okay- this is it, the one you have been waiting for (cue drum roll) the next chapter of the story (drum roll stops) thanks to all those wonderfall reviews from sodorland and Mo Angel and also readers who have taken the time to read my work- you guys know who you are and thank you. So i best stop talking otherwise I and you will be here all day. Enjoy the story XD

Elsewhere Rex gently shook the other general awake, both oblivious to the potential drama and scandal unfolding just metres away.

"General" Rex said uncertainly, Obi-Wan's eyes snapped open. Unseeing at first, but slowly he focused on Rex. Confusion crossed his face as he took in the trooper's smiling face but it was brief, a fleeting moment of freedom. Soon replaced by a mask all Jedi wore in the face of uncertainty, honed from a young age as younglings, not wanting to displease their masters' sought to hide their struggles from the rest of the group. Qui-Gon had always encouraged to be emotional, but teaching from other masters had proved much more influential on that topic.

"Rex" Obi-0Wan acknowledged, looking around slowly as his memory started coming back to him. With his memory his mask slipped again and a worried expression carved itself onto his face. "The bomb" Obi-Wan started stopping as he saw Rex's grin get wider, he reopened his mouth to speak but stopped as Rex raised a hand to shush him.

"It worked General" he said quickly not quite believing he had once again spoken out of turn and saying it quickly somehow makes it alright. The general nodded in relief. Then the memory of the bomb exploding hit him hard.

"Anakin..." he said, it was neither a question nor statement but rather something in between. He made to getup. In any normal circumstance Rex would've stopped him- insisting that he should rest, but Rex knew that if the situations had been reversed he would want to go and see to his friend and companion first. Even so both officer and man were surprised when Rex extended his hand to offer help. Obi-Wan looked at him with gratitude and new found respect, something which Rex wasn't sure he deserved. The Jedi master seized Rex's wrist. Rex's hand also tightened around the General's wrist pulled backwards, lifting the older man up. Once he was on his feet he appeared to be much more stable- but not entirely. Rex shot out his hands to help him but then stopped. Once again he forced himself into the shoes of the older commander. He snapped his hands back as quickly as he could. Obi-Wan once again looked at him gratitude sparkling in his eyes. He suddenly understood why his former master had refused help from Obi-Wan in his moments of weakness.

It wasn't about pride-well not entirely. All their lives Jedi were taught to be independent and never form attachments, not just as husbands or wives, but to each other. The so-called close knit community of the Jedi was strange and complex, yes, they knew everything about the others but none were allowed to lay their lives down for the other- it was against the rules. Being attached meant being dependent on something- amongst other things. Rex helping him now would strip that independence from him. He wasn't ready for that yet- and Rex, in part understood this.

Luckily Anakin lay just a few feet away and it didn't take long for him to reach his former padiwan. Cody stood up and snapped a quick salute. Obi-Wan raised his first two fingers next to his thumb and placed them on his right side of his brow in a half hearted kind of salute. He hated the militaristic ways of life which came with leading a battalion of clones into war. In some ways, although he hated to admit it, even to himself, he agreed with his padiwan's view on the way the war should be run. However unlike his padiwan he understood the need for the Jedi to be leaders. Anakin, the senate and every other person educated or not thought that the war was, in a way purely political. They knew that the armies were fighting for peace and democracy, but it wasn't about protection from the separatists- well some of it was. But there was a legend behind it. So old that the origins had long since been lost- it was the fight between Sith and Jedi- hidden in the background not even the chancellor knew about it.

"General" Cody said, looking at Rex in a silent question about the general's fitness to handle bad news. Rex in answer nodded and quickly followed it up with a non-committable shrug of the shoulders. Obi-Wan watched with slight un-Jedi-like irritation each minute he could feel his strength ebbing from his body, and here they were wasting what the Jedi masters would call valuable time discussing his fitness.

"How is Anakin?" he asked desperately wanting news which wasn't about him.

"He's..." Cody started and then stopped, then started again; "He woke up just now- but he just blacked out again" Quickly Rex crouched down next to the seemingly lifeless body of Anakin Skywalker. He checked the pulse and then leant in to listen to the Knights chest. He sighed with relief as he heard the faint rattle of breath and felt against his cheek the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest.

"He's showing signs of vitals" Rex said glancing up at Obi-Wan and suddenly every man in that group realised just how much Anakin meant to everyone who had had the fortune to have him in their lives. He had been like ever since he was the small scared slave boy from Watto's shop in the outer rims. But it ran deeper than that- if, like Obi-Wan they believed in Jedi folk lore- he was the chosen one to bring balance to the force. He can't die now.

"General" Cody's voice cut through the still twilight air like a knife. Obi-Wan looked up, tearing his eyes away from the boy, no; Obi-wan corrected himself, young man lying on the floor who still had so much to give to life. "Who is Padmé?" he asked. Obi-Wan froze still like animal caught in a head light. And, like a wolf who had sensed its prey he turned towards Cody. He quickly rounded on the solider.

"How did you come by that name?" he all but growled at the clone. Cody looked uncertainly at Rex and to the unconscious Anakin before looking fearfully back into the eyes of the rarely angered General Kenobi.

"General Skywalker called me it" he replied glancing at the floor not wanting to see those eyes again, and also because he just realised that maybe he had betrayed the commander's closest secret.

Hello again readers- me again- i just thought i might remind you of the review button which is just (*Arrow downwards*) rite here. please click on it and provide some feed back for me. Thanks. Easter break almost over but I will still be updating frequently. Until next time avid readers ;P