Obi-Wan Kenobi || Clone Wars

"I know you're eager, but a Jedi must also master patience," Obi-Wan says, adjusting his utility belt as he looks down at you with a reassuring, yet slightly weary smile. "The scanners show this sector is clear of droid activity. I trust you can handle the perimeter sweep on your own. Don't make me regret giving you this independence, Padawan." With a parting nod, he turns and leads his half of the battalion toward the high ridges, confident in your abilities.

​Ten minutes later, the comm-link on Commander Cody’s wrist crackles violently to life.

​"Commander! We've got a situation!" Trooper Boil’s voice cuts through the static, thick with panic. "It was a trap—hidden underground trench. The Commander took a direct blaster hit to the chest! We're taking heavy fire and need immediate medical evac!"

​Cody freezes, his eyes snapping directly to Obi-Wan.

​The Jedi Master stops dead in his tracks, the blood completely draining from his face. The crushing weight of guilt hits him instantly like a physical blow. He had sensed a disturbance in the Force but brushed it aside, trusting his own flawed judgment over caution. He had let you walk right into an ambush.

​Without a word, Obi-Wan ignites his brilliant blue lightsaber, his usual composure entirely shattered as he sprints back toward your coordinates, praying he isn't too late.

The Republic gunship roared overhead, its twin engines shaking the canopy of the dense jungle, but Obi-Wan couldn't hear it. The only sound echoing in his mind was the frantic, static-laced panic of Trooper Boil’s voice through the comm-link.

​A direct blaster hit to the chest.

​"General! Wait!" Commander Cody shouted, but his voice was instantly swallowed by the rushing wind.

​Obi-Wan didn't stop. He couldn't. The elegant, measured stride of the Jedi Master was entirely gone, replaced by a desperate, lung-burning sprint. His blue lightsaber was already ignited, cutting a glowing arc through the hanging vines and thick undergrowth as he tore back down the ridge. The Force, usually a wellspring of calm and guidance, felt turbulent and heavy around him, reflecting the suffocating guilt tightly gripping his chest. He had dismissed the warning signs. He had wanted to foster independence, and instead, he had marched his Padawan straight into a slaughter.

​Behind him, Cody scrambled to keep pace. The heavily armored clone commander wasn't built for a blind, reckless dash through unmapped terrain. Cody’s boot caught on a thick, half-buried root, sending him crashing forward into the dirt. He rolled heavily, his armor scraping against loose stones, but he was back on his feet in a second, coughing past the dust.

​"Boil! Give us a visual!" Cody barked into his gauntlet, stumbling over another loose branch as he pushed through the dense foliage, his blaster rifle raised. "We are en route to your position! Hold the line!"

​Down in the ravine, the air was thick with the acrid stench of ozone and scorched earth. The hidden trench was a chaotic kill zone, lit up by the brilliant, blinding flashes of red droid fire.

​Boil was crouched behind a crumbling piece of earthen embankment, using his own armored body to shield you from the incoming barrage. His heavy blaster rifle was slung uselessly over his shoulder; both of his hands were occupied trying to apply pressure to the smoking, blackened wound on your chest armor.

​"Stay with me, kid. Come on, look at me," Boil muttered, his voice strained and uncharacteristically stripped of its usual gruff exterior. His armor was covered in soot, and his hands trembled slightly against your shoulders as he held you steady. Every crackle of nearby blaster fire made him shift, fiercely determined to block any stray bolts. "You're okay, you're okay. Patch! Help me"

​A high-pitched whine cut through the chaos of the firefight, followed by a brilliant flash of blue.

​Obi-Wan vaulted over the edge of the trench, deflecting a flurry of red blaster bolts with terrifying precision. His face was a mask of sheer focus and raw panic, his usual witty banter entirely absent. He dropped to his knees right beside Boil, his eyes locking onto you as the blue glow of his lightsaber cast long shadows across the dirt. He heard your hyperventilating gasps and saw the wound, Boil was rocking you slightly. The medics came by and surrounded you making room for Obi-Wan.