Anakin dodged and weaved himself round the busy, Selencian servants, his eyes fixed on Obi-Wan's back. They were quite deep within the palace now, and if Anakin hadn't been following Obi-Wan, he would probably be lost. The corridors he followed Obi-Wan through, although magnificent with their white, stone arches and tall, clear patterned windows, were like a labyrinth. Of course, by some kind of miraculous skill that Anakin was surprised by, Obi-Wan seemed to know exactly where he was going, not slowing down for anybody, especially Anakin. It was starting to piss Anakin off.
"Obi-Wan!" He called for the hundredth time, squeezing between two Selencian guards who were in deep conversation. They sent him a disapproving look; though Anakin ignored them even though could have easily drawn vibroblades that could lob his head clean off, leaving Ahsoka to apologize for his rude behavior. "Blast!" Anakin cursed, as Obi-Wan disappeared round a corner, causing Anakin to speed up as he neared the corner. He nearly ran into a handmaiden who was carrying laundry because of it, though he spotted Obi-Wan's back again after he had hurriedly apologized to her.
There was an archway that led into another, much grander and larger corridor, flanked on both sides by towering pillars and tapestries, showing what Anakin guessed was the Kenobi crest or family symbol. It reminded Anakin a lot of the Senate, and for a second, Padme. They had met each other a lot in the alcoves, sealing their long awaited reunions with a kiss after he had been away for weeks, sometimes months, fighting in the clone wars. Stars, he missed her. The thought of not seeing Padme for who knows how much longer just made him more angry, gaining onto Obi-Wan with even stronger determination. There were less servants and soldiers alike in this corridor to the point that it was almost deserted. Good Anakin thought. Time to confront him.
"Obi-Wan!" Anakin ground out, grabbing his old Master's wrist. Obi-Wan stopped in his tracks, his eyes deciding to stare at Anakin's hand enclosed around his wrist. His eyes eventually met Anakin's, an expression on his face that made Anakin want to back away. There was a steel look to his gaze that hadn't been there before, one, which Anakin had ever seen.
"What?" He snapped, wrenching his wrist away. Anakin should have backed away then and let Obi-Wan go – it was uncharacteristic for him to look angry. That was the first hint that Anakin should be careful about what he said. If Anakin had been observant and logical at this point, he would have realized Obi-Wan was going through an inner battle over his emotions, his thoughts and feelings all over the place as part of some kind of terrible turmoil. Old wounds had been reopened over the past couple of weeks thanks to the dreams and Giac's prodding, along with Anakin's and Ahsoka's, and everyone knows you don't rub salt in raw wounds. Anakin had never been one to think things through though, a trait that would result in him regretting his actions later.
"You said you would explain everything once we got to the palace. I don't know if you've noticed Obi-Wan, but we're at the palace!" Anakin explained, spreading his arms wide to gesture at the walls around them, emphasizing his point. Meanwhile, Ahsoka and everyone else had finally caught up, observing the conversation that was about to take place from a few feet away. Ahsoka, Rex and Cody were keeping their distance mostly out of respect and curiosity, but Giac, Tessa and Dexter? They were keeping their distance because they had bad feeling about what was going to happen - they didn't want to be close when the bomb exploded.
"Not now Anakin." Obi-Wan said, exhaustion and barely concealed annoyance flowing through his voice. He turned around again, walking away. That, apparently for Anakin, had been the wrong answer, as his anger seemed to flare.
"What are you so afraid of? You grew up as a prince! I grew up as a kriffing slave!" Anakin yelled at his retreating back, his voice echoing through vast hallway.
"That's enough Anakin." Obi-Wan warned over his shoulder with his usual stern tone, though he continued to walk away. Anakin didn't notice Obi-Wan's fists clench at his sides as he walked away.
"No, it isn't. What are you hiding? Why is it so hard to explain it to me? Your past couldn't have been THAT BAD!"
Obi-Wan stopped dead in his tracks.
