It had been 4 months since the report that two padawans had gone missing. They were being held hostage, a long with Princess Burma who they had been assigned to protect. It had been an effort made by the Separatist to force the hands of Burma's father, King Wyfod of Desdonia to join the Separatist alliance. Princess Burma was eventually rescued thanks to the brave efforts of two young Jedi Padawans. One of the Padawans, Barriss Offee managed to escape, but barely alive. The other, Ahsoka Tano had paid the ultimate price.
Master Kenobi had attended a hearing at the Senate in which Princess Burma and her father requested more aid from the Republic in fighting off the villainous Separatist. When the hearing was adjourned Master Kenobi chatted briefly and politely with several senators, but as he was walking away, getting ready to head back to the Jedi Temple he heard faint footsteps pitter pattering behind him. "Master Kenobi!" Padme Amidala's silvery voice rang out behind him.
"Senator Amidala," he turned around and smiled. His smile pleasant but somehow very weary
She stepped closer quickly, "Obi-wan I heard." She almost whispered. "I'm… I'm so sorry," She muttered her peaceful blue eyes looked up at him and they were brimming with tears. "This war.. the death… the killing," She muttered.
"Padme,"Obi-wan said quietly getting her attention. "She's at peace, now" Was his simple reply.
Padme stopped in mid sentence composing herself as she had seen the Jedi had. "Yes, yes of course, but I will miss her." Padme mentioned.
"I will as well." He smiled kindly and gave an exasperated sigh. "Her service will be held at the end of the week, rhe Temple is opening it's doors for outsiders to attend." Obi-wan explained as the two began to stroll along casually through the senate building.
"You know I will be there." Senator Amidala said authoritatively.
"Yes, I know." Obi-wan's response was short. She had attended Qui-Gonn's funeral as well. He remember the cremation ceremony. He remembered her small hand slipping in his and giving it a squeeze.
"Obi-wan," she said cautiously and with some hesitation. She didn't want her words to give too much away, but at the same time she knew she had to say something. "How's Anakin taking it?" There was a hint of more than friendly concern in her tone.
"I woulnd't know, Padme," Obi-wan shrugged with regret as they kept up the pace. "I…no one has made contact with Anakin since the rescue. He was on the Ship with Mistress Luminara, but he did not come into the Temple" Obi-wan explained.
He didn't come home last night either. Padme thought. "Oh Master Kenobi, I'm…I'm so worried about him." Padme's words were bursting with passion.
Obi-wan considered the situation. He hadn't wanted to have to chase Anakin down. He hadn't wanted to have to search high and low all over Coruscant for him former padawan. He had hoped that Anakin would come back to the Temple with in a night or two, but the hour was late and still he had heard nothing from the young man and now he could indeed say like Senator Amidala that he was worried. Rumors were already circulating around the Temple as to reasons why Skywalker had not returned after the tragic death of his padawan. Luminara had given her account of the incident, but now the Council wanted to hear Anakin's. Also there was the matter of building a white saber for Ahsoka. The death of a learner at the Temple was taken very seriously. It was a shame for a master to out live an apprentice, but in the brutality of war to some degree it was inevitable. If a Padawan died their master was to build a special light saber in memory of the fallen, this was called a white saber. It had a piercing white light and it was to be left as a memorium in the Hall of Memories. Their the saber would always glow. With all things considered Master Obi-wan decided it was time to go find Anakin Skywalker.
Once he began his quest it didn't take long for him to find the place where his friend was. It was a lower level cantina. A place Anakin had snuck off too a few times before in his padawan years as Obi-wan recalled. It was called Orbitz. Rough looking aliens stood out side of the bar. Drunkenly babbling nonsense to innocent women who walked by. They sang to the women who didn't look so innocent. Obi-wan stepped over a pathetic life form passed out from over indulgence in hard liquor. The cantina smelt of smoke, cheap perfume and vomit. And Obi-wan thought how unbefitting it was for a Jedi to be in such a place.
Just as he thought this he heard Anakin holler over the music. "Gimme nother Gimbo!" He leaned heaving over the neon infused bar and raise one of several glasses that were displayed in front of him.
The bartender looked at him with pity. "Maybe you've had enough, kid" he reasoned simply as he cleaned out a glass.
