The Machinations of the Son - 3

A.N: Timeline setting: Both during the events of Mortis, and after 'To Take Down an Emperor'

"You're wrong!"

The first words than came after Fulcrum's revelation were from her younger counterpart, her voice so full of denial and resolve to be a Jedi that Anakin almost believed it. He hoped, preyed to whatever gods existed, if any did at all, that she was right. Ahsoka was a Jedi.

But something in the eyes of the Togruta woman before him told him different. There was a fire in Fulcrum's eyes, a fire that was oddly dulled and full of pain at the mere mention of being a Jedi. The Force revealed nothing to him, no doubt down to the fact the Fulcrum was blocking him out.

And then Ahsoka, his Ahsoka, the young happy go lucky Padawan continued.

"I will be a Jedi, and it's all thanks to Master Skywalker. Maybe you don't appreciate him, but I do. He's the best Master and the only one I'd ever want!"

Her defence of him was inspiring, and frankly surprising. Did she really think so highly of him that she was willing to claim him as the best? Frankly he thought he was doing a terrible job!

"I appreciate what he taught me young one, and would never had survived if were not for his teachings. But you cannot trust him, nor can you trust the Jedi Order as it stands in your time." Fulcrum responded, her voice falling out of the seething anger it had been before, instead shifting to a lighter, if not slightly depressed tone. It reminded him of the tone she and Kaeden had been speaking in not to long ago in private. What had happened to her to make her act like this?

"The Council is wise and powerful. They make no mistakes." Ahsoka spoke again, her voice not calming unlike her adult self, small incisors showing beneath her lips. Anakin reached through the bond he shared with her in hopes of calming her down. The last thing he needed was two angry Togruta in the room, especially two angry Ahsokas.

But Fulcrum did not snap. Instead, she took a deep breath before focusing her eyes on all three jedi present in the room.

Then she dropped another bombshell, this one even more unexpected than the last.

"If the Council is so wise and powerful, explain how they are all dead aside from one member."

Whatever was on Ahsoka's tongue next wasn't spoken, not after that revelation. Her eyes shifted from Fulcrum's to Anakins, and then over to Obi-Wan. For his part, Obi-Wan did not seem outwardly phased, though through the Force Anakin could feel his dismay.

Suddenly, it occurred to Anakin that Fulcrum had said one council member had survived… and Obi-Wan, or at least an older version of hims was in the photo they had seen earlier, side by side with Fulcrum.

Was Obi-Wan the only council member that survived.

"And also, if you will, explain how the Jedi Order was practically eradicated overnight? Or explain how the Sith Lord managed to turn the Republic into a ruthless dictatorship right under the noses of the Council?"

Every statement made by Fulcrum only heightened the dread that Anakin was feeling. Whatever had happened in the future by the sounds of it had destroyed not only peace in the galaxy, but had destroyed the Jedi, placing everything under the control of the Sith!

"And explain, if you will, why the council was so willing to sell out a Jedi Padawan for a crime she did not commit, and then not even apologise when the true culprit was revealed!"

This time Fulcrum's voice raised in tone, the woman very nearly shouting at them all instead of speaking calmly as she had before. The past had clearly left it's scar on her, and it seemed that only now they were coming out.

And if they had caused his Padawan this much grief, then he'd be damned if he'd let them happen again.

Upon realizing she had been shouting, Fulcrum took another deep breath, calming herself down before locking eyes with her younger self again.

"So you see young one, the Council does not know it all. Especially not the two Sith Lords that were directly in their midst the entire time. Two Sith Lords that you have met face to face yourself, but will never suspect until it is far too late."

Content that she was done explaining, or at least cryptically giving them so idea of what had happen, Fulcrum turned to Obi-Wan, a far more friendly greeting on her face for the Jedi Master, one he reciprocated with a smile.

"Now tell me Master Kenobi, where exactly, or should I say when exactly do you come from? What is the last thing you remember?"

Obi-Wan glanced over at Anakin briefly, his eyes full of worry, as well as what appeared to be a request for permission to answer. He didn't want to jump in and assume he had the right. He wasn't Ahsoka's Master after all.

That said, he was the only one of the three Fulcrum seemed willing to cooperate with. If Obi-Wan was their only hope of having a civil conversation with Fulcrum to find out every detail, then Anakin was more than happy to give his permission.

Anakin nodded at Obi-Wan, and he began.

"We were on Mortis. The Son had just killed the Daughter, and Anakin went looking for him. The Son apparently wanted to show Anakin a future of some kind. We assumed it was his, but it seems we were wrong."

