Ships make their way through the sky, landing down on the planet's surface. Supplies are being rushed out of them along with new troopers. With the help from the Kaminoans, when soldiers are lost in battle, they are quickly replaced. The Republic doesn't have to worry about its numbers being down when there are so many being created, trained, and prepped on the aquatic planet.

While everyone bustles to complete their duties, Ahsoka walks over to her master, trying her best to remain stoic and not look like some fresh padawan. Though she's been Anakin's apprentice for a few months, she's still worried about her appearance with him. She doesn't want him to think of her as some immature, clumsy youngling.

Plus, she also doesn't want to seem too eager to prep for battle. After all, this is a war. Innocent lives are at stake. Many lives around the galaxy have been altered drastically because of this war. But at the same time, this is more action than most padawans have ever received at her age. Already, she feels like she's learned so much from her master. That has to be a positive outcome from this galactic war, right?

"Master," She says, finding her voice as she steps to his side. "Where do you think we'll be stationed next?"

Anakin turns and tilts his head, making eye contact with the Togruta. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason." She says, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm just curious about what new planet will be going to."

Anakin scoffs, looking back at the datapad in his hands. "This isn't a vacation, Snips. This is war."

"I know." She quickly says as she raises her hands. She realizes how wrong she worded that. Her cheeks begin to heat up, showing her embarrassment from her mistake. "I didn't mean it like that."

Anakin looks at her, remaining quiet. It's clear to her that he's waiting for her to continue her line of thought.

Ahsoka takes a deep breath, trying not to be intimidated by him. Anakin can be really intense sometimes and she doesn't want to upset him. "It's just. . . being in this war has very few positives. But one of them is all of the experiences I'm getting on these new planets." She says, beginning to talk with her hands. "I look forward to what I'm going to learn next, I suppose. It keeps me hopeful."

Anakin hums, nodding his head. He turns off the datapad, keeping eye contact with Ahsoka.

The padawan holds her wrist, standing awkwardly under his gaze. She isn't sure how to take this response. After spending months with her master, this usually isn't how he reacts.

"I never thought of that. I like it." 

"Like it?" She repeats, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Yeah." He shrugs, setting the pad down on a crate. He crosses his arms over his chest, relaxing into a calmer stance. He tilts his head up, making him look taller than usual. "If I'm going to be honest with you, I've been struggling to find positives for padawans to be dragged out on these missions."

"Really?" She asks. She wasn't expecting him to agree with her idea of the war. Anakin can tend to have extreme ideas, making it hard for them to have similar lines of thought about things as simple as food preferences.

"Well, yeah," Anakin says. "I don't like the idea of you being sent out to battle at such a young age. You and other padawans could get seriously hurt, possibly die. I would never want that to happen to you." He says, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Being in battle is scary. The gunfire and shouts of troopers falling around her. There have been so many times that if she wouldn't have deflected blaster fire fast enough that she could have ended up dead. "I'm not going to die." She says, giving him a soft smile. Though she sounds confident, she doesn't feel that way.

"No kidding. Not with me by your side. I won't let a battle droid touch you." Anakin laughs as he begins to walk away. He truly means what he said. He will never let anything happen to Ahsoka as long as he's around. She is his responsibility and his main priority. 

She will always come first.

"Sure. But I can handle myself out there." She counters, chasing after him.

"Hmm, feeling confident are you, Snips?" He smirks as he looks at her from the corner of his eyes.

"As always. Confidence is a major key to winning battles." She retorts, grinning up at him.

"I think we need a lot less talk and more action." He says, stopping. He grabs his lightsaber from his belt and twirls it in one hand. "Down for some sparring?"

"Of course," Ahsoka says, grabbing both of hers from her hips. "You need to learn to stop underestimating me. Best way is for me to kick your butt in a lightsaber spar, Skyguy."

"Oh, it's on now." Anakin broadly smiles as he turns his on. Ahsoka quickly follows, her green blades igniting just in time to block his blue one.

They continue to spar for a while. At first, it catches the eyes of the clones. They begin placing bets on who they think will win. Ahsoka doesn't notice the crowd until a few of them begin to chant her name to cheer her on. As the sparring drones on, the crowd gradually dies down and the clones are forced to get back to duty. 

Eventually, Ahsoka and Anakin are left alone with no one watching.

Their lightsabers collide. Her green blades are holding off his blue one, protecting her back from his strike. Swiftly, she turns and tries to knock his lightsaber from him. Expecting her attack, he parries. Doing this, he sends her left saber from her hand.

