Clone Wars: Death (Part 5)

Anakin was seated right next to Aubrie´s cot in the healing ward of the Republican Flagship, he´s been there for a couple of hours now, waiting for the Force compulsion he managed to force into the female Jedi´s mind to wear off. He suspected that Aubrie will be angry when she gets to wake up.

"Anakin…"

The male Padawan, who was busy looking through the transparensteel window of the healing ward turned to look at Aubrie instead, finding her staring at him with tired eyes.

"Aubrie" Anakin saluted, smiling slightly at the sight of his friend, he came closer and asked "how are you feeling?"

"…been better, I guess."

"I bet."

A silence fell between them, it was uncomfortable and almost oppressive, Anakin felt himself insecure of what to say or do, and thankfully Aubrie saved her from that position.

"Where are we?" the female Jedi questioned while looking around with confused eyes.

"In a Republic flagship" Anakin answered "We are in open space."

Aubrie frowned.

"What happen with Jabiim…?" She asked with an almost scared voice, she started to incorporate on the cot. Anakin stopped her with one of his hands.

"You don´t have to stand up" he told her, pushing her back "We are done with Jabiim" Anakin muttered through clenched teeth.

"What do you mean with that?"

"I mean just what I said" Anakin almost growled. Aubrie looked up at him with a questioning look, still too unsure, the deep stare made the blond Padawan sighed.

"We lost. We lost Jabiim. I already commed the Council, we are on our way to Coruscant."

Aubrie opened her eyes wide with surprise but fell back onto the bed, Anakin scooted closer and sat next to her form.

"Jabiim was important for the Republic."

"I know" Anakin lamented "but there was no way to win that war."

Aubrie knew that too, the planet only caused the death of their friends and soldiers, it was draining their resources, staying there more time it would just lead to their own deaths, still the lingering sensation of failure stuck to her skin like a bad bitter taste on her tongue.

A silence fell between them, and the young female Jedi didn't know if she was comfortable with Anakin´s presence inside the healer quarters, he looked worried and restless, his blue eyes moving to every corner of the room in a desperate motion, she wondered if he stayed around just because he was taking care of her, which was supposed to be sweet and comforting, but it only made her cringe with the memory of his blood lust during the battle against Stratus.

"You seemed alright now…" Aubrie voiced.

The blond Jedi, who at the moment was busy expecting some empty corner of the room, turned his eyes at the sound of her voice.

"Mmm?"

"I said you look fine now."

"I don´t know what you are talking about..." he reminded her with a slight frown.

"Last time I saw you, you murdered a man in cold blood."

Anakin´s frown deepened at her choice of words, apparently uncomfortable with the phrasing.

"A man who was hardly innocent." He added with impatience.

"I never said he was."

"Then what are you implicating?" Anakin wondered, folding his arms against his chest and taking a few steps closer to her cot, Aubrie had to made an effort not to flinch away from him, she could still feel the oppression of Anakin´s previous dark presence in the Force.

"I felt it, Anakin. Your intent, your emotions. They were all dark. It was awful and I could hardly believe it. I have felt anger before, especially now in the war where so many people die around us, but never like that. It was horrible." She explained with a false calmness.

"That man killed my Master and your Master as well, not to mention our friends!" Anakin barked, starting to pace around the room to liberate some of the tension left in his body.

"The war killed them" Aubrie corrected, sitting on the edge of the bed "I was going to end him as well, but not like that Anakin, not the way you did, it is not…"

"What?! The Jedi way?!" he interrupted with a growl, almost laughing bitterly at the implication of her words.

"You truly do not see it, do you?"

"If you want me to regret killing that man, you can forget about it, Aubrie. It´s one of the finest things I´ve ever done."

"Listen to yourself…" she begged, not believing the words her friend just pronounced.

Anakin only frowned and directed his eyes to the uninteresting ground, indicating he had nothing else to say and he was not to be swayed by her begs.

"I feel fine now" Aubrie muttered under her breath "I will take my leave. I wish to be left alone for a while."

