Disclaimer: not mine

Chapter 10

She studied the casualty reports thoroughly to ensure they were prepared once they returned. The timing…the battle of Geonosis had rippled through the Force as Jedi died in numbers for the first time in centuries. That had been what had snapped young Sora from his coma and that would need to be considered. They had already worked to ease the pain of a severed bond while he was in the coma, now they may need to sooth this trauma as well.

There would be many in need of the Mind Healers help after this, many young Padawans who would now be Masterless after the battle. Of the survivors, Skywalker was the worst having lost an arm and been subjected to Force Lightning. His Master had suffered lightsabre burns to both leg and arm but they had not been too deep thankfully.

She brought up the reports on the clone troopers and frowned at the number of deaths and injuries. The Temple did not have the resources to handle such numbers, hopefully the ship medical bays could once relieved of the non-trooper wounded. They had their own medics at least which was good.

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He sat beside his sleeping Padawan, the sting of his own wounds slowly fading. The senator had been right to make him see a medic earlier. Anakin was very pale, dark circles under his eyes, he looked…small in a way he hadn't in years. It was Obi-Wan's curse to be the shortest of their lineage…well, of the human members anyway, no one was shorter than Master Yoda.

How would Anakin deal with the mutilation long term? He'd been in shock; exhausted and in agony for the short while he was conscious and the senator had stayed close. He had seen the looks pass between the two but he would say nothing. With the mission to protect her now over it was unlikely the two would ever meet again, let them have a brief moment of happiness together. She was a smart young woman; she knew relationships were forbidden for Jedi. Short affairs were allowed though, they weren't forced to be celibate though many chose to be.

Anakin began to stir restlessly and Obi-Wan reached out to sooth him back to sleep, the more sleep he got the better for healing. The surgeons had done excellent work but he would need further surgery to prepare his arm for the prosthetic. And he knew Ani, he'd be upgrading that thing as far as possible.

"Masters," he murmured, sensing them enter the room.

"How are you both?" Mace asked.

"My wounds are inconsequential. The surgeon said Anakin came through well, he'll need another surgery in the Temple to be fitted for the prosthetic limb. The longer he sleeps the better too."

"Well, you did," Master Yoda took a seat. He shook his head sadly. "Fallen far my old Padawan has."

"With Dooku on the loose, we can assume the Separatists will declare a full out war," Mace grimaced, and Obi-Wan nodded. "Your Padawan was ordered to remain on Naboo but Senator Amidala is claiming the rescue was her idea and as he was assigned to protect her, he had to go along."

"I wouldn't be surprised," he admitted. "She was very strong willed during the blockade and not afraid to place herself in danger. How…how many did we lose Masters?"

"Too many, far too many," Yoda drooped and Obi-Wan bowed his head in grief.

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"The Force is with us, Master Sidious," he announced as he approached to offer the plans.

"Welcome home, Lord Tyranus. You have done well."

"I bring you good news, my Lord. The war has begun," he smirked. The Jedi had played right into their hands by bringing in the clones.

"Excellent," Sidious smiled. "Everything is going as planned."

And with that he was dismissed. He set course for Serenno; it was time to check up on his youngest apprentice. The bond was stretched with the distance between them but he had sensed a surge in the Dark Side a few days ago. Hopefully the boy was finally beginning to see sense.

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Sora sat on the bed, staring at the floor. His Master…it hurt so much. They had soothed the broken bond while he was in a coma but it still hurt. The Mind Healer had just left but he just felt…hollow. There were holes in the Light where there should be shining beacons, too many holes. But no one would tell him what was going on. Had other Jedi been led into traps like them?

He lay back down, curling up in a ball. What would happen to him now? His Master was dead. Would he be sent to a service corps or would someone else take over his training? He took a shaky breath and reached for the comfort of the Force, trying to slip into meditation. It was hard, his thoughts racing, but eventually he sank into the welcoming embrace of the Light.

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Obi-Wan leant against the window frame, staring out at where the ships were hovering in the distance, loading up troops and supplies. "Do you believe what Count Dooku said about Sidious controlling the Senate? It doesn't feel right," he murmured. He didn't want to believe it, surely, they would have sensed something.

"Become unreliable, Dooku has. Joined the Darkside. Lies, deceit, creating mistrust are his ways now," Master Yoda sighed from his seat.

"Nevertheless, I feel we should keep a closer eye on the Senate," Mace leant back in his own chair.

Being alone in the Council Chamber with two Masters was strange but everything was strange now.

"I agree," Master Yoda nodded.

"Where is your apprentice?" Mace asked and Obi-Wan looked away from the window.

"On his way to Naboo. He is escorting Senator Amidala home," he explained, it would let them part in privacy and Anakin could use the extra time to help his recovery. "I have to admit, without the clones, it would not have been a victory."

"Victory? Victory, you say?" Master Yoda was staring at him. "Master Obi-Wan, not victory. The shroud of the Darkside has fallen. Begun, this Clone War has!"

