The Heart of Destiny
Author: Laura Kenobi
Disclaimer: Unfortunately for me, I don't own Star Wars. I do, however, own any original characters, planets, etcetera that I created for this story.
Archive: Please contact me first!
Comments/Reviews: You can email me through my profile, and you can always leave a review!
Author's Notes: ((italics)) represents thoughts and / italics / represents communication through the Force.
This story was first published in its original version beginning on June 21, 2001. In July 2005, I decided that since four years had passed and my skills as a writer had undoubtedly improved since this story was first written and posted, it might be refreshing to return to this story and give it a fresh look and an update. For the most part the overall story remains the same - my goal has been to improve on and expand on the original, so I hope the result will prove enjoyable to all of you who are wonderful enough to read and review. The version of this story below is the updated version. Call it the "Special Edition" version of this story.
Summary: Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn start out on a mission, and a lifetime of memories follow.
Chapter Fifteen
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CRASH
Obi-Wan Kenobi was out of bed in an instant. Throwing on a clean tunic, he raced into the hall.
He froze momentarily in dread.
The Jedi Temple was under attack. Fire swept the walls and the ceiling of the corridor. More stormtroopers than he could count raced through the halls, blasting everything within their range. Where were the rest of the Jedi?
((Why didn't I feel the disturbance through the Force?))
He suddenly realized that he couldn't feel anything outside of his room, until he had the door open. Someone must have done something to alter their ability to use the Force through the walls.
Whirling around and locking the door behind him, Obi-Wan raced into his daughter's room. He scooped Mara up, and hurried to wake his wife.
"Gwen! Wake up! Gwen!" His voice was urgent, and Gwen's eyes fluttered open. "Get dressed, quickly. The Temple is under attack. Get up!"
She was on her feet and dressed in thirty seconds. Obi-Wan handed Mara to her.
"Take her. Get out of here. I don't care where you go – just find somewhere safe. Hide there until I have a chance to come for you. I have to help the others," there was a pounding on the door. He kissed her quickly and then motioned toward the window, "Go now. I love you both so much..."
BLAST
"GO!" Obi-Wan shrieked as stormtroopers streamed into the room. Gwen darted out the window and began to descend down the walls of the Jedi Temple. Obi-Wan was relieved to notice that the troopers didn't notice her departure. He made quick work of the five stormtroopers, and then raced out into the hall. He quickly realized that there was nothing he could do. Time seemed to go by at an agonizingly slow rate as fire burned all around him, and he raced towards the front exit of the Temple.
Once outside, he searched frantically for his wife and child. He couldn't find them. In fact, he couldn't find anyone. All the Jedi seemed to have vanished. Obi-Wan wondered momentarily if all of them were still sleeping in their rooms. The Force was blocked off...
With a ground-shattering explosion, the Jedi Temple exploded from the inside. Obi-Wan felt himself flying through the air. As soon as he hit the ground, he jumped to his feet in horror. Whirling around, he knew that he had been correct in thinking that most of the Jedi had been sleeping in their beds... but no longer were they merely sleeping.
Killed. Thousands of Jedi killed in the place where they felt safest. All that was left of the only home he had ever known was the foundation and a good deal of ash and debris.
Obi-Wan instinctively reached out through the Force to find Gwen.
And felt nothing.
Panic pulsed through his veins. / GWEN! /
/ Obi... /
She was still alive. He reached out with all of his strength and found the weak life force that was his wife. He ran towards it as fast as he could. As she came into view, he cried out her name.
"Gwen!"
He fell to his knees beside her still form. Cradling her gently in his arms, he poured life force into her.
"Obi-Wan?"
"I'm right here, darling. I'm right here beside you. You're going to be okay..."
"Obi-Wan," he could tell it was a struggle for her to breathe, to talk, "he... he killed her..."
"Shhhhhh, love... everything's going to be okay..." ((Force, please! Oh, gods...))
"He killed Mara..."
Obi-Wan felt like something slammed into his chest. Anger boiled within him. "Who?"