Unfazed by this, Ahsoka continues to fight off his attacks with her single blade. She clenches her left fist, still moving her arms as she would if she was still holding her lightsaber. She grits her teeth, his attacks become faster than she's used to. He starts to push her backward, forcing her to move unnaturally. She groans, tripping over her feet and falling to the ground. She looks up, the blue blade slightly blinding her.

"And just like that, I win," Anakin smirks, his blade just inches from her face.

"You've had more experience." Ahsoka brushes off. He turns off his lightsaber and returns it to his belt. He holds out his hand to her, which she gladly accepts. He pulls her to her feet and looks for her lost sabers. He returns them to her with a smile.

Panting, the two of them sit together on a crate. The 501st bustles in the background, working on their own problems. Camp has been set and now they wait for orders. Until they are received, the battalion is allowed to do as they please. The troopers take this time to relax and banter with each other. Anakin spends most of his time working with Ahsoka on her skills. With this war, he feels that she doesn't get the time to train with him as she deserves. Every free moment he gets, he spends with her.

Ahsoka enjoys working with him as master and padawan. She's learned much with him, but almost nothing about him. She's never had the courage to ask about his life as a padawan. She's heard the tall tales while growing up in the Temple. Apparently, Anakin impressed two Jedi with his skills, causing the Council to let him join around nine-years-old.

She thought joining at three was old.

After that, there was a battle with a Sith Lord. Master Qui-Gon Jinn did not survive. She doesn't remember the name of the Jedi who eventually killed the first Sith in over a thousand years. His name is not spoken often, the masters claiming that they don't want the brave Jedi overwhelmed with younglings asking questions.

Anytime she's asked just to know his name, her masters either ignored her or harshly told her that it was unnecessary for her to know. The story was all the information she'd need. Their name is unimportant. 

She knows she heard it years ago, but over time, it's slipped her mind.

Maybe Anakin can answer it for her. He must know about that Jedi, right?

She bites on her lower lip. Now is a good time. Anakin is kind and won't treat her as the other masters in the Temple have with her curious questions. She knows she has nothing to fear with him. "Master, what was life like as a padawan for you?" She asks as she cleans her lightsaber, trying to remain as nonchalant as possible.

Anakin tenses at this question. His life as a padawan is not quite the happy picture many paint it to be. His life was rough and unique. He tries not to talk about it, hoping people assume he experienced everything just as the other Jedi have. "What made you think of this?" He asks, hoping that he sounds only curious, not defensive. He would hate for Ahsoka to think that she's crossed a line with him.

She shrugs. "I don't know. Things must have been different for you. You weren't sent off to fight in a war at my age." She briefly explains. She feels her cheeks heat, some reason embarrassed again. "Plus I've heard crazy stories about you. I guess I just wanted to know if they're true."

This makes Anakin chuckle. There's no doubt that his life has been broadcasted to children over the years. Many of the things he's gone through have been. . . eccentric to put it nicely. Who else in the Temple can say that they were accepted into the Order at nine and have had multiple masters? "I don't know. It'll probably put you to sleep." Anakin brushes off with a smirk. 

He hopes that she'll take the hint and drop the subject.

"I doubt it." Ahsoka smiles as she relaxes. She returns her lightsabers to her hips, now truly invested in the conversation. Anything he might tell her will be exciting. Even if she already knows some of it, it's more special coming from him.

"Alright, I'll give you a brief overview. Don't want you to get bored with me yet." He says. He clears his throat, going back to the beginning. 

Well, not the very beginning. There's stuff there that he doesn't like to remember. His life on Tatooine is hard to think about. He tries not to dwell on it, pushing it deep down inside himself. Sometimes it feels like it's someone else's life, not his. 

"When I was nine, Master Qui-Gon Jinn found me as a slave on Tatooine."

Her eyebrows slightly furrow. She had no clue that slavery still existed, especially with the Republic around. Haven't they made efforts to stop it? Can't they place laws that make it illegal to own slaves? "You were a slave?" She asks.

"Yes. Master Qui-Gon had placed a risky bet in order to free me. Thankfully, everything worked out fine. Long story short, we ended up going to Naboo to return Padmé and save her people." 

A soft chuckle escapes Ahsoka at the thought of a younger Padmé. She must have been a tough teen to deal with. She's so strong-willed and bold. 

"While we were there, a Sith Lord attacked," Anakin says clearly starting to grow uncomfortable. He takes a deep breath, trying to keep himself calm and collected. He can't let her see that this hurts him.

She bites on her lower lip, running her hands up and down her legs. She can sense the hurt beginning to grow around Anakin. "I believe it was Master Qui-Gon who died."

