The Machinations of the Son - 7
A.N: Timeline setting: Both during the events of Mortis, and after 'To Take Down an Emperor'
Also stayed tuned after my responses to your comments for a special-ish announcement
Fulcrum did not move. She did not speak. She simply stood, her face contorted in pain and horror, fear emanating off of her through the Force.
And frankly that terrified Anakin. From what he had seen of her so far, Fulcrum was an immovable object, one that did not cower in the face of an opponent, but stood tall without fear to defeat them. She was a protector of those who could not defend themselves, much like his Ahsoka was. That aspect of her at least had not changed.
The hulking figure before them too remained still, aside from the subtle way his head titled as he looked over Fulcrum, judging her, or was he analysing her? The Force around him was dark and twisted, as one would expect from a Sith Lord, but also contained a hint of longing, corrupted by a desire to dominate and control. Anakin could feel possessiveness coming off the Sith, and it was all aimed towards the woman his Padawan would become.
In that moment he realized who the figure before him was. It was him, or at least the fallen future he had before him, the one Fulcrum had fought and defeated.
The one she had slain personally, and now he stood before her once again. Anakin couldn't even begin to imagine what was going through Fulcrum's head.
It was then that the Sith, his future self, shifted, turning to face both him and Ahsoka, surprise mixed with a hint of anger radiating through the Force. He was clearly not trying to hide his feelings, no doubt in the hope of overwhelming them with it to weaken them.
And then the Sith moved again, this time coming to face Obi-Wan. This time the darkside around him exploded in rage, a dark desire to murder coming to the front of every other emotion, and it was all directed at Obi-Wan.
"Kenobi!" The Sith snarled, his modulated voice far more intimidating than Anakin ever expected it to be.
What happened next caused Anakin to flinch, fear filling his own body. A snap hiss of a lightsaber echoed through the room, a blood red blade erupting from a hilt clasped tightly in the Sith's hand as he began to advance on Obi-Wan with a clear intent to kill.
On instinct Anakin's hand fell to his waist, hoping to find his own saber, only to remember it wasn't there.
But as it turned out, he didn't need it, as the ignition of the Sith's lightsaber had snapped Fulcrum out of her borderline comatose state. Upon hearing and seeing the bright red blade emerge, Fulcrum had moved faster than anyone had anticipated, her own hands grasping the twin hilts of her own sabers, igniting them and bathing her in an ethereal white glow the likes of which Anakin had never seen before.
But Anakin had no time to admire the white blades Fulcrum sported, not as she moved between the Sith and Obi-Wan, bringing her duel blades up in the process to clash with the descended blood red saber, entering into a saber lock with the Sith.
"Leave him alone Vader!"
Vader. That was the name of the Sith… his future self? Anakin had heard Ahsoka mention it early to Kaeden, but he hadn't put the pieces together, until now. Vader was a name he could see many would grow to fear. There was something about it that just radiated anger and hatred, a desire to conquer and control.
It was, Anakin thought, a fittingly dark name for such a spectacularly failed individual, an individual he would become.
At first Vader made no move to attack Fulcrum, merely pushing his blade against her twin white beams as he stared at her from behind the helmet, watching her, judging her actions. Fulcrum too did not move, pushing against the Sith's blade with strength, her fangs bared ever so slightly as she braced herself.
The silence between them was broken only by the sound of the lightsaber's distorting the air around them, as well as the sound of Vader's breathing. All they could do was wait with bated breath to see who would break the saber lock first.
As it turned out, it was Vader.
The Sith pulled his blade back and away from Fulcrum's before angling it again towards Kenobi, attempting to strike him down once again. As before Fulcrum intervened, pushing Vader back with her own sabers. Vader repeated the attempt two more times for locking his blade with Fulcrum's once again, his focus on entirely on her.
"You are unwise to defend someone who once willingly abandoned you." Vader spoke, his tone grim and taunting, as if challenging Fulcrum's actions. Clearly his words had an effect on the Togruta woman, as she snarled in response before speaking.
"You're one to talk Vader! You abandoned every one of your people and principles for power!"
"You fail to understand my actions Tano! What I have done was necessary to end the corruption of the Jedi Order and save those who would suffer under their oppression. Individuals such as yourself would never have prospered under their rule!"
