Despite the 'one-day' rule, Obi-Wan and Anakin had a habit of sharing before they were supposed to. There were some things that they understood about each other better than anyone else. Part of it was their Jedi background, part of it was how long they had known each other, and part of it was something more that neither of them could really explain.

While Anakin tackled the dishes, Obi-Wan sat at the bar counter and watched him. "I've certainly seen you in better condition."

"You're the third person to say that," he noted. "First Padmé, then Threepio, and now you. What's giving it away?"

"You have a scuff or two on your face." Pointing at his own face, Obi-Wan pointed out where he saw the injury. Anakin leaned forward and stared at his reflection in the window above the sink. Sure enough, he saw the same thing. "I take it that's what 'held you up?'"

Exhaling, Anakin scrubbed a plate. "Remember how we were told to never go to Malachor?"

"Yes. I assume that means you went there recently."

"The other day, actually," he clarified. "We just got back before I picked up Padmé. It's an old Sith temple surrounded by a petrified battlefield, all underground."

"Dare I ask why you decided to visit a taboo planet?"

"Ezra received a vision from Yoda."

Obi-Wan stared at him. "How does that qualify as a good reason? And since when is Yoda involved?"

Shrugging, he shook his head. "Last week, apparently. We were visiting a Jedi temple on Lothal, Ezra saw Yoda, and they got talking. Yoda told him he should go to Malachor but didn't explain why, of course." Sighing, Anakin scrubbed a dish aggressively. "I gave him the benefit of the doubt."

"Ezra or Yoda?"

"Yoda. I trust Ezra. It's not his fault Yoda's a bad influence. Or Maul, for that matter."

His face fell. "Maul... he was there?"

Anakin nodded. "At least I knew better than to trust him. Unfortunately, he's still very capable of weaseling his way into situations where he isn't welcome. He blinded Kanan, almost killed him."

Obi-Wan's gaze drifted off to the side as he ground his jaw. "I was hoping I'd never hear from him again."

He didn't need to explain. Maul had caused far too much grief in Obi-Wan's life. His return only created the possibility for more. Anakin recalled his interactions with the ex-Sith. "He hasn't changed much, from what you told me. He's very manipulative. Got a little too close to Ezra for my liking, actually."

"Is he alright?"

"He blames himself for what happened to Kanan," Anakin explained, shutting off the water and grabbing a rag to dry the dishes. "If I wasn't here, I'd want to keep an eye on him. He might need it for a couple of weeks."

"What about Maul's dueling?"

"Eh," Anakin shrugged, and he saw Obi-Wan smirk out of the corner of his eye. He smiled. "He's old; I don't think he's trained much in the past sixteen years. He's just as strong in the Force and just as good fighting, but not better."

Well, that was a relief. Maul was a threat, but at least he was no more dangerous than he had been previously. "What did he make of you?"

At the time, Anakin hadn't focused on it, but he guessed: "I think I was a little more than what he was expecting. Maul didn't anticipate that I would already have a second-hand history with him."

Nodding, Obi-Wan didn't respond and watched Anakin work for a minute. Anakin didn't mind, but he also watched his master. He was contemplating something.

When Anakin finished drying the dishes, he tossed the rag into a basket in the corner of the room and sat next to him. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking he's caused enough trouble," Obi-Wan muttered, making eye contact with Anakin. "Under different circumstances, I'd go and take care of him myself."

He thought about it. "Tempting. If I wasn't worried about the repercussions, I'd say go for it, but two Inquisitors just died. I'm not sure now's a good time to be taking chances with the Balance."

"Did you kill them?"

"Maul did."

"Of course," he groaned, rubbing his face. "All the more to my point, though. He certainly doesn't understand this Balance business as you do."

Anakin crossed his arms on the counter. "I'm not even sure I understand it completely. I remember on Malachor that I wondered if I should keep it in mind or ignore it. As it turns out, I didn't need to. Maul went ahead and made things complicated with the Inquisitors right before Barriss showed up."

"Oh, that sounds pleasant," he remarked sarcastically. "What did she want?"

