Ugh, beginnings are so hard to start! Thanks so much for all the reviews!

Anakin had never thought about what life without Obi-Wan would be like. He was always just…there. Now that he was gone, it felt like a huge part of his life was missing. Like there was a huge, Obi-Wan-sized hole in his heart. And it kriffing hurt.

He had insisted on staying in the same quarters, even though it was a Master/Padawan apartment, not to mention all the painful memories there. Mace Windu and Yoda had insisted on him moving out, but Anakin was just stubborn. It wasn't so much that he wanted to move out; it was that he didn't want anyone else moving in. If someone else moved in, then Obi-Wan's Force-signature that still lingered in the rooms would be extinguished, all of the small decorations his Master insisted weren't possessions would be removed and discarded. Anakin didn't want people taking away the last remnants he still had of his friend.

He'd never thought about how much it would hurt when his Master was gone, either. In the months that followed his death, Anakin realized that he loved him. Not as much as Padme or his mother, obviously, but still love nevertheless. They were best friends, brothers in arms. Obi-Wan was the closest thing Anakin ever had to a father, and it hurt to lose him so suddenly.

And weren't the nightmares supposed to stop after someone died? They had with his mother. Why weren't they with Obi-Wan?

Every night, Anakin dreamed of his Master lying broken and bloody on the ground, being hurt, needing Anakin. It was never enough proof for the council; again, they said he was in denial and shock. No matter how much he tried—he wouldn't beg, Anakin Skywalker did not beg—they wouldn't listen to him. Not that they ever did in the first place. But seriously, this was one of their own members that needed help, and they deliberately chose to ignore him. And Anakin resented them for it.

Until the one night when he decided he wouldn't be ignored any longer.

Anakin…

His eyes snapped open and wildly looked around the room, unsure as to what woke him. Something had too; he always slept in when he was home from a mission. A faint nudge against his mind, and there it was again.

Anakin help…

Anakin shot upright in bed, heart wildly pounding. That voice…that voice was so familiar…it couldn't be…could it?

Anakin, please, you…you have to hear this…

There was no doubt that was Obi-Wan in his mind, speaking through the bond. His Master was alive, definitely alive!

Master?

Anakin. The relief was evident in the voice in his mind. Obi-Wan sounded as if he was miles away, which he probably was. Even though they were speaking through the bond, Obi-Wan sounded very, very tired and hurt.

Anakin…need—need help…please…

Master, where are you?

D-don't know...just hurry….hurry, please, I—AHHH! The connection was cut short abruptly. Anakin groaned and clutched his head as a searing bolt of pain went through his mind; Obi-Wan was hurt…or being hurt.

Master! Obi-Wan, Obi-Wan answer me!

There was no answer. Anakin panicked and sobbed "Master" as the bond went silent once more. That was it, that was the last straw. He wasn't about to let Obi-Wan die because a few kriffing Jedi on the kriffing council. Anakin threw off the bed covers and started to get dressed, shaking slightly with fear clutching at his heart. He had to get to Obi-Wan.

Now.

Ki-Adi-Mundi was not in a good mood; Anakin soon found this out as he dangled upside-down in the air, held by the Force. Maybe knocking on his door in the middle of the night was a bad idea after all.

A yawning Master Mundi walked through the door as it whooshed open—what the kriff was he still wearing his tunics for?—, frowning at the Jedi hanging in front of him.

"Skywalker, it is second hour. What do you want?" he asked grouchily. Anakin yelped as he was dropped to the ground. Scrambling to his feet, he did his best to look presentable.

"Master, I know I've said this before but I felt Obi-er, Master Kenobi! He's in danger, I can feel it, I need to go after him."

Ki sighed. "Skywalker, we have discussed this already. It is time to let go—

"Please, Master! I heard him through the bond, he needs my help! Aren't Jedi taught to trust their instincts?"

"Well, yes, but—"

"My instincts are telling me that he is alive! Master he's hurt, there isn't much time!" Please believe me he added silently. Master Mundi regarded him silently for a moment, staring at him as if he were some never before seen species. Then—

"Alright."

A small flicker of hope lit inside Anakin as he smiled gratefully at Ki-Adi-Mundi. "Come on."

Anakin isn't coming.

It had taken most of his remaining strength to send that message—and it hadn't worked. Anakin wouldn't be coming to his rescue.