"I understand your actions perfectly. You sided with Sidious to try and save someone who was important to you. But you failed, and now all you do is an attempt to block out your past because of the pain it brings you."
"Do not pretend to understand my intentions Tano! My rule is just!"
"As just as Count Dooku or General Grievous was! You are nothing but a coward who is afraid of facing the truth. I'm glad I didn't inherit that trait from you at least!"
Fulcrum's comment caused a spike of anger to rise up in Vader, his signature in the Force exploding outwards and overwhelming everyone in the room. Even Kaeden, despite her lack of Force-sensitivity seemed to grimace, something that Anakin didn't find as odd as he should of expected, considering the woman's close relationship with Ahsoka.
The only one who didn't seem fazed by Vader's shift of temperament was Fulcrum, who stood tall and strong, even as Vader began to assault her with several swift strikes of his saber. Whether she was actually resisting the aura around Vader, or merely ignoring it due to the circumstances of the duel Anakin didn't know. All he did know was that she needed his help.
Fulcrum began to move away from the assembled group, luring Vader with her, who seemed to follow out of sheer determination to hurt her. The two approached the large glass patio doors, which opened thanks to a quick use of the Force by Fulcrum, before taking their duel outside onto the plains surrounding the apartment, their lightsabers illuminating the dusk around them.
Seizing the opportunity Anakin made his move, vaulting over the couch in the center of the room and heading towards the small table where Obi-wan's and Ahsoka's lightsabers were. Grasping the three hilts in his hands he threw Obi-Wan's towards him, the elder Jedi Master catching the hilt with ease, igniting it before he too turned and followed outside, intent clear.
Turning to his Padawan, Anakin handed over her shoto, keeping the large hilt for himself.
"Mind if I use this for now?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
"Thanks, now let's go save your future self."
With those words Ahsoka smirked back, eyes confident. Despite the danger of the situation at hand, Anakin couldn't help but return the gesture.
The two dashed outside, following the sounds of saber clashes in the distance. The duel hadn't exactly gotten too far away, but it still took a minute to reach the conflict.
Upon arrival Anakin could only gasp at what he saw. Vader moved fast, much faster than he would ever expect, considering the no doubt heavy suit he wore. The Sith Lord pivoted between his two attackers, clashing against both of them, forcing them both back. Despite her age and evident wisdom, it was clear that Fulcrum was struggling against Vader, even with Obi-Wan's help.
But then… she had defeated Vader before… hadn't she? Surely she could win this fight easily.
Before Anakin had any more time to consider why Fulcrum was struggling, he found his attention diverted by Ahsoka, who charged at Vader whilst he was locked with Obi-Wan.
The Sith Lord clearly sensed her coming, pushing Obi-Wan back before moving to clash against Ahsoka. One single swing of Vader's blade knocked the younger Togruta to the floor,as if someone had just punched her so hard she fell over. Clearly Vader's strikes had some considerable weight behind them.
With Ahsoka down on the ground and struggling to recover, Vader shifted his attention to Anakin, who almost couldn't believe the situation at hand. He was quite literally fighting himself. How would he ever explain this to the Council… let alone Padmé?
Vader's assault came quicker than expected, forcing Anakin to bring Ahsoka's main blade up to defend himself. Vader's style was different from his own, yet familiar in some respects. It was no wonder that he was so strong. Vader seemed to shift between forms with, falling back on the defensive when necessary, before becoming overly offensive in his strikes, causing Anakin to stumble backwards as green tried in vain to fight off red.
"Pathetic imposter!" Vader snarled as he continued to knock Anakin back, nearly overwhelming him with sheer strength alone. Anakin gave no retort. He didn't have the strength to currently do so.
Luckily for him, before he was overwhelmed completed, help arrived. Fulcrum moved to assist, locking her blades with Vader's once again, pushing him back, delivering a sharp kick to his knee in the process.
For the first time since the fight began, Anakin witnesses Vader falter, stumbling backwards himself, groaning in discomfort. In a way it good to know that there was a weakness they could exploit, though Anakin doubted Vader would let them do so again.
Rising to his feet, helping Ahsoka in the process, Anakin moved to stand beside Fulcrum, who was now joined by Obi-wan. Together the four of them faced Vader, hoping it would be enough.
