Hi all. Just wanted to address some of the comments in the last chapter, specifically regarding the duel between Anakin and Grievous.

I was debating what the outcome would be for a while and I decided it would be fitting for Anakin to lose, to drive the point that he can't control everything. He captured Dooku, Padme is in love with him, and he is a successful general. His pride is beginning to rise, and then his homeworld is attacked and desecrated, and his mother dies.

Also, Anakin definitely would have beaten Grievous if it wasn't for the explosion destroying the house they were on. And don't worry, a rematch will definitely happen.

What I want to try and avoid is character worship or bashing. But I also want to make the story entertaining for you guys. I'm sorry if last chapter was disappointing.

This chapter and the next will be focused more on character building. After them, we will enter the final arc of the story!

(And Yes, I know I already killed Adi off a while ago. I'm gonna fix it alright!)

Tatooine, 3 Months after the Invasion

The three moons shined dimly in the night sky above Anchorhead. Its citizens moved about their lives, trying to put the events of the past behind time like they did after the revolution. Very few talked about the invasion, for it brought only pain and suffering to the mind. It was a wound that was being treated, but not healing.

If one was Force-Sensitive, they would be able to feel the tidal wave of emotions spilling out from the palace. Fear, sorrow, anger, shame. All of these emotions poured out from the palace. An at the epicenter of this wave, was Anakin Skywalker. He stood on a balcony, a bottle of liquor in his new robotic hand. Stubble was built across his smooth face and heavy bags were under his eyes.

Damn himself! He was the Chosen One! He was supposed to prevent events like this.

The planet was saved, but Anakin had let his emotions spiral out of control. He took on Grievous single-handedly, not that Windu made an attempt to help, and instead of finishing the fight with the precision of a sniper, he rampaged into Grievous with the intelligence of a gundark. And he paid the price for letting himself be controlled of his emotions, rather than the other way around.

A datapad lay on Anakin's desk, its notification symbol blinking. Anakin let out a groan and mentally prepped himself for whatever message he was about to be bombarded with. In the aftermath of the invasion, The Jedi used their military rank and influence to remove Anakin from the 178th battalion. Anakin made no attempt to fight back, understanding their arguments about how his failure cost the Republic a valuable prisoner. Anakin requested leave, citing that he needed to help bring stability back to his planet. The request was granted and actually extended, which Anakin suspected was once again the handiwork of the Jedi.

A soft gust of wind blew the curtains and Anakin saw a figure in his bed stir softly, their sleeping form bothered by the cold chill of the air. It was Padme. Shortly after the invasion, she was granted time off from the Chancellor and came straight to Tatooine to see Anakin. She wanted to help him go through the process of grieving. Anakin walked back into the room and used the Force to close the doors to the balcony and made his way to the datapad. It was a simple letter. Not from the GAR, or the Jedi Council. It was from Obi-wan. A scowl quickly came over Anakin's face. A Jedi contacted him? To continue to berate him or condemn him? Despite his hesitation, he opened the message.

Anakin

My apologies for the lateness of this message. I was trying to think of a way to reach out to you, but I also wanted to respect your privacy and allow you time to grieve. The last three months have been busy for myself and my padawan as well.

You and your family have changed Tatooine so much already. The first time I was on your planet was when Master Qui-gon found you while searching for a hyperdrive. I had my brief run-in with the Tuskens when they kidnapped the Queen(who I later discovered was one of her handmaidens disguised as the Queen) and I was forced to duel their Chief for the Queen's freedom.

Tatooine was a harsh, cruel planet back then. So much malice, so much evil. Looking back now, I feel ashamed that I did not do anything to help the people of the planet. I realize now that it was not my destiny to do so. It was yours. Tatooine has gone from the stronghold of slavery and Jabba to a refugee for slaves, a beacon of hope that there is a second chance at life, that they are people and have the chance to live as people do. Qui-gon would be proud of you. He told me you were destined for greatness. I believe what Qui-gon once believed before he was taken from us. That you are the Chosen One. And I think your mother believed that too.

Shmi was a kind-hearted woman who always looked out for those who suffered and never turned her back on those who needed help. Tatooine will miss her, but its people will live by her example. She lives on.

I would appreciate the chance to meet with you in person. Not just to discuss military plans, but to talk to you as a friend, if you would allow. Please respond when you can.

