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Anakin took to war well. It was a trait that both unnerved and pleased Obi-Wan, although he knew he shouldn’t be surprised. War had been on the horizon for the entirety of Anakin’s training. Obi-Wan is sure that on some level, Anakin had always been preparing himself for this eventuality as devoutly as Obi-Wan had been working to prevent it.
In contrast, Anakin took to being the master of a padawan with all the grace of a knock-kneed, newborn bantha, and that was putting it kindly. Even so, his protégé followed him around everywhere like a lost puppy – or rather, a mildly aggressive puppy willing to accept any form of attention it could get from its dispassionate master. Obi-Wan had been forced to witness the various exchanges Anakin had with Ahsoka up close and personal these past few weeks while the Negotiator was undergoing rather extensive repairs and it was as embarrassing as it was appalling, namely because Anakin’s gruff and disinterested attitude towards his padawan reminded Obi-Wan painfully of his own feelings toward Anakin after Qui-Gon had died.
To his credit, Obi-Wan was fairly sure that he had never let on about them, at least not so obviously as Anakin did, but the feelings had been real none the less. There was a time when Obi-Wan had wanted nothing more than to hand Anakin off to some other, more qualified master. Namely the time Anakin had dealt with his first practice duel by repeatedly using the force to extinguish his opponent padawan’s lightsaber, an admittedly effective tactic, but juvenile and mortifying when the entire high council had been watching and then all turned to Obi-Wan with critical eyes as though he had planned the entire thing. Anakin had been obscenely proud of himself, of course, and the Chancellor had seemed to enjoy the duel, but for Obi-Wan it was just a reminder of how completely out of his depth he was.
From that point of view, Obi-Wan could understand Anakin’s displeasure and even his anger. In all fairness, it wasn’t right that Anakin should have to take on a padawan mere weeks after being knighted, but life wasn’t fair – a lesson that Anakin should have learned by now considering the hardships he had so far faced in his life, yet the concept continued to elude his grasp.
It was after a particularly vicious argument between Ahsoka and Anakin that Obi-Wan felt perhaps it was time to pull Anakin aside and have a kindly, guiding word with him. As usual, Anakin favored training over meditation as an outlet for his emotions, and Obi-Wan found him in the Resolute’s spacious gym practicing katas in a private room where the soldiers under his command could not gawk.
“Have you considered letting Ahsoka actually participate in a mission, Anakin?” Obi-Wan asked from the doorway, causing Anakin to pause mid-form with his saber raised above his head.
Anakin squinted at him, said, “No,” and finished the form.
“May I join you?” Obi-Wan asked, though he had already began to remove the outer layer of his robes.
“If you must,” Anakin sighed, waiting for Obi-Wan to take a stance beside him.
The casual ease with which they began to move in unison instilled such a peaceful calmness within Obi-Wan that he almost understood Anakin’s preference of practicing katas over meditating – although he did not understand why Anakin would prefer doing so alone. It was a much more gratifying act to carry out with one’s padawan or master. So in tune they were to one another’s movements, Obi-Wan thought sometimes even without the force heightening their awareness he and Anakin would move as a single body.
“Perhaps you should try doing this with Ahsoka, instead of by yourself. I get the sense that the two of you could use the time together.”
At this, Anakin scoffed. “The last thing we need is more time together.”
“Why are you so hesitant to bring her with you?” Obi-Wan asked.
For his trouble, he received one of Anakin’s infamous side-eying glances. “Did you come here just to interrogate me? Because if so, you can leave right now.”
“Anakin, I came here to help you. I happen to have a wealth of knowledge when it comes to dealing with insubordinate and reckless padawans.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I think you well know.”
With a sudden, loud hiss, Anakin extinguished his lightsaber and turned to Obi-Wan, looking fairly ruffled and not the least bit like he was interested in Obi-Wan’s advice. “She’s my padawan. Yoda wouldn’t have assigned her to me if I weren’t ready to make decisions regarding her safety, so I’d appreciate it if you’d stop insinuating that I’m still the ignorant youngling you seem to think I am and leave the training of my padawan to me.”
