AN: So this is a year into the Clone Wars, but the only things that are consistent with canon are Citadel Prison and Ryloth.
Notable Inconsistencies: Ponds and Domino Squad are still alive. I also forget most of season one, so don't worry about it because I'm not.
Thank you, Sectumus Prince!
Chapter 3 - Picked Apart
The next few days were strangely peaceful. Omega seemed to feel that she had over shared the day she arrived and had stayed pretty circumspect since. She watched everyone and everything, and jumped at the chance to help anyone with anything, whether it was scouting, rations distribution, checking over basic equipment, and basically any chore.
Which of course meant she endeared herself to everyone, and within less than forty-eight standard hours had every trooper in the 501st and 212th wrapped around her fingers.
When the Bad Batch arrived, Rex was startled when Omega ran up to his side.
"You called Hunter?"
Rex nodded, wondering how she knew the Bad Batch's ship, then realized of course she did—it was one of the few personalised ships in the GAR. His concerns in calling them here were lessened by the fact that Omega seemed excited.
Cody was caught up in helping Skywalker and Kenobi train Commander Tano, but most of the other officers abandoned their vigils, watching the Jedi dance with laser swords, to see Omega reunited with her sort of batchmates.
Hunter was the first off board, followed by the other three.
Wrecker pushed ahead when he caught sight of Omega by Rex's side.
Waxer, who had been forced to part with Numa, bristled behind Omega as the enhanced clone boomed, "You are so small."
Far from insulted, Omega's smile only grew. "Hi, Wrecker."
Wrecker laughed, "Hey, Hunter, I told you we were famous!"
"Infamous," Jesse muttered under his breath.
The rest of the Bad Batch was less enthused about meeting Omega.
Hunter glanced at Rex. "You made him sound like a big deal? He's undersized." Hunter glowered at Omega. "Did you even train with the Prime?"
Omega shook her head. "I met him, but I wasn't trained for active combat."
Crosshair narrowed his gaze. "But you're one of Nala Se's?"
Omega hesitated but Tech cut in as he squinted through his enlarged glasses, "Are you female?"
Omega grinned, "Yep!"
Hunter glared at Rex. "That's the mutation?"
"She is Boba's twin, I didn't lie."
"Uh-huh," Hunter said. "So why are you the one greeting us and not Codes and the Jedi?"
Gregor shifted on his feet, Waxer and Boil going tense at the nickname for their Commander used so flippantly
But it was Appo who drawled, "Delegation of tedium."
Rex looked over the faces of his men, of the 212th, feeling the rising hostility heat up by the moment, though he wasn't sure why.
"You were Nala Se's assistant?" Crosshair pressed on, ignoring everything else.
Omega's smile faltered. "Yes, but—"
"Did you experiment on us?" Crosshair asked, voice low.
Omega took a step back from him, her happiness falling away. "I… No! I helped keep you alive—"
"While Nala Se picked us apart!?" Crosshair roared.
Tears formed in her eyes as she hastened, "I'm sorry—"
"Sorry?" Crosshair repeated, tone going dark. "For—"
Appo stepped in front of her. "Lay off! She's a child!"
Crosshair's expression was furious. "You have no idea what Nala—"
Jesse got into the mutant's face. "We have no idea? You sorry excuse for a—"
Crosshair shoved Jesse away. "Don't pick a fight you know you can't win, Reg."
That's when the shouts came from all around. The Bad Batch, including Hunter and Tech, hurled insults back at the growing crowd of officers. The lower ranks went the opposite direction, clearing off.
Appo shoved Crosshair right back. "You half-baked soldiers think you have—"
Wrecker jumped in then, picking Appo by the chest plate and shaking him.
Clone troopers were not small, Jango Fett was not a small man, but Wrecker was about twice the body mass of most, in addition to a few mutations that gave him superhuman strength and a negligible amount of pain sensors.
Appo, who was one of the more flexible brothers, twisted in Wrecker's grasp in a move that would make Commander Tano proud. Kicking his feet up, he managed to kick Wrecker under the chin. Appo somehow managed to get his legs hooked over Wrecker's shoulder bringing his elbows down in rabid blows to the mutant's temple that would have killed a lesser man.
