To Guest: Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it.
To The-Library-Garden: I've bene gone a while too, oops! But I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Disclaimer: I don't own Clone Wars.
Counterattack! With the clone army stretched in desperate attempt to engage General Grievous' Starfleet, Separatists planets that were once thought secure are now rising up against the Republic. On Geonosis, Separatist leader Poggle the Lesser, safe in his newly ray-shielded factories, creates thousands of terrible new weapons which march off the assembly line against the outnumbered clone army. The Jedi, resolute in the effort to restore order to the Republic, mount a massive invasion to retake Geonosis and shut down Poggle's factories once and for all...
The ship hovered over Geonosis. From their height up in space, it was impossible to tell that the planet was being ravaged by war below, and the sight was honestly beautiful.
"I cannot believe we're back here again," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head in disbelief. Veers fought back a smile, recalling the stories she'd been told of Obi-Wan and Anakin's first experience on Geonosis, back when Anakin was just a Padawan himself. In hindsight, the stories were quite amusing.
"It is unfortunate," Master Mundi agreed, nodding his head gravely. "The resistance from the native Genosians was stronger than we anticipated."
"The same can be said for their loyalty to Count Dooku," Obi-Wan added.
"A fact that is often overlooked." Veers turned her head at the sound of the swishing of the doors. Ahsoka and Anakin were walking onto the bridge, arguing with one another. Veers smiled slightly.
"You're late," Obi-Wan chastised his former Padawan as Anakin walked up next to him. Anakin smiled easily, shrugging his shoulders.
"Sorry, Master," Anakin said jovially. "Ahsoka and I were busy routing the Seppies near Dorin." Ahsoka turned towards Anakin triumphantly, smirking at her instructor in a challenging manner.
"My squadron alone had fifty-five kills," she gloated.
"Yeah," Anakin said, grinning. "But mine had seventy-six." Ahsoka rolled her eyes affectionately, muttering show-off under her breath as she turned away. Veers smiled slightly, a pang in her chest as she was reminded of her similar banter that she'd shared with Rizak.
She and Obi-Wan got along well, but they didn't have the same comfortable, easy relationship she'd had with Rizak. Sometimes she feared that they never would.
Obi-Wan huffed a laugh, bemused by Anakin and Ahsoka's game.
"Well, I'm glad you two are enjoying yourselves," he said, sounding torn between being stern and being amused. Anakin shrugged.
"It's just a little friendly competition, Master," Anakin replied.
"What I worry about is the way this war is drawing on with no end in sight," Obi-Wan replied, shaking his head and looking again at Geonosis with concern. Veers understood his worry; it must be disconcerting to be fighting on the same planet that had started the wars, after all. Master Mundi nodded his head in grave agreement.
"Yes," he said. "Which is why it is crucial that our invasion of Geonosis meets with success." Anakin nodded.
"Agreed." He glanced at his Padawan. "Ahsoka, contact the Outer Rim command. Tell them we're ready for our briefing." The Togruta female nodded.
"They're already waiting for us," she announced. Master Mundi nodded, leading the way towards the center of the bridge where the control panel was. Once there, Mundi pressed the button to start the transmission. The hologram flickered, and then connected them to the other Jedi.
"Masters," Obi-Wan dipped his head in greeting to Master Luminara, Master Windu, Master Yoda. "Chancellor Palpatine. Our ships are in position and we are ready to begin our campaign against the Geonosians."
"And what about Poggle?" Master Windu asked. "Any report on his location?"
"It seems he's holed up at the primary droid foundry here," Obi-Wan said, pulling up a holographic map and indicating the spot where Poggle was hiding. "The factory is protected by a shield generator. Anakin, Ka Adi and I shall attempt a three-pronged attack through their defense lines to a staging area just short of the shield. Once we have landed, we will knock out the shield generator. That is our primary target."
Chancellor Palpatine frowned, rubbing his chin.
"Isn't it risky committing three generals to one area of the attack?" The Chancellor asked in concern. "If something went wrong, we could be dealt a serious blow."
"To ensure that rise again, Geonosis does not," Master Yoda replied gravely. "Capture Poggle, we must."
"Of course," the Chancellor said. "As always, I shall leave the strategy to you, Master Jedi."
