A/N: New chapter!! The one you have been waiting for ;) This one is hefty at 11k+ words so sit back and get comfortable. It's a rollercoaster of emotion and information. Disclaimer: I'm not clear on the full Nightsister history, so just roll with whatever pops up. Enjoy! xo

--

Now (2 BBY)

Jedha City is dirty. 

It's packed with people that are rough-looking, to put it nicely, and each time Obi-Wan runs into someone he gets a glare in which he mumbles a sorry and keeps moving. The air is polluted and smells of dirt and engine exhaust. There are business stalls every couple of feet on the streets and down each alley with vendors that look irritated despite each sale they make.

Obi-Wan lost count of how many people he has physically run into. The last person muttered a watch it, and Obi-Wan had to veer off into the arch of a doorway just to breathe and get his bearings straight.

It's been a while since he landed his X-Wing. He parked in the hangar nearest to the main entrance of the city. He landed in the spot with the numbers he was given by the rebels. Not a soul was there to greet him or even question his landing choice so it must be a private landing zone the Rebellion has claimed--discreetly, of course. If the black and white troopers and massive ships hovering nearby are anything to go off of, this moon and its large city are under Imperial control. Obi-Wan had kept his head as low as he could with the hood of his cloak covering most of his facial features to avoid any unwanted attention. His ship is bad enough.

At least no one saw him get off the ship and exit its port.

Obi-Wan takes a deep breath and looks around. He is told he will find her at the center of the city come noon. According to intel, she is always in a local cantina when the sun is at its highest. Obi-Wan's job is to get her attention and draw her outside. By what means? He isn't sure. The second he exposes himself, the stormtroopers will be on him before she gets a glimpse of his face.

A bad feeling settles in his gut. This is a trap. He shouldn't have come.

He isn't far from the center of the city now but when he looks up he immediately spots a massive Wookiee wandering the streets.

Obi-Wan jumps from his perch on the doorstep and pushes through the crowd without a care for the remarks he gets and stops when he is face-to-face with Han, Arrin, and their Wookiee.

"Obi-Wan! Oh thank the Force, we're not too late."

Startled, Obi-Wan asks, "what are you talking about?"

"It's a trap," Arrin says, echoing Obi-Wan's earlier thoughts. He pulls them down a still crowded alley but out of the sea of moving people. "Mon Mothma set you up. She doesn't plan on arresting Azel. It's an ambush. They're planning on killing her."

"What? Here?" Obi-Wan looks around at the mass of people wandering to and fro. Surely they wouldn't risk this many lives for one?

Would they?

"This place is an old Jedi Temple. The Empire has been harvesting and taking Kyber Crystals from this place for years. Azel has been the one overseeing its workings. They have been waiting until they get a clear shot but she never shows her face in the open and she's always protected by several troops and guards. You're here to lure her out so the rebels can strike."

"Bravo, Dameron."

The four of them turn to see Cassian Andor pointing a blaster at them and his droid doing the same just behind him. Chewie growls but doesn't move. The crowds pass by, not even phased by the spectacle happening but it won't be long before the stormtroopers take notice.

"What's going on?" Obi-Wan hears himself asking.

"Mon Mothma will do whatever it takes to win this war, even if it means sacrificing the few to save the many," Arrin says with a pointed glare at Cassian.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means I am here to ensure the few are sacrificed for the sake of the many," Cassian tells them with a smile. "It will be easy for the Rebellion to claim your deaths as collateral damage during an attack to destroy the Empire. You should be thrilled. You'll be painted out as war heroes."

"Are you expecting a thank you?" Arrin growls.

"Couldn't hurt. I am merely following orders, but go on, I am listening."

Arrin steps forward but Cassian raises the blaster higher and Arrin stops just beside Obi-Wan. "Orders? Leave it to you to hide your sins behind being a good little spy, never once questioning your folly orders. Do you enjoy it? Killing without any real understanding of why you're doing it?"

"The way you always did? I remember you were right beside me following such orders."

Cassian makes a gesture with his head and then there is a red dot on Arrins chest, followed by Han and then Chewie. When Obi-Wan looks down, there is one on his chest too. Looking back up he can see two snipers on the roof across the street, another directly above them, and another a little further down the street.

Arrin is seething next to Obi-Wan. He can feel the way he is vibrating with anger. "How dare you."

"As you can see, anyone can be replaced."

"What's he talking about?" Han whispers to Arrin. 

"Not now," Arrin whispers back and then addresses Cassian. "So what's the plan then? The Rebels are lying in wait for your signal?"

"Yes."

"And then what? An airstrike? Ground troops?"

"That sums it up, yeah."

"It will be a massacre."

"This is war, Dameron. Surely you haven't forgotten."

"Hey! What's going on here?" Obi-Wan sees two stormtroopers approach them, blasters in hand, and looking back and forth between Cassian and the four of them.

Cassian is the first to speak. "Tell your boss that we have the Jedi she is looking for."

All heads shoot over to Cassian. After all, nobody mentioned how Cassian planned on getting Azel out in the open. He seemed pretty ready to kill Obi-Wan then and there. Either way would draw her out, Obi-Wan thinks with a gut-wrenching feeling.

The stormtroopers turn their gazes to Obi-Wan. 

"Call for backup," one of them says and the other turns away, that one also happens to be the one closest to Obi-Wan. 

She can't know, is all he thinks.

His mind works in several different directions at once. He analyzes the people around them, the nearest troopers that are across the way from the two next to him. There are crates surrounding them in the orifice of the alley and two stalls on either end. Han and Chewie can be easily cleared but Arrin will be in the line of fire.

It all happens in seconds.

"We need back up out here. There is a Jedi with--"

He doesn't get to finish his sentence. 

Obi-Wan snap kicks the stormtrooper in the face, cutting off his message and knocking him out. When he lands, he sweeps his feet and knocks Chewie and Arrin to the ground in one swoop just as the snipers go off and miss the pair narrowly and explode nearby crates. Han was pulled alongside Arrin as he went down--lucky that Arrin caught on quickly enough to have grabbed him. Obi-Wan stayed on the ground as he pulled a blaster and shot at Cassian who had already high-tailed it with his droid in tow. The other stormtrooper was shooting after them and then turned to Obi-Wan half a second too late. Obi-Wan shoots him clean in the chest. He looks up to check for the snipers but they're gone as well. 

"We have to leave before the raid," Arrin says as he helps Obi-Wan to his feet. Han and Chewie are already standing. 

"It's too late. She knows I'm here. She's going to--"

"Blast them!" 

Dozens of stormtroopers have caught on to the scene and heard the message for backup. The four of them ducked down the alley and ran out the other side.

More troopers are coming, but the amount of pedestrians is slowing them down, seemingly not catching on to the dire situation at hand. The four of them have to shove through the crowd, telling people to move and run.

At some point, a blast goes off, blowing up a building nearby and people start to scatter. Obi-Wan is tripped in the chaos and falls to the ground. He covers his head so he isn't stepped on, but it's only for a moment before his flight kicks in and he is scrambling to his feet as another explosion shakes the ground beneath him. Obi-Wan runs for safety in an overpass behind a barrel of fruits. Stormtroopers are shooting at people with blasters, not pedestrians. Rebels, his mind supplies. He looks everywhere he can but Arrin, Han, and Chewie are nowhere in sight.

