The Unseen

Chapter 20 - Interlude

Obi-Wan is up long before the sun has risen. Two months after leaving Alderaan, they've finally settled down – albeit probably just temporarily – on Corellia. None of them could say what drew them here, but they'd unanimously agreed that the Force wanted them to stay here, so here they still are.

Anakin works as a local repairman, and it's become a good, if small, source of income. Besides, it keeps him busy, which has done wonders for his mental health. He's almost back to his old self, but Obi-Wan knows that he'll never be quite the same. Though Anakin has the familiar spark of life and determination, he's hardened significantly. Obi-Wan and Ahsoka have been teaching Luke and Leia both general subjects and the Force, the latter of which Anakin often contributes to.

When Obi-Wan enters the main room of the house, he sees Anakin sleeping on the couch, Leia curled next to him. He smiles at the sight, silently passing into the kitchen. She must have been having nightmares again, or maybe she was just restless. Of both children, Leia has been struggling worse, maybe because she grew up as a princess with loving adoptive parents. The sudden separation was hard for her, and she's been leaning emotionally on Anakin. She's homesick – her and Luke are – but Luke only misses his uncle and aunt, not the planet itself.

Using a carefully crafted skill, Obi-Wan begins preparing the morning meal with minimal noise. It's not long before Ahsoka joins him, yawning and rubbing her eyes. "I hate getting up so early," she grumbles good naturedly as she often does, going to help him without being asked.

Obi-Wan raises an eyebrow. "You always say that," he reminds her, unruffled.

Ahsoka snorts quietly, chopping some local vegetables. "Rough night?" she wonders, tilting her head towards the doorway.

Obi-Wan shrugs. "I think so. Leia probably couldn't sleep again."

The Togruta hums. "He's a good father," she finally says softly. "I – I honestly didn't think we'd be able to help him."

"Nor did I." That was his biggest fear, to be honest. They might have pulled Anakin away from the Emperor, from the non-existent life he'd had, but they couldn't automatically fix his mind. They couldn't fix the emotional damage which had occurred, and Obi-Wan was afraid that, one day, Anakin would find a way to end himself. And he feared. He feared that he would lose his brother forever if he couldn't reach him.

It wasn't until Anakin was healed, when he was able to live as a human again that Obi-Wan let himself hope that perhaps it would get better. It did, if gradually. Anakin slowly shifted away from the abyss, though he made no move to actually live. Even Luke and Leia couldn't completely draw him out. It wasn't until Leia was nearly kidnapped, when Anakin had the choice of fighting to protect them or remain passive like he had been, that the old Anakin finally came back. And Obi-Wan has never once been able to regret it.

He had thought Anakin dead, had thought that he would never, ever again get the chance to laugh with or tease his brother, especially after Mustafar. But maybe some things can only be fixed if they're broken. Maybe that moment was a turning point for both of them, bringing them back together inevitably, because they were both broken.

Obi-Wan continues working in silence with Ahsoka for a few moments before he realizes that she's watching him. He turns to give her a questioning look.

"When will we go after the Emperor?" she wants to know. "I know that we're protecting the twins, but we'll never stop needing to protect them unless Sidious is dead. We all know that. So what are we waiting for?"

"Must we be waiting for something?" he asks mildly. "Can't we simply be enjoying the ability to live despite everything which has occurred?"