“Skywalker?”The man pulled on his elbow-length, concealing his glinting mechanical arm in black leather.
He caught the Knight’s gaze in the mirror, “Yes, Kalend?”
Kalend Roshiik was a human male, four years older than his companion but knighted just after the younger Jedi. He had short auburn hair and intelligent grey eyes; a cold and brisk colour like his temperament. He was short and stocky in appearance, but surprisingly agile. Currently, he was dressed in the simple dark-brown and cream tunics of the Order.
His companion, however, was a rather large contrast. Tall, lithe, dressed all in black, with a grim expression that did not match the humour in his bright blue eyes; Anakin Skywalker would not look the hardened warrior he was had it not been for the blood splattering his tunic and the slight limp he moved with if he ran for long periods of time. He had been a General in the Grand Army of the Republic for nearly twenty months now. Over that time, his hair had grown out of its cropped cut- a symbol, like his severed braid, of hisyears as a Padawan Learner- and it now brushed his shoulders. A scar- a memento of a duel with AsajjVentress-ran along the side of his right eye, marring his otherwise stunningly handsome face.
Kalend leant against one of the many tables- laden with weapons and survival gear- and pierced Anakin’s reflection with an inquisitive gaze, “What’s wrong with your Master?” He noticed the minute falter in Anakin’s preparations as he mentioned Master Kenobi, but chose not to mention it.
“What about him?” Anakin asked, sounding far too casual to truly feel indifferent.
Kalend scratched absently at a patch of mud on the chest of his tunic, “Apparently he arrived on the other side of the planet last night and gave the squadrons there a total dressing-down.” He looked up, “You didn’t know he was on-planet? I thought you two were close?”
Anakin attached an ascension gun to his belt and then turned around. He shrugged, “We are…I just haven’t seen him since Aagonar. That’s the last time we were posted to the same regiment.”
“Weird…” Kalend remarked.
The younger Jedi frowned, “What is?”
“Well, you two are a great team. You took back control of planets from the Seppers quicker than most teams with three times as many Jedi. Why did the Council break you up?”
“There are too few of us to keep two successful Generals together. I guess the Council wanted to spread expertise out.” Anakin pulled on his robe, “Ready to go?”
“Just waiting for you, my friend.” It was obvious Anakin did not wish to discuss Master Kenobi further. Kalend didn’t know why he was so bothered anyway…although; something about Skywalker’s explanation seemed slightly off. Why would the Council split up such an effective pair?
Anakin nodded and stepped out of the tent.

Drizzle was falling from the purple-tinged skies of Shakreft. The climate on the Outer Rim planet was wet and so cold Anakin wondered why it didn’t snow. The terrain was mountainous and littered with rivers and lakes. A Great sea divided the landmass into two continents. Looking miserably at the overcast sky, Anakin pulled up his dark hood as he made his way towards the Advanced Recon Commando- the specially-trained Clonetroopers that were more like Jango Fett himself- of the unit he was in charge of; Betak.
“What’s going on, Commander?” he asked, as Betak turned from a trooper with half his helmet shattered.
“We’ve managed to push them back, General Skywalker.” Betak told him, “They’re trapped in Harbour Town with Units five and seven surrounding them.”
“Good. When are we going to go in?” Kalend asked Anakin, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
“ASAP. They’ve had control of the seafront for weeks, now. On the other continent, they’ve taken control of the shore and proven that’s it’s the superior position to have.”
“In taking control of the shore, they lost a lot of the inland areas.” Kalend tapped his finger against the side of a nearby ground vehicle, “We can’t allow that.”
“Contact Master Kenobi.” Anakin ordered a passing Com spec.
“Yes sir.” Thetrooper replied obediently. Sometimes, theirun-questioning compliancescared Anakin; it reminded him too much of some of the slaves he’d seen back on Tatooine…
“Why did you tell him to do that?” Kalend queried as Betak went to tell the rest of the Unit of the attack plan.
“We can find out what they did wrong.” Anakin replied curtly. He raised his eyebrow at Kalend, as if to say ‘obviously’ and followed Betak.
‘Three months’ Anakin thought, giving only half his attention to the briefing Betak was giving the troopers. As the briefing finished, Anakin walked over to the nearest ground-tank and climbed up the side, seating himself on the top. Two troopers clambered up next to him.
‘Three whole months since Aagonar’ he snorted softly to himself, ‘Might have well have been three years…The longest time we’ve been away from each other since I became his Padawan.’ He firmly reminded himself that it was no one’s fault but his own that he hadn’t seen his former Master in that long a time and that, as a Knight, he shouldn’t need to rely on Obi-Wan. That didn’t change the fact that he’d give anything to have Obi-Wan at his side. Putting aside the events of the last year or so, Obi-Wan was an excellent General, the Jedi Anakin preferred to fight alongside and the best friendhe had ever had.
The tank went over a small bump in the mud track and he placed his foot in the rung of the ladder that went up the side of the vehicle to steady himself. Betak informed him that they would be arriving on the outskirts of Harbour Town in forty minutes. Anakin nodded and allowed his mind to wander, whilst still being aware of his surroundings; a Jedi skill learnt early in his apprenticeship.
Inevitably, after thinking about the fact he could do with a thicker robe if the temperature dropped much further, his thoughts turned to Obi-Wan. He had found himself thinking of the Jedi Master and also, Padmé,when his attention was not needed elsewhere. His train of thought took him back to the events of Aagonar…

