The Machinations of the Son - 9
A.N: Timeline setting: Both during the events of Mortis, and after 'To Take Down an Emperor'
Darth Vader's breathing was oddly hypnotic… in a dark foreboding way. It wasn't the good sort of hypnotic, the sort that made someone want to stay and listen simply due to how it sounded. Padmé's quiet breathing as she slept was one example of such a thing.
Instead, the sound of Vader's respirator was harsh and unwelcoming, a warning to those around him. And yet, despite this, Anakin felt that he could not leave. It was as if the sound had some sort of grasp on him, one that forced him to remain still and face the source, even as his instincts told him to run.
Was this some sort of Sith magic he'd never heard about before? Was that how he had fallen to the dark side?
Turning around from where he had been facing the stairs, Anakin's eyes locked onto the small avian creature still perched atop the crate. Morai let out a soft sound, one that bordered on a depressed sigh. Anakin felt much the same way.
"She remains an impulsive and vocal individual. All traits unbecoming of a Jedi, but easily melded into a Sith."
Vader's sudden words drew Anakin's attention immediately, a scowl developing on his face as he listened to the way the Sith spoke of Fulcrum. How dare he?
"She'd never be a Sith! She's too good for you!"
"For us. We are one and the same Skywalker."
"We are not the same!"
"You slaughtered a tribe of Tuskens. I massacred a temple of Jedi. Those actions alone prove my words!"
"And yet here you are, desperately wanting Ahsoka as your apprentice but more than willing to kill her! You don't care for her!"
"It is the way of the Sith. Her anger at my lack of response will be a perfect wellspring for her ascension."
"Ascension? You think becoming a Sith is an improvement? Look at yourself!"
"I am. I do not approve of what I see."
This time around Anakin had to refrain from hitting his future self instead of Fulcrum, something that was easier said than done. Vader seemed absolute in his words, as if he believed every single one of them and that everyone else was telling lies. Anakin supposed that was one aspect of being a Sith.
"Don't compare us." Anakin retorted, eyes boring into Vader's helmet, trying in vain to see his eyes.
"There is no need to compare us. I am vastly superior to you."
"I doubt that very much."
"Would you like to prove your theory Jedi?"
"Ohhh…. Don't tempt me!"
Before the argument could continue any further, the sound of the door opening at the top of the stairs interrupted them. Both Anakin and Vader diverted their attention to the sound of angry footsteps coming down the stairs. Was Fulcrum coming back for them?
Upon the crate, Morai hooted mischievously, as if she knew something they didn't. The avian chirped a few times as the sound of the footsteps grew closer, each chirp sounding more and more like a laugh.
Shrugging off the Convor's odd behavior, Anakin braced himself to face Fulcrum once again, fully ready to take whatever wrath she was going to dish out.
However, when the figure stepped down the last step and into the room with them, Anakin could not help the surprised gasp that escaped his throat.
It was not Fulcrum who had come for them, but another, and she looked far angrier than Fulcrum had.
"What the flying kriff is wrong with you two?!" Kaeden Larte shouted at them both, rage in her eyes. On instinct Anakin backed away, slightly fearful of what she would do to him. She was a doctor after all. No doubt she knew all the discreet and painful ways to hurt someone if she wanted to.
Behind him Morai chirped twice, suspiciously sounding like she had said 'uh oh'.
"I see Tano has sent her maid in her stead. How pathetic."
Vader's words were perhaps not the smartest at the moment, especially considering the way that Kaeden's eyes narrowed suddenly. Anakin watched as the woman moved towards another crate, reaching behind it to retrieve a broom, before moving towards Vader and striking him once on the helmet with the handle.
Vader flinched in response, clearly surprised at Kaeden's boldness, before he spoke.
"You dare strike me?!"
"Damn straight I do!" Came Kaeden's response, before she twisted the broom in her hand, bringing the handle down upon Vader's knee, causing the Sith the flinch again, a small groan of pain escaping his modulator.
Desperate to ensure the safety of his Padawan's future girlfriend, Anakin stepped towards Kaeden, reaching across to lay a hand gently on her shoulder.
"Kaeden, I know you angry but this won't help."
At his suggestion Kaeden span on her heels, throwing Anakin's hand off her shoulder, before tilting the handle of the broom towards Anakin in a threatening stance.
"Get off me! You've both got some kriffing nerve. How dare the pair of you treat Ahsoka like that! You trained her for nearly three years. She pretty much sees you as her father, and you both said you'd murder her without blinking a damned eye! How could you?!"
"I never said that! I would never hurt Ahsoka, never!" Anakin protested, hoping that someone in the room believed it.
