Chapter 25

Obi-Wan woke up with a start.

His brain was oddly sluggish and his limbs were unusually heavy.

Have I been drinking with Quinlin again?

No, that wasn't it. Waking up after an all-nighter with Quin was its' own particular kind of hell. This feels different.

And, who keeps poking me?

Someone was Force shoving him awake. There was only one Jedi who had a habit of waking him up so rudely.

"Anakin!" The word came out more as a pained groan than his usual firm admonishment.

"Easy, Master, you've been asleep a while." A straw was shoved between his lips, none too gently. "Come on, Obi-Wan, drink something. It's not tea, but you've got to be parched."

He drank, but only because Anakin was hovering over him, basically shoving the straw halfway down his trachea.

Oh, I was parched.

"Thank you, Anakin. That was helpful."

His nose tickled with wildly dueling scents. Lavender. Bergamot. Hyssop. Alderblack Pepper Fruit. He was sure these scents were meant to be soothing. He'd always found them simultaneously soothing and irritating. He knew of only one place in the known galaxy which bombarded the olfactory senses in this manner. "Why are we in the Halls of Healing?" He wrinkled his nose again, trying to find a way to breathe that was less… peppery. It always took days for him to get the Halls out of his olfactory senses. "What have we done to ourselves this time? Did we crash again?"

He loved his padawan, (former padawan, he reminded himself), but he was terrifying behind the controls of any vehicle.

"No." Anakin took the empty pouch back from Obi-Wan and used just enough Force push to send it across the room into a flash bin. "We didn't crash." His eyes took on an unreadable expression. It worried Obi-Wan the way his former padawan could disappear into his own mind. "This one wasn't my fault," Anakin added softly, but almost too softly, his tone held a warning.

Obi-Wan frowned as he tried to pull together the clues of what had happened to them. His head still felt cottony and thick, the way it did after a prolonged Force healing session. "I can't seem to recall anything." While his memories would probably return on their own, he hoped the prompt might draw Anakin out. More and more, Anakin was distant to him these days. He'd always been rebellious when he was younger, but now that rebellion had morphed into something moody and dark. Was it the war? This awful war where they had to order men to their deaths and still call themselves 'Jedi?'

Clone Wars or not, he would always feel an obligation toward Anakin. They'd thrown together by circumstance and he always tried to do right by him. He was not as good a Master as Qui Gon would have been. His Master was patient and kind, but also rebellious with the right streak of spontaneity. He would've been the perfect Master to Anakin. But, he was dead and Anakin had been stuck with Obi-Wan as a Master. He'd try to do right by Anakin. He hoped he'd been a good Master and passed on the wisdom of Qui Gon's. But,when he sensed this disquiet in Anakin, this darkness, he was consumed with a sense of dread. He was failing Anakin. A divide was growing between them and he didn't know how to fix it.

The galaxy was changing. Obi-Wan could feel it all around him. A sense of disquiet. Or, as Qui Gon once so colloquially said to him, "a sense of not rightness."

Qui Gon would know what to do right now. Obi-Wan had no idea.

Anakin had been born and raised during a troubled time. So, had Ahsoka. And, the clones. They were all so extraordinary. Such shining bright lights in the Force. But, out of all of them, Obi-Wan was most worried about Anakin. He'd never outgrown his wild mood swings. He was good at covering them up, at times, but Obi-Wan could always sense the disquiet in him.

"Kaz'haria," Anakin continued to stare out the large window, his back turned on his Master."It was a terrible battle, Master. We were captured and experimented on. They experimented on you. On me. On Ahsoka. They tortured our men. I heard them screaming and could do nothing to help them." A cold surge of darkness surrounded and crackled about him. Obi-Wan sent a surge of soothing energy toward Anakin. His former padawan struggled, fighting the comfort at first, like swimming against a tide. Why did he fight him? When had they lost the trust between them? Obi-Wan continued to gently prod, offering such a soothing, light touch. But, then he accepted the relief that was offered, and tamped down his surge of anger. "Forgive me, Master. It was… a very difficult time."

"There's nothing to forgive, Anakin," Obi-Wan said automatically, although since he couldn't remember what happened, he didn't know if that was true or not.

"You went down fighting," Anakin said, still staring out the window. He turned around after a long moment, looking completely composed again. "Healers said you'll make a full recovery."

