Chapter 25
The Breaking
Obi-Wan Kenobi walked down the hallway of his Old Republic heavy frigate which had been set aside to house the younglings and Padawans Anakin had brought back with him from Eriadu. He had spent the past few hours trying to talk to them, to no effect. That wasn't quite right, for each encounter left him feeling more hopeless. When the first child had refused to speak with him he had chalked it up to lingering fear and trauma from whatever their experience had been under the Emperor's thumb. Then one after another either refused to speak with him at all or repeated a mantra about their loyalty to the Empire. Their affect was, uniformly, completely flat. There was no passion in their little voices. That was somehow the worst part. If they had been tricked into devoting themselves to the Emperor it would have of course been terrible. But this absence of feeling, this emptiness in children whose emotions had been beaten out of them, threatened to break Obi-Wan's own soul.
It did not help of course that he was dealing with the revelations about Anakin's secret network of ex-Jedi and insurgents. And Maul of course. Well, Obi-Wan thought, not anymore. He shook his head and reminded himself that the time to deal with that was later. He had one last recovered Padawan to speak to, and then he could return to Yoda and share the news with him. How long could they keep these children locked up? What alternative was there to that if they remained brainwashed? Such things did not bear thinking about. Not yet, Obi-Wan insisted to himself.
He opened the last door to see a boy, older than the rest of the children Obi-Wan guessed. He had dark hair and the beginnings of a beard on his chin. His pale blue eyes would have once been accurately described as piercing, but his gaze was dull and lifeless, just like all the rest of them. He looked down at the floor when Obi-Wan entered, but Obi-Wan nonetheless felt a moment of recognition from the boy.
Obi-Wan, of course, knew who the boy was already. Huyang had been able to quickly identify all of the younglings old enough to have been sent to him and Yoda made up for any gaps. Obi-Wan, who had been out fighting the Clone Wars for the last few years of the Republic's existence had felt somewhat ashamed that he did not recognize most of the younglings Anakin had recovered on Eriadu.
This one he remembered, however. As the oldest of the lot he had been, at the time of Order 66, old enough to be out on a mission, and Obi-Wan felt he could remember the face before him as a hologram.
"Hello there," Obi-Wan began.
When the boy said nothing Obi-Wan continued, "Are you hungry? Do you need anything?"
"You provide us with adequate food and water," the boy said quietly.
"Well of course we do, just as we do for the other younglings in our fleet," Obi-Wan said.
"We aren't younglings," the boy said flatly.
Obi-Wan sat up straighter in response to this answer. This was already going better than the other interviews had. "Well not you of course. You would be almost old enough for the trials at this point, if only your master had lived long enough to complete your training," he said, hoping flattery might encourage more communication.
"My training has been completed," the boy said.
"Do you mean by the Inquisitors?" Obi-Wan asked.
The boy nodded. Obi-Wan waited for him to elaborate, but, being met with only silence, continued by asking, "How long did they have you?"
"I don't know," the boy said.
"What does that mean, that you don't know?" Obi-Wan said. "Do you not know when you were caught? How long you were a prisoner? What year it is now?"
"I am a prisoner now," the boy said.
"You are being kept here for your own safety," Obi-Wan said.
"Who am I being protected from?" he asked.
"From yourself. You have been through a terrible ordeal, and it has left you and your companions confused. In the months and years to come we will help you to recover from what was done to you. We don't want to make it possible for you to make a mistake now that you might regret later," Obi-Wan said.
"Who is 'we'?" the boy asked.
"We are the Jedi son," Obi-Wan said softly.
"The Jedi betrayed the Republic," the boy responded weakly. His words had the sound to Obi-Wan of someone who had gotten used to repeating something, and had long since stopped caring about whether the words were true.
"I know that is what they told you. It is what they told everyone. But the Republic is gone, and it was not us who destroyed it. It was Palpatine," Obi-Wan said. The boy flinched a little at the name and Obi-Wan said, "He can't hurt you anymore. You are safe here, with us."
