Hello my beautiful readers! First of all thank you all for reading all the way up to here, I really hope you are enjoying the story and that you keep on checking it out once in a while for my updates! And thank you for your kind messages and reviews, I appreciate it way too much, it lets me know that you guys care and like the story and it makes me want to keep on writing not only for Obi and Ani but also for you guys.

Now, the bad news are that school just started for me and I truly hope it doesn't interrupt with my writing, but we all know that it will affect my free time. However, since I love these two (and you guys also) so so much, I will possibly choose the most boring class and write the story during the point-less shit. :P But I will do this only if you guys keep on reading, I WILL BE CHECKING. Anyways, enjoy the update.


CHAPTER TWELVE

He got permission to leave the pallid room after the ship entered Coruscant's atmosphere. The droids parched what was left of his robotic arm and with a special material applied a last round of bacta into his almost-healed thigh. So many years of knowing the fast effects of bacta, yet he was always somewhat surprised.

Anakin met with Plo-Koon, Ahsoka and Cody at the battleship's platform as soon as he got the grip to face them.

"Sir, we have permission to land on the Jedi Temple. Master Yoda and Master Windu are awaiting for our arrival." Cody directed his speech mostly to the air itself. He had always been a serious clone trouper while on duty, but now that they had almost arrived at base, he was as transparent as ever. It was way too obvious, both his gestures and his voice gave away the preoccupation for his missing commander and friend.

Cody was the only one on board talking; the three Jedi stood silent, as well as the other clones. They were onboard the Twilight on their way to the global city.

Ever since Anakin got permission from the droids to stand up he had felt out of balance, tripping multiple times. The young Jedi was sure it was because of his missing arm. He remembered the sensation from the time he had been carried out of Geonosis. He walking to one side mostly, the lacking weight, though, was way much more tangible this time; his mechno-arm had been heavier than the human arm. It had taken him months then to entirely recover his balance, now that the loss was greater, the dizziness of his body became an adding frustration.

Ahsoka, reading her master, walked to him and calmly said, placing a warm palm on his stiffened shoulder, "They will right away get your arm fixed, me and Cody already talked to Master Yoda."
He looked down to her and tried to find the strength inside him to smile, in vain. "Thanks." He then turned to face R2D2, "Ahsoka, would you clean him up when we get to the Temple?" His padawan nodded faintly and walked away.

Anakin looked at his destroyed arm, preferring to think about the physical pain rather than... than think about Obi-Wan.

They landed at the Temple's platform, Master Yoda and Windu had been awaiting edgily for the Twilight. The clones stepped out first, followed by the Jedi. No one said a word.

Yoda walked towards the Jedi, nodding to the clones, his pace slower than usual. He looked up to Plo-Koon and also nodded dimly, then he walked some more to the worried pair, they were clearly the most miserable in the massive room. The elder Jedi first smiled to Ahsoka and then he looked up to look at Anakin, who didn't even dare open his soaked eyes. Anakin knew that if Master Yoda looked into his eyes he would instantaneously read all of his emotions, and he was not ready to talk about it yet. Once he decided to opened his eyes, they immediately turned away, locking onto Master Windu's serene figure instead. The dark-skinned Jedi looked at Anakin, for the very first time, with understanding and sympathy. However, Anakin wasn't at all surprised by the man's upset expression, he had always sensed a soul inside the Master's tough outside.

Windu blinked once and then turned around, Anakin followed right behind him. When Ahsoka tried to accompany her master, Yoda walked in front of her way and shook his head, "Wait you must, youngling. What your master needs is recovery. Alone he must be for a while." Then he walked away towards Plo-Koon, leaving Ahsoka standing in the center of the room with R2D2 by her side.

...

"We have the best spies and tracers working hard on this, they have already narrowed down their location to a sector. It won't be long until we have a clear planet." Anakin had always had a complicated relationship with Master Windu, their entire personalities collapsed against each other, absolute opposites. He couldn't remember one conversation where they hadn't disagreed enthusiastically about a subject. Both of them as stubborn as the other.

For some reason, talking to a comprehensive Windu calmed down some of Anakin's concerns; not completely, but somehow it was comforting.

He had always known that Windu was close to both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, but only professionally, like most of the Jedi relationships, he hadn't ever imagined a man as solemn as Windu to worry much about a colleague. "Also, they are waiting for you at the Halls of Healing, they have a new mechno-arm for you." Windu paused and looked back at a hurting Anakin, who was now dragging most of his weight. He walked over to him and helped him straighten up, he then placed Anakin's human arm around his neck and pulled him close with a strong hand, balancing Anakin's feet firmly in the ground. "Ready when you are." Anakin nodded with gratitude.

They walked together through the Temple, Anakin leaning against Windu for an easier and quicker walk. He was appreciative of the physical pain blurring his senses, it gave him something to think about, something to help his mind wonder off from the past events.

On their way to the Healers they encountered many clone troopers and some Jedi, all of which saluted. Some had gotten the news, these few only nodded formally or reverenced and continued on, not daring to interrupt. The ones who were unaware tried to shake hands and make conversation, but at the sight of the missing arm, they hesitated and left.

