Disclaimer: not mine

If you like my SW fics then the new fic is SW crossover with DC, main character from DC is Tim Drake

Chapter 13

Obi-Wan gently wove the bond between them, feeling the slight hesitance on Sora's end, the gently healed end of the old bond to Master Yaddle. He understood his hesitancy and allowed Sora to take his time in reaching back. He was surprised by the immediate strength in the new bond, hearing Sora's soft gasp of surprise.

"Master," the boy whispered, eyes wide, and Obi-Wan smiled gently at him, reaching out to gently tug at his braid.

"Padawan," he returned kindly. He had done his best to raise Anakin differently to his own time with Qui-Gon, Sora was coming to him older, already a Senior Padawan, but he knew Master Yaddle would never have acted as distantly as Qui-Gon had often been.

When the boy shifted slightly, yearning, Obi-Wan opened his arms in offering, wrapping the teen up in a firm hug.

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Anakin moved, sabre flashing around him as he deflected the bolts from the training droids. He didn't do well with sitting to meditate, though he had gotten better over the years, but he preferred to do so while moving. He had a Padawan…and a Padawan-brother. It had been strange enough learning he had a stepbrother even only meeting that once. Academically, he'd known Obi-Wan would take another Padawan eventually, but it was different now that it had happened. And it was Sora, the boy they kept meeting. Was that the Force's way of ensuring he would come to one of them?

Ahsoka was…young, energetic…eager to prove herself. His old Master would probably say she was just like him and that this was the Force's way of giving payback for trying to make Obi-Wan go grey. But she did seem to move well with him. He hadn't wanted a Padawan ever but Obi-Wan was right, it was part of being a Jedi to train the next generation. And if he ever wanted to be a Master…

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Ahsoka nervously moved to the table where Sora was sitting, datapads spread up. He didn't look up but the other chair shifted out so she sat with her own rations, a quick glance showing he was studying for some class.

He finished something and then looked up at her. "How are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm good," she grinned, and he stared at her. Right…he'd seen battle before the war, had lost his Master in the fight. He knew what it was like. "It was…We've all seen the holos of the fighting, we've trained, but…"

"Being in the middle is different," he finished for her. "Waking up to find out we were at war…" he shook his head, eyes haunted.

"I'm sorry about Master Yaddle, I didn't really know her but the older Initiates talked about her. She was a good teacher."

"She was," Sora smiled and then slowly began telling her stories of his time with his first Master.

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Riku stared at his lightsabre, the blade now a brilliant red, the crystal within screaming in pain. It would make Master happy, right? But Buir…no, Buir was dead, killed by the Jedi. They had to pay for that and the war was the beginning. Master was gone again, some big weapon to destroy the GAR.

So why…why did part of him want to run…to stop him?

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He closed his eyes, leaning back in his chair, alone once more. The latest to attain the Mark of Mastery had just left to continue her journey through the Worlds. No matter what he had attempted, he could not reach the children. They would now be of the same age they had been when the Destiny Islands fell. He could feel the Darkness that had taken young Riku once more but this…this felt false, forced. He only hoped that once again, Sora could reach him. He was as sure as he could be that they were within the same Worlds, but the further out one travelled, the larger Worlds became until they were like universes contained within a World. That meant the two might never meet.

But he had done the only thing he could do to help ensure they would. Their Hearts had always been linked and so he had used an ancient spell to encourage that link further, deeper. He just hoped it would be enough to save them.

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Sora returned Ahsoka's wave goodbye as the gunship sealed up and then left the deck, heading for Master Skywalker's flagship. And now he and Master Kenobi were the only Jedi on board. So, what happened now?

And then two of the troopers approached and Sora watched them, not sure what they wanted.

"Commander, would you care to join us?"

"For what?" he asked, and he could feel their smiles under their helmets.

"Training exercises."

Sora considered it before nodding, curious. And if they were going to be fighting together then training alongside them made sense.

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Cody stood on the balcony, looking down at the men as they trained. And among them, was a shorter figure. He stared as one of the men simply picked the Padawan up and threw him across the room. The boy twisted in the air, flipping around to land lightly on his feet, lightsabers up and blocking training shots easily, deflecting them right back into the men who fired them.

"He's good," he murmured.