"Maybeyehave, n maybeyehaven." Anakin countered drunkly laughing.
"Anakin." Obi-wan's cool, stoic voice rang out clear as a bell in the place and everyone had to pay attention to the clad dressed Jedi. At first the bartender thought that maybe the man he had been serving was in some trouble with the Jedi and he surely didn't want any parts of that, but then he noticed that the drunk young man with dirty blond hair was a Jedi too.
Anakin attempted to sit up straight but wobbled as he did so, "Obi-wan" He replied trying to equal his master's cool. He drink the remaining contents in one of his shot glasses, it took a lot for that little but to get down.
"Anakin let's go," Obi-wan said it with the command of a Jedi Master.
Anakin merely rolled his eyes at the order. " Go away," Anakin rebuffed his mentor.
"Anakin, I know you're upset, but you shouldn't be here." Obi-wan said trying to sound a little more tender. "Come, let's go back to the Temple and we can talk about it there ok?" Obi-wan suggested as he touched his friend's shoulder and gathered Anakin's Jedi cloak in his arms
Anakin crinkled up his face as he watched his Master do such things. He frowned, then spat, then turned to Obi-wan and declared. "I'm not alil boy anymore Obi-wan you can't tell me what to do," he declared as he pointed an unsteady finger in the Jedi Master's face
Obi-wan shook his head and merely pushed the finger away from his nose and onto the table. "Since you insist on acting like child, that is how I will have to treat you." Obi-wan sated simply as He tried to clamp both his strong hands around Anakin's shoulders and lift him from the stool.
"Acting like a child." Anakin muttered bitterly as he wiggled his shoulder trying to free them from Obi-wan touch.
"Yes acting like a child, pouting and wallowing in your own self pity." Obi-wan began
"My own self pity, hey?" Anakin asked sounding angry. He wiped his hand across his mouth, stood up best he could which wasn't very good at all. His limbs were numb with alcohol and he coulnd't recall the last time he hand been this drunk. He didn't think he had ever been that drunk before. A Jedi shouln't drink he knew. A Jedi was above that. A Jedi was above feeling the pain of losing a loved one, well Anakin wasn't.
Anakin's attempt to stand ended with his crashing into Obi-wan for support.
"Come On Anakin," Obi-wan said with a grunt as he tried to support the young man's weight. Anakin was tall and well built, heavy.
"Don touch me!" Anakin barked freeing himself from his mentors hands and flinging himself over the bar to kkep from hitting the ground. He rolled around and propped himself up on his elbows so that he was facing Obi-wan. "I'll leave when I'm good and ready, hear" He declared. "I coulda saved her, you know," Anakin grumbled as he finally got his footing and stumbled away from the bar over o a table.
Obi-wan followed behind him, "I know you did everything you could, Anakin." Obi-wan expressed.
"Yeah, well!" Anakin said somewhat louder than he had anticipated on speaking. He finally made his way to another seat and slammed himself down in a sitting position. "Look where that got us. She's dead!" He blurted out and looked up angrily at his master. Obi-wan tried to figure out who Anakin was truly angry with.
Master Kenobi reluctantly pulled out a seat from under the table and sat down with old apprentice, "She is at peace Anakin"
"At peace. Hmph… at peace? How do you know she's at peace? Huh?" Anakin demanded ruthlessly of his mentor leaning over the table and almost into Obi-wan's face. "You weren't there." He spat. "You didn't see the way she died." And Skywalker's mind quickly flashed back to the last battle. Ahsoka was already so weak from being confound to that horrible cell aboard the separatist ship. She could hardly stand, but that heart of a Jedi is strong and she begged her master to let her carry out the objective that she had been sent to do and that was protect the princess. Anakin was reluctant. She was too frail. She needed medical attention immediately, but his padawan was so insistent that he had relented. They raced down the corridor searching for Princess Burma's cell. Anakin was supposed to have been creating a diversion while Mistress Luminara freed the padawans, but she had taken too long and so Anakin went a head and got Ahsoka, but this had left them wide open for attack. AS Mistress Luminara had predicted the droids were on their tails. Several destroyer, assassin and ninja droids firing at them in the confide corridor.