Oh. A war? It was his fault, if he hadn't been caught…no, this was what Dooku wanted, he would have found another way to force the war to start. He remembered war and he never wanted to go through another one but now it seemed he would.

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Anakin watched as Padme walked towards him, a vision in white lace. She was so beautiful and they were getting married! It all felt like a dream, one to replace the nightmare of the last few weeks. He carefully flexed metallic fingers, still feeling alien. He smiled and held his hand out to her and she smiled back, taking his hand to stand before the priest. Their only witnesses were Artoo and Threepio. He wished his mum, Obi-Wan, and Padme's family could be there but it just wasn't possible.

He barely remembered the vows, unable to take his eyes off her. They had a quiet dinner together and then she led him to her bedroom. He was so nervous when she turned her back to let him undo her gown, making sure to be very careful with his prosthetic. He never wanted to hurt her, even accidentally. She turned back around and pulled him down into a kiss, her hands sliding under his outer tunic.

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Riku knelt on the floor, breathing heavily, feeling dizzy.

"Very good," Master Dooku told him, petting his hair.

Everything felt strange, disconnected, he felt cold.

"Go look in the mirror," he said, and Riku obediently staggered to his feet, going to the fresher.

He stared at the image of his face, why had…he sucked in a breath, lifting a hand to touch under his eye. He shuddered and backed away, sliding down the wall, hugging his knees to his chest. He didn't like it but every time he got angry…the easier it was to get angry again and the harder it was to push away.

He wanted his Buir but…it was getting harder and harder to remember his face, his voice… if only he could get away but while he'd been taught to fly, he had no access to a ship. All he had to do was get to Manda'yaim, find the records, and find out who Buir wanted to take care of him. He knew he had set that up, Bounty Hunting was dangerous after all and he had wanted to make sure Riku would be cared for. But it would never happen, Master would never let him go and Buir was dead.

There was nothing for him but life with Master and making sure he was happy, when he was pleased there was less pain.

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Sora collapsed, exhausted. The bacta tank had helped his body remain healthy but his stamina had suffered. He was still under medical watch with limited outside contact but he knew things had gone very wrong. He looked up as the door opened and scrambled to his feet to bow.

"Master Yoda," he croaked before coughing. A bottle of water floated over and he carefully took it to drink.

"Peace, Padawan. Stress your body you should not."

"Yes Master." At the hand wave, Sora moved to sit on the floor.

Master Yoda sat opposite him in a meditation pose and Sora copied him, closing his eyes as the Master did. Seeing him hurt, he missed Master Yaddle, but he knew she was now one with the Force. Master Yoda reached out a 'hand' and Sora accepted, letting the Master lead him into a joint meditation.

They surfaced after an hour and Sora felt more at peace than he had since waking. "What is going to happen to me Master?" he asked softly.

"A choice to make you have. Another Master found for you can be if the path of a Knight is still what you see. If not, then help in finding your place given will be."

Did he still see himself becoming a Knight? Yes, the Force seemed to say that was the path, for now at least. "The Force says to stay, Master."

"Then a new Master, found will be." An aged hand reached out to pat his, and Sora smiled at him. He'd always been his favourite teacher as a Youngling.

"Master…what is happening? I felt the…holes in the Force, a lot of Jedi have died. No one will tell me anything."

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Yoda nodded; he was pleased that Sora still saw his path with the Jedi. He had a few Jedi in mind to take him on, though with the war beginning some were no longer suitable. And there was still time until the Healers would fully release him. He did not agree with keeping the war from him given it was what had snapped him out of his coma.

The child was well grounded now, there was no reason to keep the truth from him and so he began to explain.

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"By the right of the Council, by the will of the Force, Anakin Skywalker, you may rise."

He felt the slight burn from the lightsabre, catching his braid as it fell. He stood up and bowed to the Council before turning to his Master, seeing the smile on Obi-Wan's face. He smiled back and walked to him. "Master?" he held out the braid, and Obi-Wan gently took it.

"I am so proud of you Anakin," he murmured, his other hand clasping Anakin's shoulder. "And I do believe you can use my name, if you wish."

Anakin nodded, he did use his name when they were alone, it was only when around others that he had to call him Master. But Obi-Wan had sat him down the first time they'd returned to the Temple and talked to him about it, how it wasn't slavery and how he could keep calling him Obi-Wan, just not where other Jedi would hear or find out.

He pulled his brother into a hug and Obi-Wan chuckled as he hugged him back.

"Well, as tradition demands, there is a party at my place," Obi-Wan announced.

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Silas stared at the news in shock. War?! Well, at least Manda'yaim wasn't involved and wouldn't be with those pacifists in power. But the armour the clones was wearing had a definite look to it that had him wary. How had the Republic funded and made an army in secret? And who was the templet? Had one of their people signed up? That would explain the armour design.

He prayed his son was well away from the danger but whoever had taken him was powerful…and likely had training like the jetii or a darjetii according to the goran. So, the odds were, Riku was close to those in power of either the Jetii or the Separatists. Despite the issues between them, he did not believe it was a jetii who had done this, but an ex-jetii? And look at that, one Count Dooku led the Separatists. Which meant they had ex-jetii or even darjetii on their side. He had a target but it would not be easy to find one young man among so many forces and planets. But if Riku had been taken for his powers then he would surely be kept close to those in power.

