There are some mild references to my other fic, 'Take This Sinking Boat', but you don't have to read that fic to get the gist of this one!

Obi-Wan didn't particularly like the markets on Tatooine, but he had grown accustomed to the occasional brawl breaking out amongst the stalls, the sly vendors who tried to hike up the prices of whatever goods they had to offer. But then again, Obi-Wan only ever came maybe once, twice a month, and he knew he would need to bring back more supplies now that Ahsoka and Rex were staying with him for the time being.

Their reunion had been bittersweet. Obi-Wan had feared the worst for Ahsoka and Rex once the chaos had broken loose. He hadn't hoped—hadn't dared hope that Ahsoka could have potentially survived the order of the troops. He had mourned her loss. Mourned her loss in addition to his own troops and the Jedi and the younglings and Padmé and—

But she was alive. Rex, too. Somehow, the two of them had gotten out in one piece, and Ahsoka had, on some hunch, decided to go to Tatooine in hopes to find some answers. She had found Obi-Wan instead. And Obi-Wan had provided the answers, including the one Ahsoka and Rex didn't want to hear the most.

But they were alive.

Now, Obi-Wan adjusted his grip on his satchel. Rex and Ahsoka were probably wondering what was taking him so long. One of the vendors had been a little more trouble than Obi-Wan had anticipated. There had been a shift in the galaxy in the fall of the Republic, and only now was Tatooine starting to feel its effects, even in its own little corner of crime and deception.

Obi-Wan narrowly missed a wayward droid as he made his way towards his speeder. That speeder was an old thing, too—one that Obi-Wan had bought after some hasty negotiations made with a man who Obi-Wan suspected was in too-desperate need to get rid of the vehicle. Obi-Wan wasn't exactly a good mechanic, but he had managed to fix the speeder up where it needed the most fixing. And before he had left for the market, Ahsoka had taken one look at it and said flatly, "You're going to need to need a little more than just tinkering to fix that."

But Obi-Wan trusted that the speeder could make one last trip to the hut before Ahsoka could get her hands on the vehicle. He swung a leg over his speeder, and he was just about to start it when he felt a prickle at the back of his neck. Obi-Wan spun around just in time to catch a fist barreling his way.

The fist was attached to an armored figure—and one quick look told Obi-Wan that this attacker of his had to be one of the many bounty hunters skulking around Tatooine. Obi-Wan pushed past the plunge of fear in his stomach (who found him?) before giving the fist a hard twist to the side. He heard a grunt from his armored attacker, and then another fist came flying up. This time, Obi-Wan rolled out of his speeder just to avoid getting pummeled at the side.

Another heartbeat, and Obi-Wan ducked down just as another set of fists came hurling at him—not from the armored figure, but from a different bounty hunter, one who wore nothing but tattered robes. Obi-Wan would have thought that was a pitiful sight if he hadn't taken a step back to survey that no, there weren't just two bounty hunters—there were four, five, Obi-Wan counted, flicking his eyes up to a small figure lounging on the scaffolding of one of the nearby stalls. A few vendors were already starting to pack up their things, shooting a mix of frightened and curious looks Obi-Wan's way. There was a fight about to happen, they all knew, and they wanted to get themselves out as soon as possible.

"Well," Obi-Wan said, surveying his attackers, "this wasn't exactly how I had planned my evening."

"It's about to get a whole lot worse," one of the bounty hunters drawled, and when he started to rush forward, Obi-Wan was ready. He dodged the oncoming blow and grabbed a hold of the bounty hunter's arm. He gave it a sharp tug and heard the sickening pop of a shoulder, followed by a sharp cry. But before the bounty hunter could retaliate or regain some of his bearings, Obi-Wan tossed the bounty hunter aside, knocking him into one of his companions.

The second and third bounty hunters came rushing in, one of them already unhooking a small dagger. Obi-Wan skirted to the side as the blade came for his face. Dead or alive, he didn't know how the bounty hunters were supposed to take him in. Or if it mattered at all. Obi-Wan didn't plan on finding out.