"A dirty tactic Tano, one you shall not repeat, but one worthy of my future apprentice."
"I'm flattered Vader, but really, no thanks, I'm already taken." Came Fulcrum's reply as she dropped into a ready stance, white blades illuminating her. Across from them Vader shifted his saber into a defensive stance, shielding his body and the components that were exposed.
Anakin waited once again with baited breath to see who would move first, only for the next actions to come as a complete surprise to all.
Behind Vader a series of energy discharges erupted from a blaster, firmly in the hands of Kaeden Larte, who stood at a distance. Upon hearing the sounds of the stun blasts coming his way Vader pivoted, his crimson saber coming up to absorb the shots, protecting himself from harm.
Beside him Anakin felt a jolt of terror rush through Fulcrum as she realized what Kaeden was doing, her eyes widening in surprise, her mental barriers collapsing.
"KAEDEN!"
Fulcrum's cry of terror was one that pierced into Anakin in a way he did not expect. He didn't know exactly how long the two of them had been together, or how serious the relationship was. From the sounds of it Kaeden meant a lot to Fulcrum. If the dark skinned woman meant to Fulcrum as much as Padmé meant to him, then she was her entire universe, and most of her reason for living.
Several more stun blasts were sent in Vader's direction before the Sith grew tired of it, one of his hands reaching out with the Force, grasping hold of the blaster and yanking it towards him, resulting in Kaeden too flying forward into the dirt with a resounding thud.
At that moment Fulcrum snapped, charging towards Vader, her blades twirling in her hands with sharp deadly arcs, clearly intent on killing her foe.
In an instant Vader span round again, deflecting the barrage of strikes that came his way, defending his centre line, a clear attempt to try and wear Fulcrum out.
"You leave her alone!" Fulcrum snarled over the sounds of the duel, her tone of voice one reserved for her enemies alone.
"Your compassion for this female will be your undoing Tano!"
A roar of rage erupted from Fulcrum's throat, her white blades striking forward again, locking with Vader's in the process, pushing against him with all her might.
Anakin wanted to go and help, he really did, but there wasn't an opening for him. Any attempt to engage in the duel could very well lead to Fulcrum getting hurt. She might not have liked him very much anymore, but she was still his Padawan, and it was his duty to ensure her safety. If that meant he had to sit back and be patient for once, then so be it.
The lightsaber clash continued, both duelists pushing against one another with all their might. Fulcrum was beginning to strain under the pressure of Vader, no doubt part of Vader's plan to begin with.
But then something changed, the Force around them changed. Fulcrum's eyes widened, as if understanding something, before she closed them and pulled back from the saber lock, exposing her body for Vader.
To Anakin, and Obi-Wan and the younger Ahsoka this looked suicidal, as if Fulcrum had had enough and was giving up, sacrificing herself for no real reason. Anakin hated it when people did that, and that was something that as far as he was concerned should never happen to Ahsoka, young or old.
But rather than strike her down Vader simply pulled back as well, defending his chest, his helmet focused on Fulcrum. He made no move to strike her down, which was odd for a Sith.
Neither duelist spoke, and neither made any more to resume fighting. They simply stood there, Vader staring at her, his helmet tilted to one side in what appeared to be confusion, whilst Fulcrum's eyes remained closed, as if she was deep in mediation.
Despite his years of training, both under Obi-Wan and other Jedi like Master Yoda, Anakin had never seen anything like this. In a way in resembled battle meditation, a skill used only by those incredibly strong in the Force to balance oneself during a fight.
However, what Fulcrum was doing was clearly different. Her sabers were still ignited, her stance tense, ready just in case. She was up to something, that was clear, but whatever it was no one, not even Vader knew.
"You are a fool to meditate in the midst of combat." Vader spoke, his tone condescending towards Fulcrum, clearly mocking her for her actions.
It was then that Fulcrum's eyes opened, the bright blue of them, shining in contrast to her orange face, a smirk suddenly present on her face.
"Perhaps, but at least I am not so easily distracted."
Another sound hit Anakin's ears in that moment, one that was a high pitched shriek he would often associated with a bird.
Seconds later his theory was proven correct, as a fast moving blur barrelled into Vader, knocking the Sith Lord off his feet and onto the floor by Fulcrum's face first. Through the Force Anakin felt Vader's signature dim slightly, clear proof that he had just been knocked out.
