Chapter Text
Outer Rim, 9 Months into the Clone Wars, 8 Hours since Malfunction
There was silence. The rooms and halls were still. There was no movement, but now there was hope.
The freighter slowly spun on an invisible axis as it drifted through space. From the outside one couldn’t guess as to why it was derelict. The ship was whole with no visible damage. Were one to venture within, they still might not see the crucial flaw.
The internal lights of the freighter were disabled, and the emergency lights were dimmed to save power. The only audible sound the faint hiss of the enviro recycler filtering what meager air remained into the various rooms.
I’ve got it.
That’s the only thought Obi-wan managed before his body fell forward collapsing harshly against the metal grating of the cargo hold. For his journey to the ground his mind was somewhere far away, but the collision on his wounded abdomen shunted his awareness back with an abruptness that stole his breath away. His lungs gasped at the sudden void as the fall hit his diaphragm effectively knocking the wind out of him. He lay there, paralyzed by the contrasting need to breathe and the sharp pain that tore through him.
Breathing won over the pain and through gritted teeth Obi-wan greedily sucked in the paltry fresh air that had briefly wafted into the hold through the now once again sealed airlock.
With oxygen came clarity enough to reconstruct the events that led to his collapse.
Why? We had an arrangement? It didn’t have to be this way.
Obi-wan wasn’t sure whether it was the universe or the Force he was begging, but regardless it was useless to ponder on the recent misfortune that brought him to this point. He needed to get to moving. Time was running out for them all, but the pain. He couldn’t focus enough to banish it from his mind.
Obi-wan took a few more breaths and he was now able to grasp the pieces of his thoughts from where they’d fallen when the shot rang out.
And yet, all he could do was lay there as tacky blood seeped through his robes and dripped through the grating below.
Get up.
Still holding onto the cold metal catalyzer with his right hand, he placed his left flat against the grate and pushed. Searing pain coursed through him and he collapsed back down breathing harshly.
He had to get the ship moving. He needed medical attention. The others needed to be contacted. But he couldn’t do any of those things from the floor of the cargo hold and the longer he remained, the weaker he became.
Get up, Kenobi.
This mission had a kind of danger written on it, that’s why he and the others were there, but danger had come from under their noses instead of from the Separatists and that wasn’t something he’d accounted for. This entire disaster proved just how complacent he had become. He’d grown too trusting in the words of others and the machinery around them that dictated their lives.
And now they were all paying for it.
Everything had been going so well. They hadn’t run into any patrols and they were a few short days out at most from their destination. Close enough that they’d all been celebrating Chip’s batch d-
Stars! Stop thinking and just move!
Obi-wan rolled his head to press his forehead against the grate below, the metal biting into his skin. Getting his arms under him, he took a few quick breathes before he pushing with all he had. Had anyone been left on the ship he might have been embarrassed at the pained groan he let out, but all that mattered now was that he fit the catalyzer into the engine like Ahsoka had shown him.
It was a massive effort, but he got himself off of the floor. Now with his feet under him, dizziness blanketed his mind and he staggered clutching his head. Remaining upright was difficult but he managed not to fall back down, though the pain from his stomach kept him from standing up fully, so he settled for pressing against the wound with his empty hand and stumbling his way toward the stairs hunched over. The ship had an upper and a lower deck and in order to get to engineering he had to climb two fights of stairs.
His steps were uneven and his pace was slow, but he was moving. As long as he kept moving everything would be fine.
Ship’s Galley, 4 minutes until Malfunction
The galley erupted into laughter where everyone was seated for the evening meal.
“No!” Senator Amidala struggled to get out her accusation between laughs. “That is not true! He did not!”
Her disbelief was drowned in the cacophony of everyone’s laughter at the table. Obi-wan was also struggling to speak past the mirth he felt, but had to defend the integrity of the story. He held up his hands as if in surrender, “I swear it - he did!”
Cody clapped as the laughter claimed him and Rex composed himself enough to ask, “Surely someone must have told him.”
“No!” Obi-wan wiped a tear from his eye as the tone of his voice raised as he struggled through the laughs, “Not a single one of us had the heart to say anything. I mean, he was so proud!” There was an emphasis on the final word and the laughter crescendoed again.
Returning from the cockpit and late for dinner, Anakin hopped down the few shallow steps that led into the Galley to join the rest. “Of what?” he asked, clearly having missed something. “What was he proud of?” He pulled out the empty seat next to Senator Amidala to sit down. “Who are we talking about?”
Everyone ignored him continuing to laugh as the absurdity of the embarrassing story took hold. Obi-wan continued, “I must admit, he managed to pull it off and better than any of the rest of us would have!”
Anakin was now leaning toward the Senator directing his questions to her, “Who was ‘he’? What did he do?”
