This chapter is dedicated to my dog Rio, who passed away on Friday 24th February 2017.
When Anakin had heard Obi-Wan scream in pain, his heart had almost stopped in his chest. It was even worse when he saw Grievous lift him up by the neck, strangling him with those merciless metal hands. Anakin had called Obi-Wan's name, desperately trying to reach him but droids and blaster shots kept slowing him down, forcing him to protect himself first. He almost thought he wouldn't get there in time to save Obi-Wan, his former master, his best friend - his brother- but then Giac arrived, soldiers and fighter pilots fighting by his side.
Now, Anakin watched in awe as Giac battled with General Grievous with deadly skill and precision that left him speechless. What surprised Anakin the most though was that Giac was wielding white lightsabers, something Anakin had never seen before. Jedi wielded blue and green lightsabers (with the exception of Master Windu) and the Sith wielded red lightsabers so, why was Giac's lightsabers white? That was another thing; Giac was wielding a lightsaber. Was that why Obi-Wan was so guarded, because his brother had been expelled from the order? But that didn't make sense either; there would have been no need for the heir of Selencia to join the Jedi Order in the first place. For not the first time over the last few days, Anakin didn't have a clue what was going on.
Giac however, just kept fighting Grievous with each move he made more precise and damaging, easily holding his ground against the powerful opponent. The older Kenobi truly was a spectacle to watch, varients of Djem So, Soresu and Ataru combined together to form an impenetrable defense, and an even more unstoppable offense. Anakin even noticed Giac was using Katas that he had never even seen before, making him wonder if Giac had created his own. They were defnitely having an effect, as Grievous kept backing away to avoid getting his limbs chopped off.
"General Skywalker!" Anakin whirled as he heard his name called, his eyes finally torn away from the deadly duel. The Selencian soldier that had called him was the same one who had carried Obi-Wan to safety, in fact he was still leaning against her. The helmet hid the soldier's features from Anakin, but her slim, feminine build told him that the soldier was a women. "We need to go now!" She yelled at him, obviously struggling to support Obi-Wan's weight. "Skywalker!"
Snapping out of the shock and his wandering thoughts, Anakin spared one last glance at Giac and Grievous before running over to her, taking Obi-Wan's other arm over his shoulder. Obi-Wan however, cried out in pain to this, his fractured wrist wailing in protest. Changing plans, Anakin just supported Obi-Wan instead, careful not to catch his old master's injured arm again. They set of to the ship, other Selencian soldiers helping the clones, Rex and Cody among them.
"Ahsoka!" Anakin yelled over the gunfire and fighting, seeing his padawan move towards Giac and Grievous. He stopped walking, turning to get a better view of her, Obi-Wan and the soldier stopping with him.
"I can help him!" Ahsoka yelled back, deflecting a few blaster shots with her lightsabers.
"I think Obi-Wan's brother can handle himself don't you?" As if to prove Anakin's point, Giac dodged a swing from Grievious' lightsabers, backing away before force pushing Grievous, sending the separatist general flying. Droids that had chosen to aim at Giac suddenly were sent spinning through the air while one particular droid that had managed to shoot at Giac was torn apart limb from limb by a wave of Giac's hands. He them jumped high into the air, leaping onto Grievous with his lightsabers crashing down against his opponent's in a savage arc once again.
"But-"
"Commander Tano, we need to leave! He'll catch us up! He's done it millions of times before. Kenobi's are stubborn like that, it's one of their very many infuriating genes!" The female soldier shouted back, cutting Ahsoka's protest short.
"You know, I'm right here!" Obi-Wan complained, his weak voice barely heard over the cacophony of violent sound.
"Yeah well, maybe you and your idiotic brother may listen to me and Risa for once!" She retorted, her voice sounding even more annoyed because of her helmet speaker. This time she dragged Obi-Wan along as she continued to make her way to the ship, Obi-Wan in no position to object. Anakin had no choice but to drag Obi-Wan along with her.
"Ahsoka, come on!" Anakin ordered over his shoulder, vaguely aware of Ahsoka turning round to catch up with them.
They made it to the ship, Selencian soldiers and clones alike covering them with explosives and heavy blaster fire. Obi-Wan winced as they made their way up the boarding ramp, the steep incline making his ribs send stabs of pain into his abdomen. Anakin could only stare at Obi-Wan with clearly worried eyes.
"Tell the pilot to take off and the fighter pilots to cover us commander!" Tessa barked as she helped lower Obi-Wan to the floor of the ship, the commander instantly repeating her orders into his com link. The last few clones were helped aboard, R2 following them, and then the ship began to take off again, the engines having been never turned off. After leaving Obi-Wan next to Ahsoka, Anakin looked out the still open hanger door, his eyes instantly finding Giac and Grievous. The two were still locked in fierce combat, Giac's anger clearly shown in his fast, powerful swipes and snarling expression.
"He's become quite aggressive." Anakin commented with a frown, to no one particular. Tessa heard him though, quickly following his gaze and standing up from her position on the floor knelt beside Obi-Wan.
