Chapter 36

Obi-Wan watched Anakin leave the med bay and suppressed a sigh. He wished Windu was not with him right now.

"Do you know who that helmet belonged to?" Windu asked him. Obi-Wan had found a Mandalorian helmet in his quarters shortly before the ship's reactor exploded. He had forgotten about it in light of their predicaments. They had been able to hear Clones looking for them and had heard them being killed by the Gundarks. Then they had both been knocked unconscious by various bits of falling debris. He had been so relieved when he woke up to see Anakin there.

"Jango Fett's. His son, or the Clone he considered a son, destroyed the ship trying to kill me in revenge for killing Jango on Kamino. In my, er, original timeline it was you Boba was after, given that you killed Jango on Geonosis." He informed him.

"Ah. But surely a young Clone could not have done this by himself." Windu frowned.

"I think he had help from some bounty hunters. Likely Aurra Sing at the very least. Jango was a very well known bounty hunter." Obi-Wan shrugged.

"Is he likely to try again?"

"Very. He most likely knows I survived and will try again at some point."

"That's...unfortunate." Windu sighed. Tell me about it, Obi-Wan thought.

"Indeed." He said out loud. Then Cody came to get them and escorted them to a gunship to be taken to the Resolute. Once on the flagship, Cody escorted them both to the ship's med bay despite Obi-Wan's protests otherwise. It was ages before they were finally released with the all clear. He immediately made his way up to the bridge. Anakin was there with Rex, looking at the number of Separatist forces waiting for them at Felucia.

"Ah, Obi-Wan, Master Windu." Anakin smiled as they came in.

"Skywalker." Windu inclined his head. "What's the status of the attack?"

"We are vastly outnumbered. I suspect the Separatists are using this not only as a blockade on Felucia but this fleet is also interrupting the trade route." Anakin told him.

"Where is Ahsoka?" Obi-Wan asked.

"She has been sent to Mandalore by Master Yoda." Anakin said. He nodded.

"Any ideas on how to break their blockade?" Obi-Wan asked.

"A few but I doubt you'll like any of them." Anakin smirked. "Given that they have the numbers, our best bet is to outmaneuver them. We are set to come out of hyperspace here." He indicated a point behind one of the moons. "If we send some of the fleet behind this moon, we can come at the Separatists in a pincer movement." He pointed to a moon on the opposite side. "If the bigger fleet draw their attention and make sure they have their shields at the front, the fleet can destroy them from behind."

"It is a solid plan." Windu said thoughtfully. "I suppose you will lead the secondary attack?"

"If you think it best." Anakin shrugged. Obi-Wan grinned at him proudly. That was rather diplomatic of him.

"I do." Windu said. "Obi-Wan and I shall coordinate the main fleet and keep their attention."

"Have you scanned the area to make sure they don't have a trap around here?" Obi-Wan asked. Anakin nodded.

"Once our fleet is in position we will jam their transmissions so they can't signal for help." The two Jedi Masters nodded.

"May the Force be with us all." Windu said. Anakin left with Rex.

"I shall head to the Negotiator to command from there." Obi-Wan said. Windu nodded. "Cody prepared to head to the command ship once we come out of hyperspace."

"Yes, Sir." Cody nodded and then he left as well.

"I think we should come at them in a two prong attack." Obi-Wan suggested. "If Anakin takes two ships, that leaves us with three each."

"Agreed. I will come in from the right, you from the left." Windu stated. Obi-Wan nodded and then departed. Anakin was waiting for him a few corridors away. Obi-Wan was instantly pulled into a hug which he swiftly returned.

"Thank the Force you're alright. I was so worried." Anakin breathed.

"No lasting damage done. Did you catch Boba?"

"No. He was with Aurra Sing and some other bounty hunter. They escaped because we needed to get you two out of there before any more of it collapsed on top of you."

"I appreciate that."

"I thought you might." Anakin smirked and then kissed him. "Urgh. You taste of bacta."

"So sorry." Obi-Wan said sarcastically.

"It's ok. I'll forgive you." He rolled his eyes and hugged the younger man once more.

"Come on, as much as I don't like to, we do have a job to do. We must be reaching Felucia any moment."

"Yeah. Rex said we should be there by the time we reach the hangar." Together they made their way down. Rex and Cody were already waiting for them.