"I wish I could recall more of it," Obi-Wan said. He had no idea how long he'd been in the Healing Halls. He carefully slid his legs off the edge of the bunk, looking for his customary robes, boots, and gauntlets so he could dress. Were all those items lost in the battle? He needed his belt with his comlink so he could ask Commander Cody for an update.

Oh by the Force! Cody! His Commander's name brought on a torrential flood of twisted and jumbled memories. He nearly vomited as he tried to make sense of it all.

"The minefield! Cody is in trouble! The men are walking into a trap!" Obi-Wan shot to his feet with the intense urgency of rescuing his battalion from a terrible fate. Anakin made a grab for him before his weakened muscles gave out.

"Master, all of that happened months ago," Anakin said gently, easing Obi-Wan into his bunk. "We were imprisoned for a long time."

"Cody- is he alive? What happened to the men?"

"I don't know. I awoke just before you." He tilted his head to the side. "Ahsoka is alive, though. I can feel her through our bond."

He closed his eyes and reached for Cody. He wasn't supposed to share such a strong bond with someone who was not another Jedi, but he'd worked so closely with Cody he could feel him now. The warm sunshine that was Cody radiated as strongly as ever. "Cody is alive." Obi-Wan closed his eyes again, needing to feel the reassurance of Cody's warmth. "And, he's nearby." If Cody was alive, it was possible other men from his battalion were still alive, too. Maybe all was not lost.

"I'm glad for you, Obi-Wan." Anakin's words for sincere, but there was an undercurrent of sadness to them. He hadn't been the same since losing his steadfast Captain, and Obi-Wan knew there was a part of him that blamed himself for not doing more to somehow save him. Anakin was especially good at wallowing in guilt, blaming himself, for events clearly outside his control. It was as if he wanted to control everything to keep bad things from happening.

I need to spend more time with him. War or not, he needs my guidance. He may not be my padawan, but he is still my brother. He needs to know he can always come to me. Even when he is angry, he can always come to me. No, he needs to know he can come to me especially when he is angry.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan began, not knowing the right words to say, but feeling it was important he say something, "I hope you know that you can always-"

He never had a chance to finish his heartfelt offering of assistance to his (former) padawan. (Gah. Maybe it was Obi-Wan who was having difficulties letting go?) Two padawan healers came in bearing heaping trays of food, each with a datapad resting on the corner.

Obi-Wan recognized one of the padawans as the promising young healer known as Maleena. He'd been in here often enough that he'd gotten to know most of Master Che's trainees.

"Master Windu asked that you read these debriefing materials before he arrives," Maleena set a tray down by Obi-Wan's beside before running her hands lightly over his frame. She nodded with satisfaction. "You have healed very well. He'll be along shortly to speak with you."

"Thank you for restoring me to health, Maleena."

"You are most welcome, Master. But, do try not to come back here again so soon." She gave a polite bow and retreated from the room.

Obi-Wan made short work of the food on his tray. He was famished, and to his delight, there was a little pot of perfectly brewed Sapir tea. His favorite. Perhaps he had been in here too many times. He sipped it slowly while reading through the update on the datapad.

Cody had rescued him.

Unbelievable. Of course he had. His incredibly loyal commander.

He was supposed to be recovering at Ord Cestus.

His glow of contentment from the hot tea and food in his belly was shattered as he skimmed through page three of the lengthy briefing. Mace's briefing documents were never short and to the point.

Wait- what?! 'Commander Cody has been confined to the RMB and is awaiting trial and sentencing for-'

"Rex is alive?!" Anakin was sitting back on his bunk, knees to his chest, reading his datapad. Obi-Wan was reluctant to look away from his own datapad, but this was the type of shout from Anakin that couldn't be ignored. It was more of a strained wheeze, the type that usually preceded a meltdown. Anakin was pale and shaking, gripping the datapad so hard the plastene gave an audible crack.

"Calm down, Anakin." The soothing words came to him automatically. He knew from experience he needed to talk Anakin down, and keep talking so he didn't spiral. "This is good news, right? Your good Captain must have your talent for defying impossible odds."

Anakin stared at Obi-Wan with wide-eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but seemed unable to marshal the right words.

"Breathe, Anakin, breathe. Inhale. Exhale. We'll figure this out. Alright?"

"Figure- this- out, Obi-Wan?"

Ah, there it was, the biting sarcasm. It was better, though, then when he was in that speechless state. He was a lot more prone to fits of rage when he was shocked to the point of not speaking. Obi-Wan had found through the years it was better to let Anakin take out his anger on him rather than someone else.

