The Young Republic | A Star Wars Story

Chapter 7

When the hopeful turns hopeless

"The winding path to peace is always a worthy one, regardless of how many turns it takes."

The funeral was awful. Watching as the casket, holding the body of her Master, lowered into the flames was almost too much for Xena. Almost, if not for her mother standing beside her. Satine couldn't even look as the flames lighted up the wooden box, choosing instead to focus on a vase in the corner.

Xena held her mother's hand, under the pretense that the Senator was comforting the grieving Padawan out of her good nature. But really it was Xena comforting her mother.

When Xena called her mother to deliver the news, she met the flickering face of her mother in tears. The news of a bounty hunter killing a Jedi spread like wildfire, the face of Obi-Wan popping up on almost every Holo-Net screen across the galaxy. Xena didn't know what scared her more. That the whole galaxy knew Obi-Wan was dead, including the men who orchestrated this, or her mother openly weeping in front of her.

Satine had always been a strong, controlled woman. She never cried in front of Xena. Not even when they parted for what would have been forever. Maybe twice had Xena accidentally spotted a tear in the corner of Satine's eye.

So when Xena was confronted by a grieving mother, moments after she had ended her own crying session, she was just reminded again of what was expected of her. Seeing her mother cry like that, Xena wished she could erase it from her memory. It scarred her to damnation.

Xena had to be strong.

Satine only wished she was as strong as her daughter. Satine wished that she could endure such hardship as bravely as her daughter. Xena never deserved this. Satine wished Xena had a better life. Satine wished for a lot of things. And the strongest wish was that fate would somehow erase Xena's memory of who her father was and send her back to her own time.

Xena had only found out who her father was -a question the girl had wondered for years- only for him to die two days after the discovery. It was a cruel joke. Maybe punishment for breaking the Jedi code.

"I'm worried about Anakin. He's barely spoken to anyone since the incident."

Xena heard Ahsoka whisper to Master Plo Koon. Xena then glanced at the man in discussion. Yes, Xena was worried too. But for a very different reason.

Anakin was seething in rage. In denial. In hurt. In revenge. It was like a dark storm had settled over his soul, clouding anyone from peeking as to what was going on inside him. The pure hatred... It felt too much like Darth Vader.

This was what Xena had speculated to be Anakin's turn. The grief of loss not being processed well. His emotions rampage and spread everywhere, seeking anything to give him a reason as to why. Xena knew firsthand that the darkness always gave the more satisfying answer, luring you in with lies that comforted your heart. 

That was how Anakin would turn.

And this might be the very first step he would take to disaster.

Was this Xena's sign? That she should just... end it? Was Obi-Wan's death an omen to what will come if Xena didn't act?