He has to find them, but even more so, he has to find Azel. 

Determined, he follows the nearest cobbled path to another street. There are more people on this one, but it also has several tanks carrying cases of something Obi-Wan can't identify. Pedestrians are raiding one of them, pulling the items from the tanks as stormtroopers try to stop them. It's amazing the opportunities people take when all hell breaks loose. The other tank is shooting at something on the other side of the street. He hopes it's not his group.

Obi-Wan runs and jumps on board. He catches the shooter off-guard as he elbows him in the back of the helmet and knocks him off the tank. He uses his blaster to shoot the others standing on top and nearby. Something bumps against the toe of his boot and Obi-Wan points his blaster down only to find a grenade rolling at his feet. Perfect.

He picks it up, unconcerned that he has no idea why he knows what to do in this entire situation---let alone with a grenade--and pulls the pin. The hatch to the tank is easy to open. He drops it in, seals the door, and dives off.

He doesn't clear the blast in time and Obi-Wan is flung through the air and smacked against a building wall. His vision goes fuzzy, or maybe it's the smoke, more likely it is both. His head throbs and he feels something warm and wet trickling down his temple, he doesn't need to touch it to know it's blood. His ears ring, but beyond that Obi-Wan can hear crying and yelling, alongside the sound of X-Wings zooming through the air. The airstrike.

Panic seizes his chest. He has to find Azel, the others, and get out of here before the ships take out the entire city.

Obi-Wan stands but he winces, grabbing his thigh and falling back to lean against what little of the wall is still standing. 

Just then, someone is grabbing his elbow and tugging. Obi-Wan is dizzy and the smoke is burning his eyes. He stumbles and is pulled to his feet once more. 

"Come on. You have to move."

That voice is distinctly feminine... and familiar. 

Obi-Wan looks over and blinks hard to gain a little moisture back into his eyes just so he can see clearly who is holding his arm. When his eyes open, his breath catches.

"You," he breathes, feeling dizzy for an entirely different reason now.

Azelynn Skywalker looks different. Her hair is darker like in the picture, her eyes are still blue but with flecks of gold in them that he is certain weren't there before, and they're outlined by dark charcoal. Altogether, Obi-Wan wants to get lost in the sea of blue, gold, and black, and never return.

He is certain he would if it wasn't for the urgency he sees within them.

"Can you walk?" She asks him.

Can he? Obi-Wan isn't sure. He takes a step with his bad leg and stumbles, but he stays on his feet. The pain is excruciating and he really doesn't want to look at the object he knows is protruding out of his limb.

Azel doesn't hesitate to pull his arm around her shoulder and grab him around the waist. They start moving.

"It was a trap," Obi-Wan says because she has to know he would never risk her life like this.

"Surprisingly enough, I figured that out on my own." Another explosion shakes the ground hard enough to vibrate his organs and jerk them to their knees. Obi-Wan grunts loudly.

"What was that?" A modulated voice asks far too close for Obi-Wans liking.

Azel scrambles. She pulls Obi-Wan to his feet and he hobbles along as fast as he can so she can push him into a nook between broken cement piles. She drops down on top of him, sandwiching Obi-Wan between her body and crumbled building. 

"An explosion you idiot," another replies.

Azel's weight is light but perfectly melded against the shape of his torso. Footsteps are coming, and Azel's breathing intensifies against his ear. She pushes herself even closer to him if that's possible, and tilts her head up to peer around the cement blocks, however, he doesn't think she is able to see much.

"Not that. I heard someone."

The footsteps get closer and closer. Obi-Wan can practically feel her heartbeat against his, and then--

"Over here!" Someone shouts, further away just as blasters start firing.

The footsteps stop, then they're running off toward the commotion.

There are shouts that sound like orders, stormtroopers marching, more blaster fire, and Azel is looking down at him in a way that makes all of it disappear.

He's been here before with Azel on top of him, but her hair was a bit brighter, her eyes a bit bluer, and the sun was shining warm against their skin and the wind was blowing salt air and ocean mist through their hair. He recalls their positions being reversed. He knows the feeling of her wrists trapped beneath his hands, the way she looked up at him like he hung the stars in the sky; he remembers feeling her lips underneath his fingertips.

He remembers how desperately he wanted to touch them to his own.

He didn't, he knows, but he can't remember why.

"You're beautiful," he says now. 

Her face is covered in smokey soot, her hair wild in disarray under her cloak, and there is a bruise forming on her jaw. It's a far cry from the youthful memory of her, but it doesn't make his statement any less true.

Azel narrows her blue and gold eyes. "How hard did you hit your head?"

Obi-Wan huffs out a breath. "That is yet to be determined actually."

She nods. "We need to get you out of here."

Azel stands and pulls Obi-Wan to his feet and then his arm around her neck in one breath. They're moving again and Obi-Wan is feeling dizzier than he was before. He stumbles and Azel is barely able to catch him.

"I need to heal your leg or we're not going anywhere." She leans him against another broken wall. The surrounding area seems to be getting thicker with smoke causing him to start coughing. Distantly he hears Azel curse and suddenly there is something wrapping around his nose and mouth.

"Keep your mouth covered."

He blinks at her and sees she has something wrapped around her own mouth and nose now. Unfortunately, Obi-Wan has to hold whatever he has and his arm is feeling far too weak to keep it up.

"Just leave me," he insists.

Azel glares at him as if that is the dumbest thing she has ever heard. She looks down at his leg. 

"I have to pull this out."

That's when Obi-Wan dares to look at his thigh and finds a metal rod sticking out of his leg. As if looking at it is a trigger itself, Obi-Wan is suddenly very aware of how painful it is. 

"Do it," he breathes.

Azel gives him a look that might be sympathy but it's hard to tell with half her face covered. "Bite down on the cloth," she says.

As soon as Obi-Wan does, she rips the rod from his thigh. Obi-Wan screams, it's muffled but loud, and his vision starts to spot.

"Stay with me. The hard part is over." 

Obi-Wan struggles to breathe. He knows that object was the only thing keeping him from bleeding out which means that is exactly what will happen now. The pain is still there. The wound is throbbing but he can feel his blood trickling out.

"You're lucky you know."

"Lucky?" Obi-Wan scoffs. 

"It didn't hit the bone, didn't sever any major arteries, and I pulled it out in one piece." Her hand is pressed over the wound not nearly hard enough to stop the bleeding.

"The blood--"

"Quiet. I have to concentrate."

She closes her eyes and Obi-Wan wonders if maybe she lost her mind but then he starts to feel something warm and tingling coming from the wound. The pain slowly subsides until it is gone, and then the tingling warmth is flowing through his whole body like something is warming his blood from the inside. 

He didn't pay much attention to the pain in his head until the sensation settled there. The feeling becomes more apparent like it is surfacing on his skin before settling back in his body and continuing on. 

Once it's made several rounds through his bloodstream, the warmth starts to pull away. It travels back to where it started in his thigh and is pulled from his body until there is no sensation left.

Distantly, he wonders if this is what death feels like, but then the pressure on his thigh is gone and he hears Azel gasping for breath. 

Obi-Wan is there in an instant holding her up with a hand at her waist and neck. Her eyes are heavy and what little of her skin he can see has turned ashen. 

"You're healed. Your blood is clean from toxins as well."