"How many...who is 'us'?" he asked, and for the first time looked up at Obi-Wan to speak.
"All that we could save. Do you remember me?" Obi-Wan said.
The boy nodded and then, after working up the will, said, "Master Kenobi."
"That's right," Obi-Wan said warmly. "Master Yoda is here with us. Many of the younglings who were in the Temple the day of Order 66 are also here. Perhaps you will know some of them?"
"Who…who was it that knocked me out?" the boy asked.
"Ah yes, well…," Obi-Wan hesitated. "That was Master Skywalker. He was a Knight when the attack on the Temple happened. He got the younglings out. And now he has brought us you. You and your friends."
"We aren't friends," the boy said.
"What are you?" Obi-Wan asked.
The boy thought for a while and finally said, "The survivors."
Obi-Wan absorbed the comment while the two of them sat in silence, the only sound being the barely audible hum of the engines. They had been much noisier when Anakin had brought the ship back from wherever he stole it from. But Anakin had fixed that, Obi-Wan thought to himself. Machines were always easy for Anakin. They had an orderliness that appealed to his mind, and he lacked patience for anything that could not work, or be made to work, in a similar way. It should have been no surprise that he had tried to fix the galaxy by removing the part he thought was broken.
Obi-Wan shook his head and returned his attention to the boy in front of him. Survivors. What had this child been made to survive? Obi-Wan thought he knew, but he also felt sure that the boy needed to tell someone.
"What did you survive?" Obi-Wan asked. "What did they have you doing?"
"I don't know what all the others were doing. Never more than 3 of us together at once. In the beginning I thought it was because they didn't want us to work together to escape," the boy said.
"And later?" Obi-Wan asked.
"I figured it out. There was no escape for them to fear. There was no way out for us," he answered.
"When you were with other younglings and Padawans, what did they have you doing?" Obi-Wan asked.
"They said…they said there was no place for the weak in the Empire. That the only way we could make up for our treason was to be strong, and to give our strength to the Emperor. So we had to prove we were strong," the boy said.
"How did they have you prove that?" Obi-Wan asked, worried he already knew the answer.
"Well, whoever was left at the end, they had proven it, at least for a while," the boy said.
"I see," Obi-Wan said sadly.
The boy gave Obi-Wan a frightened and shamed look. "I tried not to fight. At first. But they put us on worlds, empty worlds. You only got food if you fought, if you won. I…I got hungry after a while. I couldn't help it."
The boy had started to cry into his hands. Obi-Wan went over to sit next to him on the bench and rubbed the boy's back.
"You did the only thing you could. I know that. The guilt is not yours. Do you hear me? This is not your fault Caleb," Obi-Wan said.
Caleb Dume stiffened at the sound of his name. Obi-Wan pulled his hand from the Padawan's back and asked, "Is everything alright?"
"I just hadn't heard that name for a long time," Caleb said.
"Did they not use your name?" Obi-Wan asked.
"No, only numbers. But even before then, when I was hiding, I used a different name," he said.
"Well you are home now, you do not need to hide anymore," Obi-Wan said. Caleb Dume nodded and then leaned back against the bulkhead with his eyes closed. Obi-Wan stood up and said, "I will let you rest."
"If you don't mind, Master Kenobi, I am a little hungry," Caleb said.
"We will get you some food, you and the others," Obi-Wan said as he opened the door.
"Master, can we be Jedi again?" Caleb asked as Obi-Wan walked through the door into the much more brightly lit hallway.
"You always were a Jedi, Caleb Dume. But now you do not have to be alone. Sleep well," Obi-Wan said as he closed the door. It had gone far better than he had expected. With any luck Caleb Dume could be the way to get through to the other younglings and Padawans. The ranks of the Jedi would nearly double if they could reincorporate them all. And even better they could help these lost children find some peace.
