Hey, everyone. I'm sorry this chapter has taken so long. Life has been really hectic. That being said, I hope y'all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. So, without further ado, I give you Chapter 9...
The vacuum of space was cold. It always had been and always would be. However, this evening, that coldness took on a malicious quality. It cut through Leia's body and smothered her like a cold blanket. The lights of the room seemed dimmer, and the stars ever more distant. At this moment, she felt more alone than she ever had before. An imperial shuttle faded out of the black and cut across the viewport. She became aware of the datapad she was still clutching. Her fingers ached, and deep-seated anger boiled in her chest.
Leia didn't bother to turn as the door hissed open. There were only three people who knew she hid down here. One was frozen in carbonite, and the second one wasn't on board yet, which left only one other. Mon Mothma was silent as she stepped into the cargo hold. She stepped up to the viewport and let out a sigh.
"Darth Vader and Luke have both returned," she announced.
Leia nodded, only barely registering the words.
"He's sending out the message right now. The imperial ranks should devolve into chaos within the next day or two," Mon Mothma added.
Her words took on a more cautious quality as she turned to Leia. The princess had always held her personal feelings close to the chest, but this was different.
"I thought that you-"
"How long did you know?" Leia demanded.
Her voice snapped like a whip. Mothma blinked in surprise.
"I-I don't know what you mean," she stammered.
"Don't," Leia barked as she shoved the datapad into Mothma's hands, "We've been in this fight far too long to start lying to each other now."
Even before Mon Mothma scanned over the contents on the screen, she knew what it was. There was only one topic of late that could make Leia this angry this fast. She lowered her head. There was no sense lying now.
"Four days ago. The Infinity made some… well… interesting medical supply requests. There were the standard trauma supplies and medicine, a small order of bacta shots, and even a full tank to go with. Then, there was what they weren't telling us about. Agent Dare had done some poking around with her fleet of prowlers… Agapics, lab-grade cell regenerates, and incubation chambers, among other things," she explained, "A couple of our intelligence cells caught wind of the purchases and passed it to me. I backed Agent Dare into a corner, and she confirmed my suspicions."
"And you're just going to let it happen?" Leia protested.
"We don't have much choice," Mothma said.
"There's always a choice."
"Not now, especially when we are so close to the end," Mon Mothma argued.
"What end?" Leia shouted, "There's not going to be an end if Vader walks free."
"He's not going to-"
"Take the Imperial throne? Slaughter our people like Bantha's?" She closed the distance between herself and Mon Mothma, her face red with anger, "The only thing he won't do is walk away."
"We can deal with that when we get there," Mothma answered calmly.
Her own voice was calm and measured in a well-practiced attempt to distance herself from similar emotions.
"Like how you dealt with the Trade Federation or was it how you dealt with the Clone Wars? Wait, I know. We can deal with it like how you dealt with the rise of the emperor," Leia spat.
"That's hardly fair, and you know… it..."
Mon Mothma fell silent as the door to the cargo hold hissed open. In the time it had taken her to speak, the princess had managed to disappear from the room. There were only two questions left. Was Leia headed to the Infinity or the Executor, and did she even want to try stopping her?
Leia's face was still burning red with anger as she dropped into the Infinity's central hangar bay. She didn't care about the marine jogging to keep up or the Spartans that were taking an increasingly wide berth. Perhaps it was the fire in her eyes or the way that she was covering more ground with each stride than the 6'2" marine at her back. However, no one bothered to say a word or mutter a protest as she took her half out of the middle of the narrow passageways. To Leia, it was all a blur, a haze that she navigated on muscle memory alone. It was only when the blast doors to the bridge hissed open that everything fell into crystal clear focus.
"Admiral!" she barked.
Admiral Hood held up a hand as he continued speaking to the man on the holotable.
"Good. Check for damage and send them up. I'm glad to see-"
"Admiral!"
Admiral Hood wasn't quite able to suppress a sigh. "Excuse me for a moment."
