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Anakin was ecstatic. He was finally on a real mission! He’d been a Padawan for almost six years now and so far, he’d only been on boring missions. Obi-Wan had insisted that they weren’t boring, that they were all as important as another. Anakin knew better, most of the missions he had been on we’re nothing more than formalities, he’d been witness to several ‘important’ document signings, and escort a lot of posh senators to places. This was his first investigation mission, and it was going great!
He wasn’t exactly sure what planet he was on; it was probably in the mission document. Which he had told Obi-Wan he had read, and he had! Mostly, ish. Ok, he had skim read it. But he knew the basics, that was the important thing!
They were investigating the disappearance of a senator’s daughter, they had been on the planet for three days now and got almost nowhere. He had had to sit though several hours of Obi-Wan making niceties with the senator and his wife before they finally got on with their job.
It was a bit infuriating with how little evidence they found, that was until Obi-Wan had decided they both needed a break from the senator’s house, walking around the city and finding a good spot to eat.
“We’re meant to be investigating Master, what are we doing all the way out here? We’ll never find any clues here.”
Obi-Wan just smiled at him, thanking the waitress who arrived with their food. “I’ve found its always good to have a general idea of what else goes in behind the scenes. Especially with senators.”
“But how are we meant to find his daughter all the way out here?”
“We might not, but have you noticed the posters?”
“What posters?”
Obi-Wan pointed towards a small notice board in the café, several posters of missing people stuck on.
“Oh, that isn’t good.”
“No, it’s not.”
“But the senator didn’t say anything about other people missing.”
“Indeed, he might not know, or he might be prioritising his own daughter.”
“Neither of those options sound good.”
“They don’t.”
The pair quickly finished their meals before looking over the missing posters. Obi-Wan pointed out that the first poster was dated from a week before the senator’s daughter went missing.
“There is an awful lot of ship traffic here,” Obi-Wan said of hand on their walk back to their rooms, “You wouldn’t be able to find any information about docking records from just before the disappearance started would you Anakin? You’ve got more of a knack for that then I do.” Obi-Wan asked with a smile.
“Y-yeah, I can do that!” grinning he got to work, slightly shocked that Obi-Wan had asked him to do something bordering on illegal. Then again, he’d never been on this sort of mission with his Master before.
He was used to his master being the perfect Jedi, at least to other people. Many of his classmates, and nearly all the initiates were jealous of him being padawan to the Sith Killer. At first Anakin was intimidated by this, how would he live up to such a perfect master?
It didn’t take him long to learn the truth. Obi-Wan wasn’t completely perfect, he was actually a bit of a dork. He never seemed to sleep enough, drank too much tea and had a secret sweet tooth. Obi-Wan had found his secret stash of chocolate in the kitchen a couple of years into his padawanship, he may or may not have taken some now and again. If Obi-Wan noticed he never said anything, or moved the stash.
It took Anakin most of the night, but by morning he had a complete list of all the ships which came in and out of the docks in the last three weeks. There was only one ship which had docked before the disappearances started and was still here. The Gurt.
“Good job Anakin,” Obi-Wan had praised, “It might be best to have a little look around.”
The pair made their way back to their own ship, with the excuse of sending a message to the Jedi council for an update on their mission, which wasn’t technically a lie, as Obi-Wan did also do that once they got there.
Anakin was double checking his lightsaber, when Obi-Wan stopped him. “I want you to stay here.”
“What? But the mission!”
“I need you here in case something goes wrong and I need you to call for back up.”
“That’s not fair!” Anakin shouted; he wasn’t about to be left behind on his first real mission.
“It is perfectly fair, and even if it wasn’t, it’s the best course of action.”
Anakin felt himself grow angrier at Obi-Wans calm reply. “Why don’t you trust me? I can do it!”
“Anakin! It’s not that I don’t trust you, I do. But I have no idea what we will be going into and I need you here. I need to know you are safe, I’m your master and its my responsibility-“
“We’ll you’re a terrible master! I’m the best out of my class in all my saber classes.”
“I know that-“
“If Master Jinn was here, he’d let me come.”
