Luke could feel their gazes on him as he trailed behind his father. Their silent yet judgmental eyes followed his every step with unhindered and unabashed curiosity and animosity.
It came as no surprise though. Luke knew that he was the enemy here, not the heroic pilot who had destroyed the Death Star, but the terrorist who had callously murdered millions of innocent lives who were just trying to do their job. He had heard the Imperial propaganda against him and he had long since learned not to be affected by it, but it was always there nonetheless.
He kept his head up and his trained forward and took every step with pride. He did not give his onlookers that satisfaction of seeing his defeat nor his unease, keeping it locked down and shielded so that not even Vader could feel it.
Vader walked with purpose down the ramp, his black cape billowing behind him as three Stormtroopers flanked the young Jedi, one at each side and one behind him. Their weapons were drawn, but not aimed at him although their eyes followed him with every step he took.
Everywhere Luke looked, there were eyes watching him. Scrutinizing him, waiting for him to do something. Waiting for their opportunity to strike.
"Lord Vader," said a rather dull looking officer as he stepped forward to greet the Sith Lord, his sunken in eyes traveling over to gaze at Luke before settling back on the Sith Lord, "the Empire is victorious. What remains of the Rebel Fleet has fled."
He spoke triumphantly as he placed his hands behind his grey uniform, a small yet victorious smile gracing his lips as he addressed the ominous Sith before him.
"And the rest of the fleet?" asked Vader.
"Captured and destroyed."
"Very well," said Vader as they both began to make their way out of the hangar, Luke trailing behind them, "have the prisoners secured in the brig for questioning."
"It will be done, Milord," said the man before he spared a brief gaze behind them towards Luke, who met his gaze
There was a moment of silence.
"And what of-?" he motioned towards Luke.
"He shall be placed in the quarters adjacent to mine," said Vader as they continued to walk.
The man looked surprised for a moment before he composed himself, "it will be done, Milord. Is there anything else I may do to accommodate our guest?"
"It is of the utmost importance that his identity, as well as his presence onboard this vessel remain a secret. I am sure that you will everything within your power to keep the crew silent on this matter," stated Vader, his tone firm and unwavering.
"It will be done, Milord," he said.
"Good. I would hate to see what would happen if word of this did get out. The punishment for such an act would be severe," said Vader with a tilt of his head as he addressed the shorter man.
"You need not worry, Milord. Not even the Emperor shall know of Skywalker's presence here," he said with a bowed head.
"See to it that he does not," said Vader as the Admiral gave him a quaint nod before excusing himself, leaving only Luke and Vader alone in the corridor.
"I can see why you've chosen him to work with," commented Luke idly as he quickened his pace to stand next to his father as they strolled through the corridor, "he does everything you say without question."
"He does," agreed Vader, "and he is efficient. Admiral Piett has yet to fail me."
"And what would happen if he did fail you?" asked a curious Luke as he struggled to keep in pace with his father. He hadn't realized it before, but Vader was much larger than Anakin was. He could only guess that it was due to the length of his mechanical limbs as well as the bulk of the suit he was forced to wear. He hated to think about how much the suit must've weighed-
"I would find another more suitable for the position," said Vader easily enough.
"I wonder how many positions you've had to fill these past years," commented Luke idly.
No doubt quite a few. Vader was notorious for slaughtering those who disappointed him.
"More than I would have liked," admitted Vader truthfully before he came to a stop in front of a rather large set of automatic doors. Luke did not need to be clued in that these were the entrance to his quarters.
"Why don't you want the Emperor to know that I am here?" asked Luke out of the blue as he stared up at his father imploringly and with curiosity in his eyes.
His father looked down at him for a few moments before he punched the button on the side panel and the doors slid open. He walked in and left Luke standing in the corridor rather awkwardly before the young Jedi realized that he was supposed to walk in as well.
He walked into the room to see Vader standing over by the window, his visor turned to face Luke as he waited patiently for the younger man to make his way further into the room. The door slid closed behind Luke, who couldn't help but take a moment to stop and observe his father's living quarters.
He noted that there was barely anything in the room itself, at least nothing that looked to be of sentimental value that was. In fact, the room was as bare as could be and rather dark, but clean. Luke could practically smell the sterility of the room as well as the antiseptic that permeated his nostrils.
He noted that there was no bed nor kitchen. Only a small desk over by the far quarter along with a holo-projector. He also noticed that there was a whole other section of the room that had been closed off from his view. In fact, Luke was starting to think that this was his office rather than his actual living space.
It was a stark contrast to the messiness and disorder of Anakin's living quarters back on the ship and Luke could hardly believe that they had once been the same person. Anakin's room had been untidy and there was always some piece of machinery on the floor along with a few power tools littering the floor, but Vader's living space was sterile and clean to the point it made Luke's nose burn.
Luke decided not to dwell on that anymore. Anakin and Vader were different people as was and he needed to stop comparing the two of them.
"You never answered my question," said Luke as he came to stand in the middle of the room.
"I do not want him to catch onto our plans," he said as he turned to stare out at the expanse of space before him, "he would try to corrupt you if he knew you were here for his own selfish reasons. He is nothing more than a liar and I will not have you falling into his web of deceit."
"So, you're trying to protect me," stated Luke as he took a few more steps towards his father.
"Yes," admitted Vader, his tone softer than before, "and I do not want him learning of our plans. It is safe to speak openly here but the Emperor has many spies. We must be careful to ensure that he does not find out about your presence here or I'm afraid all will be lost."
"And what if he does? What will you do if he tries to use me like he used you?" asked Luke, his voice somewhat strained.
Vader said nothing for a few moments, the sound of his mechanical breathing all that could be heard in the room along with the distant beat of Luke's heart within his chest.
"I will not allow that to happen, Luke," he said with that still soft voice that eerily reminded Luke of Anakin's own voice, "I should've killed him the moment I saw through his lies."
Luke could feel Vader's regret echoing through the Force as well as a moment of disbelief and anger as if his father was reliving a painful moment in his past and parts of it were leaking out from his shields and over to Luke.
"Did you ever try to? I mean- did you ever try to kill him when you figured out he lied to you?"
"Once," said Vader sorrowfully, "but I only managed to destroy everything around me. He was untouchable, even to me."
