My brain: Hey, you've been writing this whole thing without rewatching the actual episode this is based on. It would probably be a good idea to go back and watch it to see what you could include.

Me: That's a brilliant idea, brain. Let's do it!

Star Wars The Clone Wars timeline: Slaves of the Republic takes place in season four after General Krell and before Rakko Hardeen.

Me: … Wait, WHAT?

So yeah, apparently I BUTCHERED this timeline and thought that Slaves was in season one… or two. But NO. IT'S IN KRIFFING SEASON FOUR WHICH MEANS THIS IS BACTA'S DOMAIN, NOT STITCH'S AND- UGH!

So bear with me and let's just pretend that Slaves of the Republic took place in Season 1 in this alternate timeline. Okay?

Now excuse me while I go bang my head against a door and scream into my hands about my stupidity in NOT CHECKING THE KRIFFING TIMELINE WHEN I REDISCOVERED THIS STORY CONCEPT.

Commander Pillow: Slaves of the Republic: Chapter 5: Breakthroughs

Stitch had no idea how he ended up on the "General watch list". He didn't even remember signing up! Then again, he might have done so on accident. There was a lot of paperwork in his job.

On the bright side, it had been almost a week since Cody had brought the General in, unconscious. So at this point, Stitch assumed the man would be doing better. Which he was.

Mostly.

He was eating again, which was good. He had started exercising with several clones on a daily basis(drills, target practice, etc), which was definitely improving his emotional state. But sleep. Sleep was becoming a problem. Stitch suspected Jedi could hold off the need to sleep… somehow. Useful in long missions for sure but…

Well, it had been much too long since the General kept his eyes closed longer than four hours. And Stitch was done waiting for his General to see common sense. Hence why he had cleared out an empty bed in the back corner of the med bay.

Of course, he had to get the General to actually sleep. And that was a lot harder than one would hope. "General Kenobi, please just lay down."

"I'm fine, Stitch," he insisted. "I can help with something."

"In the medical bay?" Stitch raised an eyebrow.

Obi-Wan nodded.

Stitch blew his hair out of his eyes. It was his version of, "Right…" He picked up a file and motioned around at the various patients. "General, most men wouldn't appreciate their commanding officer listening to what's wrong with them. No offense. Besides, I know you. You hate the med bay."

"Hate is a strong word."

"You hate it." Stitch motioned to the bed. "I know for a fact that you have not slept longer than three hours for the last week. Now, you're with me for the next ten hours. So I'm begging. Go to bed."

"I'm not tired," Obi-Wan insisted.

Stitch took in the bags under his General's eyes and the way he swayed on his feet, ever so slightly. He blew his hair out of his eyes again. A bottle of pills was produced from a nearby drawer. Stitch poured one out and held it out to Kenobi. "Here's a sedative pill. Swallow then lay down. I'll check on you in an hour and if you're not asleep by then I'll force you to take it or just skip straight to a shot in the arm. Pick your pick, General."

With that, Stitch closed the curtain around the area and left to attend to his patients.

The good news: his General was asleep. The bad news: he woke up the moment Stitch opened the curtain. Obi-Wan shot up, eyes weary and body language clearly guarded. Stitch was so startled he stepped back into a tray of tools that promptly fell on the ground. That sent Obi-Wan to the ground as he struggled to jump to his feet, but found himself tangled in the sheet. Stitch hurried forward to help the man up to find himself facing the wrong end of a lightsaber.

Stitch blinked at the blinding blue light now only inches from his face, very startled at the sudden escalation of events. "Gen… General Kenobi?"

Obi-Wan blinked at Stitch, the glazed look in his eyes slowly clearing. His expression turned to confusion and he hesitantly spoke. "St… Stitch?"

Stitch nodded. "Yes, sir. It's me. Now… could you maybe put that down? I happen to like my face."

