darkforcerising | OPEN POST

"He may well be a clone, but not in the way that either of us have come to understand the word."

He still had, at best, a very slippery grasp on the force, so sitting up more for this conversation involved bracing his hands on the mattress and pushing himself back and upright. Which of course hurt both his shoulder and ... honestly everything from shoulders to hips.

He went slightly more pale and his mouth tightened but he didn't stop.

"I cannot tell you how it is possible. What and why involve more Force and faith than science and I'm not convinced you'd believe me. I can tell you how I know, though."

So many little things, now stretching back months, from that first day in his hut, but it all boiled down to this: "Vader never let go of anyone or anything he believed was his. There were reasons, but even before his fall, he was furiously insecure and possessive. After he fell he killed a woman he had loved and the mother of his children when he believed he was losing her. The man you're holding didn't do this to me - he did, however, make me allow you to take him into custody and hold him, because me getting medical treatment was his only concern. Above himself, above holding onto me, above freedom or his continued life had one of the guards been just a bit less restrained. That kind of fundamental difference cannot be feigned."

A pause and afterthought, "Sidious isn't behind this. He's suffering far too many serious losses and both he and Vader are responding with too much paranoia and fear to be in control of what is happening." That part he is less sure of - that Sidious may be aware and using this-, honestly.

His faith in Anakin though? Unshakable. He'd trusted the man before, loved him for probably a while, but now? He hasn't gone stupid or blind (he hopes), but it is a deep thing.

Edited 2020-01-26 18:27 (UTC)

No matter Bail's need for information, that didn't superceed his concern for his friend's welfare. "Easy, Obi-Wan," Bail placed a hand on the man's arm. "You don't have to push yourself."

The man had just come out of major treatment for major wounds, and here he was, trying to act like the giant gash on his torso was merely a scratch. Jedi obstinance. Jedi obstinance.

This was all a lot to take in.

"Maybe it would help if you tell me what happened to you to get these injuries- and thank you- I should have said it before, for the new information you brought us, that will be invaluable." He sighed. "I'm just finding this all so difficult to understand. But it might help if I know what happened yesterday."

"I do. This is only the beginning of what you need to understand."

He leaned back, though, into pillows and against the headboard. Closed his eyes and spared a thought to mentally curse sedation and painkillers. Useful, of course, but inconvenient when he needed to be able to think and speak.

"We... underestimated just how much security would increase as the result of our previous interference." That sounded like something he would have said in a report to the Council. It was too pretty for what happened. He snorted: "We got caught with our pants down - with the Storm Troopers, but it's also the first time I've seen more than one Inquisitor in play. I got shot in the shoulder while I was trying to handle one of them. It distracted me, my guard dropped a quarter of an inch and she took full advantage. Flaying me forced my sword arm down entirely, and Anakin... threw the Inquisitors into the Storm Troopers, shielded us from the blast, and somehow managed to light them all on very explosive fire."

He should probably pretend to be more concerned about that.

"... Light them on very explosive fire?"

The look Bail gave Obi-Wan said he was hardly comforted by that last part. But it melted away quickly, because he would rather it was Stormtroopers and Inquisitors that died instead of Obi-Wan.

"Obi-Wan," he started. "I'm very glad you survived." Not just for the rebellion. But for Obi-Wan's sake and wellbeing, too. Bail didn't want to lose more friends in this conflict.

"What am I supposed to do with this information? You want me to trust you about a man who you say has Vader's memories." He very clearly didn't say he trusted Anakin.

He stood up to start pacing, it helped with thinking.

"I trust you. But one Vader in this galaxy has already torn it apart."

But what could he do about this? He didn't have the Force like his friend did. The guard outside Anakin's room was hardly anything compared to what he'd seen Obi-Wan do with the Force. If Anakin wanted to leave, he would - and that thought was something, because the man had stayed put all day.

"Can you tell many anything more?"

"I would like you to trust my judgement regarding Anakin. Given that my trust in Vader was so complete that it wasn't until I'd seen security footage of him murdering children that I realized that anything was wrong, I certainly don't expect you to."

Trying to visually track of Bail's pacing was making him nauseated, so he stopped trying and closed his eyes. ...Or maybe it was the memory.

"Then again, maybe you'll do me the courtesy of believing that I can learn from my mistakes and that I would do anything in my power to protect you - and your family." Especially Bail's family, actually.

...They had 19 years on the Death Star. This current situation was more than enough trouble.

Bail had held Anakin Skywalker in good opinion until the man fell. Bail didn't understand everything around it, when he had no connection to the Force, it was difficult to fully grasp what had happened. He also found it hard to believe the person he'd known- the person who had saved his life on numerous occasions during the War, the person he'd seen save countless lives had turned into what he was now. Obi-Wan was not the only one who'd seen the good man Anakin Skywalker had been.