“Is that what this is about?” Obi-Wan asked, sheathing his own saber and snapping its hilt back onto his belt.
Anakin gestured confusedly and said, “What are you talking about?”
“You’re afraid that you could be putting her in danger by allowing her to accompany you on missions?”
For several long seconds Anakin scowled fiercely at Obi-Wan which answered his question for him.
“Anakin she is not a youngling. The point of assigning padawans to masters is to allow training to take place outside the safety of a temple.”
“I know that,” Anakin said petulantly, and Obi-Wan ignored him.
“There is always going to be a certain level of risk in allowing your padawan to be involved in any mission, but it is a risk that we all must take. I certainly took it, more often than I should have, when I trained you.”
“Grown men die under my command every day, Obi-Wan. She’s a child.”
“As were you,” Obi-Wan said. “And younger than she. Try to think of it from her point of view. How would you have felt if I’d kept you from every mission I went on when you were her age?”
Again, Anakin was silent. Eventually he said, “I would have hated you.”
Obi-Wan hummed. “Well that’s a strong reaction, but I suppose it only serves to further my point. Her role is to learn from watching you and by gaining experience of her own. You cannot deny her that right by barring her from missions.”
“I understand,” Anakin said, gazing at the matted floor.
Obi-Wan moved closer, wrapping his hand around Anakin’s flesh arm and squeezing gently. “You should have more faith in yourself. At the risk of enlarging your already swollen sense of self-worth; you are a strong and talented Jedi, Anakin, and more than capable of keeping Ahsoka from harm.”
Anakin smiled. “I never had any doubts about that, Obi-Wan.”
“Ah,” Obi-Wan let go of Anakin’s arm. “Let’s not also forget then that when your head inevitably explodes mid-battle from your own inflated ego, I will still be here to make sure your padawan is safe in the aftermath of the ensuing blast.”
“Ha, ha, ha,” Anakin said, and re-ignited his lightsaber, apparently ready to continue their practice.
======
“Remind me again why, despite your admittance that you should be bringing Ahsoka on missions, you declined to assign her to this one?” Obi-Wan asked, checking their flight diagnostics from his seat in the co-pilots chair.
“Because this mission’s threat level is high enough that, as her master, I’ve deemed it a hazard to her safety. Besides, I already told her she couldn’t go.”
“Need I remind you,” Obi-Wan looked behind him to see that Ahsoka had moved from her hiding place underneath the floor boards of the ship’s cabin area and into one of the several unoccupied passenger seats where she was swinging her legs and winking at Obi-Wan. “That this is a diplomatic mission?” He turned back to the front of the ship. “There is hardly any threat at all.”
“Yeah,” Anakin said. “Well, I already said no.”
“So you don’t want to look foolish by going back on your word?”
“No,” Anakin said. “I don’t want her to think she can get what she wants just because she throws a tantrum at me. I’m being firm. I’ll be fair later.”
Behind them, Ahsoka scoffed loudly.
Anakin whirled around. “What!” He said, and leapt from the cockpit. “I specifically told you to stay on the Resolute!”
“Master Kenobi said I could come?” Ahsoka said, shrugging and looking as innocent as she possibly could.
Seeing Anakin’s heated gaze already beginning to turn on him, Obi-Wan swiveled his chair and said, “I did not say you could come. I said that I spoke with Anakin on your behalf and that he had agreed to allow you on missions. Not this mission.”
“Well-!”
“You disobeyed a direct order!” Anakin said.
“Oh,” Ahsoka scoffed and crossed her arms. “Like you don’t ever disobey orders.”
Anakin looked at Obi-Wan in the way Obi-Wan imagined a forlorn father must look at his wife when dealing with their disobedient child. For the record, Obi-Wan resented being labeled implicit by Anakin in the training of Ahsoka when he had been so adamant before that Obi-Wan butt out of it.
For good measure he verbalized his feelings. “Don’t look at me, Anakin. She’s your padawan.”