He heard the door open, but continued to stare at the recently deactivated comunit; it’s not like the person entering would be anyone but Obi-Wan, anyway. Footsteps echoed in the metal cabin- their quarters for the duration of their occupation of the planet, which Obi-Wan often called ‘a glorified holding cell’- as he crossed the floor. There was a slight creaking as Obi-Wan sat down in a rickety old chair he had salvaged from the rubble of a house bombed by the Separatists, claiming that he was sick of perching on tables or sittingon the small, uncomfortable cots in their quarters.
“You seem relatively gloomy.” Obi-Wan observed. Anakin turned to look at him, his expression carefully blank. Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes slightly as he pulled off his robe.
“I appear to have collected half the desert in my damn boots.” he said. He took off his boots and turned them upside down, watching with a frown as the sand created a small pile on the floor.
“Not as much as Tatooine.” Anakin said in a toneless voice.
Obi-Wanmade a ratifying noise and reclined in the chair, closing his eyes, “I’m glad we’ll be off this planet soon. Perhaps you could call in favour with your dear friend Palpatine and get us sent somewhere nice, so that when we’re getting shot at, we can have something pretty to look at; mountains and big grassy fields with flowers, hmm?”
Anakin smiled weakly, “Because when you’re getting shot at, nothing helps like flowery fields.”
“Now you’re getting it.” Obi-Wan opened one eye, “Bad news?”
“Huh?”
“You’re staring at that comunit like it’s to blame for every awful thing that’s ever happened to you. I thought that honour fell to me...?”
Anakin sighed, unmoved by Obi-Wan's attempts at humour, ‘Maybe it is.’
“I heard that.” Obi-Wan sat up, “What’s the news?”
“Padmé, she…she went for her annual check-up; it’s obligatory for all Senators, apparently.”
“Force forbid any politician should get a cold.” Obi-Wan smirked, but the expression soon faded when he felt Anakin’s uneasiness over their bond.
“Quite.” Anakin rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. How was he going to phrase this?
“Is something that matter? Is she ill?”
“Not exactly…” he met Obi-Wan’s eyes. For a moment the other man stared at him silently before comprehension dawned. He let out a puff of breath and pinched the bridge of his nose, a gesture of chagrin.
“She’s pregnant, isn’t she?” he asked softly. Anakin felt him hastily putting up all mental shields. What was he feeling that he didn’t want Anakin to sense?
“Yes.” Anakin replied tightly.
“The Healer says she’s three weeks along. I last saw her twenty-five days ago; so at least I know its mine, right?” he deadpanned.
“Congratulations.” Obi-Wan said, smiling. To all others, it might have appeared a genuine smile; Anakin had only ever seen him use that smile when dealing with obnoxious politicians who had sad something he personally disagreed with.
He was truly glad he was going to be a Father and yet...“Obi-“
“No, Anakin.”
Anakin glowered, “You don’t even know what I’m going to say!”
“Yes I do. You were going to say that it doesn’t matter, that this doesn’t change anything; that this...That our...affair can continue.” Obi-Wan stood, hastily stepping into his boots and dressing in his robe. As much as he tried, Anakin couldn’t seem to voice the protests he wanted to.
The elder man came over to him, putting his hands on his shoulders, “You’re going to be a Father, Ani. That is something that very few Jedi are gifted. Go back to your wife, Anakin; for a long time, half you heart and your body has been given to somebody else, who, by right, should never have been given the opportunity to take advantage of that.”
‘He called me Ani.’ Anakin thought, shocked.
“But, I-“ He was silenced by a strangely chaste kiss. By the time he looked up again, Obi-Wan had gone. He stared around the cabin, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened and why, for some reason, he had let it happen. Little did he know, that outside the cabin, Obi-Wan Kenobi was wondering exactly the same thing.
Anakin sat down in front of the compact Holocam and receiver and typed in the code for Supreme Chancellor Palpatine’s personal communications frequency.
“Anakin!” Palpatine, as usual, answered promptly, his holographic form looking surprised, “Hello, my boy! You’re out on Aagonar, aren’t you? How is the battle going?”
Anakin felt himself smile; he could always count on the Supreme Chancellor to cheer him up and offer a friendly ear or valuable advice, “Well, Chancellor. We believe that we should have complete control back by the end of the week; Coruscant week that is…The weeks here are months long!”
Palpatine chuckled, “Indeed! Now, is there something I can do for you, son? I assume this is not a social call?”
“No. You said I could ask you for favour; I was wondering, does the offer still stand?” Anakin tried his best to look determined and not as torn at whether he was doing the right thing as he felt.
“Of course, Anakin! Anything for ‘the Hero with no Fear.’” Anakin had to try hard not to flush with pride at the title the HoloNet had given him.
Palpatine continued, “Not to mention the fact that you’re one of my dearest friends. So, ask away!”
“I request for myself and General Kenobi not to be posted together again.” There, he’d said it.
Palpatine looked suitably confused, “But, Anakin…you and Master Kenobi are an excellent team! One of the most successful in the army! I was under the impression that you two were close friends, also?”
“We are. It’s just…wouldn’t it more beneficial to spread outour expertise of dealing with the Separatists? There are some Jedi who have next to no knowledge of our enemy.”
Despite the fact he nodded in agreement with Anakin’s statement,Palpatine still looked suspicious, “Is that the whole story, my friend?”
“Well, no.” Anakin admitted, embarrassed when he felt himself blush, “Obi-Wan and I have had a small, um, disagreement. I don’t think it would be conductive if we were to remain in a partnership. Our quarrel with each other might even prove to be detrimental in a battle situation…”
“Surely you and Obi-Wan can work this out?”
‘Unless you have a time-machine, Chancellor; no’ That would’ve sounded quite foolish, so he didn't voice that statement.
Anakin shook his head, “No, Chancellor; I’m afraid not.”
Palpatine sighed resignedly, “Well, my boy, I’ll see what I can do. I can’t promise anything, but...”
“I understand, Chancellor. This means a lot to me; thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Anakin. I’ll get back to you.” The holograph receded into the receiver.
As it turned out, when the occupation of the desert planet ended ten days later, Anakin was called back to the Temple for a ‘rest period’ of a fortnight, whilst Obi-Wan was sent to command one of the fleets of Jedi Starfighters. When Obi-Wan heard this information, he was not remotely impressed and ignored all Anakin’s attempts to explain. Finally, just as Obi-Wan was about to leave, Anakin managed to catch him in the hangar.
“Obi-Wan!” he called. He looked up and then continued the pre-flight checks when he saw it was Anakin.
“Why are you ignoring me?” Anakin asked angrily, climbing up the ladder so that he was on level with Obi-Wan.
“What you did was foolish, not to mention incredibly selfish.” Obi-Wan hissed, looking agitated at being interrupted.
“What are you talking about?”
“Palpatine requested for you to be given leave. He requested for me to be posted to the fighter squad on the Outer Rim! Why would he do that if you hadn’t contacted him?” They stared at each other for a moment, neither wanting to look away first.
Anakin gave in. Obi-Wan looked so…betrayed. Is that what emotion he had shielded from Anakin?
“Fine, I admit it; I contacted him! I thought it would be better if we were separated, given our current situation.”
“And what situation is that?” Obi-Wan said coolly. Before Anakin could answer, he turned to face the control panel and pressed the button that closed the cockpit. Anakin jumped off as the ladder was tugged away and the ship began to rise off of the ground of the hangar.
/May the Force be with you./ he sent, sounding somewhat bitter. He did not expect a reply as Obi-Wan’s end of the bond had been closed off and silent for days.
Just as the group of fighters donned hyperdrive rings, however, the words/May it be with you also, Anakin/ sounded in his mind.
The bond, which was as strong as it had ever been thanks to their continued intimacy and close proximity since Anakin was knighted, had been shielded and silent ever since.

