Chapter 44 - The Hunt

Author's Note: Thank you, loldelegate! :)

~ Amina Gila

"We can keep searching tomorrow," Anakin decides, as they settle back in their cave for the night.

"What's it like out there?" Jinx asks. "With the war?"

"I don't know how much you've heard," Anakin muses. With a start, he realizes he has no idea how long it's been that they've been gone. "Did you hear that Master Windu was lost?"

"We did, from the last padawan who came here," Kalifa answers, "They said everything was getting worse. But it doesn't concern us much until we get out of here."

"You will," Anakin promises, "The longer we hide and wait, the more we let them have the advantage." Idly, he wonders if their masters are still alive. It's quite possible they're not. "I was captured at the battle of Felucia."

"I heard there's been fighting there since the beginning of the war," O'mer comments.

"There has been. This is the second time I was there."

They don't talk much more before they lay down to sleep. They need to rest in preparation of the next day. Anakin is accustomed to working through exhaustion, but there's no need push it. The only thing he has concluded, is that he doesn't know the other padawans' masters by name. He can only hope they're still alive. With the recent death counts though, he doubts it. Everything in the Jedi Order has been thrown off. Many padawans are being Knighted before they were ready, including Ahsoka.

The next morning comes much too quickly, Anakin decides, as they climb down from the tree. They start covering the beach area, but there's nothing they haven't already seen. But being out here is making him feel far more lost and alone than he has in his life, trapped and unable to talk to anyone he knows. He has no idea how long it'll be, and the toll it's taking is... exhausting. It's no wonder the other padawans here are already broken.

Much longer, and he could easily see himself giving up, too, but he holds firm, because if nothing else, Anakin has always been a fighter. He had to be, to survive.

They've covered quite a distance when they find a freshly killed body on the ground – it's the same person Anakin had saved the previous day. It was expected, but it still hurts to see he failed to save them. But all they can do now is keep moving.

Predictably, it's right when they pause for a break that O'mer sees the approaching Trandoshans. "I think we've been looking in the wrong place," he says, wide eyed, and Anakin whips around to look skyward.

Oh. Of course. They're flying in. That's why no one has been able to see them yet. "Split up!" Kalifa shouts, and they scatter.

And even beyond that, through the fog, Anakin is certain he can make out the far away shape of a building of some kind. It must be their fortress.

Jinx and O'mer go one way – Anakin can only offer a silent plea into the Force that they be alright – and Anakin and Kalifa go the other, right before the speeder crafts the Trandoshans are in start shooting.

He's used to constant motion, and Anakin lets the Force carry him as he jumps from one tree to another, making his way across a path he can sense, searching ahead for branches to hide behind for shelter. Kalifa is doing likewise, following his trail a few jumps behind. Or at least she was, until one of the branches she lands on slips, and she falls over the edge.

"Kalifa!" he calls, panic flaring. He cannot let her die.

She should never have been left here. Despite the war, despite everything, they should – none of this should've happened. The Order should have come back to find them. And maybe his anger isn't entirely justified, but he can't help feeling it, anyway.

Because no matter what, it always feels like he'll always end up back there – forgotten, lost, failing, and the Jedi will only come back to find him too late.

Anakin lets that fear go as soon as it comes, ducking back against the branches and heading downwards. One of the Trandoshans is getting out now, clearly intending to make this more... personal. Or bloody. He doesn't want to know. Kalifa isn't visibly injured, but she's stumbling, and she must have damaged something inside.

Hopefully not internal damage serious enough that they can't work through it, because the last thing they need is to be one person down.

Finding a path down without being spotted takes far too long, but he finally jumps down right before the Trandoshan can shoot Kalifa. Anakin flings him back with the Force, moving aside when he fires his blaster at him.

Anakin grabs the blaster away from him with the Force. The Trandoshan snarls and lunges at him again. It's Kalifa who lashes out this time, angry, afraid, tightening the Force around the Trandoshan's neck.

Considering the circumstances, Anakin can't even blame her. A few weeks here, he'd do the same, but he's here now, not there, and it's only that knowledge that stops him. "Kalifa, you can't kill him out of hatred," he reminds, stepping towards her. "It's not the Jedi way."

She hesitates a moment before releasing him – though she hurls him into the trunk of a nearby tree as she does, knocking him unconscious. Anakin steps closer, cautiously, towards where the saw the Trandoshan come from. They have blasters. They're not defenseless. He hasn't used blasters much himself, at least not this kind, but he knows how. He's going to try anyway, Anakin decides, raising the weapon and firing.

The Trandoshans haven't had time to deactivate it yet, so it works, striking one of the lizards in their speeder.

It gets their attention instantly, but there's only one left. He tries firing the blaster at them again, this time taking down the other before he can fly away. And now... they have one of the speeders, at least, though he'll have to thoroughly search it for tracking devices.

