Author's note: this chapter has been edited to erase some grammar and spelling mistakes

~ 10 ~

Hidden strings

- If only it was as easy to practice as it is to preach -

Kenshin did care about Anakin, despite his reluctance to take on the responsibility of an apprentice. Anakin was an outsider, much like himself, struggling with nearly every aspect of the Jedi way and lacking support. This kindred spirit drew Kenshin to him, even though their relationship was fraught with conflict. Kenshin's attempts to understand and help Anakin often ended in frustration. They clashed frequently, and he found it increasingly difficult to control his temper. It was disheartening and unnerving. Why did Anakin infuriate him so much? Why did the unruly Padawan manage to push all of his buttons without even trying? He had never had much care before for what others thought of him. Kenshin didn't understand his own feelings and eventually succumbed to a restless sleep, only to be jolted awake by the sharp sound of his comlink.

When Kenshin arrived at the coordinates Anakin had sent, it was nearly too late. Three Morgukai were attacking Anakin and Kyle. It was astonishing to see Morgukai, believed to be extinct, appearing on Coruscant, and in a scrap yard no less. Kenshin didn't waste time pondering the situation. With cold, professional precision, he aimed two shuriken at the uncovered spots on their necks, killing them instantly, and then impaled the third with his lightsaber. It took less than fifteen seconds, but Anakin was gravely wounded.

The young Master quickly realized that Anakin wouldn't survive the trip to the medcenter in his current state. Drawing deeply into the Force, he focused on the injuries inflicted by the attackers. He could feel Anakin's pain as his own, instinctively channeling healing energy into the Padawan's wounds. For what felt like an eternity, Kenshin remained in this state, the Force flowing through him, slowly but surely mending the lesions in Anakin's body. Once he sensed that Anakin's condition was stable enough, he and Kyle hurriedly transported him to the temple. Kenshin was no healer, and Anakin's injuries were severe.

Fighting through a dense fog clouding his mind, Anakin groggily opened his eyes, only to shut them again. His surroundings felt heavy and indistinct, shrouded in a nebulous haze. Slowly, silhouettes began to form. He realized he was on one of the lower levels of Coruscant, near the junkyard. A powerful presence in the Force loomed nearby, neither dark nor light, but somewhere in between. Anakin looked around, struggling to see through the darkness and fog. Why was he still in the scrap heap? What had happened?

Turning his head left and right, he scanned the shadows, suddenly recoiling in horror. Before him stood a demonic-looking creature with purple, glowing eyes. It was as beautiful as it was terrifying—a reptilian predator with strong legs, a long, powerful tail, and intimidating horns on its head. The beast, standing shoulder-height to him, emanated an intense and dangerous aura. It vaguely reminded him of the Canyon krayt dragons he had seen on pictures in the archives. Its black scales shimmered with a purple sheen.

Instinctively, Anakin ignited his lightsaber and swung it at the beast, but the creature didn't even flinch. The lightsaber was ineffective. Desperation surged through him as he turned and ran, hoping to escape. The beast pursued him with relentless speed. The wild chase continued until three large figures materialized from the black fog—the same attackers who had ambushed him earlier. Anakin knew he stood no chance against them.

An axe swung by one of the attackers bit into his leg, sending a surge of immense pain through him. His eyes widened in disbelief as the demonic creature that had been tailing him leapt over him and attacked his assailants. The creature moved with ferocious speed, dodging their strikes and launching attack after attack until all three attackers lay dead. The creature then turned its head, meeting Anakin's gaze. He didn't flinch and stared back. The pain from his wound suddenly eased, and he jolted awake.

Soft light filtered through the windows. He was in a bed in the temple's healers' ward, with Kyle looking at him with a cheerful smile.

"How're you feeling? Damn, buddy, you've been sleeping for nearly two days."

"Huh...what happened? Kyle! Are you okay? You're alive! How did I get here?"

"Good, you're talking. I take it you're not feeling too bad. I'm fine."

"I've never been more glad to see you! By the Force, I thought you were dead!"

"It was a damn close call! Your Master showed up just in time and saved our asses from getting whipped into the next decade!"