But Bail stopped short. "Does he know about Leia?" He was usually very even tempered, he was a politician and could control the measure of his voice in strained circumstances. But there might have been some fear rising in his voice there.

If he had Vader's memories...

"Does Vader know?"

"Vader doesn't know either of the children exist right now. He will eventually meet both, and know that Luke is his son. He will never know that Leia was Luke's twin."

Was he lying? No. Absolutely not. Would not.

Was he going to leave out what would give Bail a panic attack? Yes. Because it was unnecessary.

"She is safe. She is also yours."

Bail had to sit down because he was adept at reading between the lines and at listening to what had not been said. Obi-Wan didn't need to say it.

He was silent, turning things over in his mind, for more than a moment.

But then, calmly, "And what else can I do about this information but accept it. It makes me very uneasy. But... I trust you."

"You can do anything with it that you want. You could order him killed. I don't think he'd put up much resistance." Which is upsetting to him, but. "I'm telling you this both because this situation necessitated it." Meaning he would have died, "but also because if something happens to me, he's going to need help and becomes your point person within the Rebellion. You actually do have to decide what to do with the information, and how to move forward with it. Don't default. Decide."

"Obi-Wan," Bail said. "I think you need to let me take this one step at a time."

Also, he made a face. "I'm not going to order anyone to kill him."

But he could also see that Obi-Wan was waning in this conversation. "Let me sit with my thoughts and we can talk again after you've rested some more."

"You need to let him in here, moving the guard to this door if you feel the need, or give him something to do before he gets so bored he dismantles his own arm out of desperation."

He... actually wanted to be able to reassure Anakin, but his choices were too drugged, or in too much pain, to handle the Force accurately. At the moment? He was both.

"Please."

Bail considered this. And with a sigh he nodded, standing up. "Very well. I'll have them bring him here. But please try to get some rest at some point."

Bail left.

***

When the guards came in to escort Anakin, he was on the floor taking apart his arm. He had his metal arm up in front of him, and he was using the Force to separate the pieces and float them in the air around him. He let the pieces fall when they saw him, taking away any reminder of the threat he could be.

They told him he was being moved so he grabbed the pieces that fell to the ground, shoving some in pockets so he could carry them all.

He didn't know where he was going until he was brought into the room where Obi-Wan was recuperating.

His face lit up when he saw him because nothing else matter, not even the guards posted at the door.

He went to Obi-Wan's side and sat down.

"I don't have anything sassy to say," Anakin said. "I'm glad you're still alive."

He tangled his fingers in the front of Anakin's tunic and hauled him in - where he slowly, deeply, and with a good deal of affection kissed him.

Because he was still all shattered shields and the inability to hold onto the force and he had things he needed to express.

Also because drugs. He wasn't even going to have come down before another dose of painkillers was dispensed into his IV.

He let Anakin go, stared at him, realized that his right arm was missing and laughed.

Which hurt - a lot but: "You did get so bored you dis mantled your arm. I'm sorry I didn't rescue you sooner."

Edited 2020-01-27 03:06 (UTC)

"People can see us," Anakin said, but he wasn't resisting, he kissed back.

"It was take apart my arm or start taking apart the equipment in the room and I think they want to keep that equipment together."

"I am aware," he said, serenely. "Bail's already concerned about my sanity, I think. We may as well make sure he has reason to be. ...You didn't lose any of the pieces did you?"

Of the arm. He's so intensely relieved by Anakin being okay and back he's making even less sense than he would otherwise be. There is no overstating that level of relief. If he were standing up his knees might have buckled.

"That's not how you reassure your friends," Anakin pointed out. But he brushed his complete hand through Obi-Wan's hair.

"My hand is fine. I still have everything. I'll put it all back together later. When you're asleep. Which you should be doing."

"I'll reassure him," and sleep, "later. I'm reassuring you for the moment." And himself. "I'll try to sleep if you lay down with me and at least try to rest."

He doubted Anakin had slept since they'd left the ship.

"If it will make you rest," Anakin said, climbing onto the bed. "You're going to be embarrassed with yourself when you wake up." But Anakin was already draping parts of himself as gently as possible across Obi-Wan.

"That is incredibly likely."

The pump near the IV emits a series of beeps, and dispenses another dose of medication.

He knows it, but he currently needs the contact so much more than he needs his dignity or pride. He shifts a bit to make room for Anakin, and gets his nose in Anakin's hair and a hand on Anakin's back.

"We need to update Bail's medical files to account for Force users. I could help myself if I could think."

"Shh," Anakin said. "You're injured." Anakin brought his finger up to Obi-Wan's lips. "We're resting."

He...

bit Anakin's finger.

Lightly, to be sure, but he still definitely and absolutely bit Anakin's finger.

Then he huffed softly out of his nose, curled up in a way that said he did not care about being injured, wrapped his hand possessively around Anakin's wrist, and-

Fell deeply into drugged sleep.

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