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Rain
Assembled around the holoprojector on the bridge of their flagship, none of the gathered Jedi had been under any illusions that the campaign against the Geonosians would be easy. Their three-pronged attack was their best hope of ensuring the majority of their forces would make it through to the staging area. Still, as they went to board the gunships, Obi-Wan could not help but feel a pang of unease as he glanced quickly at the helmeted Clone troops around him; there was no guarantee that any of them would survive the planetary assault. He took a moment to release his foreboding into the Force, reminding himself to be mindful of the future, but not at the expense of the moment. It was his job to ensure as many of his men survived the assault as possible, but he had to accept that some casualties would be inevitable. That was the reality of war... but it did not mean that he had to like it.
Steeling himself, he squared his shoulders and headed towards his designated gunship; it featured a hand-painted, stylised Nexu riding a bomb, christened "Bad Kitty" by the flight crew. It brought back a memory of his last visit to Geonosis...
"Cody," he greeted the Commander, as he entered the hanger bay, "were you with us the last time we were here?"
"No, sir," Cody gave a slight shake of his head, "I wasn't involved in the first assault on Geonosis."
"Well, you didn't miss much," Obi-Wan sighed, as he headed towards the open doors of the Bad Kitty, "last time, I was chained to a pole and attacked by several humongous monsters."
He stepped aboard, turning to face Cody, who, despite the helmet he wore, still somehow managed to convey an expression of surprise.
"That sounds... entertaining," Cody replied, after only a moment of hesitation, as if he were unsure as to how to respond.
"It was," Obi-Wan agreed, "for the Geonosians."
The doors closed, cutting off any further conversation, and the gunship was launched straight into the atmosphere, into an immediate barrage of enemy blaster fire. The gunship bucked and rocked as the pilots took evasive action, the gunners returning fire in a desperate attempt to clear a path to the landing zone. Obi-Wan hung on to the hand grip above him as the craft jolted and shuddered, coming under heavy fire. There was a lot of indecipherable chatter over the communications channel, as various other ships and teams reported in.
"I'm hit! We're going down!"
"We just lost the Dawn Raider!"
"I've lost contact with Skywalker's team!"
"The flak's too heavy!"
"Direct hit, we've lost our gun crew!"
Obi-Wan gritted his teeth, but through the latent bond he still shared with Anakin, he knew his former Padawan was still alive. He could sense the younger Jedi's tumult of emotions, clearly already into the thick of battle, no doubt with his own Padawan, Ahsoka, at his side. Obi-Wan turned his attention back to his own men, their fear palpable inside the close confines of the gunship as the sounds of blaster fire and explosions thundered around their descending craft.
"Get the tanks down!"
"They're starting the ground assault," Trapper, the clone beside Obi-Wan, sounded calm and collected, a seasoned veteran of the war, "won't be long now until we land, sir."
Obi-Wan was about to reply when his own communicator flared to life, Cody's voice calling to him desperately.
"General Kenobi! Don't land! The zone is hot!"
"But there's nowhere else to go!" Obi-Wan replied, urgently, as the men around him murmured in dismay.
However, any further debate on the matter of their landing was cut short, when an explosion slammed through the gunship. There was a savage jolt and it immediately began to fall out of the sky, one wing completely destroyed.
"We're hit," Obi-Wan reported, matter-of-factly, still talking to Cody over the comm.; "we're going down!"
The Bad Kitty heaved and shuddered as alarms went haywire, bleeping urgently as the pilot let out a cry of dismay. There was nothing to be done as the gunship plummeted towards the rocky ground, trailing smoke and fire.
"Brace yourselves!" Obi-Wan shouted over the noise.
There was little they could do though, standing in the belly of the gunship, as it struck the ground with a deafening roar, skidding through the rocks and dust at high speed, throwing the helpless men inside around like rag dolls. Obi-Wan held on with gritted teeth until his grip was shaken loose; the trooper in front of him lost balance and fell, crashing into the General, knocking the wind out of him and sending him tumbling backwards into the men behind him. Obi-Wan cried out in pain as he felt at least two of his ribs snap under his buckled armour, crushed under the weight of several troopers. The ship shuddered and bucked, toppling over onto one side; Obi-Wan's head slammed hard into the bulkhead; he was unconscious before he even hit the deck, tossed about helplessly with the rest of his men. Finally, the Bad Kittycame to rest in a cloud of dust and smoke, flames licking at the damaged fuselage.