Mace stood on the bridge of the Resolute, having watched the other two Jedi leave. He was quite confused by the two of them. Obi-Wan revealing that he was from the future had explained a lot of things, particularly about the amount of shatterpoints connected to him. It had been good to know that Qui-Gon was one with the Force and had communicated with Obi-Wan. He may have disapproved of his methods, but Mace had been fond of the quirky Jedi Master. However, his explanation of the future had been grim.

One particular thing bothered him. Skywalker was supposedly the Chosen One, he had bested Dooku once and killed Maul. Yet this new Sith Apprentice had managed to kill him. It left him wondering just how powerful this new apprentice would be and who it could possibly be. Sheer power would not be enough to defeat Skywalker, he knew that from their duels. Yet the amount of training required to defeat him with skill would be phenomenal. He may not have liked Skywalker but he would freely admit to his abilities with a lightsaber. Did that mean that Palpatine was, even now, training an apprentice to take over from Dooku, or had he found someone completely new? That seemed unlikely. Something seemed off but he could not put his finger on it.

Regardless, hearing Skywalker had died trying to aid the Jedi against the Sith, though unfortunate, had gone a long way to allaying his fears about the young man. For a very long time he had not trusted him. The boy had been filled with fear and anger and it had scared Mace. For someone that powerful to be trained in their ways and yet constantly walk so close to the Dark Side put him on edge. His complete disregard for authority and inability to follow orders didn't help. He wondered how Obi-Wan ever put up with him, although for some odd reason he seemed to enjoy Skywalker's cheekiness and disregard for his authority. Clearly having Qui-Gon for a Master had rubbed off on him, despite his early desire to follow all the rules.

He was yanked out of his troubled thoughts by Admiral Yularen telling him that they were out of hyperspace and ready to get in attack position. He sent a transmission to the Negotiator and Obi-Wan confirmed they were also ready. Skywalker joined them and said they were almost there. Windu took a deep breath and got himself ready.

Obi-Wan was only waiting, rather anxiously, for the signal from Anakin before beginning the attack. Eventually they were all in place. Obi-Wan and Windu ordered their forces out from behind the moon, attacking from two separate directions. The Separatists were caught off guard but recovered quickly. Obi-Wan had the Clones jam their signals. The flurry of shots, lit up the space between the two fleets. A squadron of fighters left the Resolute to meet the oncoming enemy fighters.

The battle was clearly not going in their favour but they had expected that. Once they were sure the enemy focus was fully on them, Obi-Wan told Anakin to move in. It worked flawlessly. Trapped between two fleets, the enemy was stuck. They put up a valiant effort but they had put full power to their front shields, leaving the rear vulnerable and Anakin took lethal advantage. Two of their ships were gone before they could even begin to fight back. With their shields then split, it was much easier to move in and destroy the remainder of the fleet. Still, it took a while to properly clean up and wipe out smaller enemy fighters that tried to escape.

The three Jedi reported their success to the rest of the Council. Anakin was told to head to Mandalore to pick up Ahsoka before returning to Coruscant. Obi-Wan saw the very brief flicker of distaste that flashed across his face. He hid a chuckle. Thankfully he was ordered back to Coruscant as well while Windu would stay to maintain the blockade until Aayla Secura could arrive to take over with fresh troops.

The trip to Coruscant was quite peaceful if not a little lonely. He had become far too accustomed to Anakin's presence and the chaos that came with it. Given that at one time he would have given anything for some peace and quiet, he really didn't know what to do with himself now that he had some. He distracted himself with various battleplans and recalling some more events. Then he tried some meditation. Once he had arrived back in the Captial, he had enough time to get changed and wash up before being summoned to a Council meeting. There he gave his full report of the events on Vanqor and the battle above Felucia. When he had finished, he took his seat and there was some discussion before Anakin and Ahsoka came in. Ahsoka gave a brief outline of her trip to Mandalore.

"On more urgent matters, Anakin you are to go to Balith." Obi-Wan said. It was something that had just been discussed. "They have requested our assistance with a large-scale civil war. You will leave immediately." He could almost hear the internal groan.

"I've never been to Balith." Ahsoka commented.

"You will not be going, Padawan. We need your full report on the events of Mandalore." Kit Fisto told her.