"Of course, sir," the man said before he vanished.
Captain Lasky spun on his heel as the voice disappeared. His back may have been turned, but he was far from deaf.
"Princess Leia, if you cannot find it in yourself to have a basic level of respect, then you will be removed from the bridge," he called out.
His voice was sharp and crisp. His back was straight, and his hand rested firmly on his sidearm as he motioned the marines flanking the doors forward.
"No," Admiral Hood cut in.
He took a step back, physically cutting between the two. The marines froze mid-step. Lasky's eyes were still fixed on Leia as Admiral Hood turned first to him with a pointed glance and then the young woman.
"Alright, you have my attention. I suggest that you start talking," he said.
His voice had a chilling effect on the room. For the briefest of moments, Leia hesitated. Perhaps for the first time in her life, her royal and diplomatic status meant nothing. She would have nothing but her own logic and reasoning to stand on here. Leia formed her thoughts, swallowed the worst of her rage, and spoke.
"What could possibly possess you to remove Darth Vader from his suit?" she demanded.
Admiral Hood's body turned rigid. As he opened his mouth to speak, Leia could see him subtly motion Captain Lasky forward.
"His suit is holding him back. Even when accounting for differences in technology and design philosophies, it is a poorly built mess that will only get him killed in the long run. I'll admit that I don't know very much about this 'Force' or the Emperor, but I have been in enough do-or-die situations to know that you don't leave mechanical functions to chance," Admiral Hood answered.
There was a second of silence as the admiral whispered something to Captain Lasky. The Captain nodded and walked away.
"It doesn't excuse leaving the Alliance out of the loop on this decision," she argued.
"Vader made the request to me personally, and I felt that the matter was none of your concern," he said.
His voice was calm and matter of fact. Leia took a breath and composed her own thoughts.
"I should think that anything regarding Darth Vader or his fleet is our concern, just as our own actions are of concern to them," she answered with an icy calm.
"Sometimes it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission in times like these," he answered. "Wouldn't you agree?"
"I would also say that sometimes it's best to make sure everyone is on the same page," Leia shot back.
"And would you have said yes?"
Leia frowned. The question was cold and to the point. She hated those kinds of questions in moments like these.
"I don't know." she finally said.
The older man scoffed.
"Yes, you do. I do too. But you refuse to say it."
She swallowed the rest of her not-so-pleasant thoughts and met his gaze. Instead of the cold, professional detachment she so often saw, Leia saw something different this time. She couldn't tell if it was concern, sympathy, or something else entirely.
"Walk with me," Admiral Hood ordered.
He turned and motioned for her to follow him. The silence that came over them held as they stared out into the stars. Off to the side, she could see a handful of ships. Some were imperial, and some belonged to the Arbiter's fleet. She matched the admiral's gaze and found her eyes drawn to the Shadow of Intent. The mass of purple metal filled the far left side of the viewport.
"When the Arbiter came to me, I had a laundry list of reasons to want him dead. Every dead human and burned colony was on it. With only a few exceptions, he had led nearly every major battle the Covenant ever waged with us," Admiral Hood began, "Of course, fate… God… Whatever runs this universe decided that that wouldn't happen. The war had come to our homeworld and he had a simple offer."
Admiral Hood looked over at the young woman, a silent prompt in his gaze. It didn't take much thought to quickly put one and one together.
"Help him, and he would save your people," Leia muttered.
"His motives were entirely self-serving," he said, "The Covenant had turned on his race in much the same fashion they had turned on humanity. The Arbiter wanted to save his people and return home. That, of course, meant stopping the Covenant war machine and destroying the Halo array. We were simply an ally of convenience at the time."
There was another pause. Admiral Hood unclenched his fists as he took another measured breath.
"But, despite it all, I made the deal," he revealed, "And because I made the deal, we survived. The Covenant collapsed in on itself, and life continued for humanity."
"And the Arbiter just walked away?"
