This. Is. Late. As. Heck. I'm. So. Sorry. Well, it's late by my standards anyway. So sorry for the long wait!
And thank you to the guest 'DojoYoyo' for reviewing my story. I'm so glad you think I got the characters right and like the story! Now to the few of you who actually look at this story, please enjoy!
When they reached the Temple, Fives was carefully led to the special detention area below the Jedi Temple. The detention cells down there hadn't been used in ages, but the Temple Guards had been ordered to make sure Fives would be comfortable during his stay. As Anakin turned to talk to Rex, he felt Ahsoka slip away from his side. A fist squeezed at his heart, but he tried to ignore it. After all, it had only been two months since Ahsoka left the Jedi Order. Perhaps having her see the Jedi Council so soon after was putting her on edge?
"Sir?" Anakin snapped back into the present when Rex addressed him. He realized that he'd never voiced his question to Rex and instead had stood there with his mouth hanging open like a fish.
"Sorry Rex," Anakin sighed, rubbing the back of his neck and looking down. "I'm just, it's not..." His voice trailed off as he struggled to find the right words.
"I know sir," Anakin tilted his head up to see Rex giving a small smile of understanding. "I think we're all a little...off." Anakin just nodded his head, letting out a slow exhale. He needed to be calm, otherwise he wouldn't be able to think clearly enough to defend his decision to the Council.
"You contacted Shaak Ti, yes?" Rex nodded to confirm and Anakin let out a small breath of relief. "Good, good. I hope she feels prepared to show her findings to the Council." He shuffled his feet, almost embarrassed to ask his next question. "Rex, I was going to ask you to accompany Ahsoka and I to the Jedi Council meeting." Rex blinked, the only sign that he was surprised by Anakin's decision. "You know Fives better than any of us. As his Captain you're a more reliable source of information on his normal behavior and such." He didn't need to tell Rex the other reason he wanted him in that meeting, the look in Rex's eyes showed that the Captain understood perfectly.
"I believe Ahsoka was headed for the medical bay." Rex's voice and posture was casual, but his eyes held a knowing gleam as he spoke to Anakin. "Something about getting her shoulder looked at. I was going to tell the boys she's back," Rex lowered his voice slightly so Anakin had to crane his head to hear the clone properly. "Maybe we'd whip up something special, if you think it's appropriate sir." Anakin's face split into a wide grin and he patted Rex on the shoulder.
"I think she'd love it Rex." He turned around, and paused mid-step. All of his uncertainties and doubts came crashing down on him again. This was the Chancellor everyone was accusing, the one who had been Anakin's mentor. It couldn't be true, could it? How could the Chancellor ever lie to Anakin? He'd never gone behind the Chancellor's back before, it felt like a betrayal of trust. Was he making the wrong decision by standing up for Fives? Did he really believe the poor trooper, or was he just blindsided by Ahsoka's return?
"It'll be okay General, you'll see." Anakin shook himself out of his thoughts when Rex spoke up from behind him. Nodding stiffly even though Rex wouldn't be able to see it, he walked swiftly to the medical bay. He entered quietly so resting patients wouldn't be disturbed. Kix had chastised him more than once for forgetting, it was practically engraved in his memory at this point. Jedi Master T'ra Saa was also in the medical bay, ushering Anakin along with a small wave of her hand. He moved past rows of empty beds and thanked the Force that no one had been injured as of late. He found Ahsoka rather quickly, she was waiting patiently on a hospital bed while Kix bandaged her arm. Anakin paused behind a thin sheet that divided him from Ahsoka when he heard she was talking with Kix.
"You've got to be more careful sir," Kix was saying as he wrapped her shoulder in the white cloth, "I know you're working your hardest to make sure everyone stays safe. But please do it in a way that doesn't nearly cost you an arm."
"Kix, I'm not a Commander anymore." Just hearing Ahsoka's voice made Anakin's hand unconsciously drift to a small pouch on his belt. The pouch that contained her padawan braid, the small silka beads clinking together. "I'm just here to make sure something bad doesn't happen to Fives, he's not crazy you know." Ahsoka said it with such conviction that Anakin felt a small pang of guilt for not believing in Fives himself.
