Fic: White Rabbits (Star Wars, 21/?)
Title: White Rabbits
Chapter: 21/?
Author: Diana Michelle (butterfly)
Warnings: Spoilers for Revenge of the Sith.
Pairing: Anakin/Obi-Wan.
Rating: PG/PG-13.
Summary: Luke learns something new and Obi-Wan finds something old.
Disclaimer: Not Lucas, don't own a thing, not making any money.
Chapter Index
Chapter Twenty-One -- The Archives
Something else had shifted between those two.
Luke lagged a few steps between Obi-Wan and Anakin, watching them carefully.
Most often, Obi-Wan was clearly in control, as he was now, supporting Anakin as they made their way to the Temple. Obi-Wan held some level of authority over Anakin, even though Anakin apparently wasn’t his student anymore, but back on the ship, Anakin had shown that he was fully willing to override Obi-Wan’s wishes.
Luke may have known more about his father than Leia had, but he hadn’t been expecting this Anakin. Like Leia, he couldn’t quite understand how Anakin had become Darth Vader - he was volatile and dangerous when threatened, but he was also very much on the side of the Jedi.
No, Luke thought, remembering Anakin's first appearance - Anakin was clearly very fond of Obi-Wan.
They weren’t, on reflection, anything close to the same thing.
Here, now, Luke could tell that Anakin had recovered enough from his initial bout with nausea that he could easily walk on his own, but Anakin was showing no sign of that to Obi-Wan. Instead, he continued to lean against Obi-Wan’s arm, as if he wouldn’t be able to stand up otherwise.
And Anakin himself was a dizzyingly blur of emotions that shifted so quickly and constantly that Luke had a hard time picking any one feeling out of the chaotic din. Concern for Obi-Wan was one thing that had remained constant all this time, though it varied in strength from moment to moment.
While Obi-Wan’s concentration was focused on the area around them, probably noticing the scorch marks on the ground, Anakin’s attention appeared to be resting wholly on Obi-Wan.
They’d reached the broad steps of the entrance now, and Obi-Wan had slowed down - there was more damage here. Almost half of the ninth step was stained with dark patches of purplish-blue. Luke hadn’t been able to figure out what had caused it.
Obi-Wan stopped there, had a quick, whispered conversation with Anakin that Luke didn’t quite hear, but that made the emotional glow around Anakin shimmer with frustration. Anakin pulled away from Obi-Wan, and Obi-Wan knelt on the steps, pressing his fingertips against one of the marks.
“Do you know what it is?” Luke asked.
“It’s residue from Kli’imk powder,” Anakin answered, distastefully. “It’s illegal.”
“I’ve never heard of it,” Luke said.
“It’s also extremely rare. It was banned with extreme prejudice over twenty years ago... twenty years in my time. It does explain the effect that this place is having on the two of you,” Obi-Wan said, standing up again and wiping off his hands. “Kli’imk powder amplifies and sustains an emotional feeling long after it would naturally fade from an area. And to use so much…”
“They wanted anyone Force-sensitive to stay far away,” Anakin said, putting his hand on Obi-Wan’s shoulder. “Master, now that I know what’s causing the intensity, I’ll have a better chance of pushing it away.”
“Possibly,” Obi-Wan said, glancing over his shoulder at Anakin, who immediately pulled his hand away. “But for now, let’s just take it one step at a time, shall we?”
“Why was it illegal?” Luke asked.
“Both its creation and use were deemed immoral,” Obi-Wan said, moving up the steps again. “Still, it was a preferred drug for years, as most people are at least a little Force-sensitive, though it fell out of favor when deathsticks became the rage.”
Obi-Wan moved towards a main entrance pillar and rubbed his fingers along a blaster mark.
“Deathsticks?” Luke asked.
“I know, it’s such a silly name,” Obi-Wan said. “You’d think that that would turn people off, but you’d be wrong. It’s insanely popular, despite its crudeness. Well, you know how it is.”
“Not really,” Luke said.
“People want the easy fix,” Obi-Wan said, moving away from the pillar and into the Temple, Luke and Anakin following. “Deathsticks give an incredible and fast-acting high, but the toll that they take on the mind in the long run is simply devastating.”