“Master Kenobi said it’s just a diplomatic mission! What’s the big deal?”
“The big deal,” Anakin said pointing a dangerous finger at his padawan. “Is that I told you not to come, and you came anyway.”
“And you didn’t even notice!” Ahsoka said. “Master Kenobi knew I was here the whole time!”
“You – What?” Anakin turned to Obi-Wan. “You knew and you didn’t say anything?”
Obi-Wan shrugged and turned back to the control panel. “You always learned best by making your own mistakes. Besides she’s not in any danger. As I said, it is a diplomatic mission.”
“You undermined me!” Anakin said, then whirled on Ahsoka. “And you! We’re going to have a nice, long chat about this when we get back to the Resolute.”
Obi-Wan wasn’t looking, but he was sure that Ahsoka had rolled her eyes at that. “Anakin,” he said. “The reaction you are having right now is exactly the reason this situation came about in the first place.”
“What reaction? I’m not having a reaction!”
Obi-Wan sighed, double checked the nav computer just for something to do, and then turned his chair and affixed a look of resigned disappointment upon Anakin who returned it tenfold. Eventually Anakin let out a derisive noise and stalked off toward the other end of the ship, flipping the hatch and descending into the cargo bay where he would no doubt spend the remainder of the trip fuming.
Ahsoka watched him leave looking much less assertive now and much more dismayed. “He hates me.”
“I think it’s quite the opposite, actually,” Obi-Wan said. “He’s worried for your safety more than anything.”
“But-!”
“You don’t have to make your case to me, Young One. I’m on your side, remember? It’s Anakin you need to convince.”
Behind him Ahsoka expelled a mournful noise. “Then I might as well ask Master Yoda to put me through the trials right now! It would be easier than convincing Master Skywalker he’s wrong about something.”
Against his better judgment, Obi-Wan laughed. “Despite how it may seem, Anakin can be reasoned with. Have patience. Things will work themselves out.”
It’s possible that Obi-Wan was being over generous with this statement, but he was confident that Anakin would come to his senses. In the meantime, he spent a good while briefing Ahsoka on the nature of their mission, since Anakin had banned her from the initial briefing for reasons Obi-Wan couldn’t comprehend.
“Master Kenobi, I don’t understand… Thyferra is under Republic control, isn’t it? Why did the Senate ask for Jedi to be sent just to secure trade routes with a system already under their control?”
Obi-Wan stood reclined against the durasteel wall of the ship across from where Ahsoka sat and stroked his beard. “That’s a good question. According to recent reports, there’s been a certain level of unrest between the Vratix natives and the Xucphra Corporation. If a civil war were to break out, it could interfere with supply lines to our troops. Bacta is an important resource, and one we cannot afford to lose. Unfortunately this isn’t the first time something like this has happened on Thyferra. I’m sure you’ve learned about the Stark Hyperspace Wars in your studies?”
“Yes,” Ahsoka nodded, “Master Plo Koon fought in the Stark Conflict.”
“As did I,” Obi-Wan said. “In fact, Thyferra was my first official assignment as a padawan, under my own master’s care of course. It was a much more dangerous mission than this one. Rather fitting that you’ve joined us in light of that isn’t it?”
Ahsoka grinned, then turned to cast something of a glare toward the hatch that lead to the cargo bay where Anakin was no doubt still brooding. “No thanks to my master,” She said.
With a soft smile and a pat on her shoulder, Obi-Wan said, “Everything happens for a reason, Ahsoka. Your presence here is no accident. In time, Anakin will come to understand what that means, as will you.”
======
As always Anakin was perfectly in tune with the course of his ship. He emerged from his self-imposed exile mere seconds before they dropped out of hyperspace and greeted Ahsoka with a cold expression. Obi-Wan did his best not to look as though he were paying any attention.
“Ahsoka,” Anakin said, regarding her closely.
“Master,” Said Ahsoka, and Obi-Wan couldn’t tell if her mimicry of his expression was mocking or challenging.
