Giac smiled at the fond memory he had just shared, his eyes glazed over as his mind traveled back to a different time. Anakin, for once, was patient, waiting for Giac to continue his story, Ahsoka likewise waiting patiently next to him with Rex and Cody sat opposite. It was taking all of Anakin's will power to not ask questions though, as Obi-Wan had always been secretive, rarely talking about his own years as a padawan. However, Anakin managed to keep his mouth shut, something telling him that Giac would continue when he was ready. He was right.

"Our father was a great King and a good man. He made sure he always did what was the best for the people and I've done my best to follow in his footsteps."

"You're a great King, Giac. I can tell." Ahsoka reassured, making Giac smile sadly at her.

"Maybe." Giac chuckled then, eyeing the wine bottle again. "I'm a lot like my father, more so than Obi. I've inherited his looks for a start." Giac gestured to his dark eyes and mop of dark hair, the strands shining an almost ginger color in the sunlight. "When we were younger, I was also the more physically stronger out of the two of us, just like our father was. I spent more time at the barracks and on the training grounds than actually living inside the palace." Giac laughed openly then, shaking his head. "I loved everything to do with fighting. Weapons, strategies, hand-to-hand combat, sparring – I loved it all and I was good at it. I wasn't too arrogant though – our father made sure of that, constantly encouraging me to better, to be smarter with my moves and strikes." Giac paused, his brow furrowing as he looked up at his audience. "Obi was different though. At four years younger than me, he obviously, could never match me in a spar, but even if he was the same age as me, I doubt he could have matched me."

"Why are you so sure of that? Obi-Wan is one of the best swordsmen in the whole Jedi Order. I wouldn't be surprised if he's the master of Soresu." Anakin argued, smiling.

"Oh, I'm aware Anakin. Tell me though, who do think taught him Soresu? Surely you didn't think it was Qui-Gon, whose strongest form was Ataru?" Giac asked, smirking madly as realization dawned on Anakin's face.

"Wait - you taught him?"

"Our father taught him first, before we even ended up as Jedi. Force sensitivity runs in the family you see, and well, let's just say the Jedi and the Sith are not the only ones who wield lightsabers." Giac explained with another smirk, observing Anakin and Ahsoka's shocked expressions.

"Why Soresu?" Ahsoka prompted.

"Obi, believe it or not, was quite scrawny when he was younger – like I said, he was nothing like me or our father. Djem So requires a lot of power, something he never had back then. Ataru is ok but it doesn't work in every situation so our father taught him Soresu, though he made sure he knew the other forms as well. I, myself, always preferred Djem So back then but now?" Giac shrugged, his smirk widening ten fold. "I switch between all three a lot."

"And I'm guessing you're a master of all three too." Anakin stated knowingly. He was started to really like Giac.

"Naturally. I first started learning how to wield a lightsaber when I was five and by the time I was thirteen, I was as skilled as most young Jedi Knights in swordplay. And that's before I get started on how good I was without a lightsaber."

"So, are you saying Obi-Wan is more like your mother?" Anakin slowly asked, prepared for how Giac's smirk completely flat lined, his eyes turning sorrowful.

"Yeah, you could say that." He paused again, as if collecting his thoughts as he turned his gaze to the floor. "Like her, he's smart, smarter than me and our father. Obi always preferred to explore the library rather than the barracks, not that our father ever minded. Our mother was probably the reason for that, as she was quite the negotiator herself. She used to say: 'Not all battles are fought with fists. Those who fight with words are sometimes the bravest and most skilled of us all.'"

"You mother sounds like she was a great woman." Rex complimented, adding to the conversation.

"Oh, she was. She'd easily give Obi a run for his money when it game to negotiating. Not only that but she never lost her temper unlike our father, who on rare occasions, could become rage driven. Our mother in contrast, never raised her voice when she was angry. Instead, you'd clearly see the raw rage painted in her eyes, which was somehow ten times more terrifying. I remember the old council used to be petrified of her and our father found it hilarious." Giac laughed, a small smile now playing at the corners of his lips.

"Did the Kenobi sarcasm come from her then too?" Anakin teased, making the clones and Ahsoka chuckle.

"Actually, most would argue that that was more a trait our father portrayed. However, our mother could be mischievous when she wanted to be, as can Obi." Giac defended.

"Oh, Tessa mentioned this!" Anakin turned to Rex and Cody's confused looks (who knew Obi-Wan as the stern, collected general not the reckless and mischievous general like Anakin), knowing they would need an explanation. "Tessa said that when you were younger, as revenge, Obi-Wan poured a whole bucket of water over Lord Tainian and made sure you were blamed for the whole fiasco." Anakin grinned, half laughing as he said it, pointing at Giac with his mechanical hand. Giac, in contrast, scowled.

"Tessa told you about that? Why am I not surprised?" Giac muttered bitterly, trailing off at the end.