"Ahsoka!" Anakin screamed over the rage of blaster shots. His lightsaber hummed vigorously as he repelled the bullets. "Go and get the Princess… get her off the ship and go to Luminara." He ordered between gritted teeth sweat dripping down his brow as he struggled to hold of the onslaught of Droids.
"Master, no" Ahsoka protested, she was so winded she could hardly weild her lightsaber. "You are too outnumbered they'll over run you."
"Ahsoka the princess' safety is the most important thing, now please go," He urged as an assassin droid came up on him and Anakin quickly slashed through it and then used the Force to push back several more droids that were attacking without ceasing. He ran into the fray and swung his saber valiantly slashing the tinnies to bits as they got in his path.
Padawan Tano watched gaping. She was breathless and exhausted but her master was right the Princess was the most important thing. While Anakin played decoy she managed to stealthily maneuver pass the robots and round a corner. A corner where she knew the cell of the Princess was. She let the princess Out from her cell and tried to help the young woman escape to safety, but all of a sudden the two females were cornered. Anakin heard his padawan scream for help through the Force and knowing such he easily was able to over come the droids and make his way to where she was. He heard her struggling with another.
"You don't have to do this Lux!" she railed as he body slammed against the wall. "You don't have to become this person." She said panting as the young man swung a heavy blow down on her with a tazor staff.
"Shut up!" the skinny human shouted as he looked down at Ahsoka. She was slumped against the wall. Staying awake was a fight at this point. She hadn't the strength to battle him any longer. "When we first met you almost had me believing that maybe the Republic wasn't evil and that maybe the Jedi were still good." He snorted.
"We are!" Ahsoka cried out. "What happened to your mother is not our fault." She protested as she heard her master's footsteps getting closer.
"Maybe it's not, but someone needs to pay." He seethed under his breath and kicked Ahsoka and she yelped. Her lightsaber flew out her hand and Lux picked it up, clumsily he managed to cause it to ignite. "It's time to become one with the Force Jedi."he chuckled and showed her no mercy.
"NOOOOO!" Anakin bellowed coming to the scene the moment the blade tore across her stomach. Ahsoka screamed out like an animal in pain once the saber was removed from her midsection. Lux didn't have time to feel bad about his actions, nor did he have time to gloat, Anakin Skywalker finished him one blow. His body was severed. Then he rushed to his padawan's side.
Anakin slide across the floor to Ahsoka's shuddering form. She barely noticed him lifting her into his arms and on to his lap. "Snips!" He called loudly.
"M-m-master?" She stammered her eyes were half closed.
"Hang on Snips," he said pulling her petite body closer to his chest. "Luminara!" he clalled into his comlink.
"Skywalker," he voice seemed somewhat agitated, "I am heading toward the second flight hanger. I think the princess is being kept there." She explined.
"The princess has already been freed." Anakin eyes darted to the young Togruta in his arms struggling for life. "I need a medical team at my position now!" he practically yelled.
"Medical? Where are you Skywalker are you injured?" Asked Luminara.
"Not me, Ahsoka." He panted as he felt her tremble once more.
"Ahsoka? You went to free her? That was not apart of the plan.." Luminara was beginning to chastise.
"Vape that!" Anakin swore. He could hear Luminara gasp with shock. That woman acted as if swearing was practically turning to the darkside, but Anakin didn't have time to worry about Luminara's pet-peeves and offenses. "SHE NEEDS IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION!" he hollered and it causes Ahsoka to rally a little.
"The medical team is till aboard the cruiser." Luminara began.
"Get them here!" he shouted and then turned off his comlink.
"Master," his padawan's voice was barely a whisper. "I…I don't think they are gonna get here in time," The child expressed looking down at her injury.
"Shh, shh" Anakin cooed. "Don't talk like that," He said placing his hand over her sweat soaked orange brow. "You'll be OK, Snips. I'm right here."
"I'm sorry," Ahsoka said.
"For what?" Anakin asked, he was starting to panic, there was no sign of the medical team coming to their position, but he was scared that moving Ahsoka would cause her to go into immediate shock.
"I should have been able to protect the princess more…protect Bariss more…stop Lux."She explained.
"No, no… I shouldn't have put you in this much danger. It was too dangerous for you I'm sorry… But You're strong and brave and you'll survive this… you've survived so much already." Anakin said blinking to fight back the tears that were so close to rolling down his face.
