Author: TemporaryUniverse
Character(s): Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker
Summary: Obi-Wan receives tragic news. Anakin learns a grim truth. They both mourn a friend.
Word count: 1385

A.N. I made myself very sad writing this. Enjoy!

War doesn't determine who's right. War determines who remains. - R.F. Kuang

They were in the middle of a briefing when Obi-Wan got the message. He pulled out his comm to read it, and his expression twisted with some complicated emotion that Anakin couldn't even begin to name. His jaw nearly dropped when his Master asked if he was needed. Before Anakin could say yes, Windu said no, and Obi-Wan excused himself and walked out, leaving Anakin wondering what in the Sith Hells had happened. He turned his bewildered gaze on Windu, who actually looked concerned, which was not something that Anakin usually associated with the Master of the Order. Whatever this was, it was bad.

He opened his mouth to ask, and Windu once again got there first.

"We'll continue this later. Skywalker, go after him. He needs you right now." And with that cryptic message, Windu's hologram blinked out. Anakin stared dumbly at the space where it had been for a long second before he shook himself out of his shock. Across from him, Cody kept glancing at the door while Rex kept glancing at Anakin, both wondering what was going on. He didn't have an answer for them.

Instead, he said, "Comm me if I'm not back in an hour."

When they each nodded, he took off after his friend.

He found Obi-Wan in one of the smaller briefing rooms down the hall and caught the tail end of a conversation as he stepped in. His back was to Anakin. The hologram of a Jedi Anakin might have met before glowed blue in front of him.

"…relief mission?" Anakin wished he could see Obi-Wan's face, but he was too afraid to interrupt whatever made the man sound like that. Like someone had died.

"The medical frigate was attacked en route. She was not among the survivors, I'm sorry," the half-familiar Jedi replied. Oh. Maybe someone had died. Anakin's worry grew.

"Thank you for informing me, Master Doleen," Obi-Wan said in that same heart-wrenching tone.

"May the Force be with you, Obi-Wan."

"And with you, Master." He cut the connection and just… stood there. Anakin came closer, taking in the defeated slump of Obi-Wan's shoulders and the heaviness in his bowed head.

"Obi-Wan?" He didn't respond and when Anakin reached his side he realized it because his Master was crying. His eyes were screwed shut against the silent tears that carved paths down his cheeks. His presence in the Force was leaking immeasurable grief. Alarm shot through Anakin's chest.

"Obi-Wan, what happened?"

He'd never seen Obi-Wan this broken up before, and he'd seen him grieve many times, especially over the last three years. Actually, he vaguely recalled one other time, over a decade ago. Just after Qui-Gon died, he'd come home from his lessons to find his Master crying in his room. Obi-Wan always preferred to mourn in private, for him to not even try to hide it, to let Anakin see…

The pieces slotted together. The Jedi had said medical, and Anakin only knew of one person who was both a Healer and extremely close to Obi-Wan. He closed his eyes in sorrow.

"Bant died," Obi-Wan whispered, as though saying it quietly would keep it from being true. The admission seemed to sap his strength because Anakin had to rush to catch him as he sank to the floor.

Obi-Wan had started sobbing audibly — awful, wet gasps that shook his shoulders. Anakin flailed a bit, not knowing what to do. He settled for wrapping his Master in a hug, finding it awkward at first, but it seemed to be the right thing to do because Obi-Wan returned the embrace, leaning into him. Anakin could feel his tunic becoming wet with tears.

He remembered Bant. Of Obi-Wan's friends, she'd been the first he met when he came to the Temple. Having never seen a Mon Calamari before, it had amazed him that there were people from worlds covered entirely in water and she had kindly and patiently answered every one of his questions. The words that best described Bant were those two. Kind and patient. She'd been around a lot the first week. Anakin realized later that it was because Obi-Wan had been struggling with being a new Knight and a new Master at the same time.

Bant had been the one who taught him to swim. It was Bant who treated him when he was injured in sparring or on missions. He'd spent less time with her the older he got, once he had his own friends and didn't need to hang out with his Master's. Now, with the war, he was so rarely on Coruscant and was always busy, even during his shore leave. And however much he considered Bant his friend, she was so much more to Obi-Wan. They'd grown up together, best friends from the moment tiny four-year-old Obi-Wan was crying after a nightmare and tinier three-year-old Bant had toddled up to him and hugged him as hard as she could. Anakin had heard so many tales of their exploits as they grew from Initiates, to Padawans, to Knights.

At least Obi-Wan had seen her about a month ago, and he knew they kept in touch over holo and messaging.

He squeezed tighter.

"I'm sorry, Master."

"Anakin, I don't—" Obi-Wan choked on his words, trembling with the effort. "I wasn't… She isn't supposed to die. Not... she isn't—Not before me. She's a Healer, not a General. She's supposed to… she's supposed to be safe. She's not supposed to—"

Kriff, now Anakin was almost crying. He searched for something to say, something that could make things better, and came up short.

"I'm… It's not fair," Obi-Wan continued hoarsely. The tears were subsiding, but the grief obviously hadn't. "It's not fair. I'm supposed to die first."

"No. Obi-Wan, no, don't say that." Even the thought of his Master's death ground his heart into dust. Anakin was selfishly glad that it wasn't Obi-Wan he was mourning for.

In his arms, Obi-Wan made a strange noise, a sound that in other circumstances could have been a laugh but had transformed into something equal parts bitter and weary.

"I'm the only one left," he said.

"What do you mean?" Anakin's brow furrowed. "The only one left of who?"

He felt Obi-Wan take a deep breath, and then another. "My clan."

It took Anakin a moment to figure out what he was talking about. "Your Initiate Clan? But I thought… what about Vos and Luminara?"

Obi-Wan shook his head against Anakin's shoulder. He wasn't crying anymore, but he hadn't let go, so Anakin didn't either.

"We met as Padawans. No, it was just me and… and Bant and now it's just me."

Anakin stared at the wall. He was never a part of a clan. He'd joined the Temple as Obi-Wan's Padawan. He tried to imagine watching everyone you grew up with die off one by one. Hells, as much as he made fun of his Master for being old, he really wasn't. Windu was old. Yoda was old. Obi-Wan wasn't even forty yet.

"Oh. How…" He paused, debating whether he should ask the next question, then forged ahead. "How many were there?"

"Twenty-two." Of course Obi-Wan had kept track of them all. Anakin only knew about two besides Bant. Reeft and Garen Muln. They were in the Temple less than Bant when Anakin was younger, so he hadn't gotten to know them as well. Reeft had been one of the fallen Jedi in First Geonosis. He vaguely recalled hearing that Muln had died in a battle a year ago.

"All during the war?"

"Most."

"I'm sorry," he said again. It sounded so inadequate compared to the sobering reality of the situation. Like putting a bacta patch on a severed leg.

"Why?" At first Anakin thought Obi-Wan was responding to him, but then he went on. "Why me? Why do I get to live and they don't?"

"Obi-Wan…"

"Everyone leaves me. Qui-Gon. Reeft. Garen. Satine. Bant." His voice faltered on the last name, the news still raw and painful. "Why does everyone leave?"

"I don't know. But I'm still here, Master. I'm here and I won't ever leave you. I promise." Obi-Wan didn't reply, but his arms tightened around Anakin.

They sat there for a long time, waiting for the grief to become easier to bear.