For a brief moment, Anakin felt triumphant at finally getting through to Obi-Wan. However, that was soon replaced with dread when he heard Giac whisper fearfully 'oh no' behind him, Tessa and Dexter reacting in similar ways. In fact, Tessa whispered something in a different language and Anakin didn't need to know Selencian to work out she had swore. At the same moment, three servants appeared at the other end of the hallway, their friendly chatter ceasing when they saw Obi-Wan's face. A male servant, who was in the middle of the trio and carrying what looked like a pile of bed sheets, handed his bundle of material over to the handmaid next to him, gesturing for her and her companion to turn around and go back the way they had come. He himself stayed were he was, cautiously eyeing his prince.
If it were possible, Obi-Wan's hands clenched into fists even harder, so much that they slightly shook. Then, painfully slowly, he turned around to face Anakin, a feral snarl upon his face.
"Not that bad?" He growled, beginning to march back towards Anakin. "I'll show you what's not that bad!" He yelled back, his normally expertly caged emotions running rampage. He had been hanging on a precipice and Anakin had pushed him over the edge; there was no stopping him falling.
"Calm down." Giac warned his brother, intercepting and grabbing him before he could smash Anakin's face in. Obi-Wan didn't take kindly to that.
"Get off me!" Obi-Wan protested, wrenching his body free of his brother's grasp.
"Ben, you need to calm down." Giac warned again, using his more personal nickname for his brother in the hopes of getting through to him. It didn't work.
"No, I won't bloody calm down! I've had to put up with this arrogant, hot-headed idiot for over a decade!" Obi-Wan turned to Anakin then, his fiery gaze landing on Anakin with intense ferocity. "And although he may not believe me when I say this, the galaxy doesn't bloody revolve around him!"
"I never claimed it did!" Anakin shouted back, his anger taking over once he had recovered from the shock.
"You certainly don't act like it!" Obi-Wan snapped, raw fury completely controlling him now. This wasn't like him. He didn't get angry; a part of Anakin knew that. Anakin never thought his master had a breaking point because he always seemed invincible. How wrong that conclusion was.
"You two need to calm down." Giac pleaded, eyeing both his younger brother and Anakin now. It was a surprise that, when they next spoke, it was in unison.
"Shut up Giac!" They both yelled at him, returning to glare at each other afterwards.
"You know, it all makes sense now, why you was so distant towards me when I was your padawan! You were just fulfilling a kriffing promise to a dead man and all I was, was a bloody burden to you, wasn't I! I reminded you of Qui-Gon and because of that, you couldn't stand the sight of me!" Anakin spat defiantly, not caring about what he was saying. He didn't mean any of it, not really - Obi-Wan was his best friend, the closest thing he had to a brother or a father. What he said, he said it out of anger, just like what Obi-Wan had said about him.
"I was distant with you because I was afraid of getting attached again!" Obi-Wan yelled back, his eyes softening. He looked hurt now, his eyes carrying tears that refused to fall. "If it wasn't for me, Yoda would have never agreed for you to be trained. Yes, at the time, I only wanted to train you because Qui-Gon's dying wish was for me to but as time went by, that reason changed. Do you know how many knights and masters asked to train you in my place? There were hundreds Anakin! 'Obi-Wan is too young' they said, 'too inexperienced to train the precious Chosen One' they said." Obi-Wan spat, distaste lacing his words, almost as if a hint of jealously was there, along with the obvious pain and anger. He paused for a seconds, trying to calm himself down as Anakin stared at him in shock. But Obi-Wan wasn't finished yet.
"I could have backed down, I could have handed you over to them but I didn't. And you know why? I continued to train you, even with the whispers behind my back and the despising looks towards me because I became attached to you." Obi-Wan finished, looking away, his voice sounding more broken than Anakin had ever heard before. His old master let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head as he did so. "I became attached. Looks like you got your love of breaking rules from me after all."
Anakin could only stare speechless at his old master, fully aware that Obi-Wan, although he didn't say it out straight, had just told him that he loved him. Anakin didn't have a clue what to say to that. Obi-Wan was normally the impassive, stern one, who kept his emotions under lock and key. Now that he wasn't, standing there with his emotions clear as day on his face, Anakin didn't know what to do.
