"Blast!" Muttered Obi-Wan Kenobi as a missile exploded just behind his spacecraft, making the little hull shake and tremble.

His blue-green eyes looked briefly at his side, at the cradle solidly fixated to the floor, checking if the child sleeping there was all right, then returned to concentrate on the difficult situation he was in.

When he had agreed to take little Luke to Tatooine and guard him till the time he would be old enough to be trained as a Jedi, Obi-Wan had decided to use a small, anonymous private ship for the journey, something that would not attract the Republican Cruisers' attention.

No, he corrected himself for the umpteenth time, the Republic is dead. Now it is an empire, he thought, feeling his anguish rise again and struggling to control his emotions.

Another missile shooting past him reminded Obi-Wan of how his best laid plans had not worked and he was now chased by imperial fighters, accused of being a smuggler!

He was indeed trying to smuggle something very precious, but even if it was not what the troops believed it to be, he could not allow them to board or capture his spacecraft. The Jedi master was aware his face was too well-known in the galaxy to even dare to hope he would not be recognized.

A beep alerted Obi-Wan that another missile had been launched and he concentrated on avoiding it, as another curse escaped his lips. The fighters chasing him were too many and he would not resist for much longer in open space. So far they had tried only to damage his engines to slow him down, but that could change at any moment.

If it were just for himself, Obi-Wan would even welcome death... a good clean shot, and he would be free from his desperation, regrets, guilt, and sense of failure.

"I hate you!"- Anakin's last words still echoed in his mind, mixing with Padmé screams as she had given birth to her twins before succumbing to her heart-break, and Obi-Wan could not help but think, another time, that maybe, if he had been a better master, a better friend, a better Jedi, all of this could have been avoided. But he had failed- and he would have to live with the consequences of his failure, for he could not let the imperial troops to destroy or capture the spacecraft.

In Luke's small, trusting hands resided the only hope the galaxy still had to one day be free from Palpatine's malicious power, and Obi-Wan had sworn to protect him until the day he would fulfil his destiny.

The Jedi master punched some information into the computer and scanned the series of galactic maps appearing on the screen in answer to his query, searching, searching until he found it.

A blank space on the map. 

It looked similar to a black hole, but it was not as dangerous. It was just an area where the instruments of localization such as radars and scanners did not work- the perfect place to hide from the imperial fleet for a while.

Obi-Wan inserted the co-ordinates in the computer and pushed the little spacecraft to full speed, trying to gain some lead over the imperial fighters.

In the precise moment the ship entered the blank space, Obi-Wan understood there was something wrong.

It was not the first time he had found shelter in a place like that and, usually, the only problem was a malfunction of the navigation instruments, which would persist as long as the ship would be enveloped in the blank space. The only way to leave the area was to go forward, until the outdoor sensors would return to work again and inform the pilot about the ship's position- or return from where one had come, something only Jedi could do without any reference point.

This time instead, Obi-Wan was invested by some kind of energy distortion and the spacecraft started to shake and rotate on its axis as he tried to keep it steady, as all the instruments ceased to work.

Obi-Wan gritted his teeth as he pushed several buttons and switched some levers, all in vain: the ship was practically dead, except for the engine.

"Blast!" he cursed again as he reached out with his perceptions, trying to understand what was happening around him. The energy distortion was lessening, and the spacecraft was a little more under control, but still the instruments did not work.

In front of him, a planet covered by large oceans and green continents surrounded by white clouds had appeared along with its smaller, grey satellite.

Obi-Wan had not the slightest idea of where he was, but he knew the ship was heading straight toward the planet and he would have to use all of his skills to make it land with his limited control over it.

The landing was brusque, and Obi-Wan hit his head against the front window, but he was able to avoid a crash down and to pilot the spacecraft into a small forest, where it would be well protected as he tried to understand what had happened and where he was.

The Jedi master unfastened the seatbelt and went to check Luke. He smiled when he saw that, despite of everything, the child was still asleep. However he knew he would not be for much longer. He could already feel the sense of hunger growing inside Luke's mind and soon the little boy would be awake and crying for milk.

"It is best if I feed you before starting to work on the ship, so I won't be interrupted," Obi-Wan murmured to the child as he exited to cockpit on his way to the storage room, where food had been stacked. He had to force the door open for nothing seemed to work on the ship, and then groaned at the mess welcoming him.

Several milk containers had fallen due to all the shaking the ship had suffered, and they had broken, spilling their white content all over the room. Obi-Wan sighed and tried to clean as best as he could, then frowned when he noticed how dangerously scarce the milk supplies were now. There was enough to feed the boy for one, two days at most, and then he would have to buy more somewhere.

Yeah, somewhere...this is the key word. I have not have the slightest idea of where I am, Obi-Wan thought as he prepared the feeding-bottle for Luke while throwing some glances at the side windows and at the landscape he could see.

It was almost sunset, but there was still enough light to notice the trees he was looking at did not seem similar to any he had seen before and the detail did not contribute to dispel the sense of uneasiness he felt.

He could perceive the Force around him but some how it felt...different. As if it was untapped, unused, unrecognized...untouched. It was strong and free from the Darkness that had enveloped the galaxy before he had entered the blank space and Obi-Wan let it course through himself, savouring its Light like a man enjoying a cold breeze during a hot day.

After Luke had been fed, changed and put to sleep again, Obi-Wan concentrated on the ship. Lying on the cockpit floor, he removed one of the panels and checked the circuits on the instruments. He found that one of the wires had been burned by an electric overload and he replaced it, before switching on the computers.

Good, he thought when the sensors and the lights came alive again. He put the metal panel back in place, then sat on his armchair and ran a series of tests to check the condition of the ship.