Anakin didn't react to anything, his thoughts unclear and shadowed, it was an ample Windu who guided them swiftly through the Temple's solemn Halls of Healing.

They arrived without much delay to the Healers, there they found the room to be almost empty, which was an odd scene during a war. The only ones present were Barriss Offee, a male togruta Jedi, and a pair of medical droids. The room wasn't at all alike to the ones in the battleships, this one was darker, there were some small windows in the far end wall, though they were covered by blinders. Most of the light that engulfed the warm room came from a tall lamp that stood next to the only sofa.

"Hello Anakin, Master Windu." Offee was one of the youngest Healers but her studies and her eerie maturity made up for the lacking experience on the matter. She was entirely, but her hands and face, covered by a black dark cloth. She was known to be silent and serene, but thanks to the past missions shared with Anakin and Ahsoka, there was trust and understanding lingering on the aura.

Anakin was entirely sure that she hadn't been called in to deal with his arm, assured by her dark personality, he knew that her training dealt mostly with the emotional and mental healing of the many affected Jedi.

Using the Force, that is, she worked avidly with the help of the togruta Jedi to ease the tension on the room. She asked faintly, still with her eyes closed and her hands raised, for Master Windu to leave the room. He walked away, leaving the Healers and the droids to their job. "Anakin, I will need you to sit down on the couch." She spoke with a soft commanding tone. The hurting Jedi did as told. The droids rolled over to him, one of them holding an almost identical mechno-arm. They instructed him to lay and spread out his arms and legs. "Now I will need you to close your eyes and breathe deeply..."

He was not prepared for what was coming.

Healers were probably some of the strongest beings when it came to the Force, Anakin knew that, but he hadn't ever been warned that they could do such things.

The male healer was in charge of healing Anakin's body while the droids implanted the new robotic arm, he used his power as a pain-killer. Barriss was in charge of Anakin's aching soul.

With the help of the Force, she entered Anakin's mind and began searching for the bruises. While she visited them, Anakin remembered. It was a difficult process, but it had to be done.

There he is.

Obi-Wan.

Can you hear me?

Can you see me? I'm right here.

Obi-Wan! Answer me!

Barriss could see everything that was happening. Anakin was on the ground, fighting with his own body to stay awake, trying to stand up. Trying to save him. She could see other figures in the jungle. Dooku and Ventress, the politicians and... Obi-Wan, his body was severely damaged and he was being carried away with the Force. They entered the Jungle, all of the figures. And it all went black.

Where has he gone?

Obi-Wan!

Obi-Wan come back!

I am so sorry...

Offee kept the connection, looking through the forgotten senses of the Jedi Knight. Some dim noises, it was the only thing she could find. His body had been completely exhausted, the only thing he had enough power to do was breathe.

She began patching the pain.

Barriss kept on looking through Anakin's unconscious being, searching for anything that would be helpful with his healing, but the only thing she could find was remorse, anger, fear, and much confusion. She adventured even deeper into him, noticing the care that he had for Obi-Wan, the uncertainty of feelings he had over his master, the pain it was causing. She was part of it. She could feel everything.

Never before had she known those sensations to be aligned together. Lust, mortification, regret, shame, care, worry, concern, and desire. All of them combined. All of them so strong.

The image of Obi-Wan shown repeatedly all over Anakin's mind, lingering in every corner, in the past and in the present. Quick images of their time together.

One of which caught her eyes.

Barriss hesitated for a moment, but she sought to help Anakin. She rushed into the memory but something callously stopped her. A barrier. A wall that had been placed there not long ago by Anakin himself. She asked to be let in, but no answer came. She kept on trying, but it was stronger than any other mental lock she had ever encountered during a Healing process. She waited. I must see this, Anakin, it will help me mend you. And with those words, the barrier disappeared.

It was a deepened memory. Once she was part of it, once she felt the comfort Anakin had felt in that moment, she finally began to understand.

It was during his training to become a Jedi knight. Anakin was practicing against other padawans in a lightsaber duel, however, they were using wooden sticks as weapons. He was fighting against a tall iridonian male, the opponent's arms were obviously stronger than those of Anakin's and he hissed at the wind multiple times trying to intimidate the others around him. Anakin felt confident about the fight, he knew he could defeat him.

Master Saesee Tiin raised his hand and the duel began. The iridonian ran towards Anakin, who was size wise smaller than him, with the wooden stick ready to strike. Anakin anticipated the move quickly and then jumped to the side. He grinned, tempting his opponent to make another move. And he did. He used his weapon to pummel against Anakin, who deflected the attack and got immediately out of the way. Anakin then raised his sword to smack the other's back, but the adversary jumped high into the air and landed behind Anakin, who looked intrigued. The fight went on for some minutes, each padawan made their attack and the other evaded. The battle was becoming repetitive. Anakin, known to be one of the most impatient students, decided it was time to end the duel. He violently pounded his weapon against his opponent's. The iridonian covered each of the rapid attacks without worry. Anakin grew intolerant with every blow he gave and he got to the point where he just needed to prove himself. With his strong arms he gripped the sword and then, with an impulse, he threw the sword at the other padawan, granting him enough distraction to jump into the air and send a kick to the other boy's hands. Anakin's opponent dropped his own wooden stick, fell on his knees and cried with hurt at the pain in his hands. When he finally looked up, Anakin was already over him, with his stick in hand aiming at his throat.