"Master...I-I'm sorry. What I said, I said out of anger." Anakin paused, looking at Obi-Wan who now refused to meet his eyes. "You're just so-so stubborn and it's driving me crazy. I just... I want to help and I can't do that without knowing what's wrong."
"Anakin..." Obi-Wan warned, his voice returning to it's previously annoyed state.
"No, Obi-Wan, I want to help you. You grew up here, within these palace walls as a prince, safe and sound. I grew up as a slave! If I did something wrong, I wouldn't just receive some bloody lecture. My childhood was one big hardship while you had everything you wanted!" Anakin protested while Obi-Wan's eyes grew darker by the second. Anakin ignored that big hint too. "What was so painful for you that has made you act like this? You had it easy."
"Easy? Anakin, I'm well aware of what you went through but compared to what I went through; you know nothing of the definition of pain." Obi-Wan argued, his dark tone speaking a hidden warning for Anakin to shut up. However, it had the opposite result and made Anakin yell again.
"My mother died in my arms!" He roared, taking a step towards Obi-Wan.
"WELL THAT MAKES TWO OF US THEN!" Obi-Wan yelled back, his eyes instantly widening as soon as he had said it, the reality of what he had said dawning on him. Anakin's anger vanished too, shock quickly replacing it.
"What?" Anakin asked, his voice barely above a whisper, disbelief evident within it. Ahsoka stood shocked and horrified behind him, her thoughts running in the same direction. Obi-Wan just stood there, his mouth moving but no words coming out. Eventually, his mouth slammed shut, deciding to not to say anything at all. Obi-Wan suddenly looked like he wanted to be anywhere but in front of Anakin, backing away from him and everyone else.
"I-I've got to go." He stammered, just as Giac moved towards him in a last effort to comfort his younger brother. Giac's actions, however, only succeeded in making Obi-Wan back away quicker, pausing for a second to send Giac a warning glare. "Don't Giac...Just don't." He warned weakly, all his anger completely gone, leaving him looking broken and tired. Obi-Wan turned around, walking away once more.
"Obi!" Giac called after him, watching him leave. Obi-Wan just ignored him, walking faster, only to be stopped by the male servant at the end of the hallway. He tried to make his way around the servant but the male, who looked not much younger than Obi-Wan, stood in his path. Obi-Wan just sent him a dark look, non-verbally ordering him to move out of the way. The servant didn't though, standing his ground. "Caspian let him go." Giac ordered after a few seconds, giving up on getting through to his brother.
"But sire-"
"Caspian." Giac repeated, cutting him off. The servant gave in, obeying his King's orders. He silently moved out of the way, watching Obi-Wan barge past him and exit the hallway. There was silence for a while, everyone either too tense or too shocked to speak. It was Anakin who broke it.
"What did he mean by that?" Anakin asked quietly, to no one in particular. Giac spun round to face him, a furious look on his face.
"What do you think he meant, Skywalker?" He spat, storming off in the opposite direction of the way Obi-Wan had gone.
"Giac!" Tessa called after him, throwing her arms in the air when he didn't listen. "Just great. Well done, Skywalker." Anakin looked like he was about to be sick by this point, guilt painted upon his normally confident features.
"What are you going to do?" Dexter asked Tessa, just as she ran a hand through her tied up hair.
"I'll go after Giac. Somebody has to. You go sort out the guards and soldiers – we need to be prepared when Grievous arrives." Dexter nodded, and was about to leave when, Caspian, interrupted.
"What about Prince Obi-Wan?" He asked as he neared the group. Tessa just shrugged, an exasperated look crossing her face.
"You know what he's like Cass. There's no point trying to get through to him now. He won't have it. Best thing we can do is let him cool down and come to us when he's ready. You don't mind taking these four to their rooms would you?" Caspian nodded an affirmative, indicating with his arm for Rex, Cody, Ahsoka and Anakin to start walking.
