White Rabbits (Star Wars, 6/?)
Jul. 6th, 2005 04:50 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
butterflyTitle: White Rabbits
Chapter: 6/?
Author: Diana Michelle (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif){kind=small}
butterfly.
Pairing: Eventual Anakin/Obi-Wan.
Rating: PG/PG-13-ish.
Summary: Wherein Anakin is possessive.
Disclaimer: Not Lucas, don't own a thing, not making any money.
Chapter Index
One moment, Anakin was leaping across still water, trying to reach Obi-Wan…
The next, he was landing hard on the sun-warm surface of a walkway.
He was on Coruscant – he knew it immediately, could feel it. No place in the galaxy felt as tight and frantic as Coruscant, the world-city that never paused for breath.
How the blazes…
Only one thing hadn’t changed – Obi-Wan was still near and still needed him. And that was the only thing that mattered.
The heat of awareness crystalized around Anakin and he took in the necessary details in less than a second – two people, a light-haired man and a dark-haired woman, both armed, were holding Obi-Wan hostage. Anakin could hear speeders and ships buzzing all around and he could feel the bulk of a transport nearby. Most importantly, he couldn’t feel Obi-Wan.
“Let him go,” Anakin said, low and dark. Something was trying to catch his attention, break his concentration, and Anakin pushed it aside, seeing only Obi-Wan’s limp form.
The man started to say something, but he fell silent when Anakin shifted into a ready position, lightsaber held high. The man looked over at the woman, who was blatantly staring at Anakin with something akin to fascination.
“I won’t ask again,” Anakin said, shaking off the discomfort that the woman’s look gave him. After they placed Obi-Wan on the ground, he gestured for them to move away. If they used this opportunity to escape, it still wouldn’t matter, in the end. They would be dealt with, if not this way, then another.
When they were far enough away from Obi-Wan, Anakin moved forward and knelt at Obi-Wan’s side. He’d know if they tried to attack and he needed to focus on what they’d done to Obi-Wan.
He touched his free hand to Obi-Wan’s forehead, realizing with a sigh of relief that Obi-Wan wasn’t still unconscious.
“Anakin,” Obi-Wan whispered, his eyelashes fluttering as he tried and failed to open his eyes. Whatever they’d done had left Obi-Wan as weak as a Jeyferi calfling.
“Shh, don’t try to move,” Anakin said soothingly. He could feel Obi-Wan in the same way that he could feel anyone, but the power of Obi-Wan’s presence was missing. “Oh, Master, what have they done to you?”
“Not them,” Obi-Wan said, managing to open his eyes this time, though they were dark with pain. “And… look to your left.”
“What?” Anakin asked, even as he followed Obi-Wan’s instruction.
Threepio, gleaming in the afternoon sun, was standing on a ship’s ramp. The woman and man were still there and they’d been joined by another man.
How had they grabbed Threepio? And why?
“What’s this all about?” Anakin asked. Obi-Wan just shook his head and then started to lever himself up from the floor. Anakin sighed and then clipped his lightsaber to his belt so that he could slide his arm around Obi-Wan and help him up. “You could at least give me a hint.”
“If I knew, I would tell you,” Obi-Wan said, only leaning slightly into Anakin’s hold. Eventually, Obi-Wan would stop being so blasted independent and just let Anakin help him.
“I’d like to know, too,” said the second man, blustery and annoyed. “Whatever it was, it pulled a hell of a lot of power from my engines and that isn’t something that I forgive easy.”
“Under the circumstances, I think that you should be the one making the explanations,” Anakin said, more than a little annoyed himself. “Let's start with what you did to Master Kenobi and make a detour at how you got your hands on my droid.”
The man appeared to have been left speechless by something, which Anakin was grateful for.
“Is… is he talking about me? Oh, I’m so confused,” Threepio said despairingly. Blast, not only had the space rats stolen Anakin’s droid, but they'd also clearly wiped Threepio’s mind.
“Anakin,” Obi-Wan said, immediately drawing Anakin’s attention with that familiar exasperated-exhausted version of his name that meant ‘I know that you meant to sound more like a Jedi there, so why don’t you try again?’.
“I know,” Anakin said softly, rubbing Obi-Wan’s back. He’d let this Threepio thing slide, for the moment. After all, he could always reverse the wipe by activating Threepio's hidden back-up. Droids were easy to fix. It was people that were complicated. “You really aren’t well enough to lecture.”
“That is something that I will be well enough to do on my deathbed,” Obi-Wan said, stiffening up slightly but not pulling away. “And you’ll probably still need to hear them, even then.”
“I’m sure I will, Master,” Anakin said, pleased to have his sincerity surprise a small smile out of Obi-Wan, even if the beard hid most of the effect. “What’s the subject for today?”
