Rewrite of a trash fic I did. I decided to revamp it.
I really hope you guys enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it!
I don't own Star wars the clones wars
I do own Kairi Remex
ONE:
Back to back. A never-ending train of missions that just when a break was going to occur another wave struck him and pulled him out onto the front lines. He didn't know what to think about it or if he should even hold some sort of thought about the situation.
After all part of him was grateful for it.
The missions took his mind off of everything with the battles to help distract him. The only thing he possibly needed to worry about was to keep alive as many men as possible and bring a victory home to the republic. Yet the missions created half of the problems they solved. They led him looking behind his back for a certain someone who wasn't there. Every glance over his shoulder was a painful reminder that his own back was the only thing needed to be watched. Not a padawan that should be there, but wasn't.
Anakin Skywalker took a seat on his cot within his temporary quarters and rubbed his temples in frustration. The bags under his weary blue eyes spoke louder than words and maybe he did need a break, but the Jedi Knight sat on the fence debating if he genuinely wanted one.
Would requesting another mission smother him? If so, what would finish him first? A blaster shot, a run in with some sort of dark jedi, or his own stress? Of course, he had sustained ways to stabilize his own sanity. Such as bickering to Obi Wan, sneaking away to Padme or working on anything that involved mechanics. They however became a form of reminders once again with some off comment or a slip of the tongue or even a memory that would replay the realization that she wasn't there.
Ahsoka made plenty of mistakes. Running away wasn't the best idea. Escaping from her cell was not a smart idea. However, the council made mistakes as well and… the thoughts bounced around his skull in a throbbing manner.
She was innocent.
She did not commit any crime.
How were they too blind to see that?
Anakin took a deep breath, his favorite hand; flesh hand slipped through his hair as he tried to calm himself. A Jedi was not to live in the past, but it was sometimes so hard not to. The past sometimes held better, happier times than what he dealt with now. He could not simply forget it. No, it wasn't that easy. It felt intolerable, and part of him felt unable to move on. Part of him did not want to move on, because everything that had happened had been unfair. A mess that held innocent blood.
He stood up slowly, his eyes roaming across the small room debating if he needed to grab anything. The room itself was just a tad smaller than a studio apartment. Not that Anakin could care. It provided basic needs and space. The door across from him led into a tiny refresher and to the right of the door was one small yet decent size desk with a window sitting directly in front of it that allowed for some light to sweep into the room. At the end of his cot was a small closet that held another cot if necessary, and place to put any extra items. For a man who had missions thrown left and right at him, this was the type of living space he needed. One fit for a soldier.
It was far different from his other quarters. They were not quite permanent, but they hadn't been as temporary as the confined space he stood in. They were an in between, a resting area a padawan and a master could depend on coming back to after a long mission. It provided a sense of stability, a feeling that was rare in the scene of war. However, with no padawan meant no need for a sort of 'luxury'. He was by himself, once again. Anakin couldn't place his own feelings to the matter if he was in some way, lucky. Lucky because he did not need to worry about taking care of another person. Their possible death could then be his fault. His mistake. However, he held regret and a sense of emptiness to him that felt as if the void would never fill.
The Knight stepped through the sliding door, passing the threshold into the quiet, merely empty and large corridor. A few older Jedi were in the long hall, a few were standing while making conversations as others passed Anakin swiftly with small kind nods as they made their way. Anakin dipped his head in response before strolling through the hall, his eyes scanning around as if he were searching for someone. "Anakin," A voice no other than Obi wan's bounced out of the comlink and gained Anakin's attention quickly. He pressed down on a button in response.
"Master," He answered, his head turning expecting to see Obi Wan catching up to him. "You need me?" He questioned, eyebrow rising slightly.
There was a decent pause on the other end before Obi Wan was heard again. "You've been summoned by the council. I suggest you begin heading here now. It's Important." It was the missing urgency from Obi Wan's voice that caught Anakin off guard. Nevertheless, he decided not to question it and stalk his way to the council chambers. What was so important or was it truly important? For such a calm voice, it seemed as if it couldn't be much. Maybe his hope had come true. Maybe there was another mission that was waiting for a debriefing.
Whether there was or wasn't a waiting mission for him, it didn't matter. Once Anakin entered the council chambers, the first thing that caught his attention was Obi Wan staring directly at him. The look in the bearded man's eyes held a stare that could only be described as a content form of worry? His weary smirk match the rest of his expression. "Good to have you join us." His arms folded behind his back while he spoke and his eyes glazed from Anakin to the other council members.