Before Wrecker could rip the smaller man off, Gregor came from the side, tackling one of Wrecker's legs. Appo used the fall to bring down a heavy blow that seemed to actually stun the giant for a moment.
Appo and Gregor were batchmates, though they served in different battalions, when they fought together it was as if they had Jedi senses in knowing where the other would be and strike.
Crosshair wound up a punch, but Jesse caught his fist from behind and twisted him around, using the momentum to introduce the kriffar to his armoured knee.
Rex wasn't sure what would have happened, but General Kenobi's voice cut through the ruckus, "What is going on here?"
There was a scramble as everyone tried to get to their feet and into formation.
Except for the Bad Batch.
Wrecker stayed on his sheb in the dirt, rubbing the spot Appo had pounded. Crosshair and Hunter stood shoulder to shoulder, arms crossed. Tech stood at ease, adjusting his glasses minutely as he checked over the datapad that seemed ever-present in his hand.
Omega looked shaken. Silent tears spilled down her cheeks as Waxer and Boil stood sentinel at her back.
General Kenobi watched them all closely, his expression wholly unamused at their behaviour. Cody looked murderous behind him. General Skywalker looked more curious at what Kenobi would do, and Commander Tano was gazing at them all, wide-eyed.
Cody caught Rex's gaze.
Rex winced inwardly. He was so kriffed.
"I will repeat myself once more," Kenobi said, breaking the tense silence. "What is going on?"
Wrecker shoved himself to his feet. Hunter stepped forward, hand on his batchmate's arm to prevent him from speaking.
Hunter spoke at the same moment Omega did.
"Your men—"
"It was my fault!" Omega said louder.
Hunter startled, looking at the ad'ika with new eyes. "No, it was—"
General Kenobi held up a hand, and even Hunter was smart enough to shut up. Kenobi stepped forward, dropping to a knee before Omega. His voice was gentle but firm as he asked, "Omega, what happened?"
Everyone held their breath. No matter how likeable Kenobi was, his decisions could damn them all.
But Omega hurled no accusations. "I was Nala Se's assistant. I worked in her labs. I had to do what she told me to and learn what she taught. I only had her and a droid. I didn't want to—" Her voice caught in her throat.
Kenobi laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "It's all right, little one. You are safe now, you can breathe. Just breathe."
Omega sucked in a shuddering breath. "I never did anything to them! Except for running scans and life support. The other things…"
Rex's heart broke for her, his mind supplying horror after horror she must have witnessed.
What the Clone Force 99 must have endured.
Omega swallowed hard and pressed on, "I only helped with surgeries on cadavers. I swear I never hurt any of my brothers." She looked up past Kenobi to Hunter. "I swear. I'm sorry I couldn't prevent the things that Nala Se did to you."
Hunter let out a harsh breath. "I'm sorry too, kid. You didn't deserve us being angry toward you. We know better than anyone the authority Nala Se has."
Kenobi rose to his feet. "Am I to assume you are Clone Force Squad 99?"
"Yes, Sir," Hunter said without salute.
Cody was going to murder the mutant in his sleep.
Gregor was as tense as a tuning fork beside Appo, both their armour scuffed with fresh dirt.
Kenobi's gaze swept over them all before he said to everyone present, "Let me make myself perfectly clear: Whatever it is that was happening here today, it will not happen again. If you were all of lower rank, I might let this pass, but we, your brothers who serve beneath you especially, cannot afford an injured officer because of internal squabbling."
Rex closed eyes as shame overcame him. He hadn't even participated in the fight, but he hadn't stopped either.
More importantly, he hadn't prevented it.
Friendly competition between the 212th and 501st was common, but they never came to blows.
But the Bad Batch weren't one of them. Despite there only being four in their squad, they were all personalities.
Rex should have anticipated that. He should have accounted for Appo and Gregor getting set off by the Bad Batch's blatant disrespect, being from the second generation of Alphas. While they had been altered to have more stable personalities than the first generation, many of the same quirks were shared between them.
Like their being old enough to have been trained by Jango Fett himself.
Cody was from the same generation, and looked as if he was ready for fratricide.
Rex was less than a year younger, but it did make a difference at times. He stepped forward, ready to take the fall for this.