If he could groan he would have. Obi-Wan was far too exhausted to do much more than breath, let alone make a sound or stop the few tears that trickled down his cheeks. Even with the Force-dampeners and all the pain making his thoughts fuzzy, he had saved up enough energy to open the bond just enough to get Anakin's attention. Most of his Force abilities were either blocked by the dampeners or spent killing the muscle maggots he'd been fed before….

Unfortunately, Ventress happened to walk in and sensed what he was doing. Obi-Wan had been too absorbed in his own mind that he hadn't noticed her, and was subsequently yanked away from the bond with a sharp kick. He was "punished" severely, and Ventress had made it so he could never try another attempt like that.

When she first brought it in, Obi-Wan hadn't known what to make of it. Whatever it was looked like a piece of black cloth, and it reeked of the Dark Side. The little bits of Force he could sense screamed a warning at him: Get away, get away now, brace yourself, do something to protect yourself, anything, GET AWAY!

Obi-Wan couldn't struggle, it hurt too much, and when the…the thing was forced over his head, he couldn't even scream. He reached out to the Force, but as soon as he did, a sharp pain went through his mind. Stang, it burned! For the first time in his life, when he reached for the Force, it hurt. It hurt like karking hell! Never before had his own Force powers been his enemy, a weapon used against him. Ventress smirked as he thrashed and writhed in pain, gloating over yet another victory. She soon left the struggling Jedi alone, probably to turn her attention to Alpha, if he was even still alive.

Obi-Wan sobbed in defeat as the mask's darkness flooded his mind, replacing hope with despair and fear. There would be no escape; he would die here. He knew it was the mask talking, overruling his own thoughts but it was so convincing, maybe he should give up….

Anakin slid into the pilot's sit (unfortunately for Ki-Adi-Mundi) and punched in the coordinates the Force whispered to him. He ignored Ki's worried look and pursed lips and shot into hyperspace, pushing the medical ship they borrowed far passed its capacity. Master Mundi insisted on taking the medical ship, as neither of the two men knew what condition their fellow Jedi would be in….if he was still alive.

Hold on Master, I'm coming!

Master Mundi pressed a finger to his lips as the two crouched in an air duct, just over the fortress's command center. Getting in had been far too easy; the guards were strong but stupid, there were no real challenges except not getting caught by the security cameras. Now all they had to do was check the computer files for some sort of prisoner list…

…which was being guarded by possibly the biggest, most muscular man Anakin had ever seen. Strong, huge—but probably extremely dumb. With a wave of his hand and a nudge of the Force, Ki-Adi sent the guards drink spilling onto his lap. With a few curses that would make a Hutt blush, the guard went off to clean himself up.

Anakin removed the grate and dropped to the ground, hurrying over to the computer. Fingers flying over the keys, his eyes widened as he check the files.

"Here he is!" Anakin whispered excitedly, "Cell seventeen, block C. And there's a clone too; cell four block B. I knew it!"

"Very good, Skywalker. I'll get the clone, you get Master Kenobi." Anakin was already halfway gone by the time Ki finished his sentence. Master Mundi shook his head at the Knight rushing after his beloved master before going the opposite way.

Anakin silently ran through the halls, feet flying, heart pounding. He made sure to not be seen even as his control started slipping with the knowledge that Obi-Wan was close by.

Don't you dare die on me now, Master, or I will kill you.

There! Block B! He was almost to cell seventeen when the Force warned him of something coming. Quickly ducking behind a corner, Anakin peered his head around the corner as Ventress stalked out of the room, spitting curses at the guards. Part of Anakin fumed at seeing her, knowing she was the cause of Obi-Wan's pain, and part of him wanted to laugh at her, seeing her so angry and knowing Obi-Wan was probably the one who annoyed her so much.

He waited until Ventress and the guards were gone, then slipped into the cell before the door closed. Anakin's eyes narrowed at the dim lighting, and a wave of nausea washed over him as he sensed the Force dampeners that would have any weakened Jedi sick to their stomach. A click and a soft hiss sounded as he snapped on his lightsaber, the light illuminating the small, dank room.

What he saw broke his heart.

Whoo! Finally finished! Obviously the last part is basically the original with minor tweaks, but I think it came out nice. And with a cliffy! I promise there will be an update in the next three or four days, and if not, then repeat that sentence until I do.

Please review and tell me what you think!

PS: If you want to know more about the muscle maggots and Sith Torture Mask, then look it up on Wookiepeidia. Obik out. PEACE!