"We need to get this thing out of here," Anakin says, sprinting to it. Kalifa is following behind, unsteadily, and he suppresses the urge to go back for her – he wants to, but he can't, because he can't slow them down. Getting this up and running and far enough away before they're found, and disabling the probably tackers, are more important.

He turns back to help her in before he gets the engine fired up, anyway – getting the Trandoshans out is a bit more difficult than he thought.

Anakin flies a short distance away before he lands again, and they do a thorough search for trackers and deactivators. They didn't have a way to deactivate it that Anakin can see. If they do, it's hidden, but it's helpful for now. Kalifa flies while Anakin pulls out the tracker, tossing it into the middle of the jungle randomly. They fly a distance off from their hiding place, just to make sure the Trandoshans don't find them, before leaving it there, hopefully concealed amidst the trees, and go back to base.

Jinx and O'mer arrive a few minutes later. "You made it," Jinx says, visibly relieved.

"We got one of their speeders," Anakin tells them, "It's hidden a distance out. If we're going after their base, we're going to need it."

Kalifa settles into her spot, expression strained. Anakin isn't sure if she broke anything, but there's nothing they can do about it now, for all that he wishes he could help her. They don't have supplies. They don't have anything. Anakin is angry at their kidnappers. He's trying not to let it consume him, but he can't help his anger, even if he tries not to let it control him.

"I thought you mentioned they release prisoners on the beach every few days," Anakin adds, "We could ambush them the next time they do. They won't see it coming. We might be able to rescue the prisoners there and get them to help us."

"That's dangerous," O'mer objects, "We'll be walking straight into the line of fire."

"I think it's a good plan," Jinx offers, "We need to bring the fight to them. That's what this is about."

"Go," Kalifa says, "I will rest longer."

"She was injured," Anakin tells them, "If she comes, it... may not go well. With the Force's help, we'll be out of here soon."

**w**

It would be far, far easier if they had a blaster, but Anakin lures one of the Trandoshans out and jumps inside to take care of the other while Jinx and O'mer deal with him.

He steps inside carefully, staying close to the wall, mapping out the room. He'll need that.

The pilot whirls around with a blaster, shooting at Anakin, who jumps aside and rips the weapon away with the Force. He throws the lizard into the wall and sprints to the controls, scanning them and hitting the button he hopes will release the prisoners.

He dives aside as the lizard shoots at him again. The shot hits something on the wall which starts sparking, but it's not enough to send the ship spiraling out of control. The Trandoshan charges at him, slamming him back against the wall, but Anakin twists down away from his grip, returning the favor. Hopefully Jinx and O'mer are alright outside.

The Trandoshan tries to shoot at him again, and Anakin rips away his blaster with the Force, shooting him before he can jump him again. Anakin scrambles to the controls immediately, flying the ship down to the ground, right as the top hatch opens again and the other two younglings jump inside.

"We won," Jinx realizes, almost disbelieving.

Anakin can't help but grin. "Yes. We can get Kalifa and get out of here. And... stop by their base on our way out." He already knows the Council isn't going to come back to do anything about it. At the very least, they can make it much harder to do anything like this again. He just hopes it won't lead to them taking further measures to ensure their prisoners can't fight back.

"It will be risky," objects O'mer.

"We can't let them keeping doing this if we have the chance to stop it," Anakin replies.

"If we get out –" Jinx begins.

"No one will come back," he interrupts, "I know it. You said it. We're... on our own here. And so is everyone else they capture. We must stop them."

"Alright. But we have to be fast. They'll know what happened soon."

Anakin nods. "Alright. Let's start with freeing whatever prisoners are here."

There's quite a few, and he's grateful that at least he was able to save them. They use the guns on the ship to obliterate the base before taking off and making the hyperspace jump before they can be followed.

**w**

Obi-Wan couldn't be more relieved, and stunned, than when he hears that there was a transmission from Anakin, telling the Council that he's on his way back to Coruscant. It was short, but at least his padawan is alive. Maybe he's not alright – Obi-Wan has no idea; whatever happened was bad – but the fact that Anakin is finally on his way back is more than he could have asked for after everything that's happened.

Obi-Wan is waiting when the ship enters one of the hangers at the Temple. He'd have brought more people here, but they're occupied with the war effort. Everyone is, except the masters of two of the padawans Anakin had mentioned he found. The human girl's master was lost a month ago in the war.

He can't name the emotion tightening in his chest when he finally lays eyes on Anakin again. He's covered with dirt and mud, but at least he looks happy to be back.

"Anakin," he says, suddenly uncertain of what to do. He had been so afraid that he would lose his padawan like so many others that have never been accounted for in the war, but now that Anakin is back, Obi-Wan feels the instinctive urge to pull Anakin into his arms and not let go. He loves this child in a way he never cared for Ahsoka, in a way he's never cared for anyone, and he can't understand it. Doesn't know if he wants to.