"Our thanks, Chancellor," Obi-Wan replied politely. Master Windu nodded once, looking at the Jedi around him. His eyes were serious - he knew that this was a dangerous mission, but a necessary one.
"May the Force be with you," he said. The transmission flickered off, and the door to the mission room slid open. Rex, Jet, and Cody walked in, stopping in front of the Jedi to await instructions. Obi-Wan looked down at the map, indicating a point on it.
"Good," he said. "Cody, these are the coordinates for the rendezvous." Cody nodded.
"Yes sir," he said. "When we hit the ground we'll create a perimeter there." He pointed to a spot on the map. "Getting past their defenses here will be the trick. General Mundi will come across the defensive lines from the north. We will make our assault through the middle, and General Skywalker will make his attack on the defensive lines from the south. We will meet at the rendezvous point at 0700 exactly."
Way easier said than done, Veers thought wryly to herself.
"If we are met with strong resistance and are forced down away from the landing zone," Mundi said. "Hold out until we join our forces before attacking the shield generator." Ahsoka looked at the map worriedly, studying the terrain.
"Their front lines are heavily fortified," she said nervously. "Look at that giant wall with the gun emplacements. That won't be easy to get past."
"Don't worry!" Anakin said confidently, waving off his Padawan's concerns. "We're not going anywhere near that."
"Come now," Obi-Wan said. "What happened to all that enthusiasm I saw earlier?" Anakin grinned at his former instructor, throwing his forearm onto Obi-Wan's shoulder and leaning against the older man comfortably.
"Don't worry about us. You just get to the landing zone in one piece." Anakin glanced at Veers, grinning. "Veers, you'll make sure to keep an eye on the old man, won't you?" Veers grinned slightly. Obi-Wan rolled his eyes.
"Yes, well, this old man shall be waiting for you when you finally arrive."
"Ahem." Master Luminara cleared her throat. She and her forces were waiting for the three generals to destroy the generator before joining them on the ground. "Gentlemen, if you are quite finished, we have a battle to begin."
"Quite right," Obi-Wan responded, snapping back into his business like state. "Cody, prepare the gunships. Veers and I will meet you in the hangar." Veers followed Obi-Wan out of the briefing room, nudging Ahsoka and whispering a quiet good luck to her friend as she passed her. "Veers, are you ready?"
"Yes, Master," Veers replied, quickening her step to match pace with Obi-Wan. "What's our plan of attack?"
"Oh?" Obi-Wan cocked an eyebrow at Veers. "You, asking about a plan? Someone pinch me, I must be dreaming." Veers huffed out a laugh.
"Yes, well, I'm turning over a new leaf," she said teasingly. "Are you going to tell me or am I going to have to guess?" Obi-Wan chuckled.
"You and I will be in separate gunships, just in case," he told her. Even as he said it, he felt doubtful. Veers had been distracted lately, and though she'd been more focused in recent days, he was still concerned about her ability to conduct herself in a battle. But he had to trust that she would adapt - the plan needed her too.
Veers's eyes widened slightly - she hadn't expected that. Biting back her remark, she forced herself to continue listening to Obi-Wan instead of interrupting him to comment. "You'll go with Cody, and we'll meet at the landing point." Obi-Wan and Veers had made it to the hangar now, and they paused, waiting for Cody to alert them that the ships were ready. Veers paused at the entry to the hangar, and Obi-Wan stopped next to her.
"Master, we're splitting up?"
"Yes." Obi-Wan glanced at his Padawan. The concern on her face didn't assuage his worries, but he did his best to shake them off. "It's strategy, Veers. Don't overthink it. Everything will be fine." Veers frowned, thinking about his cryptic words "just in case." Still, she shook that thought off and then nodded.
"Yes, Master." Unable to help herself, Veers smiled, her pointed teeth gleaming in the half light. "And I suppose if it doesn't, Anakin will have to come save you again, isn't that right?" Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes at his apprentice, and she giggled at his affronted expression. Cody came up to the pair.
"Sir, the gunships are prepared. Is everything alright?"
"Just fine, Cody," Obi-Wan replied. "Veers here as simply been listening to too many of General Skywalker's tales." Veers giggled again. Obi-Wan glanced at Cody. "Where you at the first battle here on Geonosis?"
"No, sir," Cody replied as the three began to walk towards the gunships. "I wasn't involved in the first assault on Geonosis."