Obi-Wan blinked, looking down at his weapon. The confusion turned to horror and the General quickly deactivated the blade then promptly chucked it on the bed. "I'm so sorry, Stitch. I didn't mean to-"

Stitch held up a hand. "General, I have literally been in a chokehold, on the ground, with a brother holding a knife to my neck before they realized that I wasn't a clanker. A lightsaber a foot from my face isn't the worst thing I'll encounter in this war." He paused. "Now a lightsaber through me… that might take the cake."

Obi-Wan's expression paled. "Stitch, I would never-"

"I know," Stitch motioned to the bed. "Now how about you sit down and tell me what you dreamed about that startled you enough to draw your weapon."

Obi-Wan didn't answer but did sit down. He picked up his saber, running his hands along the ruts and screws. Like his weapon held the answers.

Stitch held back a snort at that thought. "I'm a good listener. After all, being a psychologist is part of my job description."

"I'm fine, Stich."

Stitch blew his hair. "You are many things, General. Stubborn as a bantha comes to mind. But one thing you are not is fine." Stitch called over one of the medical assistants and gave him his datapad. "You're in charge. Get me if there is an emergency."

"Yes, sir."

"Come on, General. We're going for a walk."

The halls of the Negotiator were practically empty. A few mouse droids here and there and every once in awhile a clone would appear. But one glare from Stitch and they would quickly back into the doorway they appeared from.

No one wanted to face an angry medic. Ever.

They walked around the ship in silence. General Kenobi would look over at Stitch from time to time as if expecting the man to say something. He was only greeted with more silence as Stitch continued to move around the ship.

After the third lap, Obi-Wan finally lost his patience. "Stitch, what are we doing?"

"Whatever you want, General," Stitch replied, his voice even. "This is your therapy session."

"I don't do therapy."

"Then I guess I'll have to see the Jedi about that "mind healer" they keep talking about," Stitch shot back.

Obi-Wan actually shrunk back in something akin to disgust or fear. Maybe both. Stitch raised an eyebrow, "May I ask what a mind healer does?"

The Jedi hesitated for a moment, trying to think of the best way to describe such a thing to someone not familiar with the Force. "...Think of a therapy session, but instead of the therapist asking questions, they just dive into your head and find the problems by searching through your thoughts."

Stitch frowned. He brushed his hair out of his eyes as he tried to figure out how that worked. "So… like searching in a library for damaged holo's?"

"More like tearing through a library for a single moment in history," Obi-Wan winced at the thought. "It's uncomfortable and very invasive. You are able to shield some thing's but the healer is very thorough. The Council tried to make me see one after… I met Anakin."

Stitch held up a hand. "Stop."

Obi-Wan immediately stopped walking.

The medic almost rolled his eyes. "I meant to stop talking but this is fine too." He jerked a thumb to a nearby door. "Come on, General. It's quiet in here."

The room was an empty supply closet, small and cramped. There were two pillows on the ground, laying side by side, along with a datapad tucked in the corner. Obi-Wan frowned at the sight.

Stitch motioned to the pillows, "I come here when I need some space. Sit down, please."

"I don't need a therapy session-"

"General you need to talk." Stitch sighed, plopping onto one of the cushions. "I'm not going to press harder than I need. So unless you want a mind healer, sit down."

The Jedi gave a heavy, resigned sigh. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Let's start with why you dislike mind healers. Why did the temple assign you one the first time?"

"It was after I met Anakin," Obi-Wan slowly sank into the other empty cushion. "The Council-"

"No," Stitch interrupted. "That's not why."

"Stitch…" Obi-Wan pinched his nose, "I'd rather not talk about the particular event."

"Well," Stitch leaned back, "If you are still having difficulty with it then you obviously didn't use that mind healer, did you?"

The Jedi had the decency to look a little ashamed. Emphasis on "little". "I never saw the need."

"Alright," Stitch made a motion with his hands, conceding the topic. "Let's stick a pin in that subject for now and move on to something else. Mainly this thing I've been hearing from the men."

"What thing?"

"The thing you've been saying in your sleep."