Obi-Wan had no way of knowing how much time had passed, but he was aware of gloved hands touching his face, patting his cheek, accompanied by an insistent voice calling to him. He groaned, trying to raise a hand to his aching head, but that just triggered pain flaring throughout his torso, and he grimaced, clutching at his stomach.
"Sir? General Kenobi, sir?"
He managed to force his eyes open just enough to see who was calling to him. He recognised Trapper, in the half-light that filtered through some of the holes in the bulkheads.
"T...Trapper," he wheezed, coughing in the acrid smoke the filtered into the bay, wincing at the pain this caused in his chest and stomach, "you... hurt? The men?"
"There's a couple of other survivors, sir, but... I honestly don't think they're going to make it without immediate extraction. I'm a bit beat up but I'll live... what about you, sir?"
"I'm... I'll be fine," Obi-Wan broke off, coughing again, wrapping his right arm around his chest as he did so.
Truth be told, he knew he was out of the battle, whether help came for them or not. He raised his hand to his face; two deep gashes on his right cheek were oozing blood down his jaw, matting his beard and staining his neck. His head was pounding and he could feel a very tender lump on the back of his skull where it had collided with the metal hull. However, the worst of it was the broken ribs; his chest felt tight and blazed with agony; he had what felt like a lot of internal bruising, possibly bleeding. Taking a deep breath was impossible. And, if the tenderness in his stomach and the rising nausea were anything to go by, he'd guess at several other internal injuries as well. Still, he was not completely out for the count and determined to see his mission through to the end.
"Can you get the doors open?" he asked, quickly, already working on a plan to meet up with Anakin and Ki-Adi-Mundi if possible.
"Sorry sir, the controls this side are fried and I... I can't get them open."
"Well, let's see if I can... argh!"
Obi-Wan tried to pick himself up off the deck, but let out a wordless cry when pain shot through his chest and stomach, making him curl in on himself, gasping, fighting to get his breathing back under control.
"No offence, General, but neither of us are in any state to do anything right now," Trapper sounded apologetic as he carefully helped the General to sit up, leaning back against the ravaged bulkhead to take the pressure off his injured ribs, "Nor are Trueblood or Jetset..."
Trapper turned to check on the other two clones who had survived the initial landing, but, to his dismay, both of his brothers had quietly succumbed to their injuries. He let out a sigh, and slid down to the floor beside his General.
"Looks like it's just us, sir," he said, softly.
"Well, if I know Cody, he'll be despatching a couple of men to check for survivors as we speak," Obi-Wan murmured, gritting his teeth as another blast rocked the already battered gunship, the sounds of war raging outside.
They sat together, listening to the cacophony of battle; the whizzing sounds of blaster and artillery fire, ships screaming overhead, the insectoid Geonosians chattering and clicking and screeching, along with the screams of injured and dying men. Obi-Wan closed his eyes and bowed his head.
After several long minutes, there was a sound of screeching metal, and the gunship doors began to part. Obi-Wan grimaced, raising a hand to protect his eyes from the orange glow of the sun, the light sending a stabbing pain lancing through his head. He immediately recognised the two troopers in front of him.
"Waxer," he rasped out, around a cough, "Boil... am I glad to see you... Trapper and I are the only ones still alive."
"Good to see you, sir! Commander Cody's established a square just beyond this position," Waxer reported, as he crouched down, allowing Obi-Wan to wrap his right arm over the trooper's shoulders, lifting the General quickly, eliciting a pained gasp, "the bugs are on the move and trying to surround us as we speak, sir."