Anakin nods, pain striking his heart. "Yes."

They are silent for a moment, both unsure what to say. "There's a memorial for him in the Temple. I had no idea that you were that connected to him." Ahsoka says, her voice lowering.

At this comment, Anakin practically freezes, his eyes drifting to look away from her. Something has changed in him. "You're more connected to him than you realize." Anakin quietly says under his breath.

"Really?"

Anakin nods but doesn't build on it. If he opens his mouth, he's afraid that he'll say something he doesn't want to disclose with her yet. He's worried he might spill something to scare her.

Ahsoka either doesn't notice or acknowledge this happening within him. Curiosity taking over her, she presses on. "So what happened then?" She cautiously asks. 

After the question's out, she senses Anakin beginning to close himself off. Something she has said has upset him. Maybe she shouldn't have brought this up. They were having such a good day and the last thing she wants is for him to build up his walls again. It took so long for him to make an attempt to connect with her and she doesn't want to start all over.

"I was trained under a different Jedi." He curtly answers.

"Master Tiin?"

He shakes his head, his eyes now locked on the wall ahead of them. "No."

This confuses her. She thought that Master Tiin was Anakin's master. It's well known that Master Tiin took in Anakin and trained him as a Jedi. Of course, there was some other help from the other Council members, but Ahsoka assumed this was because he came to the Temple at such an old age. That and the belief that he is the Chosen One. It would make sense for him to have multiple masters.

"Who then?" She quietly asks.

"Does it matter?" Anakin retorts, now becoming tense. He doesn't want to talk about it. Anger is starting to seep into his tone and he quickly recognizes it. The last thing he wants is for her to think that he's mad at her. He just hopes that she'll stop asking questions before he says something he'll regret.

"Not really." She says, feeling small. What was so bad that Anakin refuses to talk about his master? Why has he been hidden away from the Order? She now has so many questions, all of which she's afraid will set him off.

Anakin takes a few deep breaths, trying to keep himself calm. He knew this day was bound to happen. Soon Ahsoka would have to ask him about their lineage and she would learn about his master. "I don't want to tell you because I don't want you to look at yourself differently." He eventually says.

"I won't. I promise." She says, her blue eyes now wider than Anakin has ever seen them.

"And I... I don't want you to look at me differently." He admits to both himself and Ahsoka.

The air between them becomes thick with tension. This is the first that Anakin has come to accept that he's been hiding this information from her partly for his own sake. He's kept this a secret from her because he didn't want it to affect her training and opinion of him. He didn't want her looking at him as if he's someone else. By keeping Obi-Wan a secret, she wouldn't question if Anakin's training was authentic.

"It won't change a thing. I swear." She says. Her confidence is strong, somewhat surprising him. Though he had total faith in Ahsoka's opinion of him, it's nice to hear her assurance out loud.

Anakin knows the good person Obi-Wan once was. He knows that there is still light inside of him, but Ahsoka might not. She's been raised to think that he is a bad person. The Temple has practically forbidden his name from being spoken anymore. Anything that once held his name has been erased or archived. 

Ahsoka has not grown up knowing that Obi-Wan was his master for almost a decade.

Now she'll know and she'll have to live with the consequences. She might fear the training techniques Anakin uses with her. She might start to question whether Obi-Wan's supposed dark traits made their way into Anakin.

He takes a deep breath, readying himself for whatever may come. He looks her in the eyes, praying he doesn't watch fear enter them. "Obi-Wan Kenobi." He finally answers. 

At least she knows the truth now. She can make the decision herself. Anakin no longer has to hide this part of his past from her. There are few secrets between them now.

He braces himself for her reaction, tensing up. 

Ahsoka doesn't react at first, her eyes locked with Anakin's for a long time. She has heard about Obi-Wan Kenobi recently but it was from her creche mates. She was told that he was a Jedi who turned to the dark side. Rumors started that he would come and try to tempt them to join him. He had crazy eyes and used a red lightsaber. She has been passing him off a ghost story. "I've heard his name before." She slowly says, the name finally coming back to her. One story was told to her a youngling, back when it was much more recent and important. "He's the one who defeated the Sith Lord, correct?"

Anakin looks down at his robotic hand, sucking in a soft gasp. He fumbles with it though there is nothing that Ahsoka can spot wrong with it. "Yes. But he's been locked from the Archive memories. They don't want you to go looking him up." He quickly replies, clearly wanting to run from this conversation.

"Why?" She whispers, curiosity now surging through her veins. She leans forward, wanting to catch every word. "What happened to him?"