Anakin watched as Obi-Wans face flickered before closing off, but he was too angry to place the emotion on his master’s face. Instead, he stormed to his room and slammed the door.
He sat on his bed, stewing in his anger, he vaugly heard Obi-Wan tell him he was going out, asking him almost timidly not to leave the ship Anakin huffed, it wasn’t like Obi-Wan would even notice if he did anyway!
It took him almost half an hour to calm down from his anger, and not much more then that for guilt to eat away at him. He hadn’t meant it. He was just annoyed he couldn’t be part of the mission. Thinking back on their argument he finally placed the look on Obi-Wans face, he looked so hurt by Anakin’s words. Anakin bit his lip nervously as he pulled out his comm, he really didn’t mean any of what he said. He hoped Obi-Wan knew that, Obi-Wan was like a brother to him! A bit annoying and overprotective, but that’s what a big brother should be.
There weren’t any messages on the comm. Heading back into the ship’s kitchen Anakin grabbed himself a snack, they’d missed breakfast in their rush to find The Gurt. It was when he sat down on the table when he noticed something else wrong. There was a comm on the table. Obi-Wans comm to be exact. Obi-Wan’s comm which he was meant to call Anakin from is he got into any trouble. Obi-Wan was out investigating kidnappers with no back up!
Anakin sent out a small question in the force towards Obi-Wan, the equivalent of ‘You ok?’ there wasn’t a response. In fact, when he searched for Obi-Wans force presence, he couldn’t find it!
Panicking Anakin paced the small kitchen, not sure what to do. Obi-Wan was probably masking his force presence in order to sneak around the dock. There was probably nothing to worry about. Obi-Wan had told him to stay in the ship, and after their argument Anakin really didn’t want to leave the ship and not be on it when Obi-Wan returned. But there was a niggling thought of what if Obi-Wan was in trouble. Anakin would never know!
Grabbing both comms Anakin left the ship, it was better for Obi-Wan to be mad at him then in trouble and needing help. Locking up the ship he started towards where he knew The Gurt to be docked.
It was only when he got a lot closer did he start noticing a fait trace of Obi-Wan, still too closed off to make any contact, but enough that if he focused he would be able to track him. Grinning Anakin set off in the direction, noticing the warning in the force a second too late as pain blossomed across the side of his head.
Waking up sore and stiff was pretty normal, especially after a hard training session. This was nothing like that. Everything hurt. Anakin groaned as he tried to sit up, moving to rub his eyes, only then noticing his arms were tied behind his back. Something was very wrong.
Trying not to panic he looked around, he was in a small cell, by the walls it looked like it was inside some ship. Reaching out with the force to try and get the cuffs off his wrists Anakin gasped. He couldn’t feel the force. At all. The itching at his neck was enough to tell him he’d also been fitted with a collar.
With his arms tied behind his back and no access to the force he couldn’t attempt a proper escape, not without help. His ribs felt like someone had used them as a drum and he had a splitting headache, probably from where he’d been hit. Obi-Wan was going to be so mad he’d left the ship, if he ever saw him again.
“Hey!” he shouted, trying to get someone’s attention, “Hey! Let me out!” no one came.
He sniffed; he wouldn’t cry. He was a jedi padawan. He would be patient and wait until someone came in, then at the opportune moment, he’d manage to make his escape and find his master. He wasn’t exactly sure how he’d escape just yet, but that was a problem for future Anakin. He was never going back to being a slave.
Time passed slowly, especially with no way of tracking it, it didn’t help he had no idea how long he’d been unconscious for. He really hoped Obi-Wan would come find him soon. Although his Master probably didn’t even know he was missing yet. His Master who had done so much for him. He’d taken him on as a Padawan even though he’d just lost his own Master. When he eventually learnt Anakin had been a slave, a couple of years into his padawanship, Obi-Wan had gone on a rampage through the temple. It was the most bizarre thing Anakin had ever seen. His normally calm and collected Master storming though the temple, chastising the council members and chewing them out completely before taking Anakin to the Healers to get his slave chip removed.