“Obi-Wan has a limited amount of patience for the weak-willed,” Anakin said, softly.
“Well, I’m not sure that that’s true,” Obi-Wan said, leading them off to the left. The simple fact that Obi-Wan knew where he was going should save them all some time.
“Master, the last time that we ran into a deathstick seller, you ‘suggested’ that he turn himself in,” Anakin said.
“I was doing him a favor,” Obi-Wan said. “Giving him a chance to clean up his life. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“He ended up at the Temple the next morning, trying to confess his crimes to Master Windu!” Anakin said.
“Wait, what does this have to do with… Kli’imk powder being illegal?” Luke asked.
“Ah, nothing,” Obi-Wan said. “Didn’t I already explain about that?”
“No, you skipped past that part,” Anakin said.
“Well, I suppose that I did,” Obi-Wan said. “There really isn’t much to say, after all. The Senate found out that it was made from the bones of a sentient, intelligent species, and called for it to be declared an illegal substance. The movement passed with a slight majority and, well, that was that. All known manufacturing sites were shut down and the planet of origin was declared forbidden.”
“A slight majority?” Luke asked.
“The Trade Federation and their cronies all voted against the ban, naturally,” Obi-Wan said. “Being caught smuggling an illegal substance carries far greater fines than being found with one that is merely deemed dangerous.”
“Naboo voted in favor of the ban, of course,” Anakin said.
“Yes, yes, of course they did,” Obi-Wan said, turning down a corridor and Luke was surprised to notice a note of condescension in his voice. He’d never heard Obi-Wan use that particular tone before. It was… disconcerting, and this place itself was bad enough.
For Luke, the empty halls around them rang with noise. Betrayal hung heavy in the air, and fear whispered in between the cracks. Every hallway they passed seemed to hold its own set of voices, calling out for aid that had never arrived and spitting out words of surprise and pain.
While the bodies had been moved long ago, all the marks and damage of that last battle remained.
Anakin seemed to draw more tightly into himself as they walked, his gaze still fixed on Obi-Wan ahead. Occasionally, he would glance into a corridor and wince. Once, Luke saw him mouth something that looked like a name.
Obi-Wan, on the other hand, was glancing around constantly, though his course was sure and unwavering.
Finally, Obi-Wan’s steps slowed.
“This is the closest entrance,” Obi-Wan said, stopping by an entranceway. Obi-Wan locked gazes with Anakin. “Don’t take what we find to heart, Anakin. Remember that you always have a choice.”
“So do you,” Anakin said.
Obi-Wan nodded slightly, and then headed into the room.
Luke winced when he saw the inside - he hadn’t gotten this far in his own exploration of the Temple, so the state of the room came as a nasty surprise.
The room was cold and dark, and there were several bronze busts on the floor, near shattered pillars of marble. Some of the terminals had been ripped out of the long tables and were lying in pieces.
This hadn’t been done to disable the room - as far as Luke could tell, no one had even bothered to turn off the power, since a few of the surviving screens flickered weakly.
The dominant feeling in the room was one of anger and… it felt familiar. Luke glanced over at Anakin and wasn’t surprised to see him looking pale and sick again.
Obi-Wan merely picked his way around the wreckage, heading not for one of the screens that seemed to be undamaged, but the center of the left wall.
“Are you okay?” Luke asked Anakin.
“Fine,” Anakin said, but his hands were in tight fists at his sides.
“Look, we both know that you’re the one who did this,” Luke said. “We can feel it. It can’t be easy for you and I just wanted-“
“No,” Anakin said. “Obi-Wan’s right. I’m not the person who did this. And I’ll make certain that I never am.”
“I just doubt that it’s that simple,” Luke said.
“Anakin!” Obi-Wan’s voice rang out and Luke knew that the moment was lost. “I need your help.”
“Yes, Master,” Anakin said, glancing over at Luke before turning and hurrying over to Obi-Wan, who was kneeling on the floor, apparently trying to pry away part of the wall. When Anakin reached him, Obi-Wan shuffled out of the way. With a quick gesture, Anakin used the Force to pull out the segment of the wall. Behind it, Luke could see glowing cables embedded within the wall, and they gave off flickers of Force-energy as well as normal light.