After a tense standoff, Anakin was – impressively – the first to back down. He deflated with a heavy sigh and said, “I shouldn’t have barred you from this mission, or the previous ones. I allowed my emotions to overrule my judgment and for that your ability to fulfill your duty as my padawan suffered. I’m sorry.”
“Apology accepted,” Ahsoka said, none too smugly. “And I’m sorry I disobeyed your orders. I promise it won’t happen again - probably.”
“Don’t push your luck, Snips.” Anakin pointed at her. “You’re still not off the hook for that.”
As Anakin took a seat in the cockpit beside him, Obi-Wan squeezed his former padawan’s shoulder gently and said, “Nicely done.”
“Yeah, yeah, let’s just get this over with.”
=======
Thyferra was the same as Obi-Wan remembered it, blanketed in dense fauna and flora interspersed with Bacta synthesis plants and settlements for the humans and Vratix who ran them. They landed at the Xucphra City starport where they were met by a human representative of the corporation who took them on a long and monotonous tour of the city’s main attractions. Anakin seemed typically impatient with the show, but Ahsoka was apparently enjoying herself quite a bit, asking more questions of their guide than Obi-Wan thought was strictly necessary.
Once Anakin began to look as though he had started the mental countdown of his own self-implosion, Obi-Wan said, “Not to rush, but we did come here to negotiate a permanent shipment schedule with President Estefan, not to sight see.”
Their guide, a young, fierce looking woman named Alana with pale hair who reminded Obi-Wan uncomfortably of old acquaintances turned to eye him suspiciously. Her expression cleared quickly and she said, “Of course. The Capital building is just up ahead. We’ll be there shortly.”
“The Capital?” Obi-Wan said. “I was under the impression that the Vratix maintained governmental control over the planet.”
Alana nodded and gestured for them to follow her over a small duracrete bridge, one of many that arched around, under, and over the sweeping plant life of Thyferra’s thick rainforest which even now grew amidst the harsh durasteel of Xucphra city. “Due to several threats by the Vratix against Xucphra, the corporation has been forced to take temporary control over the planet’s governance.”
“I wasn’t aware the situation had become so severe,” Obi-Wan said.
“It’s a recent development.”
Obi-Wan hummed and Ahsoka said, “So… why haven’t we actually seen any Vratix?”
“Many of them live on the outskirts of the city, closer to the Bacta plants. Xucphra maintains very strict control over our higher positions of employment and as a result many of the inhabitants of the inner city are human.”
A soft voice against Obi-Wan’s ear whispered, “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”
“So do I,” Obi-Wan said. “Stay on your guard.”
The capital building of Thyferra climbed heavenward from the center of the city, a concave, pyramid shaped building covered in mossy growth that’s exposed transparisteel gleamed like mirrors reflecting the sun scattered across the buildings surface. It was, as far as Obi-Wan knew, a very ancient, and not one originally built by humans – although it had certainly seen its fair share of remodeling.
Alana led them up the spiraling staircases of its large inner atrium which buzzed with the persistent bustle of employees carrying out their daily duties. The moss covering its outer walls gave the shadowed illusion of a canopy of leaves, swaying as they climbed; a welcome and peaceful change from the bloody, battle worn memories Obi-Wan had of the capital during his last visit. Still, the segregated atmosphere unsettled him, as it did Ahsoka and Anakin. In particular, Anakin seemed to be having a hard time keeping his nerves under wraps and he hovered near Ahsoka like a mother hen. If Obi-Wan himself weren’t mildly on edge, he’d have the good sense to be embarrassed. Currently, Ahsoka was bearing that burden entirely herself, looking for all the world like she’d rather be on deaths doorstep than underneath the enormous, overprotective wing of her anxious master.
Estefan, as is typical of people in power, worked in an office at the highest point of the building. A small waiting room preceded it where Alana left them with a receptionist who assured Obi-Wan that Estefan would be with them shortly.
During that time, Anakin paced.
