Chapter Text
He feels wrong, far away from the connection that has kept him safe all these years, surrounded by a much darker presence. From a great distance he can make out the blurred edges of a man tied to a cool metal chair, but the image flickers in and out before disappearing entirely as darkness envelopes him.
Then comes the anger, hot and red as flashes of enemies being cut down one by one. The anger is fueled by hatred of their kind, of their desperation to cling to the light, to the old ways instead of embracing the power of the darkside, of the Empire. Next is the pain as current upon current of lightning find their home on his flesh. A pain he deserves, but resents all the same. His Master is far from merciful, but he is too powerful to resist. Powerful and horrifying. Fear blooms in his heart at the thought of his Master, of disappointing him, of being replaced by another.
More anger surges through him, more burning hatred and cold fear. More and more and more filling him to the brim until all he feels is heat and pain . He cries out until his throat is raw, until any glimpse of soft blue light, of warmth and safety, leaves him.
He cracks. He bleeds. But the pain never stops.
Anakin shoots up in his bed, a scream lodged in his throat; he’s shaking as he catches his breath, drenched in sweat, tears burning in his eyes. That was, by far, the most intense vision he’s had. It was so vivid, so utterly realistic that he still feels the sharp fire burning within him. He closes his eyes and takes a few calming breaths, calling on the Force to wrap around him like a blanket. Slowly, the throbbing darkness- the pain, anger, and fear- leaves him. When he looks to the drawers built into the wall of his quarters, he sees a red light pulsing from the top, brighter than ever before.
Heart still pounding loudly, he gets to his feet, grabs a towel, and flees the suffocating confides of his room. It’s the earliest hours just before dawn, which means Anakin gets the showers all to himself. Since he has the luxury of time and privacy, he opts for water over sonic. He turns it and flinches as a spray of cold water hits him, but he basks in it as it cools the fire still pulsing beneath his skin.
He calls upon the Force again to help organize his thoughts when it hits him: it was never Obi-Wan’s memories he was seeing, it was the saber’s looking through its master’s eyes. The weapon stolen from Darth Tyranus had once been Obi-Wan’s. Why it chose to share these visions with Anakin, he still doesn’t understand, but he does know one thing: it’s ready to return home.
He must go to Obi-Wan, tell him everything, and, kriff, does that make Anakin’s stomach lurch. He has no idea how Obi-Wan will react to learning that Anakin has had visions of Obi-Wan’s memories- of some of his deepest emotions- that he knows Obi-Wan far more intimately than he’s supposed to, and worst of all, didn’t tell him.
Cold fear shoots through him. What if he stops his training? What if Obi-Wan is disgusted by him? What if he never speaks to him again?
He should have gone to Obi-Wan from the start, he knows that. Yet, he also remembers how much the Force seemed to protest the thought. And now that it’s been so long, maybe he shouldn’t give it back at all. It would be easier just to keep it hidden away; just keep pretending everything’s normal. Then again, if he hands over the saber, maybe his mind will no longer be invaded and he’ll go back to dreaming about his own experiences and the war at hand. His mind would be his own- liberated- and that thought alone trumps any excuse he conjures up to keep it to himself.
He has to speak with Obi-Wan; but first, he has to come up with the best way to do it.
Precisely 20 minutes later, he is in his room, clipping the saber to the back of his belt and pulling his shirt then jacket on over it. He’s going to talk to Obi-Wan, but he tells himself it wouldn’t be fair to Obi-Wan to spring this all on him first thing in the morning. So he’ll wait for the opportune time. After breakfast, or perhaps when he’s finished running drills for the day, maybe when they meet to meditate. Somewhere in there, he swears.
Dawn is just beginning to break on the horizon when he steps out of the base, which brings a smile to his face as he makes his way toward the hangar and his baby, the Resolute. She’s a YT-1760 transporter he’d fixed up from scraps in the junkyard in Mos Espa. She’d been his ticket off world and his home since he was 19. He’d traveled the galaxy in the ship, finding odd jobs here and there, sticking mostly to the outer rim where his particular… skill set was most profitable.