Toxins? He wonders, but then it clicks. The metal rod was rusty.

Azel pulls away and tries to stand, but stumbles. Instead, she sits on lumps of debris to catch her breath. Obi-Wan looks down at his leg. His pants are covered in dried blood but when he moves them out of the way he sees no hole or cut where the rod was inserted. His skin is entirely unblemished, not even a scar is left behind. The only evidence of an injury is the hole in his pants and the leftover blood.

"You healed me." He blurts.

He places a hand on his temple where he knows he was bleeding and finds no pain, just dried blood.

"By the stars," he whispers. "How did you do that?"

When he looks up, his stomach drops. Azel is slumped over the concrete, unconscious. 

"Shit." Obi-Wan curses and rushes to her side. The movement feels easy, incredibly easy, and it dawns on him how awful he had felt.

Azel's chest is rising and falling so she is still alive. He feels for her pulse in her neck and finds it, but it's faint. Kriff.

He doesn't know where to go. The blaster fire is distant, mostly gone at this point, and the explosions have stopped, but that means when the air clears the two of them will be in more danger than before.

As if remembering the smoke, he starts to cough. Nothing too aggressive. Azel must've cleared his throat and lungs when she healed him. He moves without conscious thought, tearing his left sleeve into a big strip and tying it around his face, the cloth given to him forgotten. He hauls Azel up and over one shoulder and holds his blaster in his other hand just in case. He doesn't know where he is going, but they can't stay here.

--

Han considers himself a lucky man, more so than most can say about themselves. He won a pretty badass ship off of his friend, made the Kessel run in twelve parsecs, outran bounty hunters, successfully transported spice, and made a name for himself with the rebels. Almost all of which involved risking his life with quite a few close calls, and yet, he is still alive.

None of it could have been done if it hadn't been for Azel and Ben all those years ago. They saved him, protected and provided for him, and had become his family. His first real family.

Most importantly, you run. If you're ever in trouble, just run. Always run, every time. Over the years, Han always thought it was sound advice spoken by someone with experience. Now, Han knows it was worry spoken for her own peace of mind. Run and you will always be protected.

Even so, the advice has saved him time and time again.

Such as now.

Buildings blow up all around him and send waves of vibrations through his chest causing his heart to beat in time with the jolts. His ears ring, his lungs burn, and his shoulder is in pain from the blaster shot he took; but all he can think about, even knocked to the ground as he is, is that Azel and Ben are lost somewhere in this mess. 

"Han!" It's Arrin, he is yelling for him from somewhere nearby but it's hard to tell which direction. The three of them were standing too close to a building when an X-Wing took it out just as one of the rebels threw a grenade at the stormtroopers that were even closer to them. Caught in the middle, it's a wonder how the two of them are alive.

There are hands on him and pulling him to his feet. "Where's Chewie?" Han asks before confirming it's even Arrin grabbing him.

The answering gargle and furry figure walking toward him give Han relief. 

"We have to find Ben," Han starts. 

"We need to get out of here," Arrin argues. "If he's smart he has already done the same."

"He wouldn't leave without knowing where we are, or where Azel is."

"Han, we're injured, even Chewie is having trouble walking. We will be lucky if we even make it to the ship alive and instead you want to go searching for Ben?"

"Not just Ben. Azel too."

"She will kill you the second she sees you."

Han glares at him. "You're wrong."

"You're naive."

Just before Han can give in to the temptation to punch Arrin, his com starts going off. 

"What's that?" Arrin asks.

It's him. Han smiles. 

"Is it him?" Arrin asks, voice low.

Han clicks the com. "This is Solo," he answers and walks away. He ignores Arrin's scoff and mocking of this is Solo.

"It's me."

"Tell me you're nearby."

"We are. The entire city is surrounded. We won't get in quietly."

"How much time will we have?"

"Less than two minutes."

A pause.

"Can you get ahold of her?" Han asks.

"No. I suspect she may not have the com on her."

"Kriff," Han whispers to himself. 

"I'm guessing you can't find her."

"Or Obi-Wan. Just... I will call you when we have them and reach the rendezvous point."

"Copy that. On standby."

The connection cuts off.

Han sighs and runs a hand through his hair. It's sticky with blood on one side and tangled throughout the rest but he doesn't care. Right now, he has to somehow find Azel and Obi-Wan in this warzone.

--

They wandered toward the northern part of the city and Azel still hasn't stirred in his arms. The smoke has cleared enough to see in front of him but it is still clouded enough that he can't see more than 10 feet. Distantly, Obi-Wan can still hear shooting but nothing has gone off in this direction for a while.

He carefully lays Azel down against a wall and checks her over. Her pulse is stronger which is good, and she is still breathing. There are no major injuries that he can see. If Obi-Wan didn't know better he would assume she is sleeping.

He is growing tired. The adrenaline has long since disappeared and Obi-Wan's legs feel like jelly and his body is becoming more and more sluggish. He worries that the next time he has to set Azel down neither of them will be coming back up.

His throat is dry, he is sweating, and spots are dancing in front of his eyes. He needs water.

He freezes when he hears footsteps. He doesn't have time to get Azel up and run, what can he--

Ah. He pushes Azel onto her side and Obi-Wan slumps over her gently but believably, to shield her.

The voices are coming now, they grow louder. It's a small group with two voices but it sounds like more footsteps than that. Obi-Wan can't tell how many, his heart quickens with every passing second, until--

"Han, we need to turn around."

Could it be?

"You need to trust me."

A Wookiee growls.

It's them.

Obi-Wan shoots to his feet and runs towards the alley he heard them coming from. Sure enough, there stands a beat-up Arrin and Han, and a fire-singed Chewie.

"Thank the Force," Obi-Wan blurts out loud.

Three heads turn his way. Relief hits Arrins face and his shoulders slump. Han lights up and runs with a limp into his arms. His weakened state does nothing to soften the tight hug and bold smack he gets on the shoulder. 

"I'm so glad I found you," Han says.

"Technically, he found us." Arrin comes up next to them. Han pulls away, eyes in the middle of rolling at Arrin's words, and Arrin gives Obi-Wan a brief hug. 

"We found each other," Obi-Wan says. "And I need your help."

"Did you find Azel?" Han is quick to ask.

Obi-Wan turns and tucks around the corner onto the street where Azels body is laying on the ground. He turns and sees three different expressions. Arrins is one of disbelief, Chewie has a head tilt in confusion, and Han looks so happy it nearly makes Obi-Wan smile.

"Azel!" He exclaims and dives down to kneel beside her on the uneven ground. He tries shaking her, he says her name, and then looks at Obi-Wan in concern. "What's wrong with her?"

"She saved my life, and then passed out."

Arrin huffs behind him, and Han checks her over. "She is still breathing and her heart is strong."

"Do you have water?"

"No, but we will on the ship."

"Mantis, come in." Han is standing and speaking into a comlink.

"I'm here."

"We found them. Meet at the rendezvous."

"Copy that."

Han turns to the two of them. "We need to move." He looks pointedly at Arrin.

"No," he says instantly.

"You're the only one that's not limping and Obi-Wan is barely standing on his two feet."

Arrin looks at him, then Chewie, and then Han, and grumbles, "fine."

