Chapter 12 – Not the Jedi Way

DISCLAIMER: We do not own Star Wars or any of the characters in it, though we wish we did. xD

Author's Note: Anakin comes up with a way to keep them distracted... :P

~ Amina Gila

Obi-Wan doesn't even need the Force to know that Anakin doesn't want to talk after he finishes the recordings. Ahsoka seems to sense it also, because she's being unusually quiet, though she can't stop fidgeting. It's probably been an hour when Obi-Wan finally breaks the silence and begins regaling them with tales from his time as a Padawan and his adventures and mishaps with Qui-Gon. He even tells them stories his master had told him about his time as a Padawan with Dooku. It keeps them entertained for a while, and at least Anakin isn't brooding anymore.

He keeps the mood as light as possible given the situation, and it seems to help. Anakin doesn't feel as troubled as he did earlier, and his expression isn't quite as haunted. All Obi-Wan wants to do is help him, make things better, but he doesn't know how. The Jedi never trained him how to treat others who have been hurt as badly as Anakin has been. In this situation, Jedi advice won't help.

While Obi-Wan knows that, he doesn't know how normal people would approach the situation. What would someone tell Anakin which might help him? Or would they say anything at all? How can he comfort Anakin when he seems so unwilling to admit that he needs their help? Last night… that was one time, and he's honestly not sure if Anakin would appreciate it if he did it again. Or maybe he would. He seems like the kind of person who prefers physical demonstrations of affection. Maybe it's the only way he can really forget the abuse he's endured.

Obi-Wan stares into the mirror in the 'fresher, wondering how he got stuck in this situation, not that he minds being here to help Anakin. He does want to. It's just that he feels completely inadequate. He's not at all equipped to help anyone emotionally. If there's anything about him which is a fact, it's that he doesn't give up. So, he won't. Sighing, he steps back into the cell, raising an eyebrow when he sees Anakin pacing back and forth. Well, that's progress. At least he's moving around now.

Time has no meaning here, and it could just as easily be mid-afternoon as sunset. It's probably later in the day. If his internal clock is accurate, Dooku should be arriving soon with a meal. "I've trained minorly with Force healing," Obi-Wan comments, bringing Anakin to a halt. "I think I could probably help your mother as soon as I have a chance."

He knows that he'll never be allowed off Serenno unless he uses the Dark Side, but can he really do it? Let it taint him? Looking at the glimmer of hope in Anakin's eyes, hope he quickly tries to hide, Obi-Wan knows the answer is yes. That doesn't mean that opening himself up to it will be easy, especially at first. He'll have to talk to Dooku and ask him to explain more about it.

"Sidious won't let you get near her, at least not for a while," Anakin points out, leaning against the wall and sliding down to sit on the floor. Obi-Wan only hesitates a moment before crossing over and sitting next to him.

"I know," Obi-Wan murmurs, "I know, but we can plan in advance. It's the least we can do. Maybe Dooku can help when we get to a better position."

Anakin mutters something under his breath, and the only words Obi-Wan catches are "hopelessly optimistic." The derision in his voice seems mostly superficial, but even if it's not, Obi-Wan finds that he doesn't mind too much. Anakin has been through enough that his scorn is certainly understandable.

Giving him a sideways glance, Obi-Wan shifts closer, lightly bumping Anakin's shoulder with his own. If Anakin is surprised by the gesture, he doesn't show it. If anything, he seems to relax imperceptibly. Obi-Wan lets out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. He doubts that Anakin will be very likely to start healing down here, but maybe after they leave, maybe he'll be able to reach him.

**w**

After a while, Obi-Wan runs out of stories to tell, leaving everyone in relative silence until night. As she rolls around on the floor, Ahsoka feels an unjustified resentment towards both Obi-Wan and Anakin. They're both sleeping soundly, lying back-to-back with one another. Truthfully, she was mildly surprised that Anakin didn't object when Obi-Wan laid down so close to him. Maybe he wants comfort far more than he's willing to admit.

