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Anakin had been counting down the minutes.
He had not wanted Obi-Wan to go. He had a bad feeling about this solo mission, a feeling that had buried in the middle of his stomach as his Master had left the council chamber.
He had begged that he would be allowed to accompany him. Anakin was sure his training had progressed far enough now, even Master Yoda had been impressed with him when he got his Kyber Crystal on Illum. If he went he could help. He could be another set of eyes. He was sure that if he went with his Master he could help stop… whatever was going to happen.
But his Master had refused.
“Patience Padawan, we will be assigned a joint mission soon. You need to focus on your studies until then. I will only be three cycles,” Obi-Wan had ruffled his hair. “We can spar when we get back, see if you can show me some of the new forms that you’ve been practising.”
So he had been left behind.
And had been counting the minutes ever since.
Their rooms in the temple were always strange when Obi-Wan wasn’t there. His Master wasn’t a loud person, not when in their quarters anyway, but there was something about his presence that just filled the space. Anakin felt at a loss without him.
Some of the other Masters had come to check on him, to make sure he was eating and attending but it wasn’t the same thing. He needed his Master back.
And he was late.
He’d promised three cycles, and it had already been three and a half.
Their rooms had grown dark, but Anakin remained sat on the sofa, staring at the door. Obi-Wan had promised him. He should be home by now.
Something had gone wrong, Anakin could feel it in his gut.
Obi-Wan wouldn’t have lied to him. If he was late it wasn’t by his design.
His Master was in trouble. He was sure of it. And Anakin was not able to do anything about it.
He looked down at his datapad, it remained quiet. His Master would have contacted him to let him know if something had gone wrong. If he’d been delayed. The fact that he hadn’t attempted it did not bode well.
He tried to reach out along their bond. He was nowhere near an expert in it yet, their bond was so new and such a different thing for Anakin. Only a few months ago he had no idea such a thing could even exist, he did not know how to even start contacting his Master along it. Obi-Wan was always the one to instigate any use of their bond.
But Anakin tried anyway.
He reached out along it, trying to get a sense of his Masters location or even just his emotions. They had always seemed easier to read.
But he hit a wall.
A strong wall, a dura-steel wall. He was reaching his Master, he was sure of it but all his thoughts and feelings were shielded from him.
Anakin was worried. Why would his Master be shielding from him if there wasn’t something wrong? He didn’t think he could cope with losing someone else again. Not in such quick succession. Master Jinn had freed him, but in doing so he’d had to say goodbye to everyone he’d ever known on Tatooine. He missed them all, he missed the sense of comradeship and comfort they gave him. The Padawans in the temple hadn’t been unfriendly to him, but they all seemed wary. They didn't understand why he’d come to the temple so late, and most seemed to associate him with Master Jinn’s death.
Which is what scared him the most. Master Jinn had been the one who wanted to train him. Obi-Wan was just fulfilling the wish of his own Master, if he was gone would anyone else want to take him on?
He didn’t know how he could cope with that. Without his mom, Obi-Wan had become the closest thing he had to a parent. He didn’t know how much he could cope if he lost another one.
The door to their rooms slid open. Anakin perked up, looking over the back of the sofa. And then his heart fell. It was not his Master coming through the door. It was Master Windu.
The man sighed. “Padawan Skywalker-“
“I knew it!” Anakin interrupted. “I told him not to go on his own, I knew something would happen.”
Windu frowned. “Padawan, you don’t even know what I was going to tell you.”
Anakin ignored him, dropping his head into his hands. He felt like his insides were shrivelling up, compressing down into him. His breath began to feel laboured. It was coming in short sharp gasps. What would happen to him? Where would he go? Why had Obi-Wan left him?
“Padawan Skywalker!” Firm hands gripped his shoulders and he let out a shocked gasp. Master Windu had knelt in front of him so that their faces were level. His usual stern expression had been replaced with one of concern.
“I need you to breath with me Padawan. Just listen to my breathing.”
Anakin did what he was told, trying to match his breathing pattern to the Jedi Master. Slowly the breaths seemed to come easier. They were hurting less and he grew less light-headed. But the ache in his stomach remained. It was like physical pain as if he had been punched.
But he breathed.
After his pattern had returned to normal Master Windu released his shoulders, but remained crouched at Anakin's level.
“He’s not gone Padawan.”
Anakin didn’t even remember saying anything about that, he must have started talking when his thoughts started racing. But at Windu’s words, he felt something in his chest ease.
“He’s not?” he asked. His voice was dry as if he’d been screaming, but he couldn’t remember uttering a single word.
“No.” Master Windu stood offering a hand towards him. Anakin took it as he got to his feet. “He’s in the halls of healing. I should warn you Padawan, it is not pretty.”
Anakin closed his eyes for a second. This was better he tried to reassure himself. This was still better than the alternative.
“Can I see him?” He asked.
Master Windu seemed to soften. Anakin had always been wary of him before, he had been the one who first tested him on his arrival to the Temple, and Anakin had always gotten the feeling that the Master didn't like him. But now he seemed as approachable as Anakin had ever known him.
He didn’t want Master Windu though. He wanted his own Master.
Master Windu indicated at Anakin to follow him. “I’ll take you Padawan.”
They walked through the Temple in silence. He didn’t know if he was being paranoid but everyone they walked past as they traversed the halls seemed to look at them with pity. What were they thinking about? Were they judging his Master, thinking he deserved whatever had happened for taking on such an unconventional Padawan? Or were they looking at him in pity, knowing that his time left in the Temple was limited?