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "What would that be, Stitch?"

"Quote: 'Jedi only make things worse'." Stitch nodded slowly as the color seemed to drain out of the General's face. "Want to explain it to me?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "It's-"

"Force, General! If you say 'It's nothing' one more kriffing time I will call the Jedi this instant and beg for your reassignment to the temple." Stitch glared at the man, refusing to give ground.

The reaction was one that Stitch didn't expect. At all. Obi-Wan's eyes grew wide and his words became almost frantic. "No, Stitch, I can't leave the men. I need to be here. I have too-"

"Woah, General! Easy!" Stitch threw up his hands to stall the flood of words. "I'm not going to call the temple if you really don't want to… but I think you need to talk to someone."

Obi-Wan let out a deep breath. "I… I can't, Stitch. A Jedi-"

"Isn't a god." Stitch picked up his holopad. "Now I want you to tell me everything. Anything you say will stay in this room. I'm not going to tell anyone about anything. Doctor-patient confidentiality."

General Kenobi hesitated for a moment. "...Where do you want to start?"

"How about we back up to something that isn't painful to talk about. Maybe your time at the temple when you were a child?"

"There isn't much to talk about," Obi-Wan shrugged. "I trained in the ways of the Force and focused on becoming a Padawan."

"Did you have any friends?"

"Two. Bant and Garren."

"When was the last time you saw them in person?"

Obi-Wan frowned. "Force… it must be at least five years. Probably closer to ten."

Stitch raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

"Missions. The war. Anakin."

"Have you spoken to them recently?"

"... I spoke to Bant shortly after the start of the war but…" Obi-Wan shifted uncomfortably. "Things have come up."

Stitch scribbled something on his datapad. "Your goal was to be a Padawan. Obviously, you achieved that goal. Can you tell me about that day?"

Obi-Wan didn't speak for a moment. "... how long do you have?"

"As long as you need me, General." Stitch frowned. "Is it a long story?"

"Yes."

"Do you feel like sharing all of it?"

"...No."

"Then just hit the highlights."

"Alright." Obi-Wan took a minute to collect his thoughts. "I aged out of the Jedi. Master Jinn did not want me as an apprentice. I was sent to the Agricorps on Bandomeer and was almost killed by Master Jinn's fallen apprentice. I was then taken as a padawan by Master Jinn after offering my life to save the planet."

Stitch was suddenly very thankful he hadn't brought snacks. He might have choked on one of them based on how it was suddenly very hard to breathe. "How old were you?"

"Thirteen."

"... How would you describe your relationship with… Master Jinn, was it?"

"Qui-Gon and I…" Half of a smile appeared on Obi-Wan's face, "Had a very interesting relationship. It wasn't bad but… I left the Order shortly after our apprenticeship began. That situation ended horribly and I came back to the order but… the trust between us had been shattered. I'm not sure it ever fully healed. When my Master lost a dear friend of his, the bond became even more strained. Then… he found Anakin."

Stitch couldn't find his voice for a long time. "You don't like talking about your Master."

"No, I don't," Obi-Wan shifted uncomfortably. "It's not that I didn't like him, quite the opposite. But Anakin used to compare him to me. He still does. It is… difficult when you cannot live up to the expectations you were supposed to."

"I take it he is… 'One with the Force', as you would put it?"

Obi-Wan nodded, refusing to make eye contact.

"Leaving General Skywalker in your care?"

"His dying breath was making me promise to train him." Obi-Wan clenched his fists. "I did what I could."

Stitch watched the Jedi closely, noting the small changes in posture, tone, and breathing. "General… Do you think your Master would be proud of who you are today?"

Obi-Wan stiffened. "Why is that relevant to any of this? And who am I to judge the dead's thoughts?"

"It's an opinion," Stitch replied. "Not a fact. Do you think he would be proud of you?"

"I…" Obi-Wan closed his eyes. "I don't know if I have done his training justice. I don't know what he would think of me."

Stitch scribbled something down. "Okay General, I think we can stop there."

