Need So O Can Find Again

Do you think Plo Koon's mask also has a translator inside it which makes his language understandable in basic?

Because being rather reptilian/insectoid in appearance, I assume that their main method of communication is probably screeching and clicks, rumbles and vibrations.

Also because:

Plo: ... and once Wolffe, Sinker and I give the signal, we will... *mask crackles, unintelligible screeching noises*

*Plo stops talking, adjusts his mask and tries again*

Plo: *more screeching*

Shinies: *horrified whimpering*

Plo: *sad eyes at Wolffe*

Wolffe: *rolls eyes* The General is having translation issues. What he said was 'once we give to signal, you are to advance and rendezvous with us at the marked co-ordinates'. Understood?

Plo: *gentle clicking noises*

Wolffe: And... *sighs* he says he's proud of us.

Everyone else: *stunned silence*

Plo: *soft screech*

Wolffe: *glaring at him* Really, General? Do I have... Ugh, fine. And the General says he... loves us... *blushes furiously*

Plo: *delighted clicking noises*

Daisy behind the scenes with BB-8 in Star Wars: Ep VII - The Force Awakens

Deep Pressure (Meredith/Lexie Grey)

The nature of Lexie and Meredith's relationship can be up for interpretation in this one, there's no overtly sexual or romantic things happening, but because I was imagining them as together I've tagged it as such, do with that what you will.

When Lexie has her breakdown after the shooting incident Meredith helps her be able to relax and fall asleep. Also Lexie is autistic

Read on ao3

When Meredith stepped into the room she heard soothing melancholy music pouring from the tinny speaker of Lexie's phone, Jenny Owen Youngs, the same albums Meredith had heard her listen to on repeat after she and Mark broke up. Meredith bent down towards the hospital bed to see if Lexie's eyes were open.

"Lex, hey, how you holding up?" Meredith's gentle voice added to the floaty sensation of the drugs in Lexie's system.

Lexie gave a small sad smile and looked down. She didn't need to say the words out loud, they'd both been a hell of a lot better.

"I heard you had a rough morning." Meredith took a seat on the bed next to her. Lexie nodded looking up at her sister with brown shining doe eyes. "Can I touch you?" Meredith's hand hovered near Lexie's face, waiting for another nod before smoothing it over blond locks.

Lexie put her hand on Meredith's leg, giving an appreciative squeeze. Now more than ever she was relieved to have someone who knew how to be comfortable in silence, and who understood that sometimes when things were too much Lexie couldn't even figure out how to form the words with her mouth, in this case the drugs made it even worse. Her big sister was the only one she could even bear to have around her in this state. Lexie whimpered as Meredith removed her hand and pulled away.

"Hey, don't worry I'm not going anywhere, I'm just going to look at your chart." Meredith grabbed Lexie's hand off her thigh, rubbing her thumb over the back of it as she flipped open the chart with her free hand. "Discussion with patient suggests sleep deprivation may have been a catalyzing factor or possible primary cause of the incident. Well, I could've told them that much."

Lexie raised an eyebrow.

"I can hear you puttering around at all hours, you're not as light on your feet as you think." The teasing comment brought a smile to both their lips. "Though I might not be sleeping so deeply myself these days." The moment of joy melted back into the coldness of their reality. "Want help?" Meredith crossed her arms in an x over her chest, the sign they developed for Lexie to non-verbally ask for deep pressure. Something Lexie had looked into after a somewhat surprising tip from Cristina.

Lexie nodded emphatically. Meredith's heart warmed and broke for the precious creature before her all at once.

"OK, straighten out, like a log." Meredith ordered. "Don't give me that look, just do it. I have an idea." Meredith quickly slipped into the hall to grab a fresh warm blanket, once it was draped over Lexie she started wrapping it around Lexie's legs and tucking it under her torso. Seeing her little sister sigh with relief before she even took her place spooning her, drew a chuckle from Meredith. Once she had Lexie wrapped in her arms, hugged tight against her chest, leg wrapping to rest over Lexie's hip, she found herself letting out her own tense lungful of air, demonstrating just how elevated her own parasympathetic nervous system was despite her even keel.

"Psst Meredith." Cristina's whisper roused a glaring Meredith from heavy slumber. "Hey wake up, it's time to go home, I'm driving."

"I can't just leave her!" Meredith whispered angrily.

"Mer if you don't keep it together and take care of yourself you're gonna punch your own ticket to the psych wing." Cristina slipped into a more normal volume in order to be heard over the truck engine caliber snoring now coming from Lexie. "Then who's she gonna have to take care of her? Just me."