"Nothing, Ahsoka. Let's just drop it, okay?" He spits. He bolts up from the crate, scratching the back of his head. He knows that came off rough, but he doesn't want to talk about this anymore with her. She doesn't understand his connection with Obi-Wan and he doesn't want to talk about it today. This has already been too much for him to speak about. "Let's go see what Rex has learned for our next attack."

Ahsoka knows that she should drop it. Her master is giving away many signs that tell her that he is uncomfortable and wants to be talking about anything else. But she won't let him go that easy. Anakin has always told her to ask pressing questions. He encourages her to push him to his limit. "Why isn't Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Jedi Archives anymore, Master?" She repeats.

Pain flashes over Anakin's face. Ahsoka can feel his sadness shove her through the Force. Her master remains silent, keeping his gaze anywhere but on her. She tries to step forward to be in his line of sight. 

There are few reasons why Jedi are locked in the Jedi Archives. One reason is that they are doing important investigations for the Council and must remain inactive to keep themselves safe. Another is that they have been banished from the Order.

Perhaps the most chilling reason someone might be locked from the Jedi Archive is that they have fallen to the dark side.

Her heart begins to race. Is it possible that her master was trained by someone who has sunken to the depths of darkness? 

The look on Anakin's face is enough. She doesn't have to ask. "He's fallen." She cautiously says, watching his face for any reaction. "Hasn't he, Master?"

"No, Ahsoka. Don't say that." Anakin immediately denies, clenching his fists. He tightens his jaw, searching for the right thing to say. Yes, his master is no longer in the Order. And sure, he uses a red lightsaber now and is probably being trained by Count Dooku, but that doesn't mean that he's gone. His master is still there, just hidden underneath all of his dark clothing. Anakin felt it when they were together on Bancar. "He's just lost, okay?"

"Lost?" She quietly repeats. She hopes she doesn't sound naive, but she doesn't know what he means. She knows that this subject has been dug into long enough, but she wants to walk away knowing more than before. In order to achieve that, she has to ask questions that even she thinks might be pushing it.

"Yes, lost." Anakin nods, liking how it sounds. Yes, he can work with this. In fact, he might even use the term to describe himself. "Though he isn't in the Order anymore, he can still be brought back. Many think that he is gone, but I will prove them wrong. I'm going to search him out and bring him back to the right path." He finishes. 

Yes, that's what has happened to his master. Obi-Wan is not gone, just merely off the path he should be following. Anakin will help find him and keep him on the trail to the light.

"Do I get to tag along on this mission?" Ahsoka asks with a smile, hoping to show that she meant him no harm. She wasn't trying to bring up a difficult subject. She just wanted to know more about her master. Maybe this comment will help show that she only means the best.

"Of course, Snips. I'm sure Obi-Wan would love to meet you." He says, pulling her close and rubbing his knuckles between her montrals. She laughs, pushing him off. His arm falls, resting on her shoulders. "Just don't try to go and dig up any more information on him, okay? The Council will get suspicious if your search history in the Archives is only about him."

"Okay. If any more curious questions about him come to mind, I'll come to you." She says, pushing him off.

Anakin smiles and nods his head, but he secretly hopes that this will be the last that they talk of Obi-Wan. Anakin keeps a good memory of him, but there are a lot of people out there who don't. Following the ways of the dark side can cause one to go against what is morally right. And though Anakin would never believe that his master could kill someone, there are plenty of stories out there that disprove his theory. There are many rumors about a new and deadly assassin on the loose. Apparently, this assassin can use the Force to crush buildings and his lightsaber skills fascinate all who see it.

It's pretty clear to Anakin who this assassin is.

He's met them, but he's only known him as Obi-Wan. He clenches his fists at the thought. Why has Obi-Wan fallen? Was it something that Dooku said? Was it something Anakin did? He holds his breath, trying to stay level-headed for his padawan at his side.

There's nothing he can do about the situation at the moment. He needs to remain in the present. He can't change the past. What happened has happened. The only thing he can be prepared for is what is to come. He needs to learn to accept this.

When he sees Obi-Wan again, and he knows he will, he'll have to dig at him more. The first time, Anakin was thrown off. He didn't think that he would run into Obi-Wan so soon. If he did, he would have prepared himself more. Of course, he couldn't have known that Obi-Wan would have changed so dramatically.

Now that he's met him and actually talked with him, Anakin feels that he can ready himself. He's analyzed his single encounter with Obi-Wan multiple times, working through every single second. He knows that Obi-Wan is much more sensitive to emotions. Though he's cockier than Anakin ever thought imaginable, he's still mostly friendly. 

