AN: Hello everyone! This chapter is a year in the making and I am sorry that I have delayed so long. I am just happy that I have been able to start writing again and have found my ability to do so. I do have every intention of finishing this, but the updates will be spread out unfortunately. I have future stuff written as I get the muse and the ideas, so there is a plan. Execution has been a bit elusive as of late. Thank you to those who have continued to read! I will alert when there are spoilers for any new content being released.. such as Kenobi- which by the way- was incredible! Loved it very much.. side note.. speaking of spoilers and things. Cal Kestis. His cross into the story will be brief and will likely not continue until Jedi Survivor releases.
Disclaimer: I still don't own star wars. So Sad.
Chapter Seven
Anakin sets the freighter down next to a long yacht, with its tailfin standing tall. "That's a nice-looking ship." Anakin mumbles, hitting buttons to put their ship in its cool down cycle.
"And it matches the description given to us by Bail."
"What do you think of the infantry here? Definitely looks like Saw's guys." Obi-wan hums in agreement. "How do you suppose we approach this? We approach the pilot of the yacht, or the soldiers to ask about Saw?"
"Who says we can't ask both?"
"Fair. Ready?"
Obi-Wan nods, standing up. Anakin follows suit, and pats Artoo's dome as he walks by. He follows Obi-wan out the hatch and down the ramp. Humid air greets them, and they notice multiple sets of eyes looking towards them. They aren't as easily recognizable as they were during the Clone Wars. Their complexions are darker, hair lighter.
They make their way towards the yacht, where a darker skinned woman and Lateron male stand waiting. When they reach them, the human's forehead wrinkles in mild recognition before a look of surprise crosses her face.
"Hello there." Obi-Wan greets. "I'm Obi-Wan-"
"Master Kenobi." She whispers. She looks over his shoulder, eyes scanning the other male. "And Anakin Skywalker. Isn't this a surprise?"
Anakin and Obi-Wan's eyes meet in similar confusion. Neither recognize her. "I apologize, you seem to have us at a disadvantage. You are?"
The woman bows her head. "Cere Junda. I was a Jedi seeker."
"Yeah, and I'm Greeze Dritus. Captain of the Stinger Mantis." He gestures to the ship behind him, pride swelling through him.
Anakin and Obi-Wan share another look. This is not the Jedi they're after. There's another. Anakin breaks first, turning to Cere. "You're not the Jedi we're searching for." Cere raises an eyebrow. "You have another companion. Where are they?"
A small smile forms at the straightforwardness of Anakin's statement. "You would be correct; there is another. His name is Cal Kestis."
"What is it you want with the kid?" Greeze speaks up, eying Anakin up and down before doing the same with Obi-Wan.
"We would like to arrange a meeting. We were given intel that he would be found here, along with an old acquaintance of ours. Saw Gerrara." Obi-Wan says calmly. He watches a dark look cross Cere's face.
"It's okay, Greeze." She says, placing a soothing hand on the Latero's shoulder. "Yes, Cal and Saw crossed paths, at the imperial refinery not far ahead. Saw should still be there, but Cal has moved towards the shadowlands to Chieftain Tarfal."
"The shadowlands? Those won't be easy for him to cross."
"No, but the force is with him."
"Why exactly is he searching the shadowlands for Chieftain Tarful?"
"He's searching for information left behind by my old master. That information will help determine the future of the Jedi Order."
Cere catches the glance between the two men, followed by a subtle nod from Obi-Wan. "Alright, fair enough. We are going to check on Saw, perhaps we can help aid him here."
"Fair warning Obi-Wan. Saw may not be how you remember him."
"We will accept your warning, but do not worry on our account." Obi-Wan grabs a communicator from his pocket before tossing it to her. "Please contact us when he returns."
"Sure thing." Anakin is already on the move, headed towards the refinery. Obi-Wan follows closely behind and can hear the Letero male question Cere about their surprising arrival. Obi-Wan, amused and distracted enough by their conversation, nearly runs into Anakin's back. Anakin is speaking with one of Saw's fighters, trying to get a specific location on the man. They're directed to a landing pad that the cable car should drop them at. They're on the move once more and activate the car. The crates of weapons and supplies are not lost on the two Jedi.