This time Kaeden did strike him with the broom, forcing him to stagger back from the impact upon his torso. That would most certainly leave a bruise.
"You're a liar… that's all you've ever been! Ahsoka used to tell me stories about how good her Master was, how kind and caring he had been. How she could tell him anything and he'd do anything to help her. But it was all a lie wasn't it? All a facade? You only ever cared about yourself and your own happiness. Everyone and everything else was expendable to you, minus your wife! Well guess what Anakin… you killed her yourself… and lost everyone else in the process!"
With that, Kaeden barged path Anakin, throwing the broom into the corner in the process before storming up the stairs and slamming the door, much like Fulcrum had done not too long ago. If the situation wasn't as grim as it was he'd have made a joke about them being perfectly suited for one another.
Once again, Anakin found himself alone with his shadow, who despite not being able to access the Force was clearly swimming in anger at the mention of Padmé. How that monster could feel any compassion for anyone was beyond Anakin.
"I do not like her." Vader spoke, tone low and threatening, as if he was already planning some sort of brutality.
"Don't even think about hurting her. Fulcrum would never forgive you for it. In fact I'd daresay she'd make all of the Sith look like pushovers."
"All the more reason. Her turn will be complete."
"And you will be a smoldering pile of ash if that happens!" Anakin snapped back, wishing he was in Vader's presence no longer. He could just leave, it was that simple. But something was keeping him here, and he was damned sure that Fulcrum would not want him upstairs all things considered.
"It would not be the first time." Vader replied, an edge of fear in his voice if Anakin was not mistaken. What could that have been about?
The sound of the door at the top of the stairs opening once again caught Anakin's attention, as did a rush of the dark side of the Force. Heavy footsteps began to descend the stairs, before the red and black visage of Maul entered the room, face unimpressed.
"It seems the pair of you are not very good with words. Not a surprise really since you both relied on others rather than take the initiative yourself."
"Mind your tongue pretender!" Vader boomed, not at all surprised to see Maul before him. Anakin assumed they had either run into one another in the past, or simply knew of each other's existence.
"Oh but it's true Vader. How many years have you been a Sith? And how many times have you attempted to overthrow your Master? Count Dooku attempted more times in a shorter span of time that you have! You make a poor Sith, as well as a poor Jedi. Face it Skywalker, you have no place in this universe."
The last statement was directed solely at Anakin, and it cut deep within him. This was the second person in a short span of time that had practically called him worthless and a waste of space, and one of them was his former Padawan.
All things considered however, he deserved it.
"Why don't you go and hide on Dathomir coward. Live with the ghosts of the past, where you belong." Vader snarled, wrenching forward in an attempt to attack the Zabrak. Maul seemed unfazed by the events, merely smirking in response, before moving towards a crate.
Anakin watched as Maul moved the crate to the center of the room, taking a seat upon it, his golden eyes surveying all around him. The Zabrak in question diverted his attention to the Convor, gesturing lightly with his fingers, offering a place upon his shoulder to her.
Morai hissed back in response, clearly having no interest in Maul whatsoever, who rolled his own eyes, unsurprised by the reaction.
"Now, we all have our grievances with one another here, but the fact remains that we must work together to return you home. Skywalker, I know you will assist us, being a filthy obnoxious Jedi and all, but what of you Vader? Will you combine your strength with ours and not harm anyone in the process."
"Why would I do that?" Vader replied, his tone borderline sarcastic, something that surprised Anakin. Sith were capable of having emotions and attitudes other than angry?
"Because it is in your best interests to return to your correct place in time. You do not belong here, and despite your desire you know you cannot change the past. We all hate you in this time, Ladies Tano and Larte especially. We are offering you a way out of a dangerous situation, yet you refuse to take it. Who is the true fool here Lord Vader?"
"He is." The Sith replied sharply, gesturing his helmet towards Anakin like a petulant child trying to pass the blame.
Once again, Maul rolled his eyes with mirth, a snarl coming to his aged visage.
"Grow up Vader. You are both to blame, but nothing can change that. Since you are both being too stubborn to listen to reason I will offer you another solution. You can refuse and remain locked in this basement for the rest of your lives whilst I slowly and steadily torture you both, or you can escape my wrath and live in relative comfort. Your choice."
Anakin didn't doubt Maul's words. He could feel Maul's sincerity through the Force, something that Vader currently could not.
"You bluff! Your Jedi friends would never allow you to harm a prisoner." Vader replied, sounding awfully smug. Anakin could tell instantly that he was about to regret his words.
Maul raised a hand in a sharp claw gesture, twisting it slowly through the air as he tightened his invisible grip.
