ahsoka rubbed her arm awkwardly and explained that after the kiss she had freaked out and distanced herself.
Before she could fix it, Obi Wan had come looking for her.

Now, Ahsoka seemed determined to try a real relationship, the traditional way. Obi Wan had found it funny how Ahsoka and Morva had first met, Ahsoka having crashed into Morva while running late for an appointment with a client, causing the young teacher to drop her boxes of supplies. Morva had some choice words to use on Ahsoka, none that the woman used in her classroom.
Ahsoka had tried to apologize by offering to fix something for Morva for free. That’s how Ahsoka had ended up in the school, fixing the old teaching screen. The two had gotten to talking and now they were attempting…something.

Obi Wan had felt worried at first at the ambiguity of the relationship, but after learning Morva was also new to relationships and ‘didn’t want to mess it up’, he eased up on his judgy uncle act.
Ahsoka had maintained distance regarding the home with Morva. Morva only saw the children when they came to the village and Ahsoka never brough Morva home. But of course Morva knew where they lived since her grandmother and sister had taken to visiting once a year to make sure the children were healthy.

“Mr Van-est?” Her voice was strong for a seemingly meek girl. She knocked on the door as Obi Wan groaned softly. He patted Luke’s head, promised to be back and met the teacher at the door.

“Morva. What do I owe the pleasure?” Obi Wan tried to smile, but he knew what this was. Ahsoka had been trying to convince him to allow the children to attend Morva’s school for weeks now. He had a feeling it was going to be a tag team effort. Ahsoka would weaken him and Morva would come in for the kill.

“Hello Ben.” Morva was all smiles, she had a little basket with her full of school supplies. For a moment Obi Wan wondered why she wasn’t at the school, but quickly realized it was the students' day off. “May I come in?”

He wanted to say no. “Of course.”

“Who is it?” Leia’s little voice called out, full of excitement. “Is it ‘Soka?”

“No, It’s Ahsoka’s friend.” Obi Wan sighed as Morva walked in. Leia had left her place at the table and was now looking up at the half green woman as if she expected her to grow a second head. “This is Morva.”

“Hello there.” Morva smiled softly. “You must be Leia.”

Leia nodded her head as if the question had been very serious in nature. “I can spell my name.”

“You can? You’re so smart.” Morva was using her teacher's charm. Obi Wan hated how Leia’s eyes lit up. Luke had found his way beside his sister, gazing up at the woman.

“Soka says you’re a teacher.” Luke grinned. “Are you going to take us to the school?”

“No one’s going anywhere before lunch I’m afraid.” Obi Wan interjected before his son could get too excited.

“I want a Shaak and Nuna Egg sandwich.” Leia announced, already walking towards the kitchen. The little girl had locked hands with Morva and was leading her deeper into the house to Obi Wan’s annoyance. He had hoped Morva would leave at the mention of lunch.

Luke followed all too excitedly, asking for the same. The twins found a seat for Morva to sit in and quickly sat beside her asking all sorts of questions about school. To Morva’s credit, she looked back at Obi Wan as if to ask if she could talk to the children. He sighed and nodded, and she turned back to put her focus on the twins.

Senaara was still sitting at the table, still tracing her name over and over. She looked up at him as he entered, moving aside as if expecting him to sit beside her.
At least she wasn’t enamoured by the teacher.

“What do you want for lunch?” He didn’t sit, but he stood beside her, watching her hand as she continued to write. She had drawn little stars on the corner of her flimsi.

“Peanut Butter and Bunta berry.” Senaara answered quietly. The same answer she gave everyday. “Why is she here?”

“I don’t know cyar’ika.” He did. But he didn’t want to tell her. “Come on, I’ll need help making all these sandwiches.”

He leaned down and scooped his daughter into his arms. She finally giggled as she tried to get away, but settled on his hip, laying her head on his chest. He assumed it was to listen to his heart beat. She seemed to feel safest that way.

“School is where the other kids go, right?” Luke asked, kicking his little feet under the table. “That’s where you make friends, right?”

“Yes, there are some children your age that I teach-” Morva could hardly get another word out before Leia was interjecting her.

“But we get to learn, right? You’ll tell us about the galaxy and you’ll teach us new languages.”

Morva paused before continuing, Obi Wan watched as he carried Senaara in, noting how his daughter watched the woman with suspicion. “I can teach you how to read and write. I can teach you arithmetic and about the planets and the history of the galaxy, but I can’t teach you any language besides Ratiskana.”

“Why?” Leia furrowed her brow.

“Because I only know basic and Ratiskana.”

“Our Buir knows a lot of languages.” Luke offered. “He can speak basic, and mando'a, and…others. So does ‘Soka.”

“Oh. Are you all mandalorian?” Morva’s question was innocent but it made Obi Wan’s blood run cold.

“...Yes.” Obi Wan answered hesitantly, placing Senaara down so that he could start assembling sandwiches. Senaara stayed beside his leg, watching him intently, unaware that she was the only mandalorian in the room.

“And we’re naboo…nabooian? Is that it?” Leia asked, trying to sound the word out in her mouth. Obi Wan closed his eyes, trying to figure out what to say next.

He hadn’t talked to the children about heritages or blood. For all the children knew, Obi Wan their real father and the three of them were real triplets, real siblings. Yet that hadn’t stopped Obi Wan from trying to teach the children about where they came from. He had kept Senaara’s Warrior’s Song under the same floor board as his lightsaber. It’s three new bead’s added in secret, the oath whispered over his sleeping daughter. He taught Senaara mando'a when he could, and told her myths of mandalore. For the twins he sang them nabooian lullabies and told them stories that Padme had once told him. He hadn’t realized they had been paying attention.

“Yes.” Obi Wan chose his words carefully. “I’m Mandalorian. Their mother was from Naboo.”

A lie, yes, but one that was almost true. Obi Wan silently prayed for Satine to forgive him for pretending to be a mandalorian, yet it made more sense this way. He knew more about Mandalore than Naboo, he could have once been a Mandalorian, years ago, but never someone from Naboo.

“Ah.” Morva nodded in the silence. “I have some books on Naboo that I can open again. Perhaps we can add a new unit.”

This set the twins up again as they latched on to this possibility. Obi Wan let them question the poor teacher, watching as Morva handled it rather well. As if this was what she was made to do, entertain children. Then again, he supposed, that’s what a teacher does.

He let Morva answer the twins' questions as he prepared the sandwiches. The twins often liked something made of leftovers, something with meat and occasionally vegetables. The home had shaak that week from Ahsoka’s hunting and so Obi Wan prepared the thin slices of meat between the slices of boiled nuna egg. He cut the crust off of Luke’s sandwich while cutting Leia’s into two triangles before putting them to the side.

Senaara had the same lunch every day. A peanut butter and bunta berry jelly sandwich. More jelly than peanut butter, crust still on but cut into four triangles. Senaara always ate the crust first.

Once all three were done, he placed the plates at the table and watched the twins finally take a breath from their questions as they bit into their sandwiches. Senaara climbed into her seat and ate slowly, her eyes never leaving Morva.

“Would you like anything?” Obi Wan asked as he grabbed two more slices of bread for his own sandwich.

“I'm alright, thank you though.” She smiled warmly at him before turning to Senaara. “You must be Senaara?”

Senaara paused, chewing her food slowly. She nodded and Morva kept smiling at her.

“I’m new aren’t I? How about I tell you a little about me so I’m not a stranger. Would that help?”

Senaara looked at Obi Wan who nodded in reassurance before she looked back at Morva. “Okay.”

“Well, my name is Morva. I think you’ve met my grandmother Tenva before when she came to make sure you were healthy a few months ago.

“She was here a year ago too.” Senaara murmured.

“Yeah, she’ll come and check on you once a year to make sure you’re healthy. My sister is Nerva, she came with Tenva, remember?”

Senaara nodded again, taking another bite of her sandwich.

“Tenva is funny.” Luke giggled. “She makes silly faces at us.”

“Does she?” Morva laughed. “Yeah, she’s a funny lady. Do you think she’s funny, Senaara?”

Senaara paused before smiling and nodding.

“Well, you know my family. Did you know I have a garden?”

“Buir has a garden too!” Leia announced. “He grows me shuura!”

“That’s amazing Leia. I like to grow all sorts of things. I have a tooka named Kisko.”

“A tooka?” Senaara eye’s brighten. “Does he sleep everywhere?”

“She’s a she, and yes, sometimes. She mostly hunts the pest in our house.”

Great, Obi Wan thought, my final defense against Morva had fallen for her charm.

And just like that, Obi Wan knew he had lost the imagery war in his mind. All three of his children had become enamoured by the young woman and soon all three would be begging to go to school.

Obi Wan hated how he seemed to just accept this. Parts of him wanted to scream that he could teach them just as well, that he could be just as a good teacher as Morva, but he knew. He knew the children needed more than just him and Ahsoka. He knew that they needed new walls, new experiences, new people.

There was never any doubt that the twins would do well with Morva, but now that Morva proved she could handle Senaara?

Obi Wan sighed, taking a bite of his own sandwich. He knew that when Ahsoka got home he would accept defeat. He knew that the coming days would be filled with preparing the children for school, and then he knew his days would become empty.

He didn’t want to think about it.

Instead he focused on the four in front of him. The lively teacher and her three students who couldn’t seem more happy that she was there.

As he tried to ignore the pain in his heart that his children didn’t need just him anymore.

Chapter Text

“Buir!” Luke’s voice was high pitched as he ran towards Obi Wan, colliding with his legs and holding on. Obi Wan laughed as he leaned down to pat his son on the back and take the little backpack that Luke had covered in little splotches of paint. “Guess what? Guess what?”

“What is it love?” Obi Wan smiled, throwing the backpack over his arm and watching Leia say goodbye to her friends, two young girls, who nodded along to whatever his daughter was saying.

“Today we learned about Naboo! Miss Morva took out her old books and we got to look at them!” Luke was grinning as he started to list off the different biomes on the planet. Obi Wan half listened as he kept his eye on Leia and looked for Senaara in the little crowd of the school pick up.

The children had been attending school for a few weeks now. Morva had been very patient with Obi Wan, allowing him to sit in on the first days till he felt comfortable with leaving the children. The twins had been indifferent about him being there. During the first day, Luke gravitated towards him but soon became just as enamoured with the learning environment as Leia. Senaara had stayed close to Obi Wan, rarely leaving his side. In truth, Obi Wan would have stayed longer, quietly watching and guarding his children, but Morva had not so subtly when she told him to leave on the fourth day.

She didn’t like anyone in her classroom and she feared Senaara would never acclimate to the new environment if he stayed there, reminding her of home. Obi Wan hated that Morva was right.

Ahsoka had been thrilled to include the three in her morning trek to the village, but Obi Wan was determined to join them, even as Ahsoka promised she could handle it. Ahsoka had tried to breach the topic of Obi Wan’s, as she had said ‘slightly unhealthy’, attachment to the children a few times when she could, when they were washing dishes or making dinner, but Obi Wan avoided it.

He tried not to think about how lonely he felt without the children. How his skin scrawled when he didn’t have the children in his sights. How more and more he seemed to understand Anakin, when his nightmares started to include the children in various dangerous situations. It made him worried.

Everyday all five would walk to the village, and everyday Obi Wan would be the only one to walk back home. Ahsoka taught the children call and response songs she had learned as a youngling, the three children scream chanting the words back at her.

The job seemed to have helped Ahsoka. She no longer hid away in the house, avoiding the kids and Obi Wan, working on unseen projects. She seemed more present, happy once again around the children. Obi Wan had wondered if Ahsoka just needed to be around people, around more than their little family at least. Strangely, as social as he was during the war, Obi Wan had no want for socialization beyond the children and Ahsoka.

That too, was starting to worry him.

Obi Wan hated school days. He hated returning home to the empty house. He worked on his garden, he whittled away at his now endless wooden creatures, he cleaned and rearranged the mess made from the night before. But he did so in a solemn state, as if he had been programmed to do these menial tasks. He found that his mind often went somewhere he couldn’t follow during the day and perhaps that was a mercy.

By the time the sun was high and it was time to pick up the children, Obi Wan often couldn’t remember much from the day, everything being a blur of tasks that he knew he had completed but didn’t remember the details of. Obi Wan remembered similar memory gaps during the war and after Qui Gon’s death. He didn’t want to think about the implications.

Leia finished whatever conversation she had been having and skipped over to her father. Obi Wan smiled warmly at her as she handed him her bag expectantly, gave him a quick hello and started off the road towards the forest.

“Leia! We’re not leaving yet,” Obi Wan stifled a chuckle as Leia turned back from a confused glance.

“But I wanna go home!” Leia pouted.

“We need to wait for Senaara.”

“Senaara’s with Morva.” Luke nodded. “Senaara got in a fight.”

“What?” Obi Wan turned quickly to his son. “What do you mean?”

Luke shrugged. “I wasn’t there.”

“I was.” Leia huffed. “She hit him before I could.”

“Who did she hit?” Panic was rising in Obi Wan’s chest now.

“Mr. Van-est?” Morva was leaning on the door to the school now, a look of concern on her face. “Could you join me inside?”

“What happened?” Obi Wan’s voice came quicker than he wanted.

“We’ll talk about it inside. Morki’s parents are waiting.” Morva paused looking at the twins. “Ahsoka is down the road if you would like to give the two to-”

“What why?” Luke whined. “I want to stay with Buir.”

“I wanna go home.” Leia groaned.

“Can they wait in the classroom?” Obi Wan asked, trying to sort his growing anxiety from his mild frustration.

Morva paused before nodding, beckoning the little family inside.

The school was made of one large room with three large windows that had been dubbed the classroom. The main wall held a small learning screen that had broken on multiple occasions, a sitting map, a series of shelves of toys and books, as well as a series of tables and seats. The classroom had three other smaller rooms attached, a refresher, an office type room, and a small kitchenette that Morva used to teach the kids cooking and to help make meals with the group.

Upon entering the building, Luke ran to the shelves by the window and pulled a wooden model of a y-wing out along with a few figures that he was quick to assign voices for and resume some form of play. Leia collapsed into a plush chair and stared at the ceiling as if the whole school day was now above her.

Morva ushered Obi Wan into the small office-like space. An old wooden desk with a series of scrapped together tech was littered across it, wires running to the classroom to connect the old data board that many of the class lessons were displayed on.

At the desk sat a zabrak male and a human female who frowned. A young, half zabrack, half human boy sat on the woman’s lap, an ice pack in his hand as he glared at Senaara who sat as far from the three as she could, her gaze locked on the ground, her little hands clutching the chair’s armrest.

Morva took her seat behind the desk and ushered for Obi Wan to sit beside Senaara. He tried to place his arm on her shoulder but she flinched, her gaze lifting from the floor to look at him before returning.

“Can you finally tell us what happened?” The zabrak’s voice was deep and thick with concern. Obi Wan could see the man’s freehand was on his son’s shoulder. “Morki can barely get a word out.”

“Of course Mr. Zorta.” Morva placed her hands on the desk, as if she was being careful to keep her body language neutral. Obi Wan had known enough negotiators in his time to know what that looked like. “Everyday I take the class out to the gardens so that we can maintain and watch our tomatoes grow. While I was busy helping another student I heard Morki scream. By the time I got to the scene, Miss Senaara was standing over Mr. Morki and Morki was clutching his eye.”

“So the child punched my son?” The woman’s voice was harsher than her partner.

“Ms. Zorta, please.” Morva’s voice remained calm. “I have interviewed multiple students and the issue is, I can’t seem to get any one story. So I wanted you to hear from your children what they say happened.”

“This Senaara punched my son, that’s what happened.” Ms. Zorta snapped, turning to Obi Wan, “What are you teaching your child?”

Obi Wan was going to respond, the protective urge growing in his chest but Morva cut him off, “Please. Morki, what do you say happened?”

Morki looked up at Morva, eyed her warily but then looked down.

“Please Morki.”

“You can do it, Morki.” Mr Zorta assured his son. “Tell us what happened.”

Morki paused before his voice came in a steady stream of half sobs, “I was with my friends. Senaara was alone so I went to say hi. She got upset and she punched me.”

Obi Wan held his tongue as the urge to break down how improbable that it was that his daughter would punch another child with no reason. Senaara wasn’t violent. If any of his children were going to punch another, that would be Leia and the Anakin in her. Not Senaara. Not the girl who’s preferred activity was playing with the snails in the garden and watching the avian creatures around the home.

Ms Zorta eyed Morva but Morva simply turned to Sennara, “Senaara? What do you say happened?”

Senaara didn’t look up from her spot, just shook her head as if she was afraid.

“Senaara, if you don’t speak up, no one else will know what your story is.” Morva tried, but Senaara just shook her head again, this time more violently as tears started to fall from her eyes. No words left her mouth.

Obi Wan stiffened as he noticed the way Ms Zorta eyed Senaara as she had somehow won against his daughter. He wanted to yell, to say something, but he didn’t want to give Ms Zorta the pleasure. Helplessness once again clung to his chest as he watched Senaara refuse to speak. He hated when she became unreachable like this.

“Is Senaara not speaking?” Leia was leaning on the office door after having seemingly opened it without anyone else in the room realizing.

“Leia, stay with your brother, this is an adult conversation.” Morva calmy dismissed her, but Leia didn’t leave.
“Morki called Senaara a freak.” Leia yawned. “He said she was weird and that that is why she didn’t have any friends. He said that she was probably adopted because she wasn’t like me or Luke.”

Obi Wan felt the shock register on his face before he felt it in his chest, like a pang to his heart. His mouth parted as he felt his eyes widen. He turned to Morva who simply sighed and nodded. “Yes. That is the story I got from other students.”

“Our son would never say such things.” Ms Zorta huffed but Leia continued talking. She appeared neutral but Obi Wan knew his daughter better.

“He says them a lot. I was gonna punch him because he was talking mean about my sister but Senaara hit him before I could.” Leia shrugged yet her eyes kept flicking to her crying sister. “Morki is not nice.”

Silence hung in the office, the only sound was Senaara’s sniffles.

“Morki, is this true?” Mr Zorta sighed, looking down at his son. Morki had gone still, clutching his ice pack to his face. Ms Zorta turned to glare at her partner but the zabrak glared back, quieting her down. “If it is, it’s better you tell us now.”

“I wasn’t being mean…” Morki stuttered. “I was just saying the things my friends say.”

“But do you see how they were harmful, Morki?” Morva’s voice was smooth as she looked down on the little boy. Morki was frowning now, glancing at the still silent Senaara. “We don’t tolerate making fun of other students.”

“But she is weird.” Morki tried to reason. “She doesn’t talk, she doesn’t play, she just stares-”

“That’s enough Morki.” Morva sighed. “As I said, this behavior is not tolerated-”

“But punching my son is?” Ms Zorta was shouting now. “Why is my son in trouble?”

“Maybe because your son called my daughter a freak.” Obi Wan muttered under his breath.

“Excuse me?” The woman turned to look at him, her face tight with rage. “Boys will be boys. Your child is dangerous. Have you never taught your children to not pick a fight?”

“He taught us that fighting is the last resort.” Leia spoke again, earning a glare from the mother.

“Leia, please, wait outside.” Morva nodded in the direction of the door. Leia looked back at her sister, then her father, and then stepped back, closing the door to the office behind her. “Both Senaara and Morki are in trouble. Senaara’s reaction was not appropriate, but that's what it was. A reaction. Morki has been making fun of her and has used some mean words that triggered her to fight back.”

“But that’s just kids being kids!” Ms Zorta pleaded. “If the girl is weird, then my son is allowed to say that.”

“My daughter is not weird.” Obi Wan pinched the bridge of his nose. “Aren’t you supposed to teach kindness in this world?”

“Aren’t you supposed to teach your kids to restrain their urges to hurt others?” Ms Zorta snapped back. Mr Zorta rolled his eyes beside his partner before speaking.

“What would you like us to do Ms. Morva?”

“Well…that's where we get complicated. I ask that you all have conversations with your children when you get home. It’s best to address them as parents, to offer support and understanding. In the classroom, Morki will have to sit out during recess during the next few days and will have to be a class helper. Senaara, however, is where it gets tricky.” Morva looked to the young girl who hadn’t looked up, or moved for that matter. She was still crying, still holding her breath for periods of time. Obi Wan reached out slowly as Morva spoke, placing his hand over Senaara’s. She didn’t flinch this time, but she didn’t move either. “Senaara is…a special case. Typically she wouldn’t be able to come back to school for a few days, but I don’t think that would actually help her very much. Neither would Morki’s punishments since Senaara would enjoy that. I’m going to work harder at incorporating Senaara into group activities and forcing her to be more a part of the class. I hope this will offset the need for children like Morki to make fun of her, and help her find her place in the classroom better.”

“That doesn’t seem fair.” Ms Zorta grumbled.

“Different kids require different approaches.” Morva smiled again, but Obi Wan could see it was an act. “Thank you for meeting with me, you are free to go.”

The Zortas left quickly, the mother dragging Morki along as he whined that he wanted to stay and play with Luke. The father apologized to Morva, for his wife's behavior or his son's, Obi Wan was unsure. It left Obi Wan and Senaara in the room as Morva waved the family off.

“Ben, could you stay for a few more minutes?” Morva’s smile was dropping now that the Zorta’s were gone.

“I’ve stayed for a while now…” Obi Wan was tired. Rage still bubbled under his skin and he knew Senaara would need a few hours before she talked again or felt right. He wanted to get home as soon as possible to start the process. Not to mention Leia’s previous grumbling.

“It’s important.” Morva held his gaze till he nodded, but she surprised him by turning to Senaara. “Hey Senaara? Your siblings are outside, why don’t you go play with them?”

Senaara slowly looked up at her teacher with a blank expression, tears still on her face as she looked back to Obi Wan. He nodded to his daughter who slowly stood, swaying on her feet slightly before closing the door behind her.

“Is there something else?” Obi Wan tried to sound casual as his foot tapped a rhythmic pattern on the floor.

“Yes…I want to discuss Senaara.” Now Morva looked uncomfortable. Obi Wan sighed, trying to prepare for whatever Morva was going to say. “I wasn’t lying when I said she was a ‘special case’. She’s not like any student I’ve taught. I don’t mean she’s stupid, quite the opposite. In contrast to Luke and Leia, who excels in all their subjects rather well roundly, Senaara does really well in reading, writing, and history, but when I say really well, I mean she excels. She far surpasses the other children, only Leia can really keep up with her in these subjects. I’ve had to reopen a lot of my old books to keep up with her.”

Morva laughed as she recounted the memory. Obi Wan held his tongue from wanting to ask about his other children.

“Yet she struggles with arithmetic and science, which isn’t abnormal, it’s just shocking based on how well she does in other subjects. She keeps up with the class, possibly ahead, but her comprehension of literature and history…she’s brilliant, even now at four, I mean all three of them are brilliant. What I’m trying to say is…” Morva took a breath to recenter herself. “She does not engage with anyone but her siblings. She’s often freaked out if I give her an assignment she doesn’t think she can do or just…disappears. Like disappears into her mind.”

“She’s just shy.” Obi Wan knew that was a lie, but he didn’t want to have this conversation with Morva. He’d rather have it with Ahsoka, or alone at night where he pretended Satine was next to him and could hear his worries.

“That’s what I thought at first. Yet there are other things, when Senaara does engage in class, she hardly has a filter. She doesn’t realize what she’s saying is rude or could be hurtful, she just says what she thinks with no intention to hurt anyone. She doesn’t know any of her classmates' names, she seems to remember people based on faces but doesn’t remember their names along with it. She has a vivid imagination, she loves the story of the Monarch, the Jedi, and the Bard, often creating her own versions from the stories but she’ll get very sad when no one else wants to talk about it. Often I have to sit through her new iteration of the story because I know if she doesn’t get to talk she’ll stop talking all together.” Morva was rambling now, her long fingers tapping on her desk.

“Every child is different. Senaara just has specific interests. Her mind moves too fast for children her age.” Obi Wan sighed. “Is there any point to this or are you just telling me you think my child is weird?”

“Oh no, no, no, I don’t think Senaara is weird.” Morva’s voice grew high as she tried to reassure him. “I just mean to say…Senaara is struggling socially here. Morki is not the first student of mine to make fun of her, I’ve tried to put a stop to it, but Morki is just the beginning. I fear if Senaara can’t figure out how to socialize, or to uh…”

Morva trailed off, trying to find the word. Obi Wan felt as if he had had enough, he leaned back in his chair crossing his arms, “Appear more normal?”

“Yes. Wait no.” Morva’s eyes widened at her mistake. “Senaara is normal. She’s just different.”

“I’ve had enough for today.” Obi Wan got up, uncurling his fists. “My child is perfectly fine, Miss Morva. If you can’t keep your students from berating her, I think there's something wrong with your teaching, not my daughter.”

“Ben I didn’t mean it like that-” Morva moved to stand but Obi Wan put his hand out.