"Of course he is, Grievous has pissed him off. I'm quite surprised that he hasn't decapitated that slime ball yet." Tessa remarked, disgust and hint of concealed anger in her voice. Anakin turned to her, his frown deepening.
"Revenge is not the Jedi way." Tessa laughed then to Anakin's comment, her helmet making it sound mechanical and almost sinister.
"Giac is no Jedi, Skywalker." Tessa turned to where Obi-Wan was lying, his face contorted in obvious pain. "Giac is Obi-Wan's older brother. They have a special force bond that not even you may understand. Giac can sense Obi through the force, as well as all the pain he's in and no one, no matter who they are, hurts one of the Kenobis and gets away with it." Tessa explained, her gaze returning to look at Anakin, who could feel her eyes boring into his through the black lenses of her helmet. He knew that there was an unspoken threat in her words, which made her gaze that more uncomfortable for him. Anakin quickly returned his gaze to the duel that was taking place, just as Tessa did too.
Giac was loosing control of his emotions; Obi-Wan's pain leaking through the bond they shared. Grievous had noticed the change in Giac too, and as they locked blades, Grievous leaned in so he was face to face with Giac, inches apart from each other.
"Your anger is betraying you. Soon you will die because of your weakness." Grievous hissed, pushing Giac off, the Selencian King stumbling backwards. Giac was panting, his stamina wearing thin. Grievous was a machine so he didn't tire, but Giac did. For a few moments, he stood, catching his breath before he straightened up and did something unexpected to everyone. He turned his lightsabers off. Grievous looked as shocked as Anakin felt.
"What in the name of the force is he doing?" Anakin asked, a touch of fear taking hold. Tessa said nothing, but behind her helmet her eyes narrowed.
Giac didn't stop there though. After putting his lightsabers back onto his belt, Giac closed his eyes, as if welcoming death. Grievous, although caught off guard, didn't waste his chance, and swung two of his lightsabers down onto Giac.
Grievous hadn't expected Giac to catch his lightsaber hilts in his hands, eyes now fully open and shining silver. He definitely didn't expect his lightsabers to turn off after Giac gave them each a short glance.
Anakin saw a lot of things happen at once. He saw Giac kick Grievous' knee, the force of the blow smashing the metal limb like it was cardboard. Giac then twisted so his back was to Grievous, his hands still holding the lightsabers Grievous still held, before pulling Grievous over his head as he pulled the lightsabers down. Grievous landed on his back with enough force that he let go of the lightsabers, objects that Giac then threw in disgust to the ground.
Seeing that Grevious was for the minute immobilized, Tessa moved forward so that she was on the boarding ramp, easy for Giac to see her.
"Giac, come on! We have to leave, NOW!" She yelled, aiming at droids that were making their way to Giac. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Giac made a sprint for the ship, already high in the air. He slid under a droid's legs, picking up Obi-Wan's forgotten lightsaber on the floor as he slid past, before continuing on his way, droids falling around him as Tessa shot one after the other. He jumped onto a droid and used it as a springboard, leaping high into the air before landing on the ship-boarding ramp in a crouch. Giac didn't hesitate even then, immediately running to the lever that closed the doors, yanking it down hard.
The doors then closed and all the Selencian soldiers including Tessa let themselves relax, tense and alert from providing cover fire. Tessa herself pressed the button on her collar again, her helmet retracting and folding back up, revealing her dirty blonde curls and sharp eyes. There was a short silence, Giac's heavy breathing and groans of the wounded being the only sounds inside the medium sized cargo hold as the ship sped away. That silence was broken however, when Obi-Wan let out a particularly loud wince as Ahsoka tried to get a better view of his ribs. R2 beeped next to Ahsoka, the sound sounding sorrowful at seeing the Jedi Master's state. It grabbed Giac's attention, something Anakin realized, that Obi-Wan didn't exactly want.
"Didn't I say specifically don't get injured? I'm not just imagining that am I?" Giac asked Obi-Wan as he strode over, coming to kneel at his brother's side. Ahsoka moved out of the way, a very wise move as Giac looked furious. Obi-Wan just took his brother's mood in his stride, a sarcastic comeback already on his tongue.
"Oh you know me, Giac. I just love getting injured. It brings out the best traits in you." Giac shot him a glare before scanning his brother from head to toe, noticing the way Obi-Wan was holding his injured wrist and how his shoulder was at an unnatural angle.
"I see your sense of humor isn't damaged."
"Its the only thing that isn't damaged. I think my wrist is either fractured or broken, my ribs definitely are if not." Obi-Wan winced then, before continuing. "I think my shoulder is dislocated too. Must have done it when I fell. Oh, and my leg is killing me." Obi-Wan finished, summing up his many injuries.
"Maybe you can take it to court for murder." Giac deadpanned, which made Obi-Wan only scowl harder.
"Very funny."
"Are you breathing ok?" Ahsoka asked, kneeling down next Obi-Wan on his opposite side to where Giac now sat.