It seemed intact but there had been some damage to two of the stabilizers- and it was a major one.

Obi-Wan's good mood disappeared at once. Even taking for granted that he had all the replacement parts on board - and he was not sure he had them, for his trip had been hastily arranged- it would take him several days to repair the damage without the help of a droid.

Which meant Obi-Wan's first priority would be to find a place to buy milk for Luke.

Sighing, the Jedi master turned on the outdoor sensors and tried to locate where he had landed. 

Several galactic maps appeared in rapid succession under his eyes as the computer ran through all the systems located in the sector where he had been flying and compared them to the data it was getting about the planet he was now. The message that flashed on the screen after several minutes left him stunned: LOCATION UNKNOWN.

That's impossible! Obi-Wan thought, broadening the parameters of his research to include the entire Outer Rim and running the program again- only to get the same answer.

LOCATION UNKNOWN.

Obi-Wan shook his head disconcerted and again studied the projection of the system he was in. It was composed of nine planets rotating around a medium-sized star. He was on the third planet of group, the first one whose distance from the star made it habitable.

He switched on another sensor and scanned the area around himself. The air was rich in oxygen and clean; the vegetation luxuriant and varied, the water unpolluted and full of life.

The place seemed deserted- except for several animals and a human presence not too far away from the forest where he was. That person was standing inside the only building the sensors had detected in a couple miles range and Obi-Wan thought he would have to start his search from there for some milk for little Luke.

The following morning, Obi-Wan wrapped Luke in a blanket to keep him warm and protected, hugged him to his chest, pulled the hood of his cloak over his head, shrouding his face in shadow, and stepped out the spacecraft, walking in the direction of the building the sensors had detected the previous evening.

The trip did not last long, and Obi-Wan enjoyed every single moment of it. He felt safe in that place, surrounded by trees, green fields and a murmuring creek. He could sense the Force running through him and there was no darkness in it, just light and peace and he basked in it with a long forgotten sense of contentment. The war, the empire, Anakin's turn to the Dark Side, everything seemed so distant, so foreign on that unknown planet...

But perfect places do not exist and suddenly, the landscape changed and Obi-Wan was invested by a wave of pain and desolation, so strong he instinctively hugged Luke tighter, wishing to protect his young force-sensitive mind from what he was experiencing.

The wild, luxuriant grass had given way to a series of barren fields, where some green leaves bravely tried to grow up between the dark remains of a large fire. Contorted, charred, dead trees lined along the path he was covering, silent and spectral, and the building he had been looking for turned out to be only an half-crumbled house, whose still standing pink-stoned walls were blackened by smoke.

Something terrible had happened there not much time before and the Force surrounding the place still retained the memories of those tragic events.

And in the middle of all that pain and grief - and being part of it - there was a lone man, intent on brushing a four legged creature with a long neck and flowing mane and tail. A tall, graceful animal Obi-Wan had never seen before.

The man put down the brush when saw he had a visitor and stepped in the middle of the ruined courtyard.

"Good morning," the Jedi master called out in Basic, confident his universal translator would make his words clear to the other, should he not understand it.

As he got closer, Obi-Wan's perceptions alerted him about several things, the most important of which was how powerful the other man was in the Force. It was a raw power, making clear not only he had never been trained, but also that he was not even aware of his gift. The second thing he noticed was how the man held himself and how he looked at his approaching visitor.

He was tall, muscled, with short cropped hair and a well trimmed beard and wore only a beige tunic. His legs were slightly apart, firm on the ground and his eyes were fixed on him. Obi-Wan had known many warriors during his life and this one certainly was - or had been - a most dangerous one, of that he was sure.

"Good morning," the man answered, but his tone was not that welcoming, and the Jedi master felt a wave of wariness and distrust slam against his shields. He was quick on strengthening his mental barriers, but poor Luke whimpered under an assault he could not understand and he squirmed in his arms.

"Shuuh..." Obi-Wan murmured, touching the child's temple and sending soothing sensations in his mind until the little one calmed down.

"What do you want?" the man asked, when Obi-Wan stopped in front of him.

The Jedi pushed down his hood and gesturing to the bundle in his arms answered gently, "I need milk for him, and I wished to know where I could buy it."

The dark haired man stretched his neck to peer at Luke and a weak smile appeared on his lips, before he returned serious. "The closest village is three miles away."

Obi Wan pursed his lips. Three miles were a lot for a child of Luke's age, but leaving him in the spacecraft was unthinkable. As he observed around himself he noticed several animals with horns that looked very much like the mammals bred on his home planet to produce milk.

He returned to concentrate on the other man and said, "I know you have milk. Could not you sell it to me?"

The man took some time to answer, and Obi Wan felt he wished to refuse, but then his eyes fell on Luke and he nodded. 

"Yes. I will give it you. Wait here."

He walked away and disappeared inside the half crumbled house, and the Jedi did as he had been told, all the while thinking about how he was going to pay for the milk. He had credits with him, but somehow he felt that man had not the slightest idea of what to do with them. The house and the utensils he could see around looked ancient...primitive...in his eyes, like the pieces he had seen displayed in the museums on Coruscant.

The man returned after a moment with a pitcher and directed to the horned mammals in the paddock, but Obi Wan stopped him with a gesture.

"Before you continue, I must alert you I have no money with me."

The man smirked. "Somehow I already knew it. However, I cannot drink all the milk my goats and cows produce, so I have no problem in giving it to you for the child. And you can always repay me by helping me around here." He gestured to the house, to the broken down fences, to the charred trees and to the untended fields.

