Count Dooku watched as his friend's body burned. He'd sent word back to the Temple via a network he'd set up years ago, so there would at least be record of Syfo's death. Now, all he could do was bear witness of the Jedi Master's passing. The former Jedi clutched Qui-gon's rock in one hand and just looked on, letting the flames overtake his vision. The darkness of Serenno's beautiful forest grew around him, the noises of the evening rising and falling like a symphony of sorrow.

He'd gone over everything that had happened again... and had come to one major conclusion – Palpatine was more involved in this than he wanted Dooku to know about. It wasn't terribly surprising, but it was rather terrifying. He had no proof, only his gut to tell him that something wasn't what it seemed here. Not with how the dark side worked according to Lars. Not with how neatly the Count had been set up to find Syfo... and he had been set up. He could see it now. It was just too coincidental, too convenient and too vague to be anything other than a planned occurrence.

And if Palpatine could plan this far ahead...

Dooku could see the writing on the wall. He'd Fall. There was no way around it now. Not unless he was willing to fake his own death and just get out of all of it... and he wasn't. He couldn't. In all honesty, he could see himself Falling after abandoning his self-appointed task just as easily as if he stayed. But, while he'd resisted so far, if he remained, well, Palpatine had something else set up – probably several things, and there really was only so much Dooku could do to fight it. He was already losing... he could feel it.

So he had two choices: he could resist it and crash down hard... or he could embrace it and see if he could control it somehow.

A controlled Fall... was that even possible?

In the morning, he'd send out his request and beg for help if he had to, because it was a matter of his pride and his soul in exchange for the rest of the universe. And he knew what he would choose... what he'd already chosen.

Taking a deep breath, he walked up to the pyre, watching the dying embers as the hastily gathered wood crumbled and fell.

"I will do it, my friend. I will save the universe... or as much of it as I can. I will not let your sacrifice go to waste. I am just... sorry," if his voice cracked a little, there was no one around to hear it, "you got dragged into the middle of this. I will miss you, my friend."

He placed the flowers he'd had in the hand not clutching Qui-gon's rock on the pyre. It was a local custom to honor the dead, and one he found very fitting.

For a moment, he almost felt as if Syfo's hand rested on his shoulder and he closed his eyes, thanking his friend before bidding him goodbye. Then he nodded to the two people standing at the edge of the clearing. Servants of his household who would take care of the fire, see that it got properly extinguished and buried.

Then he turned to head back to his mansion. He had a lot to prepare before he returned to Coruscant.

xXx

Anakin spent the night in the healer's wing, and honestly, he wasn't upset at being there for once. Siri sat with him for a while, just doing some of her own research and work. Anakin made some attempts at classwork, but ended up just lying on the bed, not really seeing anything. Siri didn't speak, but he was grateful for that because he wasn't sure he could bring himself to talk yet.

It had been so simple. Just a little thing (albeit of a very monumental memory). Just a couple of seconds to take him right back almost to where he'd come from. Maybe not anger wise, but depression wise... most definitely.

After dinner, Aakin went back to laying and staring, just letting his mind lethargically come to its own conclusions about everything that had happened, processing and trying to figure out what was and wasn't true.

Not a half-hour later, a padawan healer came in carefully, knocking on the door and peeking in.

"Initiate Skywalker? You have some guests who would like to see you. Are you up for them?"

Anakin blinked at him, wondered if he could speak yet, decided that he probably could but didn't want to, so he looked over to Siri. She got what he'd wanted to ask and nodded to him before turning to the padawan.

"Who is it?" she asked.

The padawan looked a little confused.

"Some of his... er, your fellow initiates."

Anakin appreciated the padawan continuing to try and address him instead of Siri. So he smiled at the padawan, then thought for a few moments. Then he nodded, turning to Siri again.

"As long as it isn't for more than a couple of minutes," she said. "Would you mind coming in and checking after fifteen or twenty minutes and ushering them out if necessary?"

The padawan blinked, looked between the two of them and smiled. "Of course. I'll show them in."

The initiate nodded while Siri said, "Thank you."

As soon as he left, Siri turned to Anakin, expression serious. "Are you sure you're up for this?" she asked.

Anakin opened his mouth, but then closed it and shrugged. I don't know, he thought, hoping that the two of them were close enough that she'd understand through their bond. He'd be lucky if she could really get the nuances at all. He was sure it couldn't happen if she was more than a couple of feet away.