Unless Qui-Gon is brought up. 

Anakin must never mention his name when around him if he wants to keep Obi-Wan cheerful.

"Master, how do you think Rex will react if I steal his helmet?" Ahsoka asks, pulling him from his thoughts.

Anakin smirks, looking down at her. "I don't know. Why don't we find out?"

xxx

Dooku growls, knocking Obi-Wan's lightsaber from his hands. He glares down at him, resisting the urge to completely snap at him. "You're weak, Obi-Wan. With you being Qui-Gon's padawan, I expected more from you. I guess I was wrong."

"It has nothing to do with Qui-Gon's training, I assure you." Obi-Wan groans as he rises to his feet. He tugs at his sleeves, lowering them to rest just barely above his wrists. He then uses the Force to pull his lightsaber back to him to return it on his hip. "It's my fault."

"Something has changed," Dooku says, his eyes studying Obi-Wan intensely. Not only is it obvious in his fighting, but he can sense it through the Force. Over the past year, Obi-Wan has been training to ground him deep in the dark side of the Force. Now Dooku can feel something holding him back.

"I met someone from my past when I wasn't ready. It's set me off." Obi-Wan admits. He knows that's the reason he's not at the top of his game. Usually, he and Dooku can spar for what seems like hours. Today, he's been knocked to the ground three times in under 20 minutes.

"Indeed," Dooku says, slightly relaxing. "Who did you see?"

Obi-Wan pauses, unsure how to proceed. Of course, he knows he should be honest with Dooku. He knows how much the man respects honesty, even if the action committed displeases him. He hates lies, even ones Obi-Wan considers to be harmless white lies.

But telling the truth in this instance might not be all that grand of an idea. Dooku despises the person Obi-Wan was with. He has his own feelings about them that he's formed over the years, using it to fuel his hatred and deepness in the dark side of the Force.

"It was someone from the Order. They came after you left, you wouldn't know them." Obi-Wan eventually says, settling on a half-lie. Yes, they did come to the Order after he left. But Dooku knows them well and has been keeping a close tab on them.

Dooku's face drops. "It better not be who I think it is." He grumbles.

"I have no clue who you are thinking about," Obi-Wan replies with a short chuckle. He pulls back his hair, tying it up in a bun on top of his head. "I'm not a mind reader, master."

This added comment brings a soft smile to the old man's face. Obi-Wan shares similar humor with the padawan Dooku trained so many years ago. It's been nice to have his presence back in his life for the past year. Having Obi-Wan around has been great, even if Dooku will never say it out loud. Training someone, his own grandpadawan for Force's sake, has brought joy to him.

"You better come clean now, Obi-Wan. It's best to tell me while you have me in a good mood." Dooku says, walking towards him.

Obi-Wan sighs, resisting himself from rolling his eyes. He likes Dooku in a good mood and now he's going to ruin it. He wishes Dooku would just move on but knows that will never happen. "I approached Anakin."

The old man furrows his eyebrows. "I hope you killed him."

Obi-Wan slightly pouts. "Why would I kill him?"

"Oh, that's right. I forgot that you care for Skywalker. You think that he can be persuaded to join our side." Dooku grumbles, crossing his arms behind his back.

"He's my padawan," Obi-Wan argues. Why would he purposely kill Anakin? He thought he made it pretty clear how much he wants to protect the boy. He wants to pull him away from the Order and stop them from corrupting him. But in order to do that, first, he and Dooku need to put an end to the Sith. Until then, he'll just have to settle with watching over him from afar.

"He's a selfish, arrogant boy, Obi-Wan!" Dooku shouts, glaring down at him. "I think it would be best if we were to kill him now. It would help us and the greater cause."

"Help us?" Obi-Wan demands, his voice rising with Dooku's. Though the two of them usually get along very well, they fight like loth-cats and dogs. There have been many times when Obi-Wan thought it would actually get physical. Thankfully, the two of them care too much for each other to actually cause bodily harm.

"Yes, it would help us. You would finally be relieved of your inner conflict!" Dooku declares, now standing tall and firm. "I can feel that patch of light inside of you, Obi-Wan. You need to get rid of it if you want to have any hopes of moving forward as a dark side user."

"How would killing Anakin help with that?"

"You hold a soft spot for the boy even after all he has done."

"What has Anakin done?" Obi-Wan scoffs, crossing his arm over his chest. "I've been with him since he first showed up at the Temple and we never crossed paths with you before Geonosis."

"He is the reason that Qui-Gon died!" Dooku finally spits, bringing a chill to the room. "Think about it, Obi-Wan. If it were not for the boy, Qui-Gon wouldn't have been in that situation on Naboo. The conflict could have been solved before the Sith Lord showed up."

