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The quick change in pressure made landing the ship difficult, the first sign of an impending storm. The sky turned grey quickly, and their brief exploration of the planet came to an end as Obi-Wan decided it was safer to land and wait for the storm to pass. On the copilot chair next to him, his exhausted former Padawan slept with a quiet snort accentuating each inhale, his harness holding him straight in place, but at an awkward angle. He’d fallen asleep at some point during re-entry when the motion of the ship steadied and they clocked 34 hours awake in the new Star system.
It was warm, and he decided to open the bay doors, to escape the scent of recirculated air. This scouting trip was the first time they were awarded the luxury of spending time one on one since Cato Neimoidia. He still had to catch himself every time the word “Padawan” came to his lips. The word used to roll off so easily, in tones that denoted admonition, caution, correction, chiding or endearment. Now, it also carried melancholy, the end of an era where Anakin was tethered to him by the vow he made Qui-Gon. The end of Obi-Wan’s wakeful hours spent fussing over his studies, nutrition, lightsaber defense and galactic history. The end of the responsibility the “Master” and “Apprentice” title carried.
Now every interaction was a deliberate choice, or a serendipitous call to assignment. The Council knew they worked well together, and for years had cautioned Obi-Wan against his clear attachment to the boy (well, man now, really). It felt like the council had deliberately chosen a series of assignments that separated them to test the bond they still shared, stretch it, to see if it broke.
Every holonet feature, exaggerated narration of their exploits or schoolyard reenactment of them as inseparable felt like a shadow, now that it seemed the Council bent on splitting up the team.
He wished they would realize that there is a part of their bond that will never break; no matter how much time they spend apart or the star systems between them. The Council would eventually realize that the best place for him was at Anakin’s side.
He looked over his shoulder, Anakin had barely stirred in his seat. His Padawan haircut refused to grow out, much to his annoyance. He got up from the chair quietly. Perhaps he would wake him once he prepared their ready to eat rations. Even when they were in separate campaigns he still worried about him: had he eaten? Did he get his plastoid armor’s left latch fixed? Was he aware that his wrist’s J5-6 actuators needed to be replaced next year? Did he requisition for a new robe since leaving it behind after the Senate debreif?
He shouldn’t worry about that.
His role as caretaker was no longer needed.
He didn’t need to remind him to pick up his quarters or finish reading a mission briefing before deploying as if he were still a teenager. For a second he remembered his panicked comms to Quinlan for advice on how to handle a teenage Padawan and not come off as nagging but still get him to tidy up and finish his homework.
Qui-Gon never had to worry about those things with Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan always prided himself for being neat and disciplined in his studies to the point of annoying Qui-Gon with his dutifulness.
There were days when he wondered what his relationship with Anakin would’ve been like had Qui-Gon lived. Would they still be inseparable? Would their bond have shifted if they spent time whining over Qui-Gon’s teaching methods or the temple’s refractory food? Would they have been closer than brothers if someone else raised Anakin?
He walked towards the open bay doors and looked outside. The mountainous planet had shrubs low to the ground and only small to medium sized lifeforms at first scan. There was a mix of sweltering heat at the valley level and pleasant cool breeze at the peaks. He’d chosen to land on a small mountain slope that awarded him a view of the valley below as the clouds began casting dark shadows on the ground and swirling drafts of dirt and wind.
As he watched, the rain started falling in large hot drops. Small particles of dust were lifted from the ground, and with them the scent of high desert dry clay finally getting a respite.
He breathed in the smell of the first raindrops and sat on the lowered ramp. Each individual drop made a sound as they hit the metal hull. Slowly at first, a distempo staccato that rumbled to a roar as the hot summer storm turned into a downpour.
There was another distant rumble, and then he noticed the lightning arcing in the clouds.
That should do it.
And sure enough, the thunder crack shook the windows of the ship and Anakin sprang awake.
He pretended he wasn’t asleep and casually unbuckled himself from the harness and looked at his comms as if he’d been awake this whole time. Sometimes Anakin reminded him of a prideful Tooka who would pretend the fall off a cushion was on purpose.
“Obi-Wan, we should check the grounding circuit to ensure we can dissipate the charge” he busied himself with switches on the panel.
“Already did. If you’re worried, we can also power down and go to auxiliary, but I don’t think that would be necessary”
He looked at Anakin and his heart glowed at the thought of having him close by again. Anakin slowly walked towards the open bay doors and gasped at the downpour. Even after years away from the desert he couldn’t get over how beautiful rainstorms were.
Anakin reached the control panels and flipped some switches, making the interior go dark except for a couple of lights. He sat down cross legged next to Obi-Wan. In that dim light he saw Anakin as the young man he was now, long lean and strong both in body and temper, witty and smart, determined, brave and yet somehow still scared of thunder. They sat in silence, neither caring that the wind was now bringing spray into the cargo bay.
The storm brought so much water it was now making small waterfalls down the mountainside. What looked like an orange, dusty planet an hour ago was now vibrant shades of green, as the vegetation instantaneously came to life with the sudden shower.
As the water gushed and rolled downhill, Obi-Wan could feel the life of the planet return to vibrancy, the Force humming in all the plants and creatures his eyes couldn’t perceive but were connected in the Force. And more importantly, he felt the contented glow of his former Padawan in the Force. His familiar signature wrapped around him in the quiet moment they shared, and that feeling resonated in his soul at a frequency he couldn’t explain.
It felt reassuring, a quiet promise in the Force that try as they might, there was nothing that could split their bond apart. Like the desert, there would be periods of drought and hardship in their bond but when they were together the Force would envelop them in vibrant waves of comfort, no matter how far or how long they’d been apart.