“General Skywalker?” Anakin, fully alert once more, faced the Commando. Usually, the Commandos would not have taken part in an operation like this- the Commando squads generally worked by themselves and on covert missions-, but their experience would be useful in this attack as the droids had managed to build up near-impenetrable defences.
“Yes, soldier?”
“We’ve reached the outskirts, sir.” Surprised, Anakin took in his surroundings and saw they were, indeed, on the outskirts of the territory the Separatists occupied. He must have been deeper in thought than he had realised. The ground-tank stopped and Anakin gracefully leapt onto the muddy ground, a slight frown appearing on his face as the mud splattered the white armour of the surrounding Clonetroopers.
Kalend approached, “The scouts say thatthe Seppers' forcesare concentrated around the harbour itself; the perimeter should be relatively easy to breach.”
“Something about this seems odd to me.” Anakin commented. Since they had stopped he’d been feeling increasingly uneasy and a slight niggling at the back of his mind that seemed to say ‘danger.’
‘Of course there’s danger! Eight-hundred droids are inside that town, all of them wanting to plant a nice blaster wound in the middle of your chest!’
“How so?” Kalend questioned.
“They’ve managed to keep the Harbour for weeks; none of our squads could gain any ground. Yet they have a flimsy perimeter? It doesn’t make any sense.”
“Noted, General.” Betak said, “The troops will be informed to watch out for suspicious behaviour.”
“Good.” Anakin addressed the Clonetroopers and Commandos, “Move out, squad. Be wary…I sense something.” The clones nodded; whilst that did not understand the Force, they understood that it was more reliable than any equipment or programming and always deferred to the rule of a present Jedi, even if it went against their logic.
It soon became apparent what that ‘something’ was.

“What was that?” General Kenobi asked the Communications specialist. He was stood on the edge of the cliff where Alpha Base 2 was set up. In the distance there had been a sudden flash, followed by a huge cloud of smoke.
The Com spec listened to something through the comlink in his helmet and relayed the information to the Jedi, “The Separatists just torpedoed an apartment block in the centre of Harbour town, sir.”
“What squads were over there, soldier?” he demanded, running a hand through his recently cropped hair; shorter hair was easier to maintain, especially with often limited sanitation facilities. Since he had been sent out as a General, his hair had been bleached by harsh suns of scorching planets, meaning that it was almost completely blonde; nearlyall of the coppery undertones from his youth, gone.
“Commando squads seven and five, sir. And the eighth Republic Army-“
“Eighth!” Anakin was a General of the eighth!
“Yes, sir; led by Generals Rashiik and Skywalker.”
“Find out who was out there at the time of the explosion…Now!” ‘There is no emotion…’

“…an…option.”

“…healers?”

“…none….”

“Bacta?”

“…permission.”

Warm. Red. Wet. Obi-Wan’s blurred face centimetres from his own. Darkness. Cold. Pain. Soft.

“Ow…” Damn; his throat hurt. His chest felt like a Bantha had sat on it. Perhaps one had. What’d happened? He couldn’t remember…

“Rest, Knight Skywalker.” A female voice. Sort of familiar. He felt tired and heavy. Odd, he’d felt wide awake a moment earlier…

‘Stupid Force compulsion…’ Anakin felt his eyelids slide shut.

“I haven’t been here in years.” he said aloud, “Not even with Padmé.”

“Perhaps you should;it's quite beautiful.”

Anakin whirled around. That voice; he knew that voice!

“Master Jinn?” Sure enough, the tall Jedi Master was stood on a stone terrace at the end of the garden, looking out over the lake hundreds of metres below. He looked younger than Anakin remembered; his hair was a chocolate brown instead of silver. There were fewer lines around his eyes or on his forehead.

