AN: I know Echo was lost in season 3 but let's say he makes it with everyone else in the 501st aside from Cutup and Driodbait, RIP.
Chapter 3 - Aggressive ReConnaissance
Ben had been on the run for nearly two decades. Despite his being a hermit, there was plenty of trouble for him to get involved in over the years on Tatooine.
Learning true stealth, had been something Qui-Gon's ghost had taken great relish in reteaching him while he weaved through crowds in Mos Eisley.
Mos Eisley being one of his favourite cities in the galaxy because it allowed him some freedom from the tedium. Whether it be avoiding imperials, arguing with criminals while street children robbed them blind, or starting bar fights that he personally never took part in despite his possibly starting them.
Yes, he was a Jedi and thus supposed to be a peacemaker.
But it was Tatooine, it was a frontier on the skirts of the galaxy, the only stop on a hyperlane that shot straight to the Core.
When things went 'peacefully' in Mos Eisley, it meant that crime went unhindered.
It was a lesson to learn, and in hindsight, it was what he had been doing for most of his life, what Qui-Gon had taught him to do most of his life.
Rock the boat to wake the monsters beneath, because hidden they were like a bone disease eating away one's structure from the inside until everything collapsed.
This was a long way of saying, thinking, that getting back to the 501st without Anakin, Ahsoka, or Luke with him was fairly easy.
It had the added bonus of irritating the hell out of Anakin. No, he didn't want revenge on his old Padawan or to make him miserable, but to have him thrown off his routine?
Absolutely.
There was also the fact that Ben couldn't stand to be near the Temple. He had thought it would be a joy to be back here.
Coruscant was his home.
Or it had been.
But he could only see it through a film of nightmares and horrors now.
He needed to find a way to make his rooms on the 501st and 212th Star Destroyers his permanent spaces because he knew he wouldn't be able to make it through a night in the Temple.
He would not sleep in a tomb, no matter how welcoming it seemed.
Oddly, he would have preferred his exile, the home he had made for himself on the edge's of Luke's life on Tatooine to his childhood home. That was not something he had predicted.
Ben went straight to the loading platforms because he knew it was the last place Anakin would look for him. They trusted their men to get done what needed to be done.
Which was why he was sure his presence wasn't wholly welcome when he was finally spotted.
"Sir," Jesse said, voice stiff, "We should be ready to go in another hour."
Ben was certain he just shaved off an hour because the troops pushing boxes began to speed up.
Ben waved it away, "I'm hiding from Anakin, you still have another two hours. Anything I can do to assist?"
Jesse blinked at him, and for a man who had tattooed his face and head with an army symbol, his confusion was almost humorous in contrast to his appearance.
"Sir, we're just-"
Ben plucked Jesse's datapad out of his hands, scanning the details before handing it back to him, and he said, "Would you mind finding Fives and Appo and tell them I want them to put Luke through your standard cadet training?"
Jesse stared at him, glancing down at his datapad then back at the men who had paused to try and overhear the conversation.
"Feel free to delicate, or com them, I am going to help Hevy and Hardcase move the fuel tanks," Ben said before Jesse could come up with a coherent response.
Generals didn't help move things unless they were on a foreign planet with a significant number of injured, and being pressed for time.
Hevy and Hardcase greeted him with wide-eyed Sirs. It took them a few minutes before they relaxed enough to realize he wasn't rushing them, and soon enough, everyone forgot Ben was even there.
Another trick he had learned on Tatooine, the art of folding yourself away, a mind trick of sorts, but one that you had to convince yourself of.
Convince yourself that you were simply a bystander and not an agent, that you were nobody and you belonged only because you were nothing more than the landscape of the day to day.
When Jesse went back to shouting orders, his eyes slid over Ben. Hevy and Hardcase began speaking between themselves, only remembering Ben long enough when they needed extra help stabilizing a barrel.
Ben became no one, no rank, no Jedi, nothing, just a speck of dust in the galaxy.
