Echoes of a Future Lost

Chapter 2 - Answers

Author's Note: Uh... a minor character death warning probably applies. Also, sorry about it. It seemed most realistic given... well, everything. I can't explain here or it'll be a spoiler, but you have questions, feel free to ask, and I'll explain our reasoning. :)

~ Amina Gila

The ship finally exits out of hyperspace, and they land the shuttle near the medical center. Anakin opts for carrying Padme off the shuttle, into the medical center. Bail Organa is sitting right outside, surprise flashing across his face when he sees Anakin.

Droids come to take Padme on a stretcher immediately, and Anakin is about to ask if they can come too when he hears the familiar thumping of a gimer stick on the ground.

Relief instantly washes through Anakin as he sees Yoda there, because so long as he's here, he'll know what to do, right? He still can't wrap his head around how the Jedi are gone, but if Yoda's here, that makes things a little better. Except for some reason, he does not look happy.

"Obi-Wan," Yoda greets, "Good to see you here safe, it is, but brought him with you, you should not have." It takes Anakin a moment to realize that Yoda's talking about... him? What? "Killed him, you should have."

Before it can even fully register what Yoda said, Obi-Wan's lightsaber is out, pointing down at him. "What are you talking about?" he demands.

"Stopped, the Sith must be," Yoda replies. ...what? Anakin doesn't think he's been this confused (and hurt) literally ever.

"Anakin's not a Sith!" Obi-Wan exclaims incredulously.

"Changed in both of you, something has," the Grandmaster observes.

"We both appear to be experiencing a case of memory loss," Obi-Wan answers, "I don't remember what's going on, beyond what Artoo told us."

"Mm, disturbing this is," murmurs Yoda, "Need your lightsaber you do not, Obi-Wan." Looking suddenly abashed, Obi-Wan deactivates it, clipping it back to his belt. "Speak with you in private, I would like."

All of this is moving way too quickly, and Anakin didn't think the day could get more confusing but apparently it can. What does Yoda mean –?! He has to be misunderstanding something, because none of this makes any sense. And... he finds himself automatically looking to Obi-Wan for some sort of reassurance that... that Yoda can't possibly be implying what he thinks he was about the future.

His master reaches over, briefly resting a hand on his shoulder and he would have leaned into the touch instantly if Yoda hadn't been staring at him almost accusingly. It hurts, because... he doesn't understand! He's not a Sith. He would never Fall. Why...? This doesn't make any sense! (And why would Yoda have sent Obi-Wan to kill him?!?! Is that what he's saying? That's – no it, can't be. He has to be misunderstanding something.)

"Check up on the Queen," Obi-Wan instructs gently, "I'll figure out what's going on."

Yoda looks unhappy about that for whatever reason, but he doesn't argue as Anakin slips from the room without another word.

***

Obi-Wan is... If the Force wasn't telling him otherwise, he wouldn't even believe that this actually is Yoda, because he isn't making an ounce of sense right now. And what in the name of the Force does he think he means by saying that he wanted Obi-Wan to kill Anakin, his own padawan? For what? In truth he doesn't think it matters what Anakin did; he couldn't even dream of such a thing. Obviously, he is clearly missing something very huge here, and he isn't entirely sure Yoda is stable at the moment, because this doesn't make any sense.