- OBI-WAN KENOBI -
—OBI-WAN KENOBI WAS NO STRANGER TO THE WAR ANYMORE SINCE IT HAD BEEN MONTHS THAT THE CLONE WARS STARTED. Having an army by his side was strange and he was getting used to the idea of having a commander by his side, Commander Cody. Obi-Wan believed that Jedi weren't meant to lead armies like this but who else would promote peace throughout the galaxy? Sometimes, he didn't know if he was fooling himself with the idea of peace. The idea of peace seemed like a loose idea of the Jedi code now, he's a General. Commanding an army, something he would never thought would happen, something he wished would never happened yet here he was, a soldier as well.
This had to be a good thing, right? To be a general and a Jedi Master while still promoting that peace, if he could promote that peace during the war; he would try his best but the thin lining of being a soldier and a peacekeeper were blurring together. Obi-Wan grew delusional to the point that he had to make himself believe that he was still that peacekeeper he was raised to be.
Obi-Wan rested his head against the leather of the co-pilot chair as the ship was returning back to Coruscant. It was a one-day mission to run supplies to one of the Republic's planets after the Separatists had attacked them, it was a disturbing battle at that. The battle was gruesome, the native people of that planet were tortured for information about the Republic.
Obi-Wan could feel the despair throughout the planet as he stepped foot on it. The terrible, agonizing screams of innocents who didn't know any information and those who fell victim to being shot to terrorize those who did have information. Obi-Wan wanted to puke hearing the children screams flowed through his ears and seeing those images flash through his mind.
With light, there was darkness and Obi-Wan wanted to rest away from the darkness he had to witness. The pale, blood-shot eyes of those native people who had to witness their families being tortured and killed. They seeped against his chest, thanking him for the supplies he delivered. Over the years as a Padawan, Qui-Gon prepared him on numerous situations but Qui-Gon Jinn never prepared him for war and the gruesome consequences.
Obi-Wan felt unprepared for having to feel the pain through the force and he was exhausted from having to feel that pain every mission. "Sir, are you okay?" Commander Cody had asked with a slight frown from the pilot's seat. He took the burden of flying the ship as Obi-Wan looked pale and sick after visiting the planet.
Obi-Wan wasn't used to having his own army. To have a commander by his side, it was foreign to him, and having that commander ask if he was okay; Obi-Wan wasn't one to open up about his feelings but his loneliness came through. He had no one to talk to anymore, the two most important people in his life were gone and the third wouldn't understand. "I'm just exhausted," Obi-Wan said with a weak smile.
Cody stayed silent for a moment. Obi-Wan can feel his conflict through the force as Cody nibbles on the bottom of his lip. "Permission to speak freely, sir?" Cody questioned stiffly, awkwardly pushing the buttons as the Jedi temple was growing closer in view.
"Sure." Obi-Wan absentmindedly stated, sitting up to hear his friend out for whatever was on his mind.
"Jedis can feel the pain of others, right?" Cody asked. Obi-Wan nodded wondering where he was going with this. "You could feel everyone's pain with each mission, right?"
". . .Yes." Obi-Wan admitted staring off at the depths of the city-planet. His mind wonder a bit trying to comfort himself through his honesty and the planet looked the same as always. Always busy, never-ending with crime below the depths of the glamorization of the riches being on top. He grew up here, all his life all he ever knew was this bustling city that seemed to never sleep but since the Clone Wars, perhaps even before that; his biggest mistake, this place seemed foreign.
Home is a place where you feel safe, where you can be yourself. Something that you call yours. Obi-Wan always thought of the Jedi temple as his home but a few years ago, home became a person. Something he can only have and share with no one else and ever since he lost that home, the secondary form of home felt foreign. The Jedi Temple didn't feel like home without that person next to him.
"I notice that you look pale after each mission. . .is it okay for Jedis to be going on missions like this? You aren't soldiers like us, you're peacekeepers." Cody said freely as he sat back with a straight pose, side-glancing at Obi-Wan with a worried expression. "You weren't bred for war, you were bred to keep peace throughout the galaxy."
Obi-Wan stayed silent. He didn't think how it would be awkward for the clones to work with Jedi who doesn't have the same mindset as them. Cody was right, the clones were bred for war as the Jedi were bred for peace. So what were Jedi doing in the middle of battles?
"I don't know, Cody." Obi-Wan sighed deeply trying to keep his spine from shuddering from Cody's observations. "But at least I got to meet you during the midst of the war."
Cody let a smile spread on his lips shyly. "And I'm lucky I got to meet you too, General."
The comforting silence came through as Obi-Wan watched the landing pad to Jedi Temple came into view and landed without a problem. He walked out of the ship and descended to the platform seeing his old Padawan standing there with a grin.
"I had a feeling that you were around." Obi-Wan teased Anakin a bit, walking up to him and seeing how his former Padawan had his hands clasped behind his back. Anakin didn't wear a cloak, it was a hot day for Coruscant, one of the hottest actually and Anakin was in the darkest color of robes.
Obi-Wan could never understand why Anakin insisted on wearing the darkest shade of black while having red sleeves under his tunic. He would call Anakin crazy for wearing dark colors during the hot seasons of Coruscant. "Well, I had a feeling when you were coming without calling me." Anakin teased back as he walked with Obi-Wan. "And here I thought I was your best friend."
"Anakin, you are." Obi-Wan rolled his eyes at Anakin's dramatic voice. "I forgot to call because I was talking to Cody."
"Oh? How are you liking your title as a General?" Anakin questioned with a serious expression. Obi-Wan knew how Anakin felt about the war, although Anakin wasn't into politics, he had his opinions about it and would strongly advocate them.
"Strange and new," Obi-Wan admitted as the double doors hissed open for them and the cooling system of the building brushed against their faces. Obi-Wan let out a relieved sigh from the cold air hitting his face as it was already sweating from the little time he spent outside where Anakin didn't sweat at all.
"Well, we weren't made for being soldiers." Anakin pointed out. "But we were made to be peacekeepers, we are still peacekeepers during this war."
Obi-Wan pressed his lips into a thin line. The delusional had crossed Anakin's mind as well, Anakin still believed that they were peacekeepers. He had hope that the war wouldn't consume either of them. So, Obi-Wan looked at a place where he usually did for comfort. The ghost of the person he wished greeted him each time he came from missions as his eyes lingered to the spot he envisioned they use to be at.
