(AN: You guys!!! We hit 12K reads and over 300 votes! This really made my day. Thank you for all the support and kind feedback. I'm really excited for everyone to see what happens next. Enjoy! Much love -Rach).
Much of the return back to Kamino was filled with putting out fires and making sure that they arrived back alive, and not all burnt to a crisp. It was a few days' journey, and neither Alana nor Sylvan had a wink of sleep during the whole journey.
Alana quickly went to work, helping as quickly as she could, with Sylvan by her side, even though they both were worn down physically and mentally from the fight and from the lack of sleep. The day before they were due to arrive back on Kamino, they were busy in the hangar when one of the captains that Alana didn't recognize came running up to her.
"Captain Pol, sir," he announced himself.
Alana set down the equipment that she was lifting and she turned to the Captain.
"What is it, Captain?" Alana asked.
"Some of my men were in the engine room, and a part of the ceiling caved in, pinning them down below. It's too heavy for us to lift. We need your help," he said.
Alana could feel the exhaustion seeping into her bones. She hadn't even slept since the previous night, but she steeled herself and turned to see Sylvan putting down some equipment behind her.
"Sylvan, come with me," Alana called to her before turning back to the Captain. "Show me the way."
They raced down to the engine room, and Alana gritted her teeth as she entered. She could see a handful of men pinned down underneath a large metal beam, struggling and calling out in pain. Upon seeing the general, a few of the medics who were trying to ease the mens' pain stepped away from the men pinned below.
Alana stopped, and she sensed Sylvan stop beside her.
"I will not be able to do this on my own. Too much of my strength has been drained," Alana said, quietly, looking over at Sylvan. "Close your eyes, concentrate on the beam, feel the energy, feel it all around you, and we will lift it together and set it down out of the way of the men."
"Yes Master," Sylvan said, turning to the beam and closing her eyes. The two of them reached their hands out, feeling and searching the beam, grabbing tightly onto it and using all of their strength to pull it up.
Alana could feel Sylvan's presence beside her. They both were tired, the battle, the hours awake, and the losses taking its toll on both of them. Alana clenched her jaw and used the last bit of her strength to pull the beam up and over to the side of the room, just out of the way of the men. The two of them could feel each other's presence dwindling down as their energy was depleted, and the beam came crashing to the ground.
The two Jedi collapsed to the ground, with Alana's eyes opening as she caught her apprentice in her arms. Sylvan was weak and completely drained of energy, so weak that she had passed out completely, but Alana knew she would be alright with a few hours of rest. Alana watched as the Captain knelt beside them, calling over a medic and trying to help Alana.
"No, no," Alana said weakly, setting Sylvan down gently on the ground. "I'm alright. See to her."
Alana stood and stumbled out of the room, leaving the chaos behind her. She made her way down the hallway and found herself in the part of the clone quarters that had been undamaged. She was too far from her own room, so she collapsed into one of the bunks and shut her eyes, letting sleep take her.
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"Uh, you think we should wake her up?"
"She's a Jedi, I don't really want to try and wake her up. Who knows, maybe she'll just come out of it herself."
Alana's eyes flickered open to see two clones standing near her bunk, talking to each other. Alana sat up, causing them to jump to attention.
"General, sir," they said unanimously.
"You know, I don't bite," Alana said, standing and stretching from where she had fallen asleep. She was feeling much better, as the rest had done her very well. She noted the two of them exchanging glances, still standing at attention. They seemed to realize it at the same time and they relaxed, nodding at the General.
"What are your names, troopers?" Alana asked.
"Waxer and Boil, sir, of the 501st," they replied.
Alana looked at them in confusion. The 501st was not part of her assignment. It was familiar, but she was too groggy to put her finger on it. She shook her head. They must have arrived back on Kamino.
"And I can assume that we've arrived back on Kamino, then?"
"Yes, sir," they replied.
"Well, Waxer and Boil, why don't you lead the way to get off this blasted ship?"
The two of them nodded and the group left the room, heading for the off-ramp in order to disembark. When they arrived at the ramp, the two troopers excused themselves to go to work, with Alana making her way towards where she had spotted the Admiral supervising the off-load.
