Kohma returned home, assorted vegetables in hand and three moody Jedi arguing inside her house. She had barely reached for the handle before she decided against interrupting. From the serious tones and the furious rate of their babbling, Kohma thought it best to leave them to it. She turned back to look up at General Rhok, whom she had convinced to speak with the Jedi again about updates on the situation with their clone friends in the capital. Currently, he was stacked with three bundles of hooded ponchos and four woven bags of other necessary groceries.
She lifted a finger to her lips and gestured him to the fire pit around the back. He sighed, shrugging the ponchos back into place before trudging behind her. She smiled warmly at her nephew, always glad for his stoic company.
"They seem to be sorting out some issues so why don't we just wait here until they figure it out," she winked, lowering herself to sit on the ebony bark of the tree trunk. As carefully as he could, General Rhok copied her, placing the bags on the floor. His aunt rummaged around in her pockets with one hand, gesturing for the ponchos with the other. He sighed, getting up with a creak and handing her the three ponchos.
"Oh I only need two dearie. One of our guests already has montrals."
He gave her a confused look that quickly morphed into a smirk as she brought out some thread and a needle, ready to sew up the montral holes for the human Jedi.
Sitting back down, Kohma busied herself with getting to work whilst Rhok leaned forward, hands locked in front of him, elbows on his knees. The smoke from the ceremony still curled higher into the sky. They'd been lucky to retrieve any of the bodies of the fallen guards. As per tradition, the entire village had gathered that morning to support the families. With a heavy heart, he realised he could still hear them crying over the funeral pyres. This is what they don't see, he thought wearily. This is the calamity that they don't stay long enough to recognise.
"You know, we can't help them again, Aunty Kohma," he insisted. "The others wouldn't stand for it, especially not since this morning with the news of the pillaging in the inner city."
Kohma hummed away, weaving in and out of the soft warm brown of the material.
"If we don't treat our guests as one of our own, then we've disgraced our traditions," she muttered delicately.
General Rhok scoffed, rolling back his burly shoulders.
"But it's not about that. They vowed to protect our people but so far their words are empty-"
"Oh dearie, could you please move that way a little bit?" She asked suddenly, waving her hand to his left side. The older woman scrunched her nose, blinking wildly in the direct sunlight. With a few uncharacteristic grumbles, General Rhok shuffled his body to intercept the sun beams. She smiled at him again and set back to work in the newly shaded patch. His previous argument died in his throat, too tired to affirm what had already been said.
"She reminds you of Shaak, does she not?"
Her nephew leaned backwards, solemnly. She must've been referring to the Padawan learner who spoke at the negotiations. Although he was impressed with her resolve, she was far too young to be leading during a war, despite her mild resemblance to his cousin.
"I don't know - she doesn't really look like her at all-"
"But she does remind you of her, yes?" She insisted, halting her work to stare at him.
His breaths were controlled and deliberate. The Padawan's orange skin and intricate markings were most unlike his cousin's but the more he pondered, the more her realised that his Aunty was right. It was the way she held herself. It was her energy and enthusiasm and the strange mature dignity she displayed. From his earliest memories of Shaak, she was simultaneously a bundle of joy and calm. Whenever he would catch glimpses of her on the holonet, he could see how much had changed. The spark of joy had been replaced by a serene hardiness. Yet, the wise dignity when she folded her arms was such a powerful reminder that she was once apart of their village. That she had found her calling with the Jedi, like he had as apart of The Royal Shilli Army. The difference was that her duty had nothing to do with them anymore.
He remained quiet, unsure of what his Aunt wanted to hear from him.
She conceded, moving back to her work.
"They need you. That's all that should matter."
He chewed on her pointed statement. The sounds of the argument dimmed from within the hut, a breeze picking up as if to blow away the fumes. The relatives noticed this in the same moment, staring at one another once more. Kohma winked at him with a sly smile. General Rhok sighed, deciding to avoid the mistakes that the Jedi had made. He knew that it was fruitless to try to argue with his aunt.
"Then I believe that's our cue."
As soon as he heard Ahsoka latch the bunker closed, Anakin's temper begun to wither and die. His hands loosened from being tightly clasped behind his back and his shoulders sunk. He faced the kitchen window and watched the last wisps of smoke dissipate into the sky. You did the right thing, his mind chanted. You're the master and she's the Padawan - you have the final say.
His gut backflipped, climbing up into his chest in an attempt to shut up his brain. It didn't feel like the right decision but then again, what other choices did? It felt like the kind of decision Obi Wan and the council would've made. Therefore, it should be the correct path and yet…
"The security of the Republic capital must come first, especially during war time-"
"Or have these Jedi brainwashed you so much that you're willing to blindly fight their battles and die on their orders-"
"I'd die before I let that happen…"
Why was he really making this choice? He knew it was his duty as General Anakin Skywalker, leader of the Grand Army of the Republic to protect Coruscant. But was it his duty as a Jedi to abandon his men and the people who saved them? Obi Wan seemed to think so. No matter what kind of sticky situation they were in, Obi Wan was his compass. His old master would always know what to do without any kind of deliberation. Sure, they would fight about a course of action but during the rare times when Anakin was uncertain of himself, Obi Wan was there.
He knew he was right about having to leave the planet. But on a deeper level, he questioned their line of logic - or at least their blind faith in it.
"Anakin…"
Obi Wan Kenobi had mastered the art art of saying his name in a disappointed fashion.
"What?" He snapped, barely lifting his head to talk to him. "I agreed with you."