"What are you staring at?" Anakin questioned, glancing at the empty space as well with a raised eyebrow.
Obi-Wan shook his head as he tried to contain the heat trying to spread across his cheeks. "Nothing," Obi-Wan muttered as he kept walking with Anakin. "Knowing you, I know you aren't here to greet me. So, what do you need?"
"That's horrible to assume that I'm here for something else." Anakin saw how Obi-Wan had a blank face. Anakin grumbled under his breath as he raised his hands in surrender. "Fine, you caught me. . .you can say no to this mission because this was assigned to me and I wanted to ask you first because when I mention her name, it looked like you ran away-"
"Anakin, what is it?" Obi-Wan interrupted with a concern lace in his eyes.
"This is about what happened with Master [Last Name]."
Obi-Wan clenched his jaw. He didn't feel the way he did because of the mere mention of your name, it was because of what had happened to you on the mission of Enderreal. He had heard from the other Masters that there was a green mist that disturbed your force powers and turned it off. And how the whole mission was a death trap for you and Anakin.
Obi-Wan wasn't one to hold hatred or grudges but he was glad to hear in the report that the man who set up the death trap had died. He didn't know who had killed him but he had a vague, loose idea of who did it and he wasn't going to tell the council who it was. If he had known any better, you had killed the person and Obi-Wan didn't know if it was a good thing or bad thing that you were the one that did it.
He just hope you weren't on the thin line of becoming a sith by killing someone. Yes, he had killed someone before but it wasn't out of hatred, or aggression. He chose to believe that you didn't kill out of hatred, he had to believe that you didn't for his own sake. And he would be lying to himself by thinking he wasn't concerned because he was concerned.
Obi-Wan was concerned for you and Anakin after hearing what happened. The two most important people in his life, he know he wasn't supposed to feel what he did but he was scared. Terrified even hearing what happened. His thoughts had betrayed him. And he had to meditate for hours for that fear to go away.
"Oh yes, I heard what happened during that mission. . ." Obi-Wan trailed off, glancing around to see if anyone was around them as they walked down the hallway but it was quiet and no one was around, it wasn't like how it used to be. The Jedi Temple was full of younglings, Padawans, and Masters but now, since the war, there was hardly anyone around.
"Are you okay?" Obi-Wan's gaze softened as he stopped walking abruptly. Anakin stood there with a slight frown seeing how his master's demeanor changed. "I was. . .worried for you."
Anakin lightly smiled, pushing Obi-Wan's shoulder. "Awe, you were worried for me."
Obi-Wan scowled, rolling his eyes but he couldn't help but smile himself. If anyone could make him feel less stressed, it was Anakin. "I'm always worried for you, you're always getting yourself into trouble even when you were a little kid. You took after Qui-Gon."
Anakin chuckled. "Well, the codes are loose guidelines that I bend to my will."
"Mm, yes and I'm sure Master Yoda would love to hear you sat that." Obi-Wan deadpanned. "So, what is this mission?"
"Master [Last Name] found this card that had a name on it." Anakin pulled out a white card in his pocket with his forefinger and thumb turning it towards Obi-Wan who took it. "It may lead to the scientist who created the mist or the traitor. Either way, it's a lead."
Obi-Wan grinned. "It's a start. . .how is Master [Last Name]?" He awkwardly questioned. He grimaced at himself for even asking that question, his oath to himself was not to ask questions about you because he knew it would be painful to hear anything about you. He used to know you well but he made his path, and he had to deal with the consequences of his actions. Yet, still, he had to know how you're doing after the incident.
But he didn't expect Anakin's reaction. His brows creased into a furrow state as his lips deeply frowned. "I think fine. . .she uh didn't talk about how she felt after the incident." His cheeks turned pink as his gaze peered away from Obi-Wan's eyes. "She, uh, seemed fine after the whole thing. I-I didn't even get to talk to her as much, we just filled reports. . .and talked about other stuff than what happened."
Obi-Wan stared at his friend in deep thought. Why was Anakin acting so weird about you? Obi-Wan wasn't stupid, he knew a lot of people highly respected you and some people had crushes on you. Did Anakin develop a crush on you during that mission? He was stuttering and stumbling over his words and that brought questions in his mind.
Obi-Wan furrowed his brows. He knew when Anakin was lying or hiding something but he decided to not press on it. "How particular," Obi-Wan commented. "And with this mission, we can uncover the plot?"
"Yes." Anakin nodded. "There's a number on this card for the comlink channel. If we put the frequency in ours and see where that leads."
Obi-Wan nodded. "That seems like a good idea and get ready for whatever it may lead us."
━━━━━━━━━━━━
Obi-Wan and Anakin went to Obi-Wan's quarters, he left Anakin to link the comlink frequencies and waited as Anakin grumbled a series of curses trying to get the right frequency. After a while of getting it ready, Obi-Wan saw a blue hue flicker.
He sat up on the couch abruptly as there was a cloaked blue hue flicker on the holoprojector, glancing over to Anakin seeing how his friend furrowed his brows. "Hello?" Anakin called out.
"The pyramid." The voice whispered cryptically. Obi-Wan parted his lips to say something but the blue image flickered.
"Wait," Anakin called out but the blue disappeared and he let out a heavy huff. "Well, that's great. What does The Pyramid mean? Does that mean anything to you?"
"Hmm, it does sound familiar." Obi-Wan hummed placing his hand on his chin, gently stroking his beard in deep thought. He searched his memory of where he remembered that name. The name felt almost foreign to him but he suddenly remembered where he remembered.
It was over a decade ago, you and him went on a mission together trying to find Anakin and went rogue trying to assist them on a mission but Anakin had got kidnapped and they had to figure out how to get him without the Jedi council. That memory almost seemed to fade away, as if something was blocking his memories of remembering you and Anakin together.
Memories of you and Anakin always seem hazy to him but he remembered the club specifically. The Pyramid was the club in the very deep lower levels of Coruscant where most criminals were at and discussed business.
"Yes, do you remember that rogue mission you went on and got kidnapped?" Obi-Wan asked, sitting up as he walked over to his room to grab a dark cloak, he knew if the people saw Jedi; their mission would be compromised.
