Anakin stepped out of the shower, grabbing a soft towel to dry his drenched, dripping body. The glass of the high-tech, automated shower was steamed up from the hot water, and the same could be said for the mirror on the wall opposite. It had been ages since he had had a hot, relaxing shower like this, with the battle and then the crash that had come afterwards stopping him from having any such luxuries. The shower had given him time to think, specifically about Obi-Wan and what was going on. Unfortunately, he'd thought of more questions than he had answers, which was a little frustrating. However, he was feeling more guilty at what he had said than angry. Obi-Wan had been right, even if his words were just spoken out of anger – he had been arrogant and he shouldn't have assumed what Obi-Wan had gone through. He still didn't know what happened but if Obi-Wan had lost his mother...Anakin was trying not to think about it. Even now, thinking about his own mother made Anakin feel like a dagger had been thrust into his chest. He didn't need to be a genius to know what Obi-Wan was going through.

He fixed the towel around his waist, walking into the bedroom to retrieve the set of fresh clothes that Caspian had said he could change into. He'd managed to grab the biggest room off Ahsoka and afterwards (once he was sure she wouldn't come back for revenge) he'd explored the vast space, those clean, neatly folded clothes waiting for him. He was surprised that they were in the right size, let alone that they fit perfectly. The Selencian clothing was a nice change to his normal Jedi robes, which for their part, were currently covered in dirt and grime. He was going to put his glove back on his robotic hand, but then he decided against it, leaving the shining metal clear to see. The gloves didn't exactly go with what he was wearing and he wasn't on a battlefield at the minute so he didn't need them. Plus, his metal hand freaked Ahsoka out and he did love getting on her nerves, just as she loved getting on his.

Anakin grabbed the black jacket that had been left for him, holding it over his shoulder instead of putting it on as he walked out the room. He paused upon seeing a bowl of weird looking fruit, covered in multi colored skins and patterns. One piece was even covered in red spikes, which made Anakin seriously debate if it was edible. He picked up a smoother, more circular piece of purple fruit, throwing it in the air with his metal hand. He caught it, shrugging as he made his way to the door. He took a large bite, his eyes widening at the sweet, delicious taste while juice dropped down his chin, his hand instinctively coming to wipe it away with his sleeve as he smiled at the nice shock. He eagerly took another bite, stepping out of the door.

Rex and Cody were sat on the sofas, no longer in their clone amour, though their helmets were sat on the small tables next to them. Ahsoka, however, was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Ahsoka?" He asked, his mouth still full of the heavenly tasting fruit. Rex was about to answer when the padawan herself beat him to it.

"Right here Skyguy." Anakin turned to see Ahsoka walking out of her own room, also out of her dirty Jedi attire and dressed in fresh clothes that unlike Anakin's was a bit too big for her. She was currently drying her head tails with a towel, frowning at what Anakin was eating. "What are you eating? Is that some kind of fruit?" She asked, stopping a few feet away as she threw the now thoroughly soaked towel onto one of the sofas. Anakin swallowed, eyeing the said fruit with a wary and confused expression.

"I don't know... I think so?" Anakin replied with, turning his own answer into a question. He shrugged, taking another large bite. "Whatever it is, snips, it's delicious!" He exclaimed, falling back onto the sofa opposite Rex and Cody, munching on the scrumptious snack.

"So you ate it, without even thinking about if it might be poisonous to non-selencians or not?" The young torguta asked, quirking an eyebrow. Anakin stopped chewing, swallowing again but this time with a lot more fearful expression.

"Er...Talia?" He questioned cautiously.

"Yes sir." The AI replied, her robotic voice echoing through the room.

"Is this poisonous? To me, anyway?"

"No sir. Raxochlorpha is a tropical fruit, harmless and edible to most species." Came her robotic reply.

"Most?" Anakin spluttered, holding the fruit as far away as possible in fear that it might be poisonous. Meanwhile, Ahsoka giggled at his terrified face as she sat down next to him.

"Yes sir. Many carnivores on Selencia cannot stomach them as their bodies are designed to digest other materials such as meat, fish, bone and poisonous skin. Humanoids can eat Raxochlorpha, though sometimes they have side effects if they are not Selencian."

