Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The boy is angry. 

Obi-Wan can hardly blame him. Born into slavery and bred into prophecy, the child understandably has a difficult time adjusting to a life free of his bonds. 

But this is getting out of hand. 

This is the fourth time in as many days Anakin has been removed from a class for disruptive behavior and Obi-Wan finds himself at a loss. 

Together, they walk back to their quarters in dead silence, but the rage still rolling off of Anakin in the Force is loud enough to drown it out. 

They make it to their quarters and wordlessly, Anakin stomps through the room and pulls out a meditation mat.

“Anakin, what are you doing?” Obi-Wan tries not to let the exasperation shine through his tone. 

“I know you’re just going to punish me again.” 

Obi-Wan takes a step back. 

“Anakin, meditation is not a punishment , it’s a technique that is important for Jedi, especially young Jedi, to use to find and maintain their center,” he says. “It is important to me that you understand I am not punishing you with meditation. It’s a sacred experience and it is important to me and to all Jedi. Do you understand?”

Looking thoroughly chastised, Anakin nods subtly. “But you always make me do it when I’m in trouble.” 

“Typically, when you’re in trouble, you are off-center. The reason I have you meditate is so that you may rediscover it.” 

“It feels like a punishment,” Anakin mumbles.

“Then maybe my method of meditation isn’t right for you,” Obi-Wan says, stroking his chin where the beginnings of a scruffy beard are only starting to grow in. 

“There are other methods?”

“Of course,” Obi-Wan says. “We just need to find one that’s right for you.” 

Obi-Wan observes the way Anakin fidgets around. The boy is in constant motion. It’s near impossible to get him to stop moving or to even slow down. This gives Obi-Wan an idea.

“Put your boots on,” he says. “And grab your robe, it’s cold outside.” 

“We’re going outside?”

“Yes. Now hurry up, we’re losing daylight.” 

The Coruscant air is crisp but isn’t biting. The smog levels are low today, so Obi-Wan doesn’t feel as guilty about bringing Anakin out here. 

“Hold onto my hand, Anakin, there are lots of people out here. It is easy to get lost.” 

The fear of being lost and alone on these overwhelming city streets is enough for Anakin to squeeze Obi-Wan’s hand tight. He sidles up to Obi-Wan’s side and looks around nervously.

“You’re not used to the city, are you?” Obi-Wan asks.

“No. Mos Espa was the biggest city I knew.” 

“Coruscant is a little bigger than Mos Espa.”

Anakin nods. 

“Come on, let’s get going.”

Obi-Wan shortens his strides so Anakin can keep up with his pace. 

“Where are we going?” Anakin asks. 

“Nowhere,” Obi-Wan answers. 

“Nowhere?” Anakin looks up at Obi-Wan in confusion. “Then why are we walking?” 

“Just to walk. To stretch our muscles and get our blood moving.”

“We do that in lightsaber training,” Anakin says.

“Yes, but that is for training. This is for walking.”

“You’re really weird,” Anakin says decisively and Obi-Wan tries quite hard not to laugh at this simplistic assessment of himself. 

They walk a little farther. Speeders pass over and beside them, honking and hovering just out of the way. 

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan begins, “while we walk, I want you to do something.”

“Okay,” Anakin says, ready to accept whatever task Obi-Wan is about to throw at him. 

“I want you to think about the way the ground connects with your feet as you walk. I want you to really think about how that feels. What is it like to be connected with the planet and then pull away from it with every step you take?”

“Okay,” Anakin says slowly. It’s clear from his tone that he still thinks Obi-Wan is weird, but he takes a deep breath and focuses. Obi-Wan hides his smile. 

“The ground feels solid,” Anakin finally says. 

“Good,” Obi-Wan says. “Can you feel it supporting your weight as you walk? 

“Yes. I can feel the impact of my steps through the bottom of my boots.” 

“Good, keep focusing on that for a little while longer, then slowly move up the rest of your body. How does each step feel in your ankles?”

Anakin remains quiet, contemplating the question. 

“I think it feels smooth.”

“What about your shins?”

“They’re starting to burn a little bit, but in a good way. Like when I race Kitser without warming up first.” 

“Very good. Remember to take deep breaths Anakin. You’ll be able to walk further if you keep the oxygen flow going to your blood.”

Anakin takes a deep breath, and to Obi-Wan’s delight, takes initiative. 

“My knees also feel smooth, like my ankles.”

“It’s because you’re nine and haven’t destroyed them yet,” Obi-Wan mutters.

“What?”

“Nothing, keep going, that was very good. How do your hips feel?”

“Strong, squared.” 

“Good. Now think about your spine. Every single vertebra.” 

Anakin recounts the way he feels. 

“Think about your arms and how they connect to your wrists and how your wrists connect to your hands. How do your hands feel?”

“This one is cold,” Anakin says, waving his free hand around. “This one feels sweaty,” he adds on, squeezing Obi-Wan’s hand a little tighter. “But that’s okay, I don’t want to get lost.” Obi-Wan squeezes back. He’s not sure if it’s the physical touch, but their bond feels tighter than it did this morning. 

“Feel the air in your lungs, Padawan. Are you still taking deep breaths?”

“Yes, Master.” 