Then came the fall of the Republic. He lasted a few years in the outer rim, keeping his nose down and minding his own business, until the Empire’s totalitarian rule finally reached them and he knew he could no longer hide on the sidelines. He took the Resolute through the grapevine of intel, eventually finding the Rebels and joining their cause. She’s been parked regularly ever since- traded in for an A-Wing and the occasional warship like the Dawnbringer. When he does take her out, it’s to pick up supplies or for small undercover missions, but he regularly keeps up on her maintenance, making sure she’s in tip top shape at all times.
Today, however, he’s not working on the ship so much as the broken down C1 unit beside it, a sassy little thing he calls Chip due to the gash taken out of its top. He’s very creative in his naming process. Chip has been with him since his time on the Black Spire, when he had saved the droid from becoming fresh scrap metal. It had taken heavy damage during their latest mission, and is momentarily out of commission, which just doesn’t work for Anakin. Sure, it would be easier to just get another droid to help pilot- something newer, more efficient- but that just isn't the way he operates.
Some people say he has an unhealthy attachment to his droids, but he says those who don’t treat their droids like sentients don’t understand the complexities of AI’s free-thinking processes. Sure, certain droids are designed for certain things, but that doesn’t mean they are limited to those areas. Given the chance, any droid has the potential to be their own beings. Free to make their own choices. Maybe there’s a correlation there to a childhood spent in slavery, but he doesn’t give it much thought.
“Hey buddy,” he says to the old droid, but receives no answer, which is understandable seeing how his entire front panel has been disassembled, wires hanging out like a tangle of veins. Anakin kicks his stool over to the droid, takes a seat, and begins working.
Obi-Wan wakes with his stomach in ropes and chest heavy with anxiety that doesn’t belong to him. Since his bond with Anakin formed, it’s far from the first time he’s woken up like this, but it definitely seems amplified today. He sits up in his bed and rubs at his eyes. He thinks about sending a gentle prod in Anakin’s direction to let him know that his emotions are leaking through his shields, but decides, instead, to find him and figure out what’s wrong.
He’s still half asleep as he dresses, his clothes fitting much better now that he’s no longer a walking skeleton. Once he’s buckled his belt, he pauses, looking at the holster and blaster hanging beside the door. Usually, this early, he wouldn't bother with it, but something in the air tells him to carry it today.
Once he steps out of his room, he’s swept up in the stream of others making their way to the mess hall. Two, sometimes three at a time spill out of their small rooms to join the current. Obi-Wan almost frowns as he sees a pair of bunkmates joking around together as they leave their room. He’s lucky to even have his own room, he knows that, is used to it after all those years of being a General. Though, he suspects that this time it’s more due to the fact that nobody’s exactly lining up to bunk with the man who’s been held prisoner for the better part of a standard year by Darth Tyranus. Anakin says he’s charmed a lot of people, but obviously not enough to share a space with them. It’s not as if they’re unfriendly, though- those in training with him often call him over to eat or to generally pass the time with them. When Anakin was gone, he’d even aquested a few times. No, the problem is that he doesn’t know where to be or how to act, and the others can tell.
He’s used to being seen in a certain light- a superior officer instead of one of the infantry- and it’s not as though he wants to be superior to these soldiers, just that he’s never had to try and “fit in” before. He stands out without meaning to. So unlike Ahsoka had when she’d first met the clones. They’d taken to each other like old friends, and she was able to blend so effortlessly. Sure, Obi-Wan had had Cody, whom he cared a great deal for- once considered him his closest friend- but even that relationship was held within the structure of his status.
Here and now, there are no expectations thrust upon him, no status or automatic respect. He has to earn his image, and, though he has learned to be a sweet talker -a negotiator- internally that frightens him. He knows it's only a temporary discomfort, he'll get used to everyone and they to him… at least he hopes so.
Obi-Wan breaks from the current of people to head toward the hanger where he knows he'll find Anakin fiddling with one thing or another. He passes beneath the shadow of Dooku's cruiser- now mostly a slick shell as it has been stripped entirely for parts and supplies. Still, it gives off an unpleasant aura and he finds himself all but scurrying past it.
Sure enough he finds Anakin sitting beside the ramp of his ship, tinkering with a rather beat up old droid. Obi-Wan watches him. Other than their sessions together, working with his hands seems to be a calming ritual for him. He's deep in thought, soldering some wires together when sparks fly and a little red light comes to life.
