The unregistered craft broke through Caranda's thick cloud cover descending to the wintery landscape below. Obi-Wan prepped for the landing uncomfortable with the frigid silence of his companion. A silence that had continued unimpeded for three days.

During the long flight from Coruscant, Cassandra Pierce continually sent him death stares, blaming him for her predicament.

Obi-Wan had become the unwitting target of her ire after delivering the news of the Chancellor's executive order commanding, she leave the Capitol for her safety.

She especially didn't like when he forced her to leave the Medical Facility before Anakin regained consciousness.

"Take your stupid decrees and shove them up your rigid ass, Obi-Wan!" She had screamed at him before stomping out of Anakin's hospital room, uncontrolled magic sparking from her fingertips. "Fuck you!"

Obi-Wan had let her go, unwilling to provoke her further. Cassandra's clear attachment to Anakin troubled him for more reasons than the violation of the Jedi Code. The girl came from a distant galaxy and would eventually return to her home world leaving Anakin behind.

His former apprentice cared too deeply for others. Obi-Wan was worried about the impact Cassandra would have on him if they became closer.

Obi-Wan glanced at his charge and regretted it when he encountered a pair of narrowed pale brown eyes.

Cassandra tapped one slender finger against the armrest of her seat watching him, lips pulled back in a silent snarl.

Her sour mood was infectious. Obi-Wan was less than pleased with his assignment. Not because he bore the young woman any ill will. The Republic was embroiled in a very serious war, and he needed to be at the battlefront.

The Jedi had been assigned leadership of the clone army because of their combat experience all over the galaxy. They knew the various terrains and how best to navigate them.

In spite of Obi-Wan's misgivings he trusted Master Windu's decision. As Anakin's former master, he was the best to place on temporary assignment until Anakin recovered.

Through the lazily drifting snow, the Chancellor's holiday retreat came into view. He landed the craft behind the cabin turning off the controls.

"Come, my dear. Let us get settled." Obi-Wan said with forced cheerfulness.

The sorceress flounced from her seat. "I've always wanted to vacation in the hinterlands." She sneered.

Well. That went well.

Obi-Wan drew his hood over his head and picked up Cassandra's suitcase. She was young. He reminded himself. Young people were given to bouts of dramatics.

Obi-Wan descended the ramp behind Cassandra, her boots carving a path through the snow to the house. He'd give her time to cool off and see reason. The strategy always worked best with Anakin.

A house-keeping specialist droid greeted them in the foyer of the small cabin. It was less grand than Palpatine's other residences with only a few large rooms, belonging to him prior to his political career when he was not as affluent.

"Welcome. I will escort you to your rooms Master Jedi." The droid replied in a deferential tone.

Obi-Wan dusted a layer of snow from his shoulders. "Ah, thank you. That would be greatly appreciated." He gestured for Cassandra to proceed him.

Shrugging out of her coat and gloves she hung it up in the front closet and stripped off her boots. "It's freezing out there." She complained.

"A fire has been lit in your room. Please let me know if it is to your liking." The droid told her.

"Sure thing." Cassandra said.

Obi-Wan's room was next to Cassandra's. Before she entered, he swept the bedroom for listening devices and hidden threats. His search turned up nothing. Not that he expected to. Palpatine's residences were highly secure.

Cassandra walked by him carelessly tossing her long staff on a trunk at the end of the bed.

A warm fire crackled in the hearth, but a faint chill remained in the air. Obi-Wan's fingers ached from the cold. He held them over the fire a moment and sighed. 'Getting older has its downsides.' "I think we'll get a decent snowfall this evening."

Cassandra didn't respond.

"Firewood is stacked on the porch, Master Kenobi." The droid said pleasantly.

"Wonderful." Obi-Wan crossed the wood-plank floors and closed the curtains over a pair of tall windows. "Keep the curtains drawn. Caranda is sparsely populated but we do not wish to draw undue attention to ourselves."

"Right." Cassandra said flatly flopping onto the bed, her legs dangling over the edge.

Obi-Wan stared down at her for a second and shook his head at her sullen expression. If she wanted to behave like a brat, fine. "I'll check out the rest of the cabin. Please remain here until then."

The droid hovered in the doorway. "Dinner will be served within the hour."

