surrender || obikin [COMPLETED]

21.

He stepped back, and watched her intently, as I imagine a mother does to her child. I remembered a time when Anakin was a padawan- around 15- when I had worried similarly about him. We were on a mission in the Hutt Space, looking for stolen republic equipment. He and I were instructed simply to locate the equipment and obtain it at a later time, but Anakin had other ideas. He negotiated and charmed his way into a Hutt spice den where he suspected the equipment was being kept.

How he got there and why he was with me on a mission like this is a story for another day. The important bit is that he used an incredibly strong drug in an attempt to prove he didn't have malicious intentions there, thinking that he could use the force to strengthen his tolerance and be unaffected.

Usually this may have worked, but the drug was a very potent combination of powdered Hutt spice and hallucinogens from a far outer rim planet- one microgram would intoxicate him so terribly that he couldn't remember his name, nor even know what a name was. He didn't know this of course, and just assumed it was normal, bland, spice. Really, the combo was very illegal, and commonly deadly to average-sized humanoids in anything larger than a miniscule dose.

He was reckless and desperate to succeed in those days, and would stop at nothing to achieve his mission. While he snorted spice, chugged a couple cocktails, likely made out with a few people, and managed to steal the equipment back, I ran through the labyrinth of halls, trying to find my wayward apprentice.

At the moment when I began to fear for his life, he happened to fall from somewhere above, landed strangely and suddenly in front of me, and then crumpled to the ground with an alarmed screech. He lay there, smiling upwards. Running a hand through my hair, I began to shout at him for his disobedience and recklessness, but realized something was wrong when I sensed his loose shields and incredibly hazy mind.

Anakin rolled around a moment, laughing hysterically, then stood lamely, shoved the case of equipment into my hands, grabbed my tunic and put his head into the crook of my shoulder. After clutching me oddly for a moment or two, the boy looked up at me, breathing an alcohol-tinted breath into my face, flirted with me a little (this was his habit when intoxicated- flirt with anyone and everyone until it worked) and mumbled something about pretty Twi'Leks and Mace Windu in a blue bathing suit before collapsing in my arms. He was very unconscious, and in lots of danger.

The days after that were horrible- I didn't know if he would survive, and I feared that even if he did, he would not recover. The news was short: he had MAJORLY overdosed. I blamed myself for the entire thing.

Now, Ahsoka was somewhat in his position, and Anakin in mine. He mirrored my concern, and I smiled for some strange reason- likely pride that he had grown so much. He was shaking like a leaf, but still I smiled.

I rarely saw Anakin so worked up and delicate like this. He wasn't one to show his emotions, unless they were angry, frustrated, confident, arrogant, gleeful, excited, or some other of that sort. But now, he was sensitive and vulnerable. I turned my attention to Ahsoka, and worry spread for the girl. I had grown incredibly fond of her- I was basically the girl's second master.

Anakin joked often that she was more like me than him, and I took this as a rare compliment from him. She was compassionate, skilled, and good with her words. She was a good Jedi, an obedient padawan (when it mattered) and very dedicated to the force. I prayed silently to the force to keep her safe from whatever this was.

Kix stood up suddenly, and turned to Anakin. "Sir, we must get her to the medical bay immediately." With a fearful glance to each other, Anakin and I nodded, and looked down at Ahsoka. I paced over to her cabinet and quickly retrieved her sabers and few belongings, while Anakin leaned down, sliding his arms around her and picking her up, carrying her in bridal style as gently as he could, tucking her head into his shoulder so that it didn't fall backwards.

I waved all the doors open, and we headed out, stepping quietly so as not to wake other Jedi. As we hurried through the halls, I sensed Anakin's fear for his padawan, and whispered a second silent prayer to the force to protect her.