Han moves out of the way as Arrin lifts Azel from the ground and hauls her over his shoulder and drapes her around the back of his neck. Half of her body is hanging down his back while he holds her legs on one side of his face and her arm on the other side.

"If anyone starts shooting, you will have to cover me."

"Not a problem," Han says, and Chewie growls to confirm. Obi-Wan grips his blaster more firmly in his hand. "Follow me."

They travel without being stopped, as most of the fighting has moved to the south. They reach the northernmost ridge of the city that overlooks the landscape and mountains below and beyond them.

And there is a ship hovering near the edge with its ramp held open and just low enough that they can all step on.

Chewie goes first, he helps Arrin up with the extra weight he is carrying, then Han and Obi-Wan follow in closely.

The doors close behind them and Obi-Wan takes in the scene where many things happen at once. Obi-Wan nearly topples over as the ship jerks and starts flying again. Arrin is directed to the back of the ship where there are bunks Azel can be laid on. Han is instantly in what looks to be a small kitchenette and starts rummaging through the food available, and Chewie is up in the cockpit arguing with whoever is flying the ship.

Obi-Wan comes face-to-face with a platinum-blonde woman in red robes and strange markings on her face.

"So you're the one the Empire and Rebels have been making a fuss about."

Obi-Wan blinks. "That is the consensus these days."

Before she can respond, there is a shout from the cockpit. "We have incoming fighters! Everyone strap in!"

Before Obi-Wan can scramble for a place to sit, the woman says, "this way, Jedi."

Obi-Wan follows her towards the cockpit and stops just before it where there are seats with straps on either side of the ship walls. He sits and buckles in and she sits across from him doing the same. 

Han comes over just in time to toss something into his mouth that leaves brown crumbs down the front of his shirt and vest and takes a seat next to Obi-Wan with a closed-mouth smile as he chews. Before he buckles himself in, he hands Obi-Wan a canteen.

"Yew 'er tursty," he says around his food.

Water. Obi-Wan uncaps the bottle and chugs down the contents of the cool liquid. The only reason he stops is because the ship is hit and he gets jerked to the side.

He hears cursing from the cockpit and Chewie is growling about something. 

"I have the shields up! There is nothing we can do until we're in hyperspace."

"Can't we shoot back?" Obi-Wan asks.

"We already are," Han says and points into the cockpit where Obi-Wan can see Chewie with some controls and red lasers flying by the window. They're already in space and Obi-Wan can see a large Imperial cruiser in the near distance and several TIE fighters coming toward them.

"Greez, what's going on?" Obi-Wan is startled by a redhead moving before him, Arrin close behind.

"Imperial fighters. We're not cleared for lightspeed yet." The pilot, Greez, calls out.

Another hit. The redhead and Arrin stumble.

"How much longer?"

"Fifteen seconds!"

The redhead sits in the seat behind Chewie and buckles in. Arrin straps in next to the blonde.

"Five, four, three, two, one." Greez presses forward on a handle and all the stars begin to blur around them. Then, everything is smooth and quiet.

Obi-Wan feels the collective relief from everyone on the ship. He is the first to unbuckle himself and stand.

"Where is Azel?"

Arrin points to the back of the ship and Obi-Wan is moving.

Past the small kitchen and terrarium, there is a door that leads to a room with a couple of bunks and a workstation. On the nearest and lowest bunk lays Azel, still unconscious with her hair fanned out behind her. Obi-Wan kneels next to her and takes her hand.

He watches as her chest rises and falls in a rhythm and breathes a sigh of relief. She is covered head to toe in black robes and Obi-Wan takes the time to analyze it. 

Her boots come up to her knees, her pants look like a thin and stretchy material; the robes on her torso fall to mid-thigh and fit her small frame loosely, only fitting tight where her belt sits and breasts curve. The top of her chest is exposed, leaving her collar bones unprotected. The pauldrons flaring out on her shoulders are leather, giving her a broader appearance. Obi-Wan suspects this is where the cloak is attached, as it has no sleeves to fit on her form otherwise. This material is pathetically thin, and certainly not used for warmth or extra padding. He thinks it's mostly for stealth because it helped conceal the top of her head and eyes when the hood is pulled up. As he inspects it, he follows the path of fabric down to where it brushes her ankles. And perhaps a bit of menacing flair, he thinks, amused. His eyes trail back up to her hands and the exposed skin on her arms. There is a band of black fabric around her right arm above the elbow, Obi-Wan is curious to know if it's from an injury, and she is wearing fingerless, leather gloves. The cloth around her mouth has been removed and her face is contorted in a frown as she sleeps.

This is not how I remember her at all, he thinks to himself and feels sad all of a sudden. He wonders what happened that made her so different. She was a bright beacon of light in the few memories he has, and now that light is obscured, tainted in... he doesn't want to say darkness but she doesn't feel like light anymore. Obi-Wan isn't sure how to take that information.

He isn't sure why, but in spite of all that, he still finds her utterly luminous and perpetually beautiful. She is always beautiful to him. She reminds him of the stars. They burn with a fire strong enough to explode and contain an everlasting beauty that even surrounding planets can't help but gravitate towards.

Azel is Obi-Wans star.

Unfortunately, stars have a tendency to explode, and once they do, the possibility of collapse feels like impending doom the way shadows in a dark alley feel when it's dark. Everything in the star's orbit will be sucked into nothingness, and Obi-Wan is wondering whether he would survive the explosion long enough to find out if Azel is a black hole or a neutron star.

"She'll be alright."

Obi-Wan jerks out of his reverie and turns to see the redhead leaning against the doorframe. Obi-Wan looks back at Azel but she didn't stir.

The redhead has moved to the table beside the bed and pulled out a stool to sit on. Obi-Wan watches him carefully, and the man watches him right back. His eyes are blue and all-knowing and something about it feels familiar. He is fairly young, maybe in his late twenties or early thirties. His clothing is a cross between cargo and utility, and there is a silver object hanging from his waist.

The weapon of a Jedi, his mind whispers.

"You're a Jedi," Obi-Wan blurts.

The man chuckles. "Cal Kestis," he says. "I was a padawan during the fall. I heard many stories about you growing up, Master Kenobi."

"You have?"

"Yes. You had quite the reputation, as did General Skywalker."

Obi-Wan frowns and looks at Azel. Was she a general by his side? She is quite young to have worked alongside him, surely...

"Not her," Cal confirms his thoughts.

"I don't understand."

Now it is Cal who is frowning. "You don't..." he trails off and something else crosses his features. "You don't remember anything."

"No."

"I was afraid that may happen."

Obi-Wan's heart skips. "What do you know?"

Cal sighs. "It's a long story, and most of it should be told by Azel, but what I can tell you is that your memory loss isn't just from your time in carbonite."

"What is it from? Will it come back?"

"I suspect that it's from Azel's mental block. During our allyship, she explained to me something that sounded a lot like a Force Bond beginning between the two of you. To sum it up, when she went to the Empire, she blocked all of the things she wanted to protect from them behind a wall in her mind."

"I--" Where does he even begin? Somehow, these answers have given Obi-Wan even more questions but his thoughts keep circling back to one. "Will they come back?" He asks again.

"I don't know," Cal says regretfully.

"No need to sound so depressing."

Cal and Obi-Wan look to see Azel with her eyes open. She is squinting in the dim light and moves her free hand to her forehead with a groan. 

