Chapter 50 – Tragedy
Author's Note: Sorry, not sorry. :')
~ Amina Gila
"Do you feel it?" Anakin asks, a little anxiously as Obi-Wan holds a hand out towards his mother. Both of them are sitting on either side of her on a bench in the garden, while Ahsoka is inside with Boba. They mutually agreed that Ahsoka didn't need to see it, and Boba certainly doesn't. Equipped with a medkit, including the tools they're most likely to need, Anakin is waiting while Obi-Wan uses the Force to discern the location of the slave chip.
"Shh. Not yet," Obi-Wan replies distractedly. His fingers twitch a little. "… Got it," he says at last, opening his eyes with a small smile. "It's right here." He reaches out, touching Anakin's mother's side, just beneath her ribcage. "It should be just under the rib. That's deep, but it's not so deep that it'll be too risky to do this without help."
As they had suspected.
"This could go wrong," Anakin's mother points out. "You could accidentally detonate it. You need to keep that in mind."
Anakin tenses. "We won't," he promises fervently. "We won't. It will be fine." And yet, the Force is humming with warning for a reason he can't quite make out. It seems to be telling him – them – to hurry. But hurry for what? Lest Sidious find out?
She is obviously not convinced, though she doesn't argue any further on the subject. "Go on then," she says with a sigh. "We have nothing to wait for."
Anakin expects to feel excitement, but suddenly, all he feels is dread, as if someone has doused him in icy water. At the same moment, he hears the engine of a starship approaching which is wrong. No one should be coming here. Sidious would never have allowed it. Unless, of course, he didn't know, which also doesn't make sense. He's the Sith Master. He knows everything, is aware of everything.
"I hear it, too," Obi-Wan tells him grimly, seeming unsure what they should do now.
Ahsoka streaks towards them, radiating alarm. "It's the Jedi," she calls, panting as she skids to a stop. "Boba is watching them now, but I don't know what they want. Threepio tried raising them on comms, but they're not answering. I don't think they're supposed to be here."
Suddenly, it all makes sense. "They know," Anakin realizes numbly. "They know that Mom knows about me and the Sith. They're here to question her."
"I already talked to them," she objects. "I told them I didn't know anything."
But Anakin hardly hears her, mind flashing with images from his nightmare-vision so long ago, images of his mother's death while at the Temple. It was terrifying then, but now, he knows it doesn't even make sense, because she'll never be able to get off Naboo with the slave chip. The vision – it never meant that she would be arrested. It meant that she would die because of the Jedi. And… that time is fast running out.
"We have to get the chip out now," Anakin blurts out desperately. "We can't let the Jedi come. We have to – have to do something. Can we stop them? Or… what should we do?" He can't accept the possibility that it's too late. It can't be. They can still do something. They can. Resolve hardening, a plan formulates in his mind. "Go inside," he orders Obi-Wan. "Get the chip out of Mom. You can do it in a 'fresher. It might be a little crowded, and Sidious might see, but it's better than nothing. I'll hold them off."
"I don't think –" Obi-Wan begins.
He never gets the chance to finish his question because a sudden rumble shakes the ground. The Force screams out a warning, and all Anakin can do is watch in horror and disbelief as the mansion collapses before his eyes, flames and smoke billowing into the air as well-placed – and hidden – explosives destroy it. Anakin never knew. He never knew about that failsafe which Sidious had in place to keep anyone from discovering the truth hidden there. And – and Boba was in there.
Ahsoka seems to realize the same thing he does, because she inhales sharply, choking, and making to bolt back towards the burning mansion. Anakin tackles her, stopping her before she can get too far, and they roll across the ground. "He's still in there!" Ahsoka cries, trying to pull away from him.
"I know that!" Anakin yells back, voice breaking, "But I'm not going to lose you both." It doesn't even seem real. It doesn't seem possible that Boba could be gone like that, that everything could be falling apart all around him. Just earlier, on the way here to Naboo, he was thinking that all of them would be okay. It seems so laughable now, as if fate is trying to mock him for wanting to be happy.
He can hear the shuttle landing, despite the roaring of the flames and the breaking of the debris. The entire place here used to be peaceful, serene, even despite knowing what it was truly like. It's not like that anymore. It's all gone, and that still hasn't sunken in. He climbs off Ahsoka, pulling her to her feet but keeping her close so she doesn't do anything foolish. Then, Anakin turns towards Obi-Wan and his mother.
"Remember what I told you, Anakin," she says to him, holding his eyes. "I love you." It sounds like a goodbye, but he won't let it be one.
"No," he protests, "I –"
Anakin never gets the chance to finish the thought when his reoccurring childhood nightmare on Tatooine happens before his eyes. He feels the twinge in the Force, the momentary flicker of danger, before the slave chip detonates. It's hardly the first time he's seen something like that, but never – never was it his mother. Logic and coherent thoughts blank out entirely when he feels their bond abruptly wrench apart, but not before he feels every last bit of his mother's agonizing pain as she's ripped apart before his eyes while he watches helplessly.