They continue on like this. When they reach the top of Anakin’s head, Obi-Wan makes him start over, guiding him through the exercise once more. They repeat it two more times before one of Anakin’s answers changes.

“I feel kind of hungry, Master,” he says a little shyly. 

“Me too,” Obi-Wan admits. “How about we pick up some food?”

“Are we going to go home and meditate afterward?”

“We could, but I don’t think it’s necessary,” Obi-Wan says.

“Why not?”

“Considering we just finished our mediation, I think it would be quite redundant, don’t you?” 

Anakin stops in his tracks and looks at Obi-Wan with a dumbfounded expression. 

“We what ?”

Obi-Wan grins, knowing he got away with something. 

“You, my young Padawan have just completed your first moving meditation. Now, don’t you feel better?” 

“I—”

“We can do this again tomorrow if you would like?”

Anakin, still at a loss for words, blinks at him. 

“Anakin?”

“Yes!” Anakin says enthusiastically. “I would like to do this again.” 

“Good, I quite enjoyed it, myself. Now, you mentioned you were hungry?”

Anakin nodded. 

“I know a place near here that I think you’re going to love.”

Chapter Text

Anakin is getting older now. 

It seems every day he is getting taller and it is no wonder, considering Obi-Wan can barely keep up with how much the kid eats . He vaguely remembers being constantly hungry at that age — a side effect of being a growing boy. But despite physically growing up, Anakin still has a ways to go in terms of maturity. 

For example, the mission is not going the way either of them planned, and Anakin is not taking it well. 

It’s longer and more tedious than Obi-Wan thought it was going to be. The diplomats that called them here are wary of the Jedi — unsure, and oftentimes afraid , of their mysterious power. But an inability to agree on border disputes has pushed them to call upon the Jedi before a war breaks out. It has Obi-Wan stressed and Anakin on edge. He’s bored and angry that the negotiations are taking as long as they are when the issues themselves are so trivial. They were meant to return home a week ago, but the failure to come to an agreement has extended their stay.

They return to their assigned quarters after yet another day of failed negotiations, and Anakin flops down on the bed with a groan of frustration. 

Obi-Wan wants to do the same, but refrains. 

“Why can’t we just go home, Master?” Anakin asks, voice muffled by pillows. “We’re not even doing anything.”

“We’re helping settle a conflict through third-party mediation. That is doing something.”

“Right, okay, but can we do all of that faster?”

“I’m afraid not, Padawan.” 

Anakin groans. “Do you think it will end soon?”

“It’s hard to say.”

“Why can’t we just—”

“Patience , Anakin.” 

“I know, I know,” he mutters. 

Obi-Wan bites back a lecture. He’s tired of being a mediator. He probably should talk to Anakin about the importance of patience and diplomacy, but he’s burnt out. 

Instead, he pokes the bottom of Anakin’s boot. “You should probably take these off before you fall asleep there.”

“I will,” Anakin mumbles.

Obi-Wan turns and rifles through his belongings in search of sleep clothes. He makes his way to the fresher and finds a small sense of calm in his nightly routine. 

When he returns, he finds Anakin snoring softly and eyes closed with his boots still bound tight around his feet. 

“Oh, Anakin,” Obi-Wan says softly to himself. Gently, he pulls Anakin’s boots off and sets them to the side where he won’t trip on them. Anakin twitches slightly and Obi-Wan pauses like a hunted animal staring down the barrel of a gun. He only lets out a breath when Anakin snores again. 

Obi-Wan is about to climb into his own bed when he glances back at Anakin. He lies on top of the covers, not under them. With a sigh, Obi-Wan pulls the duvet off his own bed and gently lays it on top of Anakin. He murmurs something quietly, but his eyes remain closed. 

“Sleep well, Padawan,” Obi-Wan whispers, climbing underneath his remaining thin sheet. 

It’s a new day — bright and shining and not at all different from the last several days they have been stuck here. 

They are only three hours into the day’s negotiations, but Obi-Wan can feel the anger rolling off of Anakin in waves. He knows Anakin is teetering on a boiling point and he only hopes that the diplomats don’t say anything that will set him off.

“I don’t understand how you think we’ll agree to anything when you brought those people here,” a diplomat shouts across the table, gesturing to Obi-Wan and Anakin. 

Obi-Wan sighs. It was wishful thinking.

Anakin slams his hand on the table. “Those people?” Anakin asks. “How dare you pathetic, xenophobic, sleemos talk about us like that.” 

“Anakin—”

“No! They called us here to help them solve their problems. We have stayed a week longer than planned to help them achieve this just so they can be disrespectful to us? To you?”

“I do not need you to defend me, Anakin, now calm—”

“No! You clearly do because you’re just sitting here and taking everything they have to say about us. They’ve been disrespectful to us this whole time and you don’t even do anything!”

The tension is as heavy as the silence. 

Anakin’s breaths come heavier and faster but Obi-Wan remains deadly calm. 

“Go back to our quarters,” he finally says, his voice low and dangerous.

“But Master—” Anakin’s voice cracks.

“Go.” There is no room left for argument and even Anakin seems to know that. He clenches his fists and storms out of the room, letting the door slam closed behind him. 