She really should sleep, but every time she drifts off, she finds herself having nightmares. Shuddering she pushes away the sensation of bony fingers grabbing her shoulder while yellow eyes pierce into her. Everything has been so stressful recently, that it's finally catching up. She wishes she weren't alone here, but there's really nothing she can do. Not until morning anyways.

These cells were only meant to hold one person, but she doesn't really think Anakin or Obi-Wan would mind if she asked to be transferred over there. Being trapped over here is only giving her nightmares. Yes, as soon as Dooku comes down here, she'll talk to him.

Ahsoka must have fallen asleep, because the next thing she knows, she's opening her eyes to face the opposite wall. Down the hall, the doors to the dungeon clang open, and she hastily sits up, tossing the blanket aside. It really does get chilly down here, and she suspects it would be far colder if there wasn't any heat. Dooku stops in front of the cell, opening the ray shield to allow the serving droid to bring in a tray of food.

It's now or never. "Um," she begins nervously, uncertain how to address him, "Can I – stay over there?" she finally manages to say, blushing slightly after the words come out.

Dooku studies her, but he doesn't seem surprised by the offer. He's almost acting as though he'd expected it. "Anakin?" he asks, turning towards the other cell. Ahsoka carefully avoids looking over and meeting Anakin's gaze. She can feel his eyes scrutinizing her.

"I don't care," he replies flatly.

Dooku shrugs slightly. "Then come on. It will be crowded, so I hope you don't mind."

"Not in particular," she answers cheerfully, hopping to her feet and stepping out of the cell. It would be so easy to throw Dooku at the ray shield and make a run for it, but then, she'd be abandoning Anakin. She promised herself she would never do that, and it's a promise she won't break. Instead, she calmly steps into the opposite cell, scooting over to a corner and sitting down to pick at her morning meal.

She hardly notices when Dooku leaves, keeping her gaze focused on the plate in her hands. What kind of food is this anyways? She's never seen anything like it. It doesn't matter. She eats it anyways, hoping no one asks her why she was so eager to come over here. A hope, of course, which is promptly shattered.

"Nightmares?" Obi-Wan probes gently.

"Sort of," she mumbles, shoving food into her mouth. It has a really weird texture. And taste. "It's too stressful to be over there," she adds after swallowing.

"I know the feeling," Anakin comments dryly. She sneaks a glance at him, but he doesn't seem any more willing to meet her gaze than she was to meet his a few minutes ago. She stirs at the gooey substance before putting more into her mouth.

"I'm going to get claustrophobic if I stay here much longer," she mumbles.

There's a heartbeat of silence. "I already am," Anakin murmurs. She doesn't miss the way Obi-Wan moves closer to Anakin after that declaration, as though his presence will help soothe him. It probably will. She already feels better being this close to them.

"Well, if we'll be in here for the indefinite future, perhaps we could do something to help pass the time," Obi-Wan suggests.

Anakin looks up, a gleam in his eyes. The last time he had that look was on Naboo before he started teaching her to deflect blaster bolts using the Force. That begs the question, what is he up to now? She's pleased to see him lightening up. It was becoming very depressing to feel him so downcast all the time.

"I will teach you to deflect Force lightning," Anakin declares.

"A useful technique I imagine," Obi-Wan remarks wryly.

"I've never shown Sidious I can do it," Anakin confesses, suddenly seeming uncertain. "I don't think he would be happy if he knew. It wasn't that hard to figure out, honestly. Especially not after I learned to deflect blaster bolts with my hands."

"Really?" Ahsoka perks up. "Does that mean that I'll find it easier to learn than Master Obi-Wan?" Calling him that instead of "master" seems right in a way she can't quite explain. If Obi-Wan notices, he doesn't comment.

"Possibly," Anakin chuckles quietly, "So, Snips, are you up to the challenge?"

"Of course!" she exclaims, shoving the last bite in her mouth and abandoning the tray in the corner. "What do I do? How do I start?"

"Patience," Anakin reminds her. "One thing at a time."

"When we have a blaster handy, you need to show me the technique for deflecting blaster bolts," Obi-Wan tells Anakin.