It was who he had learned to be.
The manual labour worked off some of the tension being in the Temple had caused him.
When they jumped into lightspeed, Ben climbed up on some crates as the men went back to their quarters and stations. He was left in plain view yet completely invisible.
"Qui-Gon," finally alone, he asked aloud, "Did you travel with Luke and I? Can you hear me?"
There was no answer.
Ben lost himself in meditation, going over the timeline of the war and searching for Qui-Gon in the Force.
He was unable to find his Old Master. He didn't know if that was the will of the Force or Qui-Gon himself not having learned how to materialize yet.
Appo was pretty sure the message reiterated to him had been muddled in translation.
"What do you mean he's hiding from Skywalker?" he had asked.
Only for his brother to shrug, "General Kenobi assigned you and Fives to put Padawan Luke through standard cadet training."
Appo and Fives had exchanged a look.
They liked Luke, and honestly, they didn't have much else to do other than tend to their own training and weapons until they arrived in Kiros.
But wasn't it weird that General Kenobi wanted his son to go through mundane trooper training rather than Jedi training?
But they had their orders.
Finding Luke was another matter. He was with General Skywalker who was looking for General Kenobi who still didn't have a com of his own and no one was telling Skywalker where Kenobi was.
To be fair, even Appo didn't know where the other General was, but it was such a strange admittance for General Kenobi to say explicitly he was hiding from his old Padawan that no one wanted to get involved.
"Sir, General Kenobi gave us standing orders to put Padawan Kenobi through training," Appo said to his General.
Skywalker, who had just been arguing with Boomer, turned on him.
Luke popped around the bigger man's shoulders with an excited, "Sweet!"
Fives chuckled, "Come on, shiny, we've some work to do."
Luke almost skipped to them.
For the impressive flying and shooting the boy could do, Appo was still caught off guard by how light hearted General Kenobi's son was.
It was as if someone had taken a younger version of the 212th's General and washed away all the years of experience, Jedi monkishness, sorrow, and hardship, leaving just the gentle spirit behind.
Skywalker crossed his arms, "Do either of you know where Obi-Wan is?"
"No, Sir," both Appo and Fives said together.
Skywalker sighed, "Come on, Ahsoka, you and I might as well do some training ourselves."
Tano waved to Luke. "Have fun with the ARC's!" she said as she followed her impatient Jedi Master around the corner to the next corridor.
"What's an ARC?" Luke asked him and Fives.
Appo smirked, "ARC trooper is an Advanced Recon Commando trooper."
"We're the baddest of the bad," Fives said with cheek.
Luke's eyes widened, "That's amazing."
Appo couldn't help but smile, Luke was Kenobi's son and might one day be a Jedi, but for now he was just a semi-ordinary cadet with semi-extraordinary flying skills.
Honestly, he thought Luke might give General Skywalker a run for his credits in the skies, but his ground skills…
"You may not think it's so 'amazing' after a few hours of training," Appo warned him.
Luke just grinned, "I wanted to join the military long before I knew my dad was a General."
"What did you think your dad was?" Fives asked as they walked to the training rooms.
"My Uncle told me he was spicer-trader, I'm sorry, I mean he strongly implied it."
Fives snorted, "An illicit affair I would believe of General Kenobi, but not illegal trade."
"I thought Ben was just an old hermit," Luke said, "We called him Crazy Ben or Old Ben."
Appo couldn't help but shake his head, "He's one of the most decorated officers in the Republic."
Luke looked sad, "I wish my Uncle hadn't hated him."
Appo couldn't really wrap his head around someone hating Kenobi but clapped the boy on the back, "Well, you're here now and we have time to make up for."
Fives grinned down at the shorter man, "And we might not have fancy lightsabers but-"
"But I know more about blasters anyway," Luke interrupted, "and I've been dying to ask you what you're carrying. What's the range on your rifles?"
And just like that, Luke became one of them.