"I'm not sure if that's a threat or a sweet show of support." Meredith raised an eyebrow mockingly.

"Yeah well if you end up in psych you'll take just as long as sleeping beauty here to get cleared for surgery, so let's go, chop chop."

"She doesn't even have her weighted blanket. What if she freaks out and can't calm down?"

"Wait here." Cristina slipped out of the room and returned a bit later with one of the lead aprons used to protect against xrays. "Heavy as balls." Cristina handed it to Meredith to drape over Lexie's legs within reach in case she wanted to pull it further up. Meredith printed a clear note:

Had to go home so I could be ready for work. Text me at any hour and I'll be there in a flash, will check in with you as soon as I get in.

Love, Mer

Then she folded like a card so it could be propped up in Lexie's field of view, before leaning down to plant a kiss on her forehead.

"I hate to leave her like this." Meredith watched her thoroughly sedated sister snoring and dead to the world.

"I know." Cristina grabbed Meredith's hand to say what she couldn't with words before guiding the still groggy Meredith to the car.

Powerful Women+Classical Elements:

Earth: Grounded, Stable, Focused, Disciplined

Potter Family Headcanons (Continued)

Ginny is a loud parent. She grew up with 6 brothers in a house that was never quiet. She is loud. Her children are loud. 

There is always some sort of shouting going on in the Potter Family Household. Even if no one’s angry or upset. They’ll have conversations whilst on different floors. Or raise their voices because they’re excited. The only time the house is quiet is when no one is there or absolutely everyone is asleep.

The dogs love this. They too will shout at their favourite humans if they want scratches or to play.

Harry loves this too. He is also the quietest person in the house. 

He never raises his voice. Ever. If Harry is raising his voice everyone shuts up and listens.

This carries over to his work in the Auror Office too.

He’s the quietest-spoken Head Auror in living memory. He is also one of the most effective.

The Potter kids are very well-trained in the practise of not talking back to Mum. 

But it’s when they’re in trouble with their Dad that everyone freaks out.

Harry doesn’t get mad. Harry gets disappointed. Everyone agrees that this is ten times worse than Mum’s shouting.

Harry and Ginny don’t fight with each other often but when they do it’s always over something petty and tends towards the explosive. It usually ends in a cold war that lasts until one of them apologises

They take turns in apologising first

Every single Potter child has at one point tried to refer to Harry and Ginny’s various misadventures, rule-breaking and/or that time they committed treason/a crime to get out of trouble

This strategy has never once worked 

Harry and Ginny have lived together since they both graduated Hogwarts

Andromeda has lived with Harry even longer

She moved in with him with baby Teddy right after the war ended. Her house was empty and full of memories. So was his. She needed help with Teddy and liked having someone else to take care of. He needed someone that would team up with Kreacher and force him to take a break when he got tunnel-vision. 

This arrangement was intended to be temporary. Andy never moved out.

She was very happy to be de-facto grandmother and go-to babysitter to all the Potter children (she may have cried when she realised)

Molly and Arthur Weasley babysit as well of course, but they have 9 other grandchildren besides and everyone understands without talking about it that Andy only really has the Potters.

The Potters actually have two houses. They lived in Number 12 until Lily-Lu was born and they realised that with 3 small young children and 1 larger but still young child (not to mention the three dogs) they needed more outdoor space

They found an old farmhouse cottage with an attached barn that they renovated to be livable (after Grimmauld Place it was easy - especially with Kreacher and Winky’s help)

This house was called “Firedrake Cottage” when they bought it.

It took less than 3 weeks for the kids to start referring to it as “Dragon House” and Number 12 as “Star House”

They use these names so often that Harry and Ginny change the floo connection between the houses to accept these as destinations

It becomes so common that Harry accidentally tries to floo to “Dragon House” from the office and gets thrown out of the floo violently

NO ONE lets him forget it

This actually happens more than once

Ginny only does this once before contacting Percy and insisting that he change the official floo addresses 

She fails to inform Harry of this

He spends 3 months apparating to and from work before being confident enough that he won’t get the floo address wrong

Teddy’s first word was “Nana”. She remains his favourite person to this day.

