I Bet My Life

Thirteen: Demons

When Obi-Wan watched Cody guide the three kids to bed, he felt sick to his stomach. He never meant to yell at anyone, especially not lashing out like that. He saw the fear in Leia's eyes, and it resonated a nauseous feeling deep inside. He felt angry at himself, yet wanted to break down. He stared down at the table, repressing any strong emotions from being released. He just wanted to feel normal for once, yet there was a void he was constantly dragged into that sent him into a place that showed no escape. He just stared blankly at the wood table, barely noticing the chair adjacent to him pulled out and scooted back in.

In all honesty, Quinlan didn't know what he could say. In the past, he'd seen Obi-Wan at some of his lowest points in life, especially after the death of Qui-Gon. He remembered sitting with Obi-Wan in the middle of the night, comforting him as he cried himself to sleep. He remembered some of those nights when he would find his friend in the bathroom, crouched in a ball on the floor near the toilet. To be honest, Obi-Wan wasn't quite the same after Qui-Gon's death. He used to be so lively and full of radiant energy, like bright sunlight on a warm day. However, Obi-Wan was quiet and reserved, but also more solemn and cold like a bitter autumn afternoon. It hadn't changed much since he was sitting here with Obi-Wan, just like he did with him 17 years ago. He took a deep breath and rested a comforting hand on his shoulder,

"Obi-Wan, I'm so, so sorry..."

"There's nothing you could have done, Quin... You can't change the past, and I have to live with my actions."

"You haven't done anything wrong, though."

"It's not about right or wrong anymore... It's dealing with those choices that don't have favorable outcomes."

"What happened, Obi-Wan."

"The Purge."

"Well, I figured that, but what was it for you?"

"...Anakin."

"But I thought Anakin died? Saving younglings from the slaughter?"

"It was quite the opposite... Anakin didn't die saving younglings from the clone troopers who marched in with the intentions to eliminate all Jedi... He...He... He was the man leading the slaughter on the temple that night."

"But why?"

"Emperor Palpatine, or the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. He manipulated Anakin since he was a Padawan at the Temple, twisting his ideals to pit Anakin against himself in the end. When it came time to choose sides in the attempted arrest of the Dark Lord, he pulled at the one heartstring that caused Anakin to stay loyal to him."

"What?"

"The power to manipulate death and to save those from dying."

"Why would he need that?"

"To be honest with you... I don't know his true intentions, but it was to make sure that someone close to him wouldn't die tragically like Anakin's mother Shimi."

"Wait... I'm still confused."

"I know this is a lot, Quinlan..."

"You've been keeping this locked up?"

"Not entirely."

"I can second that," a familiar voice spoke gently, the voice belonging to Cody leaning on the counter.

"Also, how do you fit into this, no offense? And the kids?"

Quinlan's question resonated with the clone for a moment, then Cody moved to sit at the table across from the visitor and left-adjacent to Obi-Wan. He took a deep breath as he took a long sip of his lukewarm caf. He hadn't even told Obi-Wan how he exactly found him three years ago after the Purge had begun. To be entirely honest, Cody was nervous to admit to Obi-Wan how he found him because the Jedi had never questioned it. However, now that it was brought up, he couldn't avoid the story anymore. He rested his mug back on the table again before recalling that event from 3 years ago,