Archive: My site and the m_a archive. Anyone else, just ask. I
won't say no.
Category: AU. Totally.
Rating: PG-13
Warning: Non Canon.
Sequel to: Present Progressive
Spoilers: TPM, ANH, ESB. Some for the JA books.
Summary: The rebels just have started to settle on Hoth, when
the Empire discovers them.
Disclaimer: Everything here belongs to George Lucas, who is
god. And I'm not making any money out of this... so it would
really be pointless to sue me for it.
Content: O/Other, Q/O thoughts.
Feedback: I love it, it's inspiring.
Notes: // means telepathy. Also, for continuity time sake, this
happens just a month after Present Progressive. Yes, I know
that I'm not following canon time at all, but it's vital for
the series. Thanks to Amber for her quick beta.
The base was barely completed, but it was still habitable for
the Rebels. They had to keep placing sensors all over the
surface of the planet, and those missions were difficult. To
make things worse, they were almost sure that the Empire was
getting close to them.
"I never liked Hoth..." Obi-Wan muttered, as they walked
through the frozen plains of the planet. He and Han were
placing sensors, and the young Padawan hated the idea of being
out in that cold. In fact, he simply loathed it, but it was
very un-Jedi to admit that. "... I think I prefer Tatooine."
"Well, hot is always better than cold." Han said, laughing.
Even so, he bit his tongue as he said it. For the past month he
had been trying to avoid thinking about Obi-Wan without any
success. Because the time-displaced Padawan was just too damn
mesmerizing.
Unfortunately, Han was unknowingly projecting his thoughts
quite loudly, and they were only causing Obi-Wan more
confusion. The displaced Padawan was still having trouble
deciding what to do with his feelings about Qui-Gon. And now he
was facing even more of these feelings, but this time for the
Pirate. A man who, if it hadn't been for a bizarre accident, he
would have never meet. Obi-Wan sighed. The worse part was that
he really couldn't discuss any of this with Han yet.
So they had fallen into a strange routine, in which they spend
as much time as possible together, but at the same time,
keeping distance. Sometimes Han make an innuendo, say something
that could be taken in a 'different' way, and Obi-Wan would
always maintain an innocent facade, pretending that he didn't
get whatever Han had said.
And time continued passing.
"This is the last one..." Obi-Wan said, as he turned on the
tracking device. "Now we can return to headquarters and try to
remember what it is to feel warm." As the pirate turned around,
puzzled, Obi-Wan chuckled, his laughter a welcome sound in the
frozen plain.
"What? You don't want to admire the wonderful landscape?" The
pirate laughed while climbing up his tantaun again, and Obi-Wan
turned to see him, imagining the smile on his friend's face
since it was hidden by the thermal suit.
But before he could at least open his mouth to give an adequate
answer, his transmitter beeped.
"Kenobi here." He said, turning the device on so Han could hear
too.
"We have a problem, sir." the voice on the other side said,
between cracks of interference. "Skywalker hasn't return yet.
And no one can contact him."
Obi-Wan sighed. As much as he wanted to return to the relative
warmth on his quarters, if they had decided to contact him and
Han was only because they were the only ones who could find
Luke. "We'll try to find him. We'll stay on contact."
The voice on the other side seemed to hesitate a minute before
cutting the communication, but Obi-Wan choose to ignore it.
Instead, he turned around to see Han, who was pointing towards
the south.
"There's a storm coming." The pilot said. "We won't have much
time."
"Then it will be better if we separate. We will be able to
cover more ground." The Jedi was thankful that the thermal suit
covered his face, so the other could not see the worry on his
eyes. "If you don't hear from me in one hour, go back to
headquarters."
"Only if you promise me the same." Han's voice sounded so firm,
that Obi-Wan could only agree. With nothing more than a nod,
both began their search for their missing friend.
Luke woke up to find himself hanging upside down in a strange
cave. There was a rip on his thermal suit, and he was starting
to feel the cold, freezing his muscles. Not far away, he could
see the hilt of his lightsaber... but no matter how much he
tried to reach it, he kept failing.