“Just… open yourself to the Force and tell me what you feel,” Obi-Wan said, as if that weren’t the aspect of Jedi training that Anakin had had the most trouble with.
At least Obi-Wan hadn’t actually used the word ‘meditate’.
Though if Obi-Wan had truly been cut off from the Force, then he needed Anakin now more than he ever had before. And that was a pleasant thought.
“Yes, Master,” Anakin said, closing his eyes. “You’re standing next to me, but something’s muting you. I can feel…” For the first time since he’d arrived in this place, Anakin opened his focus to include more than Obi-Wan, and he was shocked to realize that two of the people standing over on that ship’s ramp had incredibly strong presences. “I feel power.”
He opened his eyes, letting himself really look at the people in front of him.
First, and least important, there was the loud man that he hadn’t seen at first. He was easy to categorize – he was a common and scruffy space pirate. Anakin had known dozens of his kind, before ever leaving Tatooine. Anakin did find himself slightly disturbed by the odd look the man was directing at Obi-Wan.
There was the woman, long brown hair twisted up in a Tourgi-style bun. She was wearing all white, and her costume had the feel of being a uniform of some kind. She was powerful, but untrained. He’d noticed before that she had a blaster, but now he saw that the handle was worn with use. A fighter, then, and she likely surprised people with her skill.
Then there was the lightshow. He was strong, he was trained, and he wore a lightsaber on his belt. A Jedi or a man who’d killed one. If they did have to fight their way out of here, that was the one to take out first.
“Wait a moment, that name…” Threepio said, sounding more thoughtful than Anakin had ever heard him sound before. “Master Luke, this 'Master Kenobi' must be related to Obi-Wan Kenobi.”
Master Luke?
“No, it is Obi-Wan Kenobi,” the woman said.
“I thought he was dead,” the pirate muttered and, though his words were quiet, they drew Anakin’s attention immediately.
“If you meant to kill him, you failed,” Anakin said.
“No, he means that, in this time, I’m dead,” Obi-Wan said. Anakin took a moment to process that.
“Master, you’re delusional,” Anakin said. “Since we appear to be on Coruscant, and I would like an explanation for that at some point, we should take you to the healers at the
“That’s actually where we were headed, before you arrived,” Obi-Wan said. “Luke and Leia offered to take me there.”
“Wait, you know these people?” Anakin asked.
“Recent acquaintances,” Obi-Wan demurred. “I met Luke and Leia about an hour ago, and, though I have not yet been formally introduced to the third member of their party, I believe that his name is Han.”
“Right, I’m Han. Han Solo,” the blustery man said. “And I’m just as in the dark as you are, buddy.”
“Which is why we were going to the
In all of his travels, this was very possibly the most insane story that Anakin had heard.
Anakin eyed the waiting ship skeptically. It was haphazard, clearly second-rate, most likely used for smuggling. Such ships tended to be fast, but unreliable. They were always breaking down. And they trapped in unpleasant smells – Anakin had yet to run across one that actually had a decent air recirculation system.
“You expect me to get in that junk heap?” Anakin asked, after a long moment.
“The Falcon isn’t junk!” Solo protested. Anakin decided to practice a measure of Jedi restraint and didn’t tell the man that Anakin could probably build a better ship out of this one’s spare parts.
“I know what she looks like, but she’s a fast ship,” Leia said. She shifted uncomfortably when Anakin looked at her, but not the way that most women did. There was something about her, about the way she carried her power. It felt familiar.
“Well, fast enough,” Luke said, grinning teasingly at Solo, who glared back.
“Oh, I do wish that someone would explain all this to me,” Threepio said. “It's all very irregular, this business of people popping out of thin air.”
“Is Artoo with you?” Anakin asked, though he tried to push away his fears. “He’s pretty good at explaining things.”
“Why, no, sir, he isn’t here. He’s doing something complicated with a Wookiee,” Threepio said. “Frankly, I didn’t want to know more.”
“I can understand why,” Anakin said, a relieved smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. The Wookiees were great friends of the Jedi and Artoo had more built-in safeguards than any other droid in the galaxy. Padmé was safe, then, even if he couldn't sense her.
Anakin turned his attention back to Luke, the only person who actually seemed to know even a little of what was going on.
“Why were you taking him to the
“Because he didn’t believe me about something and I wanted to show him proof,” Luke said.
“Can you be just a little more specific?” Anakin asked, fingers tightening on Obi-Wan's waist.
“You don’t want to know,” Obi-Wan said, straightening up and attempting to brush off Anakin’s hand. Anakin reluctantly released his hold, moving his hand to rest on his lightsaber.
“That’s probably true,” Luke admitted. “It’s not… good news.”
“Though I’d like to mention, in advance, that I still don’t believe him,” Obi-Wan said.