He heard a sharp intake of breath from near his left, and then Obi-Wan lifted his arms to block the jab coming from him. He hadn't lifted his arms fast enough—Obi-Wan stumbled backwards against an abandoned stall. He only had a second to recover before another blow came his way. Rolling over on the sand, Obi-Wan righted himself and found himself looking up at his four attackers. The one he had dislocated the shoulder of had come back with an ugly scowl on his face, probably ready for some vengeance.

Not good, Obi-Wan decided, pushing himself up to his feet. He suddenly became aware of the light saber dangling at his side. Although the light saber was hidden by his robes, he couldn't be too careful. He could use it. He knew he could. There couldn't be too many people left in the market, and yet—

The bounty hunters might not actually know Obi-Wan's identity. They could just be looking for any old mark. Maybe one they could sell into some service. No, the light saber would remain unused. Hidden.

"Well?" Obi-Wan asked, lifting his arms. "Who do I have the honor of entertaining first?"

An ugly scowl stretched across the face of one of the bounty hunters. "All of us," he said, and Obi-Wan suddenly felt something sharp and painful sink into the back of his neck. The one on the scaffolding, Obi-Wan thought, lifting his hand to his neck. His fingers wrapped around something cylindrical. A dart.

Obi-Wan yanked it out, let it fall to the sand. "What—" The bounty hunters in front of him suddenly blurred before him, and he stumbled backwards as one of them stepped forward.

"Not to worry," one of them said. Obi-Wan couldn't tell if the voice had come from the bounty hunter directly in front of him or one of the others. "Just a small dose of something special. Isn't poison."

But as the bounty hunter said those words, Obi-Wan felt a sudden pain shoot through his skull. He let out a soft gasp as the pain came needling forward again, and he saw the world spin dangerously before him. Focus. He had to stay focused.

"He's not going down," one of the bounty hunters said.

"He's made of tough stuff," another commented. "The boss will love this."

"He won't be tough for long," the main bounty hunter said. He took a step forward. "Isn't that right?"

Obi-Wan lifted his eyes up to the bounty hunters. Four bounty hunters became eight, eight bounty hunters became twelve. He blinked a few times, forcing the number of bounty hunters down. He was sure they had come closer to him now. He tried to raise his arms, tried to take a fighting stance, but his feet slipped against the sand. He tasted something bitter and sharp in his mouth.

"Come on," the main bounty hunter said. "Aren't you tired?"

Obi-Wan was tired. He hadn't been more tired in his life. But he had been tired even before the drug had filled his system. He had been tired since forever, Obi-Wan wanted to say. He had been tired for a long, long time.

"He's still not going down."

"Just give him a minute."

Obi-Wan suddenly heard laughter in the background. Laughter that hadn't been coming from the bounty hunters. Familiar laughter from a different time, a different life.

And then Obi-Wan saw Anakin standing above him, training saber pointed down at his neck with a teasing expression on his face. He had sweat dripping down the side of his face, and he was breathing hard, but he was laughing. Obi-Wan had looked back up at Anakin, feeling both annoyance and amusement at his former apprentice's work.

Obi-Wan blinked. He wasn't in a training room. They weren't in a training room. A they didn't exist. It was just Obi-Wan, alone. Still standing. He heard laughter again, this time closer. And then Anakin was beside him then, lips already half-quirked into a smile, hands already lifted in preparation for a fight.

Obi-Wan dared to look sideways—only to find himself still surrounded by the same bounty hunters. He blinked a few more times, his eyes drying. His head hurt. Everything was starting to hurt. Even though the suns were setting, Obi-Wan suddenly felt too warm. Felt as though there were little fires lit everywhere around him. Little fires. Something was burning in the distance. Burning.

"He's still not going down," the bounty hunter repeated.

"We know," another bounty hunter growled. "Let's just get this over with."

Obi-Wan heard the same laughter, and then Anakin's impossible voice: "Are you really going to let them take us, old man?"

Obi-Wan lifted his arms in preparation for a fight.