"Still bitter about it are we?" Anakin teased, making Giac scowl harder.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I am. I was grounded for a whole month and Lord Tainian has hated me ever since. And it's not like it was the first time Obi had blamed me for something I didn't do either." The Selencian King ground out, leaning back so he could cross his arms.

"What do you mean 'not the first time'?" Cody jumped in to ask, making Giac sigh as lifted a hand to rub his forehead. He looked up again after a few moments, a look of something akin to dread on his face.

"Its like I said – Obi is smart. When he was younger, it was just my luck he was a devious little rascal too."

-The Palace, Selencia-

The palace, throughout the day, was always a hive of bustling activity. A wide range of people always roamed the halls; servants going about their duties, guards on patrol, lords and ladies exploring - even senators arriving for diplomatic sessions. The Kitchens, down on the lower levels, wasn't much different.

No droids worked in the palace as for centuries the Kenobi bloodline had always been compassionate, putting the people's need for more employment over efficiency and money. And for that sole reason, the Kitchens to the untrained eye, could be seen as complete chaos. Maids ran to and fro with ingredients piled high on trays, cooks worked with sweat dripping down their brows with other higher up staff barking orders like mad dogs, adding their row to the tumult and clang of pans on stoves and knives chopping at precarious speeds.

The head cook, a short, fat women by the name of Nima, had the loudest voice of all, always drowning out anyone else who tried to bring order to the constantly busy kitchen. She was a stern and strict woman, with thirteen years of experience as the head cook and most importantly, she wasn't someone to mess with, especially when it came to her infamous chocolate chip cookies. They were absolutely delicious but she never let anyone eat them without her permission, even though she cooked them in the kitchens and not at her own humble apartment in the staff sector of the palace. No one ever dared steal her cookies because everyone was aware of the wrath it could incur. Well, everyone except one.

Obi-Wan, aged eight, licked his lips as he watched Nima carry her cookies out of the oven from his hiding place just by the open doorway. The head cook admired her achievements for a few seconds after she had placed them on a preparation desk to cool, before a sloppy cook caught her eye, her mouth already opening to bark orders as she stormed over to him. The young prince, seeing that the cookies were now unguarded, smirked. He moved away from the doorway, leaning against the wall as he took his bag off his shoulders. He quickly pulled a large glass mason jar from out of the bag before placing it on the floor, taking the lid off afterwards. Not wasting any time, Obi-Wan then sat down on his knees, lifting his hand up with fingers splayed as he closed his eyes. He took a deep breath, reaching for the force as he had done countless times before, and he concentrated.

To anyone walking down the corridor that saw Obi-Wan, he would have looked strange sat like that, looking like he was concentrating for no reason. However, inside the kitchen, the force flared, obeying his command. One by one, Nima's infamous cookies floated into the air, slowly making their way to the doorway. Nima had her back to the miracle, so she did not notice her precious cookies literally flying away. Other kitchen staff, however, did and many, having seen similar things happen before, smirked or laughed. When Nima asked what they were smiling about, they stayed silent, trying to hide a smile as they got back to work. Still Nima didn't notice, even when the last cookie floated up into the air and flew slowly out of the doorway.

When the last cookie floated into the glass jar in front of him, Obi-Wan opened his eyes again, hastily picking up the lid and putting it back on the jar. He grinned from ear to ear as he held the jar up to eye level, peering at the cookies through the glass. He was about to shove the jar back in his bag when a loud yell penetrated his ears.

"WHO TOOK MY COOKIES?" It sounded like Nima had finally noticed – it was time to leave, and fast. Shoving the jar into his bag, Obi-Wan stood up, sprinting from the crime scene at break neck speed.

He dodged and dived past servants and guards, who either smiled fondly or scowled at the young prince as he raced past. After all, the reputation of the young princes were infamous among the servants and guards, being mischievous devils that they were. They'd been reassured countless times that they would grow out of it but Obi-Wan had no intention of doing that just yet. The alternative was just way too fun.

Knowing the palace like the back of his hand, Obi-Wan got to his destination quickly and thankfully, without being pursued. His destination was an old tapestry hanging on one of the corridor walls showing the Kenobi crest, and after making sure no one was watching, he ducked behind it. A keypad was set on the wall and after inputting the code (Obi-Wan had worked it out a few years ago), the secret door opened, the stonewall sliding to the side to reveal the staircase that spiraled up behind it.

He raced up the staircase, emerging out of another door at the top. The secret door slid shut behind him and after checking the coast was clear, he ducked out from behind a pillar that had previously been hidden him from view. He was now on the same floor as his own chambers, which he quickly raced into, slamming his hand on the door button to close the door behind him.

Obi-Wan let out a large breath, leaning against the now closed door. However, he didn't relax for long. It was time to execute the second half of his plan – blame Giac for the whole thing. Nima wouldn't let the theft slide and after eliminating all the staff from being suspects, she'd realize it had to be one of the princes. Obi-Wan just had to make sure she thought it was Giac.

