10

Anakin Solo sat quietly beside his grandfather the next morning. Birds chirped cheerfully, but not even their sweet sounds could ease the tension from Anakin's back and limbs. He stretched and glanced at the older man.

"Don't ask that of me." The blond man said quietly, as if not to disturb the peace with his words.

"Grandfather, I need to learn." Anakin looked at the other beseechingly, "Please?"

"Anakin…" the words came out as a soft growl, but Anakin didn't flinch.

"How can I fight if I don't learn?" Anakin sighed and leaned back, supported by his elbows.

"Why are you asking me of all people?" One blond eyebrow lifted, "You're surrounded by Jedi, most of whom are better teachers. Why-"

"Because I want to learn from you. Come on…can you honestly say that I'm safer with anyone else? Nothing could hurt me when I'm with you." Anakin frowned at the other's soft, humorless laughter, "What?"

"How can you have so much faith in someone like me?" Blue eyes locked on their younger duplicates, "Besides that, I didn't do such a great job of protecting last time, did I?"

"Obi-Wan said that you were kinda over that…you know, the Vader stuff."

"He doesn't understand me, never has." Came the soft reply, "He cares about me…and I'm grateful, but he just doesn't understand." Ani bowed his head, and shame shivered along the connection the two shared. "He's never done anything that merits so much regret."

"I suppose…but I have." Anakin stared up at the clear blue sky and sighed mournfully. "If it wasn't for me, Chewie would still be alive, along with countless others who were endangered by my plans."

"The way I heard it you saved a shipload of people with your actions, and you did a great deal of damage to the Yuuzhan Vong."

"Yeah…but it didn't change the fact that Chewie was gone." Anakin blinked once, an idea sparking in his mind "Is Chewie here?"

"I don't see why he wouldn't be." Ani smiled, "Do you want to stay with him instead?"

"No!" Anakin grinned, "Someone needs to bug you, and it might as well be me. I just might want to visit him. Can I?"

"Sure…but not with me. I doubt he'd be happy to see me."

"Cool. Now, back to our original topic. Will you train me?"

"I can't." Ani flopped back on the ground, staring up at the sky.

"No, you just won't. Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"Nope."

"Pretty pretty pretty pretty-"

"You don't give up, do you?"

"Nope." Anakin grinned. He took a deep breath, "Pretty pretty-"

"Alright! I get the point." He scowled at his grandson; "I have no idea who you get this from."

"Grandma told me it was you."

A week later Padmé was curled up quietly in a chair, reading an old-fashioned paper book, when a thump came from outside. She turned to look at the wall from which it had emanated, frowning. Another thump, louder, sounded from the same wall, followed closely by some creative cursing. Owen, snoozing on a couch across from Padmé snorted and woke, blinking sleepily at the muffled swearing.

"What in space?" Owen yawned and sat up, wiping his hand across his face.

"Anakin." Padmé answered, smiling slightly at the wall.

"Oh, makes sense." Owen lay back down, but frowned "Which one?"

Padmé frowned and stood, dog-earing her page and stepping outside. She carefully walked around the house and found the two talking.

"A Sith," the older man was saying, "won't give you any notice that he's attacking. Most of them will just strike you first and ask questions later. The Vong were different, maybe. A Vong warrior, from what you've told me, wouldn't stab another warrior in the back. A Sith? You'd be gone to the Nether Realm before you even knew he was there. You feel a Sith," he shook his head, "get your guard up, and don't let it down until the Sith is dead or I tell you it's okay." He gestured, "Now let's try it again." With that he jumped up and back into the trees. Anakin closed his eyes and concentrated, and Padmé contented herself with just watching. Anakin tilted his head upward, as if he was scenting the air. A stick broke and Anakin whirled around, flipping backwards and away from the noise. Still airborne he stuck out a palm and sent a rock flying in the direction of the offending twig. The rock hit something solid, and Anakin grinned and landed in a defensive crouch. He backed up slowly, towards a shadowy portion of the house, obviously trying to protect his back and flanks. His hands glowed with power, and his eyes darted from one tree to another. Just as he was about to touch the wall, a hand calmly reached out and tapped his shoulder.

Anakin jumped away, startled.

"See," Ani said calmly from the shadows, "you'd be off to the Nether Realm now." He stepped away from the wall. "You let your guard down for an instant, and you paid." He slapped his grandson on the shoulder, "Don't worry, you did really well; much better than before. But," he shrugged, "you're still dead."

"That's a happy thought," Padmé gently slapped her husband on the arm, "don't scare him."

"I'm not scaring him!" Ani looked down at her, offended, "I'm telling him now, so he doesn't find out later."

"I'm not scared." Anakin offered helpfully. "I asked him to teach me."

"There, you see?" Ani smiled at her, "What's up?"

"Nothing much." She smirked, "Who's got the potty mouth out here?"

"Ummm…" Anakin blushed.