As he stood, Obi-Wan let out a strangled cry, a sharp pain shooting through his right knee as he tried to put weight on it, and he added it to the growing tally of injuries he had sustained in the crash. However, this was no time for hesitation or care, so he tried to push the pain to one side, limping along and leaning heavily on Waxer as they ran; Trapper being similarly supported by Boil. Around them, blaster fire raged from both sides as their own comrades began to lay down covering fire. Two troopers ran forward and took up position behind them, keeping up a barrage of fire, protecting their backs as they fled the downed ship towards Cody's tenuously held position. Obi-Wan flinched as blaster fire sailed past them, far to close for comfort, staggering as Waxer all but dragged him beyond the landed tanks and gunships, into Cody's fortified square.
The Commander rushed forward to meet them immediately; "Are you injured, General?"
"Oh, no... nothing too serious," Obi-Wan replied, dismissively, knowing they had much greater concerns, "What's the situation here?"
Waxer carefully led the General over to a few hastily-stacked supply boxes, offering him the chance to sit; however, instead of sitting on the crate, Obi-Wan gingerly lowered himself to the ground so that he could lean against it, cradling his midriff with one arm, his wounded leg stretched out in front of him, head spinning with pain and dizziness as Cody delivered his report.
"Ah..." Cody was saying, as the General desperately tried to focus on him, "we've got no air cover; two generals on the ground beyond our position, and a mess of bugs surrounding us. The enemy was more than prepared for our attack, sir... they knew our every move."
A medic trooper scrambled over, seeing the injured General, but after realising that Obi-Wan was at least conscious and coherent, he simply gave the Jedi a dose of painkillers and dashed off again, no doubt to tend to those far more seriously wounded. Obi-Wan tried to take in a deep breath; the medication had taken the edge off, but his chest, stomach, head and leg still throbbed mercilessly.
"Well," Obi-Wan put concerted effort into trying to make his voice sound stronger than he felt, "I'm sure General Skywalker and General Mundi will make it to our position... we just have to make sure we're still here when they arrive..."
This was much easier said than done. Overhead, small fighters screamed and roared in chaotic dogfights; relentless gun batteries pounded the skies, tanks and landing troops with ceaseless barrages of artillery fire. What the Geonosians lacked in strategy they made up for in number, swarming together and attacking wave after wave en masse, never letting up or falling back to regroup. Laser fire lit the dusty, smoky air around them in a constant hail of red and blue, as explosions shook the ground beneath them.
The Geonosians pressed forward their advance, surrounding Obi-Wan and Cody's precarious position, hemming in the clone troops on all sides. Several of the braver bugs began flying in overhead, attacking the tank gunners or picking individual troopers clean off the ground, flying high into the air before letting them fall onto the rocks below. It was clear that they were about to be overrun, as a fresh wave of Geonosians sped in on hoverbikes, firing crippling laster bolts into tanks and troopers alike.
Obi-Wan gritted his teeth as he saw yet another crew forced out of their gunship and running in retreat back towards the centre of their landing zone. The troops came together, walking backwards in tight circle, their backs to their General, protecting him as they maintained their blaster fire at the circling enemy.
"Make every shot count! Give it all you've got!" he heard one of them yelling.
Well, he was damned if he was going to die sitting down. Summoning every ounce of strength he had, and calling upon the Force to lend him more, Obi-Wan hauled himself to his feet, gritting his teeth against a cry of agony as his battered body protested the sudden movement, his head reeling sickeningly as black sparkles danced across his vision. He swallowed his nausea, leaning heavily against the stacked crates with his right arm, panting for breath with short, shallow gasps. He activated his lightsabre, holding it tightly in his left hand, shaking slightly with the sheer effort of doing so.
"Sir!" Cody whipped around in surprise, "What are you doing? You're in no fit state... I've called for reinforcements..."
"Then let's hope they get here in time," Obi-Wan coughed, dragging his arm across his face, ignoring the smear of blood it left on his white armour, "stand back, Cody, I've got to see if I can buy us some time..."
Realising it was pointless to argue and dangerous to hesitate, Cody nodded; "Form up, men! Flank the General and watch his back!"
Obi-Wan stepped forward, body blazing with equal parts pain and desperate determination. He let the Force flow through him as he spun the lightsabre; it was a blur of humming blue light in his expert hands, deflecting the blaster fire straight back at the advancing Geonosians. Even the sight of a lightsabre was enough to make some of them hesitate, hissing and clicking, not wanting to face a Jedi directly.