//Use the Force, Luke//
The voice in his mind whispered, making him open his eyes wide
in surprise. He hadn't heard old Ben's voice in a long time,
not since destroying the Death Star. The young Skywalker had
even come to believe that it had been only a figment of his
imagination, especially since the younger Kenobi denied to have
helped him there.
"Ben?" He asked, his voice cracking with cold.
//You have to go to the Dagobah System, Luke//
"I cannot go... I'm freezing to death, Ben... I don't think I
will get out of this..." He mumbled, but even so he tried to
swing near his lightsaber, taking a small comfort on hearing
his friend's voice again. Although he would never admit it, he
had felt put aside by Han and Obi-Wan's strange closeness. He
had thought he and Han were becoming friends on the trip to
Aldeeran, and that Ben liked him. But ever since that fateful
fight between Ben and Vader, when the young Jedi had risen from
the ashes of the old... Luke felt as if he had been somewhat
forgotten. Sure, both men were still his friends, still talked
to him... But he was not allowed in that bond that was forming
between the pilot and the Padawan.
//You will find Master Yoda there. He was the one who taught
me... He'll guide you to your destiny, Luke//
"But... Ben..." Whatever Luke was going to say was interrupted
by a loud roar and the young pilot was thrown to the freezing
ice by a strong claw, thankfully near his father's lightsaber.
He quickly grabbed the hilt and activated it, only to find
himself face to face with an angry wampa.
The snow creature roared, and with another strong blow threw
Luke to the other side of the cavern, totally ripping open the
thermal suit, as if it was tenderizing his meal. Looking into
the hungry eyes of the animal, feeling the deathly cold of the
frozen planet, Luke Skywalker was certain that his life was
over.
"Luke!!" Obi-Wan appeared almost out of the nothingness in the
entrance of the cavern, his lightsaber activated in an attack
position. The wampa immediately recognized the threat to his
den and fully ignored Luke to deal with the Padawan. However,
Obi-Wan had been trained all his life to defend himself from
any creature, any attacker, in any circumstance. The young Jedi
swiftly attacked the heart of the animal, to kill him
mercifully and quick.
However, it was not quick enough to prevent Luke from suffering
the consequences of the numbing cold.
Luke had seen Obi-Wan enter the cavern and begin his attack.
But the freezing wind was making it very hard for him to
maintain his eyes open and he was starting to drift into
welcoming darkness.
//Luke... Open your eyes...// Old Ben's voice continued urging,
trying to keep him awake. //You must go to Dagobah...
Remember... Find Master Yoda. Fulfill your destiny//
Han had been riding in the opposite direction when his
communicator beeped again. In quick, short sentences Obi-Wan
briefed him of his position and Luke's hypothermic condition,
and the pilot changed his course, knowing that if he didn't
hurry, he would probably loose two dear friends.
//You must protect him.//
"What?!" The voice seemed to be drifting to him through the
wind of the upcoming storm, but Han couldn't see anyone around.
"Who's there?"
//He has a difficult path ahead...// The voice said again, and
suddenly Han could see a strange figure a few feet away from
him. It was a man, probably around forty standard years, with
long hair and a beard. The man was not wearing a thermal suit
or any kind of protection. Instead he was dressed in a very
similar fashion to what Obi-Wan usually wore, lightsaber
included. His eyes seemed infinitely sad, as if he was carrying
the weight of the Galaxy on his shoulders. And he was
surrounded by a strange, blueish glow. //... because I made a
huge mistake.//
"Who has a difficult path?! Who are you?!" Han asked again,
trying to get closer to the man. But somehow, with each foot he
covered, the man seemed to drift farther away.
//In your heart, you know.// The man said, lowering his gaze.
Maybe it was the distance playing games with him, but for a
moment, Han thought that he was seeing tears on the man's face.
//Protect him where I could not.//
Then, the man was gone, leaving the pirate completely alone.
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