Part 2

Author's Note: Enjoy! :D

~ Amina Gila

Stormtroopers are pouring in the small opening blasted through the barricade, and he joins the fight, cutting them down. Anakin jumps them, whether he's knocking them out or killing them, Obi-Wan can't tell, but he's moving too fast for any shots to hit him.

Almost everyone has retreated to safety when Reva steps through the opening, The dog snarls at her, halfway between her and Obi-Wan.

"So much for doing this together," she sneers.

"He's not a Sith. Not anymore," Obi-Wan throws back. Even if Anakin was, after Mustafar, he doesn't know if he could... bring himself to hurt him again, no matter how much it might be his duty. And when he's in this form, he certainly won't.

"He's an animal," Reva scoffs, "No different now than before."

The furious anger the words ignite almost surprises him. "As if you're any better. You've been hunting the Jedi for years, too."

She scoffs. "He's the one who started it, and now, I'm going to end it."

He suddenly has an inexplicably very bad feeling, a second before she withdraws some type of... control, pushing it.

Electricity abruptly crackles from the collar around the dog's neck, and he howls, rolling onto his back and pawing at his neck, trying in vain to get the collar off.

"Stop," Obi-Wan demands sharply, starting towards her. He's not going to stand by and let her do this. She's – she's torturing Anakin (not that he didn't), and he won't just stand there and watch. (Not again.)

"Come any closer, and I'll kill him," she warns, hand hovering over another button on the control.

"That's what you're doing," he snaps back, debating lunging for her anyway, but he doesn't know if he could get there in time. But he can't just stand here either!

"Not yet." She looks much too smug, and any thread of sympathy Obi-Wan might have had knowing what she went through at the Temple is gone now. That doesn't excuse... this.

Except, it's the Tuk'ata that makes the move first. Anakin forces himself back to his feet – how he's always able to move in conditions he shouldn't be physically able to, even as a dog, Obi-Wan has no idea – and half-blindly jumps at Reva.

She tries to dodge and hit something on the controller, but not fast enough. Anakin knocks her to the ground and then, Obi-Wan hears her scream instead. The dog rolls off her as the electricity stops crackling, and he seems to be chomping on something, blood dripping from his mouth.

And she's... missing her hand and the controller. Anakin spits out the mashed controller seconds later, before practically collapsing on the floor, only several feet away from her.

For a moment, Obi-Wan feels frozen. But more stormtroopers are probably coming, and he needs to get Anakin to safety, assuming he can even walk right now.

He hurries to the dog's side, crouching next to it. Anakin looks up weakly, tensing, though he doesn't try moving away.

Obi-Wan reaches out slowly, uncertainly, lightly touching the top of his head, running his fingers through his fur – though only a short distance down his neck, stopping above the burns from the collar.

There were scars in that exact same area before; it just never clicked what they were probably from, and he's... admittedly appalled.

This is a literal slave collar, and just because Anakin's technically a dog right now, that doesn't mean he's not still somehow Anakin.

Obi-Wan trails a hand across his head a few more times until he starts to relax a little, some of the tension draining from his body. After a moment, Anakin tilts his head back a little, enough to reach up and weakly lick Obi-Wan's hand.

(He'll admit he can't say how relieved he is to see that... small gesture of affection. Apparently, it didn't change after... their most recent interactions. But then again, why would it? Anakin already knew who he was and was perfectly willing to show this for some reason. Obi-Wan's the one who didn't know.)

"Can you walk?" he asks, gently. The dog meets his eyes, and he looks so tired. "Just to the ship?" he adds, scratching between his ears.

Yes, he's technically petting his former padawan, and it's the most bizarre thing he's done in his life. But he probably needs to speak the language a Tuk'ara would understand right now.

After a moment of hesitation, the dog unsteadily forces himself back to his feet, and Obi-Wan stands, trying to keep his pace slow enough that Anakin can keep up as he heads for the waiting ship.

**w**

"What happened to him?!" Leia demands, eyes wide with dismay as she drops next to the dog, in the hold of the ship.