"I know," Kix said softly and Anakin heard the sound of scissors clicking together. Anakin quietly backed up a few paces then walked to them a little louder than necessary so they would hear him coming, hopefully they wouldn't assume he'd been eavesdropping. Ahsoka turned to him when he pushed past the curtain.
"The Council's ready for us Ahsoka." Her muscles tensed slightly and her eyes narrowed a fraction. She stood up quickly, handling her shoulder with care, and nodded to Anakin.
"Very well then, let's not keep the esteemed Jedi Council waiting." The barest hint of a smile twitched at Anakin's lips as he beckoned Ahsoka forward. Bidding Kix farewell, Ahsoka moved in front of Anakin and began to walk down the corridors. Anakin hurried to catch up to her, his footsteps echoing in the cavernous hallways. When the two were shoulder to shoulder, there was no sound except for the usual chatter of the Temple. Anakin could slowly feel himself growing red with embarrassment, he kicked internally himself for acting impulsively.
"How's your shoulder?" His voice came out surprisingly calm and steady considering his emotions were whirling around like they'd been caught in a whirlpool.
"I'll be fine," Ahsoka's voice was just as measured as Anakin's, "apparently the plasma damaged a couple of muscles and nerves. I won't be able to use my arm normally for a few weeks." Anakin started and turned to stare wide-eyed at Ahsoka.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Ahsoka sighed and ran her fingers along the edge of her sleeve.
"Yes I'm sure; besides, I've had worse. You know that."
"I know," Anakin said softly, "I just wish you'd stop getting hurt. You're far too reckless."
Ahsoka snorted and turned to raise one of her eyebrow markings at Anakin. "This is coming from the Hero With No Fear." Anakin offered a light chuckle and Ahsoka smiled. For a moment, everything seemed back to normal; mentor and apprentice were walking side by side and swapping snide remarks. The Jedi Temple was glowing with life, everything was as it should be. But when the pair drew closer to the Council Room doors, the light mood dissipated. Ahsoka's shoulders stiffened and Anakin felt a deep unease brewing within him. Maybe this had been a bad idea, maybe Ahsoka should have just stayed in the medical bay.
As they got closer, Anakin noticed the shape of Obi-Wan pacing back and forth. His robes swishing together as he paced in seemingly unnerved circles. Obi-Wan lifted his head when he heard the pair approach, and moved toward them. "Anakin, why did you ask Master Shaak Ti to—?" Obi-Wan cut himself off and his eyes widened when he beheld who was accompanying Anakin to the Council meeting. Anakin looked between Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, trying to gauge each of their reactions. Ahsoka's posture indicated nothing amiss, but Obi-Wan looked as though he'd just woken up and was trying to remember where he was and how he'd got there. "Ahsoka," Obi-Wan recovered somewhat quickly and crossed his arms. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to testify to the Council." Ahsoka's voice was icy and Anakin knew her displeasure was well-placed. Obi-Wan's gaze flicked to Anakin's and the latter just shook his head slightly. A warning to not push the subject.
"Well, I'm sure we'll be able to get this sorted out." Obi-Wan's voice held an almost placating tone, not wanting to anger the Togruta.
"Will you 'sort it out' by leaving Fives in a prison to rot? Or have your methods changed since then?" Ahsoka spat the words with such venom that Anakin recoiled slightly. Remorse and hurt flashed across Obi-Wan's face before he bowed his head, hiding his emotions from both Anakin and Ahsoka. Tension hung thick in the air and Anakin's hand twitched nervously while Ahsoka kept glaring and Obi-Wan still refused to make eye contact.
"Sorry I'm a little late sirs," all three of them jerked their heads up when Rex came running up to them. "I was just going to…" Rex's voice trailed off as he saw the expressions on their faces. "Is...everything all right sirs?"
"Come," was all Obi-Wan said, "the rest of the Council has gathered." With that, Obi-Wan entered the Council Room with Rex, Ahsoka and Anakin on his heels. When the Council appeared in front of them, Anakin's nerves returned. Ahsoka shouldn't be here, she shouldn't have to face them again.
"Skywalker, Ahsoka, Rex, welcome you are." Yoda's voice broke the tension and Anakin felt himself visibly relaxing. "Informed of your arrival I was," the GrandMaster gestured to the center of the room. "Shaak Ti, speak you may." Ahsoka Anakin and Rex were more than happy to stand off to the side while Shaak Ti walked to the center of the room to recount what she'd found.