His Master had then gone to great lengths to get the council to agree to a mission to save his mother. They hadn’t allowed either Obi-Wan or Anakin to go personally, but Obi-Wan had managed to get one of his close friends, Master Vos, to head the mission. Anakin had never been particularly keen on Vos, not until he’d not only recused his mom, but also dropped her off at the Naboo Palace, where a job and flat were already waiting for her, along with a comm direction to Anakin.
Anakin smiled at the memory, wincing as it pulled at the cut along the side of his head. Alarms blaring made him jump. Focusing back onto the present. Lights were flashing under the door to the cells. For the first time since he woke up, he could hear other people. It didn’t sound good. There were screams, shouts and the sound of blasters shots.
He wiggled in the restraints, hoping to get free. He might be able to use whatever is happening as a distraction. He could get free. Find Obi-Wan and all go home safely.
An echoed roar sounded from within the ship, a barrage of blaster shots coming shortly after. Anakin froze. He’d never heard anything like that before. He was scared, whatever it was it didn’t sound friendly. The sound of screams and blasters eventually stopped. A single pair of running footsteps sounded near his door, beeping of the lock sounded, the door unlatching and opening an inch before there was a loud thud and rumbling growl.
Anakin bit his lip to stay quiet, he had never been so scared before, not even with Watto. Here he was completely useless, tied up with no access to the force. He really wished he’d never left the ship. He wanted his Obi-Wan.
He could hear the man outside begging for his life.
“Tell us where he is!” Anakin shivered at the growled voice; it didn’t sound like anything he’d ever heard before.
“P-please, I-I don’t-“
The begging stopped with a scream, a growl and several crunching sounds. Anakin tried very hard to not think about what was happening just outside. He hoped whatever beast was outside didn’t notice the door.
There was silence, even the alarms seemed to have been cut off. The lights still flashing a low red every few seconds. Anakin pleaded to the force and every god his mum had ever taught him about that he wouldn’t be noticed, that he would be able to survive whatever this was.
“Anakin? Anakin, where are you?”
Anakin blinked; he knew that voice. That was Obi-Wan!
“Obi-Wan!” He whispered, hoping his master would notice but whatever monster was loose wouldn’t.
The door opened and the familiar sight of his master was the best thing he could ever imagine seeing. He almost started crying in relief.
“Oh Ani!” Obi-Wan dashed across the room, fiddling with the electronic lock and dropping to his knees before his Padawan. Hands hovering over all the cuts on Anakin’s face, as if unsure his touch would be welcome. Anakin couldn’t have that.
He practically threw himself forwards into his Master’s arms, Obi-Wan pulling him in tight.
“We were so worried dear one.” Obi-Wan muttered into Anakin’s hair
“We have to get out of here.” Anakin whispered, not wanting to attract the monster to their location.
“Of course,” Obi-Wan whispered back, quickly releasing the cuffs on Anakin’s arms and taking a good look at the collar. “I’m not sure I have tools to take this off here. Can you wait to get back to our ship?”
“Yes, just please, there’s something on the ship we really need to go.”
“Can you walk?”
Anakin stumbled to his feet, taking a few moments to find his balance. “Yeah, let’s go. D-did you find anything about the missing people?” Anakin asked.
“Already freed, they had begun transporting them all to another transport ship, I called the authorise and they’re dealing with it. When I got back to our ship and you weren’t there, and weren’t on the transport with the others, we were terrified.”
They made their way carefully through the ship. There was no evidence of whoever or whatever had been outside before, apart from a large puddle of what looked suspiciously like blood. Anakin swallowed nervously.
“Here,” Anakin looked up at Obi-Wan, who was holding out his lightsaber. Anakin took it, holding it tight.
“T-Thank you.”
“One of the slavers had taken it, they were trying to deconstruct it.”
“No, well yes thank you for this, but I- I mean thank you for coming and getting me.”
Obi-Wan paused in his sneaking around the corridors looking for an exit. Turning to look at Anakin. Anakin really hoped his master didn’t notice how close to crying he was. All he wanted to do was get back to their ship, get this damn force collar off and bask in Obi-Wans warm force presence.