“Thank you for looking into the incident with Morki. I hope the boy learns from getting punched in the face.” With that, Obi Wan closed the office door behind him, calling out to his children that it was time to go.

Luke looked up at him from where he sat beside Senaara, having placed a stuffed animal in her lap and handed her a figure that was slack in her hands. The y-wing model was still in Luke’s grasp, now ‘flying’ around Senaara’s head. Senaara was watching her brother, which was a good sign, but her face remained neutral and her mouth a tight line. Leia was laying on the floor below them, spread out like a starfish, her frown deepening as she stared at the ceiling.

Leia was quick to get up and run to Obi Wan’s side when he announced it was time to go. She slipped her little hand into his but didn’t use it to drag him out, just to stand beside him. Luke took his time putting the toys away, before taking his sister's hand and leading her to the door where Obi Wan and Leia waited.

Morva stepped out of her office but simply stood there watching. Obi Wan held her gaze, before taking Senaara hand with his free hand and leading his three children home.

-

Senaara didn’t speak on her way home. Leia, sensing the tension, had started talking about the Naboo lesson, getting Luke to do so as well, but Obi Wan didn’t truly listen. His mind was on Morva’s words, the way she had called his daughter different, the way she outlined the behaviors he had seen but not wanted to name.

What right did Morva have to say such things to him? What right had she had to call his daughter a ‘special case’?

It wasn’t like Obi Wan hadn’t picked up on the things Morva mentioned. It had been a constant nagging worry in the back of his head, that Senaara was different in some weird fundamental way. That she wasn’t like the twins, wasn’t like him. He had been meaning to talk to Ahsoka about it but now he was happy he didn’t. He was sure Morva and Ahsoka must have talked about Senaara and her apparent ‘weirdness’ on one of their dates. He hated the idea that Ahsoka could have been discussing that with Morva. He hated the way he kept glancing towards his daughter, waiting for her to do something to prove that Morva was right or wrong.

When the four arrived home, Senaara climbed into bed and closed her eyes. Obi Wan left her after making sure she had Bo the bird and the message that they would talk when she woke up.
When he returned to the kitchen, Luke and Leia were sitting at the table, seemingly waiting for him. Luke was holding Bantha and colouring a crude drawing of a spaceship that he hadn’t finished from the night before. Leia watched her father with anxious eyes.

“Is she in trouble?” Leia’s voice was small.

“No, love. She isn’t.” Obi Wan sighed, taking the seat across from them. “We’ll talk about punching and whether or not physical violence is necessary, but she won’t be in trouble.”

Leia nodded, tracing the wood lines on the table. “Is there something wrong with…”

“No.” Obi Wan sighed, rubbing his face. “There is nothing wrong with your sister.”

“The other kids at school think there is.” Luke mumbled. “She makes very strong eye contact.”

That got a chuckle out of Obi Wan. “Yeah, she likes to stare you down doesn’t she?”

Luke shrugged looking back at his drawing. “It’s kinda hard because none of the kids get her, and we want to hang out with other people.”

Leia lightly hit her brother on the shoulder.

“Hey.” Obi Wan’s voice cut through before Luke could react. “If we’re learning any lesson today it's not to hit people.”

“But he’s being mean!” Leia shot back.

“I’m not being mean!” Luke denied. “It’s hard. You told me it was hard!”

“It’s okay if it's hard.” Obi Wan interjected. “But let’s talk about it, okay?”

“I like my friends.” Luke paused. “They are nice. But Senaara just…she doesn’t…they don’t like her like they like me. Sometimes I want to just play with them.”

“Okay.” Obi Wan nodded. “Leia?”

“Senaara can kinda be friends with my friends.” Leia offered, “But she doesn’t always want to be with us. Sometimes she likes being alone. That’s okay right?”

“Yes, it is.” Obi Wan replied.

“But they still think she’s weird.” Luke mutterd, but his voice held no resentment. “That’s why they say the mean things. That’s why she punched Morki.”

“She only punched Morki because he said we weren’t really siblings.” Leia confessed.

That made Obi Wan’s blood run cold. “What did he say to her?”

“That she must be adopted because she was so different from us.” Leia mumbled “That’s why she punched him.”

In a weird way, Obi Wan felt relieved. Morki, without any knowledge of the family's secret or how dangerously close he had gotten to revealing it as a mean spirited comment, had guessed the exact opposite of what was true. Senaara wasn’t the adopted one.

But then again she wasn’t really triplets like her siblings were twins. She was ‘other’ to them in that way. Obi Wan cut his mind off from going too far.

The twins were watching him now, as if they were expecting him to confirm this fact.

“Senaara is your sister, and I am her father.” It wasn’t a lie. “It sounds like school’s been tough to navigate.”

Obi Wan hated the fact that he hoped the children would decide they didn’t want to attend school anymore. He hated how the hope bubbled under his chest, twisting into his speech.
If the whole ordeal turned the children off from school, they would be back home with him. He could keep them safe, he could keep them happy, he couldn’t lose them easily.

But he knew how important school had become for the twins at the very least.

Luke nodded. “I like school. All the kids are nice to me. I wish they were nice to Senaara.”

“Senaara likes school sometimes.” Leia seemed unsure of her statement but she said it anyway. “She likes the books and the lessons. I like school too.”

“Should we be protecting Senaara?” Luke’s comment caught Obi Wan off guard. “Is that what brothers and sisters do? I know we can’t use our magic hands but should we be punching instead of her?”

“How about no more punching at all.” Obi Wan stifled a chuckle. “If you would like to protect Senaara, you can, but that’s not on you to do. It’s me and Ahsoka’s job to protect you three, you're not responsible for your siblings.”

“But I feel bad in my chest when I play with my friends and not her.” Leia confessed. “In our new book the eldest brother watches out for his little sister. Miss Morva says that’s what the brother is supposed to do since he’s older.”

Obi Wan paused. “Do you think you’re the eldest sister, Leia?”

“Yeah. I’m the best out of the three of us.” Leia grinned.

“Hey! I’m pretty best! Or cool?” Luke chimed in, trying to correct his own grammar. “Am I the eldest?”

Obi Wan suddenly realized he’d never told the children their birth order. How could he when the order was so strange for ‘triplets’. Senaara was the oldest by two months, and then Luke, and then Leia by two minutes. He decided half truth was the best option.

“Senaara is actually the eldest. Then Luke. Then Leia.” Obi Wan observed the twins' reactions. It seemed neither expected to be younger than Senaara.

“He’s older than me?” Leia whined as the realization kicked in, pointing at Luke. “I’m the youngest?”

“It's okay, it just means I’m going to be taller.” Luke grinned. Obi Wan sighed at the inaccurate statement.

“Age has nothing to do with being tall or short.”

“Yeah but for triplets it does, right?” Luke looked up at him with his big blue eyes. Obi Wan just chuckled softly, finding the need to laugh foreign in his body after so much stress from the day.

“Was our mom tall?” Leia’s question got rid of any bubbly laughter that Obi Wan had been feeling. He looked down as his daughter, her brown eyes facing his. The same brown eyes her mother once had, set on the face of her father.

He had never discussed Padme with the twins, or Satine with Senaara. Ahsoka and he had been lucky enough to avoid those types of questions in the first four years. But Obi Wan imagined being surrounded by ‘normal’ families had caused the questions to stir.

“Your mother was…” Obi Wan bit his tongue, trying to decide how he wanted to go about this. Did he tell them about Padme and risk Senaara later asking the same question and him answering for Satine? Did he just combine the two? Would that cause the loss of both of them? “...well, it depended on the day. Some days she towered over me, other’s she only made it to my chest.”

Vague but enough. Satine had been taller than Obi Wan, causing him to constantly worry for the day that Senaara surpassed him in height, but Padme had been shorter. Perhaps the triplets mother, whoever she was or could be, had worn shoes that elevated her stature, or perhaps her presence was different on different days.

The twins accepted this answer with a quiet awe to them. Obi Wan was half expecting them to ask another question but they excused themselves to play. Obi Wan felt himself start to breathe again.

-

By dinner time, Senaara had not left her room.

Ahsoka had come home, already equipped with knowledge on the whole children’s incident from earlier in the day. Obi Wan had avoided talking about it with her, knowing she had only heard the side of Morva and didn’t want to hear what Morva had described her emotional exit as.

Ahsoka had gotten the hint but made him promise that they would talk about it when the children were asleep. Obi Wan had accepted this but dinner was drawing close and Senaara still hadn’t joined the group or said hello to Ahsoka as she normally would.

Obi Wan was cautious as he opened the door to the children’s room. The afternoon light cast shadows on the wall as he scanned the room for signs of life.

Senaara was on her bed, Bo the bird in hand, but her eyes were open. She was just staring at the wall as if she hadn’t heard Obi Wan enter. But he knew she did. The way her hands gripped Bo at the sound of his footsteps told him all he needed to know.

“Hey Star.” He found that it was important to announce himself, even if he knew she knew he was there. “Are you ready to talk?”

Senaara sat up, pushing her hair out of her face as she shrugged. Her eyes remained on her own hands as Obi Wan took a seat at the end of her bed.

“Today sounded like it was a lot.” Obi Wan offered the sentence as jumping off point. Senaara didn’t take it. “Do you think you were crying the most because of what Morki said, or because you were scared to be in trouble? Or was it something else?”

“Both.” Senaara’s voice was small but Obi Wan was used to this.

“That must have been hard. Cyar’ika, you're not in trouble. I promise.” Obi Wan started with that, knowing it was the easier topic to breach. “We can work on figuring out what to do next time, but no one will fault you for acting out given the situation.”

How far from the Jedi code and order had Obi Wan come? This was the conversation he felt forbidden to have with Anakin, or even Ahsoka, when the Jedi Order was prospering. It stunned him how much he had changed for the children.

“I didn’t mean to, I just…” Senaara trailed off, pulling her knees to her chest. “It got loud in here.”

Senaara pointed to her head, Obi Wan nodded along. “Leia and Luke told me a little more about what happened. Morki sounds like a mean kid.”

“He’s not mean.” Senaara mumbled. “He just thinks I'm different…”

“And that’s not mean?”

“I am different. It’s not mean because it’s true.” Obi Wan, a man of broken glass, found himself breaking a little further. “Miss Morva thinks it, the other kids think it, Luke and Leia think it…you think it.”

Obi Wan watched his daughter as she nearly whispered the last words. “What makes you think that?”

“You treat me differently from Luke and Leia.” Senaara was tracing lines into her leg, watching her pale skin turn red as she did so. “You take more time with me than them, when I cry and they cry, you act differently. You teach them Naboo things and you teach me Mandalore things.” Senaara paused, taking a breath. Obi Wan could see the tears welling in her eyes again. “Am I adopted?”

“Oh cyar’ika. No, you’re mine from your blood to your hair.” Obi Wan sighed, ruffling Senaara’s hair trying to make her laugh. The same hair as his. Almost the same hair as his. Satine’s blonde hummed in the auburn red, turning it golden in the light. But she was his. There was no denying that. Senaara didn’t laugh but she did look at him. “You aren’t any different from me or your siblings. You’re you, and we love you just the way you are.”

“But then why are we still different?” Senaara held his gaze. The same piercing eye contact that had scared him the first time she had made it. Intensity was not the word for what her eyes held.

“I don’t know Star.” Obi Wan hated this.

Senaara wasn’t satisfied with the answer. Obi Wan knew that much as she rolled over to lay down again. Whatever battle the two had had, he wasn’t sure who had won, if anyone did.
He did his best to sound calm as he told Senaara that dinner would be ready soon and she was welcome to join. When Senaara didn’t move or do anything to tell him she heard him, he offered to save her dinner for later that night. She gave no reaction again and all Obi Wan could do was leave her alone to rest.

-

“She’s not different.” Obi Wan groaned as Ahsoka sat across from him at the kitchen table, a glass of honey wine in both of their hands. Morva had apparently felt bad and sent Ahsoka home with wine to apologize. Obi Wan didn’t care much for the apology, or the wine given its dull and low alcohol content, but it was at least doing something to him.

“Obi Wan, she is.” Ahsoka was just as frustrated as he was. “Different isn’t a bad thing, but it’s better we’re aware of it-”

“You’re saying there is something wrong with her mind.”

“No, I’m saying there is something different with her mind.” Ahsoka sighed, leaning back in her chair. “We have two kids we can compare her to-”

“Don’t compare the children to one another.” Obi Wan snapped.

“Will you stop interrupting me!” Ahsoka shouted before freezing.

The children were in the other room, supposedly asleep. Dinner had been eaten without Senaara, and when Obi Wan brought the twins to the room to tuck them in, Senaara had been seemingly sleeping in her bed.

Ahsoka had cornered him before he could go to bed. Demanding they had this conversation. Obi Wan was sure she was regretting it by now.

“Senaara being different isn’t a bad thing. It just means we need to adapt for her.” Ahsoka sighed, trying to be quieter after her outburst. “We need to be aware of it so that we can help her.”

“She already feels like we treat her differently.” Obi Wan grumbled.

“Yes, because we were adapting without realizing it.” Ahsoka noted. “If we put a name to it, or say it clearly, Senaara will feel better because she’ll know why we give her the extra help.”

“And what name does Morva have for this?” Obi Wan didn’t suppress the sarcasm when saying Morva’s name. Ahsoka glared at him before continuing.

“She doesn’t know.”

“So why does she bring it up? Why does she talk to you about my children?” Obi Wan could feel himself getting heated again.

“Your children? We have been raising them together.” Ahsoka spat. “You might be their Buir but I’m their aunt! She had every right to talk to me about the children.”

Obi Wan put his head in his hands. This was going nowhere. It would go nowhere.

“I just need to know that you see it. That you admit that Senaara processes the world differently. Whether that’s being in her own head of stories or feeling things much stronger than Luke or Leia, or her obsession with that story book. She isn’t like Luke or Leia, or any other kid in Morva’s class.” Ahsoka was watching Obi Wan now. “And that’s okay. It doesn’t mean we’ll stop loving her, it just means that we understand she’s going to have difficulties and we prepare for them.”

Obi Wan looked up from his hands, watching Ahsoka now. She took a sip of her wine but never broke eye contact with her.

“Should we pull her from school?” Were the only words Obi Wan could pull together.

Surprisingly, Ahsoka mulled the question over. “Not yet. Morva is a wonderful teacher, she wants to help Senaara succeed but…she has twelve other students and isn’t truly equipped for Senaara. Let her try though.”

Obi Wan took her words in, nodding along absentmindedly as he sipped from his wine glass. Honey wine from Ratisk was truly unbearable. “Maybe they both need time.”

“How bad is it when you're home alone?” The question caught Obi Wan off guard.

“What?”

“I know you didn’t want the children to go to school. I just…well,” Ahsoka seemed to now struggle with her words, “I know the change has been hard on you.”

“What do you mean?”

“When I visit for lunch or watch you leave the children at school, you always look so lost. You look empty, behind your eyes.” Ahsoka bit her lip, “You never wanted the children to go to school. You’ve never liked leaving them completely alone with me. It…it feels obsessive.

Obi Wan let that settle in before responding. “I’m afraid of losing them.”

“Like Anakin?”

“I think so.” Obi Wan sighed. “They’re the last I have of him. Of Padme. Of Satine. Of my belief that there is any good in this galaxy.”

“You’re attached.” Ahsoka noted.

“Very.” Obi Wan paused. “How bad is it?”

“A little concerning. But then again none of us really know what caring for someone with no limitations is like.”

“It’s not quite like this. This is different,” Obi Wan knew what it was like to care for someone so deeply it hurt to think about them. This was different.

Ahsoka pondered it. “Perhaps…because of everything…it’s harder now for you to let go.”

Obi Wan nodded at that, his gaze far away. “It’s possible.”

“Master Yoda would be very disappointed.”

That earned a dry laugh from Obi Wan. “He might be more upset that you have a girlfriend.”

“How about your whole lover and kid?”

The banter was back. That was a good sign. It allowed Obi Wan to breathe.

“I can’t lose them, Ahsoka. Any of them. Not Luke, not Leia, not Senaara. I don’t think I could survive it.”

“I know.” Ahsoka offered him a soft smile. “I can’t either.”

“We love them for who they are completely. Not ifs or buts.”

“We love them because they are your kids and my nieces and nephew.”

“Our sun, our moon, our star.”

Obi Wan allowed the silence to settle over him and Ahsoka. It was comfortable this time, not tension thick as it had been throughout the day. He hated silence in his house. The house that was supposed to always be alive with children's laughter and love. But perhaps he could live through silence. Perhaps they all could.

Chapter Text

The empire arrived quietly.

Obi Wan supposed totalitarianism and tyranny always came quietly anyway.

Ahsoka had heard the ships while in town when they first came. At first that was all it was, the sound of a rumbling engine that was out of place in such an outer rim planet.

Days later Ahsoka had been in town when the whisper had started.

A farming family had been met by officers in uniform that notified them that the ridge was going to be built into a new base for the empire. It was a courtesy call.

Another family claimed their son had walked out to the ridge and saw the wall the empire was building, saw the ships coming and going from the little station.

A couple, coming home drunk one night, had been met with stormtroopers when passing the ridge. They were let go on a warning.

Ahsoka kept her ear to the ground, collecting all the information she could, and brought it home to Obi Wan at the end of each day. The two would wait for the children to be in bed before sitting down at the kitchen table, pouring each other a cup of tea so that they could converse. The two would infer, they would analyze, they would try to understand.

The ridge was on the other side of the town, much farther to the south. It made Obi Wan feel slightly better at how far the house was situated from the presented danger. Yet the proximity to the town still worried him and thus he made sure he and the children never stayed long during school pick up and drop off.

It was becoming dangerous, but it was mangable. The family knew how to stay safe.

That was until the empire came to the school.

Obi Wan had been sitting in the house, his hands busy as he worked on a wooden figure. It was supposed to be inspired by Satine but it was looking more and more like Padme. He was half ready to cut off the failing headpiece and shape the head into the curls that Padme often wore. The children wouldn’t know the difference. To them they would just have another queen figure for the little wooden place Obi Wan had made.

He would have finished the figure too but he had grown cold. As if the sun had been blocked from the sky, but that made little sense. He was in doors and it was a humid day, not a cloud in the sky. Yet the cold still crept in.

It climbed up his spine and settled on his shoulders.

An echo of something darker.

A warning or a call for help, Obi Wan wasn’t sure. He just knew that he had grabbed his bag and thrown his shoes on before it could settle any further.

He nearly ran to the village, his mind overlapping in the worse case scenarios. He prepared himself for anything he could find when he made it to the village, his children dead, Ahsoka dead, news of captives, of burning buildings, of rescues that came too late.

Instead he was met with an eerily quiet village. No town folk on the road, no banter at the market corner. It was quiet. Too silent.

The school was at the end of the street, Obi Wan took his time in hopes of not appearing suspicious, slipping through the shadows as he went.

Once at the school, he was careful to slip around the back. He knew where the windows were. He knew the windows in the kitchen were always open. He knew how to get there without making a sound, without passing by any other windows.

He found his desired window and leaned on the wall, twisting his head so that his ear was to the opening of the old glass.

He was met with the robotic sound of a storm troopers voice modulator.

“You’ve been teaching here for six years?” The trooper's voice sounded almost droid-like through the helmet.

“Yes.” Morva’s voice was steady but Obi Wan could hear the tremble. “Now will you please leave? I’ve answered all your questions, you are interrupting the school day.”

“Sir?” At the sound of another trooper's voice, Obi Wan risked leaning over to get a view of the inside. He couldn’t see much through the door askew in the kitchen, leading to the main classroom but he could see at least two troopers and an officer. He imagined Morva was being blocked by the wall.

“Do you have a permit to teach?” The officer's voice was detached.

“No? Why would I-”

“You need a permit to teach. It's an empire policy.” The officer yawned as if the conversation was boring him. Obi Wan tried to get a glimpse of his children but could not see anything beyond the door. “Where did you go to school?”

“Here on Ratisk.” Morva’s voice was growing frustrated but she was showing restraint.

“That won’t do.”

“Why?”

“We don’t know what you’ve been taught. How can we trust you to teach others?” The officer made a ‘tut, tut’ sound as he whistled. “I’m going to have to write you up. Until you secure a permit we’ll have to shut down the school.”

“You can’t do that!” Morva raised her voice before pulling it back. “I mean, you can’t. These children need an education.”

“Yes, but not from some farming girl like you. They need empire approved education so they can be young citizens of the empire.” The officer handed Morva something but Obi Wan couldn’t catch what it was.

“You can’t do this.”

“It's a policy.” The officer dramatically sighed as if it pained him. Obi Wan knew it didn’t.

“We're not going to school anymore?” A little voice called out.

“I’m afraid until we can get an empire approved teacher out here, you won’t be able to go to school, no.” The officer yawned again, snapped at the storm troopers, and watched as they went to the front door.

“But what about our sunlight unit?” This voice Obi Wan could recognize as Luke. “We’re supposed to start it tomorrow.”

“I’m sorry. It’s your teacher's fault for not getting a permit.”

“Children? Why don’t we gather the toys on the carpet and start putting them away.” Obi Wan could practically hear the tears in Morva’s voice as she tried to redirect the kids. “Let’s clean up before-”

“No.” Obi Wan felt his heart lurch as panic curled in his stomach. “No. Miss Morva is a very good teacher.”

Leia’s voice was firm as she came into view of the door, walking right up to the imperial officer and staring him down. She hardly made it to his waist yet she still looked up at him with her furrowed expression and crossed arms.

Just like her mother.

“Leia, please go with the rest of the class-” Morva tried to reason but to no avail.

“No! You can’t close the school! It’s important.”

“I suggest you control your student.” The officer did not seem impressed by Leia’s antics.

“Control yourself!” Leia bit back before Morva stepped in front of her and pushed Leia behind her.

“I’m sorry. She’s very opinionated.” Morva was nervous now. Obi Wan could see the shake in her hands as he held his breath.

The officer pinched the bridge of his nose but did nothing further. “You may keep the children till the end of the day, but this school will not open till you have gotten a permit.”

Morva hung her head but nodded as the man excused himself. Leaving Morva alone with a dozen children who swarmed her the moment that the officer was gone. Among them was Luke who ran for his sister, grabbing her into a hug as Leia fumed in his arms.

Obi Wan lowered himself to the ground as he started to feel unsteady.

His breath was coming fast again, faster than he wanted as he forced himself to hold onto the grass, twisting the blades in his hands in an effort to soothe his racing heart.

Leia had spoken down upon an empirical officer. She had put herself in danger without realizing it. But she must have known the danger, for the storm troopers held rifles that Obi Wan knew Leia had never gotten to see in person. He knew that Leia had seen them. He knew Leia had known well enough not to mess with the imperials on Ratisk.

But she still spoke up. She still defended her teacher in face of danger. She hadn't bitten her tongue but had bit the attacker.

Obi Wan wanted to compare her to Padme. The spitfire and justice driven woman that she had been born of. But Obi Wan couldn’t help but see Anakin in action. In the way Leia had done such a reckless act to protect someone she loved. How she had sassed the imperial till she had to be restrained.

Obi Wan’s chest hurt as he tried to understand what all of this now meant.

The school was being shut down. The empire had made it to the town. If the empire wanted a permit for the school, they were going to want identification.

In the house were five identification cards. Old hand, perfect for an outer rim planet, crafted by Quinlan Voss himself. Yet Obi Wan couldn’t help but feel sick thinking of all the possible ways the imperials could call fake on the one thing keeping the family safe.

But then again, what really was the empire?

It was Palpatine’s work. Obi Wan knew that. It was the result of tyranny. Something that Anakin had thought would help people. Something Anakin had died for.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

Obi Wan couldn't imagine a sith could rule an empire in a kind way, but he could hope.

For the good of his family, for the good of himself, for his children.

He could hope.

-

The weeks that followed destroyed that hope.

The school was shut down indefinitely. The children remained at home with Obi Wan, yearning for their friends at school. Ahsoka brought back the only news the family received, the updates on how the empire had set up in the town square. How the empire had set up town government, placing the officer that Obi Wan had seen at the school, Officer Kekaran, in charge of the settlement. How the empire’s new base on the ridge flew tie fighters every morning and evening.

No one left their homes. No one ventured to town. No one wanted Ahsoka for a job.

Ahsoka and Morva broke up over an argument over what to do about the empire. Ahsoka wanted to fight. She wanted to get back at the empire as she had done on Raada, but Obi Wan had cautioned her.

She had taken the fight to Morva who gave up on their relationship.

Morva couldn’t get a permit to teach. There was no way she could. The only way you could receive one was upon graduation at an imperial academy, none that took students from the outer rim.

The classroom collected dust as Morva stayed home with her sister and grandmother.

