Chapter 36 – Double Agent

DISCLAIMER: We do not own Star Wars or any of the characters in it, though we wish we did. xD

Author's Note: In which Obi-Wan talks to Siri, and the clones make plans... ;)

~ Amina Gila

Obi-Wan lingers behind the droids, discomfort churning within him as he watches the clones being shot down. He wishes he could help them; he always does, but such is the cost of war. Honestly, he's glad that he's not being sent to the front lines like Anakin and Ahsoka. Overseeing and directing the space battles is hard enough, because he's still responsible for so much death, even if it's not directly. Much as he's tried to keep himself balanced, Obi-Wan has noticed how much darker he's become since the beginning of the war, how much more willing to make necessary sacrifices if it means that he'll be protecting his family.

Anakin and Ahsoka are all he has left now, and he would rather die than let them come to harm. While he has something of a relationship with Dooku and even Ventress, it's far more professional. He doesn't consider either of them friends. He's still mulling over his position in the galaxy when he feels Siri arrive.

Her Force presence is light, though infused with anger. She cuts down the rest of the first wave of droids, blue eyes unerringly zeroing in on him. Her initial anger evaporates, shock replacing it, but just as suddenly, her expression hardens, and she stalks towards him, violet blade still ignited, gesturing to her clones to continue the fight.

"You," Siri says bluntly. "What are you doing here?"

"I think it should be quite obvious," Obi-Wan replies mildly, crossing his right arm and stroking his beard with his left hand. It puts him in closer proximity with his lightsaber, and he will draw it should the need arise.

"You're a traitor to the Jedi," Siri states coldly, something akin to hurt flickering through her expression. "You're not the man I befriended." She swings her lightsaber towards him, and he reacts on instinct, springing backwards and igniting his own lightsaber to block her.

"Siri, listen to me!" Obi-Wan protests, defending himself from her attacks, though he doesn't make a move to fight back against her. He won't let her hurt him. "It doesn't have to be like this. I'm doing what I have to do for the galaxy. The Republic is corrupt! It cannot be saved."

"And you think that the Sith can fix it?" Siri demands scornfully, shaking her head, blonde hair falling loose around her face. "Then you're more delusional than I believed. You can leave. Come with me. Talk to the Council. We can only fix things together."

Obi-Wan might have been tempted by her offer in another time, but he doesn't even need to consider it. "No," he states quietly and with conviction. "I won't. I'm not leaving Anakin. He needs me." It's the absolute truth, and maybe he's a terrible Jedi for loving Anakin so deeply and fiercely, but so be it. He refuses to betray Anakin, no matter the cost to himself. Anakin has lost so much already – even his humanity – he doesn't need to be betrayed by one of the people he loves and considers a friend.

Siri scoffs. "That's your attachment talking, Obi-Wan," she informs him. "I knew you were struggling, but this is a new low, even for you. You're protecting a murderer! He's a monster! I might have once thought that he could change, but you know how much damage and devastation he's caused. He's proud of it, isn't he?" Obi-Wan doesn't answer her tirade, slowly drawing in a breath to maintain his calm. If he loses his composure now, it won't be good.

His silence is, he supposes, answer enough. "He is," she states scornfully, glaring daggers into him, lightsaber poised for another attack. "There's a kill-on-sight order issued by the Jedi Council for him. He's dangerous, Obi-Wan, even if you choose not to accept that."

"I know Anakin," Obi-Wan replies with conviction. "He's not my superior. He's not my captor. He's my friend." It feels so good to say that. It's like a reaffirmation of their connection. Their bond which seems to transcend everything. He'll never forget his vision shortly after Anakin was adopted to Palpatine. It was a warning from the Force itself that he and Anakin belong together. They always have. They always will. He won't betray Anakin for anything. Not now.

Maybe if he had raised Anakin, trained him the way he'd meant to, things would be different. He won't delude himself into thinking that he would have disobeyed the Council the way he is now. He knows that he… always used to believe that he had to put duty over everything and everyone else, and he shudders to think of how much he might have hurt Anakin, albeit unintentionally in the process. What might have happened? How much could their relationship have deteriorated? He doesn't know, and nor does he want to know.

At least now, he has been given the chance to change, to become a better person, to become more open-minded, to see the situation in the galaxy for what it really is. And most importantly, Obi-Wan has been given a chance for a real friendship with Anakin, one that he may never have gotten otherwise. He won't misuse this rare opportunity.

"Then you are lost!" Siri exclaims, launching another attack against him, though his defenses remain impermeable. He didn't master Soresu for nothing. "If you are truly his friend, why are you betraying him?"

"Am I?" Obi-Wan asks a bit sardonically.

She narrows her eyes at him, pressing against his blade. He doesn't even move, and after a moment, she steps back. "You've been giving the Republic some intel," she points out. "You've tipped us off."

