It was charming, Obi-wan decided, holding the neatly-knitted Jedi robe in front of him for examination, but not practical. Anakin had that anxious, needy look about him again, and the bearded Jedi decided not to encourage him. "Yes, well, I'm sure I'll be able to use this for something, Anakin. Thank you." He smiled to take the sting out of the words.

"Sure." Anakin turned away, grinning to cover up his disappointment. It pained Obi-wan to crush his spirits like that, but the young man needed to learn to control his emotions, and this was the only method his former master was aware of. "Anyway," Anakin retorted, turning back, "it'll keep you warm on Kelzen Prime. You might get so caught up admiring the scenery you'd forget your nose was freezing off. When are you leaving?"

Obi-wan folded the robe, and tucked it under his arm. "Anakin, we're not landing on Kelzen. We're merely escorting a diplomatic shuttle past the planet. Apparently there's been some trouble with pirates. Not Hondo's bunch," he added quickly, catching Anakin's concerned-amused eyebrow lift. "Thank goodness for that. As for when I'm leaving—" He glanced over his friend's shoulder. "Well, here's Cody now."

The commander presented both Jedi a smart salute. "Ready when you are, sir."

"I'm ready." Obi-wan clapped a hand on Anakin's shoulder. "Try not to get into too much trouble while I'm gone."

Anakin chuckled. "What would be the fun in that?"

Obi-wan sighed, but allowed himself a smile. "What indeed?"

Flights certainly were less... exciting without Anakin on board, the red-bearded Jedi had to admit. He cradled a cup of sapir tea in his hands, watching the stars streak by outside the viewport. Beside him, Cody was poring over star charts.

The pilot's voice crackled over the intercom. "We should be coming up on Kelzen Prime now, General. Just off the left side, if you want to get a look as we pass."

"Thank you, Bludgeon." Obi-wan straightened, feeling stiff muscles stretch after remaining seated for so long. He strode to the viewport the clone had indicated, and stood looking out. As promised, a marbled white globe hung suspended among the smaller points of light.

Cody moved to stand beside his general. "Ever been there, sir?"

The Jedi shook his head. "I hope to someday. The zoologists who visit say its one of the most beautiful planets in the galaxy at night. Perhaps when the war is over—"

He broke off as the ship gave a sudden jolt. There was a screech as the intercom flicked back on. "We're under attack! Battle stations, everyone."

Regaining his balance, Cody raced to the viewports on the other side. He cursed. "Pirates."

Obi-wan brushed the spilled tea from the front of his robe. "That is what we're here for. How many?"

Cody turned, and keyed in a quick sequence on the wall panel. "Fourteen. Coming in hot."

"Fourteen?" Obi-wan frowned. "A bit more than we were expecting. Are we equipped to handle fourteen?"

"Normally I'd say yes, sir. But the shuttle isn't." Cody cursed, flicking open the channel to the gunwells. "Concentrate your fire on the rear fighters. Don't let them target the other ship."

"Always an adventure." The Jedi set his cup of tea on his seat. "Bludgeon, position us between the shuttle and the pirates. And full power to shields."

"Yes, sir." There was a subtle shift in gravity as the ship moved onto its new course.

Obi-wan heard the staccato screech as their turrets fired the first volley. He watched as one of the pirate vessels exploded in a cloud of green gas. An answering series of shots rocked the Republic ship on its axis. Obi-wan took a wider stance, and steadied himself against the wall.

"General."

He turned, sensing the tension in his commander's voice. "What is it, Cody?"

The clone glanced up from his panel, face grim. "They've hit the fuel lines. We've got a leak."

"How bad is it?" Cody's face gave him his answer. "All right. Can we get the shuttle to safety?"

"I think so, sir." He keyed another sequence. "If we engage fully with the pirates, it should give them enough time to escape."

"Then that's what we'll do. Bludgeon?"

"Here, sir." The pilot's voice sounded strained.

"Make sure we are engaging all of the pirates. I want all their fire fixed on us, understood?"

"Understood, sir."

Obi-wan glanced out the left viewport, a tired smile playing at the corner of his mouth. "It looks like I won't have to wait until the war ends to see Kelzen Prime."

