NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1: The Return
Verdant light filled Obi-Wan's vision as Vader's blade descended. He felt no fear, only certainty – becoming one with the Force would give Luke the guidance needed. The lightsaber struck, but instead of dissolution, Obi-Wan experienced a violent wrenching sensation, as if the Force itself had seized his consciousness and hurled it through a vortex of impossible dimensions.
The transition ended with brutal abruptness. Gone was the sterile corridor of the Death Star, replaced by the viscous embrace of bacta. The liquid pressed against him with familiar buoyancy, its medicinal tang sharp in his nostrils despite the breathing apparatus. His eyes snapped open, adjusting to the distorted view through the cylindrical tank.
Recovery Chamber 7. He recognized the layout instantly – the arrangement of monitoring equipment, the precise angle of the morning light through the high windows. This was the Halls of Healing in the Jedi Temple, exactly as it had been after Geonosis.
The realization struck him with physical force: he was back. Not just in memory or vision, but truly present at the start of the Clone Wars. His body buzzed with vitality, muscles responsive in a way they hadn't been for decades. Yet his mind retained every scar, every lesson, every moment of his former life.
The Force... by the Force itself, the difference was staggering. Where once it had flowed through him like a steady stream, now it surged like an ocean. His sensitivity had exponentially increased, the midichlorian count far beyond his original levels. He could sense every living being in the medical wing with crystalline clarity – the medical droids moving with precise efficiency, the healers tending to the wounded, and... Anakin.
His former padawan's presence blazed in the Force two rooms away, unconscious but radiating pain and confusion. The severed hand, Obi-Wan remembered. The first great wound that would eventually lead to...
No. Not this time.
A med-droid approached his tank, metallic appendages adjusting the bacta circulation rate. Through the liquid, Obi-Wan studied his own arm where Dooku's blade had struck. The wound was healing well, ahead of schedule according to the droid's muttered assessment. His enhanced Force connection was already accelerating the recovery process.
He needed to think, to plan. The enormity of his situation threatened to overwhelm him. Decades of knowledge about a future that must not come to pass, combined with power beyond what he'd possessed even as a Master. The temptation to act immediately, to rush to prevent key events, pulled at him. But decades of experience had taught him patience. Rushed action now could make things worse.
The med-droid initiated the tank evacuation sequence. As the bacta drained, Obi-Wan focused on controlling his Force presence. He couldn't hide the increase in raw power – that would be impossible – but he could mask its true extent, make it appear as a natural evolution rather than an impossible leap.
His bare feet touched the cold floor as the tank opened. Another droid approached with a medical robe, which he accepted with practiced grace. His muscles responded differently than expected – younger, stronger, but lacking certain reflexes built over years of survival. That would take adjustment.
"Master Kenobi." The voice belonged to Vokara Che, the Temple's Chief Healer. Her blue lekku twitched slightly as she approached, datapad in hand. "Your recovery rate is... remarkable."
"The Force works in mysterious ways," Obi-Wan replied, the familiar phrase carrying new weight. He kept his tone light, though his mind raced through calculation of how much to reveal, how much to hide.
"Indeed." Her eyes narrowed slightly as she studied the readings. "Your midi-chlorian levels have increased significantly since your last physical. Most unusual for someone your age."
"The battle on Geonosis was..." Obi-Wan paused, choosing his words carefully, "...enlightening in many ways."
Vokara Che made several notations on her datapad. "You'll need to remain under observation for at least another day. The Council will want a full report on your encounter with Count Dooku."
Dooku. The name stirred memories of both past and future – the aristocratic bearing masking Sith corruption, the eventual betrayal by Sidious, the look of shock as Anakin's blades crossed at his neck. So many possibilities, so many potential changes to make.
"Of course," Obi-Wan acknowledged, settling onto the examination bed. His younger body moved with a fluidity he'd almost forgotten. "Though I suspect there will be many reports to make in the coming days."
The Twi'lek healer ran her scanner over his healing arm. "The tissue regeneration is unprecedented. I've never seen..." She paused, frowning at the readings. "Your cellular activity suggests weeks of healing, not hours."
