Two Halfs of One Warrior • Obikin/Vaderwan One-Shots

An Inevitable Outcome

• Summary: In every universe, Anakin's Fall is an inevitable outcome. But his happiness is only an inevitable outcome if Obi-Wan Falls as well.

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As Anakin stands over Grievous's blaster bullet-ridden body, Anakin feels his comm go off. He picks up. Palpatine answers.

"Anakin, my boy, you must leave Utapau immediately. I have just foiled a Jedi assassination attempt, led by Master Windu. This coup against the republic cannot be ignored. I have also received alarming news that Obi-Wan is supposedly the Sith Lord the Jedi have been searching for. Some senators told me they last saw him marching on the Jedi Temple with the 212th."

Anakin interrupts, "No. Chancellor, I don't believe it. That is impossible! Obi-Wan is the best Jedi I know. They must have seen someone else and mistaken them for Obi-Wan."

Palpatine's gravelly voice cracks to life over the comm, "I'm sorry I cannot provide you with more information as of now. I pray this is not true, but we must act if the worst case scenario is true. Anakin, I have a stealth mission for you. The Jedi Council already approved this decision. I just received intel that a large squadron of Separatist reinforcements will quickly blockade the system. This whole region of the Outer Rim is occupied by Separatists, but I have coordinates to a Republic-controlled area I'm sending you right now."

Anakin is furious. He knows this cannot be true! But he feels bad for his irritation at the Chancellor, who is clearly only trying to help him, so he holds his tongue and politely responds, "Yes, of course, Chancellor."

Anakin makes up his mind. He must travel back to Coruscant and prove Obi-Wan's innocence and protect his safety, since he was in the temple when Anakin last saw him on Coruscant.

Anakin comms Rex and says, "The Chancellor requested me to go alone to the coordinates I'm sending you right now on a stealth mission. I'll comm you again once I arrive. Got it, Commander?"

Rex replies, "Yes, General Skywalker. Stay safe."

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Having safely entered hyperspace, Anakin finally has enough time to concentrate on his connection to the Force. The Force feels bleaker than usual and the dark malevolent presence of the Dark Side is even more prominent than anything he's ever felt. He can almost visibly taste the sickly-sweet darkness on his tongue. He scrunches his brow, searching harder for the countless Jedi force presences that should be little beacons of light shining in the vast canvas of space. But he only sees a sparse smattering of star-like pinpricks of light, with many extinguishing as he watches. He realizes with sudden clarity and dawning horror that the Force feels so empty because the Jedi are gone, already one with the Force or soon to be so.

Worst of all, Anakin can't feel his master in the force. He wants to hope his master didn't turn to the Dark Side or die. He wants to hope that the Jedi's lack of presence in the Force is just some freaky phenomenon. But when has anything he ever hoped for come true?

His comm beeps, snapping him out his depressing thoughts.

When he answers, he is greeted by a holocomm showcasing a worn-down Bail Organa and grave Master Yoda, who looks to have aged a century since Anakin last saw him. Master Yoda's ears droop as he says, "Meet us at the Senate, you must. The Dark Side, now blankets the Force, it does. What transpired know, you must, but unsafe over holocomm to speak, it is."

Anakin's heart sinks and he bows his head, overwhelmed by the reality of the situation finally setting in. "I understand, Master Yoda. I will meet you there at the Senate."