AN: Hi guys, I know that it has been a while, but I'm pretty busy studying at the moment, so I won't be able to update regularly. Anyway, I try to be as fast as possible, but I can't make any promises. So here is the next chapter, I hope it was worth the wait. And if you like it, I'm always happy about reviews, I read them even if I am busy...And a big thanks to everyone who already reviewed! I never thought that I would reach the fifty mark, thank you and enjoy!

Chapter 12

Anakin was instantly alert when Obi-Wan stirred. After their torture session, the range of their chains went long again and he had enough room to make Obi-Wan as comfortable as possible. Which was not very much. He laid on his stomach, the head carefully bedded on his torn tunic, his arms awkwardly placed around his head. Sadly, there was nothing to patch Obi-Wan up with, and his ashen face and shallow breathing had Anakin jump up and get to his Master's side - to check if he was still alive - every time he was about to drowse.

It had been an awful night, Anakin was tired to death and still couldn't let Obi-Wan out of his sight. Deep inside, he knew that if Maul would come back to finish the job, he couldn't do anything either way, but that was one of those thoughts that had no right to exist in his brain, because if they did, the events on Tattooine with his mother could repeat themselves, and he would have none of it. Never again.

Anakin moved to Obi-Wan. He really looked awful. The blood on his back was partly crusted, partly smeared and made a sick pattern of different tones of red that reminded him of Darth Maul's "body art". Maybe that was on purpose. The pattern continued at the border of Obi-Wan's trousers, which was stained in a nasty brown, and ended in several smeared blotches on the floor.

How did Obi-Wan always get into these situations? He really had a hand for it. And the worst part, there was no palpable reason why Obi-Wan evoked this lot of hatred and creativity from his various torturers. On missions, Anakin did rarely see the entire amount of his master's injuries, but what he had seen was already more than enough. Anakin was not sure if he himself did simply not evoke the same kind of hatred or if it was something else why he seemed to always get electrocuted when tortured. Be it Hondo, Riff Tamson, or even Dooku, his enemies were definitely unimaginative concerning him. And now Maul stepped into the line, too, with his force-lightning.

Thankfully, he didn't have to dwell in his thoughts any longer, for Obi-Wan opened his eyes.

"Gnnh?" he croaked and tried to sit up, but Anakin gently held him down.

"Careful, Obi-Wan. Your back is badly injured. We have to get you up slowly."

Obi-Wan nodded, and with common effort, they managed to maneuver him into a kneeling position without too much pain.

"You have to drink, master. You lost a lot of blood." Anakin held the can of water to Obi-Wan, but he was reluctant.

"Isst - "

"No, it's not poisoned," and because he knew that wasn't enough for Obi-Wan, he added: "I tested it myself, I drank shortly after I got conscious again, about five hours ago. I didn't sense anything in it."

Obi-Wan still looked suspiciously at the can.

"Force, master! You are on the verge of keeling over, you can't even hold yourself upright. If you don't drink, you won't make it very long!"

He couldn't believe that he was having this conversation with Obi-Wan, who somehow managed to answer back without being able to speak at all.

But he did finally show reason and lifted the can to his lips. If Anakin hadn't interfered, he would have spilled it. Obi-Wan was barely able to lift his right arm, let alone lift something with it. And Anakin had to admit that tied hands weren't helping either.

They finally managed to hydrogenate Obi-Wan a bit, and his ability to speak came back slowly.

"Thank you...did Maul...?"

"He hasn't come back yet. He can take his time. Guess that I'm next."

"Probably. But you never know...with him."

Anakin only nodded. He urged Obi-Wan to drink some more.

"You look awful." And it was not just Anakin trying to lighten the mood. Now that he could have a look at Obi-Wan's whole face, he found that his master looked really scary with slices around his eye and blood in his beard. It would not have been as frightening for Anakin if the left side of his face hadn't looked completely normal. It was an ambivalence. The Obi-Wan he knew for years on one side, and a tortured, broken Obi-Wan on the other side if he couldn't prevent it from happening. He shuddered.

"Anakin, it can't be that bad," Obi-Wan's scandalized voice hauled him out of his trance, "And you're no ravishing beauty either."

Anakin wagged his head with a small grin. "At least I have potential. You're obviously a lost cause."

The ghost of a smile appeared on his master's face, but he simultaneously began to falter. Anakin forced him to drink some more and helped him to lay back down. The wounds didn't start to bleed again, what Anakin valued as a good sign.

"Anakin, you have to drink, too," Obi-Wan told him when he was settled in a somewhat comfortable position, meaning that he laid on his stomach, head bedded on his tunic again.