"The Emperor."
He was drowning. "Oh, Force... Gwen, I'm so sorry... I should have come with you..." ((You're a fool, Kenobi! A stupid fool!))
"Then you'd... you'd be dying too..."
"You are not dying! I won't let you die. Gwen..."
"It's too late."
Horrible images of Qui-Gon flashed quickly through his mind. He had muttered those exact words...
"No. No, it is not too late. I let one loved one die years ago, and I will not lose you. Do you understand? I love you too much..." Tears ran down his face. He would not lose her. Not as he had lost Qui-Gon, not as he had lost Anakin.
"I'm so... sorry. I love you. Remember that, always." Her body stiffened in pain.
"I promise. I love you so much... Gwen..." He pulled on the Force, using it to muffle her pain. ((Please, please...don't leave me all alone...))
As though she had heard his silent plea, she reached up and brushed away a tear from his cheek. "I'm so sorry I have to leave you this way. Don't despair, Obi-Wan. I'll always be with you," she placed her hand over his heart, "I love you..."
Her eyes lost focus suddenly, and her body went limp in his arms. Obi-Wan let out a howl of anguish and rage.
"No! Don't do this to me! Gwen! GWEN!" His voice rose to a scream.
"Why? What did I ever do to deserve this? WHAT?" He sobbed to the sky, to the Force. He felt as though his heart had been ripped from his chest. He felt more empty than ever. Anger flared inside of him. Anger for the Empire, and the Sith.
"Damn it! Damn all of you! I HATE you!" He collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
((GWEN...))
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Emperor Palpatine smiled at the young child he had stolen from the Jedi Temple. She would make a wonderful assassin some day. Her parents were certainly quite the famous couple. Obi-Wan and Gwen Kenobi.
"Well, young Mara Jade, I think you could use a memory wipe. I'll teach you the true ways of the Force."
"The Jedi Temple has been destroyed. Most of the Jedi are slain. Any that remain will be disposed of accordingly." Darth Vader's mechanical voice boomed through the dark chambers.
"Well done, my apprentice," Palpatine sneered, "Well done."
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Luke Skywalker cried out as he was taken from his mother, who was also crying. Obi-Wan felt terrible. Taking young Luke to Tatooine, he decided, was one of the hardest things he had ever done.
Except sitting hopeless as is wife died in his arms. As his Master died in his arms.
He turned to Padmé. She was crying, and his heart twisted in his chest. Why did it have to come to this?
"You have my word, my lady, that I will keep him safe. No harm will come his way. And, when the time is right, I will train him. Your children are the new hope for this galaxy. They will do great things."
"Thank you Obi-Wan Kenobi. I..."
"You need not voice your feelings, my lady. I know. And I am so sorry it had to come to this."
"You did all you could. It was out of our control," she walked over and kissed her son on his head, "Goodbye my son. Know that I love you, and that your father was a great man. Stay safe..."
She motioned for Obi-Wan to leave, and he turned to go.
"May the Force be with you, Padmé. Goodbye."
She smiled slightly through her tears. She had always told him to call her Padmé, and he never had. She found herself slightly reassured.
"And with you, Obi-Wan. Thank you."
He bowed slightly, and hurried to his ship. Once he had taken off, he put young Luke to bed, and allowed himself to weep softly, releasing some of his concealed pain.
He wept for the Jedi – slain in their home.
He wept for Padmé – who had lost a husband and had to give up her children to keep them safe.
He wept for her children, Luke and Leia – who would never know their true parents.
He wept for Qui-Gon – who had been killed by a Sith.
He wept for Anakin – who had not been strong enough to resist the dark side.
He wept for Mara – his beautiful daughter who had been taken from him by the Emperor.
He wept for Gwen – his wonderful wife and soul mate who had been killed by the Emperor.
And, finally, Obi-Wan Kenobi wept for himself – a man who had endured much more pain than any man should. A man who had lost everyone he loved so very quickly...
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End Chapter 15.
There is one more chapter to go; please review! Thanks so much for reading! - Laura