Hand in hand in a violent life.

Title: Hand in hand in a violent life.
Author: DarkTemplar
Archived: This story can also be found at Forcehaven.
Summary: Still on KandaShasa, the campaign continues, as a skirmish leads our team of Skywalker and Kenobi to reassess a few matters between themselves, leading to a new closeness. Set around the time of the Clone Wars before ROTS.
Rating: Adults only, some violence, then a little action between our two shining Jedi Knights, Anakin and Ob-Wan.
Pairings: Anakin/Obi-Wan.
Feedback: Either way, board review or email, if you feel moved to do so.
Characters: Anakin/Obi-Wan mainly, save for a few clone troopers and droids.
Betas: Thanks to Jen, for all her encouragements. Her tireless beta duty and funny comments along with helpful suggestions are appreciated. *hugs*
Author Notes: This is a sequel of sorts to “As from a darkening gloom”, which can also be found at this site.
Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters of Anakin and Obi-Wan or the Clone Wars they find themselves fighting in, and I make no money from this. It’s just purely recreational.


Part 1

“For Force’s sake, Anakin look after yourself!”

It was the last thing Obi-Wan said to him as they parted company. Anakin nodded and smiled slightly without saying anything in return. He simply took hold of Obi-Wan’s shoulder and gave it a final squeeze before departing with his battalion of clone troopers, striding out with a look of grim determination on his face. Obi-Wan was not pleased that they were separating. Throughout the campaign here on KandaShasa they fought side by side, but today orders came through that the troops were to be spread out much farther and wider, to deal with the smaller skirmishes that were arising all over the planet. Obi-Wan felt uneasy. Something stirred in the Force, he could feel it.

Those unsettled thoughts had gone through Obi-Wan’s mind hours ago, and he recalled them all too keenly as he put down his communicator. He’d just received a distress call from the clone commander assigned under Anakin’s leadership. So where was Anakin? Obi-Wan wondered worriedly as he signalled his troopers into position, some to sweep and scan the surroundings, others to follow him into whatever Hell was waiting for them on the other side of the perimeter. He knew sometimes the clone commanders could get a bit antsy, especially the mobile infantry, but they were nonetheless good at their game and did their job as always. Obi-Wan tried not to get too excited and worked up mentally. A Jedi is trained to be calm, to know what to do and to not panic, clone troopers weren’t as infallible on that front.

Obi-Wan found it rather hard to ascertain the nature of the distress, from this end at any rate, as they were flanked out so extensively to cover the entire sector under threat from the Separatists. On top of that, the forest was thick and inhospitable this side of the planet. Choking vines covered everything that the dense undergrowth didn’t already. He simply couldn’t see much as visibility was so poor and it was quite dark in this part of the forest. Still, with his keen Force assisted senses he picked up the sound of the laser cannon fire, the screaming and the shouting, the droid babble, and the general sound of heated battle in other words, some distance away.

“Anakin what’s happening there?” Obi-Wan anxiously trained his thoughts on registering his partner in combat; that he couldn’t sense Anakin through the Force made his stomach feel like an empty pit and made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He scrambled on, tearing his way through the thick vegetation, working himself up into a cold sweat, trying to stay calm but thinking the worst. After what felt like an interminable amount of time to Obi-Wan, just shy of the point of desperation, Anakin’s presence through the Force filtered its way to Obi-Wan.

“Thank you!” He uttered quietly to himself with much relief.

He kept up a frantic pace, his energy renewed, now that he could feel Anakin again. The undergrowth steadily became less impenetrable and the canopy of the forest gradually became thinner. Some blue sky could finally be seen through the gaps in the tree tops and the light was becoming much stronger. The battle noises were far louder as well, and his steps now trod a well worn path. He recognized the typical tread of clone troopers’ high traction boots etched into the muddy forest floor. Anakin and his troopers were close. Cutting a swathe through one last cluster of vines, Obi-Wan stumbled into a forest clearing and saw the droids immediately, legions of them. Clone troopers were shooting in all directions trying to counter the converging army. It was chaotic, but it seemed that in the time it took for Obi-Wan’s troops to arrive, the battle was well in hand.

He surveyed the situation, and scanned for his former Padawan. He spotted Anakin some meters away. He was on his knees and he was clutching his right shoulder, a look of pain etched on his face. A contingent of droids encircled him poised to strike. Obi-Wan began to run towards him, there wasn’t a moment to lose, but just as he broke into a run, he heard a great bellowing cry that stopped him in his tracks. Anakin’s scream chilled him to the bone. He watched as Anakin lifted his head to the sky and swept his arms outward, and in one sweeping motion that tracked the circumference of the droids around him, their metal bodies were crushed to oblivion one by one. The sound of the twisting and popping of droid exoskeletons being shredded echoed through the forest above the noise of the battle. Duranium metal appeared to be no match for this Jedi Knight. Obi-Wan stood and watched in utter awe and amazement.

Through the mayhem all around, Obi-Wan dodged laser fire exchange between clone troopers and droids to get to where Anakin was, surrounded now by harmless droid bits and pieces, attempting to gather himself together. He was breathing hard and looking to get up off the ground. He still wore the pained expression on his face, and his hand went to his shoulder once more. Obi-Wan reached him just as he stood up. He took hold of Anakin’s arm and led him back to the edge of the forest clearing away from the main firing area.

“Are you alright Anakin?” Obi-Wan asked him with some degree of urgency as he lifted Anakin’s hand gently away from his shoulder to see what damage he’d sustained. It appeared like he’d been hit by a laser beam, but the wound had not completely cauterized. Obi-Wan deduced that it must have been weakened by piercing something else before it had hit Anakin. It bled a little, and part of Anakin’s shirt was sticking to the wound.