"You overdid it again," Cal tells her and moves over to a cabinet to start riffling through it.

"No kidding," she mumbles.

"Can you sit up?"

With Obi-Wans help, Azel slowly sits up and pulls her knees to her chest. Her hair falls around her face, and the charcoal around her eyes looks more smudged but it could be because she is still squinting.

"Why is it so bright?"

"It's not," Cal deadpans. "Here." Obi-Wan sees two green tablets, no bigger than a pellet, outstretched to Azel.

"What are those?" Obi-Wan wonders.

"Bacta pills," Cal says, handing Azel water. "It will help the head pain."

Azel takes them with no question. It confirms that she has been through this before. "You said she overdid it?"

"Force healing," Azel tells him. "Cal taught me."

"You two are close," Obi-Wan observes. This knowledge makes Obi-Wan uncomfortable for some reason.

Azel barks out a laugh, and Cal chuckles as he sits back down on his stool. "I guess you could say that." Cal huffs as he and Azel make eye contact. Obi-Wan is starting to feel something bubble inside his chest. 

"Am I missing something?" He asks and tries hard to keep the edge from his voice but the question still sounds biting.

"It just sounds very simple when you put it like that. We were enemies. Now we're allies, but it was a long and winding road to get here."

"I see."

"He's the reason any of us are here right now," Azel says and looks directly at Obi-Wan. "So you don't remember anything?" Obi-Wan shakes his head. "Nothing at all?" She asks in disbelief.

"So far it's just snippets," he says. "Of you."

The surprise on her face is obvious, but it's quickly masked by a frown. "What kind of snippets?"

"Just, you. What you look like, which is different now. I remember a grassy field and we were rolling around in it. I remember you smiling and how it lit up your entire face." The words are slipping from Obi-Wans mouth without really processing them. Now that she is here, he needs her to know everything he does. 

Azel is, however, frowning into her lap. Her fingers are twisting around each other nervously. "Hold on to those memories, Obi-Wan. I'm not that person anymore."

He doesn't hesitate. "I don't believe that."

"You don't know what I've done. You don't remember what I did."

"I don't care."

Azel huffs and starts to climb out of the bunk. Obi-Wan stands as well. She sways on her feet a bit but remains upright. "You will." She tells him and leaves the room.

Cal comes closer and puts a hand on Obi-Wans shoulder. "Give her time. She will come around."

"You seem to know her well," he snaps. 

Cal shrugs. "I helped her through a dark time, and I will help you both now."

"How's that?"

Cal nods his head towards the door and walks out. Obi-Wan follows. 

In the common space by the kitchen, Chewie and Han are sitting in the booth along with a little green Latero that must be Greez, Arrin and the platinum-blonde are glaring at Azel and she is glaring right back.

When Cal and Obi-Wan enter, the blonde turns to Cal. "I don't approve of this."

"It's alright, Merrin," Cal says. "It's only for a short time."

"That's supposed to make it better?" Arrin quips. 

Azel's jaw sets. 

"Arrin," Han scolds.

"It was a Sith Lord that killed my people," Merrin spits.

"Azel is no Sith Lord now."

Arrin huffs at that and leaves to sit near the cockpit. Azel crosses her arms over her chest. 

"Merrin, can I talk to you?" Cal asks. The two of them head back to the room they just came out of.

"So," Greez starts. "You're the Jedi everyone was making a fuss about."

Obi-Wan blinks. "So it seems."

The conversation doesn't go beyond that because Han is out of his seat and launching himself at Azel in a bear hug. Han wraps himself up in her like vines on a tree, like a man dying of thirst and Azel is water. 

Azel stumbles but catches him easily and grips him just as fiercely. 

"I thought I'd never see you again," Han mumbles into her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she whispers and pulls back to look at him. "You're so big."

Han laughs. "I'm taller than you now."

Azel's eyes are glistening and she brushes her thumb against his cheek. Han grabs it and holds it there. "Don't." At her answering frown, he clarifies, "you're regretting not being there for me."

Azel sighs and looks away, taking her hand with her. "Han--"

"No." He says and then grabs her by the shoulders and forcibly turns her to face Obi-Wan. "Look at who is standing there. He wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."

Azel and Obi-Wan stare at one another. Her eyes are still shimmering with unshed tears, and for some reason, Obi-Wan feels his own eyes start to sting. This is how it's supposed to be, a voice whispers in his head.

Han grabs Obi-Wan's wrist and pulls him closer to Azel. He is holding onto both their hands now. "I've missed you both," he confesses.

Now a tear falls from Azel's eye, and Obi-Wan grabs her free hand, creating a little circle of just the three of them. Our family.

Azel blinks at him and he smiles at her. Han drops his head into Obi-Wans shoulder and drags Azel closer. The group hug feels right and now Obi-Wan feels a tear fall down his cheek. It doesn't matter that he doesn't remember what happened, it doesn't matter how much suffering any of them went through--this moment, this is right.

"I'm gonna be sick," Greez mutters. Chewie growls out something that sounds like an affirmative. 

Han and Azel laugh and the three of them pull away.

Just then, Cal and Merrin come out.

Cal meets Azels gaze and her face hardens. "No."

"The only way we can know is if you drop the block in your mind."

"We don't know if it's safe yet."

"I know," Cal says. He sends a meaningful look at Merrin. "Which is why I think we should see a professional."

"That's even worse," Azel blurts out.

"For once I agree with the killer," Merrin says.

"Merrin--" Cal starts.

Merrin sighs and looks at Obi-Wan. "My people have methods and the resources to see the mind. I would have to speak to my sisters and brothers first, as it is not a custom to have a Jedi in our home, but we may have a way to clear your head of any blocks."

"How do we do it?" Obi-Wan tries not to sound too eager.

"We go to Dathomir," Cal says and turns to Greez. "Can you set the coordinates?"

"Of course," he says and walks to the cockpit, Chewie follows behind.

"We shouldn't do this," it's Azel speaking.

"Don't like the idea of visiting the planet your people wiped out, Sith Lord?" Merrin growls.

"I don't like the idea of your people riffling around inside his head."

"Azel--" it's Cal. Obi-Wan gets the feeling he is used to playing mediator.

"No. He's not doing it."

"I think he should speak for himself," Cal suggests gently.

All heads turn to Obi-Wan, but Obi-Wan is looking at Azel. He steps closer to her. "I see that you're worried, but I would like to get my memories back, and if this is the only safe way to do it then I want to try. I think we can trust them."

Azel watches him closely. "You cannot trust the Nightsisters and brothers, Obi-Wan."

Merrin scoffs behind Obi-Wan. "I want to try," he repeats.

Azels eyes flash a deep gold before returning to their blue with flecks of gold. Obi-Wan thought he imagined it but something tells him that they truly do that. 

"Fine," Azel concedes.

The group disburses, Cal and Merrin go to the cockpit and Cal informs everyone it will be another hour before they arrive on Dathomir. Han and Arrin sit in the booth together, while Obi-Wan pulls Azel back to the bunks at the back of the ship.

He has her sit on the bunk. "Wait here," he tells her.

Obi-Wan gets a bowl of warm water, a cloth, and some bacta spray, and returns to find her where he left her. He kneels in front of her to clean up the soot left on her face and neck. She watches him intently, and he meets her gaze.