Once they got him to the range, Appo couldn't tell what was Jedi instinct or what was living on a planet like Tatooine.
But the kid was a talented pilot and had a spectacular shot once he adjusted to each weapon they introduced him to. It wasn't until they got him on the training mats for basic self-defence and hand to hand combat that his civiness shone through badly.
Yet Appo had to hand it to Luke, he got up every time he got knocked down and never got frustrated with them. Occionsonal he got frustrated with himself if he repeated mistakes but he never back talked to them. He did rather well when one considered the true disadvantages he had against them, his lack of training, muscle mass, and size.
He was petite and Appo hoped that Ahsoka was a part of his Jedi training because he needed to learn better flexibility and speed. Luke wasn't going to be able to use superior strength against many of his opponents.
After nearly five hours of Appo and Fives taking turns couching Luke through the repetitive motions, Appo finally called it. "Alright, I think we can call it a night."
Luke was shaking but his face was all stubbornness, "I can keep going, and neither of you have even worked up a sweat."
"Yes, but as we might need you in the fight tomorrow, rest would do everyone well, don't you think?" a kind voice said from beside them.
Appo nearly jumped out of his skin as he turned to see General Kenobi, when the blazes had he shown up?
Luke didn't seem at all surprised to see him. "Where and what is Kiros? I've never heard of it before."
General Kenobi motioned for him to sit on one of the benches and he poured his son a cup of mineral water from one of the dispensers.
To say Luke sat, would deprive one the image of the teenager's legs giving out and his puddling onto the bench seat.
"Told you he would be here!" Commander Tano's voice said as she, General Skywalker, Captain Rex, and Lieutenant Jesse entered the room.
General Skywalker marched over to them and he asked General Kenobi without preamble, "Where the hell have you been?"
"I've been meditating, you should try it sometime. It soothes the spirit," Kenobi said with a wry smile.
Skywalker glowered at him.
Tano asked, "Luke! The ARC's didn't kill you, congratulations."
"They could have," Luke muttered, taking another sip from his water, his arms were shaking a bit having overexerted some of his muscles.
General Kenobi smiled, "Of course they could have, but then our troops could take on fully seasoned Jedi Knights. Don't feel badly you that you weren't able to accomplish all that you wished, we all must start somewhere. Besides, you were still standing when I came into the room."
Fives snorted, "None of us could take out a Jedi Knight."
Kenobi turned a smile on Fives, but Appo noted that his blue eyes were greyer than normal as he spoke, "Jango Fett strangled ten fully armed Jedi Knights to death with his bare hands. You underestimate your potential."
Appo felt himself and his brothers come to attention. That was such a morbid thing for the General to say, they would never hurt the Jedi.
And Jango Fett was…
Appo remembered him. The way he would strut around Kimono like they were all plants in the garden he was growing, yet his son Bobo Fett was free from the routines and the Grand Schedule the rest of them were tied to. Appo had nothing against Bobo, but Jango…
A father who wasn't a father, a brother who wasn't a brother, a man they could have been but never would be. Jango was just a genetic donor they were all bound to yet had no tangible connection to.
Bobo Fett was a Mandalorian, while the rest of them were just clones.
Just expendables.
Skywalker was talking to Kenobi, lecturing the older man about not having a com, but those strangely grey-blue eyes had never left Appo's face.
Appo glanced away, not sure he had controlled his expression well enough to keep the ire he was feeling from it. Ire at Jango and frustrated that General Kenobi would suggest they would be Jedi Killers like that arrogant and self-centred bounty hunter.
"Alright, alright, Anakin, I won't forget my com again," General Kenobi said, cutting off Skywalker's rant.
A rant that probably had more to do with Kenobi 'hiding' from him than the com issue.
"Why weren't you with Luke? You just left him," Skywalker snapped.
Kenobi laughed, "Hardly. He was with you and Ahsoka."
"Why are you having Appo and Fives train him instead of doing it yourself?"