Anakin gave a silent nod before tilting his head in Mace Windu's direction. "Skywalker, was there anyone outside the room before you entered?" His voice filled the quietness of the large room like a sharp wave crashing against a shore.
Anakin cocked his head slightly over his shoulder, the blue in his eyes glancing back at the door. "Uhhh…" He slowly turned his head back to face the older Jedi, his arms crossing in the process. "No?" The Knight paused and watched the master Jedi exchange glances. "Should there have been?"
Mace sighed with a small shake of his head, "She's running late."
Obi wan chuckled softly. "Give her time. Just like Anakin, she not too punctual." Anakin rotated his head back to his former master. His eyes narrowing gently and his face mustered all signs of confusion.
Who were they possibly referring too?
"Who's this?" Anakin leaned the front of his body ever slightly towards Obi Wan and eyebrow cocked, curiously.
Obi wan lips turned upward into a small smirk, "Patience. You will discover in due time." The young Jedi knight peered around toward the other members of the council as if they would provide him the answers he sought. However none of them parted their lips whatsoever. Instead, a blur of golden blonde wisp whipped pass him in a hurry. The sound of the door sliding shut was faint to Anakin's ears while he watched the fast and small blobs of navy blue and crimson red of a uniform. A uniform that was far from any traditional Jedi wear. He blinked once, prephaps twice and saw a short girl now standing in front of him. He stared at her back, wondering how old she was. She must have two, maybe almost three heads shorter than him, Anakin couldn't help but notice that he practically loomed over her small figure.
He arched a brow once again while he watched her begin to bow her head frantically to the council members. The long locks of hair bouncing with limited movement due to her pony tail. "My apologies!" Her small yet high-pitched voice spoke honestly. "I lost track of time…" A nervous bubble of laughter left the girl. She slowly lifted her glaze and glanced behind her at Anakin. Her green eyes meeting his blue ones as a smile developed happily on her face.
Who was this girl exactly. Did the youngling really believe she could run into a council meeting like this? With not even a knock? To do such was to be scolded and Anakin knew from many of his own experience of waltzing into the council chambers as if the room was his. He held her gaze for a second before his eyes dropped down and gave her a scan. Her Jedi Uniform was far from traditional but it wasn't as much her outfit that caught his attention. It was the marks on her skin that littered her. Some were faded looking, while others were more pink and their sizes and shapes varied from mark to mark. He squinted his eyes carefully that them as she looked back at the older members in the room and found himself a bit shock. They weren't regular markings. Nothing that were tribal or cultural about them. They were simply scars. Scars that danced across her bare legs and arms. One was skinny, pink in color and long on her cheek heading down to her chin from what Anakin could see. He only assumed more were hidden beneath her clothes. Though it did not matter as to how many she had, but why she had them. Was she a padawan? Was she reckless during her battles? Where and who was her master?
"Hopefully I'm not too late!" She chirped with excitement and her head fell once again. Her fingers began to play with end of an overly large scarf she wore as she twisted one of her feet as if she was putting out a cigarette.
Her eyes flickered back to Anakin before darting toward Plo Koon. The girl's smile only widening as he addressed her. "Padawan Remex, we have just started no need to fret." He assured the young girl.
A sigh of relief was heard from the blonde, "Oh phew!" She gave a small dip of her head and glanced to the other masters. "It's good to see you all today." She greeted with a bubbly tone and her eyes shining brightly.
Obi wan leaned forward in his chair. A smile forming towards her before he nodded his head. "Same to you, little one." He turned his head to his former padawan. "Anakin," He gave the smallest smirk that only washed more waves of confusion over Anakin. "This is Kairi Remex." Anakin looked down at girl as she turned on her heel to face him.
"Nice to meet ya!" She presented a small curtsy, one hand holding a piece of her skirt while her other hand rested on her hip Her eyes downcast and a small laugh left her, sounding like a nervous chuckle. "I'm your...Padawan learner..." The words flowed from her mouth with hesitation and Anakin simply stared at her having to perform a play back in his mind. Her smile slowly faded as silence lingered for a moment or two with him giving no response. "It's… um… an honor to be your padawan?" Her tone soften as she spoke up all while her gently scarred and freckled cheeks turned a quiet shade of pink.