"And never again? You never tried after all these years of suffering under him and obeying his every word?"
"I never wanted the throne for myself," admitted Vader truthfully, "not unless there was someone else by my side. What is the point of ruling if there is no one to share the glory with?"
"That's it?" asked Luke incredulously, "you didn't want to kill him because you didn't want to be lonely?"
"And because I knew that I did not have the strength to kill my Master by myself. You do not know the power he holds, Luke. Why do you think he keeps me in this suit and dependent on life-support? Only the Empire has the technology to keep my body alive. I can never leave. I am a slave to him."
"And that's why you need me," said Luke in aghast, "you could never win against him because he literally holds your life in his hands."
"Precisely," said Vader, "I need you, Luke. And you need me. Whether you like it or not, we are a team."
He could feel the desperation in his father's voice and the desire to get away from the man who had lied to him and tortured him for years, and how could Luke refuse him? They had made a deal, he would help him defeat the Emperor and he would let Anakin and Leia go.
He could not leave his father in the position that he was trapped in and he truly wanted to help him. He would not have made the deal if there was not a part of him that desired to save his father.
He had always had faith that there was goodness in his father since Bespin and meeting Anakin only made him want to help Vader even more. He had seen the man he once was, and he knew that he could still be that man if only he allowed himself too. But first, he needed to get rid of the Emperor first he was ever to find himself again.
He had no idea how everything was going to play out now that he was with Vader while Anakin and Leia were on the run. He hadn't thought that it would get this complicated, but the Force always had a way of surprising him.
He knew that Anakin would play an integral part in this somehow, but he wasn't sure what that part would be anymore. He had no idea where they were or what they were even doing and deep down he knew that he would not be seeing them again for awhile and it only reassured him that it was not time yet.
There was still so much that needed to be done before the end and he knew that there was only one way to do it.
Luke stared out at the expanse of space before him as he stood next to his father and he prayed.
He prayed that wherever Anakin and Leia were out there in the galaxy that they were alright and that they would find him eventually, but he needed time. He knew that Anakin would come for him the moment he could, but Luke could sense the will of the Force. It just simply was not time, not yet.
And that's why Luke made the painful decision to hide himself from Anakin along with their bond. It wasn't much, but it bought them time.
And time was all they had left.
Anakin had always heard bad stuff about the Aenean System. As a young boy listening in on the conversations between space pilots and traders, Anakin had learned a lot about the galaxy beyond the sand dunes of Tatooine. He had learned of the awful traffic on Coruscant as well as the impressive mountain ranges on Alderaan long before he had ever stepped foot there.
And of course, he had heard about the Aenean System before. He had never been there before, but he had heard about the spice mines there which had attracted unfavorable attention from several of the cartels that depended on that sort of trade, including the Hutt Cartel. Last he had heard, there had been a full-out drug war between several different crime syndicates for complete control of the system.
He had no idea what had transpired in the last twenty-eight years, but he had a feeling that it was still the cesspool he had heard about as a child. Aenear was like Tatooine in that respect and it would never change, at least not anytime soon.
Which was why Anakin was surprised to find an Imperial Star Destroyer in orbit as soon as he dropped out of hyperspace. Not only that, but there were several stationed around the entire planet as if there was some sort of blockade going on.
Not only that, but there were also-
Were those Hutt dreadnaughts-?
Usually, Anakin would not have been perturbed by the sight of the dreadnaughts that were commonly used by the Hutt Cartel seeing as this was Hutt Space, but he wasn't expecting to find both the Hutts and the Empire converged upon one singular planet.
"What in kriffing hell is going on here?" muttered Anakin as he piloted the ship.
He debated momentarily on whether or not he should stay or leave, but a quick look at Leia reminded him that he had no other option but to stay and continue with his original plan.
Apparently, it wasn't really a blockade like Anakin had originally thought because he had no trouble slipping past their ships as he started his descent. It was strange, and he knew that there was something going on, but he decided not to dwell on that as the planet drew closer and closer.
There were large, grey threatening clouds that hung low and shrouded the entire surface from view. He could see flashes of lightning in the swirling clouds as the ship descended into the heavy blanket of smog and clouds. The ship rocked from the turbulence as condensation started to fog up the windshield before he finally broke away from the clouds, revealing a downpour of rain that pounded against the freighter.
The surface of the planet looked just as dreary as the weather did, but then again Anakin could not see much of the surface because of the thick fog that rolled through, clouding his view from most everything. He depended on the navigation control to direct him over the canopy of trees until he found a place to land.
He found a nice spot to finally land the freighter in a clearing surrounded by tall trees and not too far away from the trading post, but far away that no one would stumble upon it- hopefully.
Anakin made his way to the back of the ship and opened up one of the compartments where a tan standard issue Corellian jacket hung on a rack, lightweight but enough to keep him warm and dry. He then put his utility belt on followed by a blaster strapped at his thigh where he placed a small pistol that he had found while sleuthing around the ship earlier. He then clipped his lightsaber to his belt before throwing on one of the ponchos that he had also found earlier. He grabbed a fur-lined hat as well and put it on, glad to have something to keep his head warm and dry.
He grabbed a mini navigation device and wrapped it around his wrist along with his com before he lowered the ramp and stared out at the rain as it pounded into the muddy ground.
He spared one last look at Leia, his guilt over leaving her behind nagging at him as he watched the shallow rising of her chest before he finally tore his eyes away from her and descended the ramp. His boots sunk down into the muddy ground as the rain pelted against his poncho and slid off his hat and onto his shoulders.
He did not look back as he raised the ramp and set off in the direction of the trading post.
Anakin trekked through the mud and the rain for a couple hours before he finally found himself strolling into the tightly condensed town that served as the local trading center. The streets were narrow and crowded and full of vendors that sold things from food to clothing. The people were loud and smelly and dirty looking, as though most of them had not had a good bath in a long time.
All in all, the city looked destitute and overpopulated. Unstable buildings were stacked together, and Anakin was certain that nothing more than a strong wind could knock them over, and from the looks of the structure of some of the buildings, that had happened before.
