Chapter Text
Obi-Wan
Obi-Wan’s grip on Anakin’s collar held firm as he swam. The boy of fifteen was unconscious beneath the waves. The current wasn’t strong. But Anakin wasn’t a light boy either. He sure knew how to eat his way through the galaxy that was for sure.
Obi-Wan swam up another ten feet. The faintest rays of the sun peeked through the water. God he hoped wherever they had crashed had land. Another twenty feet were cleared. More sunlight, less air. His lungs started to burn. Anakin was still deadweight beneath him.
If he dropped the boy, he could ward off the possibility of drowning. Obi-Wan tightened his grip and kept swimming. Another fire feet. His lungs were on fire. He needed air soon. Anakin still weighed heavily in his hand.
The weight became lighter. Obi-Wan looked to the side. Saw his old master Qui-Gon Jinn grabbing Anakin’s other arm. Together the two of them swam and swam and swam until they finally broke the surface.
Obi-Wan inhaled the rich air deeply and then coughed as the smell of shit wafted to his nose. Qui-Gon did as well, but Obi-Wan’s heart felt lighter as he saw a dock just up ahead.
What wasn’t good was the people gathering around it to see what had happened. They were dressed in tunics, breeches, and cloaks. They were dressed like a civilization still stuck in pre-ftl times he wagered. If he was right that was not good news. A lot of problems could arise from that. The first being that if this were a pre-FTL civilization, even a pre-industrial civilization, it meant that getting back home would be next to impossible.
“The dock,” Qui-Gon said.
Obi-Wan nodded and the two began to drag the unconscious Anakin toward the docks. More people morphed into view. Coming out of buildings, alleyways, or from the street. The docks soon became crowded with sailors and onlookers. Ships floated in the bay and those sailors on them looked at the three Jedi as well.
Upon reaching the dock a man in a golden cloak and plate armor reached his hand down. Face covered by a steel helm and the sun shining on his back.
“Give him here!” He said.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan sensed honest intentions from the man and did so. Helping push Anakin onto the dock before they themselves climbed atop. Soaking wet Obi-Wan scurried to Anakin, placing his ear over Anakin’s mouth and nose.
He felt nothing.
“He’s not breathing,” Obi-Wan told Qui-Gon.
The goldcloaked man bitterly scoffed. “Boy is too young to die like that.”
Obi-Wan placed his hands atop Anakin’s heart and began pressing down in an attempt to perform CPR. The goldcloaked man seeing this stepped forward. His face turned into a sneer.
“What’re you doing?! Boy’s dead don’t defile his body!” He yelled. The man moved to pull Obi-Wan off of Anakin but Qui-Gon stepped forward, his hand raised.
“Let him work.” The man calmly said.
The goldcloaked blinked. “I’ll let him work.” He stepped back as Obi-Wan continued his life-saving efforts.
The crowd that had gathered began to murmur among themselves. Some shouting curses at Obi-Wan for defiling a poor boy’s body. Others watched in silence, wondering what he was doing. While very few wondered why they were in the water in the first place and why that strange light had been.
An outrage sparked when Obi-Wan pressed his lips to Anakin’s and breathed two breaths into the boy. The man in the gold cloak stepped forward to yank Obi-Wan away. But the snap hiss of Qui-Gon’s lightsaber flicking on silenced the crowd.
They were frozen with wide eyes of terror and fear as Qui-Gon merely held the blade in front of him. The gold-cloaked man took a step back. His face grew ever paler as the blade hummed.
“Just watch,” Qui-Gon said.
A few seconds later Anakin coughed and sputtered. Water rushed out of his mouth as Obi-Wan turned him over. It splashed on his face and the dock before Anakin was finally able to take in a deep breath.
Obi-Wan patted the boy on the back. “You’re alright, you’re alright.”
Anakin dropped back onto the dock. “My head hurts.”
“By the Seven.” A woman said.
“The boy’s alive.” A man added.
The man in the gold cloak stepped back. “It’s a miracle.”
“The Seven has delivered us their will.”
The crowd that was gathered began to mutter prayers under their breath. Anakin winced and covered his eyes from the sun. Looking up at the crowd.
“Do…do they think we’re gods?”
“Praise be to the Seven who are one!” Some preached. “A miracle has happened. A young boy, saved by their will, by their light. Sending salvation to those of us who are not worthy.”
Obi-Wan sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Because that’s another problem we needed.”
Qui-Gon turned his emerald green blade off. Then the hiss of the blade dying, sounding out as he approached Anakin. He crouched down next to the boy and tilted his head from left to right.
He saw no exterior wounds. But he held his fingers up to Anakin’s eyes. “Follow them.”
Qui-Gon moved his fingers left to right and noted that Anakin’s eyes struggled to follow them. He then held his fingers steady and raised two more.
“Anakin, how many fingers am I holding up?” Qui-Gon asked.
Anakin squinted and the light seemed to hurt his eyes. “I don’t know. I’m seeing triple, so I’m guessing it’s not nine.”
Qui-Gon sighed and dropped his hand. “There’s a good chance you have a concussion.”
“Lovely.”
Qui-Gon stood to his feet. The man in the gold cloak seemed scared by him, Qui-Gon could sense the fear. He pushed on anyway and watched as the man straightened his posture.
“My boy needs a healer. He has taken a nasty hit to the head. Where might I find one?”
The man swallowed a lump in his throat. “U-uh that would b-be a Maester. But only the King and the nobility get them. B-but I do hear some brothels have women who know how to mend bone.”
Qui-Gon kept his emotions in check. Though Obi-Wan noted the fact that his old master was holding in a groan. Anakin still seemed out of it. His eyes were unfocused and loopy.