The laughter was dying down into sporadic giggles now. Hawk, one of the best pilots in the 501st, took pity and provided an explanation, “General Kenobi was just telling us a funny story about growing up in the Jedi Temple.”
“Pfft I miss out on all the fun.” Anakin half stood and grabbed the now empty serving bowl, “And it looks like all of dinner.”
The Senator smiled at him and pointed a finger at Ahsoka who was seated on the opposite side of the table. The youngling spoke up, “That’s where you’re wrong, Skyguy.” She presented a plate full of the last servings of their meal and handed it to him across the table. “This is why you’re lucky to have as dedicated of a padawan as me!”
“I don’t know what you’re angling for, Snips,” he reached past Rex for some silverware, “but I’ve got to admit when you’re right.”
Obi-wan only let him take a single bite before asking, “What course are we on?”
Anakin didn’t wait to answer and spoke with his mouth full, “It took some creativity,” he held the hand with the fork over his mouth to cover it, “but we shouldn’t have any issues making it all the way there without running into any Separatist patrols…or anyone for that matter. I expect we’ll be completely alone for the rest of the trip.”
Senator Amidala was on a relief mission to bring desperately needed supplies from Naboo to the neutral planet Subterrel deep in the Outer Rim past Separatist controlled space. The freighter they had been given for the covert mission had a capacity of twelve, so even though it seemed cramped at times like these, there was still room to spare with only the eight of them on board.
The ship was carrying six months worth of supplies in the hold so between those and the Senator, it was agreed the relief mission required an escort. Master Kenobi and Knight Skywalker, along with his Padawan Ahsoka were assigned to accompany Amidala and make sure that both her and the supplies made it to their destination safely. Refusing to let the Jedi go without protection for themselves, Cody and Rex appointed themselves to the mission along with another member of each battalion, Chip from the 212th and Hawk from the 501st.
“Good.” Obi-wan lifted his glass and took a large drink.
Still shoveling food into his mouth, Anakin continued his speech somewhat hindered, “Hopefully you’re okay with a slower journey from this point because what would normally take us 20 hours is going to be a trip that’s about five days going this way.”
Cody said, “I don’t think we’re in too much of a rush. That should do us just fine.” Senator Amidala gave him a warning look and he added, “Unless we could go…quicker?”
She nodded her head in approval at the amendment until Anakin answered, “Nope. This is what we’ve got. They’ve been needing supplies for weeks now, what’s one more?”
Senator Amidala whipped her head over to Anakin in frustration and elbowed him in the ribs. He grunted from the contact but didn’t provide a quicker alternative. There must not have been one.
Diverting the group’s attention for the sake of her Master, Ahsoka stood and began collecting plates. Chip good-naturedly stood to assist but she patted his shoulder before he could fully stand as she passed behind his chair, “That’s alright! I’ve got tonight’s dishes,” Ahsoka peeked at Anakin out of the corner of her eyes, “as any good padawan would do in service to others.”
Anakin clanged his knife down as he swallowed his bite. “Okay, at this point I’ve got to know. What are you after?”
Her tone was too innocent. “Oh, why nothing.” As she grabbed the last of the large plates, she gave a pointed look at Anakin, “Why would I be after anything?”
It took this long of her playing coy for Anakin to realize what she wanted. “Alright, Snips. You’ve been a model padawan. You can be the lead mechanic for this mission.”
“Yes!” Ahsoka hopped in victory until she remembered the glass plates she was holding and she held them tighter to keep them from crashing to the ground. “Thank you, Master!” she yelled as she made for the sink in the back.
Ahsoka had been assisting Anakin with all sorts of mechanical repairs and ‘upgrades’ since she became his apprentice and recently she’d been showing more interest in star ships. A while back she’d asked if she could take over as the mission’s head mechanic since Anakin was both always making repairs and busy piloting the ship.
He loved his self appointed jobs but seeing how eager she’d been to learn, he decided she was ready to step up. She could focus on spending her time in Engineering during this long mission.
Ahsoka was taking her time with the plates in the back, so everyone started to pile the remaining dishes together, except for Anakin who was snarfing the last few bites off of his plate before passing it to the end of the table.
They were about to carry the dishes in for Ahsoka to wash when Senator Amidala pointed with her chin and spoke, “Uh, Chip? I think Ahsoka actually does need your help.”
Chip stood up to help and when he turned around Ahsoka had returned, this time with dessert. In her hands was a, clearly homemade, birthday cake with a single lit candle pressed into the middle. He slowly sat down and she slid the cake in front of him.
The group clapped and together yelled, “Happy Batch Day!”
Chip was clearly surprised. Once he got his mouth to work, he asked, “How did you know?”
Cody answered, “The boys have been planning this for weeks so once we knew you would be on this mission instead of The Negotiator, Ahsoka volunteered to help make it happen.”