"He did come with the Inquisitors," Obi-Wan explains, kneeling next to Anakin, who's now miserably resting his head on his paws. "Reva electrocuted him."

Leia looks at him in horror before she scoots closer to the dog, carefully touching his head. "Does it hurt?" she asks, clearly sick at the sight of the burns.

Anakin whines quietly, the answer obvious.

She presses her tiny hands on either side of the dog's head, kissing its snout.

Obi-Wan carefully refrains from thinking about how incredibly weird this is, when Anakin's her father,and she has no idea. "Can't we do anything?" she demands.

"I have some bacta left with me. It'll have to do." It's what he got for himself for when Anakin bit him. Not that he can... blame him for that, after Mustafar.

He needs to get the collar off first, and considering it belongs to Force users, it's not hard to figure out how. He reaches out with the Force, nudging the locking mechanism, and it comes free. He throws it from the viewport of the ship as they take off, just to make sure no one can track them anymore. (It was also admittedly satisfying to throw it like that.)

The fur beneath the collar line is matted, like the collar is rarely, if ever, taken off. Obi-Wan leans forwards, carefully getting to work on applying the bacta to the wounds, as Leia whispers about Force knows what into the dog's ear. That Anakin even takes the energy to weakly wag his tail when Obi-Wan finishes is probably a good sign, though.

"I've done all I can. Leia, he needs to rest."

She looks a little unhappy, but nods. "Here," she says, pulling out Lula and setting her in front of the Tuk'ata's nose. "She can stay with you."

The dog licks Leia and then, he licks Lula – the poor droid beeps in frantic confusion and protect – so yes, he must be feeling a little better, before Leia heads back to where the rest of the passengers are, leaving them alone.

There's so much Obi-Wan wants to say, but he doesn't know where to start. He just got Anakin back – something he never dreamed could even happen – but he's also a dog, and Obi-Wan doesn't know if that can be undone. Or has he been one all this time or did that change later or – And would he still act the same, if his thought process weren't so simple?

And the Tuk'ata is just staring at him again, and he has no idea why or if Anakin wants something. After a moment, he suddenly stands a bit unsteadily, and before Obi-Wan can ask where he's going, he limps closer, clambering into his lap.

Anakin stretches out across him, head and paws resting on the edge of his legs. His back legs are still on the floor because the dog is frankly enormous, though somehow, he manages to curl his tail so its half wrapped around Obi-Wan's arm.

He pointedly – literally – ignores the way the spikes on the tail are digging into his arm. If Anakin somehow finds this comfortable – Obi-Wan doesn't know what to think of it himself – he... won't tell him no. Obi-Wan rests his free hand on the dog's head, and for a few moments, they just... sit there. He hasn't held Anakin in a long time, maybe... ever, really. Not like this anyway, even if when Anakin was young and small and would curl up in a seat next to him, he'd sometimes get the strange inkling to do so. But they were Jedi and that just wasn't what they did. But so much has changed now. He wishes Anakin was still... small, still with him. He misses the times Anakin was a padawan so much sometimes.

Almost unwittingly, his eyes flick to the black and red marks on Anakin's front paws. He – he knows what that's from without even having to guess given that all his legs have them, and... He blinks away the moment stubbornly – yes, he'd wanted to hurt him, and he was angry because Anakin wasn't stopping even though he nearly killed Obi-Wan,and he never thought about why did he even do that until afterwards, and then, it was too late. Though he has no idea why Anakin's legs look so weird, or for that matter, why he has any limbs at all.

Anakin's eyes are closed now, his breathing evening out, so Obi-Wan takes the risk of hesitantly reaching over, taking his right front paw, just to... see what it feels like. It feels strangely smooth and unreal; he can't even describe the sensation.

The Tuk'ata goes completely rigid for a second, eyes flying open and his breathing rate picking up.

Well.

That... probably wasn't a good idea. Anakin likely really didn't need the reminder, especially not right now or when they're in a position like this.

