The Brain When AO3 Goes Down:

The Chancellor made a mistake

All it takes is a single mistake and generations of planning goes down the drain.  It’s actually kind of impressive when you think about the sheer amount of forethought that the death of the Jedi took.  Because all it takes is moving just a little too fast and a thousand years of hiding go out the window. 

Sheev Palptine was a font of patience when working toward his aims, but, well he had been listening to rants about Obi Wan Kenobi being the ‘Perfect Jedi’ for years. That he was detached, alien to the wider galaxy in a way that few beings ever were. Those rants sparked an idea. A way to isolate the Jedi further from the galaxy by showing them the ‘Perfect Jedi’.

And yes, Obi Wan Kenobi is one of the best representatives of what it means to be a Jedi who currently lives. But it was not for the reasons that Anakin (encouraged by Palptine) thought. The mistake Palpatine truly made was forgetting that the ‘Perfect Jedi’ image that Anakin held was created by Palpatine himself. 

There is an artifact in Palpatine’s collection (one of the few that he had both legally and visibly) that is the center of Palpatine’s plan. It is a thing of Sith magic (and could be considered a device of torture, not that any one outside of Palpatine realizes that at first) that projects key moments in the subjects life for everyone to see, to hear, and even to feel a reflection of what the subject feels (It could be considered torture becaus the subject is forced to relive these memories in their entirety, as if they were happening again. Also they have no control over what memories are being shown and once started this process cannot be stopped until it has found all of the key moments).  As it uses the Force the moments can be seen from a third person point of view.  Palpatine had even found a way to connect the artifact to a broadcasting system, meaning that the entire galaxy can see and hear and feel what it is to be the ‘Perfect Jedi’. 

At first the plan goes exactly as it was supposed to. In the guise of ‘fostering relations to disprove the horrible rumor of Jedi warmongering’ Palpatine maneuvers the Senate and the Jedi Order into Obi Wan Kenobi being the subject of this artifact and putting himself on display for all the galaxy to see. Anakin is visibly excited about this. Obi Wan is put in a Pod hovering in the center of the Rotunda, visible to all. Many Clone Commanders (and, though Palpatine had no way of knowing, Ghost Company) ring the top of the Rotunda, looking down at the General. Mace Windu and Yoda are in the Jedi Pod, looking weary (they know what a violation this is, even if no one else seemed to. The Clones, particularly those assigned to the 212th understood as well). 

The one concession that Obi Wan had managed to get is that neither he, nor those he was working with, could be prosecuted for anything that might appear in the memories (using the logic that he did not want to be prosecuted for giving away military secrets if that is something that is shown to the entire galaxy). 

The plan went wrong from the first memory (and it could not be stopped, even if Obi Wan was killed and the artifact destroyed, the Force itself would continue projecting until the memories had run their course). 

The very first memory comes with the echo of fear and pain and the sensation of being unable to breath.  The galaxy watches a tiny redheaded toddler being held under a river by a woman that could be his mother.  A jedi of Togruta descent comes upon them and pushes the woman away and gently lifts the toddler. The reflection of a warmth easing the feeling of drowning echoes and comforts, the fear also easing. The woman then shrieks that the boy is cursed; is Obi Wan Kenobi. As she runs off the Togruta looks down at the toddler, smiles sadly and says “Not to worry, little Obi Wan, where we’re going, having the Force is no curse.”

A ripple of horror spreads throughout the galaxy. The darkness that the Sith had worked so hard to cultivate begins to thin, as beings of all kinds absolutely fall in love with the red headed toddler whose earliest memory is being rescued by the Jedi.  It thins further though moments in Obi Wan’s childhood. Instead of seeing indoctrination or baby stealing the galaxy sees sentients doing their best for the children under their care. Yes there is bullying, the misunderstandings and teasing of any group of children and too few caretakers. But there is also Grandmaster Yoda playing prank after prank on and with the younglings.  There is sleeping in a pile of crechemates, feeling safe (even in the presence of a bully). There are ‘adventures’ of sneaking into the kitchen with friends. Daycare workers, Nannies, and caretakers the Galaxy over have never felt closer to the Jedi than experiencing Obi Wan’s memories of the Creche.