"Sure. This way folks." Caspian put on a cheery, welcoming smile, leading the four of them away. Anakin glanced back at Tessa and Dexter, only to see them leaving in the opposite direction, the same way Giac had gone. The four of them followed Caspian for a while in silence, almost as if they were in a daze, making their way through the palace. Caspian didn't smile as he led them through it, a frown now upon his face. He had light, blonde hair that was cut short a lot like a padawan's hair was, and his emerald eyes shone with joy and kindness every time he caught Ahsoka looking at him, clearly showing he didn't want her to see under his bright facade. Curious and bored, Ahsoka chose to break the silence.
"Caspian." Ahsoka inquired, looking up at him.
"Yes, milady." He replied, opening an automated door for them as they proceeded into a quieter, much more private part of the palace. Ahsoka seemed quite embarrassed to be called by such a high-ranking title, but nether the less asked her question.
"Do you know why Giac called Master Kenobi 'Ben'?" Caspian seemed to think about the answer for a few minutes, observing her with an amused smile.
"Out of everything that was said, you pick out that?" Caspian shook his head, still smiling. "Its a nickname. Not many people call him that. Even Giac doesn't call him Ben very often."
"Why 'Ben' though?"
Caspian paused, his eyes turning sad. "His mother used to call him Ben." An silence followed after the statement, Caspian choosing to keep his eyes locked on what was in front of him.
"What happened to her? How did she die?" Ahsoka asked softly, a part of her hoping Caspian wouldn't answer. She had a feeling she didn't really want to know.
"That's something I'm not at liberty to share. If those two want you to know, they'll tell you. Until then, respect their wishes would you? I can't tell you what happened but I'll tell you this: it's a miracle that after all those two have been through, especially Obi-Wan, they are still as kind and caring as they are. It's not just them either, the whole planet has been through hell and back with them."
"That's not at all reassuring." Rex commented dryly, which Caspian just sadly smiled in response to.
"Don't worry about the Prince, he's a lot tougher than he looks. All Selencians are. It's in our blood. We're quite reasonable folk though, which is why we haven't got involved with the clone wars as much as the Chancellor would want us to, with Selencians being warriors an'all."
"Why don't you fight?" Cody asked this time. It was a good question as most planets that chose to be neutral all had the common excuse of not having any defenses or means to fight. However, Selencians had a reputation galaxy wide for being formidable soldiers, even more so than the old Mandalorians used to be. In fact, Selencia had gone to war with Mandalore once before, centuries ago, and they had won.
"Selencian culture is the same worldwide: we protect our family, our friends and most importantly, each other." Caspian began to explain. "Selencia won't get involved with a war that doesn't threaten the well being of the people. However, you don't come to someone's home with the intention of war, thinking there won't be any consequences. You hurt a Selencian, well, stars help the soul who hurt them. The Hutts and Zygerrians learnt that lesson the hard way." Caspian finished, stopping at a door to type a pass code into a touch screen lock.
"What do you mean by that?" Anakin asked, speaking for the first time as Caspian typed the code in. The man himself tensed, looking up at Anakin for a few seconds before shaking his head.
"It doesn't matter, I'm sure the King will tell you at some point. Plus, they're slave traders and crime lords – I think you can work it out." Caspian replied, unexpected disgust and hate thickly lacing his voice as he described the Hutts and Zygerrians. Having selected all the numbers on the pass code touch screen, Caspian joined them together to makes a certain pattern with his finger, swiping the touch screen. The numbers turned green, the automated, beautifully carved, wooden door emitting a small hiss as it slid open. "After you." Caspian welcomed, bowing a little as he smiled at them. Ahsoka, although troubled by what he had said, smiled back, leading the way as they entered the vast room.
It was a richly decorated lounge; seating nestled comfortably in the middle of the room, throws, rugs and plump pillows adorning the sofas. A set of glass double doors led onto a stone balcony on the other side with plants sat in flowerpots and ivy crawling up the stonewalls. A pair of thin, beige curtains guarded the doorway to the balcony, swaying elegantly in the breeze that the open doors offered.
"The doors each lead to an individual sleeping quarters and fresher. There should be spare clothes too, and if you need anything, be sure to ask Talia." Caspian explained, pointing to the four doors that were on either side of the room, two on each side.