"Well, you didn't miss much," Obi-Wan replied dryly. "Last time I was chained to a pole and attacked my several humongous monsters. And then, if you'll listen to Anakin's version of events, he was the savior in the story. What he often neglects to mention is how he got there too."
"That sounds...entertaining," Cody offered. He and Veers paused outside the first gunship and Obi-Wan got in. He smiled.
"It was," the Jedi Master replied, arching an eyebrow. "For the Geonosians." Veers smiled.
"Hopefully we'll have better luck this time, Master," she said. "May the Force be with you." Obi-Wan nodded at his apprentice, and the doors of the gunship snapped shut. Veers hesitated for a moment, feeling the air whoosh around her as the gunship lifted off the ground. Cody nodded at the Jedi.
"Let's go."
Veers and Cody boarded another gunship, and the Padawan grabbed onto a strap to keep her balance as the ship took off. She could tell already that it was going to be a rocky ride down to the surface. The Geonosians had high-powered energy cannons that could reach high altitudes, strong enough to knock a gunship of the sky with one hit.
The pilot weaved in and out of fire, attempting to stay out of the way of the shots. The gunmen in each of the pods attached the gunship did their best to return fire, but with all the bobbing and weaving, it was no doubt difficult.
"We're down!" a voice called through the radio. "I repeat, we're down. Location five - " the transmission cut off, and Veers looked at Cody in concern.
"That was Rex," he confirmed. "Skywalker's team must have gone down, we've lost contact." Veers let out a huff of breath, her ira marks flaring in concern. Before she could say anything, Cody's radio crackled again. This time it was Jet, from Mundi's team.
"Cody, get the tanks down! Come in, Cody!"
"Copy that," Cody said. "Pilot, begin landing sequence!"
"Copy that, Commander!" The pilot called back. "Have fun down there!" The gunship lowered to the ground, behind the tanks. The large AT-TEs offered the squadron limited cover as they disembarked from the gunship. Immediately, the Geonosians began returning fire. Veers cursed, drawing her lightsabers.
"Cody, tell Obi-Wan not to land!" she shouted. She barely acknowledged his shout of "yes, sir" before she was diving to the right to avoid being hit by a blast. Veers rolled through the dirt, sheathing her lightsabers to avoid slicing herself. She heard shouts of "man down" behind her, and risked a glance over her shoulder to ensure that the clone was being taken care of.
"Commander!" Cody rushed to her side. "General Kenobi's ship got shot down. We've lost contact."
"What?" Veers gasped, skidding to a halt. There was another loud boom, and the energy blast hit the ground right in front of the pair, showering them with dirt and small rocks. Veers coughed. She could practically hear Obi-Wan's voice in her head. Focus, Veers. Don't let your emotions rule you. Veers took a deep breath. "Keep trying to get contact with him," she ordered briskly. "We have to hold our ground."
"Yes, sir."
Veers and the troopers managed to hold their position, using the AT-TEs and broken gunships, as well as supplies they'd brought with them, to set up a small barricade. It offered only a little protection from the heavy fire, but it was better than nothing.
"Commander!" Veers glanced down from where she was perched on top of the AT-TE. "Commander Cody's found the General's ship."
Veers sheathed her lightsabers and leapt off the top of the AT-TE, landing on the ground in a neat crouch. She followed the trooper to Cody's side, where he passed her a pair of binoculars. Veers held them to her eyes, aiming them over the horizon. She sucked in a short breath as she took in the wreckage of the crash.
"That's bad damage," she murmured, lowering the binoculars. Cody nodded.
"I've sent for Waxer and Boil. They'll retrieve any survivors." Veers nodded. A beat passed and Cody cleared his throat. "Are - are there any, sir? Survivors?" Veers frowned, looking again at the ship.
She'd been trying her best to avoid tapping too far into the Force, but it was growing harder and harder. After her incident at Bane's outpost, she'd returned to the library on Coruscant and researched how to sever a Force bond. The results she'd found were confusing.
Force bonds didn't just happen, they had to be manufactured. She wasn't powerful enough to do so, and neither was Tayo. So she had no idea who had created it, and why they had.
But she had been able to find ways to refocus her senses. Now, she didn't see Tayo every time she tapped into the Force, only when she dreamed. But she could still feel him - his anger and frustration, his fear, like an uncomfortable buzz over her entire body.