"Are you really okay? I'm not dreaming or anything?"

"Nah, I'm fine and I'm real. You're not dreaming. You've taken a massive beating, though. I'm glad you're still alive!"

"What happened? What were those things that attacked us? I don't remember much, and I've had the weirdest dream."

"Your Master said they were Morgukai. They're a species bred and trained specifically to hunt Jedi. They were believed extinct, and nobody has any idea where they came from or why they were at the junkyard that night. There were three of them. I got smashed into a scrap pile and lost my lightsaber. I thought that'd be the end of me, but the next thing I knew, the Morgukai that had kicked me collapsed right next to me, dead. Taken down by one of your Master's shuriken. Same thing happened to the second one, and he finished the third with his lightsaber. It all happened really quick. I was fine, but you had taken some pretty serious hits. The healers said if it hadn't been for your Master's Force healing skills, you wouldn't have made it back to the temple alive."

"Kriff."

"Yeah, that's one word for it."

"What about my Master? Is he alright?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess? He didn't leave your side until Healer Che reassured him that you'd be fine. He spent most of the last two days in a chair next to your bed or pacing the floor, driving Master Che nuts. The rest of the time, he's been Force knows where. Probably dealing with the Council or trying to find out what happened. Because that thing we found, that was a Sith Chalice. Still a mystery as to where it came from, too."

"A Sith Chalice? This is getting weirder by the minute! Where is Kenshin now, do you know?"

"He just walked out when I got here. I'm sure he'll be back in a short while."

"Thanks for the blanket and the candy, by the way," Anakin said, noticing someone had left an extra blanket and some of his favorite candy on a table next to the bed. The blanket was especially welcome, as the healers' ward was colder than he was comfortable with.

"That wasn't me! Your Master brought it a short while ago. He even asked me which kind of candy you'd like. He seems to care about you a lot."

Anakin's thoughts drifted back to his dream. The Morgukai, the beast fighting them off, the powerful presence in the Force neither dark nor light but clearly protective...he couldn't make any sense of it. Reality, as Kyle had told him, was even stranger than his dream. Outside the door to Anakin's hospital room, a still-worried Kenshin leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, staring into empty space.

"Yes, you look exactly like someone who doesn't care about his Padawan!"

Kenshin looked up to find himself facing Ranakos.

"Never said I don't care." he gave back.

"Why don't you go in and talk to him? From what I can see, he's awake now. He'd be happy to see you!"

"You know, Ranakos, I thought I could eventually accept myself as his Master. But it's pointless."

"What makes you say that? You've risked your life to save his, and on Giju, you worked well together. You even praised his performance."

"You know what I am to him? 'Damaged goods,' those were Anakin's words. I can only guess who told him about Gentora. I won't ask what else you told him. Those things are in the past and should remain there!"

Ranakos ruefully shook his head.

"Kenshin, I..."

"Fuck off, Ranakos! Just fuck off!" Kenshin furiously glared at the older Jedi and stormed off. The past was painful enough without Ranakos dragging it back into the light for Anakin—Anakin of all people—to see. Makiri had been Ranakos' Padawan, but apparently, he managed to cope just fine with his former apprentice's untimely death on Gentora. Kenshin could not. It still hurt. It hurt enough without anyone talking about it. Even retreating into one of the temple's meditation chambers didn't help calm the maelstrom of thoughts and emotions tormenting him. Anakin had nearly died! Despite his Padawan bringing him to the brink of despair, almost losing him had shaken Kenshin to his core. And there were a million questions he needed answers to. A Sith Chalice randomly appearing in a junkyard on Coruscant—it didn't make sense. He had figured out by now that he had been the target, but the approach seemed too imprecise, random, amateurish even. It didn't add up. The fact that Anakin and Kyle had been involved was a pure coincidence, he was sure of it. The incident had, however, made it shockingly clear to Kenshin that he cared about Anakin more than he had admitted to himself. This realization only made his feelings of inadequacy as a Master more painful. How is this supposed to work, he wondered.

"Find the answer within yourself, you might," a coarse voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Master Yoda! I'm trying to meditate, and I do not appreciate being disturbed!"

