Mealbar
dropping from his hand, Anakin stared at Rex in disbelief. “Repeat
that?” He rasped out in
stunned fear.

Taking
a deep breath, Rex repeated indeed. “The Senate is giving us five
hours. If we aren’t off planet in five hours, they are bombing us
along with the infected life as they can’t risk the biohazard
getting off planet. I’m sorry sir but the Jedi High command tried
to stall them but the Senate won’t listen, the senators are all up
in arms apparently General Windu says an-”

Anakin
didn’t hear another word, staring at his own feet on the gray roof floor as the situation
sunk in while
wishing he hadn’t gone up on the roof for some peace and quiet
because if he was downstairs, he could speak to Obi-Wan about
this, sort through what they needed to do but Obi-Wan was also sick
and injured and needed to rest so maybe it was just as well that
Anakin had gone up on the roof for fresh air and peace and quiet but
oh Force.

The
planet was about to be tactically bombed in five hours by
the Senate own natural born command on their orders, on the Chancellor’s order, and Obi-Wan’s blood sample had yet to be cleared, several troopers
were injured from salvaging, Ahsoka was still limping around on her
sprained ankle and all three Jedi were at their weakest thanks to the
twisted Force around them because of those undead creatures walking
around.

Force
Anakin had barely even eaten anything the last two days because it
kept coming back up and now they had five hours to get off the
planet!?

He
didn’t think Ahsoka or Obi-Wan were doing any better than him
frankly, both equally effected by the warped Force surrounding them
and now they needed to leave as quickly as possible but there were
issues!

They
still needed Obi-Wan’s blood sample and Helix with Echo, Fives,
Longshot and Killer still hadn’t returned with the clearance, which
meant they, or more like Obi-Wan, were still in quarantine and they
still needed to tank up the shuttles to go up.

If
they didn’t get off the planet however…

Anakin
was not
leaving behind Obi-Wan to be tactical carpet bombed!

There
was no chance in hell that… that…

He
looked up when hands grasped his shoulders and the wind tugged on his
clothes, meeting Rex’s wide eyes and it took Anakin a minute to
realize he was hyperventilating and Rex was trying to coax him into
breathing. Grasping the captain’s wrists, Anakin fought for the
right to breath,
to just draw air down into his lungs as he shook in the trooper’s
tight grasp.

“We’re
going to make it Sir, just trust us, just breath, come on sir you can
do it.” Rex continued speaking, trying to get through and Anakin
whimpered a bit and pressed his forehead to Rex chestplate, taking
the breaths of air that the Captain wanted him to take.

Trust
the troopers.

Wasn’t
that what Obi-Wan said too?

To
trust the men around them because of how capable they were?

Anakin
could do that because he did trust these men who served under him,
who brought so much life and joy with them and hurt so much when they
were gone.

Finally
he was breathing, Rex still gripping his shoulders even as Anakin
felt an uneasy squirming deep within him.

But
he was breathing properly once more.

Letting
out a shuddering breath through his mouth, Anakin pulled back slowly
enough to give Rex a nod, the captain reluctantly pulling back while
watching the Jedi closely before he relaxed and rocked on the heels of his boots. “…Contact the blood
sample team, pull all men back to base,” Anakin whispered out,
barely heard over the wind but Rex had good hearing. He nodded to
each order. “We leave in three hours, regardless what the result, we return to
the Resolute and the Negotiator with everyone.” Anakin settled on.

There
was no way anyone would be left behind him and if Obi-Wan was
infected… if Obi-Wan had become infected because he found a zombie
in a supply closet then Anakin would damn well take him away and help
him.

He’d
find somewhere peaceful and wait and then…

Anakin
swallowed, fear and nausea coiling low in his stomach even as he
picked up the mealbar he had dropped, pocketing it.

You
never knew when your next meal could be as a slave and that was
something Anakin hadn’t come out of, keeping all food he didn’t finish.

Rex
gave him one last look before saluting and turning to find Hotlips to
get the messages out and inform the rest of the troopers still at the
factory turned base along with the warehouse. Anakin meanwhile slowly
got to his feet, intent on going down to find Obi-Wan, to sit with
his former master.

‘I’m
not leaving you behind here Obi-Wan,’ Anakin promised himself. ‘I’m
not leaving anyone
behind here.’