Fulcrum broke off eye contact at the mention of Mortis, as if she was remembering something from long ago. It most likely was, considering how much older she looked.

"Mortis?" Fulcrum questioned with a whisper, more to herself than Obi-Wan.

"Wait… isn't Mortis where…?" Kaeden spoke for the first time since Fulcrum had rejoined the group, coming to stand beside her with worry plastered on her face, as if she knew something the others didn't.

"Where I died? Yes, it was." Fulcrum replied, her tone light, especially considering it was about her death.

A dark pit of despair opened up in Anakin's stomach in an instant. Images of Ahsoka's lifeless body, the Son standing over her stating that her usefulness had come to an end flooded his mind. Anakin felt both his fists clenched in anger at the Son. How dare he take Ahsoka away from him! How dare anyone!

"Are you ever going to explain to me how exactly you survived?" Kaeden continued, moving to stand in front of Fulcrum, an annoyed yet concerned glare on her face.

For the first time since arriving in this world, Anakin saw a genuine smile come onto the adult Ahsoka's face. It was full of the same joy and mischievousness that he would credit to her younger counterpart. Whatever had happened in the future regarding the Jedi had clearly made Fulcrum somewhat cynical, but he was glad to see she retained something that was vaguely 'Snips' like.

Anakin watched as Fulcrum placed her hands on Kaeden's shoulders, a smirk on her face that was clearly meant for teasing, before she replied.

"Wouldn't want to confuse you anymore than I currently do. The Force can be downright weird at times. Probably better if we don't find out all the details."

The tone of the replied was light, and clearly didn't appease the dark skinned woman very much, who huffed in response before shaking her head, a small hidden smile only just showing through. She was trying to be angry or upset with Fulcrum's answer, but couldn't quite keep it up. In a way, it reminded him of when Padmé had a similar expression towards him.

Content with Kaeden's response, Anakin watched as Fulcrum turned back to face Obi-Wan, her expression becoming more serious again.

"So, the Son decided to show you a future?" Fulcrum asked.

"From what Anakin tell us yes, though why myself and Ahsoka were brought along I do not know."

"Perhaps he's trying to manipulate us in some way, considering who he is and all?" The younger Ahsoka suggested, entering into the conversation for the first time, looking towards Fulcrum in the process, who nodded in response.

"Possible." Fulcrum replied, "I wish I could agree but I don't really remember much of my time on Mortis. It's all a bit of a blur. What I do remember was the Son briefly corrupted both myself and Anakin in an attempt to escape. This could well be another plan like that. How did you get here exactly?"

"It was a portal of some kind!" Anakin blurted out, unable to keep himself quiet any longer. Fulcrum appeared to have calmed down now, and considering the nature in which she was treating both Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, surely it would extend to him as well.

The dark side eye glare she gave him suggested otherwise, but he could tell she was listening.

"A portal? I don't understand."

It was only five words, but at least she was talking to him now, and giving him an opportunity to speak some more. Maybe he could repair whatever had happened between them to facilitate the reaction he had received.

"I'm not too sure myself. I felt a disturbance, or more of as tear in the Force itself. The Son opened some sort of door before me, with this place being on the other side. He tempted me to enter it, and when I refused, he pushed me in." Anakin explained, giving his best description of what had happened. Most people would likely call him crazy, but from the look in Fulcrum's eyes, he could tell she in some way believed him.

That only suggested that she had seen things that no one else would believe either. Hopefully she would tell him of her adventures later on.

Lowering her head, Fulcrum seemed to mull something over, before speaking in a low soft voice to herself.

"Just when you think you understand the Force, you find out how little you actually know."

Hearing Ahsoka speak in such a way was honestly a shock for Anakin. He was used to snippy remarks, ones that were often fueled by a teasing and joyful nature, especially when not in the field.

When they were in the field she was the symbol of a commander, issuing orders and listening to ones given, forming a strong bond with her men, one that made her an incredibly effective leader.

But from the simple comment regarding the Force that Fulcrum had just made, Anakin couldn't help but liken her to the wisest of the Council members. He saw shades of Master Plo in her, as well as elements of Obi-Wan and Yoda. Clearly she had become very wise, as well as very powerful.

"What does that mean?" The younger Ahsoka inquire, her eyes looking never leaving Fulcrum's face, even with her head lowered.

A small smile came to Fulcrum's face as she leveled her gaze at Ahsoka and answered.

"It's something you will tell a good friend one day. The Force is not as black and white as it seems. There are many shades to it, some of which will surprise you."