Obi-Wan never came back late. He always came back before the twin suns fully set. Always.

"It's that stupid speeder," Ahsoka said, turning to Rex. "I bet it broke down in the middle of the desert."

"Or he could have just had to hassle with some of the vendors," Rex replied. "He did say that happens once in a while."

"But would hassling cause him to be this late?" Ahsoka asked, gesturing towards the doors. "It's already almost nightfall. Obi-Wan wouldn't argue with a vendor that long." She paced around the hut, her arms wound tightly around her middle. "No," she said. "Something's happened."

Rex looked at Ahsoka. "We don't have a speeder," he pointed out.

Right. Ahsoka paused. "What about that couple?" she asked. "The one living nearby?"

Rex cast Ahsoka a sidelong glance. "They weren't so fond of us the last time we saw them," he reminded her.

That much was true. The Lars couple hadn't been willing to share Obi-Wan's location at all when Ahsoka and Rex first touched down on Tatooine. The fact that Obi-Wan had only just happened to be crossing paths with them was how they managed to find each other.

"No," Ahsoka agreed, dropping her shoulders. "They weren't." After a pause, she added, "But Master Kenobi could be in trouble. A lot of trouble." She looked up at Rex expectantly. She counted down the seconds: five, four, three, two…

"Alright," Rex said. "What do you have in mind?"

Ahsoka looked out the door again. She took a few steps out of the hut and, smiling at the stray eopies lingering out on the sand, she set her hands on her hips. Obi-Wan had always been strangely good with animals, and though Ahsoka hadn't exactly needed to communicate with animals before, she figured now would be just a good time to try as any.

"How do you feel about riding one of those?" she asked, turning to Rex.

It was nearing dark by the time Ahsoka and Rex reached the market. And yet, despite the closing time, Ahsoka heard the shouts and the crashing—and blaster fire?—ringing around the area. She only gave Rex one quick glance before they were both urging the eopies on, and moments later, Ahsoka was sliding off the animal as she took in the vendors hurriedly packing up their wares as someone was launched right into an empty stall. That person didn't get up.

There was a roar, and then more blaster fire. In a flash, Rex had slung himself off his eopie too, and without another word, both Ahsoka and Rex were rushing past the vendors and shoppers until they came across a small clearing right off the side of the market.

And there, swaying dangerously at his feet, Obi-Wan stood at the center of a ring of straggling bounty hunters. Most of the bounty hunters were either on the ground and knocked out cold, while others were stumbling backwards, their hands still fumbling for their blasters.

Ahsoka felt her blood run cold as she focused on the few bounty hunters left standing. So this was what had been keeping Obi-Wan so long.

Ahsoka eyed one of the bounty hunters. The man was still reaching for his blaster, despite his own trembling hands. Ahsoka would have felt pity for him—really, anyone who would try to take Obi-Wan down would be worth some pity—but right now, she felt nothing but anger. Without thinking better of it, Ahsoka strolled forward and in a swift movement, she knocked the blaster out of the bounty hunter's hands. The bounty hunter let out a cry of surprise, but that cry escalated into a shriek as Ahsoka kneed him right in the crotch. "Scram," she hissed, and the bounty hunter didn't need to be told twice. He stumbled backwards, and when Ahsoka turned back around, she found with some pleasure that Rex already had his blasters out, steadily pointing down the remaining bounty hunters.

There was some grumbling, but in another heartbeat, the remaining few were gone.

Ahsoka let out a breath, and that was when she finally turned to Obi-Wan.

"Master Kenobi," she said, rushing to Obi-Wan's side. "Are you—oh—" She lowered herself just in time to catch Obi-Wan before he could crash face-first into the sand. But Obi-Wan sank down, his knees hitting the sand, and Ahsoka and Rex settled themselves down next to him just as he tilted dangerously forward, and Ahsoka was afraid that he was going to pass out right there—

But then Ahsoka heard a terrible, terrible shuddering, gasping sound that made something in her crack. And then she felt Obi-Wan shaking from under her grip, a violent, painful kind of shaking that made Ahsoka's own arm tremble. Ahsoka found Rex's eyes above Obi-Wan's head at that moment—found his eyes reflecting the shock that Ahsoka knew were also in her own.