The galaxy sees the teachings of the Jedi from the eyes of their children, and it is easier to understand there is so much emphasis on self control when a tantrum causes every toy in the room to shoot up to hit the ceiling then rain down on children. They see the mistakes, because there are always mistakes and things that could have been done better when raising children. They see Obi Wan’s visions and nightmares, and how they are handled. They see the places where rigid tradition is to the detriment of the Order but they also see the soft moments. The moments of comfort. They see Yoda calming Obi Wan after a nightmare and how the words “Always in motion, the future is” is not just an admonishment but also a comfort. 

And they see the mystical powers of the Jedi being taught. That it is not just some magically granted power, but something that is taught and studied and worked for. They see behind the magic, what’s more for the first time the majority of the galaxy feels the Force the way the Jedi do (an odd consequence of the artifact being tied to the broadcaster like it was, is that most of the galaxy never really lost that sense after, even if they were not Force Sensitive enough to use the Force) for the first time.

And Sheev Palpatine is undeniably evil, there is no question about that. He is, in fact, proud of that. But even he feels…something when he watched a grown man tell a twelve year old Obi Wan that he is destined to fall (that memory alone swelled the darkness again).  Through the memories, and armed with hindsight, the galaxy can hear the Force whisper to Obi Wan, telling him he is destined to be a knight. Compassion lights up the galaxy, shaded with horror, when the bomb collar locks home.  And for many of the comfortable in the galaxy, even among those that consider themselves ‘good’ this is the closest they have come to experiencing slavery, the fear, the cruelty, the hollow ache. They hear and feel the secrets that slaves keep and vow to take action (it is a vow that turns to words again for many, but on dozen worlds it sparks into a bonfire that roots out slavery where it finds it). 

When Cody hears Qui Gon Jinn tell Obi wan that the reason he is taking him as a padawan is because he was willing to die, he scoffs softly and murmurs “so that is where that comes from”. (Gree asks him why he is not surprised by any of this, since Skywalker visibly is. Cody looks at Gree and says that the General had already told these stories, all they had to do was ask).

It is with the memory of Obi Wan leaving the Order for the Young that it first occurs to Anakin that this was a violation. They should not be watching Obi Wan’s most intimate memories. This is not how Anakin should be learning about his former Master.   The horror grows as he feels with every moment of the war that is shown. Then Cerasi dies. Three quarters of the galaxy sob outright for this young girl, who in her last moments spoke of Peace.  It is nigh on impossible not to feel for these tired child soldiers and the Jedi Padawan that fought with them, they find the peace that they fought for but it took so much. Too much.

Then Obi Wan returns to the Temple. These are sentient beings, with hopes and dreams and flaws, the galaxy is reminded again and again. Nearly every memory has something that someone in the galaxy can relate to. The successes and failures that they can see through Obi Wan’s eyes. 

When the child version of the Hero with No Fear is brought before the council the entire Galaxy feels the ache of never being enough, for always feeling like the second, the third, the last choice. Not even a thought during Qui Gon’s last moments. The grief of losing a parent is all too common, the stress of having to suddenly raise a younger sibling, of subsuming your own grief to be there for someone else and feeling alone in the world are not much less. And every parent in the galaxy knew the feeling of the teen years, where it seemed like everything Obi Wan did was a mistake or a misstep (Anakin remembered those years differently, shaded in a defensiveness that he was not sure the origin of now). Most of all everyone could feel the love that suffused Obi Wan every memory of Anakin,  this boy who should have been his brother but instead was his son.

The attempted assassination of Senator Amidala drew Obi Wan to Kamino. For the first time the galaxy and, almost more importantly, the Senate saw the Clones through the eyes of the Jedi. Instead of rows of identical, interchangeable faces, it was constellations of stars in miniature. Each unique. Each beautiful.  It was profound. It was striking. 

Reflected horror only grew with each memory of battle. With each memory of grieving with Clones, they became more real.  Even the Kaminoan Senator was discomforted, could not quite maintain the line that the clones were flesh droids. 

There were memories of Obi Wan meeting with other Jedi, with Commander Cody, with Commander Fox, within his own Battalion trying desperately to protect the Clones and the Jedi. It hurt a number of the Senators and representatives to realize that they were the ones Obi Wan was protecting them from. An ache that served to Lighten the Force even further grew when Obi Wan and Cody acknowledged their desire to be together, but put that desire to the side so the could always be ‘above reproach’ to be able to protect other relationships (Padme/anakin, Aayla/ Bly, a number of others that involved either Jedi or Clones). An ache that grew when they watched from Obi Wan’s eyes as Fox and Quinlan Vos did the same.  When several Lieutenants came forward with a plan to reduce Bacta (and other resources) use enough that they could send the excess to the Coruscant Guard, since they are never given enough.  Countless discussion of where to move Clones to, either for their own protection or to protect others. The updating lists about which Senators the Clones must never be alone around.