"Commander?" Cody pressed, and Veers realized she'd been silent for too long.
"I think so," she responded, finally. "If Obi-Wan was - " she couldn't finish the sentence, she couldn't fathom the thought of losing someone else. "I think I'd know."
"Boil reporting as ordered, sir!" Another voice called as the clone ran up next to the two commanders. He was quickly followed by another.
"Waxer reporting as ordered, sir!"
"We've got a down gunship six klicks east," Cody said, turning towards the two troopers. Veers looked through the binoculars again, trying to see any movement behind the ship. "We believe it's General Kenobi's. We need you to get out there and check for survivors."
"Sir, yes sir!" The clones saluted Cody, leaving the relative safety of their makeshift base to run across empty land to the gunship. Veers handed the binoculars back to Cody.
"Tell me when they get back," she requested. As much as she wanted to go follow the clones and ensure Obi-Wan's safety herself, she knew he would disapprove of her abandoning the troops. Cody nodded, and Veers returned to the front lines. As she walked towards the AT-TE, she called to the gunman.
"Trooper! Lay down cover fire towards the east, at .35, we have two men scouting for survivors." The gunman saluted her to acknowledge the order, swiveling around to adjust his shot. Veers looked over horizon at the shield, squinting at it. She could see the bugs still pressing forwards despite their attempt to hold them off. Again, her hands itched for action - she wanted to be out there, fighting, not back here leading the charge.
Veers's radio buzzed, and she pressed down on the button. "Veers."
"Commander, it's Cody," the Clone Commander said. "They've got the general." Veers closed her eyes, breathing a sigh of relief.
"Copy that," she replied, her voice wavering slightly. She turned around, grabbing the nearest medic and beckoning him to follow her. Veers reached the edge of the Square at the same time that Waxer and Boil helped Obi-Wan and another trooper into the base.
"Are you injured, General?" Cody was asking as Boil lowered him down onto the ground.
"No, nothing too serious," Obi-Wan responded, despite the obvious pain on his face. Veers ran up beside Obi-Wan, and dropped to her knees besides her instructor. The medic knelt on his other side, carefully examining the other man for injuries.
"Master," she breathed, her ira marks flickering to show her relief. She offered him a small smile. "I'm glad to see you in one piece."
"I'm glad to see you still here," Obi-Wan replied in amusement. "I'm surprised you didn't dash off on my rescue mission yourself." Veers laughed.
"Yes, well, at the expense of Master Skywalker's disappointment of my failing to 'keep an eye on you,' I suppose some of your lessons did make their way through my thick skull." Obi-Wan chuckled, but he sounded exhausted. He tipped his head to the side as the clone injected a syringe into his neck - a painkiller and an upper to keep him comfortable and as alert as possible.
"What's the situation?" He asked Veers.
"We're surrounded," she admitted. "Master Skywalker and Mundi are on the ground, but they're beyond our positions. Anakin's tanks are gone - he called for backup, but we can barely move an inch. We need air cover." Obi-Wan looked at his Padawan in a mixture of surprise and pride. He was impressed with how Veers had handled the situation - she'd been so distracted and almost disoriented lately that he'd worried about her, nearly regretting his decision to split up with her.
But now he knew he'd made the right choice, after all.
"The enemy was more than prepared for our attack, sir," Cody continued.
"Well, I'm sure General Skywalker and General Mundi will make it to our position. We just have to make sure we're still here when they arrive."
"You rest, Master," Veers said, putting her hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder when he tried to get up. "I'll let you know if we need help, but I can handle things." Obi-Wan allowed his Padawan to settle him against the ground again, and he looked at her again.
Despite how calm she was outwardly, her ira marks were rather bright. Obi-Wan remembered the way they'd flickered when he'd told her they were going to split up, and he wondered if that had worried her.
Sometimes he forgot that there'd been a time when Veers hadn't been his apprentice, that she'd had another instructor before hand. One who'd died right in front of her. No doubt that had taken a toll on her - no doubt she was worried of losing another teacher.
"Thank you, Veers," Obi-Wan said simply, despite the revelation he'd just had. She moved to rise, but before she could go, he touched her shoulder. She looked at him, and he smiled at her again. "Well done, young one."
Despite Veers's confidence, the situation wasn't going well.