Obi-Wan turns back to the diplomats. “Apologies for my Padawan,” he says, trying to rein in his own emotions. “We’re still working on some… er… social graces.” 

The negotiations continue on as normal, and Obi-Wan ruefully realizes Anakin’s interruption is the only interesting thing to happen in days. 

He holds back a sigh and latches onto the hope that this will all be over soon. 

Obi-Wan dreads the walk back to their assigned quarters, even if all he wants to do is sleep. 

He’s not quite sure what he wants to say to Anakin, what he can say to Anakin to get through to him. The thing is, Obi-Wan doesn’t even fully disagree with him. The people of this planet are xenophobic. Their conflicts are petty. Anakin’s points are good, they are just… brash. Unrefined, just as he is. 

So lost in thought, Obi-Wan barely realizes he has made it back to their little hotel room.

He is about to palm open the door, but he pauses. He rests his forehead against the door and closes his eyes. He knows Anakin can sense him on the other side of the door just as easily as Obi-Wan can sense him, but he still takes the moment to mentally prepare himself. 

When he does open the door, Anakin sits on top of his bed, this time fully awake. His eyes are clear and defiant, but Obi-Wan can sense the fear in him. 

“You should know by now not to be afraid of me,” Obi-Wan says dryly. Anakin’s facade nearly cracks.

“I’m not.”

“You should also know by now not to lie to me.”

His eyes flash. “I’m not afraid of you,” he doubles down.

“Perhaps not. But there is fear in you, directed at me, is there not?” 

Anakin looks down, his defiance returning to a lower tide. “You seemed pretty mad earlier. You’re still mad at me.”

“I’m not mad at you.”

“You can’t lie to me either, Master.” 

Obi-Wan chuckles dryly. “Seems we both have some emotions to work through.” 

 “I guess,” Anakin says, a little shyer than normal. 

Obi-Wan grabs Anakin’s robe from where it lay crumpled on the ground and tosses it to him. “Come on. Let’s go walk.” 

Anakin perks up a little. “You want to go for a walk?”

“Yes, now hurry up. I’d like to return before the sun sets.”

Scrambling to put his boots on, Anakin nearly trips and falls headlong onto the floor. Obi-Wan reaches out and steadies him. “I’m not going to leave without you, you know?”

“I know,” Anakin says defensively. 

“You need to stop growing. It’s making you clumsy.” 

“You’re just worried I’m going to get taller than you.”

“A Jedi doesn’t focus on the future,” Obi-Wan says, turning his nose up. “But I would not care for that one bit I don’t think.” 

Anakin laughs and follows Obi-Wan out the door. 

The small room they were assigned sits just in front of a forest with a trail. They follow the path — not so abandoned that it is unkempt, but not so trodden that it is cluttered with other people. 

On this path, Obi-Wan and Anakin walk alone.

Trees line either side and hang over them, leaving only the smallest cracks of skylight available for view.

“How does the ground feel beneath your feet?” Obi-Wan asks. 

Anakin takes it from there. He knows the drill by now. He works through the moving meditation without Obi-Wan’s further guidance. 

The path they walk continues on before spitting them out onto an abandoned stretch of beach. The sand is soft and clean and dotted with seashells. 

They walk to the ocean’s edge, letting the waves nearly kiss their boots but not quite. 

“Wow,” Anakin says, staring out at the seemingly infinite ocean. He’s seen oceans before — Obi-Wan has taken him to several — but his reaction always remains the same: awestruck fascination. 

Obi-Wan watches Anakin’s slack-jawed expression and realizes that there is something special about seeing the galaxy through Anakin’s eyes. It makes the whole place just a little more interesting to live in. 

“Come, let’s keep going,” Obi-Wan says. 

The meditative effect of their walk is soon lost, however. The shells that dot the sand are not the only things that catch Anakin’s eyes. 

“What is this?” he asks, picking up a shiny green object from the sand.

“That, my Padawan, is sea glass.” 

“What is sea glass?” Anakin asks in wonder, holding the small object to the sinking sun. The light reflects green on his face. 

“It’s old broken pieces of glass that have been weathered by the ocean for a few decades before washing up here for you to find.” 

“That’s awesome!” Anakin says, some of his boyish excitement poking back through. “What are the odds of us finding it?”

“Do I look like a protocol droid?” Obi-Wan asks, mildly offended at the notion.

“I bet Threepio could tell me.”

“Now I would take those odds,” Obi-Wan says, rolling his eyes at the thought of the protocol droid Anakin thankfully left behind on Tatooine all those years ago. Obi-Wan’s not sure he’d be able to handle having a fussy protocol droid hanging around in addition to an overly-energized child. 

Teenager . He’s a teenager now. Obi-Wan keeps forgetting that. Newly thirteen, but a teenager nonetheless. 

Anakin looks up at Obi-Wan. His eyes are softer now. “I’m sorry I yelled during the negotiations. I was just angry.” 

“I know, but we can’t let our anger control us, Anakin. You must control it .” 

Anakin rubs the smooth sea glass between his fingers. “It’s hard sometimes.”

“No one said it was easy.”

“Did you also have a hard time controlling your anger? When you were a Padawan.”

“Of course. I still do.”