"The same thing as Maul: she wanted the Sith temple," he answered. "Did I mention it's weaponized?"

"I don't think so, but I can't say I'm surprised."

"Nothing surprises you anymore."

"Except for the twins," he teased, glancing behind him toward the front of the house. "I don't think I'll ever be able to keep up with them completely."

That made Anakin smile. He knew Obi-Wan loved his apprentices more than life itself, but they were a handful. Luke and Leia's younger teen years were... interesting. They had matured over the past couple of years, but they were still very much moody and hormonal teenagers. The road to adulthood was a bumpy one.

His attention returned to the conversation at hand. "You know, when we went to Mortis, the least the Father could have done was give me an instruction sheet or some kind of checklist."

"If I remember the Father correctly, he would never do something that simple and straightforward," Obi-Wan predicted. "Neither would you. You always have to make things dramatic."

"I feel like I could be more efficient with the fate of the galaxy at stake."

"The fate of the galaxy was at stake then too."

"But more so now."

"We were fighting a galactic war!"

"And now we're fighting a galactic civil war. Your point?" Anakin asked, gesturing with his hands. "Last time, I wasn't accountable for what happened in the grand scheme of things. I'm not going to run off like Yoda did."

Obi-Wan rested a hand on his shoulder. "I know you won't, and so do the other Jedi. They wouldn't trust you so much if they thought you would abandon them."

He nodded, remembering his conversations with Ezra and Kanan before he left Chopper Base. They trusted him. If nothing else, Anakin had that, and he wouldn't stop fighting to keep it that way. For once, Anakin had no qualms about comparing himself to someone else. As long as he was doing better than Yoda, how bad could he be, really?

Fiddling with the straps of his glove, he admitted, "I chose not to do things that would have prevented certain events from happening. It could have changed the outcome of the mission. I was trying to stay open to all our options, and I might have allowed bad options to open up in that way."

"Maybe, but I don't believe you chose wrongly."

"How do you know?"

"Because I know you," Obi-Wan told him, "simple as that. You made decisions based on the trust between you and Kanan and Ezra, and you did what you thought was best at each moment. All three of you survived, and you will live long enough to face the consequences."

That had become something of a motto between them: 'Live long enough to face the consequences.' Anakin and Obi-Wan could get through anything and bounce back from any repercussions, so long as they were alive to do so. They could make it. The two of them always made it through everything. Anakin had to remember that.

"I've known you too long to doubt you now," Obi-Wan went on, making Anakin smile. "Whatever Kanan and Ezra will go through after this, you can walk them through it. You don't need to understand the Balance of the Force to do that."

"No, but it might help in other areas," he pointed out, but he did not take his master's encouragement for granted. "It's going to be a long walk for them."

That didn't surprise Obi-Wan either. As someone who had taken a similar journey before, he knew how long the walk could be, but he also knew it was bearable as long as someone was at your side.

Anakin closed his eyes and breathed out, steadying himself. He couldn't change the decisions he made, and he would have to answer for them soon. Soon, but not now. Now he was home, and he was safe. He would have the next few days to recover and seek advice from those he trusted, and when he returned to the Rebellion, he would be ready to help the other Jedi as best as he could.

At his side, Obi-Wan looked at him proudly. The burden of leadership was heavy, but his apprentice bore it well. He wanted to support and help the people who trusted and followed him. Anakin wanted to protect all of them, not just lead them. Some people saw war as a game of chess, where you directed the pieces and watched from above, but not Anakin. He was in the game, acting as a piece just as much as anyone else. When allowed to, he ran to the front lines, taking the brunt of the hit and guiding his forces to where they could do the most good. Obi-Wan may have been his master, but if the galaxy was dying and all hope was lost, it was he who would follow Anakin to the ends of the earth.

"Speaking of Yoda," Anakin remembered, looking up at Obi-Wan, "You'll never guess who I ran into on Lothal."

"Oh, this should be good," he groaned, but he pivoted in his chair and listened. "Do tell."

"The Council."