"General Kenobi, Sir—"
Kenobi raised a hand to silence him. "I understand, Captain. I nearly got myself expelled from the Jedi Order when I was thirteen for fighting with a fellow crechemate."
"What?" Skywalker squeaked, mouth hanging open.
Kenobit ignored his apprentice as he continued, "But there is too much on the line for mistakes. The Senate has its eyes on us, the Jedi and your brothers. There are forces in the Senate that hope we fail in this war so they can disband us both."
Rex felt the blood drain from his face. "What?"
Kenobi sighed. "This war is controversial, some because of pacifism and being honestly against the war. Others, like Corellia, would love nothing more than to further militarise the Republic by instituting a civilian draft and taking the GAR's and Order's resources."
Rex had to focus on his breath as the implications sunk in.
Kenobi might be including them in those resources. However, the way he had phrased it implied that both their peoples would have everything ripped out from beneath them.
Their ships.
Their rations.
Their weapons.
The Temple and the Jedi's freedoms.
They would be left with nothing.
They would be refugees with enemies on both sides.
Rex thought about all the resources the Jedi held and realized how much could be taken. The Jedi owned planets; places like Ilum, which was no place to live, but would mean the Corellians would have unmediated access to mines of Kyber.
Kriff, kriff, kriff.
It wasn't enough that the Republic had bought them from Kamino, but to disgrace both the sacrifices they and the Jedi were making to change the Republic into, what, an Empire?
Kenobi went on, "You are all a part of the 7th Sky Corps. You represent the largest fraction of the GAR. Whatever you personally believe about this war, whatever you thought coming into it or believe you are fighting for, you are also fighting for your existence. If we lose, both you and the Jedi will be broken up."
Wrecker made an angry sound. "So what do you want from us, to join the Separatists?"
Kenobi smirked and said with self-deprecating humour, "I wouldn't advise it. Count Dooku's goal as s Sith is Empire and genocide. He may accept troopers, in the beginning, but he would never trust you. The Sith kill each other, never doubt that they have any qualms about disposing of other threats."
"Other threats?" Hunter asked. "What does that mean?"
"Jango Fett strangled five Jedi to death with his bare hands," Kenobi said without missing a beat. "Sith tend to have more lethal tendencies than most Jedi, but theoretically, you all have the potential to be a Jedi's equal, and therefore, quite capable of killing a Sith as well."
There was a very awkward silence after that.
Rex hadn't known that. Had Cody known that?
He glanced the commander's way and wasn't surprised to find Cody's face was unreadable.
Skywalker and Tano looked lost.
As lost as Rex felt.
Kenobi moved on, "Squad 99, welcome to the 501st. I know you have a reputation in addition to your hundred percent mission success. Given the scuff marks on my men's armour, I'm guessing it's the CC generation you clash with most?"
Cody visibly stiffened.
Hunter swallowed, clearly not used to Kenobi's combination of respect, sarcasm, and brutal honesty. "Yes, Sir."
"Then lucky for you, Captain Rex is a CT and now your commanding officer. As you are a special tasks unit, I will not force my men to accommodate your various ranks. You may pass along your Captain's commands, but you do not outrank Lieutenant Jesse or Sergeant Appo. I will defer to Rex's judgement in your placement and assignments, with one exception: You are not permitted to work with Commander Ahsoka Tano. You will never be her responsibility, nor are you to be in charge of missions Ahsoka is a part of. That is not to say you shouldn't defend or help one another on the battlefield, but let me take this opportunity to remind you that Jedi are not immortal. Have I made myself clear?"
This was a disaster. Kenobi so clearly disliked the Bad Batch, and Rex wasn't entirely sure if his disappointment didn't extend to the rest of them.
Force, disappointing his Jedi Generals was sickening. Shame and guilt swam in Rex's gut. He had never felt this way before.
Possibly because he had never disappointed before.
"Yes, Sir," said every single clone, including the Bad Batch, including Omega, with a salute.
"We are headed back to Coruscant in two days. Whatever this is, work it out before we get back into space." Kenobi stepped back and turned to Cody. "Comm me when you are ready to speak."
Cody only inclined his head.