Obi-Wan clenched his jaw against the rising pain; his arms were beginning to ache with fatigue as he kept twirling and deflecting the blaster bolts that were concentrated upon him; he staggered forwards a step even as his knee was throbbing horribly, threatening to give out on him at any moment. His ribs were crushing his chest in a vice and his head pounded louder than the explosions raining down around them. Around him he could hear his men; some cheering him on; some crying out in agony as a stray blaster bolt found its mark. Obi-Wan felt every injury, every death, as if it were a personal failure, redoubling his efforts to deflect the incoming fire, taking down swathes of the enemies with his deflected fire, but to little avail; they just kept coming.
Holding his position, making no move to advance or retreat, panting with the exertion, Obi-Wan used a Force-push to fling back several particularly audacious Geonosians, still swinging the lightsabre with deadly accuracy, though he could feel his movements becoming slower, less fluid, his exhaustion beginning to overtake him, his body succumbing to his injuries, unable to sustain his stance for much longer.
Just as he thought he could not stand any more, he heard a familiar whoosh of engines overhead, as Cody cried out; "Reinforcements! The reinforcements have arrived!"
The fighters shrieked overhead and opened fire, laying down a devastating carpet of laser bolts, scything through the enemy lines. The troopers around him cheered and whooped for joy as the Geonosian fire immediately halted, the bugs scattering in terror at the deadly assault. Obi-Wan heard Cody ordering the advance, even as he staggered backwards, and then Cody was there, at his side, catching him - Obi-Wan hadn't even realised he was falling, until the commander gently lowered him to the ground, leaning him back against the crate. His lightsabre deactivated, but he did not let go of the weapon as tremors overtook him, and his head lolled forwards as he tried desperately not to pass out.
"Rest a minute, General," Cody's voice was surprisingly soft and gentle in his ear, "we can take it from here."
Obi-Wan could barely nod in acknowledgement as Cody patted his shoulder and launched into the advance with the rest of his remaining troopers. His eyes drifted shut, but, suddenly, there was another presence at his side; then two... then three. All Jedi. All the most welcome sight for his sore eyes.
"Master Kenobi!" Ahsoka exclaimed, her blue eyes wide and alight with concern as she crouched beside him, reaching out as if to touch him, but not daring to, lest she inadvertently cause him further pain.
"What happened to you?" under any other circumstances Anakin might have been amused at the sight of his Master sitting on the floor, covered in dirt and looking more than a little dishevelled, but at the moment he just sounded horrified by his fellow General's appearance.
"I... I might... ask you... the same question," Obi-Wan wheezed, pressing a hand to his chest, blinking back the stars clouding his vision.
"Eh... we got a little side tracked," Anakin shrugged, "but we've found each other, that's all that matters... you, err... you don't look so good, Master."
"I've... survived... worse than this," gasped Obi-Wan, dizzily, trying to sound light-hearted, "gath... gather the men. We... we must press our advantage..."
Anakin nodded, sending Ahsoka one way as he went the other, shouting orders to assemble the officers. As they left, Ki-Adi-Mundi carefully knelt down beside Obi-Wan, mindful of his own bruises from a less-than-perfect landing.
"How bad is it?" he asked, mildly.
"I... ah... I'll be fine..."
"Hmm. You may be able to pull that off with your former Padawan and his Padawan, but you know it won't work on me, my friend."
"It's..." Obi-Wan grimaced, one hand cradling his head, the other nursing his ribs, and was forced to concede; "it's not good. Broken ribs, definitely. Some internal bleeding, I think. Concussion... bad for sure. I can't... I can't feel the Force properly. And my knee... I can't walk. You... you're hurt, as well..."
"Just a few bruises," Mundi replied, lightly, "I fear you have fared much worse of the two of us. We need to call for a medical evac for you, immediately."
"No," Obi-Wan replied, adamantly, "I will not risk a medical crew being shot down while the landing zone is still an active battle ground. Besides, there are men here more seriously wounded than I... I will see this through to the end."