"Yes, Master." Ahsoka said, though she was clearly disappointed. Anakin didn't look too happy either. After that they were dismissed. There were only a few more matters for the Council to discuss before they were also dismissed. Obi-Wan took off to find Anakin before he left. Thankfully he was waiting in their apartment.

"Hey." Anakin said as Obi-Wan came in. They hugged tightly and then sank onto the couch together.

"Hey." Obi-Wan smiled.

"My ship is waiting for me."

"I'm sure it is." Neither of them made any attempt to leave. In fact, Anakin pulled him in for a kiss. They broke apart for air and grinned soppily at each other. Then Anakin sighed reluctantly.

"I told them I was going for a shower while I could. So I don't have long."

"Oh I don't know. I've known you to take quite a while in the shower." Obi-Wan smirked.

"Only when you're in there with me."

"Well, I'm quite sure that's not my fault."

"It most definitely is." Anakin told him with a grin. "But I can't tell them it's your fault I took an hour in the shower."

"I don't know. Rex's face would be quite interesting." Obi-Wan mused. Anakin snickered.

"Oh, while I remember, here." He handed him some cred sticks.

"What's this for?" Obi-Wan asked, making no move to take them.

"When I did some jobs, they paid really well. I meant to give you some the other day but by the time I came back you were asleep and then I forgot. Normally I just stash the excess in various different places, so I figured you should keep some in case you need it. You never know." Anakin shrugged but he looked nervous.

"Oh alright. But just for safekeeping. It's your money" He said, taking the money. Anakin smiled.

"Sure, sure. I'll just end up spending it on stuff for you anyway." He said. Obi-Wan felt his face warm a little. He wasn't sure he would ever get used to someone taking care of him in such a way but he was more than willing to try.

"Thank you." Obi-Wan said meaningfully, trying to convey his thanks in general. Anakin grinned and kissed him once more.

"I really do need to go."

"Oh, fine. I'll see you soon. Make sure you're still in one piece when I do."

"Yes, Master." Anakin said with a smirk. They both stood and hugged once more before heading out.

Obi-Wan walked Anakin to his ship. Ahsoka joined them on the way. As he had said, the ship was waiting for Anakin. Suddenly he turned to his Padawan.

"I sense you are uneasy. What's the matter?" Ahsoka was silent for a few moments.

"I...nothing." She said unconvincingly. "Master, let me come with you." She asked suddenly. "Who else will have your back if Master Obi-Wan and I aren't there?"

"Rex. You know I would, Snips. But this is a Council decision, not mine." He told her regretfully. "I much prefer it when you're at my side. Both of you." Anakin continued, smiling fondly at Obi-Wan and Ahsoka.

"I learn much more with you in the field than I ever could here." Ahsoka protested.

"I know. But Obi-Wan will be here. Maybe you can convince him to give you some training. Just try to stay awake. He gets tetchy if you fall asleep in his lectures."

"I do not get tetchy." Obi-Wan told him haughtily.

"He so does." Anakin told Ahsoka in a stage whisper. Obi-Wan rolled his eyes while Ahsoka laughed. "I'll be back before you know it, Snips. Just try to stay out of trouble." Ahsoka nodded, still looking unhappy. Anakin clapped both of them on the shoulder and then boarded the ship. Obi-Wan and Ahsoka watched until it was out of sight.

"Come on, little one. How about some lightsaber practise?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Little one?" Ahsoka raised an eyebrow at him. He nodded, giving her an innocent smile. "That doesn't work on me. Anakin is my Master." Obi-Wan had to concede that was a good point. "But some lightsaber practise does sound good."

They made their way to the training room. The practise was nice, especially as Ahsoka fought very much like Yoda which made a change. Not many Jedi used quite so much acrobatics in fighting. After a couple of hours they took a break to shower and change. Then Obi-Wan had a meeting with Yoda which thankfully didn't last long. He hated meetings.

By the time that was over, he was feeling rather hungry. He suggested to Ahsoka that they go down to Dex's for dinner which she agreed to eagerly.

"How often do you and Master Anakin come here?" She asked as they walked in to a warm welcome from Dex.

"Quite frequently." Obi-Wan told her with a grin. They had a pleasant meal, chatting about her experience as a Padawan and having Anakin as a Master. He did reveal Anakin's life day which was in around one standard month. Ahsoka was quite determined to make it special somehow. They discussed some ideas for that although it would depend quite a bit on what happened with the war and where they all were. Ahsoka dismissed this concern, saying they should just make plans they could enact whenever they were all on Coruscant together. Obi-Wan agreed and they made a rough plan. Dex was quite willing to help out when they mentioned their plans to him. Dex may have had many regulars over the years but Obi-Wan suspected he harboured a very soft spot for Anakin in particular.