She’s also the only person he goes to for romantic advice, his parents, aunts, and uncles all being hopeless in that regard

Nana Andy is not much better but absolutely no one ever tells him this

He calls Harry “Dada” for the first time less than 5 minutes after he first says “Nana”

Harry cries

Ginny also quickly ends up being “Mama”

This freaks her out for exactly 30 seconds until Teddy starts crying because she’s not picking him up. She very quickly adjusts because dear Merlin he’s loud when he’s upset and she never can stand hearing him cry

He’s enrolled in every muggle primary school after the first as “Potter” because after the first 6 times Harry has to correct the teachers and the other parents about calling him “Mr Lupin” despite the fact that Teddy looks like his son and calls him “Daddy” he nearly has a breakdown (it’s been nearly 4 ½ years since the war ended but sometimes it hits him so hard that he can’t breathe) 

Teddy is 4 when Harry and Ginny sit him down to explain that they’re not actually his parents. He is inconsolable until they reassure him that they’ve always loved him like a son. Neither will admit how touched they were when he asked if he could still call them “Daddy” and “Mummy”. The answer is “yes” of course

Teddy is 6 when James is born. He spends the last 2 months of Ginny’s pregnancy terrified that his parents won’t need him anymore, despite all of their reassurances. It isn’t until James is born and they introduce him to his “big brother” that it sinks in that he isn’t being replaced.

2 weeks into his first year at Hogwarts Teddy breaks into his Professor Granny Minnie’s office (he shouts different names from the War Memorial until the Gargoyle opens) and begs her to change his name on the registers to “Potter”. She does so without asking why. She’s seen more than one child go through these halls with a name that hurts, she no longer asks for a reason.

He’s nearly 14 when he sits his parents and his Nana down and explains that even though he knows they’re not biologically his, Harry and Ginny are the only parents he’s ever known, and he wants that to be recognised by everyone, not just people who know him. He’s tired of being “Lupin” every time the anniversaries roll around. He loves the man who gave him the name in an abstract way and he knows his Dad misses him but he wants people to stop seeing the dead when they look at him and start seeing him (afterwards Harry takes him aside and tells him about growing up as an orphan and constantly getting told he looks like his father with his mother’s eyes and how there were times when he wondered if that was all anyone ever saw when they looked at him)

He’s 9 when he realises he’s actually a girl sometimes. He still uses he/him pronouns all the time because he’s never felt like they don’t suit him. His parents take it in stride when he tells them and his Nana tells him that his bio-Mum was exactly the same way but with female pronouns

He sometimes refers to himself as a Black when they’re in Star House. He doesn’t really feel like one but it always makes his Nana smile

He’s always known without being told that he’ll inherit the Headship of the Black Family and all that that entails when Harry dies. He doesn’t like to think about it

When he becomes an Auror his mentor is Lavender Brown

He doesn’t understand why everyone is so scared of her because Auntie Lav-Lav has been a staple in his life since he was 6

This lasts until the first time he witnesses her make someone cry and his Dad has to interfere to get her to back off. 

He’s Jamie’s favourite person in the world

This is thrilling for the first 6 months. Then it becomes the most annoying thing in the world

He decides pretty early on that he wants to adopt. Tori agrees to this pretty quickly after he tells her but insists that they have multiple children

They end up being foster parents for magical orphans and children from abusive homes. They don’t get to keep all of them but every child that doesn’t have decent other family becomes theirs. 

They do end up having 2 children that are biologically theirs. Both pregnancies were accidental. 

Teddy and Tori do not differentiate between any of their children. They are all theirs after all

All of their children get to choose what surname they would like to use when they go to Hogwarts. 

Jamie is inseparable from his cousins Fred and Louis practically from birth 

By the time they can walk this is very difficult for Teddy because he cannot go anywhere without tripping over three toddlers

And he doesn’t have the best balance in the first place

Jamie falls for a muggleborn that ends up in Hufflepuff but he’s sure should have been Slytherin

The muggleborn is not shy about the fact that he hates strongly dislikes Jamie

They end up married anyway (somewhere in heaven James Potter and Sirius Black are laughing) (history has a funny way of repeating itself)

No one loves their siblings more than Jamie Potter loves his brothers and sister

He will fight anyone that disagrees

Also anyone that upsets them

Also that one guy that insulted Lily-Lu behind her back and then made a vulgar comment about wanting to fuck her. He learned to respect women quickly (he’s lucky it was Jamie that taught him and not one of his siblings. Teddy is a scary good dueler and Lily-Lu is just frightening. Al is inventive)

Al doesn’t actually know that his new friend Daisy is his second cousin until he gets to Platform 9 ¾ at the start of the Christmas Hols

There is no Potter that can be left unsupervised. Ever. 