"I went to Fives with a medical droid." Shaak Ti's slender hands were clasped in front of her, "to make sure nothing was missed during his examination. What I was able to deduce was that Fives, at one point or another, had some sort of mind-clouding drug implemented into his system." There were murmurs from the Council, heads turning left and right.
"Is it possible that this 'drug' could be from a parasite of sorts? Perhaps clone trooper Fives and clone trooper Tup were infected at the same time by an unknown species?" Ki Adi Mundi's voice rang out through the room and a few heads nodded, agreeing with the Cerean Jedi Master.
"It is, but there's another factor which makes that quite impossible." Anakin lifted his head and raised an eyebrow as Shaak Ti continued speaking. "According to the medical droid, that drug is only effective for twenty-four hours after administration."
"So what you're saying is that for clone trooper Fives to still be under the effects of this drug, it would have needed to be administered recently." Mace Windu steepled his fingers in front of his face.
"Yes," Shaak Ti said, her montrals bobbing as she nodded her head. "Which makes the time gap from anywhere from when we left Kamino, to Fives' attempted assasination of the Chancellor."
"You think the Chancellor drugged Fives?" Anakin interjected, his voice strained.
"I am not saying anything of the sort Skywalker," Shaak Ti leveled her gaze at Anakin. "I am merely stating when the drug could have been put in him. The medical droid is taking scans of Fives' brain patterns. Once Fives returns to normal, we will know exactly when the drug was given." Anakin swallowed and lowered his gaze.
"Are we certain that Fives' words were not an effect of the drug?" Anakin felt Ahsoka bristle when Adi Gallia spoke up.
"We will find out when he's recovered." Shaak Ti said smoothly, bowing to signify she was finished before returning to her seat.
"Ahsoka," the Togruta looked up as her name was called by Windu, "you have evidently been called as a witness for Fives. You believe what he's saying is true."
"Yes Master Windu," Ahsoka stepped up and Anakin couldn't help but feel a small surge of pride as she faced the Jedi who had cast her out from the Order without hesitation. "I have no reason to believe he is lying, and Master Shaak Ti's evaluations will prove if he is mad."
"Are you certain that your attachment to the clones is not hindering your decision? Nor your spite towards the Order?" Windu's casual words had Ahsoka openly flinching and Anakin felt a snarl rumbling in his chest. How dare they question her when they were the ones who cast her out in the first place? And to suggest that she would be that selfish! He opened his mouth to say something, anything, but another voice beat him to it.
"Pardon my frankness Master Windu," Obi-Wan said coolly, sitting up in his chair. "But if you truly believe Ahsoka would be petty enough to put her own satisfaction above the safety of others, then you don't know her at all."
"I agree with Master Kenobi," Plo Koon rumbled from his side of the room. "We should at least listen to what little 'Soka has to say." Anakin let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding and Ahsoka's tense frame eased slightly. Obi-Wan gave an almost imperceptible nod of his head towards Ahsoka. Something almost like a smile flickered across her features, but it was gone in a heartbeat.
"I am warning you on behalf of the Republic," Ahsoka said, some of her previous courage returning. "If the Jedi Order were to fall or be corrupted further than the public already believes it is, mass chaos could ensue." She spread her good arm out to encompass the Jedi Council. "The clones were not programmed to lie, and Fives has no reason to."
"Other than saving himself from the Republic court?" Saesee Tiin asked, his face impassive.
"I don't believe Fives would do that Master, why would he come begging to General Skywalker and Captain Rex to help him if he didn't believe he was right?" The Council's eyes moved to where Anakin and Rex stood.
"Captain, do you believe what she is saying?" Windu questioned, his brown eyes narrowing.
"Uh, y-yes sir." Rex stuttered slightly, apparently nervous to talk in front of the Jedi High Council. Anakin gave Rex a small nudge with his shoulder to get the clone to loosen up. "I don't have any reason to doubt Fives' word unless he is proven to be mad. He's a loyal soldier and always puts others ahead of himself." Windu nodded and turned to Yoda, the GrandMaster nodding as well.