"Oh, yes, disturbed your mind is, my old Padawan!" Yoda chuckled.

"Well, you're certainly not helping," Kenshin shot back, regretting having lowered his shields.

"Become strong you have. Powerful, yes. Yet respect the Code you still do not. Agree with me, or listen to me, you still will not," the diminutive Jedi said, admonishingly raising a non-existent eyebrow.

"And I never will. You should have left me where I was, Master Yoda. Fighting the dark in the dark, before its evil manifests in the light. That is my purpose, not to train Skywalker!"

"His former Master a perfect Jedi, he was. Yet learned from him, nothing Skywalker has. A maverick and crazy, you are. The one who can best train your Padawan, you are."

Fury spiked in Kenshin. Grandmaster my ass. All he does is utter useless platitudes instead of helping me face this mess. The mess he brought me into. His eyes narrowed.

"Is that so? Then how come every one of you lightsaber-stuck-up-their-ass hypocrites on this blasted Council, in this blasted temple, feels free to constantly judge and question my sanity? Not that there's much of it to begin with, I admit, but I don't see you in a position to judge. This is getting old!" Kenshin rose to his feet and, for the second time that day, stormed off.

"Much to learn, he still has," Yoda said sadly to himself, since Kenshin was already too far away to hear it. Back when Yoda had taken the child under his wing after Master Fay's death, Kenshin had viewed everything and everyone with subtle mistrust, now manifesting as unapologetic objection and defiance. Despite Yoda's significant efforts to win the boy's acceptance, Kenshin had never truly acknowledged him as Master. And Yoda couldn't help but feel regretful about it. In a way, he felt, Kenshin didn't even accept himself. He had never learned to let go of attachments.

Throughout the day, Anakin drifted between sleep and wake. The painkillers he had to take made him drowsy, and whenever he woke up, opening his eyes required a major effort. He pried them open and saw a hooded figure standing in the room, absently staring out of the window. Anakin's heart leapt with joy as he recognized the person. At the same time, a wave of guilt washed over him as he remembered the events of a few days earlier. Oh, how he hoped Kenshin would accept his apology.

"Master," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Kenshin turned his face towards him but kept his eyes hidden beneath his hood, rooted to the floor as if he didn't want to make eye contact.

"How are you feeling?" Kenshin asked at last, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Uh, okay, I guess. Tired. But not too bad," Anakin responded, noting Kenshin still didn't look up. Silence stretched between them.

"Master... what I said..." Anakin began, but Kenshin cut him off.

"We shouldn't talk now. You need rest," he replied, turning to walk out.

"Stay," Anakin pleaded. "Please, Master, stay. I don't want to be alone now!"

"I'll send Tesha or Kyle to come see you."

"No, I want you to stay!" Anakin insisted, desperation creeping into his voice.

Kenshin stopped, and remained where he was.

"Master... what I said..."

The older Jedi interrupted him. "Words can cut deeper than any blade, you know? Even more so when they're true." With that, Kenshin left the room.

What the blazes is that supposed to mean? Anakin wondered. He felt upset. It was evident his words had hurt Kenshin deeply, and yet his Master had still saved him and obviously cared about him despite it all. If only he could read him, understand him instead of dealing with such an elusive entity. Right now, he could only wonder how he could possibly apologize, maybe make it up to him. And what in the Force had Kenshin meant when he said Anakin's words were true?

Kyle and Tesha often came to see him in the following days. His Master, however, was never to be seen. Kyle had told him that Kenshin came in quite often, but he was never there when Anakin was awake. He's avoiding me, Anakin thought sadly. Finally, he had sent Kyle to talk to Kenshin and ask him to come back. Which his Master eventually did.

"You wanted to speak to me."

The voice startled Anakin. He hadn't sensed him coming in. He stood next to his bed, his eyes intensely studying the floor instead of facing Anakin's glance.

"The floor tiles must be really interesting. Are you that angry with me that you won't even look at me anymore?"

"What you said, that was pretty low, even for you," Kenshin said, his voice full of resignation.

"I know. And I'm so, so sorry! I shouldn't have said that!"

