Hello there again! :)
Yes, I'm very sorry for forcing you to wait for this chapter for ages but first - school is killing me - and second - translation takes long sometimes ;)
Now, here I am and I hope you enjoy it :)
Next thing I'd like to tell you is, my friend made a video on Youtube promoting this story. If you wish you can check it here:
https/m./watch?v=7EO24yOIJZ4
If you can't copy this link search for "Anakin and Obi-Wan Tribute - If I Lose Myself" from WolfGirl .11 channel. (She has also other videos from SW, and they are pretty good so I encourage you to look them up)
Of course you don't have to do that, it's just a kind of suggestion or proposition maybe :) She's my friend so I want to promote her as well :))
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
~~~Chapter 3~~~
"Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It's not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything."
~ Muhammad Ali
~~~~~~~~~~~~
They got up heavily, in silence. Obi-Wan grabbed Anakin's arm and started leading him like he was a young, lost boy. He finally realised how much he suffers. He wanted to help him very much. But almost as much he didn't want to break any of rules. He didn't know how to express feelings. Not in the way Anakin does. Against everything, his former Padawan was better at this. For Obi-Wan, emotions and expressing them are just uncomfortable, but for Anakin, it was a kind of therapy. But if he lose him due to that? What then? He found in him a son, a brother, and, most importantly, a friend. If only things were as simple as the rest of the Council thinks.
"Obi-Wan..." began Anakin with quiet and shaking voice, stopping walking. Their eyes met, and there was mutual care in them.
Obi-Wan glanced at him questioningly. He wouldn't like to scare him off. The Force within him is strong, but his feelings even stronger. It is a gift but also a curse.
"Thank you." he whispered and hesitated. Obi-Wan saw he wished to embrace him, but stopped himself in the last moment.
The older Jedi didn't know how to react at first but then, he pulled him into a hug himself, like a father and son. Who was more surprised it couldn't be told.
"You're welcome Anakin. Remember you can always come to me and talk." he smiled and felt like the boy's muscles relaxed in his arms.
Anakin smiled back, but decided not to tell him anything about Kimo yet. He wasn't ready. He broke away from the older Jedi and wiped his last tears. He was tired but at the sight of Kimo his will to live just goes away. He was torn between fear of disappointing everyone around and a need of friendship and trust to other person.
~~~o*o~~~
They got to the cave, wet and cold. Obi-Wan quickly made a fire to warm up his Padawan and himself as well. Anakin sat opposite the orange, sparkling fire and was staring at it for a few minutes silently. Obi-Wan hasn't spoken. He knows Anakin too well not to know that he needs his own space now. Especially after such a confession. The silence was the only sound heard in the cave, except for noisy fire. It was helping them concentrate and focus their minds on their thoughts.
Kimo was sleeping like a log, or at least it seemed so. Obi-Wan sighed and went out to check how long it was yet going to rain. And just then, he heard a quiet chuckle, easily heard by his cautious ears. He turned to the source and saw Kimo there. He furrowed his eyebrows and fisted his hands. And suddenly all peace which Obi-Wan made him feel just ran away like a wind.
"Is my favourite outsider upset? Oh, I'm sorry..." he whispered and got up to meet Anakin's dangerous gaze.
"What do you want?!" he snarled. Stupid, he thought he could get some peace.
"I just wanted to tell you I'm truly amazed how such a loser like you could get so far. I congratulate your Master for not abandoning you 'till now." he snorted nastily, amused.
Anakin wasn't touched by these comments, just angry. It is a difference. Right?
"My Master would never abandon me. But I can't see yours anywhere, so just shut up and leave mine, alright?" he snapped angrily. Their voices were making small echo.
"Oh, how... aggressive. Your Master cannot see this but you aren't worth the effort. How many missions did you ruin so far, huh? Because I ruined none."
"I don't know if you get it, but if you weren't on any mission, you couldn't ruin any as well." he smiled. He noticed how Kimo's face turned annoyed. And this just made his rest of the evening nice.