"Look into this mystery, the Council will." Anakin almost sagged with relief when he heard Yoda speak and Rex whispered thanks under his breath. "Tell no one we must, or a long shadow I fear will fall over the Jedi." Bowing to the Council, Anakin Ahsoka and Rex left the Council Room. Now that the three of them were alone, Rex turned to Ahsoka with a large grin.
"If you wouldn't mind following me Commander Tano, we've got something we'd like to show you." Ahsoka looked at Anakin for a clue, but he was barely keeping a smile of his own off his face. So she just nodded, and Rex turned to lead them but Anakin grabbed the Captain's arm.
"I've got to get something, I'll meet you there." Rex nodded, and Ahsoka followed the clone as Anakin watched them walk away before racing to his quarters. When he got there, he rummaged around in his belongings before pulling out a small oak box. He smiled fondly and ran his hands over the smooth surface, he hoped she'd like it. He sprinted back to Rex and Ahsoka and managed to catch them before they entered the hangar of a star destroyer. Rex's smile was genuine when he clicked the button to open the blast doors, and the 501st appeared on the other side. All of their helmets were painted in Ahsoka's orange skin tone and her facial markings were glowing white.
Ahsoka's eyes widened and her mouth dropped into a small 'o'. Rex walked over and retrieved a spare helmet from one of the troopers. "Paint job's a little crude, but we think it gets the idea across." Ahsoka's fingers reached up and traced the designs, her face awed.
"The boys wanted to make sure that they showed their appreciation." Ahsoka turned to Anakin when he spoke, her blue eyes shining with happiness and something else he couldn't place. "And, I have something for you too." Ahsoka's eyes widened even further as Anakin presented the small oaken chest. Her hands moved to rest on the top of the box, her fingers trembling slightly. "Go on," Anakin whispered encouragingly, "open it." Ahsoka flipped off the lid and her gaze shot up to Anakin as a myriad of emotions crossed her face; disbelief, happiness and sorrow were among the few he could name.
As if in a trance, she pulled out the contents of a box: her old lightsabers. She rested them in her hands and spun them around a few times in her palms before igniting them. Blue blades shot from the heart, and she looked slightly startled. Anakin gave a sheepish grin as he folded his arms.
"I may have tinkered with them a little bit." Ahsoka smiled slightly, a flare of life returning to her eyes.
"They're beautiful," she murmured, staring at the azure blades.
"I was holding onto them in case...things changed." He said it softly but the light that had been in her eyes sputtered out. She deactivated the lightsabers, and looked up at him. He tried for a smile, but it was tinged with sadness. Her smile faded completely as she looked back at Rex and the men, before turning to Anakin again. He started when he saw her eyes shining with tears.
"I can't," she whispered, backing up slowly. Away from a confused Rex and Anakin, shaking her head. "I can't, I-I can't..."
"What? What is it Ahsoka?" Anakin moved forward and made as though to put his hand on her shoulder but she shied away from him. A pain Anakin couldn't explain grew in his chest as she all but shoved her lightsabers back at him.
"I can't come back." With that, she whirled on her heel and raced out of the hangar. Rex frowned, placing the painted helmet on the ground and taking off after her without a word. Anakin just stared at the spot she'd stood only moments before, her lightsabers awkwardly balanced on top of the chest. A murmuring rose up behind him and he remembered the entire 501st was still there.
"Dismissed." His voice was thick with unshed tears and cracked slightly. The clones dispersed, leaving Anakin alone. Numbly, he returned the lightsabers to their case as a heavy weight filled his heart. Why was she pushing him away? Ahsoka couldn't...why wouldn't she come back? Because she could, she could come back to him and the 501st. She could, but she wouldn't. Why wouldn't she stay with him? Didn't she know how much he'd missed her? Maybe she'd moved on, started living her life. Forgetting her sorry excuse for a Master who'd failed her.
Because he had, he had failed her. But couldn't she at least hear him out? Let him apologize? Everything had gone horribly wrong, he'd just gotten her back. And now she was leaving him again, without even a goodbye this time. Somehow, it hurt worse than when she'd left the Order. He gave a shuddering sigh and bowed his head, clutching the box so tightly that his mechanical hand caused the wood to groan and creak. Almost mindlessly, he left the ship and made his way back to the Senate building to see Padmé. Lost in the fog and pain of his own thoughts, he didn't hear his name being called until the person grabbed his shoulder.