"Oh yeah! You went crazy looking for me for days! How could I forget that!" Anakin shouted from the main living area as Obi-Wan came back and threw a black cloak at him as Anakin easily caught it.
Obi-Wan furrowed his brows a bit. He wondered if Anakin remember if you were there too, he would have mentioned you if he did remember. It was strange that Anakin didn't say your name but he shrugged it off. Maybe it was an experience that Anakin would rather not remember.
"You should oddly happy about being kidnapped." Obi-Wan sarcastically said, throwing the hoodie on his head.
"It was a funny experience. You were angry at me for weeks." Anakin teased, hitting his shoulder as a chuckle escape his lips. "I'm honestly you were able to find me that quick while being alone."
Obi-Wan stared at him bewildered. Did he seriously not remember you being there? He didn't have time to think about why Anakin's statement was weird to him. There was a bigger plot to uncover. He awkwardly laughed. "Haha, yeah. . .well, we should get going and try to find these people."
- ANAKIN SKYWALKER -
Anakin didn't understand why Obi-Wan had that strange look on his face and the look on his face stayed on for a while as they walked through the darkest depths of the lower levels of Coruscant. His brows were creased showing off the lines on his forehead, his eyes were glazed over as if he was remembering something or thinking deeply. Occasionally, Obi-Wan would nibble on the side of his lip and it was concerning Anakin.
Obi-Wan had been acting strange throughout the whole day, the mindless staring at nothing. The glaze in his eyes as he was in deep thoughts. Anakin didn't know if it was from the recent mission or what Anakin had said, it was all concerning.
Did he say something wrong? Or was it simply the mission? His eyes glanced down to Obi-Wan's bracelet as the gemstone shined a dull, gray color. He always wondered about the sliver band as he would ask Obi-Wan throughout his childhood what it was and Obi-Wan would always say it just deflects negative emotions.
Knowing Obi-Wan for so long, he knew that was a lie and there was more to the bracelet than what Anakin knew of and no matter how much Anakin would pry about it, Obi-Wan would never spill. And Anakin decided to leave his Master's thoughts to himself.
"Do you think we will find what we're looking for here?" Anakin questioned mindlessly peering around the street through his hoodie as he tried to keep his head low so that no one would recognize him. The lower levels were not pleasant, to say the least, he wondered if any sun ever came through the lower levels because it was so dark that he barely saw any real sunlight hitting through.
Anakin wasn't fond of how these people were living. It wasn't right how the lower class people that didn't have a good income that usually resorted to crimes and violent acts lived down here as the wealthy and the privileged lived on top. It was exactly like it was on Tatooine, he often wondered why the Republic didn't help it's own people here on Coruscant. And he knew Obi-Wan felt loosely the same.
"With patience, we will. It might be a long expedition trying to find this person." Obi-Wan replied, side-glancing over to Anakin at the corners of his hoodie.
"I hope so. . .Master [Last Name] seemed disturbed. It was like her force was. . .gone." Anakin tried his best to explain but since he wasn't the one to experience the inhaling of the mist and he didn't know the feeling of not experiencing it. "I couldn't feel her."
Obi-Wan sucked in a harsh breath then sighed heavily. "I do hope she's okay now. . .it must be frightening for her to experience that." He mumbled but loud enough for Anakin to hear.
Now it was his turn to be confused by his Master. Obi-Wan seemed. . .nervous? Anxious? It was weird to see someone who was like a brother to you, a person who was your better half have this weakening power over someone just by a mere name mention. What power did you have over Obi-Wan Kenobi. "You're acting weird whenever I mention her, did something happen?"
"No," Obi-Wan said admittedly with a blank face. "Nothing happened. I'm just surprised that a powerful master like her inhaled the mist."
Anakin wasn't sure if Obi-Wan was lying or not. He didn't like when Obi-Wan lied to him but Anakin kept many secrets away from him. Like the night he shared with you. He knew fucking a master of the high council would definitely get him and you thrown out of the Jedi order. More importantly, him because just from one mission. Just from one night, he grew attached but there was more to it, he felt something familiar and he didn't know what it was but it must have to do with his quick attachment he developed for you.
"Well, we were ambushed and attacked so, she took on most of the work of killing the droids," Anakin admitted. "The mask we had one were thin too."
Obi-Wan simply hummed putting the conversation to an end as he walked up to a homeless person and handed them some credits. Anakin smiled at this action, his Master always to the rescue by helping everyone. The person thanked the Jedi master with tears in her eyes. Obi-Wan always told Anakin that there were smaller ways to keep peace in the galaxy and this was one of the ways.
Anakin's mom, Shmi always told him that the problem in the galaxy was that people didn't help each other out. That they had to look out for each other. Obi-Wan was the embodiment of looking out for others. Though, he was grateful for Obi-Wan raising him. Anakin's mind often lingered to his mom, he was losing his memory of her. He barely dreams of her anymore, he didn't want to lose his memory of her. He wondered if she was okay or if she was freed of being a slave.
Anakin wondered if she was still alive. . . His thoughts shook away as Obi-Wan waved his hand to get Anakin's attention. Anakin cleared his throat awkwardly, he shouldn't be thinking about his mother but Obi-Wan reminded Anakin of his mother and the good that Obi-Wan represented reminded him of her.
With those silent thoughts, the two continued to walk and The Pyramid club came to view. The only flickering vibrant light of the sign that hung off the side of the building. The Pyramid sign flashed with only just its name. A security guard stood in front of the bleak building, people were waiting in a line to get inside. It seemed like the only safest place in the area of the lower levels was the club and it wasn't even the safest place at all, it was at least safer inside than what the streets had to offer.
They approach the security guard outside. The man glanced at them up and down with a raised eyebrow. "Jedi aren't allowed in this club." The man gruffly stated, towering over the two standing a foot higher than them.
"You will let us in." Obi-Wan waved his hand in the air, trying to wave near his face but his hand was more near the man's chest. "And you will rethink the choices of your life."
"I will let you in and rethink my choices of life." The man emotionlessly stated, side-stepping allowing the two to pass.
Obi-Wan smiled and nodded his head towards Anakin. Anakin chuckled, shaking his head. He was always impressed by his Master but weak-minded people were easy to influence. But he also knew that Obi-Wan always tried to influence people to get a better life than the criminal life.
