Chapter Seven: Omega

A/N: This update is a bit later than I would have liked, but hopefully it being longer than usual makes up for it! There's a bit to unpack this chapter, so I hope you enjoy - and please, let me know what you think.

Obi-Wan couldn't have said how much time passed before Valencia woke, groggily coming to consciousness and inspecting her surroundings. She took in her wrists and the cuffs that bound them, squinting as she adjusted to the darkness. The passage of time was difficult to tell, but he assumed he'd been awake around an hour or so. He had tried to meditate, finding it hard to focus considering their current situation.

"Obi-Wan?" she asked quietly. Her voice quavered with uncertainty. For a woman typically so confident, it unnerved him to hear her uncertainty.

"Yes, I'm here." He hoped that he sounded reassuring. Before he could continue, the door to their cell hissed open. Obi-Wan tensed, anticipating Grievous - however it was the man who had been with him, the dark-haired one that Valencia had referred to as Saxon. She had recognised him, although Obi-Wan could not have said how.

"I'm glad to see you're both awake."

On closer inspection, Obi-Wan did recognise the man - and he would have reached for his lightsaber had it been on his person. The man that Valencia called Saxon was none other than Granta Omega, who had killed Jedi, who was their sworn enemy. The idea that his Padawan knew him as something else perturbed him, and he wondered what circumstances she had met him under.

"You," Valencia spat, eyes wild and shoulders tense as she glared up at him. "Why are we here?"

Her defiance reminded him of Qui-Gon, and Obi-Wan's heart ached at the realisation. He dispelled the thought in a moment, inhaling deeply and focusing on the task at hand. They had been captured by Grievous and Omega, meaning that it seemed their enemies had joined forces and Omega was now a Separatist.

"Val," Obi-Wan said, his voice heavy as he realised his Padawan had no idea who they were dealing with, "This is Granta Omega."

"No." The whisper came out hoarse, and Valencia's eyes were full of horror as she inspected the man in front of them. She'd never met him...or had she? If she knew him as Saxon, the implication was that they'd met under different circumstances.

"We both went by different names." Omega shrugged his shoulders, nonchalant. "Why does it matter now who I am?"

Valencia's eyes were glassy with unshed tears and Obi-Wan realised whatever twisted history they shared, she felt betrayed by the knowledge of who he was. He hadn't anticipated that their enemy's appearance would have had such an impact on Valencia. What was it that she hadn't told him?

"Val?" Obi-Wan prompted gently, as the blonde woman's shoulders were wracked with sobs, "How do you know him?"

"Because I…because we…" Valencia was crying openly, tears streaming down her cheeks and her eyes dark with shame. She couldn't look him in the eye. A sense of something dark came over Obi-Wan, an ominous feeling.

Omega smirked. "Because I had sex with her."

"You…" Obi-Wan forced himself not to come to the wrong conclusion, turning his attention on the sobbing Valencia. "Did he force you?"

"No," she choked out, and hid her face in her hands like somehow that was even worse. "It happened when I was seventeen."

It suddenly occurred to Obi-Wan, as he clocked the numbers. The timing of when Valencia had slept with Granta Omega, little knowing that he was the enemy, the timing of Beck's birth. Realisation dawned upon him, terrible and shocking.

"Beck is his son," he whispered.

"What?" Omega frowned, and Obi-Wan realised with horror the mistake he'd made. Valencia had never wanted to talk about Beck's father because Omega hadn't known about Beck. Her tears stopped immediately as she stared up at Omega, assessing his reaction to what Obi-Wan had just said. There was curiosity in his expression, and Obi-Wan sensed that was even worse than disinterest.

"Nothing." She shook her head fervently, as though that could erase the words Obi-Wan had spoken.

Omega arched a dark eyebrow. "We have a child?"

"You don't have anything," Valencia spat, her slim body shaking with anger, "He's my son. He has nothing to do with you."

