MOONDUST ▷ OBI-WAN KENOBI

CHAPTER XXIII. six feet under

☆ | CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE; SIX FEET UNDER.

{"nothing ever truly dies. it crumbles and is then immortalised as memory. there will always be mouths to tell the story of what we once thought was buried six feet under the soft earth"}

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In a galaxy wrought with darkness and malevolence, the birth of the two luminous beings that were the Skywalker twins lit a spark of hope within the three force sensitives that had witnessed the children's arrival. The darkness, which had undisputedly polluted the force in the time that everything they had ever known fell apart, seemed weaker than before, as if the arrival of souls so pristine and unadulterated had already begun to threaten the darkness' power over the galaxy. Luke and Leia had only just been born, but they already exposed the vulnerability of the darkness's hold on the galaxy, and Ingrid, Obi-Wan, and Anakin could all sense it.

It was in these moments following their births in which Ingrid wished she could remain forever- the small whimpers of the twins the only sound that could be heard and the only things to be felt being awe towards the miracle of life and the hope that the miracle had gifted them with. It was in these moment where Ingrid felt truly at peace, not only surrounded by those she loved, but also vested with the knowledge that the galaxy had a chance. These small children had only been alive for a few moments, but they had already changed everything for the better.

Despite Ingrid's pleas to remain in these precious moments forever, the might of her prayers were not enough to stop reality from shattering the moment, and soon Ingrid found herself torn from Padmé's side to sit with Obi-Wan, Yoda and Senator Organa to discuss the future ahead of them. For a while, the four sat in silence at the long white table on the Tantive IV, unsure of where to even begin.

"We cannot stay here forever." Obi-Wan was the one to finally put an end to the tense silence, and Ingrid winced as his strong voice sliced through the quiet. "Polis Massa may be safe now, but there's no telling when the Emperor's forces will find us."

"Where will we go?" Ingrid asked. "We cannot return to Coruscant." Her mind drifted to Esmé and Risa, wondering where the ship Obi-Wan had arranged for them had ended up. They too, could no longer return to Coruscant- Palpatine was no doubt aware of their existence and connection to Ingrid, and if he truly planned on wiping out the last remnants of the Jedi, Esmé and Risa would be a perfect way to draw her out of hiding. Guilt latched onto her chest like a parasite as she thought of Risa, who, because of her mother's unwavering care for for a woman so undeserving of love, would never know peace, would never be able to return to her childhood home.

"My wife and I can keep you safe on Alderaan," Bail Organa suggested, but before Ingrid could even begin to dream of a sanctuary among beautiful snow-capped mountains and clear skies, Obi-Wan was quick to shut down the possibility.