"Such as?" He asked, cautiously.

"Side effects include hyperactivity, headaches or more commonly, resulting into acting as if one was under the influence of alcohol."

"Wait – you're saying it might make me drunk?" Anakin asked, an unbelieving look on his face as he looked up at the ceiling from where Talia's voice came from.

"That is a possibility sir. However, the fruit is otherwise harmless." Talia confirmed, concluding the short lesson on the innocent piece of fruit. In response, Anakin grinned, bringing the fruit up to his mouth again.

"Sweet!" He took another large bite, chewing it this time with an even bigger grin on his face.

"Oh, brother." Ahsoka face palmed, shaking her head. "Now I know why Master Obi-Wan had a mental breakdown because of you." Anakin frowned at her exasperated comment, taking another bite before throwing the fruit core into a bin on the other side of the room. He didn't miss, thanks to using the force to make sure the flying projectile hit it's target. Afterwards, he turned towards Ahsoka, meeting the torguta's tired gaze with his disapproving one.

"You don't need to remind me of what happened snips." Anakin chastised, turning back and leaning into the sofa. "I'm achieving that feat myself just perfectly." He finished, muttering bitterly. Ahsoka sent him a sympathetic look, though this time Anakin refused to look at her. She'd seen him do this before when they hadn't been able to save colonists or more commonly, the clones. He was feeling guilty.

"Master, what you said... Don't feel guilty about it. You didn't know what Master Kenobi had been through – we still don't." Ahsoka reassured, trying to get through to him.

"The commander's right general. You should listen to her." Rex added, sending Anakin a small smile. Ahsoka glowed under Rex's praise and backup, making Anakin groan.

"Oh force, Rex, don't tell her that. We'll never hear the end of it." The clone captain laughed, the mood becoming lighter again. Anakin let a small smile creep on his face while Ahsoka just looked offended and Cody chuckled at the three friend's antics.

"Do you guys know what Caspian meant by 'the Hutts and Zygerrians learnt that lesson the hard way'?" Ahsoka asked after there were a few beats of silence.

"I think I do." Anakin stated, all heads turning to look at him now. His brow was furrowed in concentration, as if he was trying to remember something. Like Ahsoka, he had thought about what Caspian had said while freshening up. He didn't like what he had concluded. "When Obi-Wan asked if I had heard of Selencia, at first I couldn't remember much. However, as soon as I saw their armor, their weapons – even their helmets – I started to realize the name Selencia was familiar." He paused, running a hand through his thick hair as he leaned back. "It wasn't till Caspian mentioned the Hutts and Zygerrians that I finally made the connection."

"And?" Ahsoka encouraged, looking at him expectantly. Anakin paused, swallowing as he prepared himself to continue, fighting back the urge to wince.

"I-I was a slave when I was younger and...during that time I was always surrounded by some pretty horrible scum and criminals. Because of that, I overheard conversations a lot and rumors spread fast. When I was about four or five, one specific rumor stood out from all the rest. I can't actually remember the first time I heard it but I remember thinking about it for years afterwards, giving me hope that maybe, one day, I wouldn't be a slave." Anakin started, his face darkening at remembering his painful past. Ahsoka listened intently, taking the opportunity to learn more about Anakin, who was just as guarded as Obi-Wan.

"What was the rumor about?" Cody questioned, contributing to the conversation. Anakin paused before he spoke again, making sure he looked Cody dead in the eye.

"Selencians. Avengers that walked and danced in the shadows." Rex, Cody and Ahsoka all shared looks at his comment, the mood drastically changing.

"What do you mean?" Rex cautiously asked.

"At the time, the Zygerrian Empire was only just making its comeback, hundreds of new slaves being sold every day, slaves that no one knew where they had come from. The Jedi would have probably interfered again to stop them but they didn't get a chance. The Selencians struck first. They freed hundreds of slaves, turning Zygerrian settlements to rubble and ash. They left no survivors, and if they did, they branded them, marking them as slaver scum. According to the rumors, the Selncians always attacked at night. I overheard a pirate once who I don't think believed the stories trying to scare his partner, saying that if he ever saw a warrior with eyes of silver, swathed in shadow, it would be the last sight he would ever see. They even went after the people the Zygerrians had sold the slaves to, including the Hutts. Soon no one wanted to trade with them in fear that the Selencians would come after them. My mother was always skeptical about the rumors, especially since our owners always denied the claims of what the Selencians had done." Anakin stated what he knew, a chill rising up everyone's spines at the tale.

