"She's what?!"
Obi-Wan Kenobi sighed as he watched Kit Fisto try (unsuccessfully) to reassure Anakin about Ahsoka's condition. He pinched the bridge of his nose, already feeling a headache starting to bloom from his former student's projecting. Their Force bond had evolved and adapted over the years with their partnership, but had never gone completely silent.
And it always spiked in times like these. If someone Anakin cared about was hurt, or in trouble, or being threatened (or some combination thereof, knowing their line of work), their bond would flare with intense energy fueled by his worry. It was frazzled, sparking with mental electricity. It could get overwhelming and had not improved when Anakin took on a padawan of his own.
Today had been bad. Actually, the entire week had been bad. Geonosis was quite possibly Obi-Wan's least favorite place in the galaxy, but the rest of the Council had insisted that his first hand "experience" with the native wildlife would be an invaluable asset in taking the system.
It'd been a successful mission, if nothing else. Thanks to the efforts of four Jedi Knights, two Padawans, the 501st, 212th, 41st and 21st clone legions- they'd managed to retake the planet, take down a droid factory, and capture a major Separatist leader.
But at what cost? He'd almost been killed crashing into the damn planet and had barely gotten out of a bacta tank before having to rescue a captured Luminara from the Genosian Queen. And all the while, said queen attempted to possess them with brain corrupting parasites.
Parasites that managed to get aboard a medical frigate and infect the entire crew. They would've infected the Ord Cestus medical station too, had Ahsoka not broken the coolant system, almost freezing to death in the process. And this was after surviving a gunship crash, blowing up a factory while still inside, and being buried under tons of rubble.
So he understood Anakin's upset perfectly. Every Master was distressed when their padawan was badly hurt, even more so when you were the one that put them in that situation in the first place.
Every Master… except Master Luminara Unduli, it seemed. She was deliberately standing on the opposite side of the room while Kit Fisto tried to extinguish the protective inferno that was Anakin Skywalker, and to the untrained eye, appeared not to be listening. But Obi-Wan and Luminara had been age-mates. Despite her cool exterior, he could feel her signature faltering as Kit described the padawans' injuries.
He walked over to where she stared out the viewfinder into the expanse of hyperspace. They stood in comfortable silence, another habit from their Creche days. He stretched out his own calm energy to envelop them both and he felt her tension ease a bit through the Force.
"Master Fisto said it'll take some time for their sedatives to wear off." He said. This was always the best way to begin with Luminara, stating a simple and mutually understood fact.
"Yes. Although Barriss will likely take longer than Master Fisto's estimations. She's always been sensitive to traditional sedatives. Is Ahsoka the same way? I'm afraid I'm not incredibly experienced with Togrutan physiology."
A typical Luminara answer, trying to direct the focus back towards others.
"Like Master, like Padawan, I'm afraid. Unless Master Fisto intends to post a guard, Ahsoka'll be out of bed as soon as she can, whether or not she should."
"Well, I think Master Skywalker will be able to help. Wouldn't want to subject an innocent clone to that fate."
There we go. That was Luminara without the plastered serenity, her warm amusement wrapping around them like a summer's wind.
"And are you planning on joining him, Master Luminara?"
The wind turned cold, icy even. She crossed her arms over her chest, grasping at her elbows as if to ward off the chill.
"I will check on her when we dock at the station. But I would prefer to keep myself busy until she wakes."
Obi-Wan hummed, looking over at Anakin as he signed off and started talking to Rex, the young man's signature still unsettled and prickly. "We all cope with our Padawans' troubles in different ways."
She was silent for a long moment before a faint smile graced her lips. "Do they ever stop being our Padawans?"
He laughed, reaching over to squeeze her shoulder, sending a brief stream of support in the Force.
"I'll let you know when it happens."
She turned to look at him fully, eyes bright with unshed tears. She opened her mouth as if to speak and then shut it abruptly as they both sensed Anakin's approach. She straightened, folding her hands behind her back. Obi-Wan mirrored her posture; Luminara trusted him enough to let her guard down and that he wouldn't fault her when she had to put it back up.
"I appreciate you joining us, Master Kenobi. Your insight is most helpful."
"Thank Ki-Adi, he offered to handle Poggle alone so I could tag along."
In actuality, Ki-Adi Mundi had told Obi-Wan in no uncertain terms that he would dare "send one of Ahsoka's teachers without sending the other."
Obi-Wan had laughed at that initially, but there was a degree of truth to it. Some days he felt as if he had two padawans. His blood had turned cold upon hearing what had happened aboard the ship. Being possessed by a creature, stripped of your free will, and forced to harm your closest friends- it must have been terrifying for the clones and young ones both.
And while Obi-Wan was indeed worried about his grand-padawan, his first responsibility was to prevent Anakin from injuring any medics in a blind panic.
Anakin had calmed somewhat as he approached the other Jedi, their bond no longer mimicking a live wire. He rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous habit Obi-Wan had never managed to break him of.