"Haha! Got it!" Anakin exclaims, clapping his hands together. The little droid whistles to life, tittering off a string of binary. "Yeah, I know, I know. I'll be more careful next time, promise."
The droid chirps once more and Anakin sighs, "I missed you, too, buddy."
Obi-Wan clears his throat and Anakin looks over his shoulder.
"Oh, hi," he starts, gulping, "I-uh- didn't know you were there."
Obi-Wan smiles fondly, walking closer, "What are you working on?"
"Chip here got a little busted up during our last little field trip," he pays the droid affectionately, "so I'm just fixing him up."
"Chip?"
Anakin brushes his thumb over the chip on the droid's head.
"Ah. Very clever."
"I think so." Anakin gets to his feet to stretch, a sliver of smooth skin peeks out from beneath the hem of his shirt that catches Obi-Wan's eyes and he quickly averts them. "So," he starts again, "what brings you out here?"
"Actually," Obi-Wan looks back at Anakin, "I was looking for you."
Something like panic flashes in Anakin's eyes, through their bond, too quickly for him to catch onto before it's hidden away behind one of Anakin's dazzling smiles.
"Awe, miss me that much, huh?"
"Anakin," Obi-Wan starts, concerned, "is everything alright?"
Anakin's smile falters just a touch. "Everything's fine. Why do you ask?"
"When I woke up this morning, I had the feeling you were particularly anxious about something. Am I right?"
Anakin's shields tighten themselves up at that. "Just woke up from a bad dream is all." He shrugs. "Nothing to worry about."
"It didn't feel like 'just a bad dream'." Obi-Wan presses. Anakin looks at him intently, smile dropping. "You know you can talk to me about anything."
Anakin looks at him silently for a few moments- eyes swirling with emotion- then he sucks in a breath. "Actually, I-"
"Skywalker, Kenobi," Suln calls from across the hangar, when they look at her, her lips are pulled in a tight line. "A word."
Obi-Wan and Anakin exchange a nervous look before heading in her direction. They follow her silently from the hangar and through the halls of the base until they're in her office.
"Close the door behind you," she instructs Anakin.
As soon as it clicks shut, she gestures to the pair of chairs in front of her desk.
“General,” Obi-Wan starts, “may I ask what this is about?”
“Actually, Ben,” she stretches out his name in a disbelieving way that makes Obi-Wan’s heart begin to pick up, “I’d rather like to ask the questions myself. Starting with this…” she clicks a few buttons on her desk and a 3D holo appears in front of them. It’s a wanted poster of a floating head, slowly circling in blue light. The hair is a little longer in the holo and the chin covered in a well groomed beard, but it is, nevertheless, undeniably him . “It just came through this morning. Care to explain yourself, Ben? Or should I call you Obi-Wan?”
From his peripheral he can see Anakin look at him nervously, but he’s looking at the General as she stares him down.
“Can you blame me for wanting to keep my identity secret?” he asks imploringly.
“When it endangers my crew, yes.” She doesn’t so much as blink when she says, “I am sorry, but you’ll need to gather your things and leave by nightfall. If you'd like, I'll arrange a transport to take you to the nearest star system."
At this, Anakin scoffs. “You can’t be serious, Mak! I mean, most of our faces are plastered all across the Empire, why should his make any difference?”
“Rebels aren’t hunted the way Jedi are.” Suln explains, “I’ve seen the Inquisitors in action; they are ruthless and cruel, and they will cut down anyone who gets between them and their prey. I hear they have a special way of tracking Jedi, too, which means, the longer he stays, the more danger we’re in.”
“I assure you, that rumor holds no ground." Obi-Wan begins. "They may be skilled in tracking Jedi, but their power relies heavily on intel given to them. They won’t find me as long as I’m careful.”
Suln shakes her head, “I’m sorry, but I can’t take that risk.”
Anakin springs to his feet, chair tipping behind him. “I can’t believe you’re going to send him away. I thought we helped people! Hide them when they need to be hidden. Heal them when they need to be healed. Fight for them when they cannot fight for themselves! I thought that’s what we stood for! And now that someone is here, needing help and protection, you want to send him away!?”