Ahsoka and Obi Wan started to have near constant fights after the children went to bed. Neither could decide what to do. Neither wanted to leave. Neither wanted the children in harm's way. To Obi Wan, fighting back wasn’t an option. To Ahsoka it was the only one.

Luke and Leia grew bored in the house. Even though secluded, Ahsoka had left firm markers of how far was too far from the house. This didn’t stop the twins from challenging the markers, dragging Senaara into their antics. Obi Wan couldn’t get mad at them. They couldn’t understand the danger they were in.

It did scare him though.

Especially the day the children didn’t come home.

Obi Wan had tried to stick to the lesson plans that Morva had sent home with Ahsoka before their big fight. Every morning he would wake the children, they would eat together as Ahsoka poked fun at their messy bed hair, before sitting down at the table he had carved and going over whatever the children chose that day.

With Ahsoka home, teaching was slightly easier. Obi Wan could focus on history and literature with Senaara, while the twins choose science and arithmetic with Ahsoka, or some combination of that. Often the three would study what they wanted, with who they wanted, and neither Ahsoka or Obi Wan could stop that.

It lead to many mornings of Senaara sprawled out on Ahsoka’s lap, tracing equations on the palms of Ahsoka’s hand, while Leia paced, data pad in hand as she answered the little programs questions, Luke half asleep on Obi Wan’s shoulder as Obi Wan asked his son questions about the passage they had just read.

It was routine. It was a new normal.

The five would have lunch before the children were allowed to play outside. Leia had been very convincing in her argument that recess continued even with no school in session. Either Ahsoka or Obi Wan would wait outside and supervise while the other cleaned up lunch.

Obi Wan didn’t know what happened that day.

He was so sure that Ahsoka was the one outside with the kids. He was so sure it had been his job to clean up lunch. He was so sure he was alone in the house when he went to his room to change tunics after a lunch accident had gotten it covered in sauce. He was so sure that Ahsoka was outside, that he was simply stepping away from the dishes for a moment.

But Ahsoka was inside, because Ahsoka thought it was her turn to do the dishes. She thought Obi Wan was outside with the kids. While Obi Wan was changing his top, and Ahsoka was starting to collect plates and silverware, the children had been left to their own devices.

They were gone by the time the two adults made it outside.

“Where are they?” Ahsoka’s voice was laced with fear as she ran back towards Obi Wan from the backside of the house. “Their toys are still in the bin. They wouldn’t have gone far, right?”

“They might have gone into the woods. They think they know the trees well because you know them well,” Obi Wan was trying to keep his voice steady as his eyes searched the horizon, where the trees meet the long grass. “They could get easily lost.”

“The village is on the other side of the forest.” Ahsoka followed his gaze.

“Then we better hurry.”

Obi Wan and Ahsoka split up, old Jedi training coming back to them as they attempted to search the woods for any clues. Ahsoka knew the forest like the back of her hand, she knew the twists and the turns much better than Obi Wan, but Obi Wan didn’t let that stop him as he raced past fallen trees and stumps.

The two had agreed not to call out names. It was better to be quiet, not to bring any more attention to themselves than they had to as they searched for the children. Obi Wan reached forward in the force, trying to grasp hold of any life, any wisp of the force from his children, but he got nothing.

An hour had passed by the time Ahsoka and Obi Wan regrouped. They had searched the entire stretch of the woods, checked every cave, every under tree, every pond. Nothing was found. Panic was creeping in now, thick and coiling.

“They were here.” Ahsoka’s voice was shaking but she seemed defiant in her words. “I know they were. I can feel that they were.”

Obi Wan didn’t question Ahsoka’s conviction. He knew by now her force ability far surpassed his own. “But we couldn’t find them.”

“It means there in town.” Ahsoka let out a sigh that seemed more like a groan. “It means they directly disobeyed us and broke every rule we’ve set forth to protect them, but it means there is only one more place they can be.”

“Who do we think is to blame in this instance?” Obi Wan suspected the twins had a hand in this. He suspected that Leia was at the forefront of whatever adventure the kids thought they were on. Finding out she was the youngest did not deter her from somehow trying to prove she was still the eldest in spirit. She was the one who had fought hardest against the rules, the one who wanted to return to the town the most. Luke had been right behind her, he could be a leader, when he didn’t have his sister barking the orders he didn’t dare disobey. He imagined Luke had helped convince Senaara to join them.

Then again, Senaara often surprised him. He wouldn’t be shocked if in some odd way this had been all her idea, just led and pushed forward by her siblings. The three were dangerous together. A good team.

Which was bad for Ahsoka and Obi Wan.

“I blame Anakin. This is clearly his genes.” Ahsoka’s answer caught Obi Wan off guard. That wasn’t what he had meant, but Ahsoka kept talking. “Though I suppose Padme would also do something like this. I guess we can blame both of them equally.”

“So you believe Senaara is completely innocent in this?” Obi Wan raised his eyebrow as the two started to walk towards the village.

“Oh force, no. I blame you for her. The quiet mastermind who subtly manipulates the twins into getting what she needs. Just like what you did with me and Anakin.”

“I never manipulated you.”

“Sure. You just quietly suggested us and steered us down certain paths.” Ahsoka chuckled though her voice wavered. “I blame Anakin for Senaara too. I don’t know why. Just feel like he’s corrupting your kid from beyond the grave to keep torturing you.”

Obi Wan paused at that. The idea that Anakin would want revenge from beyond the grave, that he would still hate Obi Wan enough to torture him. It made him feel sick in a way he hadn’t for some time.

“Oh kriff.” Ahsoka paused, sensing the mistake in her words. “I mean like he used to. When he and I would directly disobey orders to get on your nerves, or when he would tease you. I mean like that.”

“It’s alright.” Obi Wan sighed. He didn’t look at Ahsoka, keeping his gaze on the horizon, towards where the village would come into view. “We need to find the kids and get home. Maybe have a very serious conversation about rule breaking and disobeying orders.”

“If they’re Skywalkers it might go over their heads.”

“We should try anyway.”

The town had changed quite a bit from when Obi Wan had last visited.

The once bustling streets were empty except for a few stragglers at their market stands and stormtroopers in their shiny white armor standing around with their blaster rifles slung haphazardly over their shoulder.

Ahsoka pulled Obi Wan’s hood over his head, why she didn’t cover her own head he didn’t know.

The two made their way down the street, staying in the shadows of the blistering sun, trying to avoid the gazes of the storm troopers. Obi Wan kept watch, kept tracing the edges of the street and alleys in hopes of catching a glimpse of blonde hair, or the navy blue of Leia’s dress.

“They might have gone to the school. To find Morva.” Ahsoka offered, her path changing to take them across the street to the side the school was on. Obi Wan followed, still watching, still listening.

A pair of storm troopers suddenly turned a corner, nearly running into Ahsoka as they ran in a uniformed way, rushing to the pair of troopers on the corner. The four spoke in a garbled tone, their voice constricted by the helmet's modulator. Obi Wan couldn’t catch any of what they said before the four were running down the street, rifles in hand, turning another corner.

“We should keep moving.” Ahsoka didn’t turn to look at Obi Wan, she just kept walking forward, her steps more brisk. Obi Wan followed close behind, trying to keep up as Ahsoka crossed a road and ended up in front of the school.

The doors had been barred shut by a plaque of metal calling for the official closing of the school in Aurebesh, not the ratiskian alphabet. The door controls were red now, instead of the common green meaning they were open. The empire seemed to have recoded it, keeping it shut from even Morva. The windows were covered in poorly sealed metal, it looked like the sloppy job of a soldier, and Obi Wan suspected that was what it was.

“There is no way they’re in there.” Obi Wan muttered, tracing his fingers over the sealed metal.

“They couldn’t have gotten in the front.” Ahsoka nodded, starting to walk around the school, tracing the wall. “But they’d find a way.”

“Why don’t we check with Morva and Tenva? Or one of Leia’s friends' family?” Obi Wan asked. The children couldn’t get in the school and time was ticking down, why were they still here?
Ahsoka didn’t answer. She simply closed her eyes.

Obi Wan wanted to protest but before he could, another pair of storm troopers, he supposed they could have been part of the last group, came around the corner from where the last four disappeared, barking orders to the few in the market to return home.

“This square is on lock down!” The trooper's voice was mechanical under the helmet. Unnatural. “Return home and do not come out till the end of curfew tomorrow. We may come by for questioning.”

Obi Wan pressed himself to the wall, looking back at Ahsoka who was now tracing the wall and boarded up windows.

The few villagers that had set up stalls were quick to disperse, especially after the warning blasts one of the troopers shot into the air.

“I’ll bet you it's the kids.” Ahsoka muttered as she moved down the wall, going deeper into the alley.

“I really hope it’s not.” Obi Wan looked back before following Ahsoka. “We need to move quickly, Ahsoka please-”

“There it is.” Ahsoka grabbed at a plank of metal, lifting it away from the window with ease. “It’s been broken, old too. I’m guessing Morva snuck in a few times.”

“Great, but we need to find the kids-”

“Oh they’re in here. Trust me.” Ahsoka flashed him a smirk, her fanged canines gleaming as she pulled herself through the window, extending a hand for Obi Wan to follow. Obi Wan sighed, but saw no other option. He took her hand, pulling himself through the rectangular hole of shattered glass.

The classroom hadn’t changed much. A new layer of dust and debris could be found, but for the most part the toys were where they had been left, the data board remained off in the corner, the rug was waiting for children to sit on it.

Obi Wan followed Ahsoka, assuming she knew more somehow than he did. She led him through the dark building, opening the door to Morva’s old office. The door opened but stopped half way, caught on a fallen shelf. Ahsoka lifted her hand instinctively to lift it with the force as Obi Wan moved in front of her, cutting her off from the possibility as he pushed the door back, forcing the shelf up.

“We don’t know if the empire is watching.” Obi Wan whispered.

“In this abandoned school?” Ahsoka crossed her arms, “You're paranoid.”

“Yes, and being paranoid has kept us alive this long.”

“Buir?” Leia’s voice held a tremble that Obi Wan wasn’t used to. Obi Wan looked around, trying to find the source of the sound, only for Luke to run out from behind Morva’s old desk, throwing his arms around Obi Wan’s legs.

“Luke?” Obi Wan bent over, lifting Luke up to rest on his hip. Luke had been crying, his eyes were puffy and he was chewing on a long strand of hair. His tiny hand clutched Obi Wan’s tunic but didn’t say anything. “Leia, Senaara? Please come out.”

Senaara was faster than Leia, standing and running to Obi Wan. When she saw that he had his hands full with Luke, she quickly turned to Ahsoka, leaning on her side. Leia followed her sister more cautiously.

Senaara’s eyes were puffy but Leia didn’t seem like she had been crying. The young girl kept her chin up, almost threatening Obi Wan to say something about how the three had ended up here.

Obi Wan was known for taking Skywalkers up on their threats.

“Will one of you explain how you ended up here?”

“It’s my fault.” Leia stared Obi Wan head on.

“No.” Senaara’s voice was quiet as she stared at the ground. “It’s my fault.”

“No. No. Buir didn’t ask about that. I wanted to go to town. It was me.” Leia took her sister's hands. “I wanted to see Morva. I convinced them. Senaara didn't even want to go. Luke wanted to stay in the forest.”

“Hey!” Luke hiccuped. “I wanted to see Morva too.”

“It doesn't matter who’s idea it was.” Ahsoka hummed, gently tussling Senaara’s hair and brushing Leia’s braid back. “You all left the house without telling us.”

“Leia, what do you mean I ‘didn’t ask about that’?” Obi Wan watched his daughter as she watched him back, each challenging the other through gaze.

“It doesn’t matter.” Leia glared at him.

“We got chased by the white…the white people?” Luke tried to explain.

“They're called storm troopers Luke.” Ahsoka offered.

“You were chased by stormtroopers?” Obi Wan had to lower his voice with the next words he chose. “Why?”

“It’s okay, we’re safe. We got to school.” Leia tried to argue.

“Leia, the troopers have shut the town down. Does that have to do with what you guys did?” Ahsoka knelt down to get on Leia’s level. Leia wouldn’t look at her.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Senaara started to whisper over and over. Leia stood over her protectively.

“They were just mean.” Leia maintained, refusing to look at either adults now.

“Senaara? What happened?” Obi Wan changed his sights to his other daughter who was tapping her index finger to her wrist over and over. Luke squirmed in his grasp, leading to him putting Luke down. Luke ran to his sisters as if they were the only place he had to be.

“Nothing happened!” Leia half yelled half whispered. “We’re fine!”

“Leia…Buir will get upset.” Luke tried to reason as he wiped his tears with the sleeve of his cream tunic.

“That’s why nothing happened!”

“But something did-”

“Nothing happened!”

As the twins went back and forth, trying to cover and uncover the secret of their adventure, Senaara became a steady background stream of ‘I’m sorry’, her voice getting quieter the louder the twins got.

“Leia, I think you think you're protecting your siblings by not telling us, but if you're in danger, we can only help if we know why,” Ahsoka’s voice was gentle as she tried to wrap Senaara in a hug. Senaara froze in the embrace, not welcoming it and not accepting it.

“Come on, love. What happened?” Obi Wan knelt down as well, trying to get on her level. Leia stared him down, he met her gaze. Her brown eyes. Padme’s eyes, but entirely Anakin’s in the fire they held.

Obi Wan watched as those beautiful brown eyes filled with tears. Leia’s hands were in little fists as she continued her stare down, her mouth a tight line.

“Senaara used magic hands.” Luke broke the silence. “I feel, she caught me.”

And suddenly, all the fear that had been steadily building, all the worry, all the paranoia, came crashing through all the walls Obi Wan had hidden them behind.

“I didn’t mean to.” Senaara was quiet now, but Ahsoka pulled her into her lap all the same, brushing her fingers through her hair. “I know it’s not allowed, I know the rules…”

“Explain what happened. From the beginning.” Ahsoka’s voice was tense as she instructed Luke.

“We made it to town and we’re exploring. I thought it would be cool to climb Kregor’s crates.” Luke kicked his feet awkwardly.

“It was my idea.” Leia mumbled, trying to wipe her steadily flowing tears away.

“But they were wobbly and I slipped. I was going to hit my head but Senaara caught me.” Luke hiccuped through the sentence. “The storm troopers saw it.”

“How far was Senaara?” Obi Wan tried to breathe through bated breath.

“I was a little far.” Senaara’s eyes were shining. “I didn’t mean to Buir. I really didn’t mean to.”

“We had to run.” Leia’s voice was tiny. “I got us here. I kept us safe.”

“Hey, we all got here.” Luke grumbled. “We all kept each other safe.”

“The troopers are searching for a force sensitive kid.” Ahsoka’s voice was dry as she leaned back on the shelf, her hands still trailing Senaara’s hair.

“We have three.” Obi Wan sighed, sitting down on the floor. “We need to get home. We need to re-access there.”

“Did Senaara ruin everything?” Luke’s voice was trembling. “Will the bad men come?”

At Luke’s words, Senaara’s tapping increased as she curled into Ahsoka’s side. “I didn’t want him hurt. I didn’t want him hurt.”

“Senaara didn’t ruin anything.” Obi Wan watched his daughter for a moment. Yelling wouldn’t do much good now. The family's cover was as good as blown. They needed to get out of there, they needed to leave Ratisk. But where could they go? If the empire had made it to Ratisk, there was no saying if there was anywhere safe. “But yes, the bad men are coming. We need to go home and pack. We need to leave.”

“But what about Morva?” Leia’s little heart seemed to drop. “What about my friends? We can’t just leave!”

“If we don’t leave, the bad men will take Senaara. They might even take you and Luke.” Ahsoka’s words were carefully chosen but Obi Wan wished she hadn’t said them. Senaara started to cry and Luke’s hiccups turned wet as tears streamed down his cheeks.

“That’s not fair! You’re both like us! Why won’t they take you too?” Leia shot back.

Because they’d kill us.

But Obi Wan couldn’t say that to the children.

“They’ll take me and Ahsoka and separate us from you. It's safest if we leave so that we can stay together.” Obi Wan reasoned. Leia watched him with suspicion but she nodded, hiding her shaky hands by taking her siblings' hands.

Escaping the town was easier than Obi Wan had liked. The five were able to move undetected as shadows grew with the setting suns, when they ran into a pair of troopers all Obi Wan had to do was wave his hand and they were on their way.

The children had been most interested in the mind trick, asking about it the entire walk home. Obi Wan had given them answers and the stories they wanted. The children were not shaking or crying when they were listening to him. Ahsoka walked behind, making sure they weren’t followed, making sure they weren’t leaving a trail.

Obi Wan racked his mind for the evacuation plan he had made years ago. The plan he had hoped to never use. The ship was still in the cave. It had fuel, albeit old, but it would be enough to get them someplace far enough away. The crates for food could be easily filled and easily moved, there were still credits on the ship, the only issue would be getting the children to part with their beloved toys and clothes. They could only bring what they could carry. Time was the only resource they didn’t have.

Obi Wan didn’t realize how true that was until he was standing in front of his home, his sanctuary, the place his children had grown up, finding a pair of storm troopers at the entrance and Officer Kekaran waiting at the door.

Chapter Text

“Please, sit.” Officer Kekaran's voice still sounded detached. It was oddly smooth, as if this was somehow all a game, or perhaps the last job he had to do before returning to the comfort of home. Just like at the school, the man hardly seemed entertained by the interaction.

He was humanoid. A military cut kept his dark hair out of his face, plastered to the back of his head. The man had mutton chops on either side of her face, Obi Wan couldn’t seem to figure out if he liked them or they just made sense for such a dry man and his uniform was somehow pristine in the cluttered house.

Kekaran had invited the family in, as if the house was his property, and was now gesturing to the kitchen table. Obi Wan was standing in front of the children, shielding them the best he could while Ahsoka shielded them from behind. Two storm troopers had been waiting inside, guns in hands.

“Please. The best way to conduct business is over tea.” Kekaran gestured once more for the family to sit. When no one moved, he sighed and snapped his fingers. The troopers aimed the blasters at the children.

The family sat down quickly.

Obi Wan was doing his best to keep an eye on Kekaran, the troopers, and the door. He was mentally running through every lie he had told to a villager, every escape route that was possible from the kitchen, every way he could get his hands on his lightsaber before it could be found, before it could be lost.

His chest was tight, but he could feel the odd calm of a mission settling in his body. He could handle a mission. He could do this.

Luke slipped his tiny hand into Obi Wan’s. Obi Wan gripped his son’s hand back.

“Ah, lovely.” Kekaran whistled, going through the kitchen’s cupboards. He pulled out a mug and the kettle. He snapped once again to a trooper who stared at him confused until the officer thrusted the kettle out expectantly. The trooper got the idea and was quick to start the fire, filling the kettle from the pump, and watching it warm. “The Van-est family. You keep to yourselves don’t you?”

Obi Wan wasn’t sure if he should answer. He eyed Ahsoka from across the table who looked just as unsure.

“Oh I assume you know how to talk.” Kekaran chuckled. “The little brown haired girl has quite a mouth on her.”

“No I don’t.” Leia spat, before Senaara covered her sister's mouth with her hands. Leia started to bicker at her sister, trying to bite Senaara’s attempt to stop her, but Ahsoka silenced them with a glare.

“Yes. We keep to ourselves.” Obi Wan answered, keeping his voice level.

“What is it that you do?” Kekaran asked, rummaging through the family's tea.

“We live off the land. Ashla is a mechanic. I stay at home with the children.”

“You live off the land?” Kekaran raised an eyebrow at that.

“I garden. Ashla hunts.”

“And Ashla’s job helps pay for whatever you don’t cover?”

“Yes.” Luke squeezed Obi Wan’s hand in pulses. Obi Wan risked a quick glance at his son when Luke’s hand stilled in his. Luke was staring at the nearest trooper, watching the rifle with quiet fear.

“May I ask something inappropriate? Mr, uh…Ben was it?” Kekaran had grabbed whatever loose herbs he had chosen and had taken a seat at the head of the table.

“Go ahead.” Obi Wan braced himself.

“This Ashla of yours, the town says, is your niece.” Kekaran was watching Obi Wan now. Obi Wan could only hold his gaze, feeling like prey in some twisted trap.

“Yes.”

“I am his niece.” Ahsoka jumped in. “His brother’s daughter.”

“He’s a human and you’re a torguta.” Kekaran hummed as the kettle whined. The trooper was quick to take it off the fire and pour it into Kekaran’s waiting cup. No tea was poured for anyone else. “The chemistry doesn’t quite line up.”

“I’m adopted. His brother adopted me.” Ahsoka supplied. It was the story she had told Morva, the story the village knew.

“Right.” Kekaran took a sip of his tea, smiling in some form of twisted satisfaction. “And the mother to these children?”

“Dead.” Obi Wan sucked a breath in before continuing. He knew this story. He had crafted it and practiced it. “She passed away at childbirth. I’ve been raising them on my own with Ashla.”

Kekaran let that sink in. He nodded in some form of sympathy, but his yawn got rid of any realness the gesture may have had. “All three are yours?”

“Yes.” Obi Wan kept breathing. Four in, four out. He had to remain calm. “They are my triplets.”

“Rare and wonderful triplets are.” Kekaran whistled, taking a sip of his tea. “Though even rarer for one to be blonde, one brunette, and one ginger. Some may say it's impossible.”

“It’s a miracle. They look like me, my wife, and my brother.” Obi Wan bit back the fear that was rising. Kekaran’s questions felt pointed, too pointed.

“Well perhaps there is a story there that you weren’t intending.” Kekaran chuckled. “You see, if any of that was real, I would have thought your wife was cheating on you with your brother. That would have been a fun story to follow.”

“What are you implying?” Ahsoka’s voice was thin.

“That it’s all a story.” Kekaran smirked.

“I can get our identification cards.” Obi Wan moved to stand but heard the familiar click of blasters pointing at him. Luke grabbed the hem of his tunic, pulling down while Senaara grabbed Leia’s hand. Obi Wan put his hands in the air, slowly sitting down again.

A quick glance to the kids was all Obi Wan needed to remember how dire this was. Leia and Senaara were sitting on the same seat now, both trying to look strong as Leia rubbed Senaara’s palm over and over. Luke was quick to grab Obi Wan’s hand again once he was sitting.

“That won’t be necessary.” Kekaran yawned. “You’re not Van-est. I’ve had suspicions since we first came to this desolate rock, no proof, nothing of value. Just the over eager wishings of a man who wishes to move up in status. To leave this maker forsaken planet and to actually do something for this empire.

“I didn’t know for sure. Not until this lovely child,” Kekaran gestured to Senaara who froze, “Let us in on your little secret. Because if there is a force sensitive child, you can bet there is a force guardian. That’s how the inquisitors have been finding Jedi for years now. Imagine my surprise when I found out this little girl belonged to the Ben Van-est that had been torturing me.”

Kekaran grinned, tilting his head in a creeping way. It seemed he was finally enjoying the conversation. “The emperor is going to give me the promotion of a lifetime when he finds out I not only have one force sensitive child, possibly more, but also the Obi Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka Tano in my control.”

With that, Obi Wan’s blood ran cold.

“Our names are Ashla Van-est and Ben Van-est.” Ahsoka’s smile was a tight line as Obi Wan watched her grip the table. “I’ve never heard of those names, or of a force sensitive child.”

“A man in his late thirties, though I suppose you're in your forties now, with a beard of auburn colour, a righteous attitude, a Jedi background. Could be traveling with his known associate, a togruta with an orange base, white markings and blue marked montrails in her late teens, early twenties, mechanical abilities, pure heart. Well, you do fit the description.” Kekaran turned his attention to the children, Leia met his gaze head on, “The children though, that was not in the description.”

“Leave them out of this.” Obi Wan ordered.

“We can’t.” Kekaran made a ‘tut tut’ sound as he dramatically sighed into his tea. “Little Senaara here is force sensitive. She needs to be taken in by the empire. She can become something there. And her siblings…” Kekaran rolled the words on his tongue, keeping eye contact with Leia who was glaring at him, “I mean, these three can’t really be your kids Kenobi. Jedi can’t have kids, so I can only assume these are strays you picked up because of what they are. Force users that the empire can now use.”

“We won’t go with you!” Leia spat. “We’re not leaving our Buir!”

“Oh but you will. Leia, was it?” Kekaran huffed. “At least you and your siblings might stick together.”

“But where will we go?” Luke’s voice was little more than a whine.

“Luke.” Ahsoka hissed.

“No, no. Please. Let the boy ask questions.” Kekaran chided. “You have power in you, power that the empire needs and will make good use of. You will be a credit to the empire. You will do something great.”

“I don’t want to…” Luke whispered. Kekaran ignored him.

“They tell legends about the great Obi Wan Kenobi. The evasive Jedi that survived Order 66, how those at the top want you gone and taken care of.” Kekaran whistled, leaning back in his chair, “Who would have thought you’d have run away from the fight, to live on this desolate rock.”