Standing tall above him Fulcrum huffed, glancing up and nodding at the bird, who Anakin could now clearly see was Morai, who hooted cheekily in response.
"Whoa! That was awesome!" Came a whisper from beside Anakin. Clearly Ahsoka's younger self was just more and more in awe of her future every second they spent there. Truthfully, so was Anakin.
Content that the threat was dealt with for now, Fulcrum huffed aloud, extinguishing her lightsabers, before snapping her head round the where Kaeden was struggling to push herself up off the ground.
In an instant Fulcrum's demeanour changed from battle focused to overly concerned, rushing over to help Kaeden to her feet, her hands gently grasping Kaeden's sides in the process, pulling her close.
"Are you ok? What were you thinking Kaeden? He could have killed you!"
"But he didn't. I was only trying to help. Thought I might be able to take him by surprise."
"This isn't a random Stormtrooper we are dealing with here Kaeden. Vader is a fully fledged Sith Lord. He could kill you just by looking at you! Kriff, he's murdered children with no remorse in the past! What do you think he'll do to you if he gets his hands on you?!"
"It's ok Ahsoka… I'm fine. He's down now. He can't hurt me."
"Don't give me that Kaeden! I need you to stay as far away from him as possible. In fact I need you to run, get as far away as you can for now!"
"What?! No! I'm not running from him Ahsoka, and I'm not leaving you alone with him! I can look after myself."
"Not against a Sith Lord you can't. You already got captured and tortured by an Inquisitor once before. I can't risk the same thing happening to you again! If you got hurt or worse I'd…"
"You'd what?"
"I'd have nothing left! I care about you too much to let him hurt you Kaeden! Please, for my sake, just leave for now!"
Kaeden said nothing in response, though her facial expression revealed everything. She was hurt by Fulcrum's demands to leave her behind, but touched by her admission of being everything to her. From where he stood he could only watch, hoping that Fulcrum would make the right call here. He knew what it was like to see your loved on in a dangerous position, especially when they had a way of escaping it.
If he had said something similar to Padmé, and he had in the past, she would have laughed at him, before running headlong into danger willingly. Anakin couldn't help but wonder how similar a reaction Kaeden would have, or if she would adhere to Fulcrum's words instead.
The answer came seconds later. Kaeden's arms wrapped around Fulcrum's neck pulling her face towards her own, kissing her with significant force. Despite the sudden nature of her action however, Fulcrum reciprocated, one of her hands coming up to grasp Kaeden's hair tightly, her fingers running through it whilst she deepened the kiss, the other hand coming to rest on Kaeden's back.
"What the…!" Ahsoka… the younger one gasped out in shock, finally putting the pieces together of exactly how close her future self was to the woman known as Kaeden. Her Force signature was one of complete surprise mixed with confusion and understanding at the same time. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, flabbergasted sounds escaping her with every breath.
In that moment, Anakin couldn't help but tease his apprentice.
"What's the matter Snips? You're only kissing your girlfriend."
"Wha…?"
"What? Don't you think she's pretty?"
"But… I don't… how?"
From behind them Anakin heard Obi-Wan chuckle at Ahsoka's expense, clearly enjoying the teasing that was going on. Turning to face his former Master, Anakin saw a neutral, yet pleased expression on his face. Despite his years as a member of the Jedi Order, it appeared that Obi-Wan was fully accepting of Ahsoka's future relationship. Perhaps that meant that he would also be accepting of Anakin's?
Still, now was not the time to think about such things. They had more important matters at hand. Turning his head back to face Fulcrum and Kaeden, Anakin opened his mouth to speak, hoping to interrupt them as politely as possible.
However, it seemed as if there was no need. No sooner than he had opened his mouth then both Fulcrum and Kaeden pulled their lips back from one another, instead opting to rest their foreheads against one another, their eyes only for each other. Their arms were looped around the other's body, pulling them tightly into a loving embrace. The sight warmed Anakin immensely. To see his Padawan so happy in her future was all he wanted for her. Despite the struggles that she had endured, she had emerged strong and healthy, with someone who loved her dearly.
"I'm not going to win this argument am I?" Fulcrum spoke in a near whisper, eyes still locked on Kaeden's.