"Yes, I'm sure there's a perfectly logical explanation."

"The doctors said there was no hope for Rex, yet he was the one who rescued us!"

Obi-Wan glanced down at his datapad. "Cody helped as well-"

The glare Anakin shot him made it clear the role of his commander in their rescue was not the point. "I sent him off to die! Now, he's back. He must hate me."

Regret and pain surged off Anakin.

"You didn't send him off to die. Rex could never hate you."

His words had no effect. Dark pain, anger and self-loathing roiled off Anakin in such violent waves Obi-Wan felt as if he'd be swept away by it. "Rex was my responsibility." His possessiveness of the Captain was almost disturbing. "I should have been monitoring his medical care every step of the way. He was badly injured, and couldn't fend for himself. This is my fault. If he doesn't hate me, he should."

The eddies of the Force swirled around Anakin. When had that started? Light and dark clashing around him like the violent storms on Kamino, the miserable planet that happened to be the birthplace of the clones.

"None of us knew what was going to happen. Leaving the men for medical treatment is standard protocol." OK, now that I say it that way, I do realize that perhaps there does need to be more oversight of what is happening to the men. Do we even know what happens to them at these medical centers? But, now is not the time to point that out to Anakin. "We thought he'd be treated and come back. Anakin, you did nothing wrong." He sent waves of calming energy and part of him worried his brother would reject the gesture. Things were strained between them sometimes these days, and Obi-Wan wasn't sure why. He didn't know where he'd gone wrong, or how to bridge the divide growing between them. But, this time, Anakin embraced the warmth and comfort Obi-Wan sent across their bond. In just this moment, everything was okay between them again. He looked at him with wide eyes, so lost and unsure, like he had when he was a young boy and still thought Obi-Wan was everything.

When had that changed? When had I failed him in that role and lost that trust?

I need to earn that trust again. He needs me-

Their conversation was interrupted by Mace Windu, his robes swirling behind him with the force of his steps.

And, maybe that was the problem. Something was always coming between him and Anakin these days. There was always something taking precedence. Something more timely and more important than working on their relationship. He sent one final burst of strength and comfort toward Anakin and turned his attention to Mace.

From the beginning, Mace had not looked up Anakin favorably. Obi-Wan had tried over the years to turn Anakin into the type of Jedi that Mace wanted him to be. The perfect Jedi. But, Anakin was- and could only ever be- Anakin.

Vokara followed with quickened steps, as if not quite able to keep up with the vortex which was Mace Windu.

"Obi-Wan, it is good to see you alive." He flicked his gaze across the room. "Anakin, you, too." It was not lost on Obi-Wan that there was slightly less warmth in Mace's tone when he spoke to Anakin. He hoped his former padawan didn't pick up on the difference. "Vokara says you will make a full recovery."

Vokara nodded, tight-lipped, as if she wanted to say more to them. She usually liked to give a detailed rundown of their injuries and a stern lecture of what they needed to do in order to recover. But, she held her tongue and let Mace speak.

"I assume you've read the briefing materials," he gestured to the datapads.

"Most of it, yes," Obi-Wan decided it was best if he spoke for both of them. "We were just… discussing the contents. What can you tell me about my men from the 212th? Commander Cody, specifically? Last I heard from him, he was walking into a minefield."

"The warning you gave to your commander spared the battalion from walking directly into a trap, but they still hit the edge of the minefield. Commander Cody was badly injured, along with many other troopers. We made special accommodations for his care, without which, he would not have survived. The Kaminoans deemed his case terminal."

Terminal? Like what happened to Rex? Obi-Wan's mind whirled taking in all this new information. Why did it take special arrangements for a trooper to get the best medical care possible? And, why did Mace sound bitter as he was relaying this information?

"Where is he-"

"Your commander took it upon himself to go AWOL and take a number of men from both the 501st and the 212th with him." Mace's tone implied Obi-Wan was responsible for inspiring this free-thinking behavior. Obi-Wan was so very proud of Cody, and would have to tell him so at the earliest opportunity.

"Well, yes, I read that, but he was coming to rescue-"

"He sabotaged the medical station and stole a shuttle."

"Well, yes, I did read that, but sabotaged is a strong word to describe Cody's actions. It was… creative thinking. Take into account these were extenuating circumstances and-"

He was interrupted by Anakin. Obi-Wan was surprised Anakin had lasted this long without interrupting. "What about Rex?" He waved the datapad. "This report says he's alive?! How is that possible?!"