The thumping of music filled Anakin's ears as the strobe lights roamed around the room. The tile was the darkest shade of black but the walls were painted golden, the structure of the inside of the building looked like the walls were caving in as if Anakin was being suffocated. The large, Crystal chandeliers reflected brightly as the strobe lights flashed across. The dance floor was a crowd with people dancing against each other, high on spice. He could tell by how euphoric their faces emitted from simple dancing.
There were golden doors that lead to private rooms and Anakin remembered that the ones on the second floor were for sexual favors and the ones on the bottom were for business. The golden, cushion booths rested along the walls and the bar stood far by the upper north of the wall, covering most of the wall as people drank their livers away.
Anakin didn't like all the gold because it reminded him of Tatooine and sand. He didn't like sand because it reminded him of his slave life and it grossed him out when he felt it under his skin but he equally didn't like The Pyramid from his last experience but he remembered the main reason why he didn't like it. Being kidnapped. "Where should we look?" Anakin yelled over the music.
"Let's go to the bar, I want a drink," Obi-Wan stated, walking through the crowd of bystanders that were either kissing against each other or were discussing business in the booths.
Anakin followed behind him, peering through his hoodie trying to see anything suspicious or hear anything that might help but the point of people coming to the club was that the music was so loud you couldn't overhear what anyone was saying. Which made the investigation harder on them but he was determined to find the scientist and/or the traitor.
Anakin sat next to Obi-Wan at the bar as Obi-Wan order a drink for the both of them. "How are we going to find anything if we can't hear anything?" Anakin questioned as a dark liquid glass was placed in front of him on a napkin. He scrunched his face at the drink as his fingers curled around the glass, it didn't look savory.
"The force will guide us," Obi-Wan said, bringing the rim of the glass to his lips as he threw his head back and down the drink. His eyes tightly shut. Anakin took that as a sign that the drink was strong and pushed the glass away from him.
"Oh, how will the force guide us?" Anakin deadpanned, glancing around to find anyone suspicious but everyone was suspicious of something. This was the crime club for the lower depths, everyone had baggage of their crime doings or were running away from something and Anakin didn't care enough to arrest anyone.
"We will meditate, of course," Obi-Wan confirmed with a slight nod.
Anakin snorted. He pulled the card from Obi-Wan's robe pocket and pointed at the name. Surik. The name and the frequency of the comlink were the only information presented. "Perhaps this is a name of someone or another place. . .the cloak figure must be this Surik person."
"You are right but how can we find someone that was a cloaked figure?" Obi-Wan asked with a rose eyebrow.
"We will meditate, of course." Anakin mocked Obi-Wan who rolled his eyes but complied anyway. Anakin closed his eyes and allowed himself to feel the force around him. The darkness crept around him as if he was the only person in the force but he knew that wasn't true, in the force he felt the faints embers of the living beings.
Each person had a different signature within their own being. A small life of the force that lived in them. But he tried to focus on the presence he felt through the holoprojector. The person was angry, scared, and frustrated. Helpless. The cold, endless oblivion feeling desperate.
Anakin creased his brows concerned as he opened his eyes and saw Obi-Wan had the same expression on his face. That endless feeling of despair came through from around the rooms on the floor they were on. "It seemed like your plan worked," Obi-Wan said, grabbing Anakin's drink and downing it as well.
"I recall, you wanted to meditate," Anakin said, walking through the club following that lingering scent of the force through the dispersive crowd. Some women and men gazed at him and Obi-Wan, he kept his head down lower trying to get through but a woman tried to dance with Anakin.
Anakin sighed, rolling his eyes. Before, he wouldn't have minded a dance but now, his feelings had changed and his mind lingered on you. His thoughts always fall back to you ever since that one night and this mission was for you, to bring justice for what had happened to you on Enderreal.
"No, thank you." Anakin side-stepped away from the blue-skinned woman but she grabbed his upper arm. His eyes darted towards hers with narrowed eyes. "Let me go."
The blue-skinned women's eyes widened a bit as her hands shakily let go of his upper arm and muttered a sorry loud enough for him to hear and scampered away with a petrified expression. "What did you do now, Anakin?" Obi-Wan sighed as he followed Anakin through the crowd.
"She grabbed me and I didn't like it," Anakin said, arriving at the golden door and feeling the force's presence the most prominent. The overwhelming despair of the person leaked through the door and caused Anakin's eyes to flutter, raising his mental walls high and strong but even then, he could feel it seeping through faintly.
"I understand that but it looked like you were about to kill her," Obi-Wan said as the door hissed and slid.
"Well, she shouldn't be touching me. It could compromise the mission." Anakin grumbled, letting Obi-Wan walk in first and followed loosely behind. As they entered the room, the door hissed behind them shut. The room was eerily dark and his fingers brushed against his lightsaber.
"Well, this isn't scary at all." Anakin sarcastically deadpanned, squinting his eyes trying to see anything in the room.
"Oh yes, I am fond of the dark." Obi-Wan sassed back, igniting his lightsaber as it emitted into the room.
Anakin tensed seeing a dark, cloaked figure in the corner of the room lounging against the booth seat. He wasn't going to lie to himself, he felt the shivers go down his spine. "You don't need that, Master Jedi." The feminine almost high-pitched voice echoed in the dark room.
"It feels reasonable having my lightsaber out," Obi-Wan said, nudging Anakin for him to light his up. Anakin grabbed his lightsaber hilt and ignited his blue lightsaber. "And my friend believes the same, now, who are you?"
The dark, cloaked figure let out a series of snickers that bounced out the air. Anakin held his position, tightly gripping the lightsaber close to him. He wasn't about to get a surprise sneak attack from this mysterious figure. His eyes never left the cloaked figure as it shuffled around the booth, pulling down their hoodie.
Anakin was surprised to see a young girl, she couldn't be older than the age of fifteen. Her electric, white hair stood out, she had bangs that parted in the middle as it was layered, and fluffed out as her eyes shined brightly blue. Her skin was pale, he wasn't sure if her hair or skin was paler than the other. But her face looked kind and soft as her lips were plumped pink.
"You're a kid?" Anakin questioned, shocked with furrowed brows. "What is a kid acting creepy in the dark?"