"No questions asked."
"Why?"
Admiral Hood's face twisted slightly as though he had swallowed something sour.
"The political and tactical realities wouldn't let us go after him," he answered before turning back to the viewport, "But I like to think that it was for other reasons as well. Somewhere along the line, we gained a new understanding of each other. We found that coexistence was a much better option than constantly feeding our people into the grinder."
"You expect me to do the same with Vader?" Leia reasoned.
"No," he answered bluntly, "I'm not even asking you to trust him or to believe anything he says. I certainly didn't trust the Arbiter at the time. In a similar vein, You may never trust Vader. I'm simply asking you to be pragmatic. Don't let the past destroy your future."
Leia didn't immediately respond. She felt her anger drawdown to a simmer as she stared out of the viewport. There was wisdom in what he was saying, but she could still feel the unbridled hatred burning in the recesses of her mind. Of course, that's what separated the Alliance from the Empire, wasn't it? The Empire was driven by hatred, whereas the Alliance simply pushed through it.
"There's still going to be an uproar when the rest of the Alliance learns about this," Leia finally said.
Admiral Hood turned to her with a mischievous smile.
"That's what career diplomats are for."
Leia snickered despite herself.
"That is certainly one way to look at it."
Leia turned away with a calmer temperament and a much clearer head. She wasn't happy, but she was far less likely to shoot someone now.
"One other thing," the admiral called.
Leia paused.
"Pull a stunt like that again, and I'll throw you off the bridge myself," he said as he gestured to the holotable.
"I'm rather impressed you didn't do it the first time," Leia said, a touch of embarrassment in her tone.
"I probably should have," he muttered as Leia walked off the bridge.
With Princess Leia gone, all that was left was the quiet chatter of the bridge crew. Officers paced from place to place, overlooking the various consoles and watchstanders under their command. Captain Lasky was over by the holotable speaking with Roland. Admiral Hood let it all wash over him like a quiet symphony as he stared out at the stars.
The years had been hard on him. In his time with the UNSC, he had seen the best and worst that humanity had to offer. The admiral had stared into the void and long-since grown numb to what was staring back at him. He had more than earned his retirement. His quiet house in the countryside had been bought and paid for in money, blood, and emotional scars. He seriously doubted anyone would raise any substantial issues if he retired to it. However, going home left open the question that terrified him most.
"What happens next?" he muttered.
For the next hour, he paced the bridge. Admiral Hood surveyed the various scanners and swung by the holotable. There, he provided the Marine captain with the rest of his orders and got answers to a few pressing logistical questions. After it was all finished, he circled back around to the viewport just in time for Captain Lasky to walk up beside him.
"Sir, Agent Dare just landed in the main hangar. Do you want me to order her up here?" he asked.
Admiral Hood thought about the question. On the one hand, in private, he could chew her out just as harshly as he wanted to, professionalism be damned. On the other hand, words said in private could get twisted later.
"Yes. Tell Dare to double-time it," Admiral Hood answered with a scowl.
"Yes, sir."
A few minutes later, Agent Dare walked onto the bridge. Her coat was still damp from the melted snow, and residual bits of ice and snow clung to her upper body. Agent Dare's feet left a set of wet footprints exactly thirty-two inches apart.
"Good afternoon, Admiral," she began.
In her voice, Admiral Hood picked up traces of annoyance and concern.
"I wouldn't say that yet," he answered.
His voice was calm and measured. As he spoke, he straightened his back and set his jaw. His eyes met hers, and there was no misunderstanding. A twitch in Agent Dare's right hand gave away her sudden discomfort.
"What happened?" Dare asked.
Her head tilted slightly, trying to play off her sudden tone shift as a product of interest.
"I just had a very unpleasant conversation with a very pissed-off princess. She knows about the surgery, and I want to know how she knows," Admiral Hood explained.
"I told you that hiding those purchases would be hard, even if we somehow knew all of the ins, outs, and players of their black market," she answered with a shrug.