“Its fine Obi-Wan, I’m all right.” He batted away Obi-Wan’s hand and proceeded to look around him. He wanted to get a handle on the state of the conflict before them. He looked over Obi-Wan’s head anxiously, as Obi-Wan’s attentions remained on Anakin’s wound.

“Their numbers are falling back. Look!” Anakin steered Obi-Wan away from his injured shoulder and pointed to the retreating droids. Both he and Obi-Wan noticed that the Separatist Shasans had signalled the retreat, and the droids obeyed by forming a protective barrier between them and the clone troopers, as the Separatists, mindful of a last barrage of fire from the troopers, backed out carefully.

Obi-Wan signalled his clone commander to follow them; they weren’t going to be allowed to get away. There were more than enough troopers assembled, both his and Anakin’s regiment would deal with the Separatists. Obi-Wan judged them more than capable of rounding up the enemy and taking them back to the main prisoner detention block on the far side of the planet. The clone commander saluted Obi-Wan and turning to his men, he raised his DC-15A blaster in the air and made a circling gesture that meant regroup. In minutes the troopers reassembled their lines and went after the retreating Separatists in an orderly formation, quick step, and two abreast. The two Jedi knights stood and watched them until they disappeared into the forest and could be heard no more.

Anakin turned to Obi-Wan questioningly. “We’re not going with them?”

Obi-Wan shook his head and replied, “They can handle this part of it.” Anakin continued to look at him quizzically for a few seconds and then as if he just remembered something that needed his urgent attention, he looked down to see to his utility belt. Obi-Wan looked at him somewhat puzzled. Anakin explained to him that he’d snagged the belt on a vine earlier, and he wanted to check that he hadn’t lost anything along the way. It seemed that all was in order.

“If you’re quite finished there, the only place you’re going to Anakin is to medical. I want that injury checked over.” Obi-Wan went to move aside a torn segment of Anakin’s shirt for another look at the wound, but Anakin caught his hand and put it down again.

“I said I’m all right. Please, its nothing.” Anakin looked into Obi-Wan’s eyes and saw that Obi-Wan was about to protest.

A little more gently, he added. “I’m ok.”

Obi-Wan swallowed carefully, placed a hand on Anakin’s chest and simply nodded. Anakin put his hand on top of Obi-Wan’s. They spoke not a word to each other, but just looked into each others’ eyes for a moment until Anakin broke the silence.

“We’re quite alone here now.” He said quietly.

“Yes, quite alone.” Obi-Wan replied, looking at Anakin with a softness of expression that was so different to the concerned one he wore a moment ago.

“Obi-Wan…” Anakin moved closer and brought his other hand up to tangle in Obi-Wan’s hair. He began to stroke the side of his head slowly, evenly, and seductively. Obi-Wan felt the cool leather clad fingers rake through his hair, and it felt so very good. He suppressed a shudder, though Anakin was fully aware that he had done so, and he smiled down at him gently in recognition of the fact.

“Come back to camp with me. Come to my tent…” Anakin’s voice was so soft, so lovely to Obi-Wan, and so beckoning. How could he refuse him when he sounded so sweet and entreating in his request? But Obi-Wan did not have any time to think on any of this as Anakin moved closer still, until his face was mere centimetres from his own. He could feel Anakin’s breath on his cheek, as Anakin brought his other hand up to cup his face on both sides. Anakin favoured him with a look that was a mixture of tenderness, barely contained passion and, surprisingly to Obi-Wan, vulnerability.

“I want you in my bed…” Anakin breathed. Obi-Wan’s heart leapt at that and he took hold of the front of Anakin’s shirt and pulled him closer to him into an embrace. Anakin too wrapped his arms around Obi-Wan and they stayed like that for some minutes, chest to chest, just breathing together. Obi-Wan lifted his hand after a bit, to stroke Anakin’s hair, but he did not let go of him. Anakin closed his eyes upon that touch and sighed shakily as he waited for Obi-Wan’s answer. At long last, Obi-Wan pulled away just enough so he could look up into Anakin’s face. Obi-Wan smiled with his eyes, and tenderly stroked Anakin’s face.

“I want that too, my beautiful Jedi Knight.” Then he shook his head slowly and continued.

“No more waiting.” And with that he brought his other hand up and placed it on Anakin’s cheek, framing his face now with both of his hands. He gazed upon the beloved face of his former Padawan. Everything that could be discerned about Anakin’s feelings towards his former Master was writ clearly upon his face. Obi-Wan knew, and had known for some time, how loved by Anakin he really was. He truly was the most fortunate Jedi in the entire galaxy.

“Obi…” It was all Anakin ventured before their lips met in a searing kiss that pledged all the allegiance they would ever need to each other. How sweet they looked, locked in a passionate embrace and kissing repeatedly, and in between, touching each others faces and looking earnestly into each others eyes, as if to confirm the reality of their situation.

After a time, they gauged rather reluctantly, that they really needed to leave. There was still the war, and it was time to return to camp, to touch base with the clone commanders and see to reports. In other words, they still had duties to perform. And in deference to Obi-Wan, Anakin assented to have his injury seen to once they got back, even if Anakin thought that it really was nothing but a slight discomfort to him.

Together they walked in silence toward the transport beasts, tethered some distance away. The journey back to the camp was a quiet one as far as conversation went between the two men. Their surroundings more than made up for it. The forest was in full concert, filled with the sounds of birds chirping, insects trilling and quadrupedal fauna stirring amongst the undergrowth and treetops above. Anakin and Obi-Wan exchanged looks from time to time. Through the Force they could project how each felt to the other and it only made their sense of anticipation stronger. Things were so very clear between them at this point. Tonight there would be no holding back.

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