He did care about Anakin, yes. An outsider, just like himself, struggling with about everything the Jedi way entailed and having no one to support him. He couldn't but feel some sympathy for the Padawan, despite his reluctance towards being responsible for an apprentice. That's why he tried to understand and help him. With little success however, they kept clashing and often there was little Kenshin felt he could do to keep his own temper at bay. It was disheartening. Unnerving. Why did Anakin infuriate him so? He didn't even understand himself and had eventually sunk into a restless sleep that the sound of his comlink then rattled him out of. When he had arrived at the coordinates Anakin had sent him, it had been nearly too late. Three Morgukai were attacking the two boys. It was more than peculiar that Morgukai, specimen of a species believed extinct, appeared on Coruscant, and this place, a scrap yard, in particular. Kenshin didn't take the time to wonder. With cold, professional precision, he aimed two shuriken at uncovered spots on their necks, killing them in an instant, and impaled the third with his lightsaber. It had been a matter of less than fifteen seconds. But Anakin was gravely wounded. In this current state, Kenshin realized, he'd never make it to the medcenter alive. The young Master reached deeply into the Force, focusing on the damage the attacker had caused. He could now feel Anakin's pain as his own, instinctively directing the healing energy to the Padawan's injuries. For tenaciously long moments, Kenshin remained like that, the Force flowing through him, slowly but surely mending the lesions in Anakin's body. Once he felt the teenager's state was stable enough, Kyle and him took Anakin to the temple as quickly as they could. He was not a healer after all, and Anakin's injuries were severe.

…

Fighting a particularly dense fog in his head, Anakin groggily opened his eyes and shut them again. He couldn't figure out where he was. Everything felt heavy and fuzzy, before finally silhouettes of his surroundings formed in the nebulae. He realized he was on one of the lower levels of Coruscant, near the junk yard. Feeling a powerful presence, he looked around. He still couldn't see much, everything was dark, and foggy, the only clear thing being this presence in the Force that didn't seem neither dark nor light but in between. Why was he still on the scrap heap, what had happened? Anakin kept turning his head from left to right, scanning the darkness around him and all of a sudden recoiled. He found himself looking into a pair of purple glowing eyes that belonged to a demonic looking creature. The beast was as beautiful as was horrifying. A reptile predator, standing on four strong legs and a long, powerful tail, carrying intimidating horns on its head, in it's height it must have reached his shoulder, something intense and dangerous emanated from it. It reminded him vaguely of pictures of Ryloth's doashims he had once seen in the archives. Or krayt dragons. The scales on its body were black with a purple shine to them. Instinctively and without a second thought, he flashed his lightsaber and swung the blade against the beast, but the creature didn't back down. It didn't even move and the lightsaber was ineffective against it. So he jumped and ran, desperately hoping he could escape. But the beast set after him, it was fast, and it followed him relentlessly. The wild chase went on and on, until three large figures materialized out of the black fog. It was the same attackers that had targeted him on the scrap heap earlier, and launched themselves at him. He immediately understood he wouldn't stand a chance against them. And axe, swung by one of his attackers, cut into his leg. Immense pain surged. His eyes widened incredulously as he realized that the demon he thought had been tailing him, leapt over him and attacked the monstrous, hostile creatures. Ferociously, they thrusted and swung their weapons against the demon, but the beast was too fast and nimble for any of them to land a hit. It launched attack after attack against the large monsters until all three of them were dead. The beast then remained still and just turned it's head, meeting Anakin's glance again. He didn't flinch and stared back at the beast. The pain from his wound suddenly eased.

He jolted awake.

Smooth light came through windows, he was in a bed in the temple's healers' ward, and Kyle was ooking at him with a cheerful smile.

"How're you feeling? Damn buddy, you've been sleeping for nearly two days"

"Huh..what happened? Kyle! Are you ok? You're alive! How did I get here?"

"Good, you're talking, I take it you're not feeling too bad. I'm fine."

"Never been more glad to see you! By the Force, I thought you were dead!"

"It was a damn close call! But Kenshin showed up just in time and saved our asses from getting whipped into the next decade!"