"Considering the business with Mortis and this little adventure, I'm beginning to agree." Obi-Wan said, his voice full of deep mystery, as if he was trying to figure it all out himself. Anakin hoped he could, just so he didn't have to. He didn't need another headache.

Fulcrum nodded before turning to walk towards the large glass window panes that looked out over the vast plains of whatever planet they were on. Anakin took that moment to admire the beauty of where Fulcrum lived. The house was evidently large and no doubt expensive, and from the looks of the vast open plains surrounding the house, plains covering in various shades of yellow and green grass, it was clear it was meant to be in the middle of nowhere, away from public life.

A hidden retreat, all for Fulcrum.

In a way, he envied her. If only he and Padmé could find such a place. The Lake Country on Naboo was nice, but there were always other people there. They couldn't be husband and wife, they had to remain Senator and Jedi.

At least here, Ahsoka could be herself with no pretences or expectations in the way.

Fulcrum remained silent for several moments, her eyes clearly tracing the distant hills on the other side of the glass, deep in thought. In a way he saw part of himself in her. He too would stand and watch the horizon at times, marveling at how simple thing seemed to be. In reality, he knew they were not.

"In my time the Son attempted to escape from Mortis, and we managed to stop him. It's quite possible that this is another scheme by the Son in order to escape. If the three of you could traverse this portal you speak of, then no doubt he could as well. For all we know he could be using you as an experiment of sorts. An attempt to breach physical time itself, and transcend it." Fulcrum theorized, a hand coming up to rest on her chin as she spoke, a gesture that was eerily familiar to the way Obi-Wan would stroke his beard in deep thought.

The posture was the same, though he knew that Togruta did not grow hair on their faces, much less anywhere else on their body. No doubt Kaeden could tell him that as well.

Still, in a weird way it pleased Anakin to see that Fulcrum had picked up a habit or two from Obi-Wan as well. She wasn't all him.

"What sort of damage would he do if he was able to traverse the portal into this world?" Kaeden inquired, coming to stand beside Ahsoka, who turned to look at her, face softening again. It amazed Anakin how Kaeden was able to calm Fulcrum down and put her at ease so easily. He wondered if his facial expression did the same around Padmé.

"If he were to get through the damage would be unquantifiable. The Son represents the physical embodiment of the darkside of the Force. The only ones who could truly keep him under control were his father and sister, both of which died a long time ago." Fulcrum explained, tone low and dark, as if she was afraid. Chances are she was, and Anakin couldn't blame her.

But rather tha wilt under Fulcrum's tone, Kaeden merely smirked and wrapped an arm round the Togruta's shoulders, pulling her towards her playfully.

"So he's like a Sith Lord then. Sounds like a walk in the park for someone who's killed two of them in the past."

Through the Force Anakin felt a jolt of surprise echo across his bond with his Padawan at the revelation of her future achievements. He himself was surprised, and incredibly proud of his Padawan. She had killed two Sith Lords! No one had killed one since Obi-Wan had destroyed Maul on Naboo. It was not an easy feat to achieve, so for Fulcrum to have done so she must be incredibly skilled and powerful. Everything he hoped Ahsoka would one day become.

And it seemed that she would be one day.

Fulcrum's reaction was to blush slightly, lowering her head in embarrassment, no doubt to conceal the smile that had covered her face.

"Yeah, but both times I got lucky Kaeden. If the circumstances weren't right there'd of been no way I could defeat Vader, let alone Sidious. Frankly I chalk it up to pure luck than skill."

"There is no such thing as luck Fulcrum." Anakin couldn't help but interrupt, eager to show his pride in her abilities. From where she stood she glanced up at him, her face neutral, before nodding slightly.

"Maybe, but I had help both times. And if we are going to stop the Son from taking over this world as i envision he is planning too, then we'll need all the help we can get."

"Any ideas where to start?" Obi-Wan asked from beside Anakin, face full of determination.

This time the nod from Fulcrum was stronger, with far more resolve behind it.

"Yes."

The Son stood and watched through the portal, the fires of a volcano roaring around him.

It had been a desperate gambit, sending the 'Chosen One' through it. Truthfully the Son had no idea where the portal led, and how far into the future it had gone, if it even was the future to begin with. All he knew was that he could, if he was lucky, somehow harness the power his father had created.

If he could control the portal, he could escape. And if he could escape, be it in the past, present or future, then he could finally be free of the accursed planet in which he lived. After all, why should he, a being of great power and wisdom, be restricted to one place.

