The world was beautiful- from orbit at least. Sharp verdant stripes swirled across its surface, glistening against the cosmic rays that spiked against it, bathing the world in fine glitter. Obi-wan might even have enjoyed the sight had he not known the greed that preceded the atmospheric phenomenon, and all the death and madness that came after it.
The gas responsible for that brilliant green color caused acute psychosis in its victims, and was terminal within a few days of exposure. It was the reason for the ill-fitting suit Obi-wan was equipped with. The Clones' helmets were already effective against the toxin- a small blessing- they needed the clones at their best.
As they descended, the bright greens turned to muddy grays. The air was a soup of toxic fog, even on the ground it blanketed everything. Landfall had been easy enough in spite of the difficulty, thanks to the pilots and their expertise.
It was eerie- the dark valleys that carved their way between massive skyscrapers and industrial complexes. The fog was thick, obscuring anything more than five meters out completely. This whole mission was cursed from its conception- Obi-wan could feel it in his gut. Of course the ominous feel that the all-but-dead world gave off only added to his anxiety.
Dread pooling in his gut, Obi-wan reached for Ahsoka through their training bond. Sensing nothing out of the ordinary, his burden of worry lessened slightly, but not by much. Reaching out to Anakin all he could feel was unrelenting focus. Oh how Obi-wan envied that focus right now.
His body snaked through hazed streets and alleys but his mind was elsewhere. He shouldn't have given in to his emotions back on the ship- he knew it was in the poorest of judgment. Even worse, he felt ashamed. Not that it was a new feeling to him, it was quite familiar. He knew he was falling further from the Code every day. He didn't know where that would lead him, but he'd accepted it.
What he hadn't accepted, hadn't expected, was the anger he felt. It was undeniable- what Anakin did to him. He always had a knack for egging him on but Obi-wan never touched him out of anger. It seemed boggling to him that he was capable of doing such a thing, and how anger, lust, and want could merge in a way where they became one in the same.
He never would touch Anakin out of anger- but he had done just that. He didn't understand it and his mind was fixated on it, stirring so many frustrating emotions in its wake.
"General," Cody said, his voice cracking through Obi-wan's earpiece.
"There's a breach point ahead. Should be able to get into the tunnels from here and start our sweep of the Southwest end."
"Excellent, let's get to it then," Obi-wan said, a bated sigh of relief held tight in his chest. It was about time, they'd been trudging through for what felt like an eternity. He wanted to get this whole mission over with but he was reluctant to give in to even the guise of relief just yet.
The tunnel entrance came into view as a group of clones flanked it from either side, remaining ever watchful for any possible attack. So far they had been lucky enough to avoid any infected, but there was still plenty of time for things to go sideways.
Obi-wan stood in front of the heavy blast door, placing a hand on the cold durasteel that was at least a meter thick. A tech expert went to the control panel to wire the door open, and Obi-wan closed his eyes.
His consciousness moved beyond the cold durasteel sheeting and into the void beyond. It was empty but rife with darkness. He'd felt that much the moment his boots hit the cursed ground- and cursed it was. Everything here was shrouded in shadows, so much like Kraysiss Two had been. The more he thought about it, compared this ominous feeling to the air of that Sith world, the more fearful he became.
A Jedi did not feel fear, but he'd understood for a little while now that the title of Jedi was not befitting of him much at all. A Jedi didn't give in to lecherous feelings for their own Padawan, didn't murder, didn't harbor resentment. A Jedi was many things that he was not.
The heavy doors groaned as they opened on their hinges, swinging out slowly. The Clones stood at the ready as always. They were indeed excellent soldiers. Obi-wan stood alert, his saber unlit in his palm. After a few moments and no movement from inside the dark expanse that awaited them, the squad began to proceed.
"Scanners," Cody commanded as a unit rushed ahead, scanning the tunnel and its tributaries for signs of life.
"Negative Sir."
"Nothing Commander."
"You know the drill- move quietly and be ready for a fight," Cody said, waving his hand overhead, signaling to advance. Obi-wan joined the frontline and led from the center.
Walking inside the tunnel felt like being swallowed alive. His heart started to race, stealing breath from his lungs. He couldn't help it and he wasn't sure why. He shouldn't have felt the adrenaline, the sweat slick his palms, but he did.
A Jedi didn't feel fear- suddenly it all made sense. A Jedi didn't allow for emotion, but he'd unleashed them all the moment he knew he couldn't let Anakin go. Now his heart was racing with panic as something just on the edge of his senses prickled like ice down his spine.