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It was amusing to watch the Jedi scramble as they were placed in charge of the Grand Army. He pitied them for not seeing the trap they were walking into. He would be sending Ventress out to sow confusion and panic and continue training Riku in private. It seemed Padawans were being made Commanders, it was possible Riku could be useful there but he wasn't ready yet. He still wasn't consistently using the Dark Side and he was concerned the boy would simply run if he let him leave. It seemed it was time to take more…drastic methods with his training.

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Sora took a deep breath and walked into the classroom to take his seat. It felt strange to be back in classes, surrounded by other Padawans. He got some smiles and even looks of relief and he realised his statis probably hadn't been well known, they probably assumed him dead too when he hadn't been seen in the Temple. He still wore his braid with all his accomplishment beads and bands, his lightsabres in place, there was nothing to mark him as not having a Master.

With the war raging, it might take some time to find someone willing and able to take him on but he wasn't in a rush. He could attend his classes without missions getting in the way, catch up for the time missed, maybe even get ahead in a few classes. And he had to ease back into physical training which was a little frustrating at times but there was an instructor attached to the Healers for that reason, to help those who'd been out of action for a while get back to fighting fit. And with the war, he'd need to be in good form before starting missions with his new Master.

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Obi-Wan was glad that despite being Knighted, Anakin was still assigned with him. Being made a General was not something he was comfortable with but it was not the first time he'd held the rank, no matter how hard he tried to forget. Leading a rag tag army of children was very different to leading the troopers though. He had enjoyed their surprise as his grasp of guerrilla tactics though. And at least that war had lacked the never ending flimsiwork.

So, it was a relief when the door to his quarters chimed and he felt a presence behind it that was becoming more and more familiar as the months passed. "Come in Cody," he called out and his Commander entered.

"Sir," Cody nodded, removing his helmet, still some hesitation in the movement. It was one of the first things Obi-Wan had told him, if he was in Obi-Wan's quarters then buy'ce off.

That had also shocked the men, they hadn't expected any of the Jedi to know Mando'a but Obi-Wan had never forgotten the language he had spent a year on the run learning and speaking while trying to keep Satine alive. Her dislike of the language and refusal to wear any armour at all had not made the hiding easy at all so he had pushed himself to learn as quickly as possible and then had been the one to speak when they were around others.

Cody placed the datapads he had down and Obi-Wan nodded. More work, fun, but at least they had company to complete it with. It was good that Cody was beginning to feel comfortable enough to do so, he understood maintaining military discipline but when off duty he wanted the men able to at least relax a little around him. He was used to having Anakin at his side all the time, of being surrounded by fellow Jedi in the Temple. He needed others as much as he tried to deny it.

Soon they were working away, the occasional comment being tossed out and he even managed to make Cody laugh after a scathing tirade aimed at the supply office on Coruscant.

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Riku stared at the strange chair in the room Master Dooku had called him to, there was something…he wanted to run, but then a heavy hand landed on his shoulder, pushing him forward. No…no…he couldn't help it, beginning to struggle and then he felt his body relaxing, thoughts muffled…Master…

He didn't struggle as he was led to the chair and then strapped in so tightly, he couldn't struggle even as his mind cleared and his strength returned. "Master…please…" sometimes begging lessened a punishment and sometimes it made it worse.

"We have reached an impasse when it comes to your training Riku. You have resisted certain lessons and now you will learn them…or die."

Riku screamed as the pain hit him.

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Sora swayed on his feet, cup slipping from his hand even as he leant heavily against the counter. What? For a second his vision blurred and he saw a flash of silver, someone…someone screaming… and then it was gone.

He took a few deep breaths, reaching out to the Force, but it was quiet. He knelt and cleaned up the mess before moving to the couch. It was nice of the Masters to let him have his own place, not the rooms attached to what had been Master Yaddle's quarters but a small apartment in the Knights hall. A Padawan roomed with their Master but he had no Master and was now older than the Initiates, plus he had nightmares so putting him in the dorms didn't work. Here he had his own space but was surrounded by the rotating Knights so that he wasn't alone. Even with the war, there were always some Knights in Temple – teaching, healing, resting, scouting out a possible Padawan… and most were quite happy to keep an eye on him and even help him with classwork if he was stuck.

He opened his journal and noted down the strange occurrence for his Mind Healer. It hadn't felt like his visions usually did, more…now than possible future. He didn't have any Force bonds so he shouldn't be sensing anyone like that. He'd never bonded with his crechemates that deeply, unless…a family member? He knew that if his suspicions on his parentage were right then he still had family in the Consortium but he'd never felt anything from them before. Spontaneous Force bonds did happen occasionally but never without physically meeting each other and he couldn't think of anyone with that colour hair, it was way too unique for him to have forgotten.

So why had that happened?

TBC…