Obi-Wan looked confused. "Really?" His question was almost hopeful.

"I've been around you long enough and actions often speak louder than words. Along with that lovely little line of 'Jedi only make things worse'." Stitch put the datapad down and sat back noting the flinch again. Anger stirred inside his chest and he allowed some of it to show through. "I know the Jedi aren't supposed to 'dwell on emotions' or whatever the kriff you decide to call it. And I know that you're not supposed to be angry but, kriff that because I'm not a Jedi so I am going to be angry for you!"

"Stitch, what in the galaxy are you talking about?" The Jedi looked confused. "Why would you need to be angry for me? I'm fine."

Rather then calm Stitch, this seemed to infuriate him even more. He got to his feet and glared down at his general, eyes glinting with that familiar fire of frustration. "Has anyone, ever, in your life, told you that you were worth something?"

"... I beg your pardon?"

"Has anyone," Stitch repeated, his words more choppy and short, "Ever told you, Obi-Wan Kenobi, that you were worthy of being cared for?"

Obi-Wan blinked up at the medic, the confusion only growing. "What?"

"Didn't you have this conversation with Cody a while back?" Stitch raised an eyebrow. "How each and every clone is unique and matters in the Force or whatever the kriff you said?"

"Yes," Obi-Wan nodded. "No one could replace any of you."

"And no one could replace you, General," Stitch said. "Right?"

Obi-Wan blinked, not seeming to understand. "There are hundreds of Jedi that could carry on with my duties. They would not be me, no, but the job would be-"

Stitch let out a frustrated yell, kicking the wall as hard as he could. "KRIFF! DO I HAVE TO POUND THIS INTO YOUR HEAD?"

The Jedi actually moved away from the clone, his confusion now turning into mild concern. "Stitch, are you alright?"

"Do I look alright?" Stitch growled, sinking back into his pillow. He punched the floor with his fist, trying to get his frustration out. "General, let's play a game called 'Swap-the-Jedi'. Let's say Master Skywalker had been sent into the slave camp and gone through the same situations you did. Would any of the pain that had been brought been his fault?"

"No, of course not," Obi-Wan shook his head quickly. "Anakin probably would have broken out immediately and escaped within the first hour. He has no patience for the long game."

"Alright, what about General Windu? What if he had been in the camp?"

"Mace would have kept everyone calm and kept a level head throughout the experience. He would have been a silent symbol of strength."

"General Yoda?"

"A combination of wisdom and pushing through adversity."

"And what did you do?"

Obi-Wan winced. "I… I caused more trouble for my fellow prisoners and made their situation infinitely worse."

"No, you didn't," Stitch glared at his General.

"You weren't there, Stitch-"

"You're right! I wasn't!" He was back on his feet, pacing in the smallest circle imaginable. "But I know you General and anything you did was to try and keep those around you safe and hopeful. Because that is what you do on the battlefield every day of this war. Keep us all safe and hopeful."

"No, I don't."

Stitch felt his self-control break for a second. "KRIFFING-!" He took a deep breath and tried again, "General, you matter!"

"Well, of course," Obi-Wan nodded. "All Jedi matter in the will of the Force."

"I swear on the Force! I'm gonna punch you in the face, General." Stitch ran his hand through his bangs, pulling them back to reveal the scars on his forehead more prominently than the Jedi had ever seen them. For a brief moment, Obi-Wan noted how clean the cuts were. Like they were purposefully placed in such a way that-

Stitch groaned loudly, snapping the Jedi back to the present. "Forget the fact that you are a Jedi. Forget the fact that you are a General. Right now you are Obi-Wan Kenobi and you, you as a person, matter."

"I'm not quite sure I understand, Stitch."

"Alright then! Let me explain!" He picked up his notepad. "Abandoned by the Jedi Order because a Jedi didn't want you. Offered your life for an entire planet at the age of thirteen. Left the Order for a purpose you thought was better only to find out that was a terrible idea and was begrudgingly taken back by the Master that you abandoned."