"Appo and Fives have more experience training younglings and cadets than I do, Anakin. I've only trained you before, and by the time you were nineteen you were quite self-sufficient," General Kenobi said reasonably.
Appo's frustration with him washed away, and he was suddenly very pleased to have their training recognized off of Kamino. The Jedi trained their own, but Luke was a bit of an anomaly.
"This type of training isn't going to help him use a lightsaber."
"Anakin, at this point in his training, he's more likely to hurt himself with a lightsaber, and Force forbid it, but if Ventress, Dooku, Maul, or Savage come across him with sabers drawn then he will die. I would rather him train with a blaster so he has some form of defence instead of attracting a fight he has no capability of winning."
Skywalker's eyes narrowed, "Darth Maul is dead."
General Kenobi sighed, "No, I saw him Tatooine. Apparently bisecting a Sith in half isn't enough." His gaze went distant, and he said quietly, "Even fire doesn't do it."
"Why didn't you tell the Council this!?" Skywalker exploded.
"I don't know where he is currently."
"Damnit, Obi-Wan, what in the karking hells has gotten into you? This is huge!"
"So is the fate of the Kiros colonists."
Skywalker ground his teeth as the rest of them watched, Appo's brothers slowly gathering around, men who had been doing final drills before showering and going to bed.
The two Padawans were completely silent.
Kenobi broke the tension suddenly, "Captain Rex, would you care to spar?"
A zing of excitement went throughout the room.
Rex looked startled, "Sir?"
The Jedi did not train with the clones. Appo had never heard even a whisper of a Jedi sparing with any troop.
"Hand to hand, minimal Force tricks. I can't turn it off completely but I can restrain myself from pulling on the Force for extra speed and strength," General Kenobi said as if he wasn't offering Rex a huge compliment by treating him as if he was worthy to spar with.
Rex hesitated, and Appo didn't blame him, if it had been General Skywalker offering it might have been more easy to go along with, he was so different from the other Jedi. Yet despite their General being the bigger man who would have thrown a harder punch, General Kenobi was a Jedi Master.
"Come now, Rex," General Kenobi said lightly, "I can teach you a trick or two, I dare say I know a bit more about hand to hand combat than Lama Su."
Appo had to fight not to grin.
Rex hid a smile by taking off his blasters and passing them and his helmet to Jesse.
Appo wasn't sure who had called them, but the training room was filling up with brothers.
The spar started somewhat markedly. The General stood directly across from him two meters away and bowed. Rex bowed back, when normally when they sparred each other it was more of a Set-Go affair.
Neither jumped the other, instead they circled each other on the mats in the ring that the 501st had made for them with the press of armoured shoulder to armoured shoulder. The only ones not crowded were Skywalker and Tano.
General Skywalker looked both frustrated and interested, his expressive face not hiding the turbulent of emotions. Beside Appo, Tano and Luke were watching with rapt attention.
Rex made the first move, and the General evaded him like a dancer. Kenobi weaved through Rex's offences and Kenobi scoffed, "Captain, are you afraid you'll break me?"
Rex quit holding back then, and Kenobi was no longer able to simply dance out of the way.
The room was so attentive, so quiet, that the sound of their blows as Kenobi redirected, caught, and blocked each one.
It was impressive as hell. Rex was speed and strength and the best of the best.
Kenobi was a kriffing wizard, and he moved like water given life.
Rex moved with springs in his feet, his body in constant motion, yet Kenobi was swifter still, his feet moving double time, and he used his legs more.
Appo couldn't have picked out a single flaw in any of Rex's stances or motions, but Kenobi had sharper senses, stepping into the millisecond openings Rex left.
Kenobi fainted a punch and the moment Rex blocked, Kenobi had his instep causing Rex to stagger back as he dodged what would have been a knee to the gut.
"You're over thinking yourself, Captain," Kenobi smirked, "unless blasters are your training preference, in which case, my apologies for putting you at a disadvantage."