Flicking his light auburn hair out of his eyes with a flick of his head, Obi-Wan walked through his chambers, navigating his way through the huge rooms. Golden beams of sunlight flew in from the large windows, shining on the flowers and fruit placed everywhere on tables, though Obi-Wan's own belongings far outnumbered them. Toys and gadgets were arranged neatly on the shelves and tabletops, as well as project data pads that Obi-Wan hadn't finished yet (he really wondered whether his tutor hated him with the amount of homework he got). When he reached his bedchambers, which were bigger than all the other rooms combined, he slung his bag off his shoulders and threw it onto the king sized bed. He grabbed the jar of cookies out the bag and took off the lid, grabbing five of the cookies from inside. After placing these in a separate pouch on his belt for later (it was part of the plan), he placed the lid back on the jar and hid the rest of the cookies in a secret compartment underneath his bed.

Now it was time to find Giac.

Knowing his brother, Obi-Wan knew Giac would probably be at the training grounds, sparring with his friends. So, wasting no time, he made his way down there, working his way through the palace once again. It only took him 10 minutes and when he arrived, Giac was doing what he had expected – sparring. Even less surprising, he was winning too.

Dexter landed on his back, a 12 year old Giac smirking down at him as the tip of his white training lightsaber was pointed at Dexter's throat. All around them, other soldiers and guards were sparring and training, the clang of swords and sabers ringing in the air. Blaster shots could be heard too, a group practicing their aim a few training arenas away.

"Do you concede?" The smug prince asked as his best friend rolled his eyes at him.

"Move your lightsaber, you bloody show off." Dexter retorted, making Giac laugh as he lowered the blade, turning it off and attaching the hilt back to his belt. He held his hand out for Dexter to grab, which his young friend begrudgingly took. Dexter had always been a good friend of Giac's since Dexter's father was the Head of Defense and a Selencian Commander. They had grown up together, both of their fathers good friends with each other.

With Giac still smirking, Dexter just shook his head, walking over to retrieve his own training lightsaber off the floor where Giac had smacked it out of his hand. It was then that he noticed Obi-Wan sitting on a bench observing them, other soldiers training behind him.

"Er, Giac? Your brother is over there." Dexter pointed over to Obi-Wan, who stood up, his small form making his way over to them. Giac put the vibroblade he was fiddling with back on the weapons rack and turned to see his brother approaching, who was smiling as he neared them.

"Obi? What are you doing here? I thought you were going to come down with father later?" Giac asked, sending his younger brother a suspicious look. Obi-Wan just shrugged in return, looking up at his taller brother.

"I got bored and I couldn't find mother or father so I came down here." The 8 year old explained, looking up at his brother innocently. Giac and Dexter shared a look before looking down at the boy with a mixture of surprise and confusion written on their faces.

"Right...What's in the pouch?" Giac asked, nodding his head at pouch that was fastened to his little brother's belt. In response, Obi-Wan's eyes widened in fear, his hand instantly reaching for it. However, inwardly Obi-Wan was smirking, knowing Giac had fallen for it.

"It's nothing Giac." Obi-Wan quickly replied, taking a step back.

"Really? Give it here." Giac made a grab for the pouch, though Obi-Wan protested. He was no match for his older brother though, and Giac soon held the pouch triumphantly in the air as he held Obi-Wan back.

"No! Giac give it back!" Obi-Wan tried to grab the pouch back, though it was all for show. He really wanted Giac to keep it.

"What is in here?" The older boy asked to no one in particular, opening the pouch. He instantly grinned when he saw the cookies inside, walking away so he could take one out. "Cookies? Sweet! Where did you get these?" Giac asked as he took a bite, Dexter beside him taking a cookie too.

"Mother gave them to me." Obi-Wan lied.

"Why didn't I get some?"

"Obviously, Mother didn't believe you had earned them." Obi-Wan ground out, watching Giac and Dexter eat the stash. The only response he got was a nod as they ate them. "Aargh, fine. Eat them." Obi-Wan through his hands up in the air and walked away, pretending to play the part of an annoyed and grumpy child.

Obi-Wan found his father talking to Nima not long afterwards, and after making himself look out of breath, he ran up to them. He knew Nima was about to accuse him of taking the cookies before she even opened her mouth, but he quickly cut her off.

"Father! Giac has some cookies and he won't share any with me!" He whined, putting on a fake pout. His father, always never as observant as Obi-Wan's mother, totally fell for it.

"Does he now?" His father replied, his eyes narrowing.

"I told you your majesty! Someone stole my cookies and this just proves it was Prince Giac! This is theft!" Nima proclaimed, her plump face reddening with outage.

"Nima, calm yourself. I will make sure my son is taught a lesson. Now go back to kitchens, you are needed there more." At the King's command, Nima swallowed her pride and anger, though her face remained flushed.

"Of course, sire." She bowed her head before walking away, her heavy footsteps resounding down the halls of the palace. Many servants and guards dodged out of the way as she stormed past, her reputation and current state sending them running.