"You really ok? I'm not dreaming or anything?"

"Nah, I'm fine and I'm real, you're not dreaming. You've taken a massive beating though, I'm glad you're still alive!"

"What happened? What were those things that attacked us? I don't remember much, and I've had the weirdest dream."

"Your Master said they were Morgukai. They're a species bred and trained specifically to hunt Jedi. They were believed extinct and nobody has any idea where they came from or why they were at the junk yard that night. There were three of them. I got smashed into a scrap pile and lost my lightsaber and thought that'd be the end of me but next thing I knew was the Morgukai that had kicked me collapsed right next to me, dead. Taken down by one of your Master's shuriken. Same thing happened to the second one and he finished the third one with his lightsaber. It all happened really quick. I was fine, but you had taken some pretty serious hits. The healers said, if it hadn't been for your Master's Force healing skills, you wouldn't even have made it back to the temple alive."

"Kriff"

"Yeah that's one word for it"

"What about my Master? Is he alright?"

"Uhm, yeah, I guess? He didn't leave your side until Master Che reassured him that you'd make it out fine. He spent the greater part of the last two days in a chair next to your bed or pacing the floor, driving Master Che nuts. The rest of that time, he's been Force knows where. Probably dealing with the Council or trying to find out what happened. Because that thing that we found, that was a Sith Chalice. Still a mystery as to where that came from, too. "

"A Sith Chalice? Shit's getting weirder by the minute! Where is Kenshin now, do you know?"

"He just walked out when I got here. I'm sure he'll be back in a short while"

"Thanks for the blanket and the candy, by the way" Anakin said, noticing someone had left an extra blanket and some of his favourite candy on a table next to the bed. Especially the blanket was more than welcome, since the healers' ward was way colder than he was comfortable with.

"That wasn't me! Your Master brought it a short while ago. He even asked me which kind of candy you'd like. He seems to care about you a lot."

Anakin's thoughts trailed back to the dream he had had. The Morgukai, the beast fighting them off, this powerful presence in the Force, neither dark nor light but obviously protecting him ...he couldn't make any sense of it. Reality on the other hand, from what Kyle told him, was even weirder than his dream. Outside the door to Anakin's hospital room, a still worried Kenshin was leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, staring into empty space.

"Yes, you look exactly like someone who doesn't care about his Padawan!"

Kenshin looked up to find himself facing Ranakos.

"Never said I don't care."

"Why don't you go in and talk to him? From what I can see he's awake now, he'd be happy to see you!"

"You know, Ranakos, I thought I could eventually accept myself as his Master. But it's pointless."

"What makes you say that? You've risked your life to save his, and on Giju, you worked well together. You even praised his performance"

"You know what I am to him? 'Damaged goods', those were Anakin's words. I can only guess who told him about Gentora. I won't ask what else you told him. Those things are in the past and should remain there!"

Ranakos ruefully shook his head.

"Kenshin, I..."

"Fuck off, Ranakos! Just fuck off!" Kenshin furiously glared at the older Jedi and stormed off. The past was painful enough without Ranakos dragging it back into the light for Anakin – Anakin of all people – to look at. Makiri had been Ranakos' Padawan, but apparently, Ranakos managed to deal just fine with his former apprentice having found an untimely death on Gentora. Kenshin could not, it still hurt. It hurt enough without anyone talking about it. Even retreating into one of the temple's meditation chambers didn't help him calm down the maelstrom of thoughts and emotions tormenting him. Anakin had nearly died! Despite his Padawan bringing him to the verge of despair, almost losing him had shaken Kenshin to the core. And there were a million questions he needed answers to. A Sith Chalice randomly appeared on a junk yard on Coruscant – and he had seen this object before, in the oddest of all places, although he had not sensed its dark side nature at that moment. Investigating how and why it ended up there, he had found some indications, but not who was behind it all and why it had been staged that way. He knew by now that he himself had been the target, but the approach seemed too imprecise, random, amateurish even. It didn't make sense. The fact that Anakin and his friend had been hit was a pure coincidence, that much he was sure of. The incident had, however, made it shockingly clear to Kenshin that he cared about Anakin a lot more than he had admitted it to himself. So it hurt him even more that he kept failing as a Master. How is this supposed to work, he wondered

"Find the answer within yourself, you might" a coarse voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Master Yoda! I try to meditate, and I do not appreciate being disturbed!"