-Jedi Council Member Master Obi-wan Kenobi,

Anakin stared at the letter with surprise. He never expected to hear from Kenobi ever. He had disdain for the man who failed to save Qui-gon. But Obi-wan never felt that way towards Anakin. There was a feeling of empathy. Of sorrow. A feeling of loneliness.

Obi-wan believed in Anakin. He believed he was the Chosen One. Those words resonated in the back of Anakin's mind as he put the datapad down and stared into nothingness, dumbfounded.

A hand touched his shoulder and he recognized the soft feeling of it. Padme stood behind him, her eyes glancing at the bottle and datapad on the desk.

"What's troubling you, Ani?" She asked in a soft voice as she placed both her hands on his shoulders in a loving manner. He took a deep sigh and Padme felt him collapse on the inside.

"It was a message. From Obi-wan."

"Was he bringing up what happened-"

"No, not really. His letter was more of an apology. He wants to talk."

"About what?"

"I'm not sure."

There was a moment of silence as both of them pondered on what to do. Padme could see just how much Anakin was suffering. The loss of his mother devastated him. She helped him through the grieving process. She would let him vent and rage when he needed it. She would hold him when he cried, and she would remind him that he was a good person. That he did everything he could. Despite not coming to terms with himself and the death of Shmi, Padme could sense that he was healing. Slowly but surely.

Padme also knew that Anakin was destined for great things. Her mind called back to what Qui-gon had said about him being the Chosen One, a Force-Messiah. There was a part of his life that he was missing.

"He's a good man, Ani. He and Qui-gon saved my life. I trust him. You should too."

Anakin hummed softly and Padme wasn't sure if it was a scoff or an agreement. Looking at the chrono, she noticed that the suns would be rising within the coming hours. She put a hand on his cheek and pulled him closer into her embrace. "Come back to bed. Let's talk more in the morning."

With no resistance to his Angel's embrace, Anakin complied.

Jedi Temple

The Jedi Council members all sat up from their seats and made their way to the chamber's exit, each member musing with one another and talking about their plans for their padawans or their next step in the war effort. However, one Jedi Master was most unusual in their routine. Master Yoda decided to sit in his pod and make his way straight for his meditation chamber, making all the effort to ignore anyone and tell his fellow Masters they could talk another time. Typically after a council meeting, Yoda would walk to the crecheling or visit the younglings. But today he did not follow his typical routine.

Finally reaching his chambers, Yoda departed his pod and eased his way to his holocrons that neatly sat on a wooden bench that rested beneath the window. The holocron Skywalker gave him rang throughout the Force, calling out in a tone that only Yoda could hear. Yoda knew this was the holocron's teacher calling out directly to him and Yoda refused to ignore another chance to speak with the legendary Jedi.

After the battle of Tatooine, the holocron had fallen silent, speaking with Yoda on occasion, but never calling out to him. Their conversations were always about the philosophy of the Jedi Order and about Revan's past. Much to Yoda's surprise, Revan was quite open about his past and opened up to Yoda about his downfall and redemption. The conversations always intrigued Yoda. They were not arguments, but more like two companions having a civil debate. It was always Yoda who activated the holocron. In fact, Yoda had never heard of a holocron acting like this before. Sith holocrons were known to call out when someone neared them, but with the purpose of corrupting and controlling. Yoda has a strong feeling this was different.

With a wave of his hand using the Force, the holocron levitated into the air and activated. The projection of Revan stood before the Grand Master of the Order.

"Greetings, Master Yoda. I am pleased that you heard my call and responded so promptly," The projection said with a smile.

Yoda nodded as he moved towards his seat and sat down. " Suprised me, your call did. Heard of such a thing happening, rare, it is."

"Yes, well, I would love to continue another one of our chats, but first I come to you bearing a warning. "

Yoda raised an eyebrow in concern. "A warning you say?"

"Yes. A darkness is rising amidst you, Yoda. You must prepare against it. Otherwise, you risk losing everything. Soon, the Sith will strike. Everything will depend on one singular moment. "

"Recapture Dooku, we will. Lead us to his master, he will."

Revan gave a grim frown. "I doubt Dooku would do that. But you must be wary of your allies, Master Yoda. Sidious will use everything he has against you and will try to exploit every weakness. Surely you have felt a shift in one of your fellow Council members."

