Leilani reluctantly abandoned her search for her former Master, as she met with silence both through the comm and the Force. The vast expanse of space rendered her efforts futile, tethering her hands with the weight of the two parsecs distance. Though the voice of worry whispered in her mind, she found herself immobilised by circumstance, resigned to wait and hope for her return.

Returning to their apartment with a tunic intended for Anakin, Leilani discovered the scene she had left behind: Anakin, nestled in slumber, leaning against Obi-Wan's shoulder. The hydraulic hiss of the door alerted Obi-Wan to her presence, prompting him to hastily wipe away tears that had betrayed his facade of composure. However, it was too late; Leilani had already seen the vulnerability etched upon his features — just didn't say anything.

She carefully placed the folded clothes on one of the dressers, stealing another glance at the duo before approaching them. She made the decision to tuck the boy into bed and give Obi-Wan some space to move freely. With gentle and deliberate movements, she lifted Anakin's small body into her arms, ensuring not to disturb his peaceful sleep. As she held him close, she caught a glimpse of gratitude in Obi-Wan's still pained, foggy eyes. Getting Anakin to bed was a simple task, but leaving him alone proved to be more challenging. The boy turned in her arms, clinging to her once again, refusing to let go. Even after she placed him in bed, his little hands held onto her tightly, reluctant to release their grip.

Eventually, she relied on the Force to grant her the ability to step away from him temporarily, fully intending to return to his side later. With resolve, she stepped out and gently closed the door behind her, casting one more glance at Obi-Wan before walking over to stand in front of him. For a time, they remained in that silent stand-off, Obi-Wan fixated on the durasteel pavement beneath their feet, while Leilani's gaze lingered on him. Neither dared to break the silence or take the first step, hesitant to offer a gesture or even a word of comfort to alleviate the other's pain. It was akin to the moment Anakin had shared earlier — but they didn't want to go away either, they enjoyed just staying there, so close, yet mentally so far away.

"B—...Obi-Wan," her voice trembled as she said his name, but it still wasn't enough to get him to look at her properly. She sighed. "It isn't your fault." She found herself repeating the exact same words that she told Dooku earlier that day.

But how could it not be. He let him go alone, no matter if the walls were the only ones holding him back.

He could've done something. Something to save his Master.

Blame is the protector of the weak, blaming the surroundings, the actions of another. Blame is what destroys the will.

And above all, blame was not the Jedi way.

So, he didn't blame anything else.

Just himself.

She sensed his thoughts, they were loud, and like an open holobook. His guard was carelessly down — mostly because he hadn't the resolve to control it. Not now, at least. "Don't let it destroy you, Obi-Wan," she murmured. But how easy it was to say. "Qui-Gon knew the risks, and he felt the end coming too. It was his fate; as he'd say. No matter what you could've done, there was no way to change it."

"I—," he desperately wanted to respond, to say something witty, sarcastic or even just a simple answer, yet there was not a good or even complete sentence that could've expressed how he felt.

"It's alright, I don't expect a response, nor anything else...I just wanted you to know that no one blames you — he wouldn't blame you. And so, you shouldn't blame yourself." And while it seemed that her way of saying it had finally done the trick and the man looked up at her; it hardly mattered. She didn't stay, but walked back to Anakin's room, settling on the other single bed.

Obi-Wan remained seated on the sill for hours, lost in thought, reflecting on his actions, his decisions in combat, and his interactions with the woman. When he finally mustered the courage to seek forgiveness and follow after her, he found her already fast asleep, with the little boy cuddled to her. A hollow smile tugged at his lips as he looked at them, a mixture of remorse and gratitude flooding his heart. Only then did he turn away, retracing his steps to his own bed.

The morning arrived swiftly, offering little more than four standard hours of rest, especially for Kenobi, who found himself grappling with fatigue. As he struggled to rouse himself and stumble toward the fresher, he discovered that Leilani and Anakin were already awake, refreshed, and dressed. The scene in the morning light was one of care, with the boy seated on the couch and Leilani sitting right behind him, skilfully braiding his hair.

And perhaps, if he wouldn't have been so astonished by it, he could've thanked her for it.

The day went by as such, with a few words here and there; getting to the main hall with the Queen and the rest of the Order for breakfast, followed by a fascinating and elegant ceremony that united Naboo's two parts. The whole of Theed was filled with humans and Gungans, all celebrating and sharing sheer happiness, especially as Queen Amidala handed Boss Nass the Globe of Peace. And as soon as that ended, the Council parted; not there wasn't a banquet for this very reason and not that they weren't invited. It wasn't like any Jedi to attend.

Hasty goodbyes were said, last glances taken at the city and then their quest ended.

While Anakin and Obi-Wan's war has just started.