“There’s no need to thank us dear one. We would always come for you.”
Anakin sniffled and gave a weak grin. His master had a strange habit of using ‘we’ sometimes, most often when worried, nervous or very excited. Anakin guessed it might have something to do with which ever planet he had been born on, he didn’t notice any of the other Jedi speaking like that.
The look of horror on Obi-Wans face was the only warning he got before he was yanked behind his master. Obi-Wan managing to push him to safety as the sound of a blaster going off far to close sounded. A grunt from Obi-Wan drew his attention. He had taken the shot meant for Anakin, directly to the chest. Anakin was panicking. He Master had just been shot in the chest! He could see blood spreading quickly from wound.
Strangely, Obi-Wan hadn’t fallen to the ground. He didn’t even look like he was in pain. He just looked angry, it took Anakin a moment to place the emotion, having never seen it on his Master before. It was rage.
The slaver, stood only a couple of feet away, looked terrified.
Anakin watched, horrified, as Obi-Wan snarled at the slaver, “How dare you! No one tries to hurt our Padawan!”
It was the same voice as the monster from before. He watched, transfixed and unable to look away as black spiderweb like goo quickly covered his Master, growing in hight and bulk before an arm shot out quicker than his could process. The slaver didn’t get the chance to scream before his head was bitten off by a mouth opening too far, filled with too many teeth.
The thing turned to him. Large pupil-less eyes fixed to his. Anakin couldn’t breathe. Was this still Obi-Wan? Did it want to eat him too?
“Do not tell him we ate someone in front of you. He is no fun and will not be happy.”
“W-what?” Anakin was thoroughly confused, and not a hundred percent sure he wasn’t already dead.
“Obi-Wan. He does not like it when we eat people.”
“That does sounds like something he wouldn’t like.”
“He hardly ever lets us eat people. They have to be ‘very bad’” the large monster sounded like he was trying to copy Obi-Wan’s accent. Anakin didn’t like it.
“W-well it’s not good to eat people. H-have you eaten Obi-Wan?”
The thing huffed. “No. I would never eat him. He is our favourite. He is a looser.”
“R-right.”
“You are our second favourite. You are also a looser.”
“Thank you?” If anyone else had called him that he would have gotten angry, but whatever this was still had Obi-Wan inside.
“You are welcome.” The thing sounded pleased as it started walking, seeming to know the way out.
“I-is Obi-Wan ok?”
“He is unconscious. We are healing him. We will not let him die. He is ours.”
“Healing him?”
“Yes. We cannot have a broken host.”
Anakin was sure that this was either a very vivid dream or he was dead. Maybe he’d got a concussion from the hit to the head and this all just a weird hallucination. This was not happening. He had gone crazy. Deciding to go along with the hallucination; at least for now, he followed after it.
“So, what do I call you?” Anakin asked as he jogged to keep up with the thing next to him, it switched between walking like a human and traveling on four limbs.
“We are Venom.”
“Venom. Are you venomous?”
“No.”
“…. Really?”
Venom paused, head snapping around to peer down a corridor before leaping on all fours at a couple of slavers, teeth and claws ripping through them easily. Anakin felt vaguely sick.
“You’re not going to eat me, right?”
“No. Obi-Wan would not be pleased. He would complain a lot.”
“Right, I’m not sure that makes me feel any more comfortable. How do I know he’s actually alive in there?” Anakin asked.
Venom turned to look at him, large white eyes unblinking. Anakin was just about to shift backwards, unnerved by the stare, when Venoms mouth split open, opening wider and wider, pealing back until Anakin could see his Masters face. Venom sliding off enough to reveal both Obi-Wans face and chest.
He looked almost peaceful, if it wasn’t for the dead bodies half eaten around them and the goo like tendrils of venom keeping him standing Anakin would have thought he was just asleep.
Most importantly he was breathing, his chest rising and falling. His chest, which several minutes ago had a massive hole blasted through, had almost healed. The only sign that anything had happened was the huge hole in the centre of his clothes and a still pink looking mark which matched the placement of the blaster.
