Chapter Title: And When We Come for You

Author's Note: I have no idea how the Force works! So, I tried to make it as realistic as possible. And I finally got to see the final episode of Clone Wars yesterday… Holy fuc- I mean freaking hell! That ending!

Disclaimer: I claim no ownership or copyright of anything depicted or over anything you might recognize.

Obi-Wan had been in the middle of dismantling one of the last tankers of the enemy's flanks when Anakin's presence had rippled through the Force.

He had felt the sudden distress and urgency from his former padawan touch his mind, like a distant echo whispering in the back of his head. The encounter itself had been brief, but it left a persistent nagging sense of worry on his heart that wouldn't go away. He had called his communicator several times, desperately needing to hear Anakin's stoic, wise-cracking drawl. But he hadn't answered his comm. So, when he finally got through to Ahsoka and instantly picked up on her hesitant, urgent tone, he knew something bad had happened.

He felt his heart sink like a stone as she had led him to the deep crater out on the open field that hadn't been there yesterday. The massive rocks that existed under the grass-laden surface were piled on top of each other as the ground had collapsed in on itself, leaving a large open gash in the planet's surface. There was no telling how deep it went, the rocks obscuring any indications of where they stopped and the earth began. Or where in the middle of it, Anakin had landed.

Even as he had gently prodded the mountain of rock through the Force it had groaned and wobbled dangerously. If they just started lifting randomly, it could bring the whole rock formation down upon the trapped Jedi below. They had to be smart about this, strategic. He let his rational, neutral mind take over and tried his best to stifle the distressed shouting of his concerned heart. Anakin had a horrible way of bringing out the emotional, irrational part of his soul that he as a Jedi was trained to ignore, and it annoyed him that he couldn't just push those particular feelings aside. Emotions still swirled within the Force and he shot a look at the Togruta by his side. Although she had come a long way from the impulsive padawan that had been dumped at Anakin's feet not so long ago, she still wore her heart on her sleeve. Just like her Master taught her…

"Have you been in contact with him?" he asked.

"No… We were still under attack when it happened," Ahsoka reported, her blue eyes darting anxiously around in the deep pit.

Obi-Wan let his hand drift to his beard, deep in thought, as his mind raced. Alright, first things first, then. He raised his comm unit on his arm to his mouth.

"Anakin? Come in. Anakin, do you copy? Can you hear me?"

Silence answered his first calls and the tense quiet stretched out painfully between the two Jedi. Then static interrupted. Both of them held their breaths expectedly. Then,

"…Can't… talk…"

His voice was low and pained, the words grunted out and barely understandable.

"Anakin?" Obi-Wan tried again.

No reply came crackling over the comm unit this time, no matter how long they waited. Obi-Wan swallowed down the sudden lump of deep, aching worry and refocused his thoughts on the matter at hand. "Well, we know he's alive, then."

"Yeah, but for how long?" Ahsoka sullenly countered, crossing her arms uncertainly in front of her chest.

"Long enough, let's hope," Obi-Wan said and turned his eyes towards the quiet battlefield. "Rex! Cody! Over here if you please!"

The two clone captains hadn't strayed too far, overseeing the two battalions and their work and making sure they were within earshot of their general and commander. As Rex jogged over, his battle-worn features were tight and anxious. He was worried, his tension palpable in his set shoulders and drawn face. Cody seemed grave but more collected than his fellow captain. Understandably so, as Rex was just as attached to his missing general as the two Jedi standing before him.

"Did you locate him, General?" Rex said, during his best to keep his voice neutral and the delicate hope out of his tone. Obi-Wan saw through the façade easily enough and deep down he allowed himself to feel a surge of pride that Anakin inspired such devotion and strong loyalty in his troops.

"Not as such, but we will," Obi-Wan reported confidently. "I need you to gather climbing equipment as well as a couple of men to stand at the ready when we do."

"Yes, sir," both captains nodded with the command and turned to gather the necessary equipment and manpower.

Ahsoka glanced at their armor-clad backs before turning a questioning raised eyebrow back at the Jedi General. She asked, "And what are we going to do?"

"We, my young Padawan, are going to do the digging."

It didn't take long before Rex and Cody returned with three other clones at their heels, heaving grappling hooks, lines and harnesses in their arms.

Not a moment later, all five men were strapped in a harness, attached to each their own line at the mouth of the gaping pit. They stood with their hands holding the lines, ready to drop down into the chasm as soon as a path appeared. Kix, the medic of the 501st, lingered in the background with his medicine bag and a stretcher. He had volunteered as the medical assistance eagerly. Another sign of the stubborn loyalty Anakin generated.

Rex determinedly nodded his agreement to Obi-Wan, signaling that their preparations were complete.

