The storm outside raged as thunder shook the ground and tremors shook the ship, which was mounted on a pile of dirt accumulated after the crash landing. Quick bursts of lightning lit up the night sky, penetrating the darkness that had engulfed the small world.
Rain pattered and splashed against the windows with violent force, whilst Ahsoka 'set to work' on the engines, playing the role of the padawan and repairing the ship whilst Master Kenobi and Anakin just sat there moping.
She could sense Master Kenobi gazing out at the rather dull weather conditions, as he sat at the top of the ramp; through the vibrations in the ship as it continued to move under the force of the quakes.
She could silently read his signature, undetected, and noticed a small, miniscule slip in his shields which she may have never previously noticed. His thoughts were mainly comprised and focused on the whole situation at hand, and he seemed slightly distracted, with sub-undertones of his thoughts filled with concern rolling off him in minuscule waves, focusing mainly on Anakin.
For a moment she stopped in her work, trying to figure out how or why she could sense the jedi master's thoughts so easily, when Anakin - whom was right next to him - appeared to fiddling nervously with his prosthetic arm, clearly blissfully unaware of the crack in the elder man's shields.
'I guess it's because they never had to live in exile' she pondered to herself, 'or ever had to deal with the concern of inquisitors hunting them down and handing them over to the empire'
Not that an Inquisitor would have such luck when it came to the powerhouses known as Anakin Skywalker or Obi-Wan Kenobi; although Bail confirmed Master Kenobi's death and her former master had become consumed by the ruthless enforcer and sith lord known as Darth Vader.
Her time as a spy had served her well, she presumed the reason they didn't seem to sense her observation of their shields was because her presence was practically muted; along with that her intentions and thoughts. She was as unreadable as a wild Nexu in hunting season.
Snapping herself out of her contemplation, she focused back onto the gears, in an attempt to reroute power back to the main thrusters. The fuel supplies took hard beatings in the initial bumps and hits in the crash, and the fuel was starting to leak out of the pipe.
After rerouting the power, she took it upon herself to patch the small holes in the pipes, and to prevent the pool of oil from growing larger by the second - leaking a drip at a time. For a few minutes, she scrambled around for a welding tool and worked away at the ruptures, thankful for the safety goggles protecting her eyes from the build-up of grease.
It was then that her montrals started to listen to the exact conversation that took place all those years ago, the first time around, with Obi-Wan trying to make small talk with his former padawan about the weather; something she sensed him thinking about earlier.
"I'm getting a little tired on how unreliable the weather is here" he stated, trying to lace some brightness into his voice with the infamous silver tongue of the negotiator. Anakin leaned forward in his seat, welcoming any form of banter with enthusiasm, "Some might say that is part of the appeal", after his reply, his signature manifested back into paranoia and concern. Upon noticing this, the jedi master sent some praise.
"You did well Anakin, how do you feel?"
It was a personal question, one not being asked by concerned master to student, nor one meant for master addressing a knight, it was warm and meant as a friend asking a friend, or a brother asking a brother. The thought of what had been lost to the tide of the war and Palpatine made Ahsoka's gaze drift down to the floor, as she felt tears well up in her eyes.
"I'm not sure we are doing the right thing by leaving. The Son is consumed by the darkside". The concern in his voice was clear and evident, and she could tell he was desperate for clarity on the situation, regardless or not if she had been witness to this conversation a while ago. "And if we stay, we may be used to the darkside's advantage" Obi-Wan agreed, quite pointlessly, Ahsoka may add, but she couldn't blame the man for trying to dispel the long silence that had grown since the death of the daughter, which was still fresh in their minds. Well, Everyone's BUT Ahsoka's.
Remembering how she interrupted last time, she had to give the report similar to the previous time, to try and stick to her self-assigned role of Snippy padawan. Pulling her dialogue from the depths of her memory, she looked at the two men, pulling the wrench up onto the vents and hauling herself up. "Do you want the news? Or the really bad news?", she put emphasis on 'really' to make the situation seem unnecessarily dreary, despite knowing that they were going to make it out anyways.
Both jedi turned to her, their eyes locking in direct eye contact with her, "Well.. let's try the bad news laced with a little optimism" Master Kenobi stated, trying to keep up the positivity in the room, Ahsoka climbed out of the shaft, to prepare some of the engines to do the specific tasks she needed them to do. "We've got two cracked shylo pins, a busted power converter, the engine should be fired twice to dump debris, and the backup vents need charging."