Anakin knew his thoughts were uncharitable. But they were the better thing to focus on. It was better than thinking about how it was his fault. He should have insisted on going with Obi-Wan. He should have demanded that he be taken. He shouldn’t have taken no for an answer.
But he didn’t. And now his Master was in the Halls of Healing. And it was bad. Anakin knew in his heart that it was very bad.
The Halls of Healing were quiet when they got there. It was late, later than Anakin had even realised despite his earlier determined clock watching. The Halls of Healing were empty of the people seeking routine checkups, or even those that the Medical Corps had triaged in from outside the temple.
A Padawan Healer was waiting for them though. He lowered his head in a slight bow as Master Windu entered.
“Master Windu, thank you for returning.” His eyes drifted across to Anakin, eyebrows rising slightly. “And this must be Knight Kenobi’s Padawan.”
Windu nodded. “This is Padawan Anakin Skywalker. He’s come to visit his Master.”
The healer frowned. “I’m not sure that is a good idea, Knight Kenobi is not in a good state.”
The Padawans eyes widened as he realised who he had disagreed with.
“My apologies, Master Windu, I only meant to say-“
Master Windu waved his hand at the healer. “There is nothing to apologise for, I appreciate your expertise. However, if I know Padawan Skywalker here,” he dropped a hand to Anakin’s shoulder, “he will try and find a way in regardless of whether we allow him.”
Master Windu… was not wrong. Anakin felt a small twinge of guilt for the plans he had already been formulating to break in, but he was not repentant. He was seeing his Master one way or the other.
The look that Windu gave him was all too knowing.
“I think it will be better for all concerned if we just take him in ourselves.”
The Padawan shrugged his shoulders in agreement.
“If you are sure Master Windu. Master Che is in his room now, you know where it is.”
“Thank you for your help Padawan.” Windu moved forward, past the healer and into the halls. Anakin hurried to follow him, struggling to keep up with the man’s long strides.
He led him to a room deep within the Halls. The place seemed like a maze, the corridors twisting and turning. Anakin didn’t know how he would have got here on his own. They eventually arrived at a nondescript door. He knocked on it twice before pushing it open.
Master Che, the Healer who had supervised the removal of his chip was waiting inside. She nodded at them as she entered.
“Mace. I see Skywalker came anyway.”
Master Windu nodded his head back at her. “Any change Vokara?”
She shook her head. “He just needs rest now. We can’t do any more, for now, we have to wait and see how his body responds.”
She continued talking but Anakin stopped listening. His attention had fallen on the bed on the other side of the room. His Master was laying on it. He was hooked up onto several machines on the far wall. He had a breathing mask over his face. There was a consistent beeping noise, marking his heartbeat.
Anakin drifted over towards him, he didn’t remember actively walking but he was suddenly at Obi-Wans bedside.
His Master looked smaller in the bed. His presence seemed muted. Anakin felt a tear slide down his cheek.
He jumped as a hand fell on his shoulder. He turned to see Master Che standing behind him. She had a sad smile on her face.
“Your Master is a fighter Anakin. We are optimistic. He just needs rest now, we will know more in the morning.” She glanced towards Master Windu. “If you promise to stay out of trouble and not disturb your Master, we’ll let you stay here. I know you will try and get your way back in any way.”
Anakin let out a small smile. “Thank You, Master.”
She squeezed his shoulder once before letting go. “You will need to tell Obi-Wan he needs to stop being so reckless. He gets it from his old Master. Your lineage will drive the whole Halls to an early grave stress if you keep going.”
She turned away and led Master Windu out of the door. Anakin turned his attention back to his Master.
His Master looked different. But he couldn’t work out what it was. He was so used to seeing Obi-Wan put together, he never seemed ruffled.
There was blood in his hair.
While he was still growing out his own braid he always was well groomed, almost as if it was a rebellion against his previous status.
And now, there was blood in his hair.
They were alone now, and it was at that moment that Anakin finally broke down.
Anakin had not cried since he had left his Mom behind in Mos Espa. He knew that coming to the temple was a privilege. He had always dreamed of freedom, but part of him had already realised that becoming someone who could actually travel the stars was… probably not going to happen. But he had gotten the opportunity, and as soon as he was on that Naboo cruiser he made a promise to himself. He wasn’t going to cry over this. He would enjoy it. He would live the life he’d always dreamed of.
So he hadn’t shed a tear, not when Master Jinn had died, not when the Medical scans had revealed his chip, not as he clutched Obi-Wans hand as it was removed.
He hadn’t cried on the lonely nights at the temple, even when he had slept on the floors of Obi-Wans room to make sure that he was still there.
But he cried now. He let out every piece of grief, every suppressed feeling of sadness and he sobbed. He couldn’t lose Obi-Wan, not on top of everything else. He couldn’t let it happen.
He knew Master Che had said Obi-Wan needed rest but he couldn’t help it. He climbed up onto his bed, carefully avoiding any of the wires and curling up into his side. He grasped Obi-Wans hand.
He had to get better. He wouldn’t let him go.
He closed his eyes, reaching along their bond again. I’m here Master he tried to convey, trying to send any form of reassurance to him. Don’t worry Master. I am here.
He didn’t know if it worked if Obi-Wan could hear anything of what he was trying to say.
But he was sure that he felt Obi-Wan squeeze his hand.