"A Jjedi…has…to..know their limits," her breath was staggered.
"You didn't learn that from me," Anakin shook his head trying to smile.
"Obi-wan." She stated. "Skyguy," she said sweetly, her little tangerine hand creeping up to hold his. He couldn't take how cold it felt.
"Just hold on Snips! Hold on!" he said rocking her. "Keep fighting. I'm…I'm gonna try to move you… and we can meet up with the team, ok?" He said and slowly started to shift his weight, but her face showed such agony and pain. She whimpered and shook her head her eyes filling with tears and so Anakin remained still though it hurt him so much to do so.
"Skyguy," she voice was soft and raspy and Knight Skywalker practically had to put his ear on her mouth to hear her.
"Don't talk Ahsoka, save you strength." He pleaded.
"I think you're the greatest Jedi, that ever lived," Her eyes struggled to open but she wanted to see his face one more time. "And I'm proud to have been trained by you." She smiled.
Anakin's face crumbled at her words. "Snips, I love you." He said as he cradled her body and then he kissed her on the forehead. The pressure from his strong arms slightly hurt, but it was the first time and last time she ever heard someone say they loved her. "Snips? Snips! SNIPS!" He cried and knew that she was gone. Only two minutes later the Medical team arrived.
Anakin shook his mind from such terrible images. He could see her shuddering, gasping for breath barely being able to speak, she coughed and lurched, she cried and wheezed. That was not at all what Anakin considered being at peace to be. And he loathed Obi-wan for quoting that cliché phrase. He Looked up at his master defiance in his glazed over eyes.
Obi-wan breathed. He had been shocked and saddened to hear about Ahsoka's death. She was a beautiful girl. She was energetic, gifted, high spirited, strong, compassionate. She reminded him so much of Anakin. The Order had lost a potentially great Knight. He had lost a friend who was far too young to have had to face the realities of war, but still wondering what could have been and regretting the situation wouldn't make Ahsoka come back to life. "She is free Anakin. She lived the last few months of her life in captivity, she's not bound anymore…she is one with the Force. You should at least be able to rejoice in that." Master Kenobi tried to explain.
"Rejoice? REJOICE!" Anakin boomed. "How can I rejoice when she's gone! She was counting on me.. believeing that I would come and even when I came… even when I tried…failed." Anakin whispered ruefully.
"You can't save everyone Anakin, you have to accept that this happened and move on." Obi-wan tried to explain to his distraught young friend.
"Move on?" Anakin asked as if he was trying to understand a new language. "You would know." He muttered in a less than complimentary way. A twisted smile crept across his lips that were stained slightly blue from the strong drink that he'd been chugging down most of the night. "I remember you at Qui-Gon's funeral," Anakin began putting a finger up as he rocked absently forward and backward. "You just stood there.. like a statue wit no feelings at all. You din even shed a tear fo yo old masta" Anakin confessed slurring his words together miserably.
Obi-wan grew rigid. He and Anakin rarely spoke about Qui Gon and they surely never referred to his funeral. The things that Anakin said cut his master deep. Obi-wan had cared about his master deeply. He held Qui-Gon in his arms as life slowly seeped from his body and he did cry then. He cried as he heard the last words that his master would ever speak to him and those words were for him to "Train the boy." He promised he would and he lived up to that promise the best he could. He didn't cry at the funeral because he thought he needed to be strong for the boy who had now been appointed to his charge. That night when he and Anakin stayed at Queen Amidala's palace before heading back to Coruscant, Obi-wan did cry. He didn't bawl or sob, but he cried for his master, his father and friend, but he didn't cry for him again. "That's not true, Anakin," Obi-wan said with a grave seriousness in his tone.
"No? Who you kiddin? I wuz there? I watched you? I cried more for a man I barely knew than you did for the man who you were apprentice to for…what? How long? Over ten years?" Anakin fumed back at Obi-wan.
"You're drunk and you don't know what you're talking about," Obi-wan was still serious though Anakin had a goofy grin forming on his face Obi-wan did not let up on his pensive stare.
Anakin stood up dizzily and spun around. He leaned over onto the table where him and Obi-wan were sitting and let his body weight hang. "I'm tipsy… not drunk." Anakin corrected at quite a volume.