"Admiral," Alana called to him. He looked up and nodded when he saw her. When she arrived by his side, she looked up and decided to speak. "About earlier-"
"It's alright," the Admiral said, managing to sound incredibly gruff but kind at the same time. "We were both running on high energy. I should not have called you out in front of my men."
"And I should have been more willing to listen to you and the ship's needs," Alana added, watching as a handful of troopers were racing onto the ship to help troopers from the medical units. "I can only hope when we get back into space that we can find a more common ground of communication."
"Likewise," the Admiral responded.
Alana then noticed Sylvan being helped down the ramp.
"If you'll excuse me, Admiral, I need to check on my Padawan," Alana said before making her way quickly to Sylvan's side. Sylvan was being helped down by a captain that Alana noted as part of the 501st. She frowned in confusion, still trying to put her finger on who was in charge of the 501st.
"Master!" Sylvan said, causing the two of them to stop. The captain nodded to Alana out of respect. "I've been looking all over for you. You weren't answering my communication calls."
Alana looked down to see that her comlink was muted. She must have accidentally muted it in her sleep. Alana quickly unmuted it before looking back up at her Padawan.
"Well, here I am, Sylvan. How are you? What happened?"
"I managed to twist my ankle badly when I fell. The medical droids were too busy helping the more seriously injured to fix it, so I'm being taken to the medical bay to get it looked at. Captain Rex here is helping me walk."
"Captain Rex," Alana said thoughtfully, the name was familiar. She looked the clone up and down, noting the short blonde hair before realizing who it was. "Obi-Wan has mentioned your name. You serve as part of the 501st, isn't that right?"
"Yes, General. I'm the Captain of the Torrent Company," he replied. "I serve under General Skywalker. We're usually with General Kenobi."
"So I've heard. Well, it will be good to see them," Alana said, finally remembering that the 501st was under Obi-Wan's direction. "It's been a month since we've last seen one another," she turned to Sylvan. "Go get looked at, then come find me later. I'll be meeting with the other Generals."
"Yes, Master," Sylvan said as she and Captain Rex turned to go.
"Oh, and Captain Rex, please make sure she doesn't do anything stupid," Alana called after them.
"I've prevented that a few times already, General," Captain Rex replied, earning him a playful smack to the ribcage by Sylvan as they made their way down the ramp.
Alana rolled her eyes and went down in the other direction, finding herself being greeted by a few Kaminoans. She was about to start talking with them when out of the corner of her eye, she spotted none other than Obi-Wan entering the hangar where the ship was. His hair was shorter, and he sported a fuller beard, causing Alana to smile as she looked at his handsome face. She then noted that he was accompanied by Anakin, who sported a new scar along the right side of his face. It must have been from his time in battle.
Almost sensing her presence, Obi-Wan's eyes met hers, and Alana excused herself from the Kaminoans and made her way quickly towards them. As they neared, Alana took a deep breath, trying to compose herself in front of her brother and the hundreds of clones milling about the hangar. She stopped and bowed to both of them, a giant smile taking over her face.
"It's good to see you," she said, looking at Obi-Wan, who had managed to plaster a completely neutral and reserved look on his face, despite being reunited with his wife. Alana then looked to her brother, who only offered his sister a nod. Alana pursed her lips at his behavior, still sensing the tension in the air between them.
"It's good to see you too, Alana," Obi-Wan said gently, drawing her attention back to him.
Alana nodded at him.
"When did you arrive on Kamino?" Alana asked them.
"A few days ago. We're stationed here until the Council tells us otherwise," Obi-Wan said.
"And who knows when that will be," Anakin added, shaking his head and running his hand through his hair. He had changed since Alana had last seen him. Even though he had been angry, be seemed much more driven and focused, even if she could tell that he wasn't at peace inside.
"I don't like just sitting around here and doing nothing," Anakin sighed.
"Neither do I," Alana said, trying to find some way to comfort her brother, but he wasn't having it.
"I'm going to see if the troopers need any help," he said, turning and marching away, his head held high.
Alana watched as he walked away, frowning at her brother.