Further conversation was cut short as Anakin and Ahsoka returned, with the assembled Captains, Commanders and Lieutenants... at least, those that had survived. A hologram was activated, showing the next phase of their plan.
"Our combined forces should... should be enough to destroy the shield generator," Obi-Wan gasped out, gesturing at the target from where he still sat, propped up against the crates; "Anakin, you'll need to take a small squad through the shield, as close as you can get to their gun emplacements..."
He broke off for a moment, coughing, a wet, hacking sound, into his curled fist, the other clutching helplessly at his chest as his battered ribs cried out in protest. He blinked his eyes back into focus, pretending not to notice the open concern with which Ahsoka and Anakin gazed at him; Ki-Adi-Mundi was at least less obvious, but he still eyed his friend knowingly. Wincing and trying to find a more comfortable way to sit, realising there was none, Obi-Wan drew in a steadying breath.
"From there," he continued, his voice rasping slightly as he gestured to the hologram, "you'll be able to temporarily jam their scanners so... so..."
He broke off, coughing again, and Ki-Adi stepped forwards, crouching down and lightly resting one hand on Kenobi's shoulder.
"If you can jam their scanners, they will be unable to target the incoming tanks," the stoic Cerean Master took over the briefing, "once the tanks have taken down the shield, I will lead the rest of the troops in with the gunships."
"And what about Master Kenobi?" Ahsoka blurted out, "No offence, Master, but you don't look so good..."
"I will wait here for you to finish your mission," Obi-Wan replied, hoarsely, leaning back against the crate, his strength virtually spent, "I'm afraid... I have no choice... in that regard."
"Come on, Snips," Anakin told her, firmly, "the quicker we get this done, the quicker we can get him and the other wounded out of here..."
Obi-Wan watched them go, but he did not allow himself the luxury of relaxing, lest he lose consciousness. He focussed instead on the distant sounds of battle, muted now as the fight raged over the shield generator, and then, suddenly... it was over. The blaster fire fell silent, but there was no stillness, no peace to be found in the aftermath. All around him he could hear the moans and whimpers of the other injured troops left behind with him during the final assault; the clanking of tanks and the whir of engines as the surviving gunships began rounding up the survivors. A couple of clones came running to him, offering to carry him to a waiting ship, but he politely refused, ordering them to assist with evacuating the other wounded instead.
"We did it," said a familiar voice, somewhere above him.
Obi-Wan managed to crack open his eyes - he hadn't even realised that he had closed them - straining to lift his head up a little, squinting in the brightness of the sun. Anakin slowly crouched down in front of him in deference to his wounds, so the Master would not have to crane his neck to look up at the taller Jedi.
"Well... done... Anakin," he rasped out, weakly, "I'm so... proud of... you..."
Anakin was smut-stained and battle weary, but his eyes shone in response to the praise, and he held out his hand.
"Let's get you out of here," he said, firmly, "Master Mundi will be returning to the ship for treatment as well, so at least you'll have company... can you walk?"
"If... you'll help me..."
Anakin immediately moved to Obi-Wan's side, allowing the Master to hook his right arm around his former Padawan's neck and across his shoulders. Anakin wrapped his left arm around Obi-Wan's waist, hauling him upright. Obi-Wan could not prevent the pained cry that was torn from his lips, nor the harsh cough that wracked him as he staggered upright, leaning heavily into Anakin.
"Whoa, steady," the younger Jedi exclaimed, "uh, maybe it would be better if I just carried you..."
"Not a chance," Obi-Wan coughed and turned his head, spitting blood onto the already red-stained sands, "I... I can do this."
"I'm not arguing that you can do it, I'm questioning whether you should," Anakin sighed, "alright, have it your way, Master..."
He carefully helped Obi-Wan limp towards the waiting gunship, where Ahsoka and Mundi were waiting for them. Ahsoka's eyes widened at the sight of Obi-Wan, blood-stained, bruised, filthy and wheezing, staggering, leaning virtually all of his weight against Anakin, but her Master shot her a glare and shook his head, warning her off. She nodded, and tried to make her tone sound light and flippant instead.
"So, Master - what was your total?"