“Watch yourself, Skywalker,” Suln warned, “I’m willing to look the other way for you trying to protect your friend, but I will not tolerate insubordination.”
Anakin tightens his jaw, leaning forward on her desk to stare her down, “If he goes, I go with him.”
“If you’d really turn your back on the Alliance, on the cause, your friends for him, then you don’t really belong here.”
They continue to look at each other, a silent game of chicken, neither willing to back down. Obi-Wan sighs, placing a gentle hand on Anakin’s arm.
“Anakin,” he starts in a calming voice, Anakin finally breaks eye contact with Suln to look at him, “the general is right. You’re needed here . I’ll be fine on my own.”
Anakin’s brow furrows, eyes filled with equal parts shock and hurt. “Obi-Wan, you can't just-”
The siren blares deafeningly as a red light pulses to life.
Suln glares at Obi-Wan as she jumps to her feet. She points at Anakin. "I need you in the air stat! That is, if you're still with us."
Anakin's jaw is still clenched as he looks between her and Obi-Wan then nods stiffly. She nods back then sweeps out of the room. Anakin looks at Obi-Wan a moment before they both follow.
The hallways are flooded with people trying to get to their things or get outside. Overhead, there’s a distinct sound of Tie-Fighters blasting, rocks crumbling as the base shakes beneath it. Anakin pulls his blaster from the strap on his leg and Obi-Wan pulls out his holster as they go. The saber seems to burn against his back as they run, but there’s no time to linger on it as they turn a corner and a line of troopers is seen blasting their way into the end of the hall. Anakin immediately turns into the doorway opposite, hand extending to pull Obi-Wan with him. He twists their bodies so Obi-Wan is pressed into him with his back against the wall, Anakin peeks his head around the corner then immediately jerks it back as blast fire hits the wall in front of them.
"Kriff," he mutters, "we're completely cornered."
Obi-Wan furrows his brow, gnawing on his lower lip and Anakin can see the cogs in his brain beginning to turn.
Anakin waits as patiently as possible, but as he hears the troopers get closer he huffs. "If you've got any plans, now's the time to share."
Obi-Wan frowns, "If I had a lightsaber, I could deflect the blasts, but without one, I-I'm not sure what to do."
Anakin tilts his head and clenches his jaw before reaching behind him, pulling the hilt from his belt. "Like this?"
Obi-Wan stares, dumbfounded, between the saber and him. "How-"
"I'll explain later, just," he shoves it into one of Obi-Wan’s hands while grabbing the blaster from the other, "do your thing."
Obi-Wan turns the slick black saber in his hands, frowning when another blaster shot hits the corner.
"Anytime now!" Anakin shouts, flattening his back against the door, blasters up.
Obi-Wan gulps once before turning, igniting the saber just as a trooper rounds the corner. The shot clashes against the ruby blade for an instant before it rebounds against its shooter. It hits them square in the chest and sends them to the ground. Anakin would be lying if he said he wasn't a little impressed.
The pace of the troopers in the hall falters slightly as Obi-Wan steps out of the doorway, spinning the lightsaber expertly. Then Anakin hears about a dozen blaster shots fire toward them.
If he was impressed by the first shot Obi-Wan deflected, he is in utter awe now. Obi-Wan moves fluidly, deflecting shot after shot what would seem effortlessly if Anakin didn't recognize the strain on the other's face. Still, it leaves him stunned when there's a lull in blaster fire and he is pulled forward by his jacket.
"Stay behind me," Obi-Wan instructs.
"You got it." Anakin replies, readying his two blasters. They move forward, tip-toeing around the fallen troopers on the ground as another pair of troopers appear at the end of the hall. Obi-Wan extends his hand, flicks his wrist, and the second trooper slams into the first, sandwiching them against the wall. They both fall to the ground just as another pair rush in after them. This time it’s Anakin’s turn to fire, his blasts hitting home on the troopers and dropping them like flies.
Obi-Wan looks at him over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow.
“You’re not the only one with moves.” He smirks while Obi-Wan shakes his head, muttering something about being uncivilized, really, which only makes Anakin laugh. Steadily, they clear themselves a path to the door.