"I'm not a kid." Her voice strained a bit, as she flicked her wrist and the lights went on causing Anakin to squint to have a clearer view. Of course, the room was black and gold, the gold tile reflected off their lightsabers as the black painting was the darkest shade. This was a business room, there wasn't much to the room besides comfortable seats. "And I'm not acting creepy! It-It was supposed to be for dramatic effect."
"Okay, how is this for dramatic effect?" Anakin held his hand out as the force emitted around her throat. She spluttered out noises as her eyes widened, and she wheezed through her parted lips.
"Anakin," Obi-Wan warned with wide eyes, hitting his shoulder. "She's just a kid! What are you doing?"
"The card led us to her, if she has something to do with what happened with [Name], I'd rather end this right here instead of wasting our time," Anakin stated, closing his hands a bit more allowing the force to choke her harder.
"Anakin!" Obi-Wan hissed.
"I. . .I'm n-not the person. . .you're l0oking for!" She choked out as her eyes started to turn blood red as her lungs burn for oxygen.
Anakin didn't know why the sudden anger burned his chest, his hand was tightly clutching his lightsaber. The glare never left his narrowing eyes. "Why should we trust you?" Anakin lowly asked, loosing his hands a bit for her to talk.
"Because you need my help."
Anakin glanced over to Obi-Wan, he knew his friend is the negotiator of the two. And he often looked to Obi-Wan's guidance. But he looked concerned staring at Anakin in shock from his actions. "Let her go," Obi-Wan confirmed.
Anakin sighed. "Always the peacekeeper." He grumbled, letting his arm fall to his side as his lightsaber went back to the hilt and placed it on his belt.
"It is in our title to be the peacekeepers." Obi-Wan deadpanned as he sat in the booth near the girl but kept his distance. Anakin rolled his eyes at Obi-Wan and decided to not comment on his friend's sass.
Anakin watched the girl let out coughs as she rubbed her neck, glaring at him as he stood where he was with crossed arms. "You have five minutes to talk about how we need your help."
"First, we need to know your name," Obi-Wan interjected with a pointed look at Anakin.
"Well, that was a warm welcoming I should have expected." The girl softly rubbed her pale skin. "But my name is Surik. And from what you could tell from my force signature, I am one of you."
"One of us like. . .?" Anakin trailed off.
"An exile Padawan dumbass," Surik said with the roll of her eyes, slumping against the booth.
Anakin knew this story was going to be more than five minutes and pushed Obi-Wan to fit in the booth. The older male glared at him and grumbled to himself, sliding over to make room for Anakin. "Don't call me a dumbass but, I need to hear this story, little girl."
"I'm not a little girl, I'm fifteen years old." Surik huffed as if she was proud to be that age. Anakin had to hold back his snicker and Obi-Wan knew he would snicker at her statement, so he elbowed Anakin harshly in the gut.
Anakin winced and glared at his old Master. "Okay, sorry." Anakin cleared his throat before a snicker came out. "How did you become an exile Padawan then?" He boredly questioned, leaning back in the booth. "Please tell us the story of yourself before we get down to business."
"Gladly!" Surik clasped her hands together and rested them in front of her, on the table. Anakin wasn't sure if she understood his sarcasm as her tone was high pitched. "So, it all started three years ago, when I was twelve. I had a Master who I truly, deeply loved. . .she turned out to be a backstabbing bitch! But I love her as any Padawan would but long story short, I was framed."
"Framed?" Obi-Wan questioned, frowning. "Who was your Master that framed you?"
Surik stayed silent with a deep frown as her eyes teared up in the corner of her eyes. Anakin awkwardly shuffled in his spot, he wasn't the best with children or with anyone crying that he didn't know personally. "That's the thing, I don't know why my Master did it and I don't know if she's part of the council." Her lips trembled as her shoulders slumped.
"Okay, so who's your old Master?" Anakin questioned lazily.
"That backstabbing bitch! Ugh. . .she was Master Lerona Kase."
"Master Kase?" Obi-Wan gawked at her. "Of course, she's still part of the council, she's one of the highest respecting council members. . .She couldn't. . ."
"She couldn't, wouldn't, shouldn't." Surik rolled her eyes. "That's what I'm telling you that she did. . .you guys don't believe me."
Anakin couldn't argue with her because he didn't believe her. Why would a Master have her own Padawan exile? It didn't make sense, he always had faith in the Jedi and the order; especially the people around him. How could he believe this girl at all?
"At this point, it's just accusations," Obi-Wan stated with a quirked eyebrow. Even though he didn't believe the exile Padawan but Obi-Wan was always nicer to kids than Anakin was. "What proof do you have?"
"My proof? Do you remember the exile of two-six-eight?" Surik questioned.
That name rang familiar in Anakin's head. He searched around his memories at that number but a particular one stood out. The Padawan was exiled for conspiracy against the Jedi order by creating a supplement that was harmful against them, a poison. "You're that Padawan that created that poison," Anakin muttered in realization. "The one that harmed, almost killing a bunch of younglings."
"Why would you create it? Your trial was very short, they didn't give any second thought-" Obi-Wan was cut off by the furious teenager.
"Exactly! Exact-fucking-ly! The Jedi council didn't even give my trial a second thought. Didn't even try to investigate it." Surik clenched her jaw as her raw, hateful emotions flooded around her in the force. Anakin felt his eyes flutter from the overwhelming feeling of burning in his chest. "They didn't even think to question why I did what I did."
"And why did you do want you did?" Anakin deadpanned, rubbing his chest calmly inhaling breaths trying to get rid of that hatred feeling in his chest. Normally, he was able to put his mental shields to block away hatred, anger, resentment but lately, he was more sensitive to the darker side of the force and emotions. As if it had an personal effect on him.
"My master knew my talent of being a chemist. I was the brightest with chemistry." Surik sadly praised herself as a strained smile formed on her lips, letting out struggling breaths. "My master told me I would be changing our world by making a gas that would enhance our powers. She's a chemist as well and she used my formula and created a poisonous gas. She framed me! I would never hurt my fellow Jedi brother and sisters. You have to believe me!"
"So from all of that, your Master is the traitor and scientist behind it?" Anakin questioned, sitting up straighter. Now he actually did believe her because he felt the despair seeping through her force. She was devastated to be betrayed. Fueled by hatred for what her master did to her. Yet, she showed no signs of being consumed by the dark side.
