#Rex only plays a Mandalorian on twitch

[grackle-draws]

Day 6: Secret Vtuber identity @codex-week

Rex thought his cool Mandalorian Vtuber would help keep his identity a secret.

Three years later, Cody is still in the dark. But his mod team is not. And they’re gunning for a face reveal at the end of his charity stream.

[iidigestive-readerii]

Story of Tonight

A hand touched her elbow. “Come look at this.”

Padmé glanced at her husband in confusion, gently setting down the mugs on the counter. “What?”

Anakin grinned, gesturing to the threshold of the kitchen and putting a finger to his lips.

She frowned, glancing into the sitting room. 

Obi-Wan was sitting on the couch, legs crossed and arms cradling a sleeping Leia. He was murmuring something to low for the Skywalkers to hear, smiling when he stroked one of her cheeks. It wasn't the first time he'd met the twins, but it was the first time in two months Satine had been on planet to meet them.

Whatever he had said caused Satine to say something and nestle into his side, head on his shoulder. She reached out a finger to touch Leia’s hand, a quiet laugh echoing when Leia grasped it tightly.

Neither Duchess nor Jedi seemed to notice their audience, focusing only on Leia.

“They’re smitten with her,” Padmé whispered, feeling a smile work its way onto her face.

Anakin smirked, leaning against the molding. 

Obi-Wan glanced over at his wife, pressing a kiss to her temple and muttering something to her. He rarely showed affection in public - a trait leftover from growing up in the Temple. The look in his eyes was intense and loving, even from far-away.

Padmé recognized that look - it was the same one her Ani had given her when he had first seen her playing with their niece's or comforting Ahsoka after a particularly difficult mission. The moment they were witnessing was an intensely private, one that she wasn’t comfortable witnessing. She tugged at her husband’s hand with the intent to lead him back into the kitchen.

She took the kettle off just before it started to screech, pouring the water in the mugs without a word.

“I give it a year,” Anakin decided, digging around the cupboards for different kinds of tea. 

“A year until what, Ani?”

His voice was muffled inside the cupboard. “Until Obi-Wan had an ankle-biter.”

Padmé couldn’t help but smile, shaking her head at her husband. 

"Angel?” Anakin closed at the cupboard door, putting the tea on the counter and frowning at her. “You’re quiet.”

She shrugged, studying her husband for the first time in a few months.

Anakin's hair was tousled, his blue eyes filled with concern, and his frown seemed rather displaced. The past few months had loosened the tension in his shoulders and made his step lighter despite the bags under his eyes. Laughter came from him easier than it ever had, thanks to the twins.

But he still held the demons of war in his mind. He woke from nightmares every now and then, paced the halls when he couldn’t sleep, and jumped at a bang in the kitchen. 

There were scars on his body and face, from blasters, whips, lightsabers, shrapnel, burns…

The man she had married was different, she realized with sinking clarity. Different, but not gone. Changed was probably a better word for it.

Nothing would bring back the carefree days of Naboo - not anymore. She would have to accept that.

She let her musings drop upon seeing Anakin’s frown become more prominent.

“You want to bet when Satine will have a child?” A smirk worked it way onto her face. “Oh, I don't know, Ani. I don’t want to make assumptions like that.”

Anakin sighed in exasperation, watching her fix the tea up. “Come on, Padmé.”

“Fine.” She set the tea on a platter, barely suppressing her laugh. “Tonight.”

“What - oh, I don’t need that image in my head!”

***

“I can’t promise you the galaxy will be perfect, but I can promise that you’re always going to be loved. There were so many times I wanted to give up, Leia.” Obi-Wan had to blink backs tears while he watched the small, twitching face of the infant girl in his arms. He stroked one of her cheeks. “Holding you and your brother for the first time made all those days of fighting worth it. I can only pray you never have to fight for your future.”