"You're right," Admiral Hood admitted, "But I also know I'm surrounded by better liars than that. No one in my chain of command would have admitted to the operation. Dr. Halsey has too many skeletons in her closet to start casting moral judgments now, and everyone working under her was handpicked for both their medical and secret-keeping abilities. That leaves only one source, Agent Dare."
"Have you ever considered that Darth Vader might have been the source of the leak?" she said, "He's made his opinion of this rebel alliance and their claim of authority quite clear."
"I did. Darth Vader has much more effective ways of breaking up the Alliance leadership than this," Admiral Hood said.
There was a moment of silence as the two stared each other down. An unspoken battle of wills radiated out across the bridge as the seconds passed.
"We were able to find all of the supplies in one place. However, the agent in charge of the Eclypse suspected that a local rebel cell had made him. He sent a message back requesting instructions, and I made the call for him to make the purchase. It was our best lead, and the prices were about as reasonable as they were ever going to be," Dare explained, "A couple of days later, Mon Mothma backed me into a corner about it on the Home One. Given the shaky status of the fleet, I felt that lying to her would be a mistake."
"And that's it?"
The admiral's voice dripped with suspicion.
"Yes."
"So, you just made multiple major tactical and diplomatic decisions without talking to me or any other superior first?" he pressed.
There was no answer.
"And you've tried lying to me twice now," he announced.
Agent Dare said nothing.
"And I've gotten some very pointed and familiar suggestions from the junior officers and doctors on board here," the admiral continued.
Agent Dare took a single, measured step forward.
"Admiral, we both have our orders. I am given a certain amount of latitude to work to achieve a mission's goals just as you are. Now, I had to make a call-"
"Two of them, multiple days apart," Admiral Hood snapped.
"Fine, but neither one was expected. I did what I had to do. If you don't like it, put me on a transport home," Agent Dare said.
Her voice was sharp and full of conviction. Admiral Hood had no doubt that she was acting on orders. However, they definitely were not his. He had told her to find the medical supplies quietly and to take whatever time she needed. The goal was to get in and back out again without getting noticed.
"Did the Eclypse get out clean?" he asked.
"There is no chatter to suggest that anyone knows about the Eclypse itself or the other prowlers in operation," Agent Dare answered confidently.
Admiral Hood nodded.
"Good. I'll sort out who's orders you're following with Admiral Osman when I make my next report to HighCom," he decided.
He didn't like it, but he knew that throwing Agent Dare on the next transport home would be a mistake. Her experience was invaluable, and Dare was one of the more predictable assets at ONI's disposal despite all of her flaws.
"Understood."
Admiral Hood turned his attention to the holotable. He tapped a few keys and was rewarded with a map of the galaxy.
"Since you're here, what have our friends been up to?" he asked.
Agent Dare's face twisted into a look of concern as she looked at the map.
"Roland, pull up the mid-rim and core regions and sync with my last ONI report visuals," she ordered.
"One head-scratcher coming right up," Roland answered cheerfully.
Admiral Hood quietly shook his head. He still hadn't gotten used to being around an AI that was this expressive.
"Alright, our own intelligence is slim because the prowlers haven't been in place long, and we're still new around here. All of the information in the universe means nothing if you don't have a baseline to go off of," she explained, "Luckily, we have rebel intelligence and Vader's own cast of cloak-and-dagger sources to work with."
"What did it all get you?"
"There was no panic when we hit Yaga Minor shipyards. They were waiting for us, which isn't a surprise. Everyone figured that out. What's interesting is what came next. When we attacked the shipyards, the Alliance put its own series of operations into play. These were assassinations, bombings, and all of that other insurgent garbage that we all know and love. It isn't much, but…."
"But it's enough to keep the local imperials busy," Admiral Hood surmised.