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and willed her silently to remain calm. To surrender to rage would be to drift dangerously close to the Dark side of the Force. Omega wanted her fury. It was up to Valencia to deny him that. Omega's handsome face was cruelly amused, pale eyes sweeping lazily over Valencia's body.

"He must be a good-looking boy. You're still an attractive woman, Jedi or not."

This time, Valencia said nothing. She averted her eyes, and Obi-Wan could tell that she was ashamed. Although she no longer cried, she shrivelled in on herself at Omega's attention. Had she known who this man was, Beck wouldn't exist. Obi-Wan knew that she blamed herself, however unreasonably.

"What do you want with us, Omega?" he asked, keeping his tone level. He needed to ensure at least one of them appeared to be composed, and that certainly wasn't Valencia at this point. Omega paced back and forth, his boots clunking across the floor. Valencia observed his every move, her hands fisted within her cuffs.

"Initially, revenge. However, now I know there's a child in the mix...how old is the boy now? Five?"

"Six," Valencia said through clenched teeth. Obi-Wan wished she would remain silent. She was just playing Omega's game.

"He's part of the Order, isn't he?" Omega's cold eyes swept between them. "It must be amusing for you, Kenobi, to know how much I hate the Jedi, and now to realise my son is training to become one."

Valencia's expression morphed into one of pure horror. "He's just a little boy, you can't…"

Omega held up a hand, silencing her. "I don't intend to harm him. I intend to save him."

"Save him from what?" Valencia's brow furrowed.

"The Jedi." Omega's lip curled, and hatred flashed in his pale eyes. "You see, the reason I wanted you and Kenobi here because you are the ones who meant the most to Qui-Gon. The man who killed my father."

"Qui-Gon never killed your father," Obi-Wan interjected, unwilling to hear Omega speak his late master's name when it wasn't the truth, "Your father committed suicide to evade capture."

"Xanatos," Valencia murmured, the name off her lips like a punch to the stomach. Obi-Wan hadn't realised that she knew, but suspected someone must have said something to her. It was not common knowledge. Omega had always blamed Qui-Gon for Xanatos's death.

"Ah, so you know of him." Omega's disdainful expression turned to delight. "He was once Qui-Gon's apprentice, until he left the Order, disillusioned with what the Jedi really were. They considered him an enemy. They hunted him down."

Obi-Wan hoped Valencia didn't believe a word this man said, but he was cautious. She had found Omega charming and attractive once, enough so as to have conceived a child with him. He could be a dangerously persuasive speaker, and he feared that Omega meant to influence his apprentice, to tempt her from the Light.

"Why?" Valencia rose to her feet. Obi-Wan expected Omega to take a step back, though he did not. He had half a foot on the Jedi Padawan, and likely didn't consider to be much of a threat. A foolish move on his part, for a moment later, Valencia had removed the blaster from where it had been in his holster, pointing it in his face despite her bound wrists.

Omega laughed. "Clever girl. I remember why I liked you."

"Shut up and open the door," Valencia snapped.

Omega held up his hands and did as instructed. He was always one to save his own skin. Obi-Wan pushed himself up as well, crossing over as the door hissed open and Valencia forced Omega to remove their restraints.

"I wouldn't look so pleased if I were you. There is no chance that Grievous would let you both leave."

"I agree with you." Valencia backhanded Omega across the face with his blaster, and satisfaction flared in her eyes as he collapsed. She turned to face Obi-Wan, the epitome of calm as she squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. "Let's find our lightsabers and get off this damn ship."

The ship had been poorly guarded, and the two Jedi had managed to escape with minimal hassle. Dispatch a few droids here, find a ship to commandeer there. Valencia couldn't help but wonder if it had been Omega or Grievous's idea to take them into custody, but the fact that they appeared to be working together was cause for concern. There was still a lot they didn't know, though Valencia was focused on something else entirely as they jumped into hyperspace.

