Undertaken (#Wattys2015) (Star Wars)

Chapter 12 - Sensing, Saving

Republican weapons lay everywhere by the time Obi-Wan came back with a turned-off communication device. The sight was so brutally messy it felt like a whole squadron's weapon collection vomited on the wooden table. Alpha was right in the middle of the metal pile, Bost kneeling by his side. The clone was explaining the importance of detonators for him. Anakin never listened when it came to weapon instructions... that's when the elder Jedi realized his padawan was missing.

"Anakin?"

Alpha and Bost turned back to face the Jedi, eyebrows raised. "He left a while ago, sir. He said he wishes to speak with you."

"Oh wonderful." Obi-Wan placed the comlink on the messy table in disappointment. The possibility of Anakin being around was awfully low, "Typical."

"We can go and look for him!" Bost rose from the floor. His immediate suggestion to help was simply amiable. It was barely 12 hours ago that they've met, but he'd been helping the Republicans a lot already. It was uncommon for Obi-Wan to be around someone so mysterious, yet extremely helpful.
The boy had his lightsaber in his hand too. Kenobi's eyes travelled down from his steady face to his extraordinary weapon.

Bost noticed the master's distraction and gripped the saber. Obi-Wan's face loosened whereas tension rose up in Highhold. Images from last night flickered in his mind. The two Jedi were overly intrested in things he just wished to erase from his memory. If he asks me about my past again, I will-

Kenobi sighed, "I'm sorry, I wasn't going to ask you about it, I swear..."

"Oh... Wait, did you just-"

"Yes," Obi-Wan smiled amusedly, "It's a Jedi thing." He enjoyed surprising people with sensing their feelings, even thoughts, but he rarely did that. He found it somewhat rude to invade people's mental privacy in such ways, but Bost's mind was an exception. Obi-Wan tried everything to sense the boy's emotions and thoughts, but honestly, the task challenged the Jedi. This Exceptional was almost impossible to read, which was very unusual since Obi-Wan could sense things very well.

"So you sense what I'm-"

"Yes." Kenobi smirked.

"Really?"

"Uhum."

"Like right now?"

"Surprise, shock, a whole bunch of emotions. Disbelief, even." The master tilted his head to the side. That was all he could sense, nothing more, not even a single thought. How unusual, it sort of troubled and frustrated him.

"I'd like to apologise for irretupting, but what is going on?" Alpha appeared behind them. "All I hear are half-sentences that are really confusing."

The two laughed cheerfully.

"You're a curious one, aren't you," Obi-Wan smiled on the clone, "different from the rest, even Master Ti claims that."

"Oh."

Bost raised his hands to his temples and let his eyelids fall, his facial expression loosening, "I sence surprise, confusion, slight pride, now more confusion..." He opened his eyes to face Alpha cheerfully, raising an eyebrow, "What?"

Obi-Wan's eyes widened in shock, suddenly being out of words, then his surprise sprang out like a Naboo river, "Have you actually sensed those emotions?"

"I think so," Bost scratched the back of his head shyly, "I tried."

Millions of thoughts bounced around in the Jedi master's mind. That's it! The boy is brilliant! He learned shockingly quick! That is insane! Obi-Wan felt the immediate urge to call in for the Jedi Council, more specifically, master Yoda and Windu. He'd only told them about the boy briefly, how they met, and him having the potential to become a Jedi; nothing too detailed. But this is a phenomenon!

"Excitement." Bost muttered.

Obi-Wan faced him proudly, "Your feelings are right; I am excited." He walked up to the wooden table to pick up Alpha's comlink and nearly pressed the call button for the Council, but just nearly. "We need to get Anakin." He remembered.

"Come on, I've located his comlink already," Alpha grabbed his backpack, "He's around."

"Thank you, Alpha, quick work!" Obi-Wan bowed in approval.

The three of them got to the exit of Bost's tree house, mentally jumping on the tree branches as an early planning. The boy took the lead, hopping down onto a branch, his example was followed by Alpha, then with Obi-Wan closing the line.

"I hope none of you are afraid of heights!" Bost joked around while hanging down from a branch and letting go, landing on one below it. It was awfully high up where they were, no wonder the Separatists haven't found him hiding here. This height wasn't tolerated by humans anymore, but therefore it made a perfect home. Great view, safe house, hard way up and down.

"Very funny," Obi-Wan rewarded his comment about the heights. Thankfully, the master could tolerate being high up after all those years of flying on awful spaceships. He still hated piloting, perhaps he always would. Unlike his crazily obsessed padawan. Thinking of Anakin now made him feel disappointed again, must the Chosen One be so... Reckless? That's the word! Reckless.

"I feel your disapproval, Obi-Wan, but I must ask you to pay just a little more attention to these branches," Bost looked up to see the master climbimg down somewhat above him, not fully focusing on the current surroundings, "Master, that branch seems, no, no don't step on that one, see the green mosses over there, those look slippery as- hey, don't step there!" He exclaimed after Kenobi placed his foot on the mosses and momentarily lost his balance. The master grabbed the nearest branch above him to hold on, which turned out to be slippery as well.

"Woah!"

"Careful, I'm coming around!" Bost took the lead with Alpha following him on the other side. They climbed up near Obi-Wan's unlucky position, only a step separated them from grabbing the master. Obi-Wan struggled with holding onto the slippery plants, his sweaty hands weren't comprehending much either. He suddenly lost control and both his hands slipped off the branch.

Gasping in realization, Obi-Wan Kenobi was falling down from the tallest tree he'd seen in his entire life. He spread his arms to the sides. Despite that the ground was a few hundred branches away, he was getting ready for landing. He was not afraid, he could land well. He had a big routine in this after falling out of Anakin's speeders countless times. But never with a word he said that he liked this.

Cold wind brushed against his face as he fell lower and lower down, getting close to the ground. His speed was rapidly increasing by every passing second. He was becoming aware of how hard and unpleasant this landing will be, with what speed he'd meet the earth --when it all stopped.

The fast action was frozen, paused, stopped. Obi-Wan Kenobi was halfway between the tree house and the ground. In the air. Just hanging.

He dared to glance up. It was worth it. There he could witness The Exceptional keeping him alive by holding him with the Force.

"I don't know what I'm doing!" The boy shouted. He was concentrating hard, sweat dripping down his forehead, eyes shut closed.

"I do. Keep doing it."