Anakin didn´t say anything, only watched her putting on her boots and walking away from him. Anakin felt a sudden rage engulf him alive at the sight of her back getting farther and farther away from him, a part of him wanted to drag her right back, made her stay with him the same way he stood by her side while she was unconscious. He extinguished the flame of hatred that so suddenly embraced his body, it wasn´t right to think so violently of his friend, even when it felt like betrayal that she, just like the other Masters at the Temple, would turn away from him like that. It was cruel, he had thought he had found an ally within the confines of the oppressive Order, but the mare notion that he had lost that friend as quickly as it came constricted his heart until an aching pain took place in his whole chest.

The worst part of all, it wasn´t the questioning and the excepticisim in Aubrie´s voice, he expected her to be intrigued or even upset by his actions. But he had foresaw anger and confusion, not this quiet retreat, not disappointment. Anakin knew what to do against negative emotions, he was an expert on sensing them, facing them, since he was one to feel them so passionately. But this, the almost swift and silent quietness of disapproval, the same disapproval that he had to face when his Master, his Obi-Wan, grew quiet when he makes a mistake or loses the point of an exercise, it was the kind of a cold, detached sentiment that he found he couldn´t bear.

Without saying anything else, he turned on his heels. Gone was the light provided by the opened door at Aubrie´s departure, now he stared at the wide space from the big window of the ward, looking at nothing but the vast dark universe and its brightest stars.

"Are you all right, General?"

The deep voice of the clone trooper echoed inside the dark damp cell that contained both the commander and Obi-Wan. The Jedi was thinking she was going deft by the constant absence of sound before the soldier opened his mouth.

"Been better" Obi-Wan muttered under her breath, trying not to flinch at the sound of her own worn down voice.

"You don´t look that great" Alpha pointed out while he squirmed in his chains.

"You can´t even see me" the Jedi buffed with annoyance.

She could hear Alpha chucking at the other side of the cell.

"So, what´s next?" he questioned. "Waterboarding? Killer bugs? Whipping?"

Obi-Wan couldn´t see him through the darkness of the prison, but she could almost imagine the uncomfortable grimace on her commander´s features at the mention of their options.

"No. We escape." She declared.

"Yeah. Let´s just do that." He growled in an unconvinced hiss. "With all due respect, Sir, we seemed to be a bit, let´s say, tided up for the moment…"

The rippled tickling sound of chains reached the Jedi´s ears, the soldier that accompanied her in her captivity was pulling at the restrains trying to emphasize their situation. Obi-Wan giggled to her insides.

"Well, yeah. Or we could just use the Force."

Suddenly, the loud cracking noise of pipes interrupted the conversation, Alpha, even without being able to see anything, raised his head to stare at the eternal darkness of the ceiling, he could feel the movement of broken pipes being pulled from their places and a bluster of falling water coming down on them.

"How the…?"

"I´ve been concentrating on this pipes since they locked me here. With the Sith Mask I couldn´t even feel the Force, but with time and a lot of effort, I have been able to pull at the screws of the pipes, weakening them."

"So, what?" Alpha asked upset and unamused "Now we drown to death…"

"The lock of your chain is electric" She reminded him with the same petulance.

Almost immediately Obi-Wan heard the distinctive beeping sound of the lock opening, then some heavy and slow steps walking through water reached her and a pair of strong hands pull the Sith Mask away from her face.

"I cannot see your face right now, but I can bet you make a much better sight without this on" the commander joked, throwing away the torturing object as if it had offended him.

"I bet" She murmured, sighing at the comforting and peaceful feeling of the Force filling her senses once more. She had missed this. This wonderful and growing connection with the galaxy itself; it was a tragedy to just think that so many people and creatures that lived in this vast world were unable to feel this pulling energy that invaded her body and her soul. She certainly couldn´t imagine a life without it.

With a directed look up, Obi-Wan concentrated her thoughts in the lock of her own chains and instructed the Force to open it, which it did. She landed swiftly on her feet.

"So, what to do with the door? It´s quiet heavy" Alpha commented while the water quickly started to filled the room until it reached their waists.

With another directed Force wave, Obi-Wan pushed the metal door in front of her. It could be heavy and thick, but it wasn´t a match to a Force user. It ended up flying out and allowing the light to travel inside the cell, as well as liberating the water that was threatening to drawn them.