The jedi master's face dropped slightly, his features looked hopeless, and the hunch in his shoulders was back again; for a second she felt bad, and had to hold her tongue on an apology. "Sounds terribly downbeat", his blue eyes dimmed a few shades duller, and his hand rested to stroke his beard, a habit he tended to develop and demonstate when deep in thought.
"However I have managed to save the oil supply from leaking any further, and redirected a portion of the ship's power onto the main thrusters" she added, putting in a small amount of Optimism that she hadn't before. The jedi smiled in appreciation at the small bouts of optimism, probably presuming that would be the most he would be getting for now, "At least your efforts have not been in vain so far, although I will admit, you did those two jobs quick". She sent him a small smirk, putting on the mask of the innocent, hopeful teenager, before resuming her work and dropping the smile off her face.
'That's what happens when you become a professional mechanic for a few years, when in hiding from an oppressive empire.' her thoughts said bitterly, but was interrupted by Anakin, who was lugging a speeder around, she could sense his need to leave the ship, how he was always, as Master Obi-Wan had always said: 'Always on the move'.
"Can everything else be fixed?" he inquired, whilst she analysed the pressure valves and various components in the underwiring of the ship. "uh.." She sensed his eyes staring at her back, as he watched her work, to which she had to forcefully slow down her pace - knowing that she wasn't supposed to have the amount of experience she has with engines that she currently does- "I can reroute the primary initiator," she ducked under the floorboards, inspecting her work on the pipes, moving her head from side to side in an attempt to make her eyes adjust to the dark lighting, "weld the dampening vents and that might give us enough power to leave the atmosphere," the next part, she laced fake concern into her words, knowing full well what she was about to say was a lie. "after that, I have no guarantee she will hold together".
"We'll take our chances," Obi-Wan stated, lifting his hand off his beard and turning to walk down the ramp, and take yet another pointless look at the miserable weather. "it's better than staying here", she sensed Anakin walking beside the man, as he set up the speeder.
Anakin's confliction on the father broadcasted itself, and Ahsoka tried her best to ignore the spiking of anxiety in her former master; knowing full well how it would eventually play out in their favour; she just hopes that whatever vision he is shown does not regard her knowledge of future events, lest that be taken from her too.
because, force, if that happens, she will have to solely rely on Rex's intel. Provided he even travelled back with her and didn't go to the realm of the dead, or an actual new republic ward.
Thinking about it, this entire thing could be her reliving her memories whilst she was strapped to a machine, or positioned in a bacta tank on heavy meds, causing her to fall into a coma. Although part of her sincerely hoped for it, she couldn't deny how disappointing it would be to offered the chance to change things, just for it to be taken away from you once more.
If this was infact real and not just an elaborately detailed illusion- despite what Morai has told her- it would probably be best if she documented her memories in a secure, encrypted datapad just to be safe... Then it would allow her to shed some weight off her shoulders on the situation, and plan how to counteract the changes due to take place with a clear head.
"Where are you going?" Obi-Wan inquisitively questioned, suspicion lacing his tone, Anakin was already mounting the speeder, his signature once again full of restlessness and unease. "To see the father, i'm not convinced the son'll be contained here without our help, perhaps we should make a stand."
"Anakin!" the elder jedi scolded, immediately trying to pull Anakin out of his crazy idea which has the potential to backfire on him, Which, infact, she knew would. Anakin's voice became one of deep regret and guilt, making his emotions clear and easy to read. "If I don't get the father's blessing to leave; it'll haunt me forever." With that, he sped off into the distance, and Ahsoka could go back to working at her speedy pace without being observed, knowing Obi-Wan had no aptitude for fixing things, unlike his padawan.
Once she finished with the repairs in what would have been record time by far for her padawan self, she poked her head out of the ventilation to look at Obi-Wan, who's eyes were already on her like an akk dog.
"Done Already?" he enquired, as he set towards the caf machine to make a nice, steaming mug. The warm gesture was always appreciated, and she murmured a small "yes" as she climbed out of the shaft, trying to find something to clear the spillage down below. Grabbing a few absorbent tissues, from beside the caf machine, she jumped back down the hole and kneeled down to wipe it up.
As she looked into the puddle, her reflection was projected back as her older self, in grey robes and the same attire she was in during the temple collapsing. Curiously, she ran a hand over the oil, ignoring the annoying texture of grease against her fingertips.
At the contact, she felt her montrals bang against the floorboards, and let out a yelp in surprise, seeing her reflection now as a young padawan, but the grey robe around her was soaked in oil. As she heard Obi-Wan's feet above her, trying to investigate the cry in pain, she panicked and swiped the oil again, feeling her montrals immediately shift back to their stubby form.