Yes, there was no doubt there was a lot of work to do around there- and an almost impossible task for a lone man.

Obi- Wan bowed his head. "Let us find a safe place to put the child, and I would be honoured to help you."

Maximus Decimus Meridius, former general of Marcus Aurelius' army, now known as the Saviour of Rome, wiped his sweaty brow with one arm and looked at the small mountain of stones staked in a corner. It seemed almost incredible that in just one morning the foreigner and he had been able to progress so quickly in the task of freeing the area from the stones fallen from the walls- the first step in the rebuilding of the house.

He and the foreigner had worked in almost complete silence, but with a coordination that had surprised him. It seemed like they had always worked together, for they could guess and anticipate the other's move.

Maximus felt a peculiar affinity with the strangely dressed, blond-red haired and bearded man. He was a warrior, there was no doubt about that, and he sensed he was haunted by a pain so much like his own- and it had made him lower his defences and his distrust.

When he had returned to Hispania after recovering from the wound Commodus had inflicted on him before their duel in the Colosseum, Maximus had been determined not to have anybody around as he got settled again in his estates. Of course he knew he would need a lot of help to rebuild the house and work in the untended fields, olives groves, vines and orchard- but the point was he did not know if he had returned home to live there...or to die.

He knew such an idea would have shocked his friends and neighbours, who had gently offered to lend him slaves to help him in the beginning, but it was the truth, and he had wanted to be alone as he confronted his past, not wishing to have people breaking the silence of the place with their voices.

Thus he had settled in the farm with just a few animals, his remorse, his regrets, his guilt, and the ghosts populating his nightmares.

So far Maximus had yet to understand where his steps would take him and if his will to live would win over his desire to find peace in death, but now he knew he was tired of being alone and the foreigner's company, even if so silent, was very welcome.

Straightening his back and grimacing at the bolt of pain - the consequence of Commodus' stabbing - he looked up at the sky. The sun had already reached its zenith, and it was time to take a break and eat something- and to take a look at the child, that little boy reminding him so much of his poor Marcus.

"Let's take a rest," he said aloud and the foreigner nodded, wiping his dusty hands on his short, strange tunic.

Maximus led the way to the portion of the house where the roof was still standing, and where he had been lodging since his return.

Among the pieces of furniture spared by the fire, he had found a table, two stools, a small bed and a chest, which he had used so far to store his food but that was now occupied by the foreigner's child.

Maximus smiled upon seeing that the little one was still asleep and gestured to the other man to sit on a stool as he arranged a simple meal of cheese, bread, olives and dried apples and apricots. He put everything on the table along a pitcher of wine and sat down on the free stool.

"Eat," he encouraged his guest, and the foreigner did not hesitate in picking some bread and cheese.

They ate in a comfortable silence for a while, as Maximus studied the other man.

"What's your name?"

"Obi-Wan."

"It is a strange name. You are not from here."

"No, I am not. I come from very far away."

"I don't doubt it, Obi-Wan." He smiled and added, "My name is Maximus."

Obi-Wan bowed his head. "Pleased to meet you, Maximus."

"And the little one? How is he called?" He gestured to the chest.

"Luke."

"Is he your son?"

"No. I-I am taking him to his adoptive parents. His mother and father have died."

Maximus nodded, pensive, and drank some wine.

"Where are we, Maximus?" Obi-Wan asked after a few moments of silence.

His brow arched in surprise. How could the other man not know there he was?

"We are on the hills near Tergillum, in Lusitania."

"Yes, but on what planet we are?"

This time Maximus could not disguise his stupor. Planet? What did he mean with 'planet'?

"I don't think I understand your question..."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "That's all right. It does not really matter."

Maximus frowned then returned to concentrate on his food. 

He had discovered he was more famished than he had thought and that he was enjoying this meal as he had not done in ages- perhaps since the last time he had dined with his family, the evening before he had left for Germania, six years before.

Suddenly his head snapped up, forgetting his previous musings, his soldier instinct fully alert. He had felt like something had just brushed his brow- like a sort of delicate caress, but looking around he saw nothing that could have touched him.

Obi-Wan was sitting at the other side of the table, too far to be able to reach him without standing up.

Maximus shook his head; living alone, in a house full of past memories was causing him to imagine things.

//Relax//, a voice whispered inside him as if in answer to his concerns. //Everything is all right. You are not going crazy.//

In that moment, the silence of the room was broken by a distressed wail.

"It looks like Luke is hungry too," Maximus commented as Obi-Wan rose to his feet and walked to the chest to check the child.

"No...he needs to be changed."

Maximus wriggled his nose in instinctive reaction and said, "Do you have clean linens for him?"

"Yes, I have them stored in the place where I found shelter."

"Good. Then go there before he cries his lungs out!" 

The two men shared a chuckle, then Obi-Wan scooped the child in his arm and bent down to retrieve the bucket full of milk he had posed near the chest after he had fed Luke his midmorning meal.

As he started to straighten, the boy wiggled, almost falling from his embrace.

"Be careful!" Maximus exclaimed, standing up and approaching the other man in two steps. "Here, let me show you how you must hold him to avoid him slipping from your grip."

Maximus took Luke in his arms and a lump formed in his throat as he held the boy close to his chest as he had done with Marcus.

"You are a father," Obi-Wan murmured, watching him closely.

"I was. My son...my son has died. He is buried under the poplar near the gate, along with my wife."

"I am sorry, Maximus. Did it happen during the fire that destroyed the house?"

"Yes..." Maximus swallowed hard, then handed Luke to the other man and adjusted his hold on the small body. "Here...now he can wiggle as much as he like, but you won't risk dropping him."

