Disclaimer: not mine

Chapter 14

Obi-Wan glanced down at where some of the off-duty men were playing one of the many games they had either created or learnt, that was part play and part training, hearing laughter that didn't match theirs. He smiled at the sight of his Padawan, weaving in and out of the group a ball of some type clutched to his chest, Waxer and Boil on either side, defending him.

Had it really been eight months since Sora had been assigned to him and Ahsoka to Anakin? So much had happened since then, it felt like the had always been with them on one hand and then sometimes it felt like they had just arrived. But hearing Sora laugh freely, smiling and playing with the vod'e…he'd honestly thought it would never happen.

But Sora had begun slowly opening up the longer he was with them and Obi-Wan was glad. His Padawan had so much potential, potential nearly lost far too young. And with this war…he wished he could send Sora and Ahsoka back to the Temple where they'd be safe but the Senate would not allow it. Padawans served as Commanders and no one seemed to care just how young most of them were. The longer the war lasted, the more the beings of the galaxy seemed to lose any shred of decency. He knew some, like Bail and Padmé, had voted against Padawan Commanders but they had been among the very few.

They were raising a generation of Knights who would know little but war and it wasn't right, they were meant to be Peacekeepers, not soldiers. He might be good at war, had ended up in situations he now knew he never should have been allowed near, but it wasn't meant to be the normal.

,

Cody nodded as Commander Sora joined him on the bridge for the briefing. He hadn't been sure about having a Padawan Commander but the kid had proved himself to be smart, quick on his feet, and protective of Cody's brothers. And while they both might be Commanders, he still outranked Sora, he was the Marshall Commander of Third Systems Army and the 7th Sky Corps.

He was glad the kid had settled in well, the men taking to him like a little brother, teaching and playing with him. Even Padawans surely needed that kind of interaction and from the changes seen, they'd been right. Sora was more relaxed, would smile and laugh now. Not that anyone could blame him for being rather withdrawn at first, not after seeing his file, his Master killed just before the war began and Sora himself near death, comatose for months. How much of a shock must waking to such a changed galaxy have been?

He saw Sora absently rub at his chest as he studied the holotable and moved closer. "Alright Commander?" he murmured, and Sora blinked up at him, seemingly puzzled. "You were rubbing your chest, are you in pain?"

"I was?" he frowned and then stumbled.

"Sora?" Cody grabbed his arm, steadying him, and then he shifted to catch him as Sora's eyes rolled back, body limp. "Medic!" he yelled, being careful to support the kid's head as he lowered him to the deck, running the checks that the squad medics had bashed into all of their heads. Pulse, check, breathing, check. It would take a few minutes at least for a medic to reach them from the med bay, it was closer to the landing bays then bridge after all.

And then the General was there, kneeling down to gently cup Sora's face in a hand. "Sora, can you hear me Padawan?" he asked gently, but the boy didn't respond.

"Sir?" he asked in concern, seeing the frown on the General's face.

"I don't believe this is medically caused," General Kenobi admitted. He closed his eyes and a glare from Cody had the others returning to duty, though glances were thrown their way, the men worried. The General fell back, eyes wide.

"Sir?"

"It isn't his pain causing this, but someone else's."

,

He writhed under his Master's assault, unable to block…not allowed…his back arched, nails tearing against the metal floor. It hurt! Desperately, he reached for something… anything… anyone…help! And then he felt it, warmth…darkness claimed him, freeing him from the pain as he passed out.

,

Obi-Wan was actually pushed back by the Force when he tried to reach his Padawan. Sora lay limp on the deck of the bridge, lost to the Force somehow. "What happened?" he asked Cody.

"The Commander was rubbing at his chest as if in pain but was apparently unaware of it. He stumbled, I steadied him and then he passed out."

Obi-Wan nodded, checking Sora's pulse, steady enough, his eyes moving rapidly behind closed lids. A vision? But even Anakin's didn't render him unconscious, those his seemed to come more often in dreams. And then Helix was there, face drawn in concern as he took in the unconscious Padawan.

Cody once again recited what had happened and what his pulse had been when he passed out. A monitor was quickly attached to Sora and then he was lifted onto a stretcher and rushed to med bay. Force induced or not, he needed to be monitored. If he didn't come out of it soon, Obi-Wan would need to reach out the Temple for answers.

,

Waking up hurt, everything ached. Why? Battle? What had he…he groaned as the light pierced his brain.

"Sora, can you hear me?" That was Master Obi-Wan, he sounded worried.

"Hnnnn…" his fingers twitched on the bed.

"Welcome back Padawan," his Master murmured, and the light dimmed, letting Sora slowly open his eyes. Med bay?

"Ma…"

"Don't try to speak yet," Master answered, and Sora realised fingers were gently running through his hair. "Are you in pain?"

