Choose Your Words || A Obi-Wan Kenobi/Anakin Skywalker Story

Chapter 2: Across The Stars

Anakin has been looking forward to this moment.

He never had a reason to look forward to anything in his life before. Ever. A slave boy, what could he possibly be excited about?

And yet, the joyful anticipation is prickling all over his skin. Something is coming. That Light he keeps seeing in his dreams - that Light is drawing closer. Like a shooting star falling from the night sky, it is coming down to the ground, and on some deep level, Anakin knows he is standing right in the middle of the future impact crater. And he doesn't mind it at all - as long as the Light obliterates the hateful town of Mos Espa along with him...

He can sense the Light already entering the atmosphere. Wouldn't it be nice if it blew up the entire sandy hell of Tatooine?

Anakin closes his eyes.

Six seconds to impact.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

"Hello there!" the Light says.

🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️

Anakin drags his eyes open. Slowly. Incredulously.

The explosion he has been anticipating never comes, but right there, in the doorway of Watto's Parts store, there stands his Light.

Only it isn't a star at all. It is a dark obsidian figure of a man whose face Anakin cannot see because of the blinding halo shining around him. But for a moment there, in the shimmering glow, Anakin catches a glimpse of something resembling wings folded neatly behind the man's back.

"Are you an angel?" Anakin whispers, wide-eyed and gaping at the sight.

"Hardly," the figure laughs melodiously and steps inside from the sunlit street into the twilight of the store.

And only then is Anakin able to see the man clearly: simple linen apparel, a flowing brown cloak and a leather utility belt with a lightsaber clipped to it.

A Jedi.

"I am merely a humble Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi," the man says in an elegant Coruscanti voice as he folds his arms, hiding them in his loose sleeves, and bows a little as a sign of greeting.

Anakin staggers back in utter shock.

Why would this man - this magnificent, powerful Jedi - bow to him, a nine-year-old slave boy from Tatooine? Even as a greeting. That would mean they were equals.

They are not. They never will be. Even if he weren't a slave, he could never compare with this highborn man. Not even his modest Jedi clothing can cover up the fact that this man is so very obviously of royal blood. Aside from the noble, porcelain paleness of his skin and the auburn crown of his hair, he also has this presence around him - something that makes Anakin feel humbled and unworthy, something that makes him want to kneel...

Anakin almost has to force himself to stand upright when his knees buckle in an unconscious desire to do just that. Kneel.

He hastily doubles over in his respectful bow instead.

"I'm Anakin Skywalker, Master."

"I hope you are not too disappointed that I am not an angel?" The Jedi smiles and gives Anakin a soft look of amusement that makes his skin crawl.

Anakin flushes so vigorously that his eyes start to water, and he shyly lowers his head under the piercing, stormy blue gaze of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"No, Master. It's even better this way."