"Thank you," Obi-Wan smiled. "For everything."

"There is no need. I welcome your company. Please feel free to return should you need more milk or something else."

"I will keep it in mind, Maximus."

And speaking thus, Obi-Wan walked to where he had left his cloak, threw it over his left shoulder, then picked up the bucket with the milk and left the house.

Maximus observed him from the threshold as he proceeded among the fields, watching his shape become smaller and smaller until it disappeared in the chestnuts tree forest near the western border of his estate.

Obi-Wan's fingers were shaking as he digitised the opening code of the spacecraft hatch.

What he had learned from Maximus had shaken him to his core.

The Jedi master had not relished in probing his guest's mind, but it had been the only way to get some answer to his questions.

The man's astronomic knowledge had been almost non-existent, and he had never heard about the Galactic Republic now turned in Empire- and not just because he lived in a very primitive world.

Obi-Wan had discovered Maximus called Terra the planet he was on, Luna its grey, luminous satellite and Sol the star they rotated around. He had also learned the names of the other planets of the system, and none of them had been familiar to him.

After the incident with the missing system of Kamino, at the beginning of the Clone Wars, the Jedi Council had ordered a new, more complete mapping of the galaxy and Obi-Wan had made it a matter of personal honour to learn the name of each single system.

The years of wars that had followed, had then obliged him to fight on more planets he could remember and helped him to have a more direct knowledge of the galaxy, and he was sure of something: there was no star called Sol there, no planet called Terra, no satellite called Luna.

A long time ago, one of his masters in the Temple had told him "once you have excluded the impossible, Obi-Wan, what remains, even if improbable, must be the truth."

The energy distortion Obi-Wan had encountered when he had entered the blank space had to have been some kind of galactic passage, and by crossing it, he had found himself in another galaxy.

That's why the computers could not find any reference point, no matter how many times he had examined the maps or re-calibrated the sensors settings.

The implications of the situation were simply overwhelming, but Obi-Wan tried to stay calm and use his head. There were so many things he had to do.

First of all, he had to take care of Luke. Then he had to speed up the reparation of the stabilizers and return to his galaxy as soon as possible.

As much as the prospective of remaining in that peaceful place was alluring, Obi-Wan could not forget he had to fulfil his duty.

Luke was his galaxy's hope for a better future and he must be returned where he belonged- soon, for the Jedi master did not knew if the galactic passage was permanent or just a temporary aberration.

So far the instruments registered a stable energy activity from this side of the galactic passage, but he had seen enough strange phenomena to know things could change in any moment.

Also Obi-Wan felt he had a duty in this galaxy's regards too. If the passage was indeed perennial, he had to find a way to destroy or at least modify it, for, if the Empire discovered it, its troops would cross over and crush everything they met under its brutal yoke- for Palpatine would love nothing more than to enslave another galaxy.

And Obi-Wan knew he could not allow it.

He would not allow it.

The following morning, Obi-Wan was awaken by a persistent knocking on one of the spacecraft windows. He jumped out his cot, his hand instinctively running at the handle of his lightsabre.

Annoyed with himself for having fallen in such a deep sleep, he reached out with his perceptions and sensed courage, stupor, curiosity and a hint of fear- he sensed Maximus. He was outside, trying to attract his attention.

Obi-Wan yawned - he had been up well into the night working on the stabilizers- smoothed his hair and clothes and walked to the hatch. He smiled when the metal slide open and he saw Maximus jump back, his hand running at the hilt of the sword tied to his belt- they had had the same reaction at the mere hint of danger.

"Good morning, Maximus," he greeted, keeping his voice low, not wishing to wake up Luke.

"Good morning, Obi-Wan," answered the other man, his eyes scanning the hull of the spacecraft. "What- what is this thing?"

"It is a ship," he answered, seeing it pointless to lie.

"It does not look like a ship to me- and the sea is very far away from here." Maximus' eyes narrowed in suspicion. 

"You are right, it is not a ship as you intend it. This one flies among the stars."

Maximus snorted, "Don't make me laugh. Ships do not fly- only birds and insects do."

"Here on Terra- but not from where I come from." 

Obi-Wan stepped down the spacecraft and approached Maximus, reaching out with his hands, palms up, showing the nervous man he meant no harm to him, as his mind broadcasted the same message. //I am your friend, do not fear me.//

"And from where would you come ?" Maximus asked sceptically, stepping aside and keeping a safe distance between himself and Obi-Wan as they moved in a circle.

"From a place so far away you cannot even imagine it."

"Try me."

Obi-Wan smiled at the man's stubbornness. "I come from another galaxy."

As predicted, Maximus' eyes filled with puzzlement. "What is a galaxy?"

"It is a gathering of many, many stars and planets rotating around them, like your Sol and Terra."

"And you fly with this ship between the stars...?"

"Yes."

Maximus shook his head adamantly. "That's impossible. You are fooling me."

"No- and if you just allow me to touch your temple, I will show you I am telling the truth." 

Obi-Wan advanced a few steps, pleased when the other man did not back away. "Let me touch you, I swear on Luke's life I won't attack or harm you in any way."

Maximus stared at him for several moments, his jaw tensed, then nodded curtly.

"Show me," he commanded.

Obi-Wan touched his temple and transmitted him several images of his galaxy and the planets composing it. He also broadcasted soothing, calming thoughts, quelling the instinctive fears the other man was feeling being confronted with a reality he could have not even dreamed.

The teachings and the convictions of a whole life were questioned and put under trial and Obi-Wan knew a less steady and controlled man would have crumbled under the pressure of his revelations. But not Maximus. His strength of character was amazing for an untrained mind, and Obi-Wan found himself wondering about the Jedi knight he could have been, had he been born in the right galaxy, and not here where the Force was present but unknown.