"You're pathetic." he snorted. "I wish I had punched you harder that day. Perhaps you'd have understood you aren't a material for the Peace Keeper."
And then, not knowing why, Anakin lost control, like years ago. Immediately jumped on him, not giving him a chance to even notice this quick move. Kimo laughed but hasn't left behind. They started to struggle.
"And this is just what I'm saying. A Peace Keeper without any peace in himself. I don't think your Master will be proud of that, do you?" he whispered.
Anakin couldn't control himself although he was trying hard. His emotions have taken over, making him punch Kimo as strong as he could. His enemy didn't try to stop him, but time has stopped itself when to the cave arrived Obi-Wan.
"Anakin?!" he called quite loudly, staring at struggling former Padawan, his former Padawan.
He furrowed his eyebrows. Anakin quickly got up, not even cleaning himself from dust. Kimo stopped laughing and the silence took over. Again, they could hear only the fire, which was slowly extinguishing.
"M-Master... I..." he began, whimpering. He gave up, sighed and closed his eyes. A shame. He was feeling only that at the moment. He always felt it. So he just ran away, without a word, ashamed to look into his former Master's eyes.
"Anakin, wait!" he shouted but Anakin didn't hear him, or just didn't want to hear.
Shocked Jedi Master turned to Kimo. He couldn't find good words, he didn't know what to say. He wasn't angry, nor disappointed. Just... surprised. For the first time since forever he was speechless. But despite it, he needed to control this wrong feeling.
"Are you alright?" he asked looking at the young Jedi Knight sitting in front of him.
"Yes, Master Kenobi. I'm fine."
"What happened?"
"I-I don't know... we were talking and all of a sudden something has gotten into him. Like a few years ago, in the Temple."
"It was you with whom Anakin fought?" he asked. His widened eyes showed shock and disbelief. Indeed, it was surprising.
He knew he got into the fight. But he didn't ask with whom and why.
Kimo nodded, considering loud response unnecessary.
"I'm sorry, Kimo. I should go after him." he said and smiled apologising.
He didn't want to leave him, but he also couldn't let Anakin wander around unknown planet in the state he is in. He knows him too well not to know this means trouble.
"Of course. I'll wait here." answered him younger Jedi.
Obi-Wan gave him a nod and ran out of their hideout in a big hurry.
He followed the track of his Padawan, his friend. He could see his footsteps in the mud. He was running really fast, but not fast enough to catch up to Anakin, who appeared to be much more agile and quicker than he thought. He was trying to understand the Knight's behaviour but he decided he won't know the truth until Anakin tells him by himself.
He followed him, but the track disappeared suddenly. He stopped and noticed Anakin's robes on the ground, in mud, in which he poured out his salty tears not long ago.
Obi-Wan took it, stroking his beard at the same time. He looked at it closely and noticed torn fragment of material, but it definitely wasn't made by a lightsaber. He furrowed his eyebrows and looked around. There were a lot of sliced droids and drag marks leading to rocks. He noticed also a lightsaber. And he knew this weapon too well. It was Anakin's.
He closed his eyes, willing to focus on The Force, but couldn't sense anything. Anakin was far away. He only hoped he is still on the planet. He took the weapon and pinned it to his belt. Then, turned back in wish of gaining his focus one more time, in better conditions, to find more clues. He can't think while running, his every move must be carefully planned. And this is what Anakin has problems with. He's always been impulsive, violent, unpredictable. Sometimes it even has some advantages, but most of the time it worsenes a situation.
~~~o*o~~~
He was running ahead, not looking back. He was ashamed and wrecked. Did he really fail Obi-Wan again? He swore under his nose on himself for letting himself get provoked and quickened his pace. His boots were hitting hard ground loudly, sometimes getting dirty in puddles and mud. He hated his impulsivity, especially when it had something to do with anger.
He couldn't stop. He didn't know where he was going, but he didn't care. He was just going. Through mud, puddles, long grass and in rain, just to be as far from Kimo as it was possible.
