Working
slowly and steadily, Anakin absently let his mind wander back as he
let his hands work on automatic, an engine so familiar he could do it
blind at this point, or so he felt at least.

For
some reason his mind flickered back to his conversation with Ahsoka.

Grooming
behaviors…

Obi-Wan
had that conversation with him too, it was one of the reasons he
always had someone accompanying him when he was to meet with
Chancellor Palpatine when he was young, usually one of Obi-Wan’s
friends if Obi-Wan was sent out on a mission and couldn’t accompany
him.

Mostly
it was Bant, but it could also be Garen or Reeft and one memorable
time, it was Vos, the great buffoon, who kept flirting with the
Chancellor rather obnoxiously despite the older man’s eye twitching
and the horrified Anakin sitting entranced with his juice.

Knowing
what he knew now, he knew why Obi-Wan had been so wary and worried,
he after all had been taken advantage of by someone in position of
power.

A
male to be precise, someone he thought he could trust, in a
vulnerable position while being trapped and convinced that he’d
face consequences for telling anyone about what had happened.

A
male in a position of power…

Like
the Chancellor had been and had used his own position to ensure
Anakin would come to his office.

Pausing
his actions, his hands clenching on his multitool, Anakin stared
sightlessly at the machine in faint horror.

Was
that what Obi-Wan had worried about when he was young, when they
were both young and fresh and uprooted?

Himself
from being on a new planet and becoming a Jedi and Obi-Wan reeling
from becoming a Knight and losing a master only to become one in the
same fateful, unremitting horrific slash of destiny.

Obi-Wan
the young master but also a fresh knight in need of going on missions
and yet teach Anakin as he suspected the Chancellor of wrongs?

That
the Chancellor would somehow groom Anakin into…

He
let a shuddering wreck his frame and shook of the concerning looks
sent to him from Echo and Fives, the two having been working on the
speeders with him.

Ahsoka
was still consumed in her own thoughts, occasionally glancing at
Obi-Wan.

Anakin
however was caught in his own train of thoughts, desperately
straining his mind back to all those meetings with the Chancellor as
a horrifying realization hit him.

The
man had tried.

Anakin
could remember the words if he thought hard enough, thinking about
them now with an adult mind.

How
Obi-Wan and the rest of the Jedi couldn’t possibly understand
Anakin, how his mother must miss Anakin, how Anakin was more than
welcome to see the Chancellor any day he wanted…only the ones accompanying him contradicted that statement by simply being there and afterward speaking with Anakin, Obi-Wan especially.

‘He
was trying to isolate
me… and it might have worked if I came alone, if Obi-Wan and his
friends hadn’t always accompanied me… even when I was upset at
being treated like a ‘child’, Obi-Wan kept escorting me…’
Anakin bit his lower lip hard, tasting blood.

The
Chancellor had tried to groom him for something and Anakin could
almost guess what.

After
all, there were a lot of ‘accidental’ meetings with Senators
coming to the Chancellor and Anakin standing at the desk.

‘Like
a leashed dog, showing of he has Jedi support… he used me like a
karking leashed guard dog, to leverage me against them.’ He could
feel his mech hand bending the multitool as his raw rage rose.

But
also helplessness, hopeless, defeated helplessness and an urge of
shame at being so stupid as to not recognize it all before.

When
Obi-Wan had gone out of his way to teach
Anakin about gas lighting and grooming behaviors and to be ca-

“Anakin.”
The smooth, Coruscantian voice cut through the Tatooine native’s
thoughts and he looked up from the speeder to stare at Obi-Wan with
wide eyes, feeling himself tremble as he meet the others concerned
green eyes. “Dear one, what is wrong?” Obi-Wan whispered and let
out a low noise when Anakin hiccuped and buried his face in Obi-Wan’s
stomach.

To
his relief, Obi-Wan wrapped his arms quietly around his former
padawan’s head and petted at his curls, letting out quiet soothing
noises as he let the other draw comfort from the folds of Obi-Wan’s
tunic, the smell of tea and Obi-Wan’s preferred soap.

The
smells that had followed him from the moment he entered the Jedi
temple and became a true padawan as Obi-Wan tried to keep him safe.

“Oh
dear one… it’s alright, I’m here Anakin.” Obi-Wan whispered
quietly.

‘Yes…
you are. You’re here, and I’m so grateful you’re still here.’
Anakin shuddered and wrapped his arms around his brothers waist,
holding onto the man as if he was his only lifeline in a maelstrom
made of Anakin’s own thoughts and memories.