"Yes, well, he claims his ship crashed."

"And, you don't believe him." Anakin's tone was icy.

Obi-Wan was about to start in with a 'calm down, Anakin,' but Mace cut in.

"Oh, I think that part of the story is true, at least. There are other parts of his narrative that are in doubt. He's holding something back. I can sense it. I don't know what or why. But, it's all highly suspect."

"Are you accusing him of being a spy?" The Force flashed angrily around Anakin. "There's never been a more loyal clone captain than Rex. I can't believe you would accuse him of spying!"

"Yes, well, he did not take to questioning very well. It is clear to see why with the sort of example you are setting for him, Skywalker."

"He reacted because you accused him of being a spy! It's an outrage! Where is he? I want to see him. Now."

There was nothing humble about Anakin. He cared nothing for Mace Windu's rank. He was lost in the moment, and his anger.

To Mace's credit, he held his own anger in check and responded calmly. "That's not possible."

Anakin's eyes narrowed as they did when he didn't want to be told no. "What do you mean? Where is my Captain?"

"He's been locked up for contempt of Council. He's being detained at the RMB, sharing a cell with Commander Cody."

Contempt of Council? That didn't sound like the Captain Rex he knew, at all. It would explain Mace's clipped attitude when speaking of the 501st Captain. That must have been some Council meeting. He was sorry he missed it.

"They are both safe. Their guard has been doubled since the assassination attempt-"

"The what?!" Obi-Wan sat up so quickly he nearly toppled the tray containing his precious tea. Vokara shot out a hand and steadied the pot.

"It's on page four of the briefing," Anakin commented blandly. He swiped a hand down his datapad, then sent it across the room to Obi-Wan, the relevant passages highlighted. "You'll noticed the assassins tried to blow up the RMB, along with Cody."

"You're making too much of it, Skywalker. The attempt was not successful. The Coruscant Guard handled the matter."

"I'm not sure handled is the right word. Obi-Wan, did you get to the part of the report where the Guard shot Cody."

"An accident. Skywalker, stop antagonizing Obi-Wan. It is behavior unfitting a Jedi."

Oh, dear. Now he's done it.

"The assassins stabbed him, and then the Guard shot him." Alright, perhaps Mace had a point. Anakin was deliberately trying to rile him up. It was working splendidly. Obi-Wan clenched the cracked datapad, reading the summary of events as quickly as possible. None of it sounded right, at all. What had happened during the time he'd been unconscious? It was as if the Republic he knew, and all the norms he relied upon, had been flipped around.

"I've never seen the clones shoot their own by accident." Anakin was laying it on thick.

"I don't like your tone, Skywalker."

"Oh for Force's sake, Mace, you've never liked Anakin's tone."

Anakin shot him a jolt of both shock and pleasure at the support.

Do I support him so little that such a simple show of-

Never mind. Not the time.

"I have to agree with Anakin on this one. This was not handled properly, at all." Obi-Wan pushed to his feet, pleased to see how much stronger he was now that he'd eaten. "Come on, Anakin, we're leaving." He glanced down at the thin gown he was wearing. Well, he'd paraded around in worse.

Vokara intercepted with a gentle grip on his arm. OK, a gentle grip with the deceptive strength of a Jedi. He would not have been able to break free if tried. The Head Healer had years of practice at corralling recalcitrant Jedi. "You have not been cleared to leave."

"Oh, I think we have," Anakin said, his voice showing his delight in the whole matter. A bit of conflict. Some controversy. Things getting blown up. This was all Anakin's style.

Mace shook his head. "Let them go."

Master Che heaved out a sigh, as if all these irregularities were throwing her off, too. "Very well," she nodded to Maleena, standing behind her and watching the proceedings with interest. "Bring them clothes." She gave Obi-Wan a long-suffering look, as if he would be the death of her, and left in a dignified swirl of robes. (Even Obi-Wan could not get his robes to fall about him in such a dramatic fashion. Vokara truly was a Master at all she did.)

# # #

While getting to his feet was getting easier, walking proved to be a challenge. All his muscles teamed up to scream at him. All his muscles were stiff and painful, and he suspected he may also have experienced some muscle atrophy.