He must have lost his caution, for he hadn't even felt a disturbance in the Force. He stopped in front of a mountain as chills ran down his skeleton. He looked up to see a shadow forming on the sky, when group of droids jumped on him. He quickly took his lightsaber and started fighting them. But all of a sudden happened something... surprising. Another ship appeared on the sky, and it definitely didn't belong to the Republic. When doors opened, he saw Dooku and four Magna Guards next to him. His eyes widened. Of all things, this was what annoyed him the most. And as quickly as he killed droids, with Dooku and Guards he got a problem.
"Young Skywalker..." he looked at him, giving a hostile smile. His voice wasn't pleasant and friendly, as always.
"Dooku..." he hissed, frowning. He prepared for an attack.
Count smiled again and jumped on him. Their lightsabers met, leaving sparks.
"Without Kenobi, you will be much easier to defeat." he whispered and attacked as the first one.
Anakin blocked quickly and crouched down avoiding an attack of two other droids. He pivoted and sliced one of them, when another tried to harm him. This move he blocked skilfully as well. But when Dooku charged on him, he couldn't defence. He blocked his lightsaber but the droid electrocuted him.
He shouted when the pain filled his body but managed to destroy the droid. And then, Dooku attacked again, Anakin was unprepared for this and the lightsaber slipped out of his hand. The Knight used the Force to grab it again, but Count and a droid electrocuted him at the same time. He wanted to escape, he was struggling to free himself from the shock his body was in. At that moment he got up and faltered. He must have stood up wrongly, because he felt pain in his ankle. But despite it, he managed to fight his enemies off.
He didn't pay attention to the pain, he was a soldier. Offensive definitely was his strong point. He grabbed his sword and hit the blade of Dooku. He ignored his ankle and when Count took his robe, he jerked off, falling. His robe hooked against something hard and sharp, but he wasn't even able to see what was that because he immediately freed and jumped to his feet, hearing only tearing of a material. He took it off so it couldn't disturb the fight.
He wasn't planning on giving up, he is a Jedi. But this time even his self-confidence couldn't help him. He balanced his body when the Count grabbed him by the Force, starting to choke the rival. Then, he electrocuted him. Weakened Anakin after a long, hard fight lost his conscious and fell onto the ground with eyes closed. He didn't even have time to inform Obi-Wan by his com. link. He wasn't sure if Obi-Wan wants to hear him and help anyway, after all what he had done...
~~~o*o~~~
He arrived to the cave a few minutes later. He was worried about his missing friend but he got even more anxious when he noticed Kimo wasn't here as well.
"Hmm..." he muttered and stroked his beard. He turned on his communicator and called R2. "R2, how is our ship?" he asked. The droid answered him calmly. Obi-Wan thought for a moment that Kimo stole it, but it didn't make any sense to him.
After R2's response he ran out of the hideout, extinguishing the fire before. Now, he didn't care about the rain. In his right hand he clenched Anakin's robes and with his blue lightsaber pinned to the belt he rushed to the ship.
When he got there, he immediately made a call to the Jedi Council. He truly hoped they'll agree to search for Anakin.
There appeared Masters Windu and Yoda. Their faces were calm as always. They can control their emotions very well, what he couldn't say about himself right now.
"Obi-Wan, have you got any news for us?" asked Mace.
He nodded.
"Yes, Master Windu. I have. But I'm afraid they aren't very pleasant. I think Anakin had been kidnapped and Kimo disappeared without a trace. Moreover, there are some Separatists' units here." he said without a pause.
"Wait a moment. Kimo?" interrupted him Master Windu.
Obi-Wan opened his mouth to respond but suddenly something hit him, clearing his mind. He felt chills over his spine and hoped the Council won't confirm his worst suspicions.
"Kimo. He said you'd told him in the last moment to join us."
"Hmm... this what saying you are, interesting is." said finally Yoda. "Kimo a traitor, might be."
"His Master was found murdered, yesterday in the Temple." said Mace. "We're suspecting him. He escaped with you, I suppose."
Obi-Wan grew in fear and worry. He swore in his thoughts. He himself allowed Kimo to get on the ship, he took him as a friend. If Anakin got into his hands... he didn't even want to think about it.