Vader's mechanical breathing halted suddenly, instead replaced by the sounds of metal creaking, and shuddered gasps for breath echoing from the suit.
"Don't be so sure Vader. I could crush your organs slowly and painfully if I wanted to, as well as rip off those cheap prosthetics of yours without showing any consideration to any nerves you have left. And if you think that's bad, just wait until I ask Doctor Larte for some advice. I'm sure she could point me towards some very potent toxins for use on you. Or perhaps all I will need is an image of the late Senator of Naboo. I'm sure seeing it burn before you would fill you with much pain!"
At that Vader snapped forward, trying in vain to escape whatever grip Maul had on him whilst also trying to get to the Zabrak. Anakin had to admit that the comment regarding Padmé hurt him too, but the sheer violence in which the way Vader was reacting only helped to reinforce the anger that a Sith felt.
The satisfied smirk on Maul's lips only delved the metaphorical knife deeper.
"I… will kill… you Maul!" Vader boomed, tone bordering on pain, concealed by rage.
"Oh no doubt you would, however you cannot. We must work together."
"He's right." Anakin interrupted, hoping that Vader would listen to him. "We shouldn't be here, but for some reason the Force has decided that we must be. Now, I know you don't like us, but you have a chance here to perhaps change something, just as I have. The past is not set in stone despite what Fulcrum says, and if you really are me you are always looking for alternatives. Right now a temporary alliance is the only way you are going to escape your confinement, and the only way you have any chance of returning to your correct time. So… what do you say?"
Anakin was banking on a lot of things here. Hopefully, Vader would be pragmatic enough to understand everything Anakin was saying, even if he himself was unsure how true it would be. Would they really be able to change the past now that they knew what was going to happen? Could they prevent his fall to the dark side.
Could Vader ensure the Empire won instead? The thought was grim, but was perhaps what was needed to persuade the Sith Lord.
Through the Force Anakin felt Maul release is grip on the black armored monster, his hands coming to rest on his lap as he watched, eyes gleaming gold in the darkness, full of scrutiny.
Vader's breathing slowly began to return to normal, his helmet gently moving to side to side as if he was testing the strength of his neck, easing any aches he had.
A few moments of silence passed by before Vader replied, his helmet facing towards Anakin.
"Very well… I will cooperate… for now."
Anakin assumed that was the best response he was going to get.
Upon leaving the basement with Vader and Maul in tow, the Zabrak having control of Vader's shackles, the first sight that greeted Anakin was a look of pure hatred. Aged hazel eyes stared at him with a desire to kill, a hand tightly grasping hold of a DC-17 hand blaster with clear threatening intent.
Anakin couldn't say anything, couldn't justify any of his actions. Rex had ever single reason to hate him, almost as much as Fulcrum had. If his old Clone Captain were to gun him down here and now he couldn't care less. It would have been a fitting end for his betrayal.
"I do not trust you, either of you." Rex began, his words directed at both Anakin and Vader, the latter of whom seemed surprised at Rex's appearance. "If either of you as much as lay a finger on Ahsoka I will pull this trigger. You will never harm her again, am I clear?"
"Crystal Captain, thank you for looking after her all these years." Anakin replied, hoping that he could appeal to Rex somehow, even though he knew it would be futile.
"I didn't do it for you." Was Rex's response before he turned away, allowing Anakin past.
Taking that was it was, Anakin began to move through the assembled crowd of people. To the side he saw the young knight named Ezra, standing beside his Master and the younger Ahsoka.
Barriss stood beside the two Obi-Wan's face a mixture of terror and dread as she watched Vader move.
No one spoke as they moved through the central room of the apartment, something that unnerved Anakin even more. It was beginning to feel a lot like a funeral procession.
As he neared the couch, Anakin's eyes were drawn to Fulcrum's staff, which was once again balanced in the center of the room, Morai perched atop it.
Next to the staff stood two figures, one clearly being Kaeden, the other an unknown figure draped in long white robes.
That was until the figure turned their head towards him, revealing the facial markings of Fulcrum. The hood she wore disguised her Montrals, however her Lekku were still clearly visible. Whatever the reason for the outfit, Anakin had to admit that it created a sense of mystery about the Togruta. She looked powerful!
"Black would suit you better apprentice." Vader's modulated boomed with a hint of sarcasm, earning a roll of the eyes from Fulcrum, as well as what sounded like a growl from Rex.
"What outfit and colour I wear makes little difference to what is about to happen. You are just jealous because I have more than one outfit, unlike you." Fulcrum replied, her tone snippy and harsh, something that pleased Anakin in an odd way. He was glad she wasn't letting the earlier confrontation slow her down.