"Not now, Ahsoka," he sighed, wishing she would just take the hint - he really needed to get Obi-Wan aboard the gunship so he could be taken back to the ship for the medical treatment he so desperately needed.
"Come on," Ahsoka pleaded, "are you afraid you lost this time?"
No, I'm afraid that my stubborn former Master is about to keel over at any second, my young Padawan,Anakin thought, furiously, but managed to hold back from snapping at her or projecting his irritation through their bond. She was obviously just trying to lighten the mood, and he could not blame her for her youthful exuberance. After all, this was the game they always played; it was unfair to take his worry out on her.
"Fine," he huffed, "Fifty-five. That's my count... and you?"
"Sixty! Looks like I won!"
Hah, I don't think so, Snips, I'm not letting you get away with this...
"Yeah," Anakin grunted, as he half-turned, tightening his grip slightly on Obi-Wan as the other man gave a shudder of pain and exhaustion, "but I called in the air strike. Tie!"
"You're impossible," Ahsoka rolled her eyes in amusement, and thankfully did not try to argue further.
Obi-Wan might have made a comment about their turning battles into a game, but truth be told, he was in far too much pain and could barely draw enough breath to remain conscious, let alone join in their banter. Anakin very carefully handed the wounded Jedi over to Ki-Adi-Mundi, who, despite his own bruises, easily shouldered the other Master's weight. As Obi-Wan turned to face him, Anakin was struck by the pallor of the other man's face; how sunken and glazed his eyes appeared, the dried blood and dirt matting his face and beard, and the pinched, pained set of his expression.
"Well, take care of yourselves," Anakin said, softly, his gaze flitting between the two Masters, "I expect to see both of you back here by the time I've destroyed the main factory."
"We... we shall do... our best," Obi-Wan panted out, as if he wasn't about to spend several hours in a bacta tank.
Ki-Adi-Mundi smiled softly, amused, and then shared a knowing look with Anakin.
"Sixty-five, Skywalker," he said.
"I'm sorry?" Anakin responded, uncertainly - there was no way the stoic and aloof Ki-Adi-Mundi was joining in their childish fun...
"My total. Sixty-five. So what do I win?"
No kriffing way...!
Even Obi-Wan managed to raise a small, sickly smile, as he exchanged a look with Anakin.
"Uh..." Anakin was, for once, momentarily speechless, before he recovered himself quickly; "my everlasting respect, Master Mundi."
"Oh," Mundi sounded a little disappointed that there wasn't more at stake.
"That... that is... is a gift... Anakin rarely bestows," Obi-Wan's pained voice was little more than a whisper, and Anakin saw Mundi adjust his grip on his fellow Jedi Master, clearly the only thing now keeping him standing, "I... assure you."
Kriffing idiot should have gone with the medical transports, Anakin thought, glumly, he's probably gonna pass out as soon as they take off…
Without further word, he nodded to the trooper by the hatch controls, and the door slid shut, allowing the gunship to launch into the air, as Ahsoka and Rex joined Anakin on the ground to begin the next phase of their mission.
Aboard the troop transport gunship, Ki-Adi-Mundi braced himself against the inertia of take off, one hand gripping on to the hanging strap above his head, the other firmly wrapped around Obi-Wan's waist. However, the sudden jolt proved to be too much for the other Jedi, as, with a pained moan, he slumped against the Cerean Master, and then went completely limp, losing his battle to remain conscious. Ki-Adi did not hesitate; he let go of the hand-strap above him to catch Obi-Wan and dropped to his knees, using both arms to hold onto his fellow Jedi, letting out an inadvertent yelp of pain as he jarred his own injuries.
"What the-?" one of the troopers exclaimed, "Pilot! General Kenobi just collapsed! Step on it, will you? Lads, give the General some support..."
Kneeling on the deck plates and cradling the unconscious Kenobi in his arms, Mundi felt two of the clone troopers gently clasp his shoulders, holding him steady as the gunship rocked and swayed in the winds, as they climbed through the atmosphere to their waiting ship.
"Sir," one of the Lieutenants, Crackshot, leaned over, "we'll be docking with the Negotiator in two minutes; she and the Resolute will remain here while the Indomitable takes the injured clones to Kamino for treatment."
