Anakin POV
We had been waiting about a half an hour for the sleemo who beat the slave to come back. I was looking around the room, which seemed to be a meeting place, with a bunch of small tables, and refreshment stations all around. I went and retrieved Obi-Wan a drink, playing the part of a servant perfectly. He sat there and grabbed it without acknowledging me. All the while I was using the room to scan for cameras and bugs. I found there was none.
"We're clear," I said.
Obi-Wan nodded, and put his drink on the table. He was not drinking out of it, and was just miming for the cameras.
I sat down at the table, and felt like I was frozen in the lack of warmth the slave outfit offered. Now that it was evening, Malachor had gotten colder. I pulled my cloak around me.
"Skyguy," asked Ahsoka.
"Yeah, Snips."
"Those prisoners, in the cells, what is Sidious gonna… do to them?" said Ahsoka softly, as if she was about to cry.
"Hey, at the end of the day all of those slaves will be free, and Sidious will be in custody again," I said, gently. "Until he breaks out and tries to take over the galaxy, again."
"Anakin," chided Obi-Wan, "your life is not going to be chasing Sidious all of the time. It will have twists and turns. Think about Padme, and Jinn, and Ashla. One day, Luke and Leia will be here."
"And Ben," I said with a smile.
"And Ben," he added.
"Who is Ben?" asked Ahsoka.
"My grandson. He was born around the time we had the mission to Zoist. He will be almost two now."
"He is Leia's son," Obi-Wan explained.
"Oh. My. Gosh." squealed Ahsoka.
"Hush. Snips, we are supposed to be hiding," I chastised her.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, glancing at the door. "So, the Skywalker legacy continues. Who does he look like?"
"My mom actually," I said. "He's got her hair and cheekbones."
"Aww, and they named him Ben. Where did that come from?"
"Well, just like you were Ashla during the Empire, I was Ben, Ben Kenobi," said Obi-Wan.
"So he is named after a Jedi Knight. That is perfect."
"Luke has already tested him," I said. "When he is around seven, he will start being trained as a Jedi."
"Of course," said Ahsoka, "the family legacy."
"Yeah," I said sullenly, "the legacy."
"What?" asked Ahsoka.
"It's just I don't have a father, and I am the first Jedi of the family. The family legacy is Borderline Personality Disorder and the Dark Side. What if I ruin him?"
"Anakin," chastised Obi-Wan.
"The kid is two," said Ahsoka, "and you are worried about him falling to the Dark Side. That is like everyone was worried when the Order tested Ashla. They're babies. Besides you're dead. How are you going to ruin him?"
"People will tell him I was a great Sith, very powerful. That power flows through his veins and if he joins he can access that power. See I did not have to think for two minutes and I already came up with a very seductive idea."
"Well, don't you think Luke and Liea have thought of that," said Obi-Wan. "They are the ones who saved you, you must have faith that they can guide Ben to a life away from the Dark Side."
"I suppose," I said. "I just hope I haven't doomed the boy."
"Anakin, you were forty-five years old, and had been a Sith for twenty-three years, then surprised everyone, including Palpatine, which was priceless, and turned back to the Light Side. No one is doomed, especially when they are barely two years old."
"You don't think he will find out about me and think he has some sort of legacy?"
"If he does, Luke and Liea told the story wrong. You died a Jedi my old friend. The Chosen one at that."
"Yeah Master," said Ahsoka, "you are always complaining how Yoda and Windu doubted you when you were a child and did not give you the vote of confidence. Well, give Ben the vote of confidence. He is going to be a great Jedi like you, Luke, Leia, Ashla, and Jinn. That is his legacy."
I nodded as Ahsoka's words made sense. I remembered being told I was too old to be a Jedi, how that rejection colored my view of the council from an early age. Here I was saying Ben should not be trained because two generations ago, there was a Sith in the family! That was absolutely ridiculous and setting him up to fail. If anything, being the grandson of the chosen one and the nephew of Luke, and the son of Leia will set him up to be a powerful Jedi. He will have a strong will and the Force will always be with him always. I smiled at the thought of my grandson's endeavors. Hopefully, eighty years from now, I will meet him, and hear about his ways as a Jedi first hand.
"Wouldn't we be a sight?" I mused aloud. "Obi-Wan, Me, Luke, and Ben, four generations of masters and apprentices."
"Now, you're talking," said Ahsoka.
"Yes, Anakin. You are always so negative. But hopefully, in a long time, after Ben's full and wonderful life, we will all be here in the Force together."
"I wonder what we will be doing?" mused Ahsoka.
"Probably the same old thing, catching sith."
"Well, one thing will be different. There will be two new Jedi who will need training," said Obi-Wan, smiling.
"You think we should train Ashla?"
"Well, lets see, I trained you, and it collapsed the entire republic, put Sidious in power, and killed me. Now, the Republic is strong again, Sidious is about to be locked up, and I am in the afterlife so I can't die. So, what's the worst that can happen?"
I pushed him gently, but grinned all the same. If Obi-Wan was willing to take a chance on my daughter, then maybe he could get the Council to follow suit.
"It could blow up in our face," I said.
"Alright, first of all I believe the Council is wrong. There is no way to know the fate of a child when they are a year old. We were just talking about that with Ben. Second, Yoda did not see the dark side, but difficulties. She will be emotional and obstinate, like you. Nothing we can't handle. Third, just because a child has a rough teenage years does not mean they can not be good Jedi. Look at you, after all that you have been though, put us through, there is no one who could handle Sidious. Ashla will be fine, she needs the right teacher."
"They already talked to you about it?"
"Yes, Anakin. And I think you should consider it."
"Consider what?" asked Ahsoka.
"Taking Ashla as a Padawean when she is old enough," answered Obi-Wan.
"Oh," said Ahsoka. "Do it Skyguy."
"I'm thinking about it, but what if I fail."
"Or, you could have one of the strongest relationships a person can have. Parent and Master, daughter and Padawan, she would come to you for anything. You would be her best friend."
I reflected on my life with Ahsoka, and how I would do anything to have that kind of relationship with Leia or Luke. Now I am being offered a chance to have that relationship with my daughter and I am hesitating. Why? Because Palpatine sunk his teeth into me. No, not this time.
"When we get home," I said. "I am going to fight for her."
There was a knock on the door, and then it opened quietly and a slave girl entered wearing something similar to Ahsoka but in all black.
"The master will see you now," she said quietly.
"Come fools," said Obi-Wan as he stood and walked out of the room. Ahsoka and I stood and followed behind him. It was now or never.