"Saying sorry won't always fix everything. Words and actions have consequences. You're so scared of failure, so scared of yourself, that you freak out over such a little thing. A random guy being granted his knighthood before you get there... You, Anakin, have a problem!"

The Padawan felt a surge of anger. "Oh, look who's talking! The guy who's constantly being emo and moody and force-pushes me out of the room. You're a perturbed, hot mess yourself, Master."

"It's been how long since you became my Padawan? Three months, a bit more? And it took you this much time to figure that out? You're more stupid than I thought," Kenshin replied coolly.

"We're fighting again. Great. That's all we ever do."

Kenshin didn't answer, but the frustration in his eyes told Anakin that his words had hit home. "You know, I never understand you," Anakin then said. "It feels like I don't even know who you are. You don't trust me!"

"Of course I don't. You learned one thing about my past and immediately hold it against me. You'll understand that I'm a little short on trust in you right now!" Kenshin snapped, and Anakin winced internally as he saw the hurt in his eyes.

"I am so sorry! I really am! I was so upset about Ferus and the Council and all that, I wasn't myself when I said that. I didn't mean it!"

"Oh, you did mean it! But here's the thing: You can't always blame someone else every time something doesn't go your way, and you can't blame me for things that aren't even my fault! I have, by now, understood that I'm not the right teacher for you."

Kenshin buried his face in his unhurt hand and shook his head.

"Oh, so that is it! You don't want me. You want to get rid of me!"

"You're not the problem. I am."

"You've given up on me! I thought you cared!"

"I do care! But..."

"But what? Tell me, Master, what is it that you are afraid of, that scares you so much that you want to abandon me?"

Kenshin straightened his shoulders and looked him right in the eye and said, "I'm afraid of failing you."

He then all but fled out of the room. So, Kenshin did care, he had said it himself. At the same time, he remained so accursedly frustrating. What was it that they couldn't get to terms with each other? Anakin just did not understand.

Where Anakin was frustrated, Kenshin was as well and he needed to talk to someone. Yoda was not much help, but maybe there was someone else who could provide actual advice. Someone who might know Anakin but was still unbiased. Qui-Gon Jinn's former apprentice.

Obi-Wan Kenobi poured steaming tea into two cups and handed one to his guest. Observing the other Jedi, he wasn't entirely sure what to think. The man with long black hair, clad in dark, fitted clothes instead of traditional Jedi robes, had the posture of an accomplished fighter and an unreadable aura. He spoke with an accent Kenobi had never heard before and couldn't place. By his appearance, one might think him a mercenary or bounty hunter rather than a Jedi. But Obi-Wan was not one to judge a book by its cover alone. Before him stood a young Jedi faced with the task of training his first Padawan, and Obi-Wan knew that wasn't easy. A few years after Qui-Gon's passing, he had taken his first Padawan himself, and the initial phase had been turbulent. His thoughts trailed to the subject his fellow Jedi had asked to speak about: Anakin Skywalker.

When they had brought the nine-year-old to the Jedi Temple, Obi-Wan had mixed feelings about the child, agreeing more with the Council, who had deemed the boy too old and dangerous, than he had with his own Master at the time. But he had given Qui-Gon his word, so it was his merit that Anakin had been accepted for training. After young Skywalker had been assigned to Master Atal, Obi-Wan had only vaguely followed up on Skywalker's progress.

As for Master Kano, Kenobi was not very familiar with who he was, apart from the odd rumors here and there. A capable secret agent, incredibly skilled in lightsaber combat, ferocious in his methods, and heretical in his views. Some even called him a Grey Jedi. Obi-Wan briefly smiled in fond memory. That's what some had said about Qui-Gon too. Qui-Gon hadn't always agreed with the Council either, so he could hardly blame the young Master for that. A few months ago, the Council had made Skywalker Kano's charge. A choice that surprised many, and the reason why the young Jedi now stood in his quarters, wishing to speak with him.

"How can I help you, Master Kano?"

Kenshin went straight to the point. "What can you tell me about Skywalker?"

"Your Padawan for a few months now..."