The father of her son was Granta Omega. How many times had she heard of the horrific things he'd done, the fact that he had caused the death of a friend and another to depart the Order altogether? She resolved to speak with Ferus about what she had learned. He might not be a part of the Order anymore, but she would be damned if he wasn't going to become one of their most resourceful allies.

Beck did not know who either of his parents were. That was for the best. If he knew about Valencia, he would have had questions about his father, questions that she wouldn't have wanted to answer. She had been a teenager, but how had she been so stupid? Omega could have tortured her. He could have killed her. She had been so wrapped up his dark charm, so ready to believe the false name.

"Val?" Obi-Wan rested a hand on her shoulder, making her jump as she was drawn from her reverie. "You've been silent ever since we escaped."

"I'm just thinking," Valencia murmured, staring out into deep space. "I knew that the stupid things I did when I was a teenager would come back to bite me. I knew there would be consequences. I just didn't think they would be lasting, that the punishment for my crimes would be ongoing."

"Crimes?" Obi-Wan frowned, brow furrowing. "Val, you were little more than a child. We all make mistakes."

"I was the one who had sex with Omega." Valencia clenched her jaw, burning with guilt. "I was the one who had his kid."

She could never blame Beck for his father. She saw nothing dark inside that boy. He had a bright, sunny disposition and unfailing optimism. No, she didn't resent the child that had come from her brief union with Omega. She resented herself for being foolish enough not to see what he was.

"You didn't know." Obi-Wan swivelled in his seat to look directly at her. "How could you have known? He lied to you."

Valencia's smile was thin. "I know you're trying to comfort me and make me feel better about it."

He arched an eyebrow. "Is it working?"

Her smile became wider and warmer. "Perhaps a little."

Valencia understood what Obi-Wan was saying, but somehow she couldn't let go of the shame that crept up inside her, something she thought she'd shaken off after she'd had Beck. It was back again, and this time she thought it would take some time to get rid of.

She was grateful for Obi-Wan. Without him, she thought this would be a lot harder to digest. Valencia was pleased to have a master who seemed to always know what the right thing to say was. He hadn't chastised her for getting angry with Omega, for almost losing her temper. If he had been disappointed at her lack of control, he recognised this wasn't the time to comment.

"What do you think he would have said?" Valencia asked softly, and they both knew to whom she was referring without her needing to clarify. Obi-Wan appeared deep in thought for a few moments, before he answered.

"I think he would have believed the same. He wouldn't have held you accountable for something you didn't know."

Valencia liked to hope that he was right. She felt a little sad that she had to ask Obi-Wan what Qui-Gon would have believed. She hadn't known her father as well as she had liked, due to attachment being forbidden. What would life have been like, she couldn't help but wonder, if she had grown up with a real father?

Valencia left Obi-Wan to debrief the Council on what had occurred. She didn't think she wanted to be there and feel their judgement as they fixed accusatory looks on her for sleeping with the enemy, even if she hadn't known that was what he was. She had kept Ferus's comm details so that she could get in touch with him, and she immediately asked him to meet her at Dizzy Dewback Cantina.

It was dusk when she joined him at one of the booths. He already had a jawa juice in front of him, gloved fingers clenched around it. Was it a bounty hunter thing to be so brooding? She noted that he didn't appear impressed to see her. Ferus hadn't been like that before, although she supposed losing Darra must have had an impact.

"What, can't old friends catch up?" She tilted her head to the side, her smile teasing. Ferus didn't reciprocate, and her enthusiasm faded as she slid into the booth across from him. His eyes darted around the diner as if he was concerned someone would see them.

"This isn't what it's about." Ferus shook his head slowly. "The Jedi Council wouldn't approve of you keeping company with a bounty hunter."

Valencia waved a dismissive hand.

"Come off it, the Jedi have done business with shadier sentient beings than you."

"I'm serious, Val." Ferus leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.