"Obi, go back to your chambers and finish the papers your tutor set. I'm going to find your brother." His father ordered, already walking away.

"Yes father." Obi-Wan bowed his head in respect and obedience, watching his father's back retreat down the hallway. "Giac's on the training grounds by the way!" He added after a moment of hesitation, barely catching his father mumble 'why does that not surprise me' as he continued to stride away. Obi-Wan could have gone back to his chambers, where a certain secret stash of scrumptious cookies was waiting for him, but decided against it. After all, Giac's face would be way too priceless to miss.

Obi-Wan took a different route back to the training grounds, one that lead to the observing decks that overlooked them. When he got there, he tried his best to hide his force signature so his father wouldn't sense him, hiding behind a pillar just for good measure. He could see Giac and Dexter still eating the cookies from here and even more exciting, his father striding towards them, Dexter's father walking beside him.

"Ahem." His father coughed, catching his oldest son's attention, crossing his arms across his chest and sending Giac a stern, disapproving look at the same time.

"Father! Do you want some cookies? They're really good!" Giac walked up to his father, oblivious to the obvious look his father was sending him. His father's eyes only narrowed at the comment, taking into account the crumbs lining Giac's mouth.

"Hmm. Cookies eh? That is interesting since, according to Nima, all of her cookies were stolen not half an hour ago." At his father's statement, Giac visibly paled, his eyes widening at what it obviously looked like. Dexter wasn't fairing much better.

"Wait, father this isn't what it looks like!"

"Oh really?" His father replied sarcastically, not convinced.

"Yes, I didn't steal these! Well – I did, but I stole them from Obi!"

"That's strange because I just bumped into your younger brother. He told quite a different story."

"Of course he would sire, he was the one that stole them from Nima in the first place!" Dexter protested, which earned him a glare from both the King and his own father. High up above, hiding on the observation deck, Obi-Wan snickered.

"Dexter, do not try and blame Prince Obi-Wan for your immature actions and certainly do not embarrass me further by lying." Dexter's father scolded, Giac's best friend himself shrinking back at the scold.

"But Dexter's right! Obi framed us!" Giac's eyes flared with anger now at the realization that he had so easily fallen into Obi-Wan's trap. "Why I should-"

"Enough!" Giac's father cut him off, his gaze hardening. "Giac, I highly doubt your 8 year old brother is so devious to frame you for this. Obi couldn't even hurt a fly." The King stated, unaware of how wrong he really was.

"But-" Giac tried to protest, but was quickly cut off.

"Enough Giac. Chambers. Now." Giac's father pointed to the doors that led back into the palace, his voice saying the conversation was over. Defeated, Giac's shoulders slumped, and reluctantly, he walked off, his father shadowing him. Dexter stayed with his father who was probably going to scold him thoroughly once the King was out of earshot. Giac himself couldn't look at his friend but only wince at the glare his own father was sending him.

However, a feeling in Giac's gut made him stop at the entrance and turn around to look up at the observation deck that overlooked the training grounds. His eyes were met with the sight of his younger brother, now leaning on the safety railing with the biggest smug grin strewn across his face. Then, if that wasn't enough, Obi-Wan stood up straighter and waved. Fricking waved. Giac had never in his life wanted to throw his brother over that railing and down the 30-foot drop more than in that moment. Before he could say anything, his father grabbed his shoulder, tugging him away. Giac promised he would kill his brother once he got out of whatever punishment his father had in store for him.

Obi-Wan didn't worry about what Giac might try and do to get his revenge though. Instead, he spent the rest of the day doing homework and watching holo films, all the while munching on Nima's infamous cookies.

Giac glared at Anakin who was currently holding his stomach because he was laughing so hard. Ahsoka was laughing quite openly too, Rex and Cody chuckling opposite. Eventually though, they did reign in their laughter. Anakin, however, didn't stop, instead laughing harder at Giac's scowling face.

"Its not funny Anakin." The Selencian King ground out, eyes as sharp as daggers.

"I'm sorry, Giac, it's just-" Anakin dissolved into another fit of laughter, trying desperately to control his laughter. "-only Obi-Wan could out smart everyone when he was eight. How's it feel to be outsmarted by an 8 year old by the way?" Anakin teased, grinning while Giac only glared harder. "Did your parents ever find out?"

"Father never suspected a thing." Anakin snickered at Giac's answer, though he muttered an apology when Giac sent him another pointed glare before continuing. "As I was saying, father never suspected a thing. However, mother was not stupid. She saw what had happened straight away."

"How do you know that she knew?"

"About a day after the incident I found her eating one of Nima's cookies in the gardens. When I asked her where she got them, she just smirked, that same smirk Obi has, and said she was 'sworn to secrecy'. Obi had bloody bribed her." Once again Anakin burst out laughing, ignoring the dark look Giac sent him. "Of course, it would be hilarious for you." Giac added bitterly, a small fake smile creeping it's way onto his lips at Anakin's reaction.