“Hello, Ani.” Qui-Gon flashed him a pleasant smile, gesturing for Anakin to come and stand next to him.

“I’m dreaming, aren’t I?” Anakin had come to that conclusion once he had realised he was fully dressed in his Jedi garb and completely uninjured. There was also the small fact that the man he was conversing with had been dead since he was ten.

“Yes. You were injured on Shakreft. You’re in the Healers Wing at the Temple on Coruscant.”

“Coruscant? Couldn’t they heal me on Shakreft? They have Bacta don’t they?”

Qui-Gon regarded him gravely, “You almost died, Anakin. You were the only member of your Squad to survive.”

He sighed, “The Bacta wasn’t working. I’ve never seen Obi-Wan so frantic; I think he earned his first grey hairs over the last three weeks.”

“Three weeks!”

“Hmmm. Still, you could do with the rest, yes?” Qui-Gon chuckled. He sat down on the edge of one of the walled flowerbeds that surrounded the terrace, “The Force healing has worked, though. You’ll be well enough to wake up in less than a day.”

Anakin nodded, not sure why he was doing so, and sat down next to Qui-Gon, “Why are you here? Why am I having this dream, I mean?”

“There is a dark time ahead for the Republic and the Jedi Order, Ani. Darker than any of us ever imagined.” He gave a strangely bitter laugh; a laugh Anakin thought sounded odd coming from a man like Qui-Gon Jinn, “We were blinded, all of us, by facades. Facades…" He met Anakin's eyes, "You don’t have a façade, Anakin; not yet.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You will, in time.” Qui-Gon’s expression revealed nothing. His tone was equally as closed.

‘Force, it’s like talking to Master Yoda.’

“I’m afraid I still don’t understand.”

Qui-Gon surveyed his silently for a moment before piercing him with his tranquil blue gaze, “Take Obi-Wan for instance; we both know what a sarcastic bastard he can be. To politicians, dignitaries and the like he’s the perfect diplomat. And Padmé; she’s pregnant and has managed to hide it from everyone around her. She doesn’t let on how much she fears for you, either.”

“Padmé…” Anakin felt a stab of guilt, “Does she know about my injury?”

“Know? Anakin; everyone who watches the HoloNet knows! There are people sobbing at the doors of the Temple; weeping for their injured hero. As for Padmé…she’s distraught. Obi-Wan’s managed to calm her, although…” Qui-Gon gave him a sidelong glance.

“Although, what?”

“They know.”

Anakin stared at him, “They know what? Force…There are so many things people could ‘know’ about me at the current time. It’s a wonder I’ve not turned to the Dark Side with all the deception!”

Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Qui-Gon flinch. The next second he was as perfectly composed as ever, “They know about you and Padmé. They know about the twins-“

“Twins? Padmé is having twins!” Anakin felt brief elation before it was dampened by worry at the predicament he would likely find himself in when he awoke.

“How did they find out?” he asked quietly.

“She demanded to be let in. Naturally, they declined. Obi-Wan tried to get in her in by saying she was your friend, but, in the end; he told them.”

“He told them.” Anakin repeated, through clenched teeth. How dare Obi-Wan betray him like that! He would likely be expelled from the Order!

“He had to or else they wouldn’t have let her in. Now, I know you’re angry…Obi-Wan cares for you very deeply and he would never intentionally do anything to hurt you or put your position in jeopardy.”

Anakin had to try very hard not to snort.

“He doesn’t care about me.” Quieter, he added, “Not anymore.”

Qui-Gon smiled kindly, “Anakin; the reason Obi-Wan ended your relationship was because he felt guilty that he was making you betray your wife.”

“He isn’t making me do anything.” Anakin absently picked a brightly-coloured bloom from the flowerbed and twirled it in his fingers, “I do love Padmé, its just…I think I’m-“ he cleared his throat, “-in, er, love with Obi-Wan, too.”

Qui-Gon laughed, “Think! Oh dear, Anakin! Really; you ‘think’!”

Anakin did not see what was so funny.

“I remember when I first began having thoughts about Obi-Wan romantically.” Qui-Gon said, stroking his beard, “Naturally, as one does when faced with a dilemma, I went to Master Yoda. I don’t know if Obi-Wan ever told you of this, but I had pledged myself to a Jedi called Tahl.”

Anakin had heard vague mention of her, but little else than that. Pledging was the prelude to a bonding; like engagement was to marriage. He shook his head.

“Well, shortly after I pledged myself to her– Obi-Wan was in his mid-teens at the time- she was killed on a mission.” He sighed sadly, “I grieved for a long time. I was guilty, depressed. I was cold towards everyone, especially Obi-Wan who was closest to me and the person trying to help the most. So, the years went on and, eventually, Obi-Wan managed to knock some sense into me and demand I stop being so pitiful as it wasn’t what Tahl would’ve wanted and definitely not what he wanted.”

Qui-Gon paused thoughtfully, “Obi-Wan was about nineteen when I realised I was in love with him. Of course I’d noticed he was attractive before; but I’d never actually cared to examine my feelings more closely. As sure as I was that I loved him, I couldn’t help feel that I was betraying Tahl by entering into a relationship with another.”

“You went to Master Yoda, then?”

“Yes. I remember clearly what he said to me; ‘if meant to have only one love we were, smaller our hearts would be.’ Tahl was one with the Force; I just had to make the choice of whether or not I would let myself acknowledge what I felt. You have to make the choice of who you want to give yourself fully; if you keep going like you were, you’ll only end up hurting Obi-Wan, Padmé and eventually yourself.”

Anakin pulled the petals off of the flower in his hand one-by-one. He threw the stem over the side of the wall, watching as it slowly fell towards the lake below.

