Chapter Text
"How long?" Anakin asked Healer Jedao.
"Three weeks, Skywalker. This is a delicate process, and with your right hand being your dominant one, it will take you slightly longer to get used to it."
"Ugh," Anakin sighed and slumped back against the bed. "I don't want to wait that long."
"Be patient, Anakin," Obi-Wan said. "You are lucky Dooku did not do more harm to you. You should be relieved this is all that there is." I am. Obi-Wan had added as an afterthought, Anakin was reckless and impulsive and he constantly caused Obi-Wan to fret for his safety.
"I will try, master."
Anakin did not do very well with the whole being patient thing, as the day after his new arm was fitted he snuck out of the Temple med bay and accompanied Obi-Wan to the outer rim, all without Obi-Wan's knowledge.
Obi-Wan was greeted by Commander Cody of the 212th Battalion, which Obi-Wan had just been given command over. "General Kenobi," Cody saluted.
"At ease, Commander. Tell me, what's our intel on the situation?"
"It seems there's a Separatist fleet preparing for an invasion. We're not sure who is commanding it yet."
"Apart from the 212th, what battalions do we have available?"
"Only the 501st legion, sir."
"It'll have to do."
"What's our plan?"
"The 212th remain planetside and prepare for the inevitable ground invasion. Meanwhile, we split the 501st, half will take the fight aerial. Attempt to take as many Separatist droids out before they reach the surface. And the other half will remain here and attempt to evacuate as many civilians as possible to safe zones."
"I'll go inform the troops, sir." Cody saluted and ran off.
A short while later he came back with some news. "General! We have a situation."
"What is it?"
"It seems that-" his explanation was cut off as someone shouted from behind him.
"He means me!" Anakin called as he came running down the ramp of the ship and towards Obi-Wan and Cody.
"Anakin!" Obi-Wan called a mix of surprise and frustration in his voice.
"Okay, before you lecture me I know what you're going to say-"
"What are you doing here? You're-"
"Supposed to be on leave, I know, but I can't just sit around when there are people in danger. And besides, the new arm works perfectly." He flexed his arm and curled his fingers to demonstrate his point.
"No," Obi-Wan said sternly.
"No to what?" Anakin's face fell and Obi-Wan felt a twinge of guilt.
"You are not getting into the battle."
"What? I'm your best pilot, I can help."
"No, Anakin, you haven't had a chance to test anything since your arm replacement and I'm not going to risk your life or the life of the men on that."
"But-"
"No." Obi-Wan stepped closer to Anakin. "Please, just this once, listen to me."
Anakin studied Obi-Wan's face for a moment and then relented. "Fine," he sighed and pouted, though he would deny ever doing so. "At least let me do something, though."
Obi-Wan sighed but relented. "You can help with the civilian evacuation." He turned to look at Cody. "Commander, does the 501st have a general yet?"
"Not yet, sir."
"Then would you please inform Captain Rex that Anakin is being instated as temporary Commander and take Anakin to him and inform him of the situation."
"Yes, sir." Cody saluted. "This way, Commander," he said to Anakin and Anakin followed him off.
Obi-Wan had been satisfied with having Anakin out of harm's way until the evacuation went wrong. There had apparently been an ambush by a droid battalion, Obi-Wan didn't know how a battalion of droids had managed to sneak its way planetside but he didn't have time to ponder on that.
"Captain, what's going on?" Obi-Wan asked he couldn't make sense of all the comm chatter.
"It seems the Separatists knew we would evacuate the civilians and already had doids placed at the evacuation point," Rex replied the comm crackling with sounds of blaster fire in the background. Then there was some yelling and the comm cut out.
"Captian," Obi-Wan called. No answer. "Anakin," he tried. Again, no answer. "What's happened?" He asked Cody.
"It seems communications are being scrambled, sir."
"Kriff," Obi-Wan cursed. "Alright, I need to get to that site. Commander, I want you to stay here and direct the battle."
"Yes, sir." Cody saluted.
Five minutes later Obi-Wan had a speeder bike and was on his way to the evacuation site. When he arrived, he did not find what he had expected. He had been expecting a battle, he had not been expecting quiet and smoking dead battle droids.
Captian Rex saw him arrived and ran over to him. "General," he saluted.