Surik nodded. "Yes, she was behind it. Please, you have to believe me."
"Then why did you make the formula? What was the purpose?" Anakin did believe her fully now. There wasn't a reason for her to make this up, her intentions beyond what they seemed to check out. Anakin believed she was scared, searching for help and he could help her. He knew what it was like feeling like an outsider from the order, he felt like that his whole life because of the prophecy of being the Chosen One. People would treat him differently because of it but it wasn't the same as her being framed as a conspiracist or attempted child murderer.
"My master believes in the prophecies of the ancient Jedi ways. . .in fact, at one point, she would talk about it all the time with Master Jinn," Surik replied with a shocked face as she turned her head towards Obi-Wan. "Weren't you and Master [Last Name] apprentices?" Obi-Wan slowly nodded. "When he was alive, he believed in the prophecies and she did too. She studied them to the point of delusions saying that two people would either restore the balance of the force or destroy it. She wanted to control the prophecies believing that if she did, she would have ultimate power. She talked about him often even though he's been dead for a while."
"Qui-Gon? Prophecies?" Obi-Wan hastily shook his head as he rubbed his forehead. "I knew someday those prophecies would have consequences on someone. Those are just fantasies. . ."
Surik gave him a flat expression as she glanced over to Anakin. "I've been exiled and hiding for years but come on, I even know that everyone calls Anakin the Chosen one." She deadpanned. "I didn't believe in them as well, I thought they were nonsense but your Master went through his own with Rael and Fanry figuring out the exact vision and what would happen."
"You remember that?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Of course, Qui-Gon and my Master use to fuck. . ." Anakin gagged as Obi-Wan's cheeks burned pink under his beard. Anakin didn't want to know how this child knew all this stuff and why her mouth was the foulest thing he ever heard from a kid. It must have been the exile that made her this way.
"Oh," Obi-Wan muttered, embarrassed. "How did I not pick that up. . ."
"Just like you and-"
"Okay, we get it." Obi-Wan lightly snapped before the girl could release any more information. Anakin perked up at this and wondered who was she going to say before his interruption but before Anakin could even talk, Obi-Wan continued. "But why control these said prophecies."
"Because when you control the prophecies, nothing could stop you. One of the prophecies includes controlling life and death itself." Surik stated, grimly shuffling awkwardly in her spot. "Who wouldn't want to control life to see how your life plays out. The one who controls life can bend it to their will and the one who controls death can bring anyone back from the dead. As if she were to control the Chosen One, one can control the balance of the force. It's simple logic. I think she believed in the delusional to the point where she did everything she could to formulate that gas."
Anakin and Obi-Wan fell silent for the first time. Anakin couldn't believe what he was hearing, the conspiracy of this plot goes farther than he hoped. From the previous conservation of the day before, Anakin remembered the twin prophecy and his own Chosen One prophecy. But why release the gas on the world of Enderreal, did the man target them specifically? Does that mean you were still in danger?
"Do you believe me now?" Surik asked, snapping Anakin out of his thoughts but she was meant with silence from the two older Jedi. "Please, believe me. I was framed. With all the information I gave you, you have to believe me."
"But your name was on the card, doesn't that raise alarms?" Obi-Wan questioned, pulling the card with his thumb and forefinger from Anakin's Jedi pocket and pushing the card towards her.
Surik's eyes flared as she gritted her teeth, gripping the card tightly in her fingers. "She must have tried to frame me again. . .oh shit." She gasped, crumbling the paper hard in her hands.
"What?" Anakin asked, furrowing his brows seeing her wide-eyed expression.
"You're being tracked." Surik opened her palm and broken electric circuits popped out of the card.
Before any of them could respond, a sudden bomb vibrated in the distance. Anakin jumped over the table to cover his body over Surik and Obi-Wan, shielding them away from the aftershocks of the blast as glass shattered on top of him, shaking everything in the room.
Anakin felt the surge of the vibration wave of the aftershocks hit his body, painfully hitting his body causing him to let out a wheeze. The aftershocks burned his lungs and ribs, feeling a slight crack in them. He let out a gasp and groaned after the shockwaves were done. "Anakin, are you okay?" Obi-Wan questioned as Anakin sat away from them, holding his rib.
"I think my rib broke." Anakin groaned, standing up wobbly, and looked over to Surik who groaned as well, holding her head as she wobbly stood up from the booth. "Are you guys okay?"
Obi-Wan nodded, looking over at the teenage girl with concerned eyes. "I'm fine but the two of you on top of me was heavy, thanks for that." She deadpanned.
"Nows, not the time for sass!" Obi-Wan snapped as multiple explosions went off again causing the ground to shake underneath him as his hands curled on Surik's upper arm. "We need to run, we may be the targets and we need to leave."
Surik hastily nodded. "Can you run, grandpa?" She asked to Anakin.
"Grandpa! You know, on second thought, Obi-Wan leave her." Anakin begin to stomp off as the teenage girl snickered behind him as the door hissed in front of them, sliding and he was met with everyone in the club fighting.
It was an absolute brawl and chaos. People were running down the stairs or being pushed off the stairs. Screams erupted heavily through the club, the ground vibrated with heavy footsteps of terrified clubbers. People were being pushed and thrown. "We have to go!" Anakin shouted over the chaos, ignoring the searing pain in his rib cage pushing through the racing crowd.
His eyes scanned around the area and saw multiple Mandalorians pointing guns at people as they passed. Anakin felt his heart hammer, he wasn't scared but he felt the thrill once again rolling the dice and trying his luck out. "Get out of here while I distract them," Anakin shouted over to Surik and Obi-Wan.
"What? Anakin, that's absurd! I'm not going to leave you!" Obi-Wan shouted with wide eyes as Surik pulled her hoodie over her face and hid behind his large frame.
"Trust me, Obi." Anakin pleaded. "They're either after us or her. If they're after her then you can run like hell and I will find you. Just trust me."
Obi-Wan searched Anakin's eyes. It was always easy for Anakin to trust Obi-Wan but now, he was asking Obi-Wan to trust him. Obi-Wan let out a sigh and nodded. "I trust you. Find us."