*********************************************************************************************

Once Obi-Wan and the droid left her alone Cassandra changed into something warmer. The cashmere sweater was doing little to combat the cold of Caranda's arctic weather. Growing up in New York she was no stranger to the pitfalls of winter. This place was colder than she was used to, even with the fire the cool air seeped into her bones and settled there.

She opened her suitcase, relieved when it didn't chuck another box of tampons at her head. Cassandra stripped off her sweater and dug out a fleece hoodie and thick sweatpants.

Still cold, she yanked the duvet off the bed and wrapped herself up like an egg roll. If Obi-Wan expected an apology, hell would freeze over first. The only concern Cassandra had was for Anakin.

The older Jedi tore her from her friend's side before he woke.

When her Jedi woke in the medical facility alone, would he assume she didn't care about him? Because that was very far from the truth. Cassandra left him a note, but words scratched on a piece of paper paled in comparison to her being there when Anakin regained consciousness. She felt like she abandoned him when he needed her most.

Cassandra failed to see why she couldn't stay in Coruscant. She could protect herself with her magic. She looked around the bedroom. Ordering her to a frozen wasteland seemed like overkill.

Why did Palpatine bother issuing an executive order? Because of his friendship with Anakin?

A good politician was an abstract concept to someone from Earth.

If the Galactic Senate was corrupt like the Separatists alleged, how had someone as good and decent as Palpatine reach the highest office? One of many things that made little sense about this war.

On the way to dinner, Cassandra mulled this over. Obi-Wan raised a brow when she showed up to the table in a blanket but didn't comment on her attire. He had shed his outer robe, only wearing the basic muslin and wool layers beneath.

"You must have the body temperature of a furnace. I don't know how you're not freezing." Cassandra commented, burrowing deeper under her blanket.

"I warmed up moving around the cabin." He said folding his hands on the table. "I am happy to report the house is safe."

A pair of beeswax candles were positioned in the center of the table to create a romantic ambiance. Cassandra appreciated the droid's gesture, but it was wasted on her and the older Jedi. Obi-Wan was handsome in an aristocratic sort of way but not her type.

Assuming her place across from him, Cassandra traced the edge of the fine lace tablecloth and sighed. If only Anakin were the one here instead of Obi-Wan.

"How are you finding the accommodations?" Obi-Wan asked as the droid rolled in with their meal.

"Adequate." Cassandra grimaced at the contents of her plate: a piece of pink fish swimming in white sauce. "Um. Didn't I mention I was a vegetarian?"

"I don't recall you divulging that piece of information during your tantrum." Obi-Wan said snarkily.

Cassandra scowled, sorely tempted to throw her glass of wine in his face.

A beat passed. The droid lifted the untouched plate from the table. "Do you have any other specific dietary requirements, Master Pierce?"

"No."

Unlike her, the Jedi had no reservations about the fish and lifted a bite to his lips. He smiled at her over the flickering candles. "What is life like at a sorcerer's Temple? I confess, I am curious if there's any similarity between Jedi and sorcerers."

Terrific. Obi-Wan expected her to make small talk.

Over the rim of her wine goblet, she studied Obi-Wan, gauging the best way to answer him.

'He's important to Anakin.' Her inner voice scolded. 'Be mad but stop acting like a jerk. Obi-Wan is just following orders. It's not like he's pleased to be locked away with me in the wilderness either. I get the impression underneath his manners he doesn't like me much.'

Her conscience had a point. Cassandra heaved a sigh and adopted a cordial tone as she listed off her daily routine at Kamar Taj. "There's morning chores which consist of rotating between cooking and collecting eggs from the chickens and milking the goats. Breakfast. Morning meditation. Combat training in the yard. Lessons in the library. Lunch. Magical drills also in the courtyard. Dinner. Evening meditation. Private study. Sleep."

"Jedi also have a strict regimen while training. Although, we are not expected to do chores." Obi-Wan explained.

She sipped her wine before responding. "The Jedi Temple has servants. Master Wong says that in order to learn how to lead one must know how to serve. We take care of each other."

The routine of temple life offered her structure when she was at her lowest point. Structure she badly needed when her life had been turned upside down.

While living at Kamar Taj, she pretended to be in college living in a dorm just to get through the day. The pathetic lie helped her cope with everything.