Kenobi glanced back at Rex. "I will speak with you tomorrow."
The General then ushered Tano and Skywalker away.
"Master, wait—" Skywalker began.
"Anakin," Kenobi cut him off sharply.
Skywalker snapped his mouth shut and followed his Master.
Cody, for once, did not shadow his Jedi. Which wasn't a good sign.
Ahsoka glanced back at Rex and signed, I'm sorry.
Rex shook his head and signed back, Go.
Whatever hell Cody was about to rain down on them would be well-deserved.
They all remained at attention, no one daring to speak as Cody waited until the Jedi were too far to hear them. It was a good thing only the highest-ranked officers had been here to hear Kenobi's speech. The lower ranks had been wise to give them a wide berth when the Bad Batch showed up and the tensions rose. On Kamino, a common way to punish officers was to hurt or decommission shinies—after all, why waste the troopers with superior training?
The Longnecks prided themselves in their apathy, in being above understanding of family loyalties. But they knew how to exploit it, even as they had tried to stomp it out of the clones.
But it worked in the clones' favour today, because the shinies would not have taken 'half the Senate hates you and your Jedi leaders.' Yeah, that wouldn't have gone over well.
Omega fidgeted at Rex's side, and Waxer looked as if he wanted nothing more than to scoop the hatchling up in his arms and make a break for it.
Rex couldn't blame him at all.
Cody let the wait continue, making everyone sweat. Finally, he moved. He looked right past the Bad Batch to Gregor, who was the 212th Captain. Cody's voice was so deep when he spoke, so much contained violence, Rex half-expected thunderclouds to roll in over the sun.
"Give me a reason, CC-5576-39, not to demote you."
Rex winced. Using Gregor's number like that was akin to a backhanded slap.
Gregor, however, didn't get to where he was today because he lacked a spine. "If Wrecker threw Appo, he could have easily broken his neck. I didn't take that chance, Sir."
Cody's eyes flicked past Appo to Rex. Cody didn't voice a question, because he didn't need to.
Rex let out a short breath, but Omega stepped in front of him, guarding him from Cody.
She was precious.
"It was my fault. I didn't explain myself well and I got overwhelmed. Hunter, Crosshair, Wrecker, and Tech have every reason to feel the way they do. Sergeant Appo was only standing up for me."
Cody let out a harsh breath.
Rex stepped to Omega's side and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It was my failing, Commander Cody, to not account for the obvious variables."
Cody snapped, "You humalited us, within spitting distance of the Generals."
Rex knew for a fact that Cody both adored and was awed by his general. Cody's left hand man disgraced him, and Rex, his right hand man, failing to stop it was akin to one of Cody's worst nightmares.
Rex knew how hard Cody was restraining himself. Only the shinies and lower ranked troopers ever needed to be punished. Cody knew how to keep his men in check, knew how to hold the line, even in the face of almost certain death. He was used to reprimanding officers for being shy of perfection, but only the Longnecks had ever found clones who made it to an officer rank in need of punishment.
Cody had held his rank a full year before Kenobi came. Hells, he had had one-on-one training with Jango Fett.
No clone Commander, much less Marshal Commander, got to where they were without sacrifice, without following orders to their letter.
Cody was perfectly capable of dulling out punishment to fellow officers.
Rex had the scars to prove it.
Rex knew that Cody's instinct in this moment was violence, to stamp out any imperfection in his Corp.
Skywalker had called Kenobi the perfect Jedi.
Well, Cody was the perfect clone.
That came at a price—a terrible, terrible price.
Cody took a step back from them. "Why are they here, Captain Rex?"
Hunter shifted. "So you were lying to us. It wasn't Kenobi who asked for us."
Rex sighed. He didn't want everyone to hear this, he didn't want to tell Cody this in the state of rage was in.
But saying nothing would be worse.
"No, I asked for you on General Kenobi's behalf."
"This better be good, Rex," Cody growled.
"I think someone in the Republic is trying to get you and Kenobi killed," Rex said faster and with less decorum than he would have liked. "Omega was a convenient excuse to get them dispatched without Nala Se's permission."
Cody just stared at him for a long time.