"Yes," Kenshin replied, a lot of resignation in his voice. "I would not have considered myself a good choice for training any apprentice to begin with... But Skywalker in particular... We get along as well as a Loth-cat and a Loth-rat would. I don't know what to do with him. I was wondering if you might have some advice."

"First, tell me: who is the Loth-cat, and who the Loth-rat between the two of you?" Kenobi asked with an amused smile. It was a comical comparison. Despite himself, Kenshin grinned, if only for a moment, about Obi-Wan's jest.

"That changes by the day, I guess."

"The time I spent with him was brief. I didn't agree with Qui-Gon on Skywalker being the Chosen One and, like the Council, I sensed a great deal of fear and conflict in the boy. Apart from the fact that he had already formed attachments and a tendency to be passionate, making him prone not to adapt well to our Jedi ways. Which, from what I know, has indeed been the case so far. If the rumors are true, however, I dare say you are somewhat of a controversial figure yourself," Kenobi concluded.

"That's putting it lightly," Kenshin said, not elaborating further, and Obi-Wan didn't pry.

"To be honest, I am not sure what counsel I could give you. Nor can I but speculate about the reasons why you in particular were chosen as Skywalker's Master. Back in the day, the Council deemed me not yet fit to take on a Padawan, and honestly, I am glad I was not the one entrusted with this charge. The one advice I can give you, especially given Anakin's peculiarities, is to have patience. With yourself, and notably with Skywalker. The relationship between a Master and Padawan is seldom without conflict, especially at the beginning. Have faith, trust in the Force, and trust Master Yoda's judgment. As I understand it, he was the one who wished for you to train Skywalker."

"He was, and I don't understand nor agree with his choice."

"This might not reassure you, but hardly anyone understands Master Yoda. In that at least, you are not alone," Obi-Wan said sympathetically, then pensively stared into his tea mug.

"When we were stranded on Tatooine, it was Anakin who insisted on taking part in a life-threatening pod race to win money to help us buy the parts to repair our ship. Qui-Gon told me all about it. Of course, I don't know Anakin now, but at least as a kid, he was someone with a strong urge to help others in need. Maybe that's what he needs. To help others, to have responsibility, to be part of something. I have a feeling the Jedi don't let him. They reluctantly accepted him into the Order, but they still don't trust him. I'm not sure if I did the right thing when I enforced Qui-Gon's dying wish. I still don't know!"

"You did your best, with the resources and knowledge you had."

"Master Kano... the task you've been entrusted with is not an easy one. Of course, I don't know you well, but I can imagine that someone as unconventional as yourself might succeed where traditionally thinking Jedi would fail."

"You have more faith in me than I have in myself. Thank you, Master Kenobi, for your time."

The younger Jedi politely bowed and left. Obi-Wan hoped the Force would be with him.

For several hours after that, Kenshin sat in the big tree on a terrace, the same terrace he had fled to on his first night at the Jedi Temple ten years ago, and pondered over his conversation with Kenobi.

He wasn't comfortable with it, not at all, and he was not sure if he could really trust Anakin nor if he could ever be the Master Anakin needed. But he knew what it felt like to have no support and nobody to trust or believe in him, not even himself. At the time, he had coped by withdrawing completely into himself, into a hurtful but also liberating loneliness. Anakin, on the other hand, was not made for that. He needed a friend, an ally. Kenshin realized that someone had to be that person for Anakin. He didn't know how to, but he knew he had to try. He really, really had to. Nobody else would.

"It's time. We have to give an account for what happened in the scrapyard," Kenshin said sternly.

Anakin would still have to rest for a few days until being fully cleared for duty, but at least he had been released from the medbay and allowed to go to his quarters. Soon afterwards, his Master stood in front of him, the expression on his face as grim as always. They silently marched to the Council chamber.

"I do the talking. Not a word from you unless you're directly addressed," Kenshin commanded before they walked in. Only a part of the Council had assembled. Anakin's "field trip" and the ensuing events represented a significant offense to temple rules and were thus officially addressed, but still not big enough of an ordeal for the whole Council to take care of. Unfortunately, however, Master Windu was part of the reduced committee.