"I will," Anakin said, turning around as he walked over to the Mandalorians. His eyes flinched from each step, his side was burning from his broke rib but if he could save Surik and Obi-Wan then he would endure the pain. His fingers curled around the hilt of his lightsaber as he pulled it out of his belt. "Hey! Are you looking for me!"
The multiple Mandalorians pointed their blasters at Anakin. "There he is. You know what the orders are."
"Ah, those blasters don't scare me." Anakin firmly held his ground as the red shining armor as their fingers tapped against their blaster's trigger. "I would like to see you try and hit a Jedi. Go ahead, try it."
Anakin always tried his luck with every encounter he has when he was in danger. The gamble of this was either they tried to kill him, capture him, or spill something. And he hoped it was either of those three because he was looking for some fun. "She said we can't kill him." One of them stated mistakenly.
Anakin felt disappointed that it was the third opinion but he chuckled to himself. "Well, that sounds like a you problem because I can most definitely kill you." He ignited his lightsaber, using the force through his legs to help him do a jump flip over them as his lightsaber swung around their guns, slicing them in half.
Anakin landed wobbly feeling a harder crack in his ribs. His lungs burned from the sharp shooting pains as he let out a harsh wheeze from the impact. He took in a harsh breath trying to contain the pain as he begin to run. He ran for the front door entrance, putting his hoodie up as he press the button for the lightsaber to go back in the hilt.
Anakin secured his lightsaber in his belt and ran with the crowd, allowing himself to feel Obi-Wan and Surik's force but Obi-Wan's force was always the most prominent since Anakin had a bond with him. He followed his Master's concern through the force, pushing along the terrified, crowded pedestrians.
He followed the scent through a dark alley as he limped, harshly sucking in sharp breaths, and constantly looked back making sure he wasn't being followed. The dark alley sent shivers through Anakin's spine seeing the amount of trash on the floor, and the filthy creatures that spattered on the floor. There was barely any light in the alley and he followed his instincts. "I'm not going to be killed in a dark alley, that's too cliche," Anakin grumbled to himself, following the twist and turns of the alley.
It seemed like the alley went on for hours as the dimmer the light seemed to fade away. He would use his lightsaber but he didn't want to give away his position to whoever planned the attack back at the club. With a few more twists and turns, Anakin's wheeze echoed through the alley as he saw dim of a light flickering in the distance in a building.
He saw eyes shining through the peaked curtains. Anakin stopped walking as he stared at the eyes with a raised eyebrow. He saw the curtain open more, Surik and Obi-Wan's faces popped out from the corner. "Anakin! We're in here!" Obi-Wan shouted but his voice was muffled through the glass.
"I can clearly see that!" Anakin rolled his eyes and sprinted towards the building. The door unlocked and he quickly got in, shutting the door behind him, and pulling his hoodie down. "That was fun."
"Fun? I'm sure I saw at least ten people on the floor dead." Surik said with an eye roll as she walked over to a flat mattress on the ground.
"Well, that's tough on them." Anakin shrugged nonchalantly. Finally being able to relax, he took a look around. The paint on the wall was stained and torn in various places, peeling in an almost yellow color. The floor was at least clean but the actual floor was a dark, black tile color that just made Anakin feel more depressed than he already felt. The smell was ghastly, it smelt foul and burnt causing his nose to scrunch up.
In one of the corners, there was just a stove and a refrigerator but it wasn't anything special. And a splintered door in the other corner which Anakin assumed must be the bathroom. His eyes wandered around seeing a neat pile of books and clothes. . .and a stuffed animal looking deflated with a button on its eye missing staring at Anakin in agony.
Anakin took back what he said about dark alleys, he was now terrified of mutilated teddy bears. That one eye that was intact was staring into his soul. "You need to get a new teddy bear," Anakin said, gazing over to Surik who ran her fingers through her pale hair.
Surik glared over at him. "It was the only thing that kept me going for these three years, grandpa. Freakishly handsome motherfucker."
"Watch your language," Obi-Wan said, sliding down on the wall given how there was no other furniture to sit on as Anakin did the same. "How can you live with such a foul mouth?"
"Simple. Fucking, fuck, fuckity." Surik sang as Anakin pressed his lips into a thin line trying not to laugh as he gazed over at Obi-Wan's face to see his expression. He was utterly distraught from the foul language coming from her mouth. "See, I lived through that."
"I-" Obi-Wan pinched the bridge of his nose as he took a couple of deep breaths. "Okay, whatever. We obviously can't hide out in this place for long, we need a plan."
"I agree even if I enjoy hearing Surik almost give you a heart attack with her foul mouth, I would like to hear her thoughts about this situation." Anakin comfortably sat down the best way he could but it was hard to do that when his side was on fire from being broken and bruised.
"How generous for you to hear my thoughts." Surik took the clasp of her cloak off and shrugged it off of her and started to fold it neatly. "My name on the card, it was a trap. My master must have done that to raise suspicions. . .although I did made the card for my services."
"What services?" Anakin asked, holding his side the best way he could as he tried to stay calm and focus on the situation but it was hard when it felt like his ribs felt like it was jabbing at his lungs.
"My services! I'm proud to announce that I made supplements of food for those in need when they can't afford food. It's small rations but in those rations, it holds three meals in that ration bar to fill them up for the day." Surik explained proudly, puffing out her chest as she sat up straighter clearly proud of what she was talking about.
"That's what that foul smell is from. Awe, man, I bet the food tastes horrible." Anakin said without any guilt. If anything was going to make him feel better, it was going to be being an asshole.
Surik glared at him as Obi-Wan sighed heavily, shaking his head. "It doesn't taste horrible, it's just the smell of combining different formulas together. . .are you guys hungry? You did save me and well. . ." She twiddled her fingers together with a shy smile. "I would like for you to try it."
"Sure but we still need the full picture of what happened," Obi-Wan said.
"Okay." She got up and walked to her kitchen to prepare the ration bars. With her back turned, Obi-Wan shot over a glare at Anakin as if he was saying be nice. Anakin rolled his eyes and held his hands up in surrender. "Um. . .where was I. . .er. Yeah! Okay, I was hoping that my card can get to someone in the temple but they must have stolen my card from one of my buyers and planted it for you guys to find to track me down."
"Why do they want to track you down?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Because I have the rest of the formula. . .how did the gas work when you inhaled it?" Surik questioned turning around with a small bar in her hands, gently handing it to Anakin and Obi-Wan.