"Yet you believed them?" Ahsoka inquired.

"Well, when you're six you have quite a big imagination. Plus, I couldn't ignore the fact that the news feeds on the holonet were often about attacked Zygerrian slave trade settlements, as well as the fact that the Hutts quickly sold most of their slaves, including me and my mother. It was almost if they were afraid we would incur the wrath of the Selencians if we stayed, almost as if they were guilty and were trying their best to get rid of the evidence." Anakin shook his head, leaning forward as he did so. "Whether or not it's true though doesn't matter. However, I tell you one thing I know – if the Zygerrians hate the Jedi, then they fear the Selencians." Anakin finished dramatically, letting the information sink in.

"Strike from the shadows, disappear into darkness." At the sound of the new voice, Anakin and Ahsoka's heads swerved round to see who had spoken, Rex and Cody craning their necks to see round Anakin and Ahsoka's heads. Giac stood in the doorway, a solemn look upon his face. Engrossed in their conversation, the four of them had not heard him come in, the Selencian King sneaking in unnoticed. Anakin hadn't even sensed him, which reminded Anakin just why the crime world was so afraid of the Selencians.

Giac walked over to sit down, choosing an armchair that was separated from the rest of the seating, pulling it into the circle so when he sat down he would be closer to them. The noise the legs of the chair made as they were dragged across the wooden floor was deafening in the silence of the room and Giac could feel their gazes watching his every move. When he sat down, he took a quick drink out of the wine bottle he was carrying, something they had not noticed until now.

"That was the motto, you know of the squad you were talking about." Giac gestured to Anakin with the wine bottle, justifying what he had previously said. Realization seemed to dawn on the young Jedi's face, excitement washing over his features.

"So the rumors are true? You did free slaves?"

"Yes, we did. Though don't trust everything you heard. Sometimes our antics were exaggerated a little." Giac admitted, frowning a little before shrugging.

"You call freeing slaves and beating scumbag and criminal ass antics?" Anakin exclaimed incredulously. Giac just stared at him like he'd grown another head and freeing slaves like some kind of terrifying vigilante group was normal.

"Well, what would you call it?"

"I don't know? Maybe something that doesn't make it sound like it was your weekly entertainment!" Anakin exclaimed, trying to make Giac see that he shouldn't be talking about like it was normal.

"But that's what happened. We used to make bets on how long before we'd piss the Zygerrian King off so much he'd burst a blood vessel."

"I seriously can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not. You really are Obi-Wan's brother aren't you?" Anakin chuckled, smiling.

"The Wan and only." Giac replied, a wide, smug grin on his face.

"Oh force." Anakin muttered under his breath just as Cody said "There's bloody two of them." The comments only made Giac grin wider while he took another swig of the alcohol.

"Are you drunk?" Rex chuckled, now eyeing the drink warily.

"A little." Giac admitted, nodding. He may have not been slurring his words but the giddiness that came with being drunk was starting to show.

"How many have you had?" Ahsoka inquired, smiling. She always found it amusing when the adults around her got drunk, specifically the clones, though she'd seen it happen to Anakin once (Weirdly, Obi-Wan had never gotten drunk even though she was sure he'd had as many as Anakin).

"This bottle is the fifth." Giac casually answered, as if unaware of the huge feat he had committed. The others, however, weren't and their eyes immediately widened.

"How did you manage to walk here, let alone talk?" Rex exclaimed, gesturing at Giac.

"Selencians take longer to get drunk." Giac explained simply with a shrug.

"Of course they do. Guess Obi-Wan got his love of alcohol from you then?" Anakin smirked, chuckling at how casual Giac was. The amount of times Anakin had caught Obi-Wan drinking while investigating a lead at a bar or club, without him actually getting drunk, finally made sense.

"No, we don't normally drink. In fact, when I think about it, the only reason he does drink is because of you." Giac pointed at Anakin, gesturing wildly with his arms. "Actually, it's why I'm drinking." He reasoned, looking as if he had just found what the point of life was.

