Touch Starved

Chapter 12 - Fallout

Author's Note: First of all, this is the beginning of the second half of the fic. :) 

Second, I'm sorry about how this chapter ends. ;-; And just keep in mind that Obi-Wan... may not entirely be a reliable narrator? Meaning, that he thinks he knows whatothers are planning/thinking even if he doesn't. Not exactly. 

Also, there will be more with Vaderkin and Obi-Wan. You'll... just have to wait for it? :')

WARNING: Depression (major depression), suicidal tendencies, slight (or more than slight) possessiveness.

~ Amina Gila

Obi-Wan has no idea why he didn't expect Anakin's plan for Zygerria. He knows he should have, because in the past, Anakin has never made it a secret how much he hates slavers, and for good reason. But nevertheless, here they are, planning an operation which is definitely not Council or Senate approved. They need to locate and rescue the Togrutan colonists who have already been brought to Zygerria for the upcoming slave auction, but Anakin is planning to use the opportunity to destroy the Zygerrian capital and rescue as many slaves as he possibly can.

And Obi-Wan is all too happy to go along. His time on Tatooine has birthed a particular aversion to slavers of any kind, and he doesn't really care if the Council or Senate are not happy with the expanded parameters of this mission. If they're there, it seems like cruelty to ignore the suffering of all the slaves in favor of rescuing people from whom the Republic wants support. That seems highly hypocritical, especially since the Republic claims to have banned slavery.

Discussing the exact details of the mission also allow him to distract himself from the emotional upheaval of seeing Anakin's eyes turn blue. They're yellow again now, the Dark Side simmering around him as they plot how to crush the Zygerrian capital, but they had been blue, and Obi-Wan can't forget that. He's not quite over the shock and joy of seeing it, of knowing that he's right, that there's good in Vader.

Slowly but surely, the young Sith is turning back to the Light Side, something that the Jedi have claimed to be impossible. They were wrong, and Obi-Wan is so grateful that this happened, that he was brought here to the past where he can see how wrong the Jedi were. He nearly abandoned Anakin a second time, and he doesn't know what Vader would have done if they hadn't come back to the past. He doesn't want to know, because the possibilities are too awful.

Would Vader have ever come back?

Obi-Wan has no idea. Certainly, Vader would not have begun turning back on his own. He would have needed something to push him in that direction and knowing how he would have accepted that Anakin was truly gone, he would have done his utmost to ensure that Luke carry through and finish what he himself could not.

The mere thought makes him sick, so he firmly pushes it from mind. It doesn't matter anymore. They're in the past where they can fix everything and make sure that the future that they lived through doesn't come to pass again. It can never be the same, because Obi-Wan doesn't think that Anakin will ever go back to Sidious, not when he's so clearly desperate to stay with him, but Sidious still has his plans, and they will remain in motion unless he's stopped. But that's a problem for later. Once they finish the mission on Zygerria, they'll deal with Sidious.

Obi-Wan is so incredibly thankful that he and Anakin were able to talk. They have never been so successful in the past, and he thinks a lot of it is, in part, because of their surroundings. Anakin was comfortable and relaxed while curled against Obi-Wan, and that made it easier for him to talk. Also, it helps that Anakin is far more willing to open up now than in the past, after Obi-Wan has made an effort of proving how he feels through overt actions and words instead of being quiet and subtle.