"You're different," he blurts.

"So are you."

"I don't have my memories."

"Don't you think that's for the better?"

Obi-Wan blinks at her. "Is that why you don't want to go to Dathomir?"

Azel shakes her head and doesn't say anything else. Obi-Wan dips a cloth in water and wrings it out. He brings it to her cheek and starts brushing it across her skin. Immediately there is a clean patch and Obi-Wan continues his ministrations.

"I have a history on Dathomir, and even before that, the Nightsisters and brothers have had problems with Force users."

Obi-Wan senses she is telling the truth, but she isn't looking at him. "There is something else," he observes.

She doesn't reply, not right away. Obi-Wan is patient. He wrings out the cloth and continues down her neck. 

"You won't want anything to do with me once you remember."

Obi-Wan stops his movements. "Why do you say that?"

She doesn't answer, but Obi-Wan knows now that he can rely on his intuition more than most. Perks of being a Jedi, he muses. "Is it because of the carbon freezing or the color of your eyes?"

Her eyes go wide when she looks at him. "I thought--"

She stops when Obi-Wan's fingers brush against her bottom lip. Cleaning forgotten. "I still don't remember what happened but what's done is done," he whispers. "All I know is that you're important to me. Nothing, no bad memories or past actions, will ever change that."

Her eyes are shining with tears and her lip trembles under his thumb. She grabs his wrist and pulls his hand until his palm is cupping her cheek, she nuzzles in and holds it there. "You don't know how hard it's been. What I had to do to right my wrongs or how badly I missed you and needed you," she whispers it into his hand like it's a secret meant only for him to hold. A tear paints a trail down her clean cheek, the charcoal leaving a dark line in its path. Obi-Wan brushes it away, the darkness coating his thumb now. 

He can't promise much, very little in fact until his memories return and they are free of the Empire, but he can promise, "you have me."

She looks stares at him, and for the first time, he sees her eyes as a solid blue, no flecks of gold left and something in Obi-Wan's heart soars. I have her too, he thinks.

Obi-Wan isn't aware he's doing it until she is inches from his face. He pulled her closer with the hand on her cheek, his other dropped the cloth and pulled her in by the back of the neck. They are breathing the same air when she freezes. "Your memories," she whispers. Obi-Wan knows what she is getting at before she continues, "it isn't right."

Perhaps when he remembers everything he will look back on this moment and think she has a point and maybe there is some truth that he will not be happy with what he remembers. But right now, all he cares about is having this moment with her. "I don't care," he breathes and pulls her in before she can protest some more.

Their lips press together and something in Obi-Wan falls and flies all at once. Her lips are soft and pliant against his and she tastes as sweet as he dreamed she would. She smells of fire and battle but underneath that, she smells like Azel. The one he has gotten to know, the one that stirs memory flashes that don't have context, the one that looks like sunshine and radiates strength and power in the most alluring way possible. The one that makes Obi-Wan want to throw away everything just to breathe the same air as her. 

This is right. She is the life he breathes, even with this new darkness flowing through and around her. It's dangerous, but it's her and Force strike him now because he feels like he is home.

She moves her lips against his and Obi-Wan pulls her closer. Azel wraps her arms around his neck and grips his hair in her hands as she presses closer, her knees bracket his torso, and her chest is brushing his collarbones from the angle but it's perfect. Her waist is warm and solid beneath his fingertips. When did he move them? 

He is about to pull her closer when they hear a gasp in the doorway. The pair startle and break the kiss to look over and see a smirking Han with his arms crossed and now leaning his shoulder against the doorframe.

"Well, it's about time," he says. "Arrin owes me credits."

"You bet on this?" Obi-Wan can't help but smile and he feels rather than hears Azel chuckle in his arms.

"Of course. He made food, by the way, you both should eat."

"We'll be right out," Azel says. When he's gone, Azel continues to stare after him. "He's grown so much." The melancholy in her voice hits Obi-Wan with a sense of loss.

"I want to remember him," he says in the same tone.

Azel meets his gaze. "You will." After a breath, she says, "I still can't believe you're really here."

"More or less," he says. She laughs. It's the most beautiful thing he has ever heard. He watches the smile light up her features and he feels a brief sense of loss like he's seen that smile before on someone else. Someone who is gone.

"Let's go eat." Obi-Wan nods and stands, he helps Azel to her feet, and hand-in-hand, they join the others in the communal area.

Han and Chewie are already seated and eating. Han looks up at them and gives them a beaming smile. Azel places a hand on his shoulder and squeezes as they move past. 

Arrin is eating standing up, staring at the two of them. They both stop, and Azel stares back at him.

"I found out I have a brother you know." Arrin starts, still glaring. Obi-Wan doesn't like where this is going.

Azel blinks up at him. "Arrin--"

"No wait, you don't know, because you weren't there. But, thankfully mine isn't a murdering psychopath that I ran away with. Mine was raised with the Rebels and is happily married with a child."

She frowns. "But your parents--"

"Yeah. My parents who died when I was a kid and didn't bother to tell me they gave up their firstborn to a distant family because they were too young for a kid. And you know, for a while there I understood why you wanted to run away with him, because that's your blood, and at that moment I would've done anything for the man, I still would, but I would never turn my back on the family that I built. Not on you, not Han, hell not even this guy-" he points to Obi-Wan, "and I never did. Unlike you."

Azel is silent for a moment, and Obi-Wan can feel the emotions coming off of her. Guilt, hurt, anger. It's like she notices it too because her anger starts to grow over the others. He sees her eyes flicker gold and Obi-Wan knows now that she could put the fear of God in her subordinates. 

When she speaks, her voice is quiet, like the calm before the storm. "I left to bring back part of that family you claim as your own. I succeeded."

"No," Arrin scoffs. "I succeeded, Han did and so did Cal. Where were you?"

"Please stop," Han says. 

His words work, Arrin and Azel look at Han who is looking between the two of them desperately. Arrin shakes his head and leaves the kitchen for the cockpit. He stops halfway.

"Who do you think you're fooling anyway?" He asks. "You can take the Sith away from the Dark Side, but you can't take the Dark Side out of the Sith. Do you think one good deed, one hug from Han, or even your long-lost love is going to save you? It's not. You're lost, Azel."

With that, he leaves them. 

Obi-Wan is the first to move. He puts a hand on Azels shoulder. Her head is ducked and her eyes are closed, Han isn't looking any better. "Are you alright?" He asks gently, almost like he is poking an angry bear.

She lets out a heavy sigh and meets his gaze. The gold is diminished to flecks again. "He has every right to be angry with me."

"So does Han." Obi-Wan points out. 

"He's right," Han says quietly. 

"So do I," Obi-Wan includes.

"When you remember everything I'm certain you will be."

Obi-Wan shakes his head. "Even if I am, it won't last forever. Give Arrin time, I'm sure he will come around."

Azel gives him a half-hearted smile. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me." He kisses her forehead and the deja vu makes him dizzy again, but it passes the moment he pulls back. "Now, let's eat something."

--

When they arrive at Dathomir, Merrin insists on leaving to find some of her brothers and sisters first to let them know of the plan and hopefuklly get them to agree. Greez and Chewie get caught up in a conversation in the cockpit. Cal and Han start discussing the plant garden they have on the ship. Which just leaves Arrin, Azel and Obi-Wan.