Luckily, it wasn't her fault. Unluckily, there was absolutely nothing she could do about it.
Communications were still jammed - she couldn't reached Anakin and Ahsoka, or Master Mundi. Even communicating with the Resolute was a challenge. With no reinforcements in sight, the battle was looking grim as the Geonosians continued to close in on them.
Veers leapt from the top of the AT-TE, landing on what of the bug's speeders. She tossed the Geonosian from the seat, throwing it to the ground before turning the speeder around and redirecting it towards one of the droid tanks. She accelerated it as fast as it would go, before leaping free of the seat and landing back in the dirt.
The speeder collided with the tank, and both exploded. Veers held a hand over her face to shield herself from debris, but there was nothing she could do about the dirt sticking to her skin. She was literally covered from head to toe.
As the smoke cleared slightly, her heart dropped into her stomach as she saw another wave of droids and Geonosians marching towards them. It seemed that their resources were never-ending, while Veers's were quickly depleting.
Gunfire shook the earth around Veers, and she grit her teeth, deflecting blast after blast with her lightsabers. The green and blue blades glowed through the swirling dirt and smoke.
"This is useless," Veers muttered to herself, wincing again as another bomb hit a gunship. She saw several troopers fall, and she swallowed hard, calling an order. "Pull back!" she shouted, slashing her blades through the air to deflect gunfire as she walked backwards. "Fall back, now!"
The clones and Veers at the front lines had pulled back almost within the Square when a triumphant shout rang out.
"Reinforcements! The reinforcements have arrived!"
Relief made Veers weak, and she fought the urge to collapse into the dirt and scream in joy. Instead, she held position for another moment longer as the squadron of fighters swooped down low over the horizon, targeting enemy craft. Veers let out a shaky breath and then smiled.
"Come on!" she shouted, waving her hand forward. "Let's move!"
She led the troopers forward, the cover fire giving them renewed vigor as well as an edge over their opponents. With just a little more effort, they managed to push the enemy back into a strategic retreat. They hadn't won, not yet, but they'd bought themselves some time. As the enemies began to flee, Veers dropped to the ground in exhaustion, breathing heavily. She was tired, no doubt about it - she couldn't remember the last time she'd exerted herself this much.
"Sir, you alright?" A trooper asked, offering Veers his hand. She nodded, allowing the clone to pull her to her feet.
"Fine, thanks," she said. "Good work. Let's regroup with the others." She pressed a button on her comm. as the squadron begin to trek back to the Square.
"Commander?" she said, contacting the leader of the aerial squadron. "This is Jedi Commander Veers of the 212th. We're pulling back to regroup with the others, what's your plan?"
"Copy that, Commander," the trooper replied promptly. "We're pulling back to remain out of sight. We'll be here if you need us, sir."
"Copy. Thank you, Commander." Once Veers reached the Square, she headed over to Obi-Wan. Anakin, Ahsoka, and Mundi had all made it there, and Obi-Wan was briefing them on the plan once more. When he spotted his Padawan, he nodded, a look of relief crossing his face.
"There you are. I was starting to think something had happened to you." He spoke lightly but truthfully.
"Sorry, Master," Veers responded. "I contacted the fighters. They're here at our disposal, Master."
"Good." Obi-Wan turned back to the holographic map in front of him. "As I was saying, our combined forces should be enough to destroy the shield generator." Despite Obi-Wan's refusal to acknowledge the gravity of his injuries, Veers could tell he was more hurt than he let on. His breathing was slightly labored, and he spoke tightly. And of course, the fact that he was sitting on the ground still was quite telling.
"Anakin, you'll need to take a small squad through the shield, as close as you can get to their gun emplacements. Veers can go with you." The Padawan nodded, relieved that Obi-Wan wasn't attempting to insert himself into the plan. "From there," Obi-Wan continued, "You'll be able to temporarily jam their scanners so they are unable to target the incoming tanks. Once the tanks knock out the shield, Master Mundi can bring the rest of the troops in with the gunships."
"Consider it done, Master," Anakin replied confidently. He nodded at Veers. "Ready?" She nodded, putting a hand on the hilt of one of her lightsabers.
"Ready."
"Good. You and Ahsoka will take the east, I'll lead another troop from the west. We'll meet as close to the guns as we can." Veers nodded, following Ahsoka and Captain Rex to the point that Anakin had indicated. It was clear they'd hashed out the details of the plan without her, but she didn't mind. It was easy enough to just go with the flow.