"Come on, Cody, surely you've noticed our mission assignments? Skywalker and the 501st get recon missions while the 212th is kept on the frontline. How many ambushes have you survived?"
"Or perhaps," Cody countered, "the danger comes from Kenobi being Dooku's grandpadawan. Kenobi is the only reason we've been able to keep up with Dooku's tactics, so the Count targets us."
"Exactly, Cody! Don't you see? What is the practical purpose of keeping our best tactician on the front lines?"
Cody was quiet for a moment before shaking his head slowly. "What do you want the Bad Batch to do exactly? Infiltrate the Senate?"
"No, but the Senate can't do anything to us unless they know our movements."
Cody raised his brows. "You think we have traitors in our ranks?"
"In the ranks, no," Rex said. "But we may have shinies who aren't shinies at all from another Corp. Brothers are more loyal to the Republic than the Jedi. It could be a tech issue or droids or something, but you and I can't do anything about it. The Jedi can't know, but them?" He motioned to the Bad Batch. "They have freedoms we don't. If they get caught—"
"We take the fall for you," Hunter finished.
Crosshair snarled, "Why would we agree to that?"
Rex turned to look at them. "Because whatever Nala Se has put you through, she's also allowed you lapses that would get the rest of us decommissioned for. In a way, you are the least likely to die, you also have the easiest ways to lie and skirt deduction. Working under High General Kenobi and the Hero With No Fear, you have almost absolute freedom."
Hunter and Crosshair exchanged a look.
"And if you are wrong, Rex, and there is no conspiracy, just the Senate not valuing what they have, what then?" Cody challenged.
"Then we have a couple of mutants at our back and someone triple-checks your security measures."
Cody had basically invented the code system the GAR now used. He had done it to help them and to spite the Longnecks. He had essentially outnumbered the number-obsessed Kaminoans.
Cody shook his head. "So be it," he said. "But like the General said, they are your problem." He glared at the Bad Batch. "Stay away from Commander Tano." He stepped back. "I'm taking the 501st and the 212th through drills. You lot cover the perimeter."
They all watched Cody go. Hunter was the first to speak when the Commander was out of ear shot.
"Sure, and we're the crazy ones. Vod'ika, you're brave to go around your generals and Cody to implement a conspiracy investigation."
Rex shrugged. "You're not the only one who had to get by with a mutation."
Hunter shook his head. "Hair colour should never be worth a decommission."
A small hand touched the back of Rex's, and he looked down to meet Omega's bright gaze. "I know how you lost your brothers, but you're not alone."
He caught her hand. "Vod'ika, none of us are."
Anakin came to halt when Obi-Wan touched his arm.
Obi-Wan's expression was that resigned defeat when he knew he had lost an argument before it started yet he spoke to anyone. "You cannot share anything of what I said to the Chancellor, Anakin. You can't speak of the troops to him."
Anakin felt his ire raise. "You think I would put them in danger?"
"I think you overshare with him, you always have."
Ahsoka was staring between them both with a panicked look on her face. Hadn't she seen enough for the day? But if Obi-Wan wanted to make a fool of himself in front of her, so be it.
"He's the Chancellor, Obi-Wan, he wouldn't betray us."
Obi-Wan rubbed a hand over his face. "Such trust you have in politicians."
"Not all politicians are evil," Anakin growled, adding a few Huttese swears in his head.
Obi-Wan dropped his hand. "That is true, there are no absolutes, but of the two Nubian politicians we are well acquainted with, one turned down the opportunity to exceed her term limit as Queen, while the other has overshot his legal limit by a few years now."
"Laws change, Obi-Wan," Anakin spat, so sick of Obi-Wan's flirtatious flattery of Padme and near disgust with Palpatine.
"Yes, by him for him."
"You know, you're the only one on the Council who doesn't like him. Are you sure you aren't just jealous that I have connections outside the Order?"
"Technically," Ahsoka threw in, "Master Plo doesn't like him either."
"Kit and Depa don't," Obi-Wan continued. "Mace defers to Yoda's judgement on it, but none of the Council has been particularly fond of his latest edicts."
Anakin crossed his arms, hiding his hurt that his Apprentice and Master would team up against him on this.
"I notice you don't argue about being jealous?"