"I'm sorry! Did you ever get him back?" Anakin asked between bursts of laughter.

"Yes, that was when I poured the water over him, which he further retaliated to by framing me again for pouring water over Lord Tainian." At Giac's answer, Anakin guffawed, trying and failing to contain a whole new torrent of laughter.

"And Obi-Wan used to claim I was a troublemaker when I was a kid!

"Yeah, are you sure you're not making this up? This is the General we're talking about?" Cody asked, not fully believing Giac's claims. After all, it was Obi-Wan that they were talking about.

"If I was making this up, I'd make sure I looked good commander, not in this case where I was framed by a lanky eight year old." Giac reasoned, making Cody chuckle.

"Good point."

"Still, there's one thing that doesn't make sense." Ahsoka pointed out.

"And what's that?" Giac asked back.

"You said Dexter was sparring with you. With a lightsaber." Ahsoka explained, not quite believing what she was saying.

"Ah, that. Well, that's probably because Dexter's force sensitive. I'm surprised you didn't notice the lightsaber he has attached to his belt."

"Wait a minute - force sensitive? He was a Jedi too?" Anakin looked a Giac for answers who only frowned.

"Why does everyone always assume you have to be a Jedi to wield a lightsaber?" Giac asked mostly to himself, shaking his head. "No, Dexter was never a Jedi, along with all the other force sensitives on the planet."

"Okay. I'm lost." Anakin admitted after a few seconds, looking like Giac was trying to teach him how to solve a very complex maths equation. Giac just sighed, leaning forward so he was closer to Anakin, his arms resting on his knees.

"Anakin, why do you think Selencia's always been so secretive? Why no off worlders are allowed on the planet?" He asked, prompting Anakin to answer.

"I don't know." The young knight replied, utterly clueless and equally confused at the same time. Giac just sighed again but more dramatically this time, just as he looked down at the floor. Although she couldn't see Giac's face, Ahsoka was pretty sure he had the renowned Kenobi 'give me strength' face on.

"We always knew the Sith would come back. Where there are Jedi, there are always Sith too. The two are part of the same coin – you can't have one side without the other. We also know knowledge is power, and if the Sith didn't know what they are up against they could easily underestimate us. Grievous will be the same as Dooku when he arrives – he'll expect an easy target, not a planet full of force sensitive warriors." Giac explained, making the Jedi in the room looked shocked for not the first time, Ahsoka even failing to contain a gasp.

"Force sensitive?" Anakin repeated, his eyes moving rapidly back and forth as he tried to take in the new information. "B-But how is everyone trained? Untrained force sensitives can be dangerous." Giac shrugged in response to Anakin's question, leaning back into his seat.

"Same as me and Obi were. Parents teach the offspring who then pass it down to the next generation. Not everyone knows how to use a lightsaber though everyone knows basic telepathy and telekinesis. Most of its instinctual as all Selencians have higher midi-chlorian counts than other species."

"But don't you follow a code? To stop you falling to dark side?" Ahsoka prompted, hardly believing what she was hearing. How had the Jedi not heard of this?

"We are Grey Jedi young one. We believe in balance, which is why we kept our existence secret from the Jedi too. The Jedi council always got a bit jumpy when people don't follow their precious code." Giac replied, as if he had read her mind. Maybe he had.

"What's the difference?" Ahsoka asked again, confused. "I mean, between ours and your code? It isn't like the Sith's is it?" She added fearfully, Anakin narrowing his eyes at the notion next to her.

"No and yes. Us Greys, we're something in between." Giac paused, gathering his thoughts. "There is no dark side, nor a light side. There is only the Force. I will do what I must to keep the balance. There is no good without evil, but evil must not be allowed to flourish. There is passion, yet peace. There is serenity, yet emotion. There is chaos, yet order. That is the way of the Grey Jedi." He recited, remembering the code his father had taught him. When he looked up from the floor where his gaze had previously rested, Giac was met with two dumbstruck Jedi making him smirk. "You know, if you don't believe me, go onto the balcony and look across to the city. You can see the Grey Temple from here."

Almost instantly, Anakin and Ahsoka shared a glance before jumping up from their seats and racing to the balcony, and just as Giac said, they saw the Temple in all its majestic glory. Its towers rose high above the other buildings, a mighty lion among gazelles. Ahsoka let out a gasp because the Temple must have been twice the size of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. She didn't know how she had missed it on the way over, though they had been going in the opposite direction it was located in. The symbol of the Grey Jedi was decorated on the flags and on the far wall, the white and black colors contrasting greatly with the stonewalls.

"Not everyone becomes Greys like I said, some just learn the basics." Giac called after them, not leaving his seat. After a few moments, Anakin came back in, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"So you're a Grey?" Giac smiled, nodding in answer to Anakin's question.

"Yes. The Kenobi bloodline always has been."

"But doesn't that mean Obi-Wan is one too?" Anakin questioned, making Giac's smile fall off his face.