Alpha whistled in approval and started running to the exit with Obi-Wan behind him. The Jedi instructed the man to get them a blaster before just running off, and the clone rolled his black eyes at Obi-Wan´s suggestion to free the other prisoners from their cells, which, apparently, he didn´t seem to like. The female warrior knew that the man was built for violence and hard choices, he was, after all, a ruthless soldier born for the war, but the peaceful diplomat inside her didn´t allowed her cruelty or lack of compassion, even during times of need.

After running around opening cells and looking for a way out before the guards realized about the flood they created and the riot that was forming in the cells by the freed prisoners, they started to tiptoe through the halls of the castle with care, avoiding the guards and the people that may be walking around.

"How can you know when they are around?" Alpha asked in a whisper.

"The Force" she murmured "I can feel them even if I can´t see them."

She sneaked around a bit more, and once they reached a safe corner she pulled the taller man inside a suspicious wide room.

"What are you doing?" he asked while he looked at Obi-Wan´s closed eyes.

The woman was starting to call on the Force, trying to sense the threads that connected her with the multiple creatures and living beings of the universe, searching for the unique and special bond she only shared with one person. But the connection, while strong, it was muted. The distance between them too great to even breach. She let it go with a sad sigh and a defeated glance at the floor. She couldn´t help but crave her most beloved one beside her but she could, at the very least, comfort herself with the sense of easiness that invaded her with the presence of him inside her mind.

"Well?" Alpha brought her back to reality with a confused look.

"Nothing. I was trying to contact Anakin. Couldn´t, too far away." She explained while she distracted herself inspecting the room.

Alpha occupied himself with the sight of guns and weapons that hanged around the walls of the room, Obi-Wan observed him picking up several of them with expert eyes, deciding which ones to steal and which ones to leave behind. The woman imitated him, looking for a more elegant weapon of her own: a lightsaber.

The room seemed to be some sort of small museum of all kinds of arms, so it wasn´t difficult to imagine that her own personal saber was probably hidden within the room, being preserved and shown as a silly trophy, and knowing Ventress as well as she did, it will probably being put in a special visible place.

Eventually, she did find it, alongside with another saber that probably belonged to another Jedi, and she took it without a second thought. Lightsabers shouldn´t be in possession of non-Jedi people, and certainly not as glorified spoils of war.

"Found everything you needed?" she inquired to the soldier who was carrying multiples blasters all over his scared body.

"Oh, indeed" the soldier grinned while holding a couple of them out.

"Let´s go then."

The shuttle landed just outside the hanger of the Temple in Coruscant, Anakin was more than ready to welcome the sight of the city-planet with open arms, it was an indescribable feeling to be able to feel the sun again on his skin after so many weeks of never ending rain.

Aubrie step down first, not even sparing a look at her companion and started walking her way inside their home, Anakin wasn´t angry anymore but deeply sad. He wanted to reach to one of her shoulders and ask her to talk to him again, but he knew that such thing was not to be well received.

The Padawan walked through the corridors of the Temple, appreciating the familiar sight before him, the almost golden-like color that decorated the walls and halls of the spectacular building, it was breath-taking in its beauty and when he was a child he never had enough of it. He remember the hours he spent exploring the vast corners of the place, finding more and more space where he went, completely amazed with the fact that such a thing could even exist, he was a slave boy back then, he came from nothing, the sight of something so majestic as tall ceilings, perfectly-sculpture statues and never ending passages was like a dream come to life. Now, that he is older it just seemed silly. He was used to it and everything seem so simple and natural he hardly paid any attention to it, although it stilled look pristine and beautiful.

For the first time in his life though, he was actually glad to return to this place.

Anakin was all for dwelling into the familiarity of the Temple but he was called upon the Council to answer and report, which he did without hesitation. Of the entire Temple, that room was the most hated one by the young Jedi. It´s sight only brought memories of punishments and scolding he preferred not to repeat and every time he was call into the chambers, he had a bad feeling about what they were about to tell him.

Once he arrived at the chamber, he was received by every single member of the distinguished Jedi Council, some of them were transmitting by hologram from different planets of the galaxy, still too deep into the war to permit themselves to come back to Temple grounds like he just had, he bowed to them respectably anyway, sensing their strong stares upon his form.

"Padawan Skywalker" the deep voice of Mace Windu welcomed him, the man was as serious as ever but a strange hint of melancholic fondness could be detected in the way he pronounced his name.

"Master" Anakin saluted.