In the end the mental contact ended and the two men separated. Maximus' eyes were wide and full of wonder. 

"This...this is incredible..." he murmured, when he was able to put in words his feelings- or at least part of them. "I-I don't even know what to say..."

"Just tell me you trust me," replied Obi-Wan.

"I do...oh, yes...I do."

"Good."

They were silent for a while, both lost in thought, then Maximus eyes fell on the bucket he had put on the ground when Obi-Wan had first walked toward him.

He gestured to it with his chin and said, "That is the reason I came here today. I brought you some milk for little Luke."

"Oh...thank you." The Jedi picked the bucket up tilted his head toward the spacecraft.

"Would you like to come inside?"

Maximus considered the question for a few instants and nodded.

Yes, he would go inside and watch with his eyes and touch with his hands what Obi-Wan had showed him with his mind. He followed the other man and stepped inside with caution, as a legionary advancing in an unknown territory.

The "ship", was large, but most of the room was occupied the "instruments" Obi-Wan had showed him as necessary to make it fly. The walls were covered by metallic panels, some of them full of tiny lights, but there were also pieces of furniture Maximus could relate with, such chairs, a table, a low cot and, of course, a cradle for Luke.

Maximus observed with a smile as Obi-Wan changed the child's dressings and fed him, then waited until the little one was again asleep in the cradle, before asking the question that had been burning in his mind all along.

"Who are you, Obi-Wan?"

The other man indicated he should sit at the table, took a seat at the other side and began his tale.

"My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi, and I am a Jedi."

"Are the Jedi soldiers in your...galaxy?"

"Not really...or at least we did not use to be."

Maximus shook his head. "I don't understand. You are a warrior, I can sense it...why do you say you are not a soldier?"

"It's a long story..." Obi-Wan took a deep breath, organized his thoughts and continued. "In the galaxy from there I come from, there is - or better, there was - a Republic that had been ruling over a myriad of systems for over a thousand years. This Republic was pacific and the Jedi Knights were its guardians, helping to maintain the peace and resolving the occasional skirmish and dispute that arose between planets.  Unfortunately, about four years ago, for a series of reasons I cannot explain to you, a terrible war was unleashed, and it has precipitated the Republic into chaos. The Jedi have done all they could to restore peace, but we were too few and we did not know, until it was too late, we harboured our greatest enemy in the very heart of the Republic... To make it short, the man who should have protected the democracy, seized the power and declared himself Emperor- but not before having killed almost all the Jedi Knights, because we would not have tolerated the rise of a tyrant."

Maximus nodded, pensive. Obi-Wan's was tale was similar to some episodes in Rome and Greece's history, and he had no problem in relating with it.

"I understand," he murmured, feeling a strong bond with the other man. He knew how difficult it was to see everything you fought and saw your friends die for being destroyed by the greed of a man.

Had not he felt the same when he had learned how Commodus was ruling Rome and the empire? Had not he mourned the end of Marcus Aurelius and his predecessors' illuminated guide?

Yes, Maximus could understand- all too well.

A slight rustling noise came from the cradle as Luke moved in his sleep and he asked, "Have the child's parents died in the war? Was his father a Jedi like you?"

Obi-Wan nodded, as a great pain flashed into his gaze. "Yes, they did. And yes, he was."

"He was your friend, was he not? I can read it in your eyes."

Obi-Wan nodded again, his expression becoming even more pained. "Yes, he was my friend, my comrade in arms...my brother. And he betrayed me and the Jedi Order."

Maximus inhaled deeply, as the memory of Quintus' betrayal flashed into his mind. He had been his best friend, and yet he had not hesitated in condemning him and his family to death. It was a still bleeding wound, and probably would always be so.

"Anakin, Luke's father, was a Jedi like me," continued Obi-Wan, "but he turned to the Dark Side of the Force and allied with our worst enemy. Together, they have chased and killed almost all the Jedi, and have precipitated the galaxy in the darkness of their brutal rule. I have defeated Anakin in a duel, while Luke's mother had died in childbirth shortly after... and now...now I am going to guard over the child in the hope he won't turn as his father..." Obi-Wan closed his eyes and lowered his head in anguish.

Maximus searched for a way to distract the other man and found it one of the things he had just heard.

"What is this "Force" you mentioned?" he asked, genuinely curious.

It was a good question, for Obi-Wan's head raised and his eyes brightened, as if he was going to speak about one of his favourite topics.

"The Force...the Force is what makes a Jedi what he or she is. It is like an energy field created by all the living things. It surrounds and penetrates us, and it keeps the universe united. The Force is part of each of us, but it is more powerful in certain individuals, and there are the ones who are...were... trained to become Jedi. People who would learn how to use and control the Force and gain several abilities from it- ability to be used for the good of the others..."

"Like when you showed me the images of your world?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes, exactly like that. This is one of the many things I can do thanks to my control over the Force."

"Such as?"

"I can move objects around just using my thoughts; sense a potential danger before it happens; give silent orders to weak-willed people..." Maximus' eyes narrowed at the last bit of information and Obi-Wan shook his head, commenting "Your will is everything but weak, Maximus. The Force is strong within you and I can tell you that, had you been born in my galaxy, you would have been trained as a Jedi."

"Really?" Maximus asked, strangely pleased by the notion.

"Yes, really."

"Could not you teach me now?"

"No, my friend. The training requires many years and also you are too old to learn. The lessons must begin in early infancy; Anakin started his training when he was nine years old...and look where it brought us."

"He did not learn properly?"