Emotion flickered across Rex's face, but the Captain was too good to charge. The next punch he threw clipped Kenobi's shoulder as twisted to absorb and diffuse the impact.
General Skywalker crossed his arms, "And that's one of the few things Obi-Wan has in common with Count Dooku."
"What?" Tano asked, eyes never leaving the spar.
"They will both taunt you verbally in a fight. With body language and facial expression as well, Obi-Wan will engage you in a mental duel as much a physical one. As his opponent is trying to get the upper hand, Obi-Wan will wait you out, learning your every weakness while you wear yourself out emotionally and physically."
Appo listened and watched what his General was saying play out between Kenobi and Rex.
"Captain Rex, you're disappointing me, I thought you would be more audacious."
Appo winced, and Rex's next punch did catch General Kenobi in the gut.
Which is when the duel turned to a level of speed and violence that Appo had never seen before. He didn't know that he or any of his brothers could move like that, and when Kenobi flipped in the air, Appo came to a startling realization.
The General was using the Force to keep up with Captain Rex.
General Kenobi got thrown across the mats only to roll unharmed to his feet, leaving the two facing each other.
Appo was so invested he felt as if he could hear Rex's heartbeat as he stood at the ready.
"Rex," Kenobi chided.
Rex adjusted his feet a mere fraction to a more stable position, again not something Appo would have caught, and then Kenobi launched himself at the Captain.
It was clear that out of the two that Kenobi was the better and more experienced at hand to hand, and as this was a training exercise, Kenobi would pause every now and then to give Rex a correction or pointer.
It was the first time Appo knew of in the history of their lives that a clone had been trained by one of their Jedi, General Shaak Ti overseeing their training notwithstanding.
But what was also made clear, was that Rex was skilled enough that had it been a real fight, he might have been able to do real damage. Especially against a Jedi like Kenobi who was known to hold back from killing blows during a real fight.
The 'duel' ended with Kenobi showing Rex how to do a throw, which resulted in the General being thrown down on his back on the mats.
Rex offered him a hand up, and Kenobi took the proffered hand and rose gracefully to his feet with a smile. Both were a little breathless, their eyes bright from the sheer fun of stretching their abilities.
General Kenobi clapped Rex on the back, "Well done, Rex, well done."
Rex grinned, "You are a bastard, Sir."
Appo was shocked by the remark, it was something they would say to a brother but not to a Jedi. Rex realized that a moment late, horror crossing his expression at his gaff.
Kenobi, however, laughed, "A true fight is about more than skill. You kept your focus well, Commander."
Rex's eyes widened.
General Skywalker gave Kenobi a look, "Honestly, Obi-Wan what has gotten into you? You're being more bull headed than me."
"Granting rank is one of the few good things about being on the Council. Do you think Rex doesn't deserve the title?" General Kenobi challenged.
Appo looked between the three, and he was almost certain Rex was holding his breath.
General Skywalker said, "Of course, he deserves it. He might be younger than Cody but he's just as skilled and he understands this war better than Ahsoka does, no offence Padawan."
Tano grinned at him and Rex, "None taken, because I agree."
Rex looked a bit overwhelmed from all the praise. Typically officers only advanced after surviving something terrible or out of necessity to take over when someone had died. To be granted rank solely on merit without any of their brothers having to die was a welcome change of pace.
"Ahsoka thinks I'm being reasonable. So what's the problem?" General Kenobi asked.
"The problem is you're not acting like yourself."
General Kenobi shrugged, "After you have children maybe you'll understand."
"Understand what?"
He just shook his head, "That's it is not about you. Being responsible for someone else... it gives a new perspective to things."
"I'm responsible for Ahsoka," he countered.
Commander Tano mock glared at her Jedi Master.
"She's a warrior," General Kenobi countered.
"So will Luke be, someday soon. And you said you've known him for years."
"True, but if Maul had found him before I got there, he would have been dead or worse."