Obi-Wan knew there was not much peace in his future. His next duty was waiting for him in the hangar bay, and he worried there was violence in store, as there always was with Ventress. She had refused to leave Quinlan's side, and as the invitation to take a room on the ship had been extended to him but not her, Quinlan had stayed with her in the frigate taking up most of the hangar bay in an attempt to avoid a fight.
That Quinlan was still alive had been quite a surprise, though not the largest one of the day. That Anakin had known Quinlan was alive for years without saying, that Anakin had kept Barriss Offee imprisoned for just as many years, that he had recruited Maul, that he had been hunting Palpatine, that he had killed Maul when their last mission failed; all of those were more shocking than the discovery of Master Vos, but his survival was certainly the most pleasant of the surprises.
Obi-Wan reached the door to the hangar bay and took a deep breath before entering. Interviewing the younglings had been emotionally exhausting, and he would have preferred a break before moving on to the next stage of this very long day, but that would have only made the day longer, and there were decisions that had to be made. The doors opened to reveal Ventress pacing back and forth across the floor. Quinlan Vos sat cross legged just to the side of her path. When they heard the door open Quinlan opened his eyes and Ventress spun around to look at Kenobi. Obi-Wan thought he could detect the slightest movement of her hand towards her belt where her lightsabers would have been had Quinlan not convinced her to disarm herself as a gesture of goodwill.
"How dare you keep us locked up in here so long Kenobi?" Ventress said with her characteristic derision and disdain at saying his name.
"You delivered us quite a bounty of guests, Ventress, and I like them all more than you," Obi-Wan said, drawing a sneer from her.
"How are the younglings?" Quinlan asked.
"Scared and withdrawn. They have been horribly abused. But the oldest of them might turn out to be of help with the others," Obi-Wan said as he pulled a crate over to him to use as a chair and sat down.
"You're welcome," Ventress said flippantly.
"But now that I am done talking to them, I can turn to you, our honored guests, and what we will do going forward," Obi-Wan said.
"What 'we' is this Kenobi?" Ventress said.
"Having danced with you often enough Ventress I must say I am not inclined to do it again. I am going to come right out with it. Yoda and I want Quinlan back in the Order," he said.
"Hear that my dear? You are officially being invited back into monkhood," Ventress said sarcastically.
"We are aware that the two of you had a relationship in the past, and that you have started it back up again after your miraculous recovery from your reported death Ventress," Obi-Wan said.
"Try not to sound too disappointed Kenobi," she spat.
Ignoring her, Obi-Wan continued, "And I can say that the Order, such as it is, does not consider this relationship an insuperable obstacle to Quinlan taking an active role in the Order again. Just as it does not prevent you from rejoining the Order Ventress."
At this Quinlan cocked an eyebrow in genuine surprise. Ventress' mouth dropped open for a second before she loudly replied, "You cannot be serious! What makes you think I would ever, ever be a Jedi again?"
"Because the Sith took everything from you, because you want to fight them, and because the Jedi are the only family you ever had that still exists," Obi-Wan said, too tired and ambivalent about the pitch he was making to put much effort into its presentation.
"A couple old men on a few even older ships doesn't make for a Jedi Order," she said.
"You do realize Master Kenobi and I are the same age, don't you?" Quinlan asked with a smile.
"You stay out of this. I already know your answer," Ventress said.
"How could our relationship not be an obstacle?" Quinlan asked Obi-Wan, causing Ventress to throw up her hands at being ignored.
"We have had to make allowances since the Purge, to rethink some things we were once sure of, though that decision is going to need to be revisited in light of recent events. But the basic fact is this. We think you, both of you, want to protect the people of this galaxy from Palpatine, and that is what the Order wants. We are stronger with you, and you are safer with us," Obi-Wan said.
"I don't want to protect anyone!" Ventress shouted. "I want to kill those that killed my sisters. I don't want you to keep me safe! I want to kill those who threaten me!"