The tall Korun looked first at Anakin, then fixed his gaze on Kenshin, who met his fierce stare with an unimpressed glance of his own. Mace compared the boy he had helped train many years ago with the young man now before him. The defiance and mistrust in the dark eyes were the same as ten years before. While Kenshin had not grown very tall, the tiny, skinny frame of the boy had developed into a stocky, impressively athletic build. An intimidating figure, and frighteningly proficient in his martial skills even without the use of the Force. It was this one flaw Mace shared with the younger Jedi: they both liked to fight and they both were lethally good at it. Skills he had helped him develop. Kano was one of the few, if not the only one, that surpassed Windu in that field. He could have become a great Jedi, Mace contemplated. If it weren't for his heretic, distorted views, his utter disregard for rules, and his disrespect—not towards anything in particular, it rather seemed a general attitude with Kano. His outlandish choice of clothing—instead of the light-colored traditional robes that a Jedi, a peacekeeper, should wear, he always donned black or grey attire, made to fight or blend in with shady surroundings. He had never even made an effort to lose his accent, still hinting at his non-Coruscanti upbringing. Mace found his entire demeanor as uncivilized as that backwater world he was from. Nanta, a jungle world like his own home planet Haruun Kal. The second thing he had in common with Kano: they both came from wild planets strong with the Force and were impregnated with the ferocious strength and power that came with it. Only that he, Mace, had overcome the savagery of his origins, where Kano embraced them. The Nantoan wasn't stupid, he actually had a keen mind, but he was as stubborn as he was intelligent. What a huge amount of wasted potential, Mace thought bitterly. The passion, the attachments... Why the Council had allowed Master Fay to train the child on his homeworld back in the day and let all these, to say the least, unconventional ways manifest, was beyond him. As an investigator, he had proven a powerful, efficient tool to the Jedi Order. But as a mentor for Skywalker who shared many of the aforementioned flaws with his recently assigned Master? He could only hope that Master Yoda's decision to pair the two wouldn't end in complete disaster. He had had a bad feeling about both Kano and Skywalker when they had respectively arrived at the Coruscant temple, and both could be counted among not only the most gifted Jedi but also the greatest troublemakers the Order had ever listed among their ranks.

"Padawan Skywalker, you are charged with unauthorized absence from the temple during night time as well as having ventured onto level 1312 which is a strictly forbidden area for Jedi Padawan at all times," Windu said sternly. "Master Kano, you are charged with resuming activity while not yet being cleared for duty due to injury."

Kenshin stood motionlessly, not speaking a word. His glance as solid as rock, Mace and he stared each other down for a painfully long minute, then Mace shook his head.

"Let me sum it up for you again: Your Padawan roams about in off-limits areas past curfew, three Morgukai appear, along with a Sith artefact, your apprentice gets severely injured in the event that unfolds. You venture out all while being in a less than ideal condition yourself. You have quite a few things to explain, Master Kano."

"You are right about me taking action before being cleared and authorized. My Padawan is not to blame, he has not committed any illegal action. I had received information about a dark side artifact possibly being hidden in that location, so I went to find it. My Padawan was accompanying me, with my authorization. We could not have foreseen being attacked. As far as the reasons for the Morgukai's sudden appearance and their origins are concerned, I have as little idea as you do."

"If only I could believe that to be true!" Mace Windu snarled.

"Last time I spoke the truth, having risked not only my own life but also that of my informants to uncover said truth, you and the Council couldn't be bothered to listen as the recent events on Giju have proven!" Kenshin retorted with now unconcealed rage.

The temperature in the Council chamber rapidly dropped by a significant amount.

"Time for conflict between brothers this is not. Control yourselves and focus on the matter at hand you must," Master Yoda interrupted them.

Ki-Adi-Mundi said, "Master Kano, the Council has been wrong in not taking your intel about the Trade Federation more seriously. Please accept our apologies. But for now, we all see ourselves faced with threats and unknown facts that nobody can yet fully explain. There are a lot of open questions."

Shaak Ti resumed, "I suggest the following. First of all, Master Kano, you will rest until your injuries have fully healed, and I believe your Padawan hasn't completed his recovery either. Once you are cleared, you will investigate who was behind this incident here on Coruscant, with full support from and authorization by the Council."