The crash was more like a controlled fall, but the impact with the planet's surface still sent a jolt through the ship, a jolt that knocked consoles and crates loose, and set the floor at an awkward slope. When at last the ship lay still, Obi-wan allowed himself to look around. Supplies and twisted bits of metal lay scattered across the floor, turning the once-smooth surface into a convoluted jungle. The crash had knocked out the power, so the only light came from a long gash splitting the cabin on the left side, large enough for a man to crawl through. Obi-wan gingerly rose to his feet. "Cody, are you all right?" Although he could not see the commander, he heard the scraping of metal as someone stirred. Picking his way carefully through the debris, he spotted the clone, wedged between a the wall and the battered pieces of his console. Drawing on the Force, Obi-wan curled the metal and wires away from his commander. The clone slumped to the ground, groaning. A trickle of blood ran down his cheek where the console had nicked him. Obi-wan extended a hand. "Are you all right, Commander?"

Cody blinked groggily, but accepted the proffered hand, pulling himself upright with a grimace. "I... think so, sir. What happened?"

Obi-wan glanced around. A cold wind whistled through the split in the cabin. "We seem to have landed."

Cody rubbed the back of his head, wincing. "The shuttle?"

"Safely away. They will no doubt transmit a distress call to the nearest Republic base, so we need only wait for rescue."

"...Right," Cody said slowly.

Obi-wan frowned. "Are you certain you're unharmed?"

The clone pulled himself upright. "Yes, sir. Sorry, sir. Just a little shaken from the crash."

Obi-wan nodded. "All right. Let's see if we can't locate the rest of the troops."

This was easier said than done. Of the eight other clones who'd crewed the ship, four were trapped behind doors that now refused to budge, and debris had trapped two more in their gunwells. By the time Obi-wan and Cody had strained and Force-leveraged them to freedom, the temperature in the cabin had dropped significantly. The results, however, were encouraging—other than Waxer, who had injured his arm, they were unhurt.

Cody bent over Waxer, who pulled off his helmet with his good hand. The trooper cracked a forced smile as Obi-wan joined them. "Looks like we've landed on a pretty place, General." He nodded to his friend, who was hovering anxiously at his shoulder. "How about getting Boil here to take a look? His breath on the back of my neck is making me nervous." At his side, Cody adjusted his arm, and the movement pulled Waxer's smile into a momentary grimace.

Boil's frown deepened. "I'm not leaving you, idiot," he muttered. "You might break your other arm."

Waxer rolled his eyes, but the glance he gave Boil was affectionate. "The commander'll take good care of me."

Obi-wan smiled. "I'm sure there's no doubt of that." He knelt beside Cody, turning his attention to the commander's ministrations. "Is Boil right? Is it broken?" No response. The Jedi's forehead creased. "Cody?"

The commander stirred, and with some effort shifted his gaze. "...Yes, General?"

He swayed, and Obi-wan put a steadying hand on his shoulder. "Cody, what's wrong?"

"I'm fine," the clone repeated numbly, a frown creasing his forehead.

"Are you in pain?"

Releasing Waxer's arm, the commander rubbed the back of his neck. "Must've... hit my head."

Obi-wan frowned. Placing one hand under Cody's chin, he peered into the clone's eyes. "Does anyone have a light?"

"I do," Boil offered. He held out a torch to Obi-wan, who took it with a nod of thanks. He flicked it on, and directed the beam at Cody's face. The commander flinched and squinted. "Cody." Obi-wan made the word as precise as he could. "Do you know where we are?"

The clone allowed Obi-wan to force his eyes fully open, one after the other. "Where?"

"Yes." Obi-wan deactivated the torch. "What planet are we on?"

Cody frowned, and Obi-wan could see the gears struggling to turn. "No, sir." A hint of fear appeared in his eyes.

The Jedi sat back on his heels, and handed the torch to Boil. "I thought so. You have a concussion." He glanced up. "Boil, can you take care of Waxer?" The clone nodded. "Good." He glanced at Cody, who was watching him with a mix of confusion and fear.

"What about me?" The commander asked.

Obi-wan gently pressured his friend's shoulders, turning him back so he was leaning against the wall. "Rest. I don't think it's too serious. Relief should be here before too long, in any case." Straightening, he glanced at the gash in the hull. The wind had increased, driving little sheets of snow into the ship. "Let's hope they make it before nightfall." The words jogged a memory, and a sudden smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. "I think I actually came prepared for this situation." Picking his way back over to the mangled remains of his seat, he reached underneath it. Sure enough, the robe Anakin had knitted him was still there, its neat folds in disarray. Untangling it, he returned to his commander, and draped the garment over him. Cody tried to protest, but Obi-wan ignored him, turning back towards the rip in the ship's side. "Bludgeon, see if you can block that opening off. We want to conserve as much heat as possible."