"Did you clash sabers with Maul?" Skywalker asked.
"I don't wish to discuss it."
"Obi-Wan-"
"Enough, Anakin, everyone needs to get some sleep, including me. Appo can Luke stay in the barracks?"
"Of course, Sir," Appo said at once, "We have the room but the officer quar-"
"The barracks will be fine," he motioned to everyone packed into the room, "that was an order, gentlemen, go rest." He winked at his son, "Goodnight Luke, you did well today."
"Goodnight, Ben," Luke said with a pleased grin.
General Kenobi left, Skywalker and Tano following behind him.
Luke stood close to Appo's side but Appo wanted to congratulate Rex. Someone gave the all clear that the Generals were out of ear shot and a cheer went up around the room.
Rex was swarmed by brothers, slapping him on the back praising him, begging him for details and demonstrations of some of the moves General Kenobi had just taught him.
Celebrating was something they typically did after missions, and there was both an air of worry that they were entering battle tomorrow but… hope, joy.
Good news like this had been so rare.
"You kept up with General Kenobi," Appo said his own bit of praise, pulling Rex into a one armed hug.
Rex was smiling as Hardcase said, "Commander Rex, such a nice ring to it."
Luke was watching them all with big eyes and an even bigger smile, obviously happy for them.
Fives swung an arm around Luke's shoulder, "Hang in there, little Kenobi, you're one of us now."
Luke grinned, and said, "Congratulations, Commander Rex, I look forward to serving you."
Appo felt warmth enter his heart, the Kenobi's were good people.
Ben hadn't meant to change Rex's rank, but once he said it aloud he had felt a soft nudge from the Force.
Rex had deserved the rank of Commander long before he got it. Few men in the GAR were as adaptive and clever as Rex.
Ben had also been centring himself in the present. The clones were not his enemies, even if Palpatine had a kill switch that could change that at any point.
And sparing with someone for the first time in decades had felt wonderful. As much as he had been teaching Rex, he had been reacquainting himself with this younger body as well.
It was good to be young again.
Anakin was smart enough to catch onto his personality changes, but Ben couldn't pretend to be who he had been, Anakin was just going to have to adjust.
Ben was proud of Luke though, Appo and Fives seemed to like him, which was praise enough but Ben had seen the last half an hour of Luke's training. Luke had stuck it out with admiral determination and focus.
Luke reminded him so much of Anakin when he was little.
That thought helped him get real sleep that night.
Anakin wasn't happy with Obi-Wan but he wasn't wholly upset with the new way he was taking charge.
They were about an hour from coming out of hyperspace and Obi-Wan had ordered every pilot onboard to their ship.
The hope being that they got there before the Separatists could use the Kiros people as hostages.
"Anakin," Obi-Wan said as they were checking their maps, "I want you, Ahsoka, and Echo in an ARC-170."
Anakin raised his brows, "My ship is fine, and the three of us as individual-"
"I want you to hit the Separatists with as much fire power as we possibly can. They don't know we are coming, the Kiros people haven't even sent out a distress signal yet. I want the Zygerria ship or ships captured and everything else destroyed. Putting you in an ARC-170 is a good way to achieve that."
Anakin nodded, secretly having always wanted to fly one but they weren't the models designed for the Jedi.
Obi-Wan turned to Luke, "I want you piloting an ARC-170 as well, Appo can be copilot and Fives you will be their rear gunner."
Appo nodded, "Yes, Sir."
It amazed Anakin how quickly the clones seemed to accept Luke as one of their own, but then Obi-Wan seemed to want him trained more as a trooper than a Jedi.
And the boy's achievements on and above Umbara had been rather remarkable.
"Anything else?"
"If you spot Dooku, aim to kill."
Anakin felt his eyes widen.
Obi-Wan's smile was grim, "The information we learn from his capture won't be as useful as us taking the head off the Separatist cause."