He was a master of power, a master of control, and a master of deception. He could escape, and create his own world, where he didn't have to live under the dogmatic and narrow minded views of his father. He would have taken his sister as well, had she not…

"No! I will not think of her!" The Son snarled to himself, pushing the memories of the body of his sister out of his mind. Despite their struggles, despite their grievances, he care deeply for her. Like him, she was restricted to this accursed place, forced to live as their father deemed so. She deserved so much more. She deserved a chance to expand and explore, to spread her divine power across the galaxy, just as he did his.

If only they had gotten a chance.

But now, all he could do was go on alone, and alone was what he was good at.

He'd escape this place, and whether he knew it or not, the so called 'Chosen One' would be the one that helped him do so.

Fulcrum hadn't revealed any more details regarding who she intended to ask for help, nor did she reveal the identities of her apparent 'friends' that were coming to assist. Suffice to say, Anakin did not like being keep in the dark, but he trusted Ahsoka, or whoever she was now. After all, if she had managed to destroy two Sith Lords, then she must have known what she was doing.

Following the conversation Fulcrum had returned back upstairs, stating that she wished to freshen up from her morning walk, something that Anakin could not blame her for, and a habit she had picked up in her youth. Ahsoka would always use the facilities first in the morning, usually talking a fair amount of time in them, especially if there was a water shower present. How long did it take for her to wash her montrals after all? It wasn't like she had hair!

Still, it did provide Anakin with an opportunity, one he had been waiting for. She had attacked him upon his appearance, and all but called him her enemy. Why. he was unsure, but if he could just speak to her alone maybe he would be able to make sense out of everything.

Maybe he could find out how everything went so wrong. If the Jedi were all but extinct, as she had stated, then maybe he could learn, and maybe he could change things.

And even if he couldn't, he at very least wanted to repair his damaged relationship with the woman his Padawan had become. It was selfish of him for sure, but when it came to those he cared about he couldn't care less about being selfish.

And so Anakin waited, eyes watching Kaeden as she entered into a discussion with Obi-Wan and the younger Ahsoka regarding her career as a doctor, waiting for her to be fully distracted before he moved.

The dark skinned woman turned her back to Anakin to sit on the couch in the center of the room, hands moving animatedly as she discussed the finer points of the chemical applications of bacta with Obi-Wan, granting Anakin his opportunity.

The Jedi Knight slipped out of the room, moving his way through the hallway he had spied Ahsoka and Kaeden embracing in earlier, before finding the flight of stairs that lead to the second floor of the house.

Slowly and steadily moving up the stairs, Anakin found himself on the landing faced with several different doors, each closed. Clearly Fulcrum would be behind one of them, and as much as he hated intruding in on her privacy it had to be done. He couldn't stand the idea of his Padawan hating him. They needed to talk.

It was then that he noticed that one door was slightly ajar, and from the other side he could hear the faint sound of movement, as well as what sounded like someone humming.

Moving towards the door, he gently pushed it open, stepping into the room with trepidation and caution, less he be attacked once again.

Quietly closing the door behind him he turned to survey the room, the sound of the humming now much clear and louder.

As his eyes moved over the room he took in the various decorations and objects. A large double bed sat in the middle, evidently used the night before from the way the covers had been thrown aside with neglect. On either side of the bed was a table, each holding a lamp and what looked like reading material. He couldn't say what the books were from this distance, only that they both had bookmarks within, clearly showing that they were regularly used.

Anakin's eyes moved again, this time coming to rest at what looked like a makeup table complete with a mirror. That had to be Kaedens. As far as he was aware Ahsoka did not wear makeup.

That was until his eyes locked onto something else, the source of the humming sound.

Sitting at the small stool positioned in front of the makeup table was Fulcrum, her back completed exposed to Anakin, showing off her bare skin. Anakin's first instinct was the turn away and maintain Ahsoka's modesty, until he saw something else.

Fulcrum's back had what he could only describe as markings on, but not like those she had on her face. These were different. They were a darker colour, contrasting against her bright orange skin. In a way they resemble veins, a series of intricate lines that made up an important system.

Anakin narrowed his eyes however, his focus entirely on the pattern covering Fulcrum's back. No… they weren't veins. Instead, they looked more like burn marks, as if someone had scarred her back somehow. The lines were not even, but jagged and twisted in morbid shapes, resembling the shape of lightning in a way.

A memory flooded back to him in an instant. He had seen something similar before, but not nearly as fierce as this. After Geonosis, after had had lost his hand he had found similar markings on her body. They had been small ones, and had faded over time, but from what the healers had told him there were markings associated with severn burns.

Burns caused by the power of Force Lightning.

A from the sheer quantity of the jagged markings that covered Fulcrum's back, it was clear that she had been on the receiving end of the full strength of such a power.