"The news of Jabiim had reached us and I must express my deeply regret for the loss of the planet."

"I apologize, Masters. We weren´t able to take back Jabiim from the Separatist forces, and many Jedi died trying to." Anakin said through clenched teeth, remembering the terrible affairs during his stay there.

"We are also sorry to hear about the loss of your Master" Master Billaba said with a sad look on her face.

Anakin nodded, not falling at being able to answer to her kind condolences without exploding in his own grief.

"We know just how close you two were, it´s always tragic to lose one´s Master, but it´s even harder when the pair were such a functional and perfect match." Master Tiin continued, bowing his large head slightly, letting him now his words were sincere.

Anakin nodded again.

"We understand your need for some resting days of the war in this trying moments" Windu intercepted again, his usually emotionless voice changed to show some compassion and sympathy. "We are to assign you a new Master who will foresaw the rest of your apprenticeship until you reach your Knighthood, but for now, take a couple of weeks of meditation and mourning."

Anakin didn´t know how to feel about that, he was surprised by Master Windu´s reaction, since they weren´t awfully close with each other, although he knew that older Jedi had formed some sort of friendship with his wife, which would explain his apparent sadness over her death. But Anakin wasn´t ready to grieve, he wasn´t ready to accept that she could be gone, even when everything around him told him so. He wanted to share this with the Council, but he didn´t want to be looked down as a careless, ignorant child who was only saying wild assumptions out of pain of loss. The only thing preventing him from breaking down in tiny million pieces was the fact that hadn´t given up.

"Understood, Master." Anakin said instead, deciding to save his thoughts for a later discussion.

"You may go now" Windu indicated "We have received the full report by Padawan Wyn" he stated.

Anakin almost winced at the mention of Aubrie, he didn´t know she had taken the initiative and actually came to the Council first. A sudden fear embraced him, has she told them about what happened with Stratus? Were they just being nice because they were afraid of him? Were they testing him?

Before he could question any further, the distinctive eyes of Master Yoda turned at him and he, who had remained strangely quiet during the whole exchange, opened his mouth to speak.

"Young Skywalker" he started "See you tomorrow in my meditation quarters, I will" the old Master ordered.

Anakin didn´t know what it was all about, but the all gripping fear invaded him once more, making him shake with uncertainty. He managed to nod and bow before crossing the room with long legs to get away from the place.

Once more, he had been right. The Council Chamber was only sight of bad news and terrible feelings.

If Obi-Wan thought she could just simply escape swiftly without any problems on the horizon, she had been terribly mistaken. The minute they were set and ready to steal some ship of the Castle and make their most needed retreat to Coruscant, or at the very least, a Republic friendly planet, Ventress and her lackeys found them. Apparently, the riots caused by the prisoners alerted them about the whole situation, and the Danthominian had gone immediately to make sure than Obi-Wan hadn´t been one of the escaped prisoners; she had found her gone then.

"We have to stop meeting each other like this" Obi-Wan said with a small smirk. The young Jedi was tired and more than enough bruised by Ventress many tortures, but the Force was her ally and because of that she was not afraid of confrontation.

"Kenobi!" Ventress roared with unmistakable anger "You will not escape me this time" she promised.

"I think I already did" the Jedi corrected her, mockingly showing her free unchained wrists. With her right hand she moved to her belt to grip her saber, which felt comforting against the palm of her hand. It was like meeting an old friend again.

"I won´t be merciful this time, I will skip the torture, I´ll just kill you!"

With that promise came the violence. Ventress moved as fast as always, all full of energy and uncontrolled anger, and Obi-Wan, for once, struggle to match her with her weakened state. But with Asajj things were getting all too familiar, her battling ability was wild and ferocious to the point of being messy, and it didn´t matter how strong her strikes or how fast her footwork, if something was messy it was meant to fail. Obi-Wan was the complete opposite, as a gifted Soresu user she knew how to be precise and clean, limiting herself to move around her ground with small steps and to not waste unnecessary energy.

Alpha was busy firing blaster bolts to guards and Separatist droids, covering her back and letting her handle the dark user alone. The sun was coming down on whatever planet they were in the middle of and the sunset was setting on the horizon, painting their skins with an orange light.

"Oh, dear, Dooku must be so disappointed" Obi-Wan remarked, using her sharp tongue once more "I mean, about your inability to learn to use Form II properly."