"Sit down." Obi-wan ordered through his gritted teeth.
Anakin laughed again, but he did manage to take his seat. Rather the seat took him he practically slid out of it once he sat down. He could hardly keep his body straight by that point in the night. "Drunk… tipsy whatever you wanna say about it… I still know what I'm talking about." he chuckled. "Guess it figures that you would feel nothing knowing about Ahsoka." Anakin said irritably. "Though she did admire you so," Anakin scoffed.
Obi-wan scowled at what Anakin said. Of course Ahsoka would be missed. She always had such enthusiasm during the missions. He would miss her youth, energy and innocence as she scampered behind them while they raced into battle. He would miss seeing her train and progress into a Knight who would have made them all proud. He would miss comforting her when she and Anakin got into arguments. He would miss seeing her in his classes when they actually returned to the Jedi Temple for brief respites throughout their times at war. She was a sweet girl, with the heart of a warrior.
" I'm not going debate this with you right now. This is not what I'm here for," Obi-wan stated coolly.
"Why don't you want to talk about it Master?" Asked Anakin demandingly.
"There is nothing to talk about."
"Course not…death is a natural part of life Anakin. They are one with the Force now, Anakin." Anakin muttered in a mocking tone of his mentor. "And if I died too, you'd juz accept it," Anakin shrugged and crinkled his features
"What do you want me to say, Anakin?" Obi-wan asked giving out an exasperated breath.
"I dunno…something… anything that's not from a mantra that doesn't sound so scripted."
"And when I say those things what will it do? Will it bring your padawan back?"
"I can just picture it now," Anakin said a a hideous fantasy taking hold of his drunken and fatigued mind. "Master Kenobi we've just received very troubling news," Anakin said putting on an accent that was very much like Master Plo Koon and if it wasn't for the inappropriateness of the conversation Obi-wan may have actually laughed. "Skywalker's been shot down."
"Anakin." Obi-wan chimed in. It wasn't funny.
"We are sorry." Anakin said once again imitating Plo Koon. "But you'd probably be glad wouldn't you?" Anakin spat.
"Anakin stop this." Obi-wan ordered, but his voice was very tender and he reached out to touch his young friend.
Anakin quickly snatched his hand away, "Probably say "WOOHOO!"
"Enough Anakin!" Obi-wan responded, his voice was tired and pained that Anakin could even think such things. He tried to remind himself that his former padawan was under the influence of intoxicants and wasn't thinking quite clearly, but then he knew that sometimes Alcohol can make people say how they really feel and the thought that Anakin really considered him so unfeeling was a tremendous and hurtful surprise.
"I'm finally free of that brat!" Anakin mocked and laughed, but Anakin's idiotic laughter was cut short as he felt a hand come and slap the drunken grin clean off his face.
Master Kenobi hadn't hit the young Knight that hard. But because of Anakin's already unsteady balance at the time he fell out of his chair and hit the floor on impact of Obi-wan's backslap. The Jedi Master was appalled at Anakin's behavior and regretted having to use a physical form of chastisement. He slapped Anakin like he was no more than an overgrown child. Jedi rarely believed in using physical forms of correction. It was always a last resort, but it wasn't the first time that Anakin had pushed his master that far. Somethimes it was the only way to get through to him. Obi-wan hoped that it was jolt Anakin bring him back to the realization that the world was still going on. That he wasn't the only one grieving, that he was acting like a fool and that the things that he allowed to spew forth from his lips tainted blue from liquor were merely the fabrications of his alcohol induced state.
The people in the bar gathered round as the saw the handsome young man hit the groun. He hit the ground with a loud thud. He struggled to get back to his feet, But upon doing so he pushed the people in the circle back and drew his lightsaber wildly, like a novice and went charging at Obi-wan/ The Master's eyes grew large. Obi-wan stood and got in a defensive stand and the crowd roared for a fight. Anakin rn toward his master screaming. He swung his saber and Obi-wan defended, but Anakin's moves though wild were still powerful blows. Obi-wan grunted and used the Force to knock Anakin square on his back. Anakin jumped up unphased by the push. He came ramming at Obi-wan, but when he got close enough to strike he took steps back and panted. "Put it away Anakin." Obi-wan ordered . Anakin hesitated his breath slightly hitching, his breathing ragged because he couldn't quite remember why he would lash out so. "Put it away." Obi-wan spoke gently. He was almost asking this time. Anakin powered down his lightsaber. He felt slightly a shamed for behaving like that. Attacking his master but liquor had more an affect that made him more arrogant than bashful and he still was fuming over the slap. How dare Obi-wan treat him like he was a child.