Thankfully, again, she must have gotten the jist, because she sighed. "Anakin, it's okay if you don't want to see them."

He shook his head. But I do. And I know they worry, and this will help them know I'm alright...

She didn't look convinced. "You can't even speak to them."

I can, he protested. She raised a skeptical eyebrow. I... just don't... I don't know.

She rolled her eyes upwards, as if praying for patience. "Fine, I'll help you out. But you realize this will perpetuate the 'master/padawan' rumor around us."

Anakin actually scoffed. As if you just being here hasn't done that already.

She conceded the point with a quick tilt of her head and went to put her things away. Anakin thought about asking her what she was doing, but ultimately decided that he didn't really care at the moment.

A couple of minutes later, the door opened and a familiar group of initiates hesitantly walked in, led, of course, by Hik'te. Maelee, as usual, was on his right followed by Tru, Darra, Thorran, Hale and Coira, the only padawan currently (although Anakin gave it a couple of months, maximum, before Tru and Darra were picked) in their little group.

"Anakin!" Hik'te said as he ran up to the bed. Everyone gathered around and Anakin had to back away a little. They were initiates, but there were a lot of them, and for a moment he felt some panic rise.

"Alright," Siri said sternly, "back away, and give him some room." A little shamefaced, they did so, shooting him apologetic glances.

Siri's expression softened and she smiled at them. "I am Knight Siri Tachi, for those of you who don't know." Several of the children looked as if they'd just made a connection. Of course, Anakin made it no secret that he knew this particular knight. This was the first time most of them had met her, though. "Anakin's lost his voice, but we have a communication system going. So, speak to him, and I'll speak for him, alright?"

More than a few pairs of eyes widened, but they nodded obediently.

"So, you're sick?" Coira asked worriedly.

Anakin nodded, although he gave her a significant look.

"He lost his voice while in his healing session today," Siri explained. "He should be getting it back soon, but just in case we're keeping him here tomorrow."

Coira looked relieved and Maelee looked suspicious at that. If the others knew there was something going on between them (likely Hale had noticed) no one said anything.

"Is there anything we can do for you, Ani?" Tru asked. "Get your schoolwork? Get you something you would need to sleep? Anything from your room?"

Anakin thought about that for a moment, then he looked at Siri.

She nodded. "The schoolwork will be great," she said. "His teachers will likely ask you to bring him some things anyway."

"I'll be in charge of that," Maelee said, voice full of cool confidence.

"Other than that, just coming here to visit him helps," Siri said to them, offering them a smile. Anakin did as well, nodding emphatically.

"We were really worried when you didn't come to dinner – this is the second night in a row, and you didn't even text us," Hik'te said, almost reprovingly.

Anakin's smile turned apologetic.

"He didn't mean to make you worry, Hik'te," the knight said.

"Then he should take better care of himself," the blue-skinned boy said back to her.

Siri raised an eyebrow at him before turning her look onto Anakin. "I agree."

Anakin frowned at her. He did not pout. He didn't. The kids did snicker though.

"How about we all try and poke him into taking better care of himself, huh?" Siri asked the initiates.

"Yeah," they said together.

Anakin just sighed. How is this my life? Children are trying to take care of me. I'd like to remind you that I'm a former Jedi General.

"Oh, you were never that highly ranked and you know it," Siri responded.

The former Sith's eyebrows shot up. Had she just...?

"Ranked in what?" Darra asked curiously.

Siri smiled at her. "Lightsaber training."

Anakin rolled his eyes again. Good save though.

"But I thought he was the best," True said.

"For his age group."

That seemed to work for them as they nodded. Anakin still sent Siri the stink eye. She just shrugged.

You're getting reckless again.

"Am I?" she asked aloud. "Master... er, Adi will be happy to hear that."

Before they could do anything else, though, the padawan from before came in. A little earlier than they'd asked, but Anakin was fine with that. "Alright, that's enough for now. Initiate Skywalker needs his rest."

Aw," the initiates (and one padawan) said simultaneously.

"You can come and see him again tomorrow."

They agreed, albeit reluctantly, and Anakin couldn't help but feel a little warmer for their care.

"Night, Ani!" they said as they left.

"See you tomorrow," Coira promised before being herded out the door.