“Thank you,” Obi-Wan said, leaning forward. He ran his fingers over the cables. “Anakin, can you tell what’s wrong with these? I can only see that something is wrong.”
Anakin dropped to his knees next to Obi-Wan, their shoulders touching.
“Someone switched the primary and secondary,” Anakin said. “Anyone who isn’t an expert in Force engineering would just sense that the connection had been disrupted, that power was getting through, but not enough. They wouldn’t know how easy it is to fix.”
“That’s a good sign, then,” Obi-Wan said.
“And you did need me,” Anakin said.
“Just switch the cords back, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said, standing up. “You can save the self-satisfaction for later.”
Anakin looked up at Obi-Wan and smiled easily. After a moment, Obi-Wan turned away, moving across the room towards an unbroken terminal. Anakin’s smile widened and then he turned towards the cables.
Luke glanced between Obi-Wan and Anakin, not sure why Anakin’s mood had improved so much just because of that exchange. Obi-Wan hadn't even been particularly nice.
“Yes, that’s worked,” Obi-Wan said, a moment later. And the screen was bright with color now, scrolling quickly through what looked like a test sequence. “It should be ready soon.”
“We’ll want to look up just what happened after Hargoeth,” Anakin said. “Threepio said that you were injured, it has to be related to what happened to us.”
“I agree,” Obi-Wan said, not looking away from the screen. “The last thing that I can remember is Minister Julroth telling me that his people had something better than the Republic for protection. I asked to see what it was, and then I woke up here.”
“I saw you, lying on the ground, unconscious,” Anakin said, his voice thick with emotion. “I was trying to get to you when… whatever happened, happened.”
“Ah, the link is up,” Obi-Wan said quickly, sounding a little relieved. “I’ll just access our reports, then.”
Then Obi-Wan let out a startled breath.
“What is it?” Luke asked, moving closer.
“It’s… a message,” Obi-Wan said. “And it’s from Anakin.”
~end chapter twenty-one~
Chapter: 21/?
Author: Diana Michelle (butterfly)
Warnings: Spoilers for Revenge of the Sith.
Pairing: Anakin/Obi-Wan.
Rating: PG/PG-13.
Summary: Luke learns something new and Obi-Wan finds something old.
Disclaimer: Not Lucas, don't own a thing, not making any money.
Chapter Index
Chapter Twenty-One -- The Archives
Something else had shifted between those two.
Luke lagged a few steps between Obi-Wan and Anakin, watching them carefully.
Most often, Obi-Wan was clearly in control, as he was now, supporting Anakin as they made their way to the Temple. Obi-Wan held some level of authority over Anakin, even though Anakin apparently wasn’t his student anymore, but back on the ship, Anakin had shown that he was fully willing to override Obi-Wan’s wishes.
Luke may have known more about his father than Leia had, but he hadn’t been expecting this Anakin. Like Leia, he couldn’t quite understand how Anakin had become Darth Vader - he was volatile and dangerous when threatened, but he was also very much on the side of the Jedi.
No, Luke thought, remembering Anakin's first appearance - Anakin was clearly very fond of Obi-Wan.
They weren’t, on reflection, anything close to the same thing.
Here, now, Luke could tell that Anakin had recovered enough from his initial bout with nausea that he could easily walk on his own, but Anakin was showing no sign of that to Obi-Wan. Instead, he continued to lean against Obi-Wan’s arm, as if he wouldn’t be able to stand up otherwise.
And Anakin himself was a dizzyingly blur of emotions that shifted so quickly and constantly that Luke had a hard time picking any one feeling out of the chaotic din. Concern for Obi-Wan was one thing that had remained constant all this time, though it varied in strength from moment to moment.
While Obi-Wan’s concentration was focused on the area around them, probably noticing the scorch marks on the ground, Anakin’s attention appeared to be resting wholly on Obi-Wan.
They’d reached the broad steps of the entrance now, and Obi-Wan had slowed down - there was more damage here. Almost half of the ninth step was stained with dark patches of purplish-blue. Luke hadn’t been able to figure out what had caused it.