“Would you please sit down?” Obi-Wan said, reclining in the chair next to Ahsoka’s.
Anakin sent him a look. “Something’s wrong. Can’t you feel it?”
“For once I think Skyguy’s right,” Ahsoka said, leaning forward.
“For once?”
“Something doesn’t seem right here.”
“I completely agree,” Obi-Wan said. “But pacing a hole in the floor isn’t going to help us figure out what it is. We should be calm and patient. Wait until we speak with President Estefan. Perhaps we will be able to glean something from our conversation with him.”
“How can you be so practical all the time?” Anakin said, and seemed as though he were about to say something else when the doors to Estefan’s office slid open and a deep, mechanical cough echoed across the room.
Obi-Wan stood abruptly. “Oh dear.”
“General Kenobi,” General Grievous said. “And General Skywalker.”
“Ahsoka, Run.” Anakin ignited his lightsaber and motioned for Ahsoka to leave the room.
“Um, No?” Unsurprisingly, Ahsoka did not leave and instead ignited her own saber.
Stepping through the doors of Estefan’s office and holding the decapitated head the president himself by its short, grey hair, Grievous said, “President Estefan will see you now,” and threw the head at Anakin who deftly dodged it as Estefan’s secretary ran screaming from the room.
“Oh dear,” Obi-Wan said again and a large troop of battle droids poured out of the office around Grievous. “Ahsoka I think perhaps this time Anakin is right.”
“What!”
“Ahsoka, go! Get to the ship and don’t argue.” Anakin paced in front of Obi-Wan, both of them waiting with sabers lit for the eventual onslaught of blaster fire from the droids.
“Uh, how exactly am I supposed to get to the ship?” Ahsoka’s voice came from behind Obi-Wan who turned to see another squad of droids coming up the stairs from which they had entered, backing Ahsoka up and into the center of the room where Anakin and Obi-Wan stood.
Anakin cursed beside him and said, “This is why I didn’t want Ahsoka to come.”
“Oh,” Obi-Wan said. “And I suppose you knew this would happen the entire time, did you?”
“As a matter-of-fact-,”
“Enough!” Grievous growled, throwing out a spindly metal finger in their direction. “Take them,” he said and began to laugh as the droids advanced with a chorus of “roger roger”.
“Ahsoka, clear a path as best you can. Obi-Wan and I will take Grievous.”
“You got it, Master.”
It was easier said than done. Taking care of the battle droids to get to Grievous was a simple enough matter. Distracting Grievous while Ahsoka tried to escape was another thing entirely.
For one the room was too cramped. Fighting a four armed, lightsaber wielding cyborg was difficult enough in an open space, but in a room like this where Grievous could hang from the ceiling fixtures like a damned Kowakian monkey-lizard, it was a nightmare. Obi-Wan had almost never been more grateful to have Anakin at his side, who was actually managing to gain a little bit of ground as Obi-Wan blocked Grievous’ many multidirectional attacks.
Trapped by the narrow tunnel of his focus, Obi-Wan did not notice Ahsoka being overwhelmed by the numerous battle droids advancing upon her until it was too late. “Too late,” meaning that Ahsoka had seen fit to slash the transparisteel pane of the floor to ceiling window she had been backed into with her lightsaber, and then proceeded to throw herself through it, skidding down the slick moss covered capital building with natural ease.
If Obi-Wan were not so preoccupied at present, he would have taken the time to alert Anakin to her grace and skill under pressure. As it was, he only said, “I believe we have an escape route,” and blocked another raging blow from Grievous who had apparently also just witnessed Ahsoka’s dramatic exit.
“Finally,” Anakin said and turned, but the numerous battle droids had already encircled the room, barring their escape now that Ahsoka was no longer there to fight them off. “Nevermind.”
“You take the droids,” Obi-Wan said, throwing his lightsaber up as Grievous came down on him with all four of his blades. “I’ll hold off Grievous.”
“You may try, Kenobi,” Grievous said, and swung his blades around, nicking Obi-Wan’s neck just barely – which was honestly insulting.