Before Vader had a chance to reply, Fulcrum cleared her throat, gathering the attention of everyone in the room. Anakin could tell that she was about to discuss the plan.
"Ok, our previous attempt to open the portal to return Skywalker and his allies home caused the Son to intervene and overpower us. His manipulation of the Force and shear power allowed him to send Vader here, only complicating matters further. However, that in itself will be his undoing. We now possess two incarnations of one of, if not the most powerful Force user in existence. Long ago on Mortis Anakin was able to tame both the Son and Daughter, physical embodiments of both the light side and the dark side with ease. I propose we do something of a similar manner. Together we will unify both the light and the dark, open a portal once again, and overpower the Son. Once he is out of the way I will return our guests to their correct time and place."
"How are you going to do that?" Ezra asked from behind Anakin, his expression concerned yet interested.
"Simply put Ezra there is a nexus on the other side of the portals. Morai has confirmed to me that once we cross the portal threshold we will be presented with many pathways. I will enter along with our guests and find the correct portal for each of them to return home. Meanwhile the rest of you will be responsible for holding the portal open on this end allowing me to return once the mission is complete."
"And what happens if we are unable to keep the portal open on our end? I doubt the Son will leave us alone." Obi-Wan, the elder one inquired, hand coming to rest on his chin, fingers gently caressing the beard.
"Hopefully he will be too preoccupied with those within the nexus to attempt an assault on you. And if he does Morai will handle him. She will be staying behind to supervise the portal." Fulcrum answered, gesturing towards the Convor, who hooted in acknowledgement.
"And if the portal closes?" Kanan asked next, eyes obscured, but his signature in the Force concerned.
"Then I'll be stuck in there." Fulcrum replied nonchalantly, unconcerned with the danger.
"And I will personally hold each and every one of your responsible for it." Kaeden interrupted, shooting everyone a look that would send shivers down the spine of even Count Dooku.
"Yes, well let's hope it doesn't come to that." Fulcrum said softly, a hand coming to gently squeeze Kaeden's shoulder, trying to calm her down. Through the Force Anakin could feel the calming aura of Fulcrum, trying to comfort Kaeden and her worries.
"How do you propose we unify the Force? There are only two Sith in this room." Vader's voice boomed, causing several in the room to flinch in surprise, Anakin included. The Sith Lord's presence, and apparent willingness to help was still an uncomfortable aspect for everyone.
"There may only be two true Sith here, but that's all it took to eliminate the galaxy of Jedi. Besides, there are four of us here who can and will be utilizing the dark side over the light." Fulcrum replied, her eyes glancing over at Vader, something hidden deep beneath them. From the way Vader's breath hitched briefly, it was clear the Sith understood Fulcrum's words.
"I don't understand?" The voice of the younger Ahsoka came forward next, the Togruta moving to stand beside Anakin in the process. "Who are the other two?"
Fulcrum's eyes moved over to her younger self, remorse shining in the blue eyes, as if she was about to reveal some secret.
"Vader and Maul are both Sith. They have a natural talent in the dark and will be the main power of the dark side. By extension, Anakin too is able to dip into the darkness to feed his power, whether he knows it or not."
Anakin didn't want to admit the truth, especially not with Ahsoka standing beside him, but he knew what Fulcrum was saying was correct. Images of Tuskans laying slaughtered around him came to mind, something that haunted him and would likely haunt him for the rest of his life.
They had taken his mother from him however, therefore they had deserved it.
Shaking the thought from his mind, Anakin spoke again, inquiring as to who the fourth person that would touch the dark side would be.
Fulcrum's response nearly gave him a heart attack.
"Me. I have opened a Sith holocron before. I am no Jedi, nor Sith, but I walk the line between. I can and do touch both sides of the Force, directing them to serve my whim without being fully controlled by either. Together you and I will act as a bridge between the light and the dark, unifying them for one brief moment. Through that we might just have a chance against the Son."
"A bold strategy. Are you sure it will work?" Obi-Wan asked from behind him, his expression frowning slightly with concern, before returning to the stoic one Anakin was most used to.
"Not a clue Master Kenobi, so it will be just like old times." Fulcrum replied, a smirk on her face, her comment earning a chuckle from Ezra in the process.
"Well, sounds like a plan. Dibs on being the first light side user to connect."
"Ezra, you don't get to call dibs on using the Force!"
"Why not? We all know that I'm the best at connection here anyways. Plus I don't mind being the lab rat in this experiment."
"Hera would have my head if anything happened to you Ezra… kriff I can't even imagine what Sabine would do to me. I'll go first."
"You can't Kanan. I called dibs."
"Ezra!"
"These are the Jedi that defeated the Grand Inquisitor! You act like younglings."