Anakin stepped to the side to allow a small and grimy boy run past him, his little arms full of stolen food from the looks of it while a fat man gave chase, his face red as he yelled at the terrified kid, who looked far too skinny for Anakin's liking. He watched as the man finally grabbed the boys arm in a tight grip, causing the youngster to drop the food that he had stolen as the man bent down and started yelling in the kids face.
The poor child looked terrified as he stared up at the bald and overweight man with wide brown eyes before he briefly looked over at Anakin, who was the only person in the entire crowd who had even bothered to notice the altercation taking place. His eyes were pleading, and Anakin knew that he needed to do something.
The man raised his hand to strike the boy, but Anakin wasn't going to let that happen as he reached out with the Force and swung the man's hand around so that he hit himself in the face instead of the boy. The man sputtered in surprise and let go of the boy's arm, providing the youngster the perfect opportunity to pick up his stolen goods and start running down the street.
Once the man came out of his stupor he began to chase the boy only to slip in the mud and fly into a kiosk full of handwoven baskets, causing the people nearby to begin yelling as the two women who ran the kiosk began to scream at the man who had destroyed their livelihood.
Anakin had no idea that him stopping a man from beating up a child would have caused the ruckus that it did, but there was no changing it as he ducked behind a large man just in time to avoid the two Stormtroopers who had come to investigate what all the yelling and screaming was about.
"What's going on here?" they commanded as Anakin ducked into an alleyway.
He kept his head lowered as he walked through the dank and putrid smelling alley, his eyes coming to rest on a man slumped against the wall, the smell of liquor on his breath and an empty bottle in his hand. Anakin side-stepped the drunkard and made his way to the end of the alley before he crouched down and peeked his head out from behind the wall.
He made sure the coast was clear of any Stormtroopers before he walked out from the alley and started to make his way down the cobblestoned path, his head low and his steps fast with purpose.
He wandered around the streets for a while wracking his brain trying to think of something he could use to get Leia the bacta treatments she needed. Parts for the ship were another problem that he could sort out later. At the moment, Leia was his only- well almost only concern. Remaining undetected? Well, that could pose a problem. He had seen the wanted posters that lined almost every wall and there was no doubt that Leia's face was one of them, and possibly that grainy one of him that had been taken on the Vigilant.
He doubted anybody would be able to recognize his face from that- heck, he had had trouble seeing the resemblance when he had first seen it, but then again, one could never be too careful…
Ahsoka frowned as she pulled the hood down further over her head. She had come to get a replacement power converter, but now she had sensed the presence of someone who was incredibly strong in the Force. Before she had gotten tangled up in the Rebellion- before she had become Fulcrum, Ahsoka had been wandering around the galaxy eking out a living for herself and hiding from the Empire. She had kept to herself, avoided trouble as much as possible, and only occasionally sensed someone who, with a bit more strength in the Force, might have been chosen by the Jedi. Of course, that was before she met Kanan and Ezra and before that fateful day on Malachor. Ever since Ezra had saved her, she had been laying low and covering her tracks.
Perhaps that was why she was surprised to find such a strong presence on a relatively unknown backwater planet such as Aenear. After all these years, she had never sensed a presence quite this strong before and the one person who had been this bright in the Force-
Well, he was gone. But this individual stood out like a bright flare in total darkness.
Knowing that she herself could not be sensed or otherwise detected in the Force, she eased closer for a better look at the person who could be either be her adversary or her ally. The dirty and haphazardly clothing looked inconspicuous enough on the human and helped him blend in with the others around him, but the blond hair that stuck out from beneath his hat and the searching blue eyes was something she could never forget. Ahsoka knew exactly who she was looking at.
Even as her jaw dropped in utter disbelief, she noticed how impossibly young he looked. Then she saw his right hand- his flesh and bone hand that hovered nervously near the belt strapped to his waist. His hand was nowhere near the pistol strapped to his thigh, a clear sign that it was only for show. No, his weapon of choice was the lightsaber strapped to his belt that his grey poncho conveniently shielded from view. No one would know that it was there, but she knew.
Force, just from his right hand she knew that this person could not be Anakin Skywalker. That right hand was without a doubt flesh and blood… She knew it… But that face! This just had to be some kind of clone of her former Master. Vader had really outdone himself this time. Checking to make sure that her lightsabers were close at hand, Ahsoka moved closer.
She was being extremely careful and surreptitious while following this 'Anakin' through the trading post. She stayed back about twenty-five to thirty paces, so she could get a good look at the human. She was surprised that he had not yet sensed that he was being followed but judging by his stance and the determined look on his face, he was far too busy to even take notice. She followed him for a while longer until he stopped at a kiosk and began to quietly converse with the young woman there. She watched from afar as he asked her a question to which she shook her head and gave him an apologetic smile before he nodded and began to walk further down the street.
Ahsoka quickly approached the woman and asked her what it was that he was looking for, to which the lady told her he had asked her where he could find some bacta treatments. Ahsoka thanked the woman before she ran after him, making sure to keep her distance still as she looked him over for any sign of injury.
He looked a touch banged up, but not nearly enough for him to be looking for bacta treatment. That meant that it was for someone else, which was interesting news to her. She knew that Vader cared for nothing and no one, that was something she knew for a fact. She was fairly certain that any clone made from Vader would be just as callous. So why was this 'Anakin' looking for bacta? She didn't know, but one thing was for certain.
She had to find out.
"You know… It's dangerous to wander around like you are," came a soft female voice from behind him.
Anakin turned to look at the individual who had apparently spoken to him. Although there was a cloak pulled around the body with a hood to conceal the face, he could tell that it definitely was a woman who had to be deemed fairly attractive… Why else would they employ a cloak?
"Well, I'm looking for something, and trying to figure out how to get it without money and without stealing it either," Anakin replied with an apprehensive and suspicious glare.
"Nothing around is free around here. Even a lot of those you see around you are nothing more than someone's property."
Anakin caught the slight disgust with which that last word was spoken, and he couldn't help but agree.
"I can see that," Anakin said slowly. "I can also see that you're not like the rest."
"Really?" she asked in mild surprise as she took a step forward, causing Anakin to place a cautious foot behind him. "What makes you say that?"
"If you were like anybody else, you would not have spoken to me," Anakin retorted with a pointed stare. "Now how about you tell me why?"