"Arrin--"

"What?" He snaps.

Obi-Wan cringes. 

"I just--" Azel stops and reconsiders whatever she is about to say but eventually she blurts, "you have a brother?"

Arrin scowls at her and slouches in the booth. "Yeah."

"That's wonderful," she says.

Arrin shrugs. "I'm surprised you think so given your own situation."

"Not everyone has shit siblings, I can appreciate those that don't."

"Kes is a good man, good soldier. He's married. His wife is a phenomenal pilot," he pauses. "They have a son now, Poe. They named him after me."

Azel smiles. "I'm happy for you."

Arrin shrugs. 

"How did you find out?"

He looks her up and down, debating if it is worth telling her or not. "By accident."

A look must've crossed her face because he sighs. "Mothma kept it from me and kept them at another base on assignment for a short time."

Azel scowls. "I don't want to hear it," Arrin growls before she can say anything.

"Is that when you decided to believe me?"

"Who says I believe you?"

"You're here. Against her wishes, I'm sure."

He doesn't respond. "I'm here for Han and Obi-Wan. What happened between Mothma and I is my business."

"Fine," she bites.

This time, Obi-Wan spoke up. "But why would she keep that from you?"

Arrin looks at Obi-Wan and then Azel with a calculated but annoyed gaze before turning back to him. "She didn't want me to have any distractions as I was still learning. However, she kept it from me for years after I finished my training so I really don't know. Maybe it was her grudge against me for bending the rules."

"You? Bend the rules?" Azel scoffs.

"Yes. I don't follow orders that I feel are wrong."

"Oh, this is rich--"

"Really? You? You're going to get angry with me--"

"You're the one who wouldn't listen to me--"

"After you left us--"

"If you had just listened to me about her--"

"That's enough." Obi-Wan cut them off. They both look at him. "So she had a grudge against you."

Arrin sighs. "Yeah. I found out about Kes by accident, and by accident, I mean meeting him."

"I don't understand. Didn't others recognize your last name? You weren't hiding it."

"No, but Dameron is a common last name in the galaxy. We did a blood test to be sure. We have a strong resemblance."

"You met when he came back?"

"Yeah. He caught me hitting on his wife. Granted, I didn't know at the time."

"That probably didn't go over well," Obi-Wan chuckles.

Arrin shrugs. "It wasn't so bad."

Cal walks in just then and joins them.

"Anything?" Azel asks.

"Not yet. It may take some convincing."

They're quiet.

"Cal, can we talk?" Azel asks. 

He nods, and the two of them stand and walk to the back of the ship.

"Wonder what that's about," Obi-Wan says, frowning as they disappear.

"I couldn't tell you. They're both strangers to me."

"You were friends with her, weren't you?"

"I was friends with Azelynn Skywalker, not a Sith Lord that has murdered millions across the galaxy."

Obi-Wan studies him. He feels something is off and decides to follow it. "You're not angry for what she did, you're angry she left you."

Arrin glares at him. "You don't know---"

"I think I do." 

Arrin shakes his head. "She was my best friend. She couldn't trust me, and I know that is my fault. I should have trusted her and her feelings about the rebels. I'm not saying they're bad, but they have their own agenda to rid the galaxy of the Empire and Azel could see that. I left her alone and she made a rash decision that ruined her life. Hell, she didn't just leave me, she left Han. He was just a boy and he looked up to her in every way possible. It broke my heart to see him so crushed."

"I don't think she is what everyone thinks she is. You should give her a chance. Maybe talk to her."

Arrin is shaking his head. "I can't." Obi-Wan waits. Arrin drops his head in his hands and then looks back up. "I'm not ready. Not yet."

"When you are, I'm sure she will listen."

The others come back as Merrin steps back onto the ship.

"Well?" Cal asks.

"They are willing to help, but they need to take a look inside his mind first to see if anything can be done."

"Then let's do it."

"She stays here," Merrin points to Azel. 

"No," she says.

"It's bad enough having one Jedi running around, now there will be two. My people do not trust either of your kind."

"I'll go with him," Han volunteers. 

Somehow, that makes Azel even more concerned. 

"I'll go," Cal tells her. "I'll make sure he is looked after." Azel's eyes flash gold again.

"Fine," she all but growls. She turns to Han. "You're staying here."

"Okay," he doesn't argue. That seems to surprise her.

Azel watches as Obi-Wan leaves the ship, Merrin in front of him and Cal and Arrin just behind him. 

The planet is incredibly red and full of mountainous ranges. The air feels dry and it's only after a few moments that his throat feels parched. He looks back at the ship and sees Azel standing at the door watching them go. 

They walk until they're in a canyon and the temperature drops significantly. He wraps his arms around his chest to help keep him warm.

Up ahead is a small group of people in red. As they get closer Obi-Wan can see the women, more Nightsisters with markings similar to Merrin, and the men are gruff with spikes coming out of their heads with markings across their bodies. Obi-Wan can understand Azel's hesitance. They look like they can summon death himself, and they have an air of power about them. This power feels different from the Force, it feels the way lightning feels when it strikes too close, with hair-raising energy that can kill you with one strike.

"Sisters, brothers, may I present, Jedi Kenobi." She steps aside and Obi-Wan is no longer shielded by Merrin's body. 

One of the sisters steps forward and looks him up and down. Suddenly, there is a green glow forming around her hand, the source of the lightning energy, and she reaches it forward to Obi-Wan's head. He steps back and puts his hands up. What the kriff is that?

"It's alright," Cal says behind him. "She is checking your mind for the bond and block."

"This is sister Rezia, she specializes in processes of the mind." Merrin says.

The woman, Rezia, stays frozen in midair until Obi-Wan nods his head once and she continues forward. The green touches the side of his head. He jerks, expecting it to electrify him, but he doesn't feel anything until the power enters his head. It still doesn't hurt, but he feels something foreign rifling through his brain and it's mildly uncomfortable. He winces, resisting the urge to move away. Not soon enough, Rezia pulls out.

"Hmm," she hums.

"What is it?"

She turns to Merrin. "You said he was frozen."

"For ten years, yes." She confirms.

She hesitates as she looks at Obi-Wan, and then speaks lowly to Merrin. "His mind is fully recovered from the freezing."

"That's good news, isn't it?" Arrin interjects.

Cal steps in now. "We suspect there is a Force Bond present and that it is cut off from the original creator."

Rezia nods. "You may be correct, I found the bond. However, there isn't much I can do. The wall needs to be lowered for his memories to return."

"I was afraid you'd say that," Cal sighs.

"Azel will never do it," Arrin deadpans.

"What if we break the bond?" Cal wonders.

"Then his memories will be gone forever."

Obi-Wan's eyes widen. "Okay, can't do that," Cal says.

"I don't understand. If she put up the block, why is it affecting my memories?"

This seems to be a good question because Cal and Arrin look at Rezia too. "Force Bonds are connected next to the place memories are stored. That's why it's so easy for bonded pairs to remember things that never happened to them as if they did. In this case, it seems the bond was damaged--presumably from the sudden cut-off via carbon freezing, and then further with the block."

"But now his mind is healed from the freezing."

"Yes, usually if someone cuts off one side of the bond, it won't affect the other party. In this case, it was poor timing, and the bond was so new."

