Inheritance

"I hope my son doesn't inherit my penchant for losing lightsabers."

Obi-Wan startled, glancing at his former padawan in surprise. Despite their mutual agreement not to talk about each other's personal lives without invitation, comments like that always made him uncomfortable. "Why do you say that?"

Anakin shrugged, deflecting the blaster bolts coming from practice droids. The blue laser-sword hummed while it moved. "I like this one. Easy grip. Not too heavy. Good for close combat."

"That's your fifth lightsaber."

The timer on the wall dinged, and an automated voice spoke. "Machine overheating. Commencing cool down procedure."

Anakin straightened from his crouch, turning his lightsaber off and tossing it back and forth between his hands. "It'd be kind of nice for one of my kids to have a lightsaber."

Obi-Wan wasn't sure how to respond. "You want children? You, Anakin Skywalker, want to raise a living being into adulthood?"

"I'm perfectly capable of caring for a child, Master." Anakin clipped the lightsaber onto his belt and used the Force to call his discarded tunic and vest to his hand. "Besides, isn't that what most people do during their lifetime? Have children?"

"We're in the middle of a war, Anakin - and Jedi."

The Chosen One waved his hand nonchalantly, wandering to the doors of the training hall. "After the war."

Obi-Wan was stunned silent for a few moments. He watched the back of his best friend, not exactly sure he had heard quite right. A future without the man by his side seemed rather bleak. "You're...still planning on leaving when the war is over?"

Anakin palmed the door opened and tossed a confused look over his shoulder. "You knew that."

"What about Ahsoka's training? You can't just abandon her teachings because you want to throw away your life and live a civilian life!"

"Throw away my life?" Anakin asked incredulously, one of his hands clenching. "I wouldn't be getting shot at or wondering when breakfast came or told that my feelings lead to the Dark Side! You of all people should understand that!"

"Anakin!"

"What? You know I'm right. You would have chosen civilian life if Satine offered it."

Obi-Wan wanted to defend himself, and failed miserably. What good would it do if he revealed the true extant of his relationship and the origins of the so called nephew of the Mandalorian Duchess?

Bringing up a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, he breathed in deeply, trying to sense the Force around him. It hummed with tension, and he had a hard time breathing through his own anger. Moments ticked passed, and finally he spoke again. "What about Ahsoka's training? She is not ready to become a Jedi knight should the war end soon and you leave."

Anakin's voice was strained, like he was trying to calm down. "I wanted you to take her, Master."

Obi-Wan blinked. Take on another apprentice? The one standing before him had been enough for a lifetime. He had thought about taking on an apprentice at the beginning of the war, once Anakin had been knighted, but had ultimately decided against it. The look on his face must have shown his shock, for his former padawan chuckled.

"Ahsoka knows you, Master. She's eager to learn, more than I was. It'd take awhile, but I'm sure you'd rub off on her."

"Like I did you?" he asked sarcastically.

Anakin shrugged, stepping out the door. "I'm one of a kind, Master."

"Clearly." He followed the Jedi Knight out the door, waving his hand to turn off the lights. The corridors they walked through were empty, save for the mouse droids scurrying about. On occasion they passed a bored clone trooper on patrol, most of whom straightened in salute.

When did this become our new normal? He thought while watching Anakin be stopped by a member of the 501st. The Jedi Knight seemed perfectly comfortable in his role as a general, more so than other Jedi. Perhaps it had something to do with growing on Tatooine and not at the Temple. The High Council always did say Anakin started to old. Maybe his erratic ways could be traced back to a lack of discipline early in life.

Obi-Wan stroked his beard. No, that doesn't make sense. Anakin was born a slave. He had plenty of discipline.

But not enough to make him obey the Jedi Code, a voice in his head reminded him. It sounded suspiciously like Qui-Gon.

"Master?"

"General?"

"I'm sorry, Rex, you were saying?"

"Just making sure you're alright. You took a nasty fall during the battle."

Anakin was looking at him curiously, like he was trying to figure out the reason for his silence.

Obi-Wan nodded, remembering a time when Anakin was much smaller, practically begging him to learn the advanced forms of Shien. He forced a smile, and nodded at the Clone captain. "Fine, Rex. Thanks for asking."

The smell of magma and ozone and flesh was filling his nostrils. Sweat was mingling with the tears streaming down his face. His bones were aching, but that did nothing to the pain that was breaking his heart into a million shards of glass.