"Shut up! You false Jedi!" the pale woman barked, slashing her red sabers around, trying to hit her head.

"Really, Ventress, do not yell that loud, I´m right here" the Jedi reminded her, blocking her strikes and throwing her off balance, making her take some steps back just not to lose and arm.

"You are not escaping me, Kenobi…" the woman told her.

"I have no intentions to be your captive" Obi-Wan said, finally spotting Alpha retreating to the hanger of the Castle, must having found a ship they could use. "You are not a very good host, anyways."

"Is this funny to you, Obi-Wan?" the woman hissed, walking around her like a Nexu hunting it´s meat "I am the better Jedi, I am superior to your false teachings and false Order, and I will show you just that!"

Obi-Wan frowned at the word choosing but didn´t commented on it.

"You must feel so highly of yourself" Ventress continued "so righteous. You are nothing but a speckle of dirt beneath my nails."

"If that were the case, one has to wonder why I always manage to beat you when we see each other" the Jedi said with a lifted eyebrow.

"Stop your jokes!"

"Why? Because they infuriate you? How childish."

"Kenobi!" she warned, lifting one of her sabers.

Obi-Wan looked up and smiled at the ship lowering next to her. Ventress looked around at the sight of it, realizing that her allies had been defeated by Alpha already.

"Well, this has been nice" Obi-Wan stated, jumping into the shuttle once it had come low enough "well, not really, but you get the point." She shrugged "I will see you another time" the Jedi saluted with an easy smirk.

The angle must have shown Ventress the extra lightsaber on Obi-Wan´s belt because she gasped with instant terror and shouted.

"Thief! Give that lightsaber back! It doesn´t belong to you!"

"Neither to you, Ventress" Obi-Wan screamed back, closing the open door and making a signal to Alpha so he could fly away.

Once she made it to the co-pilot seat, Alpha was giving her an annoyed look.

"What?" Obi-Wan questioned him with a confused look of her own.

"Must you provoke her every time?" Alpha wondered while it conducted the ship far and away into space.

"Oh, as if you were any better, Alpha. You taunt the enemies every time."

"Yeah, but not ones with sabers" he fixed while staring straight ahead.

Obi-Wan chuckled at the comment.

"Well, yes, but it would hardly be me if I didn´t…" she shrugged with a tiny tired smile.

Alpha gave her an amused look and she knew she had won the argument.

"That you wouldn´t, General."

Anakin wasn´t able to return to his quarters as he had wanted to, the minute he had left the Council Chamber he had sense the dread that had almost overcome him during his stay on Jabiim. He couldn't return to the room without thinking of Obi-Wan. The thought of his Master not being there, as she had promised she would be, it was consuming and almost unbearable. He just couldn´t do it. Instead, he roamed the Temple like a lost ghost, and ultimately hidden himself in the hangar, trying to fix some ships and improve the ones that were set and ready, just to distract himself from the storm of his thoughts.

Now, it was dark, and some young initiates came to him telling something about a meeting in the open gardens, Anakin had frowned at the mention of such a thing, but the younglings seemed really fascinated by the idea and insisted that it was going to be a special event, that most of the Jedi still in the Temple were going to assist, so Anakin ultimately did, if only to use it as an excuse to not go back to his quarters.

What he didn´t expected though, was the sight of a blinding blue light in the middle of the gardens. The whole thing was beautiful, and many people were gathering around it just looking at the great beam. It was sparkling with tiny snowflake-like lights and some strange butterfly figures were dancing around and inside it. He had never seen something like that at all.

He came closer, facing the beam with curiosity and wonder, busy getting lost in the appearance when a warm hand landed on his shoulder.

Anakin turned to find Aubrie standing next to him with a serious face.

"Aubrie, what are you doing here?"

"I came to see the monument."

"Monument?" Anakin asked, looking back at the light in front of his face.

"It´s a tribute. To the fallen Jedi." Aubrie explained getting next to him "It´s supposed to be a reminder of our heroes lost in the Clone Wars, can you hear it?"

Anakin frown deepened.

"Hear it?" he asked.

"Yeah, come closer."

Anakin did, until he was directly in front of it, so close he could just move an arm and touch it; suddenly a murmur of voices assaulted his ears. They were names, told by different voices of different people, he recognized some of them and even knew the names they were speaking of.