"Who's Talia?" Cody asked, frowning in confusion.
"That would be me sir." A female voice echoed around the room, making everyone except Caspian jump. However, no one else was in the room, confusing the four friends and comrades. Caspian just smirked at their reaction, gesturing to the whole room.
"Talia is an artificial intelligence, installed into the whole palace and all of the ships, fighters and speeders owned by the King. She'll be able to contact me or any of the staff if you need anything." He explained, still smirking.
"Right, thanks..." Cody stated, staring in shock at the ceiling, though Anakin just looked like a kid at a candy store, grinning like an idiot.
"So you can tell her to do anything? Ask her anything?" Anakin enquired curiously.
"Yes." Caspian responded simply.
"Cool." Anakin nodded, now smirking to himself. "So, Talia, which room is the largest?" He asked grinning.
"The top right sir." Came Talia's instant, robotic reply.
"I call dibs!" Anakin exclaimed, rushing to the room, Ahsoka instantly rushing after him.
"That's not fair master!" Ahsoka shouted back, Caspian raising an eyebrow behind her. When they disappeared into the room, Caspian shook his head and laughed, turning to Rex and Cody.
"They always like this?" He asked.
"You don't know the half of it." Cody muttered. Rex just burst out laughing.
Tessa raised her hand to knock on Giac's door, sighing when she hesitated. She took a deep breath, composing herself, before firmly knocking on the tall, expertly carved wooden door.
"I thought I said I didn't want to be disturbed!" Came Giac's angry reply from behind the door, heavy footsteps making their way towards it. The door hissed open, the anger washing off Giac's face as soon as he saw Tessa standing there. However, he chose to frown at her instead. "Tessa? What do you want?"
"Giac, I know you're angry and upset-" Giac scoffed at her comment, crossing his arms across his chest and leaning against the wall. "-but you need to tell Anakin and the rest of them about your and Obi-Wan's past." Giac's frown deepened, standing up straight again.
"Oh no. No way." Giac waved his hands in front of him, backing up into his chambers more as his face showed his discomfort at the idea.
"They deserve to know Giac and I don't think Obi-Wan's stable enough right now to tell them." Tessa explained, pleading her case.
"So? I am not telling them Tessa. Obi-Wan can tell them, they're his friends." Gaic selfishly retorted, grasping at straws for an excuse.
"Giac, stop being such an ass! Did you see your brother back there?"
"Yes, I did! That's why I don't want to tell them!" Giac shouted back, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. "I didn't bury what happened as deep down as Obi did, but that doesn't mean I can control the emotions that come with the memories."
"If you have trouble talking about it imagine how hard it is for Obi! He's four years younger than you Giac! Four years younger than you when everything happened!" Tessa paused, her eyes softening. "You have to tell them for him. He won't-can't do it himself." Giac just stared at her for a long time before lifting a hand to his face in exasperation. "Please? They deserve to know. Then, maybe they can help him heal." Tessa added, Giac glaring up at her from his face palm position. He clenched his jaw, throwing his hands up in the air.
"Fine." He ground out, stepping out of his room and muttering 'close', Talia obeying his demand, the door hissing shut. Tessa just smiled sweetly at him, an expression that didn't exactly match with the range of deadly weapons that hung around her waist.
"See, was that so hard?" Tessa teased, earning a glare from Giac as he walked away. She was pretty sure she heard him mutter 'bloody Rackhoffs and their persuasive genes' as he stormed off. Of course, that was when she realized he was going the wrong way, the opposite direction to where the guest apartments were. "Where are you going? Guest apartments are in the opposite direction you know!" She called after him, pointing to the way he should be going.
"The wine cellar! If I'm telling them everything, I'm going to make sure at least that I'm not sober!" He called back over his shoulder.
I wanted the argument to put Anakin in his place a bit, which I believe I achieved. He needs some sense knocking into him you know? Again, Obi-Wan's out of character but hey ho, he's been under stress with the dreams, visions and generally the clone wars so in my eyes it's warranted. PTSD and all that. Plus, when you guys find out what happened you'll understand.