There is a flurry of notes taken when Obi Wan explains to Ghost company that relationships with Jedi are not forbidden by the Council, but formalized relationships (marriage, parent/child, any relationship that have a legal basis) were made illegal by a treaty with Naboo some three hundred years before. This treaty does allow for exceptions to be approved with restrictions (Ki Adi Mundi’s exception is cultural, he is only allowed to have contact with his wives when trying to get them pregnant and is not allowed contact with his children. If he has a boy he will be required to dissolve that marriage and if the ratio of male/female stabilizes he will be required to dissolve all of his marriages).  The consequences for breaking this treaty are severe, particularly for the non Jedi party.  These consequences include imprisonment for approximately 1/10 of the beings potential life span, with any children born of the union to be surrendered to be studied (The law does not say that they will be studied expressly, but it is certainly implied). This was explained as part of a lesson on how to subtly discourage gossip about a topic (primarily Padem and Anakin’s marriage). When asked he also explains that there are two reasons that he would ask them to do that. One reason is personal, Anakin loves Padme and it would hurt him if something happened to her. The Second reason has to do with what happens with Politics and Scandal.  That once it becomes known that they had married, Padme would effectively become poison to anything her name was on. And Padme had long been a champion of the underdog. Her name was on a lot of less than popular measures, including everything to do with Clone rights (He had tried to bring this up with both Padme and Anakin, they didn’t listen). He explained how important image was in this case, that was why he tried to make sure his troops were both visible and seen doing positive things. He was hoping that by the time the marriage became common knowledge they had enough goodwill to survive the fallout. (In the audience three of Padme’s advisers along with Padme herself start hyperventilating slightly when they do indeed find that little known treaty. Up with the Clones, Commander Thorn went ‘huh. I wondered why the 212th rarely got arrested on shore leave anymore’)  When asked why the Jedi of that time let that treaty be signed, Obi Wan sighed and told them that he Jedi were not consulted.

The very last memory shown is Obi Wan, being told that he would need to be hooked up to a Sith Artifact and expose all of his best and worst memories for the Galaxies entertainment.  His quiet dread looking at the pod that they were currently seeing him in. 

For a moment the Light overtook the Force. Every being in the galaxy was bathed in the Light of Force. They saw themselves, both their flaws and their beauty as it truly was. 

The Artifact shuts off and before anyone else can do anything, Ghost company descends on Jetpacks. They landed the Pod and bundled their General out of the Rotunda.  

In the aftermath there were many that weren’t affected by what the Galaxy had seen, there always would be, but there just as many that did. In spite of the assholes, most people thought themselves as good, wanted to give more than they took, wanted to be happy and have those around them be happy. 

A young scientist on Kamino looked into a mess hall crowded with Clone cadets. The day before they would have seen one cadet indistinguishable from another, mechanical instead of organic. Today all they could see were shining stars, individual and unique.  In that instant they made a choice that would change the galaxy. They approached Shaak Ti and Commander Colt asking to speak privately. They explained that each clone was decanted with an inactive inhibitor chip (knowledge of which had been explicitly barred from being given to the Jedi) and that on these chips there was a set of orders hardcoded, they did not know what the orders were, that would take precedence over even the clone own free will. They handed over a flimsi with a frequency on it. This frequency would shut off the chips once they were activated, but would not do anything to them until that point. They could not be removed without alerting whoever included the orders and the chip in the contract.

Colt asked the scientist why now. The Kaminoan was quiet for a moment then said ‘yesterday you were interchangeable. Today you are not.’ and leaves. 

On Coruscant a senatorial aide moves toward her next meeting. A few of her colleagues were further down the hall talking and complaining about the clones, the cost of creating more, calling them things and equipment, and jokes about their deficiencies. Not five feet away is a member of the Coruscant Guard, standing guard.  She considers herself a good person, a kind person but it strikes her how many times she has seen this exact scene play out. It strikes her how many times she has ignored the beings protecting her, and how she was considered among the kindest beings in the senate for it. Looking at the red painted guard all she can see is Obi Wan Kenobi's memories of meetings with Commander Fox, lists of people they needed to protect the Clones from, a tiny list of people outside the Jedi and the Clones they can trust.  Abruptly she decided that her meeting could wait as she squared her shoulders to confront the talkers, she knew what list she wanted to be on and it was time to prove it. 