“What do you intend to do to us?” Obi Wan kept his compuse steady. He gripped Luke’s hand, preparing for the answer. Knowing that the children would have to hear it too.

“For the two of you?” Kekaran laughed. “I would love to shoot you here. To become a Jedi killer. But no. Lord Vader wants you captured and brought to him.”

Captured? Lord Vader? Obi Wan tried to remember if he had heard that name before, if he had ever encountered a sith with that alias. He could think of nothing.

“And what makes you think you’ll walk out with us alive?” Ahsoka’s gaze had turned dark, her glare was sharp as she leaned over the table. Kekaran didn’t squirm, he simply yawned as if the exciting part of this conversation was now over.

“The house is surrounded by troopers, you have no sabers, and you have three terrified children to care for. I can’t imagine you would get very far. I can’t imagine you would make it out alive, and that would be devastating for both your little pieced together family and for me, who needs you alive. I suggest you allow my troopers to cuff you and the children before following us to the ship.” Kekaran got up, dumping the rest of his tea in the basin before snapping his fingers once again.

Two troopers came in from outside as the troopers who helped with the tea moved forward, cuffs ready to snap close.

But Ahsoka was quicker.

She launched out of her chair, kicking the trooper to her left in the head, the helmet spinning around the other side as the soldier collapsed, accompanied by a sickening crack, before quickly punching, and grabbing the other trooper's gun. She shot the man once in the chest, before spinning and shooting the troopers on either side of Obi Wan.

It all happened so fast, Obi Wan could only faintly feel the call to fight before it disappeared. Replaced by the sudden realization the troopers were dead beside him, dead in front of the children. Looking down, he realized Luke was now clinging to his torso, arms not even fully reaching around him. Obi Wan’s chest hurt as he grabbed the rifle from the smoking trooper beside him.

The children weren’t screaming as he guessed they would, but Kekaran was. The man was barking for backup, but before he could call one more command, Obi Wan had blasted him in the shoulder, causing him to fall back into the kitchen cupboards. Obi Wan didn't even realize he had lifted the blaster, he just knew anger like he had never felt was coursing through his blood, burning in his chest.

“Wait, no-” Kekaran started to shout for reinforcements, throwing out threat after threat as Obi Wan stalked closer to him, leaving Luke behind to run to Senaara and Leia. “You’ll never make it alive. You can’t-”

Obi Wan pulled the trigger once the blaster was to the man’s chest. He watched Kekaran’s head dip down, his blood dripping on the once beautiful wood cabinet that Obi Wan had worked so hard on.

“Buir?” Obi Wan wasn’t even sure which kid had called the word. His ears were ringing, blood was rushing through them. They didn’t have much time, he knew that. Any second the reinforcements would come crashing through the door. Any moment his family would be in danger again. His family. The family that the dead man before him had tried to threaten. Had tried to separate. Had tried to hurt.

Obi Wan hated how much the children made him understand Anakin.

“Get them to the ship.” Obi Wan was firm with his command but Ahsoka still questioned him. She always did.

“I’m not leaving you.”

“You’re not. I’ll hold them off. Go out through the children’s window.” Obi Wan rushed to get on a knee, pulling Leia close, placing a kiss to her forehead, and then Luke’s, and then Senaara’s. “Go.”

The children protested. He knew that much, but he blocked them out as he ran to his room, pulling back the floorboard and retrieving his lightsaber. The krystal inside sung to him, a haunting melody that seemed to warn him. That seemed to remind him of something. But Obi Wan didn’t care what it was. He was the distraction. He would make sure his children saw another sunrise.

Troopers started to enter the house. Obi Wan made quick work of them. Everything became a haze of smoke and the song of kyber and blaster fire. All Obi Wan could hear was his own heart beat as he cut through the men, cut through their blades, and pushed the forces outside.

The war came back to him clearly then. The battles he had waged. The fights he had lost. He kept pushing against the reinforcements, praying they hadn’t caught Ahsoka and the children, hoping the four could get away.

The troopers came at him in waves. Some shot from a distance, some got close. Some kicked and punched, trying to push him down. Other’s slammed their guns to his chest, trying to fire. Seconds felt like minutes and minutes felt like seconds.

The idea of the family swinging back to get him seemed far away now. The idea was illogical but it was hope. He just hoped it was enough to get the four to the ship believing they could save him, giving them the motivation to save themselves.

The reinforcements kept coming. New ships landed, tie fighters started to shoot at the ground around him. Obi Wan didn’t know how large the facility on the ridge was, but he could only assume that they all had been sent out after him. Every man he cut down, another was ready to pick up the blaster and shoot.

At some point he was hit. Obi Wan didn’t have time to react, didn’t have time to feel the burn on his side or access where it was. He just knew he smelt burnt flesh. A smell so familiar and haunting that it nearly caused him to sway. His side was sticky, he could feel the warmth spreading. He didn’t have time to put down his saber.

Through the haze of screams, blasts, and shouts, the sound of a long rusted engine filled the air. Obi Wan kept fighting, as the hope surged in his chest. He tried to look up, to catch the sight that would allow him to die happy, that would allow him to die knowing he kept them safe, the sight of the small ship flying freely into the atmosphere, to another life, to somewhere far away.

Instead he saw something that horrified him.

It was the ship, yes. Not quite his ship, not quite Ahsoka’s. Quinlan’s gift all those years ago. The ramp was lowered, and at the base of it was Leia and Luke. Luke was yelling something into a little com at the back of the ramp, presumably to Ahsoka who was piloting, and Leia was holding a blaster. The same blaster Ahsoka had stolen from the trooper.

And she was aiming.

Obi Wan had to tear his focus away for a moment to focus on the barrage of blasts and troopers running towards him for the off chance they could kill him through hand to hand combat. But he didn’t miss the blasts that hit the ground, missing over and over until it finally hit a trooper in the knee. The blasts that came from the heavens, from his five year old daughter.

“Buir!” It was Senaara’s voice that cut through the haze. “Buir, jump up!”

Obi Wan looked back, seeing his daughter at the end of the ramp, next to Leia. While Leia held one pole, Senaara held the other, her free hand outstretched to Obi Wan as if she herself could lift him up and onto the ship.

Obi Wan could laugh at the ridiculousness. He wanted to be angry that Ahsoka would allow the children to do this, but then again, what else could she do? Ahsoka was piloting, she couldn’t be in two places at once and Obi Wan was on the ground. The only other crew members of this ship were the children, so why not give a five year old a blaster? Anakin would have done it. Force, Mandalorian’s probably do it.

Obi Wan deflected one more blast, bracing his side for the impact of the jump onto the ramp when a stray blast slammed into his shoulder, hitting right above his heart, too close to his chest for comfort. The air left his lungs as he coughed, struggling to stay standing as another barrage of bullets flew his way.

“He got hit!” Luke yelled into the comm. “Senaara! Make sure he’s okay!”

“Buir!” Senaara called out, leaning out and off the ramp, holding on by the pole. “Buir! You need to jump!”

Obi Wan could feel the pain now. It was sharp and hot. Whatever adrenaline that had kept him going was gone now, replaced by exhaustion resurfacing in his bones. He had enegrey enough to deflect blast after blast, but his free hand had to hold down on his chest. He was bleeding there now. He could feel the blood dripping down his skin, clinging to his tunic. His head hurt, he felt dizzy.

“Buir please!” Senaara pleaded. She was reaching out now, trying to give him her hand to hold on to. Leia was shooting, she was focusing, hitting more often now. Luke was calling in orders to Ahsoka, helping Ahsoka move the ship lower and lower, closer and closer till the ramp aligned with Obi Wan’s shoulders. “Buir, please jump up.”

Obi Wan braced himself to jump once again. It was going to hurt like hell this time. He was prepared. Using the force, he pushed back the next wave, watching them tumble down into the grass.

Obi Wan leaped up, using the force to propel him onto the ramp. His landing was awkward, he stumbled, falling and slamming down onto the cool metal of the ramp. It felt good against his clammy skin, the fight seemed to have left him as she struggled to sit up, his mind swimming.

He was losing blood. That had to be it.

Senaara was quick to grab on to him, one hand still holding the pole, the other around his arm as if he was the one who might fall into the horde of troopers that were now shooting at the ramp.

“I hit one!” Leia cheered, taking aim once again.

“Buir’s on the ramp!” Luke called into the com. “We can go! We can go!”

Obi Wan felt a smile grace his lips. Maybe it was exhaustion. Maybe it was the high of fighting once again. Maybe it was the fact that his family was safe. He felt a laugh build up in his chest, tumbling out as he reached for the pole, ruffling Senaara’s hair. She looked up at him with Satine’s eyes, a smile on her own lips.

The ship started to back away from the blasts, the ramp started to go up slowly.

“Back away Leia, we don’t want you to fall.” Obi Wan said quickly, reaching out to pull her back as she took one more shot.

“But I can help!”

“We’re safe now, okay love?” Obi Wan pulled her back, letting go of Senaara as he took the gun from Leia. She pouted but he slung the rifle over his own shoulder.

Then Senaara screamed.

The ramp hadn’t closed yet. It was struggling with the three on it. Ahsoka still had the ship near ground, she hadn’t pulled into the air yet, it was close enough for someone to grab, to stick their hands over the edge.

A trooper had grabbed Senaara’s feet before Obi Wan could react. Black gloves enclosed around his daughters ankles, ripping them off the tarmac. Senaara lost her footing, falling off the ramp, her head hitting the edge of the metal, her body going slack.

Obi Wan tried to move, he forced his body upward, igniting his blade once again, but his vision swam. The corner of his eyes turned dark, he lost his vision as he felt sick. He forced himself to open his eyes long enough to see Senaara’s body on the grass, blood trickling down her forehead as the troopers re-aimed their blasters at him, taking fire.
Obi Wan forced his body to move, he forced it up even as he couldn’t feel, even as he couldn’t see, in order to pull Leia back as the ramp closed and the ship sped away, piloted by Ahsoka.

Ahsoka, who still believed the family was safe.

-

They didn’t turn back. Obi Wan made the call, Ahsoka screamed at him. She had done it in front of the children, she hadn’t cared. Tears ran down her face as she tried to understand his choice, as she called him heartless.

Perhaps Obi Wan was heartless. He hadn’t felt a thing since he watched his daughter fall. A weird calm had overtaken him, a numbness that was worse than his dissociation. He couldn’t feel, he couldn’t rage. He could just exist.

“They’ll move her.” Obi Wan’s voice was steady. He hated that now. He tried to stand from the seat Ahsoka had forced him into. Ahsoka pushed him back down.

“But she’ll be alone, Obi Wan! You know how she is!” Ahsoka’s voice was thick with fear. It wavered and broke. It didn’t stay calm. “We could have saved her! If you had told me before we were in lightspeed-”

“It wouldn’t have done anything. The rest of the family would be in danger.” Obi Wan wasn’t looking at her anymore. He couldn’t.

“Is ‘Naara going to be okay?” Luke’s voice was quiet. He had curled onto Leia who was rubbing his back. A self soothing measure for both of them. Leia hadn’t spoken a word since she watched her sister go over. She had only cried in Obi Wan’s arms as he pulled her into the cargo bay. Her navy blue dress was stained red with his blood.

“We’ll get Senaara back.” Ahsoka assured Luke, glaring at Obi Wan. “We have to. I’m taking us to Bail.”

“No.” Obi Wan was quick to say. “We don’t know who we can trust.”

“We can trust Bail. Bail will have people, resources, we can find Senaara better with his help.” Ashoka was already walking towards the cockpit, typing in the coordinates. “You made the call to leave Senaara behind. I’m making the call to save her.”

“I didn’t leave her behind.” Obi Wan couldn’t help but sound exhausted rather than passionate. He knew he should be angry, he knew he should be screaming, but he couldn’t. His mind just felt silent. Ahsoka didn’t respond, instead she grabbed the first aid kit stored on the ship and started to access Obi Wan’s blaster wounds.

“Who’s Bail?” Leia’s voice was quiet, tears were still coming down her cheeks. “Why did the guy make us leave? Why does the empire want you?”

Ahsoka and Obi Wan looked at each other, neither knowing what to say.

“Bail is an old friend of mine, and your mothers.” Ahsoka answered before pausing at the mention of Padme. She looked at Obi Wan, but he was too tired to care. That wasn’t the hard conversation.

“You know how we all have magic hands? Remember how I called it the force?” Obi Wan started, turning to look at the twins who watched him as he might disappear. Ahsoka grumbled at his movement, but worked quickly applying the bacta patches and ointments. They wouldn’t be enough, but they would get him to Alderaan. “The force exists in all of us, it threads our universe together…”

As space rushed by, the ship on a steady course to Alderaan, Obi Wan did his best to explain the Jedi. He did his best to explain how he and Ahsoka were ones. He did his best to explain why that was dangerous nowadays. He knew the only reason the twins were listening was because it was better than remembering they were missing Senaara. It was better than feeling the empty space beside them.

Even when Ahsoka finished dressing Obi Wan’s wounds, she didn’t return to the cockpit. She took a seat on the floor, leaning her head onto Obi Wan’s lap. She was angry at him, they both knew it, but they both knew they only had each other and neither could survive the anxiety alone.

Luke and Leia came closer as Obi Wan told his story. Leia climbed into Obi Wan’s lap, forcing Ahsoka to simply lean her head on his newly dressed side. Luke sat in Ahsoka’s lap, allowing her to absentmindedly brush his hair with her hand as Leia clung to Obi Wan’s blood stained tunic.

At one point, Leia leaned in as Obi Wan trailed off on his sentence to whisper, “Are you okay?”

“I will be, love. Once we have your sister back.”

Leia took that answer, leaning her head into Obi Wan’s neck, she asked him to continue and he did his best.

That’s what he had done wasn’t?

He had tried his best?

Obi Wan tried not to think about the missing spot in their family. The missing daughter that should be sitting on his knee, or leaning on Ahsoka. The missing daughter who was either dead or scared. The missing daughter who was alone.

He tried not to blame himself, but he knew that was a losing battle. He knew he was the reason Senaara was even in danger. Because she was his daughter, because she was his. He took blame for the twins. How could he not? But at least he wasn’t the reason they existed.

Senaara was his sin alone.

Now it was his fault that she was taken. If he had been faster, if he had fought better, if he could have grabbed her. He could have saved her. He could have protected her.
He had tried his best? Hadn’t he?

Obi Wan kept his voice steady as he spoke about the force. His last hope.

He had kept his voice steady for too goddamn long.

Chapter Text

Alderaan had changed.

The sweeping mountain ranges and shining lakes seemed dull now. The warm weather and sprawling clouds, now dark and cold. Obi Wan hated it.

Ahsoka had called Bail once the ship had entered the system. He had sent them coordinates, codes to get through empire checkpoints, and a false manifest. There wasn’t much time to discuss the five years spent apart, but Obi Wan could tell Bail had gotten good at sneaking behind the empire’s back.

The small ship passed the imperial blockade fine. The twins had sat in the co-pilot seat, both reaching to look over the cockpit window to see the first planet beside Ratisk that they would remember.

They weren’t fighting as they struggled to both find space on the chair. They communicated through glances and pulls. Silent, except for the awe at the sight of the green and blue.

Ahsoka steered the ship down, finding that the coordinates took the four away from the main cities, and into the countryside. It had taken them a few times to find where the coordinates were actually leading them. It wasn’t until a transmission called in and told them to get lower to the mountains that they found their meeting point. They landed in a mountain cavern, guided in by an odd off duty pilot.

The cavern was full of other ships, x-wings and u-wings, while people milled about, some in flying suits, others in whatever they had. It had become clear the resistance that Ahsoka had been a part of all those years ago had become something more. People and creatures of all forms walked the cavern, all working together. No one paid them any mind.

Bail Organa had met the family at the end of their ramp. He was dressed formally, his cape hung from his back, a beautiful navy blue. His expression solem, waiting. At the sight of the children he simply smiled, shifting his demeanor to bring more comfort.

Ahsoka had guided Obi Wan, her arm around his waist to accommodate for the blaster pain. Obi Wan wanted to protest, to remind her that he had survived worse, but she responded by asking for medical.

It was late at night. Bail got the four some food from what appeared to be a mess hall, and helped them to a small room within the cavern. A row of halls had similar rooms, all with the same door lock and look from the outside. Bail explained the cavern used to be a mining base, the rooms were rehabilitated bunks.

The space was private, but sparse. Sterile walls and symmetric lines that Obi Wan normally would have loved, but now felt cold and detached. It felt too big without Senaara with them. Bail promised to be back in the morning, he said they would talk then.

Obi Wan didn’t want to talk.

Ahsoka made excuses for him, talking to Bail, getting Bail to leave so that the two could get Luke and Leia ready for bed. But the twins didn’t want to sleep, they had refused.

A new place, a missing sister, a father who almost died. The perfect ingredients for nightmares.

The room only had three beds, two bunks and a cot in the corner. Obi Wan was sure the other rooms weren’t like this, that Bail had pulled some strings in order to help. The children, who normally would have claimed the top bunk, stayed on the bottom bunk refusing to lay down unless Obi Wan sat at the edge of their bed and Ahsoka laid beside them.

The twins were now asleep, curled together. It had taken an hour of soft humming of lullabies. After Obi Wan had quietly sung every Nabooian song he had known, the twins requested mandalorian songs. The words reminded them of Senaara.

Ahsoka was with them now, stroking Luke’s back as he clung to his sister. Obi Wan had left them to sleep, not looking back as he left the cavern, in its entirety, behind. He had found a ridge to sit upon, sitting at the edge of rock, forcing himself to breathe the cold air in and out.

The stars were bright, the clouds had become minimal. Below him were the deep valleys of Alderaan, sweeping across fields and forests. Everything felt so far away. Obi Wan found himself tracing constellations that didn’t exist, creating his own as he had once done with Satine.

What would Satine think of him? He had failed their daughter, he had promised to find her, promised to protect her, and now she was gone. Alone in the hands of the empire. He had tried to raise his children in peace, as she would have wanted, yet war seemed to find him.

The stars gave no sympathy. They shone bright and lonely in the dark, and Obi Wan wondered if they were the same stars that he and the children once counted on Ratisk. If they were the same stars that Satine had once named for him.

“You’d know what that one’s name is.” Obi Wan mumbled into the night air, watching a particularly bright star. “You’ve probably told me before and I wasn’t listening.”

Satine didn’t respond. She was dead. She was gone.

Her body lay in a simple tomb on Mandalore. Marked by a single slab of white marble. She’d have hated a large funeral, Bo Katan had honored the request, to focus on the brewing war with Maul. Obi Wan still regreted not visiting, not being there as she had been for his false funeral. He had tried to hide from the shame of failing her. The shame of Senaara’s existence.

Still the cold night air sent chills up Obi Wan’s spine as he wondered if she could hear him. What was death for those without the force? Was it quiet?

“It’s not your fault.” She would say. She would lean on his side, one arm around his waist, her head on his shoulder. “You did everything you could.”

“It wasn’t enough.” Obi Wan sighed, leaning back, letting his hands fall to his sides. “It’s never enough.”

“She isn’t dead.” Satine would offer. “You would know. You would feel it. They need her, they’ll keep her alive.”

“I’m worried about the inbetween. If we can even save her.” Obi Wan looked up at the stars. Star. The nickname he had given Senaara. It didn't feel right to call Leia and Luke ‘sun, even if they were his double suns’. But he could call Senaara Star. He could do that. He had done that. “The sith. I know them. I don’t know the empire.”

“Senaara is mandalorian. She can survive, she will.” Satine would say. She would pause, pull away for a moment and look at him head on. Obi Wan would ignore her, focusing on the sky. “This resistance won’t have the resources to save her.”

Obi Wan wanted to protest but the words died in his throat. Bail was a good man. He would do anything to right the wrong of the empire. But the rescue of a singular child? It probably wasn’t high on that list.

A sudden pit grew in his stomach. The more Obi Wan thought about it, the more he realized how foolish he and Ahsoka were to think Bail could help. To save Senaara they would need to get on board an empirical cruiser, if Senaara wasn’t already whisked into hiding. They would have to fight troopers and inquisitors, they would lose people for one child.

“Senaara is not as valuable to the resistance as she is to us.” Satine would say, watching Obi Wan’s expression. “You need others.”

“Who?” Obi Wan couldn’t think of anyone who he could even ask to sacrifice so much for his daughter.

“Her aunt. Bo Katan. She would help you in a heartbeat. She would save Senaara in a second.” Satine would explain. Obi Wan shook his head, a dry laugh in his throat.

“She would steal Senaara the moment she had her.”

“Then you trick her.” Satine would smile at that, leaning back into Obi Wan’s embrace. “You have her help you and then you leave her behind at the last minute.”

“Or I could get Cody.” Obi Wan hated bringing Cody into this, but at least he knew he would be a man who would sacrifice himself for a Kenobi. Obi Wan didn’t want it to come to that, but Cody would gladly do it. “Or Rex.”

“They are mandalorian. Through cloning. They would do.” Satine would relent. “You’re going to get her back.”

“What if…” Obi Wan trailed off, trying to find words for the consuming fear that clawed at him. For the pain in his chest and the empty spot beside him. For the guilt that sat in the pit of his stomach.

“You will save our daughter and return her to her siblings.” Satine’s voice would be firm. She would squeeze him gently, but he would see the tears in her own eyes. The fear that she would hide. “You will do it because you are her father and you promised me.”

Satine would then lean forward, using her free hand to pull him into a kiss.

But Satine was dead.

When Obi Wan turned to lean into the touch he swore he could feel, he found what had always been beside him, an emptiness that felt sharp in his heart. No one sat beside him. No one had ever been beside him.

The voice in his head had been his own, no matter how real it had sounded. No matter how comforting or sweet or kind. Satine was gone. She was dead.

Obi Wan went to stand, suddenly feeling something sharp in his pocket. He stuck his hand in, wincing as the movement irritated his side, freezing when he felt the familiar brush of beskar against his fingers.

Carefully, Obi Wan pulled Senaara’s warrior song from his pocket. The silver thread still held the six beads. The bird, the double sun bead, the green and red bead, the bead that Ahsoka had carved herself, the bead that the twins and Senaara hand painted together, the fifth bead that showed the stars of Ratisk.

The charm had laid under the floorboards with Obi Wan’s lightsaber. It had been left behind, he hadn’t grabbed it when he went to defend the home. It shouldn’t be here.

The wind picked up around Obi Wan, the short grass swaying as leaves swept in the breeze. The pressure of empty space filled, the gravity of a lover, took the space beside Obi Wan, leaning slightly on him.

Obi Wan turned to find nothing but wind and darkness.

Yet the warrior song remained in his hands.

-

It’s suffocating. It is always suffocating.

His lungs don’t work, half metallic, half organic. They burn as they grow to accommodate the forceful breath of air, they sting as the breath is let go. These lungs do not breathe on their own, they can’t even if they wished. A device lodged in the trachea pulls the air in and out, it sits roughly in his throat, it forces the sound of breathing, rough and wrong from his mouth.

Phantom pain in his arms causes him to tear apart the wires and mechanics, searching for the missing bone, lost slab of flesh, that still writhes in pain, on lonely nights. Pain in his thighs from where bone was melded into metal, where rods go through his flesh in order to keep him standing, the burns that never heal but rub against leather over and over. The tubes that connect across his midsection, pumping blood and solutions so vigorously that he can feel the substance enter him, pulsing in his veins.

Darth Vader hardly recognizes the pain anymore. It’s too persistent, it’s too constant. His whole being is pain now. That’s all it ever was, that’s all it ever will be.

Obi Wan Kenobi did this to him.

Vader wakes often in the night, with that being the only thought on his mind. That his state was caused by betrayal. That this was done to him by his brother. That out there his brother still lives while Padme and Anakin are dead. It makes Vader feel sicker than he constantly does.

But Kenobi’s name is fresh on his charred and peeling lips today.

“Why can’t Officer Kekaran deliver the report himself?” His voice is different. He’s still not used to it, not after five years. He’d need another five more before his remaining skin didn’t crawl at the sound of it. The voice modulator takes whatever his burnt voice box says and makes it understandable. The modulator takes any life from the voice, replacing it with a cold metallic call. The anger he feels comes out in a slew of threatening calm words.

“He was shot with an E-11 from one of our perished men.” The officer assigned to Vader stuttered on his words. Vader didn’t know the man’s name. He was new, a rather young officer who must have done something bad to be assigned to Vader. None of his officer’s ever remained alive for long.

Vader knew that the man was afraid, Vader knew he had a reputation, how could he not? He had always had a reputation. “All the troopers within the home were dead upon arrival of backup. We don’t know what went down in the home besides that Officer Kekaran decided to face Kenobi and Tano on his own.”

Vader wanted to laugh, but he didn’t want to experience the sharp pain that would bring. On occasion his suit could malfunction at unexpected movement, such as laughing, or when Vader would claw at his suit like an animal, trying to remove the armor that kept him trapped.