Anakin started, and turned around to come face to face with the Chancellor. The old man's face was kind and his eyes were filled with sympathy as he took in Anakin's apparently frazzled appearance. "My boy, what are you doing wandering the Senate building?" Anakin opened his mouth to respond, but the guilt came crashing down on him again and he just managed to shrug his shoulders. The Chancellor frowned and pulled away from Anakin as he beckoned with his hand. "Come with me, I sense you have much on your mind."
With his only option to follow, Anakin entered the Chancellor's luxurious office. "I don't want to keep you from anything Chancellor." Finally having found his voice, Anakin lingered in the doorway. Just wanting to get away and clear his head.
"You're no trouble Anakin, trust me." The Chancellor said as he stood before the Jedi Knight. "Besides, I wanted to talk to you. I trust the Council hasn't kept you too busy?" Anakin gave a strained smile and shook his head. "Ah, well, the Hero With No Fear can't be everywhere at once can he?"
"No Chancellor," Anakin said modestly as he edged his way farther into the office. "I often wonder if I deserve such a title."
"Of course you deserve it my boy," the Chancellor still smiled as he motioned for Anakin to walk with him. The two moved to stare out the vast window into the vast city of Coruscant. "You've done a great service to the Republic, a far greater service than a normal Jedi." Anakin just swallowed, fixing his gaze on the passing speeders outside. "What have you got there?" Anakin looked down and remembered he still held the box containing Ahsoka's lightsabers.
"Just a...gift, for a friend." Anakin said slowly, his throat closing up painfully.
"This friend must be very special to you then, I do hope they like their gift."
"I thought they would," Anakin rasped, the control on his emotions slipping slightly. The Chancellor looked up at Anakin's tone, but didn't push the subject further.
"You know you can tell me anything, don't you Anakin?" The Chancellor smiled as he returned his gaze to the cityscape. "I'm not a busybody like those Council members, no need to go poking my nose where it doesn't belong." The Chancellor laughed lightly at his own joke, the lines on his face stretching with the smile. "I'm telling you this because I think you have a great deal on your mind, and you don't need to keep it all locked up. You can trust me Anakin."
As Anakin turned towards the Chancellor, he wanted to tell him. He wanted to tell him about Ahsoka and Padmé and the Council, about the suspicions and the plot and the secrets. If only to get rid of the crushing feeling of guilt, the inability to breathe as he trampled over the trust he'd built with the Chancellor. But something stopped him, a feeling deep within his gut. Whether it was loyalty to Ahsoka and Fives or the look in the Chancellor's eyes, he stopped himself from blurting out the whole truth.
"Thank you for your kind words, Chancellor," Anakin bowed slightly, a sick feeling eating him alive. "I will remember your kind offer, and your willingness to believe me." The last few words caught in his throat but he managed to get them out. The Chancellor simply nodded and motioned to the door.
"Well, I don't want to keep you longer than I already have." With a last 'thank you', Anakin walked from the Chancellor's office at what he hoped was a reasonable pace. Once the doors closed behind him as he entered the hall, he began to run. He ran and ran hoping to outrun the sick feeling and the lies that burned like hot coals under his feet. On instinct, he ran until he found Padmé's office and burst through the doors. His body slick with sweat and a horrible lead feeling roiling in his stomach, he whipped his head left and right. But she wasn't here, not anywhere in her office. Oh, the Senate meeting was today. It was just as well she was occupied, he didn't want her to see him like this.
He practically fell onto the couch that adorned her space as his heart beat even faster. Leaning his head in his hands he shook with guilt, sorrow, and confusion. Everything was wrong, the lies about the Chancellor couldn't be true. He was a good man, a good man...a good man. Running his hands through his hair in an almost frenzied manner, tugging on his scalp painfully. He took several deep breaths to calm down, but a knife stabbed him in the ribs every time he took a breath. And he still saw her, leaving him alone again. Without a goodbye, without an explanation. A single, choked sob wracked his body as he sat by himself. Alone with his thoughts, alone in the dark of his mind.
So, yeah, that happened. Please review and keep a look out for the next chapter! As I am still learning as a writer, criticism is appreciated.