Star Wars Wicked Providence Chapter One
Title: Wicked Providence
Author: Kera (sweet612kitty )
Pairing: Anakin/Obi-Wan
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: mentions of slavery and prostitution, Jedi behaving badly, dark side utilization, the Jedi Council being assholes. As it is a WIP, I will warn if anything else comes up, but I can’t think of anything else right now.
Word Count: This chapter 2,030
Summary: Alternative Universe, Slash, WIP. Dark!Side Obi-Wan, Slave!Anakin
All it takes is one change for the Universe to be thrown into a tailspin. After Qui-Gon Jinn’s death on Naboo, Obi-wan is misled by the Jedi Council and the repercussions of the decisions made that day change the path of history. Ten years later, Obi-wan Kenobi learns of the betrayal and seeks his own answers from the Force.
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*Ten Years Ago*
“Anakin Skywalker, meet Obi-Wan Kenobi.”
Their first meeting had happened during battle, the young boy running with Qui-Gon in an attempt to beat the strange hooded figure on the speeder bike back to the very ship which had left them stranded on Tatooine a few days prior. The actual introduction took place aboard the ship later, after they had succeeded in outrunning the hooded man. At the first touch of their hands, a burst of energy travelled up Obi-Wan’s arm. He could tell by the expression on Anakin’s face that they boy had felt it too.
Obi-Wan was curious about this young boy that seemed to have captured his Master’s attention. Master Qui-Gon had a tendency of collecting wayward souls and pathetic life forms on his missions, however none of the previous rescues had glowed so brightly in the force. He thought about the energy rush up his arm and wondered what it was. Surely it could not be a bond? He didn’t think they formed that easily. Obi-Wan wondered if this boy was the source of the high midichlorian count he had screened earlier, and if so, how the Jedi Council was going to react. He knew what Qui-Gon wanted. His Master’s enthusiasm to train the boy shone on this face and lit up his eyes, (Why had they never done that for me?) however the Council stuck with their conventions, and he knew (even if Qui-Gon didn’t) it would be unlikely that this boy would be trained.
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The Council was steadfast, but Qui-Gon was determined.
“Surely you can see the promise in the boy” Qui-Gon argued, his face turning flush. “Surely you can sense how strong he is in the force”.
It was as Obi-Wan expected. Qui-Gon was sticking to his beliefs with unending tenacity. Why he was arguing in front of the boy, Obi-Wan was not sure. Anakin should have been dismissed while his fate was being decided. It did no good, if he was accepted into the Order, to think that Qui-Gon’s tendency to butt heads with the Council was the norm. It would only breed similar behaviour in the young boy.
“Who would train him, Qui-Gon? You already have a Padawan.” Mace intoned.
“Obi-Wan is quite ready to face his trials. I will train the boy.” Qui-gon replied.
Obi-Wan’s mind went blank. He had expected that his trials were approaching, but hearing his Master say so was something else entirely, especially in this context. He was being replaced. By Anakin.
“Seek our council you should as to when your padawan is ready to face the trials” Yoda said with just a hint of frustration. “Two padawans at one time you cannot have. What will become of Anakin until trials Obi-Wan faces?”
Both Anakin and Obi-Wan glanced up to Qui-Gon. Both their fates seemed to lie in the gentle, if bull-headed, Masters hands.
“Obi-Wan is ready to face his trials, and he should do so once we complete our mission on Naboo. Anakin will accompany us, however you have my word that I will not start training him until Obi-Wan has passed his trials.”
Qui-Gon looked around the Council chambers, expecting more arguments, but was met with silence and stony expressions from the Council members. He got the hint. None of the Masters were happy, but realized how futile it was to argue with him.
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Obi-Wan sat with his head in his hands. He had experienced some spectacularly crappy days in his 26 years, but today was by far the worst.
His Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, was dead.
Dead by the Sith.
Dead because his apprentice could not move fast enough.
Was not strong enough....
Was not... enough... was never enough. It was why Qui-Gon had sought to replace him. Shove him aside and train Anakin. The Chosen One. Qui-Gon’s Chosen One.
And after his Master had fallen, he had done what he swore he would never do. He called to the dark side to fight that monster. The Sith Zabrak that had slain the closest thing he had to a father. And it had been so easy, so second nature, to envelope his hate, call the dark side to him, and use it to strike out.
That wasn’t the worst part, either. He had liked it. He loved the feeling of power, of completeness, that had rushed through him. He had felt whole for the first time ever. He had been in control, and he craved control in the worst way.
On some level, he knew how wrong all of this was. This was not the Jedi way. He had betrayed his training. He had betrayed what he believed in.
But how could something so wrong have felt so right?
This wasn’t the only problem he faced right now, although it was, by far, the most pressing.
The Council was coming to Naboo. There was much to discuss, from the emergence of the Sith, the ending of the Naboo conflict, the death of Qui-Gon....
But first and foremost on the Councils minds seemed to be what to do with the boy. It had been the only thing mentioned in the message when they informed him we would be meeting them as soon as they landed.
Obi-Wan had taken over the care of Anakin since Qui-Gon’s passing. He knew how scared the boy was; it was tangible in the force. Anakin had left everything he knew, he had been freed from slavery, separated from his mom, and now had to go through the shock of Qui-Gon’s death. The boys future was in limbo, and the stoic nature of the council would likely not reassure the boy... none of this was Anakin’s fault. The blame rested solely on Qui-Gon and his bull-headedness.