"Begrudgingly is a strong word…"

"Said Master's dying words were about some kid that he wanted you to train and then said kid just compares you to said dead Master. Blame yourself for all the deaths in war and all the deaths of the slaves even though literally anyone else in your position wouldn't have been able to do any better." Stitch let out a heavy sigh, "General, you have some serious self-detrimental problems. 'Jedi only make things worse'? You don't see that as all Jedi. You just see it as you. And that is not a good thing!"

Obi-Wan didn't answer.

"Well, I am going to be the first person in your kriffing life to say the following: General, you matter to everyone on this ship. You are a good man and a fine Jedi and we would all be happy to die for you because you are worth dying for. Got it?"

The Jedi didn't move.

"Now you are laying down right here and you are going to bed. Got it?"

At first, nothing happened. Then Obi-Wan slowly lowered himself onto the ground and laid his head on Stitch's pillow. Stitch immediately lifted up the Jedi's head, sat back down on his pillow, then rested the Jedi's head back onto his leg.

Obi-Wan looked up confused. Stitch rolled his eyes before saying, "I know this is Cody's job but he's busy so I'll have to do. Now go to bed."

Wooley found his General in the command center, talking to General Skywalker via holo. The latter was speaking when he walked in and Wooley determined it would be for the best to stay silent.

"-spoken with Commander Cody. Is that alright, Master?"

"That's fine, Anakin," Obi-Wan nodded. "I look forward to seeing him."

"I'll tell him you said that." Anakin glanced over at Wooley and the clone stiffened slightly under the gaze. "It appears you have company, Obi-Wan. I'll leave you to it."

"May the Force be with you, Anakin," Obi-Wan said

"And with you, Master."

The holo-call died and General Kenobi turned to Wooley. "Good morning, Wooley. How are you today?"

"Doing well. Did you sleep well, sir?" Wooley noted the brightness and alertness in his General's eyes. It was not something he had seen for some time.

"... It was better than it has been." Obi-Wan motioned to the door. "Where to, Captain?"

Wooley hesitated. "I was told you had some work to attend to."

"If you are referring to Stitch's check-up I was cleared for the day since I spent the entire day with him yesterday." Obi-Wan pulled out a datapad with Stitch's handwriting scribbled across it. "I have a doctor's note if you don't believe me."

Wooley smiled. "That's not necessary, General. I believe you."

"Then lead on, Captain."

"Let me think for a moment," Wooley stretched his mind to various activities that would be good for his General. He was half-tempted to hunt down Waxer and start a pillow fight. Then again, Obi-Wan had been getting dragged into so many group activities the past few weeks perhaps something a little more one-on-one would be beneficial. Well… one-on-one that wasn't Stitch.

The fog cleared and Wooley actually felt a spike of excitement. "I think I have just the thing, General. I need to grab something but I'll meet you in training room beta. Oh… and make sure you bring your lightsaber."

XXX

Obi-Wan was waiting inside the training room when Wooley finally arrived. It had taken longer to hunt down his desired object than he had anticipated. The General was running through a series of lightsaber moves on the mat when the clone ran in, a long metal rod in hand. Wooley watched until his General finished the move-set.

"Excellent form, General."

The Jedi frowned, "Actually, I can never get the proper footing on half of that kata."

"Well, sir. It looked fine to me."

Obi-Wan allowed a smile before turning his attention to the object in Wooley's hands. "What is that?"

"Ever heard of an electro-staff?" Wooley held up the weapon. "It's very hard to come by in the GAR. Most of the ones we have are from Grievous's guards… or what was left of them if we managed to take one down." He flicked the power on. The tips glowed a bright purple color and hummed with electricity. "And best of all, they are saber resistant."

General Kenobi suddenly didn't look so excited about this activity. "You want me… to fight you?"

"Your saber has a training mode, right?" Wooley played with the levels on the electro-staff. "And I can turn this down from really, really painful to just a tiny little shock."