"Anakin! I-" Padmé was just settling into lecture mode when the sky boomed and flashed. The ground bucked and shook violently, and the dimension itself seemed to roar at them. Anakin cried out and fell on his back in the dirt, followed by his grandparents. Ani grabbed hold of Anakin's ankle and yanked him out of the way as a tree bough came crashing to the ground. He turned away from the nearest tree and let out a grunt as a branch lashed his back, drawing blood. Just as Padmé believed that heaven would collapse around them, the quake stopped.

"Everyone still with me?" Ani asked, wiping a dirty hand across his forehead.

"I think so." Anakin replied, coughing. He got to his feet slowly and brushed away some moss that clung to his pants. "What was that?"

"We aren't sure. But it gave me a Sith-forsaken headache." Ani grimaced, "We think that it may have something to do with too much power in one small dimension." He turned, "Hey, Owen?"

"Sithshit!" Owen swore from inside the house, following up with some words that would make a Rodian blush.

"He's okay." Ani snorted softly in amusement.

There was a loud pop close by, and Anakin flinched, fearing another quake. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon came at almost a full sprint down the road, followed by Bail (who naturally, without the benefit of Jedi training, couldn't quite keep up.).

"Padawan!" Obi-Wan panted, "You're needed." He gestured vaguely, "Them too."

"What the Sith?" Ani grabbed Obi-Wan's arm and nearly had to support his former master. "Obi-Wan…"

"Owen, Beru!" Bail yelled, catching his breath. "Move it!"

"What's going on?" Padmé demanded as Owen and Beru came up beside her; putting a hand on Anakin's shoulder and standing protectively beside him, not caring that her hand was near her chin level. "No one – especially not my grandson – is going anywhere until you give me some kind of-"

"The Sith! They're attacking from the south, and the creatures are approaching from the west. " Qui-Gon replied, conflicting emotions flitting across his face. He looked at Ani, "You have to come, I'm afraid. All Jedi have been called." He turned to Padmé, "But Anakin doesn't need to. We wouldn't-"

"Oh no, no way am I getting left out of this." Anakin stepped forward. "I'm not going to hide."

Ani turned on him, his concern for his grandson making his voice a snarl, "No. Anakin, you can forget it. I'm not going to let you walk into a war!"

"I can fight! I've been doing nothing but fight since I was fifteen! You've been training me all week! I'm better than I've ever been!"

Ani seemed to loom over his grandson, and Anakin was suddenly very aware that this was Darth Vader. "Do not argue with me. I am not going to let you fight. You may have been good enough for the Vong, but these are Sith." He shook his head; "You're not in the minors anymore. And it's not you, nor is it I, who'll tell you if you're good. The Sith'll do that, and if you're not up to it you won't get a second shot." His anger shimmered in the air between them, and those who had been there could almost hear Vader's distinctive breathing.

But Anakin was equal to it. "And if the Sith break through?" he challenged. "What then, grandfather? Am I supposed to run and hide until you return and finally pronounce me ready?"

Ani's eyes flashed, but Padmé laid a hand on his arm and calmed him. "Ani," She said softly, "we can't protect him forever."

Ani turned to her, incredulous. "You're not seriously saying we should let him fight?"

"He can fight with the non-Jedi recruits." Obi-Wan offered, "They are armed with spears, knives, and such. He would only be facing the creatures, not the Sith."

Ani studied his grandson, and finally sighed. "Very well. I don't like it, but we have no choice."

"Thank you, grandfather." Anakin replied.

Ani nodded once, then turned to Obi-Wan. "Where are we needed?"

"We are to report to Master Windu to get our postings. C'mon," he added, "we haven't much time."

Mace Windu was pacing in his small office when the eight humans walked in the door. He nodded at them somberly and sighed, "Have they been briefed?"

"Not formally, but they know what's happening." Qui-Gon sank into a chair, his breath coming out in a whoosh.

Windu turned to Skywalker and his family. "We're being attacked on two flanks, south and west. However, the creatures have now also attacked the Sith, and the battle reports that are coming in now indicate that it's turned into one big free-for-all. I've ordered a retreat of our troops, and we will make another stand about eight kilometers closer to us."

"Master Windu, may I make a suggestion?" Ani interrupted.

"Of course."

"Eight kilometers isn't going to give the weary troops any rest, and it is of no tactical significance. The Borderlands are just that, Borderlands. I suggest that we stand just inside our own dimension."

Windu frowned, "And allow them access to our realm if we fall back?"

"Possibly, but I doubt we'll have to. In our own realm, we have the ability to teleport, they don't. We can easily get the upper hand. We won't lose a soldier who can teleport out of harm's way, and we can call for reinforcements in an instant."

"Not bad, Skywalker." The bald Master smiled. "I'll change my orders as necessary." Leaning back on his desk, Windu nodded to them, "General Kenobi and General Jinn are in charge of your unit. I managed to pull a few strings and get you people placed together. Weapons will be waiting for you at the border. Give me a few hours to change tactics as Skywalker suggested. Meet at the border that leads into Ku'ta space at 0900 tomorrow." He bowed his head; "May the Force be with you, my friends."

"May the Force be with us all." Qui-Gon replied, following his troops out the door.