The force of the explosion throws Obi-Wan backwards, and Anakin spins, shielding Ahsoka both from that and from having to see. But that doesn't stop him from screaming, from falling to his knees when the initial shock is over, and it begins sinking in that his mother is dead. He failed her. He failed to protect her. He promised. He –
"It was my responsibility to protect you as best I could."
"No," Anakin whispers numbly, in denial, unable to tear his eyes away from what is left of his mother. "Nonono." He hears the approach of boots – clones, his mind dimly supplies – but he can't be bothered to care, too wracked by grief and pain. The Force nudges him of danger, though it seems so distant from him that he can't find it in himself to care. Electricity jolts through his body – stunbolts – and he doesn't resist, slumping down into unconsciousness.
**w**
With a snarl that sounds positively feral, Ahsoka flips to her feet, igniting her lightsabers and standing over Anakin's unconscious body the moment he collapses. Obi-Wan pushes himself upright, feeling as shaken and stunned as everyone probably is. It might help if he wasn't covered with blood and… yeah. Standing next to someone when they explode makes a mess. It's only something a distant part of his mind registers, but he doesn't really care right now, more focused on trying to diffuse the situation than anything else.
Anakin is out, and even if he wasn't, Obi-Wan doubts he'd be in a position to do anything, much less try to escape. Ahsoka is trembling, ready to protect her master with every last bit of energy she possesses, but she's going into shock too, and it won't be good when she does. And he – he has no desire to fight. He doesn't even have the energy to do so. The – the Republic isn't trying to kill them, or at least Siri isn't, because she is the one here, standing frozen, staring at the scene with wide eyes. The clones around her seem equally uncertain what to do, blasters held at the ready, but Obi-Wan can keenly feel their dismay and revulsion in the Force.
He tries to focus, tries to unhear the explosion and Anakin's scream, tries to forget the way the Force itself had trembled under the weight of Anakin's pain. He's only standing because he has to, because if he doesn't try to do something, Ahsoka will start killing. He can see it in the tense way she's standing, the way pain and anger and fury are whirling around her. She's temporarily lost control of herself, and that means the Dark Side is overwhelming her.
"Ahsoka," he says, voice calm and quiet, though for how it breaks the stillness, he might as well have screamed. "Ahsoka, put down your lightsabers."
"Put them down?" she echoes, confused and angry all at once.
She isn't angry with Siri or the clones or even the Republic. He knows that. She knows that, too, on some level. She's simply angry because anger is a natural part of the grieving process. Is that what this is? He doesn't know. He only knows that he himself is trembling. Probably from shock, because he feels cold, far colder than he should be. His eyes, momentarily, dart down to the ground, and he swallows back the desire to throw up. Oh Force, how could this have happened? How could they have allowed this to happen? This was never supposed to happen. They were supposed to leave, to get away from Sidious.
"Sidious did this," Obi-Wan tries to reason, his voice shaking as the enormity of it all comes crashing down on him. He sways, stumbling slightly and catching himself on a tree trunk. He stares at his hand, seeing the blood splattered on it and forcibly drags his eyes away. This can't be happening.
"I will kill him," Ahsoka seethes, not taking her eyes off Siri and the clones, but from how dark she feels, Obi-Wan gets the sinking feeling that her irises are a burning gold right now. "I will gut him, and I will strangle him to death with his own entrails."
That was unnecessarily graphic, and he winces at the mental image. Not that he would oppose such a thing. Probably. Well, it would be rather inhumane to torture Sidious to death, but Obi-Wan is really not entirely averse to such a thing. No, not at all. On the contrary –
No. Now is not the time. Focus. Ahsoka and Anakin first. Everything else later.
"It will be better for you if you come with us willingly," Siri speaks up for the first time, raising her hands in a gesture of peace. "There is no reason to fight. Although, I am curious about how you got here as well as what you were even doing."
Ahsoka growls, sounding very much like a ferocious predator, spitting out a few swears which Obi-Wan suspects she learned from Anakin. "Ahsoka, please," he entreats, "Listen to Siri. Put down your lightsabers. Anakin will need you to be levelheaded."
That, he suspects will do the trick, because he can feel the cracks in her façade through the Force. Pain leaks out, followed by confusion and dismay and horror and sadness and pain. Anakin was worse before the clones stunned him. Ahsoka's fingers clench before relaxing, and she straightens, hands falling to her sides as she bows her head. "Obi-Wan," she whispers shakily. If not for what lies behind her, Obi-Wan knows she would turn to him, seeking out comfort while Anakin is unconscious and unable to help her.
"I'm here," he promises.
Siri nods to the clones, and they suddenly fire on her, two stunbolts hitting her. She goes down without a fight, body collapsing next to – and slightly on top of – Anakin's. Obi-Wan inhales shakily, wishing he could smell something other than smoke and ash and blood. Carefully looking away, he skirts around the radius of the explosion, trying not to look back at it lest he lose whatever is left of his control.
He promised Siri answers, and now he has to own up and tell her everything. Not that he would refuse to answer at this point anyways, even if he hadn't promised. They'll be in Jedi custody now, and if the Council can keep this matter secret, no one has to know what happened. If Sidious doesn't officially find out, he can't have the Senate vote for anything, so they'll be temporarily safe. Maybe they can't go up against Sidious alone. Maybe they will need the Jedi's help to defeat him.