"I... I'm sorry, Anakin," he tells him, quietly.

Anakin looks up at him, something almost confused on his dog-face.

Obi-Wan really wishes that he could actually know what Anakin was trying to say. Communicating like this is frustrating.

He finally whimpers though, tugging on his right leg.

Obi-Wan lets go immediately, almost wishing he hadn't brought this up. "Does it hurt?" he asks, uncertainly.

The dog whines, his ears drooping.

The uncomfortable feeling inside of him only grows. "All the time?"

He barks. Yes.

That's... Given that they can't exist naturally, maybe that's why?

"How did you... end up as a Tuk'ata?" Obi-Wan asks, lightly running a hand along his back in an effort to get him to relax again. It's not really working.

Anakin barks again.

"You... woke up like this?" Obi-Wan clarifies, "You mean... after..."

He whines again. Yes.

"Did Sidious do something?" It's the most he can think of.

I don't know.

"Do you at least know if it can be undone?"

He told me no.

That doesn't necessarily mean much, though Obi-Wan thinks the Sith Master would've had more use for Anakin as a person than a dog, but it's hard to tell.

He keeps running a hand along his back, though Anakin still doesn't seem very happy. "Have you been with the Inquisitors all the time, or with him?"

The Tuk'ata's tail droops.

He seems afraid, though Obi-Wan isn't certain of what. "I'm not... upset with you," he forces himself to say, even if it's not entirely true. All this doesn't mean he can forget what happened at the Temple. But Anakin is finally with him again, and he's missed him so fiercely that it feels like nothing else matters right now. And in this state, Anakin's just a dog. Obi-Wan has no idea what his moral judgement is, if anything. Or if everything is just instinct and orders. "I'm just... curious."

Anakin relaxes ever so slightly at that, nuzzling a little closer to him. When touching his mind, Obi-Wan can decipher things a little more coherently.

He had me in his special room and fed me people he didn't like. I go with the Inquisitors when he wants.

Well... that's... No wonder he had no qualms about biting off someone's hand.

Are people the only thing Anakin's been fed? It would certainly explain how much his ribs are showing. Obi-Wan can feel it even more clearly when he's touching his side. "Are you hungry?"

He whines quietly.

No.

Probably only because he's injured. "Sleep," Obi-Wan instructs him gently, "We can talk when you're feeling better."

Anakin wags the end of his tail before wrapping it tighter around Obi-Wan's arm. And now it's really uncomfortable, but he just leaves it, and within a couple minutes, the Tuk'ata is sleeping, breathing evenly.

**w**

They're able to escape the Empire at least, and they're in hyperspace now.

Now that the mission is almost over, there's many other things he'll have to address, like... should he tell Anakin about his children? Would it matter if he's not even human? But he doesn't doubt that Anakin would care about them, and he's not really a Sith. Right now. What if this is undone and that changes him? So many questions, and he has no real way to answer.

But at the same time, whatever Anakin's showing now has to be genuine, because animals don't have the mental capacity to feign behavior. It's not possible. He doubts him being a dog could make something in his mind that wasn't there before, even if it was just... buried. Or something. Obi-Wan doesn't understand at all.

Now that the mission is pretty much over, he needs to figure out what to do with Anakin. He wants him to come with him, to... stay with him, and it's the only place that it would be safe anyway, but he... can at least ask to see if he has anything to say.

It's been some hours, so Anakin is moving around again, distracting all the children on the ship who are daring each other to ride on him, despite the spikes. Thankfully, none of the adults are silly enough to let them try it.

Obi-Wan crouches in front of the dog so they're at eye level, and the piercing red eyes meet his gaze. They still look far too intelligent. "Where do you want to go, once this is over?"

He barks, though he looks slightly uncertain.

Can I stay with you?

"Yes, if you want." Obi-Wan reaches out almost instinctively, running a hand along his head. Anakin leans into it.

Where are we going?