Obi-Wan hums, wondering how best to calm her. It's a good thing that he warned Anakin not to kill Olin. Hopefully, he'll listen, because if he doesn't, he'll lose whatever credibility he has with the Council here and now. "I don't believe that the Republic is entirely unsalvageable," he admits, "And I know how hard the war is on you. If I can help you, even a little, then it's worth it. On that note, I've found out something else."

"What?" she asks warily.

"I've heard talk about launching an attack on Kamino at some point in the future," he informs her. "I imagine that it will likely occur within the next couple months, though I don't have an official timeline as of yet."

She clenches her jaw, her expression grim. "Are you certain?"

"Yes," he replies, and the truth of his words echoes into the Force.

Siri is quiet, studying him, as if trying to peer into his mind to see what he's thinking. "Does he know that you're helping us?"

Oh Force. This is not a question he's ever prepared to answer. He never thought that anyone would ask. What would Sidious want him to say? How would he want him to respond? What if he tells the truth? Taking a deep breath, Obi-Wan prays that he isn't making a mistake which will end his life. "Yes," he tells her with a sigh. "Yes, but you cannot tell anyone. Not the Council. Not any Jedi. No one."

Siri frowns. "Why not? I don't think I can keep this a secret."

If the Council knows, then Sidious might find out too, and if that happens… maybe he's been waiting for Obi-Wan to make a mistake of this magnitude. "Siri, please," he all but begs. "If you've ever cared about me, you won't repeat that to anyone."

The ship suddenly jolts under their feet, and Obi-Wan realizes that the explosives around the reactor have been detonated. Alarms start blaring almost immediately; they only have a few minutes – ten at most – before the entire cruiser is destroyed. "Don't make me regret this," Siri declares fiercely. "The next time we meet, we are going to talk, and you will answer everything. If you don't, then I'll tell the Council everything."

There's no more time to negotiate. He knows that. "Thank you," he says as sincerely as he can.

His comm beeps at that exact moment. "Obi-Wan, come in!" calls Anakin. "Where are you? We need to leave. Now!"

Obi-Wan glances at Siri, her face inscrutable, though he doesn't miss her flare of anger at Anakin's voice. "I'm coming Anakin. I'll meet you in the hanger."

He turns, preparing to leave when Siri calls after him. "Don't forget." He looks back at her briefly, and her expression is hard. Nodding, he sprints away, clipping his lightsaber hilt back to his belt as he goes. If he doesn't make it to the hanger as quickly as he can, he knows Anakin will come looking for him, and he would rather that not occur. It would be complicated and unnecessarily make a mess.

Thankfully, he gets there before that happens. Anakin's relief is unmistakable, making Obi-Wan even more grateful that he didn't consider accepting Siri's offer. He misses the days when they would spend time together, just… being. Unfortunately, such moments of leisure are almost nonexistent given the war which is going on. They are too important to the Separatists to be allowed an extended reprieve. Perhaps that will change in the future, but for now, Obi-Wan knows that he and Anakin with both have to be content with whatever limited time they have.

**w**

After taking Gunray back to Separatist territory, Dooku allowed the Executor back to Serenno for which Rex was grateful. He thinks he needs some time to recover from the mission. True, he didn't harm any of his brothers personally, but seeing the dead bodies lying strewn all over, knowing that Va- Anakin himself was responsible for some of them… it's not easy. He's fortunate that Anakin is as understanding as he is. He didn't say anything when Rex was reticent on the way back to Serenno, looking at him with a silent recognition.

Rex knows, of course, that Anakin being a General means that he'll be fighting the Republic, the clones. He'll be killing them too because that's what he does. He's a military strategist. He doesn't make stupid mistakes. Even now, even after seeing firsthand what Anakin is capable of, Rex doesn't fear him. He will still follow him to the end of the galaxy if he has to. Anakin cares for him and his brothers deeply; it's more than any Jedi could do, he knows that. Anakin helped them with their training. He wanted them to succeed, to be the best.

They would have been too, had events not unfolded as they did. But Rex doesn't spend much time dealing with regrets. He knows that he's more fortunate than many of his brothers because they're on the front lines, constantly surrounded by death and devastation. While he might not be able to support them, he can do whatever he can from here.

After reaching Serenno, Rex takes Fives and Echo, the three of them heading to the dining room to join the rest of their brothers for the afternoon meal. They regale the other clones with the details of the mission – including how they had to kill the Senate commandos who tried to stop them from leaving with Gunray – trying to keep their voices down so as not to disturb Anakin who is sitting with Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, and Asajj a distance away.

"I've been doing research on the Republic's laws, especially with regards to the clones," Tup declares after a lull in the conversations.

Rex perks up at that, the words catching his attention instantly. "And?"

Tup and Fives exchange a look. "Slavery is illegal in the Republic," Tup tells them with a frown, "But the Republic is purchasing its clone army from Kamino. We don't have a choice. We can't leave if we want to, or it's desertion, which is punished severely."