Obi-Wan's eyes widened, and he looked to the side. "That sounds entertaining. What did they have to say?"

Grinning, Anakin pretended to think about it. "Oh, the usual. Just a promotion."

He did a double-take, but Anakin's face gave away that he was telling the truth. "You're serious?"

Anakin shrugged. Sighing, Obi-Wan shook his head. "And I wasn't even there for it. You become a Jedi Master, and I'm sitting here on the couch," he complained, but he was smiling too. Standing up, he walked over to the cabinets and pulled out a drink and two glasses. "At least we can celebrate now."

While he poured drinks, Anakin felt Ahsoka's wind at his shoulder. "They weren't the only people I saw. Ahsoka was there too."

Obi-Wan froze. "Is she alright?"

"Better than ever, from what I could tell. You feel that wind blowing around right now?"

Right on cue, Ahsoka kicked up another gust in Obi-Wan's direction. It didn't take him long to put two and two together. "This entire time, that's been her?"

Anakin shrugged, smiling as Obi-Wan slid his glass to him across the counter. "I saw her right at the end of my vision with the Council. Not for long, though. We got interrupted by Inquisitors."

"How ironic," Obi-Wan laughed, holding up his glass. "Congratulations, Master Skywalker."

There weren't words to say in response. It was all Anakin could do to not spill his drink because he was smiling too much. He didn't imagine celebrating this particular accomplishment in this way when he was younger, but somehow it was better than what he had imagined. He couldn't see becoming a Master feeling this rewarding without the journey that had gotten him here.

Next to Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon appeared in the Force. Obi-Wan immediately scowled. "You knew, didn't you? You knew, and you didn't tell me?"

"It's his story to tell," Qui-Gon objected, and Anakin laughed again. Based on the draft he felt, he assumed Ahsoka was too. "I was just there to cheer him on. I wasn't going to spoil the good news."

"It wasn't my idea," Anakin claimed, raising his hands in surrender. "He insisted that I be the one to tell you."

"On one hand, I don't believe you, but on the other, that sounds exactly like something he'd do." Obi-Wan shook his head, but Anakin caught the grin on his face. He knew Obi-Wan secretly loved that his master was able to occasionally join them from the Cosmic Force.

Speaking of the Cosmic Force... "Hey, can you get a message from Ahsoka? I was wondering how Ezra and Kanan are doing."

Qui-Gon turned to the side and didn't move for a moment. It looked like he was staring at empty space, but Anakin and Obi-Wan knew he was listening to Ahsoka. After a minute, he turned back to the living Jedi. "According to her, it could be better. Kanan hasn't spoken much since he's been let out of the infirmary. Ezra's still struggling. She's doing her best to fill in while Kanan recovers, but as you know, it's not the same as speaking to a living friend. There's only so much she can do through her lightsaber."

He nodded, not happy with the circumstances but grateful that he had least knew what was happening. If he didn't need to recover himself, Anakin would much rather support the other Jedi, but he needed his family just as much as they needed theirs.

"How is she doing?" Obi-Wan asked, looking to the empty space where Qui-Gon had been staring a moment ago.

"Quite well, actually," he reported, smiling. "She's been very dedicated to keeping an eye on the Rebellion, especially the Jedi. The stronger she gets, the more often she can communicate beyond the Cosmic Force. Baby steps, of course, but progress nonetheless."

After her death, it seemed that Qui-Gon had become somewhat of a mentor to Ahsoka in the afterlife. Other than trying to teach her to project a Force Ghost, the two of them, along with Shmi Skywalker, had become the extended Naberrie family. Anakin missed being able to hold a conversation with Ahsoka, but he was glad she had Shmi and Qui-Gon to talk to when she needed it.

Qui-Gon looked up again before alerting Anakin and Obi-Wan. "It seems she's off again. She says that she's going to get back to Ezra, but she'll be here tomorrow for the family meeting."

"Good luck," Anakin called, knowing that she could hear him even if he couldn't hear her. "Thanks again, Snips."

"She says 'no problem.'"