“Her uncle is the great Negotiator. I hardly doubt she will ever have to fight.” Satine curled into his side, putting her head on his shoulder. She reached out a finger to touch Leia’s hand, giggling when the infant clutched it. “You will have boys doing your bidding, Leia.”

He glanced at Satine, studying her face for a few long moments. A certain kind of happiness shown in her eyes that hadn't been there in years - he half-wondered if it had ever been there. The twins had brought it, he realized, the twins, the war’s end, Palpatine’s death...me. 

Satine met his gaze, closing her eyes when he pressed a kiss to her temple.

“You'll be a good mom,” he whispered, giving her a second kiss on the corner of her mouth. 

She smiled, shifting closer to him. She didn't move when Padmé and Anakin came back into the living room bearing a tray of tea and cookies. Even Obi-Wan - the man who barely touched her arm in public - didn't move. If anything, he seemed to become more content, leaning into the couch while Leia slept in his arms. Luke had been sleeping when they came into the apartment an hour ago, and was probably still out cold. 

“So what's the plan with you guys?” Anakin asked, taking two cookies. “I mean, Satine, you're no longer the ruler of Mandalore - are you moving here?”

“Not exactly.” Satine waved away the mug of tea offered, and tucked her legs closer. “If all goes to plan - I'll be traveling between here and New Mandalorian controlled planets for the next three years, overseeing rebuilding projects and working beside the Senator for Traditional Mandalore. We’ll work together in the Senate, and establish the Mandalorian embassy.”

“Who will have control of that?” Padmé asked, sipping at her tea. 

“Probably the same as most systems - the ruling Court and the Senate.”

“Hmm - sounds like you'll be busy.” Anakin glanced between them, a question in his eyes. “Master - what exactly will you be doing?” 

Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows, glancing down at Leia when she snuffled and gave a small smile. “What do you mean?”

“Well - since Satine will be traveling for awhile and you're on the Council - ”

“Probably wherever the Order needs me.” Obi-Wan looked at his wife, who seemed entirely distracted by Leia. "And I presume the Council will want me to protect the Dowager Duchess Satine Kryze more oft than not."

The rest of the evening passed quietly. They touched a bit on every subject, never lingering for long, too tired to care and terribly relieved to be enjoying the relative peace. Ahsoka swung by at one point, dragging Rex and Cody with her. Everyone chattered, though most of the attention was focused on the twins.

He grudgingly relinquished Leia to her uncles, watching almost zealously while they fawned over her. 

Satine - still tucked into his side - squeezed his arm.

“What’s wrong?"

"I don't want to wait seven more months for the baby to be born,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper, eyes shining.

Obi-Wan pressed hips lips together and nodded, watching Rex trying to get Leia to smile and Ahsoka - now that Luke was awake - hold him gently and laugh while he grabbed at her montrals.

“Me neither.” He swallowed, thumb brushing over her knuckles. "Should we tell them?"

Satine glanced at him, a bit stunned before she gave a watery smile. He grinned when she shook her head no, wiping her tears away before carefully tilting her chin up and giving her a kiss.

“Oh - come on Master Kenobi!” Ahsoka rolled her eyes dramatically. “Save it for later!”

“Shh, Ahsoka - let the emotionally repressed man have some fun.” Anakin grinned at the glare he received. “You love me.”

“Mmm - sure.”

@mytardisisparked to fuel your Obitine baby fever 😆

[hrtiu]

My contribution to day one of Rexsoka week. It’s a little bit of a bummer given the prompt is ‘hope,’ but I like where it ends up!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/26703133

Ahsoka had been in love with Rex for about a year when she told him to leave her on some desolate Outer-Rim skug hole of a planet. 

A year earlier the epiphany had been like punching a hole in a piece of flimsi—easy and weightless but completely irrevocable. He’d come back to Coruscant to speak at Dogma’s court-martial and to give his report on the Umbara debacle, and she’d been so relieved—so overjoyed—to finally see him healthy and sound that it just clicked.

