Obitine: Upholders of Peace

Chapter 7

The two Jedi burst into the Twilight, Anakin quickly dashing to one of the cots in the back of the corridor while Plo tried to figure out the controls, which he failed rather spectacularly. Just like when Obi-Wan was on the ship, he said, "How is this ship even flyable?"

Anakin chuckled despite himself, briskly running back to do the start-up procedures and take off, not letting himself relax until he had punched in the hyperdrive coordinates and pulled the lever activating it.

It was only then when the thought seemed to hit both Jedi: no one was chasing after them! They were certainly walking into a trap, or Death Watch had hidden something on them that would probably be equally fatal. Anakin could practically see Plo's worry radiating out from under his lenses.

Anakin quickly conducted a search on the computer for any homing beacons, but there were none. And it didn't surprise him either: why would anyone need a homing beacon on a Jedi's ship when they knew he would be returning to Coruscant anyway?

The thought of going back to take care of Obi-Wan suddenly struck him: maybe he could get some answers. He didn't expect much answers though; mostly he was just going to treat the darksaber wound and probably pick out the poison dart. Yep.

Numbly, his body led him back to the small cot in the back.

***

When Anakin reached his former Master, he was glad to find that Obi-Wan was finished with his seizure and was curled up sleeping on the side of the cot--or so he thought.

Instead of being asleep, the Jedi Master was shivering, his left hand cradling his cut right hand, where blood was oozing out and tinting his clothes and the bedsheets red.

Anakin immediately felt immensely guilty for ignoring his former Master for so long, even though it was for the right cause. The blood spot on his sleeve was growing ever-larger, his brows were furrowed and eyes were closed in concentration and pain, and his skin was a deathly white. The sight seemed to rip right through Anakin's heart. He started banging his head on the wall next to him, thinking, Idiot. Idiot, idiot! Why didn't you leave it to Master Plo to figure out the controls and help Obi-Wan first?

A barely audible moan behind him sounded, snapping him from his mental scolding. He hastily wiped at the tears that had fallen before turning around, quickly rushing to Obi-Wan's side.

After he put on hygiene gloves, he slowly and gently turned the Jedi Master onto his back, careful to not let the darksaber wound touch anything. He tried his best to look into Obi-Wan's eyes before asking, "Master, can you hear me?"

It took some time for the older man's eyes to focus on him. "Anakin..." he croaked, then tried to get up when he seemed to realise his surroundings had changed.

Anakin put his hands on his former master's shoulders and pushed him back. "Calm down, Master, we're on the Twilight flying back."

"That old bit of trash?"

"Yeah, that trash." Anakin said with a smile, glad his former Master still had the strength to joke despite the poison and the darksaber wound.

That reminded him of why he was here. He quickly took some bacta patches from the shelves along the wall and some disinfecting wipes.

Carefully but swiftly, Anakin dressed Obi-Wan's wound, the Jedi Master's forearm now resembling more of a mummy's. "It looks like a mummy's arm, Anakin," Obi-Wan pretended to whine.

"Shut up or I won't take out your poison dart."

"I'll let you..."

They both chuckled as Anakin helped Obi-Wan into a sitting position so that he could find the dart more easily.