"What happened to you?"

Anakin hadn't even realised he had spoken, not until he heard the voice of Fulcrum demand to know what he was doing her. She had jumped up from her seat and spun the face him, exposing her entire….

"Argh! I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I didn't mean to I'm sorry!" Anakin sputtered out, spinning where he stood himself and covering his face in the process, feeling heat rush up into it in the process. He had just seen Ahsoka completely and utterly….

That was a mental image he was never going to get out of his head. Anakin shuddered at the prospect. He hadn't meant to intrude in her privacy like that!

"What do you want?" Fulcrum's voice was calm and collected, clearly not phased at having been interrupted in the…

Anakin shuddered again at the image, pushing it as far away as he could.

Risking a glance up, Anakin was relieved to see that Fulcrum had slipped a light tunic over her head, covering her up from his eyes.

He was also aware that said tunic was now covering the marks on her back. He wondered if she was conscious about them.

"Your back looks burned, badly. What happened to you?" Anakin questioned, a look of deep concern covering his face. He may have been faced with his adult Padawan who could no doubt look after herself, but she was still his to protect.

In his mind at least. She obviously thought very differently.

Rather than give some long winded explanation however, Fulcrum simply shrugged her shoulders.

"Fought a Sith Lord. Got hit by Force lightning, which left the scar. It itches at times but I've got cream for it."

No matter how many time he heard the fact that she had faced down and defeated a Sith Lord, Anakin couldn't help the swell of pride that flooded through him.

"Well you should be more careful in the future. Why wasn't I there to help you?" Anakin questioned, taking a step towards her on instinct. The look she shot him in return made him halt in his tracks.

Fulcrum's face however did show a new emotion, one that looked a lot like remorse and loss.

"You were there, in a way."

"I don't understand Ahsoka. What exactly happened? And where am I in this time? Where is Padmé?"

He didn't mean to bombard her with questions, but he had to know. Something was very very wrong in the future, and from what she had mentioned so far he didn't like it one bit.

And from what she hadn't said, he could tell she was hiding something. Something big!

"Padmé is dead, by your hand." Fulcrum answered, horrifying Anakin as she spoke, "And you are dead by mine."

Author's thoughts

This one took a while to create. Every time I thought I had finished I managed to create a new scene to add on. In the end I decided to let this chapter conclude with the first real private discussion between Anakin and Fulcrum, as they kinda need it together in this short series. That and I wanted Anakin to see the scars she got from Sidious as a way of showing how serious she has become.

Now we can only hope he listens to what she has to say, or this could very well end in a bloodbath.

As for The Son... it should have been obvious that he had a plan. Hopefully you like what I have set up so far. More from him will come.

Next time round, Fulcrum and Anakin speak, and she reveals a few more home truths that he may not like or believe.

As usual, comment and speculate at will. Speaking of which:

SWGoji2001: Time travel is a bit of a doozy that's for sure, especially when the past meets their future. That said I have given it some thought beforehand. Hopefully it will all make sense in the long run.
Anakin doesn't quite realize the danger he is in. Let's just hope he can keep his head down enough.

Fan Fiction Viewer: I've considered having Barriss show up but not decided yet. There's already a fair few characters to keep track of as it is. Maul on the other hand would be fun. XD
As for how he and Old Ben get along... its kind of a mutual alliance based off a common friend. They wouldn't meet up to work together unless Ahsoka was there.

Cranky Paws: Anakin is super proud, even if he doesn't fully understand everything yet. Young Ahsoka meanwhile is just completely baffled, and Young Obi-Wan is just his normal chill self. He's used to this kind of stuff happening around Anakin now.
Barriss as an Inquisitor would be boring a pointless. Plus we already have a female Miralian as an Inquisitor.

Maliwan: Thanks, glad you are still enjoying hope. :)

Mysterious Guest One: I'd say she's fully justified considering who he becomes, but she also knows the danger of killing him as it will change everything.
The irony of Anakin being force choked was done on purpose. XD

Excited: Glad you are liking the direction so far. Ahsoka would usually be calmer, but she's kinda in "Must Defend Kaeden" mode at the moment. Hopefully she calms down a bit more.

SLE's fave guest: Don't worry about being gone. I've slowed down a fair amount recently due to other issues.
Still, glad you are enjoying the direction so far. This is a story I've wanted to do for a while but couldn't piece together how I wanted it to all happen. I think I have it now, hence why I am writing it. :)

jojobinks01: Well, he did sort of become a mass murdering child killing Sith Lord. I don't blame Ahsoka for her anger at him.