"Nope. You're stuck with me Ahsoka. Besides… if I leave we won't be able to…" Kaeden replied, her voice dropping in to a near silent whisper as she spoke, clearly for only Fulcrum herself to hear. From the way that Fulcrum blushed and laughed softly in response, Anakin could easily guess what Kaeden had suggested. He wouldn't pry of course. They deserved their privacy.
"Fine, but you know I don't like this right?" Fulcrum spoke again, tone returning to normal level for all to hear. Kaeden smiled back at her in response, leaning forward to gently kiss her once again, before pulling back out of their embrace. From the look on Fulcrum's face, she already missed the contact, but was happy nonetheless.
Then she turned her attention back to the fallen form of Vader, who still lay unconscious.
"He's out cold." Obi-Wan said as he moved to investigate, reaching out with the Force to examine Vader.
"He will be for a while. Morai will be the only one who can wake him up now.. If we even choose to wake him up that is." Fulcrum replied, holding her arm out for the Convor who had previously been hovering around the group. The avian darted down and landed on Fulcrum's arm, beak turned towards Vader, a hissing sound coming from her throat.
"We'll deal with him in the morning. For now let's get inside. Don't know about the rest of you but I'm shattered."
"Yes...today has been an exhausting one so far. I can't imagine what tomorrow will bring." Obi-Wan replied, bending down to grasp hold of Vader's legs. Understanding what he was attempting to do, Anakin moved to help.
Night had fallen across the surface of the moon, the sky becoming dark and the weather turning slightly chilly in the process, yet still Anakin couldn't help but be both in awe and terror of everything he had seen so far. Only a few hours ago he had gotten his first glimpse of the monster he was destined to become, one who was so powerful and skilled that he could hold off four well trained Force users with ease. It had only been thanks to the divine intervention of the Convor that had some connection to The Daughter that they had subdued him.
The Sith Lord in question was now chained up in the basement of Fulcrum's apartment, wrists locked together by a pair of Force restraining cuffs that Fulcrum seemed to possess.
Morai herself, according to Fulcrum at least, who somehow appeared to clearly understand the avian's hoots and chirps, had volunteered to watch Vader over the night, just in case he awoke prematurely. Anakin really hoped he didn't. After today he needed a good rest, even if he was sleeping on the floor.
Hearing a gentle snoring coming from the nearby couch, Anakin turned over, only just making out the outline of Obi-Wan, who Anakin had demanded sleep on the couch, rather than the floor. After all, someone who was going to one day bring endless suffering onto the galaxy didn't deserve to sleep in comfort.
Glad that his former Master was getting the rest he deserved, Anakin turned his attention to the reason he was still awake. His bond with Ahsoka, her younger self, was aching, feelings of concern and worry seeping through to him. Evidently she too was having trouble sleeping, even though she was in a nice comfy bed, one that was housed in Fulcrum's spare room for visitors.
The bond remained active for a while longer, no sign of Ahsoka being able to rest coming any time soon. Sighing softly to himself, Anakin slowly stood up, carefully tiptoeing across the lounge and towards the hallway that led to the stairs.
Anakin ascended the stairs as quietly as he could, careful not to make too much noise, lest he drawn attention to himself. Upon reaching the top of the stairs Anakin began to move towards one of the doors on the second floor. It was kept at the end of a long corridor, secluded from the other rooms, but no less welcoming than the others.
Continuing towards the door, Anakin stopped briefly outside of another one, one that was closed completely this time. The door to Fulcrum's room had been left ajar once, causing him to enter and discover several terrible truths. Now it was pulled shut, and if he was sensing it right, locked from the other side, sealing out everyone. It didn't take someone with much imagination to figure out why it was locked, especially considering how both Fulcrum and Kaeden had disappeared together shortly after dinner, the dark skinned woman leading the Togruta by her hand.
Smirking to himself, Anakin began to move towards the far door again. Upon arriving at it he raised his hand and gently rapped on it twice. If Ahsoka was awake as he suspected, surely she'd let him in.
"Come in." A soft, tired, yet stressed voice came from the other side. Just from hearing her tone Anakin could tell she was struggling with everything.