"Yes, sir."

As the clone began recruiting his comrades, and gathering up useful bits of debris, Obi-wan stuck his head out of the opening. The icy wind whipping past his face made it nearly impossible to see anything, but he could just make out a gentle swell of land to his right. Still, a hill was something he could see on countless planets around the galaxy. "Perhaps," he sighed, "one should come sightseeing in better weather." He stepped back, allowing his men to begin piling boxes and chairs up against the opening.

Waxer clambered awkwardly to his feet, one arm now tied in a makeshift sling. Obi-wan shot Boil a questioning glance. "Broken," the clone confirmed. "Not bad, though."

Waxer grinned, saluting with his good arm. "Still, I'll skip the hauling duty if you don't mind, General."

"I don't." Obi-wan returned the smile.

"About that hauling, sir."

The Jedi's smile faded at the too-calm tone of Bludgeon's interjection. In the corner, he saw Cody struggle upright, the blood draining from the commander's face. Slowly, Obi-wan turned. A long, thickly-furred paw was wedged in the opening. It flexed, revealing claws half a meter long. The paw itself was as large as a man, dappled with gold and violet. "Ah." Obi-wan took a step back, motioning for the others to do likewise. "I had almost forgotten. Cody." He kept his voice intentionally conversational. "Do you know why Kelzen was initially explored by zoologists. It's home to one of the largest known species of feline. We have the dubious privilege of observing a wild Kell-cat."

"Forgive me, General," Cody grunted, nearly thrown off his feet as the creature batted at the ship, "if I'm not enthusiastic."

"What's it doing?" Waxer grabbed Boil's shoulder for support as the ship shook again.

"Oh, they're intensely curious creatures." Obi-wan stroked his beard. "It probably sees us as a new plaything."

Boil's eyebrows drew together. "Like a Tooka with a Nuna."

"Or a ball of yarn," Waxer offered.

Obi-wan's eyes lit up. "Precisely." Eyeing the paw, which was once again feeling around inside the gap, he edged to the far forward end of the cabin. Boil frowned in confusion, but a wide grin split Waxer's face. Now standing at the tip of the gash, as far from the grasping claws as he could manage, Obi-wan stripped off his robe. He smiled wryly at the knitted cloth in his hands. "How am I going to explain this to Anakin?" He flattened his palms, and the garment levitated out through the crack.

The kneading paw paused, and they heard a sound that, if it had not been so chest-hummingly deep, might have passed for a mew. The ship jolted backwards, and Obi-wan got a quick glimpse of a massive creature padding after the disappearing robe, tufted head cocked to one side, before both were lost in the snowy landscape.

The Jedi turned, dusting his hands together. "Well, gentlemen, it appears the crisis has been averted." A fresh gust of wind blew through the opening, and he restrained a shiver. "Let's get that blocked before something worse comes along. It's going to get cold."

Obi-wan's eyelashes were heavy with frost by the time he heard the whine of a transport. He blinked heavily, thoughts sluggish and jumbled in the darkness. His men were huddled in the opposite corner, pressed together for warmth, and now stirring groggily as they too picked up the noise. There were shouts outside, and then a harsh clang as the makeshift barrier was pushed aside. A bright light nearly blinded Obi-wan, who lifted a stiff hand to shield his eyes.

A hand was around his waist, hoisting him to his feet, and the warm, husky voice of Plo Koon was saying reassuring things he couldn't quite make out. A vague stream of gray-and-white shapes moved towards the men of the 212th.

"...Cody," Obi-wan managed to gasp.

The Kel Dor said something soothing, and paused long enough to give instructions to one of his men. That done, he lifted Obi-wan through the opening and out into the frigid air. Even in his half-frozen state, the younger Jedi's eyes widened as they took in the transformed landscape. Night and fallen and the wind had died, revealing a planet he could not even recognize. The hills he had just been able to make out in the storm rolled around him like the crests and rivulets of a fossilized ocean. Beneath the surface of the snow, glowing veins of amber and turquoise laced the landscape, a brilliant light show against the deep purple of the sky. Plo was speaking again, and this time he caught a few of the words. Something about "lost your robe again." Obi-wan smiled, feeling his lips crack in the cold. He would have a lot to tell Anakin.