~Obi-wan's POV~

"Ah, come on, no fair, Obi-wan!" Nava yelled as he grinned. Obi-wan leaned back in his seat, grinning. "I won," he sighed with an unsympathetic shrug.

Nava crossed her arms and studied the Sabbacc table with frightening intensity, trying to discover how exactly she had lost.

Obi-wan chuckled as he watched her. She had been a challenging opponent, and that was impressive. He was known for his skills at this game, and she had given him a run for his money. Silently, he thanked his dead old master for his many lessons on Sabbacc.

"I still have no clue what you did," she growled, glancing up at him with sparkling eyes. She wasn't as competitive as most others. He smiled. "A wise master never reveals all of his tricks at once," he told her wisely.

She rolled her eyes. "Don't lecture me beard boy! Tell me how to win!" she demanded. He laughed, Nava had that effect on him; she could always make him laugh, she always had.

"Another game?" he requested humbly, waving at the board. "I admit you were more challenging than most of my opponents," he confessed. Her eyes sparked with pleasure. She had always had an energy around her that sparked with her emotions. She was open and warm, balancing out his cold and closed.

"I wish I could, Obi, but I have a certain meeting with Bant to uphold. She's going to show me a few more tricks for healing," he nodded, a bit disappointed. He liked Nava's presence. He felt as if he could have emotions around Nava. She did not care. She did not judge.

"Alright. Try not to blow anything up," he cautioned teasingly. Healing had never been her strong point. She rolled her eyes "very funny," she grumbled standing. He chuckled again.

Suddenly, he felt a familiar force presence outside of the door. A second later, Anakin walked in. He grinned at Nava. "Hay, Nava," he noticed the Sabbacc board and his eyes widened. "Please tell me you beat him?" He pleaded. Obi-wan sighed, so unsupportive.

Nava snickered. "No, I did not. He's The Negotiator, remember? No beating him yet," she told him. Anakin sighed dramatically as Obi-wan smiled smugly. "Blast," he said.

Obi-wan cocked an eyebrow at him. "If you'd like to see me lose so much, Anakin, then why don't you come and beat me yourself?" he remarked, gesturing to the board. Anakin narrowed his eyes, sensing the challenge, and Nava shook her head.

"All right master and former apprentice, I'll leave you to it. May the force be with you both, we all know you're equally annoying," she said. She earned two well-thrown pillows at her head in response before she vanished out of the door. Anakin shook his head, smiling at the door.

Obi-wan grinned and used the force to grab his data-pad. He glanced up at Anakin, wondering why he was here.

Usually, he didn't leave an injured Ahsoka's side. Whatever had happened, it must've been terrible nad life-altering for him to come to Obi-wan, that or his guilt was eating at him.

Obi-wan was well aware that Anakin would feel guilty about the ruined plan. Guilt in Anakin's case was both a good and bad thing.

Guilt caused him to learn faster, it made him look at each situation before hand so that he would not make the same mistake that had caused him guilt in the first place. Nevertheless, Guilt could also eat at him.

It ate at Anakin until he came to hate it so thoroughly that he hated the situation, and tried to switch the blame from himself to others just to alleviate some of the guilt.

Obi-wan had watched both occurrences, and wondered which was in effect now. Anakin stood there, arms still crossed as he looked at the door. Finally, he shifted his eyes down at Obi-wan. "What are you doing?" He asked. "Creating new battle plans, for the next attack," Obi-wan answered casually. Anakin sighed heavily.

"Why can't the Jedi just make up their own plans?" he asked. "You know why, Anakin" Obi-wan replied. They couldn't because each Jedi corresponded to each other on the field.

This was teamwork, not blindly following one's own impulse and independence. That was exactly the reason why Anakin was not good at it. He followed his own rules and calculations.

Anakin landed across from Obi-wan on the small pillow, and lazily began to move some of the board pieces around with the force. "I do," he grumbled in agreement. "But you know I'm no good at team battle," he said.

Obi-wan nodded, his eyes still skimming the data-pad. "Yes, I do know that. Nevertheless, it still does not give you the right to completely disregard the plan you already agreed too," he pointed out, ever the teacher.