What the kriff was that? she thought to herself, questioning if she had just shifted between her adult form and her teenage form.
"Are you alright?" Kenobi called down, his eyes landed on Ahsoka, who was rubbing the tips of her montrals with a quizzical look painted on her face. She looked down to see the spillage had been wiped away, as Morai chirped and flew into the ship.
Now that she was finished with her handiwork, she climbed out one final time, and popped the lid back on, before kicking back onto the co-pilot's seat.
"It seems you have made a friend" the jedi master stated, as he returned to his idle refreshments, and poured out the milk into the two steaming mugs.
She tilted her head at the series of hoot's coming from behind her, resting her gaze on the convor that was perched on one of the bunks.
Master Kenobi walked over to her, bearing a warm caf in his hands as he passed it over, she thanked him warmly, and stood up from the seat to walk over to Morai. Resting herself on the bunk, she took a sip from the Caf and set it down on a shelf adjacent to the bunk. Morai latched onto her arm, the talons wrapping around the arm as she lifted the bird up and stroked its feathers.
Morai? What was that? she sent out to the creature, making sure to stop the jedi master from earwigging on the conversation.
I will tell you in meditation, it isn't safe here. The little bird sent a wary side glance to the auburn bearded man, who's eyebrows were knitted as he sipped the caf, clearly trying to catch onto whatever they were speaking about, causing Morai to slip heavier shields around their communication. For now, I need you to stop the son, I foresee a change in his actions that might endanger you, he grows suspicious.
Already? I- But what will I do if he takes away my knowledge? she sent back in return.
I will protect you. But for now you must face your demons and remove some weight off yourself. A long path is ahead of you.
How do I-? Confusion rattled every inch of her being.
That is all I can say so far, the time grows short, I must tell you when you are off Mortis. Where I can have you and your friend together.
Friend? You mean Rex?
The convor rubbed itself against her shoulder, letting out a hysterical hoot, 'Whatever you mortals call yourselves nowadays'
Sending the convor a suspicious look, the bird flew back out of the ship, practically disappearing from sight.
"What was that about?" the older man spoke out, raising an eyebrow to the young togruta as she kept her eyes fixed on the clock ticking away on the wall. "It was.." she stumbled off, trying to come up with a convincing lie.
Maybe I should settle for a half truth.
"My Tour guide" she met the suspicious jedi's eyes, which refused to look anywhere but her face, scanning for any sign of a lie like he did so many times for his former padawan.
'Good thing I was once a spy, otherwise I would have blown this facade by now. Let's just hope I can keep this up in front of a council of Masters, most of which are still older than me in standard years.' she thought to herself, before crossing her legs to go into a meditation.
"Well then, my young grandpadawan, what have you been advised?" he questioned, his politeness covering the interrogation she was about to receive. Maybe it would be best to think of this as a briefing, it is no longer inquisitor to Jedi or Imperial to rebel, just hope for the best.
"Well" she let out a huff, trying to act like the little padawan the universe thought she was in this present time."First off, a little birdie told me by the way your body is tensing that you are centering on your anxieties"
His frame momentarily resumed its previous stiffness, as she noticed a flicker of sadness wash over him, until she remembered from the time in the world between worlds when she heard Qui-Gon say those exact lines to him, all those years ago. In distraction, he got up to check the pilot's navicomputer terminal. Continuing the conversation, he stroked his beard in deep thought.
"Judging by your fidgeting, it looks like you are waiting on something to happen" he deflected, looking back at the young togruta who was making no attempt at hiding the fact she was watching the clock from the corner of her eye.
She got up to sit in the co-pilot chair, running her hands over the ships keys, suppressing the impulse to remove the keys prematurely - far before Ana- Vader - got here.
"I have a bad feeling about this" she managed, with a small sigh as she leant her face on her arm, rubbing circles into her forehead.
"I'm not going to argue with you there, something in the force feels... different" he agreed, seriousness hinting at his voice, as he brought his hand back up to stroke his beard again.
"Like the sense of an inevitable and impending threat is growing closer to us?" she mustered, as she grabbed a cloth and started to clean the sabers on her belt from the grease stains they had gathered during her handiwork.
"Try a little more optimism in future, but when you put it like that... I get what you mean."
He shook his head, running his fingers through his hair, as he masked his face in a smile meant to calm the nerves of a scared padawan.
The kind gesture was not forgotten by her, however it made Ahsoka more concerned about the man's mental health, being selfless to the point where he was denying himself his own basic needs; trying to help and support others so much that he would not let anyone care for him. It was.. for a better word.. unhealthy.