"Oh, yes, disturbed your mind is, my old Padawan!" Yoda chuckled.

"Well, you're certainly not helping." Kenshin shot back, regretting to have lowered his shields.

"Become strong you have. Powerful. Yet respect the Code you still do not. Agree with me, or listen to me, you still will not." the diminutive Jedi said, admonishingly rising a non-existent eyebrow.

"And I never will. You should have left me where I was, Master Yoda. Fighting the dark in the dark, before its evil manifests in the light. That is my purpose, not to train Skywalker!"

"His former Master a perfect Jedi, he was. Yet learned from him, nothing Skywalker has. A maverick and crazy, you are. The one who can best train your Padawan, you are."

Fury spiked in Kenshin. Grandmaster my ass. All he does is utter useless platitudes instead of helping me face this mess. The mess he brought me into. His eyes narrowed.

"Is that so? Then how come that every one of you lightsaber-stuck-up-their-ass hypocrites on this blasted Council, in this blasted temple, feels free to constantly judge and question my sanity? Not that there's much of it to begin with, I admit, but I don't see you in a position to judge. This is getting old!" Kenshin rose to his feet and, for the second time this day, stormed off.

"Much to learn, he still has." Yoda sadly said to himself, since Kenshin was already too far away to hear it. Back then, when Yoda had taken the child under his wings after Master Fay's death, Kenshin had viewed everything and everyone with a subtle mistrust, that now manifested as an unapologetic objection and defiance. In contempt of Yoda's significant efforts to win the boy's acceptance, Kenshin had never truly acknowledged him as Master. And Yoda couldn't help but feel regretful about it. In a way, he felt, Kenshin didn't even accept himself. He had never learned to let go of attachments.

...

The painkillers Anakin had to take made him drowsy, and whenever he woke up, opening his eyes required major efforts. He pried them open and saw a hooded figure stand in the room, absently staring out of the window. Anakin's heart leapt with joy as he recognized who the figure was. At the same time, a feeling of guilt was rushing over him as he remembered what had gone down a few days earlier. Oh how much he hoped Kenshin would accept his apology.

"Master"

Kenshin turned his face towards him, but kept his eyes hidden underneath his hood, rooted to the floor, as if he didn't want to look him in the eyes.

"How are you feeling?" the other Jedi asked at last, barely audible.

"Uhm, ok, I guess. Tired. But not too bad" Anakin responded. Kenshin still didn't look up. He didn't answer anything either.

"Master...what I said..."

"We shouldn't talk now. You need rest." he answered and turned to walk out.

"Stay" Anakin pleaded. "Please, Master, stay. I don't want to be alone now!"

"I'll ask Tesha or Kyle to come see you."

"No, I want you to stay!" Anakin insisted.

"That's not a good idea."

"Master...what I said..."

Kenshin interrupted him. "Words can cut deeper than any blade, you know? Even more so when they're true." With that, the young Master left.

What the blazes is that supposed to mean, Anakin wondered. He felt upset. It was evident his words had hurt Kenshin deeply, and yet his Master had still saved him, and obviously cared about him despite it all. If only he could read him, understand him instead of dealing with such an elusive entity. Right now he could only wonder how he could possibly apologize, maybe make it up to him. And what in the Force had Kenshin meant when he said Anakin's words were true?

Kyle and Tesha often came to see him in the following days. His Master however, was never to be seen. Kyle had told him that he actually stopped by quite often, but he was never there when Anakin was awake. He's avoiding me, Anakin thought sadly. Finally, he had sent Kyle to talk to Kenshin and ask him to come back.

"You wanted to speak to me."

The voice startled Anakin. He hadn't sensed his Master coming in, who was now standing next to his bed, his eyes intensely studying the floor instead of facing Anakin's glance.

"The floor tiles must be really interesting. Are you that angry with me that you won't even look at me any more?"

"What you've said, that was pretty low, even for you!" he said, his voice full of resignation.