"But Wooley," Obi-Wan hesitated, as if unsure of how to approach. "You're not… trained to use a staff."

Wooley raised an eyebrow, "Clones are trained in a variety of weapons- albeit mostly the basics. But depending on your bounty hunter trainer, you might have picked up a skill or two that others might not have. Luckily for you, one of my trainers was a La'saut. And their people happen to fight with a version of a staff." Wooley twirled the electro-staff over his head twice, brought it down and around his back, flipping it in the air and catching it in front of him after half a rotation. "Also lucky for you, I found video archive footage of one of Grievous's guards. I'm trained to learn patterns and moves of the enemy which also means I can learn how to replicate them."

"Again: you want me to fight you?"

"I'm not going to try and kill you, if that's what you're worried about." Wooley spun the staff again, this time switching between his right and left hand. He ran through a quick series of warm-ups, testing the balance and weight. "It just for fun, General. And it could save your life one day. Those guards aren't exactly known for being easy."

"You want to fight me?"

Wooley paused in his spin. "I would prefer the word, spar. But in a manner of speaking, yes. I want to fight you."

"This seems like a bad idea." Obi-Wan took a hesitant step away from the clone.

"It probably is, on some level." Wooley made a face, "I'll probably get some minor burns. But you haven't had a proper duel since before Kavado so…" Wooley twirled the staff around behind his back, forward, then resting it in a defensive position, two hands near the center. "Why not?"

Obi-Wan hesitated.

"General, I know you aren't going to hurt me. Badly." Wooley began to spin the staff in a circle, hand over hand. "Besides, you're the best melee combat fighter I know. Fighting you will help me get better at this." He returned to the defensive position. "Just swing at me. We'll start slow."

Reluctantly, Obi-Wan drew his saber and activated training mode. Wooley noted the slight color distortion and muter sounds of the familiar blade. Obi-Wan held the blade in front of his face, horizontal to the floor. It took a moment but Wooley recognized it as some kind of salute and he copied the motion.

They started out very slow. The very basic moves of swinging left, then right, then blocking left, then right. After several repeated laps of this, they added in overhead jabs and blocks. After that came lower hits and blocks. It was at this point that both parties decided to actually start a proper fight.

Wooley twirled the staff in an overhand slice, which Obi-Wan easily parried. Wooley then fell into a defensive form as the Jedi swung at him from the left then right. The blows were not necessarily overpowering, but they were strong and Wooley had to brace himself against a few. A quick succession of short swings from Wooley going from left to right over and over again were easily blocked by the General.

Then Wooley changed to a downward swing half-way through a right slash and made the first contact.

The shock was enough to sting, but not enough to do any lasting damage. Maybe that's why Wooley was so confused when Obi-Wan dropped his saber. It clattered to the ground, deactivating loudly. The General grabbed his leg, eyes squeezed tight and jaw clenched.

At first, Wooley panicked. He deactivated the electro-staff and hurried over to this General. Maybe he had calculated wrong on the power outlet? Force, he might have just injured his own General! Wooley helped the man to the floor and pried his hands away from the contact point. On closer inspection, Obi-Wan didn't appear injured. The singe hadn't even gotten through his clothing.

It was then Wooley finally registered the General's panicked breathing. He took in large gasps of air like he was unable to fill his lungs. His hands were trembling and his eyes were wide with fear and pain. And it was then that Wooley remembered that Obi-Wan had been tortured with electric collars and cuffs.

Wooley gently put a hand on his General's back and began to rub small circles. "Breathe, General. Just breathe. Focus on my voice and breathe in… breathe out… in… out…" It took some time but eventually, Obi-Wan had calmed enough. He slumped onto the ground, his head hanging in shame. "I'm sorry, Wooley. I thought that…"

"What, sir?"

"I didn't know the effect that would have on me," Obi-Wan admitted.

"I'm sorry, sir," Wooley shook his head, "I should have had Stitch test your reaction to electricity before I swung an electro-staff at you."

