Brotherhood

Chapter 7 - Contacting the Master

Anakin steps into the hold to see Obi-Wan and Ahsoka sitting silently on the floor. Neither of them looks particularly happy to be there, which is to be expected. He can still sense feelings of betrayal from both of them. He swallows, throat dry. He has no idea what to say to them. When he was wearing a mask, it was easy, but now... everything has just become so much harder. He's afraid they'll reject him without even wondering why he did what he did. He's used to it, but that doesn't make it hurt any less.

"Are you alright?" he asks finally, mentally kicking himself the second the words leave his mouth. Of course, they're not alright.

"I've been better," Obi-Wan replies, looking up at him. Ahsoka's jaw clenches, but she doesn't move, clearly refusing to meet his gaze. The tension in the room is almost palpable.

Sighing, Anakin reaches out with the Force, scanning them for any injuries. Obi-Wan is more or less alright. When he gets to Ahsoka, he feels what he'd noticed before. During the battle, a blaster bolt skimmed across her upper right arm, burning it. He debates putting a bacta patch on it, before deciding to go ahead. After all, he really needs a distraction before they exit hyperspace above Tatooine. He has to contact his master before beginning the final jump to Serenno, and he's admittedly terrified.

He walks across the hold, shuffling through a cabinet before pulling out a first aid kit and removing a bacta patch. "You were injured," he says bluntly looking at Ahsoka. She shifts, finally glancing up at him, expression guarded. She doesn't speak, but he doesn't expect her to reply anyway. He hesitates for a moment before walking over and crouching down next to her.

This earns a reaction. "Don't touch me," she hisses, glaring at him and scooting over as best she can with her wrists cuffed.

"You're injured," he repeats slowly, "And I'm not going to let it go untreated."

"What if I don't want you to treat it?" she snaps, looking like she wants to cross her arms but can't.

He rolls his eyes. "Must you be so dramatic, Snips?"

"Don't call me that!" she yells, suddenly furious again. If she weren't cuffed, she probably would have hit him. As it is, she looks about one inch from doing it anyways. He clenches his jaw, reigning in his temper and refusing the urge to pull in the Dark Side. If his eyes turn yellow, that will only make this that much harder.

"Ahsoka, let him treat it," Obi-Wan tells her quietly.

"Why?" she demands.

"He's trying to help you," her master offers, frowning slightly.

"Why are we even debating this?" mutters Anakin, reaching out and grabbing onto her arm. She tries to jerk away but fails. He examines the wound, noting that it's not very deep, so a simple bacta patch will be enough. Picking it up, he quickly applies it over the wound before rising and moving away from them. "See? It wasn't that bad?"

Ahsoka scowls at him before glaring down at the floor once more. He pretends her expression doesn't send a stab of pain through his heart and silently curses his master. It's all his fault he met her as an enemy rather than a friend. If he'd been a Jedi – and since it's the Council's fault he's not, he curses them also – he might have become her master. How ironic is the twist of fate.

He goes to the 'fresher to clean himself up from the battle. He doesn't even want to, but it gives him something to do. If he doesn't do something until they exit hyperspace, he's going to go insane. He takes his time, and when he finally steps out, he notices that Obi-Wan and Ahsoka immediately fall silent. He pretends not to notice, instead heading towards the cockpit to check on the ship, where he remains, lost in thought.