“Who is the masked man?” he asked abruptly.

“The masked man?” Qui-Gon shrugged, looking confused, “I’m afraid I don’t know to whom you refer.”

“The masked man…I’ve seen him in my dreams many teams. Sometimes he kills me, sometimes Obi-Wan, sometimes… sometimes he kills everyone. Surely you must know, after all you know about everything else. Is he me? Is he even real?”

Qui-Gon closed his eyes, “Once, he could’ve been.”

“What do you mean?”

Qui-Gon smiled sadly, the look in his eyes suggesting to Anakin that he was hiding something and Anakin couldn’t help but find it infuriating, “I’ll always be watching over you and Obi-Wan. Even when it seems like everyone and everything had deserted you…”

“What? What do you know? Tell me!”

“May the Force be with you.” Qui-Gon faded into nothingness. The garden too. And suddenly, he was falling. Anakin gave a small grunt as he landed, sprawled, on a metal floor. He struggled to a crouching position and peered around the room. The floors and walls were all black, as was the large, crude throne at one end of the room.

A chilling laugh sent shivers up his spine.

“Yes, young Jedi! Feed on you anger; your hate!”

In front of the throne, two figures were fighting. One of them was the masked monster from his nightmares, the hisses of his respirator more frequent as he battled. His opponent was a good deal shorter, but it was obvious thathe was winning the battle. The two figures faded and were replaced by two different people, also wielding lightsabers. The one that replaced the masked giant- Anakin realised with a jolt- was himself, although his expression was far grimmer than he ever imagined he could look. The shorter figure was the same man as before, but he looked younger. Whereas the battle before had been aggressive, it was nothing compared to this ferocious contest. The Anakin fighting could move with more agility than the masked giant. The younger man appeared better trained this time too. Abruptly, the scene dissolved, leaving only Anakin and his doppelganger, who turned towards him, a cruel smile curling his lips. The mask of the sinister figure appeared over his face and Anakin staggered backwards, struck with a horrid realisation; the masked figure was him! The sound of respirator-assisted breathing surrounded him; he could feel the mask over his mouth…

“Hold him!” a female voice barked.

“Can’t you see he’s distressed!” That sounded like Padmé. ‘Angel…’ Another vision flitted in front of his eyes; he watched from behind a mask as Padmé crumpled to the floor, felled by his own crimson blade…

Despite the hands trying to restrain him, he continued to claw at the mask. He had to get it off!

/Anakin! Calm down/ Obi-Wan’s mental voice was brisk and commanding.

/Get it off! The mask! From my dream! Get it off/ He felt Obi-Wan’s understanding and felt one pair of his hands leave him.

“Take the mask off!” Obi-Wan ordered verbally.

“But, Master Kenobi-“

“Do it, Healer! He’ll calm down!”

“He might not be able to breathe, Master!”

“Do you want him to hurt himself further! Do as I say!”

Seconds later, the breathing mask was removed and Anakin took huge gulps of air; somewhere along the line he’d decided not to breathe while he had that thing on his face.

A hand came down on his forehead. He was almost positive it was Obi-Wan’s hand. He leant into the touch.

“Sleep” Obi-Wan’s voice whispered. And he did.

“Your beard tickles, you know” he croaked. He opened his eyes slowly and found himself almost nose-to-nose with Obi-Wan’s relieved yet amused face.

“I’ll shave next time, shall I?”

“Nah.” Anakin make a weak gesture with his hand, “Feels sorta nice.”

“Hmmm. How do you feel?”

He attempted to move, “Argh. Did a family of Hutts sit on me?”

Obi-Wan chuckled, “Not quite. The building you were in collapsed. Do you remember?”

“Ambiguously.”

“That’s a big word to use straight after three weeks of being unconscious.”

“Wasn’t totally unconscious for all of it.” At Obi-Wan’s questioning look, he elaborated, “I remember the Bacta tank, a little. And I had a really strange dream.”

“About what?”

“Well, when I use the word ‘dream’…I was conscious, but in a dream. Do I make sense?” Obi-Wan nodded and he went on, “I was on Naboo and Qui-Gon was there. He was talking to me. Was he always that cryptic?”

“Cryptic? That would depend what he was talking about. What did he talk to you about?”

“He was talking about you and what happened to me. He told me that everyone knows about Padmé. I think maybe he was trying to warn me too. Warn me about what, I’m not sure; that’s what he was being cryptic about.”

Obi-Wan nodded, looking hesitant about something.

“What? I haven’t lost another arm have I?”

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, “That isn't funny, Anakin. I suppose, I...I’m sorry for telling the Council about your marriage.”

Pushing his annoyance back, Anakin attempted a nonchalant tone, “Its okay. They wouldn'thave let Padmé in if you hadn’t.” He peered around the small, sterile-looking room, “Where is she, anyway?”

“It’s 0300, Anakin. She’ll be at her apartment, asleep, like most normal people at this time.”

At that point, Anakin remembered he was pissed off at Obi-Wan for ignoring him and rewarded him with the dirtiest look he could muster in his condition, “Why are you here, anyway?”

Obi-Wan sighed, turning away. After a short period of uncomfortable silence, he turned back, “I can leave, if you want.”

Anakin could feel Obi-Wan’s dejection as he said those words and the distinct sense that Obi-Wan had accepted Anakin’s rebuff.

‘I shouldn’t be feeling that so clearly.’ He thought, promptly checking his mental shields. They were still solid, as were Obi-Wan’s.

“What have you done?” he asked Obi-Wan, sounding less accusatory than he would’ve liked.

“What do you mean?” )What is he on about? Maybe it’s something to do with the head injury?(

“My head injury? Why would that affect my shields?”