"Kid," Captain Rex nodded at Ahsoka. "We're ready." Veers couldn't help but smile slightly at how different Rex was from Cody. When she'd just been a youngling, another Padawan-to-be had told her that all clones had the same personality. He couldn't have been more wrong - where Cody was rule-abiding and traditional, Rex was relaxed and informal.
"Let's move." Veers followed Ahsoka and the troopers through the shield and over the ridge, deflecting off blasts with her lightsabers as she ran. It didn't take long for them to meet with Anakin in the middle. He led the two Padawans up the hill.
"There!" Anakin called, motioning to some large rocks just below where the Genosians were shooting from. They adjusted their course, racing for the rocks that would offer them some cover against the heavy fire.
Veers dropped down next to Ahsoka, sheathing her lightsabers and replacing them at her waist.
"Droid poppers," Anakin said, passing two to Veers. "Let's jam their scanners!"
Each Jedi threw their poppers over the boulder at one of the large canons. As the small scramblers rolled to a halt beneath the machines, they sent an electric shot up the canons - not strong enough to hurt the Genosians sitting in them, but strong enough to temporarily shut down the canons' operating systems. Veers could hear them exclaiming in shock and confusion as their machines broke down right before their eyes.
"It looks like it's working!" Ahsoka exclaimed.
"It won't last for long," Anakin warned. He turned on his comm. to contact Mundi. "Bring up the tanks!"
Veers watched as the AT-TEs drew closer, her blood pumping victoriously as they shot several direct blasts at the tower. It collapsed, the red shield that encapsulated the area disappearing along with the tower. They'd done it.
A small fleet of gunships landed around them, and Mundi and several more troopers poured out of it, joining Ahsoka, Anakin and Veers as they surrounded the remaining Geonosians. The bugs clattered nervously, realizing that they were outnumbered and surrounded.
Veers grinned triumphantly as they dropped their weapons, surrendering to the squadron. They'd done it.
When Veers returned to the Square she was alarmed to see that Obi-Wan looked worse than before. His eyes were closed when she approached him, but his face was too tense with pain for him to be resting.
"Master." Veers knelt beside him, touching his arm gently. He opened his eyes, looking at his Padawan.
"Veers," he greeted her with a smile. "How did it go?"
"It went well," she responded. "Master, I've contacted Admiral Yularen and reported to him. You and Master Mundi will report to the Resolute for medical attention." Veers spoke hesitantly. She wasn't ashamed that she'd gone over Obi-Wan's head to ensure he was treated properly, but she wasn't sure how he'd react to this.
"Oh?" Obi-Wan arched an eyebrow. "Aren't I supposed to be looking out for you?"
"Oh," Veers said in mock-surprise. "And here I was thinking we were a team. But, you know, in that case," Veers grinned at him. "I'll go instead. You can stay down here, in the war-torn dusty hellhole and I'll go up to the Resolute where it's nice and clean and cool, with medical supplies and food and - "
"Alright, alright," Obi-Wan laughed, wincing slightly. "You've made your point, Veers. You did well today, young one." Veers smiled at the praise. Obi-Wan paused, and then added gently. "You've been distracted recently. You stepped up today, but you've been worrying me."
"Yes, Master." Veers winced, looking across the horizon. "I - it's nothing, Master. I hadn't been sleeping well, that's all." Obi-Wan eyed his Padawan, unconvinced. But her mouth was set in a stubborn line now, and he had a feeling he wasn't going to get anything more out of her. He sighed.
"If that's all..." he trailed off, giving her one last chance to tell him what was going on. Veers nodded her head, her eyes locked on the horizon distractedly.
"That's all." Approaching footsteps made both Jedi look up, and Obi-Wan didn't think he was mistaken in recognizing relief on Veers's face. Anakin was approaching the two.
"Master," Anakin nodded at Obi-Wan, kneeling down to help him to his feet. "The gunship is here." Obi-Wan allowed Anakin to take some of his weight, his former Padawan helping him walk to the gunship as Veers followed closely behind. Veers could see the slight concern on Anakin's face as well - she was guessing that Anakin knew Obi-Wan even better than her and knew that this was out of character for him as well.