His brother, his friend, his partner in every way. The little boy he had reluctantly took on, watched and bickered and joked around with for the past decade… The boy that had turned into a man, fallen in love and been thrust a Padawan, married to a beautiful woman and been forced into the front lines of a war orchestrated by a madman that had betrayed them all.

The demon was staring at him, all yellow eyes and flames and anger - there was none of that blue eyed kindness, the small smile he made around Senator Amidala or the smirk he flashed his troopers.

Just rage and anger and pain, screaming in agony.

Obi-Wan disengaged his lightsaber, feeling his mouth fill with bile, watching Anakin try to crawl to him.

His voice broke while he screamed hoarsely, remembering all those months ago on Mortis. "You were the Chosen One! It was said you would destroy the Sith, not join them! Bring balance to the Force - not leave it in Darkness!"

He glanced away, turned his back, began to climb the hill, listening to Anakin groan behind him, wanting to wake from this hellish reality that had become his life in the past year.

He picked the lightsaber up, remembering the conversation all those months ago, about children and Satine. Aching, he turned around again.

"I hate you!"

"You were my brother Anakin...I loved you."

Flames caught on Anakin's legs, quickly licking up his back.

Obi-Wan turned away, swallowing hard, watching the boy he had raised burn and scream in pain before walking away slowly, towards the ship and -

Padmé.

Clipping the extra lightsaber to his belt, Obi-Wan ran towards the ship and the fallen Senator, praying it wasn't too late.

There was one last thing he could do for Anakin...make sure his child survived.

It was surreal, completely and utterly. There they were, on Tatooine, sitting in a hut surrounded by bad memories and old friends. He kept expecting R2 to beep at him, say something horribly exceedingly raunchy just to get a rise out of him. The R2 unit didn't, keeping quiet while Luke Skywalker - Skywalker, my God - was tinkering with C-3PO.

He half-wondered if Bail had even attempted to wipe R2, but he had a feeling the droid would have figured out a way to retain all of his memories.

"No...my father didn't fight in the wars...he was a navigator on a spice frieghter."

Obi-Wan didn't look at the boy - if he did, he would imagine Anakin, gleefully tinkering with C-3PO while Ahsoka asked in exasperation why he needed an upgrade. He stared at a spot on the wall, rubbing at his beard. "That's what your uncle told you. He didn't hold with your father's ideals and thought he should have stayed here and not gotten involved."

Luke paused, his voice so achingly familiar, like a certain Nubian Senator trying to subtly negotiate and sway people to her side. "You fought in the Clone Wars?"

"...yes. I was once a Jedi knight, same as your father."

"I...wish I'd known him."

He wanted your sister and you so much…

"He was the best star pilot in the Galaxy...and a cunning warrior."

Reckless, foolish, gave Rex and Cody and Padmé and myself a heart attack far too often with his tricks.

"I understand you've become quite a good pilot yourself."

Luke smiled a bit bashfully, and turned to work on C-3PO again.

Obi-Wan sighed, staring at the wall again. "And...he was a good friend." He stood quietly, feeling his joints pop. "Which reminds me…I have something here for you."

He strode to a chest and opened it before his fingers could think to fumble on the latches, speaking quickly while he dug through the box. Bail's transmission codes, Ahsoka's comlink, wedding rings, holos that Korkie had taken once upon a time... "Your father wanted you to have this when you were old enough, but your uncle wouldn't allow it.

Trying to quell the shaking of his hands, Obi-Wan brought out the lightsaber, watching Luke's eyes grow in awe. "He probably feared you'd follow old Obi-Wan Kenobi on some damn foolish idealistic crusade like your father did."

"Ironic words from a man who spends his days running hither and yon, wielding a lightsaber with deadly force as if on a crusade! Why would I listen to someone who so frequently relies on violence?!"

C-P3O's metallic voice cut through his bittersweet thoughts. "Sir, if you'll not be needing me I'll close down for awhile."

Luke's voice was distracted. "Sure, go ahead - what is it?" He asked, standing while Obi-Wan walked over to him holding a lightsaber.

"Your father's lightsaber. This...is the weapon of a Jedi knight. Not as clumsy or as random as a blaster."

Luke took the lightsaber, engaging it while Obi-Wan moved to sit.

"An elegant weapon...for a more civilized age."

Author's note: I've had this slightly au doc in my docs for awhile, but I could never find a place for it in any of my stories.

Also - I had to watch the battle to finish this fic and oh my God, I didn't need feelings today! :(

Enjoy :)

(As usual, I'll edit this fully at a later date)

ii Digestive Reader ii