Al might not be as quidditch mad as his brother but all of the Weasley cousins can play

He and Rose are a particularly unbeatable pair of Beaters (Scorpius isn’t a half bad Keeper)

Al’s best subject is potions. To literally no one’s surprise he becomes a Potion’s Master (his siblings are surprised that it takes nearly 4 years after his Mastery to blow something up badly enough that it destroys his lab)

He fully lives up to this part of the Potter legacy (somewhere his great-grandfather Monty is ridiculously proud. Severus Snape is turning in his grave)

In much the same way that everything else in his life comes as a surprise to him, Al is the last person to find out he’s dating Frankie Longbottom

True to form he finds out when Rose asks him what their plans are for their second anniversary

He panics and finds out that literally everyone else including Frankie, his siblings and both of their parents thought they were dating (spoiler alert: they are dating, he just somehow never noticed)

Lily-Lu manages to be more dangerous with a wand than her mother, biological grandparents, and her godmother put together

She’s far more interested in politics and law than she is in dueling though (there is a not insignificant number of people who are very very grateful for this fact)

She plays seeker on her house team

There was an Incident in one match where the other seeker saw her flying towards him and promptly flew in the other direction as fast as he could. Neither would share why. (He was harassing Violet Brown. Lily does not put up with such shit. She makes this fact known. He regrets his actions very much)

Her favourite person is her godmother, Auntie Lav-Lav. 

This is unrelated to the fact that Lavender Brown is the definition of the phrase “steel fist in a lacy glove” and may or may not have something to do with the fact that Lavender Brown is the first werewolf Auror, maintains one of the highest solve rates in the DMLE, (second only to her Dad and Aunt Susan) and puts up with no one’s shit

Lily-Lu wants to be Lavender Brown when she grows up

She doesn’t marry but the Prophet reports that she spends a suspicious amount of time with the Zabini Heir – notorious flirt and famous for being born out of wedlock to two parents in a constant on again off again relationship

Harry prays that this is just a rumour

Ginny just hopes she gets more grandbabies out of it

Lily-Lu not getting married is mostly unrelated to the fact that Jamie bet her that she wouldn’t manage to be the last DA kid to get married (Jamie already knew at the time that Benny Jordan was aroace and had already decided to get married never when he could just work with dragons instead)

At this point she’s persisting out of sheer spite

Cursed mostly crack au nonsense.

The real reason Palpatine hates Obi-wan so much is Not because he's the Master of the Chosen One™ and therefore in the way of his plans. Oh no.

Sheev Palpatine hates Obi-wan because Obi-wan turned him down when he asked him on a date. Sheev was like 'cute redhead that can hold an intelligent and scathing conversation. Score'. He thinks they'll go on a few dates and as a bonus he can convince Obi-wan to go Dark.

But Obi-wan always gets 'weird old man' vibes from him and politely declines.

Of course Palpatine is offended that Obi-wan turned him down. Hes a catch. Anyone would be flattered to go on a date with him. How dare he! What do you mean he's fucked the Organas?? What do they have that i dont?!

So starts the long passive aggressive murder attempts.

Except. Every once in a while Palpatine tries to shoot his shot again. Its a matter of pride. He hints that maybe these assassins will go away if Obi-wan agrees to go on a date with him.

Obi-wan is like 'ah. Youre one of Those types' and doubles down on declining Palpatines date invites. Not once does it occur to him to Tell Anybody what Palpatine is doing.

This continues for a Long time. Then, midway through the war Padme pulls Anakin to the side and asks very politely if Anakin would talk to his good friend Palpatine about leaving Obi-wan alone. Anakin, having had no idea anything was going on, asks wtf shes talking about. So padme explains that during one of her and Obi-wans friendly bitching Tea dates that Obi-wan let slip that the Chancellor was trying to pressure him into a relationship by using his position of power over the republic, the Jedi, and Anakin himself. Obi-wan usually wouldnt have said anything but one of the assassins shot at one of his men instead of him and thats 'a step too far' and Obi-wan is a sleep deprived irritated mess.

Anakin of course goes a little unhinged at this information. No one threatens his brother-dad like that. So he goes to confront Palpatine, because maybe it's been a misunderstanding, but maybe it hasn't been.

So he confronts Palpatine, who doesn't deny it and instead makes his biggest mistake. He asks anakin to convince Obi-wan to agree. The 'Or Else' isn't said, it isn't even really implied, but Anakin hears it anyway. And he remembers what that kind of thing means on Tatooine.

Anakin goes even more unhinged. Theres a misunderstanding between Anakin and Palpatine where Palpatine thinks Anakin has figured him out as a sith but Anakin just thinks he's a predator. It turns into a fight.

There are explosions and saber duels and lightening.

When the dust clears Palpatine is dead and Anakin has curled himself around Obi-wan like 'its okay, he's dead now. He can't threaten you ever again'. Obi-wan is like 'thank you. I love you. But wut?'.