It took a thousand years of planning to carefully darken the Force to the point where the Sith could hide on Coruscant itself. A thousand years to cloud the Force, all to be ready to destroy the Jedi.  It took a thousand year and all it took was one day, not even a day. It took the six hours that Obi Wan was in the clutches of the Artifact to destroy all of that planning. 

Palpatine didn’t even realize what it meant, at first, when the entire Galaxy seemed to get six shades lighter. Then, two tenday after, a new bill was introduced contending that the Clones met all the requirements to be considered a previously unknown near human variation.

It should have failed. He owned 75% of the senate outright. It should have failed. 

It passed. It passed overwhelmingly because too many of the voting morons thought they were giving a pittance they could then ignore. Not that being declared a near human variation automatically granted the rights he had spent so long denying the clones. 

Then some sour apple tried to prosecute Amidala for marrying a Jedi (Palpatine was holding that in reserve, to get ahold of any children), Commanders Cody and Fox for the very obvious collusion to assist in the desertion of GAR Clones, prior to their rights being granted, and Jedi’s Vos, Windu, Koon, and Kenobi for the same reason. Which was now impossible because a blanket pardon was issued for any crimes that came to light as a result of Kenobi’s memories. 

Petitions were already streaming in to have the treaty that makes Jedi marriage illegal broken and they seemed to be going to people that would actually do it (A spontaneous group formed, nearly 40,00 people strong across six system composed of both Republic and Seperatist citizens, whose sole goal is to get Codywan together and married).

At first Palpatine tries to wait it out, tries to keep with the plan because he is not one to act impulsively. Six tenday later, he realized differently. The Galaxy continued to lighten, kindness springing up. Slavery was in a downward spiral as more people stood up, spoke up, and tried to make things better. His empire was slipping from his grasp. 

He executed Order 66.  For a moment the light of clones dimmed and their minds compressed. Then the Clones who had taken his call jolted as if stung. There was a sharp crack and the remaining darkness fell apart. And Palpatine learned a lesson that few Sith lived long enough to, too long standing in the dark make the light fatal. 

So wonder I love Revan so much, lol

Part 5/7 - Previous / Next / First

Track: ‘Warriors’ - Imagine Dragons

Ponds didn’t consider he would ever be able to use a lightsaber, but Mace Windu seemed to think otherwise as he pushed it into Pond’s hand.

“Sir I can’t! I won’t be able to help them, I-I-”

“Commander Ponds,” Mace stated, leaving no room for an argument as he crushed a droid's head with the Force alone. “You have lived through everything, stood by my side every step of the way and then some, and have been faithful to your brothers from the beginning.” Mace forced two droids to turn on each other as they fired, Ponds taking a few shots behind the Jedi to cover his back. “The force is calling for you to continue being you, to continue being someone I am proud to call my friend. Don’t let that last shred of fear and doubt convince you that you, or any of your brothers, are anything but men worth living for!”

Ponds spun back and met Mace Windu's hard gaze, the world crashing to a halt. It was a familiar look, one that spoke of a wisdom and assuredness, and drove what he had said to the center of Ponds very soul. Before him was a man who people had doubted, who had walked the edge of hatred and managed to hang on to his beliefs. Someone who would risk everything he was to give another the chance to become who they needed to be.

Exactly like he was doing now.

The weight of the saber suddenly became lighter, and Ponds found himself breathing steady as he raised the hilt between them. Something within himself began burning under Windu's stare, something that guided his movements to ignite the weapon. And as they were bathed in the iconic purple light, Ponds didn’t feel anything but faith. Faith in the saber, faith in his Jedi, and faith in his brothers. And as he lowered it, Windu now wore the faintest of smiles. 

“Don’t forget we have a sabacc rematch soon, Commander.”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world, sir," Ponds promised.

Removed

This one will wind to some dark places, and I am not sure it will get better yet. Also Jango Fett is not such a good person in this. Frankly, neither is Qui Gon Jinn.