Venom re-encased Obi-Wan.
“He will wake soon. We have almost healed him.”
“Wizard.” Anakin muttered, before following venom to the ships exit. They hadn’t run into anyone else on the way out, Anakin wasn’t sure if that was due to the fact they had managed to avoid everyone, or if Venom had already eaten them all. He decided not to think about it too much.
The ship was still docked where it was before. Unfortunately, that meant there was still plenty of dock worker wandering around. And venom wasn’t something you easily over look.
“Get ready to catch.”
“Catch? What do you mea-“ Anakin jumped forwards. Venom had retreated back inside Obi-Wan; his master stumbling forwards.
The pair ended up half leant against the wall, Anakin taking the majority of his master’s weight. “Master? Obi-Wan?” There was a groan of a reply, his masters eyelids fluttering open.
“A-Ani? Wha?”
Anakin was glad Obi-Wan wasn’t a big man, struggling slightly he managed to move them both so his master’s arm was over his shoulder.
“Come on, let’s get back to the ship.”
There was a mumbled reply Anakin couldn’t figure out, but Obi-Wan did attempt to keep himself up and walking.
Getting back to the ship was surprisingly easy. There wasn’t any security around, probably all dealing with the slavers Obi-Wan had found and reported. The few people who did see them didn’t bother them, most likely thinking Anakin’s was dragging his drunk friend home.
By the time they got to the ship Obi-Wan was able to walk by himself. Anakin was pretty impressed with Venom’s healing capabilities, to go from a hole in your chest to fully healed in less than an hour? That was some serious power.
The first thing his Master did once safely back in their ship was grab their tool kit.
“Sit down dear one, let’s get this horrible thing off you. I know how awful they can be.”
Anakin sat, leading his head to the side to allow Obi-Wan the space to work. A few muttered curses later and the collar dropped off. The force rushing back to him so far it made him feel light headed.
“Here, have a drink. I’ve got some bacta patches for your head too.”
Taking the offered glass Anakin drunk it slowly, allowing Obi-Wan to fix up his head.
“M-master, what was that thing?”
“I- well. Give me a moment.” Anakin watched as Obi-Wan pottered around the kitchen, grabbing a bag he had never noticed before from one of the cupboards along with a drink of hot chocolate. He took a seat opposite Anakin and sighed heavily. Not quite meeting Anakin’s eyes.
“That was Venom. He’s part of me, sort of. I- I understand if you wish to transfer to a new master. I know I haven’t always been the best Master; I’ve tried. But you’re right, there’s a lot more suitable Master’s for you, any would be lucky to have you.”
“What?” Anakin felt like he had just been gutted. “No! No master I was wrong. I didn’t mean any of it before. I was just angry, I should have let it go into the force, I’m sorry. Please Obi-Wan, I only want you as a master.”
Obi-Wan glanced at him, seeming a bit unsure. “I-if you’re sure. I know you didn’t get a choice like any other initiate. If, at any point, you want a different, better master, I would let you.”
“I don’t want another Master. I promise.” Anakin tried to send out as much honestly about the statement to Obi-Wan in the force, hoping his master would believe him. Throwing in all the love and admiration he could at the same time. He hated seeing the unsure, sad look on Obi-Wan, he'd do anything to not have Obi-Wan look like that.
“O-oh,” Obi-Wans eyes tears up and Anakin really hoped it was good tears and not bad tears. The crushing hug he was enveloped in seemed to be good sign though. Along with Obi-Wans force presence sending back his own love and attachment, and just how proud his Master was of him.
The pair spent several moments holding each other before Anakin spoke. “You still haven’t really explained the whole Venom thing. Is it some kind of parasite?”
“He’s not-“
“We are not a parasite!” Anakin yelped, falling back off his chair. As venom interrupted, tendrils forming a head over Obi-Wans shoulder.
“-a parasite.” Obi-Wan finished sighing heavily. “V, please. We don’t want to traumatise him!”
“He called us a parasite.” Came the grumbled reply. “We are a symbiote.”
Anakin re took his seat, Obi-Wan didn’t seem too worried about what was going on, more exasperated than anything else.