"How about you explain why you look like a much younger Anakin Skywalker," she replied with a hiss as she glared at him from beneath her hood.
"Oh, great. Another one!" Anakin replied sourly as he threw his hands in the air for added effect.
"What is that supposed to mean? What do you mean 'another one?', another one of what?" she demanded haughtily.
"Another one who thinks they know me because of a face they remember from the past," snapped Anakin. He really needed to get that bacta and he didn't appreciate some person he hadn't even met yet trying to shack up with him because once upon a time they knew each other. His daughter was his number one priority and he didn't have the time or the patience to stroll down memory lane.
"Oh no!" she replied with a cold smile. "That isn't the case at all! I know who you look like… But there is no way that you're who you appear to be."
Anakin shook his head and prepared to leave. This was not getting Leia the help she needed. "Listen, whoever you think I am, I'm not him. At least, not anymore. You wouldn't even believe me if I told you, so I guess this is where we part ways. It was nice speaking with you, whoever you are," he said turning to go.
"Don't you dare walk away from me Anakin Skywalker!" she growled as she prepared to chase after him.
Anakin paused before he turned back around to face the obviously angry woman, his eyes as wide as saucers. "Don't say that name out loud. Someone might hear it and share it with the wrong ears."
The woman reached up and drew the hood back to reveal both her face and her species. Where only a few seconds prior she had been angry, her face had softened, and her eyes were kind yet sad at the same time as she looked him straight in the eyes.
"Well, at least now I know you're Togruta," said Anakin softly as he looked her over without an ounce of recognition.
"You don't recognize me, do you?"
"Should I?" asked Anakin as he shook his head.
It was obvious that she knew who he was, but he could not say the same about her.
"I was once the Padawan of Anakin Skywalker, but you can't be him," she whispered softly as she looked at him with such sadness that it hurt him just to look at her.
Wait, Padawan-?
"Ahsoka?" he whispered as he took an unbidden step forward, his eyes searching. "As in, Ahsoka Tano?"
"So, you do know me," she said as she looked at him, hope shining in her eyes.
"Obi-Wan and Rex told me about you. Obi-Wan told me that Vader didn't kill you, but he wouldn't tell me anything else," said Anakin in slight wonder as he regarded the woman in front of him with a new perspective.
"And just when and where did you meet Obi-Wan?" Ahsoka demanded.
Anakin sighed deeply, "you aren't going to believe me because it's impossible."
She would think he was crazy.
"Try me!" she dared as she lifted her head defiantly and looked him square in the eyes. "I've worked with Skywalker. I've seen the impossible."
Well, if she insisted.
Anakin took a deep breath and released it in a vain attempt to regain his composure. "I am Anakin Skywalker. Obi-Wan and I were on a mission to investigate a Sith shrine on Setauri V and I think I must've touched something because one moment I was in a cave and the next I was in a cell on an Imperial Star Destroyer twenty-eight years in the future and oh- I have children who are now older than I am. And did I mention future me is a Sith?" he breathed out.
He had to say, it was refreshing to get that off his chest.
"But- Jedi aren't supposed to have children," Ahsoka whispered in confusion, more to herself than anything. Apparently, the Sith part hadn't phased her as much as the children part had.
"Oh, you're gonna tell me? I know who I'm going to secretly marry, but I haven't even seen her since I was nine. And now she's dead and it's my fault," Anakin retorted.
"Padmè… You mean, you two were married?" she asked in wonder. "I always knew there was something between the two of you, but I never thought-"
"I haven't married her yet, but apparently I will sometime in my future," he said with a shrug.
Ahsoka stared at him in silence for a few moments before a grin spread across her face and she grabbed him in a bone-crushing hug, her arms wrapped tightly around him in an embrace that felt familiar and comforting.
"It really is you!" she cried out before she pulled away from him, "you don't know how good it is to see you again, Skyguy!"
"Skyguy?" Anakin repeated in confusion.
"That's what I called you after I became your Padawan when I was thirteen, and you called me 'Snips' because you thought I was too snippy," Ahsoka said in fond remembrance.
Anakin snorted in amusement, "I can see why."
"Well… you're not the Anakin I quite remember, but you'll get there. Now tell me, why are you looking for bacta treatments?" Ahsoka replied.
Anakin kept an eye for any more Stormtroopers as Ahsoka bartered with the man for the bacta treatments. He had left the bartering to her seeing as she was the one with the credits and so he kept his eyes peeled for any sign of trouble.
He watched the crowd of people with mild disinterest as they pushed and shoved past each other before he turned his gaze back on Ahsoka, who was inspecting the bacta kit carefully to ensure that they were getting what they paid for. Finally, she thanked the man and handed him the appropriate credits and slipped the kit into her bag before she smiled at Anakin triumphantly.
He was immensely thankful that they had found each other and that she had been more than willing to help him out with his dilemma despite the circumstances.
"I hope this will be enough for her," she said as she slung her bag over her shoulder, "this was the last bacta kit he had in store and I had just enough credits to buy it."
"It's plenty," said Anakin as they began to walk down the street, "thank you for helping me out, Ahsoka. You have no idea how much this means to me."
"You don't have to thank me, Skyguy. I'm always happy to help and besides, I'm not about to let you out of my sights any time soon, so I guess we're gonna have to help each other out."
Anakin snorted, "I guess so."
"So, where are we going after this?" she asked as she followed after him, "what's the plan for saving Luke?"
"It involves not dying," said Anakin.
"Sounds like you've given this plan a lot of thought," said Ahsoka teasingly.
Anakin shrugged, "I was never really good at planning. I usually just rely on my luck to save me."
"That much is obvious," said Ahsoka pointedly.
"You know me well. What would General Skywalker do if he were in my position?"
"He'd come up with some crazy and ridiculous plan that would never work and make it work," she said with a smile.
"And how did most his plans go?" asked Anakin in genuine curiosity.
"It usually involved getting caught," she said, "and like you said, not dying."
Anakin laughed, "not dying sounds good."
"So, we're in agreement?" asked Ahsoka.
Anakin nodded, "whatever half-assed plan we come up with, I have faith that it'll work."
"Looks like we're back in business," said Ahsoka with a grin.
