Disclaimer: The story and most of the characters in it belong to J.R.R. Tolkien, except for Obi-Wan Kenobi, who belongs to George Lucas. I wrote this story to indulge myself (and hopefully other readers as well) and do not intent to make any profits out of it. It's just for good ol' plain fun.
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A/N: First off, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to read my story and I'd be more grateful if you were to review, of course! I'm assuming readers who read this will be at least somewhat familiar with the Middle-Earth (Tolkien's universe) and the Known Galaxy (Star Wars universe). Most of the dialogues come from either the LOTR books or the films, except for the modifications needed in order to have Obi-Wan interact with other characters and the storyline will basically be the same that we all know and love...With a few twists here and there, I hope you enjoy. So, I'll stop babbling now and let you read...Enjoy!
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Prologue
The huge lizard-like creature called Boga kept running along the rocky outcroppings and steep cliffs of Utapau, following the orders of her rider. The voice of the bearded human was strong and powerful, but at the same time calm and soothing, and Boga was compelled to obey, despite her instincts screaming at her that she should avoid running at full speed in the direction of the bright red and green beams of energy that flashed all around her at blinding speeds.
"Commander, contact your troops!" screamed Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi at the top of his lungs, once his loyal and brave mount had reached the command post of the Grand Army of the Republic. "Tell them to move to the higher levels!"
"Very good, sir!" Responded the raspy voice of clone commander Cody as he turned and walked away, ready to carry out his orders. Suddenly, the replicant stopped and seemed to remember something as he reached for his utility belt, handing a silver cylinder to the Jedi. "Oh, by the way…I think you'll be needing this."
Obi-Wan smiled gratefully at the brave clone of the diseased bounty hunter Jango Fett as he retrieved his lightsaber and placed it firmly around his waist.
"Thank you, Cody," said the courageous Jedi Master, pulling hard at the reins of his tense mount. "Now, let's get a move on. We've got a battle to win here!"
A determined Obi-Wan left in a flash and headed for the top spires of the sinkhole city. Victory was at hand and the Jedi Master could sense it. General Grievous had been defeated and soon, the separatists would be forced to surrender before the Republic. Peace would be restored in the Galaxy and Obi-Wan would be able to fully concentrate on helping his apprehensive friend and former Padawan, while Chancellor Palpatine would have to give up power. Democracy would be restored at last and the Jedi would finally concentrate all of their efforts on finding the elusive Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord of the Sith responsible for so much pain and suffering.
Or so he thought.
A violent and sudden explosion shook the ground upon which Boga stood and before he knew it, Obi-Wan was falling…falling…falling…all the way into the deep underground grotto found at the bottom of the gargantuan sinkhole. Without warning and without any reasonable explanation, the Jedi Master's universe had taken a rather frightening and unexpected turn. It was all Obi-Wan could think of as his body plunged hard into the dark and cold waters of the underground grotto.
Several clone troopers surveyed the rocky streets and passageways of the underground city, as a cautious and undetectable presence watched from behind the shadows. Two clone soldiers approached their rather tense commander.
"Did you find Kenobi?" Asked a suspicious Cody to his underlings as they approached him.
Both clone troopers shook their heads as one.
"No one could've survived that fall, sir." Ventured one of the masked soldiers of the newly formed Galactic Empire.
Cody shook his head, still not too convinced of what he was hearing. Still, the disciplined replicant had his orders and he couldn't remain on Utapau any longer or concern himself with the fate of this backwater planet.
"Start loading your men on their ships." Ordered Cody finally to his underlings, while several more clone troopers led a group of captured natives in the direction of a newly placed prisoner camp.
"Yes sir!" Came the immediate response, as both underlings walked briskly away.
A few moments later, the clone commander moved away from a burly rock formation. He never noticed the presence of a bearded, cloaked and very wet man that had overheard the conversation, while hiding behind the shadows. Patiently, Obi-Wan waited for his former troops to leave and once he made sure the coast was clear, the brave Jedi Master made his way into a secret hangar bay where the charred cybernetic body of the dreaded commander of the separatist droid armies lied still on the cold, metallic surface. Obi-Wan spared a brief glance in the direction of General Grievous' corpse, feeling he owed his dead antagonist some gratitude oddly enough, as he proceeded to board the dead cyborg's star fighter.
The craft was small but it looked sleek and fast. It would most certainly provide the Jedi Master with the proper means to escape. Trying to put the unexpected and illogical betrayal of his troops in the back of his mind, Obi-Wan pressed the small fighter's ignition button and the engines roared to life with a sudden screeching sound. Soon, the small craft was airborne; leaving the nightmare that had become Utapau behind.
The Force was screaming at Obi-Wan's senses. His head was swirling and his stomach was aching, signaling that something terrible and unthinkable had just taken place all over the Galaxy. Was he not the only Jedi cowardly betrayed by his own troops? How many of his Jedi brethren had suffered the same fate? Most importantly, how many Jedi had been killed? He used to think that he didn't believe in luck, but right this instant he couldn't help but feel lucky. He had to find out just what exactly had happened. Without giving the matter more thought, the Jedi Master proceeded to turn on his comlink, tuning it to a secret frequency used exclusively by the Jedi.
