CHAPTER 2: Singlehandedly Ruining The Sith Lord's Plans

"We, as Jedi, have lost our way. We were once truly neutral, serving the people. And look at us now."

"Master Kenobi, we still serve the people to the best of our capabilities."

"No. We serve the people in power, rather than the people who truly need our help."

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Of all Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of the infamous Masters. He is known for his compassion and grace, implacable serenity in face of adversity. From the Initiates to his fellow Masters, most aspire to be like him.

So, when the Jedi in the Temple were faced with a Jedi Master, known for his unshakeable calm, striding through the corridors, simmering with fury, they knew something significant had happened.

All the Jedi could think was, 'Someone's going to get their ass kicked.' They know that Jedi aren't supposed to feel gleeful or hunger for drama, but when Obi-Wan karking Kenobi has thrown away his vaunted serenity for pure murderous fury, they think they can be excused.

The Force was swirling with whispers of change.

In the Council chamber, Master Yoda's ears flicked and he hummed. Yes, change there is. Change, there will be.

Elsewhere, Darth Sidious was filled with a strange sense of foreboding. Something was happening. Something he did not foresee. And he did not like it.

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"Know better, you do, than the Council?"

"Considering the recent history of the Order's actions, that's not really setting the bar high, Master Yoda."

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Tales of how Obi-Wan Kenobi stood up against the Council ('Stood up?' some would snicker on hearing about it. 'More like he gave them all a tongue-lashing so bad, we can still see Master Windu wincing at times.') was spoken in awed whispers, and passed on to the Jedi in all the corners of the Galaxy. Obi-Wan didn't know it then, but he had just set the precedence for the future Jedi, and that would save the Order from being decimated many times in the future.

Within few weeks, news slowly spread from planet to planet that something monumental was happening in Coruscant, in the Jedi Order and that it was all centered around General Kenobi. The troopers of 212th and 501st exchanged wary glances, knowing that General Skywalker would be right in the middle of the mess, side by side General Kenobi. Commander Cody steeled himself and started making contingency plans, and if worst comes to worst, evacuation plans too.

Some whispered that the Jedi were requisitioning clones of Kenobi. Others muttered derogatory comments, while hiding their curiosity. And there were some, tired and weary, who looked at the whispers and rumours with hope dawning in their eyes.

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"What would you propose that we do, Master Kenobi?"

"Simply put, we need to declare ourselves as a neutral organisation again, instead of being beholden to the whims of the Senate. And we need to stop being people who condone slavery- no, do not deny it. Slavery is what the clones are being subjected to. And if you do not realise that, you are being willfully blind."

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Anakin went back to the battlefront, after extensive discussion with Obi-Wan. He knew that his Master had a plan. So, while Obi-Wan will be tackling the Senate and the Republic as a whole, Anakin will be holding the fort, so to speak, along with Ahsoka.

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"What do you mean when you say we have lost our way?"

"Look at what we have done, Masters, in the name of peace. Do you think this is what the Force intended for us? To become warmongers?"

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After talking with Cody and Rex, it was unanimously decided that the 212th will be grounded at Coruscant, at the Temple to be precise. The public were told that the troopers needed a break. The true reason was that their General needed round-the-clock guarding of his person. (When asked if the clones don't trust their General to take care of himself, Cody gave them a look that it made the person, who put forth the query, feel like their entire lineage and their mental capacity had been called to question.)

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"You say that you follow the Will of the Force. Tell me, Masters, can you really sense the Force's Will when there is nothing but Darkness on Coruscant? The Force is choked with so much despair and confusion on Coruscant, that it is a miracle we have not all Fallen already."

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Ahsoka had always heard of how proper her Grandmaster was. From Anakin, the description was a bit more explicit, both fondness and exasperation coloring his tone. And from the remaining Jedi, she only ever witnessed utmost respect, admiration, sometimes envy, with regards to Master Obi-Wan. But for the first time, Ahsoka was seeing the side of Obi-Wan Kenobi that was the most true to him, the part that would stand for no injustice, the part that was truly Jedi. She understood then, as she watched her Grandmaster take apart and rebuild the Republic with just his words, that this was what inspired the loyalty and the bone-deep devotion that she had witnessed in the people who had been fortunate enough to have come under Obi-Wan's brand of protection.

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"We were trained in the arts of diplomacy and negotiations. Let us be what we were trained for. Let us be Jedi of the Galaxy, rather than Generals in this pointless war. Let us negotiate for peace between the systems. The people deserve peace, not more bloodshed."

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In another world, Anakin refused to believe Fives when the clone brought the chips to his notice. In this world, however, though he was filled with skepticism and disbelief, there was a part of him that Sidious hadn't managed to poison against his Master. And so, with the unwavering faith that his Master will be able to clear the confusion in his head, Anakin confided in Obi-Wan.