Sora managed a heavy nod and then felt the sensation of something being injected, the pain fading but a floating feeling taking over.

"Try and sleep Padawan," his Master told him, even as his eyes slid shut, too heavy to keep open.

,

Obi-Wan sat back in relief, Sora had woken and had been aware if confused and in pain. Why was he in pain though? He sent a message to Master Che informing her of what had happened to his Padawan. Could it be something linked to his coma? But surely it had been too long. And the Force had definitely been involved somehow.

,

Ahsoka grinned as she scrambled out of the cockpit. She really loved flying, she didn't like combat flying as much though, it didn't bother her when clankers bought it in the air but when it was one of the boys…

"Great flying!" a familiar voice called and she dropped down to the hanger deck.

"Sora!" she threw herself at him and he caught her easily. "You're okay?" she asked, voice quieter with concern.

"I'm fine," he promised. "So, our Masters have a joint mission again, finally."

"Yep," she bounced along beside the older Padawan. She liked Sora, he was kind but also fun. So hearing that he'd just dropped and been totally unresponsive for long enough that Master Kenobi contacted the Temple… she'd been very worried until he'd sent word that Sora had woken again.

"We can spar later if you want?" he offered.

"That would be great," she agreed.

,

Silas picked up the holo of him and Riku, thankful that he had used it for the family record so it still existed, unlike those that had been on his ship. His ad was growing up, if he was still alive. Did he miss him? Or had his memory been erased as well? He'd had an update from the Jetii, much to his surprise, but so far there was no sign of Riku among the Separatists. They hadn't spotted any Mirialans at all among them.

He wished he could always be searching but he had his duty to support what was left of the Haat Mando'ade, his work helped support them as the Evaar Mando'ade dismantled their way of life more and more. How long would they hold to their precious neutrality when the Republic that had put them into power was at war? There were whispers of more and more traditionalists being banished from Manda'yaim for refusing to give up their beskar'gam. Kryze was ruining their people and she didn't even see it.

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Riku knelt before his Master, listening carefully to his every word, memorising it. He would not fail him again. This mission was to make up for his previous failure and was his last chance, another failure would not be tolerated at all.

He went back to his room to pack the few things he had that might be needed, a hand moving to his chest. That warmth… but he shook it off, it had been nothing. There was no warmth for him, no kindness, only the Darkside. He shouldered his pack and headed for the shuttle, glad to be leaving the planet, the only home he'd had for so long. But it had never felt like a home, even before buir had died…been murdered. He wanted a mission against the Jedi and maybe if he succeeded this time, he'd be given one.

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Yoda watched the Padawan's as they sparred, wanting to shake his head. Their skills were very good but he wished their training was not forced to be focused on such things. Not since the Ruusan Reformations had they trained their younglings and Padawans with such a martial focus. Even when he was a youngling, the shift away from war had been very clear as they worked to prove they were falling the new rules.

He was concerned for young Sora especially, given his sudden collapse. He had been examined by Master Che upon their return but nothing had been found and Obi-Wan had felt the Force in his collapse. The boy himself remembered nothing of the event, even in meditation. But the Senate was clear, all Padawans must serve, and there were no medical grounds to deny them in Sora's case.

He could see the toll upon all of the children, even those still within the Temple. The stress and even fear weighed on them no matter how they attempted to shield them. But how could they blame the children for that fear when they saw those older than them return with wounds…or not return at all? He wished there was more they could do, but they could not leave the war, not with the Sith involved.

,

Sora left the examination hall, relieved to be done with exams for a while. Keeping up with his studies while on campaign was not easy but allowances were made for that. He thought he had passed them all at least. It was good to be back in the Temple, he needed the peace. It wasn't anything against the Vod'e, they were family now, but sometimes they got a little too loud given they were trapped on a ship together for weeks on end. And not even physically loud but…their emotions.

He still wouldn't give it up though, in some ways, the fighting, the comradery…if felt almost…familiar? Which was just weird, he'd never been in war before. Maybe his father had been military? He'd been little but not a newborn when the ship crashed so it was very possible that his parents had left imprints. It was why he had kept up with his native language, though he didn't really bother with studying their customs given how males were treated. And due to the men, he'd been working to learn Mando'a which thankfully Master Obi-Wan spoke, even if with a mix of accents.

He just wished the war would end. Honestly, it made no senses to him at all. They said they wanted to withdraw from the Republic, fine, they did that. So why then begin attacking the Republic? Without that, the Republic would have had no army to fight them with, no way to force their return. They had started the war and sure, it had to have something to do with the Sith with Dooku in charge, but why? Dooku had to know he didn't have the forces to take the Republic down from the outside. Ugh, he really didn't like politics. He liked people sure, but governments and politics? No thank you.

TBC….

Short and a bit of filler to lead into Sora and Riku finally meeting.