He should have died.

He should have died on Mustafar. Before Mustafar. He should have died on Utapau. Before Utapau. As far back as Naboo—he should have died then.

Obi-Wan could still smell something burning. He was somewhat aware of Ahsoka and Rex's hands on him, the quiet murmurs above, but he couldn't make out the words. But he could still hear the remnants of Anakin's voice, ringing in his head with a clarity that split his skull: "are you really going to let them take us, old man?"

Something was still burning. The smell of smoke and something worse stung Obi-Wan's eyes. He couldn't hear Anakin's voice anymore, and a panic filled his chest. He couldn't hear Anakin's voice anymore—

But no, he could hear Anakin's voice again—but it wasn't Anakin's voice—it was something darker, louder, angrier: I hate you—

It was Rex who found the dart. "They've drugged him," he said, turning the dart over in his hands. He passed it to Ahsoka. "Any idea what it is?"

"No," Ahsoka replied after examining the dart for a moment. She tucked it away, keeping one hand still on Obi-Wan's back. He seemed to be in an entirely different world, one that made his eyes glossy and unfocused in a way that frightened her. Calm. Stay calm. "It must have been to weaken him. Throw him off balance so they could capture him."

"Not poison?" Rex asked.

"I don't think so," Ahsoka replied. Or at least, she hoped not. She glanced up at the sky. The suns had completely set now, and the moons were starting their ascent. "We should get going before we attract any more attention."

With that, Rex and Ahsoka both pulled Obi-Wan up to his feet. Ahsoka was careful to make sure that Obi-Wan would remain stable between them. They made the agonizingly slow trip to the eopies. Obi-Wan's chest rose and fell heavily, and Ahsoka winced, feeling Obi-Wan's hand dig into her shoulder from where it rested. She didn't think he noticed, and she wasn't about to tell him.

Ahsoka managed to get one of the eopies to kneel down long enough for Ahsoka to adjust Obi-Wan onto it. She swung herself immediately behind Obi-Wan, securing her arms around him so he wouldn't fall. When Rex had gotten on his eopie, they set off wordlessly.

To Ahsoka's relief, Obi-Wan had calmed down just barely enough so that he didn't struggle as the eopie trekked across the desert. Still, Ahsoka could sense the deep, underlying pain whether brought on from the drug or his injuries, she couldn't quite tell.

When they finally got back to the hut, Ahsoka's body felt sore from riding the eopie and also from clinging onto Obi-Wan so tightly. Rex slid off his eopie first, and before Ahsoka could protest, he helped them both down. Well, he helped Ahsoka get down—getting Obi-Wan down was more like just catching him as his legs gave out.

It wasn't until they were actually inside the hut did Obi-Wan seem to regain some kind of sense. Blinking his eyes at the sudden warm lights inside, he swiveled his head between Rex and Ahsoka, his eyebrows furrowing. "What…"

"You got into a fight," Ahsoka said as Rex and she guided Obi-Wan to the nearest seat. She straightened herself, her eyes skimming over the cuts and scrapes on Obi-Wan's face. She took in a split lip, a small cut near his nose, and the red swelling that Ahsoka knew would probably bruise tomorrow morning. She didn't even want to think about any injuries to his actual body.

But first things first. Clean the wounds. Ahsoka left and returned with a cloth, a small basin of water. She sat crouched down in front of Obi-Wan. "This might hurt a little," she said, dipping the cloth down into the water. She tried for a halfhearted smile. "So sorry in advance."

But Obi-Wan only gave Ahsoka a slow blink in response, causing Ahsoka's chest to tighten. "Okay," she whispered, and she glanced up at Rex. "Do you think you could find some more medical supplies? He has to have some."