Yoda glared at Revan, matching his frown with one of his own. "Let me down, he will not. Control over his form, he has. Controlled the Dark Side before, he has. Trust him to make the right decision, I do."

"I hope you are right, for the sake of the future."

"Meditate on this, I will. For now, resume our discussion, I wish."

"I'm glad. I hope this leads to more fruitful revelations for both of us."

Several Days Later, Jedi Temple

Obi-wan lightly floated in the air, rocks twirling around him and Ahsoka as they meditated. Obi-wan had just returned from Florrum with the body of fellow Master K'Kruhk, who was slain by Savage Opress, Dooku's former assassin, and his brother, the long-thought to be dead Darth Maul. The death of K'Kruhk was a regrettable loss and Obi-wan would not have been able to survive the encounter with the two brothers if it wasn't for the well-timed assist from his sometimes-friend sometimes-enemy Hondo Ohnaka.

Obi-wan's train of thought was interrupted by the slight disturbance he felt coming from his padawan. Ahsoka was shielding her thoughts, but Obi-wan could sense her emotions radiating. Without opening his eyes, Obi-wan spoke, curious as to why his padawan was so confused.

"What is troubling you, Ahsoka?"

Ahsoka opened her eyes in shock but realized that it was always impossible to hide her emotions from her master. Obi-wan knew her well. Cursing under her breath, she responded.

"Master, you told me about the Sith Lord you killed-er thought you killed- on Naboo. And how he killed your Master."

Obi-wan nodded, signaling for her to continue.

"What I'm confused about is how you are so calm right now about this. This is your second time encountering him and yet you still seem calm, indifferent to the fact that your Master's murderer is still alive. I understand that we are told to release our emotions into the Force, but it just seems so inhuman to feel nothing in a situation like this."

Obi-wan sighed heavily and returned to the ground, the rocks softly dropping and resting alongside him. "You are right that we are told to release our feelings into the Force. When Darth Maul killed Qui-gon, I wanted nothing more than to get revenge. And I felt like I got that vengeance when he fell down that reactor shaft. But it appears that was not the case. I am not sure exactly how I am supposed to feel. To have feelings of anger, hate, and revenge are of the Dark Side. But to simply be apathetic and not feel anything to Qui-gon's murderer still out there, causing chaos, would mean that I did not care for my late Master. These struggles are what defines us as Jedi, Ahsoka."

Obi-wan got up and grabbed his cloak and put it on. "Master?"

"Yes, Ahsoka?"

"Do you like having me as your padawan?"

Obi-wan turned to Ahsoka with a puzzled look on his face. "Of course I do. What would make you think I don't?"

Ahsoka looked at the ground sheepishly and then back at Obi-wan. "You told me how you were originally going to train Anakin Skywalker as your apprentice, but the Council rejected it. I just have this feeling that I'm not supposed to be here."

Obi-wan knelt down in front of his padawan and stared into her eyes. "Ahsoka, THe Force works in mysterious ways. Yes, I was supposed to train Anakin and I do feel a sense of responsibility towards him because of Qui-gon's wishes, but you are still my padawan. There is no one else I would have wanted to be by my side during this conflict. I take great pride in training you."

Both Jedi smiled. For a moment, Obi-wan felt like a father. For a moment, Ahsoka felt like a daughter. Both of them had these thoughts flicker within them, but it quickly faded as they realized those thoughts were unbecoming of a Jedi.

Rising, Obi-wan turned to leave and Ahsoka got up to follow him. "Where do you think you are going?"

Ahsoka frowned, confused. "I was planning on hanging out with Barriss."

A light chuckle emerged from Obi-wan. "Not after cursing like that you aren't. More meditation. I need to talk to Waxer and Boil about their language around you."

Ahsoka groaned and begrudgingly followed Obi-wan's orders.

Dex's Diner

A soft chime went off as Obi-wan entered the diner of his old friend Dexter Jettster. The large Besalisk chuckled and hugged his friend tightly with his four arms, eager to see him, not caring about getting his greasy apron over Obi-wan's Jedi robes.

"Obi-wan, Obi-wan. You're becoming quite the man. So tell me, what do you need? Some grub? Another tip? Old Dex still has a few contacts on the black market." Jokingly, Dexter raised his four hands into the air. "But you didn't hear me say that Master Jedi."