"Saw sure has been busy." Anakin states, leaning against a stack of crates, crossing his arms across his chest.
"Yes. We've been keeping an eye on his movements. He isn't a part of the rebellion directly, but he has done well outfitting people with weaponry. Some even join his band of insurgents."
"So, he's continued what we tried to teach him and his sister? By allowing those to fight for themselves frees up our resources to be focused elsewhere."
"Only with little long-term effectiveness, I'm afraid. He's never there long enough for the people to be trained to use the weapons properly and the people either end up arrested or worse."
Anakin's reply is cut off by grating metal of the doors opening. They have arrived at the rooftop of the refinery and the interim-landing pad. Anakin pushes off the crates and steps off the car, Obi-Wan at his side. They catch sight of Saw next to a gunship speaking with several wookies.
The two Jedi walk in step, ignoring the looks and murmurs around them. Anakin is surprised how quickly he's adjusted back into his ability to ignore the quizzical glances directed at him. He and Obi-Wan both had plenty of attention on them during the Clone Wars as the Dynamic Duo and The Team. Heroes of the Republic.
In the back of his mind, he worries about how quickly the chatter will spread. He doesn't want any… unwanted attention from unfriendly eyes. He'd hoped there was a chance they wouldn't be recognized immediately, but that is not to be.
Saw turns to them as they approach, a bewildered look crossing over his face. "Well, I'll be damned." He mutters when they stop in front of him, amusement radiating from them. "Kenobi, Skywalker." He reaches out to shake their hands. "It's good to see you both alive and in good health. Didn't think we'd run into one Jedi, let alone three. Not to mention them being the two of you. You're presumed dead."
"No. Not yet, and we're only recently started getting out again, this is actually the first Anakin's been out since then."
"Oh? Just trying to keep a low profile or for other reasons?" Saw asks, catching sight of the dull band on Anakin's left hand.
Anakin smirks. "Both. Reasons I'm sure you can understand should be left unsaid."
"Indeed." He pauses. "Well, it is good to see you both again, but I don't believe you're here just to see me. You're looking for the kid?"
"Yes, we mostly want to speak with him, get some information. Considering he's a bit indisposed at the moment, we figured we could help you out, if you need."
"The kid helped clean out the refinery before you arrived, and made a good dent getting to the shadowlands. I'm sure he'd appreciate the help keeping the Imperials away from his path back."
"And, where exactly would that be?"
Saw pulls out a holomap of the refinery. "There's an entry point here." He points to a small passageway below their current position. Anakin pulls out his comlink, downloading the schematics to it.
"Afraid you'll get lost?"
"No, but if we end up giving chase through the refinery, I'd prefer to have a way out. Quickly." Anakin puts the round comlink away, nodding to Obi-Wan. "Saw." He says simply, before walking away, with Obi-Wan following closely behind.
They take the lift down to the bottom floor. Anakin leads them outside once more. They note scorch marks along the walls and floors, made by both blasters and a lightsaber. Kid seemed to do a number on the Imperial forces here. Anakin thinks, stepping through the last door and back into the humid climate. Good.
They notice a pipe leading from their platform to a grassy ledge where a downed Imperial AT-AT lies in ruin. Anakin is about to cross when he sees the white armor of stormtroopers. Obi-Wan halts next to him, watching the stormtroopers get in formation, aiming at the charred remains of a wookie hut. His attention is drawn back to Anakin when he steps forward and up onto the pipe. The stormtroopers' attention remains fixed outward, and they don't seem to notice their presence behind them. Anakin makes his way across the pipe and motions for Obi-Wan to follow. He does and they take cover behind the AT-AT.
The troopers still haven't moved from their positions, and both Jedi notice the error in their tactics. No one has decided to take position behind any sort of cover. Even if the kid doesn't have a blaster, the cover would allow the troopers some protection with distance from a Jedi. Not to mention, there is no one watching the rear flank especially when there are unfriendlies in the refinery behind them. The 501st and the 212th would be appalled at the piss-poor tactics and apparent lack of training these troopers have received.