"It's easier than deflecting Force lighting," Anakin reminds him as he stands up. "It'll be safer like this." Ahsoka leaps to her feet, standing opposite him. Looking at Anakin now, it's as though he's forgotten – or pushed aside – everything which has been tormenting him for so long. She could easily get used to this playful side of him, if only it would last.

**w**

"Gather the Force to shield your hand, just like you did with the blaster bolt," Anakin instructs, holding up his left hand in preparation. "I'll start small – really small. Remember, this is different because the lightning is being created by the Force. Either you can deflect it into the walls or whatever is around you, or you can reabsorb it back into the Force."

"Which is easier?" Ahsoka wonders.

"It depends," Anakin replies, "If you're being attacked by weak lightning, absorption is easier. If it's really powerful, like what Sidious will do, deflecting is easier, especially if you're combining the two techniques. It's all part of the Force, Ahsoka. Remember that."

"I'm ready," she announces, holding her hands in front of her. Anakin can sense her drawing in the Light Side, so he sends a powerful spark flying towards her from his fingertips. "That – ouch!" she yelps, jumping back and shaking her left hand. "Shield failed," she grumbles.

Anakin snorts quietly. "Yes, that happened to me quite a bit," he admits, thinking back to his training with Dooku. "It's a harder concept to grasp than blaster bolt deflection. It requires a stronger connection to the Force."

"Can you deflect anything?" Obi-Wan questions.

"Possibly." Anakin thinks over his power and how much he's managed to accomplish. "There's a lot I can do, but there's also a lot I can't do. I probably could stop a missile from a fighter, though I've never actually tried. With time, I know there won't be many people who could stand up against me, regardless of their weapons of choice."

Obi-Wan looks at him contemplatively. "I believe it," he says at last. "I can sense how powerful you are, and how powerful you can be, but you don't need to strengthen yourself to your full potential. Once we leave, you won't have to fight unless you want to."

Anakin looks away, thinking over his life. "I've never done anything but fight," he confesses softly. "I don't know how to live without it."

"Then we can help you, Skyguy." Ahsoka's voice is quiet, and she gives him a soft, sincere smile when he looks at her. "Even if I miraculously managed to leave right now, I don't think I would want to go back to the Order, not after seeing what happened with you."

He cannot remember the last time anyone said something remotely similar. He's done nothing to deserve loyalty like that from her or Obi-Wan, but here they are. He pushes the thought aside, deciding to get back to it later. For now, he has someone to teach. "Are you ready?" he queries, raising his left hand again. He doesn't want to lose the lightness in the atmosphere by contemplating his messed-up life.

"Yes," Ahsoka answers confidently, holding up her hands, palms outward again. "Go ahead." And Anakin does. When the spark strikes her palm, it flickers before dwindling into nothing. "That. Was. Awesome," she breathes, clearly in awe of what she just did.

"Let me try," suggests Obi-Wan, moving to stand next to her. "I can see what she's doing." Anakin flicks a spark of electricity in his direction. To his credit, Obi-Wan manages to absorb it on his first try.

"Would it be possible for us to produce lightning?" Ahsoka asks curiously.

Anakin nods. "You don't have to use the Dark Side for it. It simply requires channeling the Force into a physical form. It's often associated with the Dark Side and Sith because it causes immense pain." He doesn't miss the intrigued expression on Ahsoka's face.

"No, I don't think we should learn it," Obi-Wan interjects before she has a chance to say anything. "It's –" he pauses, clearly uncomfortable though he's trying to formulate an explanation. "It feels too dark for my liking," he finishes.

That shouldn't be true. Force lightning requires someone to have a basic grasp of both sides of the Force, but it's not dark by nature. Then again, Obi-Wan has probably only seen it when they were on the way to Serenno. Oh. Well, his opinion is understandable. Anakin shoves away the memories. Now is not the time to remember his punishments. "I understand," Anakin replies, carefully steering the conversation away from the potentially sensitive topic. "Do you want to keep practicing?"

"Yes," Ahsoka replies quickly.

"I sense in the Force that the knowledge may be useful," Obi-Wan agrees.