This is a risk he'll have to take. He can't hide it anymore, and he doesn't know if he needs to. Should he tell him about the twins? It – it feels wrong not to, but he doesn't know if it's safe. Anakin isn't a threat in this state, though, and realistically, Obi-Wan has no idea if can be undone. "Tatooine," Obi-Wan answers, and Anakin's ears droop in obvious displeasure. "I know you don't like that place, but it works well to hide."

His tail drops, too, but he doesn't protest.

"And there's something else you should know," Obi-Wan begins, slowly, "Your... child is alive."

Anakin stills entirely, just staring at him. He barks, almost frantically, taking a few steps away.

But I killed my mate.

He tries very hard not to think about the use of that word. He's a dog after all. He... would say things differently. "You didn't," he replies, willing himself not to start getting lost in memories of that day, "She didn't die there. Her... children were born first."

Anakin barks, even more disbelieving.

I have puppies? Where are they?

Puppies? Seriously?!

"Leia is one. The other is on Tatooine. With your family. I watched over him."

Anakin just gapes.

"I'll take you to see him, when we get there."

What about Leia? Can I still see her later?

"Of course. We can stop by on Alderaan from time to time. But they have to be kept separate right now, for safety reasons."

He whines in understanding, though clearly unhappy.

"I think it would be simpler if there was a way to undo this," Obi-Wan muses, "But until then, we will have to find a way to make this work. It will probably be simpler to explain this to Leia after she's back home." Because he really has no idea how to do that right now, and he'd rather have some time to think about it.

But now, it's time for them to say goodbye to Leia. Anakin trots up to her immediately, eagerly licking her face. Leia giggles, throwing her arms around his neck, though careful not to touch the still healing burns. He nuzzles against her, and they just stay there for a few moments before she steps back. "What will you do with him now?"

"I'll bring him to see you again," Obi-Wan promises, "Before... long." He's really not ready to give the awkward explanation to anyone right now.

Anakin seems a little disappointed but doesn't argue and he follows her until she steps off the ramp, gaze following her until it closes, and the shuttle takes off again.

And now, it's time to take Anakin back to Tatooine. When Obi-Wan left, he never dreamed he'd be coming back with his once-thought-dead padawan, even if he's not exactly as sentient as he used to be. Or something. He certainly processes things differently, but he doesn't seem any less intelligent at the same time.

But at least he's... here and no longer a Sith.

**w**

It's late in the afternoon when they get back to Tatooine, and Anakin trots along behind Obi-Wan as they head for his cave. He never realized until this moment just how lonely it's been here. The way he's agonizingly missed Anakin only seems more apparent now that he's with him again. He still misses him, because he wants to be able to talk to him normally, but at least he's here, and maybe Anakin's situation can be fixed somehow. (Will it change what Anakin's acting like?)

Anakin pauses a short distance from the cave, sniffing at it, then barks.

That's your home?

"Yes," he replies, hand dropping to rest on Anakin's head for a moment. "It was a good hideout."

He sniffs the ground suddenly and then jolts forwards with a growl, running ahead into the cave.

Well, that's... weird, or so Obi-Wan thinks for a moment until he hears a bunch of Jawas yelping in surprise. Several run out of the cave, disappearing into the sand. Anakin emerges from the cave a moment later, carrying a flailing Jawa by its hood, teeth dug into the fabric.

Obi-Wan barely manages to suppress a laugh as the Jawa yells at him, demanding to be released. Honestly, after all the trouble they've put him through all these years, he's hard-pressed to feel much sympathy.

"Let him go, Anakin," Obi-Wan says finally, "I don't think they'll be coming back any time soon." Unless they come back to try getting revenge.

The dog lets go of the Jawa and snarls at it one final time before it runs without looking back.

Anakin looks up at him, and he can almost see the affection in the Tuk'ata's red eyes. Obi-Wan steps closer, stroking a hand along his head again, gaze drifting out to watch the sunset. He remembers a time, long ago, when Anakin always wanted to watch the stars. He can't believe they're... together again.