Gradually, her homesickness dissipated. She accepted Kamar Taj was home until she mastered magic.

In the present, Cassandra's wondered how her mom was doing. Was she safe like Master Wong promised?

"The Sorcerer Supreme sounds very wise. I imagine he had a good reason to send you across the universe." Obi-Wan remarked casually.

Her brows furrowed. "Why are you asking this? The Council knows I'm being hunted by Wanda Maximoff."

"Allow me to be blunt." Obi-Wan dragged the tines of his fork through the creamy sauce on his plate. "Given the abilities of people on Earth, why were you sent here?"

"You mean the sorcerers? Or the gods?" She drawled. This was beginning to feel like an interrogation. "Say what you mean."

"We are at war. I find it odd that he would send you into a more dangerous scenario." Obi-Wan reasoned, his voice soft and measured to appear nonthreatening.

Cassandra felt threatened all the same. She had done nothing to warrant this suspicion. "If Master Wong has ulterior motives, I don't know what they are. I went along with it because I didn't want any more people hurt on my behalf."

"Commendable but I am troubled by the assassination attempt at the theater." He said evenly.

"Other than Jedi, I've barely interacted with anyone in this galaxy. Certainly not to the point I'd acquire enemies." She reasoned.

"Unless you were somehow identified by the Separatists on Ergamot." Obi-Wan countered.

"How? I barely left the Mirror Dimension when we rescued you."

"I don't know." The Jedi admitted, placing his fork beside his plate. "Until we locate the assassin I council caution."

The droid returned with a steaming cheese omelet, putting an end to the discussion. Cassandra learned one important thing this evening. The Jedi distrusted her.

She risked her life to save him from captivity and he acted like she was a threat.

Cassandra poked at her omelet; appetite gone. Maybe it was her charming personality that drove people to dislike her.

Nah. She was awesome.

If Obi-Wan didn't like her it was his loss.

Once dinner concluded Cassandra explored the rest of Palpatine's cabin. Off the living room, she discovered the kitchen, a pantry, and to her delight a hot tub and a small swimming pool in a large back room she planned to take full advantage of once Obi-Wan turned in.

*********************************************************************************************

Groggy with sleep, Anakin perched on the edge of the hospital bed staring at the folded paper on the side table, his name written in a messy scrawl. He was disappointed but not surprised to find himself alone.

Cassandra had been here but likely forced to return to the Temple by Obi-Wan or another Jedi. Standard protocol when a Jedi was rendered unable to care for their charge.

Unfolding the paper, Anakin read Cassandra's hastily written message.

'Anakin,

Obi-Wan has informed me I am to leave Coruscant by order of the Chancellor. I tried to argue but apparently disobeying an executive order is a big no-no.'

Anakin winced in agreement and continued reading. 'Obi-Wan is going with me to Caranda. When you feel better, I expect you'll join us just don't push yourself too hard and come only when you're healed.'

'You're totally going to disregard that aren't you?'

He chuckled.

'Since you're ignoring my wise advice do me a favor and bring my Flerken along would you? I miss Goose. Strange, I know given her habit of eating people.'

Anakin frowned. He definitely didn't want to jail-break the Flerken.

'I feel she'll be another added layer of protection regardless of what the Jedi think. I know you don't like her but be nice! She'll be good if you feed her cheese. Weird, I know.'

'Your favorite sorceress,

Cassandra'

Anakin scratched his chin, encountering a thick layer of stubble. How long had he been unconscious?

He re-read the note again, considering. The Flerken liked cheese? Would that really rein in the creature's violent impulses? Well, the Flerken had seemingly lived at Kamar Taj for years without devouring the sorcerers.

Unbidden, Anakin imagined Cassandra's broad smile and caved.

For her, he'd bring the kriffing Flerken.

Anakin noticed a line he missed at the bottom.

'P.S. Don't forget Porggy. 3PO's looking after him.'

A buoyant warmth filled Anakin as he slipped the note in his robes, tucking her words close to his heart.

A/N:The couple will reunite soon with everyone's beloved Flerken. I hope everyone is doing well. The next few chapters will likely have more editing done. Thankfully, there wasn't much to add to this one.

Finally, Anakin in New York with Cassandra!