"He is," the General agreed as he stepped up beside him. "Shien, Form V, but more focused on deflecting blaster fire than the other variant, Djem So."

"General Skywalker's preferred form," Cody glanced at the General who nodded.

"Shien is one of the few forms that works well with the reverse grip which is how Sora wields his second blade. Master Yaddle has taught him well, despite it not being her preferred form. And it seems the men are accepting him swiftly."

"His fighting the way he did on Christophsis helped with that. He was a defensive wall in front of them and they appreciated it. Think he impressed a lot of them, don't think any of us had really seen a dual wielder before," Cody told him. He'd been impressed by the kid. He wasn't as flashy as Skywalker but he flowed in combat just the same. Given the General's antics, he had to wonder if it was his influence that had made Skywalker the way he was, in which case the kid would likely change a bit. "Did you need the Commander?"

"No, I was just wondering what he was up to given I could sense how much fun he's having." General Kenobi smiled as they heard the teen laugh as he was thrown into the air again.

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Quinlan looked at the alert Master Koon had sent him, curious. A missing Mandalorian child…. likely taken by Dooku or his mysterious master. Poor kid. But it would surely help Jedi/Mandalorian relations if the kid could be found and returned. The odds of that weren't very high though, not when it'd been almost a decade since the child was taken. If it was the Sith…he was likely completely under their thrall, his mind twisted until he served the Darkside.

It'd be best to keep it quiet and Master Koon seemed to agree so Quin only sent it on to a few very trusted fellow Shadows. If Obi-Wan wasn't so overwhelmed he'd send it to him but he had more than enough to deal with, even if he did know more about Mandalorians than any other Jedi except maybe Master Yoda.

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Obi-Wan watched as Sora very carefully worked to levitate the small blocks, seeing them shake. He'd read his new Padawan's full file since he had arrived and he knew he struggled with telekinesis. Not every Jedi was good at every skill but it was still good to work on them, improvement was possible. The boy was quiet and reserved, not fully how the file described him, but it was understandable. His 'training' with the boys weeks ago had shown that bright child was still inside the now traumatised teen. Patience and a steady hand would help him continue to heal from Master Yaddle's death.

"Very good Sora," he praised as the blocks dropped but then settled onto the floor under control.

"I dropped them," he murmured.

"You did, but you regained enough control for them to land gently." He clasped a thin shoulder. "You did well Padawan."

"Yes Master."

"Now then, how are your classes going?" he asked.

Sora sighed but they began going over them, Obi-Wan helping with the areas Sora was struggling with. Like Anakin, he was gifted with languages and flying it seemed but some of the more academic classes left him struggling. But that was normal, all children studied with some aspect of their schooling and for a Padawan, it was their Master's job to help them or find them someone to help if they could not.

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Riku wanted to throw the stylus in a mix of anger and frustration but he didn't dare. Just because his Master wasn't on planet did not mean he was unobserved. He wasn't stupid but this astronavigation…it was driving him insane! He ran a hand through his hair, happy it was getting longer but that probably meant Master meant to send him on a mission in the nearish future. That was good, right? It had to mean he was doing something right.

He put his things away and went to the fresher, using the sonic before getting into bed, the lights lowering automatically. His life was completely regulated even when Master was gone. He closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep, enveloped by a feeling of warmth and love that he wouldn't remember when he woke.

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Anakin stared at the reports, worried. What could have taken out so many ships and left no survivors? No messages, nothing but debris and bodies. That was not good, they didn't have the troops or ships to lose. What kind of weapon could do that? Nothing they had any records on which was not good. They needed intel but there seemed to be none to find. The only good thing was they were being sent back to Coruscant for resupply which meant Ahsoka could have time in the Temple and he could hopefully see Padme. With a Padawan, he'd have to be even more careful.

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Padme rushed to the private landing pad on her balcony, smiling in relief at the sight of Anakin. She had seen him via holo during the mess with Ziro and Jabba but this was her first time seeing him in person since their wedding. He caught her, holding her close, and she closed her eyes. "I've missed you Ani."

"I miss you too, Angel," he murmured against her hair.

She was glad it was late enough that she had been home long enough to get out of her cumbersome Senate gown and hair style, though her gowns had become plainer since the war started. Anyone who knew Naboo dress knew her gowns protested the war and the use of the clones as well as the Jedi to fight it. Palpatine did not like it but she did not agree with much of what he did since the trouble had begun.