Siri looks him up and down, pressing her lips together. "Come," she tells him as the clones pick up Anakin and Ahsoka taking them to the shuttle, while she and he walk towards the landing platform after them. "We'll have to search through the debris later, and the clones… I can have them retrieve Shmi's body."
Obi-Wan scoffs bitterly. "There's nothing left to retrieve."
Siri shrugs slightly. "I know, but I still think it might help. She deserves a funeral, at least." She hesitates for a moment. "I'm sorry about her death. What happened?"
"I… later, please," he answers, closing his eyes. If he tries to talk about this, covered in blood and… whatever else, he thinks he'll be sick right here on the landing platform. "I – I need a moment, and I would like to clean up first."
Siri nods. "I understand. Take your time. There's a 'fresher next to the cabins. I'll have them put the prisoners there, but first, your lightsaber?"
Obi-Wan hands it over stiffly, without protest. "Why are they prisoners and not me?" he wants to know. It's a fair question, he thinks.
"You're a double agent," Siri explains, "And the Council knows that. You'll be kept under surveillance, but we won't imprison you if you don't give us a reason to. Anakin, as you know, is far too dangerous, and Ahsoka is clearly… Fallen."
Obi-Wan clenches his jaw to stop himself from blurting out arguments or protests. He hates this. He hates that they'll be locked up, but he feels so exhausted right now. He doesn't have the energy to argue with her though. As long as he can protect Anakin and Ahsoka, keep them safe, nothing else matters. It's – it's what Shmi would have wanted before she blew up.
He holds in any comments, simply nodding as he goes to the 'fresher.
**w**
It would not be an exaggeration to say that everyone with some degree of Force sensitivity, especially those who have training, felt the ripple in the Force which Anakin created when Shmi died. Most, of course, ignored the sudden, fleeting feeling of darkness and foreboding. Some, however, did not, could not.
On the other side of the galaxy, Sidious smiles in his office. Perfect. Everything is still going according to plan. If Dooku or Vader thought they could stop the inevitable by their tiresome, feeble attempts at rebellion, they're sorely mistaken. It's only a matter of time before Vader claims his rightful place. And when he does, Sidious will continue ahead with his plans as he has been this whole time. It no longer matters to him, as much, if the Jedi somehow learn the truth. They're too deeply entrenched in the war effort to do anything to stop him. And if they try, they will fall early.
Elsewhere on Coruscant, Yoda opens his eyes and frowns, ears drooping. "Something terrible has happened," he tells Plo. "Great pain I sense. Great, great pain. Suffering. Loss. Death. Changed the future has."
Plo nods his agreement. "I sense it too," he replies, though he, like Yoda, is unable to see past the veil of the Dark Side to discern the source. But – "I feel it may have to do with Master Tachi's mission to Naboo. Perhaps we should contact her."
On Serenno, Dooku staggers, the sharp stab – more like scream – of pain taking his breath away. He doesn't even need to ask. He knows, with certainty, what happened. And he also knows that everything they have built is about to come undone. This was not supposed to happen, and he closes his eyes, silently mourning Shmi's death. He had cared for her; he had seen what a good woman she was, and she had been Anakin's mother. If not for her, Anakin would have lost himself far sooner. Now, her death may have sped up what Dooku is beginning to fear is inevitable: the rise of Darth Vader. It's time to change the plans.
In hyperspace, Rex feels the faint tingle of something that he can't quite name, but Asajj's words quickly chase away whatever feelings he had that were overtaking him. "Is he alright?" he asks instantly, worried for the man he has come to call a friend. He would do anything, anything at all, except kill his own brothers, to keep Anakin safe.
"I don't know," Asajj whispers, expression twisting. She looks close to tears. "I don't know." Silently, Rex reaches out, hesitantly wrapping an arm around her shoulders. A choked sound escapes from her, and she throws her arms around him, burying her face against his shoulder, trembling as she struggles with her emotions.
On Dathomir, Maul opens his eyes. Through the Dark Side, he can feel the source of the sudden turmoil. Skywalker. Well, perhaps it is best if he leaves the past in the past. There are many other things to which he can devote his attention, and the pain that Kenobi will now be feeling, while he tries, no doubt, to help Skywalker will be more than enough of a revenge. Someone close to them as died, and perhaps it was not because of Maul, but… Oh, that witch is right, even if he hates to admit it. Perhaps he can instead search to see if he has any living kin. It might be nice to find a long-lost brother or two.
In a medcenter on Naboo, Padme sits up, eyes going distant. She can feel, deep in her heart, that something is wrong, and her thoughts instantly go to Anakin. He had told her once, a year ago, teasingly, that because they love each other, they would always know if something happened to the other. And now, Padme's instincts are telling her that something is very, very wrong. Sabe is still recovering, so she sleeps a lot, but that doesn't stop Padme from reaching out and taking her best friend's hand. "Something happened to Anakin," she confesses, "And I don't know what to do." For now, she doesn't think she can do anything except wait.
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