Anakin snapped from the long and rapid train of thoughts to stare down at her. How was he supposed to respond. Was there a certain answer he was suppose to give? Better yet could he deny the opportunity to have her as a padawan? It seemed harshed and he felt like it was and maybe she was a good kid but that didn't mean he wanted a new padawan. He felt far from ready, he knew his hidden grief over his previous apprentice was not all that hidden, it simply seemed as such because because no one dared to speak of it.
Obi Wan cleared his throat, gaining the attention of those in the room. "Moving on…."
"The mission is to locate and destroy a weapons factory on Hoth." Mace Windu began to explain his eyes moving back and forth between Kairi and Anakin.
Kairi rose a finger with hesitation. "Excuse me," She met the stares of the council members. "Do we know where the factory is?" She wondered sounding fruity.
"Yes, we do young one," Mace concluded. "It placed inside an mountain. You and Skywalker will be dropped off in close distance to its location."
The padawan clasp her hands together in front of her, nodding her head. "Understood." The mumble left her with ease, looming into the air quietly.
Obi wan smiled towards her and Anakin. "We will be deporting in two standard hours.
"Wait," Anakin shook his head, glancing between his former master and the other council members. "Doesn't this mission seem advance for a new padawan learner?" He furrowed his brow, his voice strained.
A litter warning would have been nice? Even a hint that he would be receiving a new padawan would have been appreciated.
Yoda hummed softy, "Thought of this we have. Fitting it seems." He lifted his head to kairi, pointing his staff at her. "Ready she is."
The young padawan smiled brightly. "Thank you!" She chimed.
Anakin held back a sigh in his throat. "Understood," The Jedi knight turned from the other council members and headed from the room. Obi wan soon joined him, motioning for Kairi to follow. Unlike Anakin, the Obi Wani held welcoming smile on his face trying to make the girl feel at ease while he began to assume Anakin wouldn't do as easily.
Once the doors slid shut and the three strode down the hall, Kairi immediately broke the silence. "Mister Skywalker… Are you alright?" She tilted her head up to him, making her way in between Obi wan and Anakin. "You seem too peachy, mister." Obi wan muffled his chuckled as he listened to the girl's word choices. "You actually seem sort of grumpy." She added, her fingers busying themselves with one another.
Anakin grimace as he stayed silent or tried too. "Oh trust me, I'm quite… peachy." , He turned the corner with a grunt. Kairi hummed quietly with her brows together, her lips slightly puckered and her stare facing downward to the luscious yet simple, carpet rugs.
Obi wan passed her smoothly. He gained a few steps ahead of her, creating a distance between himself, anakin and her. "Anakin," The name left his tongue as if he were about to give a lecture. "A word?" Although he was requesting to speak privately with his former padawan, it came out more as a order with no way Anakin could possibly get out of it.
With a sigh of defeat he nodded towards him and followed obi wan off to the side of the hall. "Yes?" He urged just above a whisper.
Obi wan soften his eyes. "I understand that you are upset but-" He searched his thoughts for the words. "The council believes this is for the best." He placed a hand on Anakin's shoulder, "I only found out this morning about this new but I believe you need to give her a chance." There was a short pause. "At the very least."
A long breath dragged from the jedi knight. The blue of his eyes glancing at the girl. "I don't want another padawan." He kept his voice steady in a whisper all while he met eyes with Obi wan.
"Maybe you don't." Obi wan stroke his beard, dropping his hand from the young man's shoulder. "But, one mission. Just one. If you truly do not want to train her afterwards, then send her back to the council, but at least give her a chance first."
A long moment of silence swept pass and Anakin stood staring blanking at the floor. His eyes ever so slightly narrowed as if he were calculating something. Even if he was far from happy with the current situation, he still knew logically, it wasn't her fault.
He ran a hand over his face. "Alright, master," Obi wan nodded and two Jedi turned their heads to the Padawan who now stood against the wall, fingers twiddling with her scarf. "It was Kairi, right?" Anakin called to her.
Kairi stood up straight, a small stumble with her movements. "Y-yeah!" She stammered sheepishly.
Anakin tugged the corner of his lips upward. "Well come on. Let's get something to eat before the mission and we can discuss." He waved for her to follow. The Blonde's eyes immediately lit up and she practically skipped forward.
He was giving her a chance.
Thank you for reading. If you wanna do me a favor, please leave a comment. Comments mean the world to any writer and I always enjoy hearing input and what people like and don't like, and what I can do better! Thanks!