Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

When he regained his sense of hearing the first thing Darth Vader noticed was the unmistakable sound of the machines beeping loudly in his ears.

He had no idea how this happened nor where he was but he was starting to feel the panic rising inside him as his head was naturally bombarded with so many questions.

Where was he? How come he's hearing the sound of machines instead of silence of nothingness? Where was his son and most importantly who brought him here?

The last thing Darth Vader remembered before closing his eyes was the sight of Luke's face and how he talked about trying to save him.

The last thing Darth Vader said was that he was right about everything.

He was filled with a sense of pride, His son had turned out to be much better then he was, Unlike him Luke was just and kind and brave and most importantly wiser then he was.

He didn't feel the need to worry about his children, He never did, They knew how to take care of themselves and they knew what to do to stop the feud.

But the fact that he himself still didn't know where he was made him worry for himself, What if the person who took him harmed Luke in the process? Then it'll only be a matter of time before whoever had him gets to Leia as well.

"Luke, Leia" A voice murmured near him.

The voice was so familiar and close he could have sworn that it came out of his mouth, But then again the voice that spoke was obviously youthful even though it was just a mere weak whisper.

He heard footsteps approaching him and could feel a presence near him somewhere but he couldn't open his eyes, He was too tired to do that so he kept them shut.

""He's crying again, Why is he crying? Is he in pain again?" A child's voice asked.

"I don't know, Maybe we should go ask for help" An older child replied.

He remembered the younglings from the temple and what he did to them which only filled him with more sadness and guilt.

Then there was Padmé, He had killed her, His hunger for power had blinded him to the point that he disregarded his love and his home in pursuit of a mirage that ruined his life beyond repair.

Darth Vader deserved to go to hell, He knew that but he was still scared of facing the consequences of his actions.

He had summoned enough strength to open his eyes but frowned as soon as he was assaulted by a blinding bright light so he blinked twice and realised that his eyesight was perfect.

"He's awake, He opened his eyes" A voice cheered excitedly before a child wearing a youngling jedi robes appeared in his line of sight.

He could recognise the redhead anywhere but it made him all the more confused.

"Cal?" The familiar voice he still couldn't recognise murmured weakly.

"Big brother Anakin, You're finally awake that's great I'm going to tell master Kenobi" Cal Kestis chirped excitedly.

Anakin came to his senses as soon as he heard what the boy just said so he sat up slowly.

"Careful big brother, You're injured, You can't sit up yet" Cal said as he tried to help Anakin back to lay down on the bed once again.

"What did you just say?" Anakin asked.

He touched his throat as soon as he finally managed to recognise the voice.

It was his own voice and even though he was tired it was obviously his youthful voice.

He looked at his arms both very much intact and without a single scar in sight.

Dread was starting to fill him even more as he slowly gathered an idea about what was happening so he removed the injection drip needles and stood up then rushed over to the mirror.

And to his horror his youthful face stared back at him, Padawan braid at the side of his head, Blue eyes blinking at him, Tan skin and not a single scar in sight.

"No, No, Just how can this be possible?" Anakin screamed.

He turned to Cal and the younger child who accompanied him.

"Get out of here, You must warn the others, You need to warn everyone" Anakin ordered.

Cal Kestis and the other youngling shared a confused look before the younger child turned to Anakin.

"Are you alright big brother? You..." The child started.

"Stop it, Don't call me that, I'm not your big brother and I never was, I'm no one's brother do you understand?" Anakin snapped causing the boy to take a step back in obvious fear.

Anakin opened the door to go out but stopped in his tracks because as soon as he did that he found himself standing face to face with his master who was carrying a tray that had some food and water and there was a medical droid following behind him.

"Anakin, You shouldn't be up yet you'r still injured" Obi Wan said in a reprimanding voice.

Anakin took a few steps back and shook his head as Obi Wan came into the room but the older man felt alarmed by the horrified look on his padawan's face.

He sighed and shook his head before putting the food tray aside.

"Well, Originally it was Cal who was supposed to be bringing in your food but he came here to..." Obi Wan started.

Then he started walking over to Anakin and frowned when the younger man took an another step back and ended up tripping and falling to the floor.

"Stay back, Don't come near me" Anakin interrupted as he raised a hand up in an attempt to stop his master from coming closer.

He quickly stood up again and his eyes fell on the lightsaber Cal had in his belt so he summoned the weapon to his hand and activated it before raising it to his throat.

"Anakin" Obi Wan yelled in warning as the two younglings in the room looked at him in horror.

He was about to use the lightsaber to slice his throat open but was prevented from doing so when Obi Wan raised a hand to stop him using the force binding.

Anakin focused on getting rid of the force binding and with tremendous effort he finally managed to break free so he tried to reach for the lightsaber once again but Obi Wan also put his hand out to summon it to his hand but he lost control when he was finally able to sense the disturbance in his student.

He had sensed a similar force in Darth Maul when he battled him years ago and right now he was wondering about how his student had managed to acquire such a thing or why and when he had done so.

"Anakin, What did you do?" Obi Wan asked as soon as he got over the shock of his discovery.

Anakin let the lightsaber drop to the floor with a clutter as soon as he heard what his master just asked.

His eyes welled with tears and he fell to his knees then started sobbing causing the two younglings in the room to look at him in confused silence.

"Get out, All of you get out now don't come near me" Anakin screamed through tears.

Obi Wan took a step closer to Anakin cautiously but his student noticed so Anakin moved back hurriedly and grabbed the lightsaber once again before raising it in front of his master.

"I told you to stay back didn't I?" Anakin continued.

Obi Wan turned to the two younglings in the room.

"You can wait outside I'll take care of him" Obi Wan said.

Cal walked out of the room with the younger boy before closing the door behind him.

Obi Wan sighed and knelt down in front of Anakin then reached out to put a hand on his shoulder but pursed his lips when his student flinched away from his hand.

"Anakin, This disturbance, How..." Obi Wan started.

"Master, You should just kill me, I must die, If you let me live terrible things will happen" Anakin murmured.

There was something wrong going on something really wrong and Obi Wan didn't like the fact that he didn't know what it was and how to help so he decided to try and calm his student the best he could.

"Anakin, I'm not going to kill you and no one else will you're safe here you can tell me what's wrong" Obi Wan said.

Anakin stayed silent not knowing what to do or say or how to even start this conversation yet alone explain himself.

Obi Wan raised his fingers and started moving them in front of Anakin's face.

"You'll tell me what's wrong" Obi Wan said.

Anakin was immediately put into that trance that followed his master's complete control of his mind but he was still able to talk.

It made Obi Wan feel even more concerned because his student normally didn't fall for such tricks so easily, He couldn't help but wonder about the disturbance he was feeling in the force and whether it was related to Anakin or not.

But from the looks of it this was clearly related to the boy in front of him and Obi Wan needed to find out the hard way.

"Tell me everything, Why do you suddenly want to die? And how come your connection with the force is so weak?" Obi Wan asked.

Anakin blinked twice still under his master's complete control.

"I'll tell you everything master" Anakin said in his trance.

Chapter Text

Even with the mind control Obi Wan still had to ask the right questions, He didn't know how much time he had before Anakin breaks out of his control so he had to think fast.

"Last time I checked you were looking forward to the next mission which isn't the behaviour of someone who's willing to die, What changed?" Obi Wan asked.

"You don't understand master, It's me that changed, You're wrong to keep me alive and..." Anakin started.

Obi Wan frowned when Anakin suddenly gripped his wrists hard, His hands felt as cold as ice. Even with his robes on Obi Wan could still feel the coldness of Anakin's touch.

Then he noticed that Anakin's left eye had started changing colour until it became that of a sith before he started laughing like a maniac with a disturbing smile on his face.

"You think that such a stupid trick will contain me? You're losing your touch Obi Wan" Anakin taunted in a voice that wasn't his own.

Obi Wan tried to break free from Anakin's vice grip but the boy's hands were tightly gripping his wrists keeping him in place.

"You should have listened to him when he asked you to end his life, You'll regret it, I'll make sure you regret keeping me alive" Anakin continued.

"Who are you? No, What are you?" Obi Wan demanded.

Anakin's force disturbance had increased beyond Obi Wan's comprehension and he didn't even know what he was dealing with right now but he was sure that the person in front of him was definitely not his padawan.

Anakin closed his eyes tightly and took a step back then put his hand to the side of his head and the other on his chest where his wound was.

"Anakin" Obi Wan called out in panic when he suddenly fell to his knees and started gasping for air.

"Don't come near me" Anakin screamed in his normal voice making Obi Wan stop dead in his tracks.

Anakin opened his eyes and leaned his back against the wall as he tried to get used to the pain that was threatening to split his head.

But his eyes widened when he saw the figure standing behind Obi Wan.

"What else do you want? You already ruined my life once" Anakin screamed in a shaking voice.

Obi Wan took a step back then turned to look behind him.

"I've come to take what was rightfully mine, Did you really think you could escape? I'll always be a part of you" Darth Vader taunted.

Anakin closed his eyes and leaned his head back to the wall.

"You can't escape, Not now or ever, You wanted power and you got it, I'm the power you desperately wanted to have, I'm you" Darth Vader continued.

"Shut up, Shut up, I didn't want you, I never did, Get out of my head already" Anakin continued.

Darth Vader knelt down in front of Anakin and gripped his hands.

"You know that you're nothing without me so why do you keep pretending? If you just..." Darth Vader started.

Obi Wan's eyes widened when he saw the burn marks that were starting to form on Anakin's wrists as he writhed and screamed in agony.

He knelt down next to him and tried to use the force healing but it didn't work and Anakin's eyes fluttered shut once again as his breathing started getting more shallow.

"Stop it, Stop this please, Somebody help me" Anakin begged in tears as more of the burn marks started forming on his skin.

Darth Vader's laughter started ringing in his ears blocking every other sound around him.

"Who would save you? After everything you did" Darth Vader continued taunting.

Anakin's screams were breaking Obi Wan's heart and he felt tears coming to his eyes as he helplessly did his best to heal the boy.

"I don't know what's going on but he suddenly started screaming so I thought he might use some help" Obi Wan heard Cal Kestis say before the door opened and master Yoda walked into the room with master Windu and Cal Kestis following them.

"Master, Whatever is going on with him please tell me you know how to stop it, Save him" Obi Wan begged.

Master Yoda walked over to Anakin cautiously and took his hand which was covered with burn marks then closed his eyes and started concentrating on balancing the stream of Anakin's life force.

Anakin's eyes shot open and he started writhing in pain even more as master Yoda gripped his hand tightly.

Then he finally lost consciousness and slid to the floor but not before the burn marks completely disappeared.

"What happened to him? What the hell was that?" Obi Wan demanded.

"Will of the force this is, Young Skywalker trial he face" Master Yoda said.

Obi Wan was starting to lose his patience, The last thing he wanted was one of master Yoda's cryptic riddles he needed to know what was going on with Anakin right here and now.

"You need to explain more I'm afraid because I didn't understand a thing" Obi Wan retorted.

"Kenobi you need to calm down" Master Windu deadpanned in a warning voice.

"Don't ask me to calm down, Whatever that was how can I guarantee that it won't happen again? What are those burns and where did they come from?" Obi Wan asked.

Master Windu understood the other man's concerns because he had never seen such a thing before either and the fact that the boy suddenly caught fire out of nowhere was certainly unsettling for Obi Wan.

"Rest he should, Need it he will" Master Yoda said before closing his eyes then he walked out of the room with master Windu following behind him.

Obi Wan still didn't get the answers he wanted but it was clear that he won't be getting them anytime soon either.

"Master Kenobi, Do you need anything?" Cal asked timidly.

Obi Wan remembered the boy's presence when he suddenly spoke up so he turned to him and smiled sullenly before shaking his head.

"Thank you but I don't need anything right now" Obi Wan said.

Cal nodded and inclined his head politely before walking out of the room.

Obi Wan carefully picked up the still unconscious Anakin and walked over to the bed before laying him down and covering him with the blanket.

The burn scars from before were completely gone but Obi Wan still felt unsettled, He needed to find out what was happening and soon.

So he stood up and walked over to the door before leaving the room and closed the door behind him deciding to go to the library to see if he could find anything.

••☆★☆••

Anakin looked at Padmé's face with a mischievous smile on his face as soon as she realised that he had tricked her so she smacked his shoulder and he started laughing.

Then they started rolling down the grass before he caught her with a steady hand on her waist.

They were in that meadow and he was laying on the grass as she layed on top of him, They looked at each other's eyes and Anakin opened his mouth to say something.

"You tricked me" Padmé said.

"Come on Padmé it was just a silly trick you can't be mad because of that" Anakin replied.

"No, You tricked me, You don't love me, You killed me" Padmé continued.

Anakin was at loss for words when Padmé stood up and glared at him angrily.

"You killed me Ani, You tried to kill our children, I don't even know who you are anymore" Padmé said.

Anakin stood up stepping on some flowers in the process but he didn't have the courage to look at Padmé.

"You're a murderer, A threat, You deserve to die" Padmé screamed.

Anakin nodded in agreement.

"That's right, You're right, I can't change what I did" Anakin replied.

Then he took a step closer to her.

"I'd rather die here though, Before I kill you again before I kill my master again, Before I kill all of these people again" Anakin continued.

Padmé's outfit started changing from her yellow dress into the one he had seen her wearing when she came to see him in Mustafar.

He looked around him and saw that the meadow had changed into the same familiar lava.

"If you must die, Then let it be here where you actually belong" Padmé said.

Anakin walked over to the edge of the lava then closed his eyes and nodded accepting this end but before he could jump into the fire he opened his eyes to look at Padmé's face one last time but the scenery disappeared and he found himself standing in Tatooine.

He looked behind him and saw that Padmé was gone and he turned away when he saw the armoured figure walking closer to him.

He tried to run away but he was trapped in quick sand.

"Don't think that your brother will think any differently, You're a murderer and..." Darth Vader started.

"I didn't want to hurt anyone" Anakin interrupted.

"Oh but you did, You didn't just hurt them you killed them" Darth Vader taunted.

"Leave me alone already" Anakin murmured.

"But this is your dream, You can't just kick me out, We're one remember?" Darth Vader.

"I don't want that, I don't need you, I'm nothing like you" Anakin said.

"Oh really? Then prove it" Darth Vader said.

He gripped Anakin's neck and started choking him.

Anakin struggled for a few minutes or so before he finally fell unconscious.

Chapter Text

Anakin's eyes shot open and started darting around the room in a mixture between fear and panic.

He removed the drips and walked over to the mirror and his suspicions were proven right when he saw the strangling marks around his neck.

He took a seat on the floor and hugged his knees.

There was a knock on the door before Dara Thel Tanis and Olin walked into the room.

Dara had the usual smile on her face and Ferus Olin was looking at him skeptically.

"Why are you sitting on the floor? Your bed is right over there and you shouldn't even be hunched over with that injury in your chest" Ferus remarked.

Dara nudged his shoulder in warning causing Ferus to roll his eyes and shake his head.

"How are you feeling now? Master Kenobi told us that you just woke up, We were out on missions so we couldn't come sooner" Dara said.

"I heard that you got stabbed by a bounty hunter" Ferus said.

Dara rolled her eyes and smacked Ferus's shoulder.

"This is no time for mockery he almost died" Dara reprimanded.

Ferus raised an eyebrow in confusion when he noticed that Anakin was completely silent.

"Hey, Are you really upset over that lame joke?" He inquired.

Dara noticed that Anakin was spacing out so she walked over to him and took a seat on the floor next to him but frowned when Anakin scurried away from her.

"Don't come near me" Anakin murmured.

Dara opened her mouth to say something but closed it again when she noticed the marks on Anakin's neck.

"Just get out of here already I don't want to see anyone, I don't want to see any of you" Anakin said in a louder voice.

"He said it, He seems fine let's go we still have to submit the reports to master Windu" Ferus said.

"Anakin we're not going anywhere until you tell us how did you get these marks" Dara said in a voice that meant business.

"What marks?" Ferus asked frowning.

Anakin stood up and grabbed his robe shirt then put it on before turning his attention back to Dara and Olin.

"There's nothing going on with me just go I want to be alone right now" Anakin continued.

"Anakin..." Ferus started.

"Fine, If you don't go then I will" Anakin snapped.

He walked out of the room and went over to the library in a quick stride to avoid his friends.

The library was mostly deserted at this hour so he chose to go there in an attempt to get some peace.

He took a seat on the floor inside the furthest reading room and hugged his knees again before closing his eyes.

"I can make all this pain go away you know" A voice said suddenly causing Anakin to immediately look up.

His eyes widened and he quickly scurried away when he saw the owner of the voice.

"I know that you want to be powerful, You have the potential to do great things child you just need to seek the right master" Darth Sidious said.

Anakin looked at him horrified as darth Sidious put his hand out for him to take.

He couldn't deny that he felt the urge to take his hand but he knew he had to fight it.

"You're not real, You're just an illusion stop these mind tricks and get out of my head" Anakin repeated these words in a low voice like a mantra.

When he opened his eyes and looked up once again darth Sidious was gone but was replaced by darth Vader instead.

"What can I possibly do to make you see the truth?" Darth Vader's voice screamed in anger.

Then he knelt down and gripped Anakin's shoulders hard.

"They'll never accept us for who we really are but our true master did, We have to go back to Mustafar we have to return back to our master" Darth Vader continued.

Anakin shook his head in response.

"There's no we, It's only me that exists find someone else to trick I won't..." Anakin started.

But was interrupted when the door opened so he turned his attention to the door and saw that his master was standing next to the door frame.

"Who are you talking to?" Obi Wan asked frowning.

Anakin noticed that the ghost was gone when Obi Wan walked into the room so he stood up and pulled the older man into a desperate hug causing Obi Wan to frown at the unusual and sudden behavior.

He didn't really care about how cold Anakin's body was he just hugged his student in return when he realised that Anakin was crying.

"I can't take it anymore master, Please just let me kill myself" Anakin murmured.

He pulled away and looked at his student for what felt like a second keeping him in place with his hands placed on Anakin's shoulders.

"If you tell me what's happening I promise that I'll protect you and help you the best I can, You're my student the closest thing I have to a little brother there's no way I'll let you die like this" Obi Wan said in a soft voice.

Anakin shook his head in response before removing Obi Wan's hands away from his shoulders then took a step back.

"You don't understand master, There's no way out of this I'm..." Anakin started.

"You're stronger then this Anakin, Whatever this is you're going through just fight it and stay alive you can't just give up like that it's not like you to give up" Obi Wan interrupted.

"I'm dead already" Anakin snapped.

Obi Wan frowned and tilted his head to the side as soon as he heard what Anakin just said.

"I've died, That's why my body is colder then normal people because I'm dead I don't even know what I am or who I am anymore but I know that the longer I stay problems will keep happening" Anakin continued.

"You're standing in front of me, We're talking to each other so how come you're dead?" Obi Wan said.

"I'm not sure but the last person I remember seeing is my..." Anakin started but trailed off not sure if it'd be a good idea to tell his master about his still yet to be born son.

He sighed and took a seat on the sofa as he tried to think of something else to say to explain his situation.

Obi Wan sat down next to him and put a hand on his shoulder again.

"You saw something in the future right? This future you saw is about your death isn't it?" Obi Wan inquired.

Anakin hoped from the bottom of his heart that at least his master will believe him because he desperately wanted to confide in someone.

He felt that he'll go insane with everything that has been going on and he wanted to get rid of that demon from his past.

He needed help.

"Master before I tell you what's going on you must promise me that you'll believe everything I say" Anakin said.

Obi Wan didn't know where this was going but he nodded in response because he desperately wanted to know what was going on.

"It's not something that I've seen in a dream master I've lived through that future" Anakin murmured.

He turned to Obi Wan.

"In three years there will be no jedi temple, The sith will establish an empire that will rule over the entire galaxy the republic council will be useless and the sith will destroy all the planets that dares to resist" Anakin explained.

"But how? The only sith to exist is already dead" Obi Wan said.

"No, That's not true, They're everywhere they have spies in every planet, Mandalore, Alderaan, Chandrila, Naboo and even Tatooine" Anakin continued.

"Are there spies at the temple as well?" Obi Wan inquired.

Anakin only nodded in response.

"They have a master who kept himself well hidden as he carved his way through the ranks of the republic" Anakin said.

Then he suddenly put his hands on Obi Wan's shoulders.

"You believe me don't you master?" Anakin inquired in a shaking voice.

Obi Wan nodded hurriedly and put his hands on the boy's shoulders.

"I do, I believe you" Obi Wan blurted out hurriedly.

"Then believe me when I say that the sith lord that has been hiding under our noses all along is none other then chancellor Palpatine" Anakin announced.

"But..." Obi Wan started.

"You said that you'll believe me master, No you promised me that you'll believe everything I say, Please trust me master you're the only hope I have left" Anakin begged as tears streamed down his cheeks.

He found no shame in crying because it was the least of his concerns right now.

Obi Wan couldn't possibly imagine how hard it has been for his student to have all this information and still not know what to do with it without appearing like a total mad man.

"I believe you, I really do" Obi Wan assured him.

Anakin nodded hurriedly then grabbed the lightsaber which Obi Wan had hung on his waist before activating it.

"Then prove it" Anakin said.

He handed the lightsaber back to his confused master.

"If you really believe everything I just said then kill me" Anakin said.

"Anakin" Obi Wan reprimanded.

"I must die master, I don't want to be anyone's slave again" Anakin replied.

"What happened to you in that future?" Obi Wan asked cautiously.

Anakin felt his heart hammering in his chest as he tried to get over his fear. He was scared of himself and Obi Wan and how he'd react if he answers that question.

He was scared of Padmé and what she'd think of him if she finds out what he really was.

He didn't want to be alone and he didn't want to die either but if he stays alive that man won't stop unless he gives in to him again and he didn't want to hurt anyone anymore.

Which was why he had to tell Obi Wan the reason why he had to die.

"You have to kill me master right here and now, I'm begging you" Anakin said.

Then he took a deep breath and looked away from his master.

"In three years I'll become a sith slave for none other then the sith lord himself" Anakin announced.

Chapter Text

Obi Wan looked at the lightsaber briefly before turning his attention back to his student then he shook his head before deactivating the lightsaber.

"No, I'm not going to kill you, I can't do it" Obi Wan said.

He couldn't even stomach the idea of having to kill his padawan who followed him around everywhere like a shadow since he was a little boy.

"Master please" Anakin begged again but Obi Wan remained firm by his decision.

"Do you have any idea what you're asking?" Obi Wan demanded.

Anakin stayed silent not knowing what to say.

"I can't do that to you, Please don't ask me to do it again don't kill yourself I don't want you to die" Obi Wan said.

Anakin remained silent.

"What about senator Amidala then? Are you willing to leave her behind as well?" Obi Wan asked.

"Padmé will be safer with me gone" Anakin replied in a small voice.

"What makes you think so? You two are in love with each other that should mean something to you" Obi Wan continued.

"She'll be alright if I..." Anakin started.

Then he sighed and fell silent again.

"You don't understand it don't you? You've been blessed with a second chance, Not many people are as lucky as you, You have the chance to reshape the future Anakin, You can't run away, Don't you get it? You've been brought back to life as a symbol of hope" Obi Wan reasoned.

"What hope? I don't even know where I stand, I'm not a jedi and I don't want to be a sith, I'm no one's hope I'm nothing" Anakin said.

Obi Wan sighed and shook his head in defeat. He didn't know how else to get through to his student.

"You don't want this temple to be destroyed again master, It was terrible the first time so..." Anakin started.

"Anakin I said that I don't want to kill you, I'll never do it simply because I don't want your blood on my hands" Obi Wan said.

The younger man opened his mouth to say something but closed it again and looked away.

"Whatever you're going through just fight it, You won't be a sith slave if you choose to fight alongside us" Obi Wan reasoned.

"You really don't understand anything at all master, When I returned back in time I didn't come alone" Anakin said.

"Who else came? Does anyone else know about your condition? Does the sith lord know?" Obi Wan inquired.

Anakin shook his head.

"I don't think he knows but it's only a matter of time before he does, He always had his way of messing with my head" Anakin replied.

Then he turned to his master.

"I didn't come alone, There's the ghost of my past self that has been messing with my head as well" Anakin explained.

"Was he the person you were talking to?" Obi Wan asked.

Anakin nodded in response so Obi Wan put his hand on his shoulder.

"Go on what else happened?" Obi Wan asked.

"Nothing else happened so far" Anakin answered in a small voice.

"Should I repeat my question?" Obi Wan asked.

"He's trying to take me to Mustafar to start everything from the beginning, If I go there things will be the same as it was in my previous life..." Anakin started.

He paused for a second to collect his thoughts before deciding to just come out and say it. This man was supposedly trying to help him after all.

"And I'm afraid master, I'm beyond terrified I don't want to hurt you or Padmé and I don't want be the tool that will destroy the temple and other planets in the future, Do you understand why I have to die now?" Anakin asked.

Obi Wan opened his mouth to say something but closed it again when he realised that he had nothing to say.

It was all unbelievable but Obi Wan knew that the boy normally didn't like to show weakness or vulnerability to anyone especially him. Which only made it perfectly clear that Anakin was telling him the truth.

"What if I help you? Surely there's a way out of this" Obi Wan suggested.

Anakin didn't know what could possibly help his situation or if there was even any solution in the first place.

"I have no idea what you're thinking master but I don't know if there's anything to be done either, I'm both a sith and a jedi and I know that it doesn't make sense but I do know how to use both sides of the force" Anakin explained.

"There's no way out but to train on using both sides of the force" Obi Wan said.

"Then I'll become even stronger then before and the chancellor will want to control me more" Anakin said.

He was starting to feel angry and impatient with this pointless conversation but the fact that his master just suggested that he train in both sides of the force was beyond what he imagined.

"I was hoping that you'd cure me not talk me into starting this madness all over again" Anakin snapped.

"Just hear me out Anakin, If you know how to wield both sides of the force then that means that you can become a gray jedi, It's a rare and forbidden training but it does exist" Obi Wan explained.

Anakin laughed incredulously not really knowing what to say.

"I know that it's unbelievable to you but when I was still a padawan myself I overheard some talks about a case similar to yours from master Yoda, Apparently there are people who walked a line between the two sides of the force and managed to master it perfectly" Obi Wan continued.

"And what if he wins again? The first time it happened was because I thought Padmé was going to die, What else should I see? The destruction of the entire galaxy?" Anakin demanded.

"You'll just have to train yourself to differentiate between visions and reality" Obi Wan said.

Anakin pursed his lips feeling at loss for words once again.

"If you really want to save us then you have to be stronger then you are now, We both have to be much stronger then we are now, You don't just have the force on your side Anakin you have the future foresight as well, If there's anyone who can save us from this terrible future it's you" Obi Wan continued.

It made sense in a way but Anakin still didn't know how to fight off his sith urges to keep himself sane yet alone control them.

"I'll help you" Obi Wan said as if he had read his mind.

Anakin looked at his master silently for what felt like a minute then nodded without saying anything.

He knew it was an absurd idea but he hoped that it'll be good enough to save everyone he cared about.

"If we want to do this the right way then we need to do it from the start, The sith usually function with heinous thoughts and emotional outbreaks, Which means that you had to at least have started somewhere in your past life when was it?" Obi Wan asked.

Anakin frowned in thought as he tried to think of an answer to that question. He had a history of suppressed anger throughout his childhood which didn't change that much considering the fact that he was bullied at the temple as well.

His master was right though, There had to have been a point when he lost it. A moment when he wanted nothing but destruction.

His eyes widened when it finally clicked.

"My mother, The first time I gave in to my rage was when the tusken raiders killed her" Anakin blurted out.

Then he stood up immediately causing Obi Wan to stand up as well.

"I must save her master, I have to go now" Anakin announced.

"You're in no condition to travel alone with that injury of yours" Obi Wan said as he pointed at Anakin's chest.

"Are you going to stop me?" Anakin demanded.

"Stop you? Of course not, I'm coming with you but we need to play by the book, We have to tell master Yoda that we're going to Tatooine" Obi Wan said.

Anakin nodded hurriedly and rushed over to the door. Then they both left the library hurriedly going on their way to master Yoda.

The two of them walked into the training room where master Yoda and master Windu were supervising some younglings.

"What seems to be the problem master Kenobi?" Master Windu asked.

"We have to go to Tatooine for an urgent matter we..." Obi Wan started.

"Your request is denied, We have no reason to send someone there" Master Windu said.

"We received a distress signal from some slaves, The tusken raiders are massacring the slaves" Anakin stated.

Master Windu frowned in confusion because he didn't receive news of such a message.

"Permission to go you have" Master Yoda said.

"But master Yoda, We haven't received this distress message and it's clear that..." Master Windu started.

"Are their lives meaningless to you because they don't belong to the jedi ranks?" Anakin questioned in barely concealed anger.

Obi Wan turned his attention to Anakin immediately as soon as he heard what he said and master Windu's confused frown turned into anger.

"I beg your pardon?" Master Windu asked to clarify what he just heard.

Anakin stepped forward not feeling particularly scared of the older man anymore.

"I asked if their lives matter anything to you because to me I think that the only reason I was freed from slavery is the fact that I had what it took to be here" Anakin stated.

Master Windu was fuming in anger by now, How dare a padawan humiliate a master in front of a group of younglings? How dare a padawan question a master's intentions? He opened his mouth to say something but closed it again when master Yoda stepped forward.

"Go you must" Master Yoda interrupted.

"Thank you master Yoda" Anakin said before inclining his head in gratitude.

Obi Wan inclined his head too then stood up normally and put a hand on Anakin's shoulder then led him out of the room hurriedly.

"I hope there's at least some truth behind this story you just told" Obi Wan said as he and Anakin hurried on their way to the harbour.

"There is, We'll be returning with slaves but they won't be because of the tusken raiders" Anakin replied.

"Then who exactly are we up against?" Obi Wan inquired.

"Jabba the hutt" Anakin replied as he continued walking.

Obi Wan stopped walking as soon as he heard the name.

"Are you insane? We can't infiltrate his den alone, We'll need reinforcements" Obi Wan said.

Anakin stopped walking and turned to his master.

"That's why we'll stop by Mandalore first" Anakin explained.

Obi Wan was questioning this plan but he didn't know how else he was supposed to help his student except this.

He had barely managed to talk Anakin out of killing himself so he didn't want to go back to square one.

"It's absurd but we don't have any other choice" Obi Wan announced.

Anakin nodded and walked on his way through the harbour.

They managed to find a ship suitable enough for travelling and started their journey immediately heading on their way to Mandalore.

"I really hope this will work" Anakin overheard Obi Wan mutter.

Anakin nodded in agreement still having cold feet about this whole thing about his new life and responsibilities.

But he knew that Obi Wan was right so he promised himself that he'll listen to his master this time.

"I hope so too" Anakin agreed.

Chapter Text

Mace Windu walked over to the training grounds and went over to his padawan Depa.

"I have a task for you, There's something going on with Skywalker, Find out what it is and tell me" Master Windu said.

Depa nodded and deactivated her lightsaber.

"He and master Kenobi just took a ship to free some slaves in Tatooine, Follow them and report to me if you find anything suspicious" Master Windu continued before walking out of the room.

Depa walked into the ship harbour and spotted Anakin and Obi Wan as they boarded one of the ships then went into an another one before following them out of the temple.

Anakin was keeping an eye for space rocks when he saw the ship which was on their tail so he turned on the autopilot of the ship before turning to Obi Wan.

"Master Windu sent a ship after us" Anakin said as soon as he recognised the design of the ship.

"It would be suspicious if we lose it, We need to pretend that we didn't see it" Obi Wan suggested.

"But we have to, We mentioned that our destination is Tatooine not Mandalore, How are we going to explain going there?" Anakin inquired.

Obi Wan sighed and turned his attention to Anakin.

"It looks like we'll have to split" Obi Wan said.

"What the hell? Of course not what am I supposed to do by myself?" Anakin demanded.

"You'll have to manage, I'll send you to Mandalore and I'll go to Tatooine by myself then you can meet me there" Obi Wan said.

"And how are we going to explain my disappearance?" Anakin asked.

"Seeking reinforcements" Obi Wan replied with a shrug.

Anakin facepalmed not knowing whether to be glad that his master was finally sharing his views of having fun in the middle of the job or be alarmed by the whole plan and how insane it was.

"Fine, Then when should we split?" Anakin inquired.

"Head over to the escape pod and I'll handle this myself let's meet in Tatooine" Obi Wan said before Anakin stood up and left the pilot cockpit.

He got into one of the pods and left the ship immediately a second or so later Obi Wan activated the lightspeed system and master Windu's spy did the same.

Anakin set the coordinates to Mandalore and turned on the lightspeed system which immediately sent him to his desired destination.

He arrived at the planet after what felt like two days of aimless navigation while trying his best to avoid pirate ships and space rocks.

When he landed and got off the pod he was immediately greeted by the sight of the mandalorian knights who raised their blasters at him in suspicion.

"I've come in peace no need to use force" Anakin said as he raised his arms up in submission.

The mandalorian knights lowered their weapons and one of them who was wearing a silver coloured armour walked closer to him.

"Forgive the hostility, My friends are just wary of threats that's all" The mandalorian who stepped forward said.

"I understand, It's only natural for you to be wary of outsiders considering the riches your planet holds, I mean you no harm I'm a jedi knight from the temple of Coruscant my name is Anakin Skywalker" Anakin replied.

"I know who you are jetti, One could recognise these robes anywhere" The mandalorian man stated as he pointed at Anakin's clothes.

Anakin inclined his head politely before looking up at the man once again.

"Are you the jetti sent by the temple?" The man inquired.

Anakin frowned in confusion as soon as he heard what he just said.

"You're far too young though, Are you alone?" The mandalorian continued questioning.

"Yes, I've come alone" Anakin replied.

"I expected as much from the jetti" The man said with a tired sigh.

Anakin was still confused about that strange conversation. The only conclusion he could come up with was that they clearly sent a distress signal to the temple but apparently it wasn't received.

"Follow me, The duchess is expecting you" The mandalorian man said.

Anakin followed him silently and soon enough he was standing before the duchess of Mandalore.

He inclined his head politely in the same way the mandalorian guard did.

"My lady" Anakin said.

"Finally a jetti has graced us with their presence, Do you know how many distress signals we have sent?" Satine demanded.

"I deeply apologise my lady but it seems that we received no such signals" Anakin replied.

"Are you saying that I'm lying?" Satine asked.

"I mean no such thing my lady I just mean to say that you probably trusted the wrong person with these messages that's why we never received any of them" Anakin answered.

Satine remained silent for a minute or so then she sighed.

"Then I suppose you don't know the reason why I asked for your help am I correct in my assumption?" She asked.

"I apologise again" Anakin said politely.

"My sister went on a mission in Tatooine, She and her team haven't returned even though it has been over six months now" Satine explained.

Anakin nodded in response.

"Now let me ask you about the reason why you're here, If it's true that your people received none of our signals then you must be here for some other reason" Satine stated.

"You're right in your conclusion my lady but our goals are the same, I'm here alone and I've come to ask for a mandalorian escort to Tatooine to help my master in a mission" Anakin replied.

"Who's your master and what exactly is this mission you speak of?" Satine asked.

"My master is Obi Wan Kenobi I think that you heard of him so I won't go into further details" Anakin said.

He watched the look on Satine's face change from being politically reserved to a shy one so he inclined his head again to hide a smile.

He knew that the duchess and his master met a few times during political delegations and it was no secret that she was smitten with him.

It was one of the things that amused him because she was terrible at hiding her feelings. He decided to save her some dignity though so he cleared his throat to get her attention.

"We're on a mission to free some slaves from Jabba the hutt" Anakin announced.

"Jabba the hutt is a strong opponent why did you choose to confront him now of all times?" Satine inquired.

"I have no answer for that question my lady but let me remind you of the fact that he might have lady Bo Katan" Anakin replied.

"I can't give you an escort without a guarantee that you'll return them back safely, Us mandalorians are trained warriors but we value our kin, Jabba the hutt is one of the most dangerous crime lords in the entire galaxy" Satine stated.

"Us jedi value kinship as well so I promise you that I'll make sure they return safely but if you want a guarantee for their safety then I offer myself as a sacrifice if something happens to any of them, You can do whatever you want to me if I fail to keep my promise" Anakin announced.

Satine looked at him in surprise.

"You're far too young to speak of promises and sacrifices, Just a boy so I advise you not to speak of something you don't know" Satine stated.

"I know I'm young but my mind is way beyond my years, I know what I said is a dangerous bargain but if it'll put your suspicions to rest then I'll gladly keep that promise" Anakin repeated.

Satine sighed and nodded in response.

"I'm familiar with how your master works, From what I see you two are nothing alike, Had he been here he would have reprimanded you for making such a dangerous deal without a second thought" Satine said.

"That's true my lady, Me and my master are nothing alike" Anakin said in a small voice.

He remembered the many times his master had tried to reach out to darth Vader in his attempt to return him back to what he used to be which only made him feel much worse.

But he had to get over this, Now wasn't the right time or place.

"I won't be less then your master in terms of morality, There's no way I'll force a child into such a deal to satisfy myself but in return for my help I must ask you to keep me updated on the details of the mission you understand what I mean don't you?" Satine asked.

"I do my lady, Rest assured I won't conceal any information from you" Anakin assured her.

Satine turned to the two guards standing at her sides.

"Tell Ursa, Sabine, Rook and Tristan that they're going to accompany him, They depart tomorrow" Satine said to her guards.

"I'm ready to depart now my lady, My master said that he'll be waiting for me in Tatooine to commence the mission but the pod I used to come here won't fit us all so I'll need a ship for travelling" Anakin said.

"You have your ship" Satine stated.

Anakin inclined his head gratefully then the two guards escorted him out of the room.

••☆★☆••

Obi Wan landed on the surface of Tatooine and soon enough the ship master Windu sent did the same before Depa got off and walked over to him.

She bowed her head politely as soon as she stopped walking in front of him.

"I don't mean to be rude I'm just following my master's orders so I hope you understand master Kenobi" Depa said politely.

Obi Wan sighed and nodded in response without saying anything to her.

"Where's Skywalker?" She inquired.

Obi Wan raised his hand in front of her face causing Depa to frown but she still kept her eyes on him.

"You'll return to the temple and tell master Windu that you failed to track us down" Obi Wan instructed.

Depa looked at his eyes then nodded in response.

"I'll tell my master that I failed to track you down" She said.

"Return to your ship and leave now" Obi Wan said.

She nodded again then turned her back on him and went on her way back to her ship before flying away.

Obi Wan sighed in relief then turned his attention to his ship before going back in to find a better place to land.

After sometime of aimless flying he managed to find the harbour so he landed although it was abandoned.

He turned off the autopilot and pressed the button that activated the shielding system before leaving the cockpit.

He was sure that more then two days had passed since he arrived at Tatooine but he didn't know what was taking his student too long. He was starting to get worried about him though, What if he got caught by pirates on his way to Mandalore?

Should he go to Mandalore himself to ask for help? Or would it be better to wait a bit longer?

He knew that Anakin won't leave without his mother though so maybe leaving for Mandalore was pointless.

He was in the middle of eating a ration bar when the alarms went off so he rushed over to the cockpit and turned on the autopilot once again when he saw through the surveillance that he was under an attack from a gang of sand men.

But before his ship could fly away from the harbour an another ship started blasting the sand men one after the other.

He noticed that this ship had the mandalorian emblem on it so he sighed in relief.

"Took you long enough" Obi Wan said.

"Late is better then never, Let's teach these thieves a lesson" Anakin replied through the intercom.

Chapter Text

The mandalorian ship landed next to Obi Wan's ship before Anakin and the mandalorian warriors got off and Anakin walked into the other ship where his master was waiting.

"So what took you so long?" Obi Wan asked.

"We have a problem, The duchess agreed to help because she thinks that we're trying to free her sister, She's been missing for six months now" Anakin explained.

"Six months? Why haven't we received word of that?" Obi Wan inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"Maybe it's a problem from our side or their side maybe even both but it's definitely not helping us at all" Anakin answered.

Obi Wan remembered what Anakin told him about the spies so he didn't really have to guess what happened.

He sighed and nodded.

"Fine, We'll take shelter in your mother's house then venture out tomorrow to get lady Bo Katan out of this mess" Obi Wan instructed.

"And her team, The duchess said she was travelling with two other mandalorians" Anakin said.

Obi Wan nodded and patted his shoulder.

"Alright, Go get some rest you'll need it" Obi Wan said.

Then he walked past his student but before he could leave the room Anakin turned to him.

"Thank you master" Anakin said.

Obi Wan turned to him again.

"For what?" He asked.

"For believing me, You had no reason to do it but you believed me anyway thank you for giving me an another chance" Anakin blurted out.

