AN: Death ensues. Major character death.
Anakin awakened in the same chair, but with the restraints taken off. He made a mental note to thank Tahiri and sighed. He had some time to himself. He could see Kaytoo recharging as he entered the living space, and nodded in respect. He opened the cabinet and was surprised to see the lack of rations.
We'll have to get some before we take off for. . . Wherever it is that my brother is, Anakin thought.
Anch-To, a strange voice in his head said. Your brother is on Anch-To.
Anakin remembered the strange dream he'd had before the fight. Reflecting upon it, he realized that he'd been seeing everything from the eyes of his brother. He sighed, not sure what else he could say.
He was willing to get the job done. But all the same he wished he didn't have to be the one. He wanted to spare Tahiri having to deal the final blow, but he did not wish to look into his brother's eyes and see the light die out-
He did the same to your father, he reminded himself. He watched as Dad died-he killed him. He took the Academy, Dad, Mom, Uncle Luke. Why shouldn't I?
He found himself gasping for breath through tears, trying to hold it all in. He stood up and swallowed back his grief. Probably should check the armory.
He mentally checked off his lightsaber and Tahiri's, placing his hand on the hilt he built when he was only eleven. He then looked at their weaponry. A few grenades, a detonation button, a DL-44 Han Solo used to carry, a disruptor rifle, a spear from Tahiri's guardian and only a few rounds of ammunition left.
Add that to the list. Get some more rations-enough for a standard month, I'd say. A lot more ammunition, apparently. Some new vibroblades would be nice, if they can manage it. Should go see the General. Then we need to go to Anch-To.
It wasn't hard to find his mother. In fact, he found her in her personal quarters, chatting rather merrily with Tahiri. Anakin didn't know where Finn or Poe was, but he was happy to see that the General and Tahiri were happy. He lingered in the dark antechamber.
What if they're perfectly happy without me?
It was a question that lingered as deep as the voices that Anakin had learned to repel from his head. Ben had heard them too, but Anakin never knew if they'd gone away for him or not. Anakin guessed with the way things were now, probably not.
Still, Anakin walked into the lounge room. Tahiri and Leia both turned, smiles on their faces.
"I got the supplies we need, and I think I have the location of the target," Anakin said stiffly, barely smiling. "We'll be ready to go as soon as you wish."
"Be careful, please," General Organa said. "I know what Kylo Ren can do. I don't want you getting hurt."
"I know," Anakin said, looking down at his lightsaber, his hand closing around it.
"You look so much like your father," General Organa said. "Yet sometimes, you look so much like Luke."
Anakin managed a sad smile, and glimpsed his appearance in one of the mirrors. Indeed he did resemble his father and uncle strongly, although he did glimpse his mother's traits as well. He looked back to General Organa.
"I'll try to get Luke back as well," Anakin said.
"Of course, tell him that-"
The ship shook. General Organa fell onto Tahiri, who barely kept the both of them from crashing to the ground. The emergency lights went on and Anakin internally groaned. General Organa turned to him, her brown eyes brightly intense.
"I love you," she murmured. "I'm sorry there wasn't more time. Tell your brother that I still love him, even if it doesn't change anything. Promise to tell him!"
"I will," Anakin said, trying to calm the rising panic within. "General, you're going to be fine, we'll get you out of this alive-"
"Just in case," General Organa said, sadly shaking her head. "There used to be a time when you called me 'Mom.'"
The ship shuddered again.
"Come on, we need to get you out of here," Tahiri said, looking to Anakin, who nodded.
General Organa grabbed her private datapad off the table and followed Anakin and Tahiri out into the antechamber and main corridor. The pulsing red lights were the only source of light in the ship, so Anakin and Tahiri both turned on their lightsabers, bathing the trio in violet and aquamarine light.
They'd only taken a few steps when they heard a shout. The three turned around to see Poe and Finn approaching, both carrying standard-issue rifles.