"Thank you, Lieutenant," Ki-Adi inclined his head, and turned his attention back to his wounded friend.
Obi-Wan was deathly pale, the lacerations on his cheek a stark red against mottled bruising that was starting to appear around his right eye. Each breath was shallow, rasping; Ki-Adi could hear every wheezing inhale and exhale, despite the noise form the engines, the roar of the wind around their craft and the concerned mutterings of the troopers surrounding him. The Cerean Master placed his hand gently on the centre of Obi-Wan's chest; he turned his attention from his own injuries, which he had already started healing himself, and focused on his far more seriously wounded friend and fellow Council Member instead. They had never shared any kind of Force bond, but that did not prevent Ki-Adi from sending a wave of healing energy through the Force to his ailing colleague. It was nowhere near enough to heal him, his injuries were far too extensive for Ki-Adi to deal with alone, but it was enough to make the other Jedi stir, dragging in a ragged breath, his eyes flickering open, sweeping around in bewilderment.
"Rest easy, my friend," Ki-Adi told him, gently, supporting Obi-Wan in the crook of his left arm, his right hand still resting lightly on the younger man's chest, "your injuries seem to be a little more severe than you were inclined to let on."
"Ki-Adi," Obi-Wan's voice was little more than a weak whisper, as he shivered slightly, "what's happening? Anakin... Ahsoka..."
"Your lineage are fine, Obi-Wan," Ki-Adi assured him, "they are continuing their mission to destroy the droid factory and I have no doubt they will be successful. Master Luminara will assist them, I'm sure. We are taking you back to the Negotiator for immediate treatment. I think we will both be spending some time in bacta tanks, I am afraid to say."
"No - the mission..."
"Will succeed without us," Ki-Adi cut him off, quietly, "Obi-Wan, you are severely injured... you're bleeding internally. While my Force-Healing abilities are strong, I cannot mend these wounds by myself - you need treatment. As soon as possible."
Obi-Wan opened his mouth to speak, but only choked, coughing, and Ki-Adi quickly eased him a little more upright as the wounded Jedi hacked and wheezed; finally, the fit subsided, leaving him breathless, gasping and shuddering. Ki-Adi leaned him back so that Obi-Wan was resting against the Cerean's chest; blood ran down Obi-Wan's chin, and he raised a shaking hand to paw it away, panting shallowly for air.
"I... see what you mean," he huffed, humourlessly, when the coughing had abated, "I... I don't think... I can't... I can't feel the Force, Ki-Adi."
"I know," Ki-Adi's voice was soft and gentle as he cradled the wounded Obi-Wan, "it is a result of your head injury, nothing more. You will be alright, my friend. Here... if you cannot call upon the Force, allow me to do it for you."
Ki-Adi closed his eyes in momentary concentration, drawing again upon the Force and channeling it into Obi-Wan, directing healing energy towards easing his pain. There was a soft clunk as the gunship came to rest on the deck of the hanger bay of the Negotiator. The clones disembarked quickly, and Crackshot paused in the doorway.
"Help's on the way, sir," he said, quickly, "we'll fetch a gurney for General Kenobi."
"Thank you, Lieutenant," Ki-Adi nodded to him, and the clone disappeared.
It took only a couple of minutes for two troopers to arrive bearing a field stretcher; they carefully lifted Obi-Wan onto it, Ki-Adi doing his best to help ease his fellow Jedi's pain through the Force. Despite his efforts, Obi-Wan groaned aloud as he was placed on the stretcher, his hands visibly shaking as he clutched at his chest and stomach, teeth gritted against the pain.
"Let's get him to the med bay," one of the clones snapped out, quickly.
Ki-Adi moved to follow but was sharply reminded of his own injuries, hissing in pain and then staggering slightly, only to be caught by Crackshot.
"Lean on me, sir," the clone said, helpfully, offering a supportive arm, "we should get you to the medical bay as well."
"Yes, thank you," Ki-Adi inclined his head obligingly, and allowed himself to be led after the departing stretcher.
