Somehow, thankfully, Depa has not gone far and the unnatural flash of darkness suddenly swarming the halls summons her back in an a boost of Force enhanced run, the councilor more than likely breaking several unvoiced Hall rules in the process.

The chalactan stormed into the room before Cody could do more than take a few staggered, shocked steps, flashing brown eyes sweeping the room before she practically pounced on the Commander, grabbing the vial from the man with the Force and somehow stabilizing everything.

Putting the black thing in stasis.

Obi-Wan instantly flopped on the bed, like a puppet cut of its strings, his heart monitor going into a monotone beep and the healer cursed as she jumped to her feet and started restarting the Jedi master’s heart.

Struggling onto shaking feet, Anakin grasped Obi-Wan’s hand and desperately feed the redhead his energy as the healer restarted Obi-Wan’s heart, getting him breathing once more.

Fourth time since his rescue.

Fourth time Obi-Wan technically died on them.

Fourth and last time Anakin begged as the healer dragged Obi-Wan back into life.

The stuttered beat of Obi-Wan’s heart filled the room once again and Anakin shakily clung to the others hand as he blearily looked around the room. “…What happened?” He whispered, glancing at the confused Cody to the shaken Depa. “What is that?” Anakin’s eyes fell on the vial hovering in Depa’s Force stasis field.

Eyeing the vial carefully, Depa let out a deep breathe before shaking her head slowly. “I’m not sure, but it almost looks…” She trailed off, turning her head as the door opened up again to admit Adi, the tholothian looking spooked as she trailed the room before focusing on the stasis Depa was holding. “Adi?”

The fellow councilor crossed the room to peer at the vial. “I have no idea what happened in here but the entire temple felt it. I sent off a message to the rest of the council that I would investigate what had occurred and Master Che is on her way too.” She stated serenely, a slight tremble in her voice being the only tell to her true emotions.

“What is it?!” Anakin snapped, frustrated and shaking, grasping Obi-Wan’s hand in his as he continued to feed his former master energy as the healer worked on Obi-Wan.

A slight color was entering Obi-Wan’s cheeks but his blue tinged lips were terrifying Anakin despite it all.

He knew that the slight flush wouldn’t last, once the healer was done, Obi-Wan would go back to his slow heart beats and death like complexion.

He also wanted answers for Cody’s sake, the Commander standing there with a look of horror and guilt on his face, clearly feeling bad for what he had brought to them.

Adi and Depa exchanged looks before the tholothian master let out a deep sigh, levering a severe look at the tatooine native. “I am uncertain but I do believe that this,” She gestured to the vial. “Is master Kenobi’s blood.” Adi stated quietly, voice cracking on the last word.

Anakin stared at her, uncomprehending before slowly looking to the black crystal with red droplets tinting the inside of the vial.

His eyes were slowly widening up as realization set in.

Palpatine had drawn Obi-Wan’s blood, the machine steadily pumping it and Anakin hadn’t understood why the man would draw the blood from the stumps. It had seemed so random, it wasn’t really a torture technique even if it was unpleasant.

Now it made sense.

The karking monster had drawn Obi-Wan’s blood, had done something to it, twisting it.

Because Obi-Wan’s tears weren’t corruptible, Obi-Wan had only cried kyber once in his entire life and Anakin was the only one that knew of it.

So the Sith had found another way, tried another way to create red kyber from Obi-Wan only for that thing to happen.

“…Its why he won’t wake, isn’t it?” Anakin whispered, staring at the black kyber.

The Force rang with certainty at Anakin conclusion, all four Jedi stiffening even as Master Che entered, the twi’lek hurrying past the councilor’s to her fellow healer’s side to aid in Obi-Wan’s healing.

They now knew why Obi-Wan wouldn’t wake, why his body was decaying in front of them, the unnatural black kyber draining him of power, of will.

It was not meant to be and yet it existed by the power of Obi-Wan’s life.

Now the question was… could they save him?

Did knowing the how and the why help them heal Obi-Wan.

Clenching Obi-Wan’s hand between his, glancing at where the soft blue blanket fell in due to Obi-Wan’s missing legs, Anakin swallowed thickly.

He didn’t know what he would do if he lost Obi-Wan, he had promised so long ago to save him from anyone that would abuse him for his powers.

Yet he had failed.

‘Please Obi-Wan, cling just a little bit more. I’ll find a way, I’ll drag you back to life if I have to, I’ll fight the Force itself but you have to hold on a little bit more for me. Please.’ He begged the other mentally, gently caressing their silent bond in the Force as Depa and Adi contacted the rest of the council.

Quietly, Commander Cody approached Anakin however, his eyes full of despair.

It was enough to draw Anakin from his own, enough for him to loosen his mech hand from Obi-Wan’s.

He settled it on Cody’s shoulder, squeezing slightly as the man flinched, uncertainly staring at Anakin. “Thank you, Commander.” He stated seriously if a bit weakly.

“Sir?” Cody whispered quietly, tense.

Nodding towards the vial held in stasis, feeling sick simply by glancing in the direction, Anakin squeezed again. “That crystal, its draining Obi-Wan’s life energy. If we hadn’t seen it, if you hadn’t brought it here…” He trailed off.

Cody was a smart man, he could figure it out and by the way his eyes widened and then narrowed, the man clearly got it in seconds.

His jaw gritted before he nodded even as a blanket of relief crossed out the guilt, smothering it in the Force. “I understand sir…and sir?” Anakin tilted his head in question. “Thank you sir.” Cody whispered quietly.

Anakin’s lips turned into a terse smile and Anakin nodded, understanding what the other wouldn’t say.

Thank you for explaining.

Thank you for not blaming me.

Thank you.

Just thank you.

‘You got a Commander to come back to Obi-Wan…’ Anakin let his hand drop from Cody’s shoulder. ‘We all need our friend… so hold, if for nothing else than for us.’ Anakin raised the others hand and pressed it to his lips, feeling the ice cold skin against the warmth of his lips.