Obi-Wan stood up and prepared for the arrival of the council and the inevitable series of questions he would face. As long as he could keep his enjoyment of the dark side a secret, all would be ok...
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“Obi-Wan, quite an eventful few days have had you.” Yoda was sitting amongst the other Jedi Masters in the room that had been provided to them as an impromptu Council chambers. “Same Sith Lord as that which attacked you on Tatooine this was, correct?”
“Yes, Master Yoda. It was a Sith, and the same one from Tatooine, but I do not believe he was the Master. Rather, I believe he was the apprentice. He was far too young, and while he was skilled with a light sabre, he produced none of the techniques we know Sith Lords to have used in the past.”
“You speak of Sith techniques such as force lightening and the powers of coercion that are taught to padawans as potential Sith warning signs” Mace intoned. “Those techniques could have been lost to time, not utilized by the Sith anymore. It has been a thousand years since they last surfaced. However, I agree with you, Obi-Wan. This was likely the apprentice. We still sense a strong dark presence in the force”.
Obi-Wan bowed his head in a sign of respect towards the Korun Master.
“Hard to read, your emotions are on this matter, and that of the death of your Master.” Yoda looked at him with a curious gaze.
Obi-Wan looked towards Master Yoda. He had thought he had been shielding so well...
“Yes, Master Yoda. Qui-Gon’s death was sudden and not something I was prepared for. I am struggling with his death, and with the feelings of loss and grief that I have now.” Hopefully that was enough of an explanation for the Council. It was true, but it was not the whole reason his thoughts were turbulent.
“Meditate on this you should. Release your emotions to the Force. Help you, we will, if you need it.”
“Thank you Master Yoda. I will seek you out if need be.”
“There is still the question of the fate of the young boy.” Stated Mace.
Obi-Wan met Mace’s gaze. “With your permission, I will train him. Qui-Gon asked me to before his death. I feel a connection with the young boy.” Obi-wan thought back to when he met Anakin, and the burst of energy that he had felt when they touched. Recent events hadn’t allowed him to dwell on what had happened, but he was curious to find out what it all meant.
“I still do not believe that he should be trained.” Mace intoned.
“Yes, much anger I sense in him.” Yoda agreed.
“As a result, Council has decided that he is not to be trained as a Jedi.”
“ I think it may be a little too late to make that decision. I mean, he’s already here. He’s been taken away from the only life he knows. Plus, he is so powerful. If he were to fall into the hands of the Sith, he would be a formidable enemy, one which we may not be able to beat. Surely it would be best to keep him around and train him in the ways of the Jedi instead. Beyond those reasons, he just saved the lives of countless Nubians. He is a hero. Is his reward to go back to slavery?” Obi-Wan was starting to feel the anger percolate within him again. He knew that the Council could be short sighted, but this was ridiculous. Why didn’t they just hand the boy, gift wrapped, over to the Sith? He could feel the rage vibrating within him.
“Obi-Wan, control yourself!” Mace warned. Obi-Wan could feel Yoda’s eyes beating into him, but refused to meet his stare. “This is not your decision to make, despite what you promised Qui-Gon, and the Council has already decided which course of action to take. Our opinions will not be swayed, no matter what you say. After Qui-Gon’s funeral, I will personally be taking Anakin back to Tatooine. He will not be released into slavery, but set up with an account for him and his mother, and given the ability to escape that life.”
Obi-wan seethed underneath the surface, but realized there was little he, a padawan, could do or say on the matter. At least, for the moment. “I understand, Masters.” At least Anakin would have a better life, even if it wasn’t the life of a Jedi.
“You are dismissed Obi-Wan. I recommend that you go meditate. We will see you tonight at Qui-Gon’s funeral.”
“Thank you, Masters.” And with a bow, Obi-Wan turned and left the room.
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Qui-Gon’s funeral pyre burned brightly. The flames were so hot, it felt as if Obi-wan’s skin was burning along with his dead Master.
Yet he was not fully conscious of this sensation, at least not conscious enough to back away; he wasn’t aware of the bright flickering or the pain of the searing heat. His mind kept playing the Council meeting from this afternoon... his fight with the Sith... Qui-Gon dying in his arms... the decision to send Anakin back to Tatooine...
A small hand worked its way into his, and his mind instantly quieted. He looked down to an innocent face, and two large, bright blue eyes. He could feel Anakin’s turbulent emotions, his fear, his confusion, through the Force.
“What’s going to happen to me now?”
“I don’t know” Obi-wan squeezed the smaller hand. It was a lie. A very blatant lie, but he couldn’t tell Anakin his fate here. Not now. The poor boy had already gone through so much, and he did not want to be the one to crush this boy’s heart.
It was Mace’s decision. The Council’s decision. So they could face the repercussions of telling Anakin. He would not do the Council’s dirty work. And he could not tell the boy his fate without bursting into anger himself. This was not how it was supposed to be. He felt a connection with Anakin. He was sure that he was meant to train him. To be with him.
After the funeral, Anakin had been separated from him. He could still see the pleading blue eyes looking at him as Mace dragged him off. Obi-wan felt like what remained of his soul had been dragged off with him.
Chapter Two