"I didn't know either, Wooley," Obi-Wan sighed heavily. "Add it to the list, I suppose." He leaned back on his hands. "Thank you for helping when I… lost it. I'm sorry we can't continue."

The clone frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Uh…" Obi-Wan looked confused. "I assume you are taking the electro-staff back to where you found it?"

Wooley raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to be treated with kid gloves?"

"...Nooo…"

"Then get your saber and let's go again." Wooley got to his feet and picked up his discarded staff. He turned it back on, ignoring the flinch from Obi-Wan at the crackling sound of electricity flowing through the emitters. "Now that we know it will happen, let's see if we can stop it."

Obi-Wan blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Try and not freeze up. It's not going to happen at first, but we'll get you there." Wooley shrugged. "Come on."

"I don't think Stitch would approve. Or Cody. Or literally anyone else on this ship." Obi-Wan shakily got to his feet, summoning his saber with the Force.

Wooley didn't even wait for him to turn it on before lunging for a strike. He succeeded in making contact and another shock sent Obi-Wan to the ground, reeling. Wooley turned off the weapon again and dropped next to his General.

When Obi-Wan regained his breath he glared at the clone. "The kriff are you doing, Captain?"

"Helping."

"You are not helping." Obi-Wan sat up and motioned towards the weapon. "If anything you are making it worse."

"I thought the Jedi confronted fear."

"... not like this," Obi-Wan shook his head.

Wooley sighed heavily, "Then how do you confront fear? By running in the other direction?"

"No."

"By ignoring it?"

"No."

"Then how?"

"We accept it," the Jedi replied.

"Well," Wooley pointed at the staff, "If that isn't accepting it, I don't know what is."

"Your way doesn't help."

"You have barely tried it!" the clone protested.

Obi-Wan pointed at a slightly singed spot on his tunic. "I tried it. And it doesn't work."

Wooley sighed heavily. "General, you're not afraid of the staff. If you were, then you would have destroyed that thing the moment you saw it or learned what it was. If not then, then you would have after the first hit. Just crushed it with the Force and then no more problems. But you didn't."

"So?"

"You're not afraid of the staff. You're just afraid of what it represents."

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?" he asked in a dry tone.

"Your failure," Wooley stated so matter-of-factly that Obi-Wan checked his mental shields despite the fact that this was a clone he was talking to. Wooley pointed at the staff. "Look, it isn't going to be easy but nothing ever is. I don't want my General to have a break down in a dangerous situation because he got a little jolt from electricity. So let me help."

"What makes you so sure this is going to help me?"

"Well…" Wooley rubbed the back of his neck. "On Kamino, we're trained in a lot of different situations and how to deal with certain terrains. One day we were climbing a cliff when my cable just snapped. I fell a few dozen feet, landed on my legs and snapped them both like twigs. It was the most pain I had ever felt in my entire life and I was rushed into the med bay. My legs were set, I was put in bacta, then a week later I was back on the training course."

"I don't see what this has to do with hitting me with an electro-staff."

"I'm getting there, General," Wooley reassured. "So I had to climb the practice course again to pass. Only when I got to the wall, I couldn't do it. The idea of climbing up the thing with only a cable and a few hand supports was enough to make me freeze where I stood. One of my batchmates noticed immediately and tried to help with encouragement and reassurance. But nothing he said would change my mind about that wall.

"Two days later, that same batchmate decided to try another approach. He took me outside to the Kaminan platforms and told me to look down into the ocean. Said something about how the different perspective might help. I thought it wasn't a bad idea, so I gave it a shot. The next thing I registered was him attaching something to my back that I later found out was a life preserver of some sort and then he proceeded to shove me into the sea."

Obi-Wan stared at Wooley, the shock clear. "You're kidding."