Obi Wan smiled and shook his head before walking out of the room thinking about this new version of his student and how open with his thoughts he was.

It was kind of strange but Obi Wan wasn't complaining about it at all.

He walked over to where the mandalorian warriors were standing and inclined his head politely.

"Thank you for answering my request, I've heard about what happened to lady Kryze from my student and I assure you that we'll commence the mission as soon as we get to the perfect shelter" Obi Wan said.

"And where exactly is that?" Ursa inquired.

"My student has a relative here so we'll stay with them for the time being I've come to ask for permission to lead your ship to that place" Obi Wan continued.

The mandalorians looked at each other for what felt like a minute before turning to him again.

"And what can guarantee that you're not leading us into a trap?" Ursa inquired.

"One of you can board the ship me and my student are currently using there are six of us after all" Obi Wan suggested.

Ursa nodded in understanding.

"Then I'll go" She said.

Obi Wan nodded in response.

"As you wish, Follow me I'll lead you to your quarters" Obi Wan said.

••☆★☆••

Anakin was in the piloting cockpit scanning for any other threats when the door opened and his master walked into the room with one of the four mandalorians following behind him.

"What are you doing here? I told you to rest" Obi Wan reprimanded.

"That's a privilege we can't afford right now master, We must hurry before anyone alerts Jabba to our presence" Anakin explained.

"Where exactly are we going with this?" Ursa inquired.

"We're going to the market to see Watto, He works with Jabba so he should know where he is" Anakin replied.

"If you allow me a moment in private with him I'll be thankful" Obi Wan said as soon as he turned to Ursa.

Ursa sighed and nodded then walked out of the room muttering something about how unorganised this plan was.

"What the hell are you thinking? There's no way I'm going to let you in on that mission with this kind of injury" Obi Wan reprimanded.

Then he sighed and rubbed his temples.

"There's a difference between recklessness and devotion and right now you're being reckless" Obi Wan continued.

Anakin sighed and rolled his eyes before shaking his head.

"Fine, I'll stay at my mother's while you go to the den but that doesn't mean that I won't come if you need back up alright?" Anakin asked.

"Sure" Obi Wan said.

He doubted that he'll be needing any help though, He had four mandalorians escorting him so it should be fine if he comes up with a great plan.

Anakin hoped that his master won't need his help though because he didn't have much to offer in his current state.

Then he started the piloting process as soon as he was done with checking for threats.

"Please tell me that you at least know where she lives" Obi Wan said.

"I do, Don't worry master" Anakin replied as he kept his focus on the navigation system.

The mandalorian ship followed his lead and soon enough they were on top of the house they were looking for.

"Here we are" Anakin said before getting off the ship with Obi Wan and Ursa following him.

He stood in front of the door to the house not knowing whether it'll be a good idea to knock or not. He had mixed feelings about this whole thing, He was finally going to see his mother after all these years but he's also going to see his stepbrother and his girlfriend who were also his son's guardians.

Anakin pursed his lips into a thin line when he remembered their cruel fate.

He decided to just face the truth though so he raised a hand to knock but before he could the door opened from the other side and Owen Lars stood in front of him blinking at him in surprise.

"What can I do for you?" Owen asked as soon as he managed to get over his surprise.

"I...I'm Anakin...Anakin Skywalker, I've come to see my mother Shmi Skywalker" Anakin blurted out awkwardly.

Owen Lars broke into a smile and moved away from the door.

"No need to be that nervous, Come in make yourself at home" He said.

"I have guests with me though, Five people" Anakin continued.

Beru and Shmi walked over to Owen standing behind him to see what was going on.

"Anakin, What brings you here?" Shmi asked as soon as she saw her son.

"I've come to take you with me mother Tatooine isn't a safe place for you" Anakin said.

He turned to Obi Wan and the four mandalorians behind him.

"We're here on a mission though and we were wondering if you could offer us a shelter until we're done with our work" Anakin said.

Shmi smiled and patted his shoulder.

"Of course we can" Shmi replied.

"Then if you'll excuse us" Obi Wan said before walking into the place.

Anakin and the four mandalorians walked in as well before Beru closed the door behind them.

Shmi walked into the kitchen with Anakin following closely behind her.

"Is something the matter son?" Shmi inquired.

"I was wondering if you needed help with these chores" Anakin replied.

Shmi smiled in amusement before putting a hand on his forehead.

"Are you sick? You never made such a request before" Shmi said.

"Yeah well, I want to change that" Anakin stated.

Then he took one of the washing rags and started cleaning a dish with some soap.

Shmi was still surprised by the sudden change in attitude but she knew how secretive her son was so she made a mental note to ask Obi Wan about it later.

Anakin turned to his mother who was still looking at him in a mixture between surprise and appreciation.

"Actually I can do this myself it shouldn't be too hard you can get some rest" Anakin said.

"Are you sure?" Shmi asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes I'm sure you can go ahead and get some rest" Anakin insisted.

Shmi shrugged and nodded.

"Careful, I might get used to being spoiled" She teased before walking out of the kitchen.

Beru walked into the kitchen to prepare lunch as usual but saw that Anakin was moping the floor. She also noticed that the dishes and pans were all cleaned and neatly put in their places and the kitchen was generally cleaned up.

"Did you do that by yourself?" Beru asked in surprise and awe.

"Yeah well, When you grow up in chains you learn a trick or two" Anakin replied as he continued his task of moping the floor.

"Well, Thanks you actually saved me a lot of effort" Beru said.

"It's fine" Anakin replied.

Then he put away the broom and washed his hands before walking out of the kitchen heading over to his bedroom.

He was changing his clothes when he heard a knock on the door so he turned and saw that it was Owen Lars.

"You're injured? I thought that your master was joking when he asked me to keep an eye on you" Owen said as he eyed the huge bandage wrapped around Anakin's chest.

Anakin rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"My master tends to exaggerate sometimes I'm perfectly fine" Anakin replied.

"It does look quite nasty though" Owen remarked as he pointed at the bandage.

"I'm telling you that there's nothing to worry about, It's healing just fine" Anakin said.

It was a lie though, His injury wasn't healing good enough but he chose to keep that to himself.

"Don't you jedi have healing abilities? Why didn't you use it?" Owen inquired.

"I don't normally use that because it's draining" Anakin replied.

"So how does this thing work?" Owen asked curiously.

"I'm afraid that you'll have to explain more" Anakin said.

"This jedi thing, How does it work?" Owen asked.

"You need to have a connection to the force, You can't be one just because you want to" Anakin replied.

He could tell that the older man had more questions so he decided to give him the answer he had heard at the temple.

"The force is everywhere, It surrounds us and gives us life but only the chosen ones get to be its servants you can't force yourself to have a connection to it" Anakin stated.

Owen nodded in understanding but Anakin could tell that he felt disappointed.

"Why do you look so disappointed?" Anakin inquired.

"It must be a great honour to be a jedi, I only wish I could do the same" Owen said.

"It has its perks but it's not all good, For instance when you become a jedi you'll have to cut ties with your loved ones and subject yourself into a life of solitude" Anakin explained.

"And how did that work for you?" Owen asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Anakin's eyebrows shot up in surprise at the question.

"There has to be a few rule breakers right? Are you one of those?" Owen questioned.

Anakin sighed and nodded to himself.

"The jedi take pride in serving the force and I'm no different" Anakin murmured.

Then he put on the rest of his robes.

"I need to rest, Is that all that you want to ask?" Anakin inquired.

Owen could tell that he had made his younger brother upset so he cleared his throat.

"Yeah well, I actually came here to tell you that we're going to get some mushrooms and..." Owen started.

"I'm coming" Anakin interrupted hurriedly causing Owen to jump in surprise.

"Are you sure? With that injury of yours I think it'll be hard to move" Owen insisted.

"I'll be alright" Anakin stated.

"If you say so" Owen said with a shrug before walking out of the room.

Anakin changed the bandages on his injury then grabbed his lightsaber before walking out of the room.

He had only one thought in mind. He'll protect his mother from the tusken raiders this time no matter what.

Chapter Text

Anakin walked over to where his mother and Cliegg Lars were standing and grabbed the basket from his mother's hand before slinging it over his shoulders like a backpack.

"So where exactly is this mushroom field?" Owen inquired.

"If I remember correctly it should be near the caves" Shmi replied.

Anakin checked for his lightsaber once again before turning his attention to his mother who was looking at him in return.

"You don't have to bring a weapon with you, It's not going to take long" Shmi said.

"Better safe then sorry" Anakin replied.

Then he turned his attention to Beru.

"Maybe someone should stay at the house with Beru, For safety measures I mean" Anakin said.

"On no you won't, I know what you're trying to do here master Kenobi told me to keep an eye on you myself" Owen remarked.

Anakin rolled his eyes and shook his head without saying anything.

"Then I'll stay with her" Cliegg said.

"Alright, Keep the door and windows locked we should be back soon" Anakin said then started walking over to his droid.

"Why are you so worried? It's just a plant picking trip" Owen stated.

"In this place? There's no such a thing as an easy trip" Anakin remarked.

He led the way out of the house and Cliegg closed the door behind them before the group made their way to 3PO.

"Come on 3PO you're coming with us" Anakin said.

3PO followed the three of them through the desert as he talked about how dangerous it was to be seen around the caves and how lethal the raiders were with Owen and Shmi talking back until they reached the mushroom field Shmi was talking about.

Shmi knelt down to inspect the plants so Owen did the same as Anakin tightened his grip on his lightsaber while looking around him cautiously.

"Ani come on you should help us if you want this to finish quickly" Shmi stated.

Anakin looked around him again trying to guess where the raiders will come from but he wasn't there when his mother was attacked so he didn't know where to look.

He walked over to his mother and Owen then put the basket on the ground before kneeling down to help them. Maybe if they hurry up they won't run into any threats.

"You should only pick the white ones" Owen instructed.

Anakin nodded and started doing as he was told.

The basket was almost full when a tusken raider noticed them so he started running over to them weapon in hand.

Anakin stood up immediately and pulled out his lightsaber before activating it just in time to block the raider's first attack then he kicked him away before twirling his lightsaber.

The raider stood up immediately and started running back to where he could find more of his race.

"We must go now he's bringing help" Anakin said.

Owen immediately grabbed the basket and slung it over his shoulders then the three of them started running away from the group of angry raiders.

Shmi screamed in pain and fell to the ground when a raider managed to shoot her leg with an arrow so Anakin and Owen immediately stopped running and hurried over to her side.

"She won't be able to run anymore" Owen said as he inspected her injury.

Anakin looked at the blood soaking his mother's skirt without saying anything.

"We need to..." Owen started and Anakin knew that he was still talking but his brother's voice seemed to get further and further away as if they were standing miles away from each other.

Anakin turned his attention to look next to him at the raiders who were approaching but his view of them was blocked by darth Vader who was looking down at him with a red lightsaber in his hand.

"You know that you can't win this, There are too many of them, If you want to save her then you must free me" Darth Vader stated.

It was true, There numbers increased from five to ten and Anakin was sure that if they waited any longer more of them will come as well.

Anakin looked at the raiders briefly then turned his attention to darth Vader and looked at his outstretched hand.

He wasn't going to win against them in his current state, He was an injured mad man talking to his past self which was supposed to be dead.

He had no choice but to take his hand. It was the only option left and he knew that it would be madness if he refused his offer.

"No" Anakin murmured in a low voice as he shook his head.

He wasn't going to kill anyone even if he dies here.

"You fool" Darth Vader snapped.

Anakin stood up and raised his lightsaber in front of him again then closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He could hear the voices of the raiders approaching as they moved closer to them, His mother's heavy breathing as darth Vader's voice started fading.

"Anakin" Owen's screaming voice pulled him out of his thoughts so he opened his eyes.

He sliced the hand of the first raider who came closer to them and kicked another one to the ground.

An another raider tried to stab Anakin with a spear but he managed to stop him as well before stabbing his arm.

He raised a hand and managed to push the rest of the raiders away.

Then he dropped the lightsaber and took a few steps back and raised his other hand forcing the raiders further away from them.

"Take her and run" Anakin ordered.

"What about you?" Owen inquired.

"We don't have time to talk about this right now just take her and run" Anakin continued.

He was getting weaker because of his injury and he was using too much of his powers to keep the raiders behind the barrier.

"Don't just stand there take her and leave" Anakin snapped.

Owen put down the basket and carried Shmi on his back then started running as fast as he could.

Anakin fell to his knees and coughed out blood before falling down face first on the ground.

The raiders started approaching him and he felt himself getting carried away somewhere before everything faded into blackness.

••☆★☆••

Owen was still on his way to the house when he ran into Obi Wan and the four mandalorians.

"What happened? Where's Anakin?" Obi Wan demanded in a panicking voice.

"Back there, You must help him" Owen said out of breath as he pointed at where he came from.

Obi Wan immediately started running and the mandalorians followed him.

He started running faster when he felt the disturbance in the force and heard the voices of pained screams.

"Anakin" Obi Wan screamed as soon as he reached his student.

He was standing further away from the tusken raiders but still not far enough to be safe, The front of his clothes was soaked in blood which Obi Wan guessed was from his injury.

Anakin turned his attention away from the sight of the tusken raiders killing each other using their own weapons.

He had the same mismatched eyes Obi Wan saw before and a bone chilling smile on his face.

The mandalorian warriors raised their blasters in alarm as they looked at Anakin.

"You need to stop this now" Obi Wan yelled.

"Why would I do that? It's not like I'm killing them myself, They're the ones doing this to each other not me" Darth Vader replied in a disturbing voice.

Then he turned to face Obi Wan completely before taking a step forward.

"Are you jealous of me because I'm more powerful then you?" Darth Vader inquired.

"Fire" Ursa announced before aiming her blaster at Anakin.

"No don't" Obi Wan warned.

But the warning fell on deaf ears when the mandalorians fired their blasters at Anakin.

Darth Vader raised his hand and the blaster attacks stopped in mid air before it could reach him then he moved his hand again and the blaster attacks returned back to their owners.

Obi Wan immediately moved forward and raised his hands and created a barrier to stop the blaster attacks from reaching the four warriors behind him.

"Do you really think you can protect them Obi Wan?" Darth Vader screamed.

Obi Wan lowered his hands causing the blaster bullets to fall to the ground under his feet.

"I can protect them, Just like I can protect him from you" Obi Wan replied in return.

Then he took a step closer to Anakin.

"You think you're powerful? Don't make me laugh, You're residing in a body that doesn't even want you you're nothing but a parasite" Obi Wan taunted.

Darth Vader glared at Obi Wan in anger before grabbing his lightsaber so Obi Wan grabbed his lightsaber and activated it as well.

"Return my student back or I'm going to make you regret it" Obi Wan threatened.

"I'd like to see you try" Darth Vader snapped.

He ran over to Obi Wan and the two of them started fighting each other blocking and aiming attacks on each other.

Obi Wan kicked Anakin's side causing him to take a few steps to the side then he used the force barrier to keep him down before reaching out to put a hand on his forehead.

"Still an emotional fool" Darth Vader said before letting out a mocking laugh.

"It's time for you to sleep" Obi Wan stated before he finally managed to put Darth Vader back to slumber.

But as soon as Anakin's eyes closed Obi Wan noticed that they didn't open again.

"Anakin?" Obi Wan inquired.

He knelt down next to him and put a finger to his nose but was alarmed by the fact that the boy wasn't breathing so he checked for a pulse before deciding to use the force healing.

Anakin's eyes shot open and he started screaming in agony as Obi Wan tried to heal his injury.

"Just bear with it a little longer" Obi Wan begged.

"I can't, It hurts just stop" Anakin stuttered between screams.

Obi Wan stopped immediately when he noticed that the wound wasn't healing at all and that the blue hue that was supposed to come out of his hand has turned red.

"Just stop it, Please" Anakin begged in a weak voice before closing his eyes again.

Obi Wan pulled Anakin into a hug.

"I'm sorry" He murmured in his ear as soon as he realised that he was hurting him more instead of healing him.

He only hoped that the boy was conscious enough to hear him.

Then he sighed and nodded to himself before laying his student back to the ground and carefully carried him on his back before turning to the mandalorian warriors behind him.

"We need to go back to the house" Obi Wan instructed.

The four confused warriors nodded in agreement even though they had no clue about what was going on.

Ursa grabbed the mushroom basket and carried it on her back as Rook handed Anakin's lightsaber to Obi Wan before they made their way back to the house as fast as they could.

Tristan knocked on the door as soon as they arrived at the house and Beru immediately opened it.

She let them inside immediately and closed the door behind them.

Owen was sitting on one of the chairs in the living room but he stood up immediately as soon as he saw the group walk in.

"He needs to rest he's in a really terrible condition" Obi Wan said.

Owen immediately led them to Anakin's bedroom and Obi Wan layed him down on the bed before taking off his robes then he removed the bandages that covered the wound but his eyes widened at the sight.

"What's wrong?" Owen inquired.

"His wound...It's getting bigger" Obi Wan announced.

Chapter Text

Obi Wan looked at the infected injury which was still bleeding without knowing what to do at all.

"Can't you just heal him using the force?" Owen inquired.

Obi Wan shook his head in response.

"It won't work, I already tried and failed" Obi Wan murmured.

"Mother...How is she? Is she alright?" Anakin stuttered as soon as he managed to regain his hearing sense.

"She'll be alright, Worry about yourself" Owen replied.

3PO walked into the room after knocking on the door politely.

"Maker, You don't have to worry, Lady Skywalker is healing just fine, The mandalorians have helped her but there's an another problem" 3PO stated.

"What is it 3PO?" Obi Wan inquired.

"Lady Kryze demands to know the progress of the mission she has contacted her warriors and lady Ursa asked me to tell you" 3PO replied.

Obi Wan facepalmed and shook his head in response not knowing what to say to that.

"I'll be out shortly" He said after an another minute or so of silence.

3PO left the room after that and Obi Wan turned to Owen.

"Can you clean him up until I come back? There's so much blood I can't really see how severe his injury is" Obi Wan said.

Owen nodded and went over to the kitchen to get the necessary tools before walking back into the room.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of this" Owen stated.

Obi Wan walked out of the room and went over to where 3PO was waiting.

"Master Kenobi, Is master Anakin going to be alright?" 3PO inquired.

"It depends on him now 3PO but I certainly hope he will" Obi Wan replied sullenly.

The two of them walked over to the mandalorian ship and Obi Wan turned on the transmission to see the message Satine sent him.

After a minute or so the message ended and Satine's hologram disappeared so Obi Wan started recording a message of his own before sending it to her.

Ursa walked over to Obi Wan and folded her arms over her chest as she glared at him to show how angry she was.

"I hope you have a proper explanation for whatever that was hours ago, And why exactly are we here? Our mission is to save lady Bo Katan" Ursa stated.

"I apologise for the delay but as you can see it's urgent, I value my student's life as much as I value lady Kryze's life so rest assured I'll do my best to help her" Obi Wan replied.

"I certainly hope because in case that doesn't happen I'll have no choice but to tell lady Satine that you didn't finish the mission" Ursa said.

Obi Wan nodded in understanding and watched Ursa walk away before going over to check on Shmi. He finished healing her leg and walked over to Anakin's room once again.

"What happened?" Obi Wan inquired as soon as he walked into the room.

"He's freezing" Owen replied as he pulled the blanket closer to Anakin's neck.

Obi Wan walked closer to the bed and put a hand on Anakin's forehead and noticed that he was even colder then he was before.

"That's it, I'm telling master Yoda" Obi Wan murmured to himself before walking over to his ship.

Anakin was slipping in and out of consciousness his sight and thoughts alternating between semi consciousness and nightmares.

Owen leaned closer when he heard Anakin whispering something. He couldn't hear it though so he leaned even closer.

"Padmé" Anakin murmured weakly.

Owen sighed and leaned back then pulled the slipping blanket closer to Anakin in an attempt to warm him a little.

"Padmé, Where's Padmé?" Anakin inquired in a shaking stutter.

Owen turned to the door when he heard footsteps coming closer and saw that it was Beru and one of the four mandalorians.

"You can go get some rest I'll take care of him" Beru offered with a sullen smile.

"It's alright, Master Kenobi told me to watch him so..." Owen started.

"We can take turns, It'll be more convenient that way" Beru insisted.

"Fine" Owen said in defeat.

Then he walked out of the room.

Obi Wan returned to Anakin's room as soon as he finished talking to master Yoda and noticed that it was Beru that was keeping an eye on his student for now not Owen.

He wasn't going to complain about it though because the man also needed to rest.

Tristan put a hand behind Anakin's head and helped him swallow a pill.

"What is this pill?" Obi Wan asked.

"It's a medication that might help with his rapidly dropping body temperature but I must remind you that it's temporary" Tristan said.

Obi Wan put his hand out in front of him.

"Can I see it please?" Obi Wan asked.

Tristan raised an eyebrow and folded his arms over his chest.

"You don't trust my word jetti?" Tristan demanded.

Obi Wan remembered what Anakin said about the spies in every planet so naturally he wasn't going to blindly trust a stranger he just met.

"I trust you as much as you'd trust a jedi" Obi Wan replied.

Tristan blinked twice then sighed and gave him the medication so Obi Wan immediately took a pill and put it in his pocket before reading the details written on the box.

"Are you satisfied now?" Tristan asked before snatching the box from Obi Wan's hand.

"I am if you must know" Obi Wan replied with a shrug.

Then he walked over to Beru who was leaning closer to Anakin in an attempt to hear what he was saying.

"Burn it shut" Anakin stuttered.

Obi Wan frowned and turned to Beru as soon as the woman gasped and took a step back.

"What happened? What is it?" Obi Wan demanded.

Beru looked between him and Anakin in confusion and worry which made Obi Wan feel even more uncomfortable and worried.

"What did he say?" Tristan asked.

Beru closed her eyes and took a deep breath then opened her eyes and looked at Obi Wan again and the man in question could easily tell that she was trying to remain calm.

"He just asked us to seal the wound shut using fire" Beru stated.

"What?" Tristan asked in disbelief.

"He wants someone to burn him" Beru repeated.

Obi Wan walked over to Anakin's bed and leaned closer to him.

"No other way burn it please" Anakin stuttered.

Obi Wan sighed and facepalmed not knowing what to do. Of all the crazy things his student did this one was definitely the craziest one.

"I contacted master Yoda he said that he'll come as soon as possible, Anakin you must bear with it until he comes" Obi Wan murmured.

"I can't" Anakin replied weakly.

Then he tilted his head to the side tiredly.

"Padmé I...Sorry, Luke, Leia" Anakin murmured.

Obi Wan frowned when he heard the last two names not knowing who they belonged to.

"Help me, Please" Anakin begged.

Beru wiped away the perspiration on his face with a towel before putting it aside.

"Maybe he's right, The wound needs to be sealed shut after all" Tristan said.

Obi Wan shook his head in response before turning his attention to Tristan.

"I can't do that, I'm not a professional healer and we don't have a medical droid to sedate him" Obi Wan reasoned.

"It seems that he won't hold on for much longer" Tristan said.

Then he turned to Anakin before walking over to him to inspect the wound.

"What happened to him anyway? That doesn't look like a stab wound at all and it certainly doesn't seem like he was poisoned either" Tristan said.

He frowned when he saw something that caught his attention so he turned on his scanning device and used it on Anakin.

"That can't be, It's impossible" Tristan said as soon as the scanning was finished.

Then he turned to Obi Wan.

"He's got an abnormal amount of electricity inside him, It must be affecting him from the inside, That's probably why he's not healing because there's something wrong with his basic body functions" Tristan explained.

"How are we going to fix that?" Beru asked.

"The only thing we can do is to find a way to absorb this electricity" Obi Wan said.

"What about the bleeding? At this rate he's going to die before the elder jetti you sent for arrives" Tristan said.

"We don't have..." Obi Wan started.

He trailed off and turned to his student once again when he felt that his force presence was rapidly declining.

"It appears that we have no choice" Obi Wan said.

He put a hand on Anakin's injury which was still bleeding and closed his eyes.

"I'm really sorry Anakin" He murmured in a low voice.

Then he started using the force healing again in an attempt to force the wound shut.

Anakin's body jolted as a result and his eyes shot open then he started screaming and thrashing in pain. The healing light turned red and the flesh started healing itself slowly.

The healing process lasted for long agonising minutes and everyone watched the boy in sympathy as he screamed in pain but before Obi Wan could seal it completely he was suddenly pushed away and his back hit the wall.

Anakin was gasping for air with perspiration covering his bare skin but Obi Wan could feel his presence starting to get stronger then before.

Tristan and Beru helped Obi Wan to his feet.

"What the hell are we dealing with?" Tristan demanded.

Anakin sat up slowly and looked at Obi Wan tiredly before turning his attention to Tristan.

"Believe it or not, I don't know it myself" Obi Wan lied.

Then he turned his attention to Tristan who had a hand on his blaster as he looked at Anakin.

"But I won't use that if I were you, You've seen what he did when he felt threatened back at the caves didn't you?" Obi Wan warned.

Tristan lowered his hand as he levelled Anakin with a wary look.

Anakin leaned his back to the bed and closed his eyes as he continued breathing heavily.

Obi Wan walked closer to him then put a hand on his forehead and to his relief the coldness started getting bearable.

"Seal it completely" Anakin said.

"I can't do that, You might die" Obi Wan replied.

"I already am" Anakin murmured before sucking in a deep breath when he felt an another wave of pain through him.

"Just hang in there please, I already sent for master Yoda and he's on his way" Obi Wan said.

Anakin let out a tired sigh and said nothing he had lost faith in the council a while back but he hoped that he'll be wrong this time.

"It's time for you to sleep you need to rest" Obi Wan advised.

Then he slowly helped his student to lay down once again and put a hand on his forehead to send him into unconsciousness.

••☆★☆••

Cal Kestis was passing through the hallway that led to the dormitories when he heard voices coming from inside the meeting room.

It was late at night and most of the jedi were asleep so he was curious about who was inside.

He walked closer to the room slowly and overheard a conversation between master Yoda and the council of masters but he didn't know what it was about.

"He's an abnormality why should we let someone like him stay alive?" Master Ki Adi inquired.

"Strong is the force with him, Let him die we shouldn't" Master Yoda said.

"I agree with master Windu, There's no guarantee that the boy will be loyal to us if we save his life" Master Plo Koon remarked.

Master Yoda smiled and closed his eyes.

"Help him we must, Trained he should in the sacred texts to Ahch To Skywalker must go" Master Yoda said.

"Ahch To? But that's where...Who's there?" Master Jocasta demanded.

Cal took a step back then started running down the hall.

Chapter Text

Cal turned the corner and hurried over to his room as fast as he could.

It was dark and he was too worried and brain scattered to focus on sensing anything so he couldn't sense the presence behind him.

"Kestis, What are you doing past the curfew?" Ferus asked.

Cal nearly jumped out of his skin as soon as he heard the older boy's voice.

"I...It's nothing I was just..." Cal started.

"Olin, What are you doing? Hurry up we need to go now" Master Siri said as she walked over to her student.

"You're going on a mission now?" Cal inquired.

"Yes" Ferus replied.

Cal knew that Ferus considered Anakin a friend even though they were constantly on each other's throats but he still wasn't sure if he should say anything about what he had heard.

"Listen I..." Cal started.

But before he could say anything he heard more footsteps approaching before master Yoda and master Windu appeared.

He paled at the sight of the two masters and pursed his lips before turning his gaze to the floor.

"Olin, I believe your master called" Master Windu said.

Ferus nodded and patted Cal's shoulder.

"See you later" Ferus said before walking away with his master.

"Kestis, A word now" Master Windu stated sharply.

Cal nodded and followed the two masters into a secluded room.

"How much have you heard" Master Windu demanded as soon as they were alone.

"I heard everything, What exactly is wrong with Anakin and why does he have to be sent away?" Cal inquired.

"Sent away he won't be child Kestis, Child Skywalker trained he must be" Master Yoda said.

"That doesn't make any sense, Why can't he just train at the temple with us?" Cal asked again.

Master Windu opened his mouth to say something but closed it again when he realised that he had nothing to say.

"Did he do something wrong? Or does it have to do with his condition when he woke up? Is he dying?" Cal questioned in concern.

"Secrets must be kept sometimes child Kestis" Master Yoda replied.

Cal fell silent not knowing what to say but it was clear that master Yoda wasn't going to answer his questions.

"You're allowed to send a signal to master Kenobi but that's about it, You're not allowed to talk to anyone else about what you heard under any circumstances do you understand?" Master Windu said.

Cal nodded hurriedly but he still wanted answers to his questions so he opened his mouth again.

"No questions asked the message should be enough, Tell them that they're going to Ahch To and no matter what happens they're not allowed to ever come back to that temple" Master Windu said before Cal could voice his thoughts.

"But would it be believable coming from me?" Cal asked.

"It'll be believable don't worry, Skywalker never really trusted us that much anyway" Master Windu murmured.

He felt a tinge of remorse for his past actions towards Anakin but he also knew that it was already too late to fix anything.

"Go to the harbour now, You'll find master Shaak Ti, She'll take you to Skywalker's location and remember that this must be kept a secret" Master Windu instructed.

They were interrupted by the sound of light knocking on the door.

"Who's there?" Master Windu inquired.

"It's me" Master Jocasta replied from behind the door.

"Come in you can" Master Yoda said.

The door opened and master Nu walked into the room before closing the door behind her hurriedly.

"Just now Thel Tanis informed me that she was able to transmit a distress signal from Tatooine I thought that you might want to hear this master Yoda" Master Nu said.

Then she set the hologram on the floor and Obi Wan immediately appeared in front of them.

"Master Yoda, We've discovered that the Mandalorians are in need of our help to find lady Bo Katan who went missing on Tatooine I deeply apologise for misleading the council but I still hope you'll be merciful enough to help Anakin, He's in a terrible condition and I'm afraid that he'll die if he doesn't receive immediate help, If this message ever gets to the temple please hurry up" Obi Wan said.

Master Yoda frowned as he took in all the information he had just heard.

Then he closed his eyes and nodded to himself.

"What are we going to do now?" Master Nu asked.

"Return to the temple they can't, To Tatooine I must go" Master Yoda replied.

"With all due respect to you grand master but I can't let you go alone I must accompany you" Master Windu said.

"Accompany me you can't, Suspicious it'll be" Master Yoda answered.

"Then maybe I can go, I'm still a youngling so it won't be suspicious if we go together for some field training" Cal suggested.

"There's no way you'll go you're far too young" Master Windu reprimanded.

"Bad idea it isn't but in that case more padawans accompany me they should" Master Yoda continued.

"Master Yoda, They're still children aren't they supposed to stay at the temple until they finish their training?" Master Nu inquired.

"I agree with master Nu, This is far too dangerous for just a group of padawans to handle" Master Windu stated.

"I have an idea but I don't think you'll like it that much" Cal blurted out timidly.

"Spill it" Master Windu said.

"We can take two more padawans with us say the ones who are most capable and we can go with master Windu but we can also take grand master Yoda with us if we..." Cal trailed off.

Then he cleared his throat and looked at the floor.

"What are you suggesting?" Master Windu demanded.

"We can take master Yoda with us if we put him inside a bag" Cal continued timidly.

Master Nu let out a shocked gasp and master Windu glared at Cal in anger and the boy took a step back in fear.

"How dare you even think of such a thing yet alone suggest it? Are you out of..." Master Windu started.

But was interrupted when master Yoda laughed.

"Boy is smart, Boy is smart indeed" Master Yoda said.

"I'm really sorry" Cal said as he looked at the floor by his feet.

"Why apologise? Great idea it is, Do it we should" Master Yoda continued.

"Grand master Yoda are you certain? This is clear disrespect" Master Nu stated.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures, Hurry up we should" Master Yoda replied.

Then he turned his attention to Cal and smiled then nodded.

"Fine then, I'll go find a bag but I'm still not alright with this" Master Windu said.

"Cal, Go get ready I'll send Depa to accompany you shortly. I don't think that master Windu would accept to go without his padawan" Master Nu stated.

Cal nodded and left hurriedly.

After sometime the five of them boarded a ship and set on their way to Tatooine.

••☆★☆••

He was laying on his back on the soft surface of his assigned bed at his mother's house in Tatooine.

Completely alone and looking at the ceiling tiredly and he tried his best to keep his dropping eyes from closing as he tried to regulate his alarmingly shallow breathing.

He was wrapped up in a heavy blanket that was supposed to keep him warm but he still felt chilled to the core.

Anakin was feeling numb, He didn't know whether it was because he was in too much pain that his body stopped functioning properly or because he was dying but he hoped that it wasn't the later.

As much as he had wanted to die before he found himself wishing for the opposite.

He wanted to atone for his crimes in the past and he certainly didn't want to die without making sure that his former Sith master was defeated but most importantly he wanted to make sure that Padmé, His mother and everyone else he cared about were safe.

"You poor thing, Foolish enough to think you can survive this" Darth Vader said.

He appeared next to him once again imposing in his usual black armour as he looked down at Anakin.

"Why are you so desperately clinging to life? You know deep down that you can't stop what's bound to happen nor can you change it" Darth Vader stated.

Anakin remained silent as he looked at the ceiling with a dazed expression on his face.

"You know as much as I do that your anger and hatred was what really kept you alive all these years, I kept you alive after Mustafar I saved your life" Darth Vader continued.

"You didn't...Save my life, You always...Wanted me gone" Anakin replied in a weak voice.

He was definitely a mad man. He had come to terms with that fact long ago since he had started openly talking to himself so he didn't really mind these conversations anymore.

"But I'm not going...To die, Not yet...They need...Me" Anakin continued through his gasps for air.

"Fool, If they really cared about you they would have sent someone to help you already, Didn't Obi Wan send a distress signal? No one came, No one is coming, You're a threat to them and they want you gone now just like they did before" Darth Vader snapped.

Anakin remained silent for what felt like a minute and gulped the lump in his throat with such a difficulty that it threatened to kill him right here and now.

Then he sucked in a deep breath and closed his eyes when he felt a shiver run down his spine as soon as darth Vader placed a hand on his wound.

He felt an another wave of tremendous pain overtaking his numb body as soon as darth Vader started digging a hand through his barely healed wound.

"I can kill you, If I kill you here and now I'll forever be rid of the weakness plaguing me, I'll finally be able to serve my true master" Darth Vader said angrily before he dug his hand through Anakin's wound.

Anakin sucked in an another deep breath refusing to scream and cry for help.

"Beg me to stop maybe then I might do it" Darth Vader taunted with a laugh.

Anakin closed his eyes tightly and started sobbing in pain as he felt darth Vader's hand digging even deeper into his flesh.

The door opened and Obi Wan rushed into the room causing darth Vader to disappear immediately.

"Anakin" Obi Wan cried in concern before going over to his side.

"I can't fight him...He's a lot stronger then me...Maybe dying is the only way out" Anakin stated.

The effort to speak caused him to cough out blood.

"Don't say that don't say another word save your breath, You'll live I promised that I'll save you and I will" Obi Wan stated firmly.

Anakin's smile was sullen and tired barely even reaching his eyes and the blood on his lips made it even more heartbreaking for Obi Wan to look at him.

He took Anakin's hand in his and closed his eyes then focused.

When he opened his eyes again he found himself standing on the surface of a barren moon but he didn't know what he was doing here.

"It sure took you long enough" Darth Vader said.

Obi Wan recognised the voice that often spoke through Anakin so he reached out for his lightsaber as soon as he noticed that the armoured man was walking over to him.

Then they both activated their lightsabers and lunged at each other.

Chapter Text

Tristan turned his attention to look in front of him when he heard a loud thud sound and saw that Obi Wan had also fainted.

"For god's sake" He muttered under his breath before deciding to go find more help.

He walked out of the room to get Ursa but when he returned he saw that Anakin was convulsing on the bed with foam coming out of his mouth so he and Ursa quickly rushed to his side.

"I got him just find out why the older jetti fainted" Ursa said before she started to inspect Anakin.

Tristan went over to Obi Wan's side and picked him up carefully before walking out of the room to find a bed for him.

He found Owen talking to his father in the dining room but they immediately turned their attention to him as soon as he stopped in front of them.

"What happened to him?" Owen asked.

"I have no idea he just fainted out of nowhere. Do you have a bed for him to use?" Tristan asked.

"Come with me" Owen said then led him to a room that had an empty bed which Tristan put Obi Wan on immediately before he started to check if the unconscious jedi was sick.

"This doesn't make any sense, According to my scan the man is perfectly fine" Tristan said.

"If that's the case then how come he's not waking up?" Owen asked.

Tristan shook his head in response not knowing what to say.

"I have no idea but..." Tristan started.

But was interrupted when his scanning device started peeping loudly before it finally exploded.

Tristan immediately dropped the device to the floor and put off the fire by stepping on it as fast as he could.

"What happened?" Sabine asked as she and Rook rushed into the room.

"It's my injury scanning device it just blew up out of nowhere and...Oh shit" Tristan said as his eyes widened in realisation.

Then he rushed over to Anakin's room once again with the two women following behind him.

"Sabine hand me your scanning device" Tristan said as he reached a hand out for her.

"What? Why?" She inquired.

"Hurry up" Tristan insisted.

Sabine handed him her device even though she was skeptical of his plan.

Tristan started scanning Anakin and noticed that the device wasn't peeping loudly like it did before.

"I was right then. The older jetti is trying to absorb the boy's excessive brain electricity" Tristan said.

"What?" Rook inquired.

"I've heard of this before but I never thought I'd see it with my own eyes" Tristan said.

He turned his attention to his sister and gulped the lump in his throat.

"They have formed a dyad. It's a jetti's way of connecting through the force they're now capable of feeling each other's pain and senses should one of them die the other can give up their life for their partner but in their case. They're both too weak to withstand it which means that we have to wake one of them up or they'll both die" Tristan stated.

"But how do you know that?" Sabine asked.

Tristan sighed and facepalmed before shaking his head.

"By all means Sabine do you think that's the right timing?" Tristan demanded.

Then he walked back into Obi Wan's room and started working on him immediately.

••☆★☆••

Obi Wan aimed an another kick at Darth Vader's side but it didn't seem to work so he tightened his grip on his lightsaber and blocked an another attack before taking a step back.

Darth Vader lunged forward and managed to kick Obi Wan to the ground before stabbing his shoulder with his lightsaber causing Obi Wan to let out a scream.

"You didn't really think you'd win here didn't you?" Darth Vader asked.

Then he used the force choking on the other man and lifted him up into the air.

Obi Wan started gasping for air as he tried to think about what he had to do to get out of this situation.

"This is where I'll finally defeat you, This is my mind. I'm the master here" Darth Vader continued.

Obi Wan laughed weakly causing Darth Vader to growl in anger.

"You? A master? You really think...That you could...Be one? What are you even? You're just...An abomination" Obi Wan said.

Darth Vader increased the strength of his force chocking causing Obi Wan to immediately stop talking and gasp for much needed air.

"It's just you and me now. Who's going to save you if I decide to stab you to death here?" Darth Vader demanded angrily.

Obi Wan looked behind Darth Vader briefly before closing his eyes to concentrate.

His lightsaber was right behind Darth Vader's feet so he tried to concentrate on summoning it but it was futile.

He was in a tight spot right now with no obvious way out, He needed help.

Darth Vader raised Obi Wan's own lightsaber in the air to stab him with it but before he could do that a blue lightsaber impaled Darth Vader causing him to let out a scream and lose focus before falling on his knees on the ground.

Obi Wan started falling before his back hit the ground he was too disoriented to think clearly but he couldn't be mistaken in the fact that he had heard two different screaming voices instead of one.

Anakin stood in front of Darth Vader lightsaber in his hand then fell to his knees shortly after and started gasping for air.

"You'll always be a sidekick, A slave. You'll always be..." Darth Vader started.

"Don't forget that it's my mind too" Anakin interrupted.

Then he stood up slowly and took his fighting stance before raising his lightsaber in front of him.

"You and I both know that you're not immune to my attacks here so I'll say this once. Release him or I'm going to kill you" Anakin stated.

Darth Vader stood up as well and summoned his lightsaber to his hand.

"That's really funny. You're saying you'll kill me? Have you forgotten that I'm you? If you kill me you'll also be killing yourself" Darth Vader said.

Obi Wan sat up and looked at his student particularly at the blood stained spot on the front of his padawan robes in the same spot where he just stabbed Darth Vader.

Anakin tightened his grip on his lightsaber not caring about the pain as he looked at his other self.

"It won't be a problem if that happens. I'll kill myself if it means that I'll take you with me" Anakin replied.

Darth Vader looked at Obi Wan briefly before turning his attention back to Anakin.

The next thing Obi Wan felt was a strong pain in his own head before he was forced to close his eyes.