They continued to walk for a few more meters before an alien child dressed in rags bumped into Anakin, her little green hands grabbing onto his poncho as he reached out and grabbed both of her arms to steady her.
"Hey, you alright?" asked Anakin as he hauled her up and stared down at her.
She was a tiny little thing with wide, brown eyes and light green skin that was smeared in mud and grime and even matted to her vibrant red hair. Anakin had never seen such a species as hers before in all of his travels, but then again there were many different races out on the galaxy.
"M'fine," she said as she disentangled herself from his poncho and walked away as if nothing had happened.
Anakin shrugged and they both continued on down the path, the incident was completely forgotten until Anakin noticed that there was something off. He reached down to feel where his lightsaber should've been clipped to his belt but found that it was gone.
"My lightsaber," he breathed out in slight panic as he patted himself down in a desperate attempt to locate it, "it's gone."
"What do you mean it's gone?" asked Ahsoka incredibly.
"I mean it's gone!" whispered Anakin in agitation before the realization of what had just occurred set in. Ahsoka's eyes widened as she too realized the situation at hand and what it could mean for them.
"The girl," said Ahsoka as she whipped her head to stare back at the path they had just come from, her eyes desperately searching for the child. "We have to find her, and quick."
-Before she injures herself or exposes our identity…
"Kriffing hell, how could she have just taken it? I should've felt something-!" said Anakin in hushed stupor and shock.
It would be just like Anakin to lose his lightsaber at a moment like this. Afterall, how many lightsabers had he gone through in all of his years as a Jedi? Far too many…
"We can discuss you losing your lightsaber later Anakin. Right now, we just need to focus on getting it back," hissed Ahsoka.
"I didn't lose it!" he argued indignantly, "it was stolen."
"Does it really matter? Either way, we're screwed if we don't get it back. Now, where did she go?"
"I think she went that way," said Anakin as he pointed down one of the side-streets.
"You think?" she quipped with raised eyebrows as she stared at the irritated young man before. It was no wonder she got the nickname 'Snips.'
Anakin ignored her as they began to run- well, more like walking with purpose down the street and through the crowds. They still did not want to draw excessive attention to themselves and they still needed to be careful, but they needed to act fast at the same time.
Anakin figured they'd cover more ground if they split up and that's exactly what they did. He didn't even need to communicate with her, she already knew him well enough to gauge his actions and while it was a little bit unnerving, it was also pretty kriffing helpful. It was already so obvious and clear that she knew him and he knew her too, although not as well as she did.
He ran down the side street while she continued down the main drag, his eyes peeled for the green-skinned child as he searched through the crowd. It would be easy enough to spot her seeing as she was the only one of her kind- well, the only one that Anakin could see. The only one that he had ever seen besides the green-skinned Twi-leks, but she was no Twi-lek.
Finally, he spotted her in the crowd. Her face peered over at him inquisitively from the middle of the road, her head tilted as she stared at him with unhindered curiosity before she ducked her head down and disappeared into the sea of moving bodies.
"Wait!" he called out as he began to push through the crowd, not bothering to remain unnoticed anymore.
She turned to look at him before she ran out from the crowd and into an alleyway, forcing Anakin to struggle harder against the crowd of people before he finally broke free and pursued her down the dark and dank path.
When he found her, she was crouched down behind a large crate as she inspected the cylindrical piece of metal in her small hand, completely unaware of his presence just a few meters behind her as he slowly and carefully crept up behind her.
She turned the lightsaber over in her hand and moved her thumb over to ignition button but gasped as the weapon was yanked out off her hands by an invisible force. She whipped around to see Anakin standing there, her stolen merchandise in his hands.
"I think that belongs to me," he said pointedly as he clipped the lightsaber to his belt.
She blinked at him in surprise before she turned to run only to find Ahsoka standing in front of the exit observing them.
The girl blinked in surprise before she raised her hands in the air. "Please don't hurt me, I didn't know it was valuable."
Anakin's eyes softened at the girl's distress as she looked between the two of them with fear in her eyes.
"Hey, you're not in trouble," said Anakin as he took a cautious step towards the girl, causing her to take a step back. He decided that cornering the child was probably not a good idea so he remained still as Ahsoka gave him a worried glance.
"We're not going to hurt you," said Ahsoka, her voice soft and tender, "we just want to know what you're doing out here all by yourself. Where are your parents?"
"Why should I tell you guys anything? I don't know you," she said with obvious distrust in her voice.
"No, you don't," agreed Ahsoka, "but we're not here to hurt you, young one."
"I saw what you did earlier," she said as she directed her attention back to Anakin, "in the market. You saved that boy with your mind."
"I don't know what you think you saw, but that wasn't me," he said earnestly.
"I know what I saw," she argued, "you guys are Jedi aren't you? My dad told me about them. He said they were warriors and protectors and that they helped people who needed it."
"We're not Jedi," said Anakin firmly, "you must be mistaken."
"No, I'm not," she said as she shook her head indignantly, "I saw what you did earlier in the street with that man and I saw what you just did with that metal thingy. Only Jedi can move things with their minds," she argued as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"The Jedi aren't the only ones who can move things with their minds," said Ahsoka as Anakin shook his head.
"I'm not stupid, I know what I saw," she iterated as she looked up at Anakin. "And you guys trying to tell me I'm not isn't going to work. You guys are Jedi."
"You aren't going to let this go, are you?" asked Anakin with a raised eyebrow.
"Do I look like I give up?" she asked as she placed her hands on her hips and glared up at Anakin while Ahsoka sniggered.
Anakin had to give her credit, she was smart and observant. Far more precocious than most children were at her age and extremely indignant.
"Alright kid, you win. We're Jedi, okay?" said Anakin with a huff of annoyance. "But you can't tell anyone, you understand?"
"I knew it," she said triumphantly, "I knew you would help me!"
"Woah wait a minute," said Anakin as he held a hand up in the air, "we never said anything about helping you. We need to get out of here, we can't stay."
"What do you mean you can't help me? You guys are Jedi! You protect and help people, don't you?" she asked as her eyes drooped and her shoulders fell, making Anakin feel like a real piece of poodoo.