"The General's to come with us," Poe said. "We're heading to Hapes; Lt. Connix said to get you in a ship-"
"I guess we're going to the same place, then," General Organa said stiffly. "Heaven knows I could use a fuller escort."
She tucked her datapad into a special pocket in her vest and pulled out a silver pistol with decorative Alderaanian designs all down the surface of it. She pulled the safety lock and set her face in an angry expression.
"Let's go."
They raced along the hallway as quickly as they dared, praying that the stormtroopers and First Order hadn't succeeded in getting aboard the ship yet. The ship continued to shuddering shake. Then suddenly, just as they were about to enter the hangar, the emergency lights stopped. Suspicious, Anakin turned off his lightsaber and peeked into the hangar.
TIEs had gotten in somehow, and stormtroopers in gleaming black armor were striding calmly down the hangar bay. Anakin turned and looked back to his mother, Tahiri, Finn, and Poe.
"Tahiri and I will go first, we'll distract them," he said. "Finn, Poe, get the General into a ship-to Hapes, fast as possible."
Tahiri nodded. Anakin then entered the hangar and jumped off the overhanging bridge. Blaster bolts grazed past him, and he willed them to twist away from him in the Force, and he hit the ground rolling. He got to his knees, hand on his lightsaber, and the violet blade sprang into existence once more.
He blacked the bolts effortlessly, feeling alive, every sense afire-but in a good way. He got to his feet and reflexively swung his lightsaber behind him and jabbed. He heard the death cry of a stormtrooper and turned around to see more coming.
He expertly reflected the bolts back to three stormtroopers and jumped in surprise when five of them pulled out an electrified baton-the type that would allow stormtroopers to duel with Jedi.
Anakin charged, swinging his lightsaber against the baton. The stormtrooper held his own, but the minor showdown was interrupted by the other stormtroopers coming from behind. Anakin stepped back and ducked, and used the Force to throw the first stormtrooper's baton across the hangar. He then stabbed that very stormtrooper, and used the Force to throw another one across the room, hitting the wall with a sickening smack.
He then turned around once more, and managed to knock the baton to the floor, and he stabbed the third one. He engaged the second one, locking blades again. This stormtrooper was stronger than the first one, and he leaned back. Then, every nerve in his body was screaming, he needed to move-
The stormtrooper that had tried to stab Anakin in the back was dead via blaster bolt through the head. He surprised the last stormtrooper with a quick removal of his head from his shoulders. He looked up to see his mother watching anxiously. He gave her a sort of smile saying I'm okay.
She nodded and hurried off after Poe and Finn, Tahiri following behind. Anakin tapped into the Force once more, running across the hangar in record time. He heard blaster fire, and he heard the cry all too quickly.
Nothing else mattered. All he saw was his mother dropping to the ground, a gently smoking black hole in her fatigues, and three more joining it.
His vision went red and in a rage, he danced through the remaining stormtroopers in his fury, and then got on his knees beside General Organa, who fumbled with the pocket in her vest. Out of it, she pulled her datapad.
"Poe, Finn," she said. "I need you to take this to Tenel Ka Djo."
"The Queen Mother of Hapes?" Poe asked as Finn took the datapad.
"Tell her I found what she'd suspected," General Organa said. "All of this proves that she was right about what happened to my son."
"We will," Poe said.
"Mommy, please," Anakin whispered, like he'd had only when he was small. He shook his head desperately, as if that would change everything as he cradled his dying mother in his arms. "Please don't leave me."
"I'm sorry it had to be this way," General Organa said. Her eyes glazed over. "Han, wait up. . ."
Then the light died in the eyes of Princess Leia.
Anakin hated himself for letting go and picking up her pistol instead. He hated himself for standing up, to leave her. Every color seemed less beautiful, the stars seemed less bright. He couldn't really even hear anything except his mother's final words, echoing in his head.
"Han, wait up. . ."
He let Tahiri pull him away, into the Sunrider. He felt numb as he set course for Anch-To, and as soon as they entered hyperspace, he went into the fresher. There, he locked the door and began to cry.