"Wish I was, General. I fell all the way down, straight into the water. I got pulled out thirty minutes later, cold, wet, and very angry. I think I might have even caught a small cold from the experience." Wooley rolled his eyes. "I learned a few things that day. First, don't walk outside with my batchmate. Second, falling from that height is enough to kill most people and it was a miracle I survived. Three, it wasn't the height I was afraid of but the fear of not making it into the GAR." A bitter laugh escaped Wooley, "The moment my legs snapped I had been sure I was going to be put on maintenance duty or decommissioned. I had been so scared of falling again that the idea of trying made me freeze with fear."

"And shoving you off the cliff helped you realize that?" Obi-Wan asked in obvious disbelief.

"Well," Wooley thought for a moment, "It definitely helped that on the way down into the ocean, the only thing I could think about was how pretty the view was on the horizon… that and how I was going to kill my batchmate when I got back up to the platform."

The Jedi thought about this for a moment before chuckling softly, "That would do it, wouldn't it?"

"Up you come, General Kenobi," Wooley got to his feet and picked up his staff. He turned it on and twirled it a few times, falling into an offensive position. "Storytime is over. We've got work to do."

A few days later, Rex almost sprinted off the gunship. He came to a halt in front of General Kenobi. The two checked one another for injuries with their eyes before sharing a smile. "It's good to see you, Captain."

"You too, General Kenobi," Rex's voice sounded relieved.

Cody cleared his throat. Only then did Rex notice him. "Cody! It's good to see you as well."

"I hope your trip here went well," Cody smiled. "It's very kind of General Skywalker to lend you for the next few days."

"Well," Rex rubbed the back of his neck, "General Skywalker thought it would be good for me to… er… quote, 'learn how my Master kept me from doing something too stupid'."

Cody managed not to laugh at the exasperated look on his General's face, but only barely. "What has my Padawan been doing that warrants such training?"

Rex glanced over at Cody. "It would be best not to say."

Cody found himself, once again, thanking the Force that he was not part of the 501st. Yes, his General was hard to keep track of but at least he didn't have to deal with kriffing Skywalker luck.

"Well then, let's start with what I like to call dropping names." Obi-Wan motioned for Rex to follow him towards the commanding deck.

Rex nodded, "Of course, sir."

"Now, the first name is mine for obvious reasons…"

Cody watched the two wander off into the hall, choosing to leave them alone for now. Rex would take care of his General just fine.

His com beeped loudly, snapping him out of his thoughts. He activated it to find General Skywalker staring back at him. Cody stiffened up in attention, "General Skywalker."

"How're our two survivors?"

"Currently discussing strategies for future battle scenarios."

Anakin looked a little miffed at that. "You mean future battle scenarios with me, don't you?"

"Uh…"

"Don't answer that."

"Yes, sir," Cody hesitated for a moment. "Thank you, sir, for sparing Rex."

"Didn't have much a choice," General Skywalker sighed.

Cody frowned. "What do you mean?"

The Jedi paused for a moment. "Let's just say that my Master isn't the only one recovering."

Cody's heart stopped. His eyes flew in the direction of his younger brother, swallowing down the surge of panic and anger. "Is… is he doing alright?"

"As well as to be expected. Don't worry, Cody. Corric is taking good care of him. We all are."

"Thank you for telling me, General."

General Skywalker nodded. "Thank you for watching my Master. I'll be by to pick up Rex in three days. See you then, Commander."

"Yes, sir."

The com went dead. Cody took a deep breath before walking off to find his General. Just in case either of them needed him.

That awkward moment when you look on Wookiepedia and realize Wooley is a private, not a captain. ...Has no one noticed this or did no one think it was important enough to tell me or…? All the revelations are in this chapter.

Also, quick! Someone try and get the image of Wooley being an original Purge Trooper after Order 66 out of my head! Kriff, you're too late. Welp. Another angsty headcanon accepted into my head because not all my clone boys can have happy endings.

Anyway, I am hoping to finish updating this by the end of this week so expect another update in the next few days! Hooray! Please review and tell me what you thought of Wooley and Stitch's time with the General!

May the Force be With You!