Both are sent off on a long vacation. Anakin because he was being groomed by a Sith lord and because the stress from the war has clearly caused something to snap. Obi-wan because he was being romantically pursued by a Sith Lord, the stress from the war, and because Anakin wont let him out of his sight.

Of course Ahsoka and the 212th and 501st go with them. Padme stays behind to help girlboss the Senate into getting their shit together.

Cody is a little salty he didn't get a chance to kick Palpatine in the dick (Its also a codywan au), but he claps Anakin on the shoulder and goes 'Good job son'. Anakin cries.

Me, I’m the child.

“my child is fine”

ur child thinks wanda maximoff is a relatable character

Removed

This one will wind to some dark places, and I am not sure it will get better yet. Also Jango Fett is not such a good person in this. Frankly, neither is Qui Gon Jinn.

We start on Melida/Daan. Obi Wan has been with them for nearly a year and The Young are winning, pushing for their peace. The Elders are approached by the Sith (Plagius or Sidious, it matters little) with an offer to pay to be allowed to take The Young. The Elders agree and the Young, Obi Wan included, are removed from the planet. For their trouble, the Elder are paid with enough weaponry that they wipe the planet of any life within five years.  Many of the children have a mild force sensitivity that seems to behave strangely around Obi Wan.

Most are used for experiments, including Obi Wan. Some are used to further Mauls training in the dark side of the force. Maul…hates these pitiful souls less than he does most.  He still does every horrible, vile thing that his Master requires but does not go out of his way to cause pain and offers the compassion of a quick death to the ones he can. He even speaks to the subject in between experiments and feels something like a kinship with them.  

For ten years Obi Wan and the rest of the Young are experimented on and tortured in every manner imaginable. Most have died in agony and the ones that live consider the dead the lucky ones. To the fascination of the Sith Masters not a single one of the force sensitive children have reached for the dark. It is almost like they are incapable of it. 

When it comes time for Jango Fett to become the template for the clones, he is also given Obi Wan Kenobi as stress relief. As this Jango has no want for sex, this means being an outlet for his anger, a punching bag. At Jango Fett’s insistence force suppressing cuffs and a force suppressing collar are sealed (welded) onto Obi Wan. This leaves him entirely unable to actively use the Force but Sith experimentation has left a passive ability to heal from almost anything. In this situation this is not actually a positive.  (Another side effect no one can figure out, he stayed looking 16 until Cody's batch reached that age, then proceeded to age along with them). At the time that Obi Wan was gifted to Jango Fett, 5 of The Young, other than Obi Wan, still live.  He is pulled from them, knowing that he will never be allowed to ask after them. 

Jango Fett is only given a single qualifier as to what he can use Obi Wan for: If he kills Obi Wan, they will not replace him.

On Kamino he is an anachronism.  When not acting as Jango Fett’s punching bag he drifts through the halls, speaking rarely to the non clones.  Several of the trainers watch him with a strange twist of guilt on their faces. They watch the bruises that are so consistent in size and shape that it looks like a patch of purple, black, and green moving across his skin over time. They take in the perennially blistered and infected skin around the collar and cuffs.  They see this and say nothing. 

For the clones it is both different and the same. They grow up knowing that this Obi Wan was no more free than they were. No matter the circumstances of his birth, he was a brother. To be protected when they could.  He held their secrets, their fears. He was the primary source of compassion in their lives. He protects them when he can and they never begrudge the times where he can’t (When he finds out about Priest’s fight club, he vanishes into Jango Fett’s apartment. No one knows what was said or done but when they emerge, Janog Fett is willing to exert himself to end the Fight Club and Priest’s other abuses. Obi Wan limps behind him with 20 meticulously broken bones in his right foot).

In this universe, as a last act of pettiness, Qui Gon Jinn takes Bruck Chun as a padawan a year after he leaves Obi Wan on Melida/Daan. His attention inadvertently prevented Xanatos from getting into Brucks head. They are a middling pair. Both are just a touch too arrogant to truly work well with others and they do tend to echo each other's worst traits but it is subtle enough that Bruck makes it successfully to knighthood a year before the Naboo crisis.  Jinn still finds Anakin on Tatooine, still wins his freedom and brings him back to the temple.  Though he had been unaccompanied at the start of the mission, his report means that three other knights ended up on Naboo with him. With this extra manpower Darth Maul is taken alive, to be locked in a cell in the Jedi temple.  Qui Gon Jinn lives to take on Anakin’s training. 