The fight had ended. Anakin helped his rival get up and then looked over the room, searching for his Master, wanting him to approve of his duel. It didn't take him long to find Obi-Wan. He was standing up and walking towards him, wearing only his leather pants and his thin khaki shirt. Anakin dropped his weapon into the ground to embrace the barefooted man. Obi-Wan, with a large smile on his handsome face, returned the hug.

For Anakin that moment was endless. His master's powerful arms holding him close, the familiar scent tangible through the shirt, Obi-Wan's soothing voice whispered into his ears, "Good job, Anakin, I'm so proud of you."

Those words lingered for eternity, healing almost every damaged spot on his soul.

She kept concentrating into Force so she could stay inside Anakin, the surgeon droids weren't done, so she had to keep on distracting Anakin from the excruciating pain of his arm. She was sure she would regret doing so, but she kept on venturing into the Jedi's memories.

Anakin was emotionally fatigued, he had placed those barriers in purpose, knowing that if he ever crossed them again, he would lose all control over himself. But he couldn't handle it anymore, it was too tempting to remember those happy consoling moments. He could feel the presence of Barriss with him, but he didn't care, he kept on remembering, he had to, for the sake of his heart, he had to see Obi-Wan again.

Anakin was still a young padawan, probably fifteen or sixteen years old. He was on his room at the Jedi Temple, probably done training for the day. He was asleep. At first Offee didn't understand why Anakin wouldn't have wanted to ever revisit the memory, but in a matter of seconds, she knew exactly why.

The little boy began to shake in his sleep, he began sweating, his back curved in and out, his breathing became heavy and prolonged. His hands involuntarily moved from side to side. Pain. Nightmares. The little boy suffered, he screamed on his sleep, "No. No! Please don't! No!" For some reason he couldn't wake up. Then, he appeared. A younger Obi-Wan came rushing into the murky room, worry washing over his face. He ran to the bed and held a still asleep Anakin on his arms, for some seconds he shook the boy until he came back to consciousness, almost screaming to him to calm down.

Tears ran down the boy's cheeks, his entire skin was covered in sweat. "It's okay, Ani, it was just a nightmare." His words were soothing to the ear, they were calm yet firm. The man cleaned the boy's tears from his face while he kept on repeating his speech. "Don't worry, you're fine." It took some time for Anakin to slow down his heartbeat, but with the help of Obi-Wan, with his presence, the challenge became more of an easy task. Once the boy was calm he lay on the bed and asked Obi-Wan if he could stay with him for the rest of the night. The man, fearing the nightmares would come back, rolled into the bed next to Anakin., he then wrapped up the boy and himself with the thin blanket and waited for his padawan to fall asleep. While he waited, Obi-Wan whispered some words into Anakin's ear and used his left hand to draw gentle circles on Anakin's short blonde hair. Minutes later, he had fallen asleep, his head resting on his master's chest. The room was completely silent except for the peaceful breaths of the two Jedi. Obi-Wan didn't sleep that night, embracing Anakin while he rested, ready to comfort him if any bad dreams came back.

A tear ran down the Healer's cheek.

She gave up.

Barriss opened her eyes, leaving Anakin alone in his mind.

She still tried to calm him down, keeping him asleep, absorbing his pain and letting it flow through the Force. She concentrated deeply on her task, yet she was still wondering about the connection between Anakin and his master. She had never seen such a strong bond between a teacher and his student. She herself was very close to her master, but it had never even compared to what she had just experienced. What Anakin had experienced most of his life.

...

It didn't take far too long for the droids to finish up. Right after they were done, both Healers paused their efforts and they let the Jedi wake. Once he was up, he got some time to get use to his new arm. It wasn't that different from the last one, if anything, it was easier to handle.

Noticing Anakin's positive reactions to his new built arm, Offee decided it was time to talk to him. She asked her partner and the droids to leave them alone. She sat next him and removed the shade from her head.

They were silent for a while, neither of them knowing how to begin. Barriss decided it was her duty to step up. "Anakin, I'm sorry for invading you like that." She waited for an answer, but there was none, so she continued, "It was the only way to keep you distracted. I really didn't want to venture into your barriers, but we needed time to fix your arm and your body completely. I'm sorry."

He wasn't.

Anakin looked up to her and weakly smiled. "Don't be." He then shifted his glare to the ground as tears began coming out of his eyes. The flashbacks of his life and Obi-Wan's striking presence made the absence of his friend even greater than before. Thankful that the room was dark, he continued on speaking, trying to not give away the amount of sadness that was drowning him. "We have to find him, Barriss, before it's too late."


CLUE FOR NEXT CHAPTER: Where is the prisoner?