"I've been focusing on Force healing techniques," he explained. Another partial truth – he had indeed mastered such techniques, but over years of solitude on Tatooine, not hours in a bacta tank.
The scanner moved to his head, checking for neural trauma. "Your brain activity is unusual as well. Elevated patterns in regions typically associated with memory and Force sensitivity." Her tone grew more clinical. "Have you experienced any unusual visions? Temporal displacement sensations?"
A delicate moment. "The Force has been... particularly strong since the battle," he said carefully. "Perhaps the confrontation with a Sith Lord has expanded my connection to it."
Before Vokara could probe further, a ripple in the Force announced a familiar presence. Obi-Wan turned toward the door just as Master Yoda entered, his gimer stick tapping a measured rhythm on the floor.
"Master Kenobi," Yoda greeted, his large eyes studying Obi-Wan intently. "Recovered well, you have."
"Master Yoda." Obi-Wan inclined his head respectfully, while carefully maintaining his Force shields. This was perhaps his most crucial test – Yoda's perception was legendary, and any hint of temporal displacement would be nearly impossible to hide from him.
"Leave us, would you?" Yoda addressed Vokara Che. The healer bowed and withdrew, though her expression suggested she had more questions to ask.
Silence filled the room as Yoda continued his assessment. Obi-Wan met his gaze calmly, letting just enough of his enhanced Force presence show to explain his rapid recovery, while keeping the full extent – and its origin – hidden.
"Changed, you have," Yoda said finally. "Stronger in the Force. Yet shadows I sense. Concerns you have?"
Here was the opportunity to plant the first seeds. "The clone army troubles me, Master Yoda. Their timing... their origin... I cannot help but feel we're missing something crucial."
Yoda's ears twitched slightly. "Share your concern, many do. Yet few options have we, with war upon us." He shifted his weight, gimer stick creaking. "One hundred seventy-nine Jedi, lost on Geonosis. More will follow, I fear."
The number hit Obi-Wan like a physical blow, despite knowing it was coming. So many deaths, and this was only the beginning. Unless he could change things. Unless he could use his knowledge to prevent the coming catastrophe without revealing its source.
"The Senate has granted emergency powers to Chancellor Palpatine," Yoda continued. "Deployed, the clone army will be. Command them, the Jedi must."
"Yes," Obi-Wan agreed carefully. "Though perhaps we should study them more closely as we do so. Their capabilities, their... programming." He let concern color his tone. "An army appearing from nowhere, Master Yoda. It begs many questions."
Yoda's ears drooped slightly. "Investigate we will, but cautiously. Delicate, the situation is." He moved closer, gimer stick tapping softly. "Tell me of Dooku, you should. Sense something different about him, did you?"
Obi-Wan considered his response. "He has fallen far from the Jedi he once was. The dark side flows through him now, yet..." He paused, remembering Dooku's final moments. "I sense conflict within him still. Perhaps not all is lost."
"Hmmm." Yoda closed his eyes briefly. "Hope you still have, for your grandmaster. Admirable this is, but dangerous too." His eyes opened, fixing Obi-Wan with an penetrating stare. "Changed by this encounter, you were. Growing still, your connection to the Force is."
A sudden spike of pain radiated through the Force – Anakin, beginning to wake. Obi-Wan's head turned instinctively toward his former padawan's presence. "If you'll excuse me, Master Yoda. I believe Anakin needs me."
"Go, you should. But remember – careful we must be, in these dark times. Clouded, the future is."
You have no idea, Obi-Wan thought, rising from the bed. "I understand, Master. We will proceed with caution."
As he walked toward Anakin's room, his mind raced with plans and possibilities. He had to move carefully, change things subtly at first. The clone army, Anakin's training, the gathering darkness – all needed to be addressed, but with patience and precision.
He paused outside Anakin's door, gathering himself. Through the Force, he could feel his former padawan's turmoil – pain, anger, fear, all swirling together. Emotions that had once led to... but no. This time would be different. This time, he had the wisdom to truly help Anakin navigate his path.
Obi-Wan opened the door, stepping into the next challenge of his impossible journey. The future was no longer written. And this time, he would not fail.