"I know. And I'm so so sorry! I shouldn't have said that!"

"Saying sorry won't always fix everything. Words and actions have consequences. You're so scared of failure, so scared of yourself, that you freak the hell out because of such a little thing. A random guy being granted his knighthood before you get there... You, Anakin, have a problem! "

The Padawan felt a surge of anger. "Oh, look who's talking! The guy who's constantly being emo and moody and force-pushes me out of the room. You're a perturbed, hot mess yourself, Master."

"It's been how long since you became my Padawan? 3 months, a bit more? And it took you this much time to figure that out? You're more stupid than I thought." Kenshin replied coolly.

"So we're fighting again. Great. That's all we ever do. "

The young Master didn't answer, but the frustration in his eyes told Anakin that his words had hit home. "You know, I never understand you" Anakin then said. "In a way I don't even know who you are. You don't trust me! "

"Of course I don't. You've learned one thing about me and you hold it against me. You'll understand that I'm a little short on trust in you right now!" Kenshin snapped and Anakin winced internally as he saw the hurt in his eyes.

"I am so sorry! I really am! I was so upset about Ferus and the Council and all that, I wasn't myself when I said that. I didn't mean it!"

"Oh, you did mean it! But here's the thing: You can't always blame someone else every time something doesn't go your way and you can't blame me for things that aren't even my fault! I have, by now, understood that I'm not the right teacher for you "

Kenshin burried his face in his unhurt hand and shook his head.

"Oh, so that is it! You don't want me. You want to get rid of me!"

"You're not the problem. I am. "

"You've given up on me! I thought you cared!"

"I do care! But..."

"But what? Tell me, Master, what is it that you are afraid of, that scares you so much that you want to abandon me? "

Kenshin looked him straight in the eye and said "I'm afraid of failing you!"

He then quickly walked out of the room. So, Kenshin did care, he had said it himself. At the same time he remained so accursedly frustrating. What was it that they couldn't get to terms with each other? Anakin just did not understand.

Where Anakin was frustrated, Kenshin was as well and he needed to talk to someone. Yoda was not much help, but maybe there was someone else who could provide actual advice. Someone who might know Anakin but was still unbiased. Qui-Gon Jinn's former apprentice.

…

Obi-Wan Kenobi filled steaming tea into two cups and handed one to his interlocutor.

Observing the other Jedi, he wasn't entirely sure what to think. The man with long black hair, clad in dark, fitted clothes instead of traditional Jedi robes had the posture of an accomplished fighter and an unreadable aura. He spoke with an accent Kenobi had never heard elsewhere and couldn't designate. By the looks of him, one could have thought a mercenary or bounty hunter rather than a Jedi. But Obi-Wan was not one to judge a book by it's cover alone. Before him stood a young Jedi faced with the task of training their first Padawan and Force, Obi-Wan knew that wasn't easy. A few years after Qui-Gon's passing, he had taken his first Padawan himself and the initial phase had been turbulent. His thoughts trailed to the subject his fellow Jedi had asked to speak about. Anakin Skywalker.

When they had brought the 9 year old to the Jedi temple, Obi-Wan had had mixed feelings about the child, agreeing rather with the Council who had deemed the boy too old and dangerous, than he had agreed with his own Master at the time. But he had given Qui-Gon his word. So it had been his merit that Anakin had been accepted for training. After young Skywalker had been assigned to the tutelage of Master Atal, he had only vaguely followed up on Skywalker's progress.

As far as Master Kano was concerned, Kenobi was not very familiar with who he was, apart from the odd rumours here and there. A capable secret agent, incredibly skilled in lightsaber combat, ferocious in his methods and heretic in his views. Some even called him a grey Jedi. Obi-Wan briefly smiled in fond memory. That's what some had said about Qui-Gon, too. Qui-Gon hadn't always agreed with the Council either, so he could hardly blame the young Master for that at least. A few months ago now the Council had made Skywalker Kano's charge. A choice that surprised many, and the reason why the young Jedi now stood in his quarters, wishing to speak with him.

"How can I help you, Master Kano?"

