Starfighter Bonding (part 2):

Obi-Wan cursed under his breath as a lucky shot from who knew where struck across the left wing of his interceptor only millimetres from Arfour, the warning from the Force coming too late in his distracted state for him to dodge it properly.

His traumatized astromech sent him a string of accusatory swear words via the on-board computer that Obi-Wan felt were more or less deserved.

"Sorry, Arfour. Just hang in there," Obi-Wan said as he spun his sleek little fighter around a barrage of laser blasts between a Venator and a Seppie frigate, sending them upside down a few times.

"If that was a joke, it wasn't funny," the Aurebesh letters appeared almost instantly after he flattened out and chased after Anakin's yellow interceptor, refusing to get left behind.

I must be losing my touch, I thought that was perfect for the moment.

"My apologies, my friend. I will endeavour to keep my focus in a more satisfactory matter."

"Please do."

If Obi-Wan hadn't been occupied with staying alive, he would have spared a moment to roll his eyes at the snark of his droid. She's been hanging out with Artoo way too often again lately. I swear that droid has more personality than all of the younglings in the Temple combined.

And whose fault is that?

My reckless ex Padawan's, of course.

Obi-Wan suppressed a flinch as an out of control V-19 spun past him, the pilot's fear momentarily screaming at him through the Force until he blocked it out.

Kriff. Does Anakin REALLY have to fly through the thickest parts of the battle to get to our destination?

AND aim for every possible target he can find?

The laugh of sheer joy that came over the comm as Anakin performed an aerial manoeuvre that involved diving between the narrow gap of two rocketing pieces of debris from a nearby explosion and then shooting to smithereens an unsuspecting Vulture droid said unequivocally, 'YES!' (Obi-Wan had had to consciously unclench his hands from the sensitive controls as he watched Anakin play with death yet again.)

"Master," Anakin said only moments later. "General Grievous' ship is directly ahead. The one crawling with Vulture droids."

"Oh, I see it. This is going to be easy," Obi-Wan said, heavy on the sarcasm. NOT.

"Come on, Master. We've got this," Anakin said, anticipation radiating down their bond and in his voice.

No way in hell! Obi-Wan thought, eyes widening as something like a thousand of the enemy fighters flew off of the Invisible Hand and straight towards them. Anakin might be that good, but I. AM. NOT!

Desperate, Obi-Wan cast his senses out for a familiar Force signature, hoping against hope that Cody had his back, like always, and had a squadron following him and Anakin.

It only took a moment for the brave signature of the best clone pilot in the GAR – one of the very few who'd survived almost three full years of combat - to register, because he wasn't that far behind. Thank you, Cody!

"Not this time, Anakin," Obi-Wan was ecstatic to say. "We need help."

"No we..."

"Yes, we do! There's too much at stake to take any more reckless chances!"

"Yes, Master," Anakin said, resigned, but somehow still managing to sound like a little boy who'd just lost his favourite toy. He slowed down and changed course to give help time to arrive.

Obi-Wan sent the younger man a burst of gratitude and approval as he followed him and switched to the generic GAR comm frequency that everyone could hear. "Odd Ball, do you copy?"

"Copy, Red Leader," Commander Odd Ball said only a second later, calling him by the code name Obi-Wan had been assigned when in space battles. Anakin was Yellow Leader, officially, but the pilot clones more often than not thought of him as Holy-Shab-Did-You-See-What-That-Crazy-Jedi-Just-Did?! Leader. (Obi-Wan understood the sentiment completely.)

"Mark my position and form your squad up behind me."

"We're on your tail, General Kenobi," Odd Ball said confidently. "Set S-Foils in attack position and let's take out some tinnies!" he called to his squad, which was responded to by a roar of agreement from many echoes of the same voice.

Obi-Wan could feel the clone signatures gathering up behind him and Anakin in their ARC-170s. "All right, Anakin. Let's make our run."

"Finally," the young Knight said, accelerating again and moving out of hiding from behind a Venator.

As they cleared the top, Obi-Wan saw a massive wave of flying droids headed their way. Fragging hell. I wish I was anywhere but here right now.

He must have thought it loud enough for Anakin to pick up on, because silent laughter rippled back down their bond along with an eagerness for the upcoming fight that no one but Anakin and the droid hating clones could possibly feel at what they were about to fly into. "This is where the fun begins," Anakin said gleefully, confirming the feelings Obi-Wan was getting from him.

"You said it, General!" Odd Ball called back.

Not for me. Obi-Wan thought, already mentally flinching as they and the enemy droids closed in on each other like hurtling balls of flying death. More like, this is where the torture begins.

Anakin laughed at him again. "You'll do fine, Master. Just do what you always told me as a youngling and trust in the Force."

Since they were suddenly and miraculously communicating via telepathy anyway (which they hadn't done since before he'd stupidly stopped Anakin from following up on his visions about his mother being in danger), Obi-Wan pictured his eyes rolling and thought, "Very funny, Anakin."

"Well, if it eased your anxiety, then I did my job."

Obi-Wan smiled at the suddenly serious and caring thought Anakin sent him, because their mental connection actually had helped the terror sitting like a lump in his stomach to dissipate a bit.

And just in time, too, because the two waves of starfighters were about to collide. "Let them pass between us!" Obi-Wan commanded even as Anakin started shooting. "Our goal is the Command ship! Leave the droids for Squad Seven!"

"Yes, Master," Anakin grumbled as they dodged in near tandem through the mass of Vulture and Tri-Fighter droids that had ever so helpfully joined their battle as well. "To the lair of the clanking and hacking beast we go." Obi-Wan chuckled as Anakin added, "Again," in a thoroughly disgusted voice. "How we haven't yet managed to kill that stomping pustule on the backside of the galaxy is beyond me."

That is a fantastic question. "Normally I'd say the will of the Force or some such nonsense, but I think I'm going to take a page from your book on this one, Anakin, and say that we've just had terrible luck."

"Finally! He admits it!" Anakin crowed from his position just barely in front and to the left of him. "Have you noticed, though, that I haven't ever actually fought Grievous?"

"It may have crossed my mind once or twice. Surely you'll get your opportunity now." "If you're lucky," he couldn't help but tease down their bond.

Anakin snorted over the comm. "Don't jinx it, Master."

"I wouldn't dream of doing so. The Force willing, that is."

A deep groan was his only response to what Obi-Wan thought was a perfectly witty comeback.

Aside from a bit of swaying from side to side, Anakin had set an almost perfectly straight course for Grievous' flagship, but he was still shooting anything that he could on the way there.

Admitting that the compromise was logical, Obi-Wan also shot whatever he could while trying not to flinch with each near head-on collision, just barely dodged laser bolt, or burst of exploding debris that he flew through. The clone pilots behind them getting picked off one by one didn't help his state-of-mind either.

Force, I hate flying.