The two Jedi debate whether to make a move now, drawing the attention of the troopers to them, or wait for the kid to make an appearance and surround the troopers. They don't get to decide for themselves when they hear metal grating, like someone is climbing up the steel cable across the marshes. They both ready their lightsabers and share one last glance as a copper-haired teenager flips onto the charred remnants of the hut. Blaster fire begins immediately, but the kid is faster, instantly directing the bolts back towards those firing upon him. It's enough to get Anakin moving. He ignites his sapphire blade, quickly taking out the rear troopers, Obi-Wan following closely behind.
Between the three of them, they quickly dispatch the troopers until their pants for breath are the only sound left. The kid makes his way over to the older two beings, shock written over his face.
The older two extinguish their blades, seeing Cal approach. "Master Kenobi?" He says Obi-Wan's name in a whisper and both men can see the disbelief in his eyes. "I can't believe it."
"Hello Cal. It's good to see you." Cal's eyes finally shift to Anakin, he doesn't immediately recognize him, causing Anakin to smirk. Cal stares at him for a long minute, before realizing who stands next to Master Kenobi.
"Master Skywalker." He says in greeting with a nod. He doesn't miss Anakin's startled flinch and sudden unease through the force. Cal wonders what that's about, why would he outwardly flinch being addressed by his formal title? Why the unease, he also doesn't miss Anakin avoiding his gaze altogether. He watches as Obi-Wan places his hand on Anakin's shoulder, before it's quickly shrugged off. Obi-Wan gives Anakin a look, a promise to speak on the incident later. "It's good to see you as well. Both of you really… Two more Jedi.. It's more than I could've hoped for. I assumed there were others, but I haven't seen any in so long. Until Cere."
"We understand. " Obi-Wan replies softly, and Anakin keeps his gaze to the grass tickling Cal's boots. "Cere mentioned you were looking for something; down in the shadowlands? Did you find it?"
"I did… but it's just another piece to the puzzle I'm afraid."
"I won't ask for details, but was more curious if once you finished here, if you'd think of joining us back to our base?"
"Base? Really? Wait, does that mean… the rumors are true? Of an organized rebellion?"
"Yes, we have been slowly growing our ranks. We were tasked with finding you, and possibly getting you to join the cause."
Anakin finally breaks his stare of the ground, to look back at Cal. "Don't feel pressured to respond. We know it's a lot to ask of you. Not to mention dangerous."
"I appreciate that, but I've already caught the attention of some inquisitors. They've been following me since Bracca. They're the reason I finally revealed myself… and they still killed him."
"I'm sorry for the loss of your friend."
"Yeah, me too." He says, eyes misting. He blinks it away and Anakin watches the kid pull himself together before releasing his sorrow into the force with a long breath. "The fight goes on right? I survived." He looks at the older duo. "We survived. As long as we live, that hope can live on too."
Anakin and Obi-Wan share a small smile. "Right you are. It's why we're trying to rally as many Jedi as we can."
"Am I the first?"
"That we've been sent after. I have no way of knowing if others have been found. The less that know the better, and others may still be in hiding, like you were. There isn't a definitive system for them to find their way to us."
"How did you find me?"
Anakin answers this time. "We got a tip from Command, I don't know who, but we were contacted shortly after. They said you were revealed to be on Bracca, got picked up by a third party, and were seen again here on Kashyyk with Saw."
"Running into him was completely by accident, I helped them free the Wookies from the Refinery. I was glad to help, and he gave me intel on where to find Chieftain Tarful."
"I'm sure he was grateful for your assistance. Did you have any more run-ins with Imperials down in the shadowlands?"
"Unfortunately. Nothing I couldn't fight through. The inquisitors are here.. I fought the ninth sister and won, but the second sister likely isn't far behind. If you want to keep yourselves hidden, I wouldn't stay here too long."
"We appreciate the warning." A ship takes off from the refinery behind them. They watch it shoot off towards the sky. "We should head back, we're too exposed for my liking."
"I agree." Cal responds walking past Obi-Wan and Anakin. He jumps onto the pipe with ease and makes his way towards the refinery. The older two follow closely behind him and into the refinery.