Why did the force have to foresake such a kind and generous soul? she questioned, feeling a prick of her long suppressed emotions trying to run through her, as she battled against her own shields to hide the weight she carried on her shoulders.
"But not to worry, when we get off this rock we are one step closer to winning this war" he finished his caf, and set it down on the table.
Ahsoka nearly physically winced, as her mind flooded with images of order 66, and all the events to follow it. She could feel her tear ducts betray her in her left eye, so she turned to gaze out the window, as she - as subtly as she could - wiped away the streak of water that ran weakly down her cheek. She needed to stop her voice from cracking if she was to voice her thoughts and seem level headed, like any normal padawan would have done, but the severity of her situation had a firm hold on the tone of her voice.
"I appreciate the optimism master, but are you sure one ever wins wars?"
She gazed out of the window, trying her best to allow Fulcrum's mask to wash over her, as she clasped her sweating hands behind her back, like if she was standing to attention in a rebel briefing.
"I.. don't think I follow" he stuttered, as his thoughts kept floating elsewhere, mostly on his anxieties.
"The outcome of a war rarely benefits any participating party, most factors of victory is determined by how much either side is willing to wage and lose to achieve the end goal"
"When did you find the time to come up with this conclusion?" he questioned, eyebrows knitting together in deep concentration.
"Have you ever just stopped to wonder what is actually going on? Or what may be happening behind the scenes" Ahsoka replied, thinking of the chancellor and the long line of conspiracies in the republic; knowing the jedi had no idea hurt her - but perhaps nudging him in that direction would allow the council to follow the trail with more of an open mind or at least catch onto something for their own safety.
The man caught onto something. "Your hiding something" he announced, his eyes narrowed at the young padawan.
"Well... I just died for starters so... the fact I know and no one told me implies that yes, I was hiding something, also the fact you two never told me I turned to the darkside. What if I had killed or injured you?" she stated, immediately trying to dispel suspicion. She allowed her concerns to voice themselves.
"You were under the son's influence, there was nothing you could do.." he replied back; as he reached out a comforting hand to rest on her shoulders.
"I just want you to know that whatever I said to you, I didn't mean it. I am grateful for all that you have taught me and I couldn't have wished for better teachers" Ahsoka cut him off, shedding the burden of never telling him how grateful she was for his training, and the skills she had learnt after order 66.
The guilt was still there from the 1st time around, but at least it was able to shed a little weight.
He smiled appreciatively, and returned to his previous nervous behaviour. He glanced at the time and stared down as his comlink.
"I guess it is best if I comm Anakin, he is certainly taking his time"
Ahsoka reached over to the ignition key, knowing full well that she will need to remove it later if Ana- Evil Anakin but not quite Vader - was to return to the ship later.
"If you want to check up on him, by all means do so, I will stay here to guard the ship"
Master Kenobi's force signature flooded with gratitude, his lips curled into a warm smile.
"Thank you"
The togruta stopped in her tracks, as she turned to eye the older man,
"For what?"
"For handling the news of this situation well, I can one day see you becoming a fine jedi knight"
She flashed a smile, quickly further hiding her signature as she tried not to physically react; knowing full well of her departure and the bombing and-
Her eyes once again started to get sore as she felt her hands subconsciously begin to shake.
Master Kenobi did not seem to notice, as he stepped closer towards the ramp of the ship - on the way grabbing a speeder.
She allowed herself to rest her head back on the pillow, when she heard the neutral toned voice of the father, and Obi-Wan's clipped Coruscanti accent.
"Where's Anakin?" he demanded, his voice echoed on the outside of the ship as she listened through the wall.
"He came to me for Guidance. But at the crossroad, only he can choose, the force will be his guide now."
Obi-Wan's tone turned dark and worried, his voice softened slightly, "I don't like this.. What have you done?"
The father looked down at him, "I have done nothing", he turned away to look at the green spire in the distance. "I am merely letting the will of the force take shape."
Master Kenobi's usually impeccable patience was begginning to wear. "Where has he gone?!" his voice was stern and the father just glanced over his shoulder.
"To the well of the Darkside"
In a rush of adrenaline nipping at the bad feeling Kenobi was experiencing he hurriedly opened the speeder, Ahsoka climbed down the ramp, trying to act as she had done previously.
Few times had she heard him this angry, "Anakin has gone to confront your son. Hasn't he?!"
The father raised his hand to point at the spire in the distance. "Deep within this planet exists a place where all that is dark is channelled."