"I'm not that bad." Anakin protested, frowning. "What did I do to you?"

"You wanted to know what happened didn't you?" They all sent Giac shocked and blank looks, not understanding what he was implying. "Come on, you didn't think I came here just for a social visit?"

"You're...Going to tell us what happened?" Ahsoka questioned cautiously, not quite believing it. Obviously, they had expected to be kept out of the loop for much longer.

"Do you not want to know?" Giac raised an eyebrow, shifting as if to leave.

"No, no, no! We want to know!" Ahsoka quickly backtracked, Giac relaxing again instead of standing up.

"Are you sure? What happened, what we went through – it's not something you'll forget easily. They'll be no going back." They all exchanged looks at Giac's warning, Anakin himself even gulping anxiously. He really didn't like the way this was going but he had to know.

"We're sure. We want to help Obi-Wan and we can't do that if we don't know what happened." Anakin reassured, his eyes locking with Giac's. The Selencian King stared him down for a few seconds before finally, he looked away, nodding at Anakin's reason. There were a few beats of silence while Giac stared sadly at the bottle in his hand, twiddling it absent-mindedly.

"You were right, you know." He finally stated, though his eyes didn't leave the bottle.

"About what?" Anakin asked, this time Giac looking up to meet his gaze.

"About our past. Early on, we were happy. We had everything we could have dreamed for."

-Flowtheim Forest, North of the Capital, Selencia-

The native birds sang, dipping and diving through the air as they dodged the lush green trees that stood tall and proud. The sun was high in air, admiring the vast forest below it; it's rays of joyous sunlight breaking through the forest's canopy. Leaves and pine needles littered the ground, moss and ferns of various different colors adding a rainbow of color to the green scene. Animals weaved themselves round the thick trunks of the trees. Some were on two legs, some on four; others had patterned thick fur or shiny scales, with an assortment of different appearances. Their own calls added to the birds' songs, the beautiful cacophony of sound mixing with the refreshing scent of dew on the grass and rich, scented pine. And of course, the sound of two young boys laughter.

They were running, racing against each other, determined to beat the other. One boy was only seven while the other was eleven, but both were fast as they ran, jumping over every obstacle whether it be a log, rock or small bush. If you looked closer though, you'd see every now and again a branch hanging too low or a rock in their path would get moved by the force, leaving the path ahead of them clear. The force was strong with them and going by the smiles that were painted on their faces, the excitement and joy plain to see. That is, until the youngest slipped on a wet, moss-ridden rock, falling down onto the floor, but not without scraping his knee on the way down.

Alarmed, the oldest skidded to a halt, instantly calling out, before running back to kneel at his younger brother's side. His younger brother by this point was cradling his injured knee, trying desperately to not let the tears fall.

"Are you alright?" The oldest asked, scanning him from head to toe, stopping to stare for a few seconds at his injured knee. Before the younger boy could answer, a worried cry came from behind them.

"Ben!" Their mother came running through the forest, her skirts gathered in her hands. Her red hair was loose, hanging down to her shoulders, while her striking, beautiful features were set in a worried frown. Their father wasn't far behind, his white lightsaber fastened at his belt, a servant and two guards shadowing him.

Their mother fell to the ground next to her youngest son, instantly embracing him in a tight hug. He hugged her back, letting the tears fall unseen into her shoulder. "Oh sweetie, are you alright? Giac, what were you doing?" She turned her accusing gaze to her oldest, just as her husband arrived at her side.

"We were just running and he tripped! It wasn't my fault!" Giac protested, feeling guilty for taking his eyes of his younger brother for just a second. His father instantly came to his aid, placing a strong hand onto his shoulder.

"We never said it was." He smiled reassuringly at Giac before turning to his wife, who was currently fretting over Obi-Wan. "Dear, he only scraped his knee, no need to smother him." His wife glared at him in response, even though her husband was right. The shock of the fall had worn off and feeling safe in his mother's arms, Obi-Wan had quickly recovered. Not that she realized that though.