Kenshin went straight to the point. "What can you tell me about Skywalker?"

"Your Padawan for a few months now ..."

"Yes" Kenshin replied, a lot of resignation in his voice. " I would not have considered myself the best choice for training an apprentice to begin with... But Skywalker in particular...We get along as well as a Loth cat and a Loth rat would. I don't know what to do with him. I was wondering if you might have some advice"

"First, tell me: who is the Loth cat, and who the Loth rat between the two of you?" Kenobi asked with an amused smile. It was a comical comparison. Despite himself, Kenshin grinned, if only for a moment, about Obi-Wan's mockery.

"That changes by the day, I guess."

"The time I spent with him was brief. I didn't agree with Qui-Gon on Skywalker being the Chosen One and just like the Council did I sensed a great deal of fear and conflict in the boy. Apart from the fact that he had already formed attachments and a tendency to be passionate, being prone not to adapt well to our Jedi ways. Which, from what I know, has been indeed the case so far. If the rumours are true however, I dare say you are somewhat of a controversial figure yourself" Kenobi concluded.

"That's putting it lightly" Kenshin said, without going into further detail but Obi-Wan didn't pry and went on.

"To be honest, I am not sure what counsel I could give you. Nor can I but speculate about the reasons why you in particular were chosen as Skywalker's Master. Back in the day, the Council deemed me not yet fit to take on a Padawan and honestly I am glad I was not the one entrusted with this charge. The one advice I can give you, especially given Anakin's peculiarities, is to have patience. With yourself, and notably with Skywalker. The relationship between a Master and Padawan is seldom without conflict, especially at the beginning. Have faith, trust in the Force and trust Master Yoda's judgment. As I understand it, it was him who wished for you to train Skywalker."

"He was, and I don't understand nor agree with his choice."

"This might not reassure you, but hardly anyone understands Master Yoda. In that at least, you are not alone." Obi-Wan said sympathetically, then pensively stared into his tea mug.

"When we were stranded on Tatooine, it was Anakin who insisted in taking part in a life-threatening pod race to win money to help us buy the parts to repair our ship. Qui-Gon told me all about it. Of course, I don't know Anakin now, but at least as a kid, he was someone with a strong urge to help others in need. Maybe that's what he needs. To help others, to have responsibility, to be part of something. I have a feeling the Jedi don't let him. They reluctantly accepted him into the Order, but they still don't trust him. I'm not sure if I did the right thing when I enforced Qui-Gon's dying wish. I still don't know!"

"You did your best, with the resources and knowledge you had."

"Master Kano...the task you've been entrusted with is not an easy one. Of course I don't know you, but I can imagine that someone as unconventional as yourself might succeed where traditionally thinking Jedi would fail."

"You have more faith in me than I have myself. Thank you, Master Kenobi, for your time."

The younger Jedi politely bowed and left. Obi-Wan hoped the Force would be with him.

For several hours after that, Kenshin sat in the big tree on a terrace, the same terrace he had fled to in his first night at the Jedi temple ten years ago, and pondered over his conversation with Kenobi.

He wasn't comfortable with it, not at all, and he was not sure if he could really trust Anakin nor if he could ever be the Master Anakin needed. But he knew what it felt like to have no support and nobody to trust or believe in him, not even himself. At the time, he had coped by withdrawing completely into himself, into a hurtful, but also liberating loneliness. Anakin on the other hand, was not made for that. He needed a friend, an ally. Kenshin realized that someone had to be that person for Anakin. He didn't know how to, but he knew he had to try. He really, really had to. Nobody else would.
...

"It's time. We have to give account for what happened on the scrap heap" Kenshin said sternly.

Anakin would still have to rest for a few days until being fully cleared for duty, but at least he had been released from the medbay and allowed to go to his quarters. Soon afterwards his Master stood in front of him, the expression on his face as grim as always. They silently marched to the Council chamber.

"I do the talking. Not a word from you unless you're directly addressed" Kenshin commanded before they walked in. Only a part of the Council had assembled. Anakin's "field trip" and the event unfolding represented a greater offense to temple rules and was thus officially dealt with, but still not big enough of an ordeal for the whole Council to take care of. Unfortunately however, Master Windu was part of the reduced committee.