Kenobi wasn't hanging around.
"And how do I get there?" he demanded once again, his annoyance with the force god showing clearly on his signature, knowing the risk this course of action has; although not as greatly as the 'young' togruta behind him.
"You CANNOT interfere!" the father replied, equally as annoyed. Kenobi looked away, determination and further annoyance covering his features. Ahsoka just pretended to scowl at the force god.
"The way I see it, if we were not supposed to interfere Ahsoka and I wouldn't be here in the first place!"
'He's got a point though' she thought to herself, as he turned back at her " I'm going to find Anakin". She sternly nodded in reply as he hurriedly mounted the speeder and rode off into the distance.
She turned to head back into the ship, and the father turned back to her.
"You know of what is to come?"
She froze and turned back to face him, a grim expression spread over her features "Wha-?"
"No point trying to fool me, I can sense the change.. And I sense my son will shortly too"
The daughters voice echoed in her head, as she went to walk over to him, her feet splashing the puddles, and she looked down.
'When I sent you back, your older mind is linked to your younger body, so you effectively have become one. Time is just like a puddle, you interfere and it causes ripples, which branch off one another and break any connections to momentarily cease the illusion created by itself.'
Her adult reflection looked back at her, and she gazed back up at the force wielder. "Then I suppose I will have to be ready."
"You will face the echoes of your former demons," The father looked at her reflection, staring at the older woman in the water "Vader will make you question what you saw and my son will make you question your own strengths." He backed away and looked back up into the distance. "Only with trust in the force and a strong will can I allow you to pass this trial."
She said nothing as she walked back inside the ship to plot the co-ordinates, and send out a distress signal which will be picked up upon their return, before disengaging the keys.
Walking out the ship, she clutched her head in fear as she felt the bond between her and her former master become flooded in darkness, cutting off the connection.
In a hurry, she splashed the puddle, and immediately felt the grey cloak around her and the heavy chestplate she wore before travelled clattering around her, as her white blades rustled against her belt.
"Go. You must face him"
Obi-wan landed the speeder in the pit; feeling almost crushed by the power and strength of the dark side around him. He looked around the lava flowing around him for any sign of his companion.
Sensing danger behind him, his hands darted towards his lightsaber and he turned towards the figure.
Seeing it being his student, he immediately relaxed. "Anakin"
He noticed Anakin keeping his eyes closed, as he silently approached him. "Are you alright?"
Deep, dark circled lined Anakin's eyes, as he opened them to reveal a sickly shade of yellow and corruption. "There has been a change of plan" he replied ominously, as he pushed the speeder into the lava below.
"Sorry."
He looked in shame at the jedi master's horrified expression, as he tried to explain his justification. "But you will not understand what I have to do to end the clone war"
Anakin's pupils dilated in bitterness, as Obi-Wan looked on him with pity in his blue eyes. His lips parted and hung in a sorrowful expression.
His former apprentice's tone darkened in anger. "You will try to stop me", the ring of orange mixed with the bright yellow of his eyes, making him appear sinister and unnatural.
Obi-wan raised his arm to try and reason with the jedi, but the son drifted down behind him, throwing violent red-lightning at the man who yelled in pain as every inch of nerves in his body was jolted sharply and overwhelmed.
Kenobi grunted in pain as he was tossed like a wamp-rat in the mouth of a nexu, as the smell of smoke filled his nostrils, and his body lay collapsed on the ground.
As he attempted to stand up, he clutched his side as he looked darkly over to the son, who was smiling maliciously. He turned his gaze to his former apprentice, a pleading look on his face.
"Anakin. Why?!?"
Anakin, or whoever this person was who replaced his brother figure showed genuine remorse for a short second "I'm Sorry", before looking angrily back down at him.
He looked away, trying to hide from the pain he felt from betraying Obi-Wan. "But I have seen that it is the jedi that will stand in the way of peace"
Obi-Wan's mouth hung open, and his silver negotiator tongue was left speechless, as he could barely find the strength to get back up again. All he could do was watch in horror as Anakin climbed his speeder, and ride off into the distance.
The dark sider turned back to him, a cruel smile on his face. "He's mine now", he turned to his newfound ally and muttered "We must stop the fulcrum before they tip the balance" before morphing into the fanged god and allowing his overly malicious laugh echo off the wall, as the jedi master watched them depart.
With fear begginning to set in, he reached for his commlink, trying to reach Ahsoka.
"Ahsoka? Come in please"
"Can you hear me? Ahsoka?!"
There was a crackle in reply, "Yes Master?"
He huffed out a sigh of relief.