A gust of sand whips up around them suddenly, which Obi-Wan would've ignored except Anakin whines, ducking his head down as he tries to avoid the grains of sand hitting his... burns.

Oh.

"We should go inside," he says, motioning for him to follow, and they head through the opening. The place feels of the years of... loneliness and constantly missing Anakin that he spent here, and he almost wants to leave, to just start over now that Anakin's back. But... he'll have to see. The dog whines again, twisting around and trying to paw at his neck – the grains of sand are probably badly irritating it.

"Here," he says, crouching next to him and moving to collect the tiniest bit of water to clean the wounds again. He doesn't have anything else here to treat them, but maybe he should bandage it and let it heal naturally, unless he can... steal something.

Yes, he does that sometimes. Everyone on Tatooine does. That's how it is. And sometimes even Jedi had to do questionable things.

They sit by side for a little while once he's finished, and he idly runs a hand along Anakin's back – the Tuk'ata rather likes it, and he admittedly doesn't really... mind himself, even if it's a lot more tactile than he used to be. And he'll admit he likes watching the dog's growing contentment. (Or maybe it's just the affection Anakin shows in return.) The dog snuggles closer, rubbing against him, tail wagging, before finally rolling over onto his back, clearly hoping for more.

Which reminds him of just how weird it is to be petting his once-padawan, but he has to speak the dog's language, so he reaches out, running runs a hand along the dog's stomach.

"We should eat. I'll see if I have enough here or if we need to find something," Obi-Wan muses finally, moving to stand. The Tuk'ata is slightly disappointed but rolls back to his feet and trots around pretty much every corner of the cave, sniffing out and exploring the surroundings.

Obi-Wan turns his attention to checking on their food supply, until he hears Anakin patter up behind him, dropping the toy fighter for Luke on the floor, looking up at him questioningly and almost amused at once.

He barks.

Obi-Wan gives him a flat look. "No, that is not 'my toy', Anakin. It was for your son. But his uncle didn't want me to give it to him."

The dog barks again. Why?

"He wants Luke to stay on the farm, but Luke... wants to fly."

Anakin whines a little, nudging the fighter with his paw.

I miss flying.

It... makes sense. Of course, he would. "We might be able to find a way to undo this transformation," Obi-Wan says, "But I don't know where to start. Have you ever tried changing yourself back?"

He barks.

No.

"Why not?"

The Tuk'ata takes a few steps away from him, whimpering.

He's... afraid, of what it would do to him. Shifting back would mean – would it mean being back to the condition he was on Mustafar? That – okay, that would be a big problem. (Obi-Wan doesn't think he could handle seeing that, either.) "We'll work something out," he promises, hoping it's not an empty hope.

Anakin growls quietly, clearly unconvinced.

Sidious told me it wasn't possible. He wanted me to eat you for doing that.

Right.

Dogs really have no control over what they say.

"And you didn't want to?" he asks, humorlessly. Even though it sounds ridiculous to be talking about this.

You are my master. You were nicer than him.

The emotion behind the word "master" doesn't entirely sound only like the respectful way it was used at the Temple. (Or the emotion Obi-Wan knew it came to mean to Anakin, later.) It sounds more like what – what he knows Anakin was once used to that word meaning on Tatooine, and the uncomfortable feeling inside of him is back again. Maybe it's just Anakin's dog-mind interpreting things like this, but – "Sidious acts like he owned you, from what you told me. I – You were my padawan, Anakin. We were friends."

Anakin seems... almost confused, barking.

I did what you said, and you fed me. That's what he was like too, but he hurt me sometimes.

Okay... This definitely must be his dog-mind. Right? But that doesn't mean he's remotely comfortable leaving Anakin believing that. "I didn't bring you here as my pet. You're – you're Anakin. I'll take care of you the way I did before. It has nothing to do with you... obeying me."

He doesn't know if Anakin really understands that or not, though. He can't help thinking to long ago, wondering what went wrong between them in the first place. Especially if Anakin can see them like this, even in a very simplified mind.