And with that Anakin stood up enraged and flipped the table over. It was only Obi-wan's quick Jedi reflexes that allowed him to move out of the way of the outburst to avoid being crushed by a table. Anakin's breath got heavy and ragged his shoulders heaved up and down like some sort of savage Kenobi looked on his friend with pity and alarm. Anakin was slipping. He was so lost and consumed by his own grief that he couldn't even see what he was becoming. He was becoming rash and dangerous. Even the beings in the bar that were also weighed down heavy with liquor looked alarmed when the saw the table fling to the ground. Some even scuttled to the farthest corner away from the highly volatile young Jedi.
Taking out his frustration physically was just how Anakin operated. Obi-wan had seen many a temper tantrum over the years. He had come back to find many a smashed vase, broken china or room that was torn apart. When Obi-wan said something that Anakin didn't like he would just storm out and slam the door behind himself. And Obi-wan regretted how long he had allowed the bad behavior to continue. He should have nipped it in the bud when he first noticed it. He tried to teach his padawan how to quell his emotions, but some how Anakin's temper would rise up and his emotional attachments would always be present.
"Are you finished?" asked Obi-wan as his gray eyes flickered to glance at the table. He was half way tempted to tell Anakin to pick it up, but before he could speak Anakin muttered something that included a plethora of foul words as he waddled back to the bar.
"Can I get nother.. huh? Huh?" He asked the busy bartender who walked by quickly scooping up his drink.
Anakin would have even noticed the Jedi Master standing by his side had Obi-wan not spoken up and said. "Actually he doesn't need anything else to drink. We were just about to leave." He said trying to wrap Anakin's cloak around his shoulders.
"You're just about to leave!" Anakin shouted cocking his head toward his master and then pointing his finger at the door. "I'm having another round!" he declared. And the crowd of cantina patrons roared their applause of his idea.
"Anakin," Obi-wan said in the sternest of tones. He gripped his hand around Anakin's forearm. "You are making a fool of yourself." He remined him.
Anakin yanked his arm away and turned on his master like a viper standing up so that he was taller than his master and leaning down into the auburn haired Jedi's face. "Well everybody in here is a fool and if we're all fools then nobody's a fool except for the person who is actually considered wise. GOSH Master guess that makes you the fool!" Anakin howled clasping his hands over his cheeks. Then he hiccupped, lost his balance and fell into Obi-wan.
When Finally got his bearings back the room was swaying slightly and Obi-wan's face was filled with annoyance and disgust. Anakin shrigged this off as he flung himself back over the bar and watched as a drink, Gungan gin slid his way. He barley managed to catch it, but when the drink hit his hands without hesistation he tossed his head back and allowed the beverage to slide down the hatch. He guzzled the alcohola so quickly that he got choked. He coughed recklessly, pounding on his chest as he brough the glass back down to slam on the bar counter. His master looked on him his arms folded an a scowl etched on his lips under his beard. "You look so serious master" Anakin announced once h composed himself from coughing. "You should have a drink! It'll help you relax." Anakin sang wiggling the empty glass at Master Kenobi.
"Is that what you call yourself doing? Relaxing?" Obi-wan asked with a raised eyebrow.
Anakin ignored the question, but whistled at the waitress droid. Who turned around dutifully then young Skywalker asked her to get something for his friend. The droid responded in obedience and passed Anakin a shot of something. Anakiin turned around grinning as he passed it to Obi-wan. "Here ya go master," Anakin muttered chuckling to himself and pressing the cool drink into Obi-wan palm. Obi-wan shuck his head and practically pushed Anakin into the stool as he placed the beer on the counter. Anakin looked with wide eyed fear at the gesture. "You don wan it?" He asked his drunken gaze falling on the ginger haired Jedi before him. "Well I can't let it go to waste." He said with a gulp and used the Force to call the drink over to him.