To take on Kenobi and Tano on his own? Kekaran had guts. Foolish guts, but guts he had. Vader ignored the sting that came with the name of Ahsoka. He had only heard the excitement of Kenobi finally being tracked down, not that he was traveling with Anakin’s former padawan. Ahsoka was supposed to be dead, wiped out by the clones, by the order that destroyed so much of what Anakin had known. Vader tried to swallow down the rage of the betrayal, the idea that another friend of his had walked away from him, had decided to side with Kenobi.

Anakin’s killer.

“The two got away.” It wasn’t a question. Vader knew how Kenobi and Tano worked, he knew storm troopers and a foolish man would be no match for their skill. He knew there would be more than excitement if the two former Jedi were in empire custody.

“Yes.” The officer seemed to try and measure the reaction from Vader, but Vader gave nothing. The man couldn’t see his face anyway, that would be forever hidden behind his mask. “The two were living with three children, that’s actually how they were found.”

Children?

Vader tried not to tense at the words, tried to show anything in his body language. His face was hidden, he could react however he wanted, but he could not show any emotion anywhere that he could be seen. He could not be seen.

Children. Kenobi had children with him.

Are they his?

They couldn’t be. Kenobi was too ‘pure’ a Jedi. He wouldn’t have done what Anakin had done. He wouldn’t have disgraced the Jedi like Anakin had.

The children were probably ones he had found. Children he had taken in.

Like he had taken in Anakin.

“One of the children presented as force sensitive. That’s what led Kekaran to them. While Kenobi, Tano, and two of the children got away, we were able to apprehend the force sensitive child.” The officer continued, checking his datapad, his grip on the tech a little tighter than it needed to be.

“The child is in custody?” Vader suddenly felt lucky that the modulator took away the emotion in his voice.

“Yes. She is awaiting review for the inquisitor program.” The officer nodded, watching Vader once again. “She won’t give a name, refuses to talk, and won’t move in her cell. The grand inquisitor is on his way-”

“I will handle the child.” Vader left the officer behind, his mind already made up. The officer called out in response, but Vader ignored it. He knew where the prisoners were kept. He knew where the child would be. He knew how he would get to Kenobi.

The star destroyer ‘the Devastator’ wasn’t anything like ‘the Resolute’. It was larger, more equipped to kill, better designed. Yet it felt empty even with troops upon troops of troopers. Its halls were lonely, cold and abandoned no matter how sophisticated. Its bridge was strange with the lack of a familiar voice and face.

Vader had tolerated it. It was his. It was his new home. It would remain his home as long as the emperor allowed it. It didn’t matter how he felt. Vader was a machine, Vader was a weapon. His purpose was to serve the empire.

Anakin had been human.

But Anakin was dead.

Vader forced himself to remember that as he walked the halls to the prison cells.

Before the officer had been able to explain the situation on Ratisk, Kekaran’s second in command had landed their T4-a shuttle in the hold, demanded an audience with Tarkin and transferred the child to the Star Destroyers prison hold.

The second in command was still up there, still debriefing with Tarkin, but Vader could care less about Tarkin. He wanted to see the child Kenobi had harboured. He wanted to see the next project his brother had taken on, to see the next failure.

No trooper questioned his presence as he entered the secure block, walking down the halls with ease, ignoring the sounds of the prisoners that went silent as he passed. Vader didn’t waste time. He opened the prisoner door without hesitation and walked down into the dark cell.

The room was dark, but his helmet was equipped with night vision and all sorts of scanners. It didn’t take him long to find the child in the room, although he feared he would have missed them without the thermal scanner.

The child was curled in the corner. She did not sit on the bench, instead sitting on the floor, her knees pulled up to her chest, her head in between her legs, leaning on the padded wall. Her green jumpsuit was torn and tattered. A faint stain of blood was on her pants, her ginger hair covered her face from the light the open door might have given her.

“Stand.” The door closed behind Vader, trapping the two in darkness. The child didn’t move, she just curled tighter, shaking her head. “Stand young one.”

The girl again refused, her hands coming up to cover her ears.

“Do you know who I am?” Silence followed. Vader was about to speak again when the girl shook her head. “I am Darth Vader. I command the empire’s military. I am a sith.”

Vader paused, waiting for a response. Often captives were intimidated by this point. Often they would cry, they would beg for their life. The child did nothing. She simply kept her ears covered and head down.

It angered him. The fire was burning in his chest again, growing wild the more he waited. How dare this child refuse to look at him? How dare this child refuse him fear? How dare this child of Kenobi refuse to be pained?

He couldn’t control it. In the next moment his lightsaber had been ignited, his free hand had reached for the girl's arm, gripping down hard. He pulled the girl towards him, forcing her off the floor as he lifted her by her arm, his blade shining at her throat.

He wanted a reaction. He wanted a scream. He wanted some proof that she was scared, that he had hurt something Kenobi had cared for.

Instead the girl stared at him. Her eyes wide, her breath ragged, as she opened her mouth over and over as if she may speak but never did. Tears were in her eyes but they were old. It was as if the kid couldn’t move. She couldn’t breathe.

Vader was suddenly aware how small the child was.

She had a cut on her forehead. It was superficial. Anakin had gotten many before, but just like Anakin, it was still bleeding profusely. The girl's eyes were puffy, tears and blood had mixed on her cheeks. The terror in her eyes was like something he hadn’t seen before.

Her eyes were expressive, oddly so. But that wasn’t what made him stop.

It was her face. The same face in his dreams, the same face that used to bring him comfort, the same face he hated.

It was Kenobi.

Sure, her nose was shaper, her cheeks more gaunt, but her features were Kenobi. The ginger hair completed the collection of Kenobi’s face, tying it with a haunting ribbon.

This was Kenobi’s daughter.

Kenobi had a daughter.

Vader threw the girl on the floor. He wasn’t sure if he felt satisfaction or horror when the girl skidded across the metal, cutting her knees open before slamming into the padded wall. He lowered his blade, but kept it ignited, watching the red glow on the young girl.

“What is your name?” Vader waited a moment, giving her time if she needed it. The girl didn’t get up. He could hear quick uneven breaths that told him she was alive. But the breaths were quick, unnatural. “Answer me.”

The girl tried to sit up but fell, her arm folding oddly as it gave out from under her. She was shaking, her whole body was vibrating as if she couldn’t hold herself up, as if she couldn’t breath.

“Tell me your name.” Vader stalked forward, pointing the blade at the girl's throat. He had a job to do. He couldn’t pay attention to how small the child looked, how fearful she appeared, how sick she looked. How much she looked like his brother.

“No.” The child choked out between rapid breaths, shutting her eyes and covering her ears as if bracing for impact. As if she believed Vader would kill her at that moment. Vader wanted to. He wanted to bring the blade down, enact his revenge on the blood of Kenobi, to feel something other than anger for the first time in years.

But he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

“I will not ask again.” Vader waited, growing impatient. He knelt down, roughly grabbing the child from under the arms and forced them to sit on the bench. The child briefly leaned into his arms when he carried her. She couldn’t have done it on purpose, made weak from her unsteady breath, but it dug up feelings Vader had left behind.

“Do you know what the force means?” It was an easy place to start. An easy way to access what Kenobi had told her.

The child watched him but slowly nodded.

“You and I have a power that gives us the ability to serve the empire in a very special way. Do you want to be a part of something that matters?” Vader stayed standing but he took note of how the child leaned against the wall as if she couldn’t hold herself up. Her breathing had slowed since sitting down but she still looked pale and sickly.

“I want my Buir.” The child mumbled.

“Buir?” Vader knew he had heard that word before.

“My dad.” The child pulled her legs up, keeping them close to her chest.

“Kenobi.” The word felt like venom on his tongue.

The child looked at him confused, tilting her head. “What?”

“Your fathers last name is Kenobi.”

“No. Our last name is Van-est.” The child was looking at him now. She had calmed slightly, the tears were coming less. That meant the child was attempting to make eye contact through the mask with eyes that were not Obi Wan’s. Vader felt unsettled.

“Your father is named Obi Wan Kenobi.”

“At home his name is Obi Wan. At the village it’s Ben.” The child sniffled.

So Kenobi had a fake name. Ben. Hadn't the mandalorians called him that?

It suddenly dawned on Vader that this child would need a mother to exist. The only woman that Vader could think of Obi Wan sleeping with enough to cause a child was Satine. Could Satine be the child’s mother? The idea felt right but wrong in so many ways. Obi Wan having a child felt wrong in so many ways.

“Soon a man will come and he will take you to train to become an inquisitor.” Vader kept his voice even, even if the modulator would hide any stumbles for him. “You will become an asset to the empire.”

“I want to go home.” The child seemed to have found his eyes through the mask. Vader knew that was impossible. His mask was made to make it impossible for anyone to see inside, to see him. Yet here this child was staring into his eyes whether she knew it or not.

Obi Wan had been able to see Anakin even when Anakin was sure he was hiding. Anakin’s brother had been so persistent in making sure he had felt seen until the war. Obi Wan could always see Anakin.

Here this child was, seeing Vader.

It was too much.

“You will be ready to train when the Grand Inquisitor arrives.” Vader turned to leave. He had had enough. His chest was a mess of wires, regret, and lack of understanding of his thoughts. He wanted to kill this child. To watch the blood seep from their chest, to hand the child to Kenobi and watch him fall into despair. He wanted to hug the child, to promise her that it would be alright. He wanted to set her free, to see that this child so like his brother and so different could be given a chance to live.

He wanted to kill Kenobi.

He always wanted to kill Kenobi.

“Don’t leave.” It was so quiet that Vader almost missed it. The tiny plea came from the child who had started to lay down on the bench, her head on her hands, tears bubbling in her eyes again. “It’s dark.”

Such a trivial fear.

Vader watched the child for a moment more, watching how she watched him. He stood for a moment longer than he had to, before turning and leaving. He plugged in the code to lock the door, feeling as if he could finally breathe outside of the room.

He felt like he was suffocating.

Chapter Text

Morning felt weird on Alderaan. So far away from what Obi Wan knew, so far from the safety and familiarity of his family home. At least he had a cup of tea, no caf this morning knowing he barely slept the night before and Ahsoka would make him nap later, and Ahsoka by his side as the twins coloured on the flimsi that Bail had gotten them.

The children were quiet still, as if they had taken on Senaara’s personality as a way to mourn her. Luke had even saved a bread roll from the mess hall for Senaara, knowing it was her favorite, as if he would see her again before the roll turned hard and inedible.

Bail was sitting across from him, confirming what Obi Wan had already known.

“We can’t risk it. Darth Vader’s ship is heavily armed and heavily guarded. There is no way to get in or out and I can’t justify this rescue to the other resistance leaders.” Bail sighed, rubbing his brow. “I can give you a ship, I can give you a place to stay, I can give you weapons, but I can’t give you any people.”

Ahsoka seemed to be the one who took the news the hardest, her brow furrowing as her voice grew in a hushed intensity. “She is a child. You said they’d want her to become, what? A sith for the empire? She’s five. We can’t leave her there.”

“I agree. The empire is no place for a child.” Bail glanced at the twins, Obi Wan leaned forward taking his attention away. “They’ll want her for the inquisitor program. The emperor has a sith that leads the military, and a group of sith-like soldiers who hunt down Jedi as well as help keep our rebelling groups small.”

“Were they former Jedi?” Obi Wan asked. The rest of the sith had been wiped out by himself and Anakin when everything was falling apart. Maul was out there but he felt he would know if Maul had been involved with the empire, and regardless Ahsoka had said he was against it. Asajj was with Quinlan. Who was left that wasn’t Palpatine?

“We don’t know. We don’t have much information on the program at all, only that the lead inquisitor has Jedi training and that he’s supervised by Darth Vader.”

“And who is that?” Ahsoka asked, sipping from her tea. “You’ve mentioned the name, so has Kekaran. Who is Darth Vader?”

“We don’t know.” Bail sighed. “He walks head to toe in armor. The few times he's been on Aldearaan to conduct business with Breha, he hardly spoke. He has this weird haunting way of breathing, and a red blade. There’s a lot of blood on his hands. Our main goal with our work here is to stay off his radar.”

Obi Wan took that in, nodding.

“So you’re telling us you can’t help us?” Ahsoka asked.

“I’m saying I can give you a ship and some things, but no. Rescuing Senaara can’t be a rebellion mission.” Bail seemed to watch both Obi Wan and Ahsoka for a moment, as if trying to see a reaction, as if preparing for one. Obi Wan simply nodded, having known this was going to happen. Ahsoka crossed her arms and looked away towards the children who were no doubt listening. “Is Senaara your daughter?”

The question caught Obi Wan off guard. Of course she was. But then again for a man like Bail, who had known Jedi Obi Wan, who had known all the rules that they had to follow? It must be strange to think about.

“I’m going to take the kids for a walk.” Ahsoka announced it suddenly. She was quick to get the children to follow her, even as they protested, wanting to stay and colour. Obi Wan knew they just wanted to stay to hear what the adults would decide to do, but he felt relief at Ahsoka’s sudden action. He knew the next question that Bail would ask.

Bail called out a quick warning about what paths outside the base were not walkable, and suddenly it was just the two of them in the sterile room. Obi Wan didn’t waste time.

“Yes.”

“Should I ask?” The attempt at humor fell short for Bail. “I mean, she’s your daughter by blood?”

“Yes.” Obi Wan rubbed his face. He was waiting for it, knowing that it was on Bail’s mind. Bail didn’t waste time.

“The other two…” Bail paused, finding the words. “Are not yours by blood.”

Obi Wan considered lying. He considered hiding the twins' parentage and faking anger at the insinuation that the twins were not his as well. But he knew every day Leia looked more like her father. He knew every day Luke looked more like his mother. He knew Leia’s brown hair and eyes were copies of her mothers just as Luke’s blonde hair and blue eyes were copies of his fathers. They were Nabierre Skywalkers before they could ever be a Van-est, or a Kenobi.

“No.”

“They are Padme’s.” Bail watched Obi Wan, but Obi Wan was too tired to give him very much.

“Yes.”

“And Anakins.”

“Yes.”

“Twins.”

“Hm.”

Silence filled the room except for the steady hum of a generator somewhere.

“I have questions.” Bail whispered, but he didn’t ask anything.

“They are my child now. They believe they are my children. You will not change that.” Obi Wan was too tired to keep the edge out of his voice. “All three believe they are triplets. All three believe they are my children.”

“Then who is their mother?” Bail inquired. “Did you tell them it was Padme?”

“No. I’ve told them their mother was strong. That she was determined and beautiful. That she fought for those without voices. That she fought for peace.” Obi Wan explained. “I’ve never told them a name. I’ve never had to.”

Bail seemed to sit with that for a moment. “You’ve been hiding from the empire, haven’t you?”

“Yes.”

“If you launch an attack of any form to get Senaara back, you won’t be able to go into hiding without help.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“Stay here.” Bail’s smile was genuine but Obi Wan knew better. A diplomat's offer was always two folded, it always required something in return. Something Obi Wan wasn’t sure he could give.
“I can give you a beautiful large home for you to raise the children. It could be hidden away, far from the main cities, in the countryside. Every child would have room, you could have a lovely garden. We have state of the art schools the children could attend, I can help you with false identities. I can use my power to keep you and your family under the radar and safe. You could even train the children and I would keep you safe, giving you supplies, safety, anything.”

“What would I have to give you?” Obi Wan closed his eyes, trying not to imagine how nice Bail’s offer sounded. He could almost imagine it, the garden with blooming star blossoms, the childrens rooms all painted a fantastical colour they choose, a library for the children, paths of stone for Ahsoka to jog through, family dinners in a kitchen made for a family of five. But Obi Wan had learned that all kind gestures in times of war came with expectations.

“Join the rebellion.”

“No.”

“You were a general in the Clone Wars. You are a negotiator, you know your politics, you know how to lead men into battle, you know how to fight the impossible.” Bail declared. “The rebellion needs you.”

“I will not put my life on the line again for another war.” Obi Wan grumbled. “I have people to protect now Bail. I can’t run into fire just because I have a past of surviving it.”

“What if we don’t send you to the field? What if you stay on Alderaan, we use you as our advisor and you help plan and organize, but you never leave the planet.” Bail offered, his words careful. “You are a general, you can be a general from our base. We need your brain, your mind. That right now is more important than your combat abilities.”

“I would never be asked to leave my home? Never asked to leave my children?” It felt too good to be true.

“As long as you lend your battle intellect, your genius, and your knowledge, you promise to show up to our briefs and help us plan and organize missions and the rebellion, I will do everything in my power to keep you and your family safe.”

Obi Wan sat there, unsure of what to say. It felt too good, it felt too nice. The world hadn’t been kind to Obi Wan or his family. He and his children had now fled two planets in five years. How could Obi Wan trust that he would be okay anywhere?

But Bail could be trusted. He wouldn’t help save Senaara, but he had saved Padme time and time again. He had been who Obi Wan originally wanted to intrust Leia with. He had the ability to keep them protected and he was offering it even with the danger that would bring to him.

Padme would have wanted him to trust him.

“Okay.” Obi Wan nodded slowly. “I’ll agree.”

“Lovely.” Bail seemed to let out a breath of relief. “I’ll start to arrange a home and how to incorporate you into-”

“I won’t start until Senaara is back.” Obi Wan spoke firmly, keeping eye contact with Bail. “I will find other people to help me, but you will supply me with what you promised.”

Bail hesitated, not expecting Obi Wan’s words. “I suppose.”

“Thank you.” Obi Wan leaned back in his chair.

Bail watched Obi Wan for a moment, as if he wanted to say something more. Obi Wan watched back, feeling exhaustion start to dry his eyes. Obi Wan wanted Bail to leave. He wanted to be allowed to rest, to wake later and start to plan how he could save his daughter. Bail’s presence made that impossible.

“I’ll call Rex and Cody to this base. I won’t tell them why, but I’ll have them come.” Bail offered in the silence. Obi Wan nodded but didn’t say anything. Bail seemed to get the hint and got up to leave before pausing at the door. “I would like to know the twins.”

Obi Wan hesitated, too tired to deal with the implications in that sentence.

“Sure.”

Bail nodded and left Obi Wan to the silence. All Obi Wan could do was drag himself to the cot and collapse into the bed, hoping that what he had agreed to wouldn’t turn around and hurt him in the long run.

-

“The child is a strange one.” The Grand Inquisitor was walking beside Vader. The grey creature kept his shoulders back, walking with an air of dignity, but Vader could always see the tenseness in the man’s shoulders. The way he straightened around the metallic man. “Won’t talk. Won’t move until they are fully threatened. We still don’t know her name.”

Normally Vader stayed as far as he could from the inquisitors, especially the Grand Inquisitor. The plan had been routine however, Kenobi’s child could not be moved to another inquisitor facility until the intake, which the Grand Inquisitor had just finished.

Vader didn’t like the grey and red man that stood beside him.

Although he supposed they had once been similar.

The inquisitor had once been a temple guard. Had once walked as a Jedi and now walked the halls of the empire alongside him. Yet that didn’t make him any more appealing to Vader.

The creature had long held the position of the only man who could truly threaten Vader’s position in the empire. The only sith who could hold a candle to the blazing light of power that Vader held. But then again, Vader had the blood of the chosen one, and the inquisitor was easy to kill if needed, easily replaceable.

Vader had demanded the inquisitor report to him after the initial intake. It seemed to have been a failure.

“We can use that.” Vader kept walking, hands resting on his belt. He enjoyed walking a pace slightly faster than the inquisitor could keep up at. It felt nice to be petty.

“The child is a lost cause.” The inquisitor retorted. “Something that weak wouldn’t survive our programing. She won’t listen, and we have tried fear. She doesn’t respond to threats or pain, she just sits there, barely moving, even when forced.”

The implication of the inquisitor hurting the child rang through Vader’s mind. He tried to get the image of the child with Kenobi’s face bleeding out of his head. He didn’t like how it felt.

“The only good she is, is to lure Kenobi in for capture.” The inquisitor decided. “She is expendable otherwize.”

“The child of great Jedi master Obi Wan Kenobi is expendable?” Vader scoffed.

“She hasn’t inherited any greatness beside the force.” The inquisitor sighed. “Even that is unpracticed and unsure. She will not serve the empire any use.”

Vader tried to process that, growing frustrated the more the thought of the child dead haunted him. Perhaps it was because he had lost a child before. Perhaps it was the fact that he had been so sure he and Padme were going to have a daughter, only for them both to die. Perhaps it was because the child reminded him of Kenobi in a way that he hated.

“She will be used to lure Kenobi in.” Vader decided. “She will remain on this ship. In the meantime I will attempt to teach her in the area’s you failed. She will be made an inquisitor if it is the end of her.”

Vader moved to leave the Grand Inquisitor alone in the hall, pausing suddenly.“You are no longer needed, the ‘Devastator’ is well equipped to handle Kenobi.”

“Are you sure you can handle-” The inquisitor and his ego. Vader wanted to laugh once again, but knew better as he watched the grey man lift in the air, clawing at his throat. Vader could force choke the man and never feel a thing, he could kill the sith right here and now, nothing would change.

But he knew that would mean Vader would have to take over the inquisitor training, and Vader did not want to do that.

The Grand Inquisitor fell to the ground, coughing as he attempted to regain control. Vader paid him no mind as he walked down the halls, eager to return to the child’s cell.

The child had not been moved since Vader’s last visit over twelve hours ago. He knew that food had been brought to them, that they had been officially changed into prison clothes. He knew the inquisitor had done whatever the inquisitor had done to her.

But nothing could have prepared him for the sight of the child when he finally entered her cell.

The cell was a mess, burned marks on the walls, the thin blanket from the bench thrown to the ground. The food that had been brought in, a bowl of something thick and ration bars were splattered on the floor. It appeared that nothing had been eaten from it.

In the corner was the child, curled up once again with their hands over her ears. The prison jumpsuit was grey and much too big for her. Vader didn’t imagine they had many jumpsuits for five year olds. It seemed to swallow her whole.

The grey cloth was red in certain spots. Stains across their midsection and left leg had turned a deep rusty brown. Evidence of whatever the inquisitor had done to them during the intake. Their knees were red as well, but Vader knew he was the cause of that.

The child looked up at him. Her eyes were dry now, replaced with an exhaustion that felt unnatural for such a young face.

“Are you going to hurt me too?” The child didn’t wait for Vader to speak, didn’t wait for the chorus of laboured breaths to fill the room. Vader didn’t know how to answer.

“You did not respond to your inquisitor training.” Vader said instead, staying detached as he slowly walked the room, inspecting the mess. “The Grand Inquisitor believes we should terminate you.”

“What does terminate mean?” The child asked, voice small.

Vader paused, looking at the child.

Normally prisoners were old enough to know that word.

“We will kill you if you don’t become useful to us.” Vader explained, his voice modulator making him sound uninterested as the child tensed. “He said you refused to speak, refused to stand, refused to listen.”

The child was silent again, this time watching him. Vader made sure not to look down, to not give her the ability to look at him as she had done before.

“Pick up the tray.” Vader commanded, testing the waters.

The child paused, but slowly stood. She limped but she got to the discarded tray, turning it over and picking up the ration bars with careful precision. She looked up at him as if to ask why, however she never spoke. Vader gave no answer, just watched her collect the food.

“What is your name?” Vader asked.

The child didn’t speak. She picked up the re-collected tray and placed it at the edge of the bench before sitting down with quiet strain to her unseen injuries. Vader noticed an earring that came with a bleeding ear. An oval with a single star in the middle, hand carved.

The child turned to look at where his gaze was going, her little hand brushing the jewelry piece.

“The scary man tried to take it.” She whispered, rubbing the earring hole in her ear where blood trickled. “It’s from my Buir.”

Vader didn’t say anything for a while. He avoided looking at the child, trying to process the pieces he had collected and what they meant.

“The inquisitor said you wouldn’t speak or move for him. Under my command you have done both.” Vader stated, waiting for a response. The child simply ducked her head.

“You two are different.”

“Why?”

“He is scary.”

Vader hesitated, “I’m not?”

“Not in the same way.” The child shrugged, a hiccup running though her body.

Vader let that sink in. Hating the statement as much as he loved the satisfaction it brought him. The child confused him, she confused so many parts of him.

Vader outstretched his hand, allowing the force to flow through his cybernetic arms, moving forward to latch onto the blanket still discarded. He lifted it into the air, placing it down beside the child. He watched as the girl lit up at the sight of it, her eyes going wide as she reached to touch the thin cloth while it still floated.

“This is a fraction of the power the force can give you.” Vader spoke low, his modulator going lower to accommodate. “We can use it to bring good to the people of the empire. I can train you to use it, I can train you to use this.”

Vader tapped the hilt of his lightsaber on his belt. He watched the child’s eyes went back and forth from his hand to his blade.