"You could say that. To use their powers for the good of the others and not for their personal advantage, Jedi must learn to control their feelings and not be dominated by them. Negative emotions like rage, jealousy, fear, desire of revenge, cause the Jedi to lose their path and turn to the Dark Side of the Force, which you could say is the evil incarnate. When Anakin became my apprentice, he was too old to forget his previous life, which had been dominated by every kind of emotions. He was too old to learn how to control and detach himself..."

"Then why did you train him? To me you look wise beyond your years, Obi-Wan. I cannot say I understand everything you told me about the Force, but I realize why I could never learn to use it at my age, for I know I have experienced many of the negative emotions you listed. So why did a man like you, with such a clear vision of how things work, take Anakin as an apprentice when he knew it was not right to do so?"

Obi-Wan took a deep breath and whispered, "Because it was the last wish of a dying man." Maximus paled at his choice of words, but the other man did not notice it. "I promised to train the boy to my master, the man I have loved like a father. He was dying, and I would have promised everything to make it less painful for him...everything..."

"Even if you felt it was not right... or if it went against your desires...or best interest. Yes, I understand why you did it, Obi-Wan, I really do."

"Maximus?" Obi-Wan asked, sensing there was so much more meaning in the other's words.

"Have you ever wondered what happened to my house?"

"In truth I have," admitted the Jedi.

"About two years ago," began Maximus, "the man I loved as a father, my mentor and Emperor, asked me, on his death-bed, to succeed him as the guide of the empire. I did not wish to accept...I have never been interested in power and after so many years spent in war, I wanted nothing more than return here and lead a peaceful life with my family. But he begged me to accept and in the end I capitulated. Unfortunately his son did not accept the decision and killed his own father. Then he asked me for my loyalty- but I could not bring myself to give it to him. I don't give my word lightly and I could not break the promise made to my Caesar- not even knowing I would put my life in danger by disobeying the self-acclaimed new emperor. But I had not predicted the man would unleash his anger on my family...My wife and son were killed, my estate burned down, while I managed somehow to survive and bear witness to the destruction of everything I held dear and the plunge into darkness of the empire I fought for so long. Now that man is dead by my hand, but even if he is no more, the pain, the regrets, the remorse and the guilt remain, and I am not sure of what I will do with myself..." His voice died, and he bowed his head in defeat.

Without saying a word, Obi-Wan reached out his hand and Maximus did the same, meeting him midway on the table. The two sad warriors clasped their hands in a strong, solid grip that spoke of friendship and brotherhood and transcended time and distance.

Several minutes later Obi-Wan's stomach rumbled, breaking the solemn, meaningful silence fallen on the cabin.

He smiled self-consciously and stood up. "I am hungry. Do you want something, Maximus?"

"No, thank you. I broke fast before coming here."

"All right. Wait there, I will be back in a moment."

Obi-Wan walked to the small kitchen and ate a ration bar, before returning in the other room. On his way back he stopped to check if Luke was fine, but then he perceived a sensation of imminent danger.

He ran to the cabin and froze when he saw Maximus had picked Anakin's lightsabre and was turning it in his hands, studying it with curiosity, and not knowing that if he pushed the activation button, the sabre would come to life- and pierce his chest.

"Put it down, Maximus," Obi-Wan commanded quietly. "Now."

The other man had been a soldier for much of his life, he knew when he was given an order, and he obeyed without discussing, posing the metallic cylindrical handle on the console where he had found it.

Obi-Wan crossed the room and took the handle in his hand as he explained, "This is not as innocuous as it may look to you. It is not a bar of metal. This is a lightsabre, the Jedi's weapon for excellence."

Maximus' eyebrow arched, his soldier's interest stirred. 

"Look." Obi-Wan activated the lightsabre and it hummed to life.

"Gods!" Maximus exclaimed awed, his eyes fixed on the blade. "A sword made of light!"

"Yes, you can call it so."

"May I try it?"

Obi-Wan observed briefly the short sword tied to Maximus' belt and thought it was safe enough to trust the other warrior with the lightsabre.

"Here," he said, handing the weapon to the other man. "Be careful not to touch the blade."

Maximus nodded and the Jedi watched as he weighted the handle in his hand and adjusted his fingers on it to have the best possible grip. Then he tried some attack and defence manoeuvres, and Obi-Wan studied with interest his technique, fascinated by the way the other warrior moved.

"Would you like to spar with me?" He asked. "I have another lightsabre."

Maximus' eyes brightened and he nodded. "I would like to try."

"All right. Now give me that sabre for a moment. I wish to make it less powerful- and dangerous." Obi-Wan changed the setting and energy level of the weapon, before handing it back to the other man. Then he did the same with his own lightsabre, thus ensuring that, in case of contact, the blades would not cause them anything more serious than a light burn.

He led Maximus outside the spacecraft and showed him some of the basic moves used by the Jedi, then they started sparring slowly, to give time to other warrior to get used the lightsabre.

Attack, retreat, bend, pivot, charge, step aside...very soon their movements became faster and Obi-Wan found he had to concentrate more than he had predicted to avoid his opponent breaking through his guard. Maximus was using unfamiliar moves, drilled into him by having to fight with a shorter kind of sword, but they were surprisingly effective even with a longer weapon.

The work out went on for a long time, and while in the end Obi-Wan was able to get through Maximus' defences, it was due more to his greater experience with a lightsabre than to an effective superiority. He had no doubt that, had they fought using shorter swords, he would have been defeated.

The other man would have indeed made a great Jedi with the appropriate training for, even if his emotions ran powerful, he did not let them dominate him while fighting. He was not brash or impulsive, he did not make hasty moves, but took the time to study his opponent and discover his weakness.

