Anakin sat back from his holo-station in the library and took the new data-disk out of its slot. He stared at it sadly for several seconds before he pulled out his comm and checked his chrono. If he got back to the creche now, he would probably have enough time for three hours of sleep before he had to get up in the morning.

He mentally groaned. His young body would not like that.

Still…

He rose and stretched before making his way out of the library, ignoring the disapproving expression on the current librarian's face. At least it wasn't Jocasta Nu herself. That would have made his life infinitely more difficult.

He was also grateful that Siri had gotten him out of needing to return to the creche that evening, citing a mission he'd be involved with. Admittedly, she was also supposed to completely supervise him, never let him out of her sight and walk him back, but they'd both known that was as likely to happen as not.

Anakin would just need to be careful when sneaking back in.

No one was up when he made his way into the creche and tip-toed down the hallway to his own room. He used the small sink inside to brush his teeth and change his clothing before he collapsed onto his bed, exhausted, data disk in hand.

Tomorrow…

Well, he'd cross that bridge when he came to it.

That night, he found himself drifting blissfully quickly off to sleep.

He 'woke' to find himself on a planet filled with greenery, and blinked. Then he turned to scrutinize his surroundings when his eyes fell on a burning pyre, a familiar mask melting inside the flames.

Oh. He was on Endor then.

He watched the pyre as it continued to burn, flames leaping into the canopy of the forest, only to snuff out in the damp atmosphere.

Luke was nowhere to be seen, sadly.

"A morbid setting," a new voice commented and Anakin sighed a little, shaking his head. Then he looked over at the man he knew would be standing there. Qui-gon Jinn just stared serenely at the platform in front of them. "But a lovely resting place," the man finally said, looking around at the greenery in appreciation.

Anakin snorted. "About as far from Tatooine as one can get."

He hadn't deserved that.

Then again, he hadn't deserved many things. Still didn't.

Qui-gon sighed, as if reading his thoughts, and confirmed that he indeed had moments later. "You really need to stop that."

Anakin just rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I know."

They fell into silence, much to the time-traveler's relief.

"I wanted to thank you," Qui-gon finally said, an indeterminate amount of time later.

Anakin glanced at him, raising one eyebrow in question. "For what?"

"For what you did for my Master. He and I had a… difficult relationship, but we still cared for each other, deeply."

Oh… that. "I'm not sure how much I helped," he admitted, looking back at the mesmerizing fire.

"More than you know," Qui-gon whispered. That actually lifted a weight off of Anakin's chest he hadn't realized was there.

"You're welcome," he finally said. "Although, I didn't do it for you."

The older man shook his head, a sad smile on his face. "I appreciate it nonetheless."

Anakin returned the smile with a nod before turning back to the spectacle of his own death.

"I am also proud of you, when I see how far you've come," Qui-gon said.

This time Anakin didn't look away from the flames as that little bubble of warmth grew in his chest again. He was getting used to it, but found himself unsure as to whether that was a positive development or not.

"Thank you."

"You are most welcome."

More silence, although this stretch felt more peaceful and relaxing than the previous ones.

"You know, I don't think you've told me all of Obi-wan's anecdotes from when you were his Padawan. I rather enjoyed our last… 'story time'. Would you be willing to speak of that more?"

Anakin blinked and turned to face the Jedi. Then he smiled and nodded.

"Sure."

xXx

It took Anakin longer to sneak out of the Temple than he would have liked the next day, but eventually he did, heading to the nearest international comm channel, dressed in normal upper-middle-class clothing.

He really hoped he didn't get mugged… he wasn't entirely sure he could hold back from simply killing petty criminals and leaving them behind for the sheer sake of time. He had to get back to begin working on that information Dooku had gotten him. If it was indeed what the Count claimed, then it was the key to taking out Palpatine and that should be his priority…

And yet, here he was, going out of his way to rescue a boy whose relationship with Anakin could only ever be described as awkward at best, antagonistic on average and downright murderous at worst.

But he was a fellow Jedi… he was a kid. A Force-sensitive kid who had been taken by a very ruthless man. If they were lucky, he'd just kept Ferus around in a prison as he decided what to do with said boy. If they weren't lucky… they'd be looking for a body or a slave. Force-sensitives were a rare commodity on the slave market.