She didn’t say anything, of course. Even if he reciprocated her feelings, there wasn’t really any way either of them could act on them, and she didn’t want to deal with the heartbreak. She also didn’t feel ready for those kinds of feelings, and doubted Rex was either. Rex was both a grown man and a being who had only experienced twelve years of life—all of them spent as a soldier preparing to sacrifice himself for the Republic. And as many adult situations in which she’d found herself and as much as she liked to think otherwise, curled up in the dark of her room at night Ahsoka was forced to admit to herself that she was still a child in many ways.

Thinking about it as little as possible was Ahsoka’s best defense, and she channeled all her affection for Rex into a fierce loyalty to him and all the clones of the 501st and an unshakable determination to win the war. Maybe after the war… she found herself thinking in her weaker moments. After the war what? She’d become a knight, and his legal status would be uncertain. There was no future.

Things didn’t change much after she left the Order. In theory she was no longer bound by the Code and could seek out personal relationships if she wanted to, but she couldn’t just switch off her entire way of being so easily. She also had no way of knowing if she’d ever see Rex again. She was unlikely to be allowed back into the GAR, and he wouldn’t be able to go looking for her even if he wanted to. She put her head down and tried to move forward with her life, but when her teenage mind decided to take off on flights of romantic fancy, her partner always had brown-golden eyes, stern posture, and light hair that contrasted against his dark skin.

When Ahsoka finally reunited with him for the Siege of Mandalore, she felt the stirrings of hope for the first time. Nothing about Rex was soft, but somehow the modest smile he gave her when introducing her to the 332nd was heart-breakingly tender. She’d worried somewhere in the back of her mind that Rex would have moved on, would not have carried their friendship with him like she had. But she’d returned to find the same disciplined, loyal, brave, true man she’d come to consider her dearest friend.

How quickly things change, Ahsoka thought as she watched the reddish sunlight of the dwarf sun filter through the tiny, rank room she and Rex had rented for the night. The Venator had crashed on some unnamed moon six months earlier, and they’d been on the run ever since. Ahsoka turned her head towards her fellow fugitive, asleep on his own narrow bed across the room from her, and she wondered how he always managed to coax his brain to unconsciousness no matter where he lay his head. Ahsoka hadn’t slept well in months.

In some ways she felt closer to Rex than ever. There was a heavy burden of sadness they shared between the two of them, dragging it from system to system as they tried to erase their tracks, and it tied them together like two prisoners on a chain gang. In other ways she’d never felt more distant from him, not even after she’d left the Order and didn’t know if he was dead or alive.

I did this, the familiar voice of guilt played in Ahsoka’s head. I took everything from him.

She’d replayed her escape from Order 66 over and over again in her mind, trying to understand where she’d gone wrong, what she could have done differently to save all those men. Try as she might, she didn’t see any way out without either giving herself up, which she could not accept, or letting Rex go, which she would not abide. But she must be wrong. There must have been some other way, there must have been something.

Rex stirred in his sleep, and Ahsoka watched the broad planes of his back expand and retract with each breath. It was exactly the same back as his brothers, the ones she’d let die. Did he wish that he’d died with them? Did he wish she’d left him in blissful, brainwashed ignorance? Did he… did he wish she’d just let herself go down?

The sunlight fully peaked through their window and Rex’s restless movements turned to a real awakening. He opened his eyes and greeted the day with a groan, then rolled out of bed and got dressed with typical clone efficiency. 

It was still strange to see Rex in civilian clothes—almost like that time she’d seen a holo of Obi-Wan in Mandalorian armor. The faded trousers and stained tunic never seemed to fit him quite right.

“Well, it’s a new day, Commander,” Rex said, and Ahsoka winced. He still always called her that, and she hated the title more with each passing day.

“Not much different from the last few,” Ahsoka said.

“We’ve been here too long. That patrol yesterday was too close a call—we need to move on.”

Ahsoka had to agree, though it pained her to admit it. She was getting so tired of running. She nodded her head wearily.

“So? Where to?” Rex said.