“No, you don’t,” Anakin protests. 

“I’m only human, Anakin. Of course I get angry. Do you think I’m enjoying this mission any more than you are?”

“Well…” 

“I’m not. But I know how to control my anger. It is something I hope to fully teach you one day.”

“I think you will,” Anakin reassures him.

“I think so too.”

Obi-Wan throws an arm around Anakin’s shoulder. “Come. We should head back before the sun sets fully.” 

“Can I take this with me?” Anakin asks, holding the sea glass in his hands. 

“Sure.” 

The boyish grin returns to Anakin’s face and if Obi-Wan saw himself in a mirror, he’d see a similar one on his. 

Chapter Text

“You’re taking your anger out on innocent training droids again,” Obi-Wan says mildly, observing Anakin swing a training saber at the droid.

“I’ll fix it later.”

“It looks a little beyond fixing, even for you.” 

Obi-Wan leans against the door frame and crosses his arms. “You know she’s going to be okay, right?” 

“I know,” Anakin mumbles, swinging again at the droid. Obi-Wan winces as sparks fly up into the air. 

Kix had kicked Anakin out of the medbay hours ago. He was just getting in the way while the medical team worked on stitching Ahsoka back together. Now, Obi-Wan watches his former Padawan take all his frustration and fear out on a droid that never did a thing to him. 

“Come,” Obi-Wan says. “Let’s go for a walk.”

Anakin stops mid-swing, panting from exertion. “Master, I’m not in the mood.”

“Which is precisely why we are going on one.” 

“Master, we’re on the Resolute , there’s nowhere to go .” 

“Who said we were staying on the Resolute ?” 

Anakin stares him down, but Obi-Wan has played this game before. He holds his gaze until Anakin relents, tossing the training sabers aside. “Fine. We’ll take a shuttle down.”

The planet they are in orbit over is a small, but verdant one with thriving forests and vast grassy plains. The planet is not home to much sentient life, but it does contain resources — precious metals that the Separatists desperately need and the Republic can not spare to lose. 

Obi-Wan and Anakin’s battalions fought back the Separatists, but not without a handful of casualties and injuries, including Ahsoka. But the Separatists all retreated and the only threats left on this planet are Obi-Wan and Anakin. 

They land their shuttle on a grassy plain, the thrusters causing the grass to flatten involuntarily underneath them. 

Obi-Wan jumps down and turns back to Anakin. He's standing with arms crossed and eyes ablaze. 

“Coming?” Obi-Wan asks.

Anakin grumbles, but hops down and follows along. 

Obi-Wan doesn’t need to start the meditation anymore. As a Knight, Anakin is independent enough to do it on his own. They walk in silence, each partaking in their own version of the meditation they have each personalized to themselves over the years. 

But Obi-Wan can’t help himself.

“Remember to breathe, Anakin.” 

Anakin shoots him a glare, but he takes a deep breath all the same. 

They walk on, quiet and contemplative once more. The ground is soft like it has rained recently, but they don’t sink into it. Grass dances and parts around them and it is tall enough to graze their hips as it sways. Small rodents and the occasional grass snake scurry and slither through the grass, but they seem to know well enough to leave the two Jedi be. The Jedi are no threat to them. 

For another mile, they walk. They are surprised to find that the grassy plain they are walking across is not so much a plain as it is a mesa. They walk to the mesa’s edge and look out over the wide sea of grass that stretches out before them. In the far-off distance, rolling hills emerge and give way to mountains even farther still. A river snakes through the plain, meandering with no clear goal, just as Obi-Wan and Anakin have been doing. 

“If there is one upside to the war,” Obi-Wan begins, “we sure do get to partake in a lot of sightseeing.”

Anakin scoffs. “Always a bright side with you.”

“Always.”

Obi-Wan sits down, letting his legs dangle off the cliff’s edge. He lets the gentle wind ruffle his hair and fill his lungs. 

“Shouldn’t we be heading back?” Anakin asks.

“Why? We are not leaving orbit anytime soon.”

“But Ahsoka—”

“Will be fine. Kix will comm you when you are needed. Now sit with me.”

Anakin grumbles again. His anger and fear didn’t dissipate the way Obi-Wan hoped for, but that’s okay. Not all meditations are successful. Obi-Wan just hopes the walk back will be more centering for Anakin, but for now, he does what he can by offering subtle waves of calm and reassurance through the bond that persists between them. 

This, at least, is effective enough to get Anakin to sit by his side. 

“She will be okay,” Obi-Wan says gently. 

“I know,” Anakin replies. “I know but—”

“You’re scared this will happen again but she won’t be fine next time?”

“Yeah,” Anakin says sullenly.

“I cannot tell you that won’t happen, as much as I want to take your fears from you,” Obi-Wan says ruefully. “All I can offer you is the present. She’s fine now. That’s what matters. The future is not ours to focus on.” 

“How do I stop?” Anakin asks. His hands wring together. “How do I stop focusing on the future?”

“Practice. Time. Meditation. It’s difficult. It’s within all of our natures to look to the future, but once you learn to accept that the future is not to be controlled — that is can’t be controlled — you will live your life the way it is meant to be lived: in the present moment.” 

