Author's Note: I just thought it would be an interesting idea to explain Ahsoka's fate, and also how Anakin has to deal with betraying the people he cares about. I hope you like it!
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars or any of its characters.
The Completion
"Execute Order 66." Palphatine's sickening voice ran through his head over and over again, the echoing sound slowly brainwashing him.
He would destroy them, if only to prove his loyalty to his new master. Nothing would stop him. Even as he felt a small twinge of sadness and perhaps, even, horror, he also felt a tidal wave of hatred and revenge crush the doubts in his mind.
He was ready now. He could sense some of the clones had become impatient of waiting and others were silently questioning whether he was strong enough to lead them. It made him even more furious and he felt like reaching out to suffocate one of them with a choke, to show them how delicate and disposable they were. To show them that they were inferior, and they would obey him. He signaled the Commander.
"We're moving out."
The clone nodded and yelled at the squadrons to start marching. And they did. Hundreds of troops all stepped forward in unison, taking each stride with strong, determined steps.
They were on the streets now, and people were screaming and rushing away, even as others boldly watched from the shadowed dwellings of alleyways. Anakin ignored them. They were not part of the plan.
The time was short, but the length felt long as they marched down the streets, past cantinas and tall, elegant buildings, and even the slouched shacks of those who were poorer and were tied to the ground in a hopeless fate. It was all so slow as he watched the horrified expressions slowly twist upon the faces of ordinary citizens who were so unfortunate as to have been about that day. And yet, it was almost too fast, for later he would only remember the blur of the buildings and the screech of a twi'lek female as she suddenly caught sight of the moving army. No, it was the battle that he would always remember as clear as the twin suns of Tatooine beating out of the blue sky and burning the endless sand. It was the battle that would come to haunt him in his sleep as he glimpsed her face one last time.
Then temple came in sight, and Anakin felt a warmth run through him at the recognizable sight of coming home to the temple after a hard mission. He shook his head. No. He wasn't coming home. Not anymore.
The large steps that led to the door were suddenly underneath him. The beating rhythm of the soldier's feet fed the growing adrenaline, and out of the corner of his eye, Anakin could see the clones begin to raise their blasters and take defensive positions.
The door opened. There was a yell, a cheer. Clones running for the entry, and Jedi rushing out to meet them.
Anakin cleared his mind one more time. There couldn't be any doubts. He had to rid himself of them. Completely separate himself from the memories of the past, and accept what he now was.
He ran forward and leapt into the building, activating his lightsaber and slicing at the Jedi who had been closest. The unfortunate rodian crumpled the ground, a long cut down his midsection, and blood staining his tunic. Anakin glanced at the fallen body for a second, and then ran for the next Jedi.
It was like a game. The Jedi racking up points against the clones, and Anakin making up for the losses with the bodies of Jedi. If he had been younger, maybe even by just a few years, he would have been horrified with himself, but all he could do was be disgusted with the ugly sight of the dead corpses littering the ground.
From room to room they moved. The archives, the training rooms, personal quarters. All he could hear were the screams around him. It was nice to have that power. To know he could cause such a disruption. To dole out punishment and pain as he saw fit. He would be remembered now, for what had happened today.
And as the other Jedi looked at him in their last moment, they would regret having held him back and treating him like he was a stupid child. Palphatine was right. He held great power and was capable of so much more. The Jedi could never offer him what Palphatine had.
He reached the children's wing. Anakin slowed down and started walking across the hard floor to the meditating room, the metallic clanking of his footstep echoing down the halls.
As he approached, his lifted his lightsaber, preparing to cut down the door.
"Anakin, stop!"
He froze. He knew that voice. He knew that voice. And he was unprepared. All of the control he had been forcing upon himself melted away for a second. Just for a second.
A togruta female jumped in front of the door, her green lightsaber raised in defense, and eyes pleading.
Ahsoka.
She was older and taller now since when he had last been training her, but still wore the similar attire of when she had been younger. He could recognize her anywhere.
Anakin had been dreading this. He had rather hoped a clone would somehow be lucky enough to take her down.
"Sni—Ahsoka. Get out of the way. Now."
She stood un-intimidated, unflinchingly towards him.
He spoke softly, reminding of her of when she had been his padawan. "Ahsoka, please. Don't make me do this. Just leave. Hide somewhere and never show your face."
She shook her head. "Is this about you being spared having to kill someone that once meant something to you, or do you actually care about my life?"
"It's about whether you want to live or not!"
He had a vision all of a sudden, of her lying dead on the floor. Eyes staring into nothing, body lifeless, her memory gone forever to him. He tried to reject the image, but deep in his heart, he knew that was the outcome.
He couldn't kill her. He just couldn't. Ahsoka was like a little sister to him.
Like Obi-Wan was your older brother?, a voice spoke in his mind.
Anakin clenched his fist. He had given her a chance to escape, and now she needed to deal with the consequences.
"Anakin, there are children in there. I cannot stand by and watch. There was a time when you would have understood that. Think about what you're doing!"
"Anakin died. He was the little boy who missed his mother, and the man who admired his master. I am neither of those now."
"I admired Anakin. I can only hope that he would have been proud of me." She said sadly.
He swung at her. She leapt to the wall, and used her legs to jump off it and cling to the rafters on the ceiling.
He used the Force to propel his lightsaber forward at the ceiling, and could hear the sizzle of metal melting and the clang of the ceiling pipes hitting each other. Sparks flew down as the lightsaber returned. He had almost expected her body to fall down with it.
He turned around just in time to block the green blur of light aimed at his face.
He twisted, she ducked. They battled on. He finally gained the upper hand, however, when she started to tire. She wasn't as strong as him. Anakin could have easily used to Force to dispose of her, but he granted her one last dignity. He would let her die in a fair fight, with a lightsaber in her hand.
And that's how it ended. She began to falter, and when she lifted her lightsaber in a desperate attempt to bring it down on his head, he stabbed her just below the lung.
Her eyes widened, and he sliced her again. And again. Ahsoka fell.
"Sky-guy...." She whispered in a distant voice.
"I'm sorry Snips. I'm so sorry." And he swung the last final stroke into her heart. She breathed one last ragged breath and didn't move again.
Anakin bent down and closed her eyes. "It could have been different, Ahsoka. It could have been so different."
Out of everything. Out of joining Anakin, or running to safety, or surrendering, she had chosen death.
Anakin looked away. He felt himself harden to hatred again. This time the hatred was directed to himself. Everything was broken and ruined. His life, his love, his friends. Anakin Skywalker was no more.
And she was gone. Now he had finally separated himself from the past. Now he was complete.
Darth Vader walked toward the doorway, not looking back.