The tall Korun looked first at Anakin, then fixed his regard on Kenshin who met his fierce stare with an unimpressed glance of his own. Mace compared the boy he had helped train many years ago with the young man now before him. The defiance and mistrust in the dark eyes were the same as 10 years before. While Kenshin had not grown very tall, the tiny, skinny frame of the boy had developed into a stocky, impressively muscular build. An intimidating figure, and frighteningly proficient in his martial skills even without use of the Force. It was this one flaw Mace shared with the younger Jedi: they both liked to fight and they both were lethally good at it. Skills he had helped him develop. Kano was one of the few if not the only one that surpassed Windu in that field. He could have become a great Jedi, Mace contemplated. If it weren't for his heretic, distorted views, his utter disregard for rules and his disrespect...not towards anything in particular, it rather seemed a general attitude with Kano. His outlandish choice of clothing - instead of the light coloured traditional robes that a Jedi, a peacekeeper, should wear, he always donned black or grey attire, made to fight or blend in with shady surroundings. He had never even made an effort to lose his accent, still hinting at his non-coruscanti upbringing. Mace found his entire demeanour as uncivilized as that backwater world he was from. Nanta, a jungle world like his own home planet Haruun Kal. The second thing he had in common with Kano: they both came from wild planets strong with the Force and were impregnated with the ferocious strength and power that came with it. Only that he, Mace, had overcome the savagery of his origins, where Kano embraced them. The Nantoan wasn't stupid, he actually had a keen mind, but he was as stubborn as he was intelligent. What a huge amount of wasted potential, Mace thought bitterly. The passion, the attachments...Why the Council had allowed Master Fay to train the child on his home-world back in the day and let all these, to say the least, unconventional ways manifest, was beyond him. As an investigator, he had proven a powerful, efficient tool to the Jedi Order. But as a mentor for Skywalker who shared many of the aforementioned flaws with his recently assigned Master? He could only hope that Master Yoda's decision to pair the two wouldn't end in complete disaster. He had had a bad feeling about both Kano and Skywalker when they had respectively arrived at the Coruscant temple, and both could be counted among not only the most gifted Jedi but also the greatest troublemakers the Order had ever listed among their ranks.

"Padawan Skywalker, you are charged with unauthorized absence from the temple during night time as well as having ventured onto level 1312 which is a strictly forbidden area for Jedi Padawan at all times" Windu said sternly. "Master Kano, you are charged with resuming activity while not yet being cleared for duty due to injury."

Kenshin stood motionlessly, not speaking a word. His glance as solid as rock, Mace and him stared each other down for a painfully long minute, then Mace shook his head.

"Let me sum it up for you again: Your Padawan roams about in off-limits areas past curfew, three Morgukai appear, along with a Sith Chalice, your apprentice gets severely injured in the event that unfolds. You venture out all while being in a less than ideal condition yourself. You have quite a few things to explain, Master Kano"

"You are right about me taking action before being cleared and authorized. Padawan Skywalker is not to blame, he has not committed any illegal action. I had received information about a darkside artefact possibly being hidden in that location, so I went to find it. My Padawan was accompanying me, with my authorization. We could not have foreseen being attacked by Morgukai. As far as the reasons for their sudden appearance and their origins are concerned, I have as little idea as you do. "

"If only I could believe that to be true!" Mace Windu snarled.

"Last time I spoke the truth, having risked not only my own life but also that of my informants to uncover said truth, you and the Council couldn't be bothered to listen as the recent events on Giju have proven!" Kenshin gave back with now unconcealed rage.

The temperature in the Council chamber rapidly dropped by a significant amount.

"Time for conflict between brothers this is not. Control yourselves and focus on the matter at hand you must." Master Yoda interrupted them.

Ki Adi Mundi said "Master Kano, the Council has been wrong in not taking your intel about the Trade Federation more seriously. Please accept our apologies. But for now, we all see ourselves faced with threats and unknown facts that nobody can yet fully explain. There is a lot of open questions."