Obi-Wan stopped there, had a quick, whispered conversation with Anakin that Luke didn’t quite hear, but that made the emotional glow around Anakin shimmer with frustration. Anakin pulled away from Obi-Wan, and Obi-Wan knelt on the steps, pressing his fingertips against one of the marks.
“Do you know what it is?” Luke asked.
“It’s residue from Kli’imk powder,” Anakin answered, distastefully. “It’s illegal.”
“I’ve never heard of it,” Luke said.
“It’s also extremely rare. It was banned with extreme prejudice over twenty years ago... twenty years in my time. It does explain the effect that this place is having on the two of you,” Obi-Wan said, standing up again and wiping off his hands. “Kli’imk powder amplifies and sustains an emotional feeling long after it would naturally fade from an area. And to use so much…”
“They wanted anyone Force-sensitive to stay far away,” Anakin said, putting his hand on Obi-Wan’s shoulder. “Master, now that I know what’s causing the intensity, I’ll have a better chance of pushing it away.”
“Possibly,” Obi-Wan said, glancing over his shoulder at Anakin, who immediately pulled his hand away. “But for now, let’s just take it one step at a time, shall we?”
“Why was it illegal?” Luke asked.
“Both its creation and use were deemed immoral,” Obi-Wan said, moving up the steps again. “Still, it was a preferred drug for years, as most people are at least a little Force-sensitive, though it fell out of favor when deathsticks became the rage.”
Obi-Wan moved towards a main entrance pillar and rubbed his fingers along a blaster mark.
“Deathsticks?” Luke asked.
“I know, it’s such a silly name,” Obi-Wan said. “You’d think that that would turn people off, but you’d be wrong. It’s insanely popular, despite its crudeness. Well, you know how it is.”
“Not really,” Luke said.
“People want the easy fix,” Obi-Wan said, moving away from the pillar and into the Temple, Luke and Anakin following. “Deathsticks give an incredible and fast-acting high, but the toll that they take on the mind in the long run is simply devastating.”
“Obi-Wan has a limited amount of patience for the weak-willed,” Anakin said, softly.
“Well, I’m not sure that that’s true,” Obi-Wan said, leading them off to the left. The simple fact that Obi-Wan knew where he was going should save them all some time.
“Master, the last time that we ran into a deathstick seller, you ‘suggested’ that he turn himself in,” Anakin said.
“I was doing him a favor,” Obi-Wan said. “Giving him a chance to clean up his life. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“He ended up at the Temple the next morning, trying to confess his crimes to Master Windu!” Anakin said.
“Wait, what does this have to do with… Kli’imk powder being illegal?” Luke asked.
“Ah, nothing,” Obi-Wan said. “Didn’t I already explain about that?”
“No, you skipped past that part,” Anakin said.
“Well, I suppose that I did,” Obi-Wan said. “There really isn’t much to say, after all. The Senate found out that it was made from the bones of a sentient, intelligent species, and called for it to be declared an illegal substance. The movement passed with a slight majority and, well, that was that. All known manufacturing sites were shut down and the planet of origin was declared forbidden.”
“A slight majority?” Luke asked.
“The Trade Federation and their cronies all voted against the ban, naturally,” Obi-Wan said. “Being caught smuggling an illegal substance carries far greater fines than being found with one that is merely deemed dangerous.”
“Naboo voted in favor of the ban, of course,” Anakin said.
“Yes, yes, of course they did,” Obi-Wan said, turning down a corridor and Luke was surprised to notice a note of condescension in his voice. He’d never heard Obi-Wan use that particular tone before. It was… disconcerting, and this place itself was bad enough.
For Luke, the empty halls around them rang with noise. Betrayal hung heavy in the air, and fear whispered in between the cracks. Every hallway they passed seemed to hold its own set of voices, calling out for aid that had never arrived and spitting out words of surprise and pain.
While the bodies had been moved long ago, all the marks and damage of that last battle remained.
Anakin seemed to draw more tightly into himself as they walked, his gaze still fixed on Obi-Wan ahead. Occasionally, he would glance into a corridor and wince. Once, Luke saw him mouth something that looked like a name.