Quietly opening the door, Anakin stepped through the threshold, closing it behind him softly before glancing over at the large double bed in the centre of the room. Ahsoka lay on her back on one side of the bed, eyes wide open, staring up at the ceiling, lost in thought. Beside the bed was a table with a lamp situated on it. Said lamp was currently on, bathing the room in a dull yellow glow, illuminating his Togruta Padawan against the dark colored bed sheets.
Deciding that the only way he was going to get any sleep tonight was by helping Ahsoka through her problems, Anakin moved to the free side of the double, laying down beside Ahsoka, his own face glaring up at the ceiling.
Neither companion spoke to begin with, both simply staring upwards, lost in thought, both of what to say and how to say it.
"I'm not a big fan of double beds." Ahsoka's comment caught Anakin off guard, drawing his face away from the ceiling and towards Ahsoka. The Togruta in question remained face up, her expression one of deep thoughts.
"Why not?" Anakin inquired, confused. Personally, he loved having double beds. There was more room to spread and stretch out, allowing his long aching limbs to relax. Plus, on cold nights one could wrap up warm in the equally as large duvets.
And of course, the other advantage of having a double bed was having someone to share with it. Waking up next to Padmé always made his mornings.
"I dunno, they're just a bit too big for me. I like the smaller beds. Less room to fidget in the night." Ahsoka replied, brows lowering as a hand came up to rub her eyes, a sigh she was clearly sleepy, but not allowing herself to fall asleep.
"Odd reasoning, but about right for you Snips." Anakin teased in response, hoping that would bring Ahsoka out of her deep inner thoughts that were causing her distress. He really didn't want to be dealing with a sleep deprived Padawan the next day, considering the circumstances and all. For all he knew he could already have to deal with another sleep deprived Togruta the next day, for very different reasons of course.
"Do you reckon I've got a double bed in my room… the grown up me I mean?"
The question caught Anakin off guard for a moment. Had she somehow read him mind?
"Um… well when I was there earlier with Fulcrum I did see the bed, and yes, it was a double bed." Anakin responded, telling the truth to the best of his recollection.
"Do you think I share that bed with Kaeden?" Ahsoka asked softly, brows tightening again in deep thought, as if she was mulling over some massive improbability.
"Considering what we witnessed outside I'd imagine so." Anakin replied, choosing his words carefully. Was Ahsoka worried about what he thought she was worried about?
"And do you think that we… you know?"
Ahsoka's timid tone was complemented by the way she shuffled awkwardly on the bed, a slight blush on her face.
"Most couples do Snips." Anakin answered, hoping to encourage her to speak her mind, especially on such a private and embarrassing topic. He'd never had to give 'The Talk' to someone before, but for Ahsoka's sake he would.
"Oh." Was the only response that Ahsoka gave, the bond between them flaring again as worry and uncertainty flooded his senses.
"Are you ok with that Ahsoka?" Anakin continued, hoping she would speak to him. It was clear to him that his Padawan was struggling with seeing her future self in a relationship with someone else, especially when attachment on such a level contradicted everything that she'd ever been taught.
Rather than respond to his question, Ahsoka replied with one of her own, shocking Anakin in the process.
"Am I a good Padawan, Master? Will I be a good Jedi in the future?"
"What! Of course you are Ahsoka. You're the best Padawan I could ever wish for, and you'll be an outstanding Jedi one day." Anakin replied defensively, sitting up on the bed and turning to face her, his legs crossed. How could she ask him such a question?
"But the Jedi code teaches that attachment is a path to the dark side, that it corrupts. How can I be a good Jedi if I end up breaching one of our most sacred vows? Isn't me being with Kaeden a sign than I'm a bad Jedi, even now?"
Anakin knew firsthand the line of thought that was traversing Ahsoka's mind, keeping her awake at night. He had had similar thoughts in the past, though Padmé's company had always been enough to ward off any real guilt he had.
Time alone on the other hand had been hard. Anakin too had laid awake at night, wondering if he was a bad Jedi simply because he was breaking a rule. It had taken him a while to realize that, at the end of the day, all he was doing was simply breaking an archaic and frankly backwards tradition that did little to help anyone, and if anything only held them back. After all, how was a Jedi supposed to be compassionate if they were not allowed to love?