Once upon a time he had the same conviction about the Jedi and he had believed it just as much as the girl standing before him did, and once upon a time, it had been true. The Jedi were protectors until they had become far too entangled in politics and pointless conflicts to follow their previous prerogative of truly helping people.
"The galaxy would be a much better place if only people stopped and took the time to help people, Ani. Don't ever forget that."
"I won't, mom."
And now, staring down at this little girl, Anakin was reminded of a young and hopeful boy on Tatooine who also looked to the Jedi for help. He was reminded of the very reason he wanted to be a Jedi, to help people.
"Don't listen to him, he's just a jerk," said Ahsoka as she made her way over to the girl and kneeled down next to her, "what is it you need help with?"
"My papa," she said as her eyes began to glisten with tears, "he was taken, and I don't know where he is. Will you help me find him?"
"Who took him?" asked Anakin.
"I don't know," she said as she reached into her pocket to retrieve a crinkled up and dirtied piece of paper, "they came in the night and they wore scary masks. My father told me to run and I was so scared. When I came back the next morning, this is what I found."
She handed Anakin the paper and he opened it up and studied it with a quizzical eye before he handed it off to Ahsoka, who studied it for a few moments before she looked back down at the girl.
"What does it mean?" asked Anakin to Ahsoka. It was obvious that she knew more than he did.
She gave him an uneasy glance much to his dismay before she looked back down at the paper in her hand before she said one word that spoke levels.
"Trouble."
The journey back to the ship was spent in relative quietness save for the girl. Anakin and Ahsoka barely spoke to one another although Anakin wished that she would tell him whatever was on her mind. The anticipation was killing him, but she would not divulge him, at least not until they got back to the ship.
The little girl, however, was nothing more than a chatterbug as she ran circles around them and asked them all sorts of questions about the Jedi, to which they responded to the best of their abilities. Some of the questions were stranger than the others, like whether they could fly with their Force abilities or if the Jedi Order ever had holo-movie night.
The Jedi could use the Force to jump high and no they did not have weekly holo-movie night, although Anakin wished they did. It would've made Temple life so much more interesting…
"So, if the Jedi can fly, why do you need ships?" she asked as she padded alongside Anakin.
Anakin laughed, "we can't fly, but we can use the Force to jump really high."
"How high?" she asked as she looked up at him.
"I don't know," Anakin mused as he looked up at the tree line, "really high, I guess."
"My papa says jumping gives people bad knees," she said as she kept stride with the Jedi, "does that mean Jedi have bad knees if they can jump really high?"
"I hope not," retorted Anakin as Ahsoka snorted in laughter behind them.
Neri, who seemed satisfied with the answer nodded before she was running off to inspect something that caught her attention up the path, allowing Anakin and Ahsoka to step into place beside each other.
"It seems as though you've made a new friend," she commented idly as Anakin shrugged.
"I think she could use one," said Anakin, "I can sense she's lonely and scared."
"I wonder how she managed to survive all on her own," said Ahsoka with a shake of her head, "it's no wonder she resorted to pick-pocketing to get by."
"Kids are resourceful," said Anakin as he looked back towards Neri, "especially when it comes to survival."
He knew from personal experience just how resourceful one could be. As a kid, Anakin had had to do things he wasn't necessarily proud of to survive, but such was life on Tatooine.
"You're not mad that she stole your lightsaber?" asked Ahsoka.
Anakin shook his head, "no. Why would I be? She's just a kid trying to get by without her father. Stealing may be wrong, but what else was she supposed to do?"
"I guess it's a good thing we found her then," commented Ahsoka idly.
Anakin was about to reply when the Force churned in warning as two previously unsensed presences drew closer and closer to them. The both of them looked at each other in panic before they looked over at where Neri was standing next to a tree a couple of meters ahead of them, blissfully unaware of the danger that was steadily drawing near.
The Force wouldn't have warned them if there was no threat…
Anakin wasted no time as he sprinted over to where Neri stood and grabbed her before he pulled her off the path as gently as he could as the sound of footsteps drew near.
"Shh," whispered Anakin as he pulled her down to the ground and placed a finger over his mouth. Ahsoka followed promptly just before two armed Stormtroopers made their way up the path, their boots padding along the ground as they marched around the corner.
Neri struggled against Anakin's firm hold on her for a few moments before he finally let go of her and pointed at the white-armored men and placed a firm finger on his lips as he silently instructed her to remain quiet.
Anakin kept his eye on Neri while Ahsoka silently peered over the top of the bushes until the Stormtroopers were finally out of sight.
"I didn't sense any presences this far out," muttered Anakin as he reached out to ensure that Leia was safe.
"Where do you think they're going?" asked Ahsoka as she peered further down the path with curiosity.
"Probably to the mines," said Neri offhandedly as she stuck her finger into the dirt and drew circular patterns, unaware of Anakin's and Ahsoka's eyes on her.
"The mines?" asked an interested Anakin as he shot Ahsoka a questioning glance to which she only shrugged.
"The Actium mines silly. There's one just over that hill," she said as she pointed over to a small ridge that Anakin vaguely remembered passing on the way into the spaceport.
Actium was an incredibly rare element and if Anakin remembered correctly, there were only two worlds in the entire galaxy that were known to contain natural deposits, and Aenear was not one of them.
"Actium?" asked a perplexed Ahsoka. "Are you sure?"
Neri nodded, "the Empire and the Hutts have been mining it here for the last few years."
"That would explain the Hutt Cartel ships and the Imperial presence on the surface," said Anakin as he shook his head.
"What? Like a joint operation?" asked Ahsoka.
"It would explain everything," said Anakin with a shrug, "what with how rare Actium is, I'd bet my lucky stars they cut a deal to gain profit. And seeing as this is Hutt Space…"
It wouldn't be the first time that the Hutts allowed outside forces to mine on their worlds so long as they got their cut of the profit, and this seemed to be one of those instances.
Ahsoka shook her head, "something doesn't quite seem right. Why does the Empire need Actium in the first place?"
Anakin shrugged, "your guess is as good as mine."
Ahsoka stared at him for a few heavy moments of silence before she shook her head, a look of consternation placating her lips as she looked Anakin straight in the eyes.
"There's something going on here and I don't like it."