Anakin sighs. “I’ll try, Master.” 

“I know,” Obi-Wan says, nudging his shoulder. “I’ll help.” 

They lapse into silence and stare out at the grassy plain as it dances in the wind. The sun hangs precariously over the mountains in the distance, threatening to sink below the peaks. 

“We should go,” Obi-Wan says. “We have a long walk back to the shuttle.” 

They move backward and carefully stand up on the cliff’s edge. With one parting look at the wild lands they saved, they begin the walk back.

This time, the meditation is a little more successful. 

Chapter Text

Master Windu told him to wait in the Council Chambers. 

So he did. For a little while at least. 

He sat in a Council chair, his mind swirling with thoughts of Padmé and the Chancellor and the war and Padmé. 

He needs her.

Anakin finds himself wishing, not for the first time in the past hour, for Obi-Wan to be here. Obi-Wan would know what to say right now. 

But Obi-Wan is not here and Anakin’s mind is running a million miles per minute and he needs to do something. He needs to save Padmé. 

Mind made up, Anakin strides toward the hangar. He sees his starship and breaks into a run. He has to hurry. Master Windu could be aiming for the killing blow right now. 

Anakin climbs into his starship and pauses. It would be so easy to close the hatch and fly to the senate building. It would be so easy to stop this — all of this — from happening. Palpatine can help him save Padmé; he just needs to make sure the Jedi don’t kill him. 

But Master Windu told him to wait in the Council chambers. 

With a heavy sigh, he decides he will not be waiting in the Council chambers, but he won’t be flying to the senate building either.

He decides to take a walk. 

He trots down the front steps of the temple, the white stone reflecting the city lights. Anakin walks parallel to the skylanes and forces back the temptation to hail an air cab — or commandeer one. Instead, he watches them fly by without him. Coruscant moves and breathes as it always does — unaware of the drama unfolding inside its own senate building. 

Anakin tugs on his bond with his former Master. While Obi-Wan is not with him, their bond remains strong and warm and Anakin channels that warm feeling into his every purposeful step — like he isn’t walking alone. 

He focuses on the feeling of the pavement as it supports his weight and ripples through his body, just as he did so many times as a young Padawan. He savors the way the air fills his lungs, even if it is smog-soaked. It sustains him and centers him. Stress, exhaustion, and fear still lie and twist deep within him, but he can feel the thread he is hanging by strengthening. 

Then something shifts. Something dark and heavy and oppressive that Anakin didn’t even realize was there, melts away. He staggers, crashing into a stranger walking to their own destination — blissfully unaware of the whirlwind crashing and twisting its way through the Force. 

The stranger shoves him off and yells at him, but Anakin can’t hear. How could he possibly hear over the Force, singing a song of freedom and triumph through his blood? Anakin stumbles over to the side of a store he doesn’t know the name of and slides down to the duracrete pavement. 

Anakin’s commlink beeps and pulls him from the swirling depths of the Force. With a shaking hand, he answers it and Mace appears, looking weary, but alive. 

“Master Windu?” he asks breathlessly.

“Anakin, I need you to—” Mace pauses and looks at him more closely. “Are you all right?”

“What’s happening? My head… I…” Anakin squeezes his eyes shut, fighting the lightheadedness he feels. “I feel like something just shifted… like something in mind has been… removed .” 

“Then he was manipulating you…” There is something sad, almost self-deprecating in Master Windu’s tone. 

“What? Who was manipulating me?”

“I don’t want to explain over holo call. Can you stand?”

“Yeah, I think so,” Anakin says. He climbs to his feet. He still feels shaky and light, but his senses feel sharper. He feels himself growing stronger. 

“Where are you?” 

“I’m outside. I took a walk. I’m sorry, Master, I just needed—” 

“It’s all right, Anakin. Can you return to the temple? We’re holding an emergency Council meeting.” 

Anakin nods. “I’ll be there soon.” The visage of Master Windu flickers away and Anakin turns on his heels and runs as fast as his legs will carry him back to the temple. 

His feet pound the pavement and he feels the minor shocks go through his legs but he doesn’t care. When he reaches the temple, he takes the stairs two at a time. Nobody stops him or gives him a dirty look when he races through the Great Hall all the way to the Council chambers. 

He opens the door and the only person inside the chambers is Master Windu. The other Council members, scattered across the galaxy, are all there in the form of blue holos. 

“Welcome, fellow Council members,” Master Windu says as soon as Anakin takes his seat. “Forgive me for not exchanging pleasantries, but there is much to discuss.” 

Mace goes into the story of how Anakin discovered Palpatine to be a Sith lord to varying looks of disbelief or acceptance from the other Council members. 

“We lost three Jedi,” Mace says, sorrow hidden in the depths of his brown eyes. “But Chancellor Palpatine is dead. The Jedi Council has temporarily taken control of the Senate while we prepare a new election and investigate Palpatine’s connections throughout the governing systems of the Republic. 

“We would not have been able to make this discovery without the help and instinct of Anakin Skywalker,” Mace adds on. Anakin blushes. Conflict rises within him. The Jedi have finally rid themselves of the Sith lord they’ve been searching for and yet Palpatine was Anakin’s only hope. 

