Healing Hurts (Anakin Skywalker)

Chapter 12

Anakin Skywalker was never known to be patient, especially when he thought his friends were in trouble. Of course, he didn't know Havena, but he knew too much about her for her to just be an acquaintance - even if that is what they technically were. No, technically they were strangers. But that was about to change.

"Anakin, slow down! Ventress knows we're here, I'm sure she's on her way back to Dooku with her tail between her legs."

"We can't just assume that. We need to get there now. Ashoka is young, she wouldn't be able to-"

"Ashoka can hold her own," Obi-wan grabbed Anakin's arm and pulled him to a momentary pause. "I know you are... concerned. But Anakin, you never seem able to control yourself when this girl is involved. If the council catches on, who knows that they would do. Attachment is forbidden. You must keep yourself in check unless you want to be separated from her again."

Anakin pinched the bridge of his nose. "Right, I understand that, Master. But in the interest of the mission, you know, keeping her safe and alive, we need to hurry."

Obi-wan sighed. "Just... be careful, Anakin."

The younger jedi gave him a sly grin. "Hey, have some faith in me! I'm always careful."

"Yeah," Obi-wan mused, "careful to ignore instructions, more like."

Anakin shook his head and continued his forward jog with Obi-wan following close behind. "Careful to annoy you." He responded with a grin before taking off, leaving Obi-wan to catch up to him once more.

From there, the pair of jedi arrived back at the small office building within 10 minutes. Two clones, who Anakin recognized as Fives and Rex, stood guard outside while Kix gently carried an unconscious woman out of the building and laid her on a hover-stretcher just outside the door.

"Master!" Ashoka jogged over to the pair to meet them. "Kix said he needs to take her back to the Med Bay on The Resolute for proper examination, but as of right now he doesn't believe her condition to be life threatening."

"Good," Anakin crossed his arms, his eyes stuck on the injured girl.

She was a bit pale, with her arms and lower legs seeming to have more of a pink color to them than the rest of her body. He watched as Kix pulled out his scanner, checking the girl for any serious injuries, and then pulled a small stray leaf from her red hair. He noted that she had seemed to lose weight over the past few months, and especially within the last few weeks. Her arms and legs were nearly ghosts compared to what they once were, but Anakin was grateful that it wasn't worse.

"So..." Ashoka started. "How did things go for you guys?"

"We'll talk about this later, Ashoka. Tell the rest of them it's time to head out." Obi-wan responded, his eyes also glued to the girl on the table now that he had a chance to truly take in her appearance.

Other than the red hair, she was nearly the spitting image of Qui-gon. Obi-wan wasn't sure what he expected - this was his daughter. But for her to share his nose, his eye shape... it was almost like he was looking at Qui-gon on the pyre again.

But this was different. Qui-gon knew what he was getting into - he'd trained for a situation like that his entire life. But this girl... she didn't. She was weaker than most, sick with an illness that stemmed directly from the decision her father and the jedi council made. She was innocent. Clueless. That thought alone sent a chill through Obi-wan's spine.

As the hover-stretcher began its trek back to the tear, Obi-wan spared one last glance at the small office they were leaving behind. His eyes caught the form of a soft, fuzzy stuffed toy lying haphazardly on the floor, barely illuminated by the moonlight. He turned back and watched Anakin, Ashoka, and the others leave him behind before he quietly made his way back inside the office and picked up the stuffed animal that the girl had begged for prior and hid it on the inside pocket of his cloak. Then he left the building and gently closed the door behind him before jogging to meet up with the others.