Then he and Siri sat in the suddenly very quiet room – it seemed almost too still after all the hubbub, even if it hadn't been for very long.

"Well," Siri said ruefully, "you seem to have quite the following this time around."

They didn't know me as 'The Chosen One' or 'the apprentice to the Sith Killer'. I was just the late-comer. That helped.

Siri frowned. "Was it really that bad, the first time around?"

I'd like to say definitively either way, but I'm not sure my memories are... reliable. To be fair, I also had to deal with all the grooming and poisoning from Sidious, plus my duties as a padawan...

Siri sighed. "You really were just set up for failure, weren't you."

Anakin smiled grimly.

"Anyway, you're supposed to take tomorrow easy."

The former Sith groaned aloud.

"Oh, look! You said something."

Anakin shot her a glare.

She held up her hands. "Sorry, sorry. Do you want me to stay?"

He sighed. You can if you want, but don't feel obligated.

Siri nodded, studying him for a bit. "How about I go run some errands and come back before bed to check on you?"

Anakin nodded and waved her off with his hand.

"See you in a few," she said as she walked out the door.

xXx

Obi-wan and Ferus stopped by after that. It was awkward, they couldn't seem to understand everything he was saying, though Obi-wan did far better than Ferus. They both wished him well and let him know they were going on a mission and didn't know how long they'd be gone for.

Anakin nodded and thanked them mentally.

"You're welcome," Obi-wan had said as he ushered his padawan out the door. "May the Force be with you."

You as well, Anakin thought to them, hoping Obi-wan got the gist of it at least. He doubted it would be as clear as it would have been in the other timeline, or even as clear as he and Siri seemed to be able to think when in close enough proximity, but if Obi-wan understood at all, it would be enough.

His last visitor was a very tired, very grumpy torgruta youngling.

"I thought you said you wouldn't do that anymore," she said angrily when her escort, another padawan, showed her in.

He sighed. Sorry, Snips. I thought I could handle it... and I did, but...

"It didn't feel like you did," she objected. The escort blinked, having not been privy to his thought-speech. Anakin was a little surprised himself, but figured he shouldn't be once he thought about it.

I know. But I promise, I did.

She still frowned at him, huffing as she walked up to his bed and reached for him to help her up. He did so. It took her a few seconds to get situated, but then she sat down in front of him and studied him intensely.

For the first time in a while, she seemed hesitant. "Did... did you really kill them all?" she asked, voice so quiet he could barely hear her.

Anakin's heart stuttered to a stop as he looked into her disappointed, blue eyes.

"You saw that?" he breathed, horrified. And, as he had feared, the tentative, fragile peace he had gained broke that fast. As soon as he spoke, he felt as if he'd shattered yet again.

She bit her lip and nodded.

He found himself scooting away from her desperately, trying not to panic as he backed up against the wall. "How... how can you be near me?" he asked.

"Oh, you're speaking," the padawan at the door said, sounding uncomfortable. "I'll go let the healers know."

Right, just leave the completely unstable kid alone with the five-year-old. Great idea. And yet, he couldn't seem to make himself say anything.

Ahsoka looked confused. "But you won't hurt me. Not like you did them."

Anakin drew his knees up to his chest, still hating his prepubescent body and its ridiculous reactions. Because that's what it had to be. There was no way a grown adult would act like this... right?

He couldn't look at her as he clutched his knees to his chest, trying not to shake and failing miserably.

"But I did," he whispered. "I did... and I... I am so sorry, Ahsoka. I'm a terrible master."

The betrayal in her eyes returned. "You hurt me?" she asked.

Anakin nodded. "That's... that's what the cold does if I don't take care of it. It hurts other people... other people I care for a great deal. And... I cannot apologize enough. I know you can't remember, but if I could take it back, Ahsoka, I would. I promise I would."

She frowned at him, looking at him as if she didn't know what to make of him. He didn't blame her.

But then, she got up and crawled over to him. He blinked.

"Ahsoka... what ar—"

He cut off as she threw her arms around him. "Then I'll keep you warm."

He didn't initially know how to react to that. He sat there in shock before relaxing into the embrace. It felt as if the broken pieces of his soul were softening, melting together and finally beginning to reform again. It wasn't perfect – not even close – but it was better than it had been. Her blind faith in him, her utter belief in him, and even her love for him – he could feel it. She'd adopted him as an older brother and that very realization was a balm to his soul.