He had the drink in hand and was about to take it in when Obi-wan's hand wrapped around his wrist. Obi-wan's eyes were tired, but sincere when he begged, "Anakin, please stop."
The younger man flickered and he let go off the drink as he felt Obi-wan's grip on his wrist slacken. "Why?" he asked in a low husky tone keeping his eye on the liquor.
"Because it isn't proper that you should behave in such away." Obi-wan said straightening up.
The remark merely made Anakin scoff, "Isn't proper that a 16 year old girl should die in battle after being tortured for 3 months, but it happens."
"Ahsoka died giving her life for the Republic, she gave her life to protect the innocent and fighting for what was right and it is befitting for a Jedi to die in such away." Obi-wan explained.
"Shut-up," Anakin mumbled at first like a low growl.
"You should be proud."
"SHUT UP!" Anakin stood up screaming. " if that's all you have to say to me than just GO! Leave me be!"
"You still have responsibilities, Anakin. You need to give an account to the council on what happened out there." Obi-wan insisted despite his young friends indignation he remained placid.
"I'm sure Luminara already gave a report by now," he snorted turning back around and looking at that oh so friendly shot glass.
"No Anakin. She didn't. Ahsoka is your padawan and it is your place to report the matter."
"What didfference does it make anyway now?" He asked his fingers dancing around without much control on the countertop.
"It would be nice for you to at least prepare a speech during her funeral," Obi-wan offered.
"You do the speech," Anakin spat his tongue feeling thick and heavy in his mouth. His whole face felt heavy.
"I think Ahsoka would have preferred for you to.."
"Well… Ahsoka has no prefer…preferent… prefers nothing now… she's dead." He stated and right then and there he almost broke down and wept in that seedy scum filled cantina.
"You could at least make a white saber for her to be put into the Hall of Remembrance. It is the least you could do." Obi-wan urged.
"NO," Anakin seethed. His voice a growl, "The least I could have done was save her life, but I couldn't do that. I couldn't keep her safe. I couldn't get to her fast enough."
Master Kenobi walked up behind the distraught young man and he allowed his hand to fall on Anakin's head. "Padawan," Obi-wan said slowly, his voice was laced with tiredness and sympathy.
Anakin spun on him swinging his arm in a wild half circle and used the Force to push his master back and slam him into a table that was a few paces behind them. The people who were sitting at the table screamed and ran out the cantina. Many other customers were afraid to. Anakin twisted to face in his master's direction, the old mna sprawled across the floor the fallen table behind him. "I'M NOT YOUR PADAWAN ANYMORE!" he hollered. So you can't come in here and fetch me and lecture me like a child. JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" He snarled as he looked down at Obi-wan.
Obi-wan looked up at Anakin horrified by his display. He knew that he couldn't reason with Anakin anymore now. He dusted himself off as he got off the cold slab of floor. "Fine Anakin." Obi-wan said feeling his sore muscles. "I'm am very disappointed in you."
"That's nothing new," Anakin retorted.
"Ahsoka believed that you were an honorable Jedi, I'm glad she isn't here to see how you've fallen." With those words the Jedi Master left the cantina.
Anakin snorted wiping his nose on the back of his hand and going back to the bar and loudly demanding a tonic. The bartender snapped to it immediately giving the vehement Jedi what he wanted and then he told Anakin he didn't even have to pay. He was so afraid. After Anakin chugged the Tattooine Tonic, a very strong drink, he just passed out. He woke up sometime later he didn't know what time it was he hardly knew where he was and he had a vague memory of the vents that had transpired only a few hours ago."Obi-wan?" Anakin asked slowly. His head hurt and he looked around the bar hoping to find his master. He was tired and he really did just want to return to the temple now. "Master?" He asked as he turned around and was stunned to find the cantina practically empty. One couple was left on the side and the waitress droid was beginning to clean up.
"Your friend headed out hours ago, son" Gimbo the proprietor of the establishment explained.
"What? He left?" Anakin asked gulping down the sickness he was feeling in his stomach and trying to focus on the figure before him.
"you demanded that he do so," The guy explained. He looked a little scared of Anakin. Anakin hung his head the pain in his heart and his head enough to make him want to pass out again. For now Anakin was what he truly feared being. Alone.