Anakin and Obi-Wan are back on the ship and headed towards the base to give their official reports to Command. Obi-Wan watches his brother walk back into the cockpit from his brief call to Padmé and the kids. Anakin seems lighter after speaking with his family, but there's still a sense of unease surrounding him. Has been since Cal called him Master. Obi-Wan felt the shift in him as soon as it happened, and considering they are now in hyperspace, he figures this is a good time as any to have this conversation.
"How are the twins?"
"They're good, they were getting ready for bed when I called. They went to the market with Padmé and Beru earlier and were very excited to tell me about their adventure." Anakin's face lights up speaking about his young children, and Obi-Wan wishes he doesn't have to be the one to smother that lightness, as temporary as it may be.
"Anakin, when we were speaking to Cal earlier. You seemed to be on edge and uneasy after he referred to you as Master Skywalker."
As predicted, the lightness to his presence dampens. Anakin takes his seat in his previously vacated spot and stares out the viewport to watch the lights and colors of the hyperspace lane. After several moments, he lets out a sigh. "It's just… the last time I was called that was by the younglings after I found them in the council chambers. They were terrified and looked at me like I was their only hope." His voice is a whisper, eyes staring unseeing out the viewport. "There was a moment, for a split second, the darkness almost consumed me completely. I don't know what it was that stopped me, if it was the force itself or something else. I almost made an even greater mistake… one that would've cost me my humanity."
Obi-Wan watches Anakin closely. He rarely talks about that day, if ever. Even when they meditate together, Anakin shields his mind well enough that Obi-Wan cannot break through to help him get past the dark emotions that surround those memories. Anakin begins to play with the pink bracelet at his wrist. "There was something telling me to not blindly trust the Emperor's words, and when I saw their young faces… I couldn't- I couldn't do that. Not when I was about to become a father, not when I was so unsure about everything. I just couldn't."
He takes a breath, still playing with the bracelet. "My orders were clear. To cleanse the temple of every Jedi. That included the younglings. I purposely stayed away from the creches, and stayed away from any youngling I saw throughout the halls. When I reached the council chambers, I could feel beings inside… I had no idea there were younglings in there. Seeing them, and having them feel safe enough to abandon those hiding places…" He trails off with a shake of his head. "The clones weren't far behind me, and I made my choice. I wasn't going to harm them, instead I got them out and as far as I could. I led them to the archives and instructed them to remain hidden, and only fight to defend themselves if absolutely necessary. I told themI would try and keep the clones from them for as long as I could. Eventually the main bulk of troopers left, on my order, and had to keep a few squads to maintain the perimeter. To help maintain appearances, I couldn't send them all away. I didn't think to tell them the library was off limits, and made my way to the security hub. I was disguising the all clear signal as a warning to any Jedi that was left to stay away. That's what I was doing when you and Yoda found me."
Anakin finally pulls his gaze away from the viewport and back to Obi-Wan. He can see the tears in Anakin's eyes. "I guess hearing another call me that, after everything I did and after all this time.. There were a lot of emotions and feelings that I wasn't prepared to face yet. I don't know if I'll ever be ready to face them." He breaks off eye contact to resume looking at the swirling colors of hyperspace. "Padmé tells me I need to let go of my guilt for what happened, but I don't know if I'll ever be able to do that. I have too much blood on my hands, and have done so many terrible things…I feel unworthy of such a release."
Obi-Wan doesn't know how to respond. He wasn't expecting such an honest response from Anakin, and one that didn't require him to pry it out of him. His brother has certainly grown over the last five years, but in moments such as these, old insecurities and poor coping mechanisms rear their ugly heads once more. "Oh Anakin." He whispers. "You are not unworthy to find inner peace for yourself." Anakin's gaze finds him once more. "You made mistakes, and have atoned for them. You're doing everything in your power to set it right, and the time will come for you to finally finish this. Just know, you should never feel as if this is yours to carry alone."
Anakin nods, but doesn't reply, allowing the contemplative silence to fall over them. Artoo is the one who eventually breaks their silence, alerting them of their arrival to the base. He nudges Anakin's booted foot before rolling away. Anakin makes quick work of dropping their ship from hyperspace and calling in their approach to the base on the moon's surface.