"It should be, but it didn't. The Imperial fleet just kind of shrugged it off. There was no overwhelming military response or even any response. Many of these attacks, especially out toward the far edge of Imperial space-" Agent Dare circled a group of spots in the outer rim, "-went unanswered. Instead, the military just kind of reshuffled itself. A few ships went here and there and elsewhere. At first glance, it looks like routine deployments, but they aren't."
Admiral Hood stared at the map as she spoke. As he did, his own face began to mirror the concern on Agent Dare's. The maps told a particular and unsettling story, one he was all too familiar with.
"The Imperial military is falling back," he determined, "They're just doing it in a roundabout fashion."
This time it was Roland that spoke up.
"Yes. Agent Dare had me run the numbers and make some comparisons. When accounting for the differences in FTL travel, the present imperial movements are comparable to what the UNSC did late in the Human/Covenant war. They're pulling back in such a way as to hide exactly where and what it is that they are defending," the AI said.
"Do you think they found the ring?" Admiral Hood asked.
His question was quick and sharp, barely hiding the alarm that he suddenly felt. Agent Dare shook her head and pointed to the center of the imperial circle.
"We don't think so. This area has Coruscant, Naboo, Corellia, Kuat, and a couple of other key imperial worlds. Together, these make up the backbone of their control. There's a lot of weird stuff in there, including a few unexplained objects, but no evidence of a Halo ring," she answered.
"So, this is just a purely strategic move," Admiral Hood reasoned.
"Yes."
Admiral Hood was silent as he considered the implications. Rothana was a significant step inward, but it wasn't that far inward. Something felt very wrong. Either someone in the imperial fleet was trying to bait them into a more compromising position, or something else happened. He pinched the bridge of his nose and turned to Roland.
"How long until the resupply mission arrives?"
"One week. Some communication issues between UNSC logistics and the Storm transports led to a delay," Roland answered.
The annoyance in his own voice mirrored the expression on Admiral Hood's face.
"Agent Dare, talk to whomever you need to. I want to know what the Empire is up to and why," he ordered.
"Yes, sir."
"And Agent Dare…"
"Yes?"
"These orders supersede whatever your director has tasked you with," Admiral Hood announced.
His voice was crisp and sharp. There would be no "latitude" this time around.
"Yes, sir."
(ISD Executor)
Darth Vader took a deep breath as the meditation chamber lifted the helmet from his body. The red that typically filled his vision was replaced by a blinding white light. He took in the light as he breathed in and let his eyes close with the exhale.
"Obi-Wan…"
The words drifted out as a whisper but rang loud in the force.
"What happened to training Luke?" Obi-Wan asked.
His voice was flat and emotionless in his mind. Even after all of these years, Vader knew the sound of masked concern when he heard it. Vader didn't bother to open his eyes.
"There were complications. Something reached out to Luke in the temple, and I'm not entirely sure that it was Sith in origin," he answered.
Darth Vader felt a faint ripple in the Force. He opened his eyes to find Obi-Wan standing against the sidewall. His face was turned downward in a thoughtful frown.
"I must admit that Moraband is hardly my area of expertise," Obi-Wan began, "But the Clone Wars was quick to teach me that Darkside users value knowledge of the Force in its entirety. Could this simply be the result of some ancient lord's quest for knowledge, not entirely Sith in origin but definitely Darkside in nature?"
His voice was quiet but firmly grounded in the real world. Vader now had Obi-Wan's full attention.
"No."
"Are you certain?"
"We each had similar visions," Darth Vader said.
He briefly described the vision he had seen in the shuttle and what Luke had described seeing in the Sith temple. Obi-Wan listened with barely contained alarm. He and Yoda had been feeling tremors in the Force, but they were nothing like this. They were cold and dark like-
"...a million insects crawled up my body and then disappeared," Vader concluded, "The feeling was gone as fast as it came."
"Yes, it was not just you and Luke who felt it," Obi-Wan confirmed, "Many of us did. Something happened, and it wasn't good."
