If Hate Leads to Suffering... | Obi Wan Kenobi

Act II. vii (alternate)

[beginning of Ending II, for the ending where Anakin doesn't turn, please refer to Act. II. vii. Happy reading!]

Xaela's head pounded and her limbs ached, refusing to work as she struggled to sit up. Her spine was sore from the ground she laid on, and her legs were asleep due to lack of blood flow from the position she fell in.

She used her arms to pull herself into a sitting position. The pins and needles that ran up her legs added another pain to her body.

The Council room looked like the aftermath of a war from their fight. Scorch marks and broken furniture littered around, but the door was still shut and it looked like no one came for them. Xaela's immediate thought was that the Chancellor was not bested by the Jedi Masters. And when she looked out the window, only to see thick layers of smoke, she started to panic.

It was then that she noticed Anakin was no longer in the room. Her hair wiped violently around her as Xaela looked for any sign of him but there was none.

Hoisting her protesting body onto her legs, Xaela wobbled and fell trying to get to the door. It would not open, she tried code after code, banged and yelled, but it seemed to be sealed shut.

"Anakin!" She coughed in urgency, hand stinging from banging. "Anakin, where are you!"

But there was no answer, and Xaela knew that if he had locked her in here, it was because he had gone to Palpatine.

Xaela held out for her lightsaber, willing it into her hand as she unsheathed it. The door melted away with the power of her kyber crystal and the Sentinel managed to free herself from the Council room.

What met her was a Temple filled with death and decay. Jedi younglings and Padawans slaughtered all the same as she ran through in search of anyone who lived.

Xaela couldn't bring herself to say anything as she bent down beside one of the fallen. The wounds on them varied, blaster shots and other weapons - but one unmistakable mark came from a lightsaber. Xaela's throat tightened at the thought, but she wouldn't let herself believe it.

Reluctant both physically and mentally, she brought herself to the security holograms.

The Sentinel hit rewind, watching as the events of the day restarted themselves. She watched as bodies flew upwards into a backwards run, turning to look behind themselves until the culprits presented themselves. Republic Clone Troopers. Xaela had no idea what to make of this treason, she could think of no reason other than the Chancellor had sent them.

And then she saw Anakin.

Fury so vibrant in his features she could feel his hurt just looking at the tapes. Countless Jedi falling left and right at the hands of his sacred weapon.

Xaela's heart dropped. Had all the Jedi been slaughtered? What about those who were off world? Her immediate thoughts were about Obi-Wan and she almost started crying. Xaela had to clasp a hand over her mouth to stop herself. What if he had died and she never got to say goodbye? What if her last thoughts of him were that he didn't really care for her?

Xaela wanted to scream. She wanted to thrash around and hit something. Her aching body wanted to throw itself against a wall, just to feel something other than this incredible heartbreak. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't be the last one left alive, and if she was, why did Anakin spare her? Xaela would rather she be dead than have to live through this. She couldn't go through this without Obi-Wan.

The floor started moving closer and farther from her and Xaela thought of the last moments she could remember with Obi-Wan. It was almost like she could feel his fingers dancing along her spine as she slept, and the Knight thought she was going to throw up.

And then footsteps could be heard. And Xaela reached for her saber, it had to be Anakin coming. She didn't know if she had the strength to fight him again - and she didn't know if she even wanted to - but she had to be prepared. But the beard and Jedi robes that presented themselves had Xaela dropping her weapon and running to Obi-Wan.

They embraced each other and Xaela had to bite her lip, but it didn't stop the whimpers from escaping her. She breathed in his familiar scent and knew that she wasn't imagining him there as she clutched onto him with all her might and started to shake in her attempt to hold her sobs.

She didn't notice Master Yoda at first, and when she did, she didn't give two shits at what he thought. Everyone was dead but she had her Obi-Wan back in her arms.

After the eternity that they held each other for, Xaela finally let go, only for him to hold her at arms length and make sure that she was alright.

"You're alive?" He asked in disbelief, the same hopeless look that she held were in his eyes too.

"I was sealed in the Council's Chambers." Xaela said and turned to Master Yoda.

"Here a terrible thing has happened." He said in sorrow.

"Clone Troopers." Xaela swallowed hard, not being able to admit the rest.

"The Chancellor turned the Troopers against us too." Obi-Wan smoothed down Xaela's frantic hair in an attempt to sooth her. "We're not sure how many Jedi survived - if any."

"Being held an immediate Senate meeting is." Yoda confirmed.

"It's not just that." Her voice thinned out. "It was Anakin."

"Anakin? What about him?"

Xaela's eyes latched onto one of the bodies. Their face was pressed against the ground and identity hidden, but to her it was every single Jedi that met this fate. Every one that was murdered without a second thought, all while she was asleep in a locked room. She could've stopped him.

Had she been strong enough, she could've killed Anakin and stopped this.

"He killed them." Her voice was high, like it was someone else talking and not her. And for a second Xaela did think it was someone else, that she wasn't really here, and this wasn't really happening.

The two Jedi Masters looked at each other.

"Talk to Organa I will. Go to find him you must." Yoda sighed and leaned on his cane. "I fear strong enough alone you are not."

"There isn't much of a choice, Master." Obi-Wan's voice grounded Xaela.

"Kill young Skywalker, you must."