Anakin nodded, "I agree," though I'm surprised you do, he added silently, "Let's go Ahsoka, we'll need time to familiarize ourselves with the Aggressive ReConnaissance-170 starfighter."
"I like this ship already," Ahsoka said, Echo, Fives, Appo and Luke following them.
Appo talked them through the nitty gritty of the ship, Obi-Wan was staying behind on the main ship to see the map and give commands with Rex.
Anakin felt a thrill as they came out of hyperspace and he piloted the ship out into space, the stars glinting near and far around them. He glanced out his side panel to see Luke direct his own ARC-170 out with as much ease.
Who would have thought Obi-Wan's son would be such a natural flyer?
As they came around their Star Destroyer, framing it on either side, they found that either they were on the wrong side of the planet or they had beaten the Separatists here.
Obi-Wan's voice came over the headset, "We've arrived early, be at the ready and stay out of the way of the primary cannons. Let us get the first volley in before you press the advantage."
"Copy that, Sir," echoed across the open frequency.
Anakin wanted to ask Obi-Wan again, how he was so sure the Separatists would be here, when a small Separatist fleet came out of hyperspace perilously close to their ambush.
No one hit each other, but it was a near thing.
Their Star Destroyer got in a barrage of shots, Obi-Wan clearly commanding them to hit them with everything they had.
The Separatists main ship was on fire, their own drone fighters yet to activate when they pressed their advantage.
Anakin laughed, he couldn't help it, he loved flying and the ARC-170s quickly became one of his favourite models even if it required a copilot. The thing was an aggressive tank, that wasn't quite as agile as his own fighter yet it made up for that with nearly triple the fire power.
Ahsoka's rear aim was spectacular and Echo seemed to adjust to Anakin's tactics before they were fully formed in his head.
Only one other team was matching them for shear destruction as they whirled around the Separatist bots and ships.
Luke Kenobi was the type of pilot that would break records, the type of pilot that Anakin would love to podrace.
Together Anakin and Luke led the charge against the Separatists, and when one small Separatist ship broke away from the assault and launched into hyperspace, Anakin knew that Dooku had gotten away.
But at least neither the slavers nor the Sith ever set a metallic toe on Ahsoka's home world.
"Jedi!" the Zygerria hissed at him. They had completely trashed the male's ship and pulled it on board. Which was the only thing they salvaged from Dooku's fleet. The man himself had abandoned-ship and unfortunately managed to escape the ambush.
Ben smiled, "Slaver."
"My people will have revenge on the Jedi!" the Zygerria male raged within his cell, his feet and hands shackled behind him. "For a thousand years our people supplied slaves to the galaxy, we prospered, our customs prospered! And then the Jedi came along, but we have risen again and Zygerria will see the end of the Jedi!"
Ben smoothed his face into a thoughtful expression, "Is that a declaration?"
The Zygerria male's bravado faltered, his cat ears turning down, "What?"
"A declaration of war," Ben repeated, glancing at Anakin, "didn't that sound like a declaration of war to you?"
"Wait," the male said, his black rimmed irises going huge, "I'm not-"
"Why I think it was, Obi-Wan. Should we inform the Senate?"
Ben nodded, "And the Jedi Council, seeing as it was a personal attack against the Order. In years past we might have risen above such minor declarations, but the times being what they are…" he shook his sadly with a heavy sigh, "But if it is a war they want, who are we to deny them?"
The Zygerria male looked panicked now, "No, wait a moment, I mean- What are you planning!?"
Anakin grinned, and it was not a kind expression, as he leaned close to the cell and the slavers' scared face, "Aggressive repercussions."
It might have been wise for Ben to curb Anakin's wrath towards these people, but Ben had watched slaver grow more rampant in the galaxy throughout the decades.
He wasn't going to do nothing anymore.
Anakin wasn't the only who had been freed from a life bound to Tatooine.
AN: I'm following the Clone Wars episodes, but if there is anything you want to see please let me know. Thoughts, ideas, reactions, and feedback are all very welcome :D