"I can hear it!" Anakin said with shock.

"It records the voice of people, you are supposed to put your hand in and gripped a butterfly, then you speak a name of people that have died in the war, the butterfly will fly around the beam for everyone to listen." Aubrie told him with a curious look on her eyes, she seemed emotionless about the idea but he could tell she was only doing it out of habit.

"Have you recorded one?"

"Not yet, although it seems a nice gesture" she said with a shrug.

Anakin stared at her for a couple of minutes, her short hair was a bit longer, and her eyes seemed tired and reflective. He could tell she hadn´t rested even when she was probably dying of sleep. Nightmares, he realized. He knew about them too well, they were his oldest companions and could found some pity inside his heart at the sight of her friend struggling with them as well.

"I didn´t tell them anything…" Aubrie said without ceremony.

"What?" Anakin asked almost lost.

She looked at him by the corner of her eyes.

"I didn´t tell them. About Stratus" she repeated, amber orbs staring at him with a glint of defiance "I told them he is dead, I didn´t tell them how it happened."

Anakin took a few moments to think about the words, almost perplexed by them. Aubrie returned to look at the light with renew interest.

"Why?"

"It´s not my burden" She responded.

Anakin frowned deeply, even more confused than before. Her words were cold and empty, as if the sole thought of accusing him was worthless and undeserving of thought; the gesture offended him somehow even when he ought to be pleased about her loyalty to him. But he knew that her silence wasn´t draw out of love or trust in him, but out of dismissiveness, of punishment even.

"It´s yours." Aubrie continued. "I heard that Yoda called you in for some meditation lessons with him, because of your Master and your relationship with her." She remarked with a look.

Anakin almost choked in his spit at the mention of a relationship but quickly calmed himself remembering that she was referring to the well-known close bond between him and his wife, not because she knew something about their secret marriage.

"I think that´s a good opportunity to open up about other issues, such as your negative emotions."

Her condescending tone was almost infuriating but Anakin managed to gulp it down in favor of remembering that she just kept her silence about a matter that any other Jedi would have reprimanded him about and accused him for. He should be grateful, not furious.

"At the end, the decision it´s yours and weather you decide to tell or not it´s of no consequence to me, I would not push the matter" she finished touching the light with the tip of her fingers.

"Thank you…" Anakin breathed.

"Just this once" she told him, promising him with a strong look "I will keep my silence just this once. For you."

Anakin smiled, taking the token with good manners and nodding without saying a word. Both of them turned to the light before them, seeing the blue colors dancing on their faces.

Anakin latched at the light, taking a butterfly out of it and holding it carefully on his leather covered hand, placing it in front of Aubrie for her to see.

"I think we should give our respects then…"

Aubrie looked at him with weary eyes but nodded anyway.

Both look at the tiny thing, shining almost white with a flashing blue and moving its wings, expecting and waiting the names it was designed to carry. Aubrie came closer and put her pink lips at level with his hand, almost kissing the fabric of his glove.

"Tae Diath…" She started with a whisper and glassy eyes "…Mak Lotor, Windo Nend, Elora Sund…"

Anakin allowed a slight breath escape his mouth at the mention of the names of the members of the Padawan Pack, feeling his heart constricting at the memory of their friends, their dead friends. Since they have been killed he had felt nothing but anger, fury, despair, he has not allowed himself to just feel sadness. This was the first time he felt only grief, only regret by their loss and their fate.

"…Kass Tod, Vaabesh, Zule Xiss…" Aubrie continued, tears going down her face like rivers in a forest.

Anakin stared at her crying eyes and allowed a single tear escape his own blue eyes in return. Sharing the pain and the unfairness of being the ones who made it out alive instead of the rest of them.

They sent each other a meaningful look before speaking again, a tiny whisper told like a secret promise of renewed friends.

"…Obi-Wan Kenobi."

I´m back from the death! I apologize I was busy with school and work and couldn´t find the time nor the energy to write, but I´m oficially done with both of those things so I was able to finish this!

I´m sorry for the lack of drawing too, I was supposed to give you a new one for this chapter but couldn´t get it done and I didn´t want to make you wait. Anyway, I will post it with the next chapter I guess.