"Yes, well, my reputation is already somewhat tarnished." Her tone became clipped, causing Ferus to examine her in confusion. No doubt he thought she was the model student. She had managed to keep most of her rebellious antics as a teenager under wraps, especially her biggest defiance of all.

"What are you talking about?"

Valencia took a shaky breath. After so many years of keeping Beck's origins to herself, it felt nerve-wracking to confide in anyone about the truth. When she thought about the timing, Ferus had just left the Order when everything had happened. It seemed like so long ago now, it was hard to remember what had happened first.

"Six years ago, I gave birth to a son. Beck. He's a youngling at the Temple now."

Ferus gave a low whistle. "Kriffing hell, Valencia."

"That's not the worst of it." Valencia clasped her hands, interlinking her fingers and refusing to meet Ferus's eyes. "His father, as it turns out, is Granta Omega."

An awful silence fell over the table. She had not expected her old friend to be happy to hear the revelation. Her hands were shaking and she refused to look up from the table. She was scared of what she would see in Ferus's eyes.

"Why?" The single syllable was pained.

"He said his name was Saxon." Valencia looked up finally, seeing confusion and horror on Ferus's face. "I had no idea who he really was until recently. You told me that he was after Obi-Wan and I. It was only when he captured us that I realised the truth."

"Was it before or after Darra?" The question was sharp as a knife. There was no accusation in it, but it couldn't help but make Valencia feel uncomfortable. She shook her head vigorously, eyes pleading with him to understand.

"Ferus, I didn't know."

"Valencia." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Answer the question."

"After," she whispered, her cheeks burning with heat and angry tears welling in her eyes.

For a few moments, the only sound was the clattering of cutlery and the diner's background music. When Valencia dared to look up, she could see that there was no accusation in Ferus's expression. He knew her well enough to realise that she wouldn't have knowingly slept with an enemy. Valencia had the impression that if he'd known she was a Jedi, Omega wouldn't have touched her, unless it had been out of spite.

"What are you going to do about him?" Ferus raked his fingers through his hair, leaning back with a sigh. "More importantly, why are you telling me all of this?"

"Because he'll be back." Valencia swiped his cup of jawa juice and had a sip. "For me, for Obi-Wan. He's not the sort who's going to let a vendetta go. Especially not that he knows about Beck."

Ferus looked startled. "He knows Beck is his son?"

Valencia nodded slowly. It wasn't something she wanted, and it only made her more protective of the youngling. She knew it was bad. Jedi weren't meant to feel attachment, and she couldn't show more of a care for Beck than the other younglings. Nonetheless, she had the sense of impending danger, that something terrible was going to happen. Her comm beeped, and she picked it up to see Obi-Wan's face flash up.

"What did the Council have to say about everything?" Her voice was cool, her expression betraying no hint of emotion.

"It's not about that. Obi-Wan paused. "It's about Beck."

It hadn't been difficult to acquire the child. It had been even easier for Omega to access the records and find out exactly who Beck was. Once the younglings had gone through Coruscant on their little excursion, Omega had singled out his son and lured him in with ease. The child hadn't even realised something was wrong until he'd boarded the ship with Omega and they'd taken off from Coruscant. He supposed the kid was only six.

Grievous had been of great assistance with the Jedi, but this was personal, and there was no need to drag the cyborg general into this matter. Omega's Separatist ties had paid off in terms of contacts, who had given him access to exactly what he'd needed to snatch the boy away from Coruscant.

Omega inspected the child. In terms of appearance, Beck certainly favoured him. Dark hair, big blue eyes. The way the boy tilted his head, the curiosity in his expression - that was certainly his mother in him.

Omega vaguely recalled his encounters with Valencia, years before in the underbelly of Coruscant. He hadn't known what she was, of course. She'd been dressed differently, a spark of danger in her green eyes. A confident jut to her chin, a devious smile. He hadn't known how young she was. She must have lied about that too, although he still hadn't been all that much older.