“Is there anything else?”
“N-not that I am aware of.”
Before anything else could be said the sound of multiple horse hooves beating against cobblestone rang out through the streets. The crowd gasped and parted as the formation of horses drew near. Qui-Gon adopted a regal and harmless stance while putting his hand in his sleeve. Obi-Wan counted fifteen riders and sensed another fifteen more.
The men atop the horses seemed to be knights by the way they were dressed. In much heavier armor than the man in the gold cloak. At the head of their formation was a man wearing white armor that looked like scales. Attached to his shoulders was a white cape that billowed in the wind. Making the knight seem almost regal compared to everyone else around them.
He was tall, with brown hair and eyes and a weathered face. His eyes stared at Qui-Gon before moving on to Obi-Wan and then Anakin. Before his gaze traveled back to Qui-Gon.
“You,” the man said to the gold cloak. His voice was deep and baritone. He looked out amongst the crowd. Some were still praying while a majority stared at the man with the white cape. “Explain.”
The man in the good cloak quickly explained what had happened. The man astride the horse listened intently before nodding and turning to Obi-Wan.
“Grab your boy and come with me. You are visitors on our shores and the people believe you to be gods.” He looked down at Obi-Wan’s belt. “Strange men with swords of fire. We will have to cease them before we take you with us.”
Obi-Wan moved to protest but Qui-Gon placed a steadying hand on his chest. Lightsaber already taken off from his belt and held out to the knight. “Peace, Obi-Wan. Let the man take his precautions so we can get Anakin the help he needs from these learned men.”
Anakin groaned. “Master, why are there ninety people on horses?” He groaned again. “Ugh, I feel sick.”
Obi-Wan unclipped his lightsaber and handed it to the man. He took both of them and then took Anakin’s as well once it was offered to him. Then two knights helped the boy stand and Anakin threw up on their boots.
“S-sorry.” He moaned. “God my head hurts.”
The knights sighed but they helped Anakin to a cart requisitioned from a merchant in the name of the king. Obi-Wan wondered who this king was but kept his mouth shut as Anakin was gently loaded on.
“You can ride with the boy.” The man with a white cloak said. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon climbed into the cart and the man with the white cloak rode beside them as they began to move. “Forgive my poor manners.” He said. “I have not introduced myself. You may call me Ser Oswell Whent.”
Qui-Gon nodded. “A pleasure.” He said. He gestured to himself then Obi-Wan and Anakin. “My name is Qui-Gon Jinn, this here is Obi-Wan Kenobi. And the boy who bumped his head is Anakin Skywalker.”
Ser Oswell looked at them strangely. “Odd names, I don’t believe I have heard such names before. Tell me, do you come from the shores of Yi-Ti? Or further east perhaps?”
Obi-Wan wondered why he mentioned only east and no other direction for a large landmass. But let Qui-Gon speak for the three of them.
“We come from a land very far away. One that is best spoken about in the privacy that your keep provides in a room without men's ears.” Qui-Gon calmly explained.
Ser Oswald looked behind him out toward the bay. Then he looked back at Qui-Gon. “Then I suppose you shall have that space. Once of course the king settles his affairs and wants to speak with you.” Ser Oswald looked to his belt where the lightsabers were held. “Though, with your flaming swords. I believe my liege will be most interested.” He passed. “With supervision of course.”
“We shall respect your customs and rules,” Qui-Gon said. “All I request in return is help for my boy.”
“And he shall get it.” Ser Oswald nodded.
They rode in silence for several moments and as they rode Obi-Wan noted that the massive red spire grew bigger and bigger. The red castle in the city was massive. With sprawling towers, bridges, walkways, and massive walls. Obi-Wan was slightly impressed. It was nothing compared to Corusant or anything he had seen before. But Obi-Wan did always appreciate good architecture.
Going through one of the gates both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan noted a massive number of guards. Just by sensing alone Obi-Wan could already feel two thousand of them in and around the many gates. Ser Oswald seemed to notice their concern and spoke.
“Apologies for all the guards. The Red Keep isn’t normally this on edge. The Queen Dowager was nearly killed a few hours before you arrived.”
“Is she alright?” Qui-Gon asked. His voice wasn’t tinged with worry. Yet his tone suggested he actually cared about the Dowager Queen’s safety and health.
“Only a bruised rear.” Ser Oswald responded. At Obi-Wan’s and Qui-Gon’s questioning glance he continued. “She was pushed down by Prince Aemon, though he prefers the name Jon. It was the weirdest thing. Before the assassin struck he was acting impudently. He whined that something was going to happen. Then in what seemed to be a fit of rage he ran into his grandmother and knocked her down to the ground. Before he could get his behind swatted a crossbow bolt embedded itself in the wall right where her head was.”
Qui-Gon perked up at that and so did Obi-Wan. “Sensed it before it happened, you say?” Qui-Gon hummed. “Forgive me if this is impolite, Ser Oswald. But has this price done anything similar before?”
Ser Oswald shrugged as the cart came to a stop in the courtyard. “Not that I can recall. However, he does seem to…have a certain way with animals. The Princess Rhaenys, she owns a mean ol cat. Scratches anyone who gets near it and hisses. All except for her. Yet the Prince seemed to tame it easily.”
Qui-Gon nodded. “I see. Interesting.”
Ser Oswald raised a brow of suspicion. “Is there something you are not telling me?”
“Only a theory at this point in time,” Qui-Gon answered.
Ser Oswald blew air out of his nose as he dismounted his horse. “Very well then. Out you go. Let’s get your boy to a healer. Then we can see about your meeting with the King.”