Obi-Wan stands still, not wanting to think that way about Anakin. None of that was his fault, right? He didn't cause the death of Qui-Gon. It was the kriffing Sith Lord. "He didn't cause that. He cared about Qui-Gon, just like us."

"Yes, he did," Dooku says. "But somehow the boy made such an impact on Qui-Gon that he forgot about you completely."

That comment makes something snap inside of Obi-Wan. The memory of that room and the conversation that followed causes his heart to ache. After all that they had been through together, Qui-Gon had already chosen someone to replace him. He had never mentioned that Obi-Wan was ready for his trials until in that Council room when he declared he wanted Anakin instead of him.

Obi-Wan looks up, watching a smile grow on Dooku's face as he feels him growing angry.

Dooku believes that his anger is directed at Anakin, but it is actually at Qui-Gon. How could he push him aside like that in that Council room? How dare he demand on his deathbed that he take on the duty of training Anakin at such a young age? He put so much pressure on him by making him train the Chosen One. There was no possible way he could ever succeed with his wish.

Why did Qui-Gon do that to him?

"Yes!" Dooku shouts with a large grin as he throws his hand up in excitement. The action startles Obi-Wan out of his anger-induced trance. "Use that anger, Obi-Wan. Let it build you and your journey to the dark side. You must wipe out any light left in you. Forget the Order! Forget Skywalker! They mean nothing to us."

"The Order?" Obi-Wan repeats. They came out of nowhere into this conversation. He doesn't deny that he should forget them, but he would like a solid reason. Obi-Wan isn't someone who can blindly hate, though Sith Lords seem to be painted in that light.

"They are dishonest and egocentric. They only care about themselves and the people who help grow their power. Think about how they treated the death of Qui-Gon." Dooku says, egging him on. Obi-Wan turns away, feeling his emotions growing like they used when he was a fresh knight at the thought of Naboo. "They made you care for his body until they arrived on Naboo." He gently adds, as if the weight of those words don't make Obi-Wan physically ill.

Dooku pauses, watching the visible reactions coming from Obi-Wan. He had buried these and many other events from that horrid planet deep inside himself. It wasn't until Obi-Wan had pledged to be fully committed to the dark side that all of this came to light. 

Had Dooku known of this sooner, maybe he would have reached out to Obi-Wan earlier. No padawan should have to bury their master at such a young age. Then to force him to deal with the grief and mourning that comes with it all alone, well, what's there to even say about that?

Dooku presses on, wanting to slightly change the subject himself. "They didn't even give you a proper knighting when they were told the news of you killing a Sith Lord. It was rushed and uneventful. It's one of the most important days of your life as a Jedi and it took place in a small room with only Master Yoda present. Then, after everything that happened, they didn't bother searching for the remaining Sith when it was obvious that they were reappearing."

Obi-Wan feels his blood beginning to boil. Why did they do that? What harm would it have done to send out a few Jedi to search for the remaining Sith Lord? Instead of stopping the Sith, they chose to sit around and do nothing. All they did was wait in their grand chairs and harp on Anakin and him. They made their main concern Anakin fitting in and Obi-Wan's "failing" attempts at training him.

They made it seem like the biggest problem in the galaxy was that the two of them were paired together in the first place. Obi-Wan was a young, inexperienced teacher, and Anakin a disrespectful, powerful student. 

What a pair they made in the eyes of the Jedi Council.

"And though I have no care for the boy, think about how they treated Skywalker," Dooku says, knowing that it will cause more reaction from Obi-Wan. And he's right, it does. He can feel the fire building inside the man standing in front of him. At the mention of Anakin, Obi-Wan's whole mood drastically changes.

His eyes darken. His body tightens. It's almost as if he's being held together by tension and fury alone. Obi-Wan can almost feel his face heating up with the anger brewing inside his chest. With each heartbeat, more of it expands outward, reaching every part of his body.

Dooku can't help but proudly smile at Obi-Wan. Hate is radiating from him, filling his veins and controlling his emotions. Rage and revenge will soon follow like normal, making Obi-Wan a force no one wants to mess with.

"They refused to do anything with him," Obi-Wan admits, grinding his teeth together. "They ignored Qui-Gon's call to the prophecy until he died. Even then, they denied Anakin's abilities and only allowed him into the Temple because of me!"