Obi-Wan met his eyes searchingly, “You heard that?”

“You didn’t send it?” ‘How could he; our shields are up?’

“I heard that.” Obi-Wan professed. Anakin could clearly sense his growing confusion. They eyed each other wordlessly.

“What does it mean?” Anakin said, voicing what they both thought.

“I’m not sure, but I…” Obi-Wan shook his head and stood, “I’ll go speak to one of the healers.”

“A bond, Mace? A life-bond? I…That’s impossible! Both parties have to create the bond willingly, usually with help from a senior Council member to focus enough power to cement it.”

“You are a Council member, Obi-Wan.” Mace reminded him, “You’re one of the most powerful Jedi in the Order and Anakin…Anakin is the potential Chosen One! It’s not a question of power.”

Obi-Wan glanced at him and then continued staring of the Council chamber windows. His fingers tapped an uneasy rhythm on the ear of his chair, betraying his trepidation.

“You fed Knight Skywalker energy along your old Master-Padawan bond while he was under the rubble, did you not? And continued to do so until he arrived at the Temple? I understand that your bond was still strong due to your continued…nearness.” Mace and Yoda shared an unnoticed look after the last word.

“Yes. Still, I was unaware it was possible to unconsciously bond yourself to another like that?”

“Never happened before it has.” Yoda said, “Perhaps add to the argument that Knight Skywalker is the Chosen One, this does.”

“You’re said that this happened because I was letting him feed of my life-force?”

“Yes.” Mace shared another look with Yoda, who nodded, “There is one other thing that would explain why this bond formed.”

“Which is?”

“Have you had sexual relations with Anakin?”

Obi-Wan abruptly stopped tapping, “I beg your pardon!”

“Have you had sex with Anakin?”

A muscle tensed in Obi-Wan’s jaw, “Why do you ask?”

“When two Jedi are intimate, they form a mental connection. Usually it is to faint to sense. However if love was involved…Bonds have been known to form spontaneously between Jedi pairs who have been lovers for a large number of years. The bonds formed in that circumstanceweren’t life-bonds, but it would help explain.”

“Are you suggesting I slept with my Padawan while he was underage?”

“So you have slept with him?” Mace asked, looking and sounding surprised.

Obi-Wan sighed, “Yes. I have. Multiple times.”

“When did your relationship start?” Obi-Wan resisted the urge to snap at the dark-skinned Master. They were treating him like an insolent Initiate! He was a Jedi Master for Force’s sake!

‘Calm.’ He chided himself, taking a couple of deep breaths.

“The first time was a few weeks after Geonosis.” He closed his eyes, “We were last together on Aagonar. We had a disagreement”

“Hmmm…The reason why Palpatine requested for you to be split up that was. A useful ally young Skywalker has found in the Supreme Chancellor.” Yoda tapped his gimer stick absently, “Useful, indeed.”

He pointed at Obi-Wan with his stick, “No doubt there is, that the will of the Force this was. Yes; meant to be tied together you were.”

“He’s married!” Obi-Wan blurted out, unable to restrain his frustration, “He’s going to a Father! He’s fifteen years my junior and he used to be my Padawan! He’s probably the Chosen One! Stars’ end…” he put his head in his hands, his breathing heavy.

“I’m guessing you haven’t let that all about before?” Mace crossed his legs and steepled his fingers, looking the epitome of Jedi calm.

Obi-Wan laughed caustically, “Let it out! I yelled it in his face!”

His voice echoed in the darkened chamber, sounded oddly unsteady to his own ears

‘You’re a wreck’

)Please stop thinking so loud.(

)I can’t shield the damn bond!( he replied fiercely.

)Sorry.( He felt Anakin put up the strongest shields possible. It didn’t help much; the only difference was that a slight murkiness to the feelings and words.

“You do not want this bond?” Mace questioned, his brow furrowed.

“Does it matter what I want? Anakin is-“ He gave a gasp of pain as, unexpectedly, Yoda’s gimer stick struck his left shin.

“Know Anakin’s status we do. What you want is this?”

“I…” What did he want? He’d established that he…well; he’d established how he felt about Anakin. Anakin claimed to feel the same. What was stopping him?

Guilt. Guilt, because, in being with Anakin, he was denying him to Padmé; his wife, the person Anakin had bond himself to with vows of love.

)You have a choice.( Anakin sent, sounding strangely wise and, briefly, reminding Obi-Wan of Qui-Gon.

A mental chuckle met that thought, )Probably because he told me the same thing.(

)It’s not as simple as a choice-(

)I’ve already chosen.( There was a good degree of surety in Anakin’s proclamation.

)The choices you and I make effects more than just us; it affects Padmé, your children, maybe even the rest of the Jedi Order…(

)We wouldn’t have to be ‘you and I’, we could be ‘we’. We could face the consequences of our actions together.(

Obi-Wan unknowingly took a sharp intake of breath, causing his two fellow Councillors to stare at him.

)I have made my choice, Obi-Wan; but you must make yours. We could find a way to break this bond and I could go back to Padmé, or…( Or. Endless possibilities. Life-bonds lasted for ever; even after those bonded became one with the Force.

)And, due to the fact I’m younger and the fact that you won’t die until I do, your natural life will probably be round about two-hundred years. Barring illness or injury, of course.(

)Two-hundred!(

)Human Jedi with life-bonds life expectancy increases by fifty years upon completion of the bond. And seeing as most human Jedi live to around one hundred, I’ll be looking at celebrating my one-hundred and fiftieth birthday before I croak.(

)Why will I live to two-hundred? And how do you know this?(

)An exasperated sigh, Didn’t you listen? The elder of the pair lives until the younger one dies; if one of us dies, so will the other. Of mental-shock or increasing weakness, if I remember correctly. Kalend Rashiik‘s Master was life-bonded to someone and he was telling me about it.(

)...You’re certain that this is what you want?(

)I’m not a child, Obi-Wan. I’m perfectly capable of making my own decisions.(

Obi-Wan looked at Mace and Yoda, both of whom were watching him carefully.