“Buir says the bad men will come if I use the force.” The child whispered, the look of awe still on her face.

“I am the bad man he warned you about.” Vader chuckled. “But I can free you. I can help you see the world as it should be, a world that we can create together. Your father made you believe this,” Vader took the child’s wrist in his hand, forcing her hand up, “was dangerous. But it means that you are so much more. That you are special. That he subdued what made you brillant.”

Vader had never been good at manipulation. The sweet talking and smooth words always worked better when they came from Padme or Kenobi. He did his best guessing at the child’s weak points, trying to find her insecurities. Knowing Kenobi, knowing how he would raise a child.

The girl pulled her hand away, cradling it to her chest, but she didn’t look away from him. Maybe the child’s appearance wasn’t so bad. Perhaps in a way this could be redemption, a way to change Kenobi’s face in his dreams from that of a master to a padawan. Maybe she would help him kill Kenobi. Maybe he could train her. He could train Kenobi’s daughter better than Kenobi trained him. Maybe he wouldn’t be so alone.

“I want my Buir.” The rejection cut through the layers of armor Vader wore both physical and mental. The child had tears in her eyes now, her hands hugged herself. “I’m not special. I want my Buir. I want to go home.”

“Your Buir left you to die!” Vader could feel the anger break through the modulator as he slammed the tray of dirty food back on the ground causing the child to flinch. “He left you! Your family has left you behind and they aren’t coming back!”

The child was crying harder now, her breath coming unnaturally again.

“Stop crying! Your father could never have loved you. Your father never loved anyone in his life!” Vader knew it was cruel, he knew his voice was coming out a mix of crackling sound and rage. He knew the child couldn’t breath, that she was gasping for air. But all he could care about was the pain in his head, in his chest. The way he couldn’t do anything about the shame and rage coursing through his blood, the image of Kenobi's face stuck in his mind. “Your father is bound by duty. That’s all you ever could be to him.”

The controls of the suit started to beep. Vader needed to leave. He needed to remove himself from the tiny cell, from the spilt tray, from the tiny bloodied child. The child wasn’t wailing, now. She was gasping for breath like she couldn’t breath, every gulp of air came in quick succession. She was shaking again, her eyes closed, her hands over her ears.

Vader left her there, his own body trembling under the suit.

-

Obi Wan woke up with a start.

The echo’s of Senaara’s cries were sharp in his mind as his own breath came quick and unnatural, just like how his daughter had breathed in his dream.

She had been alone in darkness. Bleeding and small. A grey jumpsuit replacing the green one she loved. A figure had stood over her, looming. A creature of shadows that seemed to hum of something familiar. Both alone, too far for Obi Wan to reach.

Here he was, alone in the rehabilitated mining room.

Obi Wan tried to wipe the sweat from his brow, his hair sticking to his forehead as he tried to push it back, trying to sit up while his head swam. He had no idea what time it was, he had no idea where Ahsoka and the twins were.

His hands had folded into fists. Obi Wan tried to flex them, to stretch his fingers, only to find the warrior song back in his hands, leaving imprints in his skin from where he had clutched the ceremonial beads.

Obi Wan slipped the token back into his pocket, leaving the tiny room behind. He wanted to find Ahsoka. He wanted to start planning, to figure out what could be done next. He didn’t want to wait, didn’t want to rest any longer, and didn't want to eat. He wanted to feel like Senaara’s rescue was in sight. He wanted to feel like she could be saved from the darkness he had seen.

Moving into the main hangar of the base, Obi Wan was met with a sight he hadn’t expected.

He saw Ahsoka and the twins, yes. But beside Ahsoka stood Rex, a little older, hair still bleached but with patches of white in the buzz cut. He wore some of his original 501st armor, the blue paint now chipped and dulled, his helmet clipped to his belt. Luke was holding onto Ahsoka’s leg but he was talking to Rex who had leaned down to be on his level. Leia was standing a few steps away from her brother, taking cautionary glances back to him every few seconds as if he may disappear as well, but was focusing on Cody who stood in front of her, talking to her in a quiet tone. He didn’t wear any of his armor except for his helmet that hung from his side. Instead he wore a flight suit painted black and yellow, something that would make more sense around a briefing table than in action.

At the sight of Obi Wan, Leia left Cody behind, half running half walking to get to her father, wrapping his legs in a tight hug. Obi Wan leaned down, scooping her up and adjusting her to sit on his hip. The children were getting bigger, it was getting harder to carry them, but Obi Wan didn’t care at that moment. Leia didn’t say anything, just rested her head on his shoulder and let herself relax in his embrace.

“Leia was telling me how well she’s doing on naming her planets, governments, and-” Cody started to say, his voice a familiar comfort for Obi Wan.

“Cultures, and how they are connected and which ones have which.” Leia finished the thought, mumbling under Obi Wan’s ear.

“She’s a very bright girl.” Obi Wan smiled softly, taking in the sight of the daughter he still had safe. He turned to look at Cody head on, seeing how the years had started to age his friend. Obi
Wan paused for a moment, an overwhelming need to say everything and nothing to Cody over taking him.

Cody seemed to understand. He raised a hand as if to offer a hug, and Obi Wan took it. The two embraced, grief unable to be put into words between them, careful not to squish Leia. Leia didn’t care, she just held tighter to Obi Wan.

“General.” Rex saluted, standing up from his position near the floor. Ahsoka gave Obi Wan a tired smile as Luke waved. “If we had known it was you five, we would have come sooner.”

Obi Wan tried not to think about how there were only four of them.

“Ahsoka says they’re our uncles.” Luke mumbled, still hiding behind Ahsoka’s leg.

“They are.” Obi Wan nodded. “They were doing important things so we couldn’t see them till now.”

“They’re going to help get Senaara back?” Leia’s voice was tiny, her eyes on Rex and Cody. Cody smiled softly, raising his right hand to his chest.

“I swear on it, little general.”

“We owe a large debt to your father.” Rex nodded at Obi Wan, but Obi Wan knew that for at least Rex, that debt was owed to the twins' real father.

“So we have a Jedi, me, two of the best clone leaders, and two five year olds.” Ahsoka chuckled softly as if she didn’t find her own joke funny, “That’s not enough to get our Star back.”

“No. It’s not.” Obi Wan sighed, shifting Leia slightly on his hip. “But I know how we're going to get help.”

“How?” Cody asked, “Not many will go up in arms against the empire. Those who can wouldn’t do it for a child.”

“I know some clones we can reach out to, unconventional, but they’ve been retired for some time. It’s unlikely they’ll help but there’s still a chance,” Rex offered, but Obi Wan shook his head.

“It’s time we call on Senaara’s other family.” Obi Wan sighed, watching Ahsoka’s eyes widen as she realized where this was going. They had no other choice.

“Obi Wan-” Ahsoka started to say.

“We have no other choice.”

“They’re unpredictable. You had to run from them in the beginning-”

“Who are we talking about?” Rex asked, his brow furrowing.

Cody looked to Obi Wan who simply shook his head. There was no getting around it. They needed an army, they needed people who could and would fight for Senaara. They needed people who could survive. People with a reason to save Senaara.

Who else to fight for the heir to a planet, than its people?

“It’s time we call in the Mandalorians.”

Chapter Text

“Let me lead this. Bo Katan owes me.” Ahsoka was leading the ship into the clouded atmosphere of Mandalore. She had taken the spot of pilot, Cody and Rex hadn’t tried to fight her for it. Obi Wan had long realized he disliked flying. “The last time you saw her you left her on a storming planet.”

“That might be true, but I’m the father of her niece." Obi Wan sighed. He was leaning on the entrance arc to the cockpit. Cody was opposite of him while Rex sat in the co-pilot seat. The steady hum of the ship was enough to fill the silence, they hadn’t spoken very much on the trip.

Bail had been able to get them a small transport ship, loaded with two gunning stations and a case of supplies ranging from weapons to medical kits, soon after he and Obi Wan’s conversation. Obi Wan didn’t plan to use any of the blasters, but the clones and Ahsoka grew excited at the selection.

Obi Wan hadn’t wasted time. He had gotten the ship ready to fly, referenced star charts to make sure their trip to Mandalore would have no interference, and had given Breha and Bail a long list of notes about the twins. Ranging from what they liked to eat, their favorite books, when they should go to bed, what calmed them down, anything Obi Wan could think of.

In the five years he had raised them, Obi Wan had never spent a single night away from the twins. They had been with him from the moment they had been born, till today. The idea of being a planet away, much less systems away, sat weirdly in his chest. It didn’t feel right.

Nonetheless Bail and Breha had promised to care for the two. Breha specifically seemed excited about spending the evening, and possible following days with the two. She had plans for a holo film night, touring the Alderaan valleys, and an arrangement of educational trips to Alderaan’s many museums and theatres.

The twins had begged Obi Wan not to leave them. They had cried in his arms, promising him that they would be good if he allowed them to join him. So afraid of losing Obi Wan like they did Senaara, they wouldn’t allow Obi Wan out of their sights. Obi Wan had to sneak away while Breha distracted the children, knowing the two would cry and cause him to doubt the mission, doubt leaving the two children he still had.

He knew they would be safe, but it hurt anyhow.

The transmitter started to crackle to life as Ahsoka evened out the ship. The voice on the other side was young, but still rang ragged. “You are in Mandalorian air space. State your code and reason or be prepared to be shot out of the sky.”

“There aren’t any ships on the scanner.” Cody noted, watching the little blue map. He tapped it once to see if it needed to be reconfigured. Nothing.

“The Mandalorians don’t need ships to shoot us out of the sky.” Obi Wan muttered under his breath. He knew the Mandalorian drill.

Sure enough, an armored mandalorian flew alongside the window to the cockpit. Their armor was painted blue and navy, their jetpack fired a steady stream of power that kept the warrior on their stomach in the clouds.

“There are at least four more surrounding our ship,” Obi Wan leaned in, catching sight of the Nite Owl symbols on the warriors pauldron. It seemed they were in the right place.

Cody simply huffed at the sight. Obi Wan knew it was a laugh.

“This is Ahsoka Tano. I am looking for Bo Katan Kryze.” Ahsoka spoke into the transmitter, keeping her voice level.

The voice on the radio didn’t respond. Obi Wan watched the mandalorian in sight click a button on his vambrace. Obi Wan could only assume he was switching com channels.

“It’s been five years, Ahsoka. It’s possible she’s forgotten the work we did for her.” Rex watched the mandalorian in sight, tapping his blaster anxiously. “We helped reclaim Mandalore, but y’know how people like to forget things like that.”

“Bo doesn’t forget anything.” Ahsoka tapped the propellers with her index finger, as if ready to pull them into action if something went wrong. “We helped take down Maul. We gave her power over Mandalore. She wouldn’t forget that so easily.”

The mandalorian flying just outside the window pressed another button, and the transmitter crackled to life again. “Bo Katan Kryze will not meet with you. Turn your ship around and exit the atmosphere.”

“Please, she’ll be interested in what we have to say.” Ahsoka pleaded. “It concerns her greatly.”

“The leader of House Kryze has no time for anything that may attract the empire’s attention.” The blue Mandalorian suddenly pulled back, disappearing from the window. “We will begin to shoot if you do not turn around in the next ten seconds.”

Ahsoka opened her mouth to say something else, but Obi Wan couldn’t risk it. He moved quickly, leaning over the troguta’s shoulders, “Tell Bo Katan the news we bring concern’s the heir to House Kryze.”

The transmitter went silent.

“We have five more seconds before they shoot.” Rex mused.

The four waited, breaths held. After ten seconds of silence they felt they would breathe.

“They wouldn’t dare shoot.” Cody decided. “For all the know, Senaara is on this ship.”

“I’d be surprised if any Mandalorian besides Bo knows about Senaara.” Obi Wan guessed, still half leant over Ahsoka. “She would have to admit that she lost the heir to Mandalore.”

“As if she had any claim to her.” Ahsoka smirked. Ahsoka looked like she hadn’t slept, Obi Wan didn’t blame her but he was starting to worry the more exhausted the young woman looked.

“She’s her aunt.” Obi Wan objected.

“And you're her father.” Ahsoka patted his cheek in a way that Obi Wan couldn’t tell was mocking or endearing. “You have all the claim to her.”

The transmitter started up suddenly again, “Bo Katan will meet with you momentarily. Do not attempt to land this ship, keep piloting forward.”

“They don't want us to land?” Ahsoka asked, echoing what she had just heard.

“Mandalorians have become even more selective on who gets to touch the sacred ground. “ Cody shrugged. “The empire’s been working overtime to divide them.”

“So I just fly forward indefinitely?” Ahsoka questioned.

“Bo always liked dramatics, no matter how much she claimed she didn’t.” Obi Wan groaned. “She’s going to come in through the cargo hold.”

“Then we better be ready.” Ahsoka whistled. “I’ll keep this ship in the air, go meet our last hope.”

“I thought you said this would be better if you handled it?” Obi Wan chuckled.

“Yeah well. If any of us is getting punched for keeping her niece from her, it might as well be you.” Ahsoka gave him a cheeky grin. It almost made him smile.

“I’ll join you, General.” Rex got up without question, heading towards the cockpit hall.

Cody hung his head in a silent acceptance, taking Rex’s seat. “Just call and I’ll be there.”

“You know I’m not your General anymore.” Obi Wan spoke softly.

“You’ll always be my General, Sir.” Cody smiles, “Just like Ahsoka will always be Rex’s commander, and Anakin will always be…”

Cody’s face dropped as he realized what he was about to say.

“It’s our first mission all together without him.” Rex’s comment came quietly. Obi Wan turned to see the clone hesitating at the door, his gloved hand brushing the metal arc of the hall. Silence filled the cockpit, this time with an edge of sorrow that sat uncomfortably. “Sorry. I just realized.”

The ship hummed steadily in the silence that followed. Obi Wan didn’t know what to say. The wound he knew would never heal had finally started to scab, finally stopped bleeding only for it to reopen from a single comment.

“Then let’s prove we’re good enough to handle a mission without him.” Ahsoka’s words were hollow, much more for the rest of those on the ship than herself. “I’ll lower the ramp once you ping me on coms.”

Obi Wan placed his hand on Rex’s shoulder, offering a look of reassurance before heading down into the underbelly of the ship. Rex followed though his expression remained solemn, no doubt remembering the man that would have joined them. That man they had fought alongside so many times before.

Obi Wan thought for a moment, about how the clones didn’t know he was the one who had killed Anakin. It suddenly felt like a shameful secret, something twisted that poisoned himself and the clones. Like something he had to hide but wanted to scream. He wasn’t sure how he could ever explain it to them.

The cargo hold was clear. Obi Wan simply leaned on the wall while Rex fiddled with the com station, setting the channel to match with the cockpit and exchanging a quick word with Ahsoka.
Obi Wan tried to steel himself for seeing Bo Katan. He knew she was going to be angry. He knew she was going to lay on a range of insults, some witch would sink deeper than any knife the woman could carry. He knew she was about the only person alive who could truly hurt him with her words at this point. She was the only other person who had a claim to the memory of Satine.

In his head, Obi Wan had started to count the hours since he and Senaara had been separated. They were reaching thirty eight hours, thirty eight hours that felt too long, too terrible to think of. Now Obi Wan had a second timer running, the one that was counting the hour that he had been away from the twins.

Obi Wan suddenly felt a pulse of the force. It hadn’t come from him and Ahsoka was too far away in the pilot seat for it to have been from her. He started to look around when he heard a creak of metal, out of place in the empty ship, followed by a sound that he couldn’t place.

A sudden thump came from outside the ship. A second, and then a third.

Obi Wan nodded to Rex, who called into the com for the ramp to be lowered.

Bo Katan Kryze’s armor still gleamed its mix of blue, white, and silver, but Obi Wan could see the scuffs and marks that she hadn’t been able to fix. He could see where the paint had been repainted over reddish stains, where the dents alluded to blasts not dodged. Satine had often talked of her sister's budding perfectionist behavior in regards to her armor during the year the two had been on the run. Allowing her armor to get this messy was a sign of something greater out of place, but Obi Wan didn’t dare go there.

Bo Katan landed quickly, having used her jetpack to get up to the ship. She was quick to command that Rex close the ramp, which the clone did, before charging towards Obi Wan. The warrior didn’t waste time, throwing her helmet off and grabbing Obi Wan by the shoulders, forcing him against the wall.

“Where is she?” Bo’s voice was thick with rage. Her red hair was frizzy under the helmet, falling across her eyes, adding a haunted look to her. Obi Wan imagined she could have made a lovely painting of ‘the fallen warrior’ if the situation wasn’t what it was. “Where is my niece?”

“Stand down!” Rex had his blaster charged and pointed at the Mandalorian. Bo simply chuckled in a low manner.

“Tell your clone to drop that gun or I will kill him.” Bo spat, never removing her hands from Obi Wan’s shoulders.

“I could kill you all the same.” Rex growled.

“Rex. It’s fine.” Obi Wan kept his voice steady. “Lower the blaster.”

Rex watched the two for a moment longer, as if he didn’t believe it. Obi Wan nodded to him, and slowly Rex lowered the blaster. Bo turned away from him and back to her prey.

“Where is she?”

“She was taken.” Obi Wan kept eye contact, knowing how Bo’s anger could turn her wild.

Sure enough, Bo collided the back of her hand into Obi Wan’s cheek. Obi Wan swayed, feeling the sting of the slap as he tried to access the damage. Bo didn’t let him, grabbing him by the scruff of his shirt and forcing him up and against the wall again.

“You stole her from her home, and then you lost her?” Bo was breathing harshly, as if she couldn’t contain what was bubbling inside of her.

“I’ve kept her safe-” Obi Wan tried again, speaking through the numbness in his lips. Bo didn’t let him finish.

“Clearly you haven’t. Who has her? Death Watch?”

“The empire.”

At that Bo slammed Obi Wan into the wall before turning back around to Rex who had the blaster pointing at her again. Bo stared at him for a moment before taking a few steps away from Obi Wan who was attempting to stay standing as his blaster injuries grew inflamed and angry.

“The empire.” Bo repeated, as if she couldn’t believe it. “Then she’s like you. They took her because she’s like you.”

“Yes.” Obi Wan sighed. He did his best to keep breathing, to stay calm while the pain flared in waves. “They took her from me and her siblings. She needs to be saved.”

Bo didn’t speak, she just started to pace.

“I heard commotion.” Cody’s voice was smooth as he walked into the cargo bay, silently scanning the room for signs of what had happened. At the sight of Obi Wan holding onto the wall, he walked forward, slipping a hand under his General as he had done time and time before. Rex kept his focus on Bo whose eyes were tracing something that wasn’t there.

“I’ve come to ask for help.” Obi Wan started. “She’s being held on Darth Vaders-”

“Darth Vader will slaughter us.” Bo nearly whispered. “The empire had been watching us. The empire knows what we're capable of.”

“Aren’t Mandalorians the best warriors in the galaxy?” Cody asked, trying to draw Bo’s pride out.

“Even we know when we’re beat.” Bo hissed.

“We have weapons-” Rex tried to say, but Bo wouldn’t listen.

“We have better weapons. The empire will destroy Mandalore.” Bo was scared. It was strange for Obi Wan to see the woman that had fought so many battles with nothing more than a smile, so fearful. She didn’t appear scared on the surface, instead she looked like she was planning a battle, as if she was weighing the pros and cons of a certain measure. But Obi Wan could see the way her fingers tapped together in rhythm. Satine had loved that quirk about her sister, the one tell that Bo had. “They will see this as a reason to wipe us out. Some clans are loyal already, yes. But the rest?”

“Senaara is the heir to at least Clan Kryze.” Obi Wan spoke softly, taking careful steps towards Bo. Cody stayed by his side, ready for if he were to fall.

“She is the heir to more of that.” Bo laughed, but it was shrill and shaky. “But she will have nothing to be the heir to if the empire destroys us.”

“She won’t be an heir to anything if she’s dead.” Rex spoke blatantly.

“So you won’t help us.” Bo’s head whipped around to look at Obi Wan as he finished his carefully chosen words. He knew he was baiting her, he knew she knew this.

“What sort of father loses a child to the empire?” Bo snarled, stalking towards Obi Wan again. Cody stepped forward, as if to shield him. “What sort of father rips a child from their family, from their home, from their culture?”

Obi Wan breathed through the sharpness of Bo’s words. She was deflecting. He could handle this. “A selfish one.”

“One that knew the child was safest with him.” Cody spoke, a steady glare from his eyes towards Bo. “One who knew the safest any child, Mandalorian or not, could be was with a Jedi.”
“Mandalore is made to protect its young. It was forged time and time again to protect its children. This man…” Bo gestured vaguely towards Obi Wan, who felt too tired for this, “Let our leader die, he brought on our leader's death, and then ran away with the heir to the throne. This man is a terrorist against Mandalore in every way the word can be used.”

“I loved Satine.” Obi Wan’s words stilled Bo for a moment, who looked at him in shock. Obi Wan was in shock as well. He had never said those words allowed, never allowed himself to. “I wish it was me. I wish it had been me on the end of the dark saber instead of her and I deal with that everyday. But she would have wanted me to raise Senaara. She had wanted me to raise Senaara. Runa told both of us that.”

“She wasn’t in her right mind.” Bo disagreed. “She was under so much distress. She died a month postpartum, how could she know what she wanted?”

“Because Satine had always known what she wanted.”

“She would have wanted her daughter to be raised by her people. She would have wanted her daughter safe.”

“Satine wanted her daughter to be loved.” Obi Wan tried to look Bo in the eye, but Bo refused to meet him. “Senaara is loved.”

“Why couldn’t Satine have trusted me to love her?” The words were quiet as they left Bo’s mouth. She finally looked Obi Wan in the eyes, he met her where she was.

“I don’t know.” It was as honest as Obi Wan could be.

“You lost her.”

“Yes. I need to get her back.”

“She’s on Darth Vader’s ship?”

“As far as we know.”

Bo paused, blinking rapidly as she tried to recenter herself.

“Satine would have burned the world for her.” Bo laughed weakly.

“Satine would have loved Mandalore-”

“No.” Bo smiled shakily. “Satine loved things. She loved people. She loved Mandalore, yes, but she loved what made people alive. I couldn’t accept that love. Not after what happened to us, but she wouldn’t have been able to do anything but love her daughter. She would choose her over Mandalore if it came to it.”

“So what are you saying?” Cody spoke slowly, turning to Obi Wan to make sure he hadn’t overstepped.

“I’m saying-” Bo was cut off by a sudden bang of metal from within the ship.

Rex was on his feet in a moment, tracing his hand over the walls of the cargo hold, listening.

“Are we alone?” Bo asked.

“Yes,” Cody confirmed, but Obi Wan was growing doubtful.

Another creak of metal, and then another. Warped sounds that Obi Wan couldn’t place seemed to grow louder and louder as Rex found a loose vent grate. Before he could pull away, the vent collapsed, spilling out two children who were half wrestling half rolling out of the hidden spot.

“It’s my turn to listen!”

“I was trying to move over Luke!”

Obi Wan's timer for time spent away from the twins reverted to zero hours.

At the realization that their hiding space had been revealed, Luke and Leia slowly sat up, dusting each other off and untangling themselves. Luke looked up at Rex who was peering over them as Leia looked to Obi Wan, embarrassment crossing her face.

“Luke? Leia?” Obi Wan wasn’t sure he wanted to be angry or overjoyed that they were here.

“You were going to leave us.” Leia said, looking at her hands. “We didn’t want to leave you.”

“We left a note for Miss Breha.” Luke jumped in, now glancing cautiously at Bo. “We want to help save Senaara.”

“I specifically told you to stay on Alderaan.” Obi Wan groaned, rubbing his face.

“Well…yes.” Leia drew out the word. “But that was a stupid rule so we came.”

“And you hid in a vent?” Obi Wan leaned over, trying to look into the small space. It was hardly big enough for both of them.

“Yep.” Luke nodded as if he were proud. “It was my idea!”

“Little Generals, huh?” Rex laughed. “You can’t stay away from trouble. It’s in your blood.”

“We just want our sister safe.” Luke huffed.

“Sister?” Bo asked, tilting her head.

“Senaara. She’s our triplet, she’s the eldest by birth, but I am the eldest by honor.” Leia nodded, standing and helping her brother replace the vent.

“By honor?” Obi Wan raised his eyebrow.

“Yeah. I am the eldest sister. Just not by age, so by honor.” Leia nodded a very matter of factly. “We were listening to your conversation.”

Obi Wan’s heart dropped.

“We couldn’t hear very well.” Luke mumbled. Obi Wan nodded, trying not to feel too relieved. “You’re our aunt?”

Luke looked to Bo who froze. She looked to Obi Wan who didn’t know what to do. He knew Bo knew these children were not Satine’s. He knew she was not a child person, much less children that were not Mandalorian. He knew she hated him for everything he had ever done.