“And that is…?” Anakin asked.
“An organism living in symbiosis with another, in this case, Venom and I.” Obi-Wan explained. “Technically he could he described as a parasite-“
“Don’t call us that!”
“Oh, do calm down dearest.”
“We’ll eat your liver.”
“I’m sure you will, now did you want this chocolate?” Obi-Wan asked, opening up the bag he’d brough from the kitchen, stuffed with various types of chocolate.
“Yessss”
Anakin watched the interaction between his master and venom with a fascinated horror. Venom’s head diving into the bag Obi-Wan had brought over. “D-did he just threaten to eat your liver?!”
“Oh yes, he’s eaten a few of my organs, mostly at the start of our partnership, before he found out what a base line human is meant to be like.”
“But he said he wouldn’t eat you!”
“Did he? I knew he cared really.”
“How long has, this, been going on for?”
“I think I was thirteen or fourteen when we bonded, I can’t quite remember.”
“How many people know about it?”
“Including you and me?” Anakin nodded at Obi-Wans question, “Two, three if you include venom.”
Anakin was shocked. “No one else knows?! What about the healers? Did Master Jinn know?”
There was a snarled hiss at the Master’s name from venom, Obi-Wan ignored it so Anakin decided to do the same.
“No, Master Jinn didn’t ever find out. Venom’s never been particularly keen on him. Venom heals any serious injuries, and as you know, I tend to avoid the halls of healing.”
“Yes, but I thought that was because you didn’t like needles or something, not because you had a whole other thing living inside you!”
“Symbiote.” Venom helpfully added.
“Is that why you use ‘we’ instead of ‘I’ sometimes?”
“I do? Oh, I hadn’t noticed. Yes, it’s probably something I’ve picked up from V. I thought I’d been very careful about hiding everything.”
“You don’t do it often; I’ve probably only noticed as your Padawan. I-is the sweet tooth his too then?” Anakin pointed at the bag of now empty chocolate.
“Unfortunately, I was never particularly fond of sweets until Venom came along. V needs phenethylamine to survive. Which is found in chocolate.”
“And brains”
“Thank you V, I wasn’t going to tell him that!”
“You’re welcome.”
Obi-Wan sighed, rubbing his head. “Yes, I eat far too much chocolate as a comprise to not eating people. I’d rather not toe the line of potential cannibalism too often if I can help it.”
“Would it count as cannibalism? Seen as he’s not human?” Anakin wondered.
“Good question Padawan mine, one I’ve thought about a lot, and I have no idea what the right answer is.”
“Huh. But only bad guys right?”
“I would prefer not to eat anyone, but yes, V and I have come to an agreement that he will only eat bad guys.”
“Like the man who shot you.”
“Like the man who shot- wait. Venom did you eat someone in front of Anakin!”
“….no?”
Obi-Wan glanced over to Anakin for confirmation, Anakin felt like a rodent trapped in headlights, Venom glaring at him from over Obi-Wans shoulder.
“Well, I didn’t actually see it? Venom was in the way?”
Obi-Wan groaned and let his head hit the table. “Really V? It’s bad enough that we eat people but in front of Anakin?”
“He is taking it a lot better than you did first time We ate someone.”
“He doesn’t have you nattering away inside his head about eating his friends!”
“I also didn’t actually eat someone, just watched you eat someone.” Anakin added helpfully, by the look on Obi-Wans face, it probably wasn’t that helpful.
“I’m going to have to think of something to put down in the report. Anakin, I wouldn’t normally ask this of you, but is there any chance that maybe you might consider not telling anyone about this?”
Anakin was offended, “Of course I’m not going to tell anyone! I can’t see the council particularly liking the fact one of their best knights has a par- symbiote” he corrected at venoms glare, “living rent free in his head and occasionally eating people.”
“Thank you dear one.”
“How about an escaped creature?”
“What?”
“For the report? If they’re slavers it isn’t a stretch to say they has some captive animal on board either. We just have to make it look like it escaped and ran off!”
Obi-Wan nodded at his suggestion. “I do believe that might just work.”