That changed everything.

Sidious did not know it then, but his plans had already crumbled to dust. As the Sith Lord, he had wanted to spread more pain and suffering in the Galaxy. He had seen the opportunity in Idien II, and had taken it.

And that? That had cinched his fate.

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Afterwards, no one could be sure as to which declaration produced the most opposition; when Master Windu stated that the Jedi will stop participating in the War or when he stated that the Clones will be inducted as members of the Order, and hence out of reach of the Republic. (When the Senate appealed to the Kaminoans, their succint reply was, "The Clones were made for the Jedi, and hence they belong with the Jedi.")

Leaving the Senate building in an uproar, Windu recalled the Chancellor's face when he had made his declarations on behalf of all Jedi. The man had looked like he had been slapped in the face with a fish. Windu had taken great pleasure in that reaction as he had never liked Palpatine.

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The withdrawal of Jedi from the war had one unexpected outcome. The Separatist Army, instead of continuing to take over planets, had come to a standstill. Though General Grievous was quite outspoken regarding the untrustworthy nature of the Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi in particular, the other members of the Confederacy remembered the times when the Jedi had come to their aid without any reservations.

When voted among themselves, the majority was overwhelmingly towards biding their time. They would wait, and if the Jedi (not the Republic) were to extend their help in negotiations for peace, then they would decide accordingly.

General Grievous' howls of outrage were rather unpleasant to hear for the others.

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Jedi Masters Mace Windu, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker were lauded for their defeat of the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. The revelation that it was Chancellor Palpatine who was the Sith and the puppeteer who had controlled both sides of the war, produced shock and horror throughout the Galaxy.

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Anakin had been reluctant to believe the worst of his friend. He had confided in the Chancellor, unloaded his deepest fears and darkest secrets. He had almost trusted him more than Obi-Wan ('almost' because the reason he never confided in Obi-Wan is not because he didn't trust him but because Anakin could never bear to see the look of disappointment on his Master's face).

When the Chancellor had pleaded and cajoled with Anakin, he had hesitated. But then Ahsoka had burst in, worried and determined to help them (Force, she was so much like him. He wondered if his child would have the same impulsive tendencies), and Sidious reflexively caught her with the Force, tightening his grip on her windpipe.

Seeing his Padawan in the air, hands grasping uselessly at her throat, unable to breathe, Anakin was struck dumb. He breathed in, focusing on Obi-Wan's singular faith in him, and surged into the fray, like a mother gundark attacking the enemy who dared to threaten her children.

The battle was over in minutes.

In the next second, Anakin was holding Ahsoka tightly and Obi-Wan joined in. Mace Windu looked at them and smiled, a little uptick in his lips, his Force presence surging with satisfaction and serene contentment.

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It took two years for peace to be established again, between the Republic and the Independent Systems. Obi-Wan was the most sought after Jedi for negotiations, and him being who he was, he never refused a request. Hence, by extension, Anakin ("Like kark I'm letting you go without me, Master!"), Ahsoka ("I am your Grandpadawan, and Anakin's Padawan. Where you go, I go.") and Cody (" With all due respect, General, but you're not going anywhere without me.") were run ragged too.

There was an inner peace to Obi-Wan that Anakin had never observed in him till now. Knowing how much of a toll the War had taken on all of them, he was not surprised. Rather, he was glad that his Master could be who he was always meant to be.

The Galaxy will always be in chaos. There will be unrest, yes. But now the Jedi can focus on doing their Force-given duty.

Seeing Obi-Wan guiding a batch of clones in meditation, Anakin smiled softly.

Things were looking up, finally.

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"Master Kenobi, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, youngling. And call me Obi-Wan, dear one."

"Okay, Master Ken- sorry, Master Obi-Wan. What made you want to take decisive steps to stop the Clone Wars?"

"There will come a time for every Jedi, when our faith, in everything we hold true to, will be tested. You will have a choice then. You can choose either to keep going, taking what is being thrown at you and continue enduring. Or, you can stop, and say no. Is whatever is happening the Will of the Force? Remember, we are Jedi and we are part of the Order. But being a Jedi means more than just following orders and living by the Code. It means following the Force. And sometimes, rarely when the Council says yes, and the Force says no, you'll have to choose what kind of a Jedi you are. The one who follows the Council or the one who follows the Force."

"Is that what you did, Master? You said 'no'?"

"The Force was screaming 'no', little one. It had been screaming for a long time. So, I chose to say 'no more'."

THE END.

A/N: Talk to me on tumblr: wonderwheremysanitywent (main), burningsoprettily (dumping ground for my writings)

May The Force Be With You! And a Happy New Year 2020!