Vader's voice broke off the playful argument between Kanan and Ezra, instantly drawing the mirth of everyone in the room who was enjoying the banter between the two. Did Vader not understand how to joke anymore. Anakin really didn't want to believe that he would lose his sense of humour as well.
"Look, as important as this discussion is, I'm going to have to interrupt. In order to connect to the staff like before, I must go first. To that end Ezra, I call dibs." Fulcrum spoke, a satisfied smug smile coming to her face as she moved towards the staff and Morai, her white cloak flowing behind her.
"Oh! No fair Ahsoka." Ezra exclaimed, receiving a gentle shove from Kanan in the process, who seemed to share the sentiment regardless.
"Can't say I'm surprised. She always steals all the attention and glory."
"That's cause I'm better looking than you Kanan."
Again, the room erupted into several small chuckles, including Kanan despite the joke at his expense.
"If I could still see I might be able to offer some sort of counter argument about my looks. Alas, I cannot." The blind Jedi jested in reply, feigning an melodramatic defeat.
Fulcrum merely shook her head in response before her hands reached out to grasp hold of the staff. The Force shifted suddenly, twisting and turning around them, both the light and the dark echoing in Anakin's mind, trying to pull him in.
And it all originated from Fulcrum. The Force sang around her with many songs, with many colours. Light and dark pulled and pushed against each other, trying to wrestle control over the Togruta. For a moment Anakin thought for sure that the dark side was going to emerge victorious, corrupting his Padawan in the same way it had him. He wanted so badly to reach out and pull her back, to ensure her safety against anything that would so much as touch her.
But he didn't. He had to trust her. Fulcrum was a different person to Ahsoka. There similarities of course, but time had changed her, had shaped her into who she was now. Everything she had experienced, both good and bad had made Fulcrum who she was, and had made her stronger over time.
Tense seconds passed by, and when Anakin very nearly reached out to pull Fulcrum back, the Force shifted again. The light and the dark stopped fighting, they remained still, both pulsating off Fulcrum in unison. They did not work together, they simply allowed one another to coexist.
That in itself as astonishing.
"Amazing." Obi-Wan whispered from beside Anakin, clearly at awe at whatever Fulcrum had done.
"It wasn't as easy as it looked Master Kenobi. It has taken many years of training to get to this point. Even now I'm not perfect at it." Fulcrum replied, sounding out of breath despite not physically doing anything.
"I could provide greater training for you Tano." Vader spoke again, his tone oddly soft, yet full of obvious desire.
"Once again I'm afraid I'll have to decline. Not a fan of the all black outfits you wear."
An indigent scoff came from behind Vader, Maul emerging in the process with his arms crossed, an annoyed look on his. Despite the expression, Maul's signature in the Force was calm, suggesting he was merely feigning offense.
"At least you have the red of your skin to offset the black outfit Maul. Gives you a bit of contrasting colour." Fulcrum continued throwing a smile in the Zabrak's direction.
"Yes well not everyone is bright orange Lady Tano. Now, shall I connect?" Maul replied, gesturing towards the staff held tightly in Fulcrum's hands.
"Please do. In fact all of your can, one by one." Fulcrum answered, her eyes surveying the group, before resting on Anakin.
He hadn't noticed it before, but since she had connected with the staff, her eyes had changed.
Or at least one of them had. It was now a bright flaming gold, a symbol of the darkside running through her.
He prayed that the other eye, the one that was currently the warm blue he associated with Ahsoka, did not turn gold as well.
Following Fulcrum's orders, Maul moved towards her first, one of his hands reaching and grasping the staff tightly. The dark side exploded suddenly, overpowering the light as Maul added his own strength to Fulcrums. Once again, dread filled Anakin. Was Fulcrum about to overwhelmed with darkness?
And then Obi-Wan the elder moved forward, grasping hold of Fulcrum's shoulder with one hand, the other wrapping round the staff.
The light side erupted then, flooding Anakin's senses as the Force once again balanced itself.
One by one the other members stepped towards Fulcrum, grasping hold of the staff, or placing their hands against Fulcrum herself, channeling their power with hers. The Force sang louder and stronger, beginning to overwhelm Anakin's senses in a way that it never had before. He had always been adept at sensing the Force and its power. This however was something more than mere power.
"It's your turn Anakin, and we need you to reach into the dark side to assist. The light is currently unbalancing us." Fulcrum spoke, her multi coloured eyes boring into him.
Feeling an overwhelming sense of dread wash over him, Anakin approached the group, grasping hold of Fulcrum's staff and reaching into the Force.