Either way, there really was only one man for the job.

He didn't bother hiding his face as he stepped into the international booth, paid his fee and placed the comm call.

After all, there wasn't anything he had to hide anymore.

He just needed to get this done. Because there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for family…

And Siri was family now.

So he placed the call and had to stop himself from sagging in relief when the guy finally answered.

xXx

Jango Fett sat in the pilot chair of his ship, Slave 1, staring at a blank screen; a blank screen linked to his off-net, highly secure computer.

Just a couple of minutes ago, it had been full of the information he'd stolen from the 'long-necks' (as the clones had begun to call them). It hadn't been an easy mission to get said information, but then, it hadn't been hard either. At least not as hard as he'd suspected it would be to get to their most private files. (Although it had taken some planning and specialized equipment, to be fair.) Then again, who would want to know about the clones right now? So few people even knew about Kamino at all, let alone their newest batch of 'merchandise'.

Still, with what he'd found…

His hands curled into fists as he remembered the lines of text that had spelled out, plainly (in aurebesh even) about how the Kaminoans hated their status as 'outsiders' and that the 'hypocritical' Republic (well, they weren't wrong there at least) wouldn't allow them to join because of the Kaminoans' 'barbaric' (they took high offense to that) practices of cloning, how they'd been approached by someone who had a plan they could benefit from – a plan that could get them into the Republic, with the tax breaks and supposed protection that entailed.

How they were willing to completely wipe the Jedi out for it.

How they were willing (happy to, even) use the 'fodder' (aka clones) as biological robots they could override at any point with the proper codes. How those clones would become the scapegoats and mindless armies the original customer and Kaminoans both wanted.

Basically, he'd been able to confirm more or less everything that Luke Lars had claimed.

And Jango had been completely (if unknowingly) complicit in that.

He may hate the Jedi, but he didn't want every member down to the smallest child wiped out. Maybe some of the older people on the Council, but the children?

And some of the basic plans that had been highlighted using clones…

He'd managed to keep his lunch down out of sheer will at that point. And with everything he'd seen, that said, well… a lot.

So now, here he sat, with a choice to make. He had the information and confirmation, so what did he do about it? If he went to the Jedi now –t tried to warn them – what would happen to the clones? They may be replicas of himself, but they were also blood. Mandalorian blood and family blood and…

He couldn't see a way out of this. They'd already created over 300,000 clones and had a good 150,000 more growing in tubes. Could he consciously abandon those lives? No. But what could he do with them? The Republic wouldn't take them at this point, and there were just too many to smuggle anywhere…

He found himself stuck between a colliding asteroid and comet. No matter what he did, something would blow up and cause massive damage. And his own choices – his own hatred, to a large extent – had brought him here.

He hadn't meant for this to happen.

And what about Boba… the unaltered clone he already thought of as a son…

Eventually he realized that he was thinking in circles and he'd already been docked at the small way station he'd stopped at to fuel up for too long. He needed to leave.

He could make more concrete plans later.

Jango had just begun the take-off sequence when he got a notification about a message… and an incoming call.

He blinked, then looked to see who it was from.

Well, wasn't that a coincidence.

Kriffing Jedi.

Sighing internally, he reached out and flipped the switch. He needed to talk to the kid anyway.

"What do you want?" he asked shortly as the holo image of a young boy came up.

"I was going to let you come back to me with your answer, whatever it may be, but… something has come up and I have a job for you."

Jango's eyes narrowed. "What kind of a job?"

"Locate and retrieve a missing child – yes, a Jedi – before he's sold into slavery or… worse."

The bounty hunter stayed silent, thinking for several seconds. "I'm listening…"

What had he gotten himself into?

xXx

Siri couldn't seem to stop pacing. Meditating didn't work nearly as well as it should, but she'd tried that for hours this morning anyway. She'd tried releasing her emotions to the Force, but they simply kept coming back. She'd tried to accept what was happening and give her will to the Force, but every time, Ferus' smile crossed her mind and her concentration slipped.

Basically, she hadn't been this much of a wreck since long before she'd gotten out of the healer's wing. But… what was she supposed to do? This was her padawan!