The implications are obvious, and it sends a chill down Rex's spine. He'd always known that he and all his brothers were meant to be soldiers, meant to fight for the Republic, and meant to lay down their lives for the Republic if need be. That's what they were bred, born, and trained to do. He's never really questioned it, or at least he's tried not to question it. Slaves. It's an ugly word, and the connotations even more so. But at the same time, it doesn't not fit. Slaves can't do what they want; they can only do what they're told, and they don't have any choices. Just like he didn't. Just like his brothers didn't and don't.

Fives leans forwards, expression dark. "Perhaps the Republic doesn't want to admit it, but we are slaves. All of us. Those of us who are fortunate enough to be here have a choice; the same is not true for millions of our brothers. The Republic is using a slave army to do its work, and the Jedi are going along with it."

"We cannot let this continue," Echo agrees, "But what can we even do?"

"Petition the Republic Senate?" suggests Tup.

Rex shakes his head. "They have no reason to listen to us. We need to contact someone who can do something, someone who would be willing to advocate clone rights. I don't know much about the politics, but I imagine no one will care to listen, not as long as the war goes on."

A heavy silence falls among them, each of them undoubtedly feeling the same burden, the same pain at the knowledge that they're essentially helpless right now. "So, then we end the war," Jesse points out. "I know that there's been talk about modifying the orders. When will we be doing that?"

"I'm not sure," Anakin speaks up suddenly, and it's only now that Rex realizes that the other four individuals have been listening to the entire conversation, their faces filled with a variety of emotions from solemnity to anger to frustration. "I'll talk to Dooku about it, but we're waiting on Sidious to give us the go-ahead. Dooku actually asked me if I want to accompany him to the Separatist Senate, something about publicity." He sounds so aggravated, that it's honestly amusing. "Perhaps I could raise the issue with them, rally more systems to our cause. It's better than nothing, at any rate."

"That's… thank you, sir," Rex says as sincerely as he can which isn't hard. He never considered that Anakin, with his limited political expertise, would be willing to actually get involved in the clones' fight instead of simply offering them his support.

Anakin waves it off as if it's nothing. "I'll take Ahsoka with me. We're leaving at the end of next week, so Obi-Wan will be in charge of Death Squadron in our absence." He pauses, glancing at the Jedi Knight. "You and Asajj will be leaving the day after tomorrow. Some Separatist forces somewhere will likely need our assistance in breaking through Republic lines."

"Why am I only hearing about this now?" Asajj wants to know. She sounds irritated.

"Maybe it's because you missed our debriefing," Obi-Wan points out dryly, and she scowls.

"Is there anyone on the Republic's side who could be of aid?" queries Appo suddenly.

Anakin seems thoughtful. "Padme might help if we could get in contact with her. I imagine she has a number of allies including Bail Organa who would support her."

Rex hums quietly. "I don't suppose we have any way of contacting her though." It's a statement more than it is a question. While he doesn't know much about Senator Amidala, he is definitely aware that she's Anakin's fiancée. More than that, he knows how deeply Anakin loves her, how committed he is to have a future with her.

"Not without committing treason and defying Sidious, no we don't," Anakin confirms, more misery leaking into his words than he'd probably intended. Rex feels sympathy wash over him, but he buries it quickly. Anakin will never accept his pity, he knows that.

"In other words, there's nothing we can do." Tup's voice is flat, emotionless, but it conveys the dismay and resignation which they all feel.

"I'll talk to Dooku," Anakin is quick to assure them. "We'll figure something out, I promise you." The words don't seem as meaningless with the promise behind them, but still, Rex can't help but wonder: how long? How long will they have to wait? He'd always known that they were meant to be slaves, at least after he learned about the inhibitor chip, but learning that they're legally slaves as well is horrifying.

"We can go talk to him now," Obi-Wan suggests, giving Anakin a meaningful look. An unspoken understanding passes between them, and they rise in sync, leaving the room with Ahsoka trailing after. That seems to be a signal to everyone that the meal is over, because all five members of Domino Squad – Fives, Echo, Hevy, Cutup, and Droidbait – stand up as well. It's not long before they're all going their separate ways.

"Rex." Asajj's voice stops him, and he turns to look at her. He'd been planning to go to his quarters and rest after the mission, but apparently the Nightsister has other plans.

"Yes?"

She purses her lips, clearly pondering how to word whatever is on her mind. "You're not alone in this, okay?" There's an intentness in her blue eyes, one which he hasn't seen before. "You can talk to me if you need to, I just wanted you to know that. Anakin will do whatever he must, and so will I. We –" She looks away, suddenly unable to meet his gaze. "We both know what it's like to be a slave, Anakin especially."

He knows. He knows that. "I know," he whispers, feeling as if he can't speak any louder, lest the sound shatter whatever strength he has left. "I know that." Rex might not know any details, but he's heard how Anakin was born into slavery. He was a slave until the Jedi found him… and then handed him over to a new master. He doesn't think he can even begin to grasp the horror of such a thing. How did he manage to go on, to survive? It's a testament to Anakin's strength that he's managed to hold onto whatever makes him… him despite his enslavement by Sidious.

Asajj meets his eyes, her gaze lingering on him before she slowly turns and walks away.

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