Touching the dark side was so much easier when one wasn't being forced to do it. To Anakin, it just seemed to come naturally sometimes. His thoughts would seep into darkness, and the Force would follow suit.
But now, there was nothing he could think of, nothing that he could use to Force himself into darkness. When he needed it most of all, nothing came.
Curse his luck!
However, it seemed that someone else had a similar train of thought as he did, and was more than willing to help him on his way.
"You murdered your precious wife!" Darth Vader snarled from behind him, almost in a whisper despite his modulator vocalizing aloud. The simple image of Padmé dead, and himself standing above her broken body was more than enough to fill him with rage.
The dark side boiled up instantly, rushing through his veins and amplifying the power already running through the staff. Several gasps echoed in the room as the other Force users felt the rise of his hatred. The younger Ahsoka whimpered slightly at the feeling, before gritting her teeth and pushing through it. That made Anakin feel even worse. What kind of Master was he if he upset and frightened his own Padawan?
Seemingly content with Anakin's rush of darker power, Fulcrum turned to the last individual to touch the staff, nodding her head towards someone who stood behind him.
Anakin turned his own head to watch as Rex moved behind Vader, blaster in one hand, the other moving towards the Force-restraining cuffs around Vader's wrists.
"Any suspicious moves and I'll put you down like a rabid Nexu. Understood?" The old clone spoke, venom in his tongue, unafraid of the Sith Lord.
"Crystal, CT-7567."
Vader use of Rex's birth number made Anakin's blood boil even further, his anger at the Sith amping up once more.
Now free of the cuffs, Vader moved with purpose towards Fulcrum, reaching his hands out and grasping hold of her own hands, enclosing them whilst gripping the staff at the same time.
Once more the dark side flourished around them all, causing further groans and gasps from the light side users present. Only Fulcrum and Maul remained unaffected, which shouldn't have been much surprise all things considered.
"Ok… so now what?" The voice of Ezra spoke up, tone confused as he held onto the staff, eyes darting between Fulcrum's face and Kanan's.
Neither spoke however, as both were concentrating on what was about to happen. Their previous attempt to access the portal had been hindered. However, if Fulcrum was right, this time they would be prepared.
Picturing the portal in his mind again, Anakin closed his eyes, channeling his power through Fulcrum and to the others.
A loud pop thundered through the room, accompanied by a surprised expletive originating from Rex. Opening his eyes, Anakin saw the reason behind Rex's sudden outburst.
The portal had once again opened before them all, shimmering in the air, distorting all around them.
"Well, that was easier than last time." The younger Ahsoka quipped, throwing a smile in Anakin's direction in the process. He would have agreed with her, if not for what he assumed was coming next.
Seconds later, the inevitable occurred.
"And so once again you attempt to send your friends home, using the exact same technique as before. I must say Fulcrum, I expected bett…"
The Son didn't get a chance to finish whatever he was saying. Upon his appearance Fulcrum thrust her hands out, a rush of power launching out from her and towards the demi-god with heightened velocity. The Son barely had any time to exclaim his surprise before the Force hit him, sending him careening backwards and through the portal, out of harm's reach.
"Not this time you egocentric piece of bantha poodoo." Fulcrum retorted, pleased with her own actions. Beside her Maul chuckled deeply, his golden eyes shining brightly.
"And that is the true power of the Force. United the light and the dark can defeat all that oppose it. Such a shame our ancestors went on separate paths." Maul said, referencing something that Anakin was unsure about. Did Maul know something about the Force that the others didn't?
"Little we can do about that now my friend. Hold the portal for me. I'll be back as soon as I can." Fulcrum replied, nodding towards the others who would remain behind in the process before beginning to move towards the now clear portal entrance.
That was before a dark skinned hand reached out and grasped hold of Fulcrum's arm, pulling her close.
"Wha…" Fulcrum began to speak before she found herself wrapped tightly in Kaeden's embrace, lips gently touching that of her girlfriends.
Anakin watched as the two shared a brief moment, before the human woman pulled back, an apprehensive look on her face.
"Come back to me?"
"Always."
Fulcrum's instantaneous response was all Kaeden needed to pull away and let her go. The Togruta in question watched Kaeden briefly for a few seconds, a soft loving smile on her face, before she resumed her path towards the portal, entering into its swirling vortex and disappearing from sight.
Normally, the sight of someone vanishing into seemingly thin air would have surprised Anakin. Today however had been a day of unexpected surprises. At least he had known this one was coming to some extent.
"Well, I guess I'll go next then." The younger Obi-Wan spoke, bowing to the various Jedi in the room, his future self the main focus. "I have to say, it's nice to see I retain my good looks in my old age."
