We meet again in the morning, when the ship enters Coruscant's atmosphere. He is on the opposite side of the deck, shouting orders to the men. His face is as tired and grey as mine.
We deboard together. The sight of Ashoka's petite figure waiting outside the spaceport wins a smile from us both. She desperately wants to run and throw her arms around her Master. Instead, she just hops toward us, barely restraining herself, making me remember how much I like her.
She stops a couple of steps from us, squinting suspiciously. "What happened?"
I try to sound reassuring. "We are exhausted, young one. It has been a long time, I'm happy to see you again."
Anakin places a hand between her montrals, gently driving her away. "I missed you, Snips. I will not let them separate us again."
Ahsoka is confused by his weird, serious tone, and searches my eyes for answers. I can just try a half-smile.
"May the Force be with you, Master," she says, looking at me over her shoulder as they leave.
What follows reminds me of a cold soup; reassuring, a bit boring, and not as good as it used to be.
First of all, I reach my quarters. All is exactly where I left it. Is there a better feeling?
I do my best to thoroughly enjoy being home, but the comfort I find is smaller than the one I was expecting.
After the 'fresher, I reach the Council meeting. There, I wait fifteen minutes for Anakin to show up, undergoing other Masters' disdainful looks when it becomes evident that he won't come. Finally, I resolve to hold my summary of our last weeks on my own.
I know where he is, I even know what he's doing. I make an effort not to think about it.
I learnt at my expenses that, when we're in Coruscant, it's important to avoid reaching for his Force Signature at all costs. Not consciously, not absentmindedly, not as the result of a habit. Experience tells me that I may not like what I find.
I take my lunch to the gardens and sit on the grass, dwelling in the fogged Coruscant sun I missed so much. After ten minutes, an unmistakable, imposing silhouette shadows it.
"Sit down, old friend. I must dry up my weary bones," I say, a hand protecting my eyes from the sunlight.
Quinlan obeys. "You look terrible. And I mean it."
"Thank you. 'Welcome back' would have sufficed. I didn't know you had already returned."
"I came back and left again while you were away. I've been here for a week now." He takes a look around. "Where's the Chosen One? I want to tell him I took care of his Padawan while he was away."
I almost spit my lemonade.
"No, you nasty one, not like that! Nice idea, anyway."
I try to look indignant. "She's too young, and you're disgusting."
"You're the one that implied this first!"
His laughter is full and contagious. I laugh too and say that, if Anakin were here, he would've killed us both.
"I only mean that the poor thing needed a guide, a wise mentor while her Master and her Master's Master were busy playing with mud."
"There are a couple of misleading concepts in your last sentence, especially regarding the wise mentor part."
He punches my arm hard enough to bruise and starts stealing food from my lunchbox.
We look at the flourishing garden, eating in silence.
The younglings play around us, their voices blending with the gurgling sound of the waterfalls.
"Are you going to tell me what bit you?" He asks out of nothing.
"You know, too much time with Anakin. If we stay together some more, we'll kill each other." A shiver runs down my spine. "I am asking Master Yoda to split us for a while."
"Seems reasonable. This said, I'm not sure he will agree. You two are on the holonews all the time; men are proud and women faint at the sight of the invincible duo. You are a good product, good publicity. It can make the difference in war time, and he knows this."
"And you know too well what I think of these absurdities. In any case, I have doubts too. The boy is troubled, he might need me."
He seizes me, slowly shaking his dreads. "He's not a boy, nor your burden anymore. You should start worrying about what you need."
"If only I knew what it is," I sigh.
"You need to chill out, laserbrain. Force knows this war is more than enough, you don't have to take the brooding brat's angst on your shoulders all the time. I look after a bunch of freshly knighted boys and girls tonight, they're going out to celebrate. Come with us and have some fun."
"The fact that you're in charge of this is utterly alarming... really, who had the idea?"
"I volunteered."
I theatrically massage my forehead. "As strange as it may seem, babysitting you and some kids together doesn't appeal to me. I arrived a few hours ago and couldn't be more tired. I'll just stay at home with a cup of tea in one hand and a holopad in the other. You could change your plans and join me, instead."
He loudly huffs. "You are the most boring Jedi I've ever met. There are two ladies there that are gorgeous, and of the right age, if this is what keeps you awake at night. One is green, with lekku: she's mine. The other one is blonde, with blue eyes. Exactly your type, if I remember well enough."
The downside of childhood friends; they know too much.
"You are blushing. So sweet. You know what? I don't buy it. I've seen that look on your face a couple of times during our Padawan years. Not the embarrassed one, that's way more common. The heartbroken one. I don't know who she is, but I assure you that coming with me tonight is the best thing you can do."
"Maybe some other day," I say, getting up.
"You know you will not get away with it forever," he replies with a warm smile. "I'm after you."
I meet more friends as I walk the Temple corridors. 'Good to see you alive' is the first thing we think, every time. Then, we pat shoulders or exchange an awkward hug. We rarely talk about the war. Just quick info on who's leaving and who's coming back, and vague projects about time to spend together soon.
Cold soup.
I go back to my apartment in the late afternoon. The holonews show blurred greenish videos of a battle taking place on a planet of the Outer Rim I've never heard about. Barely intelligible laser blasts and dismembered bodies. After that, a list of recent victories. Ours is in there, just a planet name among the others.
I turn it off and look out of the window, trying to imagine myself clubbing with Quin and his friends. The image I get is hilarious, though I have no problems envisioning him there, and we're the same age.
The city lights shine brightly under the grey sky. My mind goes back to the cloudy, rainy evenings we left behind.
When I fall asleep, I dream of rough sex. Naked limbs, moans and sweat.
It's still dark when I wake up to find out it was a wet dream. Last time, I was fifteen. My body betrays me, and it's irritating.
I wonder what Anakin is dreaming.
Later, in the 'fresher, I hear two loud thumps. I swear, wrap myself in a towel and go open the door.
Quin is there, grinning, left arm around a slender green Twi'lek, right one around a short, blonde human girl. They all seem a bit drunk.
I'm sleepy, half-naked and dripping. I ask myself if this could be one of those nightmares where everything is part of a plot to embarrass you.
The two young Knights giggle, and Quinlan hardly restrains his laugh. "Late night shower or are you trying to impress the girls?"
I glare at him.
He ignores me. "They wanted to meet a real war hero, I just couldn't refuse."
Despite the urge to punch him, I calmly assure the Knights that, as they are already hugging one, there's no need for others.
The human girl straightens herself as much as she can and looks up at me, flushed and doe-eyed. "Master Kenobi, I'm honoured to have the chance to meet you. The admiration I have for you has not equals. You are the Jedi I wanted to be as a child."
I wonder if Quinlan could possibly choke on his laughter.
"Thank you, I appreciate this," I answer. "It's good to be reminded of how old you are, from time to time. Anyway, congratulation to you both on your knighting. Now, please, excuse me while I kill Master Vos."
"It's not his fault!" Almost shouts the Twi'lek, suddenly flustered at her own loud voice. "We wanted to meet you so badly! We tortured him all night."
I take the deepest of the breaths. "Poor Master Vos, it must've been terrible. Well, your wish came true. How lucky. Quinlan, I will make you pay for this. Goodnight."
Closing the door, I have a glimpse of Anakin walking by, directed to his and Ashoka's quarters. He presses his lips together to keep back a smile and salutes me taking his hand to his forehead.
This must definitely be one of those nightmares.