"The Order has become corrupt," Dooku says, lowering his voice. He reaches out, touching Obi-Wan's shoulder. Darkness is deep in his core, as it should be. "They treated you with disrespect when you tried to ask for help. Because you followed Qui-Gon's wishes, they ignored you and Skywalker. They wanted the two of you to struggle and fail."

"Why did they do that?" Obi-Wan asks, clenching his fists tightly. Memories of all of the times the Council refused to help come flooding back to him. "What did they have to gain by ignoring us?"

"They gained their own pride. It made them feel good to see you, The Sith Killer, failing miserably at teaching. They enjoyed seeing the claimed Chosen One become less than his own peers. It proved them right about denying the prophecy and letting you become a master." Dooku says.

Obi-Wan takes a deep breath, feeling his chest expanding with animosity. Of course, the Council would do that. If he and Anakin were to ever succeed, it would make them look like fools. They denied the Chosen One when he was handed to them on a silver platter.

To fill their own self-interests and pride, they planned for them to fail.

"Perhaps it's time for a rematch," Dooku smirks, pulling out his lightsaber.

"Couldn't agree more." Obi-Wan darkly replies, his back turned to his master. He ignites his red blade, quickly blocking Dooku's attack.

There's the person Dooku so eagerly wanted to fight! This is his padawan! With each swing, he puts a power behind it that would scare any Jedi. His Force signature is almost like an aroura, electric with poisonous hatred and sinister anger.

If Dooku hadn't been training him for the past year, he might have feared his strength and deepness with the dark side. It's almost jaw-dropping how fast he can fall into this dark assassin with the right coaxing.

Proud doesn't even begin to describe how he feels in this moment.

xxx

Instead of being shipped to a new planet, Anakin and Ahsoka are toted back to the Temple. Anakin finds it strange to be back here. So many familiar faces in one place might be considered welcoming, but that's not how he sees it. It isn't how he's seen it for a long time.

"It's good to be back," Ahsoka says as she enters the Temple with him. "I feel so much more peaceful when we're here." She sighs, a gentle smile on her face as she looks around.

Anakin hums and lets the conversation drop. He isn't in the mood to dissect his emotions and thoughts with her at the moment. They did enough of that earlier this week. Ahsoka has learned enough about him to last her for the rest of the month.

Before they can get too far into the Temple, Master Tiin approaches them. "Greetings, Anakin and Ahsoka." He says, lightly panting.

"Greetings, Master Tiin." Ahsoka smiles. "What brings you to us?"

Anakin finds himself crossing his arms at the Jedi Master. He's still upset about what happened in the Council Room. Why did they keep Obi-Wan's reappearance a secret from him? 

Anakin didn't bother waiting for Master Tiin to explain himself that day. He had left the Temple before the man got a chance to leave the room. Anakin didn't want to hear the lame excuses. He asked to be treated as an adult, but they refused to share any knowledge about his master until he discovered it himself.

"There's something that I need to talk with your master about." He says to Ahsoka. Anakin rolls his eyes, already having an idea what it will be about. "If you don't mind, I would like to speak to Anakin alone."

Ahsoka looks back at her master. She can sense his annoyment and building anger through the Force. Even if she couldn't, it's very obvious on his face. Anakin has never been well at hiding his emotions, especially to her. 

So she stays, waiting for Anakin to dismiss her. He is her master after all.

Anakin takes a deep breath then nods his head. She doesn't need to hear him getting a scolding and fighting back. The last thing Ahsoka should watch is Anakin being disrespectful. She also shouldn't listen in about their inevitable conversation involving Obi-Wan. Though Ahsoka doesn't seem fearful of him, she doesn't need more information about him at the moment.

"Go say hi to your friends. I'm sure they miss you." Anakin says when Ahsoka doesn't listen to his nonverbal command.

She takes the hint, slightly frowning at him. "Alright. I'll find you before sundown. I need some help with my lightsabers." She says, glancing at Master Tiin then Anakin. When neither of them responds, she walks away. She knows that what they're talking about probably doesn't involve her, but she wants to know what has Anakin so worked up.

But, if her master wants to tell her, he will. He isn't forced to tell her everything in his life, even if it might be entertaining. 

Once Ahsoka leaves their presence, Anakin makes eye contact with Master Tiin. "I already know what this is going to be about. Might as well get it over it." He grumbles.

"I want to apologize for what happened." Master Tiin softly says. 

This catches Anakin off guard. 

"What?"

"I didn't know that the Council would react like that." He says with sympathy evident on his face. "They've been wanting to know more about you and your process with Obi-Wan. They had been hoping that you would have gotten over him. So I thought the best way for them to understand would be to hear it for themselves. I didn't know they would call for his death."