“I do want this.”

Mace broke into a grin, “Congratulations, Obi-Wan.”

Obi-Wan felt a smile appear on his own face, “Thank you.”

)Can I try something?( Anakin was trying his bestto sound innocent. Obi-Wan concluded that meant nothing good.

)What? Are-( Quite suddenly, a feather-like touch danced over his taut chest, fluttered over his nipples and traced a trail of teasing pleasure down his abdomen, forcing him to bite back a moan. He felt all tension leave his torso, leaving him blissfully relaxed.

)Anakin! I’m with Mace and Yoda!(

)I know. I'm testing your much-acclaimed Jedi control(

A wave of fatigue that wasn’t his own swept over Obi-Wan. The invisible hand had moved down to his crotch.

)Are you sure you should be doing this? You’re using a lot of energy and in your state-(

)’M fine(

)Of course.( Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow, drawing strange looks from the two Jedi seated opposite him, )I think I’ve found another use for his bond.(

)…?( Anakin couldn’t even form actual words; only a general quizzical feeling. Who was he trying to fool?

)Sleep.( Obi-Wan put a good deal of Force suggestion behind the command.

)’S not fair…bastard…(

Obi-Wan smiled, ‘Maybe this bond isn’t such a bad idea after all.’

Obi-Wan- who was sat on the end of the bed, cross-legged- rolled his eyes, “You’ll be out in a few weeks.”

“I’ve been in this bed for thirty-five days. All I’ve got to look out are these four, despairingly dull walls.” He made a disgusted face and gestured to aforementioned four walls for emphasis, "Have the Council made a decision about what my punishment for getting married will be yet?"

“No, fortunately for you, they're too busy with the war." "

"Yeah, fortunate." Anakin snorted.

Obi-Wan uncrossed his legs, stretching them out, "I’ll be back to keep you company in less than a month. They’re bringing that squadron back to the Core worlds soon. The only reason I’m going is because there is no one elseto replace the former Commander.”

“Was that Master T’Sharme?”

“Mmm…He was an agemate of Qui-Gon’s. He was a bit too, ah, traditional for my former Master’s taste. In fact, he irked him quite a bit. It’s a pity he’s dead though; he was a good pilot.”

“Can’t be that good if he got himself killed.”

“Anakin!”

“Well, it’s true. If they’d let me go out-“

“You can’t even walk two metres without falling over.”

“I wouldn’t need to walk if I was in my fighter!” Anakin argued.

Obi-Wan sighed, “I know it’s hard for you. But the Healers want to make sure you’re fully healed before they send you out. I want to be sure you’re fully healed. With me feeding you some of my energy over our bond, you’ll heal quicker anyway.”

Anakin brightened, “That’s true." His expression turned austere, "Don’t you drain you dare yourself on my account, Obi-Wan.”

“You sound like a fussing housewife. I'll drain myself as much as I like, dear."

Anakin scowled as Obi-Wan smirked at him, before asking, "How’s the shielding?” Over the last few days, they’d managed to shield their bond enough to stop hearing each other’s every thought, even if they could still break through each other’s shields with very little effort.

“Think of a colour.”

“…Alright.”

Anakin cocked his head to one side, “Nope. Can’t hear.”

“Good.” He got to his feet, “I have to go now.”

“I’m not telling Padmé until you come back.” Anakin informed him as Obi-Wan pressed a kiss to his forehead, “I want you there with me when I do it.”

“Probably a good idea. Look after yourself.”

“I’ll contact you later with my progress report.” He smirked.

Obi-Wan put on a mock-stern visage, “See that you do, Padawan Skywalker.”

“That’s ‘Knight Skywalker’ to you.”

“What did I say? You’ll always be my Padawan.” Obi-Wan gave him another kiss- this time a quick peck on the lips- and then walked over to the door.

“Goodbye Anakin.”

“Goodbye Master.” As he left, Obi-Wan was struck by the strangest feeling that he shouldn’t leave- ever-; that he should go back right now, lock the door and guard Anakin with his lightsaber drawn.

“Master Kenobi?” The Knight travelling with him stopped at his side, “Shall we get going?”

‘No!’

“Yes, sorry; I was distracted.”

‘Stay safe, Anakin.’

“Bloody…What time is it?” He fumbled around for the small device.

“It’s 0200.” One of the clone pilots said, from where he sat in front of one of the screens on the bridge of the Republic’s Flight- a Republic assault ship, specially modified to accommodate the starfighter Amber and Jade squadron’s ships and pilots-.

Obi-Wan, as Commander, had chosen torest on a sleep couch on the bridge so that, if they encountered Separatists, he would be ready to go within seconds.

He answered the comlink, “Commander Kenobi of the Amber squadron, here.”

“Obi-Wan? It’s Mace.”

Obi-Wan rubbed his eyes, “Mace…It’s 0200-“

“Obi-Wan! Coruscant is under attack by the Separatists. Nearly their entire fight fleet is here, as well as hundreds of thousands of droids.”

Obi-Wan sat up, his heart hammering in his chest; Coruscant- the very heart of the Republic- was under attack? He stood up and called to the nearest Captain, “We can be there in three hours.”

“Oh, thank the Force! Most of our troopers and starfighters are more than five hours away.”

“What’s the situation?” Translated as; ‘Are we screwed?’