This Anakin is not as confident in his abilities. No matter what he does, he always gets the sense that Jinn expected better. By the same token Jinn is not too young and grieving, not overwhelmed with sudden responsibility. Palpatine cannot get the same hold he had on Anakin in another life. 

It is Anakin that finds Kamino in this life. Jinn clocked his crush on Padme and decided he did not want them alone together (Less chance of the Chosen One deciding to leave).   The clones, believing that Obi Wan had been given to Jango Fett by the Jedi (Something that Obi Wan can’t quite dispute), hide him from Anakin. After Fett’s death, they feared that Obi Wan would be taken away.  So they decide to hide him in the 212th with Cody. 

The two had been inseparable for years now, soulmates though neither thinks the term (In my head this is a queerplatonic relationship, in part due to the trauma they both have undergone). In fact, in this world Cody’s scar is deliberate, something that he (along with Fox and Ponds) devised to ensure that no matter how disoriented or afraid, Obi Wan would never see Cody as Jango Fett (His ability to tell the clones apart is not based in the Force, due to the cuffs. That does not stop Obi Wan from being able to tell each clone apart, no matter what).  

And so to the 212th, under General Qui Gon Jinn and his Padawan Commander Anakin Skywalker, goes a trooper named Shield (for Obi Wan has always been their shield).  The clones do not, can not, trust the Jedi.  They almost never remove their helmets in this world, save for when they were safely in the barracks so that Shield could move around freely.  The Jedi could not sense him, due to the force suppressing cuffs and collars. 

If we were to go with the cliches, Obi Wan would be revealed by accident in the most dramatic way possible. 

This is not what happened. The clones know that Obi Wan hiding as Shield is not a long term solution and the medics would really like permission to remove, along with help removing, the Force suppressors.  

8 months into the war, Plo Koon earns the full trust of the clones. With Obi Wan’s permission Wolffe approaches his general to tell him and abbreviated version of what was going on (a non clone who was living as a trooper, he had been on Kamino as Jango Fett’s punching bag, they want him to become an official member of the GAR so that he doesn’t need to hide any more).

Jedi Master Plo Koon is faintly horrified by even the vague details and agrees to meet with trooper Shield. When he asks about having Qui Gon at the meeting, Wolffe twitches. All the clones know who General Jinn is to Obi Wan, so they trust him even less than most Jedi. Jinn is not cruel to the Clones, but he treats them as he does most people he interacts with (Jinn cares little for the practicalities of their lives, so long as they continue to act in the way he expects. Thus he will call them by a preferred name if they request it but never asks for their names).  The next time the battalions meet, Cody and Shield meet privately with Wolffe and Plo Koon. 

Shield removes his helmet; gaunt faced, red haired, and clean shaven (Having never grown a beard due to some mix of injuries and the Sith experiments). Plo thinks he looks familiar and Obi Wan bows respectfully. Plo gently begins to ask for information.  Obi wan gives his name, but it still takes Plo a number of minutes to realize who he is talking to (In his defense it had been more than 20 years and Obi Wan is not the only youngling that has decided to leave the Order). Even after Plo realizes who Obi Wan is, they talk at cross purposes for several minutes. Plo Koon, of course, was under the impression that Obi Wan left the order to be with a girl two decades before. Obi wan believes he was rightfully abandoned for endangering Master Tahl, and cannot quite disbelieve the idea that it was the Jedi, or some Jedi, that gave him to Jango Fett.

As soon as Plo begins to gently question how Obi Wan ended up where he was, it became clear to the Kel Dor that information that was given to the High council twenty years before was at best wrong, at worst an outright lie.  He is horrified to see the mass of scar tissue and metal on Obi Wan’s neck and wrists and vows to help get it removed (Due to the burns and infection from when it was welded on and Obi Wan’s extraordinary ability to heal, flesh had grown over the edges of the metal), which would need to be done by the Temple Healers. He is heartbroken to realize what the clones, and Obi Wan, believe about how Obi Wan ended up on Kamino.  At the end he asks Obi Wan what he wants, going forward.

Obi Wan thinks for a moment, “To stay with Cody or, barring that, to stay with the clones in general. If possible, find out how the rest of The Young died and maybe be able to give them some kind of burial. If their remains can be found, that is.”  

After the campaign, Plo conspires to have the 212th and the 104th recalled back to Coruscant. There he could have Obi Wan meet with the council in person. Coincidentally Bruck Chun, with his commander Alpha-17, are also on Coruscant. Knowing that having troopers appear before the council without their associated Jedi would raise many eyebrows, Plo has Qui Gon Jinn, Anakin Skywalker, and Bruck Chun called to the Council with order to bring Commander Cody, Commander Alpha-17 (since Obi had indicated having Alpha there would make him feel better), and trooper Shield with them. Wolffe waits with them while Plo briefs the Council. The Jedi in the waiting room are curious and confused as to why this one specific trooper (Shield/Obi Wan) has been called in and why all of the present clones seem to be hovering protectively. 