Anakin, with the advantage of youth, was faring better. He glued himself to Obi-Wan's side, offering a stabilizing arm, as Obi-Wan found his footing. There was a gentle side to Anakin, one he rarely let his guard down enough for others to see. It gave Obi-Wan great pride as he strived so hard during Anakin's training to nurture him in all the ways of the Jedi. His former padawan could be so quick to anger sometimes. But, underneath it all, he was a good and kind Jedi.

Some of that could be Padme's influence, too.

His 'special' friend.

At some point, I need to talk to Anakin about his 'special' friends.

I've neglected him so much with this war.

Both he and Anakin were dressed in fresh clean robes and despite his stiff muscles, he felt almost normal again. With a bit of meditation, he would be good as new. Now he just needed his commander back.

He'd grown close to Cody over the past three years. Maybe too close. (But, he wasn't going to overanalyze those feelings. If they shared a special closeness, well, then, it just helped them work together better as a team. There. Nothing about that violated the Jedi code.)

The boots he was wearing pinched his feet as he walked. They were new boots, made of supple synthetic leather, like his old boots. But, they weren't his old shoes and didn't feel right. Everything about the situation seemed off, as he was trying to step back into his role of being a Jedi, but couldn't find his footing.

Maybe once his memories fully returned, he'd be back to himself. The prompt of Cody's names had brought back a powerful flash of the overwhelming battle they'd been fighting in and things not going well, at all. What happened afterwards, though, was still fuzzy. He couldn't remember what had happened to them while they'd been imprisoned. Since they'd been there for some time, he was missing a good chunk of memories. Why was his mind blocking so much out? What had happened to him?

There was more.

The Force was whispering and prodding and swirling restlessly about him, as if change was coming. So much had already changed, upsetting the calm nature of all he knew. What else could happen?

He didn't have time to delve into the feelings any further.

The padawan who had brought them clothes had downloaded new info onto their datapad. Discharge orders and a summary of their treatment.

He would read all of it later when he was ready to find out the extent of how much he'd been damaged. For now, he was simply thrilled to be out of the Halls of Healing.

While he was grateful for Anakin lending him a strong arm to lean on, he wished he'd slow his pace a little.

Obi Wan sighed. Anakin. Always in a hurry to get somewhere. As they walked through the Temple, the Force swirled restlessly. It was not the usual calm centering place Obi-Wan had come to rely upon. Change seemed to be in the wind.

# # #

Obi-Wan and Anakin followed Commander Fox and his silent squad of shock troopers through the seemingly endless corridors.

Shock troopers, Obi-Wan mused as they walked, taking in the bland interior of the RMB. Who thought of that name anyway? Who were they meant to 'shock'?

"This place sure is... sizable," Anakin muttered next to him, struggling for a better word to take in the sheer scope of the RMB.

"Ghastly is more like it," Obi-Wan muttered. The building had sprung up almost overnight. But, the place didn't make sense. Why did Coruscant need such a sizable military outpost when most of the GAR was off fighting in the mid and Outer Rim? And, why was such a large portion of the RMB devoted to being a prison? Who were they planning on locking up in here? And, most importantly, how had Cody and Rex ended up in such a place?

Fox put up a hand to halt their progress and pointed to a cell a few meters away. "This is the cell. I'll give you a bit of privacy. We'll be right here if you need us, Generals." He gave his guards a signal to step back and flank the corridor.

Obi-Wan and Anakin nodded. They proceeded toward the cell.

Voices greeted them from the interior. There were clones in there alright, and they were discussing... armor upgrades. As he took a step closer, he could make out the distinctive cadence of Cody's voice and the slightly deeper tones of Captain Rex. Both Anakin and Obi-Wan halted, and listened for a moment.

"I'm not opposed to the idea of armor upgrades," Cody was saying. "There have been rumors of a redesign for a long time. If the new design can bring more boys home alive, I'm all for it."

"I agree with you, Codes. But, I've grown attached to my current kit. It's like my second skin."

Anakin's eyes widened at the sound of the Captain's voice. Waves of emotion washed over Anakin, so furiously they swirled in and around Obi Wan. Warring emotions. Joy. Guilt. Relief. Frustration. Like before, the emotions swirled and then vanished, as if Anakin was keeping a tight lid on himself.

"Captain, why aren't you at your post?" Anakin said, stepping forward into the line of sight of the two clones, a slightly teasing tone to his voice. From down the corridor, Fox remotely deactivated the force shield so the Jedi could enter.