Obi-Wan threw up his hands. "Sure, that's it. Jealousy. Jealousy of the old man who has had an obsession with my student since he was a young boy."
Anakin blanched. "The hell are you implying!?"
Ahsoka stepped back. "I think I'm going to go get caught up on some of my studies."
Obi-Wan nodded in her direction and Ahsoka bolted.
"Well, answer me, Master."
Obi-Wan grimaced. "Don't call me that if you think it is such an insult."
"Don't insult Palpatine just because he and I have a healthier relationship."
"Is that what you call it?" Obi-Wan asked, voice thick with scorn. "How can you not see that he is using you?"
"Using me for what? He's like an uncle to me! How many years are going to go by before you realise that he honestly cares about me?"
"Because he doesn't, Anakin. You think the rule of attachment means what, exactly? That you can't have sex or parents? Has it ever crossed your mind for a moment that extends beyond yourself? I don't know who my parents were, and neither does anyone else. No one knows so no one will go after them to hurt me. No one will ever use my love against me."
Anakin's throat tightened. He would never give up having known his mother, having loved her and been loved by her, because he had suffered the pain of losing her. And here Obi-Wan was, again, enforcing how much he didn't love him.
Obi-Wan's blue eyes widened and he let out an aggressive sound. "That does not mean I don't love you, Anakin."
"Doesn't it?" This was the only time Obi-Wan had said those words aloud, and it was and it was only because Obi-Wan wanted him to surrender his other attachments from the Order.
"Anakin, you are one of the Order's strongest Force users, the Chancellor knew that when you entered the Order. He uses your trust in him to get insight into the Jedi's doing."
Anakin scoffed, "He doesn't need insight, Obi-Wan, the Council meets with him on a regular basis and he could ask anything of the Order and we would have to turn that information over."
Obi-Wan laughed without mirth. "You don't think he's taken advantage of that? Do you think I would ever allow you to spend unsupervised time with that man if I had a choice?"
Anakin's face flushed. "He never touched me, Obi-Wan! He's never done anything to me but be my friend and advisor."
"And in return you've given him excellent press coverage."
Anakin was trying not to lose his temper, but Obi-Wan knew how to stomp on all of his buttons. "Like what?"
"Who do you think gave you the nickname The Hero With No Fear?"
Anakin felt as if he had been slapped. He hadn't known that had been Palpatine. Surely, he wouldn't have. The press had been making his life hell, what little free time he had on Coruscant, he had to get around endless scrutiny because he had become the posterboy for the war.
But he shook himself. Who did he trust more? The man who always had his best interest at heart, had always kept his confidence, or Obi-Wan, who always had something to criticise?
Nothing was ever good enough for him.
"You're lying," Anakin spat. "And even if you're not, so what? Palpatine has always been proud of me."
"You think I'm not proud of you?" Obi-Wan asked. He sounded hurt, but Anakin knew better than to believe him.
Obi-Wan was an excellent actor.
"I think Palpatine has always praised my successes, while you've only ever criticised me."
"Only ever…" Obi-Wan repeated in disbelief, before his voice went hard. "I was your teacher, Anakin, it was my job to push you to be the best you could be. In our line of work, that can be a matter of life and death. Endless praise is not love."
Ha! As if Obi-Wan Kenobi knew anything about love. Anakin loved his Master, and while he knew Obi-Wan would give his life for him, when push came to shove, Obi-Wan would choose the Order over him.
Always had, always would.
"So tell me what it is, then, my wise Master," Anakin said with as much civility as he could manage.
Obi-Wan gritted his teeth. "It's manipulation, Apprentice mine. If all anyone offers you is praise, then they want something from you."
"Force, you are so cynical. Haven't you ever heard of unconditional love?"
"You think that's what the Chancellor feels for you?" Obi-Wan asked, voice dripping with derision. "Unconditional love?"
"I know, such a foreign concept, isn't it?" Anakin spat.
Obi-Wan covered his face with both hands before, dropping in his hands he sucked in a long breath. "Is that it? You not only think I don't love you, but that I don't love anyone? You think I'm incapable of it?"
"I think you're incapable of allowing yourself to love."