"What were you talking about Dex?" Obi-wan said with a chuckle as they took a seat in the diner. Dex motioned to the waitress to bring over some food. The two friends talked for what seemed like hours as they ate and caught up with each other. It had been too long for them to be away from each other. Eventually, Obi-wan turned towards the chrono that hung in the diner.

"Oh my. Dex, there was another reason why I came here."

Dex chuckled. "There always is. But I'm always willing to help my friend. What do you need?"

"I have an acquaintance of mine coming in, and we will need some privacy to talk. Do you mind if we use the private booth area in the back?"

"But of course! Do I know this friend of yours?"

Obi-wan shook his head. "You know of him. It's Commander Skywalker."

Dex's eyes widened. "Oh boy. I thought he was still on Tatooine. Well, I can understand the desire for privacy. Though I don't know why you would decide to talk about military tactics here at my diner."

"It's not like that, Dex. It's a more personal meeting. One that I hope goes well for everyone."

Dex nodded and shouted to his droids to prepare the private booth. Forcing himself out of the seat, Dex stumbled up and lean backward, stretching his back.

"Ooof! Never get old, Ben. It kills your joints," Dex said with a chuckle as he returned to the kitchen.

After a half-hour, Anakin entered the diner. He wore a large black cloak with no hood and wore simple grey and black tunic. After opening the door, he noticed Obi-wan and approached him. Obi-wan got up from his table and met Anakin halfway.

"I am glad you were able to make it, Commander."

"Same here, Master Kenobi. Though I must admit, I am a bit hesitant that we will have the privacy for our conversations."

Obi-wan smiled. "If there's anyone I trust, it's Dexter Jettster. He offered us a private booth where there will be no risk of eavesdropping."

"That sounds good to me", Anakin said as he followed Obi-wan into the back. Sitting down, there was a tense silence until Anakin decided to break it.

"So, you said you wanted to meet up in the letter?"

Taking a swig of his ale, Obi-wan nodded. "I believe there are several things that I first need to apologize for, clear up, and offer you. First, I want to apologize for not fighting more for you. When Qui-gon was taken from us, the council did not believe that I was able to train you correctly. Perhaps they were right to some extent, but I should have fought harder to honor Qui-gon's wishes. You gave up everything to become a Jedi and when you were denied that, it was humiliating. It was wrong."

Obi-wan analyzed Anakin's posture and movements, hoping that he hadn't 'poked the rancor' as the saying went. Anakin seemed upset, but not angry. Good.

"I also want to apologize for not treating you with more respect. Most encounters with Force-wielders who aren't Jedi have not gone well, but that does not warrant us treating you like a criminal. I speak for a few other Council members when I say this. I also want to say that I don't hold any ill-will to you. You're a good person, Anakin. You've made mistakes, but you are still a good person that many people count and depend on."

"I appreciate and accept your apology, Obi-wan. During my time away from the war, I took time to meditate on my actions and spent time reflecting on myself. I also want to apologize for way I treated the Order, specifically you. It was immature and wrong. I remember meeting you as we were leaving Tatooine and Qui-gon introduced you to me. He spoke highly of you, but in my anger I rejected you."

Obi-wan gave a soft smile at the mention of Qui-gon. "Anakin, I believe that Qui-gon wanted us to become close with each other. We are his legacy. And I still have to uphold my promise to him. I want to help you, Anakin. Please, allow me to guide you. Not as a master, but as an equal. A brother."

Anakin let a small chuckle out and Obi-wan frowned, wondering what caused this reaction. "Is something wrong?"

Anakin looked away and then back at Obi-wan with a grin. "No, everything is fine. It's just, I was planning on asking you to help me. I'm actually relieved that you feel the same way. It's funny. What a coincidence."

"Not a coincidence, Anakin. It's the will of the Force. Now, we should eat some food. Dex makes some amazing dishes that you might just like."

Anakin and Obi-wan sat in the diner for several hours, talking and bonding with each other. They laughed and talked about Anakin's childhood on Tatooine, how Obi-wan became a Knight and a Master. The time they spent together seemed like it was beginning to make up for years lost. Unbeknownst to the both of them, a specter in another realm smiled at the scene beneath him. His sons had finally come back together.