Shaak Ti resumed "I suggest the following. First of all, Master Kano, you will rest until your injuries have fully healed, and I believe your Padawan hasn't completed his recovery either. Once you are cleared, you will investigate who was behind this incident here on Coruscant, with full support from and authorization by the Council"

With this resolution, the meeting was secluded. Kenshin left the Council chamber at a hurried pace. Not being sure what else he was supposed to do, Anakin followed him.

"Master, wait" he panted. Having spent quite some time in the healers ward, he still didn't feel great and found himself out of breath trying to keep up with the other Jedi.

"Why did you do that?" the Padawan asked.

"Do what?"

"Why did you take all the blame?"

"Last thing you need is more problems with the Council. They hate me anyway, so for me it didn't make a difference"

"You don't sound like it bothers you."

"A lot of people hate me." Kenshin replied drily.

Anakin shook his head. One of the many things in which he'd never understand his Master.

"What's going on with Windu and you anyways? He seems to hate you even more than me! Is it because you're better at Vaapad than he is?"" Anakin asked.

"Windu? He's an alpha male. And I'm not one to bow down. I break his rules. That drives him nuts"

"Anyway, you handled him very well, Master. I was afraid I'd have to accept a reprimand, or even a punishment. Imagine they would have made me shine and polish Windu's head or worse" Anakin shuddered.

"By all seven Corellian hells!" Kenshin pressed his hand against his mouth, looked away and coughed. Anakin briefly worried if he had overdone it, then he could see that Kenshin simply did a bad job at stiffling a laugh. For the first time, he saw his Master smile.

"Master? I haven't thanked you." Anakin said at last.

"For what?"

"After everything I've said, you still came for me. You still came to help me and you've saved my life"

"I'm your Master, Anakin. If you call for my help, I will answer. Always"

...

With Anakin in tow, Kenshin walked out onto one of the landing platforms and scanned the skyline.

"A friend of mine should arrive any time soon. I hope he can help me find answers." Kenshin explained.

"You have friends?" Anakin scoffed before he could think better.

"Astonishing, isn't it?" Kenshin simply replied.

"What answers are you talking about?"

"What we speak about will not reach anyone else's ears, not a single word. Not even to the Chancellor! Someone's life can possibly depend on it! Is that clear?"

"Yes, Master" Anakin replied, determined to prove himself trustworthy although he didn't fully understand why this secrecy was so important.

"So, there's the holocron we found on Vanquor, along with that artefact and a lot about it doesn't make sense. Then there's the Morgukai on Coruscant, the Sith chalice, communications that I intercepted but that were so well concealed that I couldn't follow their exact origins or recipients …...Something is going on. There is a lot of questions. So I went looking for answers. I found a few. As for the rest, I hope Quinlan will able to help. I called him two months ago, but he couldn't make it until now. He has the power of psychometry and might see things I don't. The incident with the Morgukai for example – it was all set up! The Sith Calice was meant to be a bait, to lure me out, and someone hired the Morgukai to finish me off. A trap. Also a plan flawed to begin with but unfortunately you and Kyle got accidentally caught in the middle. You two were not the target. I was."

"Someone wants you dead? Kriff!"

"That by itself is nothing out of the ordinary. There's probably more bounties on my head than I can count. " Kenshin stated flatly

"Why do you sound like this doesn't faze you at all?" Anakin asked astoundedly.

"A lot of people want me dead, but most of them never manage to track me down. This time, someone was a bit more informed. The Morgukai were paid mercenaries targeting a Jedi whose physical description accurately fit me. Someone knew I'm a tracker for Sith artefacts and they hoped I would eventually sense such an object and go after it. What they didn't account for was two Padawans showing up – the Morgukai's instincts got the better of them so they blindly attacked you and Kyle."

"How did you find out about all of that?"

"A few inquiries with my informants in Coruscant's underworld. Two things irritate me: how did they know what or who I really am? My cover identity describes me as a regular Jedi Guardian with no special talents, deployed in the outer rim before I became your Master. Even in the Jedi Order, very few have knowledge of my real background. And the Sith Chalice...I have seen that Chalice before."

"Where?" Anakin asked incredulously

"In the Chancellor's office!"