As soon as they step outside, it is utter chaos. The air is full of smoke and dust, flashing with red shots as ships battle overhead. Blaster firing race from each side as troopers continue to advance and the Rebels really begin pushing back. They hardly have a moment to process the scene before they get swept up in the frey.
A row of A-Wings are taking off one by one as pilots fight their way into them outside of the hangar. Anakin sees his at the end of the line, and is ready to make a run for it when the siren changes pitch, flashing light going orange, signaling the retreat. The Rebel forces start flooding to the hangar, to the transport ships. In the chaos, the troopers leave the A-Wings to stop the retreat, which gives Anakin the perfect opportunity to get to his A-Wing- to join the fight in the skies and help protect the fleet’s back as they escape. But then, he looks at Obi-Wan still steadily deflecting blaster shots. He can see the exhaustion creeping into his eyes. He’s not going to be able to keep it up forever, and Anakin can’t just leave him to try.
He’s got to get them to the Resolute, then he can still protect the retreat once he’s in the sky- the ship’s not completely defenseless- but he’ll at least know Obi-Wan’s safe. Still, though, there’s a new crowd of troopers to get through to even get into the hangar. Anakin curses under his breath. They’ll have to go the long way around if they want to get anywhere. He looks up just in time to see a trooper take a stance in Obi-Wan’s blind spot and take aim. He only has time to grab Obi-Wan’s sleeve and pull him away from their current position. He keeps his head low as they run, blindly shooting his blaster into the mass of troopers. Finally they reach a small supply pallet to hide behind while they catch their breath.
“You’re supposed to be airborne about now.” Obi-Wan chides, “You had a perfect shot to your fighter, why didn’t you take it?”
Anakin rolls his eyes. “You’re welcome, by the way.”
Obi-Wan ignores him, deactivating the saber as he peeks around the pallet. “What’s your plan?”
“Get to my ship, take out a few Tie-Fighters,” Anakin shrugs, “find a slimy cantina somewhere and get really drunk.”
“Sounds reasonable enough,” Obi-Wan looks back at him grinning despite himself, “mind if I tag along?”
Anakin finds himself mirroring it. “I was counting on it.”
Just then, a shadow passes over them. Dark and ominous as it breaks through the haze of blaster fire and rubble. An Imperial shuttle, steel and sleek, lands in the middle of the airfield. Anakin holds his breath as the ramp lowers and a fresh line of troopers jog out, followed by a tall black figure.
Dooku marches down the ramp, and fear seizes his heart. He twists around with his back against the pallet. He can feel Anakin’s eyes on him, but he ignores it. He closes his own and tries to take control of his breathing.
“Obi-Wan!” Anakin’s voice breaks through and his eyes shoot open. “We need to move now!”
He nods absently and Anakin drops the grip Obi-Wan didn’t realize he had on his arm. He hooks the saber into his belt and takes one of the blasters Anakin offers. They look at each other a moment, nod, and start running.
They clear down a path as they go, but are quickly overwhelmed by the number of troopers closing in. Obi-Wan weaves through them, blasting as he goes. It isn’t long before he sees an opening into the hangar. He turns to tell Anakin, only to find the man gone from his side. He looks around frantically, finally spotting his silhouette locked in hand to hand with one trooper. He knees them, and they go down, but not before another one hits Anakin across the eye with the back of their blaster. Anakin falls as the second trooper steadies their blaster on the shoulder and takes aim.
Obi-Wan extends his hand, using the Force to knock the trooper back. Only, he puts a little too much into it and the trooper goes flying away from Anakin into another pair of troopers. Then, through all the haze and the smoke, he feels burning golden eyes land him.
He isn't even given a chance to look at Dooku before his body seizes and he's pulled through the air. It takes all his strength in the Force to break himself free from Dooku's grip, he hits the ground hard, barely catching himself on his arm. Dooku's mirthless laughter rings louder than any siren or blaster warfare ever could. It consumes Obi-Wan's senses as he pushes himself up on his forearm.