"They think I'm going to get over Obi-Wan?" Anakin asks with a slight scoff. 

"He is an attachment for you." Master Tiin replies. "That I can not deny. It's obvious that you care for him more than you should."

"Of course I care for him. He's my master!" Anakin grumbles, the conversation quickly becoming heated. 

Both of the Jedi feel eyes starting to land on them. They freeze, looking at back the crowd and each other. They realize that they're drawing unwanted attention so Anakin leans in and keeps his voice low. "I will not drop Obi-Wan, no matter what happens."

Master Tiin stills, crossing his arms over his chest. "After that response, I'm not sure how to proceed."

Proceed? How is Anakin supposed to proceed with that response? "What do you mean, Master Tiin?" Anakin asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I was going to share some new information with you, but now I'm no longer sure I should. I don't want to encourage your attachment to Obi-Wan. You know that it's wrong and so do I." He replies, his gaze hardening. 

"What was it?" Anakin asks, his interest peaking. Based on what vague information Master Tiin has given him, he can assume that this topic still involves Obi-Wan. He is the only reason that Master Tiin is holding back at the moment and Anakin knows it.

"I won't share it with you unless you go back on what you said." Master Tiin says, glancing at the fellow Jedi moving around them. No one seems to be paying attention anymore, but they can't risk having anyone listen in. 

"On what I said about Obi-Wan?" Anakin asks. He shakes his head, slightly backing away from him. "No. You know how much he means to me. I won't drop him or go back on my word."

Master Tiin seems torn, sucking on his cheeks. "He's an attachment, Anakin. I can't share with you what I know then if you don't."

Anakin scoffs, furrowing his eyebrows. "Then it's not worth it to me."

"But it is." Master Tiin insists, grabbing at his cloak. Anakin scoffs, trying to free himself from the master's grasp. But as he tugs at his own cloak, he can sense that Master Tiin will not let go anytime soon.

Suddenly, Master Tiin drags Anakin out of the main area, pulling him to a secluded room. Usually, this room would be bustling with padawans learning about galactic conflicts and the tensions that continue to build every day. But because of the war, the subject has faded away. Students are forced to think only about war plans and battle tactics to stay alive.

Master Tiin releases Anakin. Anakin steps back, putting distance between the two of them. The last thing he wants is to be dragged somewhere else.

Anakin crosses his arms, thinking about what to say. He won't let go of Obi-Wan, no matter the cost. But will it cause him harm to just say that he will? He could claim to have the intent to let him go then blame it on his emotions. They seem to believe anything when it comes to his emotions. 

"Fine," He suddenly agrees. Master Tiin snaps his head to look at him in the eyes. Anakin shrugs his shoulders. "What is so important that you dragged me away like a disobedient padawan?"

Master Tiin digs into his pocket, his eyes wide. He forces a piece of paper into Anakin's hands, patting them to get the point across that it's his. "This is information I received at the last Council meeting. If anyone asks, you didn't get it from me. It was pure chance."

Anakin furrows his eyebrows then looks to his hand. Quickly, he fumbles to open the crumpled piece of paper. His eyes widen as he reads the information. He looks back at Master Tiin, unable to find words. "This is true? Not some bantha chase?"

"All true." Master Tiin says, nodding his head. "They want to send someone out tomorrow morning. If you want to beat them there, I suggest you go now."

Anakin nods his head, holding the paper tight in his mechanical hand. "Thank you." He mumbles, his heart beginning to race. His hand begins to sweat and he thinks he might actually pass out.

"Go. Before they notice that you've left." Master Tiin says, slightly shooing Anakin away.

Anakin's feet move before he commands them. He stuffs the piece of paper into his pocket, the coordinates already memorized. He's in shock. So many things have taken place that he wasn't expecting to come back to.

Master Tiin has given him coordinates of Obi-Wan's last known location. 

Not only that, but he's given him permission to go after him. 

Anakin soon finds himself flying off of Corascunt without even saying goodbye to Ahsoka. All he has on his mind is finding Obi-Wan. He needs to get to him before anyone else. Things will be different this time around, he can feel it. 

This time, it will be him making the unexpected appearance.

~~~~~~~~~~

I'm still a little uncertain about my summer update schedule. This semester has been a bit more difficult than I expected. I'm hoping to have the next chapter up by the beginning of May after my finals. I would like to start a regular update time sometime in late June or early July. 

Anyhoo, thank you guys for all of the support on this book so far! I really want to write something you guys enjoy and look forward to. (I just wish that I had more time to write so you don't have to wait so long!) Just wanted you to know that I appreciate everything you comment on this book. :)