Obi-wan's presence, to Anakin, for the past year or so had been this hovering and annoying buzzing thing showing how Anakin could not handle anything and was holding him back from the things the Chancellor promises is his glory. Now, however, Obi-Wan's presence is the shore holding him after being thrown and crushed by the riptides of war, or the sweet oasis hidden in the scathing dunes and demented suns. There is no glory for him here.
It is when Obi-Wan guides him into his side like he was still that tiny nine-year-old coming from his first lessons and overwhelmed, that he realises why Obi-Wan kept him in the Temple more times than out. It was to keep him safe, to make sure that he too didn't have to burn another body to give back to the Force, to give Anakin stability of a home that would listen to him and keep him focused. He feels like a child when Obi-Wan holds him there, crying and shaking and horribly young.
They get to Obi-Wan's quarters, Anakin still has his room set up there. He can't enter his room. Anakin never got to have an apartment with Ahsoka, never got to help decorate her room with Obi-Wan helping them by making food in their kitchen. His room is that of someone younger, reckless and unaware of how stupid it was to not plan properly, especially with a child on the line.
He is shattered and collapsed on the sofa when he gets the comm. It is all sweetened words that mean nothing to Anakin now, because it is all just the disguise of orders. He almost throws it out the window. Palpatine can go take those orders and shove it up his— Obi-Wan is holding his hands with the comm.
He says something about taking care of it. Anakin says he'll go with Obi-Wan.
(Padmé is calling him. He should answer. She is his wife. But if he sees her, so much as stare at her too long he thinks he will either curse her out because she should be able to tell the Senate to make peace already, make it so Ahsoka's memory isn't some destruction like he made his mother's. Or, he would cry and wail and then say something to her that would hurt worse than a blasterbolt to the head because that is how Rex died.)
Obi-Wan is a steady presence now. A guiding light. Anakin notices two weeks into their voyage that Obi-Wan doesn't sleep much anymore, the tea from the Temple is barely touched and his hands shakes when Cody stares distantly. Anakin takes it in stride to start making tea for Obi-Wan, sits in with Cody as he plans and learns and watches to never make the same mistake again, his men are worried.
Palpatine is trying to contact him. Anakin says he's busy. Busy grieving and aching and trying (do, or do not, there is no try. He mutters to himself as he mediates) to heal. He is healing. Slowly. Barely. Terribly. But he is healing. Anakin looks at the war, at the death count, at the men that are all resembling a dear friend but are nothing like him. Anakin sees no glory here. Only darkness.
Cody and Obi-Wan move, they walk through the next hour, next minute and second like they will hear someone calling for them. They plan, they outline, they run numbers and calculate how many they can save. Cody is grieving. Silent and almost unnoticeable, his shoulders tighter, his bucket on more than off, his time in the shooting ran long as his time in the office.
He is refining himself into a weapon. A shield. Obi-Wan stops him one night, tired eyes and shaky hands, doesn't give him some Jedi wisdom, doesn't give him some words of remorse. His General, his Jedi, his something gives him a rock, a pebble really. A smooth thing that fits into his blacks pocket.
"This has saved my life and mind before," Obi-Wan confesses, pressing it into his hand. "It is helpful to keep around to," he has a shadow of humour on his lips, "ground you, my dear."
Cody takes it, only because he finds the repetitive action of rubbing his thumb in circles over it when he thinks. Its soothing. Almost peaceful. And he remembers that Obi-Wan is a person of peace, it makes sense that something so dear to him is giving peace to another.
If anyone ever let Ahsoka plan anything again, Rex is going to shoot them. But he most likely wouldn't because that person would be him, probably, so instead he starts putting seeds of information of future rebel leaders of Palpatine's terrible behaviour. CIS supplies are distrupted rerouted to other planets. Ahsoka can't be in the open anymore because people would notice a togruta child walking around with a lightsabre. So, Ahsoka is forced to do more tech work than she likes, Rex laughs.
Rex helps Rishi, Echo and Fives will never join 501st. He doesn't think they would notice him. They do. They keep it hidden until High General Kenobi arrives with his Marshal Commander Cody. Alpha-17 is now contacting Obi-Wan to come to Kamino, he has news to share. Shaak Ti is hiding evidence of someone giving her access to older files on the clones and the existence of Chips.
Something in the force, urges both Ahsoka and Rex to move and go off to CIS territory. More supply lines are rerouted or hijacked, Palpatine moves his plans along slower because Anakin isn't responding anymore.
romaincrisis
titsay
gummygunk
annaxmalina
stormborns
izzy806