Anakin stares at Obi-Wan and Obi-Wan stares back. Even in the blue holo glow, Obi-Wan beams with pride. Some of Anakin’s internal conflict melts away. Some . 

“I am happy to report that the battle on Felucia is concluding,” Aayla says. “Captain Bly is gathering his men as we speak. We’ll finish up here and report back to Coruscant.”

“Similar story here,” Master Plo adds. “We’ll be back on Coruscant in approximately two standard days.” 

Ki-Adi and Yoda give their reports. And then Obi-Wan speaks up. 

“General Grievous is dead. Count Dooku is dead,” — Anakin flinches — “the Sith lord we have been searching for is dead. I believe it is safe to conclude that the Clone Wars are reaching their long-awaited end.” 

“Agreed,” Master Windu says. “We shall reconvene on Coruscant and begin working on a transition plan. For now, stay safe, come home, and may the Force be with you.” 

One by one, the Council members flicker away. Obi-Wan is the last to leave, his eyes never leaving Anakin. 

“Sir, the men have finished their rounds, we’re ready to reboard.” Cody’s voice comes through tinny and stifled through the holo call and his helmet

“Thank you, Cody,” Obi-Wan says softly, eyes far away as though he didn’t hear a word his commander said. He never takes his eyes off Anakin.

“I’ll be home soon, Anakin,” he says. 

Anakin swallows thickly. “I’ll see you soon, Master.” The holo flickers out and Master Windu and Anakin are left alone. 

“You did well, Skywalker,” Mace says. “You have my trust. You will be a fine member of this Council.”

Anakin’s breath catches in his throat. “Thank you, Master Windu,” Anakin says with a bow. 

“Are you all right, Skywalker?” Mace asks.

“Never better,” Anakin says. 

Mace doesn’t look convinced. “Get some sleep. You look exhausted.”

Mace turns and leaves. Anakin stands alone in the Council chambers once more. He sits back down in the chair he sat in before the war was over, lacking the energy to return to his quarters or to Padmé’s apartment. 

He feels every ounce of his exhaustion cascading over him and before he can stop himself, he falls asleep where he sits. 

Anakin.

He is shaking. No. Someone is shaking him. 

“Anakin, wake up.”

Anakin’s eyes fly open and his heart pounds. “What?” he asks, disoriented and a little sore from falling asleep in the Council room chair. 

Obi-Wan is kneeling before him, worry set in his posture and the blue of his eyes. 

“What are you still doing here? I got home from Utapau an hour ago and I’ve been searching everywhere for you. You weren’t answering your comm.”

Anakin looks down and sees several unread messages on his comm. “Oh,” he says. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s all right, Anakin, I was just worried about you. You seemed distressed on the holo call.” 

Anakin fidgets with his sleeve. 

“Oh. You are distressed,” Obi-Wan observes. “Something troubles you.”

Anakin looks away, unable to look his former Master in the eyes. 

“What’s wrong, Anakin?”

“Obi-Wan I—” Anakin says, tears welling in his eyes. “I think I almost did something really terrible.” 

The concerned expression on Obi-Wan’s face grows more concerned still.

“What do you mean?”

“I… I had a feeling, I knew, Master Windu was going to kill Chancellor Palpatine and I wanted to stop him.”

“You wanted to stop Master Windu from killing the Sith Lord we have been searching for almost fifteen years?” Obi-Wan asks in disbelief. “Anakin why ?”

This is where Anakin loses his composure. He covers his face with his hands and tries to stifle his sobs.

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan says gently. “Please, my friend, tell me what’s wrong?” 

“I think Padmé’s dying,” he chokes. “And Palpatine said he knew how to save her, but I didn’t interfere. I let Master Windu go just like he asked and I went for a walk just like you taught me and now Palpatine’s dead and I don’t know how to save Padmé.” 

“Anakin, Palpatine used the dark side. He was feeding you lies. He wanted to turn you. Your power, your prophecy... I’m afraid it has made you a target. I’m sorry I could not protect you from it.” 

“No, but I think you did,” Anakin sniffs. “I almost went after Master Windu. I would have stopped him, but I heard your voice in my head.”

“ My voice?”

“Yes. It told me to take a walk.” 

Obi-Wan huffs. “I’m glad some of my teachings stuck with you.” 

Anakin gives him a harsh glare. 

“Yes, right, sorry, we’re being serious now,” Obi-Wan says, clearing his throat. “Okay, one thing at a time. Do you, perhaps, want to tell me something about you and Padmé?”

Anakin really doesn’t. And he really does. It’s a mixed feeling. But by the look in Obi-Wan’s eyes, he can tell that he already knows. 

He takes a deep breath. “Padmé and I are married and the baby is mine,” Anakin says quickly. 

Obi-Wan’s eyebrows fly up in shock. “What?”

“Wait. You didn’t know?”

“I knew you were together. I knew the baby was likely yours, but married ? When did you do that?”

“Just after Geonosis.”

“Just after… Anakin!” 

“I love her!” 

“I know,” Obi-Wan says. “I know. But you didn’t even invite me to your super-secret wedding?”

Anakin barks out a laugh. He feels everything right now. Relief and fear and exhaustion and he just wants to sleep and for everything to be okay but it’s not okay. His laughs morph back into sobs. 

