When You Are Forced To Tell The Truth

Rewrite

*This is a rewrite of the first part.

Obi-Wan shifts uncomfortably as Qui-Gon tells the council about his belief that the warrior that they fought on Tatooine had been a Sith Lord.

Gosh, he doesn't know how right he is, Obi-Wan thinks wryly.

He had died on the Death Star, the last thing he saw had been Vader's crimson lightsaber. He had thought that would be the end for him. He was supposed to be at peace with the Force, not back again. He briefly wondered if he was 55 years old. Or now, he was 20? Or was it 75 years old? So confusing...

He focuses back on the conversation, more like argument now, really. As before, several council members were denying the existence of the Sith, voicing their disbelief over it. All but one person, he suddenly realises. Yoda is watching him intently. Uh, he wondered, does the old troll suspect anything?

He squirms slightly underneath Yoda's intent gaze. "Padawan Kenobi," Yoda suddenly says. "More to add, have you?"

"Nooo?" He answers, immediately wincing.

The council members quiets down and turns their penetrating gazes at him.

Kriff.

"Know the identity of the Sith, do you?" Yoda asks.

Obi-Wan HAD intended to say no, but his mouth decided not to obey his brain at that moment and he blurted out "Yes?"

Why, he groans silently. Why me?

He can feel the Force giggling and smirking around him.

Too bad, it told him. If left to you, you would insist on handling it yourself. Consider this a lesson: you can't lie or omit truth for the next few days.

Why? Sometimes, he felt like he really hated the Force.

His answer to Yoda's question causes another uproar, but Yoda quiets them down with a sharp tap of his gimmer stick. "Tell us, do." Yoda says, rather sceptically.

"His name is Darth Maul, he is the current apprentice to Darth Sidious. His name is actually Maul and he is from Dathomir, from Mother Talzin's clan. Mother Talzin practices dark magic and Maul has two brother, Feral and Savage. Also, from the same clan is Asajj Ventress, who is currently on Ratatak with Master Ky Narec." He says, without pausing for breath.

Don't ask me how I know, please don't ask, he silently begs.

This causes yet another angry and disbelieving uproar from the council. Yoda studies him for a while. "Telling the truth, you are." He announces. Yoda's eyes narrow slightly in suspicion. "But, how know this, do you."

Noooo, Obi-Wan sighs internally. He asked the question.

"I, uh, lived my life and died and somehow, I'm back here again." He says. "Sorta like time travel, you know?"

This is too much for Mace Windu and the Korun stands up. "Are you lying, Padawan Kenobi?" He snaps.

"No, I'm not, Master Windu."

"How do I know that you're telling the truth?"

Obi-Wan thinks for a moment. "You're planning to send us back to Naboo to continue guarding the queen."

"Still too general." Mace Windu counters.

"Arren Rak and the lost Twenty."

"Lost Twenty from the archives."

"Arren Rak?"

"Hacked into the terminal."

"Seriously? You think I hacked into the terminal. I'm pretty sure that a closely guarded secret identity for a Shadow is NOT recorded anywhere."

*A very long silence*

Mace Windu thinks for a moment. "Alright, that is correct. But it still doesn't prove that you 'time-traveled'."

Obi-Wan sighs and walks over to Mace Windu's council seat. "What are you doing?" The man snaps.

"Relax," Obi-Wan replies innocently, " I'm proving that I time-traveled."

He reaches the council chair and accesses a panel at the side of the chair, that cannot be seen or felt through the Force. He types in a 23 digit code, made up of letters, symbols and numbers, and watches, satisfied, as durasteel shutters slam down from the glass window behind them and a lightsaber proof shield drops in front of the door.

"Point proved." Obi-Wan replies, a little smugly to the stunned council.

He types in another code, and all the emergency defenders are retracted. He steps back.

Qui-Gon and Anakin are staring at him wide-eyed and speechless.

Obi-Wan waits for someone to speak. Adi Gallia speaks up. "Let's say that your story is true. What do you last remember in the other life?"

Obi-Wan shrugs, "Honestly, the last thing that I remember is standing on the Death Star and being sliced in half by Darth Vader."

*A horrified, stunned silence*

"Darth Vader?" Yoda asks, sharply.

"There's a bunch of Sith and Sith acolytes, you know. Some of them haven't turned yet."

"Let's say I believe you. Can you name the Sith then?" Even Piell speaks up.

"Even the ones that haven't turned?"

"Yes, even them."

"Ok," Obi-Wan replies. "The first one was Darth Maul. The second one hasn't turned yet." He winces slightly. " You might have to keep an eye on Master Dooku."

"You mean to say that Dooku will turn?" Qui-Gon asks incrediously.

"Might," Obi-Wan corrects. "In the other timeline, he left the Order because on Naboo, well , you didn't survive."

There's another silence.

"The third one is General Grievous. I believe you will come across him later. The fourth one is Ventress, actually. But not yet. The fifth one is the Sith Lord that was controlling the whole thing. You might know him as Palpatine." Obi-Wan continues.

"The Naboo Senator?" Mace Windu asks, incrediously.

"Yes. Go and confront him, if you don't believe me. As long as he doesn't become the Chancellor again."

"Chancellor?" Yoda asks.

"He convinced the Queen to call for a vote of no confidence. Valorum was kicked out of the office and Palpatine became Chancellor."

"How about Darth Vader?" Someone asks.

Obi-Wan grimaces. "I'd rather not say because it's someone in this room."

Silence. Absolute silence. Then everyone starts protesting at once.

Sometimes, Obi-Wan really, really hates the Force.