“Not in the slightest,” Leia said. “He’s been very firm about not believing us.”
“Why wouldn’t he believe Luke?” Solo asked. “Luke’s an honest guy, he’ll give it to you straight.”
“Oh, and it makes sense that he wouldn’t believe me?” Leia said.
“That’s not what I meant,” Solo protested.
“Look, I don’t care about your petty little games,” Anakin said, though Leia’s offended look did give him an odd feeling. “I just want someone to explain things. Why are we here? What did you do to Master Kenobi?”
“We didn’t do anything to him,” Leia said fiercely.
“Well,” Luke said. He hesitated for a moment when Anakin glared at him. “I was concentrating on my... someone important to me. And Obi-Wan knew that person.”
“You think a lot, kid,” Solo said. “You’ve never made anybody appear out of nothing before.”
“I’ve never been in a place like that before,” Luke said. “It was… completely focused on one thought, one idea. All this normally loose energy was dedicated to keeping a single memory alive.”
“Maybe we should go back there,” Anakin suggested.
Luke winced. “I think that… Obi-Wan’s appearance may have sucked it dry.”
Solo paled. “Do you think… will the Falcon still fly?”
“Of course,” Anakin said. “Even if all this is true and my appearance took most of the available power from your engines, machines and the Force don’t really get along. All you’ll have to do is refuel.”
He took another long look at the motley threesome. Leia returned his stare coolly, Luke was smiling, and Solo still looked worried about his ship. They didn’t look like Sith Lords or Separatists.
So, he would try to be patient and diplomatic, as Obi-Wan said he should be, by this stage in his Knighthood.
Diplomatic, he could do, but patience was not his gift.
Of course, it didn’t help that Obi-Wan wasn’t terribly good at it either.
“The
“If going there means that someone will actually tell me something, I’ll vote in favor,” Anakin said. He took a step towards Luke, giving him the stare that Obi-Wan told him was far too forbidding for a Jedi to use. Luke blinked, losing his smile. Anakin smirked at him, adding, “Oh, by the way, I am going to want my droid back.”
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-06 12:27 pm (UTC)Leia's delightful, Threepio's dirty-minded (or maybe just I am), and I love Obi-Wan's tone toward Anakin.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-06 08:16 pm (UTC)I'm very glad that Leia's coming off well, and just thrilled that the Obi-Wan and Anakin thing seems to be working for you.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-06 09:41 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-06 12:52 pm (UTC)Anakin reacting to the Falcon almost exactly like Leia did originally cracked me up. Han being mainly upset about the Falcon (of course he hasn't heard Anakin's full name yet), Leia being uncomfortable and defensive and Luke beaming (until he gets the glare treatment) is perfectly in character, too. More!
(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-06 08:23 pm (UTC)Oh, terrific! Loved Anakin being possessive, about Obi-Wan and Threepio both.*g* And what's that about some memory backup? Methinks this will bring surprises for everyone involved, including Anakin (as Threepio was witness to the last act of the tragedy on Mustafar, sort of).
Threepio is definitely going to be helpful.
Anakin reacting to the Falcon almost exactly like Leia did originally cracked me up. Han being mainly upset about the Falcon (of course he hasn't heard Anakin's full name yet), Leia being uncomfortable and defensive and Luke beaming (until he gets the glare treatment) is perfectly in character, too. More!
Yes, poor Han is still stuck in, "Okay, seriously, there's a formerly dead guy over there. WTF?" mode. He needs a summary. And the Skywalker family relationships are a huge part of why I wanted to write this, so I'm very, very glad that it all feels 'right' so far.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-06 04:06 pm (UTC)R2D2/Wookiee that's a new OTP ;)
I can't wait for the next part!
(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-06 08:26 pm (UTC)This is so awesome! I love how much Luke and Leia are like their father, and at the same time react so differently to him.
They definitely both carry those Skywalker genes.
R2D2/Wookiee that's a new OTP
Hee.
I can't wait for the next part!
Yay!
(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-06 04:25 pm (UTC)While I read it - during work no less, because patience isn't my greatest strength either - I thought about Luke's or Leia's POV for that scene as well. It must be fascinating for them to see their father for the first time and observing how protective he is of Obi-Wan. Luke is, of course, tremendously pleased (until he gets "the look"). Leia is trying very hard to reconcile the evil Vader image she has with the protective Anakin she's seeing now.
The love between Obi-Wan and Anakin is so obvious.
You really captured all the characters perfectly!
Oh, and I love the thought that Anakin has given 3PO a hidden backup. It makes a lot of sense and I've speculated on it as well.
I've discovered one typo:
At least Obi-Wan hadn’t actually used the word ‘mediate’.
mediate should be meditate.