Omega hated the Jedi, and so the idea that he'd fathered one with one was ridiculous in itself. Regardless, he would take the boy and raise him far away from the ideals his mother had attempted to instill in him. It wasn't too late for Valencia - he was a Force blank, but even he could see the darkness in her. He'd seen it in their clandestine meetings years before, and he saw it again now. A savagery lingering beneath a pretty face.

Kenobi was a boring stickler for the rules. He didn't interest Omega. The only reason Omega was so obsessed with him was to make him pay for the sins of the past. Valencia was another matter entirely. Despite knowing she was a Jedi, there was something intriguing about her. He didn't quite know if he wanted to break her, or have her join him. Either would be immensely enjoyable.

"Where are we going?" Beck demanded. The child must be uneasy, but he masked his fear well. A show of bravery that was lost on Omega. He had no intention of hurting the boy. This was his flesh and blood, his legacy, just as he had been Xanatos's.

"Home."

"Coruscant is my home," Beck insisted, his young face contorting into a scowl, "The Temple is my home."

"I'm your father, Beck." Omega drew away from the controls, moving to kneel in front of him. "You have nothing to fear from me. My name is Granta Omega."

Beck examined him with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. "Who's my mother?"

Omega smiled. Just one word, and he could wreak destruction. It might be easy for Valencia to forsake her bond with her child, but it would be harder for Beck to put aside any sense of attachment toward the woman who was his mother. Most younglings remembered little of where they were from, and especially didn't know much of their parentage. Young Beck had grown up under his mother's watchful eye, and he hadn't even known it.

After Obi-Wan had imparted the news of Beck's disappearance, Valencia had asked him to meet her in Coruscant's underworld. It was most unusual, but he wondered whether she had learned something. He had no doubt in his mind as to who had taken the child, and he thought Valencia may be thinking along the same lines.

When he came upon his apprentice, she was watching speeders take off and land at a parking port for an extremely fancy restaurant. Despite the warm temperature and the thickness of her robes, she was rubbing her arms as though she was cold. Her eyes remained fixed on the movement of the speeders as she spoke.

"How did it happen?"

"The younglings were on excursion, and…"

She looked at him sharply. "Who took them out?"

"Valencia, they're not at fault," Obi-Wan said gently, resting a hand on her shoulder. Through the Force, he could feel her jumble of emotions regarding Beck's disappearance. If there had been demand for a ransom, they would have received it by now. If Beck was dead...he didn't want to think along those lines. The boy had to be alive.

"Someone has to be," she argued.

"I think we both know who's at fault." The words were firm, and Valencia's expression contorted into one of resolution.

"Then we have to go and get him back."

"Val." He heaved a sigh. He'd known even before he'd told her about Beck vanishing that this would be the path that she wanted to take. He could understand it. He just couldn't allow it. "The Council will decide what happens now, and who will go after Omega to get him back."

Valencia's blonde hair whipped around her face in a sudden breeze. For a few moments, there was silence between them, and Obi-Wan wondered if she was taking what he said into account. He needed her to see reason. Acting on a need for vengeance was precisely what Omega wanted them to do. Valencia would fall easily into the trap he had set if she succumbed to her emotions.

"He won't let us go free, you know that." Valencia glanced at him, her eyes bright and wide. "He wants to torment us, and his plans have become even more twisted now that he has Beck."

"Val…" Obi-Wan's tone was solemn. "This isn't Council-sanctioned. This is a vendetta."

"I'm going after a youngling." Valencia pressed her lips into a thin line, determined. "I would do the same for any of them. This isn't just because Beck is my child. It's because he's a child."

Obi-Wan could not argue with that. He had seen how Valencia interacted with the younglings and knew she wasn't wrong. She had a genuine compassion for children that wasn't just limited to Beck. She had worked so hard to distance herself from favouritism, so accusing her of it now didn't seem fair.

"Besides." Valencia glanced hopefully toward the shadows. "I think I know someone who can help us."

Ferus's smile was grim as he stepped into the light. "General Kenobi."