"What is it, my darling?" Obi-Wan asked quietly, moving in a little closer to her.
"It's Anakin," Alana replied, crossing her arms across her chest. "He's been so off, and I can't even find time to speak with him about what has happened. He didn't want to talk then, and now with the war, I don't know how to bring the subject with him," she shook her head and turned to Obi-Wan. "What I do know is that if he continues to be angry with me, it will fester in his heart forever."
"Give him some space," Obi-Wan said gently. "His mind and heart are too focused on this war. In time, I'm sure you can bring up the subject to him," he studied Alana for another moment before placing his hand on her arm gently. "But that's not it. Something else is bothering you."
Alana's mind flashed to the memory she had had with Count Dooku. She shuddered at the thought before bringing herself back to see Obi-Wan's eyes watching her closely. She shrugged off his hand, and plaster the best fake smile she could on her face.
"It's nothing," she said. "Just a bad dream."
"Do you want to tell me about it?"
"No," Alana shook her head. "No, not now. It was nothing," she paused for a moment, trying to focus on more positive things.
"Let's go to the meeting room, there are a few other Jedi here on Kamino. Shaak Ti is here supervising the training and upbringing of the clones."
"Oh, that's good," Alana said, smiling up at Obi-Wan. They walked for a little way, Alana marveling at the bright, pristine white of the Kaminoan cloners' city. She then remembered noticing Anakin's scar, and she turned to Obi-Wan. "What I would like to know is how in the world Anakin got that scar he was sporting."
"He fought Count Dooku's new apprentice, Asajj Ventress," Obi-Wan said, looking down at her. "She's- interesting to say the least. I only hope that she had died so that her hatred could not be spread to other planets, but I do not think that to be true."
"Count Dooku has an apprentice?" Alana asked.
"He apparently had one before her, but no one, not even the Council knows what happened to the apprentice nor who it was," Obi-Wan shook his head. Alana's face paled drastically at his words. He did not seem to notice as they continued to walk towards the meeting room.
"That's interesting," Alana said. "I suppose one day I will meet this Asajj in person."
"One can only hope you won't," Obi-Wan replied. "Not that you're not capable, my darling, but I do worry."
Alana raised an eyebrow and looked up at Obi-Wan, who did not notice the surprised look on her face.
"I did not peg you as a worrier, Obi," Alana said. Obi-Wan looked down to see a slight smirk on her face as they rounded the corner, only a few steps away from the meeting room.
"As your husband, I have every right to care about your well-being, my love," Obi-Wan whispered just before stepping into the room. Alana wanted to retort something, but she restrained herself and followed him in.
When they entered the room, they were greeted by the sight of Shaak Ti standing in front of a hologram table, where the members of the Jedi Council were all sitting in their seats in the Council room back on Coruscant. The light blue glow struck Alana, as they moved up to the table beside Shaak Ti.
"Good, I'm glad you two could join us," Shaak Ti said, giving Alana a smile and speaking quickly to her. "It's good to see you, Alana."
"Likewise," Alana replied. She noted that Master Fisto was missing from the hologram in front of her and she frowned slightly. He must have still been busy back on Mon Cala.
"How is the situation on Mon Cala?" Alana asked. She had not been in contact with the Council of Master Fisto since they departed some days ago.
"Master Fisto has been reinforced, and the planet is now back in the control of the Mon Calamari. Unfortunately, their communications since the battle have been spotty, but they're alright," Master Windu said, catching Alana up to speed.
"Thank you, Master," Alana replied. "What else has happened?"
"The Council has just been discussing the situation in the galaxy," Master Plo said. "As of right now, the Separatists have been relatively quiet, but we believe that they will be mounting a strike somewhere soon."
"I see," Obi-Wan said. "Do we have any clue as to when or where?"
"Not right now," Master Mundi said. "But we are working on getting as much information as possible through our allies throughout the galaxy."
"Is there anything we can do here on Kamino?" Alana asked. "Unfortunately, my men and my part of the fleet was heavily damaged in battle, and I don't think we'll be able to render any support elsewhere for the time being."