"Tell me all about your Padawan," she told him as they headed inside. "And Obi-Wan has one as well?"

"Yeah," Anakin sank into the couch tiredly. "Ahsoka is…exuberant and very, very young. I think she's worn Rex and the boy's out already. I didn't even ask for a Padawan, Obi-Wan did! He got Sora…Master Yaddle's Padawan. Apparently, he woke up around the time we were fighting on Geonosis and has now been cleared by the Healers. Obi-Wan will be good for him but I'm not sure sending him to the front was smart. Kid's a good fighter by he nearly died and his Master was killed by battle droids…it seems too fast."

She frowned. Master Yaddle…? Oh! The mission that Anakin and Obi-Wan were meant to take but they had gone to Tatooine instead, Anakin had mentioned it to her on Naboo. Master Yaddle had died on the journey back and her Padawan…had ended up comatose.

"So, you like your little brother?" She asked, teasing, and he shrugged slightly.

"I knew Obi-Wan would take other Padawans but this just seems so fast and I thought I'd have a few more years before I had one. I remember what a big deal it was when Obi-Wan took me on and he was older than me."

"It's the war," she pointed out. The Senate wanted the Jedi out there, fighting, and didn't seem to the care that the Padawans were just children. It wasn't right or fair but they just couldn't get the needed support to stop any of it.

She took a deep breath and then kissed him before standing. "Have you eaten?" she moved into the kitchen where food had been delivered earlier.

"Military meals don't really count," he admitted, standing to sit at the table so they could have a quiet meal together. Who knew how long this visit would last and she wanted to make the most of it.

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Being among the Clones…the Troopers…Vode…it was so different to anything he knew and yet…something about the way they looked out for him, some even daring to ruffle his hair, training with him, rough housing…it felt strangely familiar. But he'd been too young for such things before coming to the Temple, so it couldn't be old memories. A Force echo from someone else maybe? Perhaps a vision he'd had as a child too young to truly remember it?

Being a Padawan in war was so different too. There was a lot less time for one-on-one lessons with his new Master but he didn't feel neglected, not with their bond firmly entrenched in his mind, his Master's presence always there and alert to anything he might need. At the moment, Master Kenobi was in a Council meeting so Sora was in the Archives, doing some research for class while in Temple. It was a lot easier when physically there then having to put in a request for the needed information.

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Plo studied the information carefully, not liking it at all. This so-called mystery weapon was taking out their ships far too easily. The galaxy was too big to search, though it appeared to currently be in Republic Space so that narrowed things a little. He did not like the idea of splitting his fleet for the search but it was the only way and he knew other fleets were doing the same. But he refused to make the task forces any smaller than three Venator's to try and ensure safety. Surely three ships with their supports would be enough?

Two days later they lost contact with one of the groups in the Phu system.

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He was relieved to finally have some time to return home. General Grievous was not exactly good company but it was important for him to be there for the first tests of their new weapon. Now, the General could handle things and he could see to his Apprentice. The boy had diligently kept to his studies and training, surveillance showed that much. Still, it was not good to leave him alone for too long, not so soon after his forceful turning, if he was ever going to try and return to the Light, it would be within the first year or so. After that, he would be too used to the Dark, too deep within it, to ever try.

The boy had obviously felt his arrival and was waiting, head bowed, obviously having come from physical training. His hair had grown out some but that was for the best, it was not yet time but soon. He had all the age-appropriate tattoo of his people as well, there was nothing to mark him as a Sith Apprentice. Riku would be his weapon against the Jedi by striking at their most vulnerable.

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He didn't know if he'd done the right thing, telling that Jetii about Riku but what was done was done. He had no leads but there were whispers coming from Manda'yaim, whispers that he did not like at all. Kyr'tsad was meant to be gone at the end of the civil war. But the Duchess had less hold on the system then she wanted anyone to know. If they were truly making a comeback, her people would not be able to stop them. So the Goran had begun calling for those who would fight to slip back home, if an attack came, they would fight. Not for the Duchess but for the memory of their Mand'alor.

TBC…

Short chap but there's going to be a time skip for next chapter.