“Not good.” Mace admitted, “We’re hopelessly outnumbered. We never expected them to attack here.”

The Captain came over. Obi-Wan held up a hand, “Wait a moment, Mace.” He faced the Captain, “Yes?”

“Republic attack ship Aftershock is about to come out of hyperspace in this system. Would you like us to wait until they join us, Commander?”

“Yes. We need all the help we can get. Hail them when they arrive and tell them of our decision, Captain.”

“Yes, sir.” The clone saluted and turned smartly on his heel.

“We’re waiting for the Aftershock to join us, Mace.” Obi-Wan spoke into the comlink, “They shouldn’t be more than ten minutes.”

“Very well. I’ve got to get there. May the Force be with you.”

“You too, my friend; be safe.”

Obi-Wan stowed the comlink away in a pouch on his belt and walked over to the panoramic bridge window.

)Anakin?( he tried.

There was no response. A frown creased his brow; he could usually get through to Anakin even from this distance.

)Anakin?(

Worry stabbed at him, ‘What if he had been caught up in the attack?’ Sure, he could luck after himself when he was uninjured, but with his current ailments...

)Anakin? Can you hear me?(

Nothing yet again. He must be shielding…but why?

Standing on that bridge, Obi-Wan was overcome by helplessness. The skies of the planet he thought of as home were ablaze with the flashing lights and explosions of war and here he was lightyears away. He could do nothing but wait.

Obi-Wan had been thinking more along the lines of ‘fucking Sith hell.’

The surface of Coruscant was barely visible from their position, due to the sheer amount of ships –from tiny fighters to gigantic capital ships- surrounding the atmosphere.

“Get our fighters out there!” Obi-Wan ordered as he rushed towards the hangar.

“Ready Arfour?” R4-P17, the astromech droid that had accompanied him to Kamino and Geonosis had, coincidently, been assigned to him for the duration of him time as Commander of Amber squadron.

The droid gave an affirmative beep as Obi-Wan ascended the side mount ladder. The engine fired before the cockpit cover had even closed. Obi-Wan placed on the headset that contained a comlink to contact his fellow pilots and R4. The starfighter hurtled out of the hangar at full speed, closely followed by the clone pilots, straight into the fray. Obi-Wan looped over a droid starfighter that was coming straight at him, doubling back and firing his laser canons. His third shot hit the fighter in the wing and it spiralled, colliding with another droid fighter, causing them both to explode in paroxysm of fire and debris. To his left, he caught sight of thousands of what appeared to be little more than specks spilling out of one of the Separatists ships.

“This is Amber Leader. Buzz droids-“ his ship was rocked by an shock wave, the com descending into static. He frantically looked for the source, his hand hovering over the laser trigger.

It was pretty obvious; one of the Republic attack ships had been surrounded by some of the larger Separatists ships and they had scored a direct hit.

‘We’re not going to win this.’ Obi-Wan thought, unable to tear his eyes away from the massive starburst explosion.

His comlink emitted fuzzy not and then clicked.

“Amber Leader, this is Coruscant Control. The Jedi Council has requested your presence at the Jedi Temple. Please confirm.” The voice was slightly distorted.

“One moment.” He opened up the channel to communicated with Amber Three, “Amber Three, you’re leader.”

“Affirmative.”

Obi-Wan closed the channel and spoke to the controller, “Confirmed, Control. Is the planetary shield down?” It wasn't exactly good news if it was, but at least it meant he could get down to the surface quicker.

“Affirmative. Watch out for the Sepper ship hovering over the Senate sector.”

“Got that, Control.” Obi-Wan rose above the majority of the ships, rolling to avoid a stray torpedo. As he came closer to the atmosphere, it became clear that the Separatists were winning. Thankfully, nobody was on his tail as he descended to be level with Coruscant’s tallest buildings. Hundreds of metres below, he spotted the tell-tale signs of blaster fire and the occasional flare of a lightsaber.

“This is Temple Control.” Hailed over the comlink as he neared the Temple. On the area in front of the Temple, he could see hundreds of troopers and droids engaged in battle, “Please identify.”

“This is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi-“

“Understood. We’re opening the hangar nearest the Council chamber; they have requested your presence as soon as you land.”

Minutes later, Obi-Wan- ignoring the Council’s request for the time being- burst into the healer’s wing. He had been half-way to the chamber when the Force practically screamed ‘Get to Anakin!.’ The ward was empty and Obi-Wan guessed most of the healers were out in the city. He jogged to Anakin’s room and opened the door.

“Ana-“ The room was empty. The bed sheets were haphazard, showing recent use, and, upon inspection, he discovered that Anakin’s clothes and lightsaber were gone.

‘This was why he had blocked me! The idiot has gone out to fight!’ He knew that the Healers hadn’t given Anakin permission to leave yet; Anakin had told his as much over their bond last night. He had been in a horrible sulk.

“Master Kenobi?” It was one of the apprentice healers, a young Twi’lek female.

“Where is Knight Skywalker?”

“He went, Master, about an hour ago. With Supreme Chancellor Palpatine.”

“Chancellor Palpatine?”

“Yes. He’s been visiting Knight Skywalker nearly every day since you left, Master. Sometimes he’d stay for hours at a time.”

It was at that moment that Obi-Wan came to horrid realisation; events, words, actions and puzzles that had arisen over the last decade suddenly became staggeringly clear. His whole body went cold with dread and his head swam. He took off at a run, ignoring the healer’s startled cry.

Noises of outrage and panic arose from the councillors. Yoda stared at the floor, his expression one of anguish.

Obi-Wantook a much needed breath,"And he’s got Anakin!”

The Council chamber fell silent.