Obi-Wan stiffens. “Anakin?”

“I think she’s dying, Obi-Wan. I think she’s… And I…” 

“And why do you think Padmé is dying?” Obi-Wan remains calm in Anakin’s storm. 

“I’ve been having dreams,” Anakin says. “Just like the ones I had of my mother. In them, she dies in childbirth. You’re always there. She always calls my name. I… I can’t sleep. I haven’t slept in days.”

“Is that why I found you here?”

Anakin nods.“I can’t live without her,” he says. “I can’t .” 

“Oh, Anakin,” Obi-Wan says, gripping his shoulder in a way that feels so grounding, Anakin almost feels better. “We’ll get her the best medical care available, all right? She’ll be well taken care of.” 

“But in my dreams I see her—”

“The future is always in motion, Anakin.” 

Obi-Wan lets go of Anakin’s shoulder and extends his hand to him just like he did all those years ago. Anakin takes it like a lifeline and lets Obi-Wan pull him to his feet. 

Anakin finds himself being dragged out of the Council Chambers.

“What are we doing?”

“The first thing we’re doing is getting you some food,” Obi-Wan says. “I have no idea when you last ate, but I take it it has been a while, yeah? Then we’re going to your quarters where you will sleep in an actual bed and then we will worry about Padmé.” 

“But—”

“No arguments.”

Anakin follows him. He didn’t have a good argument anyway.

For the first time in a long time, Anakin sleeps without the plague of nightmares holding him down. He wakes in the morning disoriented from the sheer amount of sleep he got. 

Stumbling into the kitchen, hair still mussed from sleep, he gawks at the sight before him. 

Sunlight streams through open windows, shedding light on the spotless apartment. The smell of jasmine tea and the sound of Obi-Wan singing both fill the air. For a moment, Anakin can’t remember if he fell asleep in his apartment or Obi-Wan’s. 

“Good morning, Anakin,” Obi-Wan says brightly, looking up from the dishes he is currently washing. “Tea?”

“Sure,” Anakin says slowly, reaching for the kettle on the stovetop. 

Obi-Wan hums.

“Did you clean my apartment?” Anakin asks incredulously.

“Well, it surely seemed you weren’t going to.” 

Obi-Wan sings quietly to himself as he scrubs at one of Anakin’s many dirty dishes. Anakin has only heard Obi-Wan sing a few times — only when he’s at his happiest. He shines bright in the Force — brighter than Anakin has ever seen. 

“Master?” 

“Yes, Anakin?”

“What’s gotten into you? Why are you… glowing ?”

Obi-Wan smiles at him, radiant and light. “The war is over, Anakin. We won. The Sith Lord is gone. Can’t you feel it?” 

Anakin wakes up. He reaches for the Force as he has always done and for the first time in his life, it feels balanced. He stares at Obi-Wan. After a few moments too long under Anakin’s scrutinous gaze, Obi-Wan stops what he is doing and looks up. “It’s rude to stare at people you know?”

“You look different. You feel different.” 

“Is that a bad thing?”

Anakin thinks about it. He searches for the differences in his Master — the man he has known for so long — the man he knows better than anyone. He searches and finds that the small blanket of melancholy that Obi-Wan wears around his shoulders is gone. The small twinges of despair that have been present since the war began have all but disappeared. The hope that was always there shines brighter than ever before. 

“No. It’s not a bad thing at all.”

Obi-Wan turns back to the dishes. “In addition to cleaning your apartment, I also took the liberty of setting up an appointment for Padmé with the Jedi healers. It’s not very orthodox, but they made an exception.”

Anakin lights up. “Thank you, Master, I don’t know what to say.” 

“Oh, and there’s one more thing I forgot to mention.”

“One more thing?”

“Ahsoka contacted the Council while you were asleep. She wants to come back to the Order.” 

Anakin’s heart stutters. “Ahsoka is coming back?”

“Yes, she—”

Obi-Wan is cut off by the front door sliding open. “Are you two talking about me?” Ahsoka accuses with narrowed eyes. 

“Snips!” Anakin says, breaking out into a wide grin. “You’re… you…”

“Are coming back to the Order to complete my training? Yes, yes I am.”

Anakin looks at Ahsoka and then at Obi-Wan and back again. 

For once, everything feels perfectly balanced.  

“That’s cold,” Padmé complains as Master Che rubs ultrasound gel on her swollen stomach. 

“Apologies Senator.”

“No, it’s all right, I want to see the baby.” 

Vokara continues her administrations until she pulls the ultrasound up onto the screen. She turns on the volume and suddenly rapid beating sounds overtake them. 

“Good news, Senator,” Master Che says. “You and the babies are all perfectly healthy.”

Anakin beams at Padmé, but her face looks confused. 

“Wait,” Padmé says. “Babies?”

It only takes a few seconds more for the dots to connect in Anakin’s head. He turns to Padmé with wide eyes. 

“Yes, Senator, it seems there are two heartbeats to be found here.”

“Twins ?” Anakin gasps.

“Twins,” Padmé repeats in disbelief. 

The young couple giggles at each other, reveling in shared glee and panic all at once. 

And then Anakin comes to a realization. 