"So it's up to Azel if I remember or not." Obi-Wan feels defeated all of a sudden. She won't voluntarily do it, not when she doesn't want him to remember.

Arrin seems to catch on to his train of thought. "The other person can't change his memories can they?"

Rezia shakes her head. "They're blocked from his mind, not stolen."

Obi-Wan relaxes, not realizing he was nervous about the answer. "Thank you," Obi-Wan tells her.

Rezia nods. "If there is nothing else, Merrin will escort you back to your ship."

"Thank you for your time," Cal bows.

The group begins their journey back to the ship.

"There is no way Azel will drop the block," Arrin says.

"She can't right now," Cal says, ever the voice of reason. Obi-Wan looks at him. "Even if she wanted to."

"Why not?"

"It's too dangerous. Like it or not, she is a commander for the Empire and a Sith. It's far too dangerous for her to drop it right now."

"You may be right," Obi-Wan mutters sadly.

Cal puts a hand on his shoulder. "That doesn't mean you'll never get them back, and I suspect you will continue to remember things on your own. Blocks are mental walls, and not all walls are impenetrable. Some things are bound to slip through the cracks."

When they reach the ship, Azel and Han are waiting outside for them.

"I'll tell them the news," Cal says and jogs over to them.

Azel is scowling and Han is frowning. He seems to be the one asking questions while Azel listens.

Minutes later, Azel sighs and looks at Obi-Wan. Han and Cal come over but Azel jerks her head to Obi-Wan. He understands.

"It seems the fate of my memories lies in your hands," Obi-Wan says when he reaches her. He tries to make it sound like a joke but it comes out too feeble.

"You know I can't pull the block right now."

"I know, Cal explained."

"Is it selfish of me that I never want to drop it?" She wonders softly.

"Maybe, but you understand that I need you to do it when it's safe."

"I know."

She steps forward then, Obi-Wan is just barely an inch taller than her. She holds his gaze as she brushes a strand of hair off his face. Her touch is warm and gentle, the exact opposite of the emotions rolling off of her through the Force.

"You won't like what you remember."

Obi-Wan gently grasps her shoulders. "So you've said, but they are mine to decide with, are they not?"

She looks down. 

"You won't want me when you remember."

He tilts her chin up and meets her gaze. "I cannot imagine a world where I don't want you, Azelynn Skywalker."

Her eyes start to glisten with unshed tears. "Do you trust me?" He asks her.

She nods without hesitation. "With my life."

He presses his forehead against hers. "Then trust me now. There is no memory, no feeling, no reminder that will ever change my feelings for you."

"Promise me," she demands.

"I promise."

She sniffs and pulls away to meet his gaze. "Okay, but for now we need to get somewhere safe."

Obi-Wan nods and then looks at the others. Merrin is walking back to her people in the canyon, and Cal is walking toward them with Arrin and Han in tow.

"Do you have a plan?" Cal asks her.

"Can you take us to Alderaan?" Azel asks Cal.

He nods. "Are you sure? The Empire will not like losing both of you. They will send all the inquisitors and bounty hunters they can find."

"Obi-Wan doesn't have a chain code, as the Jedi never did, and I destroyed mine the second I had the clearance to do so. They won't find us. We will just have to lay low. Bail can help us with that."

Cal nods. "Alright. Let's get going."

They board the ship and Cal, Greez, and Chewie sit in the cockpit as the ship starts to take off. 

"You'll be safe?" Han asks Azel.

She nods.

"Are you sure Bail will even see you?" Arrin asks. 

Azel bites her lip. "No, but I'm trusting he will help out an old friend."

"What will you do?" Obi-Wan asks the pair. 

"I have to go back to the Rebels."

"What?" Azel gasps.

"My brother and nephew are there, and I need to make sure Cassian doesn't get away with what he's done. There are good people there."

"They'll kill you." Azel blurts. 

"They can try," Arrin smirks. "Besides, now that they know I'm onto them, they won't try anything."

Azel is quiet at that, and Obi-Wan turns to Han. "What about you?"

"We have to go get my ship off of Jedha, and then I'm off to explore the galaxy," Han says proudly.

"Like hell-"

"Fat chance-"

"Oh, come on! There is so much to see and I have Chewie and the ship--"

"That ship is garbage, Han. Come on."

"Arrin, I'm not a kid anymore."

He grumbles to himself. "How are you going to make any credits? And if you say gamboling and swindling--"

"You've been doing what?" Azel growls.

"Oh, don't start. It's not like you've been around to help."

"Yeah and look where we are now no thanks to you--"

"Am I going to have to separate you both?" Han asks.

Arrin crosses his arms and Azel scowls, neither looking at the other.

The silence is awkward and Obi-Wan meets Han's gaze. "Han is old enough to make his own decisions," Obi-Wan says gently. Han's eyes widen and Arrin and Azel snap their heads toward him, protests already on the verge of slipping past their lips. "No arguments. He knows where to find you both if he is in trouble, right?" He turns to Han on this and he nods his head.

Azel is the first to deflate and looks to Han. "You're always welcome with us on Alderaan--"

"If you can even stay," Arrin mumbles. Azel ignores him.

"--if you ever need anything at all. You know where to find us."

Han nods and smiles. Then looks to Arrin who is scowling at him like he just realized he lost not just a battle but the whole war. "Fine. But don't you dare start running spice, I know you kid, and you--"

Han puts a hand on his heart. "Why, I would never. Arrin, it's like you don't even know me."

Even Obi-Wan could hear the sarcasm dripping from his voice. He holds back a sigh.

If the Empire and Rebels don't kill me, these two might.

Han gets up and heads to the other room, and Arrin tails after him, still going on about spice. Azel watches them go. 

"They will be alright."

She looks at him. "You can't know that."

"They made it these past ten years, they will make it ten more."

She scoffs. "Just ten?"

"Well, maybe eleven?" They both laugh.

"Everything is changing again," she whispers staring off at nothing. "We're going to be on the run for the rest of our lives."

Obi-Wan slides closer to her in the L-shaped booth. He takes her hand in his own. "As you said, everything is changing, and everything will change again. One day we will live peacefully knowing that the Rebels and the Empire are behind us."

Azel huffs a laugh. "Unfortunately Obi-Wan, I fear this is just the beginning." Silence. "You really think the war will end?"

"It has to someday. I need to believe that."

"But if it doesn't?" She wonders. Her eyes look so hopeful, so innocent, Obi-Wan can't believe she's done all the things the others claim she has. He cannot believe there is malice in her heart despite the darkness around her or her statements as such.

He cannot believe his memories will paint her out to be an awful person.

"If it doesn't then we will run until we can't anymore. Together." And that sounds good to him. If he spends the rest of his life running, he will do so willingly and happily, because Azel will have her hand in his.

When he squeezes her hand, she squeezes back and gives him the smile that he would die for.

"Together."

--

A/N: And there we have it, our prelude into Part 4 of this story. Chapter 24 will be a reflection of Azels time as a Sith Lord and her connection to Cal, but chapter 25 we will see Azel and Obi-Wan trying to navigate their lives together.

Also, I dropped a new fic on my page. It's a mando/cobb fic completed with smut, an easy 21k fic. Check it out if that interests you and you enjoy my writing! 

Merry Christmas and I'll see you soon! Thanks for reading! xo