Chapter 82 - Conflagration [2/2] (1/2)

Part 7

Operations room

GAR HQ

Coruscant

When the chaos erupted around him, Obi-Wan was slow to react. Stunned disbelief made him sluggish. His mind whirled in circles, fighting to comprehend the obvious – the conservatives were staging a coup – that was the only explanation.

Yet, even after all that happened, even now that the proof stared him in the face, Obi-Wan struggled to believe it. Jedi turning against the Republic at this time? It was unthinkable, sheer madness!

Only reflexes honed by months of war saved Kenobi. He rose his blade to parry an incoming slash while his mind was still preoccupied with processing the impossible. Obi-Wan slapped away a thrust and stepped back, out of the range of another slash guided by the Force. His mind was finally rebooted by sensing one of his aides – Rhee, a young cheerful Rodian, die behind him.

Kenobi felt like awakening from a dream and walking straight into chaos. He flinched when another man he had been working closely with for more than a month was suddenly snuffed out. A pang of anger was born in his heart and was immediately stroked when Obi-Wan saw from the corner of his eye Telar fall clutching his shoulder.

Kenobi never got the opportunity. A grenade flew his way and Obi-Wan acted without thinking. His hand snapped up, guiding the Force to stop the weapon before it could reach a group of officers taking cover behind a row of consoles in the back of the room. Before Obi-Wan could sent it back, Tiin used the opportunity to push the grenade closer to Kenobi.

It detonated just two meters away from the former Jedi who lived thanks to hastily erected barrier made by the Force itself. However that defense was far from perfect. While it stopped the overpressure wave from turning Obi-Wan's organs into soup, it was less effective against the fragments. Some tore through the barrier and slashed through the green fabric of his uniform. Kenobi staggered back as hot metal slashed through his left side. He had a moment to curse himself for not coming to HQ with his armor on lately, then Tiin was upon him.

The Jedi Master didn't escape the blast unscratched either - his right cheek was a shredded mess and his horns were the proud owners of still smoking pieces of grenade casing. However, the Jedi's armor protected him from any debilitating injuries courtesy of the shrapnel.

Tiin jumped at Kenobi and forced him back before stepping past the former Jedi and made him turn his back to the Cathar soldiers at the door.

The feeling of immediate deadly danger was coming from all around Obi-Wan. It was like the Force was screaming at him loud enough to deafen everyone nearby.

It was quite superficial too. Obi-Wan knew how deep trouble he was in. His wounds were slowing him down, the blood leaking from his left side weakening him with every heartbeat. Not that it mattered right then. Having his back turned to soldiers already aiming to gun him down was more immediate concern. Tiin attacking to keep him in that position was an issue too.

At that moment, Obi-Wan's mid was crystal clear. He parried a stab, pushed away a thrust aimed at his heart and whirled in place, sweeping his lightsaber in an arc around him. The Force guided his blade and allowed him to deflect most of the blaster bolts coming at him. A few missed when he moved away from where the enemy anticipated him to be.

One shot caught him from behind, crisping his left shoulder and making him stumble and fall to his knees. It was a fortunate hit – otherwise Obi-Wan would have ran straight into Tiin's riposte and ended up in two pieces. Instead he bȧrėly avoided the Jedi Master's saber.

Kenobi drew on the Force as much as he could and pushed the searing pain away. He rolled away from a blaster barrage, a choking cry escaping from his lips as the shrapnel in his side moved tearing at his flesh.

”It wasn't supposed to be like this!” Tiin spat in frustration. ”Why did you support the Sith, Obi-Wan?!” The Jedi snapped and advanced towards his wounded opponent.

For a brief moment, Kenobi was back on Mandalore. He was looking at Satine, imagining her dying in his hands. He heard Veil's question. He remembered choosing his wife above his duty as a Jedi.

Then Obi-Wan moved, frantically parrying Tiin's onslaught. Satine's face flashed before Kenobi's eyes. He put everything he had into keeping Tiin's lightsaber away and for a few seconds they were evenly matched. However Obi-Wan was getting weaker, slower. He had to fall back relying in his Soresu's superb defense. That bought him a few more seconds before the Jedi Master dashed boldly at his former comrade and locked their weapons together.

They stayed that way for merely a heartbeat before Obi-Wan's remaining strength failed him and his lightsaber was torn away from his grasp. The Jedi kicked him in the gut and sent him on his knees. A brief look of triumph passed through Tiin's eyes and he stabbed at Kenobi.

Obi-Wan got his good arm up and caught the lightsaber's blade in his hand. He channeled all the Force he could still grasp into his palm and stopped the weapon cold.

Tiin nodded in respect, then kicked Kenobi in the ċhėst and send him crashing on his back.

”This never should have happened, Obi-Wan!” The Jedi Master whispered. ”You were one of our best! A beacon of light in this dark galaxy!”

Obi-Wan looked up at Tiin. He was spent.

The Jedi shook his head in regret and slowly walked towards Kenobi.

A hazy image of Satine swam in front of Obi-Wan's mind. He noticed that her hair was un-kept, her eyes were red and puffy from crying.

The angle changed and Satine's image became blurry. She looked different, regal. Her hair was made up and fell like a golden waterfall around her shoulders. Satine was looking at a tall granite pillar, covered with carved up names. His wife took a step closer and gently traced one of them with a finger.

For an instant the vision became a bit clearer and Obi-Wan could recognize his name, standing next to Valentra's. The angle shifted again, and Kenobi saw his wife from the right. Satine was smiling sadly at the monument, because now it was obvious what the pillar was. It was surrounded by four burning cauldrons, each flanked by troopers standing at parade rest as honor guards. Yet, that was merely an afterthought.

Obi-Wan's eyes were drawn to a small bundle in Satine's other hand. She was looking down at it and smiling sadly.

The vision shifted again, coming closer to his wife and Kenobi saw what she was holding close to her heart.

It was a tiny baby, who was smiling at Satine. The child turned his head and looked straight at Obi-Wan. He stared at two sparkling blue eyes just like his own and smiled.

”I'm sorry, Obi-Wan.” Tiin's voice shattered the vision.

Kenobi's eyes snapped open and he looked up at the Jedi Master towering above him. Tiin had his lightsaber raised and ready to plunge it in Obi-Wan's heart.

The time seemed to slow down to a crawl. Obi-Wan felt like freezing – a chill the likes of which he hand never felt before crawled through his body. The lights built into the ceiling dimmed, making Tiin appear to be cloaked in shadows, with only his lightsaber chasing off the darkness.

Their child, his mind supplied.

His daughter, he was certain of it. A daughter he would never know. Never hold.

Kenobi could feel the chill spreading, slowing down his heartbeat, almost like it was freezing the blood in his veins.