"His knee is bleeding, Jacen! He could have broken his leg!" His wife snapped, gesturing to Obi-Wan's injured knee. Her husband didn't look convinced, instead sending his youngest a smile.

"Are you alright Obi?" The little boy nodded at his father, though he winced when his father pulled his trouser leg away from the cut. Satisfied that the cut wasn't deep, his father rolled the trouser leg back down, sending Obi-Wan a warm smile. "Don't worry, it will soon heal. Think of it this way – the ladies love a man with a few scars. It's how I charmed your mother after all." Their father smirked, referring to the scar that raked down across his right eyebrow. It made his son grin though his wife was less than impressed.

"I'm not sure that's true. In fact, I'm not sure what made me want to marry you."

"My handsome, good looks?" He suggested with a rakish grin.

"I didn't realize you had any good looks." Their mother muttered under her breath, making her two sons burst into laughter while her husband sulked at her side. His expression was so priceless she found herself giggling too, her hand moving to hide her mouth as she giggled. The sound of her laughter instantly made her husband light up, a smile upon his face again.

"Must have been the force's will then." He stated, leaning closer towards her as his eyes drifted to her lips. She stopped laughing, though the grin stayed on her face as she leaned forward too.

"Hhmm...Must have been." She agreed, her husband moving the last short distance to kiss her. She leaned into his touch, her lips pressing against his. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan, caught in the middle, pretended to be sick as his older brother adopted a similar expression, being typical boys when it came to love.

"Oh force, Obi don't look! Mother and father are kissing again!" Giac exclaimed, looking away while his younger brother did the same. The declaration interrupted the couple, their lips parting as they turned to their eldest son. Their mother smirked as she stood up, gathering her light blue skirts in her hands again.

"Aww, is my big boy jealous?" She teased, chasing after Giac as his eyes widened and he backed away. She eventually caught him, smothering him with kisses as he protested.

"No, mother, stop!" He yelled, though the plead soon died down as he began to laugh, his mother deciding to tickle him to death instead. Obi-Wan began to laugh at his brother's misfortune, which as a result, caught his father's attention.

"You know Obi, that knee also means you can't run away!" His father proclaimed, taking advantage of his son's injured state, proceeding to tickle him too. Obi-Wan wriggled and giggled in his grasp, at one point even nearly escaping from his father's terrible wrath, though he was soon caught, his father lifting him high into the air as he stood up. His youngest son now in his arms, his father spun him round before lifting him higher onto his shoulders.

Obi-Wan giggled as he sat on his father's shoulders, enjoying the view. His father however, shook his head as he watched his wife defeat his eldest son in the tickle war, making sure at the same time he had a firm grip on Obi-Wan's legs so that he didn't fall backwards.

"You know dear, the fact that you can defeat our son in a tickle war isn't reassuring if he's going to be King one day. What's he going to do when he's fighting a real war?" Their father asked, chuckling at the sight of his son's offended face.

"It's not my fault! Mother cheated!" He protested from his position on the forest floor, his mother gasping in fake offence at the accusation beside him.

"Giac! A Queen such as myself would do no such thing!" She defended, obviously not really meaning it and Giac knew it. Her act soon faulted as she started laughing at her son's pouting face, which was in no way impressed. Giac stood up, crossing his arms.

"Are we going then?" He asked, sulking as his mother stood up herself, dusting her long, light blue dress down.

"I'm guessing your hungry?" She asked back, sending him a playful smile to her son. Giac only grumbled in response, his father coming up behind him to ruffle his hair, Obi-Wan still sat upon his shoulders.

"Come on, son. I'm hungry too. Matty, bring the food! We can eat in the clearing ahead." Their father called over his shoulder to the servant who came forward, carrying a large, wooden picnic basket.

"The clearing with the waterfall father?" Obi-Wan asked as they all made their way forward through the forest, the faint sound of water cascading down in the distance. His father grinned, craning his head to smile up at his son.

"The very same."

Later, they ate in a mesmerizing clearing, sat upon the rich green grass littered with beautiful flowers as dragonflies flew around them. The waterfall flowed behind them, the water as clear as glass, with white crystals visibly laying on the waterbed. Laughter rang in the air while two soldiers stood stoically, guarding their precious royal family. And in that moment, the force sang with happiness.