"Yes, Admiral Ivanov informed the Republic and the Council of the damage," Master Windu said. "For those of you on Kamino, remain where you are and continue the clone training as usual."
"On high alert, you must be, if to know this Separatist plot, we are," Master Yoda spoke up. "Meditate on this, I will."
"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan said.
"Unfortunately, until we know more, there is little that we can do until Dooku makes his next move," Master Windu said. "Until tomorrow, the Council is dismissed."
"May the Force be with us all," Shaak Ti said before the hologram disappeared, and she sighed. She turned away from the board and looked to Alana. "Welcome to Kamino, Alana. I know you've been here before, but it's good that you're back."
"The Council could not have picked a better person to oversee the training of the clones, Ti," Alana said, smiling at her friend. "Is there anything we can do right now?"
"No, no, it's nearing nighttime here. The clones should just be wrapping up their training for the day. There is lodging for us all if you'd like me to show you to it?"
"Actually, I would like to get a few things from the ship if possible," Alana said.
"I can show her to her place," Obi-Wan said. "I know you are busy during this time, especially with the new influx of clones. I'd be glad to show her to her quarters."
"Thank you, Obi-Wan," Shaak Ti said. "I'll see you both in the morning, then."
Alana watched as Shaak left the room, heading to get the rest of the clones settled in. Obi-Wan turned and gave Alana a smirk.
"Come with me," he said, making his way out of the room and heading off in the opposite direction of Shaak Ti.
Alana followed after him, finally catching up to him when he stopped in front of a white door and accessed it with his fingerprint. Alana looked at him in confusion as the door swung open. Immediately she was hit with a familiar sight as they stepped inside. It was the room where Alana had first kissed him.
"I had them turn it into my room when I arrived back on Kamino. It had been empty, and I wanted to be reminded of you," Obi-Wan said as Alana made her way into the room. It was actually quite large, just as she remembered it, with a living area and the bedroom towards the back.
"Where am I supposed to stay?" Alana asked, turning back to Obi-Wan.
"You're supposed to be in the room next to mine, and Shaak Ti, Sylvan, and Anakin are down the hallway," Obi-Wan said, shutting the door behind them.
"I suppose I should go get my things and put them there," Alana said, looking back out of the window at the gloomy surface of Kamino as the rain was pouring down, just like the last time she had been there.
"It can wait," Obi-Wan whispered, his arms coming around Alana's waist and pulling her around, so her head rested on his chest. "I want to be near you," he mumbled into her hair, taking in her scent, the way she looked, the way she sounded.
Alana didn't know what to say, so she just relished in being held by him, her body pressed tightly up against his. She finally pulled back so that she could kiss him. Their time of being together after Geonosis had been short. Too short.
"I missed you," Obi-Wan said, pressing his forehead against hers, his lips brushing against hers lightly.
"Our hologram conversations are too short," Alana admitted.
"And not always reliable," Obi-Wan replied. "I tried transmitting a signal each day for the past few days, but you weren't responding. Ever since the transmission went out, I was worried-"
"Again, my love, you worry too much," Alana said, shaking her head. She paused for a moment before meeting his eyes. "But you're right. We got busy, with the battle and the heavy damage to the ship even I was working around the clock so that the ship would make it back here."
"I only worry as much as I need to," Obi-Wan said. "Besides, I know you can take care of yourself," he said, brushing Alana's hair back from her face.
She reached up and touched his beard, and bit her lip.
"How have things been? You've been busy, I know."
"I'm not a fan of this war," Obi-Wan replied, taking her hand in his. "However, I know I must do my duty, no matter what I think of it," he shook his head, trying to rid himself of the unpleasant memories of war from the past few weeks. "I'm glad to have you here with me now."
"Me too," Alana replied, squeezing his hand. She could still sense the unease in his mind as his eyes drifted from her face, deep in thought. "Obi-Wan," she said, calling his attention back to her. "Let's make the most of these moments while they last. Come to bed with me, please."
Obi-Wan looked his wife up and down, finding himself calming in her presence and he let her lead him to the bedroom, the sensation of being close to her filling him up entirely as they rekindled their love for each other.