They are called into the Council Chamber. Plo has told them very little (What Wolffe had told him plus that the non clone in question had been temple raised and was currently in Force Suppressing cuffs). In part he wants to see if the others will come to the same conclusions that he did. In part because while he doesn’t believe that any Jedi would have done what the clones think they did, he needs to be sure (and seeing their reaction to Obi Wan and his story first hand was the only way he could be). 

When Shield removes his helmet, the only person who recognizes him immediately is Bruck Chun, who blurts out “Oafy-Wan?” and then is horribly embarrassed about it (At 13 he had been a bully, but he had grown into a decent adult, particularly since he was fighting a war, and is embarrassed that his first thought when seeing the other man was the insulting nickname from two decades before). The clones are not impressed with Bruck Chuns reaction (Alpha is growling outright at his general). Before Bruck could apologize, Yoda said Obi Wan’s name. 

Obi Wan nods agreeably and says that is a name he has been called.  A question about the Force suppressing cuffs and collar (still covered by his blacks), has Obi Wan answering “Jango Fett insisted that I be unable to use the Force when I was given to him.” (Whenever he speaks of Jango, it is alway ‘Jango Fett’). It also becomes clear to the high council, Bruck Chun, and Anakin (though the latter has no idea of the backstory) very quickly that Qui Gon Jinn had lied to the council about how and why Obi Wan left the Order.

Every question that is asked of him seems to have a horrifying answer. When asked about The Young, he explains about the group of children trying to stop a war (the youngest was 5, the oldest 14 when he joined). The High Council grows very quiet as he speaks, this was not what they were told. Qui Gon Jinn shifts a little as a twenty year old lie is exposed, particularly as he is given a look from various members of the council that say they will be discussing this, soon. Mace asks why Obi Wan is so sure the Young are dead (as finding out how they died is one of the horrifically few things that Obi Wan is asking for). Obi Wan is silent for a moment then responds that he doesn’t for sure, but it has been 10 years and he hopes that the rest of the Young had found something like peace and that death was the most realistic way of that happening. He is asked why Obi Wan never tried to contact the Order during his year on Melida/Daan. He clones bristles at even the suggestion that their Shield was in any way responsible. 

Obi Wan gave a semi confused look and said “My comm unit, like my lightsaber, belonged to the Jedi Order. How would I have done that?”

 This was news to most of the Jedi present (Neither the comm or the light saber should have been taken). With the exception of Qui Gon Jinn (who admits that he should not have lied to the council but doesn’t think he did anything else wrong), Obi Wan (who has a skewed vision of how he should be treated), and the clones (who know this entire story and have moved onto anger) the entire room is abjectly horrified to realize that Jinn had abandoned Obi Wan in a war zone, weaponless, and with no way to call for help (Plo Koon in particular is halfway to breaking out the adoption paperwork for the entire GAR most of the time anyway, right now he is practically vibrating with the need to get them all away from a war). 

 Mace Windu brings the room back to order. He declares that the council needs to speak with Master Jinn (and the way that he said Qui Gon’s name indicated that the Master in the title might be temporary).  He asks Bruck and Anakin to escort the clones (with Obi Wan) to the healers so they could begin to get the cuffs and collar off.  It is up to Obi Wan if he wants to wear his helmet until he reaches the healing hall or not. The council could not guarantee out of hand that Obi Wan would be allowed to stay with Cody, but they would do everything in their power to make sure it happened. 

Just before they leave, Obi Wan bites his lip and visibly struggles with something he wants to say. When prompted he explains that he has (over the course of his time on Kamino) seen virtually every step in the growth and decanting process for the clones. Every step except one, where he believes that something is embedded in the brains of each clone. He doesn’t know what it is or what it does, but he asks that the Jedi Council investigate since he is afraid it is something that will hurt the clones. 

The walk to the healers was tense. Bruck and Anakin were both trying to silently work through what had just happened. It is a bit sad that neither are surprised at Jinn's actions. Vokara Che and Bant Eerin are the ones that meet them. Bant is angry with Obi Wan (because from her perspective he just left 20 years ago and never contacted her or their other friends again) but Bruck of all people stop her from saying anything hurtful by telling her there is more to it than she realizes.  

