Pain

Chapter 4

Someone touched his forehead. Fingers slid to the side and stroked at his temples before vanishing into his hair, where he could feel them on his skull. Careful. Tender. He leaned into that touch. For a moment the movement froze in place and Obi-Wan was almost disappointed but then it resumed. The fingers returned to his forehead, trailed down his temple, over his cheek to his chin and then lazily upwards again and just under his ear back into his hair. A pleasant shiver ran down his spine.

Confused he started blinking until his vision cleared. A black, hideous mask was looming above him. Violently flinching he jerked back.

"What...?" Escaped his mouth, as he looked around. He was in his room. Or was he? It felt wrong. Not like the space he had been inhabiting for the last weeks. The dent in the wall was gone and the stupid imperial flag was back just opposite hanging on the wall.

"You had once again a nervous breakdown." Toobee explained. And Obi-Wan only now noticed its presence. "I was under the impression that Jedi exhibit an immeasurable amount of self-restraint and control over their feelings. I must have been misinformed." Then it started to elaborate on old teachings and Codes it had been recently studying.

Obi-Wan just stared at it. And wanted to push it against the next wall, ripping the head off to shut it up. How did this thing dare to lecture him on Jedi teachings!? Instead, he reached for the flag, tore it out of its fastening at the ceiling with enough force that a chunk of black massive stone came off as well, and flung it at the droid.

Before it could collide with Toobee, something changed the trajectory and the lump of fabric and stone crashed noisily into the wall behind it. Dissatisfied Obi-Wan shot Vader a look, who returned his gaze.

"You are not damaging my droid." He clarified. "Toobee, shut up." He then addressed it as apparently it hadn't understood what had just happened and blabbered on happily. Or it had chosen to ignore it. Who knew with this thing? It had never behaved like a normal droid. And now it looked back at its master, shrugged in a way too human manner and at last fell silent, crossing its arms in front of its chest, waiting.

Only then Obi-Wans brain caught up. His eyes widened and while he began to process what he had done; Vader grabbed his jaw and turned his head around to look at him. He leaned down a bit, staring directly into his eyes. The tendrils around him moved towards the Jedi, laying themselves around him in a caressing way.

It felt almost inviting. And way too little like the looming Darkness it had always felt like before. The contact didn't feel painful and invasive anymore.

"What's happening!?" A female voice rang through the closed door and made Obi-Wan jump. Vader let him go and, still unnerved, the Jedi looked at the door. Ahsoka. He felt her presence outside. Apparently not even trying to hide how nervous and worried she was as he felt those emotions lingering around her just outside the door in abundance.

For a moment Obi-Wan didn't know what to do. Did he want to let Ahsoka see him in this state? What was his state anyway? Something in the back of his mind was prickling. And he shoved it aside reflexively when he looked up and at the droid.

"I am sorry, Toobee." He apologized, tankful that Vader had stopped him from damaging the droid that had become more something like a friend to him within the past weeks.

"That's okay, Obi-Wan." Toobee answered as happy as ever. "I am very used to weird projectiles. You would be too if you've had lived with him as long as I have." He supplied and nodded at Vader.

But it was not okay. Nothing of this was okay. What the hell had happened to him!? How had he actually been able to want to damage Toobee? Quickly he focused on his mind and back down to the inflamed door. Nothing there has changed. It was closed. Nothing came through it except for the vibration that he had expected to feel, as a sign of Vader's existence. Its state was still the same, too. Withered and deformed and bleeding into his mind. Nothing had healed even an inch. It gave him the creeps. So, he turned away, examining the rest. It felt out of place. Like everything was loose and rattled and slightly shifted. But not uncomfortable. More like a different point of view.