Vader thought about the implications. Every attack up until now had been a calculated attack that only affected one person at a time, but this was different. He thought long and hard, digging deep into his memory for experience to call upon.
That's when he remembered it. Black tunnels flashed through his mind, followed by shouts and deafening blaster fire. An explosion clogged the tunnel with dust and fire. Clones in yellow and white armor flashed through his vision. There was a high-pitched squeal followed by a hacked apart Geonocian. A single yellow worm slipped out of its nasal cavity.
"That type of sensation… I remember," Vader declared.
"Do tell."
"It's a hivemind. We felt many conscious minds reaching out as one," Vader added, "They must be quite powerful to reach out into the galaxy like that."
Obi-Wan nodded. As he thought back, he remembered too. Though he kept it to himself, he suspected that they recalled the same mission.
"Whoever this is has gone to great lengths to hide the fact that it is a hivemind of such power. The tremor was likely a mistake," Obi-Wan suggested, "Whatever happened caused it to reveal more than it wanted to."
"It is possible," Vader agreed, "Does the term "The Flood" mean anything to you?"
The aging Jedi met Darth Vader's gaze as he considered the question. His eyes became distant as he stroked his beard. After several seconds of silence, he shook his head.
"No, I can't say that I have. I'll speak to Master Yoda, but if we had the temple archives…."
"I did not come here to be lectured," Vader snapped.
His own bitterness and anger bubbled to the surface. He already had enough regrets and self-hatred without Obi-Wan's help. Obi-Wan's jaw was set as he took a step forward.
"You can't undo everything you've done. The lives you've taken are gone, and the mistakes you've made are etched in the fabric of the universe," Obi-Wan said, "But you can do is move forward and lay the foundation for a better future."
"I didn't assemble this fleet for my own gratification," Vader shot back.
Obi-Wan shook his head.
"Yes, but unless you face your mistakes, it will get you nowhere," he added.
Darth Vader opened his mouth to speak. However, it was Obi-Wan's voice that came out.
"Do not think Luke is the only one with much to learn."
With that final sentence, Obi-Wan faded from existence. His voice trailed in the air, but his presence was gone. Darth Vader growled as he punched a button on his armrest. Deep down, he knew that Obi-Wan was right, but he was going to be damned before he admitted it.
(Home One)
Ahsoka didn't say a word as she stepped into the cargo hold. Instead, she simply watched. The young man darted to and fro across the center of the room. His lightsaber cast a green glow on the crates as he worked through lightsaber drills. Sweat shimmered on his forehead, and his breathing was heavy, but he showed no sign of slowing down. Even without reaching out with the Force, she could tell why. His force aurora was strong and bright. She had felt it the instant he had entered the system, even before she had felt Vader. Ahsoka had no doubt that his body would cave to exhaustion as soon as he was done, but the Force provided all of the necessary strength for now.
His actions were like those of a finely choreographed dance. He swung high and across down diagonally, kicked his left leg back for two blocking motions, and whipped his blade downward. Luke angled his lightsaber across his heart and shoved out with his off-hand. That bright Force aurora exploded outward with the crates in front of him.
"So, that was the plan," she muttered as she crushed her own surprise.
There was no doubt in her mind about who this was. His face and physical build, coupled with his overwhelming presence in the Force and fighting style, made it all so clear. Anakin did have a kid. She grinned despite herself as he wove his way through a makeshift obstacle course on the far side of the room. She watched as he vaulted crates and swung up through the rafters.
He swung his lightsaber through two blaster targets and dropped to the ground. He rolled, stumbled twice, and sprinted for a strip of reflective tape on her side of the room. His legs threatened to tangle under him as he skidded to a stop. His skin glistened with sweat while his hair, like his shirt, was matted to his body.
"Commander Skywalker, isn't it?" Ahsoka called as she walked up to him.
"Y-Yeah," he answered between breaths, "Do I know you?"
Ahsoka considered the question and dismissed her initial answers.