When he opened his eyes again he found himself laying down on a bed in the Lars resident with two of the mandalorian escorts and Owen looking down at him.

He sat up slowly and looked around the room.

"Where's Anakin?" He asked as soon as he managed to catch enough breath to talk.

"In the other room he's..." Tristan started.

Obi Wan stood up and walked over to the other room.

Anakin was convulsing on the bed with Shmi crying by his side.

"Master Kenobi please do something" She begged in tears as soon as she saw him walk into the room.

Obi Wan rushed over to Anakin's side and gripped his hands tightly before closing his eyes once again.

The disturbance he was feeling was so strong it threatened to suck him into Anakin's mind once again so Obi Wan had to put more focus in trying to wake his student up.

He let out a scream when he felt a surge of an electric current flow through him but he didn't let go of Anakin's hands.

He now understood why Anakin's body was so cold to the touch and why he was in constant pain so he hoped that he'd at least be able to take some of the pain away.

His knees were threatening to give out from under him as he tried to focus on the task more before he finally managed to stop his student's convulsions.

Then he fell to his knees and clutched the side of his head letting out a scream as he felt a head splitting headache. It felt as if his brain was being torn apart.

Anakin stirred awake and opened his eyes before Shmi helped him sit up.

"Master" Anakin yelled in panic as soon as Obi Wan fell unconscious.

"Anakin calm down you're in a terrible condition yourself" Shmi cried.

"He's going to die if I don't do something how can you possibly ask me to calm down mother?" Anakin demanded.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath in an attempt to focus.

Then he opened his eyes and nodded to himself before reaching out to take his master's hands.

He could feel himself getting electrocuted once again just the same way he did before he died in his previous life.

But for some reason he couldn't take it back once again and his eyes shot open when he felt a force field pushing him away before he was repelled and slammed back first to the wall.

Shmi rushed over to him as Anakin slowly pushed up to sit straight.

"No, No you can't do this" Anakin screamed with tears in his eyes.

Shmi didn't understand what was going on but she could tell that her son was devastated and she regretted the fact that she was unable to help at all.

He stood up and rushed over to Obi Wan's side who was starting to turn pale then he closed his eyes and started focusing.

His hand started emanating a blue hue that was aimed at Obi Wan's head.

Anakin felt his life force starting to fade away but he never stopped what he was trying to do.

He fell backwards into his mother's embrace and started fading.

Obi Wan opened his eyes and started gasping for air then he sat up and looked at Anakin who was smiling at him sullenly.

"Anakin" He cried as he felt tears coming to his eyes.

"It's alright, It's going to be alright master" Anakin said.

Shmi started crying as she hugged her son tightly as he continued flickering then he finally disappeared completely.

Obi Wan pulled Shmi into a hug as she held her son's robes tightly and they both continued crying silently.

••☆★☆••

Anakin looked around him and saw that he was standing on the lava covered surface of Mustafar once again.

Darth Vader appeared in front of him with his red lightsaber in his hand.

"Why did you gave up your life that easily? You have been given a second chance yet you wasted it you fool" Darth Vader snapped.

Anakin smiled and took a seat on a piece of land that wasn't covered in lava.

"I don't regret it" He stated.

Darth Vader was at loss for words.

"You might be a ghost of the dark side of the force that only I can see but that doesn't mean you never existed" Anakin said.

Then he reached out to take Darth Vader's hand.

"You were right though you did save my life before so instead of fighting each other why don't we just become one?" Anakin suggested.

"You're saying that I should sacrifice my presence in the force to save you in this life?" Darth Vader asked.

"Don't you want to save Padmé? Don't you want to live too?" Anakin asked in return.

Darth Vader turned to face his much younger self and looked at his outstretched hand.

"It's either you take my hand and become me again or let me burn and let me become you" Anakin stated.

Darth Vader took a step forward then grabbed Anakin's hand.

Chapter Text

Obi Wan calmed down and let go of Shmi then wiped away his tears.

"I should send a message to the temple to tell them the news" Obi Wan announced sullenly.

Shmi stayed silent as she looked at her son's empty robes.

Obi Wan walked out of the room and went to find 3PO.

Ursa was watching everything unfold before her in complete silence and acceptance.

She knew that the older jedi needed time to grieve and she respected that so she decided to take matters into her own hands.

She turned to her children who were talking to Owen and Beru.

"Sabine, Tristan come here" She instructed.

Her children excused themselves and walked over to her as soon as they heard her calling.

"I think that it'd be best for us to continue the mission ourselves, Lady Kryze is in obvious danger and we need to find her as soon as possible. The jetti is grieving the loss of his padawan so I don't think that he'll be able to help much" Ursa said.

"I think we should wait a bit more. The Jetti possesses the ability of mind control so maybe we'll finish the job faster if he comes along" Sabine suggested.

"We'll be risking lady Kryze's life if we wait any longer we came here to save her not wait until the jetti and his padawan are done with their issues" Ursa stated.

Tristan looked between them as he thought about whose side he should be on.

"Tristan, Come along we can't delay our mission any longer" Ursa said.

Tristan sighed and nodded then followed his mother out of the house.

••☆★☆••

Cal got off the ship with master Windu and Depa at his side.

Then master Yoda jumped out of the bag and led the way through the desert.

"So where exactly should we start looking grand master?" Master Windu asked.

"Follow me you should, Know the way I do" Master Yoda replied as he continued walking.

Cal was confused by the fact that master Yoda knew the way to Anakin's whereabouts but he supposed that Anakin or master Kenobi must have told him.

He only hoped that they'd reach the address in time.

But suddenly master Yoda stopped walking and closed his eyes causing the other three to stop walking as well.

"Very unfortunate it is, Very unfortunate indeed" Master Yoda stated.

He turned his attention to the rest of the group.

"Too late we are young Skywalker is already dead" Master Yoda announced sullenly.

Cal, Master Windu and Depa exchanged confused looks as soon as they heard what master Yoda said.

"With all due respect grand master but are you certain about this? It could be that his presence in the force was simply weakened" Master Windu suggested.

"Presence in the force he hasn't, Dead he is" Master Yoda repeated.

Master Windu didn't know how to react, He was depressed for sure but he was certain that Obi Wan was feeling it ten times more.

"What about master Kenobi? Is he safe?" Cal inquired.

"We need to find that out for ourselves" Master Windu said.

They continued walking until they finally reached the market.

Cal understood then that master Yoda only knew the way to the market and not to Anakin's house.

It made sense to him even though it made him sure that the grand master he thought so highly of didn't care that much about Anakin to know where he lived.

It would have been a lot easier for them to arrive at the house faster if any of the masters asked Anakin about that detail but they didn't and that alone made Cal rethink a lot of things.

As if he had sensed his turmoil master Yoda turned to Cal and walked over to him.

"Troubled you are right now child Kestis, Don't let these thoughts get to you" Master Yoda said.

Then he started walking again until he finally stopped in front of a racing range.

Master Windu hoped that the flying creature coming their way was at least an information dealer so he stepped forward to ask.

"Good afternoon, We were looking for two jedi one of them is a boy of about nineteen and the other is a man in his late twenties did they pass by the market?" Master Windu questioned.

"Jedi? The last we saw one of your kind was when that old man came with his kid and whisked away Skywalker and his mother, The kid was a catch I'm still disappointed over the loss until now" Watto complained.

Master Windu sighed.

"We'll be really thankful if you could at least tell us anything that might help us find the Skywalker boy" Master Windu said.

"I don't know where he is it's your job to find that out but I do know that his mother married some farmer and moved into his house some years ago" Watto stated.

"Where can we find that house?" Master Windu inquired.

"You're asking way too many questions" Watto remarked with a displeased frown.

Master Windu was starting to lose his patience but he had to remind himself of the fact that he needed to stay calm to set an example for his padawan.

He took out some money and gave it to Watto.

"Tell us what you know, Anything and everything you know" Master Windu said.

Watto looked at the money looking obviously pleased then nodded.

"The farmer's last name is Lars he's got a son who usually comes to the market with his girlfriend, Their house isn't far from the tusken caves a warning to you lot is to stay away from that region no one can escape the tusken raiders and their attacks everyone knows that for a fact" Watto explained.

Then he flew away without saying anything more.

"To the caves then?" Cal inquired as he looked at master Windu.

"It seems that we have no choice" Master Windu replied.

••☆★☆••

Anakin was laying down on his back looking up at the clear daytime sky he remembered from his memories of Naboo.

Padmé was nowhere in sight but he didn't really mind that which was actually a surprise for him.

He had acknowledged the fact that he was once again dead but at least he had saved his master in the process so he didn't mind that either.

He closed his eyes and smiled as the soft air breeze carried the smell of flowers filling the air with a pleasant smell that managed to calm him down even more.

He was at peace here.

"You know that she'll never be safe if our master decides to corner her again don't you?" Darth Vader's voice interrupted the silence causing him to open his eyes.

Darth Vader was kneeling down next to his younger padawan self looking at his eyes with Anakin doing the exact same.

Anakin sighed and sat up then stretched his arms before standing up.

"When I made that deal with you I thought that you had a plan to return to life once again, You know as much as I do that staying dead won't help her or your children" Darth Vader said.

"Luke and Leia were more then capable of handling themselves, I never had to worry about them they're both far wiser then me" Anakin replied.

"Then what of Padmé? You promised that you'll help me protect her" Darth Vader insisted.

Anakin smiled sullenly and looked at the sky once again.

"Maybe Padmé's life will be better without us in it" Anakin replied.

"I don't want her gone I love her" Darth Vader announced.

"Do you think love is enough? I got greedy for power I'll admit it and that's how you came to be but that's also how Padmé died. We have to come to terms with the truth" Anakin said.

"What truth?" Darth Vader demanded.

"It wasn't Darth Sidious that killed Padmé it's me and me alone" Anakin stated.

Darth Vader sighed and sat down so Anakin sat down next to him.

"I'll do whatever it takes to see her smile once again just one more time is enough for me" Darth Vader murmured.

Anakin turned to him.

"You realise that you'll probably cease to exist if I return to life once again right? Maybe a ghost of the force but not as a person. Are you alright with this?" Anakin asked.

"You promised you'd save Padmé from our master so do it, No matter what it takes just do it" Darth Vader said.

Anakin bit his lip not knowing what to say to that.

He wasn't sure if he'll be able to completely get rid of his desire for power so he wasn't sure if Darth Vader would be reborn in the near future or not.

It was kind of strange and overwhelming for him to think of returning back to life but it was even scarier for him to see Padmé again.

But he also knew that he had to try and stop Sidious because as his master said if there was anyone who knew the future it was him.

"How do I do it?" Anakin inquired in a small voice.

"You should go seek help from someone who can control life and death simple as that" Darth Vader answered.

"And who might that be?" Anakin questioned with a frown.

"The only person who hates Darth Sidious more then anyone else everyone has a superior, A teacher. And Darth Sidious is no different" Darth Vader said.

Anakin was at loss for words once again as soon as he heard what his older self suggested.

"Scared much? I was under the impression that you feared nothing" Darth Vader mocked with a laugh.

Anakin closed his eyes and took a deep breath in his best attempt to calm his nerves.

"Where do I find him?" Anakin inquired.

"The world of the dead is simpler then you think, When you want to find someone you just have to visit their death place" Darth Vader explained.

Anakin's eyes narrowed in thought.

"In life" Darth Vader continued.

Anakin's eyes immediately widened as soon as he realised what that meant.

"No, This can't happen it's wrong and evil and it'll cause more damage then help" Anakin argued.

"And yet it's your only option" Darth Vader insisted.

Then he put his hands on Anakin's shoulders causing Anakin to flinch.

"Don't you understand? To get stronger you need a teacher and that teacher has to be an expert in the dark side of the force, This teacher has to be master Plagueis" Darth Vader insisted.

"This is madness, I can't send someone to his death place to summon him for me a dead person myself" Anakin said angrily.

"You said that you'd do whatever it took to save Padmé's life and here's your opportunity so cease it" Darth Vader snapped.

Then he stood up and walked away.

Anakin watched his retreating back as he thought about what he had to do but after what felt like hours of thinking he realised that he had no other choice.

He stood up and walked out of the meadow before it eventually started changing into the surface of the barren moon.

He had to contact his master somehow.

Chapter Text

Master Yoda reached the farming area after what felt like long hours of walking.

"I think we're lucky enough that we didn't encounter any of the raiders" Depa stated.

"Don't let your guard down just yet we're still stranded in the desert" Master Windu said.

Master Yoda stopped walking all of a sudden and closed his eyes.

"What's going on master?" Cal inquired.

"Life forms close to us they are" Master Yoda replied.

Cal, Master Windu and Depa looked around them and they couldn't find anyone or anything at first but after looking closely they saw a group of four mandalorians walking their way.

They didn't seem to notice their presence though.

"They must be the ones tasked with finding lady Kryze" Master Windu stated.

"Aren't we supposed to go with them?" Cal inquired.

"Our mission is to find master Kenobi not the lost princess" Master Windu said.

"But it was big brother Anakin's mission to find her" Cal insisted.

Then he turned to master Yoda.

"Master Yoda I know that I'm a youngling and that I'm far too unskilled to do anything but I think that the jedi order is supposed to help everyone, Turning a blind eye on lady Kryze will go against everything we're taught" Cal stated.

Master Yoda closed his eyes and nodded then sighed and opened his eyes again before turning his attention to master Windu.

"Go you should, Young Kenobi will shortly follow you" Master Yoda said.

Master Windu looked at the floor then nodded before going over to the four mandalorians.

••☆★☆••

Obi Wan got off the ship as soon as he was done with sending the message to the temple then he walked over to the Lars house once again.

But before he could go in he turned his attention to look around when he felt a presence behind him.

He started walking over to the direction where he felt the presence was strongest and finally managed to find master Yoda, Cal and Depa.

"Grand master" Obi Wan greeted before bowing his head politely.

"Young Kenobi, News of child Skywalker are very unfortunate. Very unfortunate indeed" Master Yoda stated.

Obi Wan kept his attention focused on the ground under his feet.

Grief aside Obi Wan was still unable to understand a lot of things about what really went down with Anakin.

"How?" Obi Wan questioned.

Then he looked at master Yoda.

"How did this happen grand master? Why did it happen? Why did it have to be him? He was just a boy" Obi Wan said.

Master Yoda closed his eyes again.

"Everyone is born with a purpose, Child Skywalker no different he was" Master Yoda said.

"No, This isn't right I can't accept it" Obi Wan said.

He could still see it clearly as if it was engraved into his mind. Anakin's sullen smile as he looked at him before fading completely.

He couldn't just let it end like this.

"Young Kenobi, Patience you must have. This truly isn't the end" Master Yoda said.

Obi Wan frowned as soon as he heard what the elder jedi said.

Then he started piecing everything together.

"Grand master, Forgive me if I come out rude but I think that you too have the same memories Anakin had" Obi Wan said.

Master Yoda stayed silent which made Obi Wan laugh in disbelief.

"You brought him back didn't you grand master?" Obi Wan asked.

"I did" Master Yoda replied.

Obi Wan took a deep breath and nodded to himself.

"Then fix this. Bring him back" Obi Wan said in the calmest voice he could manage.

He was angry, Desperate and depressed at the same time.

"Master Kenobi, What about lady Kryze? Master Windu already went to assist the mandalorians shouldn't we go along?" Depa asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"Of course we should, You and I alone of course because Cal is still a youngling and because the esteemed grand master of the jedi temple of Coruscant is keen on finding other people to burden them that is" Obi Wan taunted.

It was a surprise even to him that he'd talk like this to the grand master of the temple but he couldn't bring himself to care right now.

Depa cleared her throat awkwardly and rubbed the back of her neck as Cal looked at his feet.

"Come on, We should catch up to them" Obi Wan said.

Then he led the way to where he sensed the mandalorians were.

They were walking on their way when Depa suddenly stopped.

"Master Kenobi look" She said in an entranced voice.

Obi Wan turned and his eyes widened as soon as he saw what she was pointing at.

"Anakin" He murmured as soon as he saw the force ghost of his student.

He didn't know how but it was very much real.

"Master" Anakin said before smiling at him sullenly.

Depa felt that she was intruding on them and didn't know what else to do but to leave them alone to talk.

Maybe master Kenobi needs to say goodbye to his student in a proper way after all.

She had never seen a force ghost in her life but it was certainly an unfortunate event to see one.

That person trained at the temple with her, He was alive just two or three days ago and now he was gone.

She didn't know what was going on at all but she was aware of the fact that only the jedi with the strongest connection to the force are the ones who can return as ghosts of the force.

Anakin was still a padawan but he was a ghost now so Depa was starting to believe that he really went through some life changing events that made him mature a lot faster even though she didn't know what he went through for that to happen.

"Master please come closer" Anakin said.

Obi Wan walked closer to Anakin immediately so Anakin leaned closer to his ear.

"There's a way for me to return back to this life master, Only one person can do it. Sith lord Plagueis" Anakin murmured in Obi Wan's ear.

Obi Wan frowned and leaned back.

"But this is madness, I've never heard of anything like this before" Obi Wan said.

"It's the only way" Anakin insisted.

"We're not certain, We don't know what he'll do if he returns back to life himself" Obi Wan said.

"To destroy Sidious we need to find someone who's even stronger then him and that would be lord Plagueis" Anakin explained.

Obi Wan was reluctant about this whole ordeal.

It was probably the only way to bring Anakin back to life but the fact still remains that Plagueis was a sith and not just anyone he was a force to be reckoned with.

"He has to be the one to train me, No one else can" Anakin said.

Obi Wan sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"And how are we going to keep him under control if we ever manage to bring him back to life?" Obi Wan questioned.

Anakin smirked.

"The answer to that is simple master, It's revenge. If we tell him that our plan will be to defeat Sidious then he'll definitely give it some thought" Anakin said.

Obi Wan thought about it for a minute or so before looking up at Anakin only to find that he was gone.

He let out a deep breath and continued on his way to where Depa was standing.

"Are you alright master Kenobi?" She inquired.

Obi Wan nodded without saying anything then walked ahead of her.

••☆★☆••

"Everything is ready my lady" General Gregar said.

The lady in question smiled and nodded.

"Then you can start with the landing operation now" She said.

The general nodded and left the room and the maid who was standing at the door nodded politely before he walked away so the maid walked into the room.

"My lady we'll shortly land on the harbour of the jedi temple" The maid said.

Then she walked over to the wardrobe and started folding some clothes before putting them in a bag.

"No need for us to prepare too much clothes, We won't be staying for long" Padmé said.

The maid nodded once and left the room taking the bag with her.

Padmé stood up and walked over to where she left her blasters then put them in the side pockets of her belt before putting on a long skirt.

Then she looked at her dressing table which had most of her jewellery before her eyes fell on her most valuable pendant.

She smiled and took the pendant and put it on before hiding it under her clothes.

A knock on the door told her that they have finally landed so she walked out of the room.

Padmé got off the ship with general Gregar and her maid as soon as she reached the surface of the jedi temple.

The first thing she noticed as soon as she arrived at the temple though was the strange silence.

The two masters who were there to see her were also behaving in a strange way.

"I'm master Shaak Ti and this is master Plo Koon, We deeply apologise for grand master Yoda's absence he had some pressing matters to attend to" Master Shaak Ti announced.

"No need to apologise I totally understand. I know that my visit was unplanned and I apologise for that but I need help urgently and..." Padmé started.

But she was interrupted when she heard the sound of footsteps coming closer.

Master Jocasta Nu walked over to them carrying some books but she looked so entranced that she barely even noticed Padmé's presence.

"Is something wrong? Did I come at the wrong time?" Padmé asked with a frown.

Master Shaak Ti opened her mouth to say something but closed it again unable to tell the younger woman the news.

She decided not to say anything about it though and forced a smile on her face. She was a jedi master she shouldn't be mourning.

"There's no such a thing my lady, We're just a bit distracted at the moment don't worry though I'll send a youngling to help you soon" Master Shaak Ti stated.

Padmé smiled in gratitude and nodded before following the older woman.

••☆★☆••

Dara and Ferus were sitting on the floor of one of the training rooms.

"I can't believe he's gone Ferus, It's so sudden and unfair and..." Dara started.

Ferus looked at the girl next to him briefly before turning his attention to the wall not knowing what to say to comfort her.

He was also having a hard time believing that Anakin was gone for good and felt terrible for the horrible things he had done to him.

The worst thing was that it was too late to repent.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when Dara rested her head on his shoulder and started crying so he instinctively put a hand on her shoulder and leaned his head to hers.

Chapter Text

Obi Wan paced back and forth as he thought about the current situation.

Anakin was gone but according to him there was a way to bring him back to life.

He didn't know what to do anymore. The plan that his student proposed was rather risky.

But the fact still remains that it was the only way for Anakin to return back to this life.

Then there was master Yoda. Obi Wan knew that he had to talk to him and find out what was going on.

The grand master admitted that he had the same memories Anakin had but one of the most important questions that Obi Wan still had no answer for was why he couldn't remember his past life as well?

It's valid that master Yoda could do it because he was a respectable jedi master but why does Anakin have that ability? Was it really his destiny to carve a path between the two sides of the force and master his own way?

If that was really the case then the temple of Coruscant won't be able to help Anakin as much as Obi Wan hoped and the only one who can truly help him is master Plagueis.

There was a knock on the door before Ursa walked into the room.

"We're ready to move" She said.

Obi Wan nodded in response.

Gathering allies is always a good start whenever it came to dark and desperate times like this and the mandalorians will be good help if Obi Wan played his cards right.

He was going to find the lost princess and return her back to her home then ask for allegiance with duchess Satine.

Master Windu and Depa were waiting outside the hotel they were using when Obi Wan and Ursa walked over to them.

Rook, Sabine and Tristan followed Ursa and Obi Wan to where the other two jedi were waiting.

"Where should we start our search?" Depa asked.

"Gathering information from the right source should be a good start, This place should have at least one market. I think we should start from there" Master Windu suggested.

Obi Wan shook his head in disagreement.

"We don't have time for that now. We need to have a more accurate source and no matter what we should stick together unless the situation calls for a split up" Obi Wan said.

"What kind of situation are you talking about?" Ursa asked.

"Infiltrating a guarded place or looking for more then one source of information" Obi Wan answered.

"You speak like someone who knows an informant already" Sabine said.

"I don't have a particular informant yet but I know that a market is a good start, We should start from the oil market since it's the closest one on the map right now" Obi Wan said.

"And what if we come up empty handed?" Tristan asked.

"If we don't find anything in a particular place then we'll go to an another one then an another one until we find someone who can tell us anything useful" Obi Wan answered.

Depa raised her hand politely to call for attention so Obi Wan turned to her.

"I lf I may suggest something master Kenobi" Depa said.

"Go ahead" Obi Wan said.

"I think we should also look for some leads in other gathering spots like pod racing areas, Casinos and pubs" Depa said.

"Tatooine doesn't have any clubs or casinos but it does have a few cantinas and also a few pubs we should definitely look there as well" Obi Wan agreed.

Then he smiled at the girl proudly.

"That's a really great idea I see that master Windu has trained you well" Obi Wan said.

Depa inclined her head in polite appreciation and kept her attention to the ground.

"Then, If we have a plan I suggest we should start moving" Ursa said.

Obi Wan, Master Windu and Depa followed the mandalorians through the market looking for anyone who might have any information about the lost princess.

But after long hours of searching they still couldn't come up with anything.

"We need to return back to the ships, We've searched long enough for today if we stay any longer we might risk running into the raiders not to mention that the sand people could take down our ships we need to guard them" Master Windu suggested.

"Mother, What do you think?" Tristan asked.

Ursa sighed in response then closed her eyes and nodded.

"I just hope that nothing bad happened to that kid" Ursa murmured in a small voice.

Then she led her children and Rook to the Lars residence with master Windu and Depa following behind them.

Obi Wan walked behind them slowly as he thought about where the younger princess might be. They have searched too many places and still couldn't come up with anything useful to help them find her.

"What was that mission she came here for?" Depa inquired.

"She came to look for some foundlings to join our ranks" Rook answered.

"And how long has she been missing?" Depa asked.

"Over..." Rook started.

"The slave market" Obi Wan suddenly exclaimed.

Everyone turned to him with questioning gazes.

"Think about it, She had been lost for months now with no news about the mission and no trace of her at all which means that she was most definitely stripped off her armour" Obi Wan reasoned.

"The slave market? How barbaric" Tristan said in disgust.

"If it's true then those traders whoever they are had certainly dug their own graves" Rook said.

Obi Wan turned to Depa and master Windu.

"You can return to the ships I'll help them" Obi Wan said.

Master Windu sighed and nodded in response, He knew that someone had to protect the ship but he also knew that Obi Wan needed to get a distraction so he allowed him to go alone.

"Fine but keep me updated in case you get into any trouble understood?" Master Windu stated.

Obi Wan nodded in response then turned his back on master Windu and Depa who stood by her master's side. But before Obi Wan could leave master Windu put a hand on his shoulder to stop him so the other man turned to face the dark skinned master.

But in all his years Obi Wan never imagined that he'd see that sight ever.

Master Windu bowed to him in an apologetic manner causing Obi Wan to frown and Depa's eyes to widen in surprise.

"I know it's too late but I just wanted you to know that I deeply apologise for mistreating Anakin and that I'm really sorry for your loss" Master Windu said as he kept his attention focused on the sand under his feet.

Depa followed her master's example and bowed in apology as well.

"As jedi this is as far as our mourning can go but I certainly hope that it'd be enough" Master Windu said before standing straight once again.

"I understand master Windu. No need for you to go to such lengths we're jedi it's not possible for us to mourn" Obi Wan said in a small voice.

"Cut it out master Kenobi and just mourn him, Everyone at the temple knows that Anakin was your little brother in all meaning of the word so just cry and move on" Master Windu murmured.

Then he cleared his throat and put a hand on Depa's shoulder.

"We'll get going now, You have a mission to finish" Master Windu said.

Then he and Depa walked on their way to the Lars residence where they left the ships.

Obi Wan walked on his way to the slave market with the mandalorians following him.

Ursa couldn't help but feel sorry for the jedi who wasn't even allowed to mourn the death of his student. She imagined what it would be like at the temple. All quiet and calm as if the kid had never existed at all.

She felt sorry for Shmi as well, Being a mother herself Ursa couldn't possibly imagine a life without Sabine and Tristan even though she was really strict with them at times so she knew for a fact that Shmi was deeply heartbroken.

"I'd like to invite the Lars to a tribute funeral for your student. He died during a Mandalorian quest which means he died trying to help us and deserves recognition for his bravery" Ursa suggested.

Obi Wan stopped walking as soon as he heard what she said.

"Really? You'd do that?" Obi Wan inquired.

"I'll have to discuss it with Lady Kryze first but she's an understanding person I'm sure she'll agree" Ursa answered.

"Thank you" Obi Wan said.

He felt tears coming to his eyes at the news and he couldn't deny the fact that he felt greatly relieved.

"I believe we need to finish what he started though. So I think we should get going" Obi Wan said in a small voice before wiping away his tears.

Then they continued on their way.

••☆★☆••

Padmé was confused by the fact that neither Obi Wan nor Anakin were there to see her.

She knew that asking about them will raise suspicion though so she remained silent about it.

There was a knock on the door before it opened and a young jedi knight followed Padmé's maid into the room.

"My apologies for coming in unannounced my lady, I'm Ferus Olin I was tasked with protecting you. My master is busy right now she's supervising a youngling under training but she'll be done shortly" Ferus said.

"I don't need more guards. I want to know who's trying to kill me" Padmé said.

"I think that protecting you should be a priority my lady so I request that you allow me to escort you to Naboo" Ferus insisted.

"There's something I want to ask you about" Padmé said.

"Sure thing my lady, You can ask me anything" Ferus said.

"Where are master Kenobi and his student? They were friends of mine and I wanted to greet them in person" Padmé said.

She frowned in alarm when she noticed the tense look Ferus had on his face.

"What? What happened?" Padmé inquired.

Ferus sighed and nodded to himself causing Padmé's concern to grow even more.

"My lady, Master Kenobi has departed for a mission on Tatooine and Skywalker... I mean Anakin is..." Ferus started.

"Did something bad happen to him?" Padmé demanded.

Ferus bit his lip in thought then nodded before deciding to just say it to her face.

It was better then lying anyway and he didn't forget the fact that Anakin cared about this woman in a romantic way so he knew for a fact that his friend would have wanted someone to tell her.

"He cared about you more then you think my lady jedi are normally forbidden from attachments but Anakin didn't care about that. He really loved you with all his heart" Ferus said.

He felt tears coming to his eyes so he looked away and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down.

"What happened to him?" Padmé demanded in pure panic.

She was already expecting the worse but she hoped that her assumption was wrong.

"My lady, Anakin is gone. He died from the aftermath of a severe injury he sustained during one of the missions he went on and..." Ferus started.

But he didn't get to finish what he was going to say because he was interrupted by a loud thud sound.

Padmé was on the floor unconscious.

"Senator Amidala" Ferus yelled in panic.

Chapter Text

Padmé woke up to the feeling of something touching her forehead so she opened her eyes and sat up immediately.

Dara took a step back in surprise as soon as she saw that the older woman had woken up.

"It appears that you no longer need any help my lady" Dara said as soon as she recovered from her surprise.

"Is it true? Is Anakin really dead?" Padmé demanded in the calmest voice she could manage.

Padmé couldn't care less about her own wellbeing right now as she desperately anticipated the answer to her questions.

"My lady please" Padmé's maid begged.

Padmé ignored her as she looked at Dara in anticipation.

She came here hoping to ask for Anakin's help but instead she found out that she'll never see him again.

And the fact that no one was mourning him was adding to her sorrow.

"How did he die? Aren't you supposed to be healers? I thought the force was on your side. How come you couldn't heal him? Why did you stand by and let him die?" Padmé inquired as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"My lady please calm down, You have been unconscious for a whole day we still have to check if you're healthy" Sabé said.

"She's right my lady you shouldn't strain yourself too much" Dara advised.

Padmé looked between the two girls in front of her briefly before turning her attention to look at the pendant hidden under her clothes.

She pulled it out and looked at it for a few seconds as she continued crying.

"Please leave us" Padmé murmured.

Dara nodded then walked out of the room before closing the door behind her.

"My lady I don't think that he'd have wanted to see you like this" Sabé said as soon as Dara walked out of the room.

Padmé knew that her maid was right but she still couldn't stop herself from crying so the maid pulled her into a hug and Padmé accepted as if her life depended on it.

"My lady please calm down, This is neither the time nor the place. Never forget how much your life is worth" Sabé said.

Padmé stayed in her arms for a few more minutes before pulling away from the hug then she wiped away her tears and nodded.

"We should go out, I want to finish my task then go back to my home" She murmured.

Sabé nodded then helped Padmé to her feet before the two of them walked out of the room.

General Gregar was standing guard in front of the door along with Dara but they both bowed their heads in respect as soon as they saw Padmé walking out of the room.

Ferus walked over to the group then bowed his head in polite greeting before looking at Padmé.

He could easily tell that Padmé was doing her best to maintain a calm, Reserved behaviour judging from the redness of her eyes. It got him thinking about how lucky the woman was to freely express her emotions like that.

He wondered whether loving someone so deeply would affect him that much as well he couldn't help but think about how beautiful and sad it was.

It got him wondering about what life was like outside the temple without the restrictions of the jedi code.

Such was the case with him, Dara and Depa and Cal and all the masters.

Life goes on, No attachments, No feelings just the force.

He tried to get back to his normal life at the temple before Anakin's death but he found that he couldn't do so anymore.

He desperately wanted a chance to go with the flow for once.

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked at Dara who was looking at him in concern.

"Are you alright?" Dara asked.

Only then that he noticed that he had been gripping his lightsaber way too tightly to the point that his knuckles had turned white.

"I am" Ferus murmured.

He loosened his grip on his lightsaber and relaxed his posture.

"My lady, It has been decided that Ferus will escort you to Naboo" Dara stated.

Padmé nodded in response before turning her attention to her general.

"Prepare the ship for our departure. It appears that's all the help we'll get here" Padmé said.

Ferus turned his attention to her immediately as he formed a plan in his head.

"My lady if I may interrupt, I'd like to inform you that my master has agreed to send me to conduct an investigation on your case" Ferus said.

Dara turned to him in alarm as soon as she heard what he said. But Ferus maintained a calm and confident posture.

"Then perhaps with your presence this issue would all be resolved" Padmé said.

"But my lady..." Dara started.

"Are you trying to sabotage the mission Dara?" Ferus asked.

Dara looked at him again then sighed and shook her head.

"I'd certainly want to know how Anakin died but for now I must honour his death, I'd like to prepare a funeral for him in Naboo which is why I'd like to stop by my planet before going to my next station" Padmé said.

"That's impossible my lady, In order for you to have that funeral you'll need a casket and a body. Us jedi become one with the force once we're dead. Some of us are lucky enough to return as ghosts of the force but even that requires tremendous skills" Dara said.

"It doesn't matter whether there's a body or not I'll make this memorial no matter what" Padmé insisted.

"As who may I ask my lady?" Ferus asked.

"Excuse me?" Padmé inquired in return with her eyes narrowed in confusion.

"You want to honor Anakin's death which is a beautiful and kind gesture but as who? You're neither his sister nor his wife. You're not even acknowledged as his lover. Do you want to tarnish his name by presenting him as a knight who broke the jedi code by allowing himself to fall in love?" Ferus questioned.

Dara cleared her throat awkwardly and looked between Ferus and Padmé who was doing her best not to appear angry but still failed at it.

"No attachments. Such is the jedi code, And that's why no one here is mourning him. No one will mourn me after I die nor her nor anyone else and I know how that must make you feel but it's the simple truth you must understand. If you mourn Anakin you'll reveal yourself as his lover and ruin his reputation in the process" Ferus continued.

Padmé cleared her throat and looked at the floor then sighed and nodded.

"If you want to mourn him then just do it silently" Ferus said.

Then he walked away with Dara following behind him.

"What was that for? Aren't you being too hard on her?" Dara asked.

Ferus stopped walking and turned to her but Dara's eyes widened and she instinctively took a step back in alarm when she saw that his eyes were tearing up.

"Isn't it the truth? Don't we all share the same fate?" He asked in a shaking voice.

Dara pursed her lips and walked closer to him before pulling him into a hug.

"That's not true, You and I are friends. I'll mourn you if you die just like I know you'd do the same for me" Dara said.

Ferus didn't pull away from her embrace but didn't wrap his arms around her either.

"What makes you so sure?" He asked in a low voice.

She pulled away and smiled before rubbing at her eyes to stop her own tears.

"Because you and Anakin weren't that close to begin with and yet here you are" Dara explained as she looked into his eyes.

Then she reached out and wiped away his tears.

"And because you always claimed that you hated Anakin and yet here you are trying to help a person he cared so much about" She continued.

Ferus was unsure if his sudden urge to break the rules was because Anakin rubbed off on him or because he was a jedi who had to help people in need or because he was hoping that by doing so he'd be able to experience any sort of attachment.

He knew that Anakin was an emotional person who loved and hated and felt anger and sadness at times. Maybe it was the reason he died, Ferus wasn't sure but he really wanted to get a glimpse of what it felt like to feel anything in general outside the walls of the temple.

That mission was certainly his chance so he gladly took it even though it wasn't like him to break the rules.

"Are you alright with what I did?" He asked Dara.

Dara smiled and nodded causing him to break into a smile in return.

"I don't know what the consequences will be once I'm discovered but I certainly hope we'll see each other again" Ferus stated.

Dara chuckled before pulling him into an another hug.

"You idiot, You gave me headaches with your talks about the rules of the temple and here you are" She said.

Ferus smiled then wrapped an arm around her waist before closing his eyes.

"I'm proud of you" She murmured in his ear.

Then she pulled away and gave him one last smile before turning her back on him then started walking away.

Ferus turned his back on her as well and started walking over to his room to pack his stuff.

••☆★☆••

Bo Katan looked at the iron chain around her neck as she tried to measure it's width in her mind.

Jabba the hutt was laughing as he looked at the sight in front of him but it was making Bo Katan sick even though everyone around her was cheering.

The sight in question was a beast trying to eat an unarmed man as he did his best to evade it.

If only she had her a weapon with her she could have easily escaped but she was stripped off her armour as soon as Jabba found her.

What was even worse was the stupid way she was lured into this trap in the first place but she didn't want to recall that memory so she pushed it to the back of her mind as she tried to form a plan for what felt like the millionth time.

She frowned when she heard a sudden strange voice that sounded like pained screams.

Then much to her surprise four mandalorians flew in as they shot at the spectators with their blasters.

And to make it even more unbelievable there were three jedi accompanying them as they attacked the rest of the spectators with their lightsabers and used whatever force tricks they had.

One of the mandalorians landed next to her and shot the chain around her neck breaking it before handing her a blaster.

Bo Katan didn't waste a second before she started to attack whoever came her way.

Then the three jedi started fighting Jabba the hutt.

The four mandalorians shot at Jabba as two of the three jedi stabbed him with their lightsabers but nothing seemed to be working.

She noticed from the corner of her eye that the jedi in white robes has suddenly appeared on top of Jabba.

Her eyes widened when the jedi pushed his lightsaber through Jabba's head impaling it.

Jabba stopped moving and let out one last pained scream before the lightsaber dug through his skull killing him on the spot.

Obi Wan pulled out his lightsaber then jumped off the corpse before landing on his feet gracefully in front of Bo Katan who looked at him in complete shock.

"I never thought that jetti are capable of such barbaric slaughter" She blurted out.

Obi Wan ignored her comment before putting his lightsaber back in place.

"It's a relief that you're safe, I'm Obi Wan Kenobi. Lady Satine Kryze asked us to find you" Obi Wan said.

Then he put his hand out for her to shake.

Bo Katan shook his hand eagerly before turning her attention to the four mandalorians who walked over to her after they were done killing the beast threatening the man.

"Let's free the rest of the prisoners then go back home my lady" Sabine said with a smile on her face as soon as she took off her helmet.

Bo Katan smiled and nodded. Then she turned her attention to look behind her as soon as she heard the sound of Jabba's guards approaching.

She chuckled in pure amusement before cracking her knuckles.

"Finally some fun" She said.

Chapter Text

Bo Katan got off the ship as soon as it landed in front of the house she and her escorts were supposed to be staying the night at.

Obi Wan stepped forward and knocked on the door before any of the mandalorians could.

The door opened and Bo Katan was actually surprised to see that a human was the one that opened because considering the roughness of the desert it was really rare to see a human person in Tatooine.

Nevertheless she smiled at the woman politely and offered her hand for a shake.

"I'm assuming you're the jetti's family right? It's really nice to meet you I'm Bo Katan Kryze" Bo Katan stated.

"It's really nice to meet you too my lady, Come in please" Shmi said.

Bo Katan smiled and then walked behind Shmi with the three jetti and her mandalorian friends following behind her.

"We'll stay the night then leave first thing tomorrow at dawn, You'll also accompany us I'm sure it's what he would have wanted" Obi Wan said.

Master Windu still didn't like the idea of bringing strangers along but he supposed that it won't hurt anyone to do so.

And he also couldn't deny the fact that part of him wanted to make it up to the boy by making sure that his family was safe and sound.

"We've decided to go to Chandrila, We only know how to be farmers Coruscant won't be helpful for us in any way" Cliegg explained.

"Then we'll escort you to Chandrila after we take lady Kryze back to Mandalore" Obi Wan said.

They could all tell that he was still heartbroken over his student's unexplainable death even though he tried to hide it the best he could.

Shmi was in no better condition and it was understandable but Cliegg, Owen and Beru had to be strong for her.

And as master Windu eyed Obi Wan he realised that there was no one to comfort him over what happened unlike Shmi who had the rest of her family around her so he hoped that Obi Wan won't resort to the extremes because of his grief.

"I'll guard the ships for the night" Obi Wan offered.

"Me too, It's the least I can do after you saved my life" Bo Katan said.

"I'll do it instead my lady, Remember that you don't have your armour" Ursa said.

Bo Katan begrudgingly agreed because no matter how much she knew she wanted to return the favour to the jetti she still wanted to go back home in one piece.

But that also gave her the opportunity to ask about that person who made even her friends look crestfallen and sullen with just simply mentioning him.

And she decided to use that opportunity as soon as she was alone with Sabine in the same bedroom they were meant to share with Beru.

Beru had said something about going to help with preparing the food so Bo Katan immediately thanked her then took a seat next to Sabine.

"So what's the deal with this family?" She asked.

"Well, The grown woman is Shmi Skywalker and she used to be a slave or something but she managed to marry the man who bought her his name is Cliegg Lars and he has a son called Owen and Beru is Owen's girlfriend" Sabine explained.

Then she let out a deep sigh.