"I can sense it too," muttered Anakin softly as he spared a brief glance over at Neri, "and I don't like it either. We need to investigate, but we need to get that bacta back to Leia before we do anything else. And I think it's time you told me what that symbol on that paper means."
Ahsoka paused, "it's a calling card used by a specific group of people to let everybody know it was them."
"What group?" pressed Anakin.
"I've only heard of them in passing," she said as she looked over at Neri to ensure that she was not in hearing range. "They're not Rebels, at least not the kind of Rebels we associate with."
"Who are they?" asked Anakin firmly.
"They're called the Black Storm, at least that's what I've heard them referred to as. They're Rebels but they're not associated with any known Rebel Cell and they're not a part of the Alliance."
"Why not?" asked Anakin.
"Because their methods are a bit too- egregious for the Alliance's taste," she muttered, her eyes drifting back towards Neri, who continued to play in the dirt completely unaware of their conversation. "They're not Rebels like you and me, they're- well, let's just say their main focus is on the Hutt Cartel rather than the Empire, although they bear no love for the Empire either."
"They're slave revolters?" asked Anakin in surprise. Never in all of his years on Tatooine had he ever heard of such a group fighting the Hutts, but then again times were different.
"Most of them are former slaves, yes. From what I've heard, they're all over this part of space and they've been a real pain in the Hutts side for a little over a decade now."
"So, then why take Neri's father? And how do we get him back?" whispered Anakin.
"I don't know," she said as she looked down at the ground and bit her lip, "but whatever we do, we need to do it fast."
"Agreed," said Anakin, "we need to get that bacta to Leia and figure out what's going on here, not to mention the spare parts we need to get for the hyperdrive. If we ever want to get off this planet, we need those parts."
"For what type of ship?"
"Corellian YT-2000 Freighter," he said.
"What parts?" asked Neri as she came to stand next to them, her curious eyes directed at Anakin as she tilted her head.
"Coils and diffusers. You know where we can get them?" he asked as he leaned forward to stare into her eyes.
"Those parts are rare out here, but my Papa would know where to find some," she said as she plopped down next to Anakin, her eyes sticking out in front of her as she stared up at the overcast sky.
"How do you know that?" asked Anakin inquisitively.
"My Papa's a smuggler," she said simply, "he told me Corellian parts are rare out here in this part of space because of how expensive they are. The Hutts control trade out here and Correlian parts are valuable, something about tariffs-"
"Okay, I get the picture. Are you sure your Papa knows where to find some?"
"Illegally, yeah."
"Perfect," said Anakin, "we just have to find your Papa first."
"Why can't you just use your Jedi senses and find him?" she asked innocently as she rolled on the balls of her feet, her gaze resting on Anakin from behind a veil of red eyelashes as she swayed back and forth.
"It doesn't work like that," said Ahsoka as Anakin shook his head, "it's a bit more complicated."
"How complicated?" she asked as she directed her attention to Ahsoka.
"More complicated than we wish it was," said Ahsoka before a comforting smile graced her lips, "but you don't need to worry about a thing because we are going to find your Papa, you hear?"
"But what if you can't find him?" asked Neri.
"We'll find him, Neri," said Anakin as he rose to his feet, "but before we do that, we need to get these to Leia."
He lifted up the sack with the bacta in it before he marched out of the foliage and onto the path with Ahsoka and Neri close behind him. Already, they had wasted enough time chatting away and he was starting to get a little antsy with how long he had been away from Leia.
He could sense that she was fine, but her health was not in the best shape and she needed that bacta. Already, he had been gone for hours and he could tell that it would be sunset soon and they could all probably stand to eat something. Not to mention the fact that Neri was shivering from the cold despite his jacket wrapped around her petite frame and with sunset, the weather would get chillier.
"Come on," he said as he motioned for them to keep up, "we're not that much further from where I landed the ship. If we hurry, we'll be there before nightfall."
"My feet hurt," whined Neri.
Anakin looked down at her feet, which were bare and blistered and dirty. She probably hadn't worn shoes in a long time from the looks of it.
"Where are your shoes?" he asked, a bit flustered that he hadn't noticed that she had been hiking barefoot all this time. No wonder her feet hurt.
"Traded them," she mumbled as Anakin sighed. He handed Ahsoka back the pack that contained the bacta before he kneeled down and motioned for her to climb onto his back.
She weighed next to nothing as she clamored onto his back and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly before she rested her head against his back and yawned tiredly. He made sure not to jostle her too much as he rose to his feet and continued down the path.
Not much else was said between him and Ahsoka for the remainder of the walk. Neri was silent as well as she dozed off, her breathing slow and steady as her grip on him began to loosen. He held onto her tightly to ensure that she wouldn't fall off as they continued to trek through the forest.
Finally, after a few hours, they finally came upon the freighter. Anakin lowered the ramp before they both walked up, the sun already starting to dip behind the horizon as a veil of fog began to roll in.
Anakin laid Neri down on the opposite row of chairs before he pulled a spare blanket over her and turned to where Ahsoka was staring at Leia in surprise, her eyes trailing over the Princess's form before they turned to Anakin.
"This is Princess Leia Organa," she stated as Anakin nodded.
"She is," he affirmed.
"I don't understand," she began as she scrunched her nose up in confusion, "I thought you said you needed the bacta for your daughter."
Anakin sighed, "Leia was adopted by the Organa's, but she's-"
Ahsoka blinked in surprise as realization set in, "Bail took her in after Padmè died, didn't he? Of course, he would. It all makes sense now. Force, how could I not see it?"
"You didn't know, Snips," said Anakin shaking his head, "it had to be kept secret."
"But-" Ahsoka looked back down at the sleeping Princess, her eyes sweeping over her facial features distantly with a far-away look in her eyes.
"It's a lot to take in, I know," said Anakin as he looked down at Leia, "but it's true."
"Oh I don't doubt it," quipped Ahsoka with a soft smile, "just look at her! Who could deny her parentage? She is definitely your daughter, Skyguy. I'm just surprised, that's all. Bail and I worked closely for years and he never bothered to tell me."
"He was protecting her," said Anakin as he exhaled, "the fewer people who knew, the better. I don't blame him for having her best interest at heart."