"Really? You don't want to protect Quinlan here? Saving those children from the Inquisitors really meant nothing to you?" Obi-Wan asked.
"That's right," Ventress said, her voice not hiding the doubt her words denied.
"I think we all know you don't really think that. I understand that your pride makes you unable to accept a gift from me, but this is no gift. You have earned your way back, if you want it. You have fought the darkness longer than you fought for it. And there are only two sides in this fight, the darkness and the light," Obi-Wan said.
"Which side do you and Yoda think Anakin is on?" Quinlan asked.
"That is something we will have to determine in speaking to him," Obi-Wan said. "He lied to us about his involvement in this enterprise."
"His involvement? It was all his idea!" Ventress said.
"And it almost worked," Quinlan said, his voice far calmer.
"Do you really think that is all that matters Quinlan?" Obi-Wan asked.
"No…but it ought to count for something," Quinlan answered. "What about Barriss?"
"Oh who cares about that whining little girl?" Ventress said. "Your offer is a lot more attractive, Kenobi, if you can tell me she isn't invited back."
"We have not voted on Barriss' case," Obi-Wan said tersely.
"She was right," Quinlan said. "She was right about the Clone Wars."
"Yes," Obi-Wan said, his voice making his weariness clear. "But more and more I think that simply perceiving evil is not enough. She saw the harm the Clone Wars were doing to the Republic, to the Jedi. But she chose to fight that evil the wrong way."
"Just like we chose to fight Dooku and the Separatists the wrong way," Quinlan said.
"What is your point?" Obi-Wan sighed.
"My point is that I think the last few years should have taught us all enough humility to be open to forgiveness," Quinlan said.
Obi-Wan nodded. "There is wisdom in what you say, certainly. Now you see why we want you back enough to invite Ventress here back as well." Ventress' face screwed up in anger before she saw the smirk on Obi-Wan's face and she rolled her eyes.
Obi-Wan stood up and said, "We will give you time to make your decision. If you chose to leave we will not force you to stay of course. If you decide soon you can leave with Saw Gerrera. If not, we can drop you off where you want to go." Then he bowed low to the both of them and turned to walk away.
"I should come back just so we can spar again. I like the occasional easy victory," Ventress said. Neither of them could see the other's smile. After the door closed behind him Obi-Wan sighed and let his shoulders sag. The last task of the day, the final decision, remained before him. It did not concern Barriss. She had, between abject apologies for her actions at the Temple, begged to be reinstated to the Order. Obi-Wan and Yoda had both expressed skepticism but, to their surprise, Ahsoka had argued for considering her request. As the primary victim, at least among the living, of Barriss' actions, her appeal for clemency carried a great deal of weight with the two Masters. The third Master of the order had, of course, not been consulted, as the decision about whether he would remain in the Order had not yet been made.
Obi-Wan started walking towards the conference room and wondered whether Anakin even wanted to stay. Years he had been building this shadow network, and Obi-Wan felt certain that even now he had no idea how far it all went. He had recruited Quinlan, rescued Ventress, kept Barriss prisoner, and had the resources and contacts to track Maul down. Saw Gerrera seemed to have the resources to maintain a prison ship as well as a small squad of fighters, while being at Anakin's disposal at all times. They were able to move quickly throughout the galaxy without being tracked by Imperial intelligence. That all spoke to a vast base of resources and assets. And not once had he spoken to the rest of the Council about it. He had conceived of and implemented a plan to assassinate the Emperor and had almost done it.
Obi-Wan reached the door to the conference room and felt a momentary desire to not enter. He did not want to face what Anakin would say to them. But there was nothing for it. Anakin had left them no way out, no way to avoid what was about to happen. Obi-Wan took a step forward to trigger the door sensor, and the doors opened to reveal Yoda and Ahsoka standing on the side of the room opposite Anakin. Anakin, wearing his black cloak and dark armor, was looking at the wall, seemingly lost in thought. Ahsoka and Yoda were looking at Anakin's back. Obi-Wan strode in and walked directly to the conference table. After taking a seat at one head of the table he gestured to Ahsoka and Yoda to sit down.