"Shmi had a son of her own as well and he died just a few days ago, He was the one who escorted us here at first before his master took over" Sabine continued.

"He died? How? Did he die while trying to find me?" Bo Katan questioned.

She didn't know how she was going to get over the deaths of her comrades who died while trying to protect her so she didn't want to shoulder another death.

The more she thought about it the more she became sure that this venture into Tatooine was a terrible mistake from her part but she never thought that a jetti would die trying to find her.

"He was badly injured and even though the jetti are known for their healing abilities it still didn't work on him and he eventually died" Sabine explained.

Bo Katan frowned in confusion as soon as she heard what her friend just said because it was really rare for a jetti's healing ability not to work.

She wasn't an expert in the matter but she knew that much.

"Just imagine having to watch someone you care about slowly die from blood loss without being able to do anything to save their life" Sabine explained.

Bo Katan nodded in agreement, It was really unfortunate and tragic.

"According to Mandalorian traditions he deserves to be given an honour for his sacrifice so I'll speak to my sister about it once we're back home" Bo Katan said.

Sabine smiled sullenly then stood up and patted her shoulder before leaving the room.

••☆★☆••

Two days later the ship finally landed in Mandalore and the group got off then made their way to the palace.

Satine Kryze was attending a meeting with her supervisors when a guard requested entry.

She was debating the idea of sending an another search party to find her sister because after that long time of waiting for news from the jetti none of them reported anything to her.

She was actually disappointed and she made a note to make sure that the jetti knew about how displeased she was in the next meeting.

She felt especially disappointed because that young boy broke his promise to keep her updated about the mission and probably even failed in his mission.

But she also kept in mind that he offered himself as a sacrifice to her if he failed to find her sister so she supposed that she had the right to punish him.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the doors opened and the guard walked in.

"What do you have to tell me?" Satine asked the guard as soon as he walked into the room.

"The search party and the jetti have arrived with young lady Kryze my lady" The guard announced.

"Escort them to a guest wing and get them a droid to examine them for any injuries" Satine ordered.

"As you wish my lady" The guard said before walking out of the room.

Then Satine resumed the meeting with her supervisors until it was eventually over so she made her way to the guest wing where the guests were waiting.

She stood in front of her younger sister then they pulled each other into a hug.

"Talk to me about what happened later alright? For now you may go rest it's clear that you're tired" Satine remarked.

Bo Katan nodded in agreement then walked out of the room so Satine turned her attention to the other Mandalorians in the room.

"You may go as well, I want to discuss something with the jetti" Satine said.

So Ursa and her children left the room with Rook following behind them.

"It's definitely a pleasure to see you again master Kenobi, Although I must say I'm quite disappointed at that young student of yours. He did promise to keep me updated on the mission but he didn't send a single transmission you also barely sent me anything to keep my hopes up" Satine reprimanded.

Obi Wan looked at the floor then inclined his head politely causing Satine to frown in confusion.

"I deeply apologise for not being able to send you any news lady Kryze but you must forgive my padawan. It wasn't like he didn't want to send you the news himself it's just that he couldn't" Obi Wan said.

Then he gulped the lump in his throat before deciding to just tell her.

"You see, Shortly after I arrived in Tatooine my padawan succumbed to severe poorly healed injuries he had sustained during a mission and died as a result" Obi Wan murmured in a shaking voice.

Satine froze in her place as soon as she heard what Obi Wan said feeling bad for the fact that she so hurriedly jumped into wrong conclusions and ended up misjudging the boy.

She could tell that Obi Wan was trying his best to hold back his tears so she put a hand on his shoulder before pulling him into a hug.

Obi Wan was surprised by this sudden impulsive behaviour he couldn't dare to move.

Satine threaded her fingers through his hair and patted his back gently.

"I'm really sorry to hear that master Kenobi, I know that I'm overstepping the boundaries but you do look like you need that right now" She explained.

Obi Wan didn't say anything because he knew that it was all true so he tentatively wrapped an arm around her and rested his chin on her shoulder.

They stayed like this for what felt like a minute before Obi Wan pulled away.

"I'm sorry for overstepping my boundaries lady Kryze I assure you it'll never happen again" Obi Wan said.

Then he inclined his head to her politely.

"If you excuse me" He said.

Satine nodded wordlessly so Obi Wan turned and left the room.

••☆★☆••

Padmé arrived back in Naboo with Ferus and she immediately went to the palace to greet the queen before she and Ferus went to her house.

"I have a question for you" Padmé said.

"Then go right ahead and ask" Ferus replied.

"I'm well aware that the temple of Coruscant refused to investigate my case so why did you accompany me against their wishes?" She demanded.

Ferus stayed silent for what felt like a minute as he tried to come up with an answer to explain his impulsive behaviour.

"I assure you that my intentions are not romantic senator, If that's what you think then I prefer to clarify this point" Ferus replied.

Then he bit his lip as he tried to decide whether it would be a good idea to talk about his real reason or not.

But in the end he decided that it'd be better to just tell her.

"I...I'm here because of Anakin" Ferus murmured.

Padmé frowned and tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"Come again?" She asked.

She was aware of the fact that Anakin was now gone and she wasn't sure if she'd be able to get over the heartbreak in her lifetime but she was really confused right now.

Was it possible that Anakin knew about the attempts on her life all along that's why he asked a friend of his to protect her?

"What do you mean?" Padmé demanded impatiently.

"I'm here because I'm sure that if he was alive he wouldn't have allowed anything to happen to you senator Amidala" Ferus explained.

Then he ran a hand through his hair nervously.

"He and I were acquaintances but we weren't close enough to be called friends. I often picked on him, It was an easy way out to make it short. The entire temple feared him and some even shunned him and I thought to myself why would I be different? With time I convinced myself that he was bound to be evil and that's why I always kept him at a distance but..." Ferus started.

"But that girl was one of the first few people who tried to befriend him right? And since she was your friend you decided to give it a try too right?" Padmé asked.

Ferus didn't see a point in denying the truth so he nodded in response.

"But now that he's dead I understood how wrong it was for me to judge him without really knowing him at all that's why..." He started.

Then he took a deep breath to calm himself down.

"That's why I'll do my best to make it up to him. That's why...I swear on my life that I'll protect you even if it's the last thing I do" Ferus continued.

Padmé was stunned by his response.

She wasn't even aware of the fact that jedi were allowed to boldly break the rules like that but here he was.

Padmé sighed and shook her head.

"Are you saying that you'll forsake your future as a jedi knight to help me?" She inquired.

Ferus nodded in response.

"I can't go back to the temple anymore so the only way to look is forward" Ferus replied without hesitation.

"After this mission is finished you have to go back to where you came from because I don't think Anakin would have liked to see you like this" She explained.

"You don't know that for sure but to be completely honest with you I'm not really sure either all I know is that he cared about you so much that's why I have to keep you safe" Ferus said.

Padmé was torn betweeen her desire to find out who was it that wanted to kill her and returning that boy to the temple because capable as he was he was still just a boy who was about the same age as Anakin.

"I hope you can keep yourself safe then" She said.

He nodded then grabbed the bags and followed Padmé into the house as soon as her mother opened the door.

He had only one thought in mind as he layed down on the bed of the guestroom, He was going to find out who is trying to kill Padmé no matter what.

Chapter Text

Satine was looking through some paperwork when someone knocked on the door.

"Come in" She said without looking up from her work.

The door opened and Bo Katan walked into the room before clearing her throat to get her sister's attention.

Satine looked up and greeted her with a smile.

Bo Katan inclined her head politely the way all mandalorians warriors were accustomed to whenever they met Satine.

Satine let out a soft laugh and shook her head.

"You know you don't need to do that but you still do" She reprimanded her sister.

"I'm a warrior too, It's only natural for me to greet you this way" Bo Katan said before looking up at her sister.

Satine smiled and shook her head.

"Take a seat you silly girl" She instructed.

Bo Katan sat down in front of her.

"I've come to report on my journey to Tatooine" Bo Katan said.

The topic was still difficult for her to bring up but she knew she had to discuss it sooner or later. She was no coward though so she preferred to talk about it now then later.

"I regret to report that my journey was fruitless I failed to find any foundlings and I also lost my comrades" Bo Katan said.

Satine nodded calmly as she waited for her sister to gather up the rest of her words.

Bo Katan was thankful for the patience because she still felt ashamed of herself for being so stupid.

"I was lured into a trap, There was a child who pretended that she needed help and when I approached her I was immediately caught and taken to Jabba's lair. My comrades tried to help me but they got caught as well and Jabba fed them to his monsters after he stripped them off of their armours" Bo Katan murmured in a small voice.

She felt deeply regretful for the fact that she led them to their deaths and was ready to receive the proper punishment for her stupidity.

"They died for a cause Bo Katan, They knew that saving your life was the priority. They'll receive honours for their sacrifice but you should know that this is the way the world is so you shouldn't let it hinder you alright?" Satine advised.

Bo Katan nodded solemnly.

"Is there something else in your mind?" Satine inquired.

"That jetti who died during the mission to bring me back home, I was wondering if it'd be alright for us to honour him as well" Bo Katan said.

Satine sighed and nodded in agreement. While it was a great sacrifice from the jetti's part that should be worthy of honour in the Mandalorian traditions Satine still couldn't deny the fact that this memorial will make a great political move.

Mandalorians and Jetti weren't usually on good terms so the fact that they were honouring a jetti's death had to count as a peace offering.

And Satine didn't even forget about the fact that this brave boy was the one who extended the olive branch first when he offered himself as a sacrifice if he failed to bring her sister back.

"I understand your concern sister and I agree with it wholeheartedly. Never in my life have I seen a boy so brave and straightforward, Had he lived I'm sure he'd have made a very righteous man before a jetti" Satine said.

Bo Katan nodded in agreement.

"Tell the guards to send in our guests so we can discuss it with them" Satine instructed.

Bo Katan stood up and inclined her head politely causing Satine to smile again before the younger woman left the room closing the door behind her.

••☆★☆••

Obi Wan was in his room thinking about what he should do now.

Shmi and her family were still in his care and he had to plan out their future meticulously.

Chandrila was a safe haven for refugees he knew that for a fact but the only problem is that he wasn't sure if leaving them alone in Chandrila will be a good idea because they will be so far away from the temple.

He had to make sure that they at least had the means to protect themselves if worst times ever came.

"Master" Anakin said.

Obi Wan immediately turned his attention to the ghost.

"Don't worry about your family I'll take care of them" Obi Wan said.

Anakin smiled and nodded in response.

"I know you will master but that's not why I came to see you" Anakin said.

Obi Wan nodded in understanding.

"I came here to tell you something important. Someone is trying to kill Padmé. That person is viceroy Gunray" Anakin said.

Then he took a step closer to Obi Wan.

"Look for Jango Fett and a planet called Kamino, You have to hurry up and save Padmé" Anakin continued.

Obi Wan didn't even get to say anything before the ghost disappeared.

He was startled out of his reverie when someone knocked on the door.

"Come in" Obi Wan said.

Owen walked into the room and closed the door behind him.

"I hope you're not busy master Kenobi but I wanted to discuss something important with you" He said.

Obi Wan nodded in understanding before taking a seat on the chair in front of Owen.

"What can I do for you?" He asked.

"Actually I'm not sure if I'm allowed to ask you that but I was wondering if you can give us some of Anakin's belongings. It'll help aunt Shmi a great deal if she had something to remember him by especially because she never got to see him grow up and..." Owen started.

He trailed off and cleared his throat.

"I really hope you get what I mean" He continued.

Obi Wan only nodded in response to show that he understood the situation and where Shmi was coming from.

"I'll do my best to make sure that your request is met" Obi Wan said with a sullen smile on his face.

"Thank you master Kenobi but there's an another favour that I wanted to ask you" Owen said.

Then he took a deep breath and decided to just say it.

"I was wondering if you can allow me and Beru to train in basic combat" Owen said.

To say that Obi Wan was surprised would be an understatement because he was completely shocked by this request.

"I know that we're not force sensitive like Anakin was but I still think it'd be helpful if the two of us knew how to use blasters at the very least" Owen explained.

"Yes, Yes indeed it's a wonderful idea. I don't know why I haven't thought about it before but it really is an excellent idea" Obi Wan said excitedly.

Owen was taken by surprise at the other man's reaction to his request so he leaned back in his chair in alarm.

"In that case I think you and your family should stay in Mandalore for a while. Don't worry I'll arrange it with duchess Satine" Obi Wan said.

"Well, Thanks I guess" Owen replied awkwardly before Obi Wan stood up and left the room hurriedly.

He ran into Bo Katan on his way to the meeting hall but before he could go past her she turned and called out to him.

"A word with you if you please master Kenobi, We need to discuss the honours" Bo Katan said.

Obi Wan stopped walking and turned to her as soon as he heard what she said.

He was familiar enough with Mandalorian traditions to know what she meant by that and it made his jovial mood disappear once again.

This will probably be goodbye, He wasn't even sure if he'll be able to bring his student back so this is where he'll have to move on.

She walked over to him not knowing what to say to him anymore.

"There's no body, When a jedi dies they become one with the force and their bodies fade immediately after death" Obi Wan murmured.

"I understand" Bo Katan replied in a small voice.

Then she nodded and forced a smile on her face before reaching out to pat his shoulder in what she hoped would be comforting.

"I'm sure he was a brilliant person I'd have certainly loved to meet him" She said.

Obi Wan smiled sullenly and nodded in agreement.

"You certainly would have" He replied.

"I'll tell my sister to prepare a special speech for him. It's not everyday we meet a brave one like him" She said.

"Thank you" Obi Wan said feeling really grateful for her offer.

Bo Katan gave him an another smile before walking away.

••☆★☆••

Satine and Bo Katan stood in front of their gathered people.

"Tonight we're here to pay respects for our fallen comrades, Unlike the usual this time we have no bodies to burn since our fallen were so unfortunate" Satine started.

Then she turned her gaze to her sister who was standing next to her.

"I won't say that dying for my sister is the greatest honour because that will be hypocritical and unfair but I'll say that I'll forever be thankful for their sacrifice which brought me back my sister who I thought I had lost forever" Satine continued.

Bo Katan looked at the floor still feeling awful about the whole thing.

"Tonight we're gathered in one place to honour those heroes and pay respect for our ancestors according to the ways of Mandalore" Satine said.

She turned her attention to the guard who was standing next to the fire pyre and nodded.

The guard started adding more wood into the pyre as the gathered mandalorians prepared to chant the funeral rites.

Satine raised a hand to stop them before they could start their war cries.

"We should never forget the people who helped us no matter their race and where they came from, Tonight we'll also be honouring a young jetti who died on a quest to find a mandalorian. Tonight we'll set aside our differences to give him recognition for his act of bravery" Satine said.

Then she turned to Bo Katan who started hitting the ground with her spear then the rest of the mandalorians followed her example.

Satine looked at Obi Wan who was smiling at her in pure gratitude so she smiled at him in return.

The festivities started and Obi Wan tried to get his mind off of what the reason behind the celebration was but he couldn't.

He tried to convince himself that it was better to have people eat their fill for the dead's sake but then again he was never allowed to mourn before so he didn't know what an actual funeral was like.

But after a while of watching the people of Mandalore eat and sing he decided that he didn't want to be part of this.

It felt like he was celebrating the death of his student not mourning him.

Bo Katan and Sabine approached him with food platters in their hands.

It was a rare sight to see the younger Kryze lady in a formal dress and not an armour like usual but he supposed that it was only natural because even for a person like her formalities were a must especially when she's the sister of the ruler of this planet.

"You look really beautiful lady Kryze" Obi Wan complimented with a smile on his face.

"Are the celebrations not to your liking master Kenobi?" She asked.

"On the contrary I think you did a splendid job, I just haven't had the appetite to eat anything in a while that's all" Obi Wan replied.

Sabine opened her mouth to say something but Bo Katan put a hand on her shoulder and shook her head.

"I deeply apologise master Kenobi, It's clear that you don't like the rituals" Bo Katan said.

"I must apologise my lady, I've never been much of a party mood" Obi Wan replied.

Then he inclined his head politely.

"I feel grateful for this celebration but I must return to my room now, There's still too much for me to do" Obi Wan said.

"Of course, I understand" Bo Katan said.

She was a warrior but she knew enough about politics to understand when to stay quiet and when to talk.

Obi Wan gave her an another polite smile then walked away.

••☆★☆••

Satine was talking to a group of warriors when she noticed that Obi Wan was leaving so she excused herself and followed him.

"Is there anything that you want to tell me master Kenobi?" She asked as soon as she managed to find him.

Obi Wan was standing in one of the balconies that overlooked the interior garden of the Mandalorian palace when he heard Satine's voice.

"You look stunning" He said.

Satine looked at the floor to hide her smile at the compliment causing Obi Wan to smile as well.

"One would think it's the first time you've seen me tonight master Kenobi. I remember wearing the same dress when I delivered my speech at the start of this celebration" She remarked.

"One would appreciate beauty whenever he sees it my lady but only the brave will openly praise it instead of admiring it from afar" Obi Wan replied.

Then he let out a sigh and turned his back on her deciding to look at the flowers instead.

"Forgive my rudness lady Kryze, I know that I should be outside with the others but this whole thing feels wrong to me. I never wanted to celebrate Anakin's death" Obi Wan said.

Satine walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I know it's pathetic but I've never been to a funeral before in my life so I didn't think it'll be like this" Obi Wan said.

"Then have it your way Obi Wan" Satine said.

Obi Wan bit his lip in thought as he tried to think about what that meant.

"It's your first time mourning someone isn't it? How do you want to do it?" Satine inquired.

"I'd cry, I'd cry my eyes out and break things. I'd lash at people and demand answers to why a kid like him had to die like that and I..." Obi Wan started.

Then he trailed off and sighed heavily.

"I'd ask myself why was I too weak and powerless to do anything even though I promised to protect him" Obi Wan murmured.

"Tell me more about him" Satine said.

"He was different from any other jedi you could have ever met" Obi Wan said without even sparing a second to think.

"He was trained by you that's why" Satine remarked.

Obi Wan smiled and shook his head in response.

"You're wrong, Me and him are nothing alike. I followed the rules and he was innocent and naive and impulsive and spontaneous and..." Obi Wan trailed off.

He felt tears coming to his eyes again so he wiped them away quickly before forcing a smile on his face then he turned his attention to Satine.

"And he loved, Unlike everyone else at the temple he really loved and cared about everything and everyone" Obi Wan continued in a small voice.

Satine looked at him in sympathy and Obi Wan didn't really mind being looked at like that right now.

He turned his attention away from her and looked at the stars above them.

"The only thing I know is that the temple won't be the same without him" He said.

"Then what are you planning to do next?" Satine inquired.

Obi Wan turned to her again smiled even though his eyes looked devoid of emotion to her.

"I'm going to make this temple a better place" He answered.

Chapter Text

Obi Wan walked into the meeting room where Satine was busy doing some of the paperwork.

"Good morning lady Kryze. Your guards have allowed me to come in, They said something about me having a special guest access but I don't understand what that means" Obi Wan said.

Satine looked up from her work and smiled at him brightly.

"The guards only followed my command master Kenobi I merely think that it's only right for my close friends to have access to my rooms whenever they please as long as it has a proper purpose" Satine explained.

Obi Wan smiled and walked closer to her desk before taking a seat on the other chair.

"What seems to be the reason for your visit master Kenobi?" Satine inquired.

"I'm here to ask for a favour, I want you to take care of my guests for a while and train them in basic mandalorian combat" Obi Wan said.

Satine looked at him in surprise.

"You're getting rid of them? But I thought you said that those guests were close to your late student" She remarked.

"You misunderstood lady Kryze, I'm not getting rid of them I'm just trying to make sure that they'll be well trained, I think this place will help them more then the temple" Obi Wan explained.

"Then what?" Satine asked.

"Then they'll be free to leave, You see my student wanted them to go to Chandrila and that's what I intend on doing but I won't be there to protect them all the time so I want to make sure that they'll at least be able to fend for themselves" Obi Wan answered.

"You really cared about him a great deal didn't you?" She asked.

Obi Wan nodded in response.

"He was the closest thing I had to a little brother" He replied.

Satine was aware of how much he was suffering and she could sympathise with him after all she had a little sister of her own as well and didn't even like the idea of something bad happening to her.

"Master Kenobi, I do understand your concern and I assure you that your guests will be well taken care of until they finish their training" Satine said.

"Thank you" Obi Wan said.

"Not so fast master Kenobi, You asked me for a favour and I agreed to do it but what do I get in return?" Satine asked.

"Whatever you want as long as it's something within reason" Obi Wan replied.

Satine fell silent for a minute or so falling into deep thought.

"Well then, In exchange for my hospitality can I ask you to stay here for a bit longer?" Satine inquired.

Obi Wan was genuinely surprised with her request but he also felt a bit of guilt at the fact that he won't be able to stay in Mandalore for too long.

"I really wish I could do that but I promised Anakin that I'd help him" Obi Wan stated.

"He's already gone Obi Wan you must accept that" Satine said.

"I know, But there’s still a lot to do for him. I must find a place suitable enough for his family and I must make sure that they're well cared for and I must make sure that the person he loves is safe and..." Obi Wan started.

Satine frowned when he suddenly trailed off.

"I need to go now" Obi Wan said.

"What? Go where?" Satine inquired.

"Back to the temple, There's something important I need to finish" Obi Wan continued.

"I'm still not done talking to you yet master Kenobi" Satine said in a voice that showed authority.

Obi Wan stopped walking and turned to her.

"What exactly are you planning to do after you go back to the temple?" Satine demanded.

She walked closer to him and looked him in the eyes as she waited for an answer.

"You don't understand, I made a promise alright? I promised that I'll protect him I told him that I'll find a way to bring him back" Obi Wan replied.

"He's dead Obi Wan, He can never come back" Satine said.

"No, There has got to be a way to bring him back if I search for it I'm sure I'll find it" Obi Wan snapped.

Satine's mouth hung open in shock and she took a step back.

"There has got to be a way out of this" Obi Wan continued in a calmer voice.

"It appears to me that you're descending into madness Obi Wan and I advise you to think about your ideology carefully, Tampering with the dead is a taboo in every way not just the ways of the force" Satine said.

"I...I think you're right" Obi Wan murmured.

Maybe it was wrong of him to get too attached to the idea of bringing Anakin back to life.

After all, Anakin already found his peace in death so bringing him back to life in a future he had described to be terrible wouldn't be fair.

Obi Wan wished he could find a way to get rid of this guilt plaguing him or at least lessen it but he couldn't find anything to help his case.

"I should go I feel tired" Obi Wan murmured.

Satine understood so she nodded without saying anything else.

Obi Wan walked into his room and closed the door behind him.

"Anakin, If you can hear me I just want to say that I'm really sorry" Obi Wan said to the thin air.

He was once again overcome by emotion so he started tearing up.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't keep my promise" Obi Wan continued.

"I'm sorry I couldn't keep mine too master" Anakin replied.

Obi Wan looked up and rubbed at his eyes to stop his tears and Anakin smiled at him.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be of much help, I'm sorry I burdened you with this task and I'm sorry I caused you this distress" Anakin continued.

"No, It's not a burden. I'm going to make sure everything goes the way you wanted and..." Obi Wan started.

But he was interrupted when Anakin shook his head.

"In the future I came from you'll live a long life master, You'll be a wise man who has an idea about what it means to do the right thing and if it wasn't for you I wouldn't have got the chance to return back to what I used to be before everything went wrong" Anakin said.

Then he smiled again and bowed to his master respectfully.

"This won't be the last time we see each other master, I'll always come to see you and I'll do my best to make sure that the future doesn't repeat again" Anakin said.

Obi Wan fell silent not knowing what to say and Anakin stood straight a grim and serious frown on his face.

"You must hurry back to the temple master, The chancellor must have known about my death already, The spies at the temple should have told him by now" Anakin advised.

Obi Wan nodded in understanding but before he could say anything Anakin disappeared from his sight.

••☆★☆••

Padmé walked into the throne room with Ferus following behind her then they both bowed to her respectfully.

"Your majesty, I'm sorry to receive your call of distress so late but I hope for a chance to prove myself" Ferus said.

Padmé turned to Ferus briefly before turning her attention back to the queen.

"This is Ferus Olin, He's a jedi knight from the temple of Coruscant. I regret to inform you that the temple had refused to offer us assistance but he was kind enough to offer us his services" Padmé said.

"Why would the temple do such a thing?" The queen asked.

"If I may speak your majesty" Ferus said.

"You may" She said.

"The temple thinks that it's more useful to offer a bodyguard for senator Amidala but that wasn't what she wished for and I'm here to investigate why someone is trying to murder her" Ferus said.

"I see that you're young and ambitious but that also makes you inexperienced you still stand alone and there's no guarantee that your services will be of much help" The queen reasoned.

"I know that your majesty but I also know that one person offering help is better then nothing at all and I'm sorry that my people refused to look into the matter regarding the senator's life but I also insist on helping her no matter what" Ferus said.

The queen turned her attention from Ferus to Padmé.

"Aee you sure that he'll be able to help you?" The queen asked.

Padmé remained silent for a minute as she thought about an answer.

She recalled what Ferus told her about Anakin's wish and knew that this at least had to mean something that's why she wholeheartedly trusted Ferus.

"I know that he's sincere about his offer to help me so I trust him" Padmé stated.

"Alright then, If you trust him then maybe we should give him a chance" The queen continued.

Ferus inclined his head politely.

"Thank you your majesty" He said.

"I hope your results will speak louder then your words" The queen said.

Then she stood up from her seat.

"You're dismissed" The queen said.

The two of them walked out of the room and Padmé immediately led the way back to her house.

Ferus carried her bags and continued walking after her until they eventually reached a shuttle that took them right back to Padmé's house.

Once there Padmé let Ferus into the guest room before her sister walked into the room.

"Would you like to join us for lunch?" Padmé's sister asked.

"Thank you so much for the offer but I don't want to impose" Ferus replied.

"Just say yes, You'll need a lot of food now that you've started your very first solo mission" Padmé said.

Ferus sighed and nodded in agreement. Maybe it won't be such a bad idea to accept their offer this time too.

"Alright then, Thanks for having me" He said.

Padmé's sister left the room and went to prepare the dinner with her mother.

The five of them sat down around the table and Padmé's father cleared his throat before turning his attention to his youngest daughter.

"So Padmé. Would you like to tell us more about your friend?" Her father asked.

"There's not much to say here dad, He's just a jedi knight who agreed to be my bodyguard for the time being that's all" Padmé said with a smile.

"You brought him over twice" Her sister remarked with a smile on her face.

Padmé fell silent again as she picked on her food in disinterest causing her parents and older sister to frown and share a look of confusion at her reaction.

"He's not the one I wanted to introduce you to" Padmé murmured.

Ferus pursed his lips and looked at the plate of food in front of him.

"Then why didn't that person come along?" Her mother asked.

"Excuse me mum, dad, I've lost my appetite" Padmé said.

Then she stood up and walked over to her room.

"Thank you so much for the food but I think I should go talk to her" Ferus explained before following Padmé to her room.

He knocked on the door before poking his head into the room when he didn't receive any response.

Padmé was sitting on her bed hugging her pillow and her shoulders shivered so Ferus guessed that she was crying.

"I...I'm really sorry. If you want me to pack my stuff and leave then I will, I'm sure I can find a decent hotel anywhere around here" Ferus said in a small voice.

Padmé looked up and Ferus noted to his disappointment that her eyes were bloodshot red so he diverted his gaze away immediately even though she had eyed him for what felt like a minute.

"Tell me more about how he grew up" Padmé said.

Ferus looked at her and frowned.

"Anakin, What was he like growing up? You two grew up together didn't you?" She asked.

Ferus cleared his throat not knowing what to say to answer her question.

After a minute or so of thinking he decided to just give her an honest answer.

"I'm sorry but I really don't know how to answer that, Me and Anakin weren't that close we were just training together at the same place and..." He started.

Then he sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Everyone at the temple knew him as the chosen one so I think he was meant to finish off the sith once and for all. But I guess that was also the reason why everyone avoided him" Ferus explained.

Padmé nodded and wiped away more of the tears that slipped down her cheeks.

"Was he lonely? Or was he even happy in the slightest?" She inquired.

Ferus shook his head in response.

"He wasn't and I don't think he ever was" Ferus replied.

Padmé nodded.

"You're hereby relieved from your duties as my guard. I no longer need one" She said.

"What? Why? Did I do something wrong?" Ferus asked.

"On the contrary, You're just young and you have a future at the temple and also because I won't let you do anything dangerous anymore. Being here without permission will jeopardise your future" Padmé said.

He opened his mouth to say something but closed it again when he saw something behind Padmé.

"Are you listening to me?" She inquired.

"Huh? Yes, Yes I'm listening" Ferus replied.

Padmé sighed and shook her head before turning to look behind her but she couldn't see anything.

"Is there something behind me?" Padmé demanded.

Ferus looked strangely dazed at the sight behind her he couldn't even register her question until she repeated it again.

"Yeah, There is actually. It's Anakin" Ferus murmured.

Chapter Text

Padmé frowned and turned to look around her before turning her attention back to Ferus then she sighed.

"You're making fun of me right now aren't you?" She asked.

Ferus kept looking at the thin air without saying anything. Only acknowledging the fact that she was still here when she touched his forearm to get his attention.

Padmé had no choice but to believe him for two reasons the first was that simply because she wasn't a force sensitive person so she couldn't see Anakin even if she wanted to.

The second reason was that Ferus looked at the thin air as if it had the answer to all of his problems as if Anakin's ghost was here to help him one way or another.

And while it still broke her heart that she could no longer see him she had to remind herself of the fact that she needed to get a better grip on herself.

"Did he tell you anything at all?" Padmé asked in the calmest voice she could manage.

Ferus turned to her seemingly breaking out of some sort of a trance and shook his head in response.

"No, He didn't. He just appeared for a few seconds then disappeared" Ferus replied his voice a little bit higher then a whisper.

"What? What does that even mean? Why was he here if not to help you?" Padmé inquired.

Ferus remained silent for a few seconds trying to come to a decision, Was he supposed to tell her the answer to that question? Or just keep it a secret to himself?

He gulped in response then let out a sigh when he finally decided to tell her what he thought.

"My lady I think...I think he came here to see you" Ferus said in a small weak voice.

Padmé gulped as soon as she heard what Ferus said then she laughed in response.

"Why would he come see me? That doesn't make any sense" She said.

"Do you really not know the answer? Or are you refusing to acknowledge it?" Ferus inquired.

"There's no need to say that now. No matter what my answer will be it won't change the fact that he's already gone and there's no bringing him back" Padmé said.

"There's no bringing him back to life but don't forget that he's still around" Ferus said.

"As what? A ghost? We can't see each other or if I may be clear about it I'm the one who can't see him anymore so what's the point of acknowledging the fact that I did love him? Wouldn't that make us both feel regretful?" Padmé demanded.

Ferus bit his lip not knowing what to say because he knew that she was right even though her words were cruel.

"I need to find out who's trying to kill me. That's the most important thing right now and I won't have anything or anyone jeopardising that" Padmé continued.

Ferus nodded in response he knew she was right but it didn't change the fact that he was angry at her. Was this the woman who Anakin loved for years? He couldn't even fathom the idea that she discarded him do easily, So quickly.

"Get out" Ferus said.

"Excuse me?" Padmé inquired with confusion.

"I said get out, If you really don't think that he heard what you said then get out of here now. You don't deserve to hear what he's going to tell me" Ferus said.

She stayed silent for a few seconds making Ferus lose his patience.

"Get out of here" He yelled.

So Padmé left the room slamming the door shut behind her.

Ferus turned to Anakin who was standing right behind him.

"Who said you can tell her that?" Anakin asked.

Ferus remained silent and turned his gaze to the floor.

Anakin let out a sigh and walked closer to Ferus.

"Ferus look at me" Anakin said.

Ferus nodded to himself before looking up at the ghost.

"You and I weren't friends before and that's something I've come to regret and..." Ferus started.

"Ferus, I really understand what you mean and I'm sorry we weren't friends either but you blaming yourself for what happened in the past won't make things better do you understand?" Anakin interrupted.

Ferus remained silent not knowing what to say to that. Again he had to admit that people's ideas were right even if he always thought of himself as a mature person.

But it has come to his attention that he wasn't really mature at all. He wasn't even that smart or skilled in his duties as a jedi to begin with which was why he couldn't understand why he even ignored Anakin and bullied him whenever a chance came by.

"I was a terrible person and for that I'm really sorry" Ferus murmured as he kept his attention focused on Anakin.

He wanted the ghost to understand, He wanted him to know just how sorry he was for not getting to know him better when he was alive.

Anakin smiled and nodded then took a step forward.

"There's no need to apologise" Anakin said.

Ferus opened his mouth to say something but closed it again when he noticed the frown that came over Anakin's face.

"Look, I don't have much time left alright? If you want to finish this mission find someone called Jango Fett. He's a bounty hunter and there's this planet called Kamino that has something that could be of help to us but I don't have time to explain why" Anakin said.

Ferus opened his mouth to ask what that meant.

"Please protect Padmé" Anakin begged before disappearing out of sight.

Ferus stood still for what felt like a minute then started pacing the room back and forth as he tried to come up with a plan.

The door opened and Padmé walked into the room so Ferus turned to her.

"It appears you were right all along. Maybe I should find a way to get back to the temple" He said.

••☆★☆••

Obi Wan opened his eyes to the sound of knocking on the door of his assigned room so he slowly sat up in bed and turned on the lights.

"Master Kenobi lady Kryze has requested your presence" A mandalorian guard said from behind the door.

"Alright, I'll be out in a bit" Obi Wan replied.

Then he stood up and changed his robes then fixed his hair before walking out of the room.

The two guards standing at the door escorted him to where Satine was waiting and left the room closing the door behind them.

Obi Wan immediately inclined his head politely before meeting Satine's gaze.

"I see that you have seen my request to go back to Coruscant my lady and I hope you don't take it as an offence" Obi Wan said.

"Why would I think of it as an offence master Kenobi? You're simply returning back to your home, Back to where you really belong" She said.

Obi Wan smiled sullenly at her words before turning his gaze to the floor.

"Home is where the people you care about are my lady and I've come to think of Mandalore as my home" Obi Wan said.

"This shouldn't be your home master Kenobi, If you really want to change the temple of Coruscant for the better that is" Satine said.

"My lady, I've always been a patient man so waiting for a few more years won't hurt me" Obi Wan continued.

"And what does that even mean?" Satine asked as she leaned back in her seat.

"It means that once I'm done with reshaping the temple into a better place I'll come back here...For you" Obi Wan explained.

Satine cleared her throat to hide her smile then she let out a sigh.

"I do hope we meet again soon master Kenobi, In much better circumstances. You have my permission to go wherever you want and I thank you again for bringing back my sister safely" Satine said.

Obi Wan nodded then inclined his head making sure to keep his gaze directed to the floor under his feet.

"If you excuse me my lady" He said.

Then he walked out of the room and the two guards closed the doors behind him.

He boarded his ship and set the coordinates back to Coruscant but on his way there he received a transmission message from master Windu so he opened it to see what he wanted to say.

"Kenobi, You must return to the temple at once. The chancellor is here and according to what your student said before you're the one who should know how to handle him the best" Master Windu said before the hologram disappeared.

Obi Wan rolled his eyes and shook his head in disapproval then he turned on the autopilot and stood up before leaving the cockpit.

Of course he expected the chancellor to stop by for a visit and of course he knew that the masters at the temple won't be able to handle him but it still didn't give him any ideas about what to do.

He felt really stressed with everything that has been happening up until now and he needed some rest so he layed down on his bed and closed his eyes. Maybe if he gets some sleep he'll be able to think of something.

When he opened his eyes again it was to the sound of the astromech droid who entered his room to tell him that they were almost there but he was worried about his lack of rations so he landed on the first planet he could find in the distance.

As soon as he arrived though he immediately noticed that the place was covered in huge and lush green leaves but the people on the planet were what actually caught his attention.

They had a similar appearance to master Shaak Ti and he immediately realised that he was in her home planet.

He walked through the tree filled land trying to appear as confident as possible. He had no business here anyway so he hoped that they would let him leave in peace.

But that apparently wasn't going to happen because one of the people suddenly raised a spear to his chest causing Obi Wan to immediately stop walking and raise up his hands.

The togruta man had red skin white facial pigments over his eyes and he wore nothing but a piece of torn up cloth to cover his waist area.

He had a firm strong body which was an aspect similar to all the people behind him and he also had the same head tendrils his kind usually had.

"Who are you and what business do you have here?" The togruta man demanded in his native language as he kept his spear raised to Obi Wan.

Obi Wan lowered his arms and took a deep breath.

"I've come in peace I don't mean you or any of your people harm my ship has landed here just now and I was hoping that you'll be kind to supply me with rations so I can go on my way" Obi Wan replied in the togruta language.

"A jedi?" The man said as soon as he was done with taking a look at Obi Wan.

"Yes, I'm a jedi from the temple of Coruscant" Obi Wan replied.

The togruta man finally lowered his spear and turned to the rest of the people behind him.

"We know jedi, Shaak Ti and Ahsoka are jedi" A togruta woman said in Obi Wan's language before she stepped forward to have a better look at Obi Wan.

Obi Wan could tell that they had finally dropped their defenses because they started lowering their weapons one by one.

"Ahsoka, How is she? She my daughter" The togruta woman said.

Obi Wan didn't know who she was talking about but he had to lie and save his skin so he hoped his lie would be convincing.

"She's still in training but she's a very remarkable one" Obi Wan said.

The togruta woman fell silent for a minute then turned to her people and said something in her language before turning her attention back to Obi Wan.

"Of course we don't send untrained younglings into the field so that must be why none of you heard anything about her achievements yet but I assure you that it'll be soon" Obi Wan continued.

The togruta woman nodded in understanding then said something else to her people before they agreed to take Obi Wan into their village.

"Rations you can have jedi, Must leave right after" The togruta woman instructed.

Obi Wan nodded in understanding and the togruta people started preparing his promised rations.

He knew that their planet couldn't offer much but they seemed to have a thing for overly excessive hospitality so he decided to put an end to this.

"I thank you for your kindness but I'm travelling alone right now so I won't need that much" Obi Wan said.

"What do you need then?" The woman inquired.

"Only one or two boxes will be enough" Obi Wan replied.

The woman nodded then she followed the two of the togruta people who were carrying the boxes and followed Obi Wan back to his ship.

Obi Wan immediately got back on his ship as soon as the two togruta people were done putting down the two boxes.

He inclined his head in gratitude making the two togruta men look at him in confusion so the woman laughed.

"He's showing his gratitude" She said in her language.

The two togruta men nodded in response without saying anything then the three finally got off the ship and Obi Wan immediately set the coordinates to the temple of Coruscant.

He arrived at the temple two days or so later and immediately headed back inside and true to master Windu's word Obi Wan indeed found the chancellor looking at the younglings as they trained.

Master Windu noticed Obi Wan approaching and he immediately raised a hand to get his attention so Obi Wan walked over to them.

It took Obi Wan a lot of self control to not expose the chancellor right here and now but he had to remind himself of Anakin's advice.

He really had to find a way to handle the chancellor better.

Obi Wan smiled in greeting.

"I see that you have arrived Kenobi although I'm disappointed by your delay" Master Windu said.

"I had to stop to find some rations master Windu but I do apologise for the delay" Obi Wan said.

The chancellor laughed at the two of them.

"You don't have to apologise I know that you have a busy life as a knight and I respect that" The chancellor remarked.

Obi Wan nodded in response and smiled at the other man.

"I won't dare say that a knight's life is busier then a political life but I expect that everyone has troubles of their own" Obi Wan said.

"That's true, That's very true" The chancellor replied.

"So what brings the busiest man in the republic to our humble temple?" Master Windu asked.

"I've come here to seek assistance, I need a capable knight to accompany me to a political gathering set very soon" The chancellor said.

Master Windu looked at Obi Wan for a second and the younger man immediately caught on to the plan.

"I think that this request will need a lot of planning but I assure you. We'll definitely find the perfect person for the task" Master Windu said as soon as he turned his attention back to the chancellor.

Chapter Text

Chancellor Palpatine eyed the two jedi in anticipation without saying anything.

"We're aware of the fact that the task is of great importance but the selection of the most suitable knight will take time chancellor, So how much time can you give us?" Obi Wan asked.

"I'm afraid I can't wait that long, Masters. The gathering will take place at the end of this week and it is of great importance, Not just to the Republic but to maintaining peace in the Outer Rim territories. A Jedi’s presence could ensure the negotiation remains civil" The chancellor replied.

Master Windu exchanged a glance with Obi Wan once again.

