With Mace and Obi Wan in the hands of the enemy, Rex must free Obi Wan before he loses all his memories. Once free, the former Jedi Master is forced to make a terrible decision regarding his former mentor and ally.
Captain Rex comes around on the floor of the Bounty Hunter’s ship. Looking out the cockpit, they are in a peculiar, ancient place. A temple, surrounded by once intricately decorated pillars that now fall to ruin, causing the roof to somewhat collapse. In the centre, stairs that descend into a darkness lightly illuminated with purple and blue flashes.
The place is overrun with the purple robed Vitari Acolytes.
Far beneath the ground, Obi Wan is also beginning to wake. He is strapped to an ancient altar, a contraption strapped to his head. Next to him, Windu is similarly unconscious, but the contraption on his head is active. Sparks of purple energy shoot from his head as he convulses. The acolytes around his altar watch as, with each convulsion, a different image of Mace’s life flashes overhead. They’re taking the rest of his memories.
Kenobi tries to use the Force to escape, but a watching Bur Gund reminds him, again, that conventional Jedi tricks will not work on their magic. To break free, he will have to break the code.
Above ground, the Clones devise a plan to save Kenobi. They decide they will also save Windu, if only to decide what to do with him later. One of the clones suggests they should let the Vtari do what they need to if it means ending the Empire, but Rex reminds him that Mace may become something worse.
Slowly, painfully, the Clones quietly disband the acolytes. If they alert Bur Gund downstairs, their work will be undone.
As this occurs, Gund begins the process on Kenobi. Acolytes surround his altar. He struggles with his bonds as Gund takes her place at his head. Failing to acquire the Chosen One, they will have to rely on Kenobi’s power to restore her order to full power.
The machine starts. Kenobi screams. He is forced to watch as memories of his life flash above him. The death of Duchess Satine. Piloting his starfighter with the droid R4. Chasing the bounty hunter across Coruscant. His first interaction with C-3P0. Moments of the Clone Wars. Soon, Kenobi has fallen into a restless unconsciousness, convulsing as his memories are ripped from him. Then…
Darth Vader. His mask shattered. The face of Anakin Skywalker beneath. Gund stops the process, staring at the face of the Chosen One.
He is alive.
She orders the memory to be restored. Kenobi’s feelings for Anakin, devoid of all distraction, will prove a powerful ally. The memory is restored.
The Clones arrive on the scene. Taken by surprise, Gund is slow to react. While the quickest Vitari and Gund escape, most are overrun and killed. Rex rushes to Kenobi’s aid as he slowly comes around. The bonds are tight, unbreakable. While the Clones watch the stairs, Kenobi informs Rex that the Force is the only way to break the bonds, but only with a power beyond the discipline of the Jedi. Rex urges him to use it. They can’t escape without him. They won’t. Remember the mission.
Above Kenobi’s head another memory appears. It’s Owen, reminding him to protect his family. Other memories. His attachments, his loves, everything Kenobi finds worth fighting for. Using the strength of these memories, Kenobi forces himself free, removing his headpiece. Rex returns his lightsaber to him along with another he found enroute to the altars.
What they don’t see until after, Windu has already freed himself, or has been freed. He stands, vacant, imbued with the purple energy. It subsides, and he appears to return to normal. Despite Rex’s warning, Kenobi returns his lightsaber to him. Mace looks at the hilt while Kenobi and Rex form an escape plan. The cult must be destroyed.
Mace shatters his hilt, clasping just the crystal inside in his hand.
“You let him live.”
Kenobi turns, saber out. Mace stares directly at him and repeats himself. Rage flows through Mace and he goes for Kenobi. The Jedi brings his saber up to protect himself, but Windu punches it. He punches the light of the blade with the crystal-gripped mechanical hand. Stunned, Kenobi falls back. He tells the Clones to go.
As the Clones fight their way through the acolytes, Kenobi fights with Mace. Mace’s ability to physically touch the blade of his lightsaber puts Kenobi on the back foot, still desperately trying to get through to his former mentor.
The fight is brief but painful, resulting in Kenobi crushed under a shattered altar.
Upstairs, the Clones have better luck. They disband the acolytes and find Bur Gund in the temple hangar, attempting to collect artifacts to escape. As Rex attempts to make the arrest, they notice the glow. Mace marches into the hangar. Gund is joyous.
Pure. Chaos.
Violus ti Violi.
The Clones make ready for their last stand. Kenobi flies over head, landing again between his allies and Mace. He urges Mace, one last time, to reconsider. Mace is adamant, Kenobi has betrayed the code. He is not fit to call himself a Jedi. Kenobi is defiant. Mace is wrong. Perhaps he always was. For all the Jedi’s influence, for all their doctrine and history, they failed. To train Luke under the same dogma would doom history to repeat itself. If Kenobi has to fight Mace to secure the future, he will. That is the Jedi way.
Mace makes his move. The two fight. This time, Kenobi knows Mace’s tricks, and is no longer held back by his discipline. The Clones get involved, which Gund uses to make her escape.
The fight is long, bitter, emotional. In the fights final moments, as Kenobi’s thrown against a far wall, Rex makes a lunge for Mace. The former Jedi turns, now wielding Kenobi’s lightsaber, stabs Rex. Kenobi returns to the fight, pulling his saber free, he cuts off Mace’s crystal-gripped hand.
“Please…”
Mace just roars and runs at Kenobi, who makes the final strike. Mace falls to the floor, the purple energy dissipating.
Kenobi runs to Rex, who is dying on the floor. The clones recognise the wound. Slow, fatal. Rex shares some final words, gasping for breath, grateful for Kenobi’s attachment to his brothers.
The Jedi leans in, and whispers to the dying clone, “Don’t tell anyone I did this, it’s against the code.” He kneels next to Rex and holds a hand over the wound. Slowly, the wound heals. Rex, grateful, falls unconscious.
Days later, after Kenobi has given Windu a ceremonial Jedi funeral in the temple, he parts ways with the Clones. One of the clones, Gregor, is desperate for Kenobi to stay with them, but Rex will have none of it. Whatever brought Kenobi out of his cave is worth fighting for, but a fight he must do alone until the time is right.
When the time is right, Rex will follow him to the ends of the Galaxy, from Onderon to Endor. Until then, the secret of Kenobi’s life is safe.
Kenobi returns to Tatooine, where he finds an angry and drunk Wookiee looking for his ship. Apologising and informing Krrsantan he won’t be paid; Kenobi gives him his ship back. He then goes to the Lars-Skywalkers.
Owen is still recovering, the medics advising he will likely not walk again. Kenobi tells Beru to take Luke away for a moment. The two men discuss the future. Kenobi apologises. Luke has a good heart, and when he is ready, Old Ben will be there. If he’s ready. As a parting gift, Kenobi heals Owen’s back.
Owen didn’t know that was possible. Kenobi gives a wry smile. The Force is a vast and confusing thing, nobody will ever truly understand its complexities. All we can do is stay on the light path.
The End.
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