"Master Fisto reports that the medical supplies were dispatched to Dantooine, but we should remain on stand-by in case Master Windu needs backup."
"The majority of the 41st has already been sent to Ossus to rendezvous with Master Secura's forces. I'll have to head there as soon as Barriss and my other clones have recovered."
Obi-Wan marveled at how while the Mirilan Master was different from his apprentice in nearly every aspect, neither did well with being idle for long periods of time, channeling their need to be useful in different ways. A clear plan of action for the future steadied Luminara, while Anakin's clear plan never extended beyond the current moment.
"That's alright." Obi-Wan said. "With the 501st restored and the 212th rested, we'll be more than able to assist Master Windu if necessary."
"Then I'll go comm Master Secura and update her." Luminara bowed her head to both of them and made a graceful exit. As she left, Obi-Wan's bond with Anakin started to fizz again and his headache started to return.
"How is she?"
Anakin folded his arms over his chest, looking up to the ceiling to avoid eye contact.
"When the clones' body temperature dropped, the parasites couldn't survive and tried to find a new host. But since the entire ship was cold, they were moving so slowly that it was easy for the medical staff to contain them."
"Anakin-"
"Preliminary brain scans show no internal damage, although they won't know for sure until they're awake and can test memory, reactions, stuff like that." He was starting to ramble now, tripping over his words like he was fighting to keep them in order.
"Anakin."
"Only three casualties, not bad when you consider-"
"Anakin."
Anakin looked back to his Master, his anchor point since he'd been nine years old. They held eye contact for a long moment as they push-pulled emotions across their bond, until Anakin sighed and his shoulders slumped.
"Ahsoka is fine, physically anyway. Bacta dunk for the frostbite, IV to compensate for the adrenaline drop. Fisto tried to put'em in a healing trance, but they're both so damn stubborn he had to use a sedative first."
Obi-Wan couldn't help but chuckle. "They're both very strong willed, much like their Masters."
He'd intended to distract Anakin with the compliment, but it was no use. He was a young, protective Master with a reckless student and couldn't pull himself out of his worry, not alone.
Obi-Wan reached out mentally and physically, grasping his former student's shoulders with an intensity strong enough to break Anakin's thought spiral.
"Ahsoka is well, Anakin. She's safe and Master Fisto is taking care of their physical healing. When we get there, you'll be able to start in on her mental state."
"She won't see a Mind Healer." Anakin growled, his annoyance crystal clear in the Force.
Neither will you. Obi-Wan thought, but knew that was still a losing battle.
"I didn't say she needed a Mind Healer. Ahsoka will need you, Anakin. You know her better than anyone and you'll be able to help her process what happened."
"But I'm the one that put her on the ship in the first place!"
And there it was. Anakin was one of the most powerful living Jedi with enough compassion and determination to impact entire star systems. He was a brilliant pilot, a lethal warrior, but above all, a protector. Every master would walk through fire to protect their student, but it was impossible to shield them from everything forever.
"None of this is your fault, Anakin. We didn't know the troops were infected or that the parasites could even spawn outside of the Queen's temple. But now we do. And thanks to you, we also know how to stop them. Ahsoka went on the mission because you ordered her to, but you were also the one who helped her survive. That is the job of a Master."
Anakin rolled his eyes, forever a volatile teenager. "Deliberately putting my padawan in harm's way?"
Obi-Wan tightened his grip, putting a steady pressure on the bond. "Giving them the tools to succeed when we can't be there to help them."
In a heartbeat, the bond shut down and shields went up. For the first time since the medical frigate had missed their check in nearly 24 hours ago, their link was quiet.
"I don't even know what to say. 'Sorry you almost died Snips, but you did a great job and it could've been way worse?'"
Obi-Wan dropped his hands, folding them behind his back. As my old Master would say- feel, don't think. Trust your instincts, they've always served you well, especially where Ahsoka is concerned."
Anakin sighed heavily, running his hands through his hair which made it even more disorderly than usual. "They should write books for this sort of thing."
He raised an eyebrow, letting warmth and teasing flow through their bond to nudge their way past the shields.
"What, 'How to raise Padawans in a warzone: 101'?"
Anakin laughed, a real laugh, and everything felt lighter. "Something like that."
"Go get some rest, little one. You'll need all your strength to keep Ahsoka from frightening the healers."
Anakin punched him in the arm. "Hey, I've got my own padawan now and at least a foot taller than you. Save that for the younglings."
Obi-Wan shook his head. "Padawan-mine, you could be 107 years old and four feet taller than me, and I will still call you 'little one'. Now get some sleep. That's an order."
Anakin bowed, even as he rolled his eyes. "Yes Master."
As he left, their bond opened again and a whispered word of gratitude flowed across. Obi-Wan sighed and turned back to the viewport, watching as the lights streaked by.
It's going to be a long day.