~Anakin's POV~
He was woken by Obi-wan; the Jedi master had always woken up before Anakin. Their small tent nearly bustled with energy as Obi-wan hassled around, despite the fact that they were the only two in the tent.
Anakin shivered, there was a morning fog obscuring his vision and dampening the blankets. Pulling them tighter to his bare chest, he watched his former teacher for a moment.
This was the only time he actually seemed confused, even though Anakin knew he was perfectly aware of what he was doing.
Anakin had never seen Obi-wan truly confused. He had never seen him completely at a loss. Obi-wan always had a solution, a theory, a way, but in the morning's he looked altogether flustered.
He was pacing back and forth between the small table and his bed, picking up and dropping things. Setting timers and erasing marks on his battlefield strategies. Writing things down and polishing his saber.
All the while, the force flowed and circulated around him restlessly, beating with a rhythm and strongly with his heart. Anakin could almost hear it whispering to him…. Plan, organize, deliberate, strategize, Find flaws, center self. All the boring things, certainly.
Anakin sometimes wondered if the force had a personality with him and Obi-wan, one to match theirs. His was fiery, pulsing, confused but thrumming with power and determination, growing kindness and loyalty.
Suddenly, in front of his eyes, a specter materialized, its dull blue glow somehow warming the air and lighting the still dim tent. The ghost of Qui-gon Jinn stood there with crossed arms. Seeing Anakin, he smiled.
Anakin grinned back. "Obi-wan," Qui-gon sighed to the organizing master. Obi-wan did not so much as jump, he only glanced at Qui-gon with a grin. His eyes flashed with delight.
"Hello master. Get up, Anakin," nothing escaped his eye. Groaning, Anakin sat up. Obi-wan tossed him his shirt. "You'll wear a hole in the floor," Qui-gon chided.
Obi-wan did not stop. "Has he always done this?" Anakin asked, slipping his tunic on. "No. I'm afraid I trained him too. It used to be that I woke him up and told him to get ready in one minute and he'd take four," Qui-gon snorted.
Anakin chuckled softly. "I'm done now," Obi-wan announced, he stopped, finally clipping his weapon to his belt.
Anakin yawned. "Did the scouts arrive yet?" he asked. "Yes, they walked into camp exhausted. Cody has their answer for us," Obi-wan answered.
Anakin nodded. "I still sense it," he said, testing the force. It made his skin tingle unpleasantly. Obi-wan nodded. "I do too," he agreed.
Qui-gon looked between the two with eyes that Anakin had a feeling saw things that they could not. "Do you have any light to shed?" He asked, eyeing his oldest mentor curiously.
"You'll soon find out yourselves," said Qui-gon, ever unhelpful. Anakin sighed and stood, taking his saber from the bedside table next to him. "Any activity in the castle?" Anakin further asked. "None. The Sith must have sensed us by now though," Obi-wan said.
Anakin nodded, wondering what in the universe the disturbance could be. Obi-wan noticed his worry. "Do not worry, Anakin. Whatever it is, we'll handle it," he said. Anakin sighed; he already knew that.
"Is the Nexus Route safe?" Qui-gon suddenly broke out. Both men looked at him. "The Nexus Route?" Anakin asked, confused by the question. "Yes," they glanced at each other.
"Not exactly…" Obi-wan said, staring at Qui-gon warily, as if afraid of what his news would bring. Anakin was relatively sure Qui-gon knew anyway, he was a part of the force after all. And the force was everywhere. So why was he asking?
"Captain Tarkin is still in detainment, but he adamantly refuses to cooperate," he explained. Qui-gon nodded knowingly.
"I see," He said, almost thoughtfully. Obi-wan's eyes narrowed. "You're giving us a hint," he guessed. Anakin looked between the two, wondering how Obi-wan saw that.
All he saw was a hovering spirit who was casually asking questions he already knew. "More of a reminder. This mission will not be easy."
Anakin opened his mouth, half debating whether or not to tell Qui-gon that they had already heard this about ten million times and did he know who he was talking too because Anakin was the Chosen One and Obi-wan was…. Obi-wan. They could handle it.
Before he could come to a decision though, Qui-gon gave them both a friendly smile and drifted back into oblivion. The second he had done that, Commander Cody walked in.
Anakin exchanged a glance with Obi-wan, wondering the same thing. He was also wondering what he was truly questioning, Qui-gon had left many unanswered questions behind.
"Sir," Cody said crisply, his face somber. Both Jedi turned to him, sensing his anxiety clearly. "Cody, what is it?" Obi-wan asked. "We have a problem sir. There are hostages," Cody explained quickly.
~Rex's POV~
When Rex had first met Anakin and Obi-wan, he had speculated about them. It was a commonly spoken subject among the clones. They argued what their generals could do compared to others.
They talked about what had happened and what had gone wrong that the Jedi had fixed with impossible speed and calm. Rex did not wonder so much anymore, he had come to accept that the Jedi were just an odd group of people and that was the way of all things.
He caught himself now contemplating how they moved so fast. Cody was in the lead, of course, directing them to the spy they had sent out next to him. Then Obi-wan, who was regularly in front of Skywalker.
And then his general himself. All three faces were grim, despite the early morning.
Rex snapped to attention and nodded cordially as they ran up. "Hostages?" Obi-wan echoed, not at all out of breath. Rex nodded again. "Yes, general. Over one hundred children, he says," he reported.
Obi-wan turned to the spy sharply, making the rookie cringe under his soul-reading fierce eyes. It would take awhile for him to adjust to those eyes. Anakin had worse ones. His eyes could melt the entire planet of Hoth when he was angry.
"Is this true?" Obi-wan snapped. The clone blinked, frightened. "Yes, sir," he stuttered. Rex could not help but grin, it was always amusing to see one of his newest brothers meet their general for the first time.
Though the Jedi were no longer creating new clones (indeed, two years before, all of Kamino had burned to the oceanic ground, along with everyone, clones and inhabitants aboard. The Empire had spared no one) there were several who had been recruited to theirs from a lost battalion.
Either their general or most of their team had been killed. This rookie was the former. He had never actually spoken to his former Jedi General, he had told Rex, only seen her on occasion. He was in for a giant surprise.
"I saw them with my own eyes. They all look like children, sir, from the local village," he gestured around to the base they had set up. "Living in tents and make-shift huts outside the castle walls," Rex scowled in disgust. The Sith had kidnapped children? And were using them as bartering tools? Not even treating them right, at that?
"Well, there goes the direct approach," Anakin pointed out after an enraged silence, his features screwed into disgust and seriousness. Obi-wan stroked his beard contemplatively.
"The Empire has used this method before. Yet I sense something off. This is too uncomplicated, Sidious knows that we would be able to get those children away relatively easy," he said. Rex cocked an eyebrow. "You think it's a trap, sir?" he asked.
Obi-wan stared at him without seeing him. "That is precisely what I think it is, Captain," He agreed. "A trap for what, though?" Anakin asked. "To catch us or destroy us?" he asked. "Maybe both," Cody offered. Rex frowned, both? He wondered.
"I have an idea," Anakin muttered, a slow smile beginning to take over his features. Rex smiled, now they were going somewhere. "So do I," Obi-wan agreed. Cody grinned; they were so going to win.
With Anakin and Obi-wan, what could go anything but right in the end?
Oh, everything in the universe is going to go wrong before right. should I post two chapters at a time or just one? This story is going to be much longer than the previous ones. I might even get to one-hundred chapters. What do you guys think?
~Queen Yoda