“Ani, what is it?” Padmé asks, concern lilting her voice. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Nothing at all, I’m thrilled. Two babies. Can you believe it?”

“ Something is bothering you.”

“Are we sure you aren’t the one who is Force-sensitive?” 

“Ani,” she says firmly.

“It’s nothing. It’s just… I’m going to have to tell Obi-Wan.” 

“Well, yes, he’s going to find out there are two eventually unless you want to keep hiding things from him.”

“No, not that,” Anakin says. He lets out a heavy, mournful breath. “I’m going to have to tell him I’m leaving the order.”

Padmé goes slack-jawed. “But Ani… They were going to make you a Master. You earned Master Windu’s trust.”

“I know.”

“You were going to get everything you wanted.”

“You are everything I want. You and the twins. I didn’t think I could choose, but I do. I choose you and our children. Always you and our children” 

Padmé beams at him, but then frowns slightly.“But couldn’t you just—”

“No. I have to. Maybe they’ll let me come back later in life when the twins are older, but for right now… you and the babies are the only things I can care for. I have to step back — for everyone’s safety.”

“I’m proud of you,” she says after a pause. “For recognizing your own vulnerabilities, for being willing to step back.” 

“I didn’t think I ever could until I heard their heartbeats, but now I know that I must.”

“If you’re sure, Ani.”

Anakin knows he’s never been more sure of anything in his life.

Anakin takes Obi-Wan to the gardens.

“I have something to tell you,” Anakin says as they walk side by side through a row of bushes dotted in yellow flowers.

“I know,” Obi-Wan replies.

“You know?”

“I know you, Anakin. I know what you are going to tell me. You’re leaving the Order, are you not?”

Anakin swallows. It’s difficult to hear the words coming from Obi-Wan’s mouth. “Yes, Master.” 

“Well then,” Obi-Wan says, quiet and contemplative as ever. “I suppose you’ll need help packing that apartment that I just cleaned for you.”

Neither of them can help the laughs that escape their lips. 

“As much as I value you taking the time to clean my apartment, I’m afraid I have one more favor to ask of you.”

“Anything, my friend,” Obi-Wan says.

And Anakin asks him.

Anakin takes Ahsoka to the training salles.

“You’re leaving?” Ahsoka asks in disbelief. She powers down her training sabers. “But I just got back!”

The look on her face breaks his heart.

“I know, Snips. I’m sorry. I really am. But I can’t stay here responsibly. Not with the twins.” 

“But couldn’t you—”

“Ahsoka.”

She sighs. “Will I still be able to see you?”

“Of course you will. Whenever you want. Padmé and I will only be on Naboo. It’s not too far from here.” 

“Master?”

“Yes, Ahsoka?”

“I’m happy for you. I really am, even if I’m sad you’re leaving but…”

“You are worried about who will complete your training.” It is a statement not a question. As Obi-Wan knows Anakin, Anakin knows Ahsoka. Maybe it’s a side-effect of teaching. 

Ahsoka nods.

“I’ve already asked Obi-Wan. He will finish your training in my stead.”

Her face lights up. “Obi-Wan is going to train me?” she asks excitedly.

“Woah there, don’t be too excited to get rid of me.”

She smirks. “Don’t get me wrong, Master,” Ahsoka says. “You’re my number one, but Obi-Wan ...”

Anakin makes a face. “He’s actually quite annoying most of the time. You’re going to miss me real quick.” 

Ahsoka nudges him playfully. “I’m happy for you, Skyguy.”

“Yeah, I’m happy too.” 

Anakin stands before Obi-Wan and Ahsoka on the temple’s landing platform. He had thought the decision to leave would be the hardest part, but this… 

He finds it is the actual leaving that is the hard part. 

Anakin stares fondly at Ahsoka. “I’ll see ya later, Snips,” he says. He looks into her tear-filled eyes and once more curses the Force or fate or whatever it was that made their time together as Master and Padawan so bitterly short. 

She barrels forward and buries her head in his chest. “See you later, Skyguy.” Her voice is muffled, but he knows what she means. 

Reluctantly, Ahsoka pulls away, but not without squeezing his arms — her grip strong enough to bruise. 

Anakin turns to Obi-Wan and it takes everything in him to keep the tears from falling. The man who raised him stands strong and proud, ready to let the boy he raised go forth towards his new life. 

“Goodbye, for now, my friend,” Obi-Wan says. Crow’s feet crinkle around eyes that glitter with warmth and affection and perhaps a touch of sadness. 

Maybe more than a touch. 

It is only then that Obi-Wan does something he rarely ever does: he pulls Anakin close to him and wraps him in a hug so tight and sudden, Anakin would have lost his balance were Obi-Wan not holding him up. 

Anakin chuckles softly. “Don’t miss me too much, Master, it’s not the Jedi way.”

“Don’t get smart with me about the Jedi way, Padawan,” Obi-Wan warns, pulling away. He glares at Anakin but a smile still fills his eyes. 

Anakin gives his former Master and his former Padawan one final look before turning to the ship Padmé patiently waits in. 

As he walks away, he hears Obi-Wan’s voice. 

“Come along, Ahsoka,” he says “Let’s go for a walk.”