"We understand and we will ensure that a knight suited to the task joins you. Someone with experience in diplomacy and the ability to...Handle any unforeseen complications but I can't make this decision on my own I'm afraid. I must consult with the council of masters but I'll inform you of the final decision as soon as we settle on someone" Master Windu said.

"If you excuse me chancellor I would like to go to my room now so I hope you don't find it rude if I step aside for now" Obi Wan said.

"Of course, Go ahead. I can carry on this conversation with master Windu here" Chancellor Palpatine replied.

Obi Wan nodded then turned to leave he was halfway through the hallway when the chancellor turned his attention to him again.

"But I must say that I'm quite alarmed by the fact that you're travelling alone master Kenobi, I was under the impression that you appointed Anakin Skywalker as your padawan. Is something wrong with him?" The chancellor asked.

Obi Wan immediately stopped dead in his tracks and it took him a few seconds to register what the chancellor just said.

He had to congratulate himself on his self control because he really wanted nothing but to strangle that man with his bare hands and watch as his eyes turned blank and lifeless before his body fell lifelessly to the floor.

He turned to the chancellor again to answer that question hoping that his voice won't fit under the angry category.

"Skywalker is long gone, He died during a mission about a month and a half ago now" Master Windu answered the question instead.

And unlike Obi Wan master Windu's voice as he spoke these words was calmer then how Obi Wan would have said it.

Master Windu was older then him though, He had been to more missions and had more experience in this matter regarding his emotions and how to control them and keep them in check.

But then again Obi Wan had to remind himself of the fact that he was no mind reader and that master Windu never really liked Anakin that much to begin with even though he was showing guilt now. But who was Obi Wan to know whether the other man was telling the truth or not?

He simply had no way of knowing that which was why he didn't completely trust the older man.

"Oh, I'm really sorry for your loss. It certainly is terrible news to hear the boy was just...Too young. How old was he? Nineteen?" The chancellor inquired.

It couldn't have been more faked, Which left Obi Wan wondering why they even trusted that man's words so blindly.

"You could say that he was nineteen yes, Although it had been a few days away from his nineteenth birthday" Master Windu replied sullenly.

"Truly unfortunate" The chancellor said with a sigh as he shook his head.

Obi Wan decided that he didn't want to be present here anymore so he turned and left the place.

••☆★☆••

Two days have passed since the chancellor came to visit the temple and they were still nowhere near finding a suitable knight for the mission.

The council of masters had requested an another meeting today to discuss the matter further but master Windu told Obi Wan that he'll tell him the final decision as soon as the meeting was over.

It didn't make the younger man feel any better though. If anything it made him even more anxious and worried.

He was already going through the potential candidates in his mind but no matter how much he thought about it he still couldn't come up with a suitable person for the job.

According to what Anakin said the chancellor was a manipulative person who knew exactly how to use a person like a pawn without feeling the slightest bit of remorse.

So it only meant that they needed someone who was wise and smart enough to not fall for the chancellor's mind games. Their only candidate was Anakin but he was gone.

And even if he was alive Obi Wan would have stood by the decision of not sending him on that mission for one important reason which was that Anakin went through a lot in whatever memories he had of that past and it was unfair to let him stick to the person who ruined his life like a shadow for the second time in a row.

It really would be so unfair but knowing how the temple functioned it most definitely would have forced Anakin into that mission which didn't make Obi Wan feel any better in fact it made his skin crawl.

He found himself wishing for Anakin to remain dead for the first time since his padawan has died because seeing how things were it was certainly a mercy for him to be dead...

But it also made him feel terrible for having such thoughts because he really loved his padawan like a brother and was still heartbroken over his death.

He sighed and took a seat on the first chair he found in his room then closed his eyes in his best attempt to clear his mind.

Meditation has become an important part of his daily routine lately. It never ceased to calm him down whenever he started fretting over everything so he welcomed it with open arms.

Especially when it gave him enough clarity to come up with ideas.

He opened his eyes when an idea hit him. It was eccentric but it was the best one he could think of right now.

So he immediately stood up and went to the council meeting room as fast as he could.

••☆★☆••

Ahsoka sat up in bed and started gasping for air after yet an another nightmare she had.

She didn't know what these nightmares represented and why it was a frequent occurrence in her life lately but she knew that she'd have her much deserved answers if she ever found the person in it.

That person was clearly a woman. But she was nothing like anyone Ahsoka had ever seen in her life, the woman was as beautiful as a being that belonged in heaven.

She had long green hair, Fair skin that looked more pink then white or as tanned as a human's skin could get and she glowed in a bright white light that Ahsoka was sure would have blinded anyone who saw her.

In most of these nightmares she'd see herself standing close to that woman then out of nowhere blood would start to soak them both then Ahsoka would hear a pained scream.

The scream would most definitely belong to her but there were other times when she'd be sure that it'd belong to the woman.

Ahsoka wasn't a skilled enough jedi but she knew that when the jedi dream of a person it'd usually mean something, especially if they dream about someone else's death.

That woman's death had been brutal and Ahsoka had seen it happen so many times in her dreams to the point that it was carved into her memory.

The woman would get stabbed from behind but the stab wound would always be strong enough to pierce through her flesh creating the horrifying image of her front being soaked in blood as well. Then she'd start to fall. But what Ahsoka couldn't understand was why was that pain ingrained onto her?

It was as if she could feel the woman's pain in her own body and it was excruciating which always left Ahsoka terrified beyond measure.

But tonight her nightmare was different. Tonight the woman gripped onto her shoulders hard as she fell and whispered something to her before falling flat on the floor which seemed to shake at her death.

"You have to find him, You have to save him" Ahsoka recited the words that woman whispered to her through the strange dream.

She didn't understand though, who was that person she talked about? And why does she of all people have to save him?

She took a few deep breathes and wiped the perspiration off of her forehead with her sleeve before standing up.

Her superiors at the temple told her that she was getting transferred to the main jedi temple in Coruscant to pursue further training.

Which was why she was currently in a ship on her way there.

When she arrived at the temple she was immediately led to where the council of masters were waiting she took a deep breath in an attempt to steel her nerves but she still felt nervous and out of place.

After another minute or two of internal panic she finally decided to just go in.

It was rude to keep people waiting anyway so she reluctantly stepped into the grand chamber of the Jedi Council, her heart literally drumming in her chest.

The room was lit softly, With the view of Coruscant’s sprawling cityscape visible through the window and the council members sat in their usual seats, their expressions calm yet judgemental as they looked at her.

"Troubled, you seem, Young Padawan. Speak, you must" Master Yoda was the first to speak.

Ahsoka hesitated, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. She had been told to trust the wisdom of the high council of Coruscant, But the vividness of her nightmares made her question whether they would understand.

After all she was very aware of the fact that master Yoda of all people cared so much about upholding the no attachment rule. But frankly speaking if she wasn't supposed to make attachments with anyone then what was the point of trusting them in the first place?

Another thing was that she didn't even know if they would take her seriously if she said anything about those nightmares she was having.

"I'm fine, I just think I'm in no position to be here...I mean that I feel strange being at this temple when someone else better then me should have had this chance" She said.

"Be strong you must child, Strong Jedi you are and stronger you will become" Master Yoda said.

She had a feeling that the eldest jedi was aware of the fact that she was lying but she was glad that he didn't question her about it.

"I expect you to be ready for training by early morning. You're a knight in training at the main temple now and at this temple we value hard work and discipline" Master Windu said.

"Yes master, Thank you for this opportunity" Ahsoka said.

"Dismissed you are" Master Yoda said.

Ahsoka nodded then turned and left the room.

She was beyond the youngling training, That much she knew. She didn't know why or how but her previous master kept telling her that she hadn't needed that much training in the first place and that she already had a deep understanding of the force even at her young age.

Ahsoka was always baffled by his words especially when the things she was capable of doing seemed to exceed the abilities of normal younglings.

But she supposed it was alright because it was that strange talent that got her this spot as a Jedi knight in Coruscant of all places. It was literally a dream come true for her so she didn't see a reason to pass on this chance even if she was feeling nervous.

What if her supposed talents were medicore and she was unworthy of this spot? After all she had only trained with one master and he wasn't as experienced as the masters at the main temple.

She wasn't new to hard work and she was still planning on training hard to get stronger but she'd certainly be disappointed if her supposed talents weren't really that outstanding.

She sighed and shook her head to dismiss the thoughts before heading on her way to the dorms where she was supposed to get assigned to her new sleeping arrangements.

After a few minutes of walking she finally found the correct room so she walked in.

She was surprised to see a girl already inside.

The girl was a bit older then her maybe in her teens or something. She had fair skin, Auburn hair and a pair of rust coloured eyes.

"Hey, You must be my roommate. It's really nice to meet you, I'm Darra by the way. Darra Thel Tanis" Darra said smiling before putting her hand out for a shake.

"Hello, I'm Ahsoka Tano. It's a pleasure to meet you too" Ahsoka said excitedly.

The two girls shook hands.

Ahsoka didn't know the other girl that much yet but something in her gut told her she was a nice person and she usually trusted her gut feeling when it came to these stuff.

"Come on, I'll give you a tour this place actually has a lot of interesting sights you'll be amazed I guarantee" Darra said.

Ahsoka shrugged and nodded then followed the girl outside the door.

They were passing the hallway that led to the boy's dormitory when Ahsoka started having a headache.

"This is the boy's dormitory of course, Most of these rooms are really untidy from the inside so I really advise you not to...Hey are you alright?" Darra asked with concern evident in her voice.

Ahsoka blinked twice then nodded in response which was a bad idea because it only made her headache even worse.

"You look pale, Are you sure you're alright? Because I can take you to see a medical droid" Darra offered.

"Yeah, I'm alright it's just a headache" Ahsoka said in a small tired voice.

Darra could have said something but Ahsoka couldn't hear it because of the ringing in her ears.

It wasn't a normal ringing though, It felt more like white noise taking over her head completely...

"Help him, You have to help him...Find him...Find him quickly" She heard the woman from her dreams whisper in her ears.

A hand on her shoulder broke her out of her trance like state and made her turn her head to face the older girl immediately.

"Are you alright?" Darra asked.

Ahsoka turned to look around her in an attempt to adjust to the different sounds of footsteps going through the hallway and the dormitory boys going back and forth either heading to their respective rooms or walking out of them.

"You really don't look or sound fine at all, Come on I'll take you to see a droid" Darra said.

Ahsoka sighed and nodded in response then followed the older girl over to where the medical droids were supposed to be.

But she stopped dead in her tracks when she realised two very important facts that would have slipped her mind if she wasn't paying attention.

The first one was that the woman never spoke to her while she was awake.

And the second was that she felt as if someone was watching her.

Chapter Text

Ahsoka layed down on the bed at the clinic and the droid immediately started examining her.

"I'm telling you I'm fine alright? There's absolutely no need for me to be here" Ahsoka said.

"It won't hurt to be sure" Darra insisted.

The droid started talking about blood pressure then sugar level before doing a complete body scan to check for any internal injuries or brain and heart problems.

"She's completely fine, My charts say that she is but I recommend a good sleep. It might be just fatigue" The droid announced as soon as it was done with its job.

"Alright, Thank you" Darra said.

Then Ahsoka got off the bed and the two girls walked out of the clinic.

"See? That was totally a waste of time" Ahsoka remarked.

"Are you sure about that? You looked like you were about to faint" Darra said.

"I just felt a bit lightheaded that's all but I'm completely fine now" Ahsoka replied.

"If you say so, But you must get yourself checked if you ever feel that something is wrong alright? You're a knight in training after all it won't be good if you suddenly fall unconscious during a mission you know" Darra explained.

Ahsoka nodded in response.

"Well, As I was saying before this is the boy's dormitory and you're certainly not allowed to be in there under any circumstances" Darra said.

"I don't know why but something tells me you're not that much of a stickler to the rules" Ahsoka said as she smiled at Darra in amusement.

Darra raised an eyebrow and mirrored Ahsoka's smile.

"Well, Some of them are nice and friendly if you ask me but you know the jedi code and all...We all know it and no matter how much we love to break the rules breaking them all will be just plain barbaric" Darra said.

Ahsoka only nodded in understanding because she herself wasn't here to make friends.

"I was actually wondering if I can gain access to the library" Ahsoka said.

"Of course you can go to the library, But you'll need a chaperone to go into the restricted section" Darra said.

"Well, Can you come with me?" Ahsoka inquired.

Darra laughed in response and shook her head.

"That's not how it works...To gain access to the restricted section you'll have to ask a master, Preferably your master or you can ask a senior jedi knight. I'm still a junior knight so I'm not allowed to go without a chaperone myself" Darra replied.

"And you never once broke this rule? That's really nice of you" Ahsoka said.

Darra looked at her silently for a second or so then let out a sigh.

"This isn't a joke alright? The restricted section is restricted for a reason... Knowledge is a double edged sword you know I'd say be curious but not way too curious" Darra warned.

Ahsoka nodded again.

"So did you get assigned to a master yet?" Darra inquired.

"Not yet" Ahsoka replied.

"Don't worry I think the matter will be settled soon, These things usually don't take time" Darra assured her.

"I was actually wondering if the lady in white could be my master" Ahsoka said.

Darra frowned and tilted her head to the side.

"What lady in white?" She asked.

Ahsoka sighed not really knowing where to start or what to say. She didn't even know the woman's name in the first place.

"She's...A lady in a white dress, Long green hair and she's just so beautiful and luminous as if she swallowed a moon and..." Ahsoka started.

But she stopped talking immediately and let out an another sigh when she saw the look of disbelief on Darra's face.

"And you look like you don't believe she exists" Ahsoka continued in a less excited voice.

"Yeah well, I've never seen such a person in my life but then again I wasn't alive for that long myself so maybe she does exist and I just haven't met her" Darra rambled in her best attempt to make the younger girl feel better.

"Yeah sure, Nevermind" Ahsoka said.

"You know what? I think that I can predict who your master will be though" Darra said in an excited voice.

"Really? Who do you think that will be?" Ahsoka inquired in equal excitement.

"There are a few masters who are looking for a padawan even senior jedi knights who are looking to become masters are available...There's master Siri, Her padawan had just left the temple to seek his own path so she was trying to find a new one, There's master Shaak Ti she's also a togruta like you I bet you've heard of her she's amazing and master Adi Gallia too and of course there is senior jedi knight Depa Billaba and..." Darra started.

Ahsoka frowned when she noticed how the other girl's excitement suddenly vanished and was replaced by sadness.

"And there's senior jedi knight Obi Wan Kenobi" Darra continued with hesitation and sadness clear in her voice.

"So what's wrong with that Kenobi person?" Ahsoka asked.

"Nothing, Nothing at all. He's actually a really devoted jedi and a nice person in general" Darra said.

Then she let out a breath that made Ahsoka more sure that there's more to the story.

"The thing is...He had a padawan up until a few weeks ago, He was a boy my age so talented if you must know. I was really sure that he'd have become a great jedi had he stayed" Darra continued.

"And what happened? Did he leave?" Ahsoka inquired curiously.

"No...He passed away during a mission, No one really knows how he died or why except master Kenobi and I'm not really sure if I really want to know" Darra explained.

"He was your lover wasn't he?" Ahsoka inquired in a small voice that sounded more like a whisper.

"What? No...You got this all wrong we were just friends...We were the same age when we started training so we became friends that's all" Darra explained.

Then she let out a deep tired sigh.

"It's really strange you know...I always thought that the three of us will be here together forever but apparently I was completely wrong" Darra murmured.

Ahsoka didn't know what to say to comfort the older girl but she sympathised with her greatly.

"Tell me more about them...Your two friends I mean" Ahsoka encouraged her.

Darra couldn't help the wistful smile that came over her face as she remembered how things used to be.

"I won't call what we had friendship because as jedi even friendship was considered to be an attachment but...We were as close as comrades can get, Me, Ferus Olin and Anakin Skywalker" Darra explained.

Ahsoka frowned in confusion as soon as she heard the last name because she had a feeling that she had heard it before she just didn't remember where or when.

"Ferus was a stickler for the rules, I was more of the compassionate devoted friend but Anakin...He was certainly different" Darra said.

"Different?" Ahsoka inquired.

Darra laughed as if she was recalling some great memories and nodded in response.

"He was talented I'll give you that...Many masters said that his capabilities scared them. But I suppose that's why they thought he was the chosen one" Darra said.

Ahsoka racked her brain in an attempt to remember where she heard that name as she listened to Darra talk.

"He was also very compassionate and kind, The kind of person who would go to great lengths just to protect a kid from a slave trader, He wasn't afraid to show his emotions...His true colors and the rules of the jedi code meant nothing to him as long as he was doing the right thing" Darra said.

Then she let out an another laugh that sounded sad.

"He was reckless sometimes that's for sure but he didn't deserve the way the temple treated him...As if he had never existed" Darra continued.

"How did he die?" Ahsoka asked full of curiosity.

Darra shook her head in response.

"No one knows, His death was covered up by the council...Didn't get a proper mourning. No one even knows whether he became one with the force or not because he didn't receive the proper training to appear as a ghost" Darra said.

"What about your other friend? Where is he?" Ahsoka asked.

"He left the temple and I don't even know if he'll be back...It was a big move from his part though something that I never thought would happen because Ferus was a real stickler for the rules he often fought with Anakin and reprimanded him whenever he broke them. It's funny that they were always at each other’s necks but now..." Darra started.

She let out an another sigh and forced a smile on her face.

"He left the temple shortly after Anakin died...I mean it's strange and all but life is full of surprises right?" She asked with a bit of laughter in her voice.

Ahsoka turned her gaze to the floor in sympathy feeling pity for the older girl because even with the laughter in her voice she was still clearly sad and lonely.

"I think that's enough talk though, You and I are going to be roommates and the last thing I want is to be a pain with my stories of the past" Darra said.

"No, It's fine...I'm here if you want to talk" Ahsoka said trying her best to offer the girl a smile that sounded happy but it was difficult after she heard her story.

"I can lead you to the library if you want, I'm willing to bet that you'll find someone who can be your chaperone" Darra said in an attempt to change the subject.

Ahsoka nodded and smiled in a way to show her appreciation then followed the older girl to where the library was.

"I need to go though my master said I should be present during the mission report" Darra said.

"Of course, I understand go ahead" Ahsoka said.

Then Darra left and Ahsoka was left alone in the library.

The place was big and full of books and Ahsoka didn't know where to start her search.

"Can I help you?" An older woman's voice asked.

"What?" Ahsoka asked as she looked around trying to locate the owner of the voice.

After a minute or so of looking around she finally spotted an old woman sitting at a desk at the far end of the hallway that overlooked the reading rooms.

Ahsoka didn't know why but she suddenly felt embarrassed to be here alone. After all she was here all by herself without a chaperone like Darra called it.

What was she supposed to say? That she was here to have a look at the restricted section?

"Ummm...Not really, Thank you" Ahsoka said in a shy awkward voice.

"Well..." The woman started.

Then she trailed off and smiled at something behind Ahsoka so the girl turned to have a look behind her and saw a man who had thick light brown hair and a matching beard standing behind her.

"Hello there master Kenobi it's a pleasure to see you're doing fine" The woman said excitedly.

"Likewise master Nu" Obi Wan said with a smile on his face.

Then he turned his attention to Ahsoka.

"Do you mind?" He asked.

"Oh sorry" Ahsoka replied hurriedly before moving out of his way.

Obi Wan walked through the library and Ahsoka followed him around without actually saying anything but it was starting to pique Obi Wan's curiosity so he turned his attention to the girl.

"Is something wrong?" He asked her.

"You're Anakin Skywalker's master right? Or you used to be his master didn't you?" Ahsoka asked.

Obi Wan frowned at the sudden and unexpected question not knowing whether to be defensive or not.

"What if I was?" He inquired.

"I think...I think I know him, I don't know how but I feel that I heard his name before" Ahsoka replied.

Obi Wan sighed and rolled his eyes then shook his head feeling silly for getting all cautious.

"Yeah, He was quite famous...Being the chosen one and all. It's nearly impossible not to know his name" Obi Wan said.

Then he picked up his book and started reading through it again turning his back on the girl in an attempt to focus.

"His mother's name...It was Shmi Skywalker right?" Ahsoka asked cautiously.

Obi Wan stopped reading and looked up from his book then turned to the girl and looked at her as if she had grown a second head.

"You, How did you know that?" He asked in a dangerously low voice as he reached out for his lightsaber in defence.

Ahsoka looked at his hand which was gripping the lightsaber at his belt mouth hung open in shock.

She couldn't believe that she had guessed the name right.

But for some reason mentioning Shmi's name brought her a strong headache that she was unable to tolerate so she put a hand to the side of her head and closed her eyes tightly.

"You know him...You have to save him...You must remember who you are...Who you were and who he was" The woman from her dreams said in a desperate voice.

Then an image of a man with long golden brown locks clad in black crossed her mind before she fell to her knees and started struggling for breath.

Obi Wan dropped his book and hurried to the girl's side immediately.

"Hey, Breathe slowly alright? Listen to me and try to breathe slowly" Obi Wan said.

Ahsoka closed her eyes in an attempt to calm herself down as she tried to regulate her breathing.

But in the end and despite her best efforts she couldn't calm herself down completely and she lost consciousness in Obi Wan's arms.

Chapter Text

Obi Wan caught Ahsoka before she could collapse completely, lowering her gently to the floor.

He was both worried about the girl and confused about how she knew about Shmi Skywalker.

But for now he decided to focus on trying to help the girl.

He put a hand on her forehead and his eyes widened when he realised that it wasn’t just exhaustion, wasn’t just stress...It was more than that.

It was almost the same disturbance in the force he had felt whenever Anakin was around.

"Master Nu" Obi Wan called out in an attempt to get the old woman's attention. He was definitely worried and it showed in his voice but he didn't really care what his voice sounded like right now.

He had to help that girl.

Master Nu hurried over and knelt beside them. Her expression showing clear concern.

"What happened?" She asked as she turned her attention to Obi Wan who was still looking at Ahsoka's unconscious form.

"I don’t know, She was talking to me and then she suddenly fainted" Obi Wan explained.

He glanced at Master Nu.

"But something isn't right" He continued.

Master Nu nodded as soon as she placed a hand over Ahsoka’s forehead as well, through her concentration. She was able to sense the disturbance in the force easily.

"This disturbance...Was it always in her? It's almost as if..." Master Nu started.

But she trailed off not knowing what to say or how to explain this because it was simply impossible.

"It's almost as if Anakin is back right?" Obi Wan asked his voice coming out as low hesitant whisper.

Master Nu still didn't know how to respond to that so she turned her attention back to Ahsoka.

"Let's take her to the clinic, She has to see a medical droid" Obi Wan suggested.

It would probably be useless to get a droid to see her but it was their only option right now so Obi Wan took her to the clinic with Master Nu following shortly behind him.

Master Nu explained the situation to the droid then left and soon enough Obi Wan was left alone with Ahsoka.

Obi Wan himself wasn’t sure about it, He didn't know what to think anymore. He thought that Anakin was the only person who had this misfortune but apparently he was wrong about this too.

The worst part was that he was still unaware of how Anakin acquired such memories and how his life ended so he wasn't sure if he could help the girl as well.

His thoughts were interrupted when Ahsoka stirred.

Her eyes shot open and she gasped for air, And blinked to get her eyes to adjust to the light.

Obi Wan could see her unfocused and wild eyes for a moment before clarity returned then he sat closer to her, studying her carefully.

"I heard that there will be a new knight in training joining our temple that's you right?" He asked.

Ahsoka nodded.

"My name is Ahsoka" She replied in a small voice.

"Are you alright?" He inquired in a gentle, Soothing voice.

She stared up at him, breath still uneven, her hands gripping the fabric of her sleeves as if grounding herself.

She really didn't know how to answer that question.

Was she alright?

"My student, He died a few weeks ago...In strange circumstances, He never mentioned knowing you or if you know Shmi Skywalker so how did you know of her?" Obi Wan inquired in the calmest voice he could manage.

He was dying to know the answer but he also knew that he had to get the girl to trust him first if he wanted her to talk.

"There's this man...I saw him in my dream, My last dream" She whispered.

"Saw who?" He asked.

Ahsoka gulped the lump in her throat as she thought about whether it would be a good idea to tell him the rest or not.

The man's image was still clear in her mind as if it had been carved in her memories.

His golden brown hair, dark robes and his presence which was both familiar to her and yet foreign.

She reminded herself of the fact that the man sitting in front of her now trained the person who she was supposedly here to save so maybe it'd be a good idea to tell him.

"I don't know him or at least I think I don’t know him but that doesn't make sense at all...I don't know I felt that I knew his name, I was just told to find him...I was told that I could save him" She continued.

Obi Wan fell completely silent as he tried to think of what that meant but his mind couldn't come up with any ideas.

How was that strange girl supposed to save his padawan? From death? Was she really here to bring him back to life? But how?

It seemed that the more he thought the more his questions increased and it didn't seem like he'd be getting any answers anytime soon.

For some reason Ahsoka felt like crying and the man in front of her must have noticed because he put a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.

She looked up at Obi Wan with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Just how am I supposed to help him? In my dream...He seemed to look sad and in pain" Ahsoka continued.

Obi Wan let out a tired breath as he tried to think of something to do to help them both.

"You need to tell me everything...What did the place you saw him in look like?" Obi Wan inquired.

Ahsoka nodded. She thought about the answer carefully as she tried to remember what the place looked like.

"It was a dull place, Dark and lifeless...I only saw a woman aside from him. She's very beautiful as if she was the very impersonation of light in the entire universe...She screamed as she was stabbed from behind and the next thing I know he was screaming too and I think...I was also screaming in pain but I don't know why" Ahsoka explained.

Then she wiped away her tears in her sleeve and nodded to herself in her best attempt to calm down before she turned her attention to Obi Wan once again.

"I need to find him...No, I must find him" Ahsoka continued.

Obi Wan nodded hurriedly.

"I know, And I believe you...Don't worry I'll do my best to help you" Obi Wan said in the calmest voice he could manage.

He told himself that it would probably be useless to get his hopes up but he really wanted to believe that there was a chance...

A hope that maybe Anakin wasn’t gone for good.

Obi Wan didn’t move for several seconds, his gaze locked onto Ahsoka as she steadied herself.

A youngling rushed into the room obviously out of breath.

"Master Kenobi, I've been looking all over for you. Master Yoda told me to bring you in for the jedi council meeting" The little boy said as soon as he managed to catch his breath.

Obi Wan nodded already guessing the reason for the meeting. Master Nu must have told the council about Ahsoka's condition by now.

"I'll be there in a second, You can go" Obi Wan said.

The boy nodded and left the room then Obi Wan turned his attention back to Ahsoka.

"I need to step out for a bit. How about you get some rest while I do that?" Obi Wan asked.

Ahsoka only nodded in agreement because she did feel really tired both mentally and physically.

Obi Wan smiled and helped her to lay down once again.

"I'll be back as soon as I can" Obi Wan said.

Then he stood up and left the room closing the door behind him.

Obi Wan stood in front of the council members.

"Young Kenobi, tell us what happened you must" Master Yoda said.

Obi Wan let out a frustrated sigh as soon as he heard Master Yoda's voice.

He didn't really feel like telling the grand master about the girl but judging from the situation it was obvious that he was already informed.

"We were informed by Master Nu that the new knight in training had a special connection to the force" Master Plo Koon said.

"Well, The Force is pulling her toward something that much I know" Master Nu said.

"What exactly did she see?" Master Windu inquired in a cautious voice.

Obi Wan looked at them one by one as he contemplated his words.

"There are echoes in the force, Fragments of past lives. Of lost connections. It’s rare, but sometimes, when the force wills it, a person can remember not consciously, but instinctively" He replied.

Obi Wan let his words settle in the room, watching as the council members exchanged glances, their expressions unreadable. Master Yoda hummed thoughtfully, his eyes closed in thought.

"Hmmm...A disturbance in the force, this is, Lost, This girl is. But found something greater, She may have"  Yoda murmured, tapping his fingers against his wooden cane.

Master Shaak Ti leaned forward in her seat.

"And you believe that she is meant to save Skywalker?" She inquired.

Obi Wan could easily tell that she was wary of the idea the same way the other council members were.

He grit his teeth in annoyance as he guessed what they were thinking already.

"I do know that the force is guiding her, and for some reason, it has brought her here brought her to me. If there is even the slightest chance that she can bring Anakin back to life, then I won't ignore it" Obi Wan announced.

The council members fell completely silent and Master Yoda's eyes remained closed in thought.

"The force works in ways we do not always understand. If it has chosen her, then perhaps we must trust in its will" Master Windu said.

Obi Wan's mouth hung open in surprise as soon as he heard what Master Windu said.

He never thought that him out of all people will back him up.

"The force isn’t always kind, This could simply be a ghost of what has already passed...A trick, That can bring forth our doom" Master Ki Adi Mundi countered, shaking his head.

"I must agree with Master Mundi. We all know the consequences of bringing a dead person back to life" Master Shaak Ti said.

Silence followed. Obi Wan held his breath, Waiting.

"Tested she must be" Master Yoda said as soon as he opened his eyes.

"Tested how?" Obi Wan asked already dreading the inevitable answer but bracing himself for a fight.

The rest of the council members exchanged a look that showed clear approval with the idea before they turned their attention back on Obi Wan.

"If the force has truly called her here for this purpose, then it will guide her. We will allow her to seek the answers she desires but we will watch closely" Master Mundi suggested.

Something inside Obi Wan snapped as soon as he heard the answer and he felt that he couldn't hold back his anger anymore.

"We will proceed cautiously, She must understand the weight of this path" Master Plo Koon added.

"I won't let this happen" Obi Wan said his voice interrupting the chattering voices of the council's plans for Ahsoka.

They all turned their attention back to him.

"I won't let you turn her into a test subject like you did with Anakin" Obi Wan continued in an angrier voice.

"Kenobi this matter needs to be handled carefully, I agree that the girl is young but she's also powerful and needs to be trained" Master Windu said.

Obi Wan laughed in disbelief and shook his head.

"I thought as much, You won’t really back me up in this...You’re nothing but a hypocrite" Obi Wan said as he looked at Master Windu.

Master Windu fell completely silent and turned his gaze to the floor.

"Are you rebelling against our order?" Master Mundi asked.

"If it would save that girl from whatever you have in store for her then yes, I'll rebel and I'll save her from you" Obi Wan answered.

"You're delusional Kenobi you can't be attached to her she's..." Master Plo Koon started.

"She's a person...Just like Anakin was" Obi Wan interrupted.

"Your emotions have blinded you...You must reconsider" Master Mundi said in a voice that implied clear warning.

"No, Your lack of empathy have blinded you...You've forgotten what it meant to feel anything at all" Obi Wan replied.

Then he took a step back and bowed to the council members in clear sarcasm before rising back to his normal height.

"This girl will be in my care...If you don't let me train her within the sanctuary of the temple then I'll just have to find an another place that would be willing to take us in" Obi Wan stated.

Master Yoda hummed in response then nodded his head before standing up.

"Your wish will be granted young Kenobi. Train that girl you will" Master Yoda said.

Obi Wan held Yoda’s gaze for what felt like seconds, Unsure whether to believe the old Master’s words. The rest of the council members exchanged wary glances, but none challenged Master Yoda’s decision.

Nevertheless Obi Wan felt a great sense of relief to know that he had won even if it was for the time being.

He went to check on Ahsoka and found her sleeping in the medical ward and after talking to the droid he was now more sure of the fact that she'll be better in no time.

So he decided to just go back to his room and get some rest as well.

But as soon as he walked into the room he saw Anakin standing in front of the window.

There was something off about him though which Obi Wan couldn't figure out yet but could still sense.

"I thought that the plan was to bring back Darth Plagueis" The ghost said.

"It's far more dangerous to bring him back and I told you that before" Obi Wan replied.

Anakin turned to him and Obi Wan frowned at the look of anger that the ghost in front of him had.

"You said that you'll listen to me" Anakin said in a low and yet intimidating voice.

"He's a sith lord, He shouldn't be trusted and he shouldn't be brought back" Obi Wan said.

"I'm a sith too" Anakin said in that same haunted voice that Obi Wan heard back in Tatooine.

"You're not Anakin" Obi Wan said.

Anakin's form changed from his normal human shape to the armoured figure of Darth Vader.

"You promised to bring me back" The armoured figure continued.

"I promised Anakin to bring him back and you're not him...Be gone" Obi Wan said in equal anger.

"Anakin Skywalker is a weakling, He lived like a fool and he died like a weakling. He was so naive he didn't even realise that I was trying to use him to get to this point" Darth Vader declared.

His form changed again and kept alternating from Darth Vader to Anakin's human shape as if the ghost's presence was suffering from the disturbance.

Obi Wan stepped closer to the ghost and reached out to touch him even though he knew he won't be able to do that.

And it was true because his hands passed through the ghost which finally settled on Anakin's shape.

"You must fight him Anakin you can't let him win" Obi Wan said.

Anakin let out let out a pained scream and clutched his head with both of his hands.

"You're strong Anakin you must fight" Obi Wan insisted.

But he disappeared before Obi Wan could say anything else.

Obi Wan sat down on the bed his knees giving out under his weight.

He didn't even know that force ghosts were capable of feeling pain until he heard how Anakin screamed.

There was a frantic knock on the door before Cal rushed into the room.

"Master Kenobi, You're requested in the medical ward...The new knight in training is in a critical condition" Cal said as soon as he managed to catch his breath.

Chapter Text

Obi Wan stood up and followed Cal to the medical ward immediately, His mind was still recovering from his encounter with Anakin or whatever was left of him.

The disturbance he felt coming from him was unlike anything he'd ever felt but he knew what his padawan was now...

His spirit was torn between identities, struggling against the grip of the dark side even in death.

But there was no time to dwell on it.

The faint sound of the medical monitors filled the room. A small gathering of Jedi surrounded the bed where Ahsoka layed, The dim glow of the medical droid was casting a shadow on their worried faces.

Obi Wan moved through the crowd, His eyes landing on the young knight.

"Her vitals are declining unpredictably"  The droid said.

Then it turned its attention to the group.

"Whatever’s happening to her, It’s not just physical...I'm sorry but I really can't help her" The droid said.

Obi Wan stepped closer. The Force rippled around Ahsoka in ways that unsettled him. He sensed pain, Turmoil. And something else the same thing he had just experienced with Anakin.

Ahsoka's eyes snapped open. They were unfocused, wild. Her hands clawed at the sheets as if she was fighting an invisible force pulling her under.

Then she let out a loud pained scream before her convulsing body fell completely still.

The silence that followed was suffocating.

Obi Wan stood frozen as he watched Ahsoka.

For a second there an image of Anakin passed in front of his eyes as he layed down on the bed trying to hang on to life before eventually failing.

"Kenobi" Master Windu's voice cut through his trance.

Obi Wan gulped and turned his attention to the other man.

"She’s alive, She can still be saved" Master Windu said.

Obi Wan walked over to the bed and sat down on one of the bedside chairs next to Master Windu before taking Ahsoka's hand.

"She's alive but her Force signature is...Unstable" Obi Wan murmured.

Obi Wan felt terrified of what would happen to her if they don't find a solution to the problem and soon.

"She's going to be an another Anakin" Obi Wan murmured.

"Kenobi, Get a grip...You’re supposed to be this girl's Master now" Master Windu said.

"I don't even know where to start" Obi Wan replied.

Suddenly, Ahsoka's hand twitched.

Obi Wan put his hand on her forehead then closed his eyes to focus on reaching out through the force.

And just like what happened when he tried to reach into Anakin's mind he found himself standing in a strange dull place as soon as he opened his eyes.

The place was completely deserted even though it had houses and places that looked like shops.

But the most eye catching thing about this place was the palace in the middle of the city.

If Obi Wan could even call it a city and not a planet because it certainly looked much bigger then just a simple city.

He walked around for a bit but he still didn't find a single soul in sight so he decided to make his way to the palace.

Obi Wan's eyes widened when he saw Anakin standing at the end of the road.

"Anakin" He called out.

But the younger man didn't answer him. He just disappeared from his sight completely.

And the next thing Obi Wan knew was that he was back in the medical ward sitting next to Master Windu who had a hand on his head.

"Are you mad? You can't travel through someone else's mind. This isn’t what we do" Master Windu scolded in a firm voice that left no room for discussion.

Obi Wan remained silent not knowing what to say so he just diverted his gaze away from the older man feeling a sense of shame.

Master Windu's scolding gaze softened as he looked at the young man in front of him.

He let out a tired sigh before putting his hands on Obi Wan's shoulders.

"You were right Kenobi, Most of us here believe that attachments are a hindrance to our mission as Jedi but that's how things always were" Master Windu said.

He waited for Obi Wan to say something but he continued being silent.

"Look, I know that you want to help but you're drifting away from the right path and that's unacceptable...You won't be able to help either of them if you fall into the dark side of the force" Master Windu continued.

Obi Wan hated to admit it but the man was right.

Master Windu let out an another sigh.

"Now tell me...What exactly did you see? There's a reason why she's unconscious right?" Master Windu asked.

"She was..." Obi Wan started.

But he trailed off not knowing whether it'd be a good idea to tell the older man what he saw in Ahsoka's mind or not.

"I have no idea" Obi Wan replied in a small voice.

Master Windu looked at Obi Wan for a few seconds then nodded.

He knew that Obi Wan was purposefully hiding something but he didn't have the guts to press him any further simply because he was in no position to do so.

They weren't even that close in the first place.

"Anakin..." Ahsoka suddenly murmured catching the two men's attention and causing them to turn to her.

"So they do have a connection" Master Windu remarked.

Obi Wan walked over to Ahsoka and reached out to put a hand on her forehead but Master Windu grabbed his forearm.

"What are you doing?" Master Windu inquired.

Obi Wan let out a deep breath.

"I don't know what's going on alright? With her or with Anakin, But I know that I have to see what she's dreaming about if I really want to help" Obi Wan explained.

"Kenobi, You can't do that I won't allow it" Master Windu warned.

Obi Wan let out a sigh then lowered his hand so Master Windu let go of his arm.

"There has to be other ways to help them...You just have to think and...Kenobi, Are you alright?" Master Windu inquired with a frown on his face.

Obi Wan suddenly felt a pain in his head so he put a hand on the side of his head but the pain started getting stronger so he let out a scream.

He was reminded of the fact that he was indeed Anakin's dyad when he felt the head splitting headache which he knew for a fact belonged to his student.

"Kenobi" Master Windu called out in clear concern when he saw that Obi Wan had fallen to his knees from the pain as he let out an another scream.

Obi Wan tried to regulate his breathing as the pain slowly started getting bearable and he looked at Master Windu with dazed eyes.

"Kenobi, Are you alright? Can you hear my voice?" He asked.

"Mortis...The place is called Mortis" Obi Wan murmured.

••☆★☆••

Anakin opened his eyes to find himself standing in a strange space.

He was aware of the fact that he was now neither fully present nor entirely lost but he had a feeling that he was no longer a regular apparition of the force.

He could feel it clearly...The force around him felt unstable, shifting between the familiar echoes of his past and the events of the future without him.

If he could even call it that because he wasn't even sure what to call it. Was it really the present? Or the past repeating itself? Or was it all just a dream? A trick?

The excruciating pain he felt earlier was never really gone although it was bearable now, He had been through too much pain in his life but he never really experienced that kind of agony before.

It wasn't like the burning from Mustafar or the electrocution from the force lightning, It wasn’t even the same as the pain of being hooked to the machines that kept him alive under Darth Sidious's service.

It was...

Much more stronger.

He didn't know how to describe it exactly but he'd say that it felt like his body was being torn to pieces.

He was aware of the fact that he no longer had a solid body so he didn't know how his soul felt like it was being torn apart.

For a moment, he saw flashes Obi Wan, Padmé, Ahsoka and his mother but they faded quickly, leaving behind only silence. Then another presence stirred. Not Vader, not the Sith, but something else.

The silence was broken by the sound of a thousand screams. Agonised screams that could only belong to tortured slaves.

But that too was an already given answer because Anakin knew all too well that the screams belonged to the people who inhabited the destroyed planets.

The ones that were destroyed in a second by the death star.

Anakin closed his eyes tightly and clutched his head covering his ears in an attempt to keep the voices out.

A voice broke through the loudness of the screams.

"You can't escape from me" A voice taunted.

The laughter that followed these words was all too familiar it reminded Anakin of the desperation and fear he had felt back when he thought he'd lose Padmé.

"You know who your master is my child...Always remember who created you" Darth Sidious's voice continued.

Anakin let out an another scream when he felt the pain of both the electricity and fire surging through whatever remained of his presence.

He opened his eyes and looked at his hand but to his horror he saw that his padawan form had changed to the way he looked before he was burned in Mustafar.