"My commander appears to be slacking off, as well," Obi-Wan said, leaning against the wall outside the cell, and stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"Sir!" Both clones immediately rose to their feet and stood at attention, Cody struggling slightly as he did so. Rex reached over and helped tug Cody up to his feet so he could stand fully at attention.

"General, sir," Rex started, "I can explain-"

But, he didn't get a chance to get any further.

"Rex!" Anakin said, coming forward to clasp Rex in a brotherly embrace. He drew back and studied the blonde-haired clone. "It's really you! I can't believe you are alive!"

"Eh..." the good Captain was caught speechless by the unexpected show of affection from his General. His voice muffled from where he was pulled tight into Anakin's shoulder. He gave Cody a helpless look, and then awkwardly patted Anakin's back. "There, there, General. It's alright."

Obi-Wan turned his attention away from the awkward man hug and focus on Cody. "At ease, Commander. I heard you were injured this morning."

Cody relaxed and sat back down on his bunk. He didn't usually sit in Obi-Wan's presence unless they were all seated. This was a sure sign he was injured. "I'm alright, sir. Just a bit of excitement. A scuffle with a few bounty hunters, and a bit of confusion with Fox's men." Cody's lips twitched with amusement. He raised his voice. "Fox shot me, you know."

"Fek, Cody, how many times do you want me to apologize for that?" Fox called out from the corridor.

Cody chuckled. Obi-Wan had missed that sound. Clones had an odd sort of chortle when they weren't fully laughing. It was most… endearing. "I won't let him forget it," he whispered quietly to Obi-Wan, mischief sparkling in his eyes.

"Well, you do seem alright, then, if you came through it with your sense of humor intact. I'm glad you're in one piece." He gestured to Cody's bunk. "Do you mind if I sit?"

Cody shifted slightly to make room. "It's good to see you, General. You were in rough shape when we pulled you out of Darkknell."

"Yes, well, I understand I have you to thank for saving my life."

"Oh, it wasn't just me, sir. Several of the boys from the 212th were with me, along with Rex, and some of his boys. We did it together."

"Well, it can't have been easy. You located us when everyone else in the Republic failed to find us. Some of my memories are still a bit hazy, but I do remember…" he cleared his throat as emotion threatened to overwhelm him, "thinking at one point we'd been forgotten."

"I could never forget you, General."

A moment passed between them, then, and Obi-Wan wasn't sure what to make of it. He cleared his throat again, trying to dispel the lump in his throat. "Sorry, Commander, I'm not normally so emotional. I also understand you are here now because of what you did."

Cody took his time before responding as if considering his words carefully. "Yes. But, I don't regret what we did." He paused, thinking it over. Obi-Wan had always had a good relationship with Cody and encouraged him to be honest with him. They'd spent many nights talking strategies around campfires and during this time had developed a strong working relationship. It had served them well. "Well, maybe, I do. A bit. I ended up locked up in here and away from the 212th. But, it still had to be done. I violated many regs to do so. It's why I am locked up now." He blew out a long breath. "I'll likely be court-martialed for it."

"You deserve a medal, not a court-martial."

"I was only doing my duty to protect you and the men of the 212th. If I have to die for that, so be it."

Anger bloomed up inside of Obi-Wan at the thought of his clone commander being put to death for saving him. "You are not going to die, Cody. Not while I am around."

"I'm not sure you can't get me out of this one, General. But, it's alright. You're safe. I've secured amnesty for the men."

He doesn't believe me when I say I will help him. Something has happened to him.

There was a time when Cody used to follow him, and believe in him, with a blind faith and obedience which seemed central and ingrained to all clones. But, then, their roles had been reversed and instead of the Jedi rushing in to save the day, the clones had banded together to mount a spectacular rescue.

And, now they were being punished for it.

"I will get you out of here," Obi-Wan vowed.

"If you say so, General."

It was a polite, careful response.

Once he did get Cody out of here, they were going to need to spend a bit of time together and reach a new understanding. He glanced over at Anakin, who was also finishing up his conversation with his clone captain.

"I need to talk with the Chancellor. This is unacceptable." Anakin stalked out of the cell, his Force signature in chaos again.

Obi-Wan sighed. "I best go after him."

"Of course, sir. We're not going anywhere."

Obi-Wan didn't know why that statement stung so much, but it did. He stood up, giving Cody's shoulder a gentle squeeze and followed Anakin from the cell.

# # #