We start on Melida/Daan. Obi Wan has been with them for nearly a year and The Young are winning, pushing for their peace. The Elders are approached by the Sith (Plagius or Sidious, it matters little) with an offer to pay to be allowed to take The Young. The Elders agree and the Young, Obi Wan included, are removed from the planet. For their trouble, the Elder are paid with enough weaponry that they wipe the planet of any life within five years.  Many of the children have a mild force sensitivity that seems to behave strangely around Obi Wan.

Most are used for experiments, including Obi Wan. Some are used to further Mauls training in the dark side of the force. Maul…hates these pitiful souls less than he does most.  He still does every horrible, vile thing that his Master requires but does not go out of his way to cause pain and offers the compassion of a quick death to the ones he can. He even speaks to the subject in between experiments and feels something like a kinship with them.  

For ten years Obi Wan and the rest of the Young are experimented on and tortured in every manner imaginable. Most have died in agony and the ones that live consider the dead the lucky ones. To the fascination of the Sith Masters not a single one of the force sensitive children have reached for the dark. It is almost like they are incapable of it. 

When it comes time for Jango Fett to become the template for the clones, he is also given Obi Wan Kenobi as stress relief. As this Jango has no want for sex, this means being an outlet for his anger, a punching bag. At Jango Fett’s insistence force suppressing cuffs and a force suppressing collar are sealed (welded) onto Obi Wan. This leaves him entirely unable to actively use the Force but Sith experimentation has left a passive ability to heal from almost anything. In this situation this is not actually a positive.  (Another side effect no one can figure out, he stayed looking 16 until Cody's batch reached that age, then proceeded to age along with them). At the time that Obi Wan was gifted to Jango Fett, 5 of The Young, other than Obi Wan, still live.  He is pulled from them, knowing that he will never be allowed to ask after them. 

Jango Fett is only given a single qualifier as to what he can use Obi Wan for: If he kills Obi Wan, they will not replace him.

On Kamino he is an anachronism.  When not acting as Jango Fett’s punching bag he drifts through the halls, speaking rarely to the non clones.  Several of the trainers watch him with a strange twist of guilt on their faces. They watch the bruises that are so consistent in size and shape that it looks like a patch of purple, black, and green moving across his skin over time. They take in the perennially blistered and infected skin around the collar and cuffs.  They see this and say nothing. 

For the clones it is both different and the same. They grow up knowing that this Obi Wan was no more free than they were. No matter the circumstances of his birth, he was a brother. To be protected when they could.  He held their secrets, their fears. He was the primary source of compassion in their lives. He protects them when he can and they never begrudge the times where he can’t (When he finds out about Priest’s fight club, he vanishes into Jango Fett’s apartment. No one knows what was said or done but when they emerge, Janog Fett is willing to exert himself to end the Fight Club and Priest’s other abuses. Obi Wan limps behind him with 20 meticulously broken bones in his right foot).

In this universe, as a last act of pettiness, Qui Gon Jinn takes Bruck Chun as a padawan a year after he leaves Obi Wan on Melida/Daan. His attention inadvertently prevented Xanatos from getting into Brucks head. They are a middling pair. Both are just a touch too arrogant to truly work well with others and they do tend to echo each other's worst traits but it is subtle enough that Bruck makes it successfully to knighthood a year before the Naboo crisis.  Jinn still finds Anakin on Tatooine, still wins his freedom and brings him back to the temple.  Though he had been unaccompanied at the start of the mission, his report means that three other knights ended up on Naboo with him. With this extra manpower Darth Maul is taken alive, to be locked in a cell in the Jedi temple.  Qui Gon Jinn lives to take on Anakin’s training. 

This Anakin is not as confident in his abilities. No matter what he does, he always gets the sense that Jinn expected better. By the same token Jinn is not too young and grieving, not overwhelmed with sudden responsibility. Palpatine cannot get the same hold he had on Anakin in another life. 

It is Anakin that finds Kamino in this life. Jinn clocked his crush on Padme and decided he did not want them alone together (Less chance of the Chosen One deciding to leave).   The clones, believing that Obi Wan had been given to Jango Fett by the Jedi (Something that Obi Wan can’t quite dispute), hide him from Anakin. After Fett’s death, they feared that Obi Wan would be taken away.  So they decide to hide him in the 212th with Cody. 

The two had been inseparable for years now, soulmates though neither thinks the term (In my head this is a queerplatonic relationship, in part due to the trauma they both have undergone). In fact, in this world Cody’s scar is deliberate, something that he (along with Fox and Ponds) devised to ensure that no matter how disoriented or afraid, Obi Wan would never see Cody as Jango Fett (His ability to tell the clones apart is not based in the Force, due to the cuffs. That does not stop Obi Wan from being able to tell each clone apart, no matter what).  