"Indeed. At least we have that. Good day Master Kenobi." The elder Obi-Wan replied, bowing in response.
"You too, Master Kenobi."
With that Obi-Wan turned and headed towards the portal as well, vanishing through it just as Fulcrum had moments earlier.
Ahsoka moved forward next, her eyes surveying the portal with concern, worry emanating off of her through the Force. Anakin began to move forward to encourage her before someone else beat her to it.
"Hey, it'll be ok. Just remember, the Force will always be with you." Ezra spoke, gently nudging Ahsoka with his shoulder, a smirk on his face.
"Yeah, hopefully." Ahsoka replied, her concern alleviated by the young knight, something that Anakin was grateful for. Ezra Bridger would go far as a Jedi.
Ahsoka took another step towards the portal before stopping again, turning to face Kaeden instead.
"So I uh… guess I'll be seeing you at some point then?"
"I guess so."
"Cool… I think? I mean… I don't really know what to say. It's not everyday you meet your future girlfriend… right?"
"Can't say it has ever happened to me before no."
"Oh, ok then, How long is it until I meet you?"
"A couple of years at least. Hey, at least you've got time to figure out what to say when you do meet me."
"Yeah, I guess so. Bye."
"Goodbye Ahsoka."
Her confidence restored, Ahsoka very nearly bounced through the portal, her signature in the Force bright and happy.
Vader made his move next, striding towards Kaeden, his own signature hot and fiery. Rex maintained position behind him, blaster trained on his back just in case.
"You care for her?" Vader questioned, focus entirely on Kaeden, who responded without hesitation.
"So what if I do? What's it to you?"
The Sith Lord said nothing at first, his mind clearly analyzing Kaeden's words, as well as her previous actions. Hopefully he wouldn't do anything foolish.
"Care for her then, to the best of your ability. Do not abandon her, or I will find you."
Without waiting for a response, Vader strode towards the portal, vanishing before everyone's eyes following the path of the others.
That just left Anakin alone, in a room surrounded by people he had wronged, people he had tried to kill, in a universe he had utterly ruined, and one that had been prepared by those left to clean up his mess.
To say the situation was awkward was an understatement, and the lack of Fulcrum's presence at his side ensuring his survival was suddenly evident to Anakin. Every single person in the room had a reason to want him dead, and each and every one of them could kill him in a heartbeat.
Not that he blamed them of course. He was the only one to blame.
"Look guys, before I go I just want to say I'm sorry. I know it probably doesn't help much, but if I could change things I would. I'm sorry you had to suffer because of me, but I'm also eternally glad you all made it out alive. I only hope you all live your life to the best you can without me around to screw it all up."
The assembled group seemed the share a series of looks between themselves, as if judging Anakin's words against his deeds. On that front he knew he was in severe trouble.
"You're right, it doesn't help. Get the hell out of here." Rex was the first to speak, much to Anakin's surprise. With Vader gone the Clone Captain has his blaster trained on Anakin instead, finger on the trigger, ready at a moments notice.
To say that Rex's dismissal didn't hurt would be lying, but again, it was deserved all things considered. Rex's men had betrayed the Jedi, had slaughtered the Jedi. It was only fair that Rex himself blame Anakin for what happened. He had after all led the charge personally.
Nodding his head in acceptance, Anakin began to move towards the portal before he found his path obstructed by Kanan Jarrus.
The blind Jedi Master stood before him, simply staring at him, despite his lack of vision. There was something incredibly unnerving about someone who couldn't see being able to see everything about you. Anakin supposed that was made Kanan as strong as he was.
Kanan then made an unexpected gesture, holding one of his hands out towards Anakin, palm facing sideways.
An offer for a handshake, one that Anakin accepted.
"You know that none of us can ever really forgive you for your crimes, but we do all understand your reasons. Take that with you at least Anakin Skywalker."
The words were wise, and sounded a lot like something that Obi-Wan or Yoda would have once said. They weren't necessarily direction for Anakin, or advice on what to do, but merely words of power, words of confidence.
Words of understanding. They ultimately meant nothing, but at the same time they meant everything. His actions to come were heinous, but people would perhaps one day understand them.
Still, that didn't make up for the fact that they should have never have happened in the first place, and perhaps now he had a chance to change things for the better.
Spurred on by Kanan's words, Anakin moved towards the portal, stepping through the whirling vortex and finding himself in a place like no other.
Author's thoughts
Well, here we go. They've made it through the portal this time round. I wonder where they could possibly be going?
Getting everything into place for this chapter was challenging, especially with Vader in the mix. I had to ensure that he was coerced into helping somehow, and thus used the threat of violence as a means to an end with Maul. Say what you will about Vader but he does understand when you need to work with your foe to achieve your goals. He wants to get back to his time as well, and the only way he can is by cooperating... for now.