Ahsoka spotted the three Jedi and ran to meet them. "So, Master," she said to Anakin challengingly. "What was your total?"
Anakin sighed, shaking his head at Ahsoka in a slightly disapproving manner. "Not now, Ahsoka," he replied, focused on helping Obi-Wan to the gunship where Mundi was waiting.
"Come on," Ahsoka wheedled as she walked along side Anakin. "Are you afraid you lost this time?" she taunted. Veers grinned, ducking her head, and Obi-Wan shook his head affectionately as Anakin, unsurprisingly, rose to the challenge.
"Fine. Fifty-five. That's my count. And you?" Ahsoka paused, a satisfied smirk crossing her face.
"Sixty," she replied triumphantly. "Looks like I won." Veers giggled at the look of surprise that crossed Anakin's face.
"Yeah," he said. "But - I called in the airstrike. Tie." Ahsoka laughed, shaking her head in an exasperated manner.
"You're impossible," she informed her instructor, crossing her arms over her chest as she grinned. Obi-Wan sighed slightly, looking at Anakin with a mixture of disapproval and confusion.
"I'll never understand how you can simplify these battles to into some kind of game." Anakin chuckled, carefully transferring Obi-Wan to Mundi.
"Well, take care of yourselves," Anakin said. "I expect to see both of you back here by the time I've destroyed the main factory." He rested a hand on Veers's shoulder. "And I'll watch out for your Padawan, Master."
"We shall do our best," Obi-Wan said wryly. "And so shall you, Anakin. Veers may be more reckless than you are."
"Well, that won't do," Anakin said, frowning in mock annoyance as he surveyed Veers. "Can't have someone stealing my crown now, can I?" Veers laughed and Obi-Wan groaned, shaking his head at his two apprentices in disbelief. He focused on Veers sternly.
"Veers, I trust that you'll listen to Anakin better than you listen to me," Obi-Wan said. The Padawan grinned sheepishly.
"Yes, Master." Mundi looked at Anakin, smiling slightly.
"Sixty-five, Skywalker," he announced. Anakin blinked, taken aback, and Veers's mouth dropped open.
"Um...sorry?" Anakin asked, sounding confused. Mundi grinned.
"Sixty-five is my total," he clarified, looking slightly mischievous. "So what do I win?"
Anakin blinked again, his mouth dropping open in surprise. He looked at Obi-Wan, who simply looked bemused, and then back at Mundi.
"My everlasting respect, Master Mundi," Anakin replied with a slight laugh as he dipped his head. Master Mundi tilted his head to the side, looking slightly disappointed.
"Oh." Obi-Wan laughed.
"That is a gift Anakin rarely bestows, I assure you." Anakin smiled, and he and Veers stepped back as the doors to the gunship slid closed. The craft took off into the air, and Veers watched it go, half-expecting it to be blown out of the sky again. She watched the ship until it disappeared from view, and then glanced back at Anakin.
"Thank you for helping me," she said. She'd gone to Anakin with her concerns that Obi-Wan shouldn't be on the battlefield, and he'd urged her to make contact with Yularen, backing her up on the state of Obi-Wan's condition.
"No problem." Anakin smiled at her easily. "I'm glad you're looking out for him. Obi-Wan won't admit it, but he's just as stubborn as you or me." Veers laughed, and Anakin chuckled too. "I guess he has my everlasting respect too," Anakin said flippantly, as he and Veers walked over to where Rex and Ahsoka were. Veers nodded, seriously.
"Mine too," she replied quietly.
"Good," Anakin said. He glanced at Veers. "I can tell that you have his." Veers glanced at Anakin, startled. She wondered if he could tell that she still felt the need to prove herself to Obi-Wan, still felt concerned that he didn't trust her or didn't feel comfortable with her or was going to give up on her if she made a mistake, proving herself to be the problem that the Jedi Council had always considered her. Anakin nodded, as though he'd heard her question. "If he's hard on you, it's because he can see your potential," Anakin replied. "But I know he trusts you to make the right decisions."
Veers let out a slow sigh, the affirmation meaning more to her than she cared to admit. She studied the ground, her lips tugging up at the corners.
"Thank you."
alright here we are! please let me know waht you think of this chapter! i really appreciate reading your reviews, it really means a lot to me (even just a word or two!) so i'd love to hear your thoughts!
thanks so much!