Was it a warning? Was it his own foolishness? He couldn't tell, his emotions were too twisted up to see clearly. His mind flickered with thoughts of Anakin and the Sith that taunted him with his own body, how he'd been used as a weapon against him. How he'd turned on him himself…
Obi-wan squinted as they wandered down the corridor further. With no lights illuminating their path, Obi-wan ignited his saber in lieu of a glowrod. His focus seemed to only elude him further, his thoughts becoming hazed, clouded by memories, regrets, heartache. Something wasn't right…
The Clones kept scanning ahead, coming up naught for signs of life. "I don't like this, General. I've got a bad feeling-"
"I know Commander, the feeling is mutual," Obi-wan mumbled, wrenching his focus to the moment. It was difficult, more than it ought.
"Keep your eyes open and your guard up," he cautioned, giving Cody a grim glance.
"What was that-" someone hushed from the back of the squadron.
"I didn't see a thing- you got your head on right soldier?" Another answered back.
"I know what I saw-"
"What did you see?"
"I don't know- something- I know I did, it was right there."
Tension pulled tight in the air around them. It felt like electricity, making every hair stand on end. It felt like a fine wire wrapped around his neck. It felt like pure darkness pouring over them, it crawled on his skin.
"Scanner's still coming up negative Commander- but shouldn't there be something?"
"Where are all the infected?"
"There there! Did you see it!"
"Hold-" Cody commanded, all frantic whispers and mumbles hushing instantly.
All Obi-wan could hear was his own heartbeat drumming in his ears, his own breathing that was quickly becoming short, shallow huffs. Surely there should have been something by now. No- they were walking right into the heart of a trap. They had to have been.
Obi-wan reached out with his senses, raising his saber as he squinted against the darkness. He searched for anything that would reach back in return, anything that might register but the darkness was now thick like tar and he couldn't budge against it. It swallowed every ounce of light or force it was met with.
Master!
Obi-wan's shoulders stiffened, the echo danced in his mind. He knew he heard it, he wasn't going crazy. Taking a few steps forward he broke the frontline, searching the darkness.
"Anakin?"
His heart slammed louder, his breath catching in his throat. He felt like he was dying- overwhelmed, tears choking in his eyes, stinging. His sight strained harder still, seeing shapes take form in the darkness.
"General?" Cody called out for him. Suddenly it didn't matter. Nothing mattered. His mind was so flooded he could barely see in front of himself.
Blood, broken bones, pulp and viscera flash behind his eyes. The hot slick of crimson covered his hands and arms, the iron rich scent it carried. It was so loud to him, so real. Anger-jealousy-rage-want-shame-loss-grief- he's overwhelmed by the things inside himself that he can't put back inside the box- it's broken he can't fix it he doesn't know how and everything feels like it's slipping away from him- spiraling out of control and he can't-
A beast snarled in the darkness beyond before his eyes caught its form. He was too distracted, he couldn't focus, the darkness clouded everything he didn't stand a chance against it.
Straining for a hold over his mind and its racing thoughts, against the current that washed through him like a raging river almost impossible to fight against, he held tightly to a realization that turned his core to ice.
This was most certainly a trap- a Sith trap.
"Master!" Anakin's voice ripped out, sobbing and writhing in pain. He couldn't see him and he knew most certainly, Anakin's was not there at all.
Saber held high, Obi-wan's mind finally made sense of the mob standing only a meter away from where he stood. The mass stretched as far as he could see- which wasn't far but he knew there were hundreds- thousands or more of infected waiting patiently for their next meal, swaying silently as they stood dormant.
Another snarl and dark hollowed out eyes snapped onto him. Obi-wan started to retreat, not daring to turn his back on the sea of monsters that stood entirely too close to him. Darkness still skewed his senses but the imminent, very real danger he faced seemed to be loud enough to drown out the things that played in the back of his mind.
The Clones already began their retreat as stealthily as possible, the soft scuttle of their boots on the ground audible in the painful silence. With a sickly lurch the beast staggered towards him. The mass of bodies behind began to wake up, snarls and sick howls tearing through the air.
"Run! Run!" Cody yelled, deafening them all through their earpieces. Obi-wan decided to follow suit and turned, making a dash forward before running as fast as he could.