Obi-Wan let out a pained sound and plopped down on the rock behind him. "Nothing I can do will be enough, will it? After everything we've been through, after everything I've done for you, you think me so unfeeling."
"Can you even name anyone you've fallen in love with? Can you even recall the last time you allowed yourself to be intimate, if you ever have been?"
Obi-Wan barked a laugh, looking up at him with tired eyes, "You think I'm celibate? A virgin? Did you ever listen to me at all, or just what you wanted to hear? Do I need to assign Ahsoka to go over sex-ed with you? Because I can promise you, she doesn't think I'm celibate."
Anakin shook his head. "That's—"
"There's nothing shameful about consensual sex betwen adults, Anakin. I don't know how you ever got the impression I thought otherwise."
"Because you always told me no one should touch me!"
"Yes! Against your consent or by coercion! You never told me what you and Chancellor Palpatine did when you 'went out at night' together. Do you have any idea how terrified I was of something happening to you!?"
Anakin swore before managing to say, "That's sick, Obi-Wan!"
"What would you have done if a strange politician, who had unchangeable power over the Order, took Ahsoka away from you? When she was even younger than she is now? Would you be okay with that?"
"No, but Palpatine isn't a stranger!"
"He was to me, Anakin. And over the years, he's made no effort to gain my confidence."
"Gee, I wonder why, when you so obviously think the worst of everyone."
Obi-Wan shook his head. "I love you, Anakin. But if you think I would ever choose a politician's niceties over my Padawan or grandpadawan, then you don't know me at all."
"That sounds like attachment," Anakin prodded.
Obi-Wan gave him an unamused look. "The rule of attachment is about love turning into possession and obsession. Until you do harm by losing sight of your compassion for others. Love is a powerful thing, Anakin, it can so easily lead to fear and hate. With the powers we have, emotions are magnified, feedback loops can be addictive. There are no rules against love, as long as you remain mindful of your feelings, your limits."
"No, there's just rules against commitment."
Obi-Wan snorted. "Between two Jedi, it matters little, and within the Order it is a personal thing, not public ownership of another to be flaunted before others. Many Jedi don't commit to each other, given that our lives are dangerous and we spend so much time apart from each other. But with someone outside the Order, the dangers are not solely tied to the individuals."
"You think Knights can't be used against Knights?"
"Of course they can," Obi-Wan snapped. "How many times have our adversaries used us against each other? But that is a risk we both knowingly take. We are both Knights, there are no children to endanger, no family that can't walk this path with us."
"So how can you say there are no rules?"
"The real question is: How can you think you have no options? If you wanted to get married, Anakin, you wouldn't have to leave the Order or turn in your lightsaber."
"What are you talking about?" Anakin snapped, his heart racing.
That couldn't be right, everything he knew about the Order was strictness and restrictions.
"You can just transfer to one of the other Corps. It's scary when you're a youngling, because you don't get to have a Master Jedi devote their teachings to you, but you are already a Knight. Corps Members are allowed to marry and have children of their own."
"What?" Anakin squeaked. "But why can't a Knight, then?"
"The Corps work in the Mid and Outer Rims. They don't deal with politicians or represent the Republic. They are more loosely regulated by their own Councils of elders and provide more aid than security. The ExplorCorps are mostly pilots who skirt unknown regions and systems that have little to no contact with others. MediCorps provide aid to any diseases that rise up, serve places that have suffered after war, and general crises zones. EdiCorps and AgriCorps do much the same. The Knights are the ones we send into active warzones and settle others' political strife. We are the guardians of peace, and we are the public-facing branch of the Jedi Order that takes the heat when things go wrong and appease the Senate."
Anakin could only gape at him. "Why… Why did you never tell me that?"
Could he really just join the ExplorCorps, become a full-time pilot and explore the stars? He had once told Qui-Gon that he wanted to be the first to see every planet. Could he do that? Could he really have it all and still be considered a Jedi Knight, still Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon's legacy? And be allowed to marry Padme publicly?
Obi-Wan was giving him a strange look, like he wanted to kill him or ruffle his hair as he did sometimes when he was younger.
"What?"
"You need to do all of Ahsoka's assignments alongside her. How in the hells did you pass your classes?"
