Obi-Wan 2

"DARK SIDE OF THE MOON" Answering a distress signal from a remote outpost, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan venture to the galaxy's edge. What lies behind the destruction that has befallen the ominous moon base? Will the force responsible for plunging it into darkness lead a Padawan away from the path of enlightenment?

In 1 BBY, Obi-Wan Kenobi is on Tatooine, staying inside his hut as a sandstorm gathers strength, expected to arrive in a few hours. Obi-Wan uses the time to write in his journal, mentioning the need to stay vigilant during these times to avoid being consumed by shadows, as the allure of such darkness can quickly become constricting and frigid. He thinks back to his recent confrontation with Maul, a figure permanently trapped in this chilling embrace. Maul was beyond redemption, unable to see the light, and while Obi-Wan felt drawn to the darkness within him, he managed to pull away from the abyss as Maul met his end. Obi-Wan recognizes sadness stemming from darkness and shadow in Maul and all Sith, and as Maul died in horror, Obi-Wan experienced the dread that had defined Maul's life. Obi-Wan reflects on how his masters never warned him that the lessons learned in youth could be undone later in life, only to be revealed as deeper truths. For instance, he once held the belief that light could always penetrate any amount of darkness.

The narrative shifts to his time as a Padawan under Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, where the two Jedi journey to the Codia System. Approaching Codia’s Second Moon, Obi-Wan observes that it remains illuminated by their star. Qui-Gon reads the mining outpost’s message, stating that they are in “utter blackness”. Obi-Wan expresses doubt, suspecting a bluff, but Qui-Gon advises him that despite his apparent knowledge, he needs to witness the situation firsthand to understand it. Upon landing their Jedi shuttle on Codia’s Second Moon, Qui-Gon remarks that illumination and lasting light come through service. As they exit their ship and receive no response from the command center, they confirm the complete darkness and equip macrobinoculars. Obi-Wan notes the absence of light rather than its blockage and mentions the moon’s dwarf star, but Qui-Gon instructs him to quiet his mind to minimize distractions.

Entering the mining outpost, they quickly encounter blood, but when activating their lightsabers, they notice their blades are dimmer than usual. Proceeding to the command center, they find an injured man on the floor. Obi-Wan writes in his journal that Codia I has two moons: one covered in moss and forests under starlight, where ranchers raise Reeks for aggression and combat, and the second moon, a phoenix world with a vast ocean on its darker side, but a rocky surface facing the Codian Star, marked with massive diamond deposits. Speaking to the dying man, Obi-Wan learns from his last words that something has gone insane and killed everyone. Examining the outpost’s systems, the Jedi discover that the power core is completely disabled and unresponsive, indicating damage to its integrity, and radiation levels with strange signatures and fluctuations that may be suppressing the light. As they continue, Obi-Wan notices their lightsabers dimming further, leading him to suspect the presence of the dark side and Sith, but Qui-Gon assures his apprentice that the Sith are long gone. Obi-Wan notes in his journal that he wishes they had known of the Sith’s return sooner, as it could have changed everything.

While descending a staircase, Obi-Wan is suddenly knocked over by an unseen force, followed by a nearby cry for help. Qui-Gon instructs his apprentice to pursue the shadow, as Obi-Wan is younger and faster, while Qui-Gon will assist the man due to his unwavering focus. As Obi-Wan chases his attacker, he admits to feeling fear, especially upon seeing a figure of pure evil through the infrared of his macrobinoculars. Standing before Obi-Wan is a large Defel covered in blood, and as it charges, he remains unaware that the puzzle’s solution is still evading him. Obi-Wan is attacked from multiple directions, unable to defend himself against the seemingly disappearing beast, leading him to wonder if it is a phantom. Recovering from his wounds, Obi-Wan remembers his training and removes his goggles. When the beast attacks again, he kicks it to the ground just as Qui-Gon arrives with a thief who disabled the outpost’s power core to steal a shipment of the moon’s diamonds. Obi-Wan realizes that the dead man upstairs is also a burglar, and the thief reveals that the core cannot be reignited because they used a non-incendiary photonic rod to destroy the fuel rod. Knowing that the power core primarily consisted of solid accelerite, Obi-Wan deduces that a photonic burst could cause peculiar radioactivity capable of suppressing the light spectrum. Within hours, it could merge with the atmosphere and plunge the entire moon into darkness for ages, killing all life. Obi-Wan notes that the puzzle is almost complete, with the Defel being the missing piece.

Continuing through the corridors, they are suddenly shot at by a Gran, but they quickly resolve the situation and learn that he is the outpost’s supervisor who escaped to the barracks with the other miners. When the creature is mentioned, the Gran assures them that there are no animals, but there is a Defel miner named Rosack Denhast who may have lost his sanity. Qui-Gon informs his Padawan that Defels are sensitive to light, and the intense radiation and its rapid changes could have driven him mad. Rosack attacks the group, but Obi-Wan is determined to help Rosack return to the light, seeing his need. While Qui-Gon holds the Defel back, Obi-Wan sets out to solve the riddle. The supervisor leads Obi-Wan to the power core, where he finds the remains of the broken field rod. Obi-Wan uses the Force to reassemble the rod, and to fuse the pieces, the Gran raises the chamber’s temperature as Obi-Wan lifts the rod into the core’s upper conduit in the ceiling. Putting all the pieces together, Obi-Wan restores the core’s power, but suffers from the accelerite’s energy, causing temporary blindness.

Later, in a medical room, Qui-Gon tells Obi-Wan that his eyes will heal. Rosack then speaks with the Padawan, expressing his distress over his actions, even though he only killed murderous thieves. Qui-Gon says that light and shadow are always in conflict, and Obi-Wan finishes writing this in his journal in the present.