Obi-Wan doesn't know what to make of that. But... maybe in the end it doesn't really matter, so long as they can make something between them again.

Anakin sits there watching him for a few moments, almost as though considering something before he trots off to a corner of the cave.

Obi-Wan assumes he's going to reflect or something – do dogs do that? – until he hears the suspicious sound of fabric shuffling.

"Anakin, what are you –"

The Tuk'ata looks up far too innocently, something blue that looks suspiciously like Obi-Wan's clothes stuffed in his mouth, as he unabashedly chews on it.

"Anakin!"

He looks like he's laughing, from the glint in his red eyes.

Obi-Wan's almost more annoyed that his annoyance is fading to a shred of amusement. But only a little, because he doesn't know that he appreciates seeing one of his only pairs of clothes shredded.

Though he'd genuinely be far more annoyed if – if Anakin had been chewing on the only robe that he still has from him, instead of something Obi-Wan got for himself later. "Hey, give that here," he orders, approaching.

He has no idea if this is a prank or if he was just trying to see how he'd react –

"It has nothing to do with you... obeying me."

Is his very primitive dog mind just trying to see if Obi-Wan'll get upset and hurt him (again)? "If you'd like something to chew on," he settles for finally, "I'm sure I can find you a bone."

Anakin barks, standing up on his back legs, paws held in front of him in what he thinks is intended as a "please" gesture. Unless this was all to a make point that he's hungry.

But Anakin chewing on a bone. Seriously. His life has never been weirder.

"The food is ready," he says, gesturing, and moving to inspect the damage to his clothes. It's not bad, nothing anyone would notice but... "Just don't do this again."

The Tuk'ata droops back onto all fours, wagging his tail at him as he runs across the cave, and starts gobbling.

Obi-Wan almost feels bad about not having more to give him when Anakin finishes long before he does, and just sits there, watching him. He seems content, though.

So, he really shouldn't be surprised that when he lays down for the night, Anakin promptly crawls in next to him, snuggling up against his side.

His head is resting on Obi-Wan's arm, and he lightly strokes the dog's side for a moment, feeling more than seeing his contentment. He's... genuinely surprised Anakin's comfortable with it at all, but he's not complaining. He admittedly doesn't know if he would be either, if not for the strange... species change. Not so soon, anyway, but it's hard not to trust him when he's being so genuine. (And adorable.)

From here he can see the stars outside, and he finds his gaze drifting to them for a moment. He never really watched them with Anakin, even if he sometimes put up with his ceaseless string of questions about them. (He misses those days.) It feels fitting that it's... what he can see again for the first night their together again, though. (Anakin used to sleep next to his bed before, too.)

He thinks it's one of the first nights that's passed entirely without disturbance or a nightmare – well there were sometimes, but not commonly – when he awakens. He feels more rested than normal, aside from the fact that his legs are asleep, and he can't move. Shifting to look up, Obi-Wan sees Anakin sprawled halfway on top of him. Their positions must've changed a lot during the night.

"Anakin?" he calls, "Anakin, come on. It's time to get up."

The dog sleepily opens his eyes, blinking at him.

"Anakin," he repeats again, when he makes no move to get up.

The dog stands suddenly, his feet on either side of Obi-Wan as he trots up towards his head before he can try sitting up. And then, Anakin plants his front paws on his shoulders so he can't shake him off – he's ridiculously strong – and starts licking his face.

More like slobbering.

He appreciates it for about five seconds. Obi-Wan groans, trying to nudge him off, but Anakin won't move, and just keeps slobbering. And he looks very much like he's laughing.

"Anakin – ngh!"

Why did he ever think opening his mouth when Anakin is essentially drooling on his face was a good idea?!

Dogs have no manners. That is disgusting.

But if dogs could cackle, he could swear Anakin is.

Fiiiiiiiine.

He supposes he should've expected this when he wanted his once padawan back. Then he'll have to wait him out and see which of them gets tired first.

He's already losing.

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