Obi-Wan had his wits back sooner than Anakin anticipated, he already recognized that Anakin had left the better part of the water for him. But Anakin knew how to handle his master by now:

"Since I haven't been here as long as you and I haven't lost two or so liters of blood, I think that you need it more. And I won't argue about that."

"Ok, you have a point," Obi-Wan surprisingly admitted, "but you have to promise me something...I know it is hard to ask for it, but if you somehow get the chance to flee and I'm not able to, you have to go - "

"Wait, you want me to leave you? I would never do that! We will go together!" Anakin interrupted harshly. What was Obi-Wan thinking?

But his master just continued his serious stare, "I'm not very agile at the moment. And if Maul decides to go on torturing me, it won't get better. If there is even the smallest chance of escape, you have to take it. And fetch somebody to come back for me. If you're lucky, Ahsoka followed us and is already near."

"If there is a way to find us, she will. She is a good pilot and imbibes everything I tell her." Anakin tried to change the topic. He would not leave Obi-Wan behind, and he didn't want to discuss it.

"That is what I fear. She gets quite a reckless streak, and that is not always an advantage. But Anakin, if there is somebody near, wouldn't it be a great mistake to not take the opportunity to contact them if possible? You have to do that for me."

Anakin's thoughts sped in his head, searching for a solution. But the only thing he found was a compromise.

"Ok, but you have to promise the same thing. If Maul tortures me and you get an opportunity, you have to take it, too. That would make it an even trade."

Obi-Wan sighed, palpably not pleased, but he concurred.

"Yes, I guess that's only fair."

"Ok, now that we cleared the formalities, can we maybe begin to establish our escape plan?"

Obi-Wan shot him a surprised look.

"Well, do you have any ideas?"

Anakin flashed Obi-Wan a knowing smile. He would get both of them out, he had already found a weak spot in their cell. "Yeah, as it happens, I have an idea. While you laid around and took a nap, I inspected these force-forsaken binders. Inside the wall is a barely noticeable nose that can function as a switch. The problem is, there are two stops in addition to the current stage. One stop will make the wire that connects us to the wall as short as possible, the other stop as long as possible."

Anakin looked at Obi-Wan expectantly, but he only raised his brows.

"Well then, feel free to take your time. There is no need to haste, we can as well enjoy the nice company here a little longer."

Obi-Wan's voice was so overflowing with sarcasm that Anakin was surprised that it didn't form a puddle on Obi-Wan's tunic-turned-pillow. Anakin took a deep centering breath. Sometimes, Obi-Wan could be a real pain in the ass.

"I wanted to come to that. The mechanism is triggered with the door. Only when somebody opens it, which is only possible from the outside, the wires move. There will be as good as no time to do something before the door opens. We have to plan exactly what we want to do...and then there is the problem that I don't know which stop is the right one. If I take the wrong one, we will hang in the air helplessly and Maul will know that we tampered with the wire."

Obi-Wan was not happy about the news, if his scowl was any indication.

"We'll have to plan that very carefully," Obi-Wan stated, "and very accurately. We have to find a way to distract Maul enough so that we somehow get a hold on his lightsaber and cut these binders." He said with a glance to his bound hands.

Yeah, that's exactly what I just said, remember? Anakin was starting to get really annoyed with Obi-Wan, but his master didn't notice at all and just continued:

"Meanwhile, I have an assignment for you."

These words from Obi-Wan's mouth had never been foreshadowing anything good.

"Last time you said that, I ended up inside a ship full of droids. Activated droids."

"That was just because you let yourself be seen boarding the ship by the tactical droid," Obi-Wan sighed, "It is really important, Anakin."

Obi-Wan sounded very consumed now and that brought Anakin out of his frustration faster than his master's words. He didn't want to argue any more. Their situation was already bad enough.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked consentiently.

But with Obi-Wan's next words, the frustration was instantly back.

"I want you to remember the layout plan of the corridors, and, most importantly, the position of the hangar. I saw a hologram of it when I tried to escape earlier. If we want to be quick, you have to know it, too."

And if you don't make it and I have to leave you. Anakin added the unspoken reason why Obi-Wan really wanted him to memorize the plan. But he was right, it couldn't hurt, every piece of information was a possible advantage, and they had to do everything they could.

"Ok, I'll do it." Anakin agreed, but he wasn't happy with the task. He wouldn't leave Obi-Wan alone if there was any chance to escape together. And if there wasn't... he shoved the thought aside. Maybe after their next torture session it was Obi-Wan who was in better shape and then had to escape alone. A bitter sneer formed on his face. That would be a bad surprise for Obi-Wan, something he hadn't calculated in.

But he should not concentrate on his bad thoughts. He shoved them away and yielded to his fate.