“What is an aunt to you?” Bo asked, her voice cautious.

“An Aunt is Ahsoka.” Leia had found her way around Obi Wan’s leg again. “But Miss Morva said that aunts are normally the sister of a mom or dad.”

“That sounds correct.” Bo nodded.

“Are you our mom or dad’s sister?”

Bo paused. She looked to Obi Wan who simply met her gaze. He leaned down and picked up Leia, allowing the girl to cuddle into his side again. Leia’s eyes never left Bo.

“I am your mother’s sister.” Bo put on a smile, a little unnatural on her grim face but the children didn’t mind. “Your ba’vodu.”

“Ba’vodu.” Leia tried the word on her tongue. “Is it Mand’oa?”

“Yes.”

“Are you mandalorian like Buir?” Luke asked, coming close to Bo, inspecting her armor. Bo looked at Obi Wan with a raised eyebrow, before nodding slowly.

“Yes. Both me and your Buir are Mandalorian. But I’m more Mandalorian. I’m the better Mandalorian.”

“I thought mom was Nabooian.” Leia whispered into Obi Wan’s ear.

Obi Wan bit his lip. “She was both, she loved Naboo. She wanted you three to know about Naboo.”

Bo eyed Obi Wan but didn’t say anything.

“Oh. Cool.” Luke noted before leaving Bo behind, signalling to Rex that he wanted to be picked up. Rex was hesitant, looking around as if someone might save him from this, before leaning down and picking up the boy in an awkward way. Luke didn’t mind, he leaned on Rex’s chest and happily stayed there. “We got two uncles and an aunt in two days.”

Obi Wan wanted to be angry at the children. He wanted to remind them of all the danger, beg them to understand how they meant more to him than his own life, but he knew they couldn’t turn the ship around. He knew they couldn’t bring them back to Alderaan and still be able to save Senaara, he knew they couldn’t understand how much he loved them, not yet at least.

He wanted to yell, to scream. He wanted them to understand the fear they were putting them through, that orders were meant to be followed when given, especially when they came from your dad, but he couldn’t. He could simply hold Leia and watch Luke in Rex’s arms. He could simply accept the victory of Bo covering for him. He could simply accept that the twins would be on the ship while he saved their sister.

“Bo?” Obi Wan asked, prompting her to finish her thought from before the twins' surprise appearance.

“I’ll get some warriors together.” Bo slipped her helmet back on, watching the twins as if she couldn’t decide if they were allies or enemies. “We’ll leave in an hour.”

Obi Wan let out a sigh of relief and nodded. Bo stepped towards him, pulling him into what might have looked like a hug if it wasn’t for her whispering in his ear, her voice slick with her request.

“She stays on Mandalore. She stays with her real family.”

Obi Wan closed his eyes. He accepted the challenge this would bring.

“Okay.”

Bo simply nodded back before opening the ramp and flying out in the atmosphere, bringing both hope and despair back into Obi Wan’s heart.

Chapter Text

It wasn’t hard to get onto the star ship. It was much harder attacking the group of empirical officers and storm troopers on the empire controlled moon that the ‘Devastor’ was orbiting. Especially when Obi Wan was intent on hiding the violence from the twins.

There had been a light argument with Ahsoka on whether or not the kids should stay on Bail’s ship or join them. Ahsoka thought it safest with the children grounded on the ship, Obi Wan knew the children wouldn’t stay on the ship. It wasn’t until Cody had explained that it was unlikely any of them would return to Bail’s ship until at least a few days after the rescue, the current plan being to escape on the empirical ship they would come in on.

That meant the children had to stay with them. Obi Wan hated it. He hated that they were here, that the children might see a side of him that they had never been privy to. The side that had been a warrior, the side that had fought on command, the side he had buried with Anakin.

But he could delay showing the children that. The twins had groaned and promised him they could be helpful if he let them come, but Obi Wan made Rex sit with them on the ship while he and Bo had moved forward to attack.

It was supposed to be simple.

Bo and Obi Wan would wear the officer uniforms, Rex, Cody, and a Mandalorian woman by the name of Korta would pose as storm troopers. Ahsoka would stay on the ship, she had fought against this but Bo and Cody had been adamant about the empire’s odd preference for humans, it was decided she would bring too much attention. Ahsoka accepted the position of getaway pilot, but Obi Wan could tell how anxious the woman was to join the fight. Waiting with her was Ace and Nor Holsha, two other Nite Owls that Bo had enlisted.

Taking down the troopers and officers felt alien in Obi Wan’s body. He slipped back into the violence as if it had been written in his bones, but the thought of how easy it was scared him. Bo was no help. She had a mission, she would complete it just as she had been trained. She didn’t care if blood splattered her helmet. Obi Wan was quick to wipe it from his robes so the twins wouldn’t have to ask questions.

Now, with the stolen ship landing in the hangar bay, Obi Wan couldn’t do much but anxiously wipe at where the blood had previously speckled his hands.

Leia and Luke stood in front of him and Bo.

This was probably the part of the plan that Obi Wan hated the most. Perhaps Bo cared less about the twins because they weren’t really her niece and nephew, perhaps she would have thrown Senaara in the same situation if it was the only way to complete a mission. Obi Wan wasn’t sure, he just knew that Bo had been adamant that the only way they could get past the levels of security to where the ship was holding a force sensitive child, was to have a force sensitive child to pass them through.

“Keep your head up.” Bo hissed under her breath. She looked strange without her helmet, her red hair pulled back behind her ears, her forehead missing the typical crown of metal she wore replaced with the officer cap.

“I know how to appear-” Obi Wan tried to start.

“No you don’t. You have never seen the empire as I have. You have been in hiding,” Bo’s voice got louder before she paused and sighed. “Besides, they don’t allow for beards in the empire. Especially if you're low ranking.”

“You want me to shave?” Obi Wan raised an eyebrow.

“No!” Leia suddenly gasped, her eyes filling with fear, “Don’t shave!”

“I like your chin hair.” Luke mumbled, still holding onto Obi Wan’s hand.

“Theres no time.” Bo rolled her eyes. “Tell your children to be afraid of you.”

Obi Wan looked at Bo, challenging her to realize how weird her statement was. Bo didn’t get the hint, giving a confused glance back at him. Obi Wan breathed in, counted to four, and breathed out. “Luke, Leia? For this to work you need to act like you don’t like me, and that you don’t know me. You have to pretend I’m the one that took Senaara.”

“Why?” Leia challenged him.

“Because you have to.” Obi Wan answered.

“Why?” Leia asked again.

“Hey, Leia?” Ahsoka called from the cockpit. “Not now. Just do what Buir says. That goes for both of you.”

“Pretend it’s a game. Whoever puts on the best performance can get a spice roll when we're back home” Cody offered Obi Wan a sorry face but Obi Wan just accepted it. If they all got back to Alderaan alive, then he would happily let his children eat as many spice rolls as they wanted.

“Hmm. Okay.” Leia accepted the reward with a grin.

“Can I have an ice cream?” Luke asked, starting to lean on Obi Wan’s legs.

“Yes.” Obi Wan nodded, letting go of Luke’s hand and helping him step forward. Luke looked back at him, afraid for a moment, before nodding shakily and looking towards the closed ramp.

“Landing now.” Ahsoka called out.

And suddenly it was real.

The ship landed with a thud, the whole cargo shaking for a moment. Obi Wan tried to steady himself, tried to reach forward for the twins for a moment before pulling away. The twins could steady themself. If they were going to pretend to be scared of him, he had to be able to pretend he didn’t care for them.

Bo put a steading hand on his shoulder. Obi Wan couldn’t tell if it was a reminder that he needed to be perfect, or a rare act of compassion.

The doors to the ramp opened and Obi Wan took Leia’s hands behind her back, holding them together as if the officer that he was pretending to be didn’t have cuffs when he needed them. Bo did the same, taking Luke’s hands in hers, yet Luke reacted with a jump and a yelp at the sudden movement.

The four moved down the ramp, Cody, Rex, and Korta behind them with their helmets on, into the bustling hangar bay. The design was completely different from the hangars that Obi Wan had been used to during the Clone Wars, the ships themselves were different too. It was a small comfort to imagine Anakin naming the models to him with the excitement his brother always had with ships. It kept him steady as he walked forward.

“Your ship returned late.” An officer was waiting for them. She held a datapad in one hand, a stylus in the other. “Prisoners?”

“We found two force sensitive children on the moon’s base.” Bo spoke before Obi Wan could open his mouth. She kept her voice clear and easy going but it still held all the intensity Obi Wan was used to. “We brought them in to be questioned and transferred into the inquisitor program.”

Leia’s grip tightened around Obi Wan’s hands. He could see it was slowly dawning on her the mess she and the family were in. Much like her mother, she simply kept looking forward, her breath slowly becoming more and more robotic, her eyes starting to water.

Obi Wan hated how the only thought he had was, good. She looks believable.

“Oh.” The officer's voice was void of any surprise. “Make sure to keep to our schedule. I’ll have to write you up if you’re late again.”

“Will do ma’am.” Bo gave a courtesy nod, waiting for the officer to turn back and return to her command station before continuing to walk towards the entrance to the main ship.

“Do you know your way around one of these stations?” Obi Wan whispered as he kept facing forward.

“No.” Bo whispered back. “We need to find a port. Korta can use a scomp link to get a map loaded up.”

“We don’t have time.” Rex’s voice, thick from the modulator, spoke from behind them. “The only place ships like these keep that information is on the bridge or deep within engineering. We don’t have that time.”

“If you get me to a security checkpoint I can probably splice in there.” Korta offered, “Might not get the whole map but enough to get us going.”

“I don’t like this.” Rex’s voice modulator crackled.

“You’ve done missions with less information.” Cody countered.

“At least I had a Jedi.” Rex fired back before the small sound of a gasp made it through the helmet.

“What?” Bo asked. “Do you see something?”

The team was nearing the entrance corridor into the ship. The door opened easily, allowing them into the sterile light and looming halls.

“We have a Jedi.” Rex’s voice was cautious but held an odd excitement. “General, do you remember the mission on Kashyyyk where we got lost in the forest?”

Obi Wan paused at that question. “Yes?”

“Anakin was able to track you with the force, that's how we were able to regroup. Can’t you just use the force to find Senaara?””

“Is that something the force does?” Luke turned up to look at the five before Bo forced him to look the other way.

“Luke.” Leia hissed. “We don’t know them.”

“But…” Luke trailed off, tears starting to well in his eyes.

“I can try.” Obi Wan sighed.

“How do we know we can trust your Jedi mind tricks?” Bo scoffed, turning the team down a hall to avoid an incoming squad of patrolling storm troopers.

“Because she’s my daughter and I am a pretty damn good Jedi.” Obi Wan fired back.

“We need to find a corner that no one's going to walk in on.” Cody spoke quickly. “We need to find it fast.”

Bo groaned, but she ushered the group to follow. The ship was a maze of halls and turns, nothing and everything like the old republic cruisers that Obi Wan remembered. It made his head spin.

The group was able to find a storage closet that Korta was able to hack the port for. It seemed Bo had chosen well as it didn’t take long for Korta to get the scomp tool in and the door open.
Korta, Rex, and Cody remained outside, taking guard of the door as Obi Wan found calm in the flickering light of the storage room. Bo stood back, taking her blaster out and making sure it was ready to fire. She stood by the door, blaster ready and aimed for it to open.

Leia stood in the corner, frozen, while Luke paced the floor. The two were watching Obi Wan as he tried to sit in a criss cross position. If this had been a separate situation he would have walked the twins through how to do what he was about to do. He would have taken pleasure in sitting them down and helping clear their minds.

But they didn’t have any time and the stakes were too high to make it a teaching moment.

Obi Wan closed his eyes, and suddenly all he could feel was darkness.

The itchy officer uniform that had once been heavy and warm felt as if it were drenched in ice water. Obi Wan tried to focus, tried to swim through the turmoil that surrounded him. He felt like he was drowning in the darkness. Drowning in isolation.

That’s when he heard it.

An unnatural breath that echoed through the void. In and out. That’s all he could hear. The breathing of a creature long since pained. The breathing of a beast.

Obi Wan tried to find it. He looked around frantically in hopes of finding what he was missing, finding the monster that had taken his daughter. Instead he found himself on the republic ship the ‘Resolute’.

Anakin’s ship.

The white walls he had known, the red detailing he had learned to love. All of it familiar, all of it strange. Obi Wan felt rooted to where he stood, unable to walk from the view of space, unable to run.

“I never understood why people like to look up at the stars from planets and moons.” The voice was too familiar. Too wrong. Obi Wan could feel his mind stretch, he could feel things become blurry as he heard his brother speaking right beside him. “I always preferred the view from up here.”

“Perhaps being down there reminds people that there is much more to our galaxy. Up here, we know there is. ” The words came out of Obi Wan’s mouth, half remembered, half new. It felt rehearsed and as if he had never said these words before. As if he was truly in the time five years prior, when everything was still okay. “Satine loves the stars from Mandalore.”

“Ah, Satine.” Anakin’s laugh floated through the air. Obi Wan turned his head, suddenly forgetting why he hadn’t been able to before. Anakin stood beside him, the same long hair, the same scar, the same blue eyes. He watched the stars as he laughed, his face familiar, soft. “Your girlfriend.”

“She’s not my girlfriend.” Obi Wan had to hide his chuckle, but there was no hiding it from Anakin. “We are friends.”

Anakin got quiet. Obi Wan wanted to reach out to him, he felt the need to hold his former padawan and tell him that he loved him. He couldn’t remember why.

“Why would it be so bad if you were in love with Satine?”

Obi Wan looked at Anakin confused.

“What do you mean?”

“Tell me again. What are the worries? What is the danger of loving someone?”

Obi Wan now paused. “Attachments are against the Jedi Code.”

“But why?” Anakin refused to look at him, but Obi Wan could see the pain in his eyes. It didn’t make sense and yet it did. Obi Wan couldn’t sort out his memories, hadn't Anakin been in love? But no, he hadn’t. He had never loved. Right?

“We were created to protect all living life. If we love someone, truly love them, we may choose them over our duty.” The words felt thick on Obi Wan’s tongue. “If we lose them or the person is harmed, we might not be able to contain our anger.”

“And we’ll do unspeakable things to protect them.” Obi Wan watched his former padawan as he said the words. He still hadn’t looked at him.

“Yes.”

“Are you prepared, Obi wan?” Anakin finally turned to him. His blue eyes were burning.

“What?” Obi Wan stepped back, suddenly feeling incredibly hot.

“Are you prepared to do unspeakable things to protect her? To protect them?” Anakin’s voice was smooth but laced with something Obi Wan couldn’t put his finger on. It scared him.
Obi Wan steadied himself. He knew the answer before he said it. He couldn’t understand why it was the answer. It was against everything he had been taught to believe as a Jedi, but he knew it was right. He knew it was the answer he had. “Yes.”

Anakin nodded, slowly taking this in. The man took a step back, closing his eyes and breathing. When he opened his eyes again, they were blue. “Cell-block 11-7. Down one level. Keep to the right.”

Obi Wan woke up with pain blooming on his forehead. Slowly taking account of his body, Obi Wan found that he had slid forward at some point, collapsing into himself. Luke had his little hands wrapped around his chest again while Leia was holding his hand, her gaze far off.

“Well? Did you have a seizure or do you have information?” Bo, ever pessimistic, asked.

“Cell-block 11-7. We need to go down one level, stick to the right.” Obi Wan pushed himself up, stretching his neck and shoulders from their odd position. They knew where they were going now. Hardly anything could stop them.

The familiar feeling of Anakin’s presence leading them to Senaara was comforting in the perils of the path.

-

He had taken the bait.

Vader couldn’t help but smile underneath the mask at this.

The great Kenobi, fooled by smoke and mirrors. Fooled by a memory of a simpler time distorted. He had always been the stronger one of mind for the two of them, but the force had always been Vader’s playground.

Vader had felt Kenobi’s presence since he had first gotten whatever ship he had stolen into orbit. The emperor had ordered him to report the first sign of his old master, but what was a little fun? He would bring Kenobi before the emperor in due time, but first he wanted the man to feel the pain Vader had been stuck feeling for the past five years.

The child was in fact in cell-block 11-7. Vader hadn’t lied about that.

He hadn’t visited the child since he had screamed at her. He couldn’t bring himself to. Food was delivered every six hours, the same ration bars and porridge like soup the star ship fed prisoners, the same helmeted troopers. They were under orders not to talk to the child.

Vader opened his eyes, being faced with the blaring white lights of his room. The cool air was both pleasant and sharp on his skin, but Vader couldn’t savor the feeling any longer. A press of a button and his helmet was securely fastened back around his head, forcing him back into the darkness he had become accustomed to.

He was in no rush. Kenobi and whatever team he had assembled were far from where the child was held. It wouldn't take Vader long to get to the cell, it would be the waiting that would eat at him.

Seeing Kenobi for the first time in years? What would he say? How could he remind his former master of the lack of control the man had, the control the Jedi had once savored? It made him feel oddly giddy. Years of pain, years of waking up to his body feeling like he was on fire once again, years of being drowned in bacta healing solutions, years of adjusting to the metal limbs that tore into his remaining flesh. Finally he could confront the man who had burned him, confront the man who had caused all of this.

And yet Vader felt hollow.

Anakin was dead. Vader was what had survived, but no amount of pain thatVader could bring to Kenobi would be able to bring him back. No matter if he killed Kenobi or captured him, Anakin would still be dead. His ghost haunting Mustafar.

He wanted to hurt Kenobi. He wanted to hear him scream. He wanted to see the blood, the blisters, the burns.

But it wouldn’t bring back Anakin.

It wouldn’t bring back Padme.

It wouldn’t bring back his daughter.

That just made the anger worse. It flared among the crossings of wires, burning bright in Vader’s throat.

He was finally there. He could finally get revenge.

And then what?

Vader found himself in front of the child’s cell. He hadn’t meant to go there. He had planned to intercept Kenobi, yet here he was. Staring at the door code, almost willing it to open without him having to touch it. Willing it to be fate rather than choice for him to enter.

Vader almost forgot the force existed.

The door opened, pouring the sterile lights of the hall into the darkened cell. Vader had remembered there being lights in the room, lights that had been dimmed, but lights all the same. Upon stepping within the room he realized the culprit. The glass that held the beams of light had been shattered, glass littered the ground, and the bulbs sparked and crackled, having been destroyed in some way.

The force was present in the room, pulsing dangerously. Vader recognized it, the specific hum of fear and anger. He knew it all too well.

The child was laying down on the bench, her back to him. She had made herself small, curled towards the wall. Vader felt an odd need to be thankful that the shattered glass was nowhere near her, even though he assumed she was the reason it covered the ground.

A single food tray had been placed on the floor by the stairs to the door. It was untouched, shards of glass swam in the porridge. Vader took in the sight, stepping forward, listening to the crunch of glass below his boot.

“Have you considered my offer?” Vader asked, watching for any signs of life. The child was breathing, but she didn’t move for anything else. She didn’t respond. “The emperor is less forgiving as I am. The Grand Inquisitor believes you are of no use. I am the only way you survive this.”

The child didn’t respond. She didn’t even lift her head.

Vader moved forward, leaning over her. He could see the blood stains easier now, the eye bags that didn’t belong on a child’s face. The child’s eyes were open, staring at the wall. The eyes that were not Kenobi’s. Vader hated the child’s eyes.

“I can save you. I can teach you. I can make you strong.”

The child finally looked up at him, her eyes being the only movement.

“Let me guide you. Let me save you from the lies you have been told.”

“Can you make it quiet?” The request was tiny, afraid.

“Quiet?”

“My head.” The child slowly raised herself, pointing towards her head. “It’s so loud.”

Vader was taken aback when he saw the tears in the child’s eyes. She looked at him as if he could help her, as if he could save her. Wasn’t this what he wanted? He had imagined this so often in the past few days, the child accepting him. Now it felt unnatural, it felt wrong.

“Please.” The child whimpered slightly. “Shut it off. Make it quiet.”

“I can’t do that.” Vader found that his voice was quiet, as if he was trying to comfort her. “Your mind is valuable. I don’t want to hurt it.”

“Please.” The child was crying now, her hands covering her ears as if that could help. Her fingers digging into her skin. “Please, it's so loud.”

“How?”

The child hesitated, as if she didn’t have an answer. Instead she looked Vader up and down, as if trying to understand his robotic body. She reached up, taking his hand.
Vader flinched at this, pulling his hand away. What right did she have? But the movement scared the child, causing her to scurry back, pulling her legs back and over the bench and to her chest.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” The child was breathing quickly again. Vader was starting to wonder if she knew how to breathe. “Buir holds my hand when I get sad, and my head is so loud, and I just need it to stop…”

The girl’s speaking pace got faster and faster as she gasped for breath to continue. Vader couldn’t stand it. He couldn’t stand how small the child looked. He could stand how afraid she was. He couldn’t stand that she had tried to gain affection from him.

He couldn’t stand that she tried to gain the same comfort from him that she had once gained from her father. From Kenobi.

“Rethink my offer.” Vader cut through the child’s anxious mumbling. He had no time for this. He needed to be ready. He needed to be prepared to enact his revenge.

He wanted the child all to himself.

He was promised a daughter. Kenobi had taken that from him.

He would take it back.

The child watched him as he left, he did his best to pretend it didn’t bother him. To pretend that none of this bothered him. Vader had felt sick so many times in his new body, this was the first time that the feeling made him want to tear himself apart.

-

“It’s down this way.” Obi Wan kept his voice quiet and steady as he passed hall after hall. Bo walked beside him, chin up as she did. They needed to stay inconspicuous. They needed to remain under the radar.

They had gotten down the elevator and finally made it to the cell-blocks. The only issue at this point was navigating the maze of numbers and twisting corridors that filled this section of the ship.

Cody had been able to explain, from his time briefly in the empire, that the prison numbers were purposely made confusing. That they followed a rhyme and reason that didn’t make sense to the average eye, that couldn’t be followed in a simple way.

The group had once again resorted to the force. Bo was less than pleased.

“That’s the twelve’s section.” Bo muttered. “We need the eleven.”

“I promise you Senaara is this way.” Obi Wan muttered back.

“This is ridiculous.” Bo groaned. “We have been at this for too long.”

“The scomp tool would take longer.” Obi Wan fired back.

“Yeah? Well at least it would be practical and we’d know for sure where my niece is.”

“Well as Senaara’s father, I feel I have a pretty good grasp of her force signature.”

“Hopefully she’ll lose it once she does some real warrior training.” The words were sharp as they landed. Another thinly veiled reminder of Obi Wan and Bo’s deal.

“Senaara gets to train as a Mandalorian?” Luke’s voice was still shaky but he turned around to face his father. “Can I train too?”

“Mandalorian training is for Mandalorians." Bo rolled her eyes.

“I'm a Mandalorian. Because of Buir.” Luke nodded, missing Bo’s aggression.

“Can we not?” Leia snapped. “I can feel Senaara up ahead. I want to go home.”

Obi Wan bit his tongue, nodding at his daughter as the group continued down the corridor. Bo made a huffing nose but continued forward before muttering under her breath, “She’s five and can feel the force already?”

“My children are brilliant in all areas Bo.” Obi Wan bit back.

“Well you can keep these two.” Bo scoffed. “Senaara will be a brilliant Mandalorian like her grandfather and me.”

“Hey, you two.” Rex called out from behind. “Lets focus on the mission, yeah?”

“I’ll need time to get the door open so the faster we go the better.” Korta added.

“Down this hallway.” Obi Wan nodded before being stopped in his tracks. Leia had stopped before him, her eyes closed and scrunched together as if concentrating. She suddenly opened them and nodded in agreement.

“Yes. This way.”

“Can I help?” Luke asked, wiggling his hands free from Bo’s grasp before she grabbed them and held them firmly.

“Just try to feel.” Was all Obi Wan could say, moving the group down another hall of sterile light and dark metal.

Luke closed his eyes, mimicking his sister. “I feel cold.”

“Not quite Luke.” Obi Wan chuckled.

“No. Buir. I feel really cold.” Luke suddenly turned around to look at his fathers, his eyes wide. “Something feels wrong.”

“I feel it too.” Leia muttered, her little brown eyes darting around.

“Oh great, do we need to stop the whole mission because the kids feel ‘something’?” Bo asked, her voice full of sarcasm, before she stopped when she saw Obi Wan.

Obi Wan felt it too. It was as if he was once again being submerged in ice water. He could feel it creeping up his legs, covering his chest in icy handprints, his sweat becoming cold as the sterile lights seemed to dim. Something felt horribly wrong, horribly unnatural. Wrong in every way he could describe.

This felt worse than any sith he had found before. Worse than the Assaj, worse than Maul, worse than Palpatine. It felt personal. It felt like grief and anger that bubbled so fast Obi Wan was afraid it would overflow out of him like blood.