Well, not her padawan right now, but semantics. She still loved him like a son. She still wanted what was best for him. She still wanted to see him grow into the amazing knight he was always meant to be.

But she couldn't go after him because now she had other obligations; obligations that were just as important as Ferus. More so, her mind supplied, but she hated herself for even thinking that. Ferus had been her son and little brother and best friend all rolled into one. She remembered times when they'd be on a mission and had down time, so they'd just sit around talking about the 'hot guys' that walked past (although apparently they had very different tastes). She recalled all the training they'd gone through together, those times he'd come to her with problems he had no idea how to solve, those times he'd risked so much to save her and, when she'd done everything she could to save him, and… now here she was, doing. Absolutely. Nothing.

"Stick to the plan," she told herself, ignoring her eyes watering. She didn't want to think about the situation at all, to be honest. She knew that Xanatos had been involved in the slaver circle and a Force-sensitive (even worse, a trained Force-sensitive) would fetch a very high price. She knew the types of circles that such would be involved in. Powerful people who would want him to sire Force-sensitive children with or without his permission… he would be lucky if he just ended up in some factory somewhere…

"Don't think about it," she hissed to herself and angrily wiped the tears away.

But she couldn't help it.

She wanted him home and safe, where he should be.

And part of her was very much not happy with Obi-wan. She felt as if she'd entrusted her padawan to him (even if he didn't know it) and said padawan had been kidnapped. She knew it wasn't his fault – that things happened, no matter the precautions taken. If she really had to make a guess about it, she would think that Ferus had somehow given himself up in place of Obi-wan without the older Jedi knowing, the self-sacrificial brat.

That she already missed so much…

Unable to keep it in any longer, she let out a loud sob, wondering where all of the control she'd fought so hard to regain had gone. Or was she still so far gone from her younger and older selves merging that she'd never be able to get it back? Not fully…

Part of her even resented Anakin. It was an old feeling that she'd thought she'd long-since gotten over, but if he hadn't been here in the past, Ferus would be here and safe as he had been in the original timeline.

It wasn't fair of her, but she remembered the counsel from Master Xio that she had to acknowledge and allow herself to feel… and honestly, she hadn't really been doing well with that lately. Truthfully, she didn't want to feel the pain of loss all over again. She'd lost him once before – along with everyone else, and this just brought back all of the memories all over again…

At least she hadn't lost her sense of time. She knew exactly where and when she was, even while finding herself overwhelmed by the pain and loss of the combination of her past and her present. It wasn't fair. Not that life was ever fair – especially for a Jedi, but that didn't exactly help at the moment.

She didn't know how long she cried, but the next thing she knew, she felt awareness come to her at the knocking on her door. Blearily, she raised her head and looked around. She'd fallen asleep on the small futon in her room – a very small room filled with only necessities. She'd sort of ended up sprawled across it and her neck certainly felt it.

Groaning, she tried to work out the kink as she got to her feet, massaging it with her hands. Part of her wanted to take on a padawan just so she could have an apartment again. Although, to be fair, she had larger quarters than most knights, with two rooms and a fresher space since she also had to make room for her disguises and such. She had enough room for a small couch she didn't actually like to use but came in handy when she had visitors. She was also lucky to have a very small kitchenette that she could use to warm tea and a couple of meals, but it was still cramped. She'd never actually take on the training of someone for such a petty reason, but she did miss her apartments with both her Master and her padawan…

Her padawan who was not her padawan.

Her padawan who was now missing…

The weight of the day before seemed to crash down on her and she slumped down again.

No, she'd cried it all out the night before. She'd allowed herself to do that. Now she'd have to face the day and Anakin and go through the information so they could put a stop to Palpatine and the destruction of the Jedi and hopefully destroy the Sith in the process.

And that was Anakin on the other side of the door. Right.

She squared her shoulders, put on a neutral mask and palmed the door open.

"Hey, you ready?" she asked. "I just woke up. Thought I had some time with your studies today and –"

"Siri," he cut in. She closed her mouth and took a closer look at him. He seemed… determined. She immediately went on alert because determined Anakin usually led to explosions of some kind, be they emotional or physical.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Is it Obi-wan? Is he okay?"

Anakin shook his head. "I stopped by before I came here. He hasn't woken yet."