Ahsoka studied Rex for a long moment, then looked within herself and realized that today she finally had the strength to say what she’d been thinking had to be said for a long while.

“You need to check out the tip we got about Wolffe,” she said evenly.

Rex’s brow furrowed and he rubbed at his eyes, as if Ahsoka’s words could be chalked up to his drowsy state. “He’s supposed to be on Kamino. We can’t go to a planet full of chipped clones.”

“I can’t,” Ahsoka said pointedly.

Rex narrowed his eyes at Ahsoka. “What are you suggesting, Commander.”

Ahsoka sat up in bed and gathered her scratchy blankets around her. “He somehow managed to get a message to us that he wants out—you can’t ignore that.”

“We can’t ignore that, I agree.”

“He’s going to be on Kamino for the foreseeable future, and if I go there I’ll only hold you back.”

“Ahsoka-”

“I’m not going to take you away from your brothers again, Rex.”

Rex’s stern brow twitched and he pursed his lips. A long, weighty moment passed between them, then Rex spoke. “I won’t abandon you.”

“It’s not abandoning if I’m asking you to go,” Ahsoka said.

A look of deep hurt flitted past Rex’s face. “You’re ordering me away?”

“No!” Ahsoka said, getting to her feet. “That’s exactly the pro-” she cut herself off and sighed, taking a moment to collect herself. “Before, on the Venator. I made the decision for you.”

“No you didn’t. I all but asked you to take the chip out.”

“Maybe, but I put you in a position where you had to choose between me and your brothers and… it really wasn’t much of a choice.”

Rex huffed in frustration and threw his hands in the air. “Look, I don’t blame you-”

“Don’t you?”

The question lingered in the air between them, and Rex looked away. “No, I don’t,” he said. His voice was firm, but Ahsoka could see the doubt in his eyes.

And that was the crux of it. This awful tragedy hung between them, and would always be there unless they could find a way past it. If Rex was always stuck with her, always following her orders and watching her back, she knew their connection would remain poisoned by guilt and unbidden resentment. He needed to forge his own path, to find his independence. Then, maybe… Maybe many years in the future…

Ahsoka walked up to Rex and put a hand on his cheek, turning his head gently to face her. “I’m done issuing commands. Stay with me if you want. But I’m going to pay for a few more nights here, and I’m going to sleep here tonight, and I hope that when I wake tomorrow morning you’ll be gone.”

Rex met her eyes for a few seconds, then his gaze fell to the floor. Ahsoka held her breath as she waited for him to come to his conclusions. He swallowed a tense knot in his throat, then nodded, all uncertainty gradually draining away. 

Pain and relief flooded Ahsoka’s heart in equal measure, and she reached for Rex’s hand, daring more physical affection than she’d ever shown before. “Let’s go out to the market,” she said, giving his fingers a squeeze. “It’s a nice day.”

Rex squeezed her hand in return before letting go, and together they left the seedy hotel for the marketplace in the center of town. 

It truly was a nice day—the first pleasant, relaxed, uncomplicated day either of them had experienced in years. They ate a breakfast of hot caf and fried nuna eggs in a tiny cafe and watched the sun gradually bathe the dusty town in reddish light. They went to the open air plaza and dug through piles of the vendors’ wares until they found a newish, non-stained shirt for Rex. Rex picked out several blumfruits from the fruit stand, insisting that Bariss had once taught him a foolproof method for picking the ripest and sweetest, and as Ahsoka ate the red fruit she had to admit it was the tastiest she’d ever had. As night fell the daytime vendors closed up shop and other folks came out, some setting up games and other minor pieces of entertainment for the modest crowd. Ahsoka won Rex a small stuffed convor with a perfect game of ring toss, and though Rex complained that using the Force was cheating, he kept the plush. They ate dinner back at the hotel, whose food was actually somewhat passable despite the rundown building, then went to bed feeling restored.