With this resolution, the meeting was concluded. Kenshin left the Council chamber at a hurried pace. Not being sure what else he was supposed to do, Anakin followed him.

"Master, wait," he panted. Having spent quite some time in the healers' ward, he still didn't feel great and found himself out of breath trying to keep up with the other Jedi.

"Why did you do that?" the Padawan asked.

"Do what?"

"Why did you take all the blame?"

"The last thing you need is more problems with the Council. They hate me anyway, so for me, it didn't make a difference."

"You don't sound like it bothers you."

"A lot of people hate me," Kenshin replied dryly.

Anakin shook his head. One of the many things in which he'd never understand his Master.

"What's going on with Windu and you, anyway? He seems to hate you even more than me! Is it because you're better at Vaapad than he is?" Anakin asked.

"Windu? He's an alpha male. And I'm not one to bow down. I break his rules. That drives him nuts."

"Anyway, you handled him very well, Master. I was afraid I'd have to accept a reprimand, or even a punishment. Imagine they would have made me shine and polish Windu's head or worse," Anakin shuddered.

Kenshin pressed his hand against his mouth, looked away, and coughed. Anakin briefly worried if he had overdone it, then he could see that Kenshin simply did a bad job at stifling a laugh. For the first time, he saw his Master smile.

"Master? I haven't thanked you," Anakin said at last.

"For what?"

"After everything I've said, you still came for me. You still came to help me and saved my life."

"I'm your Master, Anakin. If you call for my help, I will answer. Always."

The next day, with Anakin in tow, Kenshin walked out onto one of the landing platforms and scanned the skyline, his eyes sharp and alert.

"A friend of mine should arrive any time soon. I hope he can help me find answers," Kenshin explained, his tone carrying a hint of anticipation.

"You have friends?" Anakin scoffed before he could think better of it.

"Astonishing, isn't it?" Kenshin replied with a slight smirk.

"What answers are you talking about?" Anakin asked, curiosity piqued.

"What we speak about will not reach anyone else's ears—not a single word. Not even to the Chancellor! Someone's life may depend on it. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Master," Anakin replied, determined to prove himself trustworthy, though he didn't fully understand why the secrecy was so important.

"There's the holocron we found on Vanquor, along with that artifact. A lot about it doesn't make sense. Then there's the Morgukai on Coruscant, the Sith Chalice, communications I intercepted but were so well concealed I couldn't trace their exact origins or recipients. Something is going on. There are a lot of questions. So I went looking for answers and found a few. For the rest, I hope Quinlan will be able to help. I called him two months ago, but he couldn't make it until now. He has the power of psychometry and might see things I don't. The incident with the Morgukai, for example—it was all a setup! The Sith Chalice was meant to bait me, and someone hired the Morgukai to finish me off. A trap. The plan was flawed to begin with, but unfortunately, you and Kyle got caught in the middle. You two were not the target. I was."

"Someone wants you dead? Kriff!" Anakin exclaimed.

"That by itself is nothing out of the ordinary. There are probably more bounties on my head than I can count," Kenshin stated flatly.

"Why do you sound like this doesn't faze you at all?" Anakin asked, astonished.

"A lot of people want me dead, but most of them never manage to track me down. This time, someone was more informed. The Morgukai were paid mercenaries targeting a Jedi whose physical description accurately fit me. Someone knew I'm a tracker for Sith artifacts and hoped I would sense such an object and go after it. What they didn't account for was two Padawans showing up—the Morgukai's instincts got the better of them, so they blindly attacked you and Kyle."

"How did you find out about all of that?" Anakin asked, his curiosity intensifying.

"A few inquiries with my informants in Coruscant's underworld. Two things irritate me: how did they know what or who I really am? My cover identity describes me as a regular Jedi Guardian with no special talents, deployed in the Outer Rim before I became your Master. Even within the Jedi Order, very few have knowledge of my real background. And the Sith Chalice...I have seen that Chalice before."

"Where?" Anakin asked incredulously.

"In the Chancellor's office!"