"Master," Anakin says, inclining his head in lieu of a bow.

Obi-Wan reaches out to touch his shoulder. He remembers feeling Anakin's warmth pressed against him – Geonosis, when they could have died there together, and it's... disturbing how much he wants to hold him like that again. They're Jedi. He shouldn't be so attached to Anakin. To anyone.

They stand there together for a long moment as Obi-Wan tries to find words. "Come," he instructs instead, finally. It's only with a ridiculous amount of hesitation that Obi-Wan finally contacts Ahsoka when Anakin is in the 'fresher. "Ahsoka," he says, eyeing Anakin's currently closed bedroom door. He'll need to ask for details later. "Anakin's back."

"What?" she asks sounding faint.

"He's in our apartment, if you wanted to know."

"Yes. Yes – thank you. I'll be there right away." For once, Obi-Wan actually think she means it. He doesn't like the tenseness between them, but they've hardly talked in a long time.

He lets that go, refocusing on Anakin. Anakin exits his room a while later, looking worn. He offers Obi-Wan a tired smile, anyway. "What happened?" Obi-Wan inquires. "We were able to find your lightsabers, but that was all."

"I slipped up. I was stunned before I saw it coming. A... Trandoshan hunter jumped me. They took me to a jungle planet somewhere, I don't know the name of, and... I found the other three padawans there. We stole their ship to get back."

It's a very short summary, but Obi-Wan doesn't think Anakin wants to talk about it in detail. "Do you want to eat?" he asks.

Anakin shakes his head. "I'm not sure I could even if I tried. I just... wanted to see you again. What's been happening?"

"We won Felucia, temporarily," Obi-Wan tells him. He doesn't dare mention the panic he felt when he realized Anakin was missing.

"That's good, at least."

He still looks so worn out, and Obi-Wan wishes he knew what to do to... help. "Are you alright?" he asks finally.

"I'm fine," Anakin replies immediately, "It's just... been a tiring few days. You don't look so good yourself."

Of course, that's the first thing he says. Obi-Wan hasn't been sleeping, either, and it'd be showing. "How is that your greatest concern," he grumbles instead.

Anakin steps closer to him, a sudden, strange amount of uncertainty on his face. "You knew I would come back, didn't you?"

No. "Of course."

Now that they're alone, Obi-Wan doesn't feel quite so uncomfortable about touching him. He reaches for him again, and this time Anakin reacts first, leaning closer to wrap his arms around him in a fierce embrace. "I'm sorry," he mumbles, face pressed into Obi-Wan's shoulder, "I should have been more careful. I am grateful I was able to help people, but I... was so afraid I wouldn't make it back."

He doesn't know what to say to that, so he says nothing.

"The padawans with me had stopped fighting, and I thought I would end up just like them. I didn't even know if anyone was still looking for us. If – if I hadn't done everything I did, we would never have made it off."

Obi-Wan lets himself just be in the moment, at least right now, soaking it up – this is the most they can have for a while, because they...

They're still standing there when Obi-Wan senses Ahsoka's approach and disentangles them, because at least his former padawan doesn't need to somehow get the impression that things so close to breaking the Code are alright. It's not, but sometimes – if only briefly – Obi-Wan finds himself losing control.

Except Anakin runs to Ahsoka the moment she enters anyway, though she looks a bit caught off-guard when he hugs her, too.

"Hey, Skykid," she says, teasingly tugging his braid.

"Are you alright?" Anakin asks her.

"We're fine," she assures, "You're the one who disappeared in the middle of a battle. We feared the Separatists captured you."

"I'm fine," he repeats, briefly glancing back at Obi-Wan.

"The boys were worried, too," she tells him.

"It's good to be back here," Anakin admits.

"It's good to have you back," Ahsoka assures.

Things... could have been a lot worse, Obi-Wan knows. At least Anakin is back. That doesn't entirely stop his fear of what if something like this happens again, and Anakin isn't able to escape from it on his own.

This is Anakin, though. He knows he shouldn't be... thinking like this because it's not the Jedi way, but he can't believe there's anything that could take them apart forever. He's certain their paths will always lead back to each other's. (At least, that's what he wants to believe.)

**w**

Ahsoka is a bit surprised when Anakin asks to talk to her. They haven't in... a while. "I think I'm starting to understand why you do everything you have been," he tells her the moment they're alone.

"About... what?" she queries.

"The Jedi. Everything," he replies, "If I hadn't fought as hard as I did to get out, no one would have come for us. We were left there. We were padawans. We're the Council's responsibility, and I... can't blame them for it, of course, but I guess it just feels like... they should have been able to do something about it."