Probably, in this world where the Force was unknown, people would say it was the result of a long training and a lot of experience on the battlefields, but Obi-Wan knew better. Even if unconsciously, Maximus' mind had reached out many times toward his own, trying to read his intentions, and in the rare occasions he had purposely lowered his mental shields, the other warrior had punctually blocked him with the appropriate counter-move.

Obi-Wan switched off his lightsabre, then did the same with the other. "You did very well for you first time with this kind of weapon."

"Thank you," replied Maximus with a smile. "It was an interesting experience, and I enjoyed myself very much. But now," and he dropped to sit on the grass, "I need to rest a bit. I am not longer as young as I used to be."

"How old are you?"

"Thirty-seven."

"You are not old at all, then!" Commented Obi-Wan. "I am thirty-eight myself and I feel still young."

Maximus grinned. "Perhaps it is so in your galaxy, but I can assure you here nobody would say I am young."

"If you say so...." Obi-Wan waved his hand and went inside the craft to change Luke, feed him his midmorning meal and take him outdoor to enjoy the clean air and pleasant climate.

The two men sat down on the grass in amicable silence, basking in the sense of well being their work out had brought them and forgetting, as the sun caressed their lined, rugged faces, the worries and the sadness that plagued them.

For several moments, both warriors enjoyed a long-forgotten sense of peace...until a strange noise brusquely brought them back to reality.

Maximus scrambled on his feet when he saw a grey "ship", bigger than Obi-Wan's fly in the sky just in front of him.

For a moment he was not sure if was real or if he had fallen asleep after the work out and was now dreaming one of the things the Jedi had showed him.

However the worried look on his companion's face followed by a muttered curse told him he was wide awake and that he was not imaging it.

"What's that?" Maximus asked.

"An Imperial scouting ship. They are searching for me; they had been chasing me before I crossed over and now they have found me," replied Obi-Wan, his voice tense.

Maximus nodded, not taking away his eyes from the other "ship", which had now lowered to the ground in a clearing, and was disembarking numerous white- armoured soldiers.

"What we do now?" 

"You take Luke and run to hide among the trees," answered the Jedi. "I will take care of them."

Obi-Wan handed the child to him, and activated his lightsabre, setting it at its highest power. "Run Maximus!" He repeated urgently.

Maximus looked at the approaching group of soldiers; they were about fifty. There was no way he could leave Obi-Wan alone against them.

"General Maximus Decimus Meridius does not run away in front of danger, and certainly does not leave a friend alone in the time of need." He growled, deep in his throat. "Luke does not need me. He needs you to bring him home." Maximus felt a touch on his brow, as it had happened the previous morning, but this time he recognized it for what it was- Obi-Wan was touching his mind.

"Oh no, don't try to use a Jedi trick on me," he hissed, his eyes narrowed. "I am going to stay there and fight with you." Speaking so, Maximus hastened to hide Luke behind a thick bush and quickly returned at Obi-Wan's side.

The Jedi seemed to have decided he would not change his mind, so he did not protest, but simply handed him one of the lightsabres.

"They will shoot us with blasters. Think of them as flying arrows of light. The sabre can block and deflect them- just let your instinct guide you and you will do it. Remember, trust your instinct, not your eyes! Your survival depends on this."

"Understood."

"Good." Obi-Wan gave him a look. "Are you ready?"

"Yes." Maximus answered, gripping the hilt of his sword tighter. 

"Then let's finish this quickly." Obi-Wan started running forward.

"ROMA VICTRIX!" 

The legions' war cry echoed in the air as Maximus charged Obi-Wan's enemies- which were also his enemies, for he could not allow such dangerous and more powerful warriors to invade the empire he had protected for years and sworn to always serve.

He would not allow darkness to swallow the light that was Rome.

Never.

The battle that followed was the hardest Maximus had ever fought, no matter that his enemies were in a scarce number compared to the barbarians hordes he had faced in the past.

The description Obi-Wan gave of their enemies' weapon as "flying arrows of light" had not prepared him for the amount of damage they could cause. It was only when he saw one of these "arrows" hit a bush and burn it to the ground he realized how deadly they were.

//Don't be afraid!// He heard Obi-Wan whisper in his mind. //Trust your instinct. Let the Force guide you.//

Maximus took a deep breath, relaxed and did exactly what he had been told, abandoning himself to his warrior's instinct, as he had done so many times in the past.

And as it had happened before, the gods - or Obi-Wan's Force - came to help Maximus.

He fought side-by-side with Obi-Wan, covering and protecting each other with the same ease and coordination experienced the morning before while working at his farm, and in the end, it was with a sheer amount of pride and satisfaction, he saw there were no more white-armoured soldiers left standing.

As he walked among the fallen, inflicting a killing blow to those still alive, Maximus saw Obi-Wan run to the imperial ship and dispatch the two soldiers guarding it before they could fly away.

Then the Jedi walked back, switching off his lightsabre and doing the same with Maximus'.

"You fought well, my friend," Obi-Wan commented patting his back. "I have no words to thank you for the help."

"There is no need; I did what I had to do."

Obi-Wan ran a hand through his sweaty hair and said, "I must leave as soon as possible. I sense this ship is the only one to have crossed so far, but I cannot risk others might follow."

"I agree."

"Since my spacecraft is not yet repaired Luke and I will travel on the imperial one. However, before I go, we must gather all the bodies near my ship, so that I will be able to destroy everything using the imperial spacecraft's blasters. No trace of them must remain here."

"As you think best."