"Anakin?" Obi-Wan said, trying to keep his tone as even as he could manage. "Care to join us?"
"I am here," Anakin said while still seeming to inspect the wall.
"Would you like to sit down?" Obi-Wan asked.
"That depends. Am I staying long?" Anakin said as he turned around.
"Well I think we have much to discuss," Obi-Wan said.
"Fine, then let's begin," Anakin said as he sat down. After he looked at Yoda, Ahsoka and Obi-Wan in turn, he said, "It's your meeting, perhaps you can tell me what it is about."
"Obviously the events on Eriadu…," Obi-Wan began.
"Where I saved more than 20 younglings? Again," Anakin interrupted.
"You can hardly pretend doing so was your intention," Obi-Wan snapped back.
'Of course not. I didn't know they had captured so many children while we hung back in the shadows," Anakin said.
"We couldn't save them all, not if we were to keep the ones we had safe," Ahsoka said.
"We were keeping ourselves safe. If we really wanted to save people from Palpatine, then we would have tried to kill Palpatine," Anakin said impatiently.
"As you did?" Yoda asked.
"Yes. If he falls the Empire falls with him. I could have ended it all there on Eriadu. I was close. I had beaten him. He played his last card. Next time I find him, it will end," Anakin said.
"How will you find him now that your bait is gone?" Obi-Wan asked. When Anakin said nothing Obi-Wan continued, "So you admit that you recruited Maul in order to draw Palpatine out? That was the purpose behind it?"
"He is scared of me. If I showed myself, he would not have emerged from behind the fortress he has made for himself on Coruscant. It had to be someone he knew he could defeat who could plausibly be killing the Inquisitors, and who would have a motivation to do so. That narrows down the list of candidates somewhat," Anakin said.
"And your purpose in killing Maul?" Yoda asked.
"With all the pain he has caused, with all the evil he has done, I didn't feel like I needed a special reason," Anakin said dismissively.
"And yet you made him your ally. After all the evil he has done, you joined with him. And once he stopped being useful, you killed him. Like he was nothing but a tool that had outlived its usefulness," Ahsoka said.
"Maul was a killer. It was all he would ever be. And yes I used that. I used it to wipe out the Inquisitors. To get to Palpatine. And when that mission was over I brought an end to him so he could not kill anyone else," an exasperated Anakin said. "When you thought Obi-Wan had killed him you made him a Knight!"
"Defending himself against an attacker, Obi-Wan was. Strike down one without a weapon, you did," Yoda said.
"What should I have tried to arrest him? Take him back here to stand trial? Because we have the luxury of that kind of procedural purity now, as the galaxy burns around us?" Anakin said.
"You lied to us Anakin!" Obi-Wan shouted. "We asked you if you had anything to do with Maul's attacks on the Inquisitors and you lied to us."
"Things were in motion and I did not have time to deal with your foot dragging and second guessing! We had a chance to end it! I almost did it. Without your help, while you were drifting through space in these broken down old ships, I came within a hair's breadth of killing Palpatine," Anakin said.
"Perhaps if you put a little more thought into your decisions you would have realized that killing Palpatine is not the only thing we are trying to do!" Obi-Wan said, his anger getting the better of him.
"You aren't trying to do anything!" Anakin yelled as he pounded his fist on the table.