"No. He...he decided to be a Jedi, to follow their code. I did too for a while but I'll get back to that."

"But Obi-Wan used to be a Grey right? Before he joined the order?" Ahsoka prompted beside Anakin, just as curious as Anakin. The bombardment of questions made Giac sigh again, as if the topic had just got too complicated for him to explain.

"Yes, in a sense. It's complicated. The situation changed for him." Giac paused, wincing as he tried to put his thoughts in order. "Whatever he was before, he's a Jedi now. How he managed it I have no idea and frankly respect him even more for lasting this long, but he's a Jedi. Maybe not the perfect Jedi, but a Jedi all the same. For better or for worse." Giac muttered, making Anakin and Ahsoka go quiet yet again. They exchanged a look between each other, both fully knowing that it wasn't as simple as what Giac said it to be. Eventually, a thought occurred to Anakin and he cautiously voiced it.

"The Sith, they can do things that Jedi can't such as Force lightning right?"

"Yes... What's your point?" Giac frowned at him, eyeing him warily,

"In the med bay, Obi-Wan healed himself. That blue energy...It's a Grey trick isn't it? Jedi can heal to some extent but nothing that extreme."

"Now you're getting it Anakin. However, it's more of a Kenobi trick than anything. They're powers that have always been in the family. That's why each line has always had two heirs because you can only learn one type each – either defense or offense. That and the fact you need one heir to become King, not necessarily the oldest like me, and one to become a high up commander, adviser or even general in times of war." Giac explained, gesturing with his hands, the wine bottle moving with them.

"What do you mean 'defense or offense'?" Ahsoka inquired.

"Obi-Wan, obviously, is better at defense: Healing and Force Shields. I however, learnt offense: manipulation of force energy." Giac was smirking even wider now; knowing everyone in the room was amazed and entranced. To prove his point about his own abilities, he lifted his hand and snapped his fingers, blue energy igniting in his palm, forming a glowing blue flame. He moved his fingers, the flames dancing around them like acrobats. "I can manipulate it into any shape, form or weapon. However, everything comes with a price. It takes large amounts of energy to create and use it. If I go over my limits, it can become dangerous for myself, the same for Obi when he reaches his. That's why we both passed out. Healing everything took too much out of him, even with me lending him some energy. That's another reason why he kept it a secret, before you ask. Everyone would've expected him to achieve miracles when in reality, it can be dangerous for us to use our powers non stop in battle." Giac's eyes had turned sad by the end, his fingers grabbing the flames to extinguish them, blue glowing embers falling to the floor before disappearing into the force.

"Healing and Force Shields...wow. I understand why he didn't say anything Giac. I get it, its just... he could have helped a lot of people." Anakin sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"What makes you think he didn't? You'd be surprised at how many secret visits he takes to the healing wing in the Jedi Temple." Giac explained, the smirk back in full force. Anakin just stared shocked for a moment before smiling, scoffing a bit too.

"Of course he's done that. Obi-Wan always has tried to help everyone he can." Anakin muttered.

"Indeed. Gentle and strong heart, that's him." Giac added, smiling to himself like he knew something they didn't. "He always did try and help everyone he could, even if it wasn't obvious."

-Deep within Flowtheim Forest, North of the Capital, Selencia-

Once again, the royal family was out in the forest except this time, the Queen had stayed at the palace. They were hunting, practicing and testing their skills with light bows and crossbows. King Jacen Kenobi rode on a Fayal (which is literally an moss green, eight legged horse), as did everyone else except for a few guards who were on foot. Giac and Obi-Wan rode on their own Fayals behind their father, Dexter's father instead riding by the King's side. Dexter himself rode next to Giac, the two friends chatting as other Knights rode with them, some of which were Grey Jedi from the Temple. It was a much bigger party and they had already caught quite a few birds, the limp bodies slung over a couple of the Knights shoulders. They didn't go hunting very often since food was never at a shortage in the palace but when they did, it was a nice change of scenery and the animals they killed were normally given to the poorer people in the city (though a few were kept to feast on that evening).

The giant, looming trees hung overhead as they rode, all thick trunks, green leaves and pine needles. Beams of light broke through the canopy, patches of the mossy floor shining in the sunlight. It was a beautiful day, though clouds were now forming in the sky. They were already heading back though the party soon stopped as a knight called out. Not far ahead, barely visible through the trees and bushes, was a huge white stag grazing, moss growing all over its body and vines hanging down from its large antlers.

Everyone instantly reigned in his or her Fayal, keeping quiet. A young knight raised his bow, a glowing blue light arrow already loaded. He waited obediently for permission to shoot, which the King quickly gave with a nod of his head. The knight let the arrow fly and it would have hit it's target too, if the stag hadn't bolted, running from a Night howler cub that had pounced, leaving it now in the arrows path.