Ahsoka pulled the covers up to her chin, her bones still steeped in the unfamiliar happiness of the day. She hadn’t felt this close to Rex since the crash, hadn’t enjoyed anything with Rex since then. She knew she’d made the right decision, as much as it would hurt to wake up alone the next day.

“‘Soka?” Rex’s voice carried through the darkness across the small room.

Ahsoka turned towards him, just barely making out the familiar angles of his face through the dim light. “Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

Ahsoka’s lips turned into a smile even as her eyes filled with tears she refused to shed. “You’d do the same for me, Rex. There’s no need for thanks.”

“All the same…”

“Yeah, I know.”

“May the Force be with you, little’un.”

“May the Force be with you, Rex.”

---

The next day Ahsoka woke and looked across the room from her to find an empty bed. The dingy bed had been made to military precision, and Rex had left no other evidence behind. The tears Ahsoka had held back the night before would no longer cooperate, and she buried her face in her hands and cried.

She gave herself permission to cry for a good long while, and after an hour her tears were spent and her heart worn thin. Her sorrow had run out of her along with her tears, and all that was left was a stubborn, insistent sort of hope. Ahsoka closed her eyes and imagined Rex going to Kamino, somehow sneaking into the base and finding Wolffe. She imagined the two of them figuring out how to remove Wolffe’s chip, then going on a crusade to free more of their brothers. She imagined Rex becoming more and more the person he was meant to be, the person his servitude to the Republic held back. And at the end of it all, that foolish, optimistic hope imagined him returning home to her.

[jabbajambler]

01

When We Were Young

Obi Wan Kenobi x f!OC

Word Count: 2,141

*GIF by @obimauls​*

         The sun was bright on Coruscant. I always loved how the city would glow and beam. Even on the darkest days, it could lift my spirits. Thankfully, today was not one of those dark days. Today was a day that could easily make history, the day the Jedi called in me for assistance in their war.

         I never had a huge opinion in the war. Of course,  I wasn't a fan of it, but no strong opinions. I only wished it would end. Hopefully with my help, it will.

         "Aaryn Skywalker?" An orange, armor-cladded clone asked. Their helmet resembled those of the Mandalorians. I always thought that was silly. But of course I couldn't put it past the Jedi to steal their ideas.

         "That's me." I sighed, holding onto a large bag that I had packed for my time. They told me to pack the necessities and for me, there was a lot.

         The clone trooper grabbed my bag and led me onto the small ship. I assumed we would be traveling to a larger Republic station. It was a simple ship, nothing too fancy. It was old, though. Something I'm sure I once flew back when I trained under the Jedi Order.

         "There's another Skywalker in your ranks. Any relation?" The trooper sparked up a conversation as we took off into the air. My stomach sunk while I gazed out the windows. I would miss my city, but I hoped this wouldn't take too long.

         "Yes. I have a brother, Anakin." I couldn't help the smile on my face as I thought about the once blond haired boy. Our mother was never sure of who either of our dad's were so I always assumed it was the same. It was strange, though, that she never knew our father. In fact, she was never sure about how we even came to be.

         "That could get confusing." He chuckled. He had a nice laugh. It was warm and inviting.

         "Oh, I'm sure we won't be around each other too often. The council will want us as far away from each other as possible. They probably think I'm a bad influence."

         "You certainly have similar taste." He joked. I cocked my head to the side. I didn't quite understand what he was getting at.  

         "Your clothes, I mean." He gestured towards the black cloak that was wrapped around my shoulders. Despite the warm, rising sun of Coruscant, the mornings were still quite cold. "General Skywalker tends to prefer the darker colors as well."

           "Did you say General Skywalker?" He nodded. "He's practically a child. How did he land that position?"

         The clone shrugged and relaxed in his seat as another clone in the same color armor flew the ship.

         "I'm not sure but he's a hell of a leader. His Padawan, Ahoska-"

         "Excuse me, his Padawan? You must be joking!" I smiled as I spoke with the clone. He was easy to talk to.