Anakin ran a stressed hand through his hair. "I know it doesn't. I'm sorry, Obi-wan," Obi-wan looked up, shocked.

Anakin had rarely-no, Anakin had never- apologized for his battle disobedience. Plainly, anyway. He had veiled an apology in the next battle, when he did something out of the ordinary or followed orders for once.

However, he had never just out and apologized.

Obi-wan sat for a moment, for one of the first times in fifteen years, at a loss for words and wondering what he was supposed to say. Anakin, who had been looking down at the boards, still moving the pieces, glanced up, and Obi-wan saw the guilt hidden in his eyes, which reminded him of another boy's eyes. The same boy who had grown to be the man in front of him.

"Anakin," he said at last. "Have I ever been angry the thousand other times you didn't obey orders?" he asked. A brief smile answered him as Anakin looked down again. "No," he agreed.

"Then why are you apologizing?" Obi-wan finished his point smugly. It was true, he had never been angry with Anakin at all. He had been irritated, disappointed, and completely exasperated with his young friend, but never angry.

"Because I let you down when you stood up for me to the council," Anakin explained softly. Ah yes, that. Mace still would not let him forget that.

Obi-wan shrugged. "No expectations, just acceptance," he reminded Anakin of one of the oldest Jedi sayings. It was one of the hardest to learn. Anakin huffed. "That doesn't make me feel any less guilty about it," he told him.

Obi-wan chuckled and returned to his data-pad. "Truly, Anakin, its fine. I do that a lot anyway, the others are used to it," he told him.

He had stood up for Anakin many times; it was why the boy was still in the Order when he had disobeyed them just about every time the council gave him an order. Any other Jedi would have been expelled.

Anakin blinked. Obi-wan cocked an eyebrow. "You didn't know that?" He asked, surprised. "No," Anakin gasped. "How in the universe did you think you've remained in the Order, then, Anakin? You know other Jedi get expelled for the things you do," Anakin only kept gawking.

Obviously, he had not. He was so oblivious. He was still so young, so naïve. Obi-wan sighed. "You have got to pay better attention to your surroundings, my young friend," he said. Anakin gritted his teeth, thinking. "I guess I do," he said at last.

Obi-wan nodded, satisfied. They stayed in a compatible silence for a moment before Anakin spoke again. "You're creating a battle plan for everyone?" He wondered, surprised. "Of course not. Only a certain section," Obi-wan answered, still not looking up.

"My guess is that the council is reluctant to put me anywhere near the fighting again?" He was too smart for his own good. "Yes," no use in lying to him.

Anakin put a hand on his chin in an unconscious replica of Obi-wan. "What about the base? The Separatists base?" he questioned. "What about it?" Obi-wan asked, looking up.

"Well, while the droids are fighting us, that means that the base is left virtually vulnerable, and I'm fairly sure our friends the Count and General Grievous are at that post," he pointed out. "Yes. So what do you want to do?" Obi-wan wondered curiously.

"I can go in via starfighter, and take a few clones with me. While they distract the few droids there and Grievous, I can sneak in, plant some bombs and," he shrugged, azure eyes flashing. "There goes Count Dooku and General Grievous. The war is at an end and the Republic is saved," he said cheerfully. Obi-wan cocked an eyebrow.

"It's an impressive plan Anakin," he said slowly, thinking that it was also a very simple plan and those usually didn't work. "But its dangerous. Very dangerous," he pointed out. Anakin shrugged. "Since when are our lives safe?" he asked. Obi-wan ignored that. "If even one thing-the slightest thing- goes wrong, there will be no rescue," he said.

Anakin nodded gravely, he knew that. If he was captured or shot down, the Senators would not allow the Jedi to send any sort of rescue anything. It would waste valuable resources to rescue what could possibly be a dead man. Anakin would perish, no matter what the outcome.

"I know, master. But I have to try at least. You said it yourself, it's a good plan, and I bet Dooku will not be expecting it. Surprise is the ultimate weapon, remember?" He countered.