Anakin grumbled but despite his annoyance at being given the perceived lesser task, he seemed to have his hands full just keeping the droids’ blaster fire from reaching himself and Obi-Wan. They fought back to back, literally. With every step Anakin took forward, Obi-Wan furthered his retreat. The solid frame of Anakin’s shoulders, steady and warm against his own, kept Obi-Wan grounded as he fought off Grievous’ assault.
Knowing the rhythm of a battle like the back of his own hand, Obi-Wan suspected that a good fifteen or twenty minutes passed before the hum of their shuttle transport hovering outside began to vibrate the transparisteel windows surrounding them. Despite this it still felt as though they had been fighting for hours. Sweat absolutely drenched Obi-Wan’s robes and though Anakin had worked his way through at least half of the battle droids in the room, a large group of them still blocked the exit Ahsoka had created earlier and the rest guarded the remaining windows, preventing their escape.
“Well,” Anakin said behind him. “I think our ride’s here.”
Obi-Wan thrust his blade forward, thwarting another attack. “So it is. I do hate to cut things short, General.”
“You are not going anywhere, Kenobi!” Grievous lunged at him and Obi-Wan barely had time to dodge the attack, dragging Anakin to the ground with him as two of Grievous’ sabers sliced through the empty space where Anakin’s head had been.
The timing was fortuitous because apparently at that exact moment, Ahsoka had decided she was going to fire the ship’s laser canon into the side of the building. The resulting blast blew out all of the remaining transparisteel and destroyed all but three of the battle droids. Grievous, who had been in midair when the canon hit, was thrown clear across the room and halfway into the late President Estefan’s office.
“Well,” Obi-Wan said, getting to his feet. “That’s one way to mount a rescue. Come on, Anakin.”
“I’m right behind you.”
Outside the shattered transparisteel, Ahsoka had backed the ship’s open cargo bay door up to the edge of the building and as much as Obi-Wan would have liked to stick around and figure out what was going on here, he knew when it was time to beat a retreat. Considering the fact that General Grievous was already coughing and rising from the sooty debris under which he had been partially buried, that time was now.
They had barely boarded and Grievous was sprinting toward the slowly closing bay door of their ship. Anakin, grabbed one of the handholds near the door and yelled up to the cabin, “Snips, he’s coming!”
Instantly, the ship spun around and Obi-Wan was nearly knocked to the ground with the force of it. The bay door finally closed, Ahsoka fired another canon at the building, and Obi-Wan watched it make direct contact with the tip of the capital’s pyramid through the small viewport in their cargo bay, effectively burying Grievous underneath the durasteel supports that had been holding it up.
Despite feeling like he might be sick at any moment as a result of Ahsoka’s flying, Obi-Wan climbed the ladder leading up the ship’s cockpit and thrust open the hatch door.
“Is anyone following us?” He asked, coming up behind her.
“No, we’re clear for now. I’ve got the coordinates set to make the jump to hyperspace. I’m assuming we’re not going to stick around?”
“No, we’re not. A formal investigation is going to have to be made, but that will come later. Make the jump as soon as we’re clear of the planet’s atmosphere. And Ahsoka?”
She turned to look at him, blinking wide blue eyes as the shuttle shook around them.
“When Anakin told you to get to the ship, he did not mean blow the top off of a ten-thousand year old building.”
Of course, Anakin chose that moment to emerge from the cargo bay hatch, laughing wildly and yelling, “That’s my girl! Way to go, Snips!”
Ahsoka grinned at Obi-Wan and hopped out of the cockpit, allowing Obi-Wan to slide in in her place, rolling his eyes.
“That was some rescue,” Anakin said behind him.
“You know,” Said Ahsoka, “I just thought to myself, ‘what would my master do?’ and that’s when it came to me.”
At that very moment Obi-Wan had his own realization as he initiated the jump to lightspeed that perhaps he had made a mistake and this whole business about allowing Ahsoka on missions was only going to come back and bite him in the ass. Over, and over, and over again.