         "No, I am not. Wish I was, sometimes. Those two are quite the pair."

         I laughed as a darkness had settled in the ship. We finally reached the stars, the glowing, ever changing stars.

         "You know, I never got your name, Commander."

         "Cody. Commander Cody of the 212th Attack Battalion."

         "Well, Cody," I smiled, "relax. We have quite the ride ahead of us."

         And it was quite the ride. Cody told me stories of how he trained with his brothers.

              Brothers.

         The term was endearing. They were able to form a connection with someone right from the beginning. It was nice to know that our soldiers were real men regardless of whether they were all duplicates, grown at a rapid rate. They had feelings and formed connections. It must have been a slip-up on the Jedi's part. I'm sure they formed attachments to their men all the time.

         "General Skywalker, we have arrived." Cody stood, stretching his body from the ride.

         I rolled my eyes and rose from my seat. "Please, call me Aaryn. I don't want things to get too confusing."

         "Aaryn Skywalker." A deeper voice spoke up as the ramp rolled down to the metal floor. "We've been expecting you."

         "Well I'd assume so since you invited me." I looked up to meet the cold stare of Mace Windu. I always wanted to see if I could get him to crack his tough exterior. Today was apparently not that day.

         He sighed, his eyes trailing down to the bag in Cody's hand. "I thought we said to bring only what was necessary."

         "You did. And I brought everything I deemed absolutely essential." I beamed. "I like what you've done with your hair by the way."

         I could see his eye twitch in subtle annoyance, something I deemed a small win. I even earned a chuckle from Cody.

         "Well, what are we waiting for? Shall we get going?" I sauntered down the ramp, expecting to find ourselves in some crowded landing dock, but we weren't. Well, there were plenty of ships but no people. "What? No welcome party? After all those years, I would hope that you'd remember I love to make a grand entrance."

         "We're in a war, Skywalker. We have greater concerns than your welcoming." Windu hissed through his teeth.

         "Aren't you a bundle of sunshine." I rolled my eyes. Windu was never the warmest person, but the war turned him into a complete ass.

         He led us down the cold, metal halls. For some reason, I expected the ship to be just a bit more inviting. After all, we're in a war. Everything else is dark and horrifying, why should the mother ship be the same?

         My face turned down in a small frown as my eyes shifted around. There were kids growing up in this, their childhood turned into a war zone. I couldn't imagine the toll that took on them. I was already afraid of what it would do to me.

         "I'm sure it must be strange for you to be here." Mace Windu spoke calmly beside me. "It is strange for us as well. We did not want to call you in."

         "It was weird to receive the notice." I spoke honestly. Being here was weird. Hearing from the Jedi Order, however, was even weirder. I'm still not sure how they managed to find me in the first place.

         "You've heard all about the war, I assume."

         "Please, it's all anyone talks about." I chuckled. "Besides, it's great to rub it in all of your faces that after all this time, you called me back."

         Mace stopped in the hall, turning quickly on his heel to face me. His dark eyes narrowed as they met my brown ones. "Now Aaryn-"

         "I know, be civil." I smiled and played with the loose strands of hair that fell down my shoulders. It, too, was a dark brown. Someone once told me that I simply didn't look the part of a Jedi. My aura was tainted, dark.

         I glanced around the hall again, avoiding Windu's eyes. No one was there but the Master Jedi and I. The walls were bright but cold and plain. I suppose that was the 'Jedi way.'

         "Commander Cody brought your things to your quarters. You can explore that later once it's time to settle down. Since you're so antsy to meet everyone, I'll introduce you to who you'll be working with."

         "Of course. Who needs time to relax." I rolled my eyes, receiving another stern glare from Windu.

         "You have had eleven years of rest." He snapped and ushered me along the sad hall.

         My eyes wandered once we entered a large meeting room. There were clone troopers everywhere. Before Cody, I had never seen one so close. Soon enough, I'd be working with entire squadrons of them. Was I truly fit to lead an entire battalion of men into a war? I wasn't a Jedi, not anymore. I wasn't trained for something like this.