"No, but we probably know a lot of the same people."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Ahsoka unclipped one of her lightsabers.
"Let's go a round, and I'll tell you," she answered.
Her voice filled with both mischief and the promise of a challenge. Luke froze with the water bottle halfway to his mouth. His eyes darted from her to the hanger and back again with increasing hesitation.
"I just…"
His words trailed off, interrupted by his own curiosity and Ahsoka's ever-growing frown.
"I used to spend eight hours a day doing these same drills," Ahsoka mused.
As she spoke, she led Luke back out into the center of the hanger. Luke shook his head as he checked his chrono.
"Well, I'm coming up on hour six."
"Good. Only two more to go."
As she spoke, Ahsoka ignited her lightsaber. It hissed to life with a brilliant white glow. Across from her, Luke ignited his own blade. He clutched it high and to the right with the blade pointing at the ceiling. By contrast, Ahsoka was content to hold her own lightsaber off to the side with one hand, the other at the ready on her other un-ignited blade.
"Bring your blade down and center it on your body," she commanded.
Her voice was calm but firm. The kid was good, but the finer details in his form would definitely need refined. Luke nodded and lowered his lightsaber. Ahsoka's answer was to swing her blade up and across. A simple twitch of Luke's hands caught her lightsaber. It was a simple block that would've taken considerably more effort with the prior stance.
"Who are you?" Luke quizzed.
As he talked, he stepped in and swung down and to the right. Ahsoka swung up and swatted the green blade harmlessly off to the side. Like Ahsoka's, it was a probing strike aimed at determining how she would defend herself.
"An aggressive one, though," she silently noted before announcing, "Ahsoka Tano. I suppose that I'm a rebel spy more than anything at this point."
As she spoke, they traded jabs. Each person struck out with their blades probing each other's defenses and their presence in the Force.
"I haven't met too many spies with lightsabers," Luke shot back.
Ahsoka could see the skepticism on his face as he parried a vertical swing. She gulped as she stabbed out with her lightsaber. Luke twisted to the side, planted his right foot forward, and came around. Her own answer was put on hold as she jerked her lightsaber up to meet the streak of green in her peripheral vision.
"That's because I was originally your father's padawan."
Crack!
The announcement came with a kick. The top of Ahsoka's foot slammed into Luke's ribcage. He stumbled. His lightsaber came up in a hasty guard as he stumbled out away from whatever surprise came next. As Luke found his balance, silence fell over the duo. He stood out of her reach. The frown on his face deepened with the passing seconds.
"I said your father, not Vader," she added bitterly.
The suspicion she felt growing was instantly replaced by silent awe that glowed in the Force. Luke nodded and gave his ribs a tentative rub before stepping back into the fight.
"Did you know Obi-Wan?" he followed up.
As he asked, the two began to circle each other. Ahsoka noticed, with no small amusement, how often his eyes were dipping down to the leg that had struck him. Her face was unreadable as her left leg twitched. Luke shuffled in response. His blade turned one way, and she swung the other. An invisible hand slowed her swing as his own lightsaber whipped back to meet it.
"I did," she confirmed, as she parried the follow-up attack, "He was reserved-" she batted away an overhead attack, "-He was stubborn-" she pushed his lightsaber off to the right, "-but he was also charismatic and kind-" she swung her lightsaber back to the left to parry the next blow, "-He also cared deeply for those around him, and he was easily one of the best duelists in the Temple."
It wasn't the question that Luke had really wanted to ask. That much was clear. There was no immediate follow-up question, and Luke's inner conflict bled out into the spar. Once crisp swings turned hesitant and off tempo. His command and use of the Force also began to taper off slightly. The changes were hardly noticeable, but they were just enough.
Snap-Hiss!
A second white lightsaber blade came to life. The two crossed in an X shape, locking Luke's own blade firmly between them.
"Ask the question," she ordered.