He heard Obi Wan shuffle in his seat uncomfortably.
"Yes, you did," he remarked, quiet and steady. "Why is that?"
Anger boiled up again as Anakin spun around to face him.
"Because we have Republic intel. Because the Separatists are jamming our transmissions. Because The Queen of this system placed the fate of the alliance on the life of a teenager!"
Obi Wan leaned on the table, holding up his chin with his bridged hands. The glint of sympathy made his line of questioning even more unbearable.
"Not because you realised that Ahsoka was prepared to die for the mission?"
Anakin's laughter bled through him, harsh and bitter. "Typical; the one time I support you and you're trying to lecture me."
He shook his head, leaning back on the chair. "Not at all. But if you think there's a better way to go about this, I want to hear it, Anakin. You're a talented strategist and I trust your judgment."
Anakin glared at him, arms folded and back rigid.
"… most of the time," Obi Wan added. "You're not the only one with concerns about leaving. If possible, I want to hear your thoughts about a plan B."
The Jedi Knight took three deep breaths. He detected none of his Master's usual sass in his tone, which if anything, made him more wary about the conversation. Still, he knew if he had the opportunity to talk, he needed to take it. Anakin strode over to the table and sat down diagonally opposite him.
"It doesn't feel right to leave Rex and the clones behind - or to abandon these people," he started.
Obi Wan nodded, waiting for him to continue.
"And I believe that if there's even a chance we can help them, we have to take it."
"Usually, I would agree with you but what about the intel?"
"I know, I know, we can't risk getting caught but-" Anakin's eyes lit up, like a thousand puzzle pieces beginning to take shape.
Obi Wan counted in his head, waiting for the reveal of the probably desperate and potentially excellent plan Anakin's brain plotted out.
"But?" He pried.
"Ahsoka," he said, slightly breathless with the buzz of activity in his nervous system. "Ahsoka is the only one who can't get caught. She's the one who has to get off world - not us."
The older Jedi stoked his ginger beard in thought.
"If Ahsoka leaves by herself, we'd still be trapped here."
"Not if we manage to rescue the clones," Anakin interrupted, his hand gestures becoming crisper. "And not if she waits for us as our getaway driver."
Obi Wan slowly nodded along to the plan, catching Anakin's tidal wave of a drift.
"If we're successful in freeing the clones and escaping the city, then our chances of destroying the long range jammer increase drastically."
"And if we're don't, Ahsoka leaves the planet without us and sends for reinforcements!"
A dumb, contagious grin spread across the young general's face. Obi Wan couldn't help but allow him this small victory.
"Anakin - you're a genius."
Anakin stood up again, his manic energy spewing optimism.
"Glad you finally noticed," he quipped.
Kohma decided then to creak the door open.
"Is it safe yet?" She squirmed, squinting through the crack. Someone else was behind her. A brief moment of alarm hit Anakin before he relaxed at the vaguely familiar presence.
"Yes, Ms Tii," Obi Wan supplied, humoured by her antics.
She slid herself into the hut, followed by the Shili Guard General from the meeting the night before. He squared up in a dignified manner as cloth bags of what he could smell were groceries, swung from his arms.
"I don't believe we properly met," he said to Anakin. "General Rhok of the Royal Shili Army."
"General Anakin Skywalker of the Grand Army of the Republic," he replied, shaking his least occupied hand.
"I'll leave you to it then! It's all been a bit exciting for me. I'll be in my room should you need me dearie!" She called out to Rhok, slipping into the narrow corridor. His grip on Anakin's hand tightened as he acknowledged her.
"Thank you, Aunty Kohma," he called back.
The grand introduction suddenly became amusingly heartfelt.
"I came here to offer what information I could," he started up again, intriguing both Jedi. Anakin turned to Obi Wan who stared at him in that infuriating way that he was trying to tell him to do something.
"What information?" He said bluntly and could just feel the waves of annoyance roll off of his old master.
The General searched the room before answering. "Information on the whereabouts of your troops," he said distractedly as Anakin straightened up and Obi Wan crossed his arms, immediately more alert. "My apologies for asking, but where's your Padawan?"
Oh. That's what Obi Wan meant before, Anakin thought. He'd dismissed Ahsoka adamance about gathering support from the other Shili officers as her simply being naive. Now, here stood the Shili General himself, offering his help, just like his Padawan said might happen.
He heaved a sigh, allowing the sincerity reach his voice.
"Actually, I think she's the one you should talk to first. She's just downstairs."
The General seemed initially confused, but walked towards the cupboard doors anyway.
The broad shouldered Togruta calmly cracked it open, avoiding knocking over the jars of mixed spices. Before he could open the final shelf, Anakin stopped him.
"She was right about you," he added in barely a mutter, hoping that his Padawan's excellent hearing wouldn't catch it. "I told her you couldn't help us. She called me out on it and said that you would anyway. And she was right."
A pause followed his confession.
The Togrutan General bowed his head just like the stoic figures he grew up with at the temple before moving down the ladder. Although the acknowledgement to most would seem like a minimal effort, Anakin knew how much respect could be conveyed in that simple gesture.
And it took a lot of respect to admit how wrong he was.
Hey guys! Sorry about the late upload - it's been a little hectic for me recently. But never fear, your weekly Clone Wars dose is here! Thanks for sticking with me, I'm glad you guys are enjoying it and leaving reviews. From here on out, it'll start ramping up again (pacing is something I'm working at...)
ALSO! I made a tumblr for art I make about my fanfictions so if you're keen for more content, you can dive in right here:
blog/suryarolt