Then the scars of his burned body started appearing and finally he saw Darth Vader's hands.

The pain started getting even stronger then before when his four different forms started alternating.

"You know who you are so just submit to your master" A different voice said.

It wasn't Darth Sidious this time though...

He remembered that voice and when he looked up he saw the son standing in front of him just as he had expected.

The memories of his time in Mortis returned just as the son smirked at him as if he was a long lost friend.

His presence kept flickering between light and dark as the pain in his existence remained.

"You weren't meant to take the father's place" The son said.

Anakin stiffened at the words. He had heard such things before, Back then he never truly understood what they meant but he did now.

"You belong to me Anakin, You were meant to take my place" The son continued.

Then he gripped Anakin's shoulders hard causing the ghost's pain to intensify.

"You're a slave of the dark side. You’re a slave of mine, You don't serve the light or the pitiful jedi you serve me" The son said.

Anakin tried to free himself but it was futile which caused the son to laugh.

"Did you really think that you could escape? From me? Not even my sister can help you now" The son continued.

But suddenly everything halted and the son let out a scream.

Anakin's eyes widened in shock when he saw Ahsoka standing at his side gripping his forearm.

She wasn't alone though that much he could tell because the darkness was suddenly illuminated by the light that emanated from the daughter.

"None of them was meant to come here, You know that as much as I do brother...Mortis is long gone because of you" The daughter said.

"Don't force me to kill you again" The son screamed as his grip on Anakin's forearm tightened trying to force him back into submission.

The daughter gripped Anakin's and Ahsoka's hands in hers tightly and closed her eyes to focus on repelling her brother influence.

Slowly the darkness subsidised even more revealing the familiar sight of Mortis.

Anakin fell to his knees as soon as the son was completely gone causing Ahsoka to kneel down next to him immediately.

"How did you bring her here?" Anakin asked out of breath.

"She's not here...Not entirely. I morphed your minds together through dreams the way I did when Obi Wan tried to help you back in Tatooine" The daughter explained.

"What do you want from me?" Anakin stuttered in a tired whisper.

"I want to help you child, You're not dead...Not entirely, You're just lost" The daughter replied.

"I can't be brought back...I don't want to be brought back. Please just let me die" Anakin begged with tears streaming down his cheeks.

The daughter looked at him in sympathy not knowing what to do to help him.

"You've been through a lot, I know that. But you still have a purpose Anakin...You can still fix what you did" The daughter said.

"Don't you get it? I'm weak, I'm weak and foolish that's why I died and that's why he controlled me so easily...It'll happen again if I return back to life" Anakin said.

Ahsoka felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she looked at the man in front of her.

"Anakin..." She murmured helplessly her voice coming out as a tired whisper.

She really didn't know how to help him at all.

The daughter knelt down in front of Anakin and pulled him into her embrace.

"No one said it'd be easy and no one said that it won't be painful but you mean so much more then just a slave...You’re your own person and there are a lot of people who can prove that. You just have to trust them" The daughter said.

Anakin was still reluctant and didn't know what to say to her in return.

She let go of him and stood up before putting her hand on his head.

Anakin's eyes immediately fluttered closed and he fell unconscious.

Ahsoka turned her head just in time to see Obi Wan before he disappeared out of sight.

Chapter Text

Ferus pressed the button and the ship landed at the harbour of Coruscant before he stood up and walked out of the pilot's cockpit.

Padmé was standing in front of the window watching the place from afar as the ship landed.

The last time she was there she got the news about Anakin's death and she still had no idea about what she'll do without him.

She had a political career ahead of her to focus on that was for sure but...

She always thought that seeing Anakin would be a given.

It gave her a bit of happiness to think about him but now he was gone.

And even though she tried to convince herself to be strong she still couldn't do that.

"Hey, It's time for us to go...Are you alright?" Ferus asked in a small voice that already sounded tired even though he hadn't done anything yet.

Padmé took a deep breath and wiped away the tears that managed to escape from her eyes then turned to him.

"Yes, I'm alright...Let's get going" She said.

Ferus only responded with a nod then he led her out of the ship.

The two of them made their way to the meeting place and were immediately led inside.

"So, Are you sure that this friend of yours received the message?" Padmé asked.

"Yes" Ferus replied curtly before taking a seat on one of the stools that overlooked the bar counter.

Padmé took a seat next to him and let out a sigh as she looked around the place.

It was obviously a bar because there were dancers and people handing out drinks. Padmé didn't mind being here but she thought that the meeting place should have been more appropriate.

Ferus nudged her shoulder so she turned her attention to him then noticed that there was someone walking their way.

It was a girl wearing the typical Jedi knight robes and on a closer look Padmé recognised her as Darra.

Darra stopped walking in front of them and Ferus stood up immediately to greet her.

"Ferus, How have you been?" Darra asked excitedly.

Ferus smiled as soon as he saw her before the two of them pulled each other into a hug.

"I've been doing fine, I still haven't finished my mission yet but I have a lead to help me. Me and senator Amidala here came to ask for help" Ferus explained.

Darra glanced at Padmé briefly before turning her attention back to Ferus once again.

"And what kind of help?" Darra inquired.

"I was wondering if you could help me find some information about a bounty hunter who is called Jango Fett. That and also a planet called Kamino" Ferus replied.

Darra frowned and tapped her chin thoughtfully as she thought about what she had just heard.

"I don't know these names but maybe I can investigate" Darra said.

"Please do that" Ferus said.

"Hey, What are friends for? Of course I'll help but I want to know if there's a reason behind this search" Darra said.

"An...I mean I found out that Jango Fett was the one who targeted the senator" Ferus replied.

Padmé pursed her lips as soon as she heard that slip of tongue knowing exactly that Ferus almost said Anakin's name.

She didn't know if it was because he was walking on eggshells around her or because he was secretly in contact with him and didn't tell her anything.

Not that she would have ever been able to talk to Anakin or even see him at all but Padmé still wanted to know what he was saying.

For the first time in her life she really wished that she was a force sensitive person.

Her train of thoughts was interrupted when Darra waved a hand in front of her face to get her attention.

"Do you need anything to eat or drink before we head out?" Darra asked.

"We've decided to go for the old plan...We'll use a bait to try and lure Jango Fett out of his hiding place then we'll catch him which means that we'll have to stay here for a few days" Ferus said.

Padmé only responded with a nod.

"So then...Where are we going now?" Padmé inquired.

"I can rent an apartment for you temporarily if you two wish it. That way we can set the plan perfectly" Darra said.

"Alright, That's a good idea" Padmé said.

Darra led them out of the bar, The three of them started a conversation about the best way to make this plan succeed without drawing way too much attention but Padmé still had one thing in her mind.

Which was the one thing that kept invading her mind even though she did her best to keep it away.

Anakin was always there in her mind and along with the constant and undying thought of him the questions came.

Was he watching her right now? Did he ever speak to Ferus about her if even for once? Was he the one who told Ferus to look for that one particular bounty hunter? Does he think of her too? Did he like her the same way she loved him? Was he worried about her?

She had no answer for any of these questions and she knew that asking Ferus about Anakin would mean dropping her focused facade.

She was a politician and Anakin was a Jedi, She told herself that she shouldn't think about him because she knew that a Jedi wasn't allowed to form an attachment of any sort with anyone but now he was gone for good and Padmé didn't know what to do.

For the past few weeks that followed his death her thoughts had been all about him and the constant what if.

Was there really a possibility for them to be together without having to jeopardise Anakin's future?

Padmé didn't know. But now she'll never know.

And that thought alone broke her heart to pieces.

Her thoughts halted when she found herself standing in front an apartment building of some sort with Darra and Ferus at her side so she took a deep breath and nodded to herself.

She needed to get a grip, She knew that she wasn't supposed to die now.

"How much time do we have?" Padmé asked as soon as she and the two knights walked into the hotel room.

"We have to announce your presence in Coruscant. One way or another a bounty hunter or two will come after you but we need to make a good statement if we want to set this plan into motion" Ferus explained.

Padmé nodded in understanding.

"Then do what you must" She said.

The three of them walked into the apartment.

"Then I suggest you get some rest my lady...You need to be in good shape in case we had to run" Darra suggested.

"Alright, But I request that you send for my guard to come meet us. He's still at the ship but my maid can take good care of herself" Padmé said.

"That can be easily managed don't worry" Ferus replied.

Padmé nodded again and turned then left them alone.

"Well then, I suppose I should go find some leads about Kamino. I'll contact you if I ever find anything" Darra said.

Ferus smiled and nodded then the two of them hugged.

"I really miss how things used to be" Darra admitted in a small shaking voice.

"Yeah, Me too" Ferus replied.

Padmé was still standing close to the door and managed to hear them.

She pursed her lips and walked away thinking to herself about how sad it is to be a Jedi.

Ferus looked around the place to get himself familiar with it.

It was a habit he had developed eversince he started going out on missions and it probably made sense only to him but it still made him feel a bit comfortable to know the place he was staying at perfectly.

The place was small which was perfect for the temporary stay. It had bare walls, a small kitchen, and a view of the cityscape through a single window.

"This place is discreet" He said as soon as he was done with checking the escape route in case of emergencies.

"Yeah...I figured you’ll appreciate the privacy you always said that it helped you to focus better" Darra replied.

Ferus turned to her.

"I never thought you'd still remember that I remember telling you this before my first mission" He said.

Darra only responded with a smile and a nod.

"I remember a lot of stuff you guys never thought I would though and that's your fault" She said.

She said it in a really low voice that Ferus would have missed it if the place was louder then it was.

Darra cleared her throat and looked at her friend once again but to her surprise she saw Ferus looking at her as well.

The silence lasted for what felt like a minute and Darra gulped because Ferus continued looking at her.

"I just realised that I never said thank you" He said.

Darra blinked twice and her mouth hung open for a few seconds as she tried to get over the feeling of happiness in her gut.

She didn't know why exactly she felt that happy but she decided to explain it as a normal reaction for being finally appreciated for her efforts.

There was a task that they needed to focus on though so she cleared her throat to get herself back into the serious mood.

"Should I reach out to the Jedi Council?" Darra offered, As she leaned against the wall.

"Not yet. If they know about this, They might interfere and I think that I should at least have more information to present to them" Ferus replied.

"But you don't have to do that anymore" Darra murmured.

Ferus exhaled sharply as soon as he remembered the position he was currently at.

Darra on the other hand pursed her lips and turned her gaze to the floor as soon as she realised what she had just said.

"I'm sorry" Darra murmured.

Ferus smiled sullenly and shook his head.

"It's fine...I should get used to it but I still haven't. Maybe I'll do with time" Ferus said.

"It's still so thoughtless of me, I shouldn't have said that...Not to you anyway after all that you've done" Darra insisted.

"What exactly did I do? I did nothing. I did absolutely nothing...I left my home in the hopes of protecting the senator the way that Anakin would have done but I still didn't do anything at all even though it has been a while since I left the temple...It was all for nothing I've just been wasting my time" Ferus said in a sharp voice.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair then took a seat on the nearest chair he could find.

"What good am I even doing? It was all for nothing" Ferus murmured.

Darra walked over to him and pulled him into a hug.

Ferus rested his forehead on her stomach and closed his eyes then let out a tired breath.

He felt useless and he had no idea what to do but ask for help.

He wasn't someone who would normally ask for help. But maybe that's something else he'd have to get used to.

"Don't worry Ferus, I'm sure that this matter will be resolved in time. I'll do my best to help you" Darra said.

Ferus opened his eyes and smiled when he felt Darra's hand patting the back of his head.

"I suppose I should thank you" He said.

"Yeah, You should" Darra replied with laughter evident in her voice.

Ferus smiled again then looked up at her.

"Well then, Thank you for helping me out and for generally being there" Ferus said.

Darra blinked in surprise when she saw the clear sincerity Ferus was showing then she smiled and knelt down in front of him.

"We're friends aren't we?" She asked.

"Are we?" Ferus murmured as he looked at her eyes.

Darra opened her mouth to say something but her eyes widened in surprise when Ferus leaned his face closer to hers.

Their breathing fanned each other’s cheeks as they looked at each other for a minute or so.

Then Ferus leaned even closer and pressed his lips to Darra's in a chaste kiss that lasted for a second or so.

"Are we friends?" He asked.

"I don't know, Shouldn’t we be?" She asked in a small voice.

"We don’t have to" Ferus said.

He really couldn't care about the Jedi code anymore. He loved Darra and he wanted her to know.

He wanted to be by her side no matter what but that was an impossible thing to do.

"We don't have to follow the rules for the rest of our lives Darra. Wouldn't it be better for us to be free of all this?" Ferus inquired.

"What can we possibly do?" Darra asked in return.

"We can run away, After this mission is over...Come with me" Ferus replied.

Then he put his hands on Darra's cheeks.

"We have to leave this place Darra...It's binding us. It's chaining us and this isn't fair" Ferus continued.

"You really changed a lot" Darra remarked.

"I have changed because I have seen what the temple does to its people...Their way of life is to be a slave of the force not a person with a will of their own. Don't you understand? This isn't how we're supposed to live our lives" Ferus explained.

"Being a Jedi knight is an honour. Serving the people and helping them is an honour...We have talents that other people don't have and we should use them" Darra reasoned.

Ferus pursed his lips then lowered his hands away from her cheeks and nodded then stood up.

Darra looked at him for a few seconds before standing up as well.

Then in an impulsive act she rushed over and hugged him from the back before he could take a step further away.

"I'm really sorry" She murmured as tears started forming in her eyes.

Ferus nodded without saying anything. He understood her perfectly and that was why he couldn't blame her or resent her.

He turned to face her as soon as she let go of him.

"One day...You'll realise just how faulty this temple is and when that day comes you just have to come and find me alright?" Ferus asked.

Darra didn't know how to respond but Ferus didn't expect her to say anything anyway.

"Go ahead Darra, Tell me if you ever find the information I requested" Ferus said in a professional voice.

Darra nodded feeling a tiny bit of relief to have a change of conversation.

"Then I should get going now" She said.

Ferus only responded with a nod then he watched her as she left.

"So how long have you been listening to us senator Amidala?" Ferus inquired without turning to look at the woman who was standing near the entrance of the room.

Padmé sighed and stepped forward.

"I heard everything" She replied.

Ferus only responded with a nod slipping back to his normal serious face.

Then he turned to her and folded his arms over his chest.

"I'm sorry" She murmured.

Ferus narrowed his eyes when he noticed how weak her voice came out.

"Hey...Are you..." Ferus started.

"I should have told him that I loved him" Padmé said with tears streaming down her cheeks.

Ferus stepped forward and pulled her into a hug and after a few more seconds and just as he expected he felt the front of his clothes getting wet as Padmé clung to him for the much needed support.

Chapter Text

Padmé stepped back from the hug, brushing at her damp eyes with the edge of her sleeve.

The two of them stayed silent for a few seconds because Ferus had no idea what to say but Padmé appreciated the fact that he was silent because it gave her time to compose herself more.

"I'm sorry...I don't usually fall apart like that. I don’t know what came over me" She said in a voice that came out as a low murmur.

Ferus shook his head.

"You don’t have to explain...I completely understand and I'm glad I could help" He said.

Silence fell again. It was awkward and Padmé didn't know what to say this time.

Ferus sighed and walked over to the window of the room then closed it.

"You wished it was him right? You hoped that I was Anakin" He said.

Padmé raised an eyebrow at the sudden change of topic.

"Does it bother you?" She inquired.

Ferus let out a laugh as soon as he heard what she said.

"Why would it bother me? I already knew that you loved him and if it's any consolation I'm sure he was equally in love with you if not more" Ferus replied.

Padmé turned her gaze to the floor and nodded in response.

"He was just so stupidly in love with you that he'd drop everything he was doing at the mere mention of your name and the idiot still thought he was discreet" Ferus said in a shaking voice.

"I still care about him" Padmé said finally.

She let out a deep breath as soon as she said the words as if saying them was a heavy task.

"But it's complicated. It always has been" She continued.

Ferus nodded.

"Most of us are just doing the best we can...In a system that doesn’t always make space for being human" He said.

Padmé let out a disbelieving chuckle.

"Coming from a Jedi, that almost sounds rebellious" She said.

"Maybe rebellion is what Jedi need more of" He said quietly.

Padmé studied him for a few seconds trying to guess if he was joking or not.

"You don’t really believe that do you?" She asked.

Ferus's gave her a small smile.

"Maybe I do. Life feels clearer now, even if it's not exactly what the order planned" He replied.

"This isn't clarity, Ferus. It's called evasion. The galaxy doesn't need people running from responsibility...It needs people to show up for it. I believe in duty. Mine to the Republic. Yours...To the Jedi" She said.

He looked at her and Padmé could easily tell that he was angry.

"Let's just focus on the mission" He murmured.

"No, You can't keep ignoring this matter alright? What are you thinking? Your place is at the temple and you know that" Padmé said.

"And who decided that was my purpose? Do we really owe our lives to what fate handed us?" Ferus demanded.

"What do you want, then? To rewrite your destiny?" Padmé asked.

"I didn't ask for the Force. I didn't ask for the Temple, the training, the title of knight" Ferus said angrily.

"You're being ungrateful...You have a gift. You know it won't disappear just because it's hard or because you don't want it" Padmé said in equal anger.

Ferus let out a laugh and pressed a hand to his temple.

"You don't understand what this gift means...What it costs" Ferus said.

"Try me" She said.

He turned to face her completely.

"Once they find out what you are, you're taken. No attachments. No friendships. No family. You get a master, not a mentor. You learn discipline, not connection. And worst of all, you're taught to fear emotion...Because emotion might make you care, and caring might make you weak" Ferus replied.

Padmé's lips parted slightly as if she wanted to say something but she was at loss for words, her protest turning into shame.

"What law says we don't get to love our families? Why should wielding the Force mean losing what makes us people?" Ferus inquired in a small voice.

She swallowed hard, stricken by the weight of his pain.

"I'm sorry, I spoke without understanding. That was...Unfair" She replied.

"Yes, It was and I think that you shouldn't speak if you don't know because no one asked for your opinion" He said in a louder voice.

He looked away, then nodded in an attempt to regain his composure.

"We've still got a mission. The bounty hunter's trail is cold, but I have a plan" He said in an attempt to change the subject.

Padmé was grateful for the change of subject because she still felt guilty about upsetting him when he was only trying to help her.

"Fine...I'm listening" Padmé replied.

"We'll use a decoy. Your maid...Sabé...She can stand in for you. You stay with your guard. I'll watch from a distance" Ferus explained.

Padmé went still as soon as she heard his plan because she knew what it meant to use a stand in.

"Sabé's not just staff. She's my friend. I won't throw her into danger" Padmé said.

"She volunteered for this mission, knowing the risks. If you believe in purpose, my lady, then let her fulfill hers" Ferus said in a commanding voice.

Padmé didn't know what to say to that because she was aware of the risks but she was also aware of the fact that her friend won't back down from her duties.

Padmé shook her head.

"No...I can't use her like that. It's far too dangerous" Padmé said.

"Then are you suggesting that we use you?" Ferus inquired.

Padmé pursed her lips as she thought about this carefully.

"I'll let you think about it but I suggest that we use the decoy it'll be more effective" Ferus said.

Then he walked over to the door.

"Let's head out, We need to make your presence known and I need to find some information" He said.

Padmé nodded and followed him out of the room silently.

••☆★☆••

Darra walked on her way through the Temple's hallways, Trying to find her master.

There was a lot on her mind though. Ferus's behaviour, The information he asked her to find and the...

She felt her ears growing a bit warm as she remembered the kiss but she forced the thought out of her mind as she tried to focus on finding the information.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Cal came barreling around the corner, practically skidding to a stop before he'd slam onto her.

"Careful, Cal...You’ll knock someone through the wall at that pace" She said with a smile on her face before stepping aside.

His chest rose and fell rapidly as he tried to speak.

"Senior sister...I need to find Master Windu. It' important" He replied out of breath.

And just like that, He was off again, sprinting past her without waiting for a reply.

Curious and slightly concerned, Darra followed. Her steps quickened as she trailed him through the winding halls until they reached the Temple's medical ward. She froze in the doorway.

Master Windu was there, tending to Ahsoka and Master Kenobi.

Both of them looked tired even though neither of them was injured.

"What happened?" Darra asked her voice was barely above a whisper.

Cal didn't answer immediately. He was too busy catching his breath, hands braced on his knees. After a moment, he straightened and approached the masters with a determined glint in his eyes.

"Master Windu, Master Kenobi...Just now, we received a distress signal" He said, his voice shaking slightly.

Then he glanced between the two men.

"We don't know its origin. It didn't match with anything on the navigation charts we have in our records" He continued.

Master Windu frowned.

"And what did you do with it?" He asked the boy.

"I...I tried to trace it...But I couldn't find the location. I'm sorry, Master. I failed" Cal stammered.

Before Windu could reply, Darra stepped up and put a hand on Cal's shoulder.

"You didn't fail...You did what you could. Come on...I'll help you" Darra said.

Cal blinked at her.

"You'd help me?" He inquired excitedly.

"Of course, I don't see why not" She continued with a smile on her face.

Cal smiled brightly and before she could say more, he was already turning to leave the room.

He started running on his way to the transmission room with Darra following at a slightly slower pace, her mind still stirring with possibilities over what that signal could actually mean.

After all a signal that didn't match anything in the temple's archives was more than an anomaly.

It was a message from somewhere lost...Or somewhere hidden.

And while Darra didn't know much about hidden planets in the galaxy she still believed that the jedi weren't completely aware of their surroundings.

And the living proof of that was the fact that Ferus just asked her to find a planet that was no doubt out of the jedi's knowledge.

As she stepped into the transmission room, she noticed that the blue light from the displays cast soft shadows across Cal's face as the boy started tailing the signal once again.

He was already pulling up the waveform, the coded message still flickering across the screen in unfamiliar pulses.

"I tried filtering it through republic channels and Jedi encryption patterns" Cal muttered, frustration tugging at his voice.

He put on one of the headsets and pressed more buttons before turning his attention to her.

"But it doesn't fit anything. It's not random either. There's structure...A rhythm" He said.

Darra sat next to him and put on the other headset to listen to the signal closely.

The signal almost sounded like a calling as if the person was trying to lead them somewhere instead of asking for help.

"What if the signal is coming from somewhere in a different galaxy? I'm not saying that it's a distressed ship but maybe it's coming from a planet that we haven't discovered yet" Darra suggested.

Cal narrowed his eyes and frowned in confusion.

"A planet that we haven't discovered? How is that even possible?" Cal inquired.

"It could be a possibility...There might be a lot of planets and galaxies that we still haven't discovered" Darra answered.

Cal wasn't convinced but he decided to go with that explanation for now because it'd explain how the signal's location was hard to find.

"I don't know about that but I think that would explain why we couldn't lock it down. We've been trying to pinpoint a fixed origin instead of tracking movement" He said.

Her gaze drifted to the map briefly before she turned her attention back to Cal.

"We need to find someone who understands strange patterns...Or strange people" She said.

Cal raised an eyebrow.

"Like who?" He inquired.

"I don't know...Maybe master Kenobi can help once he recovers, I mean..." Darra started.

But she trailed off as soon as she heard the voice a bit clearer.

"Did you hear that?" Darra asked as soon as her gaze flicked to Cal who was also looking at her in clear shock.

"Yeah...Yeah I did" Cal stuttered.

"We have to find out where this signal is coming from" Darra said.

She and Cal started tailing the signal in an attempt to find where it was coming from but it was futile.

"Maybe we can try making the sound clearer" Cal suggested.

"Yeah, Do that" Darra said.

Then she took off her headset and stood up.

"I'm going to get master Kenobi" Darra said.

Then she walked out of the room and went on her way to the medical ward.

Obi Wan was walking out of the medical ward with master Windu at his side when Darra stopped in front of them.

"Master Windu, Master Kenobi...You two need to hear the signal it's really important" Darra said out of breath.

"What happened?" Obi Wan asked with a concerned frown on his face.

"Come with me" Darra insisted.

The two men followed her to the transmission room and took seats on the chairs before each of them put on a headset piece.

"The signal was still untraceable but Cal managed to make the sound clear enough to the hearing" Darra explained as she pressed the buttons on the keyboard.

"You'll find him in Mortis, The Skywalker child is in grave danger...Only you can save him Ahsoka Tano, Obi Wan Kenobi...You must hurry I don't have much time" The woman's voice said.

Chapter Text

Everyone in the room fell silent and it wasn't just any silence it was the kind of silence that meant that there was a storm coming.

Obi Wan slowly removed the headset, his eyebrows furrowed as his mind ran miles with different questions.

"Mortis?...Isn't that the place you mentioned before Kenobi?" Master Windu inquired.

Obi Wan only nodded in response. It was the place he saw in his dream or rather Ahsoka's dream.

"Does that mean...That the three of you are connected together somehow?" Darra asked cautiously.

"That's what I want to know and I don't know how or why" Obi Wan said.

"I think this should be discussed properly in a council meeting" Master Windu said.

"No, I don't think that's a good idea it's too much of a risk" Obi Wan said.

"It'd be a real risk if we don't tell the council" Master Windu continued in an authoritative voice.

"We don't know anything about the other spies, So far we only caught one so I won't risk this secret getting out until I find a way to help Anakin" Obi Wan insisted.

"Kenobi, Are you listening to yourself? This is clearly a trap...Someone is trying to lure you and that other kid somewhere and it won't end in a pretty way" Master Windu said.

"Then I have no choice but to go" Obi Wan said.

"You must accept the fact that your padawan is gone" Master Windu snapped.

Then he took a deep breath and nodded to himself.

"I know you miss him but he's gone, There's no way to change that and there's no way you can bring back a dead person" Master Windu said in a calmer voice.

"Not unless the Force itself wills it" Darra said in a small voice.

She didn't know what was going on exactly but all she could understand was that her friend wasn't completely gone as she and everyone else thought.

Master Windu gave her a warning look that made Darra recoil and clear her throat.

Then the dark skinned man turned his attention back to Obi Wan.

"Just listen to me alright? There's something really strange about this whole thing and if I were you I'd think twice before walking into a trap" Master Windu reasoned.

Cal glanced toward Darra then raised a hand and cleared his throat to get the attention of the two men.

"If I may speak masters...We've analyzed every frequency. There's no trail to follow. It's as if it was...Planted" Cal said.

"Or sent through the force" Darra suggested.

Obi Wan stood, already making up his mind on going to that place.

"That settles it...I'm going" Obi Wan said.

"Have you been listening to what I just said? We don't know where this planet is and we can't just dispatch a search party without giving them a proper location to go to...That would be suicide" Master Windu said in a tone of voice that showed how exasperated he was.

Obi Wan turned to him.

"And yet if there's a chance this message is real…then Anakin is still there and I can save him" Obi Wan said.

Windu remained silent for what felt like a minute.

He knew that there was no way to change Obi Wan's mind so he sighed and nodded.

"Fine, I'll conduct my own investigation about this place. But if you're going then I'm going with you do you understand?" Master Windu inquired.

Obi Wan nodded in response.

Darra exchanged a glance with Cal, who shifted uneasily.

"You're both going?" She asked in a voice that was carefully neutral.

"Yes," Master Windu confirmed.

Then he stood up and faced the two children.

"But not a word of this leaves this room. If what we suspect is true...If someone is using the Force to reach out through dreams...Then it's not just a security breach. It's something far older and far more dangerous" Master Windu explained.

Cal couldn't help but feel scared. What did all of this mean?

Wasn't Anakin dead? Then how can he come back? How could someone weave an entire dream and manipulate a person's mind so easily? And what is this place where people who were supposed to be dead were found very much alive?

As if she could sense his conflict Darra took Cal's hand and pressed on it gently in a wordless reassurance.

The boy looked up at her and Darra gave him a reassuring smile before wrapping an arm around his shoulder pulling him closer to her side.

Obi Wan smiled as he looked at the two of them and thought about how easy and nice the life at the temple would be if more people like Darra and Anakin were present.

Just helping each other for the sake of it without waiting for anything in return.

But he still had to focus on the task at hand so he turned his gaze toward the stars peeking through the window lost in deep thought.

Something was definitely waiting for them in Mortis...Or else why would a girl who has just started training at their temple and never even met his dead padawan would suddenly dream about him as if he was an old friend of hers.

"If we go there, we may not come back the same" Obi Wan concluded as he kept his attention focused on the stars.

It was something that the four of them knew.

But Cal couldn't help but wonder about what this change will bring in the near future.

••☆★☆••

A few days passed, and Master Windu kept to his word. He conducted his investigation with secrecy and without telling the council members.

While Obi Wan quietly prepared for the journey, Windu delved into the archives and summoned trusted contacts across the galaxy...Scholars, explorers, even ancient cartographers from the outer Rim.

But every lead led to a dead end.

Master Windu was walking down the hallway when he saw Obi Wan coming his way with the recently recovered Ahsoka next to him.

"Kenobi, A word in private" Master Windu said.

"She's in on it so I don't see why we should keep it a secret from her" Obi Wan said.

Master Windu looked between the two of them then sighed and nodded.

"Come to my private room then...There's a lot to discuss" He said.

The three of them stepped into Master Windu's room and Obi Wan took a seat on one of the chairs as Ahsoka stood with her back leaned against the wall and master Windu sat down on the bed.

Master Windu looked at the two of them for a minute or so not knowing where to start or how to explain his failure.

"I've gone through Jedi records, Republic star charts, even old hyperspace logs...There’s no trace of a planet called Mortis. No official record. No coordinates. Nothing" Master Windu said.

Ahsoka didn't seem surprised but Obi Wan seemed to be a bit disappointed.

"That's because it doesn't exist in the way we think. It's not a place that sits quietly on a map" Ahsoka said.

Then she looked at the two men and rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly.

"In fact I don't even think it's a place at all" She added in a small unsure voice.

Windu gave her a look but didn't argue. He had acter all tried his luck and come up empty.

Master Windu let out a low frustrated groan.

"It's like trying to map a dream" He said.

Obi Wan who had been silent the entire time tapping his chin in thought turned his gaze to the older man as soon as he came up with an idea.

"Then maybe that's exactly how we'll have to reach it...We map out the dream" Obi Wan suggested.

••☆★☆••

The sun was already gone by the time Ferus and Padmé started their walk through the city's high towers.

They stepped onto the busy walkway. The hum of traffic and conversation surrounded them, but Padmé felt oddly detached from it all...Her mind still circling the weight of Ferus's proposal even though it has already been days since he suggested that plan.

Sabé had done this before. Many times, in fact. But this situation felt different. It wasn't politics or protocol at stake it was her life. A bounty had been placed, the kind that came with skilled marksmen and silent shadows.

Ferus kept his pace steady, a step ahead of her, his eyes alert.

"We'll keep this brief. You walk with your guard, I'll split off and ask around discreetly" He said.

"Do you really think someone here knows who's behind the bounty?" Padmé asked, her tone quieter than usual.

Ferus glanced over his shoulder before turning to face her completely then nodded once in response.

"Criminal networks talk. All it takes is the right credit dropped in the right hand and right now we're at the center of the circle...If you want any information in Coruscant you come here" Ferus explained.

She nodded, though her expression was unreadable.

"And what if Sabé agrees to your plan?" Padmé asked in a voice that showed clear concern.

Ferus fell silent for a few seconds and turned to look at his feet then let out a sigh because he understood her concern.

"I'll make sure she's protected, but the decision is still yours. I'm not here to override it now go on you must meet with your guard" He replied.

They reached a shaded corner where general Gregar took position closer to her. Ferus gave her a brief glance and disappeared into the crowd.

Padmé stood still for a moment, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek as she watched him vanish into the crowd of people.

"We should go in too my lady" General Gregar said.

Padmé nodded and pulled her hood even closer to her face before walking into the casino with her guard.

She put a hand over her thigh to check if her blaster was still there.

From a distance she noticed Ferus who was busy talking to some people he found sitting around a game table.

Ferus met Padmé's gaze and gave her a discreet nod. She returned it, then turned toward her guard.

"Order us something non alcoholic" She murmured.

General Gregar raised a hand to call a waiter over.

"Two non alcoholic drinks, please" He ordered.

As the waiter moved off, Padmé casually scanned the room. Her eyes settled on a woman at a distant table. She was alone but she was watching her a little too closely.

She leaned toward general Gregar as she lifted her glass.

"I think that's her" Padmé said.

General Gregar didn't flinch nor turn to look at the person at the table.

"I didn't expect her to recognise me that quickly" Padmé said.

"Maybe viceroy Gunray tipped her off...Do we proceed?" He asked.

Padmé nodded once.

"Yes...Alert Ferus and let's proceed as planned" Padmé replied.

"I don't think he needs to be alerted my lady" General Gregar said.

Padmé looked at the table where Ferus was sitting then she saw him walking over to a table close enough to the target.

Just then, a soft voice chimed in her earpiece.

"My lady, are you in position?" Sabé's voice asked.

Padmé narrowed her eyes as soon as she heard her friend's voice realising that Ferus has told her about the plan after all.

"Sabé? What are you doing here?" Padmé asked.

"Did you really think I’d let you do this without me?" Sabé inquired in return.

Padmé let out a sigh.

"Sabé..." Padmé started.

"I've done this before, remember? I know what I'm doing" Sabé said then she cut the signal.

Padmé clicked her tongue in frustration.

She stood up, and slipped out the bar's side exit. Behind her, Gregar waited until the watcher rose and followed. He left the money on the table and slipped into the alley after them. Ferus lingered just long enough to confirm the tail before excusing himself as well.

Outside, the night air was crisp so Padmé pulled her cloak around her for more warmth as she moved through the narrow alley, the woman at her tail following her at a careful distance.

Then Padmé saw Sabé, dressed identically, waiting in the dark.

Padmé picked up her pace.

"Let’s do this" Sabé said then showed Padmé the grip of the blaster she hid under her cloak.

Just then general Gregar started firing his gun to distract the bounty hunter which was enough to make the exchange.

The bounty hunter immediately started firing at Sabé as Padmé walked further down the dark alley.

Sabé took out her blaster and started firing in return as general Gregar ran over to them.

Ferus who was standing on top of a building noticed the person who was watching the whole scene as he aimed his gun at Sabé.

He ran over to the man on top of the building and pulled out his lightsaber.

The man noticed him immediately and raised his blaster at Ferus.

Ferus managed to dodge all the attacks with his lightsaber as the man did his best to keep a distance between them.

Ferus deactivated his lightsaber and ran over to the bounty hunter then managed to close the distance between them as he dodged the blaster attacks.

"Jango Fett, I suggest you give up now neither you nor Zam will be able to kill the senator tonight so I suggest you listen to my proposal" Ferus said.

Jango Fett looked at the young jedi for a few seconds then noticed from the corner of his that general Gregar had also climbed onto the roof of the building.

"I already know that you're staying at Kamino" Ferus said.

Jango Fett frowned and lowered his lightsaber.

"The person who hired you has sold you off to us...He wants you gone now that you've served your purpose but I can help you" Ferus said.

Jango Fett didn't say anything. He just ran off before Ferus could say anything.

General Gregar approached Ferus and put away his blaster.

"Do you think he bought it?" General Gregar asked.

"Let's just hope he did" Ferus replied.

••☆★☆••

Padmé took the shortcut that Ferus told her about and stood right behind the bounty hunter who was firing at Sabé.

She wasted no time and fired a tranquilliser dart at the woman's neck.

Sabé stopped firing her blaster and walked out of her hiding spot then walked over to Padmé and the now unconscious bounty hunter.

"It has to be viceroy Gunray" Sabé said.

Padmé only nodded in response.

"So what do we do with her?" Sabé asked as she pointed at the unconscious woman on the ground.

"Leave her here...We don't need her anyway. There's someone else behind her" Padmé said.

"What exactly are we dealing with?" Sabé inquired.

"I'm not sure yet...At this point I think that the viceroy should be the least of our concerns" Padmé said.

Padmé wasn't stupid...She knew exactly who the viceroy was. He was too stupid to think of such a meticulous plan.

The only question here was who? Who exactly wanted her dead?

Chapter Text

Obi Wan listened to the transmission for the hundredth time.

It has been days since Obi Wan discovered the possibility that Anakin was still alive and yet he couldn't reach him at all.

If only he had a clue about where Mortis could be.

Cal walked into the transmission room and cleared his throat awkwardly as soon as he saw that Obi Wan was still in the room.

"Master Kenobi...I..." Cal started.

Master Windu had sent him to find Obi Wan but Cal didn't know how to get the older man's attention.

Obi Wan was completely focused on the message he didn't even notice Cal's presence.

Cal opened his mouth to say something else but closed it again and took a step back in surprise when Obi Wan suddenly stood up.

"Master Kenobi...I'm sorry to disturb you but master Windu told me to bring you" Cal said.

Obi Wan nodded in response as he walked over to the map projector.

"Tell him that I'm busy" Obi Wan replied absentmindedly.

He fiddled with the buttons for a few minutes as he tried to find a clue about the place where the transmission came from.

"For god's sake where the hell is it?" Obi Wan asked.

Cal pursed his lips and walked out of the room without saying anything else but he ran into master Yoda who was walking through the hallways with master Windu at his side.

He inclined his head respectfully and walked past them.

Master Yoda walked into the transmission room but before master Windu could follow him master Yoda shook his head to stop him.

"Wait here you must...Meet young Kenobi by myself I must" Master Yoda said.

Master Windu looked hesitant but he let out a sigh then nodded without saying anything.

Master Yoda walked over to Obi Wan who still hadn't stopped fretting over the map.

He let out an angry scream and ruffled his hair in frustration.

"Young Kenobi...Stay calm you should" Master Yoda said.

Obi Wan froze in his spot as soon as he heard the voice behind him.

He tilted his head to the side and let out a disbelieved chuckle then turned to the grandmaster.

"You really don't know how I feel don't you" Obi Wan asked.

Master Yoda only blinked in response.

"My student died once before, You brought him back and through some sick and twisted trick you gave him memories from his past or visions of his future I really don't know what exactly you did or how or why but...He died again. I thought he died but then I found out that I'm wrong and I still can't save him and you're telling me to calm down" Obi Wan said.

He didn't wait for the grandmaster to say anything he just glared at him in pure anger and raised an accusing finger to his face.

"You said that he had a mission...No you told him that it was his destiny to save us all and I believed it...I foolishly believed you and pushed him into it till the very end but you know what? If I ever get to see him again I'll make sure that he stays away from you...I'll get him out of here even if I have to go with him do you understand?" Obi Wan said.

Then he lowered his finger.

"And you can find someone else to brainwash and use for your own gain...That's what you can do best after all. Brainwash everyone around you and convince yourself that you're doing the right thing" Obi Wan said.

Master Windu who had been standing outside the room all this time walked in.

"Kenobi have you lost your mind?" Master Windu demanded.

"Lost my mind? Why not say that I finally woke up?" Obi Wan asked as he looked at master Windu.

Then he turned to master Yoda again.

"You ruined Anakin's life...You broke him. How can you even live with yourself? Your teachings said that we shouldn't have attachments and feelings but what about guilt? Remorse? When was the last time you ever felt anything at all?" Obi Wan demanded.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath then nodded.

"I'm sorry but I can't stay calm because you see...It has come to my attention that I'm actually a human. A living being not a droid" Obi Wan murmured.

Then he turned his back on the two masters and started fiddling with the map buttons again.

"If you won't help me then leave me" Obi Wan said.

Master Windu expected an outburst from the Obi Wan but he didn't expect that the younger man would snap at the grandmaster himself.

He was torn between reprimanding him and feeling sorry for him.

Master Yoda looked at Obi Wan's back for what felt like a minute then closed his eyes as if he was trying to come to a decision.

"Lost world is Mortis...To finding it you should look within dreams...The force guides you to it" Master Yoda said.

Obi Wan didn't turn to him but master Yoda knew he was listening.

"Child Tano...Child Skywalker and you...Connected the three of you are...Use that connection you must" Master Yoda continued.

Then he walked out of the room so master Windu followed him immediately.

Obi Wan was even more confused then before.

How was he supposed to use that connection?

He took a seat and closed his eyes to think about the grandmaster's words more.

Seconds turned into minutes and Obi Wan still didn't get any clues to what that actually meant.

He remembered everything that had happened up until now eversince Anakin woke up from his comatosed state all these months ago.

Then his eyes shot open as soon as he realised what the connection was.

He could easily access Anakin's mind through his dreams...He fought the boy's demons as if it were his own and he also saw Ahsoka's dream.

He let out a laugh at himself because he couldn't believe how stupid he was.

Then he stood up and turned off the map and the transmission droid and ran out of the room as fast as he could.

Ahsoka was in the training room practicing when Obi Wan rushed into the room.

"I got it...I know how to solve this" Obi Wan said.