I'm looking forward to more. I really want to see Anakin reacting to all the news.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-06 08:33 pm (UTC)Wow, thank you!
While I read it - during work no less, because patience isn't my greatest strength either - I thought about Luke's or Leia's POV for that scene as well. It must be fascinating for them to see their father for the first time and observing how protective he is of Obi-Wan. Luke is, of course, tremendously pleased (until he gets "the look"). Leia is trying very hard to reconcile the evil Vader image she has with the protective Anakin she's seeing now.
Exactly -- Luke is finally getting to see that good man that Obi-Wan told him about. And Leia was used to thinking of him it as evil -- it's a huge adjustment to see him being, well, human.
The love between Obi-Wan and Anakin is so obvious.
It is! I just loved the vibe between them at the beginning of RotS, teasing and affectionate.
I've discovered one typo:
At least Obi-Wan hadn’t actually used the word ‘mediate’.
mediate should be meditate.
Thank you! It's so annoying when misspelled words are still words, and spellcheck doesn't find them.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-06 06:09 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-06 08:35 pm (UTC)Oh, I am just loving the way this is unfolding. The characters are just perfect, from Leia's reactions to Luke's smile to the Obi-Wan/Anakin interactions. I can't wait to see what happens next...poor Anakin.
Yeah, Anakin is in for some pretty difficult news. He's really not having his best day ever.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-06 07:12 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-06 08:36 pm (UTC)Oh yes, another chapter. Loved this, was so dreading the final parragraph that would mean I would have to wait for more, but that was a great line for Anakin. He really comes across in your writing :)
Yay! I'm having a tremendous amount of fun writing Anakin, so I'm glad that he'd coming across well.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-06 09:33 pm (UTC)Anakin has kept his connection to the Force, hasn't he? But Obi-Wan has lost his Force powers. Curiouser and curiouser.
I don't expect anything more from you than a vague hint. :-)))
My theory so far is that the shift in time and place takes a lot of energy. Since Anakin is more powerful than Obi-Wan regarding his Force potential, he's less affected by the shift.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-07 07:19 am (UTC)And, eee! Rereading? Cool.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-06 11:22 pm (UTC)Poor Threepio.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-07 07:20 am (UTC)And yes, poor Threepio's life is such a trial.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-07 12:21 am (UTC)Can't wait for more.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-07 07:20 am (UTC)I was just so incredibly struck by the complexity of both Obi-Wan and Anakin and could not resist exploring them more.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-07 03:20 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-07 07:21 am (UTC)And I love your icon!
re: White Rabbits (Star Wars, 6: The Tea Party
Date: 2006-03-13 08:10 am (UTC)“Let him go,” Anakin said, low and dark. Something was trying to catch his attention, break his concentration, and Anakin pushed it aside, seeing only Obi-Wan’s limp form.
Oh, dear. That low and dark bit did me in. But I had to resurface to wonder at the next line. Is what is trying to get Anakin's attention the Force itself?
Eventually, Obi-Wan would stop being so blasted independent and just let Anakin help him.
I love that line.
The man appeared to have been left speechless by something, which Anakin was grateful for.
*laughs* Like daughter, like father!
Droids were easy to fix. It was people that were complicated.
Anakin is so correct, and just not from his point of view.
I smiled at Luke the "droid thief"! :)
And laughed at Anakin's comment about the Falcon! Rather evocative of what his own daughter and son had to say about the ship when they first laid eyes on it. Poor Han! LOL!
"He’s doing something complicated with a Wookiee,”
That bit had me snorting with laughter, which is only just lower than chuckling on my amusement scale, a chuckle being the highest form of laughter. ;)
And Anakin's not-a-nice-person stare is so very wicked!
Re: White Rabbits (Star Wars, 6: The Tea Party
Date: 2006-04-04 10:47 pm (UTC)Exactly!
Eventually, Obi-Wan would stop being so blasted independent and just let Anakin help him.
I love that line.
Thank you!
The man appeared to have been left speechless by something, which Anakin was grateful for.
*laughs* Like daughter, like father!
Hee, well, yes. They're a lot alike.
Droids were easy to fix. It was people that were complicated.
Anakin is so correct, and just not from his point of view.
Oh, yes. He really is.
I smiled at Luke the "droid thief"! :)
Yay. *grins*
And laughed at Anakin's comment about the Falcon! Rather evocative of what his own daughter and son had to say about the ship when they first laid eyes on it. Poor Han! LOL!
I know! He's doing his best and it isn't as though the ship isn't fast. Poor Han.
"He’s doing something complicated with a Wookiee,”
That bit had me snorting with laughter, which is only just lower than chuckling on my amusement scale, a chuckle being the highest form of laughter. ;)
Thanks.
And Anakin's not-a-nice-person stare is so very wicked!
It is, yes. Thank you.