Once they have all piled into a private room, Healer Che asks Obi Wan to take off his armor (No there was no good reason that the various hangers on were allowed to be there, they just kind of kept following and no one said anything about it). Obi Wan requests that the head medic for the 212th be called down, as he has been the most involved with treating his injuries and so would be able to answer questions better.  Cody helps Obi Wan remove his armor (The cuffs affect the way that his wrists bend, making it harder to put on or remove certain pieces of the armor). 

When his top comes off, all movement in the room ceases.  The skin of his torso is a patchwork of green and brown (the bruising he received over the past 10 years was so regular and deep that even 8 months after Jango Fett died they were still healing. The only reason that he did not have actual nerve damage was his healing abilities).  While the Jedi in the room can barely react under the horror of what they were seeing, Alpha looks at the patchwork, pleased. He comments that it all looks to be healing well. 

Under the bruises were a map of scars, telling a horrifying tale.  The worst of which sat on each wrist and the base of his throat, metal digging into flesh and embedded in thick uneven scaring (A note on Obi Wan’s healing, as long as he lives he will heal. Things that should have become debilitating, life changing injuries heal into simple scars. Things that should have killed him because of infection do not. It does not speed up his healing, and though it takes much more he still bears scars).

When he is asked he tells them that the metal cuffs had been welded onto him. And yes he felt every minute of the metal being superheated.  Obi Wan would prefer to remain awake when the metal is removed (no they would not have to worry about him flinching because “Jango Fett did not like it when I flinched from the pain he wanted to inflict”). By the time he has won that argument, the 212th's head medic, Hypo, has arrived. 

The process of removing each metal band takes 3 Jedi healers working in tandem and hours of painstaking, deeply disturbing work.  They save the collar for last. As the last piece of metal was pulled from his flesh, Obi Wan inhaled sharply. 

“Three of the Young are still alive” he breathes, even as he doesn’t move.

Cody, who had been sitting carefully with Obi Wan, grips his hand. “Then we will help you find your family.” He promises. 

In a Cell in the lower levels of the Temple, Darth Maul perks up as he feels a familiar Force Presence. He calls attention to a guard and demands to see Obi Wan Kenobi. The guards do not know who this is but pass along his request to the high council, who are a bit confused.

I am not sure where exactly it would go from here.  I would kind of want to see the 212th being handed over to Obi Wan, though I am not sure how it would be justified. I figure that the first time that Obi Wan meets the Chancellor he has a bad reaction (Due to the Chancellor being one of the people that had experimented on them) but is able to hide it, and passes along his suspicions. They do eventually find the three other surviving Young (Nield, Cerasi, Roenni) as well as children that they (and various other members of the Young over time) had been forced to have, there was even a child who had been fathered by Obi Wan (Who does not remember this and is deeply unhappy with those facts) who have all also been experimented on.  

Part 3/7 - Previous / Next / First

Track: ‘Soldiers’ - Otherwise

Wolffe didn’t understand what was happening when Plo Koon was suddenly handing him his lightsaber. And he still couldn’t quite put the pieces together when he noticed Cody go flying through the air under Padawan Tano’s guiding force. But he definitely understood the tightness of fear in his chest when Rex and Cody ran directly at the Sith Lord who had just beaten one of the strongest Jedi he knew to exist.

“Son,” Plo Koon's voice cut through Wolffe's fear, a sense of calm in his storm, and dragged Wolffe back to the Kel Dor and his offered saber. “Your family needs you.”

Wolffe's world shifted to an odd halt as he considered what was happening. Thoughts that haunted him flooded through him, bit at the edges of his mind with doubt. What was he going to do? What could he ever do?

Wolffe has felt useless before, has lost everything in an instant. He has watched his brothers die often enough to wade constantly in hopelessness. And he remembers fruitlessly hugging his brothers close when they were all just cadets, wishing for an option other than the trials for war. There were so many times Wolffe, the supposed strong and intimidating commander he was, had only felt pointless and worthless. So many times he had cried to the galaxy to give them all something to hope for, something to make all the pain worth it.

And yet, Wolffe realized in a bright instant, he always had it. In his stillness he remembered how Plo Koon called him son, and meant it as much as Wolffe did calling Plo his Buir. How after each battle he would come back to the 104th and be greeted with just as much warmth from his brothers as respect, finding strength in each other. That at the end of the day, it was his family that had always kept him fighting, striving to stay hopeful and survive. It always had been and always will be his family that makes this life worth living, and he would do anything and everything to keep it that way.

Wolffe locked eyes with Plo Koon for a moment just long enough to convey everything he knew the Jedi could already see clearly. And as the world came crashing back to him he took the saber without an ounce of hesitation.