The landing back on Coruscant was a welcome one; for both Anakin and Obi-Wan who were simply talking on the way and for Leilani too who meditated separately on the far corner of the ship, accompanied by Master Yoda. Something was off in her eyes, with Master Yaddle still not answering and radio silence from Dooku too — therefore she went to the one closest to them. Yoda knew and could read Dooku like the back of his hand, teaching and partly raising him. Yoda was the one who witnessed him hungover for the first time as a young man, who was present when he had made most of his choices and even despite the rule of no attachment, he did care for his former and lost apprentice. Although, they haven't found any trace of her or him.

Being back in the Temple was no good either. Leilani took day and night to find her former Master and brother, hysterically insisting on checking the database again or even shouting at the useless droids that got in her way. Usually, if not her, not the temple droids, then her own astromech would've found something, but R9-T6 was just as clueless as the rest of them.

"Something, anything," she said, fist clenching on the sides of the holotable. "Track their movements, ships, surely you can do better than this." If she wasn't in such a state, perhaps she would've found arguing with droids rather quizzical. Now, she didn't care. No matter how many times Yoda has come to convince her to rest or to meditate on it, no matter how confused Anakin was when he saw her frown on the corridor. It went like this for days.

Having recently lost one of the closest people to her, Leilani found herself unprepared and unwilling to face the potential loss of the other two, regardless of the ominous signs pointing in that direction. No, not if she could help it.

"Leia, come, eat with us please," he begged. It wasn't the boy's first attempt to get her a proper meal instead of ration bars. Roles turned, it seemed, now she needed the boy's protection.

For once, she did let him win, knowing that Anakin wasn't the one to easily drop it. "Arnine, check the surveillance until that, the corridors and the hangar bay." The droid only beeped, which almost sounded like an understanding — even though Leilani definitely didn't just ask, but ordered him.

Anakin practically pulled the woman along to the mess hall and their table, where Obi-Wan was already seated, staring incredulously at the food before him.

"Is it any good?" she asked, noting his amusing expression.

Without even bothering to look up, he replied, "Is it ever?"

That was only partly why she preferred ration bars.

But she did serve herself and Anakin some food. Despite its funny appearance, it wasn't as terrible as it used to be.

"Have you had any luck finding Master Yaddle?" Obi-Wan was the first to break the silence as they sat down next to him. If Leilani thought there hadn't been a miracle in the day until now, that certainly was a first. Despite everything, he was concerned for her in his own way.

"None," Leilani admitted. "You'd assume that finding a person who is part of the High Council or a leader of a planet would be easy, but every lead I've pursued has come up empty. My brother is probably off-world, but there's nothing that could explain my master's disappearance."

"What about the security cameras? Did they record anything?"

"Arnine is checking them right now, and hopefully, he will find something," she replied before taking a bite of her food. "I would have preferred to return calmly, but for all it's worth, I'm not giving up. Only my patience is wearing thin."

Obi-Wan looked at her mockingly. "Ah, yes, that famous patience."

Leilani shook her head, refusing to react. It seemed that Obi-Wan had been acting as if nothing ever happened, no silence, no snarky glances for the past months if not years.

Anakin glanced between Leilani and Obi-Wan, sensing the tension lingering beneath their casual conversation. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, unsure of how to intervene or if he even should.

"Leia," Anakin said tentatively. "we'll find them. Master Yaddle and your brother, I mean. They'll turn up."

Leilani managed a weak smile in response to Anakin's attempt at reassurance. His unwavering optimism was both endearing and frustrating at times, but right now, she appreciated the gesture.

"Thanks, Ani," she said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Obi-Wan observed the exchange in silence, his thoughts drifting momentarily to his own concerns. He couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled over him since their return to Coruscant. Something wasn't right, and he couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.

"I'll help with the search," Obi-Wan offered finally, breaking the silence once again.

Eventually, their discussion came to a close, they finished the meal and rose from the table, making their way back to the communication centre. R9-T6 had already made progress, uncovering a few promising leads on the holo.

"It seems that they took different ships," Obi-Wan pointed out, looking at the display.

"Arnine, can you track those ships and approximate their landing locations?" Leilani requested, her tone firm.

The droid emitted a beep, sounding somewhat annoyed.

"I don't care if it's locked," Leilani persisted. "Override it, or at least attempt to locate the ship my Master went out with."

"You can understand him?" Anakin interjected, gazing at her with a mixture of surprise and admiration. He had never seen anyone communicate with droids so effortlessly.

"Binary? Yes, I can," she replied. "I grew up with this little purple bucket."

R9 emitted a furious whistle once more, nudging Leilani's legs from the side.

"I'll sell you for spare parts at the market if you do that again," she threatened playfully, nudging the astromech back to its previous position. Of course, she had no intention of doing so, but the threat was enough to get the droid back to exactly where she needed him.

"He found it," exclaimed Obi-Wan, pointing at the screen. The picture on the map was obvious, and so was the pulsating red mark on the middle of it.

Finally.