The horde woke up fully, an unnatural chorus of screeching and wailing set to the rapid percussion of feet on stone slicing through his nerves. The low rumble filled the tunnel, Obi-wan could feel the reverberation as the ground shook beneath his feet- as if every infected on the entire island was here waiting for them, chasing them.
The first Clone fell before any of them made it out of the tunnel. His desperate screams echoed through their coms- the tortured cries gurgled through blood and the sound of ripping flesh as he was eaten alive seared indelibly into Obi-wan's consciousness. It seemed unimaginable- unreal- until the next soldier fell, and the next and the next. He couldn't turn back and fight them- with numbers on their side, they would rip every single one of them limb from limb with or without the force and a saber to aid him.
Obi-wan finally made it out of the tunnel, a small group of Clones on his heels. More men fell, more torture and death following right after. None of them stopped to look back. These were good soldiers but this was not a battle. This was a massacre.
Anakin, Ahsoka, tell me you're alright- Obi-wan prayed. He felt his plea stifled in the dark that stormed all around them. Maybe no response was better than feeling their demise. Despite everything, he was still convinced he would feel if they were in trouble. He had to- thinking otherwise would drive him mad. He was already dangerously close to breaking. None of his rogue emotions would go back inside the box he'd crafted for them. He was coming undone, inches away from snapping altogether.
Making his way to the shoreline- the drop point- their ship was nowhere to be found. Cody and five others ran to meet him. The static rubbed cries of fallen men were hazed in the background of their coms, distant and garbled with interference.
"Cody- get ahold of the command center- get another ship down here immediately."
"Already tried General, coms are down," Cody answered, the slightest trace of distress palpable in his words.
"Down? Or disrupted?" Obi-wan asked grimly, his gut wringing uneasily as fresh panic descended on him.
"From down here it's impossible to tell."
As if to answer his question, the tearing sound of jets roared overhead- fighters entering the upper atmosphere. Obi-wan squinted up through the toxic fog, seeing the outline of Jedi starfighters against the dim light above. The crisp sound of vulture droids tore through the air after them. Rockets whistled before bursting in dull plumes of orange light. The rumble of buildings crumbling in the distance thundered low. So the war was here, after all.
….
"We should have met with Obi-wan's squadron by now," Anakin thought aloud. "Rex, have you tried hailing their coms?"
"We have- it's probably just the tunnels, but we can't get a signal out to the ship, or General Kenobi's forces."
Anakin made a disappointed tisk And Ahsoka's spine stiffened. The last thing she wanted was to get on Master Skywalker's bad side again, and if he was in a bad mood it would be far easier to do just that. The silence between them already felt tense, though she accounted most of it to the dire mission at hand.
Obi-wan's admonition replayed in her mind again, as if he were really there beside her. Don't worry about what people think of you, Ahsoka. All that matters is the moment, and worrying detracts from it.
He'd said that hundreds of times during her short time under his mentorship. He was a distant Master with lots of proverbs and even more secrets- the biggest of which was leading both her and their squadron through these cursed, empty tunnels.
She knew better than to ask or bring any of it up, but she was smart enough to know that what was going on between Anakin and her Master, was far from platonic and quite physical from what she gathered.
It didn't bother her, though she thought it should. She knew attachment was against the Jedi Code. She knew many things were against the code, and yet still people did them. Why should attachment be more egregious than other violations? That was what didn't make sense. But she'd seen others be expelled for less. Status shouldn't matter so much in those situations, but she knew it did.
It wasn't that she wanted Obi-wan or Anakin to face any repercussions for- whatever it was they shared. If anything she felt protective of their secret. Any happiness they were able to find in each other was more than deserved.
"We're coming up on the facility. Tano and I are going to break off. Rex, you know the plan. Stick to it- unless, of course, you have to improvise." Anakin grinned.
"Take a page from your book General? I sure hope not," the Commander jabbed back.
Before they separated from the squadron, Anakin and Rex exchanged a firm glance that seemed to contrast the friendly banter that played between them. Ahsoka couldn't help but feel the darkness in the air- the thing that seemed to pervade the entire world. She felt it the moment they landed, though she tried to tune it out.
She was young, unpracticed, and at times she had difficulty understanding the line that separated her own emotions that could give way to foreboding, and the brooding omens the force might lay in her path as token warning signs. The moment they landed she felt conflicted and assumed that it stemmed from her own want to impress Anakin. Now she felt it louder, and could no longer draw the same conclusion.