Chip’s face was frozen in a smile as he processed the kindness he was being showered with. Ahsoka cleared her throat getting everyone’s attention again. “Remember when we were delayed before take off?” Chip nodded. “Yeah Waxer was running the cake packet over to us on the landing pad.”
It took Chip a moment but when he gained his voice it was filled with gratitude. “Thank you.” He looked around at everyone at the table. “I’m moved. I- I don’t know what to say.”
Cody smacked Hawk hard across the shoulder as the man licked frosting from his finger that he’d stolen from cake when he thought no one was watching. There was a pause until Hawk impatiently gave his suggestion, “How about you ‘move’ yourself to blow out that candle so we can all dig in?”
Chip took a deep breath but before he could blow the candle out, everything became bathed in darkness as the lights in the cabin cut out before flickering back on after giving the backup generator a moment to kick in.
Hawk looked up at the ceiling. “What was that?”
Ahsoka was taking her new duties as head mechanic very seriously, “Maybe it’s just a hiccup? I’ll go check it out.”
Anakin shoved his chair back as he made his way toward the hallway he’d come through earlier, “I’ll check the helm.”
Rex was assigning everyone else systems to investigate when the ship rumbled as a deep boom resonated through the air. Ahsoka was about to step into the corridor that led to Engineering when the other end of it shone bright as a wall of fire moved swiftly toward her.
Before anyone else could react, Anakin vaulted over the table pushing Ahsoka roughly out of the mouth of the doorway. Ahsoka cried out in surprise as the unexpected shove threw her harshly to the ground. His quick thinking removed Ahsoka from the explosion’s path but now he was positioned where she had previously been and time was up. Anakin was tossed back as he took the full weight of the blast, the wave of pressure and heat bursting through the narrow doorway and into the galley.
The force of the blast knocked everyone, including the contents of the table, into the air before crashing against the back wall in a pile leaving everyone shocked and bruised.
“Anakin!”
While everyone groaned and took stock of themselves, Padmé rushed over to Anakin who wasn’t moving.
An alarm wailed throughout the ship and Chip yelled, “Fire!”
Roaring could be heard from down the corridor to engineering and as they all looked towards it, another wall of flame could be seen careening towards them. Obi-wan pushed himself up, rushed to the side of the doorway, and threw his entire weight against a lever, manually shutting the door to the corridor just before the flames reached them.
Instinctively, Obi-wan took a step back and stood at the ready as roaring fire filled the small window in the door. This time the flames continued and orange light flickered through the window coloring the galley with it’s light.
“Anakin.” Padmé was kneeling on the ground holding one of Anakin’s hands to her chest while cradling his burnt cheek with her other hand. “Come on, say something.”
Chip ran over and dropped next to the Senator as he checked Anakin’s vitals.
The flames were still roaring behind the doorway to engineering, which meant the lower decks were flooded with fire and would push to the upper deck any minute.
Within an instant this had become a war-zone and Obi-wan once again became a General. He barked out orders as he ran for the bridge, “Cody, Rex, Hawk - seal off everything that connects with the lower decks. Do it, now!” He didn’t wait to see if they followed orders, the need to get to the bridge greater than any other.
Lights flashed along the control boards and the wail of the alarm was louder in the smaller space. Knowing there was no chance of anyone being in the cargo hold, he initiated the decompression sequence. The airlock unlocked and the outer door slowly pushed open.
Back in the galley, Padmé looked to Chip and tried not to sound as panicked as she felt, “Is he going to be okay?”
Being the highest trained medic aboard, Chip had been checking General Skywalker’s vitals and it wasn’t good. He could tell that the General was still alive, but aside from the surface burns there had clearly been damage that he needed medical equipment to diagnose.
Chip gave her a non-answer. “I need the med kit.” Acting on auto-pilot, Chip turned to go through the corridor to the lower decks when Ahsoka held her arms out to block him. “We can’t open this door, there’s too much fire.” Sure enough he looked past her and light still danced from the flames through the door’s small window.
There was more than one way to get to the medical bay. Chip turned around and bolted for the main hall that would lead below when he tripped on the step into the doorway and fell into Rex.
The captain grabbed his arm to help him up but also hold him in place. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Chip was buzzing with adrenaline and stammered out, “The General’s been hurt. I need my medical supplies.”
Rex deflated and regret bled from him, “Sorry, but nobody leaves. We’ve just sealed off the lower decks.”
“If you don’t let me through, he could die.”
“If I let you through, all of us die.
On the bridge, lights on the control panel flashed confirming that all paths to the lower decks were sealed. Obi-wan didn’t hesitate and hit the button to open the inner hatch. The hold’s environment lost containment and both the now ruined supplies and turbulent flames vented into space.