Obi-Wan settled into the meditative position, crossing his legs as he sat and erecting his back. Ahsoka was by his side, copying his posture. In front of them loomed the crater, dark and silent. The world around them faded into the background and Obi-Wan allowed himself to drift into the comforting space of the Force. He listened to the nature's surrounding hymns and felt the wind gently caressing his cheek. As he slowly melted into the connection, he could sense Ahsoka's optimistic energy join him. It flared and flickered and surged wildly about at first, but as she concentrated further the presence was wielded into something focused and contained. Obi-Wan let a quick, proud smile pull at his lips at her ability to harness her Force energy into something so placid so quickly. She had learned much.

"Search your feelings and try to direct them downwards. Let yourself dive deep but go slow. Try and sense Anakin's presence in the Force; the way it feels; the way it moves. Let it guide you to a path," he gently instructed.

Together, they flowed into the consciousness of the planet's rocky earth. Obi-Wan let his senses guide him down, down, down into the darkness until he bumped into the bright, burning flame of Anakin Skywalker. The contact was unsteady and constantly wavering in and out, like Anakin had shoved their bond into the back of his mind, barely acknowledging the presence. He could sense hurt, frustration and stubborn determination emanating from his former padawan. But he had found him.

Without opening his eyes, he muttered aloud, "Do you have him?"

"I think so," came Ahsoka's answer a breath of silence later.

"Good. Do you have the path?"

"Yeah."

Obi-Wan nodded. Now came the more difficult part. Removing all the rubble. "We'll go slow, moving the boulders one at a time. It's all rendered useless if this whole thing collapses back on him."

They moved in unison, lifting one massive slab of rock safely out of the way before moving onto the one below. Little by little, a tunnel took shape as more rubble were cleared away. Some were simply pushed aside where it wouldn't interfere with the precarious structural integrity. The further down the opening reached, the harder the two Jedi had to concentrate. Where they couldn't displace the boulders, they had to simply hold them afloat. Obi-Wan frowned as his concentration deepened. He started to feel the weight of carrying such a heavy load at one time. A deep, shuddering breath from the padawan at his side and he knew Ahsoka had her troubles as well. Anakin had been holding most of it on his own…

Finally, he felt his own Force grasping the edges of Anakin's and he knew they were almost there. One more rock.

"I see him!" Rex's voice then thundered in his head. "Deploy!"

With his eyes still closed, Obi-Wan heard the clones drop from the edge and descend. His ears prickled as he heard the lines go taut and the harnesses jangling lightly as the men within them moved and turned. He heard the rummaging echo up from the opening they had created but he didn't dare strain his ears to listen more closely in fear of losing his already shaky concentration and bury the men down there. For the longest moments nothing happened. Then he heard the rustling and commotion of them reemerging, their voices growing ever louder. He almost lost his connection entirely as he picked up on the urgent, rushed voice of Rex, who urged the wires to go faster upwards.

"We're clear, General!" Cody bellowed a second later.

Obi-Wan let it all go as he exhaled deeply. Ahsoka's deep, calm company flickered and resided from his own vicinity, back to the normal volatile energy it carried. As if waking up from a deep sleep, Obi-Wan blinked up his eyes, squinting as the daylight filtered through his eyelashes. The scenery tipped slowly back into focus.

His blurred vision landed on the mess of white-clad armor, all gathered around in a circle with a blob of dark in the middle. As full awareness came back to him, he shakily rose to his feet and staggered towards the group, his gait growing steadier with every step. Behind him, he felt Ahsoka follow.

His heart was beating loudly in his chest, as deep-rooted concern fueled his speed. As he got nearer, he finally caught sight of Anakin. His tall frame was slightly bent over, as he held one hand on Rex's armored shoulder for support. At least he was standing and awake, although the clone captain was hesitantly holding his arms out as the general constantly swayed on his trembling legs. His clothes were torn and covered in dust, while dirt mattered his hair and face. His forehead glistened underneath the filth with sweat and his complexion was strikingly pale.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan called worryingly.

His former padawan looked up with a barely lucid gaze, his normally vibrant grey irises dull and tired. He looked remarkably exhausted.

"Master…" Anakin breathed out heavily, his words mumbled. A quick, wry smile crossed his lips as a spark of his usual, cocky self flashed briefly across his features. "You certainly took your sweet time."

Then his eyes rolled into the back of his head. His knees buckled. Obi-Wan jumped forward just in time to catch his limp body.

The older Jedi eased him gently onto the ground, steadying his lolling head. He felt his hand slide in something slick as he placed it on Anakin's torso. His gaze snapped to the spot, where he saw the dark material of the tunic glisten with it. Even as he turned his palm to inspect the sticky liquid, he knew what it was.

Blood.

His heart constricted painfully as his mind tried to grasp the full state of his dearest friend. He had been buried underneath all that rubble for quite some time before they managed to get him out. It was no natural pocket they had hauled him out of, meaning he had held the weight of those rocks at bay manually all the while Obi-Wan had simply meandered on the surface. It had been strenuous when both him and Ahsoka had held it. Anakin had had to endure it alone. Alone, injured and momentarily abandoned.

Oh, Anakin…

TBC