In regards to the Son being so easily overpowered, I just want to say that it wasn't Fulcrum alone that pushed him back, but the combined strength of all of Force users present channeling their power through Fulcrum via her staff. Hope that makes sense.
As for the ending scene, I hope you liked the various goodbyes, both kind and not. Truthfully there are so many discussions between the characters in the scene that I could have written by chose not to simply because it would have been a waste of time that didn't advance the story. That said, you never know. I suppose it opens up the idea of several possible deleted scenes.
Speaking of which, in case you didn't know I wrote a short bonus scene for this arc on Tumblr titled part 8.5. It basically shows Kaeden dealing with the aftermath of Fulcrum's anger at the end of part 8. It's up on Tumblr if people want to read it. :)
So, next time round is the last part of this arc as the group travel through a nexus of the Force, and Fulcrum is forced to make a difficult decision that could change her own past... if she lets it.
As usual, comment and speculate at will. Speaking of which:
Mysterious guest one: I'm glad you enjoyed the conflict between Fulcrum and Vader. As fun as a duel is I prefer to talking aspect between the two. Words can be just as damaging as physical violence after all.
I'm sure there are some people who disapprove of Ahsoka and Kaeden's relationship in the galaxy, and I might write about it one day, it's just a case of finding a way to make it work. I don't won't it to be just some random person, but instead someone whose opinion is important if that makes sense. Maybe one day though
Thanks again. Hopefully the good work can continue. :)
SWGoji2001: Oh boy... huge review from you. Excellent! I really appreciate it. :)
Firstly, I'm glad the timing of the chapter was good for you. Traveling for that long sounds like murder to me.
I could do some 'Book of Hondo' in the future I suppose. I've been wanting to do a Hondo one-shot at some point. :)
I'm glad you approved of the outcome of the fight, as well as the interrogation in previous chapter. Vader's answer to Fulcrum's question is left up in the air for the audience to decide, though you have clearly taken it the same way Fulcrum did. Who knows what the truth is.
Yeah I'm still not too pleased with the middle of the chapter, but it got the job done, plus I knew people would want the 'Hello there' 'Hello there' scene in. I'd have been shot if I didn't do it.
Young Ahsoka would probably still beat Ezra. We've not really seen what he can do in a saber fight truthfully. Everyone else has been too powerful for him to go against legitimately.
If you think the Kaesoka stuff is adorable... then somehow I've done my job right. A wedding one shot is not out of the question, but I want these two to be different from Kanan and Hera. The Kaesoka pairing are more likely to secretly elope together. XD
And don't worry about voicing your imagination. I expected it to happen from someone. :)
As for your rant... I won't go over all details but I agree with pretty much all of it. Both the Jedi and Sith sort of stagnated over time, leaving themselves vulnerable to attack. Fulcrum in this AU sort of fills the gap between them, ensuring neither dies out but neither gets too strong either. After all you can't have light without dark, and vice versa. Guess she is kind of a natural evolution of Qui-Gon then. That said, just wait until you see what she does in the final chapter. XD
And don't worry about bringing up Old Republic characters. They are just as awesome as the canon ones. Here's hoping some of them come back one day. If Thrawn can do it, why not HK-47?
Travis Middleton: Thanks, glad you liked the rather grim ending. I wanted the shock value in it as its a question a lot of fans asked back in the day. Here is just one possible answer.
Glad you also liked the Obi-Wan's meeting. Ahsoka does not know about Barriss bombing the temple yet, and it's unlikely she will find out as there just isn't time to include it in this arc. Sorry.
And again, there will be no Padmé, only the mentions of her so far. Again, not enough room for her, sorry.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Erukat: The last part was designed to shatter hearts, and make everyone hate Anakin/Vader a bit. That said, Fulcrum was rather harsh with her words. No one was the good guy in that situation.
Anakin no doubt feels terrible about it all, and perhaps Vader doesn't know the truth about the answer either. That is an interesting way of looking at it.
Fulcrum is unlikely to apologize, but she has calmed down a bit. At this point in her life she pretty much says what she means and doesn't sugercoat it. Again, harsh, but that has what her life has shaped her into. She's not perfect. She holds grudges.
Lola 9340: Thanks, glad you liked the chapter as well as Fulcrum's reaction to Vader's lack of answer. I'll keep up the good work as long as I can. :)
jojobinks01: You know the weakness of every Jedi huh? Well, you seem to be forgetting two things. One... Ahsoka is no Jedi, and two, she has one crazy angry Zabrak former Sith as a friend. XD