Dooku waves his hand lazily and all the smoke between them is banished to the sides- leaving their own little arena. Dooku's new saber is ignited, sparking against the dark pavement as he slowly begins stalking closer. Obi-Wan hurriedly begins pushing himself to his feet, but his limbs feel heavy, worn, body aching and slow. He only makes it about halfway up when Dooku looms over him, swinging his ruby saber in a practiced arch; Obi-Wan's hand wraps around the hilt of his saber, thumb igniting and catching the other's just in front of his face. The heat from the clashing static burns at his eyes, but he daren't look away from the golden gaze trapping him.
With a hard grunt, Obi-Wan pushes Dooku back enough to stand at his full height. He's barely given time to get into a stance before Dooku's attacking again. Obi-Wan meets him blow for blow, but he's losing ground quickly. Behind him are the sounds of transports taking off, the sky filled with blaster fire in their wake. One shot finds its home right on the ground near their battle, knocking them both onto their sides.
A loud ringing fills Obi-Wan's head as he opens his eyes and what's left of the airfield swims into focus. There's fire everywhere, ruby shots flying through the air from all directions. A short distance from him is Dooku, slowly rising to his feet, a feral look in his eye.
Kriff, Obi-Wan thinks groggily as he tells his body to pick itself up. He feels like he's moving through syrup- slow and heavy, he forces himself to his knees before exhaustion stalls him from going further. In front of him, Dooku advances. His movements are stiff, he's walking with a limp, but he's still closing the distance while Obi-Wan kneels helplessly.
'Obi-Wan!' Anakin's voice replaces the ringing in his ears. 'Obi-Wan, can you hear me?'
Obi-Wan doesn't have the strength to reply, just a gentle brush of acknowledgement through their bond. Distress floods back at him, causing him to clench his eyes closed as his head spins. Then suddenly, there's a surge of energy that fills him. Golden and warm and solid. He takes a deep breath and pushes himself up the rest of the way.
Dooku smiles and picks up his slow pace. Obi-Wan starts toward him, saber poised as they close the gap. Their lightsabers collide again and again- spinning around until Obi-Wan's back is toward the cliff's edge. Dooku presses on, but with this new bout of energy, Obi-Wan better matches him.
Everything else from the battle falls away- the blaster fire, the shouting, the jet stream of the fighters overhead- all of it narrows down to just him and Dooku. Their sabers clash almost rhythmically as they dance across the edge of the airfield. Slowly, he feels Anakin's boost of power fade, but it's being replaced by his own second wind of adrenaline. How long he's going to last on just that, however, he hopes he won't find out.
'There you are,' Anakin murmurs in his mind, but he doesn't have time to acknowledge it as Dooku's attacks grow more relentless. 'When I tell you to, run to the edge and jump.'
Obi-Wan hesitates ever so slightly as Anakin's instructions set in, and Dooku seizes the opportunity to kick him square in the chest, sending him flying back against the hard, cracked ground at the edge of the cliff. Obi-Wan gasps desperately after the breath that's been knocked from him.
"This isn't what I wanted, Obi-Wan," Dooku drawls. Then Obi-Wan's grabbed by his collar and hauled to his feet. "We could have worked together."
Blood is trickling from his forehead and nose into his mouth as he says, "That was never going to happen, Dooku. I would rather die."
Dooku snarls before ramming his first into Obi-Wan's stomach. Obi-Wan retches, but something catches his eye when he looks back at Dooku. A familiar ship high in the sky catches in the sunlight pressing through the haze. He watches it zoom far behind Dooku's head until it gets lost again in the smoke.
Obi-Wan's mouth quirks to the side, which only makes Dooku scowl.
'Ready?'
"If death is what you wish," he smirks, lifting Obi-Wan higher, the hiss of his saber ignites, "then who am I to keep you from it?"
' Now!'
Obi-Wan jerks his knee into Dooku's groin, and Dooku's grip loosens as he doubles over. Obi-Wan wrenches himself free. He quickly scoops up the stolen saber and sprints in the opposite direction as fast as he can. Dooku yells at his back, but he doesn't stop. His mind is clear as his feet push off from the edge of the cliff, and, for a few blissful moments, he flies.
His feet hit the ramp of Anakin's ship roughly and he crumbles forward onto his elbows as the ship rises. Obi-Wan pushes himself up, looking over his shoulder. Dooku's standing at the edge, smoke and flames around him. He can feel the anger, the hatred from Dooku's glare burning into him even as the ship pulls further and further away.