Once they had finished their meal, he and Ahsoka headed back to the Temple. She thanked him for taking her and then returned to her quarters while Obi-Wan went to his. As he had the place to himself, he decided to just head to bed and read for a while. It didn't take long for his eyes to continually droop so he put the book down and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, he tidied the apartment before making his way to the archives. Ahsoka was already there looking troubled. He slid into the seat next to her.

"You alright?" He asked gently.

"Huh? Oh, Master Kenobi. Yes, I just didn't sleep very well."

"Bad dreams?" He guessed, hoping against hope it wasn't to do with Anakin.

"Yeah. I couldn't really make out any details though, it was all vague and blurry. I got the sense someone was about to kill someone else." She told him with a frown. Obi-Wan was concerned. If they were indeed visions like Anakin's they were likely about someone close to Ahsoka. That narrowed down the options and none of them were good. He wondered if Boba was going to make another attempt on his life.

"I'm afraid that's not much to go on." He said, giving her a sympathetic expression. "You can try meditating or you might just have to wait and see if you get any dreams that are clearer. She nodded.

"Thanks."

"No problem. Anakin's had prophetic visions before but you need to be mindful. The future is always in motion and by trying to stop a vision without thinking of the possible consequences, you may be more likely to make it come true." He warned.

"A self fulfilling prophecy?" She asked. He nodded. "I'll be careful." With that, he got up to fetch the archives that he required and settled down to work. After a while there was a loud gasp and he looked over to see Ahsoka sitting bolt upright. "You ok?"

"Yeah. I had another dream. Some bounty hunter is involved. It looked like the woman Anakin described from Vanqor." Obi-Wan sighed. It might well be him then. He used the computer to pull up an image of Aurra Sing.

"This her?"

"Yeah. Do you think she's after you again?"

"Possibly. Boba Fett was the person actually wanting me dead but she was definitely helping him given what Anakin said. It's possible she's making another attempt although I got the feeling Boba wanted to kill me himself if possible."

"That's a bold move, trying to kill you while on Coruscant." Ahsoka said thoughtfully. Obi-Wan shrugged.

"All we can do is wait. I will make sure to be on my guard." The Togruta nodded. They went about their business, though Obi-Wan advised her to get some rest even if she didn't sleep.

It was another two days before Ahsoka came back to him. During that time there was a report that Dooku had been spotted but he was gone by the time Plo Koon and his fleet had arrived. There didn't seem to have been any new Separatist leaders that any one had heard of since Maul had been killed by Anakin. It set Obi-Wan on edge. The wars were definitely going better than they had last time around but the Separatists were doing well enough across such wide space that Dooku could not be the only leader.

One morning, Ahsoka came bursting into his apartment, out of breath as if she had run there.

"It's Padme. That bounty hunter is after Padme." Ahsoka panted.

"Alright." Obi-Wan said, standing up. "Let us go and warn the Senator." They made their way to the Senate building and up to Padme's apartments. Captain Typho let them in. Padme and Ahsoka hugged while Obi-Wan gave a bow. Once pleasantries were out of the way, Ahsoka explained her visions. As she spoke, Obi-Wan noticed that Padme seemed to have been packing before their arrival.

"Are you leaving, Senator?" He asked.

"Yes, I'm heading to Alderaan for an important conference with Bail. Captain, please ensure any necessary measures are taken." Padme said. The Captain nodded.

"Might I suggest taking Ahsoka with you for added protection?" Obi-Wan asked. Ahsoka looked at him in surprise.

"That seems acceptable. I enjoy her company." Padme smiled.

"Won't you be coming?" Ahsoka asked him. Obi-Wan shook his head.

"No. These visions came to you. I think you are perfectly capable of protecting the Senator." He told her with a smile. Her eyes lit up in delight.

"That's decided then." Padme said. "I shall finish packing. Ahsoka, I'll meet you at the Senator docks in half an hour?"

"That's fine." Ahsoka nodded. She left with Obi-Wan. Once they were back at the Temple, Ahsoka went off to get her things and Obi-Wan returned to his own apartments. He hoped Anakin would be back soon.