As she spoke, she pushed out with the Force. Luke's lightsaber ripped free in a dramatic upward motion that his body refused to follow. His left leg dropped back as his body planted itself, and the sparring match continued. The two began to circle again, trading simple attacks. Luke opened his mouth to speak several times, but no sound followed. Finally, he spoke.
"What happened to him?" he asked cautiously.
Ahsoka shook her head. How was she supposed to answer that? Where was she supposed to start? Across from her, Luke's jaw set.
"What happened to my father?"
His question was direct, and his voice was firm. Ahsoka's mouth dried, and the air was forced from her lungs. There was the emotional body blow. That was the question that had kept her in the shadows so long. Ahsoka switched off both of her lightsabers. Luke followed suit, though his gaze never shifted off of her face.
"What happened to Anakin… your father… was complicated," she slowly began.
Her thoughts swirled as she spoke. She didn't know how she was going to answer, but Luke deserved something.
"I wasn't with your father when it happened. Even if I had been there…." Ahsoka trailed off as she gathered her wandering thoughts, "The Clone Wars broke us. Every Jedi who went into that war came out hurt and confused. We were disillusioned, and our most fundamental beliefs had been worn down to nothing. Even Obi-Wan was unrecognizable when compared to the first time I met him. Understand that your father wasn't the first Jedi to abandon the Order, nor was he the first to give himself over to the Dark side. It can't even be said that he was the last. He was simply the one that mattered."
Luke didn't respond as Ahsoka paused again. Instead, his mind went back to the old, sunbaked hut on Tatooine. He remembered Obi-Wan's wandering facial expressions. The old man's voice drifted from fond remembrance to pride and then pain. It was a deep, soul-crushing pain that silenced his voice and distanced his eyes. As Ahsoka spoke, it was all beginning to make sense.
Across from him, Ahsoka let out a sigh and continued, "Your father was stronger than the rest. He didn't abandon his beliefs for personal gain, nor did he lash out in misplaced anger. Anakin was strong in his convictions and fiercely protected those he cared about. When he lashed out, it was with a purpose. Unfortunately, that passion that made your father so great was also his weakness. As time went on, he refused to bend to the Order's drifting sense of morality, nor could he accept simply losing the people he cared about."
"Which one caused him to join the Emperor?" Luke pressed.
Ahsoka didn't immediately answer. Memories of secret meetings and dismayed shouts danced through her mind. She thought of when she left the Order. The hurt and the anger swirling around Anakin were too much to ignore. Then, she thought of the other times. Anakin had been lied to before. He had been asked to make the hard choices, but he had always come through, even if under protest. Anakin's path was apparent in hindsight. If only it had been so clear in the moments that counted.
"Your father would have never joined the Emperor over simple disillusionment. I don't know exactly what happened, but the Jedi were somehow able to threaten someone so close, so deeply tied to your father that he saw no other choice but to join Darth Sidious," Ahsoka answered, "We all have our breaking point, and that would have been his."
Luke nodded as he pondered her words. One by one, the pieces were falling into place. Darth Vader's angry words and the half-hearted explanations of others were beginning to connect with details from his past.
An uneasy silence fell over the pair. Both Jedi were lost in their own thoughts and yet keenly aware of the other person. Their eyes were locked while a mess of emotions swirled in the Force. By this point, the sparring match had been long abandoned.
"I need to leave," Ahsoka spoke up, breaking the silence, "When you do lightsaber drills, work on defensive steps. Your inner left and right guards need work."
"I will."
Luke turned to gather his water bottle and towel.
"Oh, and commit to your attacks. You'll deliver two or three well-executed attacks and then hesitate. Know your intended course of action and follow-through. If you want to disarm your enemy, disarm them. If you must kill them, then kill them, but make the decision ahead of time," Ahsoka added firmly.
Luke offered her a nod and looked as though he might ask something. However, he thought better of it. Ahsoka offered him one last glance and walked out of the room. There was so much that she wanted to ask and say. However, time was short, and there was a lot to do.