"Find Skywalker, you must." stated Yoda.
Hearing this, Obi-Wan felt relieved, somehow. He felt deep in his heart that Anakin needed his help more than ever.
"I agree. We'll send you some clones. You have to find him as soon as possible. His disappearance is a strike to the Republic. We cannot lose him."
And as quickly as he felt relief, annoyance started to take over. For them Anakin was only a Jedi. Strong and powerful one, but still a Jedi. And for him, he was his Padawan and a friend, the best he has ever had, if not only. He's remembered Anakin's first mission as a Knight, not an apprentice. His first mission alone, without him. He was afraid that day. By the title, he was trained Jedi, but for him he has always been his Padawan, and a Padawan he will remain. The one who he has raised, and the one he will be still raising. Especially with Anakin's unusual gift for getting into trouble.
He decided that words are unnecessary, so just nodded silently and disconnected. He started waiting for clones. He hoped they'll arrive here quickly. Anakin can be dying now, he had very little time.
~~~o*o~~~
When he awoke, he felt only pain piercing his whole body. He opened his eyes slowly but he saw only darkness anyway. He was in a restraining force field.
He couldn't recognise a place he was in. He was having flashes of consciousness. He remembered the fight with Kimo. He ran away and fought again.
"Ehh... Dooku..." he muttered quietly. He didn't know why but his strength faded away fast. Way too fast, in his opinion.
He squinted his eyes, wanting to stop the headache somehow, but it was fruitless. He mustn't show his weakness and fear. His head started to pulse even more as the light has been turned on.
He closed his eyes for a moment, but after a few seconds he opened them again. He saw Dooku but behind him was standing a young man. His view was blurred, but he wasn't going to give in. He could sense the darkside here very easily. He focused on the Force, the field cannot stop him. And then he saw everything clearly. He quickly regretted this decision, for he noticed not exactly kind smile on Count's face.
"Dooku..." he hissed full of anger. He hid the weakness.
The Sith smiled again and came out from the shadows, showing the person hiding behind him. Anakin cursed, he could have predicted that.
"Kimo... and why doesn't it even surprise me?" he asked with contempt. He felt bad for this fallen Jedi Knight. Of course, he didn't pity him, he was just... irritated. He could have known that for the Force's sake!
"You aren't shocked as I can see... that's a pity... I wanted to make a surprise for you."
"Just tell me... why?" he looked at him, moaning quietly.
"It's rather obvious, isn't it?" he snorted. "The Jedi are... pathetic. Your stupid rules, the Code... it will lead you only to destruction of the Republic."
"Here I agree..." he muttered quietly not wanting anybody to hear it. The Code has always been a burdain to him. He's been thinking of it as of something unnecessary, just a formula which is made only for taking away the character of each Jedi.
"You all underestimated my power, my abilities. No one has ever given me a mission. Through all of my years of training as a Jedi I've been only at the Temple. And my new Master, Count Dooku, saw in me something special. He took me under his wing. The Darkside understands and appreciates me. With its help I'm stronger."
"Uh-huh. May I tell you what happened to his previous apprentice? Or did he tell you by himself? Not that I care about you, of course." he growled. Everyone always says that the Darkside is evil and gives only pain. How can one become stronger due to it?
Captured or not, he won't give up easily. No one is able to fool him.
Dooku grunted and pierced him with his toxic look. His dark, yellow eyes were staring at him angrily.
"I am having enough of this conversation..." he said after a minute, still not turning the gaze away. He gestured droids to electrocute him.
Anakin only managed to look up as his body straightened from piercing electroshock. He was shouting not being able to stop. The pain was too big. He heard a chuckle, and a talk between Dooku and Kimo but he couldn't concentrate on any words.
Suddenly his pain grew even more. Something was just tearing him apart. This electricity weakened him. If he wasn't himself, he would be on the floor by now, struggling and begging for mercy. But he still was himself.
But he saw no end in this abuse. And when he felt his heartbeat and breath again, he knew it is over. They have finished.