Ahsoka sighed as she nodded in agreement. "It's strange, isn't it? Having children who are older than you?"
Anakin tilted his head, "it is, but I'm starting to get used to it. I've accepted that one day I'll be a father to Luke and Leia and while at first, I was scared at the very prospect of being a parent, especially seeing as said children were grown adults and I had only just turned seventeen and that whole time travel thing-"
He could tell he was rambling on but Ahsoka didn't seem to mind as she looked at him encouragingly, a kindred smile on her lips as he paused to take a deep breath.
"-I guess what I'm trying to say is that I've embraced the idea and them. I don't know what I would do if they weren't here, which is why I have to save Luke from Vader."
"I'm happy you found them, Skyguy," said Ahsoka after a moment of silence, "you deserve to be happy after everything that's happened. And I'm glad that Padmè's baby- well, babies survived."
"Speaking of surviving," said Anakin, ready to change the subject as he reached into the pack and pulled out the bacta, "you never told me what happened after your duel with Vader."
He pulled Leia's shirt up and removed the bandage and the dried up bacta strip as he waited patiently for her to speak.
"Funny you should ask that because like your story, my story also involves time travel, well- if you could call it that," she said matter of fact as she watched him inspect the Princess's wound.
Anakin paused as he drew his gaze up to Ahsoka and blinked in surprise, "really? How?"
She shrugged, "a friend saved me just in time. Vader was about to kill me when he pulled me into a strange place, a world between worlds."
"A world between worlds?" asked Anakin inquisitively. Never in all of his Jedi studies had he ever heard of such a place nor could he even comprehend what Ahsoka was describing to him.
She shook her head, "I'm still confused about it, but it was like a bridge. A bridge between time itself."
"What happened after your friend pulled you in?" asked Anakin, his voice soft and imploring as he looked at her.
"The Emperor tried to kill us and when we escaped, we both ended up going our separate ways. He went back to his own time and I went back to Malachor with the promise that I would find him again."
"That's one hell of a story, Snips," commented Anakin as he peeled off the bacta strip and applied it to Leia's abdomen. "But either way, I'm glad your friend saved you or else I wouldn't have gotten the chance to meet you."
"Well, not for a few more years your time. I have a feeling that either way, you're stuck with me," she grinned.
"I guess Obi-Wan was right, one day I would understand all the pain and misery I put him through when I got my own Padawan."
He grinned and shook his head as he wrapped a clean bandage around the bacta strip and pulled Leia's shirt down to cover it before he slumped down onto the ground next to Ahsoka.
"We need to come up with a plan," said Ahsoka idly as she leaned against the wall, "and soon. We need to get out off of this planet so we can go find Luke."
"First we need to find this- Black Storm and figure out what they want with Neri's father so we can get those parts," said Anakin as he turned to look at Ahsoka. "Do you have any idea where these people are? If they're as widespread as you say they are, then they must have a base of operations somewhere nearby."
Ahsoka pursed her lips, "I think I might know where they are, but I can't say for sure."
"Where?" pressed Anakin.
"They're rumors really, but I heard that they use abandoned quadranium mines because of how large and how intricate they are here on Aenear. You can easily get lost inside of one if you don't know where you're going."
"Well, rumors is all we really have at the moment," said Anakin with a sigh, "but I don't want to leave Leia alone like that again, so I think we should wait till she wakes up."
"How long will that be?"
"Not long," he said as he reached out with the Force to feel Leia's healing aura. It shouldn't be too long before she could be safely pulled out of the trance, especially now that he had fresh bacta to give her. "She should be fine by tomorrow."
"That's reasonable," nodded Ahsoka, "and besides, I think we could all use some rest right now. It's been a long and eventful day."
"Here," said Anakin as he rose to his feet and pulled out the spare blanket before handing it to her, "I have a feeling it'll get cold tonight. There are some cots around the corner, make yourself at home."
"What about you?" asked Ahsoka as she accepted the warm blue blanket.
"I'll get some sleep later, but right now I think I should probably take some time to meditate. Force knows I could use it."
"Okay, I'll see you in the morning, then," she said as she rose to her feet.
"Goodnight, Ahsoka," said Anakin as she disappeared down the hall.
Anakin stared down the corridor where she had disappeared before he finally turned his gaze back towards Leia and Neri, the both of them sleeping peacefully as he watched them. Neri sighed as she clutched the blanket closer to her small frame and turned onto her side, her vibrant red hair splayed around her face as her nose twitched.
Leia was as still as ever save for the barely visible rise and fall of her chest. Anakin shook his head as he walked past them and into the cockpit where he slumped into the pilot's chair and allowed himself to relax as he stared out the viewport at the dark shapes of the trees. He couldn't see the stars because of the fog and clouds that hung low around the canopy of trees, obstructing his view of almost everything save for the tall and foreboding shape of the forest.
It was so silent that he could hear the chirping of insects and the occasional hoot of what sounded like a Convor, at least whatever passed for a Convor on Aenear. The sound was comforting as he lulled himself into a meditative trance, his mind open and his breathing shallow as he allowed himself to be submerged into the rolling waves of the Force.
He didn't know how long he sat there meditating before something jolted him. He opened his eyes as he exhaled deeply before he reached out to investigate the subtle yet unexpected disturbance that resonated in the Force.
He closed his eyes as he finally understood what the Force was trying to tell him.
Master Yoda was dead.
AN: I'm going to be honest with you guys, I don't watch Rebels but I know the gist of how Ahsoka was saved by Ezra so if I got anything wrong in this chapter, don't hesitate to tell me so I may rectify that. I wasn't even going to add her character into my story but my wonderful beta changed my mind and I'm glad I listened to him. Also, have I ever mentioned how awesome my beta is? I don't know where this story would've gone if I didn't have his help and his ideas. Big thanks to him for helping me with this chapter.
Also, have I ever mentioned how much I love subplots? I promise it all connects and that I'm not just throwing in useless and uninteresting stuff into my plot. I can tell you one thing, things are about to get interesting that's for sure. And rest assured, I haven't forgotten about the rest of the characters like Rex, Lando, Chewy, Artoo, 3-PO or Han. This story has a bit more to it before the grand finale, so hang in there my lovely readers.
I hope you enjoyed!