Night Howlers were not too different to the Lothal Wolves, being just as huge in size when fully grown. Even the cub, that couldn't be that old, was the size of a fully grown dog. However, while Lothal Wolves were lithe and thin creatures, the perfect sprinter that had adapted to live without much food because of their dust and desert-like environment, Night Howlers were much different. Although Selencia had her fair share of deserts across her equator, the planet was mostly made out of lush forest and vast jungles, with towering mountain ranges further up north. Therefore, Night Howlers were covered in ounces of thick muscle with broader shoulders and larger bodies, their fur even thicker to keep their bodies warm during the harsh Selencian winters. They could be utterly terrifying creatures with hides strong enough to make blaster shots feel like pin pricks and teeth so powerful they could easily bite through metal like it was flesh. The fact that the alpha in a Night Howler pack could shape-shift to become even more horrifying, adopting a more jurassic look with black spines down it's back and tail that glowed blue to intimidate other predators, its claws and teeth also growing in length and color until it resembled a sabor-toothed tiger cross dinosaur more than a wolf, just made them even more feared. It didn't help that according to rumor, they were more strongly connected to force than most of the animals on Selencia, making them wise and intelligent creatures, even when compared to the Selencians.

In addition, just like wolves, they traveled in packs so where one was, the pack was not far behind. And last time the Selencians had checked, the only thing that stopped the Night Howlers attacking the Selencians was mutual respect. Understandably, the King didn't want to find out if the Night Howlers would keep the peace once they found out one of their own had been shot.

The cub had let out a howl as the light arrow hit home, tripping and falling to the floor. Shocked and alarmed, everyone grabbed the reigns of their Fayals, the animals themselves spooked. The King didn't think twice about his decision.

"Everyone move! We need to go before the pack arrives!" Their King ordered, already turning his Fayal around. Everyone else was doing similar things, except for Obi-Wan. He stared shocked at the injured Night Howler cub; it's pained cries filling the air. Obi-Wan knew he had to do something, anything other than leave the poor creature to die. The force called to him, whispering inside his ear, telling him to do something. So he did, and in one fluid motion, he jumped off his steed, racing towards the injured Night Howler cub.

"Obi!" Giac called after him, climbing down from his own Fayal to go after him. Their father noticed, his eyes widening in alarm.

"Giac stay on your Fayal!" He ordered, turning his Fayal back around.

"But-" Giac protested but was quickly cut of by his father.

"Stay there!" His father repeated, jumping off his own Fayal and racing after his youngest son. "Obi-Wan!" He called after him, authority leaking into his normally soft tone that he used with his sons. Obi-Wan didn't listen, falling to his knees when he reached the cub's sides. His father quickly reached him, trying to grab him to pull him away but Obi-Wan shook him off.

"I'm going to heal him!" Obi-Wan yelled at his father, his face set in a determined expression, the cub whimpering at his feet, red blood already staining it's ginger and dark brown fur.

"Obi-Wan, you can't. It's parents and pack will be here any second!" His father hissed at him, grabbing his shoulders to try and shake the sense into him. As if on cue, a loud howl penetrated the silence of the forest, signaling the Night Howlers closing in. The cub howled weakly in response, whimpering in pain. A look of fear spread over Obi-Wan's face for a few seconds before it was gone again, just as fast.

"I don't care. I have to try. What would you do if I was shot?" Obi-Wan challenged, his father's jaw clenching in response. His father had the same powers he had, though Obi-Wan's father was much better at using force shields and force pulses than healing. Obi-Wan knew this and he knew what to say to strike a chord in his father. An inner conflict now consequently raged in his father's eyes, deciding what to do.

"Fine. I'll lend you my energy but you have to be quick, understand?" Obi-Wan nodded as his father gave in, already turning to pull the arrow from the cub's side. It howled in pain, snarling at Obi-Wan but Obi-Wan took no notice, instead sending calming waves through the force while he placed his hand over the wound. Behind him, his father placed a hand on his son's shoulder, blue energy swirling around his hand already. Wasting no time, Obi-Wan took the energy his father had lent him and after closing his eyes, he started to heal the cub. It whimpered and whined, it's legs kicking out ever so often. Obi-Wan was vaguely aware the howls had increased in frequency in the distance, but he tried not to think about it. He only thought about healing the cub.

Eventually, Obi-Wan opened his eyes, standing up and stepping away. The cub was breathing heavily in front of him but the wound was no longer bleeding. The wound, in fact, was no longer even there though blood still stained the soft, thick fur. Obi-Wan didn't have time to feel triumphant. The Night Howler pack burst through the trees before he could even think that.

Obi-Wan's father instantly pushed Obi-Wan behind him, igniting his white lightsaber to defend his young son. The Knights behind them either ignited their lightsabers or unsheathed vibroswords, the Fayals trying to move away from the Night Howlers. A male, dark brown Night Howler, definitely the Alpha judging by the way black spines sprouted from it's back as they glowed a shocking electric blue, jumped in front of the cub, snarling at Obi-Wan and his father while other Night Howlers filed in through the trees, all as big as the Fayals. Another Night Howler, this one a female, ran up to the cub and nuzzled it's neck, the cub instantly responding to, what Obi-Wan guessed, was it's mother's touch.