“Get behind me.” Was all he could muster to say, pushing Luke and Leia behind and into the arms of Rex and Cody who had become alert at the tone shift. He was quick to pull out his saber, hidden away on his person. He didn't ignite it yet, but his thumb brushed the button.

“What is it?” Bo whispered. She had taken a step behind him now, her blaster raised and ready.

“I don’t know.” Obi Wan admitted. He took a glance back at the twins who were shivering now. “We need to move forward. Stay alert.”

The group moved down the hall, blasters ready, saber held. The ship felt silent now, as if the steady hum that all ships of this size had had suddenly disappeared.

Obi Wan felt the pull, the one that told him one more hallway. One more right that would take him to Senaara. One more step. One more turn.

The group lined up against the wall, Obi Wan in the front ready to lean over to see into the hallway, to check that it was clear. For a moment he rested his head on the wall, trying to remember to breathe as the cold clung to him, as he watched his twins hold onto each other, fearful.

That’s when it started.

Breathing.

That’s what it was.

The sound of a slow breath in and a slow breath out. Repetitive. Mechanical. Not human. The sound filled the empty corridor, echoing through the walls, bouncing off of the metal that it rang through.

Obi Wan held his own breath, and breathed out. He counted in his head to three before igniting his blade. The blue burst of energy sung to him as he stepped out from the cover of the hallway, standing at the edge of the corridor.

At the other stood a creature that Obi Wan couldn’t describe. It looked mechanical, as if it were another droid, as if it were nothing by black metal and leather. But Obi Wan could hear the breathing. He knew this was human. He knew this thing had a beating heart. He knew this thing was what was making his blood run cold.

“I’m going to assume you’re Darth Vader?” Obi Wan tried to quip. It felt instinctual. It’s what he had always done.

The creature didn't respond. He just kept breathing. It was unsettling. It was wrong.

“I am here to rescue my daughter.”

Silence.

And then, the creature ignited a single red blade.

“Your child is weak, Kenobi.” The voice was worse than the breathing. Mechanical and controlled. Its lack of emotion haunted Obi Wan as the man spoke of Senaara. “She died screaming for you.”

And just like that, Obi Wan couldn’t breathe.

“No…” It was a choked sound. The voice of denial as Obi Wan tried to stop imagining his daughter bleeding and limp on the ground. As he tried not to hear her screams in his head. As he tried to keep focus on the sith in front of him as his hands started to violently shake. “No… please no.”

“She served her purpose. She brought you here.” Darth Vader lowered his blade, “Do you know who I am?”

“I don’t care.” Obi Wan felt the growl in his throat. The despair, the guilt, the shame, it was there. But it was quickly hardening. Quickly forging itself into anger Obi Wan had never felt. Rage that had nowhere to go, fizzling and burning through his body.

“I think you will.” The sith moved fast, raising his blade and stalking forward, slamming the blade downward. Obi Wan moved out of the way just in time, spinning around and slamming his blade down on the attacker. The cold was gone now, replaced by heat that coursed through Obi Wan’s blood. “Who am I, Kenobi?”

“The man who killed my daughter.” Obi Wan snarled, sweeping back and attacking once more. Defense was what Obi Wan had trained for. Defense was what he knew. He knew how to be practiced, how to be thoughtful with his swings, his steps, his jumps. Obi Wan couldn’t think straight long enough to care about his form. He fought on the offensive, aiming to maim.

“Theres the anger.” The sith laughed, matching Obi Wan’s energy. “There’s the emotion you believed would poison you.”

Obi Wan swung again, mis-steped and allowed Darth Vader to graze his side. Reopening the blaster wound. Obi Wan yelled, the pain coursing through him as he wiped around, meeting blue to red before the sith could get another strike.

“You’re fighting sloppy.” Darth Vader sneered. “You fight better than this. Or have the years been unkind to you?”

Obi Wan didn’t dignify that with a response. He just kept swinging. He didn’t notice the tears that were streaming down his cheeks till they were clouding his vision. He didn’t care about the blood that seeped from his side.

The only thing he could see was Senaara dead and the man in front of him laughing over the body. That alone was enough to fuel him.

“Are you angry Kenobi? Are you afraid?” Darth Vader growled, “How does it feel to lose something you loved? Or could you ever love Kenobi?”

Obi Wan yelled, something guttural, something strange. He forced his blade down on the man, cutting across the mechanical box on the sith’s chest. Steam and smoke escaped as the box started to beep and blink.

Darth Vader took a step back, coughing through the smoke.

“Who are you?” Obi Wan was able to rasp as he tried to catch his breath.

“I am your creation.” The voice modulator seemed to have been impacted by the attack. The man’s voice switched from the calm monotone voice to a raspy low one. A voice that sounded as if the man’s voice box had been burned from the inside out. “You created me Kenobi. More than the emperor ever could.”

The words didn’t make sense. It felt like sith nonsense. It felt like something Maul would say. Obi Wan tried to think straight, tried to center himself as the rage still ran in his veins, as despair still sat in his chest.

It was then he noticed that he and Darth Vader had made it down the hallway, passed the cell that Senaara’s body would be held in. His despair grew when he realized that Bo was leading the twins to the cell, the three lowered to the ground, hugging the wall as Darth Vader focused on him.

Cody was in front, Rex took the back. They each had a blaster pointed, one to Darth Vader, one down the end of the hall. Korta was kneeling at the door, using her scomp tool to try and open it.

They were going to get Senaara’s body.

The mandalorian’s burned bodies. They kept the ashes. They had a ceremony.

Bo would give her niece a Kote Kyr’am, a glory death, if it was the last thing she did.

Luke and Leia were crying, no doubt having heard what Darth Vader had yelled. Yet Luke had steeled himself, focusing as he held Leia’s hand. Leia, who couldn’t hide the rage on her face. Leia who was watching Darth Vader with such disdain, Obi Wan half expected her to join him in the fight.

Obi Wan’s heart was heavy as he faced the sith before. He had a goal now, to make sure his family got out alive. Even if it meant death. Even if it meant he would be reunited with Senaara, he would make sure his son and daughter lived. He would make sure they would get back to Ahsoka, they would get back to Alderaan. They would get to live long and happy lives, safe from the man who had failed their sister. Who had failed them.

“I don’t know who you are.” Obi Wan steeled himself. He didn’t wipe his tears but wore them as battle paint. He gripped his saber, rushing forward. Darth Vader met his attack, forcing him away and deeper into the hall, farther from the cell.

“You ruined me.” Darth Vader’s voice was low, intersecting with the rasp and the modulator's voice. It was hauntingly familiar. “You left me to die.”

“I don’t care.” Obi Wan met Darth Vader’s blade, locking him into place. “I am going to kill you.”

“Finishing the job you weren’t able to complete?” Darth Vader dared. “Was leaving me for dead on Mustafar not enough?”

Darth Vader put all his force into his blade, throwing Obi Wan back. Obi Wan skidded across the metal, falling over as his mind tried to process what he had just heard. His body wasn’t responding fast enough, his blood was sticky on his hands.

It couldn’t be.

“You recognize me now Kenobi?” The raspy voice. The voice hidden under the modulator. The voice burnt and tore apart. The voice that Obi Wan had raised.

“Anakin?” Obi Wan didn’t believe it.

“Anakin is dead.” Darth Vader stood eerily still. “You killed him that night on Mustafar. I am what remains.”

“No…no.” Obi Wan started to shake his head. “No…I…I killed you.”

“Not well enough.” Darth Vader laughed. “You were always weak.”

“I should have never left you.” It was less of a statement, and more of a quiet admission of guilt.

Luke and Leia were down the hall. Anakin’s children were down the hall unaware that the man that stood over their father, the man that killed their sister, the man that led the empire, was their father by blood.

Anakin didn’t know how close he was to his children. Anakin didn’t know the children were even alive.

It was just Obi Wan.

Obi Wan who carried more secrets than he wanted to explain. More guilt than he could survive. More regret than he could ever understand.

“I will kill you, Kenobi.” The voice was sure even as it cracked like embers on fire. “I will make you bleed and I will make you watch as the world you built is destroyed as you destroyed mine.”

“I’m so sorry…” Obi Wan could barely muster the will to stand. Could barely muster the will to fight anymore. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry…”

“Sorry will get you nowhere.” Darth Vader growled, raising his blade again. He stalked forward, standing above Obi Wan. Obi Wan couldn’t run, he couldn’t crawl. He felt paralyzed by it all, by the fear, by the guilt, by the rage. Even if he could muster the strength to stand, to fight, to run, he didn’t want to. He couldn’t.

Darth Vader raised his blade and Obi Wan hung his head.

Obi Wan had accepted it. He would die at the hands of his brother. He would die and he would see Satine again. He would see Senaara. The three would be a family. They would be the family they had been meant to be. He would see Padme again. He would tell her of her children. How brilliant they were. How beautiful they were. How loved they were.

It would be okay.

But the blade never landed on Obi Wan. It landed on the floor, turning off on impact.

Obi Wan looked up as he heard the crash. He looked up in time to see Darth Vader thrown into the wall, the metal bending under the pressure, the figure going still. Obi Wan watched in horror, trying to understand what had happened until he turned to see his children standing, hands out stretched.

Leia was closest, her brow furrowed, her anger painted on her face. Luke held her hand, a step behind, his little eyes closed as he focused. At the sound of their success the two relaxed momentarily, gasping for air as if they had forgotten to breathe.

“Buir!” Luke called out, running forward and sliding to the ground, enveloping Obi Wan into a hug. “We did it! We used the force!”

“We need to go!” Leia yelled, her mind never far from her goal. “Buir, he lied! Senaara’s alive but she can’t walk!”

Everything was moving too fast for Obi Wan.

Luke helped him to his feet, pulling him down the hall till the three were in Senaara’s cell.

Glass covered the ground and the whole room smelled of iron. Of blood. Bo was in the corner of the room, gently brushing hair out of Senaara’s face. She was breathing, oh thank force she was breathing. Bo was whispering sweet reassurances, whispering mand’oa words with a soft voice.

Obi Wan ran forward, finding his daughter was crying softly, pleading for Bo to stop touching her. Either Bo couldn’t understand her or had chosen not to listen.

Obi Wan didn’t wait. He didn’t know how long Darth Vader would be out cold. He scooped his daughter into his arms, whispering reassurances and promises that she was going to be okay. Senaara didn’t fight him, she hardly seemed fully aware that he was real. She just covered her ears and cried into his chest.

She was so tiny in his arms, tinier than she had been, lighter too. Obi Wan tried not to think about it as he held her close, calling out commands as the group broke into a run down the hallways.

They wouldn’t stay a moment longer than they had to.

The star ship was under alert by the time the group made it to the hangar bay. Bo and Korta had no issues jumping into fight mode, taking out their blasters and shooting a path for the rest to follow. The two mandalorians on the ship were quick to join the action, running across the hangar to join Bo and Korta.

The troopers were oncoming, every time one was shot down another seemed to take their place.

“Go! Now! We’ll cover!” Bo called out, signalling for Obi Wan to run as soon as she shot four troopers down.

Stuck behind storage crates, the Mandalorians covered the team's exit as Obi Wan got the twins on the ship, laying down Senaara on an open bunk, allowing Cody to take over and strap her in. Rex jumped into action, taking over the top of the ramp, shooting at incoming troopers. Ahsoka ran from the cockpit, quickly hugging the twins and inspecting them for injuries.

The chorus of blasts were the only reminder that Obi Wan hadn’t come here with just his family but rather Bo and her team.

“I hate to say it,” Ahsoka had slid beside him, quick to place a bacta patch on his side. He imagined she had had it ready knowing him, “We should leave without Bo.”

“She’ll kill us.” Rex called out from where he stood at the edge of the ramp, shooting troopers.

“I’ve had time to think about it. Plus she’s on the other side of the hangar. She’s stuck behind crates. We have a reason.” Ahsoka explained. “Plus I’m pretty damn sure she’ll take Senaara away from us if we let her know where we’re going.”

“She is.” Obi Wan muttered. His head was spinning. He just wanted to get away from this star ship. Away from Darth Vader. Away from Anakin.

“You hear that?” Ahsoka called out.

“There Mandalorians. If any group is getting off this ship, alive it's them.” Rex added.

“Fine. Let’s go.” Cody agreed. “Kids, sit down, we’re about to get rocky.”

The twins didn’t move immediately, as if they two were struggling to process all that had happened. Cody moved forward, getting them to sit beside Senaara. He held Luke’s hand when Luke asked for it.

“Obi Wan?” Ahsoka asked.

“Do it. Make it fast.” Obi Wan knew it was selfish. He knew Bo would just keep looking. He knew Bo would make herself an enemy again. He knew she was better on his side than not. But after everything that had transpired, after finding out what Anakin had become, after having Darth Vader tell him that Senaara was dead, after getting his daughter back, bloodied, weak, and unwell? Obi Wan couldn’t handle Senaara being taken away. He wouldn’t lose her again.

And now he knew that the twins would never allow such a thing to happen to their ‘honorary little’ eldest sister.

As the ramp closed and the ship started up, Obi Wan found himself sitting on the floor in front of the bunk that Senaara was asleep on. Leia found her way onto his lap, holding his right arm while Luke found his way to leaning on Obi Wan’s non injured side. Obi Wan lifted his left arm, taking hold of Senaara's limp hand. She gripped back in her sleep.

Ahsoka was piloting the ship, just in view. She kept looking back at the four, and kept offering a knowing smile. She knew that Obi Wan and her would be talking afterwards. Obi Wan didn’t know how he could explain what he knew now. Rex sat beside her, blissfully unaware, making jokes and small comments. Cody stood vigil beside the bunk, keeping an eye on Obi Wan as he tried to stay awake.

They were tired. They were hurt. But they were finally together again.

Chapter Text

The past twelve hours didn’t make sense. They had happened, Obi Wan was sure of it. He could remember bits and pieces, the rush, the flight, Senaara waking up screaming. Everything had moved quickly, he had moved quickly. There had been so much to do, from making it back to Alderaan, to getting medical for Senaara, to getting the twins to sleep even as they begged to see their sister, to reporting to Bail, to talking with Ahsoka, watching the young woman request time for herself at the news, to bringing Senaara to the house after she woke up crying to the medical staff, alone and confused, he had finally gotten her back to sleep.

Now it was quiet. Obi Wan sat alone at his new kitchen table, looking out the large glass windows into the garden space Bail had assured him was all his. Sitting in the house that Bail had assured him, was all his.

Obi Wan could not understand how Bail had found this place. It seemed to be too perfect, too right. The estate was a fifteen minute walk from the Alderaanian palace, with a foot path that held the beautiful view of the countryside. The house was situated just far enough into the countryside that Obi Wan felt safe, it being on the other side of the palace, far enough away from the city, but close enough for the schools that Bail had quietly raved about.

The house itself was beautiful. Obi Wan assumed Bail was doing anything he could to get Obi Wan to stay, but the nabooian architecture of the estate hinted that Bail might have motives Obi Wan couldn’t yet piece together. When Obi Wan asked, he had explained it was the same estate he had built for Padme years ago. Bail had thought it fitting.

The house was made of domes, large windows, and sand stone. Hues of green and blues complimented by ochre and gold were throughout the house. It was three stories with an expansive garden, a fountain, and little foot paths that went all around the hill it was built into. Not to mention the seven bedrooms. Why Padme had had seven bedrooms in a home made for her short visits, Obi Wan couldn’t understand.

There wasn’t much time for discussion but Obi Wan had quickly figured the single bedroom on the first floor would be a guest room, while the three bedrooms that lined the green hallway, all connected to the same refresher, would be the children’s rooms.

In one of those rooms, the middle one, Obi Wan had left Luke and Leia to rest. The children were too shaken to get excited over the prospect of having their own rooms, both deciding that if they couldn’t have their sister, they would have each other.

They had fought Obi Wan. Luke had raised his voice, yelling and screaming that he didn’t want to be alone, that he didn’t want to go to bed because the bad man would find him. Leia had remained quiet, her gaze far off but angry. She had finally leaned over and whispered the only sentence Obi Wan had been able to get out of her, her eyes full of fire.

“I hate him.”

Obi Wan tried not to think about the fact that Leia hated Darth Vader. That Darth Vader was her father and she had no way of knowing. That Darth Vader didn’t know that he had a daughter, didn’t know she hated him with all the rage that a five year old could have.

They had finally fallen asleep, curled together as they had when they were younger.

Across the hall were two more bedrooms. Obi Wan assumed that one would belong to Ahsoka, that the other would belong to Cody and Rex. No one had had time to talk about the future, but from what he had observed, Cody and Rex were well known among the budding resistance. As much as Obi Wan hated it, and refused to ask the question that confirmed it, Obi Wan wasn’t sure how often the clones would be on Alderaan after this.

But he knew they wouldn’t leave the family. Especially not now.

So they would share a room. That made sense to Obi Wan.

Nothing else did.

There was a room off the hallway. Bail hadn’t said anything but Obi Wan wondered if the room had been Padme’s. The balcony, the skylight, the mosaic details, it looked and felt like the bedroom of a queen.

Or in a different time, the bed of the leader of a house. Of a father.

Obi Wan refused to be there even though he knew that’s where he would end up.

He kept sitting at the kitchen table, kept trying to breathe as he ran through the events of the night.

Darth Vader was Anakin.

Darth Vader is Anakin.

Anakin did not die on Mustafar.

That meant Obi Wan had left him to burn. That meant Anakin had survived in some twisted idea of living. That meant beneath the suit Darth Vader was missing arms and legs, covered in burns and blisters, in constant pain. Obi Wan wondered if Darth Vader could even exist without the suit.

Obi Wan had done that.

Obi Wan had allowed him to exist in that perpetual state of pain.

Darth Vader had told Obi Wan that Senaara was dead.

Senaara wasn’t dead.

That still confused Obi Wan. That itself still didn’t make sense. Why would he lie? He could have used Senaara for leverage. He could have tortured Obi Wan with just the image alone of Senaara hurt. What use would Darth Vader have gained with Senaara’s ‘death’? What was Obi Wan missing?

Senaara.

Senaara with her bloody knees and bruises. Senaara with her lacerations on her side, with her burn marks on her shins, with her broken ribs. Obi Wan could only assume the worst on how she had gotten them. The physical trauma was reminiscent of saber burns, at least the shins, but the rest Obi Wan couldn’t decipher. He dreaded the moment he would try and get Senaara to talk about it.

She had been so tiny in his arms, she had been so limp, so weak.

Obi Wan’s mind kept going back to the image of Bo on her knees, stroking hair out of Senaara’s eyes. The desperate face of a warrior on Bo as she pleaded for Senaara to stop crying, promising her that she would take the pain away.

Bo and Satine had very little in common. They looked different. They acted differently. But the steady hand moving the curls away from Senaara’s face, the steady voice of assurance, it looked real. It looked like Satine. It had looked like Bo truly had wanted to help, truly wanted to love Senaara.

Yet Bo’s demeanor contrasted with Senaara. Senaara had been shaking, her eyes wide. She had been begging in quiet jumbled mumbles for Bo to stop touching her. That she didn’t know her. That she wanted everything to stop.

It conflicted Obi Wan how much guilt he felt for Senaara not recognizing Bo. The closest thing his daughter had to Satine, and she hadn’t been able to recognize it. She hadn’t known.

The other side of Obi Wan was still angry that Bo hadn’t pulled her hands away at the first pleading of stop. It reminded him why he had made his decisions.

Force, he had pissed off the Mandalorian’s further.

Bo was alive. Obi Wan knew there was no way Bo would let herself die on a Star Destroyer. He knew that she had gotten away with her two team members. He knew that a fight like that was easy for a Mandalorian.

But the idea that he just made Bo another enemy? That he was back where he was five years ago when he first fled her?

Bo would have taken Senaara. She would have forced Senaara into a culture Senaara wasn’t ready for. Into a world of beskar and blood. She would have trained the force out of his daughter. Bo would have made her a soldier, a symbol rather than a person.

But she was her aunt. Bo had a right to Senaara still, didn’t she?

No matter how misguided, she was still family.

Had he made the right call?

Was it the call Satine would have made?

Obi Wan didn’t know.

He just knew that Senaara had been bleeding on the bunk, she had been muttering and covering her ears. She had been hurt and needed to get out of there.

Bo could understand that. Couldn’t she?

Had Darth Vader been the one to hurt her? Anakin?

The thought made Obi Wan sick.

The twins had gotten so close to him and hadn’t even known it. They had gotten so close that they hurt him. They had used the force with little training, they had trusted in each other and they threw a sith into the wall. Now that the panic had faded and the adrenaline had died down, the blooming feeling of pride had started in Obi Wan’s chest.

His twins had done well.

They had held each other together so well.

Luke’s solemn determination. Leia’s fiery ambition.

Just like two people Obi Wan had loved and lost.

Or one person he had lost, and one who was changed.

Ahsoka had barely looked at him as he explained everything. She hadn’t interrupted him, something she hardly ever did. She simply nodded, her gaze far off, her eyes wide, as she simply thanked him. Her reaction scared him more than anything. Her disappearing into the Aldreaan wildness with a speeder from the new estates garage, was a slightly comforting notion.

Ahsoka, surrounded by stars, nature, and the force, would help her sort it out.

Though Obi Wan assumed this was a new wound for the both of them, one much deeper and much harder to heal.

It would take time to heal Senaara. That went for both physically and mentally. The twins were going to be changed to, this Obi Wan was sure of. But he was afraid for the girl that would wake up in the morning, afraid to see how much of his daughter had been lost.

Obi Wan had just gotten the twins to sleep when he had gotten the call.

Senaara had woken in a panic, crying and screaming. She had ripped out her IV, ripped off the bacta patches, had crawled to the floor and hid in a corner, making herself small as the force reacted in dangerous ways. The lights popped and crackled, the medical equipment fell over in a cascade of crashes.

Senaara didn’t stop muttering with her hands over her ears till Obi Wan had sat in front of her. Until he held out his hand and let her inspect it, until she leaned over before collapsing into his arms crying, until she allowed him to replace her bacta patches and promised the nurses they would be back in the morning. Senaara needed to sleep somewhere she would feel safe.

Senaara knew where she felt safest.

Luke and Leia, although drowsy, didn’t ask questions. They simply rolled over and made room, sandwiching Senaara between them, the three finally sleeping at peace. All together in one bed, tangled limbs and beating hearts. Just like when they were babies.

And here Obi Wan was. Sitting in a kitchen much too large to sit in alone. Watching the stars from long paned windows. Drinking tea and feeling the weight of the last three days settle on his shoulders.

They had survived it. But what was the cost?

Knowledge Obi Wan and Ahsoka couldn’t unknow? The traumatization of three five year olds? The loss of their former home and planet?

The twin moons of Alderaan shone down, gently lighting the wood and marble style kitchen. Obi Wan let the strangeness of fragile peace wash over him.

He didn’t realize he had stood up till he was half way up the stairs. He found himself standing at the foot of the children’s bed, watching the three sleep. Counting their breaths. Making sure each one was breathing.

Luke’s eyes blinked open, exhaustion clinging to the little boy. He smiled at Obi Wan who simply offered a soft smile in return.

“Can you stay?” Luke pleaded. “Can you protect us?”

Obi Wan’s breath caught. “I will always try to protect you.”

Luke didn’t answer, he scooted over as if Obi Wan could fit in the small space he had made. Obi Wan humored him, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Snuggle.” Leia muttered through sleep, rolling over as well, and lightly pulling Senaara with her. Senaara didn’t wake, but Obi Wan didn’t expect her to. The nurses had given her something to make it easier to sleep.

Carefully, Obi Wan laid down on the bed, his own injuries flaring up as he tried not to strain them. As soon as his head touched the pillow, Luke had cuddled into his side. Obi Wan wrapped arm around his son as Senaara snuggled in, placing her head on his chest, finding his heart beat. Leia wrapped her arms around Senaara, Obi Wan wrapped an arm around her.

It felt familiar. The times the four had snuggled together, had found peace all together, had accepted their love for each other, flowed through Obi Wan’s mind. The children as babies, as toddlers, now five years old. All safe in his arms.

The four of them drifted off to sleep, the quiet hum of force finally peaceful around them.

Even as fragile relaxations settled into Obi Wan’s bones, even as he counted the breaths of his children, even as he rubbed her son’s back and pushed hair from Leia’s face, he knew one thing.

This wasn’t the end.

This was far from it.

The children would need to recover, they would need to attend school, they would become part of this resistance, if their blood and parents meant anything. Obi Wan would start to work with the resistance, he would start advising, leading, helping. Ahsoka would go on missions, she would do something with her restless self, she would be the Jedi that Obi Wan knew she was.

But all of that felt so far away.

Tonight, Obi Wan would take the victory he had been given.

He would hold it tight to his heart.

He would hold his children close.

His double suns and his star were safe.

He wasn’t sure he could ask for more.