Obi-Wan, on the other hand, was glancing around constantly, though his course was sure and unwavering.
Finally, Obi-Wan’s steps slowed.
“This is the closest entrance,” Obi-Wan said, stopping by an entranceway. Obi-Wan locked gazes with Anakin. “Don’t take what we find to heart, Anakin. Remember that you always have a choice.”
“So do you,” Anakin said.
Obi-Wan nodded slightly, and then headed into the room.
Luke winced when he saw the inside - he hadn’t gotten this far in his own exploration of the Temple, so the state of the room came as a nasty surprise.
The room was cold and dark, and there were several bronze busts on the floor, near shattered pillars of marble. Some of the terminals had been ripped out of the long tables and were lying in pieces.
This hadn’t been done to disable the room - as far as Luke could tell, no one had even bothered to turn off the power, since a few of the surviving screens flickered weakly.
The dominant feeling in the room was one of anger and… it felt familiar. Luke glanced over at Anakin and wasn’t surprised to see him looking pale and sick again.
Obi-Wan merely picked his way around the wreckage, heading not for one of the screens that seemed to be undamaged, but the center of the left wall.
“Are you okay?” Luke asked Anakin.
“Fine,” Anakin said, but his hands were in tight fists at his sides.
“Look, we both know that you’re the one who did this,” Luke said. “We can feel it. It can’t be easy for you and I just wanted-“
“No,” Anakin said. “Obi-Wan’s right. I’m not the person who did this. And I’ll make certain that I never am.”
“I just doubt that it’s that simple,” Luke said.
“Anakin!” Obi-Wan’s voice rang out and Luke knew that the moment was lost. “I need your help.”
“Yes, Master,” Anakin said, glancing over at Luke before turning and hurrying over to Obi-Wan, who was kneeling on the floor, apparently trying to pry away part of the wall. When Anakin reached him, Obi-Wan shuffled out of the way. With a quick gesture, Anakin used the Force to pull out the segment of the wall. Behind it, Luke could see glowing cables embedded within the wall, and they gave off flickers of Force-energy as well as normal light.
“Thank you,” Obi-Wan said, leaning forward. He ran his fingers over the cables. “Anakin, can you tell what’s wrong with these? I can only see that something is wrong.”
Anakin dropped to his knees next to Obi-Wan, their shoulders touching.
“Someone switched the primary and secondary,” Anakin said. “Anyone who isn’t an expert in Force engineering would just sense that the connection had been disrupted, that power was getting through, but not enough. They wouldn’t know how easy it is to fix.”
“That’s a good sign, then,” Obi-Wan said.
“And you did need me,” Anakin said.
“Just switch the cords back, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said, standing up. “You can save the self-satisfaction for later.”
Anakin looked up at Obi-Wan and smiled easily. After a moment, Obi-Wan turned away, moving across the room towards an unbroken terminal. Anakin’s smile widened and then he turned towards the cables.
Luke glanced between Obi-Wan and Anakin, not sure why Anakin’s mood had improved so much just because of that exchange. Obi-Wan hadn't even been particularly nice.
“Yes, that’s worked,” Obi-Wan said, a moment later. And the screen was bright with color now, scrolling quickly through what looked like a test sequence. “It should be ready soon.”
“We’ll want to look up just what happened after Hargoeth,” Anakin said. “Threepio said that you were injured, it has to be related to what happened to us.”
“I agree,” Obi-Wan said, not looking away from the screen. “The last thing that I can remember is Minister Julroth telling me that his people had something better than the Republic for protection. I asked to see what it was, and then I woke up here.”
“I saw you, lying on the ground, unconscious,” Anakin said, his voice thick with emotion. “I was trying to get to you when… whatever happened, happened.”
“Ah, the link is up,” Obi-Wan said quickly, sounding a little relieved. “I’ll just access our reports, then.”
Then Obi-Wan let out a startled breath.
“What is it?” Luke asked, moving closer.
“It’s… a message,” Obi-Wan said. “And it’s from Anakin.”
~end chapter twenty-one~