"We are trying to restore the Jedi Order, and the Republic. Not just kill the one who destroyed them. If you had succeeded in killing Palaptine, then what? You think all the Imperial officials and officers just lay down their arms, accept the authority of a Republic which has yet to be reconstituted? No. All you would have accomplished is assuaging your own guilt, because you think you should have killed him the last time you two fought, back on Coruscant. We can't be devoted to just destroying the Empire, we have to be part of giving the galaxy something better. And while you might think of it as drifting in space, that is exactly what we are doing. You think you are the only one who has made contact with others who want to resist Palpatine? You might have been too busy running a murder squad to notice but there are those who want to restore the Republic, who are working towards that goal right now, just as we are trying to restore the Jedi," Obi-Wan said. He had started his speech matching Anakin's own harsh tone, but had slowly calmed himself so that by the end one might have mistaken the discussion for a friendly one.
"And while you slowly restore what was lost, he moves on with his plans. He reshapes the galaxy, bends its strength to his will. Your way will take too long. Every day you grow in strength he grows stronger as well, and his power grows far faster than yours. This is not how you win a war," Anakin said. "I told you this last time. I didn't tell you about Maul because you did not need to know that. There was nothing you could contribute. You only would have gotten in the way. I told you to let me be and I could do this. And what happened on Eriadu, what has you so offended and shocked, that proves I am right. With a few ex-Jedi and a few dozen soldiers I almost beat him. Next time he will die."
"This is not the way of the Jedi. The path of the Jedi is not the path of war. We fight to defend, never to attack. We lost our way for a time, but we have found it again. And all we hear from you is your rejection of that way," Obi-Wan said.
"Choose you must, Master Skywalker, which path you will walk," Yoda said.
"And that choice is?" Anakin asked darkly.
"To walk with us on that path, or to walk your own path, alone," Ahsoka said.
Anakin put both fists on the table and stood up. He paused for a moment to look at the three Jedi before him. "I will do what must be done. I will not let you stop me. And I am prepared to go it alone."
He turned around and walked out the door without looking back. Obi-Wan exhaled slowly and closed his eyes. Ahsoka made a move to stand up as Anakin left, but then sat back down and stared at the floor. Yoda's shoulders sank as he heard the doors to the conference room close behind Skywalker. No one spoke for a long time, as each thought of what had just happened. It was Yoda who eventually broke the silence.
"Knew we did, that he might choose this. Move forward we must. To the future we must look. In time, rethink matters Skywalker might. Obi-Wan, a report you have on the rescued Padawans I think."
With Yoda's continued prodding the three of them opened up a discussion about first the Padawans and younglings and then the situation regarding Quinlan, Ventress and Barriss.
While they spoke, Anakin walked towards the sickbay of Obi-Wan's ship. He knew that this outcome was possible before he had arrived, and he had planned for the worst. Everything was in place. There was one last thing he needed from this ship before he departed, however. When he reached the doors to sickbay he worried for a moment that they would have already withdrawn his access in anticipation of him choosing to leave the Order, but the doors opened for him without any need to force the issue. They had not planned for the worst it seemed. If he had needed any further proof of how unequipped they were to fight this war, this would have done nicely.
Anakin entered sickbay and easily found the only patient. The Grand Inquisitor had been on death's door when they had arrived at the rendezvous with the Jedi fleet. It had been Quinlan's quick thinking that had let Anakin know the Pau'un was still alive at all, though once informed Anakin had seen the utility of keeping him alive. The traitor lay unconscious in a medical capsule, seemingly having already completed his bacta treatments. Anakin went to the console and injected the Grand Inquisitor with a heavy sedative before disconnecting the capsule from the wall. It had a few hours of battery life, but Anakin knew they would arrive at their destination well before that. He pushed the capsule, which floated on its own, towards the door while wondering what he would do if someone came across him stealing the prisoner. But who would it be? His path did not lead him past the conference room, and all the rest were clones who were either already on his side or easily dealt with. No feelings of regret or shame plagued Anakin Skywalker as he loaded the medical capsule onto his ship. He was not plagued by any thoughts of what might have been, of what he could have done better. All that lived in his heart was a fierce determination to do what he had nearly managed on Eriadu. All that stood in the way of that single purpose was as nothing to him. He lifted off and left the Jedi behind.