After carrying Luke and the remaining milk supplies on the imperial ship, the two men stacked all the corpses in front of Obi-Wan's former vessel and then Maximus watched in awe as the Jedi fired a powerful blue bean against them, then looked as the flames consumed bodies and metal.

Darkness had already start to fall when the moment to say farewell arrived.

Maximus watched as Obi-Wan checked a last time the area where they had fought, so to be sure no dangerous weapon would be left behind, and used those instants to deal with his emotions.

He was not a man who gave his friendship or trust easily, but when he did, it was forever, and his heart was breaking at the knowledge he would never see Obi-Wan again.

He and little Luke had been like a sunbeam in the cloudy sky that was his life, and for the first time since his family's death, he had cared for somebody else.

He did not wish to watch them go and return to his lonely existence.

So when Obi-Wan came in front of him to bid his farewell, Maximus could not help but blurt out "Let me come with you, Obi-Wan!"

The Jedi's eyes widened, but before he could speak, Maximus continued, his tone urgent and yet persuasive. "My life here is gone; there is nothing for me but a half-crumbled house, two sometimes accusing graves and the ghosts of a past happiness that will never return. I have no purpose here...but I could come with you and help you to protect and look for Luke and I could help you as I did today-"

"I can't let you come," Obi-Wan interrupted him gently. "I know you have a generous heart and are a great warrior, and I would welcome your company, but I cannot allow you to follow me. You have already suffered enough darkness in your life and I could never drag you into the one enveloping my galaxy. You have already done your duty and you have paid dearly for remaining true to your principles. You deserve peace, my friend, not to be involved in a war that is not yours."

Maximus shook his head. "I will never find peace again...not in this life, at least."

"Oh no, you will," Obi-Wan arched his eyebrow in an almost smug expression. He smiled, as the other looked at him interrogatively and added, "Do you remember when I listed you some of the powers Jedi have thanks to the Force?"

Maximus nodded.

"Well, I have forgotten to say we can also predict the future, especially here where the Force is not obscured by the Dark Side," Obi-Wan's smile died, as his features took a distant, but serene look. "I see your future and I can swear to you, my friend, that you will find peace and happiness again. You will feel again the joy of tending your fields and eat the bread made with your wheat. You will walk again among orderly rows of vines and you will stomp again on the grapes to make your wine- and you will feel again as a young boy while doing it. But more importantly, you won't grow old alone. Your wounds will heal and one day you will hold another son in your arms. You just have to be patient and your reward will come. Trust me." The Jedi blinked his eyes and smiled gently.

Maximus struggled to talk past the lump in his throat. "I trust you, Obi-Wan," he whispered. "Thank you for giving me hope."

The Jedi bowed his head, then said. "I must go now. I cannot lose more time."

"I know."

The two men looked deeply into each other's eyes. Two warriors cut from the same cloth, whose pain and loss had made them become so close in such a brief time. Two souls that one day, they knew, would meet again...

"Strength and honour Obi-Wan," Maximus murmured, tapping his chest in a military salute.

"May be Force be with you, Maximus," answered Obi-Wan, before turning around and disappearing inside the spacecraft.

Maximus stepped back as the ship roared to life and watched as it rose in the air and flew away, tracing a luminous arch in the evening sky.

Deep in space, just before entering the galactic passage, Obi-Wan reduced the ship's speed and concentrated on the mental link he had planted in Maximus' mind when he had joined it that morning.

Through the link, Obi-Wan sensed how the other man was looking at the sky, and perceived the pain he felt when the luminous point that was his ship disappeared from his sight.

Obi-Wan allowed himself a brief moment to bid farewell to his friend, then whispered a single word:

//Forget//

Down on Terra, Maximus blinked his eyes and shook his head, confused by his surroundings

He could not remember what he was doing out there among the trees in the dark.

Oh gods, he thought. Don't tell me, I am a sleepwalker!

Sighing, he decided it was better to return home and sleep. He was very tired... and tomorrow would be a long day, with many things to be done.

His steps were full of energy as he walked back to the farm, as much as his mind was full of projects.

For the first time since his wife and son's death, Maximus felt a sense of serenity wash over him. He now knew he had returned home to bring it back to its former splendour and to grow old on his lands and he had the strong, inexplicable feeling he would not do it alone.

Just before entering the house, Maximus stopped, and raised his eyes, compelled to look at the sky another time, his eyes attracted by a star he had never seen before. He watched it for a while, then turned around and opened the door, thus not noticing when the star he had been observing disappeared from the sky.

Back in deep space, Obi-Wan pushed the spacecraft in the energetic distortion and prayed everything would go well and he would not find himself stranded in yet another unknown galaxy.

The trip back was as shaky as the previous one, but the bigger hull handled better and when the energetic shocks finally ended and the blank space was left behind, Obi-Wan breathed in relief upon seeing the two suns of Tatooine welcoming him back.

There were no imperial cruisers or fighters around and he smiled, reaching out a hand to caress Luke's head.

"We are almost there, little one," he said, "but first there is something I need to do."

Obi-Wan turned the spacecraft around to face the blank space again and programmed the computer to shoot all the magnetic bombs stored on board against it, hoping that their combined explosions would be enough to alter the energetic patterns of the distortion and close the galactic passage.

After the series of detonations was completed, Obi-Wan waited for long, interminable moments for the sensors to give him clear readings of the area, and when he finally got them, he let out a shout of joy. His plan had worked! The galactic passage had been closed and the blank space had disappeared.

Obi-Wan remained silent and immobile, staring at the stars and thinking about the friend he had found and lost, then turned the ship toward Tatooine, toward Luke's new home, and toward his new life as guardian of this galaxy's only hope.