Rex nodded. He left their side, and Ahsoka turned back around to Obi-Wan. "Sorry," she repeated, and then she lifted the damp cloth to the cut first. Obi-Wan flinched, but he didn't pull back, much to Ahsoka's relief. He had to be coming back if he wasn't reacting violently. "Sorry," Ahsoka said for a third time. "But you know we have to get this clean." So she sponged the cloth against the cut, and then, using the other end of the cloth, she got to work on Obi-Wan's lip. He stayed still, for the most part. An occasional grunt of pain, maybe—a wince here and there, but Rex came back with enough bacta to take care of the rest.

"You're looking better already," Rex commented as Ahsoka applied the bacta to Obi-Wan's face. "Just some rest at this point."

Obi-Wan nodded numbly. Ahsoka felt her chest give another painful squeeze, but she forced on a smile. "Okay," she said, setting the bacta and the rest of the medical supplies down. "I don't know about you, but I'm beat too."

Obi-Wan's head was still spinning when he laid down to sleep. His head was still spinning when the rest of the hut had gone quiet. Or, at least, the hut had gone quiet except for the lingering whispers at the back of his head—whispers that weren't quite in his voice.

He smelled something burning.

The hut felt too hot.

He closed his eyes.

I hate you—

Ahsoka woke up to hearing hoarse shouts. She scrambled out of her cot, one hand scrambling for the lights, the other for some kind of weapon, and then she heard Rex tumbling out of his cot too, and then the two of them were blinking at each other under the sudden light of their room. They didn't need to speak to each other to know where the sound could be coming from.

But Ahsoka hadn't ever heard that sound coming from him before.

But she found Obi-Wan at his cot, sitting up straight with the blankets pooled around his waist. He was breathing hard—harsh, fast breaths as though he had just been running. Ahsoka dropped her eyes down to Obi-Wan's hands, where they were clinging to the edge of the blankets so hard that his knuckles were white. Her shoulder suddenly hurt from where Obi-Wan had clung onto it.

"I'm sorry," Obi-Wan said hoarsely, turning to Ahsoka and Rex. His eyes were bloodshot but clear. "I—did I—" His voice was weak, apologetic. "Did I wake you?"

"That's not important," Ahsoka replied. She made her way towards him and sat down at the edge of the cot. "Obi-Wan, you—it—"

"Sounded like there was something going on," Rex finished.

"I'm sorry," Obi-Wan repeated. He started to lift his hand, probably to rub the sleep out of his eyes, but Ahsoka quickly lowered it before he could.

"Don't," she warned. "You'll just get something in the cuts."

Obi-Wan's hand dropped down to his lap. "Right you are," he said weakly. He blinked a few times, looking between Ahsoka and Rex. "I'm alright," he said hastily. "I'm sorry that I woke you two. I believe I'm still…" He rolled his shoulders, winced. "Adjusting to today's events."

That's one word to describe it, Ahsoka thought. Judging by his silence, Ahsoka figured Rex was thinking the same thing too.

Finally, Ahsoka asked quietly, "Did you see something?"

Obi-Wan's shoulders stiffened. Just slightly, quickly—just enough for Ahsoka to catch a glimpse of the movement before Obi-Wan replied, "I can't remember."

Ahsoka found Obi-Wan standing outside of the hut early the next morning. He usually did that—Ahsoka could usually find him meditating, but today, he was standing much farther out than he usually would. He was kneeling on the ground, his head bowed, and for a moment, Ahsoka wondered if she was meditating as usual, but when she came closer, she saw the lightest tremble in his shoulders, and she caught only a few words: sorry and failed and then his name.

Obi-Wan looked so alone then, his head still bowed, his shoulders still shaking.

Ahsoka wasn't sure how long she stood behind him.

She stood there for as long as she had to.

A/N: um anyways, I just kind of pictured a scenario in which Ahsoka and Rex found Obi-Wan on Tatooine and decided to stay with him for a little while. And,,,you know. Things happen. Sad things. (sorry. I might have gotten a little attached to this weird alternate universe of mine in which Obi-Wan and Ahsoka and Rex just kind of all live together so here we are, just releasing fics based off the same alternate universe.)

As always, reviews/favorites are greatly appreciated!