"Not really, though it's probably because I just got strangled by a temperamental and psychotic separatist general. Never did like Grievous. Or Dooku. I'm rambling aren't I?" Obi-Wan frowned.
"Yes you are. Now keep still. I'm going to put your shoulder back first, then we can worry about any possible brain damage." Giac moved closer to his brother, his eyes lingering on the places where Obi-Wan was bleeding, particularly his leg where the wound had reopened.
"But I didn't hit my head." Obi-Wan stated, looking confused.
"Whoever said anything about a head injury?" Giac remarked smirking, earning a whack over the head from Tessa. "Ow! That hurt!" Giac turned round to face Tessa, looking equally hurt and betrayed at the same time.
"Sorry, but since Rise isn't here to stop you from being an ass then I suppose I have to do her job instead." Tessa justified, making Giac send her a glare.
"You didn't have to whack me!" He angrily hissed.
"I know." Came Tessa's simple reply. By this point Anakin was finding it hard not to laugh, his hand covering his amused smile. Ahsoka wasn't fairing much better.
"That's it, don't worry about me. It's not like I'm in lots of pain or anything." Obi-Wan groaned from his position on the floor.
"Oh stop whining. You've broken bones before." Tessa snapped, tired of both of the Kenobi brothers.
"It doesn't mean you develop immunity to breaking bones." Obi-Wan muttered under his breath. Everyone still heard the comment though, especially Anakin who this time couldn't help but snort in amusement.
"All right drama queen, lets get this shoulder sorted so we can actually move you. Ready?" Giac asked, hiding his own small smile. He put a firm grip on Obi-Wan's dislocated shoulder, ready in position to put it back.
"Just do it quickly." Obi-Wan answered, closing his eyes. However, that was when he realized what Giac had called him, making his eyes fly open to angrily glare at his older brother. "Wait, who are you calling a drama quee-" Obi-Wan was cut short as Giac put his shoulder back into the socket, causing the younger Kenobi to cry out in pain, if only momentarily.
"There. All done." Giac leant back, brushing his hands in a gesture of a job well done. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan was grinding his teeth, eyes shut in pain. When he opened them, his glare could have melted durasteel.
"I hate you." He growled at Giac, making the older Kenobi grin wildly.
"Gee, thanks Obes. I love you too!" Giac smacked his brother's injured shoulder on purpose, making Obi-Wan wince again. Anakin was speechless through the whole interaction, even if a part of him was finding it highly amusing.
He was starting to absolutely love Giac.
"Giac." Tessa called, getting the smirking Kenobi's attention. He turned towards her in response, waiting for her to tell him what she wanted. She just nodded towards the doors that led out of the cargo hold, her eyes communicating a hidden message. Giac seemed to understand, for his eyes instantly widened, realization dawning on his face.
"Right, Med Bay." Giac clapped his hands turning back to his younger brother. Obi-Wan looked up at him, already somehow predicting what Giac was going to do.
"Don't you even dare! Giac!" Obi-Wan protested, just as Giac leant down, putting one arm under Obi-Wan's legs and another under his back. Giac then stood up, picking up his younger brother with him, bridal style. Obi-Wan tried to struggle but Giac had a strong, firm grip, so Obi-Wan settled to glare at him instead. "Giac. Put. Me. Down." Obi-Wan growled through his teeth, though Giac ignored him, already walking to the doors with Obi-Wan in his arms, the soldiers parting for them.
"Force, you're not very heavy, are you? Obi, I think you need to eat more." Giac commented, knowing fully well it would only annoy Obi-Wan further.
"I am not kidding Giac!" Obi-Wan yelled, though he couldn't do anything in his injured state.
"Sorry, little brother. You can't walk so I'm carrying you. Simple as." Giac explained, rather firmly, which left no room for an argument. Obi-Wan seemed to resign to his fate, keeping quiet, which shocked Anakin more than anything else that had happened. Obi-Wan never backed down, especially when it was about looking after him. The amount of times Anakin had to physically drag Obi-Wan to the healers, or had found out that Obi-Wan had literally dropped where he stood because he hadn't told anyone he was injured was infinite. And Giac, Giac kriffing Kenobi, had just silenced Obi-Wan with a few force damn words.
That was it. Anakin was worshipping Giac as a God from now on.
"Coming Skywalker?" Giac called over his shoulder, still carrying Obi-Wan over to the doors that led out of the cargo hold. Tessa had also joined them and was making her way to the doors so she could open them for Giac, since his hands were full.
"Um, yeah. Snips, stay here and look after the clones would you?" Anakin ordered casually, already started to follow Giac and Tessa.
"Sure, Skyguy." Ahsoka snickered, watching Giac nearly drop Obi-Wan when he tripped over a risen part of the floor. Obi-Wan yelled at Giac again in response, while Giac just laughed at the sheer look of terror that had crossed his younger brother's face. Anakin followed her gaze, grinning madly, before putting in an extra effort to catch up, making his way to walk side by side with Tessa. There was no way in Sith Hells, he was missing any second of this.