Ahsoka nods. That's not what she was expecting, but with how shaken he was, it's no surprise. She's still shaken up from what happened – she never thought something like that would happen to Anakin. He's back, at least, but she knows how easily it could happen again, and how easily he could be lost in the war, if these negotiations don't reach some kind of conclusion soon. "Yes, they should have. We all should have, but so many losses are being attributed to the war. It's often hard to say what truly is."

"I want to do more," Anakin admits.

"I'll let you know if there's anything you can help with," Ahsoka promises, because she knows she can't get him directly involved. Not when Obi-Wan will instantly object. "For now, just keep doing what you can."

**w**

Anakin goes to see Cody as soon as he has the chance. Ahsoka is definitely right about the clones being worried about him, and their concern is touching. It's difficult to see even with his own master whether he's concerned or not, or if he's just afraid Anakin will mess up something else.

"We were searching for you everywhere," Cody tells him, his relief visible.

"I should have seen that Trandoshan coming," Anakin replies. They shouldn't have had to spend so long searching for him. He should have been better than that – though at least some good came of it in the end.

"You were focused on the battle. You had no reason to anticipate that," Cody points out, "And you were protecting the boys. They succeeded thanks to your efforts."

He can't help the shy smile that tugs at his lips. "It had little to do with me. I was captured almost at the start."

"Even so," Cody insists, then frowns, "What did they want with you?"

"They were hunting us," he intones, trying not to remember the sheer helplnesses of that moment when he'd woken up in a cage. "For sport."

"For sport?" Cody repeats, a distinct note of anger in his voice, "That was all they wanted of you?"

He nods. "I believe they see it as... an honor to kill a Jedi."

"How did you get out?"

"We took a ship, and blew up their base before they could pursue us."

"If you hadn't, I think all the boys would have liked to go there and deal with them," Cody replies firmly.

He wishes they would. "There are likely more," Anakin points out grimly, "We may have damaged their base, but I doubt they were all there. They'll just find someplace else, and keep doing the same thing."

"They won't come near you again," Cody promises, and Anakin almost wishes he could believe it. It's not himself he's worried for, though. It's all the other people who could be hurt by them with no way of escape.

It's something the Jedi should be dealing with. But that definitely won't happen until the war is over.

**w**

It hasn't been long since what happened with the Trandoshans that Anakin runs into the three now-padawans again. They're dressed as padawans, the braids all of them had there far more visible when they don't look like they've been climbing through brush and trees and mud for months.

"Hey, Anakin!" Jinx calls.

It's rare that any padawans, except Barriss so far, every pay him much attention unless it's to fan over his abilities or make it known how jealous they are of him, so it's... surprising.

"I wasn't sure we'd run into you again," O'mer adds.

"I didn't know you were the Chosen One," Kalifa contributes.

No, not that again.

"It was hardly relevant," he replies. "How are you... settling back in?"

"We're padawans again," Jinx replies, surprisingly eagerly, "I never thought we would be back here again."

"None of us did," O'mer agrees, "We wouldn't be if not for you."

"Thank you," Kalifa chimes in. "You reminded us of what we shouldn't have forgotten."

He can only nod – hardly sure what to say to their thanks. What else could he have done? And he rarely encounters people who are genuinely grateful – he never quite knows how to react when he does hear it. "I was doing what I thought was right."

"I'll be leaving for the fronts soon," Kalifa says.

"Who are your masters?" Anakin inquiries.

He doesn't really recognize the names of Jinx and O'mer's. The names are familiar, but they're no one he's ever met before.

"My master was killed," Kalifa replies, and he can see a touch of sorrow there, but he doesn't understand how she seems so... accepting of it. Maybe they never knew each other long. Or maybe it's that she already came to terms with the fact that she would never see her master again. "My new one is Master Ferus Olin."

Oh. Oh. "I know him, a little. Mainly it's Ahsoka who does," he tells her. They work together frequently, recently, which is... a little strange only because he thought they didn't used to get along very well, but things like that change with age sometimes.

"We might see each other again, then," Jinx says.

"Perhaps," Kalifa agrees, "May the Force be with you."

"And with you." He knows this experience is going to stay with him – all of them – for a long time, and now, he's really beginning to see what Ahsoka was saying. He can't help but wonder if that's true for all four of them. They've all been shaken by this, and the knowledge of how on their own they truly are; it's not something they can forget.

Especially not when everyone hears that the peace negotiations have completely collapsed.

Ahsoka is more than a little furious about that, and Anakin doesn't know what to think. Their mission to Raxus had been accomplishing something, and now they're back to fighting for the indefinite future.

Obi-Wan certainly isn't any happier about it. They all had hoped there would be... some chances of ending the war sooner, but somehow, Anakin has the distinct feeling that everything has just begun, and somehow – he hopes he's wrong more desperately than he has hoped for anything in his entire life – that it's only going to continue getting worse from here.

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