Trying not to cry again, he turned and put his arms around her, burying his head into her shoulder.

"Yeah," he whispered, his voice harsh but happier than it had any right to be. "Yeah, you will."

He didn't know if she could, but she was definitely helping.

His life was blessed because he had her in it. This little miracle of a girl. She just patted his back like she'd probably been patted, letting him know it would be alright.

When Siri came back a few moments later, looking worried and confused, she found the two of them like that. It just about melted her heart.

So she took out her comm and snapped a holo-picture really quickly. Then a couple more for good measure.

It wasn't blackmail if she was going to use it to help pull him out of his personal pits.

xXx

He spent the next day wanting to get out of the healer's wing. It was nice to know that things had returned to normal, for the most part. Hik'te and Maelee had dropped off all of his classwork earlier that morning. He finished it quickly and was just about as bored as he possibly could be when Healer Che finally stopped by and brusquely released him. She let him go with a stern warning that if he relapsed, he needed to come back, and if he even thought about skipping out or trying to get through it on his own... She didn't have to finish the sentence.

She could be scarier than Sidious at times.

He thanked her, assured her he would if he did (a lie, no matter how scary she was) and booked it out of there like the Emperor himself was on his tail. His friends seemed awfully glad to see him and he thanked them for all their help and support.

Of course, he sneaked out that night to go racing. He could only take so much calm.

He and Bleersh decided that he should race every circuit that night, seeing as he'd missed so many racing nights recently. Anain had happily agreed, even if he did have to lose a couple to keep people off of his tail.

Getting back to the Temple was no longer an issue, and it didn't look like anyone was after him, so he happily got back to his clan very early in the morning, but seeing as he'd been sleeping on and off all day, he figured there shouldn't be an issue.

He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

xXx

Jango sat on the Slave I and glared at the picture before him. It had not been easy to get the picture without everyone knowing, but he'd managed. It was the picture of a little boy holding a small animal in one hand and a wrench in the other with grease stains all over his face. It was a cute picture of a child about eight standard years old or so. It was also the picture of a boy who had been taken to the Jedi Temple, at an age far older than normal.

No one in the family had heard of a 'Luke Lars', even if their last name was 'Lars'. So what was the connection between Luke Lars and Anakin Skywalker? Shmi had been more than happy to speak of her son. She was proud of him, and while wary of Jango, she also didn't think there could be much harm in a mother being happy for her son. She'd spoken vaguely, but it had been enough. Or it should have... if he could only figure out the blasted connection.

The only thing he could really think of was that Luke Lars knew Anakin Skywalker, and once he'd found out (somehow) that she didn't really want to leave Tatooine, Luke Lars had changed his list. Except, there were too many coincidences. The names, the backgrounds... two former slaves brought in at an age where they were old enough to remember, both related to the 'Lars'...

He just couldn't see how else they could be related. But his gut told him there was something there. Something he was missing.

Frustrated, Jango brought up a picture he'd taken of Luke Lars, sitting at a cafe table and drinking something from under his mask. Then he put the two holopics up next to each other, not knowing what good that would...

Wait.

He enlarged Luke Lars' image. Jango knew of at least four species off the top of his head who had proportions like that... but... what if...

Could it be?

Could it really be?

Would a kid be that intelligent? That cunning? That manipulative?

He looked back and forth between the photos, then let out a string of curses in mando'a.

Shutting off the coms, he set his course for Coruscant. He had a Jedi trainee to confront.

xXx

*AN: I'd like to point out that I haven't seen season 3 or 4 of Rebels. I know Ahsoka survives, but I never quite knew how and just... don't have the time to watch it and figure it out. Sorry. I also think that it lends more credence to Anakin right now if he really did kill her, so think of this as mildly AU.

As a side note, Obi-wan also saw Anakin's memory as a dream... and 'dreams pass'. He really passed it off as a nightmare and didn't think much about it, other than that he found it very disturbing and disquieting.

So, someone complained that the story was dragging. Well, while this should pick up soon, I'll warn you that this work is one of those that has to have everything in place, and once it goes, it'll go fast. The pace isn't going to change any time soon. SorryNotSorry.

I still appreciate the feedback, though. Merry Christmas (or whatever you choose to celebrate, I hope it's great)!

Thank you again to Carradee and Khalthar!