"Emergency code nine-thirteen," said the bearded man to the comlink's speaker. "I've no contact on any frequency. Are there any Jedi out there…anywhere?"
Obi-Wan's words trailed off as his stolen ship's scanners began to display a faint warning. Surely, the giant, wedge-shaped star cruiser that flew around the orbit of Utapau had picked up his small craft's signal. There wasn't much time. The Jedi Master repeated his message into the comlink's speaker. Suddenly a small, static-filled holographic transmission appeared before the bearded man's face.
"Bbbzzzzzt…General Kenobi?" Asked the blurry and small bluish image that flashed brightly before Obi-Wan. The Jedi Master pressed several buttons, trying to get a clearer transmission. It was possible that the huge star cruiser was trying to disrupt his communications.
"I've locked on." Informed Obi-Wan, when he was finally able to tune into the right channel. "Repeat."
The image of a handsome, dark skinned man who sported a finely shaped goatee appeared before the tense Jedi Master.
"Master Kenobi?" Asked the blue-hued, three-dimensional image that appeared now clearly before the Jedi Master.
"Senator Organa!" Cried Obi-Wan in relief. "My troops turned on me…I need help."
Bail Organa, Viceroy and Senator of Alderaan, nodded slowly, demonstrating he was aware of what Obi-Wan was talking about.
"We just rescued Master Yoda," explained Bail. "It appears this ambush has happened everywhere. We're sending you our coordinates"
Obi-Wan let out a sigh of relief, as his navicomputer began to download the information that Bail was sending to his ship. Suddenly, a wailing alarm blared off through the cockpit's speakers.
"Senator, wait!" Yelled Obi-Wan at the comlink. "I've been spotted!"
As he was saying this, Obi-Wan's eyes looked straight into the screen of his ship's control panel. Horrified, the Jedi Master saw that twenty ARC-170 clone fighters were approaching…fast!
"Just head for the jump point," instructed Bail, trying to remain calm. "We'll pick it up from there…"
"I've no time!" Replied a desperate Obi-Wan, as his ship started to rock hard from the barrage of enemy fire that begun to explode all around him. "I've got to shake them or else I'll be blown right into oblivion!"
Cursing in his mind and remembering yet once again just how much he hated flying, the Jedi Master cut off the transmission, while he attempted a flurry of evasive maneuvers. The star fighters that had been under his command just a few hours earlier were all around him now and they seemed determined to fulfill their mission at all costs.
"These people definitely don't want to negotiate!" Said Obi-Wan to himself through clenched teeth, as he felt sweat tickling down his brow.
He was right. His former battalion didn't intend to take any prisoners. That much was clear. The Jedi Master would have given anything to find out just what in the blazes was going on, but he had no time for questions. The small craft's alarm system sent out yet another screeching warning as the gigantic space cruiser was coming in from another direction, trying to cut off the small star fighter. Obi-Wan decided to stop thinking and delve deep into the Force's steady guidance. Acting on instinct alone, he activated the reverse thrusters and the ship halted without warning.
His pursuers passed him by, giving Obi-Wan a few precious nanoseconds; there was no time to lose. Immediately, he pulled hard on the control yoke and the ship took a sharp turn, shooting off into the opposite direction. The Jedi Master knew that engaging his former troops was completely out of the question and he had to get as far away from the star cruiser's powerful tractor beam as possible. It was all Obi-Wan could do to continue with his evasive maneuvers until he found some kind of answer. Suddenly, the electronic voice of the star fighter's alarm systems yelled at him yet once again.
"I don't care about that!" The Jedi Master cried out loud, as soon as he had read the navicomputer's translation of the ship's warning. Clone pilots were formidable warriors and if Obi-Wan couldn't escape them soon, he knew the small and fragile starship didn't stand a chance. "I don't give a blast about any anomalies! I've got to stay on course!"
As he was thinking aloud, all of the systems inside Obi-Wan's ship's cockpit began to yell in protest. A sudden and completely unexpected jolt rocked the small craft, accompanied by a blinding ray of light. Before Obi-Wan knew it, every system began to fail, as lights went off on his control panel, blinking uncontrollably.
"Just hold on!" Was Obi-Wan's desperate cry, even though he knew he was speaking just to himself. "Just hold on and trust the Force!"
The Jedi Master clenched his teeth and held on tight to the control yoke. Soon, Obi-Wan's vision was completely blinded by the powerful multicolor beams that surrounded his star fighter and his body started contorting violently, as it suffered from the pressure of G-forces. The last thought that went through Obi-Wan's mind before he completely blacked out was that surely, this uncontrollable feeling of panic and terror must be what a sentient being experiences as he is utterly destroyed by a laser blast.