"What happened?" Obi-Wan asked motioning for Rex to be at ease.
"Commander Skywalker happened, sir." Rex smiled. "He saved everyone. Not one civilian casualty. Some soldiers wounded but none dead." Then Rex turned to look over at Anakin, who was comforting two small children.
Obi-Wan watched fondly. Anakin was hunkered down so he was eye level with them, his eyes were bright and even though Obi-Wan couldn't hear him, he knew Anakin was speaking softly. Anakin smiled brightly then, poking each child's nose playfully, the two children giggled then and Anakin gave each of them a hug and ruffled their hair.
Obi-Wan felt something rise in him then, something he felt towards Anakin that he had been ignoring and pushing down for a while.
Anakin's eyes flicked up to Rex and spotted Obi-Wan too. Anakin rose from his hunkered position and excused himself from the children. He started making his way over but stooped to give another older child a high five.
"To what do I owe the pleasure, Master? Or should I call you General?" Anakin smirked.
"Well, I came to help with the droids, but it seems you have everything taken care of. Captain Rex tells me you saved everyone."
"Well, not on my own. These fine men were instrumental too. And Captain Rex and I, we work well together."
"I'm glad to hear that. But if everything is sorted here, I will make my way back to the main forces." Obi-Wan dismissed himself and settled back onto the speeder bike.
Anakin and Rex stood side by side and together said, "good luck."
Obi-Wan looked back at Anakin. "Are you not getting on?"
"What?" A look of confusion and surprise crossed Anakin's face.
"Well, I need my best pilot, don't I?" He smiled when Anakin's face lit up.
"You're serious? You're letting be fly?"
"Yes, now hurry up, or we won't make it back in time to get you in the fleet." Obi-Wan chuckled.
Anakin turned to Rex and shook his hand. "It's been a pleasure working with you, Captian."
"Likewise, Commander," Rex replied and then Anakin jumped on the back of the speeder and he and Obi-Wan raced back towards the main fight.
Their battle had been a success and soon after the 212th along with 501st made way for Coruscant. Once they arrived, Obi-Wan went to give his report to the Jedi Council while Anakin was told off by Healer Jedao and then promptly given a checkup.
After his report, Obi-Wan found Anakin down in the barracks with the 212th and 501st celebrating jovially.
"I see you managed to get away from the Healers?" Obi-Wan noted when he came to stand by Anakin.
"Yes, after I promised multiple times to take it easy, but she was impressed by how quickly I've adapted to the prosthetic."
"The council is impressed by your actions too." That caused Anakin to stop.
"They are?"
"Yes, in fact, they're so impressed by your work with the 501st today that they're promoting you to general and giving you command of the legion."
Around them, the 501st began to cheer loudly. "Give it up for our new general!" One clone cheered.
"It will be an honour to serve you, General Skywalker." Rex saluted and promptly joined the rest of his men.
"But if they're making me a general, that means..." Anakin looked over at Obi-Wan for confirmation on what he was thinking.
"That they are making you a Knight? Yes, they are."
"Without the trials?"
"They feel that what you've accomplished is equivalent to the trials."
"I'm a Knight? I'm a proper Jedi?" Anakin beamed, joy radiating off him in the Force.
"Yes, you are." Obi-Wan smiled, seeing Anakin so happy made his heart soar and that was the moment he realised he loved Anakin. It was the moment everything changed. "There is one thing left though." Obi-Wan motioned to Anakin's padawan braid. It was the last step, but it also functioned as a distraction from his epiphany.
Anakin took a step away from Obi-Wan and sunk to one knee, he bowed his head. Obi-Wan ignited his lightsaber, moving it from one shoulder to the other as he said, "Anakin Skywalker, by the right of the council, by the will of the Force, I dub thee Jedi Knight of the Republic." Then he severed the padawan braid. And when Anakin rose from his knees tears twinkling in his eyes, he was a Jedi Knight.
Obi-Wan was so proud of him and he felt so much love for Anakin at that moment that he almost said it. Instead, he pulled Anakin into a hug, hoping it would suffice. When he broke away he smiled brightly at Anakin and then took Anakin's padawan braid and placed in it the pocket of his robe.
And if years later that same padawan braid was tucked away in a box along with a certain lightsaber. Well, that wasn't anyone else's business.