And so to the 212th, under General Qui Gon Jinn and his Padawan Commander Anakin Skywalker, goes a trooper named Shield (for Obi Wan has always been their shield).  The clones do not, can not, trust the Jedi.  They almost never remove their helmets in this world, save for when they were safely in the barracks so that Shield could move around freely.  The Jedi could not sense him, due to the force suppressing cuffs and collars. 

If we were to go with the cliches, Obi Wan would be revealed by accident in the most dramatic way possible. 

This is not what happened. The clones know that Obi Wan hiding as Shield is not a long term solution and the medics would really like permission to remove, along with help removing, the Force suppressors.  

8 months into the war, Plo Koon earns the full trust of the clones. With Obi Wan’s permission Wolffe approaches his general to tell him and abbreviated version of what was going on (a non clone who was living as a trooper, he had been on Kamino as Jango Fett’s punching bag, they want him to become an official member of the GAR so that he doesn’t need to hide any more).

Jedi Master Plo Koon is faintly horrified by even the vague details and agrees to meet with trooper Shield. When he asks about having Qui Gon at the meeting, Wolffe twitches. All the clones know who General Jinn is to Obi Wan, so they trust him even less than most Jedi. Jinn is not cruel to the Clones, but he treats them as he does most people he interacts with (Jinn cares little for the practicalities of their lives, so long as they continue to act in the way he expects. Thus he will call them by a preferred name if they request it but never asks for their names).  The next time the battalions meet, Cody and Shield meet privately with Wolffe and Plo Koon. 

Shield removes his helmet; gaunt faced, red haired, and clean shaven (Having never grown a beard due to some mix of injuries and the Sith experiments). Plo thinks he looks familiar and Obi Wan bows respectfully. Plo gently begins to ask for information.  Obi wan gives his name, but it still takes Plo a number of minutes to realize who he is talking to (In his defense it had been more than 20 years and Obi Wan is not the only youngling that has decided to leave the Order). Even after Plo realizes who Obi Wan is, they talk at cross purposes for several minutes. Plo Koon, of course, was under the impression that Obi Wan left the order to be with a girl two decades before. Obi wan believes he was rightfully abandoned for endangering Master Tahl, and cannot quite disbelieve the idea that it was the Jedi, or some Jedi, that gave him to Jango Fett.

As soon as Plo begins to gently question how Obi Wan ended up where he was, it became clear to the Kel Dor that information that was given to the High council twenty years before was at best wrong, at worst an outright lie.  He is horrified to see the mass of scar tissue and metal on Obi Wan’s neck and wrists and vows to help get it removed (Due to the burns and infection from when it was welded on and Obi Wan’s extraordinary ability to heal, flesh had grown over the edges of the metal), which would need to be done by the Temple Healers. He is heartbroken to realize what the clones, and Obi Wan, believe about how Obi Wan ended up on Kamino.  At the end he asks Obi Wan what he wants, going forward.

Obi Wan thinks for a moment, “To stay with Cody or, barring that, to stay with the clones in general. If possible, find out how the rest of The Young died and maybe be able to give them some kind of burial. If their remains can be found, that is.”  

After the campaign, Plo conspires to have the 212th and the 104th recalled back to Coruscant. There he could have Obi Wan meet with the council in person. Coincidentally Bruck Chun, with his commander Alpha-17, are also on Coruscant. Knowing that having troopers appear before the council without their associated Jedi would raise many eyebrows, Plo has Qui Gon Jinn, Anakin Skywalker, and Bruck Chun called to the Council with order to bring Commander Cody, Commander Alpha-17 (since Obi had indicated having Alpha there would make him feel better), and trooper Shield with them. Wolffe waits with them while Plo briefs the Council. The Jedi in the waiting room are curious and confused as to why this one specific trooper (Shield/Obi Wan) has been called in and why all of the present clones seem to be hovering protectively. 

They are called into the Council Chamber. Plo has told them very little (What Wolffe had told him plus that the non clone in question had been temple raised and was currently in Force Suppressing cuffs). In part he wants to see if the others will come to the same conclusions that he did. In part because while he doesn’t believe that any Jedi would have done what the clones think they did, he needs to be sure (and seeing their reaction to Obi Wan and his story first hand was the only way he could be). 