"So is surviving to live another day," Obi-wan sighed. Anakin pursed his lips and glared. Obi-wan met his gaze squarely. This would be a difficult argument to win. He was not called, The Negotiator for nothing although.

"Obi-wan, what really could go wrong?" Anakin asked. "I could get captured, shot down or killed, whatever. In that process, something will happen to where the Separatists will get knocked down some of their advantages. If I get captured, you know I will blow up that base, even if I have to plant the bomb right in my own cell," why did he have to put that mental picture in Obi-wan's mind?

"Shot down, well, I'll make sure to crash land in some place where I'll cause the most damage," he would, Obi-wan knew he most certainly would. "And if I die, then someone is going down with me. Dooku or Grievous, I do not care. I am going to make sure one of them dies with me. For force sakes, no matter what, we'll still get closer to winning this war," he said obstinately.

Obi-wan sighed; he could not find any argument to that. Not one that a regular Jedi general would give. Most of Obi-wan's reason had nothing to do with strategy and everything to do with he just did not want Anakin to die.

He would never admit it, but he would literally lay down his life without hesitation for Anakin, he would do anything for his friend.

The man was one of the few people who had found a place in his heart and earned his undying loyalty and trust. Life would be extremely boring without Anakin anyway. Who would he lecture? They were so close to peace and he wanted to go and do something else foolish?

Instead of saying that, however, he countered with; "and do you suppose to leave your padawan without a master?" He asked. Anakin's face and eyes dropped. "I don't want too," he mumbled.

"But she'll understand if that does happen. She'll be proud," he groaned, sounding unsure. Obi-wan sensed another reason behind his hesitation, he was thinking of more than just Ahsoka. Probably Padme.

"We both will," Obi-wan agreed. "But it will not make the fact any easier to bear," he pointed out. "You should not jump into situations like these thinking only of yourself, Anakin, what about the others around you?" he wondered.

Anakin looked up, his expression slightly suspicious. "It is not the Jedi way to sacrifice many lives on the account of one," he said firmly. Oh, now he wants to follow the Jedi way, Obi-wan thought begrudgingly.

He sighed. "That's true, but neither is suicide," he said. Anakin threw up his hands. "Blast, Obi-wan, you're speaking as if it's a sure thing I am going to die! Have some faith in me, will you? I can do this," he leaned forward, eyes burning into Obi-wan's. "You trusted me before, now I'm asking you to trust me again. I can do this," he said fiercely.

I trusted you before, and we all see how that worked out, Obi-wan thought it but did not say it. Anakin had his absolute trust, no doubt.

Obi-wan would give his life for him, but that did not mean he was going to let him go on a suicide mission that both of them knew was for the pure purpose of redeeming himself. Anakin must've guessed his thoughts. "Master," he said softly, in a voice that demanded Obi-wan's immediate attention.

"You said, before the last battle, that this could be the moment I did what everyone has been waiting for me to do. I am the Chosen One, we both know that, some blasted crazy force users told me so," Obi-wan snorted.

He did not think Anakin should exactly believe the opinions of the Father, Son and Daughter. They were all dead now, which did not give a very good impression of the outcome of Anakin's plan. In fact bringing them up only made Obi-wan more anxious.

"You taught me well, master," Anakin continued. "Trust that," Obi-wan blinked and sat back, startled, had he taught Anakin well?

He had wished so many times that he could go back and teach the boy again, there was so much he had not known. So much of that that he knew now. Anakin could have had such a better master, and yet there was no erasing what had already happened.

He sighed again, and as usual when he felt lost of confused, Qui-gon's voice popped to mind. "You know the answer, why don't you trust it?" Trust, he had a hard time with trust.

"Fine," he said at last, reluctantly. "I'll pose it to the council," he knew they would approve, if only to keep Anakin away from the action. So, apparently, did Anakin. His entire face brightened. "Yes! Thank you, Obi-wan," he cheered.

Obi-wan smiled back, he still had a bad feeling about the plan though. The dark side was strong.


Yah, so Anakin is going on a suicide/redemption mission. What else is new? Did you hear what Nava called Obi-wan? Beard boy, I still laugh at that one, I find the name very amusing.