‘Don’t think about it…’ That’s what
he keeps having on repeat in his mind as he methodically cleans his
blaster, eyes focused on it and nothing else. ‘Don’t think about it.’
He tries to focus on the noises around him, the sounds of his vods,
the sight of his blaster, the smell of the oil he’s using to clean
and mend the blaster with.

But the memory comes anyhow.

The few times he saw General Kenobi on
Zygerria.

The sheer loin cloth, harsh hands on
freckled skin, bruises and bites along shoulder and neck and
hips…dried blood on the inside of pale thighs.

Rex swallowed bile back and shook his
head, trying not to think to hard even as Cody sat down beside him
and set a caf silently in front of him.

“…You’ve been staring at that
blaster for five minutes without blinking.” Cody offered
quietly.

“…Trying not to think to hard,
keep seeing him on the inside of my eyes every time I do.” Rex
grunted. He didn’t have to elaborate who ‘he’ was.

“…Did…did he scream because of
them?” Cody clenched his teeth together, desperately not wanting
to know and yet needing to know at the same time. Just so he knew how
many blaster bolts he’d have to set in each limb before he ended the
Zygerrian slavers.

“No, not that I know.” Rex
hesitated. “But they did get him to whimper.”

The Commander let out a small curse and
then rubbed his face. “When we found you…was that as bad as
he’d looked? Or did he look worse at some point.”

Obi-Wan, limping, blood barley dried on
the inside of pale freckled thighs, jaw gritted as he was lead on a
leash, eyes narrowed in pain. So many bruises, to many bruises and
Rex desperately wanting to do something, anything to help him.

“…He had time to clean up the
blood.” He offered as answer.

“…Might have to postpone those
courting plans then.” Cody murmured.

“That you can even think about
those now.” Rex grunted.

“Its because of now I am thinking
about it. General Kenobi is not going to be in any state for courting
plans now. And we’re not going to put him under pressure for
anything. What we’re going to do now is to be what we’ve always
been. Good support. And his friends.” Cody rubbed his hands
together, sighing. “And that’s what he’s going to need.”

“…Koth I know, I just can’t stop
thinking about about the blood and the look on his face…he didn’t
even want to look me in the eyes.” Rex swallowed.

There would have been more said if
Longshot hadn’t suddenly started to curse up a storm. “COMMANDER
YOU’RE GOING TO WANT TO SEE THIS!!” He shouted while staring at
the console in front of him.

Cody and Rex stomach sunk.

()()()

Its not that he doesn’t appreciate the
respite.

But he’d honestly be in the field right
now instead of locked up in the temple with people…looking at him.

Though the temple was emptier, easier
to avoid brushing against people and he was still working, just not
on the battle lines.

If only people could stop watching him
as if…as if…

‘As if I’m going to break. I’m not
weak. I’m not fragile. I’m not…it wasn’t my fault…’ Obi-Wan
swallowed and forced himself to pay attention to Plo’s report from
the latest dogfight he and the Wolfpack had engaged in. At least that
was something he could do, pay attention, offer his opinion and his
tactics even from afar. It didn’t leave any margins for edits but he
trusted Plo to be able to edit plans as needed.

The doors suddenly slamming open had
them all jerking in surprise and Yoda’s ears went high as the Knight
took a few seconds to rest her hands on her knees to catch her
breath. “M-Masters, the holonet, Zygarria!” She panted out.

Obi-Wan’s blood turned to ice in his
veins.

There was only one thing on Zygarria
that would or could end up on the holonet that would be important
enough for a Knight to interrupt a Council meeting for. Only one
thing that would effect the order.

And when she focused her eyes on him,
an antsy sort of look in deep purple eyes, Obi-Wan knew for sure.

He was on the holonet.

()()()

‘I’m gonna kill them. I’m going to cut
them into tiny slices and make them eat them and then I’m going to-’
Anakin was storming through the temple, his robe flaring up behind
him as he moved like a thundercloud through the building with steps
quick enough to blow his robe back up behind him. Padawans, Knights
and Master’s alike moved out of his way the moment they saw him
coming and perhaps that was for the best.

The way they were looking told him they
knew exactly why he was practically running through the temple
towards the living quarters.

The fucking Zygarrian slavers…

Anakin’s jaw gritted at the holovid on
the holonet. Obi-Wan’s pained face flashing through his mind as his
head had been jerked back by his hair, the jeering face of the
Zygarrian. ‘Gonna slice his fucking balls of and make him eat them.’
Anakin knew he was threading a dangerous line but it was Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan who with careful hands had guided his kata movements, Obi-Wan
with more patience then deserved had guided him through meditation
and Jedi concepts, Obi-Wan who wanted to do his duty to the Republic.

‘The Negotiator on his knees for me.
Lets see what else that pretty mouth of yours can do except make
pretty words.’

Anakin swallowed and then stopped in
front of Obi-Wan’s rooms, taking several breaths. He couldn’t go in
there angry, not around Obi-Wan, not right now.

Anakin angry was the last thing Obi-Wan
would need right now and he mentally cursed out the Council for not
sending more support when they had gone to Zygarria. Why was it
always left to them to pick up the pieces!? Palpatine was right,
their safety mattered too!

He took another deep breath and
shielded his anger before putting his hand to the lock and stepping
in.

And then he stopped.

“Master Adi? Master Mace?” He
questioned in surprise only to get a quick shushing noise as if he
was in the Archives.

“He just fell asleep.” Mace
hissed, sitting on the couch with…oh…

Obi-Wan was curled up on the couch,
robes tucked around himself along with the blanket Anakin had gifted
him with a few years back, his head on Mace lap and face tucked into
the Korun’s stomach. Adi was kneeling by the couch, a hand on the
copper haired Jedi’s temple. ‘Monitoring his dreams.’ Anakin
remembered Obi-Wan doing that a few times for him, to keep the
nightmares at bay.

“What…”

“He had a…fit in the Council
Chambers.” Mace whispered. “We found it best not to leave
him alone.”

Anakin slowly stepped further into the
room. “A fit? Or a breakdown at the news of…”

Mace grunted then sighed. “Both.
He started hyperventilating and then he broke down once he had
confirmation that his time on Zygarria had been…filmed.” The
Korun took a deep breath and to Anakin’s surprise he could actually
spot a moment of anger, genuine anger in the other. “We have
Knights working on having it removed from the holonet but there are
so many sources that it may prove…impossible to fully scrub it.”
The muscle in Mace jaw jumped.

‘He cares. He cares about Obi-Wan…’
Anakin glanced at Adi Gallia. ‘They both do.’ He slowly knelt down
and then shifted the blanket out of the way, removing Obi-Wan’s boots
carefully before tucking him back in. “…He sleeps better
without boots on.”

“We didn’t want to remove him lest
he considered us a threat.” Adi murmured.

“He still flinches? Has he been to
the mind healers?” Anakin glanced at them.

“Yes and no. He was suppose to go
today but right now it might be best to let him stay right here.”

Anakin nodded at that. “Autonomy.
The best we can do is give him back his autonomy and offer our help
if he accepts it.”

Mace nodded. “Depa and Kit have
already offered their…ears for him. Since they have gone through
similar things.” He sighed.

The knight blinked heavily at that
before nodding. “Do we know who uploaded it?”

“The slicers are working. We might
never know.”

“…I’m going to make that
Zygarrian eat his own balls. The Queen is lucky Dooku killed her.”

“…I’ll help you if you get your
hands on him.” Mace snorted.

Well it was nice to know that they
agreed on something at least.