It was several days before anyone noticed the Grand Inquisitor was missing. His period of recuperation was supposed to take more than a week and it had been decided to keep him under sedation for that time. The medical droids failed to report the absence of their patient because clone troopers aboard Obi-Wan's ship had reprogrammed them before themselves slipping away.
They found out the day of the great ceremony. It had been Obi-Wan's idea. After a few more meetings with him, and one meeting with Yoda that Obi-Wan suspected had really decided matters, Ventress had consented to rejoining the Order. Her list of conditions had been absurdly long, but her desire to remain with Quinlan and to not deny him the opportunity to return to the Order that he loved had been sufficient. Barriss' situation had been resolved by Ahsoka, who had visited her several times over the intervening days. They had discussed Barriss' betrayal, her framing of Ahsoka, her time in prison, and her time with Anakin. Ahsoka's advocacy for her former friend had been enough for the other two members of the Council.
Once it was decided that they would all return, Obi-Wan had seen an opportunity to stage an event which he hoped would help the recently rescued younglings and Padawans. Seeing lapsed Jedi, especially Ventress and Barriss, being welcomed back into the Order would, he hoped, convince all of them that no matter what they had done to survive, there was a place for them as well. The ceremony was held in the Hangar bay of Obi-Wan's ship. A small platform had been erected in the middle of the room, with the ships that were usually found there sent out to form a larger than normal patrol. The crew of Obi-Wan's ship served as the audience in the Hangar Bay, but the real audience was Caleb Dume and his fellow recent rescues who had been placed on the observation deck looking down on the proceedings. Rex had insisted, as a precaution, that all the hangar bay controls found in the observation deck be disabled for the duration of the ceremony.
Obi-Wan, Ahsoka and Yoda opened the ceremony standing on the platform and inviting the three initiates to join them. Quinlan took his place in front of Yoda, Barriss in front of Ahsoka and Ventress, to her annoyance, in front of Obi-Wan, who could not keep the smirk from his face. The ceremony itself was short. It consisted of the three Jedi handing robes to the initiates who then stood and put the robes on before turning to the audience. They then lifted their lightsabers towards the ceiling and ignited them, Quinlan's green and the two blues of the women to either side of him. As the audience applauded Quinlan turned to Ventress and smiled. In response she rolled her eyes but could not help the slight upturn at the corners of her mouth. Barriss was openly weeping. Ahsoka looked up to the observation deck and saw that all the younglings and Padawans were staring in rapt attention.
Immediately after the ceremony was over Ventress removed her robe, speaking loudly about how silly everyone looked in robes and how much more practical her tunic and skirt were. Then she turned to Obi-Wan and said, "And don't think this means that I am going to ever call you Master. You are Kenobi and you will always be Kenobi."
"Very good Ventress. I would miss hearing it. You say my name in a way absolutely no one else does, with such respect," Obi-Wan said, his smirk growing larger.
Barriss was thanking everyone effusively when one of the crewmen who had been part of the skeleton crew left on duty rushed into the Hangar Bay. "Master Kenobi!" he shouted.
"Yes, what is it?" Obi-Wan asked.
"The Restoration sir! Half our fighters docked with her and she is moving off," the man shouted.
Obi-Wan started to run towards the Hangar Bay exit while he brought his communicator to his mouth and yelled, "Anakin! Anakin! What is going on?" There was no answer, and when Obi-Wan looked up and through the force field at the edge of the Hangar Bay he saw only the engines of the Restoration as it changed course. Then the ship shrank into nothingness as it jumped into hyperspace.
Rex, who had been in the audience, walked up next to Obi-Wan, his helmet in his hand. "Almost the whole 501st was on that ship. 80% of our fighter pilots. More than 90% of our infantry."
Ahsoka walked up next to them and said, "And Anakin."