Obi-Wan was afraid the Night Howler Alpha in front of them was about to pounce on him and his father, when the female Night Howler called to the male, making him turn around. The cub was by this point on its feet and after a few shaking steps, it bounded over, standing in between Obi-Wan and the Male Night Howler. The cub growled at the Alpha, as if it was protecting Obi-Wan. Seeing something was going on, Obi-Wan's father slowly lowered his blade, disengaging it. He watched as the Alpha male's features softened, its silver eyes flickering between the cub and Obi-Wan.

"Father, what are they doing?" Obi-Wan whispered, leaning towards his father.

"They're communicating. The cub is protecting you because it knows you saved it." At Obi-Wan's father's words, the Alpha male stopped snarling altogether, it's gaze turning to the King. It stood up straighter, it's fur along its back no longer stood on end. Its eyes stayed on the King, even when it uttered a low rumble from its throat, ordering the cub back behind him. Reluctantly, the cub obeyed, it's eyes not leaving Obi-Wan as it walked away. Obi-Wan, in turn, couldn't help but stare back into the cub's grateful eyes.

Hesitantly, Obi-Wan's father bowed to the Alpha male, showing his respect. To Obi-Wan that was a surprise and for a second, Obi-Wan didn't have a clue what his father doing. His jaw nearly hit the floor when the Night Howler bowed its head back, showing its own respect to the King. Then it let out another low rumble from its throat, it's eyes falling on Obi-Wan. The cub stepped up, obeying its Alpha, before bowing it's head to Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan's father gestured for Obi-Wan himself to do the same and after finally recovering from his awe, he did, bowing low like his mother had taught him to the cub. Satisfied, the Alpha nodded its head, turning around to walk back into the trees, those ferocious black spines sliding back under his thick brown fur and even thicker skin.

It met the female Night Howler on the way, the two nuzzling heads in fond greeting, before walking away together, their large furry tails swaying gracefully behind them. That was what made Obi-Wan realize that the male Night Howlers wasn't just the Alpha; he was the cub's father too. The way the Alpha had acted as well, after hearing Obi-Wan state that the King was his father supported that notion too. The alpha knew what it was like to have a family and he respected Obi-Wan's father because of it. More than that, he was grateful for Obi-Wan saving his son.

While Obi-Wan realized this, other Night Howlers backed away too, following their Alpha to disappear into the forest. The cub was one of the last to go, jumping on to a fallen tree to look back at Obi-Wan. Its fur was still matted with blood but its wounds were healed, it's movements fluid and graceful. It stared at Obi-Wan for a few precious seconds, Obi-Wan staring back, transfixed by its glowing silver eyes.

Eventually, it turned, following its pack when the Alpha called for it to follow. It left the hunting party speechless, silence reining over them. Dexter's father finally dismounted his Fayal, walking over to the King.

"What exactly was that Jace?" He asked, dropping titles in his disbelief. Although the Night Howlers left them alone, they were still feared and awed. They had expected them to fight, not for them to walk back into the forest like nothing happened.

"I think, old friend, that was my son making a few new friends." The King answered, turning to his son to smile down at him. Obi-Wan didn't react, instead staring at the fallen tree where the cub had jumped down from and disappeared behind. It was definitely something he would never forget.

"Did Master Kenobi ever see the cub again?" Ahsoka asked curiously, enthralled by the tale. Giac smiled at her, a knowing look in his eyes.

"Oh, he did but not till much later."

"Any other stories that you going to share?" Anakin prompted, leaning forward in anticipation. Giac just sent him an amused look, shaking his head.

"Anakin, if I told you everything I remember from when me and Obi were kids we'd be here all day." Anakin just laughed again to Giac's comment, though Ahsoka was frowning again.

"If everything was so perfect and you were all happy, what happened?" Ahsoka inquired cautiously, Anakin stopping chuckling beside her. He quickly composed himself, the cogs inside his own head turning too.

"Snips is right. What...What changed?" He asked hesitantly, dreading the answer. Anakin was right to do so too because as soon as he said it, Giac's demeanor changed. Those kind eyes turned dark and cold, his lips curling into a snarl and when he spoke, the hatred in his voice turned his answer into a growl.

"Our Uncle did."

Hopefully the next chapter won't ruin your day. Heh heh...Yeah. Hope you liked this chapter though, lots of fluff and what not. Probably slight crack. Also, I made Giac a Grey Jedi but just to make it clear, Obi-Wan is NOT a Grey Jedi. Unlike Giac he stayed with the Jedi order and why he did that will be explained later.

P.S. When Giac said 'Gentle and strong heart, that's him." I was being quite literal. Fun fact: if you didn't know, Obi in Igbo means 'heart', wan means 'gentle' in Chinese and Ken means 'strong' in Japanese. That's right; his name is literally his personality.