Much to his delight, Anakin returned late the next day. The civil war on Balith was over and the Republic were sending more troops to help maintain the peace. There was a Council meeting called for Anakin to give a full report and then they finally had some alone time. They went back to the apartment and settled on the couch together, Anakin leaning into Obi-Wan's side. Obi-Wan could feel tension and stress bleeding out of him as his posture slowly relaxed.

"Long trip?" He asked, running a hand through the slightly matted curls.

"Yeah." Anakin agreed, letting out a sigh of contentment. "Glad I didn't get another assignment just yet."

"Me too." Obi-Wan said. "Nor did I get given one just as you get some leave."

"Definitely something to be grateful for." Anakin said firmly. Obi-Wan smiled then kissed his hair.

"You need a shower." He commented.

"Thanks. Care to join me?"

"Oh if you insist."

"I do."

"Then clearly I have no choice." They both jumped into the shower. Anakin let out a sinful moan as the hot water rushed over them. Obi-Wan took great pleasure in washing his hair, slowly and thoroughly, before washing the rest of him as had become their tradition. Anakin then returned the favour. Then Obi-Wan pulled him into a hug, letting the spray just wash over them both, enjoying the physical contact. Anakin wrapped his arms loosely around his waist. The moment was broken a few seconds later by a loud yawn from the younger man.

"Tired?"

"V..very." He said through another yawn. Obi-Wan smiled and turned the shower off. Anakin made a pitiful whine as the cold air hit them when they stepped out. It certainly encouraged them to hurry up and finish getting themselves ready for bed. Once they got in, Obi-Wan pulled Anakin to his chest and simply listened to his breathing as it quickly evened out.

The next day they went out into Coruscant on another date. This time they went for a leisurely speeder drive around the nearby area. Anakin drove but promised to drive at a regular speed, which he actually did. Obi-Wan was both impressed and pleased. He hadn't been completely sure Anakin even knew how to drive at regular speeds. After a bit of a drive, Anakin pulled over down a side alley.

"What are we doing here?" Obi-Wan asked him, slightly apprehensively.

"Ah, relax, Obi-Wan. It's nothing dangerous." Anakin told him with a smirk that wasn't assuring in the slightest and then pulled a cloak on. Obi-Wan did the same and they pulled their hoods up so they wouldn't be recognised. Anakin took his hand and led him down some streets.

"Where are we going?" He asked after a good ten minutes of walking. Not that their current situation was unpleasant. Simply walking around, hand in hand with Anakin was quite wonderful but he knew Anakin had something in mind.

"You'll find out." Anakin told him. "Patience." There was a little too much glee in that last word for Obi-Wan's taste and he rolled his eyes. Eventually he was led into a large domed building. The inside made him gasp. It had been turned into a gigantic nature reserve. A large grass area stretched in front of them with a stream running through it, while a forested area stood off to his left. Chirps of various birds came from the trees. The stream came from a tall waterfall on their right. Obi-Wan guessed the water was sent around in a constant loop. It was incredible.

"Wow." Was all he could say. Anakin grinned happily and tugged him by the hand, leading him towards the waterfall. Obi-Wan was surprised to see Artoo and C-3PO waiting for them, a blanket spread on the grass, just far enough away from the water that they wouldn't be hit by the spray.

"Thanks guys." Anakin said to them. There was a basket sitting on the blanket. Anakin sprawled himself on the blanket and gestured for Obi-Wan to sit next to him which he did. Anakin immediately laid his head in his lap. Obi-Wan smiled.

"This is wonderful." He told him.

"I thought you might like it."

"Very much." The waterfall was relaxing, the whole place was, but Obi-Wan had always loved the sound of water. It had taken Anakin a long time to get used to it, having come from a desert planet and had never appreciated it as much as he did. To him, waterfalls simply for viewing purposes were a waste of precious resources having come from a place where such a simple thing was so rare. "How did you find it?"

"I had Artoo and 3-PO do a search." Then Obi-Wan's stomach rumbled. Anakin snickered. "There's food in the basket. I made all your favourites this morning before you woke up." Obi-Wan was touched.

"Aren't you very prepared."

"You deserve the best." Anakin told him before sitting up and kissing him. Obi-Wan really didn't think he could be happier.