Ahsoka frowned and turned off the lightsabers.

"Come with me...We need to leave" Obi Wan said.

Darra who was training with Ahsoka also stopped working and walked over to Obi Wan.

"Darra...Bring Cal and come with us we must leave at once" Obi Wan said excitedly.

"Master Kenobi...I can't go I'm not your padawan" Darra said.

Obi Wan bit his lip as soon as he remembered the position Darra and Ahsoka were in.

Then he let out a sigh before turning his attention to Ahsoka.

"Then you come with me...From now on you'll be my padawan" Obi Wan said.

"But..." Ahsoka started.

Then she let out a sigh and lowered her gaze to the floor and nodded.

Wasn't the whole point of this mission to bring back his actual padawan?

Ahsoka was as confused as Darra and both girls didn't know what this was all about.

But unlike Darra, Ahsoka was curious about what this mission had in store.

So she decided to go.

"I'm coming too" Master Windu said.

Obi Wan who didn't realise that the older man was there the entire time turned to look behind him in surprise.

"You'll need someone to knock some sense into you if things take a turn for the worse" Master Windu said.

Obi Wan didn't say anything at first but he only nodded in response.

"And Cal is coming with us too...It's about time he got his piloting skills put to the test" Master Windu said.

"Are you sure about that?" Obi Wan asked with narrowed eyes.

"Maybe I'm trying to take a risk" Master Windu replied with a shrug.

Then he turned to Obi Wan.

"Or shouldn't I?" He inquired.

"It's up to you" Obi Wan replied.

Then the older man walked over to the council meeting room to report the training progress.

••☆★☆••

The next day when Ahsoka walked into the training room she was surprised to see that Obi Wan was already there.

"Come with me" Obi Wan said.

"Where are we going?" Ahsoka asked as she followed him.

"We're going to discuss the mission details at the council meeting...And if they don't agree then they leave me no choice" Obi Wan said.

Ahsoka stopped walking as soon as she heard what her new master said.

"What does that mean?" She asked.

Obi Wan didn’t turn to her but he stopped walking.

"It means that if they refuse the mission then I'll go without their consent" Obi Wan said in the calmest voice he could manage.

"But...That's considered as seceding" Ahsoka said.

"So be it...Anakin is still out there and this time I'll stop at nothing. I'm going to bring him back no matter what" Obi Wan said.

Ahsoka wondered if her newly appointed master's obsession with his dead student was out of guilt or something bigger that she still couldn't understand.

But she hoped that it was just guilt because if it wasn't then it'll mean that she's trusting a man on the verge of lunacy.

The next thing she knew was that she was at the meeting room with Obi Wan and the council of masters.

"I've received a transmission from an unknown planet...A calling. Someone is asking us to save Anakin and I've decided to go on that mission" Obi Wan said.

Master Yoda looked at them for what felt like a minute or so then closed his eyes and nodded in response.

"Permission you have" The grandmaster said before any of the other masters could say anything.

Obi Wan nodded and inclined his head respectfully then turned to Ahsoka before putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm taking her as my new padawan" He continued.

"But what about Skywalker?" Master Shaak Ti inquired.

"He won't be my padawan anymore. He has already learned everything" Obi Wan answered.

Ahsoka felt the gaze of every council land on her all at once. She tried to stand a little taller, Even though her mind raced with so many unanswered questions.

Was her purpose in life to bring Anakin back? Why did Obi Wan ask her to be his padawan so suddenly? Would the council agree to this? And most importantly would the plan actually work?

Master Ki Adi Mundi cleared his throat.

"You're replacing your padawan without precedent and without training her yourself? That's a first" He said.

"She's not a substitute...You realize that, don't you?" Master Shaak Ti inquired.

Obi Wan glanced at Ahsoka briefly before turning his attention back to the council members.

"I do, But you must understand that she's the only one who understands the connection we share. If anyone else had even a fragment of the sight Anakin experienced…It'd be her" Obi Wan replied.

A low murmur rolled across the council chamber.

"What if it turns out to be a trap?" Master Plo Koon inquired.

"Then we spring it, But I believe this is the force showing us a thread we missed" Obi Wan answered.

Master Yoda finally opened his eyes.

"Clouded this path is. But trust you we must, if believe in this you do" Master Yoda said.

Obi Wan only nodded curtly.

Yoda looked to the others, and one by one, the masters offered reluctant nods some were hesitant, some were wary, but none of them dared to disagree with the grandmaster's decision.

"You have leave" Master Ki Adi Mundi.

Then he let out a deep sigh and shook his head as he murmured something about how strange this whole plan was.

"May the Force be with you, Master Kenobi. And with all of you" Master Shaak Ti said.

Later, in the docking bay, Ahsoka stood beside Obi Wan as Cal prepared the ship. Darra had already come to see them off, giving Ahsoka a short embrace and a look that said be careful, and come back in one piece.

Master Windu and Cal walked into the ship first and Ahsoka walked right after with Obi Wan right behind her.

"So how are we going to find this planet?" Master Windu asked.

"Through the connection the force granted us...The three of us" Obi Wan replied.

Then he took a seat and put his hand out for Ahsoka to take.

"Whatever happens don't try to wake me up" Obi Wan said.

Master Windu frowned and opened his mouth to say something but before he could ask the younger man about what he meant by that Obi Wan took Ahsoka's hand.

He gripped it tightly and closed his eyes to concentrate.

And he was immediately gained access to the girl's dreams.

A luminous being appeared in front of him before it slowly took the shape of a beautiful woman with green hair.

"Took you long enough child" She said.

A person suddenly appeared behind her with a dagger in hand.

"Watch out" Obi Wan called out before pushing her out of the way.

But the dagger impaled his forearm instead.

The person who stabbed him pulled the dagger out and raised it up.

He had red eyes and a sinister looking smirk on his face and unlike the woman he had an air of malice surrounding him that immediately sent a shiver down Obi Wan's spine.

It was as if the man's presence brought out fear and insecurity.

Obi Wan grabbed the dagger with his hand before the strange person could use it again to stab him.

He didn't know why he was feeling so scared but he tried to keep that feeling out of his mind as his grip on the dagger tightened even more.

"Brother that's enough" The woman screamed.

But much to Obi Wan's confusion the strange person's form started changing into an another form.

Until it finally took Anakin's shape.

Chapter Text

Obi Wan immediately stepped back in surprise and shock as the thing that took Anakin's form laughed.

"You've lost your mind completely Obi Wan" The person said in a deep haunting voice.

"It's not him Obi Wan...Don't be fooled" The woman said.

Obi Wan looked between the two of them for what felt like a minute then he recovered quickly and managed to dodge the strange person's attack.

The strange person didn't waste any time and lunged at him again but this time the woman threw herself in front of Obi Wan.

Obi Wan's eyes widened when the woman fell to her knees in front of him.

Blood started soaking the front of her shirt and she started gasping for air as her soul slowly left her body but before she could die she touched Obi Wan's forehead.

"You...Must help him...He can't...Win...On his own" She said.

Obi Wan was at loss for words as he listened to her speak but he immediately craddled her before she could fall to the ground.

He blinked in surprise when the woman's blood started disappearing as if she was never even stabbed then her eyes shot open and she stood up.

The man who had the dagger raised it up once again and glared at Obi Wan.

He put a hand on the side of his head when it suddenly started to hurt then he heard the woman's voice speak into his mind.

"We're at Chrelythiumn system...Find us...The force will guide you" She said.

The last thing Obi Wan saw was Ahsoka and Anakin standing right in front of him.

••☆★☆••

Obi Wan and Ahsoka opened their eyes at the exact same time both of them gasping for much needed air.

"Are you two alright?" Master Windu asked with concern evident in his voice.

"Yes...Yes we are" Obi Wan answered.

He and Ahsoka looked at their still entwined hands for a few more seconds before Obi Wan let go.

"You heard the voice too didn't you?" Obi Wan asked.

Ahsoka only nodded in response.

"They're somewhere in the Chrelythiumn system" Ahsoka said as soon as she managed to regain enough breath to talk.

"The Chrelythiumn system?...I've never even heard of that place before" Master Windu said.

"The transmission must be in an ancient jedi code that's why we couldn't find the location" Obi Wan said.

"Well, We still can't translate this ancient location into anything so that means that we still don't have a specific location" Master Windu said.

Obi Wan frowned when he realised that they were no longer at the temple and that they were currently suspended in space.

"How long have we been out?" Ahsoka asked.

"You've been out for two days now" Cal answered from the pilot's chair.

"How are we going to find that place?" Ahsoka inquired.

They still had no clue about the location even though the woman had clearly told them the name of the system.

"She said that the force will guide us" Obi Wan said absentmindedly as he thought about how to trace the location.

"Ummm...We have a problem" Cal said suddenly.

Master Windu looked at the boy in alarm.

"What is it?" He asked as he made his way over to Cal.

"Pirate ships" Cal replied.

Master Windu turned to Cal and he immediately stood up in alarm.

"How many?" He asked.

Cal tapped at the holo display as his fingers flew over the controls of the pilot's keyboard.

"I don't know...At least four...No, five. And they're coming in fast. Looks like they've been lurking in the asteroid field, waiting for someone to follow that signal" Cal said as he kept his attention focused on the display.

The ship jolted violently.

"I already put the shields up but they've opened fire. What should I do?" Cal asked.

"We should hold them off" Master Windu said then he walked over to the other pilot's seat.

Master Windu started firing the canons.

"Keep the shields up and get us out of here" Master Windu said as he continued firing.

Cal nodded in response and pressed the light speed travel button then started navigating for a way out of the shooting range.

Master Windu managed to take down three of the five ships.

"The light speed system is ready" Cal said.

Master Windu stopped shooting just as Cal pressed the button.

And the ship disappeared leaving the pirates behind.

But as soon as they escaped they realised that they were back to square one and that they still had no idea where to go.

Ahsoka was trying to form a link between all the dreams she had of that woman but the more she thought about it the more she realised that the only similarity was the woman's death in almost every dream.

"I think it must be some sort of a cycle...That woman has been dying eversince she had started showing up in my dreams...I don't know why but it has to mean something right?" Ahsoka inquired.

Obi Wan looked at Ahsoka for a few seconds then chewed on his bottom lip in thought.

In the short time that Anakin lived after waking up from his coma he had been sickly and weak as if...

Obi Wan's eyes widened in realisation as soon as he understood what was going on.

"Back in Tatooine when Anakin was dying one of the Mandalorian warriors scanned him and said that he had an abnormal amount of electricity in his body which was killing him slowly" Obi Wan said.

"But how is that even possible? He didn't get too close to force lightning and I don't remember anyone attacking him with it before" Master Windu said.

"It's because he really didn't...At least not in this lifetime" Obi Wan said.

Master Windu fell completely silent as he finally understood what Obi Wan meant.

"You don't mean..." Ahsoka started but she trailed off not having the courage to say it outloud.

"In his first life he must have died because of the force lightning...Just like that woman they have both been suffering from the effects of their deaths" Obi Wan concluded.

"So the dreams of her death...Are nothing but repetitions?" Ahsoka asked.

"That's why she said that she was running out of time...She doesn't exist anymore. She has died and her death has repeated itself countless times that she could no longer withstand a physical form anymore" Obi Wan said.

"How much time do we have before the same happens to big brother Anakin?" Cal asked.

It was a question that no one had an answer for.

"I don't know...But we have to find him before he disappears completely" Obi Wan murmured.

"But how?" Ahsoka inquired.

"Is there any way you can trace the location?" Master Windu asked.

Ahsoka shook her head in response but Obi Wan fell into deep thought.

"In the last dream she touched my forehead and then I heard her voice right in my head" Obi Wan said.

Then he stood up as soon as he finally got an idea.

"She said that the force will guide us...The best way to connect with the force is through meditation" Obi Wan said.

He didn't say anything else and everyone decided to leave him to it.

Obi Wan walked over to his room and took a seat on the floor and closed his eyes.

He took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly as he focused on trying to clear his mind.

His thoughts that have been centered on trying to find Anakin melted slowly and were replaced by the thoughts of that woman and what the dream actually meant.

And slowly the world fell away...He no longer heard anything outside the room. Not even the low sound of Cal's footsteps as he worked or master Windu's voice as he talked to Ahsoka.

And then he finally managed to hear her voice again.

"Find us" She whispered.

Her voice was clear in his ears as if she were the very impersonation of the force itself.

"The Force will guide you...I'll guide you. Open your eyes Obi Wan" She said.

Obi Wan opened his eyes and blinked twice to adjust to the light.

The space around him started changing stars curved into spirals. He was no longer aboard the ship.

He was standing in a field of starlight. The sky above him was full of constellations that blinked like eyes in the dark.

"Mortis is a world that had been hidden for such a long time. Together, The three of us had kept a sense of harmony in the force" She said.

He heard the sound of light footsteps coming his way so he turned and there she was.

She stood next to him. No longer bleeding and no longer dying.

"This balance was altered when my brother started getting ambitious...He wanted to gain more power and..." She trailed off.

She took a few steps forward and turned to look at Obi Wan.

"He wanted to leave Mortis...He wanted to create havoc in the galaxies that we were never allowed to see. He had to be stopped but he was far too strong...Far too powerful and sacrifices had to be made" She said.

"Who is the third?" Obi Wan asked.

"Father was our third" The woman said bitterly.

Then she put a hand on the side of Obi Wan's face.

"The three of you share a bond like no other...One that is similar to the one I shared with my family...You must remember Obi Wan. You too have been here before" She said.

Obi Wan was completely silent as he tried to think about what her words actually meant.

"This place is not a place...It's a memory. A consequence. Mortis does not exist anymore but it can still be reached if you search within the force" She continued.

The stars started changing overhead and it slowly spun into a trinary system. Three suns converged in an impossible configuration.

One of light, One of darkness and one flickering between. He recognized the pattern.

It was the same pattern he had seen once in a forgotten scroll, buried deep in the Temple's old archives. But that wasn't what struck him.

It was the sound of the laughter that echoed somewhere in the void. It was twisted and cruel but it was also familiar.

"Your student is in danger...My brother is trying to get him. He won't hold out for long and I can't keep protecting him for long" The woman said.

"Do you think that your illusion can trap me for eternity? I'll be free one day and you'll regret it" Anakin's haunted voice screamed.

His voice reverberated through the void forcing both Obi Wan and the woman to look up.

The woman turned her attention back to Obi Wan and gripped his forearm tightly.

"Listen to me...We don't have much time. Chrelythiumn, Lies where no chart dares name. It listens. It waits. But only balance can see it" She said.

Then her hand touched his chest where his heart was and pushed him back lightly and with that he was thrown back.

Obi Wan opened his eyes and blinked twice as he slowly got over his disorientated state.

Then he smiled as he finally came to a conclusion...He finally found a way to get to Mortis.

There was a knock on the door before Cal walked into the room.

"Master Kenobi...Do we set the location to go back to Coruscant?" Cal asked.

"No...We should send a transmission to Coruscant. I found the map and we need someone to send it to us as a hologram" Obi Wan said.

"Yes, But who should I send the transmission to?" Cal asked.

Obi Wan thought about it for a minute or so as he tried to find someone who he could trust enough with this mission.

"Master Nu...Tell her to find a book about ancient jedi runes. In that book she would find a picture of a galaxy that has three stars, One of them shines brightly, The other's light isn't as strong as the first one and the third is very dimly lit" Obi Wan said.

Cal was confused by the strange description but he knew that it was quite urgent to do this so he didn't ask any questions and left hurriedly.

He hurried over to the piloting keyboard and started pressing the buttons to prepare the holographic transmission.

"What happened? Did he tell you anything? Did he find anything?" Master Windu asked.

"Yes...We need to talk to master Nu, She'll know what to do" Cal answered.

Ahsoka stood up and went to Obi Wan's room to check on him as Cal and master Windu prepared the transmission.

They finally managed to get in contact with the temple and Cal didn't waste any time.

"Master Nu, This is Cal Kestis. Master Kenobi has located the map. He's requesting a holographic transmission from a very specific source" Cal said.

"I'm listening, Cal" She answered.

Then Cal told her the description Obi Wan told him about.

There was a long pause from the other end as if master Nu was trying to decide whether it was to tell Obi Wan about that book or not.

Then she closed her eyes and let out a deep breath as she finally came to a decision.

"I know the book...It’s not in the public archive it was moved to the restricted vault. But I can find it" She said.

••☆★☆••

Darth Sidious stood alone in front of a swirling holomap of the galaxy.

His yellow eyes narrowed.

"They've found it, The children my sister reached out to already found Mortis" The son said.

"Skywalker is still alive?" He inquired.

"Until now" The son said.

Darth Sidious's crooked smile was visible from underneath his hood as he looked at the map that the son provided him with.

The son stepped forward, his presence more like a disturbance in the air than a body.

"They're drawn to the light, to the dream my sister once wove. But that dream is already dying" The son said.

Sidious turned from the holomap, His gaze was fixed on the son.

"Skywalker was always the key. But they never understood...Mortis is not salvation. It is judgment" Darth Sidious said.

The son smirked in return.

"My father's throne is empty. The balance between the light and darkness is fractured. If the chosen one touches that power again..." He started but trailed off.

He didn't see the need to explain the situation to darth Sidious anymore.

"I will twist it and then I'll finally be able to make the force itself kneel in front of me" He concluded.

The son vanished into a shiver of shadow as soon as he was done telling darth Sidious everything.

Sidious looked back to the holomap.

"It appears that...Even gods can be broken" He murmured to himself.

Then he smiled once again before his laughter echoed through the empty room.

Chapter Text

Master Nu walked over to the restricted vault and opened it then started looking through the books.

After what felt like an hour she finally found the ancient transcript that Obi Wan mentioned so she immediately started studying it in an attempt to translate it.

Master Yoda walked into the library so master Nu immediately inclined her head politely as soon as she saw him.

"Master Yoda I..." Master Nu started.

But she didn't get to finish the sentence when master Yoda jumped onto the table to have a look at the transcript.

Master Nu noticed how concentrated master Yoda was on this transcript so she decided to leave him be.

After what felt like minutes master Yoda closed his eyes in thought as if he was trying to remember something.

He opened his eyes and nodded.

"Map must be taken to young Kenobi it should" Master Yoda said.

"Of course grandmaster" She replied.

Then she grabbed the map and hurriedly walked out of the room.

Master Yoda walked out of the door and looked at master Nu's retreating back until she finally disappeared from his sight.

He closed his eyes and nodded to himself before walking back into the library.

Master Nu walked into the transmission room and sent the map location to Obi Wan's ship.

••☆★☆••

Obi Wan was shaken awake by a strong feeling that surged through his body as if it was a calling.

He sat up immediately and started gasping for much needed air.

"Master" Anakin's voice rang in his ears even though it was merely a low whisper.

He looked around for a few seconds hoping to see the ghost of his student but Anakin wasn't there.

The feeling was still there though the force disturbance he felt was stronger then ever before...A calling.

Anakin's calling...

As if on cue Obi Wan suddenly felt a wave of strange tiredness...He felt weak and drained and sick.

The pain was excruciating even though Obi Wan knew for a fact that it lasted for just a minute or two and the few seconds that followed were peaceful enough it gave him the much needed opportunity to realise that Anakin's presence was fading even more.

That pain only meant that even Anakin's ghost was slipping away and that Obi Wan had to hurry up.

The door opened and Ahsoka stumbled in then she clung to the door frame for support.

"You feel it too" Obi Wan stated as soon as he saw how tired she looked.

Ahsoka only nodded weakly in response then sat down on the floor when her legs started to give out.

Obi Wan still didn't understand how much she and Anakin shared through this connection that the three of them had but he knew that she was a still a child and that she shouldn't have been through all that.

He let out a deep sigh though because the three of them were now tied together through the triad connection which only meant that the girl in front of him was involved and will forever be involved in this whether she liked it or not.

Cal appeared next to Ahsoka and glanced at the two of them for a few seconds then cleared his throat before turning his attention to Obi Wan.

"Senior brother...I mean master...Ummm...Master Nu sent us a transmission and..." Cal started.

Obi Wan immediately stood up and walked over to the transmission board then started pressing the necessary buttons.

A minute or so later the requested map appeared in front of them.

"And there we are" Ahsoka said as soon as she layed eyes on the map.

Cal wasted no time as he kept pressing on the keyboard and master Windu guided him through it.

"The life forms around us seem to be scarce I have no idea why but that should mean something right?" Cal asked.

Obi Wan nodded in response and took a seat next to him.

"We're on the right track" Obi Wan said.

The four of them were silently going through their tasks when they all suddenly looked up and exchanged glances.

"Please tell me you felt that force presence that happened just now" Obi Wan said.

"We did...We all did" Master Windu replied.

And one look at Cal made Obi Wan realise that even the little boy felt it which only meant that the calling was there.

It was either the strange woman's presence or Anakin's but either way Obi Wan's mind was already made up.

"Cal...Trace it" Obi Wan urged before he started pressing the buttons on the keyboard.

Cal immediately got to work but the strange presence suddenly disappeared as if it never happened making Obi Wan's hopes even more crushed then it was before.

Master Windu opened his mouth to say something to Obi Wan but closed it again when he saw how crestfallen he looked and he knew for a fact that he had nothing to say to comfort the younger man so he decided to just remain silent.

Obi Wan went back to his room to try and compose himself and eventually everyone left the pilot's cockpit except for Cal.

Ahsoka walked into Obi Wan's room and took a seat next to him.

"I..." Ahsoka started.

Obi Wan didn't acknowledge her at first but he turned to her when she put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry" She murmured.

Obi Wan smiled at her then wiped away his tears in his sleeves.

"What are you sorry for? I should be the one to apologise for denying you the chance to have a better master and for dragging you here" Obi Wan said in a small voice.

Ahsoka shook her head.

She knew exactly what her role in finding Anakin was and she never blamed Obi Wan for it.

"If we're meant to find him through this strange bond we have then I'll never give up until we do" Ahsoka said.

Obi Wan nodded without saying anything. He was starting to lose hope because every road led to a dead end and they have been away from the temple for days now.

Suddenly the alarm went off ending this conversation between Obi Wan and Ahsoka.

The two hurried over to the piloting cockpit with master Windu following behind them.

"Something is pulling us in master...What should I do?" Cal asked with panic clear in his voice.

"A blackhole? No one ever came across one in over a millennium" Master Windu said.

He took a seat next to Cal and tried getting the ship back on track but it was to no avail.

"Just let it take us" Ahsoka said suddenly.

"Are you insane? Do you even know what a blackhole is?" Master Windu demanded as he kept his attention focused on the keyboard.

"It could be the portal that will lead us to Mortis" Ahsoka said.

"And it might also kill us" Master Windu argued.

Master Windu's attempts at piloting the ship were cut short when Ahsoka pulled him away from his seat.

"What do you think you're doing? I'm your senior and..." Master Windu started.

But was cut short when Cal mentioned that they were getting even closer to the blackhole and their ship was eventually sucked in.

Everyone braced themselves as the celestial rocks started attacking their ship from every direction.

Cal's head slammed into the keyboard and Ahsoka fell to her side and her head hit the wall hard.

Obi Wan and master Windu tried to get to the piloting keyboard but it was still futile with how unstable the ship was getting.

The front sight glass suddenly shattered after getting into contact with a rock and shards came flying in and Cal started slipping through.

"Master" Cal called out desperately as he clung to the window seal causing his hands to get multiple cuts for trying to cling onto some of the still intact glass pieces.

Master Windu and Obi Wan immediately grabbed him and pulled him back inside.

The ship suddenly went completely still and Obi Wan looked around as he tried to figure out were they landed.

"Master Kenobi look" Ahsoka said as she pointed at something in their view.

Obi Wan followed the direction of her finger and his smile showed up again when he saw the building in the distance.

"We're here...We've finally arrived at Mortis" Obi Wan said.

The four of them got off the ship to explore the place.

They walked for a few minutes heading on their way to the palace when fog started clouding their eyes.

Master Windu clicked his tongue in annoyance as he tried to come up with a plan.

"Alright, we should stay close and focus on the most important things first...We need to find a way to get ourselves out of here if things go south and..." Master Wind started.

But when he turned around to look at his companions he found that he was standing completely alone with the fog surrounding him from every direction.

••☆★☆••

Obi Wan called out to the others hoping to find anyone nearby but no one called him back through the thick fog.

He let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair.

"Well...I guess the only way left is to go forward" He said to himself then started walking on his way again.

He aimed for the palace but no matter how much he walked the place seemed to be getting even further.

The strange fog eventually subsided and he could see his target better then before but on his way to his destination he noticed that there was no one in sight.

It seemed as if the planet was completely deserted.

He stopped walking when he sensed a presence behind him so he reached out for his lightsaber which was hidden under his robes and activated it before turning to face the person behind him.

He lowered his weapon when he realised that it was Ahsoka.

"Where are the others?" He asked.

"I have no idea" Ahsoka answered as she continued looking around her.

Obi Wan let out an another sigh and shook his head.

"Come on...We need to keep walking" He said.

Ahsoka nodded in response and followed after him silently.

"Do you think Anakin is there?" Ahsoka asked.

"He has to be there" Obi Wan answered without turning to her.

He just hoped that they didn't arrive too late.

••☆★☆••

Padmé paced the room back and forth and Sabé and Ferus watched her silently.

"Are you sure that your plan worked? It doesn't seem like he took the bait" Padmé said.

She had the right to feel impatient especially because of the fact that the mission was going nowhere.

Ferus on the other hand was smug about the whole thing which made Padmé even more skeptical.

"I'm completely aware of your concerns my lady but I must say that they're misplaced because I know for sure that my plan worked just fine" Ferus said.

"I don't see any progress so far so I'm not sharing your views" Padmé said.

"You seem to be forgetting the fact that bounty hunters are only loyal to themselves and not anyone else...He can't tell anyone that he got caught or else he might risk his payment but he's also skeptical about his benefactor and that is proven by the fact that we weren't caught up until now" Ferus explained.

"He might be just bidding his time until he catches us completely off guard" Sabé said.

"He won't do that at least not any time soon" Ferus insisted.

"What makes you so sure?" Padmé asked.

"It's because he's curious about how we knew him from the start" Ferus answered.

Ferus took a deep breath and nodded to himself then decided to just tell Padmé everything.

"When Anakin told me who the bounty hunter was he also told me to look for a planet called Kamino. He said that we'll find something really important there but he didn't mention what it was" Ferus said.

"Then contact him and ask him what it was" General Gregar said.

"That can't happen because Anakin is already gone and we don't know how to conjure his ghost" Padmé said.

"Ghosts of the force can't be conjured they simply appear when the time is right and to rely a certain message" Ferus explained.

"Then how come he didn't tell you anything else? Shouldn't he appear and tell you the rest?" Sabé inquired.

Padmé instantly looked up at Ferus awaiting his answer but Ferus only stood there stunned not knowing what to say.

He opened his mouth a few times as he tried to think of something to say but he still didn't find any words to explain the current situation.

"I don't know why but he ceased to appear...There's this strange disturbance in the force that I've been feeling lately but I don't know the reason behind it" Ferus continued in a small voice.

The room fell completely silent for a minute or so as Padmé took in Ferus's words.

Then she let out a sigh.

"Then we're on our own from now on...I hope you know what you're doing" She said.

Ferus only nodded in response without saying anything else.

His plan had to work there was no other way out for them except this one.

Chapter Text

Anakin tried to open his eyes when he heard voices around him but the tiredness he was feeling kept him from functioning properly.

If he could even consider himself to be a normally functional person to begin with.

After all he was dead...Wasn't he?

His head hurt and he felt a strange heaviness that wasn't supposed to be felt by a ghost.

But through out this strange pain he could also make out words and when he concentrated on calming himself more he was finally able to understand what was being said.

"You have to get a grip on yourself Anakin...You can't just let them win" The daughter's voice whispered in his ears.

"My sister's presence is sabotaging our plan we need to..." A man's voice started.

But Anakin blacked out through the rest of his words.

When he regained his ability to hear again he was able to recognise a familiar voice.

"Get rid of her...Kill her now" Darth Sidious's voice commanded.

Then he felt a hand on his cheek which was also familiar enough to make his skin crawl.

"You'll regain your body soon...Very soon" Darth Sidious said.

Anakin was finally able to understand what was going on.

The tiredness he was feeling and the heaviness weren't a coincidence.

He had to find a way to escape...

"Take my hand my child...You can't fight them on your own" The daughter's voice whispered again.

Anakin opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was Darth Sidious's face looking down at him. In that same arrogant way he remembered.

It filled him with anger especially because of the way Darth Sidious was smirking at him.

As if he had won...Again.

Then an another face appeared in his line of sight.

He remembered it vaguely but it took him only a few seconds to recognise that he was the son.

And the very impersonation of the dark force.

The son put a hand on Anakin's forehead and immediately the daughter's presence started to fade again.

"You need to remember who your master is" Darth Sidious said.

Anakin was lost again because the daughter was no longer there...

He could feel his body as it slowly started to materialise again.

And it was that he knew that he didn't have much time left before he slips back into the dark side again.

He had to fight them...But how?

••☆★☆••

"What's going on? Why isn't he materialising?" Darth Sidious asked the son.

His anger was evident in his voice as he tried to understand why the boy was suddenly regaining his consciousness.

"He's refusing to co operate...It appears that his mind is still holding on to the memories of the past" The son answered as he kept his head pressed to Anakin's forehead.

"Erase them...I don't care if you erase his entire identity in the process just do something" Darth Sidious commanded.

The son felt fury surging through him and he immediately slammed Darth Sidious to the ground using the influence of the dark force.

Then he started electrocuting him as he listened to Darth Sidious's screams.

"Don't forget who you are...You're just a mere pawn" The son said.

Then he stopped electrocuting the dark lord.

Darth Sidious clicked his tongue feeling humiliated by this insult but he also knew he was currently powerless to fight back.

He had to wait...The son needed to give all his powers to Anakin and then he can control the boy the way he wanted.

Only then will he be truly unstoppable...

"My apologies my lord...I merely thought that there was something that went wrong that's all" Darth Sidious murmured.

The son knew that Darth Sidious was only bidding his time but he didn't really care that much about what will happen after the transfer.

He was doomed to disappear at some point but if he transferred his presence to an another vessel then he'll be able to live a while longer.

And Anakin was the perfect vessel.

But only if his sister would stop meddling.

He felt a presence getting closer to their location and he clicked his tongue as soon as he recognised who they were.

"The boy's teacher is here...Get rid of him" The son commanded.

Darth Sidious inclined his head and left.

••☆★☆••

When Darth Sidious walked out of the palace he could easily recognise the presence of Obi Wan but he could also feel other presences.

And much to his expectations Obi Wan finally appeared in his line of sight with a girl from the Togruta tribe at his side.

Obi Wan immediately took out his lightsaber and raised it in front of him.

"Where's Anakin?" Obi Wan demanded.

Darth Sidious only smirked in response and raised his hand.

The air outside the palace felt heavy, fear and anticipation filled the two sides as they stared each other down. Obi Wan’s saber hummed as its light cast a light on the ground under his feet. Beside him, Ahsoka clenched her fists, her presence strong in the force though her stance showed clear unease.

Darth Sidious tilted his head, his lips curling into a knowing smirk.

"Here you are again Kenobi. As always...Chasing after a boy who's already lost" Darth Sidious taunted.

Obi Wan's eyes narrowed and he tightened his grip on the handle of his lightsaber as he stared at Darth Sidious in anger.

"Anakin isn't lost...Not yet. I can feel him and I'll reach him, even if I have to cut through you to do it" Obi Wan announced.

Ahsoka glanced up at Obi-Wan, then back at Sidious, her voice steady despite her fear.
"Master Kenobi… something's wrong. I can feel…Chains around Anakin. Heavy, dark chains" Ahsoka murmured.

Sidious let out a chuckle, the sound echoing through the ancient halls.

"You're quite the perceptive, little one. Yes. He is bound, body and soul. Even now the son bends him to his will, and soon, not even you will be able to reach him" Darth Sidious said.

"I'll never let that happen" Obi Wan hissed, stepping forward.

Before Sidious could move, the ground beneath them trembled. A wave of energy surged through the palace as though the force itself recoiled. Obi Wan staggered, but Ahsoka's eyes widened in awe.

"Did you feel that?" She whispered.

Obi Wan kept his attention focused on Darth Sidious but he also couldn't hold back his proud smirk as he recognised what the new disturbance meant.

"It's…It's him. Anakin...He's fighting back" Ahsoka said voicing Obi Wan's thoughts.

Pride filled her along with happiness...Maybe there was hope.

Sidious's smirk faltered for a second, but then his expression hardened once again. He raised both hands, and lightning immediately began to crackle between his fingers.

"Fighting back…Or being torn apart. Let's see which it is" Darth Sidious said.

Bolts of energy flew toward them. Obi Wan deflected them with a great skill and he started moving his lightsaber in defence as sparks started scattering across the palace stones.

Ahsoka thrust her hand forward, absorbing part of the lightning with the Force, though the strain twisted her face with pain.

"Go, find Anakin...I'll hold him here" Obi Wan commanded as he deflected more lightning bolts.

"But..." Ahsoka started.

She was feeling really nervous and skeptical...What if she fails to stop the son?

"Go...Now" Obi Wan said.

She hesitated only a second more, then sprinted past Darth Sidious into the shadowed corridors of the palace.

Sidious's eyes followed her briefly, then returned to Obi Wan with anger evident on his face.

"You send a child into the dark to do what you can't finish? I must say that you’re as much of a failure as your precious deciple" Darth Sidious taunted.

Obi Wan's grip on his lightsaber tightened even more causing his knuckles to turn white.

He closed his eyes to keep his anger in check and took a deep breath before opening his eyes again then he took a fighting stance.

"Maybe you're right...But I'm still never going to give up on Anakin especially when he needs me...And as long as I breathe, you'll never have him" Obi Wan said in a calm voice.

Then he ran over to Darth Sidious just as the dark lord activated his own lightsaber.

Their blades clashed their sound echoing through the palace halls.

••☆★☆••

The Son kept his hand on Anakin's forehead, his features twisted with both triumph and impatience. Anakin's form flickered between substance and spirit, caught between worlds.

"You belong to me...You've always belonged to me" The son whispered in Anakin’s ear.

But Anakin's eyes, though heavy, began to blaze with defiance. In his subconscious state of mind, the daughter's voice returned, faint but clear.

"Anakin...You must remember that you're not a pawn. You are the Chosen One...You must choose now" She said.

Anakin's breath quickened, torn between the suffocating grip of the son and the fading light of his sister's call.

Then he suddenly felt an another presence before he was able to hear Ahsoka's voice calling his name.

"Anakin...We're here to save you, you must wake up" Ahsoka screamed.

Her voice grew strained and through his hazy state Anakin realised that the son was choking her.

The daughter's presence started fading as the son turned his full attention on Ahsoka.

But in the process his hand was no longer on Anakin's forehead.

Anakin focused whatever was left of his strength and he was finally able to open his eyes again.

"I can help you defeat him my child...Just take my hand" A third voice said.

Anakin looked at the hand in front of him.

He didn't know if that man was alive or dead but he could feel how strong his presence was.

The son turned his attention to them once again.

"No" He screamed.

"You're destined for a far greater purpose my child...Just take my hand" The man said in a more urgent voice.

"Get away from him...He's mine" The son screamed as he ran over to where Anakin layed.

Anakin's hand reached out to grip the father's hand out of pure impulse.

The father's hand clasped around Anakin's, and in that moment a surge of balance unlike anything he had ever felt coursed through him.

It was neither the consuming fire of the dark side nor the suffocating chains of the light...He could feel both perfectly entwined, perfectly still.

His body had finished materialising completely and he looked at his hands in awe they were no longer flickering, no longer bound.

Lighting bolts passed between his palms as if they belonged to him and he could feel a tremendous surge of power through his veins.

The son froze in his place and his face twisted with fury as the force of the father's power enhanced Anakin's previously weak presence.

Anakin turned his attention to the son and raised a hand throwing him back as though he was nothing.

"No...You were meant to be mine! You were chosen to rule under my guidance" The Son screamed, his voice echoing with pure anger as he tried to get past the force barrier Anakin created.

The father's hand rested on Anakin's shoulder and he leaned his head foreword.

"Your destiny was never to serve either side of imbalance, Anakin. You were born to bring balance. That is why you are the chosen one...My daughter knew that's why she helped you to reach out to me...And I regret to say that my son didn't accept this" The father said.

Anakin's chest rose sharply as he breathed in, his vision clearing. The heaviness weighing him down finally disappeared completely.

The Daughter's presence returned, it was faint but still present, her light was around Anakin calming him down more.

"My brother's chains are broken, Anakin...You're finally free" She said.

The son tried pushing against the barrier but it was futile so he let out a scream.

"You can't deny me...You've always been mine! Every act of violence, every choice of rage...I live in you!" The son screamed.

Anakin turned his attention to Ahsoka. She was on her knees, clutching her throat, her eyes wide with both pain and hope as she watched him.

"Ahsoka…" He murmured in a low whisper.

The son let out an another enraged scream then he summoned a spear and hurled it at Ahsoka.

Anakin instinctively extended his hand and caught the spear before it could reach the girl.

And for the first time, the son looked afraid.

Anakin crushed the weapon then he stepped forward then he raised both hands.

Light and darkness clashed in his palms, spiraling into a blinding force that shot outward and engulfed the son. The scream that followed was deafening, until it was swallowed by silence.

When the light faded, the son was gone.

The hall fell quiet, broken only by the sound of Ahsoka's ragged breathing.

"It is done…For now. But remember...The balance you hold is fragile. Others will always try to shatter it. You must be vigilant…And true to yourself" The father advised.

And with that, the Father's presence dissolved into the Force, leaving Anakin and Ahsoka alone in the silence.

Anakin's shoulders sagged as the adrenaline drained from him, but he could feel his heart beating erratically.

He turned to Ahsoka, before helping her to her feet. Her eyes welled with tears as she looked at his face.

Anakin turned his attention to the entrance of the hall and his eyes widened as soon as they fell on Obi Wan who looked equally shocked.

The corners of Anakin's lips turned up into a smile before inclining his head in silent gratitude.

Obi Wan walked closer to Anakin and stared at him for a few seconds in complete silence.

Then he pulled the boy into his arms engulfing him in a tight hug.

Chapter Text

Obi Wan held Anakin for a few more seconds which were long enough for the tremor in his own arms to settle, long enough for Anakin's frantic heartbeat to slow. And when he finally stepped back, it was only far enough to study Anakin's face.

He looked at Anakin's blue eyes for the first time in weeks without the illusion of the force ghost taking over.

They were clear. Not clouded with that unexplained sadness, not dull with exhaustion or pain.

Anakin was alive.

"Master..." Anakin began, his voice rough.

But he didn't know what exactly to say in this situation.

What happened to him anyway? Did he just inherit the father's power?

If so then what was he supposed to do?

Anakin's mind was snapped back to reality when Obi Wan pulled him into an another hug.

"You don't have to worry alright? We'll think of a way to solve the matter" Obi Wan said in his ear.

Ahsoka wiped her eyes quickly and stepped forward, trying to look composed despite the tears streaking down her cheeks.

She still had no idea why this boy meant so much to her and she also had no idea who the person who that woman was.

But it didn't matter anymore...Anakin was in front of them now so the mission was over.

Anakin looked at her...Really looked at her and something in his chest twisted at the sight of her.

"I'm sorry...For all of it" Anakin said.

This was how he remembered her to be, young, helpless and always asking for him to guide her.

But he also knew that she'll grow into a better version of him.

Someone who walked her own path without fear and without looking back at the past.

Anakin looked at her for a few more seconds before Obi Wan let go of him.

Then Anakin walked over to Ahsoka and pulled her into a hug.

Ahsoka felt her body immediately relax in Anakin's embrace then she wrapped her arms around him.

"Right now we need to get out of here" Ahsoka announced as soon as she and Anakin moved away from each other.

As if summoned by her words, a thunderous crash echoed from deeper within the palace. Dust rained down from the ceiling. A cold ripple spread through the air, dark and familiar.

Obi Wan frowned and clenched his hands into tight fists.

"Sidious" He whispered as soon as he recognised the disturbing presence.

Anakin's jaw clenched.

"He's furious...The Son's gone...The transfer failed...He's going to come for me" Anakin murmured.

"Let him come we're more than ready to take him on" Obi Wan said before activating his lightsaber.

Ahsoka looked at the entrance of the palace before a determined look crossed her face than she also activated her lightsaber.

Another tremor rocked the floor, stronger this time. The pillars groaned.

Ahsoka stepped closer to Anakin.

"Can you still feel the Father? The balance?" She whispered.

Anakin closed his eyes for a brief moment he felt the soothing power of the force surging through him.