No, this darkness was not one bourne of inner conflict. It was too much, too significant for that. Too difficult to ignore. As Anakin led the way deeper into the tunnel system towards the Czerka research facility, a sick feeling settled in her stomach. There was darkness here- so much it made it difficult to sense anything else. She couldn't even reach out and feel the life signature of the Clone squadron that they only recently departed from.
"Master," Ahsoka spoke quietly, her voice resounding off the stone walls of the tunnel. "I feel something terrible in this place." It wasn't far removed from what she felt on Koda Station, but it was different, too. More pervasive.
"I know Ahsoka, but we have to stay focused," Anakin said sternly.
"You sound like my Master."
"Then your Master is wise," Anakin returned, his focus pulled elsewhere.
"Don't you feel like we're walking into a trap?" Ahsoka asked, her stomach nagging her again. "I can't feel anything- not the Clones, not my Master, not anything."
"This whole world is a trap. It doesn't change what we're here for."
"But what if what we're looking for, isn't even here?" Ahsoka asked, her worries getting the better of her. Suddenly they felt too heavy, too real to shoulder.
"Well then we'll find out the hard way," Anakin insisted, his eyes fixed on the dark path ahead of them as they tread through the darkness, only small glowrods to aid them.
"Are you always so stubborn?"
"What do you propose we do? Go back, and tell the rest of the squad what? Ahsoka had a bad feeling so we abandoned the mission?" He taunted.
"No- but-"
"Then what?" Anakin shot back. He was irritable, more than usual, and his fierceness caught her slightly off guard.
"You are insufferable! You're worse than my Master!" Ahsoka blurted.
"I hear a lot of complaining but no solutions. So what if this is a trap? It probably is. We both signed up for this. You practically begged Obi-wan to let you come with me."
Anakin sighed. "Listen Ahsoka, sometimes the only way out, is through."
Ahsoka grumbled inside herself. "Why do you sound so much like Obi-wan? You're killing me."
An uncomfortable pause filled the air between them as they pressed through the darkness, letting their senses guide them for the most part. The glowrods didn't seem to cut through the pitch-black well at all.
"Obi-wan is my Master, too. Was, I guess," Anakin confessed, his tone taking on a heaviness that was distinctly different from the irked confident one he used most other times.
Ahsoka was struck with silence for a moment, almost dumbfounded at the statement. She was reluctant to believe it- how could she believe it? How could she not?
"What, you thought you were his first Padawan?" Anakin laughed half-heartedly.
"No- I… I just…" Ahsoka trailed off, not knowing what to say. She wasn't naive, she knew what was going on between them. If there had been any doubt, all would have been quashed by the rumors spreading like wildfire amongst the clones- things that had been heard outside of Master Skywalker's quarters before they made landfall.
Anakin was Obi-wan's Padawan?
"I thought Master Kenobi took the Barrish- and you had a different Master," Ahsoka said slowly.
"Obi-wan did take the Barrish. That was before I was knighted. Master Tholme took it upon himself to finish my training."
Ahsoka suddenly felt like she was prying into matters that did not concern her. It was a strange sensation that she was rarely privy to. She could tell the topic was painful for Anakin to talk about by the way the words seemed to reluctantly take form on his lips but she couldn't let it go. She needed to know more.
"He just… left?" Anakin's aura shifted. She couldn't quite decipher what it meant though she knew it wasn't anything pleasant.
"Obi-wan did what he thought was right. It's not his fault that he's as kriffing stupid as they come," he said, the words rueful and defeated despite his attempt to jest.
Ahsoka couldn't help but chuckle. Anakin and her Master seemed an odd pair as Master and Padawan, both of them so bull-headed.
Anakin looked at her, almost offended by her laughter. He opened his mouth to say something snide but before he could make a sound the earth shifted under their feet.
Ahsoka stumbled, trying to keep purchase on the ground below her. Was it the ground, or was the tunnel shaking? The tremor passed through before another blast hit them, sending rubble raining down on them.
"We have to get out of here!" Anakin shouted over the sound of crumbling stone. "Come on!"
Anakin started running through the darkness, saber lit in hand to better light the path. Ahsoka followed suit, her shorter blade in hand lighting her way. They dodged debris and lept over stones fallen in their path as strafe after strafe of artillery struck overhead.
"Don't think we're alone here anymore- the Sep's must have caught onto our plan to steal the intel-" Anakin shouted as they ran.
"Still want to run straight into the trap?" Ahsoka shouted back.
Anakin glanced over his shoulder and gave a dashing smile.
"Of course."