In the sickbay, two medics immediately attended to Obi-Wan, cutting away his tunic to reveal hideous blue-black bruising covering most of his ribs and torso. They drew a curtain around the bed and set to work on emergency surgery. Ki-Adi reclined on the neighbouring bed, and allowed himself to slip into a deep, healing meditation.
It was some hours later when he awoke; he lay still for a long moment, extricating his conscious mind from the embrace of the Force. His injuries had lessened but not completely abated; he, too, would need a stint in a bacta tank to fully recover, but he was at least feeling a little stronger. He carefully sat up, noting the blanket that had been draped over him, no doubt by one of the medics. He pushed it to one side, and stood, testing his strength, nodding in approval to himself.
The lighting had been dimmed to a minimal level in deference to the two patients; the medical bay was otherwise empty. The wounded clones were on their way to Kamino for treatment; the two medics had no doubt gone to rest. Ki-Adi crossed the short distance to the bacta tank, and surveyed the occupant sadly.
He remembered Obi-Wan as a Padawan, and of course his Master, Qui-Gon Jinn. He had always known Obi-Wan as being keenly intelligent, possessing a quick wit and a ready smile. It was an expression the younger Jedi wore less and less these days, as the war raged on. The blood and dirt had been cleansed from his face, which was relaxed in slumber, his expression no longer taut with agony. An oxygen mask was fixed firmly over his face and, as he floated in the healing confines of the tank, he seemed almost peaceful.
Ki-Adi sighed as he remembered the youthful Padawan, and oh, how he and Qui-Gon had adored each other. The Jedi order frowned upon such obvious attachments, but Ki-Adi had loved each of his own Padawans as if they were his own children, and to be honest, which Master could truthfully say they had not? Ki-Adi had not always seen eye-to-eye with the rather maverick Qui-Gon, but he had trained his apprentice well, and Master Kenobi, now a High General in the Army of the Republic, had proven himself time and again.
The Cerean Master was tired of the war, a fatigue enhanced by the soreness of his own battered body, and he lacked his usual strength in the Force. Nonetheless, he held out his hand, and sent another wave of healing energy into the younger Jedi. Ki-Adi-Mundi was not given to sentiment - he was well aware of his reputation for being stoic and aloof - but he found himself wishing that Qui-Gon were still alive, to tend to his former Padawan and ease his pain. With a sad shake of his head, Ki-Adi returned to his bed, and fell into a restless slumber.
Ki-Adi-Mundi awoke some time later to a gentle hand on his shoulder. He blinked his eyes open in surprise, focusing on a familiar bearded face.
"Obi-Wan!"
"Ki-Adi," his fellow Jedi returned his greeting, warmly, "how are you feeling, my friend?"
"I was about to ask you the same question," Mundi eased himself into a seated position, grateful for Obi-Wan's steadying hand on his arm, "you look much better, but surely you are not finished in the bacta tank already?"
Obi-Wan still looked very pale, with dark shadows under his eyes, but the lacerations on his face were gone, and he stood awkwardly, favouring his injured leg; his lips were pressed together a little more thinly than usual, hinting at some lingering discomfort, but he was at least upright, coherent, and breathing properly. His hair was damp; he had obviously just come from the shower to wash off the last of the bacta, and he was dressed in a clean, lightweight tunic and trousers.
"I have spent as much time in there as I needed to – which was much longer than I would normally tolerate," Obi-Wan admitted, with a wry smile, "I'm afraid it's your turn, now, your own wound needs attention – the medics are waiting for you."
"You are not fully recovered, Obi-Wan…"
"I am well enough the medics are allowing me to return to my quarters to sleep in my own bed," smiled Obi-Wan, "a healing trance for a few hours should be sufficient to restore me… I have a feeling there is much more to be done on Geonosis yet."
"I concur," Ki-Adi replied, as he began to unfasten his tunic, the medics already filling the tank with fresh bacta, "very well then… I hope to see you again soon, Obi-Wan. Rest well."
"And you, my friend," Obi-Wan bowed, and slowly limped away, out of the medical bay, but then hesitated in the doorway; "I will see you back on Geonosis when you are recovered. You, Anakin and Ahsoka have a lot of catching up to do."
"I'm sorry?"
"My total. It was seventy-three!"