"Ahsoka, attachment is a tricky thing for all of us, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. Part of being a Jedi is being compassionate and caring for everyone. The Jedi are right when they say you need to be careful with your emotions, but that doesn't mean you have to seclude yourself away. Being open, and allowing yourself to feel is a natural part of life, and one that everyone deserves to embrace. You being with Kaeden doesn't make you any less of a good person, even if Fulcrum claims she's not a Jedi, you still are in your heart. It's not something that ever leaves you, and from what I can the bond you will share with Kaeden will only strengthen you tenfold in the future."
Anakin had, by his own admission, never been one for long winded speeches. His advice to Ahsoka had come from his own heart, speaking not what he thought she wanted to hear, but what was in his mind, the truth. No one should limit or restrict themselves, especially not because of a doctrine that was several thousand years old.
Silence settled in between the two for a few moments as Ahsoka comprehended Anakin's words, her expressions shifting from deep thought to confusion, before twisting into an odd grimace briefly, before returning to deep thought.
Sighing softly, Anakin pushed himself up from where he had been laying next to Ahsoka, propping himself up on the bed's headboard, looking down at his Padawan.
"It's still weird to think about though. Not sure how I feel knowing who I end up with." Ahsoka spoke again, blinking several times, attempting to ward off the sleep that Anakin could tell was settling in. He really wished she would stop fighting it and allow sleep to claim her.
"Why is it weird? Isn't it nice to know you'll have happiness and love one day?"
"Maybe, just didn't expect it like that."
Ahsoka comment could have meant anything, especially considering the sudden grimace that returned to her face, obviously signifying that something about her future relationship with Kaeden was making her uncomfortable. He was unsure what it could have been, but he had an idea. After all, not everyone was accepting of certain types of relationships.
"Are you worried because she's a girl like you?" Anakin asked softly, hoping he hadn't made it weird for his Padawan. He wanted her to be comfortable in her future, which meant he had to address the issues she had now, hopefully putting her at ease.
In an instant Ahsoka sat up in bed, blue eyes locked onto his, a confused expression covering her facial features.
"No… that's not a problem at all. Why? Is it for humans?" Ahsoka questioned her tone bordering on offended. Anakin hadn't intended that.
Considering his next words carefully, Anakin replied. "For some humans it is, no idea why though. Love is love, regardless of gender or even species, and from the looks of it Kaeden is open minded enough to consider a relationship with a scary female carnivore who could easily devour her is she was hungry."
Anakin's response generated a series of chuckles from Ahsoka, something that warmed his heart. Even after everything she had seen, both today and during her time as a Padawan, the fact that Ahsoka was still able to laugh at things showed that perhaps, just perhaps she hadn't been completed lost to her position as a military commander yet. There was still some of snippy kid in her.
"She must be pretty brave then all things considered. I bet I'm rubbish at being a girlfriend."
"Nah. I bet your the best at it. Who wouldn't want a badass Togruta with white lightsabers who'd defeated two Sith Lords as their girlfriend?"
Once again, Anakin's comment got a sleepy laugh out of Ahsoka, a smile appearing on both of their faces in the process. The whole situation may have been crazy, but at least Ahsoka was happy. That was all that mattered.
Author's thoughts
So... it's been a while since I've updated this story huh? Sorry for the cliffhanger hanging on for some long but it took me a while to figure out how I wanted this chapter to go. Most of you probably expected a fight, and I wanted to deliver one, albeit a short one. Hopefully Vader was menacing enough for you all. And before anyone asks, before Morai's intervention, Vader was winning this fight, and would have likely won. :)
Likewise with Vader I hope that I got his attitude right, as well as Anakin's reaction to the monster he becomes. I needed a 'Vader snaps' moment in this chapter as well in order to get the fight going, otherwise it is likely he would have talked things out first. Vader may be a Sith, but he's not a complete brute who always attacks. In this instance however, just merely seeing Obi-Wan is enough to set him off for obvious reasons. :)
Hopefully the fans of the Kaesoka ship also got a bit of a kick out of this chapter. I'm still not 100% confident at writing romance, but I wanted to show how their relationship has progressed in this AU. They are both now fully comfortable around each other, and don't care who knows about them being together at all, whereas before Fulcrum would have been a bit hesitant due to her Jedi upbringing. Character development hopefully.