When Shield removes his helmet, the only person who recognizes him immediately is Bruck Chun, who blurts out “Oafy-Wan?” and then is horribly embarrassed about it (At 13 he had been a bully, but he had grown into a decent adult, particularly since he was fighting a war, and is embarrassed that his first thought when seeing the other man was the insulting nickname from two decades before). The clones are not impressed with Bruck Chuns reaction (Alpha is growling outright at his general). Before Bruck could apologize, Yoda said Obi Wan’s name. 

Obi Wan nods agreeably and says that is a name he has been called.  A question about the Force suppressing cuffs and collar (still covered by his blacks), has Obi Wan answering “Jango Fett insisted that I be unable to use the Force when I was given to him.” (Whenever he speaks of Jango, it is alway ‘Jango Fett’). It also becomes clear to the high council, Bruck Chun, and Anakin (though the latter has no idea of the backstory) very quickly that Qui Gon Jinn had lied to the council about how and why Obi Wan left the Order.

Every question that is asked of him seems to have a horrifying answer. When asked about The Young, he explains about the group of children trying to stop a war (the youngest was 5, the oldest 14 when he joined). The High Council grows very quiet as he speaks, this was not what they were told. Qui Gon Jinn shifts a little as a twenty year old lie is exposed, particularly as he is given a look from various members of the council that say they will be discussing this, soon. Mace asks why Obi Wan is so sure the Young are dead (as finding out how they died is one of the horrifically few things that Obi Wan is asking for). Obi Wan is silent for a moment then responds that he doesn’t for sure, but it has been 10 years and he hopes that the rest of the Young had found something like peace and that death was the most realistic way of that happening. He is asked why Obi Wan never tried to contact the Order during his year on Melida/Daan. He clones bristles at even the suggestion that their Shield was in any way responsible. 

Obi Wan gave a semi confused look and said “My comm unit, like my lightsaber, belonged to the Jedi Order. How would I have done that?”

 This was news to most of the Jedi present (Neither the comm or the light saber should have been taken). With the exception of Qui Gon Jinn (who admits that he should not have lied to the council but doesn’t think he did anything else wrong), Obi Wan (who has a skewed vision of how he should be treated), and the clones (who know this entire story and have moved onto anger) the entire room is abjectly horrified to realize that Jinn had abandoned Obi Wan in a war zone, weaponless, and with no way to call for help (Plo Koon in particular is halfway to breaking out the adoption paperwork for the entire GAR most of the time anyway, right now he is practically vibrating with the need to get them all away from a war). 

 Mace Windu brings the room back to order. He declares that the council needs to speak with Master Jinn (and the way that he said Qui Gon’s name indicated that the Master in the title might be temporary).  He asks Bruck and Anakin to escort the clones (with Obi Wan) to the healers so they could begin to get the cuffs and collar off.  It is up to Obi Wan if he wants to wear his helmet until he reaches the healing hall or not. The council could not guarantee out of hand that Obi Wan would be allowed to stay with Cody, but they would do everything in their power to make sure it happened. 

Just before they leave, Obi Wan bites his lip and visibly struggles with something he wants to say. When prompted he explains that he has (over the course of his time on Kamino) seen virtually every step in the growth and decanting process for the clones. Every step except one, where he believes that something is embedded in the brains of each clone. He doesn’t know what it is or what it does, but he asks that the Jedi Council investigate since he is afraid it is something that will hurt the clones. 

The walk to the healers was tense. Bruck and Anakin were both trying to silently work through what had just happened. It is a bit sad that neither are surprised at Jinn's actions. Vokara Che and Bant Eerin are the ones that meet them. Bant is angry with Obi Wan (because from her perspective he just left 20 years ago and never contacted her or their other friends again) but Bruck of all people stop her from saying anything hurtful by telling her there is more to it than she realizes.  

Once they have all piled into a private room, Healer Che asks Obi Wan to take off his armor (No there was no good reason that the various hangers on were allowed to be there, they just kind of kept following and no one said anything about it). Obi Wan requests that the head medic for the 212th be called down, as he has been the most involved with treating his injuries and so would be able to answer questions better.  Cody helps Obi Wan remove his armor (The cuffs affect the way that his wrists bend, making it harder to put on or remove certain pieces of the armor). 