         "Captain Rex." Windu addressed one of the troopers that stood around a large hologram of a separatist-occupied planet. His armor was painted a vibrant blue, a stark contrast to the white and gray. What color would represent my men? "I'd like you to meet General Skywalker. You've been notified of her presence, I assume."

         "General Skywalker?" He chortled. "I don't think so."

         "And why not?" My smile turned into a scowl at his mockery. Or, what I assumed was mockery. Did I not seem capable of being a General? My hand reached for the brown and silver hilt on my hip. Surely that would prove this trooper wrong.

         "Excuse me, ma'am, but General Skywalker has been with us for quite a while now."

         "Oh." The word barely left my mouth in a whisper as I dropped my hand back to my side. "You mean Anakin."

         "Yes." He spoke quietly. It sounded more like a question than a statement.

         Mace scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "You mean to tell me that Anakin has not told you about Aaryn's arrival?"

         "You're Aaryn? Anakin talks about you all the time but never about you being here." Rex laughed lightly. It was so similar to Cody's but that shouldn't have surprised me as much as it did.

         "I told him to do one thing." Windu grumbled to himself. "Where is he-"

         "Aaryn?" I heard a voice behind us. There was a tall man dressed in all dark robes. I had never seen a Jedi dressed in such a way - well, not since I was one. His hair was a light brown, wavy and soft. He wore a bright smile across his face, matching his beaming blue eyes.

         I recognized his eyes, first. They were similar and gave me a subtle sense of déjà vu. Honestly, I was ashamed of how long it took me to recognize him. It had been so long since I'd seen him, but I would never forget the eyes of my baby brother.

         "Anakin." I smiled. Before I knew it, he rushed towards me and crushed me in a tight hug. He had grown so much, standing nearly 8 inches taller than me. I returned the embrace with what strength I had left from his suffocating hold. "You're going to crush me."

         "Sorry." He let out a nervous laugh and stepped back, his eyes darting from mine to the undoubtedly angry glare of Mace Windu. "It's been a while."

         "It has. I mean, just look at you! You're a general now? Who decided it was a smart idea to give you that rank?"

         "All Jedi Knights became Generals once the war started. The council thought I was ready to graduate from my training." He smiled proudly. My smile, however, was lost.

         Only nineteen and he was already a Jedi Knight. How was he so different than me? I was 20 and they told me I still wasn't ready.

         Oh.

              Right.

       He was the chosen one. A title that once belonged to me.

         "I doubt I'll compare to you, though, General Skywalker." He joked, giving me a small nudge in the ribs with his elbow.

         "You forget that I've gone eleven years without training. I'll struggle keeping up with you and your Padawan that I am so excited to meet!"

         Anakin rolled his eyes at the mention of his Padawan. I still couldn't believe that he was training someone. "If you think you'll struggle with us, just wait till you see Obi Wan on the battlefield."

         "Obi Wan?" My eyes lifted at the mention of the name. It felt foreign on my tongue.

         "Did someone call for me?" An auburn haired man stepped into the room, dressed from head to toe in earthy robes. His blue eyes were soft and once they landed on me, grew wide in an emotion I couldn't quite detect. Fear? Remembrance?

         I'm surprised I recognized him, really. He changed so much in the last eleven years but then again, so did I. His Padawan braid was long gone and his short hair was grown out and swooped to the side neatly. A soft, red beard adorned his handsome face. I must say, he looked good with it.

         "Master, look who it is!" Anakin wrapped an arm around my shoulders, looking to me with a subtle wiggle of his eyebrows.

         "I see." Obi Wan breathed out. His back was straight, his entire posture was as stiff as a board. I wanted to run into his arms just as Anakin had done but I was sure that wouldn't be well-received by the other Jedi. Instead, I smiled a fake, but confident smile and held my hand out towards the man.

         "It's nice to see you again, Obi Wan."