The only other main part of this chapter was of course Anakin's conversation with Ahsoka the Younger. Hopefully it came across as realistic, considering the situation the characters are in after all. All Ahsoka ever wanted in her youth was t be a good Jedi and make her Master proud. Seeing her future self directly disobeying and neglecting the code she has been raised on is a bit jarring for her, hence the 'Am I a good Padawan?' line of questions. Luckily for Anakin he was able to find a way around it, as well as turn it into a joke for both of them to enjoy.
All in all, it was a fun chapter to write, even if the plot of this arc went nowhere really.
Next time round some familiar guests arrive at Fulcrum's home to assist in returning out time travellers home... and Anakin confronts his future.
As usual, comment and speculate at will. Speaking of which:
MythicUtopia: Ask and you shall receive. Hopefully the Kaesoka fluff was to your liking. And don't worry... there's more to come from them as well.
As for them meeting Maul... XD
Glad you finally caught up. Hope you've enjoyed everything so far, and continue to do so in the future.
Mysterious guest one: Awkward isn't the word I'd say. Vader is not the nicest guy after all.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. More Vader to come.
Lola 931940: Plot twist indeed! Hopefully it was twisty enough to the plot. XD
The Son does like to make a mess of things, but you are right, it is kinda his job.
Glad you liked the explanation of the staff's origins. With nothing in canon to work from I had to make it all up. I'm pleased it was well received.
Fulcrum may not like Anakin much at the moment, but she still values protecting him solely so he can get back to his correct time in place.
Truthfully, no I knew the difference between Ahsoka and Ashoka. Ashoka for example was an Indian Emperor, not a badass Togruta. :)
And hey, no problem about responding. I like replying to the comments I get. :)
Travis Middleton: Cliffhanger indeed. Hope you didn't mind.
I'm glad the Son was menacing enough for you. I was worried to begin with, but went with what I had in the end. He's very different from people like Palpy or Thrawn.
I'd assume that the Son knows who Morai is. It made sense that she defeat him this time all things considered.
As for Vader and the Son interacting... maybe soon. :)
Erukat: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter as a whole. I wanted the right mix of humour and conflict, as that's what makes Star Wars what it is.
Vader being thrown through the portal made the most sense as now Anakin has to face his future much like Young Ahsoka is doing. Now all we need is Old Ben for things to be complete.
I'm glad you liked the conversation about hair. To a non-human like Ahsoka it is probably weird to begin with, since she doesn't have any. I wanted to play on that a bit as there isn't enough of alien culture being really unique or even visited at times. Guess that is what happens when an alien grows up in a human centric environment.
jojobinks01: Nope, he's not from before season two. You'll find out where he's from soon though, I promise. :)
Special-ish announcement time!
Now... before I go I figure I should unveil something. I've been recently considering finding a way to better keep in touch with the readers of any of my stories, as at times I feel I keep you all waiting a bit too long between updates. And even then, the only real thing I can do is respond to your comments, which again forces you all to wait. Whilst I'm sure many of you are happy to be patient, I still feel like I want to offer you lot a bit more in the form of updates on how writing is going, smaller teases of what is to come, and perhaps even one or two deleted scenes. There was a lot of request for a scene I spoke about in Agent of the Chancellor that got cut, so that could be something I could do as well.
To that end, I've decided to start a Tumblr page. (cue gasps of horror and disgust) I'm not too knowledgeable on how Tumblr works, or what sort of stuff I should put on there, but I figured it'd be a better place to upload extra stuff for you all than the alternatives available. Don't expect daily updates on what I'm doing, but hopefully it'll be enough to wet your appetite if you're interested. If not that's cool too. :)
You can find my Tumblr page under the same name as I appear on Fanfic/Archive... SirLoozElite. If you have any issues finding it let me know as I'm still new to this and likely doing something wrong. Furthermore by the looks of it I don't actually show up yet for some reason, so you may have to do it the old fashioned way and type the hole bloody link out in the search bar. For assistance sake it is ( sirloozelite . tumblr . com ) Just don't add any spaces between the words and dots and you should all be fine.. in theory. Likewise ignore the brackets, they are just present to make it stand out a bit better. The same description bit will alos be on my profile, so look there as well if need be.
Feel free to comment on stuff there, and ask an questions you want via that ask box thing... though no personal questions or I will lie and give wildly wrong answers. :)