When his top comes off, all movement in the room ceases.  The skin of his torso is a patchwork of green and brown (the bruising he received over the past 10 years was so regular and deep that even 8 months after Jango Fett died they were still healing. The only reason that he did not have actual nerve damage was his healing abilities).  While the Jedi in the room can barely react under the horror of what they were seeing, Alpha looks at the patchwork, pleased. He comments that it all looks to be healing well. 

Under the bruises were a map of scars, telling a horrifying tale.  The worst of which sat on each wrist and the base of his throat, metal digging into flesh and embedded in thick uneven scaring (A note on Obi Wan’s healing, as long as he lives he will heal. Things that should have become debilitating, life changing injuries heal into simple scars. Things that should have killed him because of infection do not. It does not speed up his healing, and though it takes much more he still bears scars).

When he is asked he tells them that the metal cuffs had been welded onto him. And yes he felt every minute of the metal being superheated.  Obi Wan would prefer to remain awake when the metal is removed (no they would not have to worry about him flinching because “Jango Fett did not like it when I flinched from the pain he wanted to inflict”). By the time he has won that argument, the 212th's head medic, Hypo, has arrived. 

The process of removing each metal band takes 3 Jedi healers working in tandem and hours of painstaking, deeply disturbing work.  They save the collar for last. As the last piece of metal was pulled from his flesh, Obi Wan inhaled sharply. 

“Three of the Young are still alive” he breathes, even as he doesn’t move.

Cody, who had been sitting carefully with Obi Wan, grips his hand. “Then we will help you find your family.” He promises. 

In a Cell in the lower levels of the Temple, Darth Maul perks up as he feels a familiar Force Presence. He calls attention to a guard and demands to see Obi Wan Kenobi. The guards do not know who this is but pass along his request to the high council, who are a bit confused.

I am not sure where exactly it would go from here.  I would kind of want to see the 212th being handed over to Obi Wan, though I am not sure how it would be justified. I figure that the first time that Obi Wan meets the Chancellor he has a bad reaction (Due to the Chancellor being one of the people that had experimented on them) but is able to hide it, and passes along his suspicions. They do eventually find the three other surviving Young (Nield, Cerasi, Roenni) as well as children that they (and various other members of the Young over time) had been forced to have, there was even a child who had been fathered by Obi Wan (Who does not remember this and is deeply unhappy with those facts) who have all also been experimented on.  

Sometimes a family can be

Royal Blood AU:

Where the Jedi don't really know anything about Anakin's step-family so Luke goes to Padme's family while Leia goes to the Organa's.

He is raised as Luke Naberrie, spending his first few years of life under the care of his grandparents ( You know - the people who raised Padme Like That).

Now, the Naboo, particularly the political elite of Naboo, are very good at the shell game of deception. When he is finally revealed, the family claims he is a year younger than the truth, and there is, around him, all the hushed silence of a well-supressed scandal. The nature of it is... nebulous.

Luke grows up in a small cloister of other fair eyed, blonde haired boys - Aunty Eirite's son, and his cousin, and the boy from a family that has long been loyal to House Naberrie.

He is, as a child, like any other boy of his House. Perhaps his instincts are a little better, perhaps he learns a little faster, perhaps he picks up skills more aptly.

Perhaps he is another genius, like his Aunt Padme. His family pours all their love and learning into him, and - and their loss, though perhaps they do not mean to.

He is a Nabberrie, after all, and he follows in the family profession and is elected a Prince of Theed at the age of 13 (14, really).

He chooses a political pseudonym from one of Naboo's more modern heroes.

He takes on the title Prince Skywalker.

At the age of 16, he goes on to be elected the Junior Senator of Naboo, now Senator Skywalker.

He butts heads with Princess Organa his first day in the Senate, and somehow they quickly become inseparable rivals.

Darth Vader has an indescribable grudge against this blonde child - children, since he has several decoys/ assistants. Leia Organa has impeccable timing for interrupting when Luke finds himself cornered for intimidation.

Darth Vader grows to find them both incessantly aggravating.

He can't quite bring himself to crush them. He's not certain why.

Bail Organa and Senator Nabberrie ( Luke's grandfather) have so many gray hairs. They are both, however, incredibly proud of their budding, unstoppable baby rebels.

( Yes Luke has R2D2 and Leia has C3PO, yes the droids regularly thwart Darth Vader too. Luke is an ace pilot just like his childhood hero, Leia is a sharpshooter just like both her mothers).

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