Anakin flushed. "I, um… Well, some of the classes were mostly multiple choice and a lot of the Masters just used a program to randomise their tests."
"You guessed based off of the algorithms," Obi-Wan stated flatly.
Anakin felt like shrinking away at the raw disappointment on his Master's face. "Yes."
You cheated, Anakin heard his Master think over the bond as a wave of sadness broke down the shields he kept up between. He realized that he wasn't meant to hear that or feel this.
Anakin raised his own shields and pulled back.
Obi-Wan bowed his head.
Then, like clockwork, Obi-Wan straightened, standing up and pulling his shield back around himself like armour.
"I'm serious about the coursework, Anakin. Get Ahsoka to share her assigned homework with you."
"Or you'll, what, revoke my Knighting?"
"No, your lack of understanding of the Order and our history is detrimental to your health and bonds within the Order. However, it doesn't undo your skill and usage of the Force. That being said, if you fail to catch up on the basics, I will take Ahsoka as my own Padawan."
Anakin couldn't stop his snarl, "You would separate us?"
"Hardly," Obi-Wan drawled. "I don't know if you've noticed, but we've been serving in this war together and that is likely to continue. I won't prevent you from training her how to use a lightsaber or using the Force in battle, but I am not going to trust the rest of her education to you if you think it's acceptable to skip the theoretical knowledge and our histories."
"I didn't grow up learning to love reading like you did, Obi-Wan."
"Perhaps, but you were fluent in five languages, writing and reading, and your mathematical skills were higher than any of your classmates, so you can't say that you were without schooling. You just preferred doing things you were already good at. But a Jedi's power comes from knowledge—knowledge of the Force, of the galaxy, and of the Order's place in the galaxy. This is so you might better understand the politics and powers around you."
"You just want me to be Orthodox," Anakin said, pushing aside his guilt.
Obi-Wan didn't get how hard those first few years had been for him.
"No, I want you to have a deeper understanding of the people around you. Your compassion, Anakin, is one of your greatest strengths, but it means little without empathy. If you don't crave knowledge, if you don't want to understand others, you will find more reasons to hate them than to help them."
"Compassion and empathy are the same thing," Anakin said.
Obi-Wan, strangely, laid a hand over his heart. "No, Padawan mine. Compassion is to feel moved by another's plight. Empathy is to know another's pain as they feel and think of it."
Anakin stared down into his Master's eyes, and tried to understand him, but he couldn't. What Obi-Wan said and what he did always seemed to be in contradiction.
Obi-Wan stepped back, the connection between them dropping away.
"Research the ExplorCorps," he said. "You would do well with them, as you would do well in anything you chose to do."
Anakin didn't know what to say to that, didn't even know what to think about that statement.
"You are an exceptional Jedi Knight, Anakin, but there remains a void within you that only you can fill. It is not something I or anyone else can do for you."
Anakin swallowed, realising he was probably going to have to meditate after all that had happened today.
Kriffing hells.
Obi-Wan always made him feel like an incompetant child.
"I'll do my homework," he grumbled.
Obi-Wan stepped further away from him, and Anakin felt as if a chasm had cracked open between them. Anakin watched him go toward one of the shuttles, but before Obi-Wan stepped on board, he turned back with a sad smile.
"The last person I fell in love with was Duchess Satine Kryze. I was nineteen and I told her that, for her, I would leave the Order. Hazard of falling in love with a Mandalorian, I wouldn't have been allowed to be both her consort and affiliated with the Order in any way. Her people would have never tolerated it. But she didn't ask me to stay with her, so I left, and went on as Qui-Gon's Padawan."
Anakin gaped, then remembered that Obi-Wan had said earlier today about almost being expelled from the Order because he had been in a fight with a classmate at thirteen. Yet now felt like the wrong time to bring it up.
Obi-Wan smirked. Before climbing the last few steps up the ramp, he said, "And the last time I got karked was three weeks ago by Master Quinlan Vos."
Anakin stood in the dirt of the barren outpost of a planet, feeling like everything he knew had been ripped out from underneath him as he watched Obi-Wan's oversized robe flutter out of sight.
AN: Thank you so much to the people who are reviewing! So much love! Thoughts, tiger lilies, or feedback, pretty please?