Anakin stared at the bar. It smelt terrible but his stomach grumbled, he liked to eat every few hours to get his energy up. "Well, one of our Master inhaled it. Master [Name] couldn't feel her force, as if it was gone."
Surik snorted as she sat down, shaking her head. "That dumb bitch."
"Excuse me?" Anakin raised his voice a bit as Obi-Wan deadpanned it.
"No, not Master [Name]. I wasn't calling her that, I was calling my old Master that. She stole the wrong plans. I created two gas. One was to stop the force for when the sith came in control and couldn't use their force. And another gas to help enhance our powers." Surik covered her mouth as a child-like giggle came through her lips. "She finally noticed."
"You created two gases?" Anakin bit into his ration bar, and the taste of foods exploded at once. First came breakfast: eggs, some type of meat, and toast. Then lunch: mac and cheese. Then dinner: another strange type of meat. From that one bite, he already felt full. He didn't want to admit but he was impressed by this kid.
"Yes, I suspected that she was planning to do something so I swap the formulas, and now, I assume she's after me and you." Surik bit into her ration bar and hummed in contempt.
"Why would she be after Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked, barely biting into his ration bar. He must have not been hungry like Anakin was.
"Before anything, I want to make a deal." Surik sat up straighter, placing her ration bar next to her as she folded her hands together. "I know you're Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker meaning that you have high respect for the council."
Anakin snorted. "They hate me."
"Well, that's tough on you." Surik shot him a sarcastic smirk as Anakin rolled his eyes.
"What's the deal then?" Obi-Wan ignored their antics as he set aside his ration bar, sitting up straighter against the wall.
"I want to come back to the Jedi Order." Surik started off slowly, twiddling her fingers together as she tilted her head down with flushed cheeks. "I had lost all my faith in the order but, you guy's restored it in me again. I wish to be either Anakin's or your Padawan. I want my name to be cleared and gather proof that I did not try to harm my fellow Jedi, they were like family to me. . .please."
Anakin gazed over to Obi-Wan who rose an eyebrow over to Anakin. They had a conversation through their eyes. He already had Ahsoka as a Padawan and doubted that the council would allow him to take on another Padawan at such a young age. And Obi-Wan was completely free to take one up.
"Okay but you have to help us catch Lerona Kase." Obi-Wan agreed with a head nod, then tilted it to the side. "I will talk to the council to present your case again after we get the evidence."
Surik's lip twitched as tears formed in the corner of her eyes, she quickly wiped them on the back of her hand. A soft chuckle left her pink lips. "Hehe, thank you. Thank you for believing me."
"Well, seeing how bombs went off and we were being shot at, how couldn't we?" Anakin sarcastically questioned, standing up wobbly with his hand on his side as he took a deep breath. "What are our next steps?"
"We need to lure her out. Since she's after me and Anakin, the reason being that he's the supposed Chosen one; she wants to control us." Surik stated, rolling her white fluffed sleeves up revealing the scarred skin on her arms and wrist, she had bandages around certain parts.
Anakin felt his heart drop a bit. The faint scar that went down was vertical down her arm. She had attempted on her life, his heart stung for the poor fallen Padawan. The Jedi council exiled Surik without a second thought, he understood why she would try to attempt on her life. Anakin had hoped if anything were to happen to Ahsoka, she wouldn't be exiled without a second thought. He couldn't bear to see his Padawan end up like Surik.
Surik had still kept her heart through all of this. Anakin felt guilty for being an asshole to her, she was a proud, intellectual genius but most of all, she was a survivor. Being banished, she found a way to keep fighting and helping people with these ration bars. She sought out help even if that meant playing the gamble of being caught. She was willing to help them and her faith was restored again. To Anakin, she was still a Jedi and represented what a Jedi should be.
Anakin started to admire her. She would like Ahsoka. "Okay, so we lure her out." Anakin agreed with a faint smile, peering his eyes away from her scars and looking over Obi-Wan who had noticed them as well but kept a mask on his face to hide his emotions. "When I encountered those bounty hunters, they didn't try to kill me so if Surik and I be the bait, we can capture her easily."
"Anakin, that sounds like a dumb idea." Obi-Wan rejected the idea with a head shake and a heavy sigh.
"What? Do you have a better idea?" He sassily put his hands on his hip.
"No." Obi-Wan admitted as his cheeks heated up from embarrassment.
"Then it's the only plan we got but we must prepare. We must contact the council and tell them what we found. I can call Captain Rex and you call Commander Cody to help assist us. I would call Ahsoka but she's busy with Master [Last Name]." Anakin strategize, almost muttering to himself. "We can send them our location once we find Master Lerona Kase."
"Okay, and when should we devise this plan?" Surik asked.
"In a couple hours, we need time to prepare and draw her out." Anakin glanced around the room as Obi-Wan got ready to call Cody. "Do you know how to fight?"
"Of course I do, grandpa." Surik huffed, brushing her fingers against her leg strap where her blaster was in the holster. "How else do you think I survived?"
"Yes but with a lightsaber." Anakin took out his lightsaber and ignited it, waving it around as it hummed. Every time Anakin took his lightsaber out, he never felt more proud to have it. Once again, his mind lingered to his mother. He dedicated his lightsaber to her, it's said that the lightsaber is his life and he has to protect it at all cost; that's how he felt about his mother. Soon, one day, he will free her and protect her. "A lightsaber was once your life and now, it will be your life again. We don't have that much time but being able to fight with your life is critical. I will teach you once again but I will only train you if you want to be trained by a grandpa."
Surik stayed quiet as she stood up. A faint smile etched on her lips. It was sad and distant as her eyes softened. "I haven't touched one in years. . ." She whispered. "They took mine when they exiled me."
"Lucky for you, I stole my friend's." Anakin joked lightly, pulling another lightsaber that was slightly smaller than his. He knew Ahsoka wouldn't be pleased to see one of her lightsabers gone but he was glad he took it. "We have two hours to practice. Let me call my Captain then we could train."
Surik's eyes lit up as she gaped at Anakin. "You're going to teach me? I've seen you on the news, the clips of you! You're awesome."
Anakin couldn't help but feel his ego gloat a bit. "Thank you, now let's start."
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Surik; fallen Padawan