Anakin lights up. "Then, let's continue!" He takes up his position again and begins releasing small sparks from his fingertips. He could do this for a while without growing tired. Showing off Force techniques – for fun and not survival – is certainly very enjoyable. He could do it for days without stopping. That's probably for the best. They'll be here for days anyways.

**w**

"Enter." Sidious' voice rasps out, echoing faintly through the hall and sending shivers down Anakin's spine. His stomach is twisted with anxiety as he pushes open the door and steps through into his master's office.

"Lord Vader, the time has come," Sidious declares pleasantly, a hint of malice in his tone. A grin satisfaction twists his lips into a dark smile. "I present you with a choice. Someone will die, and it is up to you to decide who." Anakin hardly saw him move, but he's suddenly standing next to him, turning him around to face the other side of the room.

Only training keeps him from reacting when he sees his mother standing on one side and Obi-Wan and Ahsoka on the other. "They do not accept the power of the Dark Side," Sidious explains, motioning to the pair, almost as though reading Anakin's thoughts. "They are a potential threat to our future." He pauses, stalking around Anakin like a predator. "So, who do you choose to save, Lord Vader?" His smile is cruel.

"No," whispers Anakin faintly. He should have known it would come to this. Sidious had hinted as much. He was so stupid. He should have done something – anything – but now, it's too late. He looks between them, almost uncomprehendingly. This isn't – he can't choose something like that. Not for family.

"I grow impatient," hisses Sidious lifting up his hand and showing Anakin something. A transmitter. It's the transmitter for the implant in his mother's body. With sickening horror, Anakin knows what Sidious is going to do. He pushes the button.

"No!" screams Anakin, jerking awake. He stares dazedly up at the ceiling.

"Anakin?" Obi-Wan's gentle voice breaks through the whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. Seconds later, Anakin feels a hand on his shoulder, grounding him and keeping him from spiraling into panic. "It's alright, Anakin. It was only a nightmare." His tone is soothing, as his fingers rub a calming pattern on Anakin's shoulder.

Anakin groans quietly, pushing himself into a sitting position and nudging Ahsoka's legs off his own. Really. How does she always manage to end up on top of him during the night? She must move around a lot. "Skyguy," she mumbles, opening an eye and peering blearily up at him. A second later, she's moved back into her own spot on the floor. "Sorry."

He waves it off, having other things on his mind. Obi-Wan wraps an arm around him, pulling him closer almost protectively. He accepts it, just like he's done every time for the past couple weeks. Part of him can hardly believe that they've been trapped in here for two weeks. Instead of it being depressing, the experience turned out to be far more positive. But now, Sidious is coming. Dooku told them that he'll be here tomorrow. That's probably why he's having nightmares again.

His mother. Dying. He feels an ache deep inside of him at the thought, something threatening to shatter irreparably. He can't let it happen no matter what he must do to prevent it. When Sidious comes, he'll be good. He'll do everything which is expected of him and more if it means protecting everyone. This won't be for forever. It'll just be until they have a chance to leave.

Ahsoka sits up, scooting closer and staring at him with something akin to worry in her blue eyes. "Are you alright now?" she questions quietly.

"I will be, Snips," he answers finally, resting his head on Obi-Wan's shoulder and just being. His brother and his sister. The two most recent people to join his very dysfunctional family.

"Don't worry too much," Obi-Wan murmurs. "We've prepared as best we can. There's nothing else we can do."

"I'm not worried about being underprepared if Sidious figures out what we're up to," Anakin mumbles numbly. "I'm worried about what if he decides to –" he chokes on the word, "– to eliminate someone."

"That's what happened in your nightmare," Ahsoka deduces, and he nods.

"He – Sidious was upset that you wouldn't use the Dark Side," he tells them.

Complete silence greets his words, and Ahsoka finally lays a comforting hand on his arm. "Despite everything you and Dooku have said, it still feels… wrong, but," she adds quickly to forestall any arguments, "If what you said about Sidious is anything to go by, I imagine he'll force me to get over my reluctance."

Anakin doesn't miss how Obi-Wan flinches almost imperceptibly at her words. "We'll get through this together," he assures them, "And come out even stronger for it." Somehow, Anakin doubts it will be nearly that simple.