Light and darkness at the same time but instead of fighting each other to take over him like they were supposed to they were completely at peace.

Anakin opened his eyes again revealing a black coloured sclera with a gleaming blue iris and a black pupil but his other eye was completely normal.

"Yes" He said in a confident voice.

Obi Wan nodded as though this confirmed something he had suspected but never hoped for.

"Then we use it" Obi Wan said.

Footsteps echoed through the corridor they were slow and controlled then Darth Sidious stepped into their line of sight, his face was twisted with barely suppressed fury and electricity danced between his fingers.

"You think you've won don't you? But you're childish and naive...You have no idea what you've unleashed" He hissed.

Anakin stepped in front of Ahsoka and Obi Wan without thinking, extending an arm protectively.

"I know exactly what I've unleashed...I'm finally free of you" Anakin announced.

Sidious's glared at him in fury. He was clearly displeased by the act of rebellion Anakin was showing.

"You will never be free of me, boy...You were created to serve me...To belong to me" Darth Sidious declared.

"No, I never belonged to you...That was your lie...And I was foolish enough to believe it for too long" Anakin replied in a steady and calm voice.

Sidious raised his hands and the lightning surged towards the three of them.

"Ahsoka" Obi Wan called out in warning.

"I know" She answered before taking a fighting stance of her own.

But Anakin didn't move.

He lifted one hand, palm open and the lightning struck him but instead of causing any harm it started swirling around Anakin's arm like a living thing. As his abnormal eye glowed just like the father's eyes used to glow.

Sidious staggered back a step, disbelief ripping across his face.

"That's impossible..." He murmured.

Anakin lowered his hand slowly and the lightning spark started disappearing.

The ground rumbled even more violently. The palace was collapsing...Mortis itself rejecting the chaos within it.

"We have to go" Ahsoka yelled.

Obi Wan grabbed Anakin's arm.

"Come on" Obi Wan screamed.

But Anakin hesitated...Just for a heartbeat...Staring at Sidious.

The Sith Lord glared at him with pure hatred.

"This isn't over" Sidious spat.

Anakin didn't bother to answer but he just smirked mockingly at Darth Sidious.

The roof cracked. A beam of blinding light split the ceiling open.

Ahsoka pulled at him.

"Anakin...Move" Ahsoka screamed.

He tore his eyes from Sidious and ran with Obi Wan and Ahsoka as the chamber collapsed behind them. The three of them sprinted through the crumbling halls as the palace of Mortis fell apart around them.

Outside, the sky was a startling mixture between light and darkness fighting together like storms.

Obi Wan and Ahsoka and Anakin safely made it out of the palace with difficultly but at least they were still alive and well the three of them drew in a few steadying and much needed breath.

"The shuttle...If it's still intact..." Obi Wan started.

"Well, let's just hope it is" Ahsoka said.

They raced across the courtyard as Darth Sidious's enraged scream echoed in the distance.

They reached the ship and Cal noticed them just in time so he pressed the ramp button and it hissed as it landed on the ground. Ahsoka jumped in first, followed by Obi Wan.

Anakin paused at the threshold, breath heavy, staring back at the world he had just escaped.

"Anakin" Obi Wan shouted.

Anakin turned and stepped aboard hurriedly beforethe land under his feet cracked even further.

As the ship lifted off, Mortis vanished beneath them in a burst of blinding white light.

Ahsoka exhaled shakily and Obi Wan closed his eyes in relief.

Anakin sank into the seat across from them, his hands trembling slightly. Not from fear.

From the unfamiliar feeling of being whole once again.

He sat down on the floor and hugged his knees then rested his head to them and closed his eyes.

He had experienced death twice already and in both times the feeling was still terrifying and exhausting beyond measure.

Obi Wan watched him quietly for a minute or so not knowing whether it was a good idea to snap the boy out of his trance or not.

"Are you all right?" Master Windu inquired.

Anakin opened his eyes and turned his gaze to Master Windu as soon as he heard his voice.

"I don't know" He admitted in a shaking voice.

Master Windu looked at him for a few seconds then opened his mouth to say something but closed it again and turned his gaze away from Anakin before nodding.

He wasn't sure if an apology would suffice in this situation but he had promised himself to do better in the future.

The fact that Anakin was right here and right now exceeded his imagination he wasn't going to lie but the force had never failed to surprise him so he wasn't going to question Anakin's presence.

Cal stood at the corner awkwardly as he eyed Anakin in complete disbelief.

He was alive and talking and everyone could hear his voice, everyone could see him.

It wasn't a figment of Cal's imagination it was reality.

He still felt the need to check though...

So he slowly walked over to Anakin and put a hand on his shoulder silently hoping that it won't pass through the older boy.

It didn't...It landed on Anakin's shoulder which felt real and warm against his palm and in response Anakin turned his attention to Cal.

Cal's eyes welled up with tears and they started streaming down his cheeks.

"Big brother Anakin" Cal sobbed as more tears streamed down his cheeks.

Anakin stood up immediately and engulfed Cal in a hug as the younger boy clung to him and sobbed in his arms.

Everyone watched the scene with a mixture of pity and happiness.

But Anakin still felt numb, he was still scared of the future and what it will bring since things have changed drastically.

••☆★☆••

A few days passed and Obi Wan and Master Windu were finally able to trace their way back to the temple.

The elder Jedi members were in charge of piloting the ship as the younger ones prepared the rations.

But Anakin hasn't come out of his bedroom once even though it has already been five days since they started their journey back to the temple.

Everyone was starting to get worried about him.

"Good morning Master Windu, Master Kenobi I've brought your share of the rations" Cal said.

"Has Anakin come out of his room?" Obi Wan asked as he kept his attention focused on the pilot's board.

"No, yesterday's portion are still outside his room and the one before that, he hasn't eaten at all" Ahsoka announced.

Cal cleared his throat feeling a bit responsible for not insisting that Anakin open the door.

"Go drag him out if you must, he needs to eat something" Master Windu said sternly.

Ahsoka and Cal inclined their heads in response then left the pilot's cockpit.

Ahsoka and Cal were on their way to Anakin's room to give him his portion of the food but when they suddenly felt a strong presence in the force, but instead of feeling unsettled they felt at peace as if the force itself was soothing their nerves in a way.

The two of them carefully walked into Anakin's room and saw that he was meditating.

"Big brother?" Cal inquired carefully trying to get Anakin's attention.

But he didn't answer and his eyes remained closed and his breath remained even.

"We've brought your rations for today, Master Windu and Master Kenobi are very worried they said that you should eat something" Ahsoka announced.

But Anakin still didn't answer.

"Big brother" Cal snapped.

He was starting to get impatient with the older boy's ignorant behaviour so he reached over to smack his head.

But sparks of green and blue lightning blocked his attack.

Cal stumbled back in shock and Ahsoka put an arm in front of him protectively.

"Big brother wake up now" Cal screamed.

"It's no use just let him be" Ahsoka said.

"What do you mean? How can we leave him like that? He might never wake up" Cal said.

"He's trying to test his own limits" Ahsoka continued.

Cal fell silent for a few seconds.

"He has been testing his limits for five days now, are you sure that's not going to hurt him?" Cal inquired.

Ahsoka fell silent and turned her gaze to the floor.

"I don't know, I wish I had an answer to that" Ahsoka replied in a small voice.

"I'm going to tell Master Kenobi, this has to end"  Cal said then walked out of the room.

"No, wait...You can't do that" Ahsoka said as she rushed behind him.

Cal stopped in front of the door that led to the piloting cockpit and it automatically opened for him.

Ahsoka who was following right behind him grabbed his forearm before he could go in.

"You don't even know the amount of power that he just acquired it's only natural for him to try and control it or else his body would collapse and he'll die once again" Ahsoka warned.

"But it's still dangerous for him to be out for that long" Cal said.

"He needs his time Cal, none of us should stop him" Ahsoka replied.

••☆★☆••

The Jedi Temple appeared ahead of them after another three more days of tracing their way back it was as calm and silent as it usually was.

Obi Wan and Master Windu still didn't know how to introduce the news of Anakin's return once again but they were sure that the news would cause a bit of a commotion at the temple.

As the shuttle descended, the white stone towers caught the sunlight. The landing platform rose to meet them.

Obi Wan exchanged a worried glance with Master Windu before turning his attention to Cal and Ahsoka.

"Has Anakin come out of his room yet?" Obi Wan inquired.

Ahsoka shook her head in response.

"This has to stop, we have already arrived at the temple...How are we going to announce his return when he's not even present?" Master Windu demanded.

Obi Wan let out a heavy sigh and shook his head in despair.

"I guess we don't have to do that, he'll do it himself when he feels like it" Obi Wan said.

••☆★☆••

"What do you want to do now my child? You have all this powers in your veins, you're capable of great things so what exactly do you wish for?" The father inquired.

"I want to understand, I want to learn everything from you...I need to know more about the force...Everything the temple couldn't teach me" Anakin answered.

"You'll learn everything when the time comes my child...There's no limit to your powers and it flows naturally through you...I'll lead you but you mustn't try to subdue me" The father answered.

"No, I refuse to be a slave again...I'll carve my own path...This is my life and only I have the right to do what I want with it" Anakin answered.

The father sighed and shook his head.

"You're just as stubborn as my son" He said.

"No...I'm just as stubborn as you" Anakin said then smirked in triumph when he saw the shocked look on the father's face.

Then he stepped closer to the spirit and grabbed his forearm.

"You refused to name a successor even though you had two children and you chose to give your power to me a normal human which means that you're just as stubborn as me" Anakin said.

The father blinked twice then he laughed.

Then he stopped laughing and opened his mouth to say something but Anakin stepped even closer to him.

"You had a family you wanted to protect, like it or not we're both the same...We might not be equals but you chose me to keep the legacy of your family alive...You loved your children and I also loved mine" Anakin murmured.

The father remained silent for a few seconds then nodded and wiped away a tear that escaped his eye.

"Alright...I'll show you the full extent of my power" The father said.

••☆★☆••

Anakin opened his eyes but this time both his eyes looked exactly like the father's eyes.

He closed his eyes for an another second and his eyes were back to normal.

He smirked when green lightning sparked from his right hand as blue lightning appeared on his left hand.

It was a great start...

Chapter Text

The Coruscant skyline was a blur of neon and smog as Ferus Olin stepped out of the shadows of the lower levels. 

He didn't have to wait long. The sharp sound of a blaster echoed through the almost empty alley and Ferus barely had time to move away before the blaster shot landed exactly next to his boots.

Ferus looked up. And saw the unmistakable silhouette of a Mandalorian armour standing on the edge of a cooling tower.

Ferus leaped and caught the ledge of the tower then pulled himself onto the rooftop and stood right in front of Jango Fett.

"You're a hunter, You don't miss a target unless you mean to so I can say that you're interested in what I have to say" Ferus said, his hand hovering near his lightsaber.

Jango Fett looked at Ferus's hand which was hovering over his lightsaber briefly before turning his attention back to the boy.

"I expected as much from a Jedi, I don't want you dead, Olin. I just want you out of the way" Jango said through his helmet.

"Because of your benefactors?" Ferus asked.

He stepped closer to the Mandalorian man.

"Nute Gunray is a coward, You're serving a strategist. Whoever it is, this person knows that someone who executes a dirty mission is a loose end. Once the senator is gone, how long do you think you'll last?" Ferus inquired.

Jango's grip on his blaster faltered, just for a second.

"I suggest you reconsider your loyalties" Ferus pressed.

He could tell that the older man was thinking about it.

"Tell me why you serve him, and I can offer you the protection of senator Amidala and the Jedi Order" Ferus continued.

"The Jedi are not to be trusted" Jango spat, his jetpack hissing as he prepared to depart.

"But you trust the senator's word don't you? Unlike Nute Gunray at least she keeps her word, think about it" Ferus said.

Jango's jetback halted to stop as he tried to decide what the boy meant and how much exactly he knew.

"I know that there's something important happening in Kamino but you and I both know that as soon as this important thing is finished you'll be done for along with it so I'm offering a truce" Ferus suggested.

Jango looked at his outstretched hand for what felt like a minute before lowering his blaster.

"You don't want me dead, that's why you missed your chance on purpose" Ferus continued.

"How did you know about Kamino?" Jango demanded.

"You just said that you knew better then to underestimate a Jedi, I'm one no matter my age and rank" Ferus answered. 

Jango couldn't deny the fact that he couldn't trust count Dooku either and this Jedi no matter how young he was actually offered him protection if things got out of hand.

And the fact that his target had more integrity then his current client was intriguing.

"I won't tell you but I'm more than ready to tell the senator" Jango said.

"Alright, and I'm more then ready to lead you to her" Ferus said.

"I have conditions though...There's something important for me in Kamino, I want to retrieve it and then I want complete protection from my benefactor" Jango said.

"I know someone who can secure both...But in return I want your word that you won't kill the senator once I lead you to her" Ferus said.

"If you don't trust me I don't trust you" Jango said.

"We trust bounty hunters just as much as they trust us" Ferus said.

"Then we have no deal" Jango said.

"I gave you my word as a Jedi so you must meet me halfway" Ferus said.

Jango considered what the boy in front of him said for a minute.

"Fine, you have a deal" Jango answered.

"You're actually smarter then you look kid" Jango said.

Ferus didn't answer to that.

He hadn't expected the older man to trust him so quickly, but he wasn't going to complain because his plan was going smoothly.

Jango might be a bounty hunter, but he wasn't an idiot. The fact that he hadn't killed Ferus on sight proved that much.

"Let's go see the senator first then I'll decide if I should take you to Kamino or not" Jango said, the edge of suspicion still hanging in his voice.

Ferus nodded and watched Jango as he activated his own jetback, the fire was a sharp contrast against the night sky.

He looked back toward the lower levels of Coruscant, wondering just how much trouble he'd just signed up for.

Then he was yanked forward before Jango took off flying.

Ferus gave him directions and they finally arrived at the place where Padmé was waiting.

Ferus landed first before Jango landed next to him. The two of them walked straight into Padmé's room.

General Gregar and Sabé were with Padmé when Ferus walked in with Jango following right behind him.

Sabé reached out for her blaster immediately and raised it up in front of her.

"No, wait...He's here to listen to what senator Amidala has to say" Ferus quickly clarified.

Sabé turned to General Gregar first then Padmé and when both of them nodded Sabé finally lowered her weapon.

"I'm willing to make a deal with you if you agree to my conditions" Padmé said.

Jango noticed immediately that she was more confident unlike Nute Gunray who was a coward hiding behind powerful figures asking them to do his work for him.

But he learned not to judge a book by its cover.

"Fine...Tell me your conditions and I'll do my best to make them happen" Jango said.

"I want you to tell me who hired you to kill me and I know that it's not Nute Gunray" Padmé said.

Jango nodded in response then looked at Sabé and general Gregar.

"I will but I won't talk unless it's you and that kid in here" Jango said as he pointed at her and Ferus.

"Fine" Padmé said without hesitation.

"My lady" Sabé protested as general Gregar also looked defensive.

"Sabé I know what I'm doing" Padmé said.

Jango looked at the sight in front of him trying to guess where this will end then he watched Sabé and general Gregar walking out of the room.

Ferus immediately stepped closer to Padmé and rested his hand on his lightsaber.

Jango looked at the boy briefly before turning his attention back to Padmé.

"You're right, it's not really Nute Gunray. It's someone far more dangerous...He goes by the name count Doku and he's capable of using the force" Jango replied.

Padmé turned to Ferus who looked equally confused with what they heard.

Then he took a deep breath and nodded to himself.

"Fine then, I'll ask around and tell you the results" Ferus said.

Padmé nodded to him in response before turning back to Jango.

"I agree to your conditions as long as you serve me" Padmé replied.

"That can be managed" Jango said.

"Then we have a deal" Padme replied.

She and Jango shook hands on it and Jango took a seat on one of the empty seats.

"Now tell me what is it that you have in Kamino?" Padmé inquired.

"My son Boba" Jango answered.

"And what exactly brought you there? What did you and your employer do there?" Padmé asked him again.

"There's an army of clones there I was asked to be the donor" Jango answered curtly.

Padmé and Ferus exchanged a look of clear panic that faintly amused the hunter.

"I swear on my life that I'll bring Boba back to safety but you must hide for a while and..." Padmé started.

"Actually he doesn't have to do that...If he kills you then the task will be finished and we'll be able to go to Kamino" Ferus explained.

General Gregar and Sabé walked in immediately as soon as they heard what he said and looked at Ferus in clear anger.

"I'm trying to say that if we try to create a decoy situation then we'll get to..." Ferus started.

"There's no way I'll sacrifice anyone else for my own sake" Padmé protested.

"Fine then, we have a second option" Jango said.

Padmé and Sabé turned to him immediately.

"I can take Zam with me to Kamino and tell my employer that she failed to do the task and he'll do what he musts and as for the army I'll send you the coordinates of the planet" Jango said.

••☆★☆••

Anakin followed Obi Wan through the halls of the temple with his eyes focused on the ground.

The glances and whispers of his fellow knights bothered him though. It always bothered him to be looked at and whispered about just like it used to before his death.

They both walked through the hallways silently until they finally reached his room.

Anakin hurriedly rushed in as if the room was a sanctuary.

Obi Wan pursed his lips not knowing what to say but he knew that leaving the boy alone for a bit was the right thing to do.

"I'm going to leave you for a bit alright? I think that you need to...readjust" Obi Wan said.

Anakin didn't answer and Obi Wan didn't expect him to do so.

Anakin sat down on the bed and rested his head on his palms.

He wasn't thinking of anything in particular he just felt empty inside.

Maybe because he felt nothing for this place anymore or maybe it was the opposite and he liked this place more then anything else in the world. Or maybe it's because he now held so much power or maybe it was because he had experienced death many times now to care about anything at all.

He really didn't know why but all he knew was that he had reached a certain conclusion that made him unable to feel anything at all.

He closed his eyes and leaned his head back to the bed appreciating the silence as he felt every presence in the force around him.

He decided to try and guess the different essences of the force that belonged to the people he was familiar with.

It was a bit of a distraction that brought a small smile to his lips.

But suddenly even that distraction was cut short when he felt a certain presence right outside his door.

And much to his expectations Darra opened the door and walked into the room slowly.

She looked at him at first and in return he also looked at her...For a minute that stretched into two then three before Darra walked even closer to him.

Anakin stood up and she finally stood in front of him, naturally he was taller then her but she wasn't short either so they both had no problem looking each other in the eyes.

She reached out and put a hand on the side of his head her fingertips touching his hair and face.

Then her eyes watered and she smiled then chuckled before pulling him into her arms.

He hesitated for a few seconds before wrapping an arm around her in return then rested his chin on her shoulder and closed his eyes.

"You're different...What happened to you?" Darra asked in a soft voice.

"I'm alright" Anakin murmured.

She let go of him and looked at him all over again.

"You're still my friend Darra and I'm still me" Anakin said in a clearer and more confident voice in an attempt to ease her worries.

But she was always the mother of the group, the most sensitive one in their trio and Anakin didn't know whether to be thankful for this or not.

He took a deep breath then smiled.

"I'm alright Darra, I really am you don't have to worry" Anakin said.

Darra knew that something was wrong with him but she also knew that he wasn't going to tell her.

So she dropped the subject and Anakin was thankful for it.

"I'll let you rest for a bit, you look really...Pale" She said.

"I'm alright, but resting is fine" Anakin said.

Darra gave him one last smile before walking out of the door.

She didn't know what happened to her friend but judging from the way he behaved and his clear tiredness it was obvious to Darra that he won't be getting better any time soon.

She looked at the door behind her for a few more seconds before shaking her head then she finally left.

Anakin layed down on his side and looked at the wall in front of him.

Then he decided to just get some sleep maybe when he wakes up his life at the temple would feel more familiar.

But before he could go to sleep completely he suddenly jolted awake.

Then he hurriedly walked over to Obi Wan's room.

••☆★☆••

"Is he alright now?" Satine asked through the hologram device.

"Yes, but he seems...I don't know...Strange" Obi Wan replied.

"Like how?" Duchess Satine inquired.

Obi Wan opened his mouth to say something but closed it again when Anakin came rushing in.

"Master, it's the purge...The Mandalorian purge" Anakin announced.

Chapter Text

Obi Wan went completely still as soon as he heard what Anakin just said.

For a brief second the room went completely silent except for the faint hum of the hologram projector.

Satine's image flickered and her expression shifted from curiosity to alarm as soon as she too heard what Anakin said seconds ago.

The words lingered in the room like some poisonous gas as Obi Wan eyed Anakin in clear alarm.

"What did you say?" Satine asked in a sharp and almost angry voice, clearly still not believing what Anakin just said.

Anakin's breathing was uneven, like he had run all the way here...But his eyes were focused and distant, as if he was looking at something no one else could see.

Obi Wan had an idea about what he was looking at. A future that only belonged to Anakin's past.

He wouldn't just make it all up...Obi Wan knew for sure that his padawan must have lived through everything he was talking about.

He wasn't sure if he would have wanted that for himself and he couldn't help but feel sympathy for Anakin.

"The purge, It's going to happen...Soon. It's in the future, I mean. I've seen it happen in the past so... it's..." Anakin started. But he trailed off when the words died in his throat and he clenched his jaw as if the words themselves were difficult to force out.

"I don't know much about what Sidious is planning but if he plans to destroy the planets that show prosperity then he'll start by ending Mandalore. It was what he did before any way" Anakin replied.

Obi Wan stepped closer as soon as he recovered from his shock and put his hands on Anakin's shoulders.

"Anakin...Take a breath and slow down" Obi Wan said.

Anakin closed his eyes for a few seconds and took a few deep breath knowing that his master was right.

Anakin's eyes turned to Satine's hologram.

"You're in danger...You must be prepared" Anakin said in a shaking voice as he kept his eyes focused on the hologram.

Satine straightened, her usual composure hardening into something more regal.

"Mandalore has enemies, Anakin. That alone isn't unusual" She said.

"This is different...It's not just political pressure or raids. It's systematic, your cities will be wiped clean and your people will be scattered...The dark lord planned it already" Anakin said.

Satine looked at Obi Wan silently asking him if Anakin's words could be taken for granted or not and Obi Wan held her gaze for a few seconds before nodding once.

"It was a long term plan...Sidious doesn't want anyone to resist him. Even the Jedi" Anakin continued.

He fell silent for a few seconds as if he was trying to recall a distant memory.

"Gar Saxon" He suddenly murmured.

Satine's frown deepened as soon as she heard the name.

"You should be careful of him...He's one of the main rebels who led the purge" Anakin continued.

"I mean...I would be suspicious of him but that still doesn't give me a reason to directly make a move" Satine said.

"Believe him Satine...He's telling the truth" Obi Wan said.

"Then how do you suggest I should address the matter?" She asked.

"You don't address the matter with him. You just send someone to capture him and force him to tell you everything" Obi Wan suggested.

"It's difficult to catch a rebel...We can't just..." Satine started.

"I'll go. But I need someone from your side to help me" Anakin interrupted.

"You're not going anywhere not in your condition. You haven't recovered from..." Obi Wan started.

But he trailed off not knowing whether he should even bring up Anakin's condition or not.

How can someone who had been through death two times now be helped anyway? Obi Wan felt even more useless as his mind caught on to this fact.

Because...At this point Anakin will always say that he's alright. He'll always shoulder the burden of his memories until he sees the end of the dark lord.

Satine studied Anakin for a long moment, she was trying to detect a hint of lie in Anakin's face but there was none.

Even through the flicker of the hologram, the intensity in his expression was unmistakable.

He wasn't exaggerating or speaking out of fear...He sounded like someone who remembered a disaster that had already happened.

She exhaled slowly, then straightened her shoulders.

"If I am to send someone after a rebel of that magnitude, I will not risk it with just anyone" She said in a serious voice.

Then she let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding.

"You will not go alone, Anakin" She said.

Obi Wan visibly relaxed as soon as he heard what she said. He was worried that Satine won't believe it...But he was more worried that she'll send him alone.

"I will assign a Mandalorian team to accompany you...People who know Mandalore's terrain, its factions, and...Gar Saxon's methods" She said.

Obi Wan allowed himself to breathe as soon as he heard her words.

"That would be wise" He remarked.

Anakin nodded, though his posture remained tense.

"Who?" Anakin asked.

Satine let out a sigh and nodded more to herself then to them.

"Countess Ursa Wren"

The name settled into the room.

Obi Wan remembered the name. She was the woman who accompanied him and Anakin on their mission to rescue princess Bo Katan from Jaba in Tattoine right beforehe died...

Anakin also seemed to remember the name but it didn't seem to be a problem to him. At least not from Obi Wan and Satine's perspective.

"I don't care who you send. I just hope we can stop this disaster before it happens" Anakin said in a confident and even voice.

Satine nodded in response.

"Very well...I expect you to come to Mandalore first so we can discuss the plan in more detail" She said.

"If I may oppose my lady but I think that you should send your delegation to the temple" Obbi Wan said before neither Anakin nor Satine could say anything else.

Then he glanced briefly at Anakin before turning his gaze back to her.

"I think that it'd be suspicious to have us visit Mandalore when there's nothing to worry about...Especially considering the fact that we're not exactly sharing the same views" Obi Wan said.

Satine fell silent for a few seconds then nodded again.

"Then what do you suggest?" She inquired.

"I suggest that you send your group to us...I mean, Mandalorian warriors have always been known for travelling so it won't be a problem to send them to Coruscant" Obi Wan suggested.

"Sending them directly to Coruscant will still be suspicious we need to meet them halfway" Anakin said.

"Then what do you suggest?" Satine asked.

Obi Wan glanced at Anakin with a smile on his face then turned to her again.

"We can go to Chandrila" Obi Wan announced.

"Very well then...I'll send my people to meet you in Chandrila in three days" Satine said.

Then she closed the hologram line.

••☆★☆••

Jango leaned back slightly in his chair and put his helmet on on his knee as he waited for Padmé to give him an answer.

The room fell silent for a minute or so as the senator tried to come to a decision.

It was a big deal to sacrifice someone but judging from the gravity of her situation there was no other possible option.

"That's the cleanest way...No unnecessary risks" Ferus added.

Padmé folded her arms over her chest, still uneasy but clearly considering it.

Ferus, on the other hand, was already thinking several steps ahead, his mind racing through possibilities.

"Then we need the coordinates, if anything happens...We can't afford to lose track of Kamino" Ferus said quietly.

Kamino was his top priority now, it was even more important then the senator herself...If this army sees the light then who knows what it'd do to the Jedi temple yet alone the world?

Jango eyed Ferus for a second or so then nodded.

"You won't...As long as you keep your end of the bargain" Jango said as he kept his gaze on the young Jedi.

He reached into his gauntlet and pressed a hidden switch and soon enough a faint blue holographic interface flickered to life above his wrist.

The light cast sharp lines across his armor and reflected faintly in Padmé's eyes.

Ferus stepped closer, watching the holographic ficarefully.
"You Jedi always like proof," Jango muttered. "So here it is."

He tapped a sequence into the display.

A rotating star map appeared, zooming past known hyperspace lanes and familiar systems.

Then it slowed... and stopped at a point in empty space that looked like nothing.
Padmé frowned.

"There's nothing there."

"There is," Jango replied. "It's just not on most charts."

He isolated the coordinates and transmitted them. Ferus felt his own comm device vibrate softly at his belt.

"Check it" Jango said.

Ferus pulled it out and activated the display.

The numbers glowed clearly revealing Kamino's location in the Rishi maze and the coordinates necessary to get there.

Ferus inhaled sharply as he eyed the holographic map as his mind still tried to wrap around the fact that this planet was real and not just a rumour.

"You're trusting us with a lot" Padmé said.

"I'm trusting my chances. And I want my son back" Jango answered with a small shrug.

Ferus closed the device and turned to face the others with an expression that was more serious than before.

"I'll send this to the Jedi Council once we're secure" Ferus remarked.

Jango tilted his head slightly.

"You can do that if you want...But don't expect them to like what they find" Jango remarked.

Silence settled again for a few seconds.

Padmé straightened in her seat.

"When do you leave?" She inquired.

"Soon...I pick up Zam, report failure...And then I go to Kamino" Jango answered.

He looked directly at Ferus.

"If everything goes wrong then those coordinates will be your only lead" Jango said.

Ferus nodded.

"Understood" Ferus replied.

Jango activated his jetpack and soon enough the low roar filled the room.

"Don't get yourselves killed before I get back kid" He said dryly as he looked directly at Ferus.

Then he lifted off of the floor and shot through the balcony opening...And soon enough he disappeared into the night leaving Ferus holding the coordinates that might change the fate of the republic.

Chapter Text

Jango kept his expression neutral as he usually did.

The habit had long since become instinct.

He was well aware of the fact that bounty hunters usually became sloppy because he was a bounty hunter himself.

He was used to work with people who became angry because he couldn't kill the target.

Count Dooku stood near the window clasping his hands neatly behind his back as he looked at the view.

Jango had spent enough time in life to understand that appearances could be deceiving.

Count Dooku might appear like a nobleman on the outside but inside? Jango could bet his whole life on the fact that the man was more twisted then any other client he had worked for before...If not more.

He let out a sigh that was meant to disturb the silence and tell the other man that he wasn't actually scared.

"Zam was discovered, the plan failed. I couldn't..." Jango started but was interrupted when count Dooku raised a hand.

The movement was smooth, almost lazy but it was enough to silence the bounty hunter.

"Your incompetence does not surprise me" Count Dooku said in a calm voice that sounded worse than anger.

But Jango stayed unfazed simply because he had heard worse.

But he still clenched his jaw under the helmet at the disrespect.

"But I find it rather unimportant compared to the current matter at hand" Dooku continued a second or so of silence before turning slightly to look at him.

Dooku stepped away from the window slowly and his robes trailed quietly on the floor.

"The Master requires your assistance elsewhere" He said.

Jango felt a knot tightening in his chest at the mention of the last words...The Master.

Count Dooku always referred to that higher up as the master never giving him a name.

That master never showed themselves either he only passed orders down through Dooku like a shadow stretching from somewhere unseen.

"How may I be of assistance?" Jango asked in a calm voice.

Dooku looked at him, studying him for a few seconds as if he was trying to find out something.

For a second there Jango thought that maybe count Dooku had caught on to the scheme...Found out that he had made a deal with the senator instead of killing her.

"You're going to Mandalore" Count Dooku said.

Jango blinked twice under his helmet as his mind tried to find a reason for this strange reques.

His shoulders went stiff almost instinctively but he kept looking at the count from under his helmet.

"The master wants you to kidnap the Duchess" Count Dooku said.

There it was, the request that was expected of him.

A few more seconds of silence passed between the two men and Jango remained silent as he just thought if he should say something or not.

"Kidnapped?" Jango asked in a calm and controlled voice as if he was trying to guess what the word meant.

"That's correct" Count Dooku replied.

But that wasn't really what Jango expected...Not even at all.

Becacuse sneaking into Mandalore would be possible, it'd be difficult but it was possible.

But kidnapping the duchess who's under the watch of the Mandalorian security? That's like an insane suicide mission.

The security in Mandalore would be focused on its two princesses, especially after the failed attempts on princess Bo Katan.

Jango was a man who could survive on small scraps of food, he strong and smart and he took pride on the fact that he was a patient thinker and a great judge of character.

He knew that he bad too many risks so he weighed down his options.

There were too many opportunities for something to go wrong in this mission.

And no clear reason why the separatists or whatever count Dooku and his mysterious master truly were wanted the duchess.

But he also knew that questions rarely led anywhere useful at least not in this business and not with people like count Dooku.

"All right...I'll do my best" Jango said after a second or so of silence but the words sounded way too careful even to his own ears.

Dooku's gaze lingered on him in that same cold and sharp way it usually was. But this time it lingered long enough for Jango to briefly wonder if count Dooku suspected him.

The thought made him feel uncomfortable and slightly worried.

Because if he was really under suspicion then he would be in grave danger.

If Dooku or this hidden Master had somehow discovered that Jango told the Jedi about the army of clones then the mission of kidnapping the duchess might not be a mission at all...It could simply be a test.

"Jabba the Hutt failed to kill princess Bo Katan...Surely you've heard" Dooku said eventually, breaking the silence.

"Word travels" Jango replied in an even voice.

Count Dooku nodded in agreement and looked at him for an another second or so before letting out a quiet breath then he turned his attention to the window.

"Then you understand the importance of succeeding where others have failed" Count Dooku said.

But Jango knew it was a warning that was meant to be taken seriously if he fails them this time.

"Understood" Jango replied curtly.

"I expect results, you're dismissed" Count Dooku said before raising a hand to dismiss him.

Jango turned and walked from the room, but it was only than that his thoughts started wandering over to all the possible outcomes of this job.

It was getting dangerous...Too dangerous.

He had never cared that much about politics. Republic, Separatists, Jedi or Mandalorians...It hardly mattered.

People paid so he worked according to what he's given.

That had always been the arrangement.

A simple arrangement that ensured that he had enough to feed himself.

But things had changed since he met count Dooku because there was Boba to think about now.

And if half of what he'd seen on Kamino was true, then whatever Dooku's people were planning was far bigger than another political assassination.

An army.

A secret war before the galaxy even realized one had begun.

He had warned the Jedi.

Maybe that had been a mistake and maybe not.

But it didn't matter now.

What mattered was surviving long enough to get himself and his son away from whatever storm was coming.

Because storms like this swallowed people whole.

••☆★☆••

Ferus stood outside the door for a few seconds before entering.

He could hear voices drifting faintly through the room from the other side of the door.

Low and tired voices that were slightly louder then whispers.

The kind that came after too many sleepless nights.

He pushed the door open.

Padmé stood near the large window overlooking Coruscant, dressed simply despite the position she held, hands folded neatly in front of her.

Sabé sat nearby, datapad balanced across her lap, while General Gregar stood with the rigid posture of someone who never really knew how to relax.

They were all really exhausted including Ferus himself but none of them would admit it.

Sabé looked up first.

"What brings you here? I thought you were leaving for Kamino" She said.

Ferus let out a sigh then crossed the room and lowered himself into the nearest chair.

"I can't go alone" Ferus said.

That got their attention.

Padmé turned fully to look at him now, she had a confused frown on her face.

Ferus took a seat on the nearest chair to him then leaned forward, elbows resting against his knees.

"I just received a message from Jango Fett, he told me why Kamino is dangerous...An army is being built there...Clones, he was their donor" Ferus explained.

Padmé stood still for a few seconds, she struggled to find the right words.

Everything suddenly sounded impossible once spoken aloud.

General Gregar broke the silence first.

"What do you have in mind, boy?" General Gregar asked.

Ferus looked up at him briefly before turning his gaze back to the floor under his feet.

He was thinking about whether he should tell Padmé about the real reason he had agreed to take this mission.

But on the other hand that was the woman whom Anakin loved.

Wouldn't it be unfair of him to keep that secret from her?

He decided that it was probably better to tell her everything.

"I made a promise...I said that I was going to find out who's trying to kill Senator Amidala and I said that I was going to protect her with my life" Ferus said.

He looked at his feet and clasped his hands together.

"But things are...Much bigger than I thought" Ferus continued.

Sabé straightened in her seat slightly and Padmé said nothing.

She was listening to Ferus patiently waiting to see where this was going.

Ferus rubbed tiredly at his temple.

"Jango Fett doesn't know who the army is meant to fight...But someone commissioned it in secret" Ferus said.

Silence settled over the room.

"And?" Gregar asked.

Ferus let out a deep tired breath and turned to him.

"It might be meant for the Jedi" Ferus replied.

Sabé frowned in thought as she thought about his words carefully.

"Or the Republic" She said quietly.

Ferus nodded once.

"Exactly" He said.

The possibility alone made his stomach twist.

Because if he was right and if this army had been built in secret...Then everything was already moving according to the planner....Maybe even too quickly to stop.

"I think I need to warn the temple" He said.

The general crossed his arms.

"Your duty is to guard my lady" He said.

The words landed hard and Ferus looked away because Gregar wasn't wrong.

Padmé had already been attacked...Multiple times.

And whoever was behind it clearly wasn't finished.

Padmé sighed softly.

"You want to warn your people...You have every right to do so" She said after a few seconds of silence.

Ferus looked up at her, surprised.

Then she stepped closer.

"But don't forget that you still have a responsibility here" She said.

Her tone wasn't harsh or accusing, only firm.

"We still don't know who's behind Nute Gunray's actions or why this has gone on for so long" She continued.

Ferus nodded slowly.

"I know" He replied.

And that was the problem.

Everything connected somehow...He could feel it.

He just couldn't see the whole picture yet.

"That's why I think you should come with me" He said finally.

Sabé frowned and Padmé tilted her head slightly.

"To the temple I mean...Briefly" He continued.

General Gregar's expression darkened immediately.

"Absolutely not" He protested.

"The Jedi Temple is probably one of the safest places on Coruscant" Ferus argued.

"Or one of the first places they'd search for us" General Gregar said.

Sabé exchanged a glance with Padmé.

"My lady..." She started carefully.

Padmé looked thoughtful.

It would certainly be really strange to go to the temple knowing that Anakin won't be there to greet her or talk to her.

It would be really strange not to see him anymore.

But she had to follow her guard to see what he had in mind especially considering the fact that he keeps insisting that he'll do everything he can to protect her.

"Maybe the safest place is somewhere they've already stopped looking" She said.

The room fell quiet for a few seconds.

Ferus thought about how his return would be, he was now a deserter.

It would be really awkward for him to return to the temple especially considering the fact that he left willingly.

But he had no other choice.

He needed to give the senator a safe place to hide and also make sure that he has access to the Jedi library especially the restricted section.

He had a feeling that he'll find out something interesting if he searches the place carefully.

General Gregar let out a slow breath.

"My lady, it has been months. We've made little progress, and moving you again carries risks" He explained.

Padmé met his gaze steadily.

"Staying still carries risks too" She replied.

And for the first time in a long while...No one in the room had an immediate answer to that.

"This army you speak of...Do the Jedi know how to dismantle it?" Sabé asked.

"Only one way to find out" Ferus said.

••☆★☆••

"Big brother, I brought your food" Cal said.

He waited outside for a minute or so before opening the door to Anakin's room when he received no answer.

When he walked into the room he saw Anakin standing in front of the window, his hands behind his back and his eyes closed.

"Big brother" Cal asked.

Anakin didn't respond so Cal reached over to put a hand on Anakin's forearm but as soon as he did he retracted his hand back.

Because before he could even touch Anakin some barrier hurt his fingertips causing him to recoil.

"Big brother" Cal called in a louder voice.

Anakin finally opened his eyes but didn't look at him.

"Big brother, are you alright?" Cal asked in a concerned voice as soon as he noticed that Anakin had opened his eyes.

"What? Yes...Yes, I'm alright, I was just meditating" Anakin replied.

"You shouldn't even be standing, you're still injured remember?" Cal asked.

Anakin couldn't help but smile at the young boy.

Then he knelt down to his height and placed both of his hands on his shoulders.

"You...Will be one of the best Jedi the world ever knew Cal, you just need to focus on what matters the most" Anakin said.

Cal frowned and tilted his head slightly to the side.

"What does that mean? What's the most important thing?" Cal asked.

Anakin smiled again and stood up normally.

"It varies, one day you'll understand that following orders and rules isn't what makes you a Jedi" Anakin replied.

Cal looked at him for a few seconds before clearing his throat.

"I...Here's your food big brother Anakin" Cal stuttered.

Then he put the tray down on the nightstand and walked over to the door.

"Thanks" Anakin said.

When Cal walked out of the room he saw Obi Wan standing outside so he greeted him politely before walking away.

Obi Wan walked into Anakin's room and closed the door behind him.

"Anakin" He said.

Anakin turned to him briefly before turning to look at the window again.

"You leave in five minutes, are you sure you can do this on your own?" Obi Wan asked in a voice that sounded really serious and yet concerned at the same time.

Anakin nodded once in response.

"Darth Sidious knows that I can remember everything from my past life, he might also know that we already know what he's planning...But this time we came prepared" Anakin said.

"What are you planning?" Obi Wan asked.

"We have to stop the purge from happening and to do that we'll need an army" Anakin replied.

He turned to look at Obi Wan again.

"There's an army waiting for us, we need to make sure it's on our side and if that doesn't work then we need to make sure Kamino is safe" Anakin said.

"Kamino?" Obi Wan asked frowning as he tried to remember where he had heard that name before.

A knock on the door interrupted his line of thoughts and both him and Anakin turned to the person who walked into the room.

"It's time for you to go...Your ship is ready" Master Windu said.

Anakin only nodded in response then walked over to the door.

A few minutes later he was sitting on the pilot's cockpit heading on his way to Chandrila.