"Why... why are you keeping me here?" he asked gritting his jaw in pain. His breath was shallow, but at least was.
Kimo chuckled and shook his head.
"I am keeping you for entertainment. The Count has his own plan. Master..." he said and bowed when Dooku approached them.
If Anakin had any strength left, he would have snorted amused. How is it even possible to fall that low?
"I need... you, Skywalker." began the Sith. "Join the Darkside and you will not regret it, of this you can be sure."
First, he thought it was a joke. But then, he realised Dooku has no humour, so that must have been real statement.
"Oh... and... why should I?" he asked weakly.
Dooku looked at him and smirked.
"If you don't, I'll break you." he approached him again. Their eyes met and their faces were millimetres from one another. "You will be begging for mercy, young Jedi."
"... I doubt it, Dooku. Only thing I can be begging of... is you to disappear from my sight because your face is enough to disgust me." he hissed angrily, hateful.
The Sith slapped him hardly. The sound of the blow echoed loudly. He grunted and again gestured the droids to do their job.
His painful, uncontrolled shout filled a dark room once more. If he could, he would have rolled himself into a ball.
'H-help me... M-Master... help me...' he said through the Force. Even in this restraining field his bound with Obi-Wan was strong enough to connect. He felt terrible with begging for help but he knew he had no choice.
He closed his eyes and felt as consciousness was leaving him. Darkness took him too quickly.
~~~o*o~~~
The clones arrived an hour later under Rex's command. Two of them had to stay with R2 to keep an eye on the ship, just in case if Separatists have more hideouts here.
Obi-Wan took the rest, it means 10, with him and rushed ahead. He was desperate to find Anakin. He clenched his fists feeling anger inside him, what doesn't happen to him often. He focused on the Force in hope of hearing something from his Padawan. Then he got a message.
'H-help me... M-Master... help me...' he heard a broken voice of Anakin. He felt his weak state, he felt his pain. Fear squeezed his heart.
He frowned. It was obvious these weren't any hallucinations, it was really his friend. His friend, who really did ask for help. This made him think if the young Jedi isn't dying.
'Anakin... Anakin, where are you? Where should I look?' he asked panicked but only silence was able to answer him what worried him even more. He still sensed his presence nearby.
"Everything alright, General?" asked Rex, bringing him back to reality.
"Hmm? Ah, yes, yes. Let's go. There is no time to waste."
Rex gave a quick nod and followed the Jedi. Obi-Wan didn't know where to look at all. He knew Anakin is somewhere on this planet, but he couldn't feel where exactly. He had to concentrate as much as it is possible to find some clues.
He did so. His former Padawan was very weak and he could sense it. Also, he couldn't help the feeling that it's only his fault. If Anakin hadn't ran away, he would have been here with him now. And if he'd ran away, it meant only that he was afraid of his reaction so of him as well.
~~~o*o~~~
He awoke again, although it wasn't anything he wanted to do. The thought of Dooku's and Kimo's face made him sick. He got signals from the Force. They weren't very clear but his bound with Obi-Wan was too strong and he was too powerful.
He felt like his whole body was trembling inside and outside, too. Taking this free from torture moment, he was trying to connect with Obi-Wan, who surely is looking for him.
'M-Master...'
On the response he didn't wait too long. Obi-Wan answered him almost immediately.
'Anakin... where are you? Where shall I find you? Are you alright?' he badgered him. He was nervous, filled with stress, his own pain and fear.
Every Anakin's word costed him a lot of energy, so he had to choose them wisely and carefully. But he couldn't answer on any question. He didn't know where he was himself.
'K-Kimo... Dooku... I'm s-sorry, Master. I can't...' he managed to say when darkness was taking over again. He saw black dots every now and then. He felt like he was spinning around.
'Anakin!' he heard a voice of his master but it was very muffled, as if under some kind of field or blockade.
He had fought, but he lost. He closed his eyes and didn't open them again...
T.B.C
Please, don't kill me for this ending xD
I promise I will update as soon as possible, as soon as school will stop torturing me I wanted to say, hope you understand :)