"Oh," Siri said with a frown, then looked around for her comm and the chrono it had. She'd left it on the small table by her futon. Uncaring as to whether it was frivolous use or not, she used the Force to bring it to her and checked the time. 10:47*. In the morning. What?

She looked up at Anakin with a frown. "Really, shouldn't you be in class? What's going on?" He pulled the strap of a bag off from around his head and shoulder. "I've already packed for you. Dunno if you want to take any of your disguises, but there are basic first aid kits in here, data pads, rebreathers, etc. You'll have to bring your own clothes. Figured that was all personal enough."

She frowned. "Um… thank you… but why?" she asked.

He took a deep breath and held out a data chip. "I spent all night putting everything onto this that I remember about Granta Omega and the corporations he was involved with. I also put everything I knew of and could find about Xanatos. It'll probably be a little jumbled, but it should give you a good start.

"I haven't cleared this with any of the masters, although I did talk to Master Yoda. He wasn't super happy about it, but he also didn't tell me to stop you, so I'm taking it as a win."

"Anakin," she cut in before he could say anything else, "stop. I told you, I'm not going after Ferus." It still killed her to say. "I have to stay here to help you."

He gave her such a soft smile… she wasn't sure she'd ever seen that one on him before. "Thank you," he said, his voice matching his smile perfectly. "I mean it… words cannot express how thankful I am towards you at this moment. You put me before Ferus… your padawan…" his smile faded and he sighed, "and as a former Master myself, I cannot let you do that."

He reached down and grabbed her hand. Shocked at his words, Siri let him. He put the data chip into her palm and closed her fingers around it.

"Find him. Bring him home; for both your sakes."

Part of her wanted to rush off immediately, thrilled and determined to do just that. But the other part of her just felt sick – felt like she'd be letting Obi-wan down if she did. Felt like she'd be letting Anakin down.

"I can't," she said, hating how weak her voice sounded, but she shook her head firmly. "I can't leave you here to face him alone. What if something happens?"

He smiled up at her, this time larger and brighter. "I'm not alone. I have Master Yoda, and Master Yaddle, Master Xio, Girth and even Obi-wan… or, I will, once he wakes up. I have all the children I've actually made friends with. Heck, I even have Master Windu to a certain extent." He looked over his shoulder, expression fond and so wholesome – definitely not one she'd ever imagine on a Sith's face.

It suddenly hit her that he wasn't a Sith anymore. Backsliding and dark moments aside, he'd worked hard to come back and thinking of him as even a former Sith at times like these… it was a disservice to him.

Then he turned back, his smile taking on a sad quality. "I spent my first life focusing on others to help myself. I've spent my second life focusing on myself to help others. In that vein, I need to stay here and get that information to the right people. You need to go and find your padawan."

"But so many things could happen while I'm gone," she reiterated.

He looked down for a moment, then back up, smile still in place. "Then you'll have to come back and kick my butt out of whatever I get into. If I need you… I know you'll be there, even if it's after the fact.

"Besides, we have an unblockable bond. I know this is killing you. So let me encourage you to do this one thing for yourself. You aren't breaking any promise to me, or to our Obi-wan. As your friend – as your brother – I'm asking you to please. Go."

She felt tears in her eyes again as she looked down at her hand holding the data chip and realized… he needed her to do this. He needed her there at one hundred percent, not at some sort of recovering half-present entity in his life. He needed to know he wasn't holding her back just as much as he wasn't holding himself back.

This…

She felt an overwhelming gratitude come over her and another sob escaped her as she rushed forward and engulfed him in a hug.

"Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you, so much."

She felt his relief combined with a swirl of happiness and sadness – of encouragement and heartbreak.

Of wholeness, as if a void inside him had filled, even if only a little.

"You're welcome," he said.

She hugged him tighter for several seconds before stepping back and wiping her tears away yet again (this was getting ridiculous). To her surprise, he seemed to have tears in his own eyes, although he didn't even acknowledge them and they didn't fall.

"Oh, also… I've contacted someone to help you. He'll be your ride and probably a huge help… um… if you two can work together." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

Siri's smile vanished.

"Anakin… who did you get."

"Um… Fett?"

Siri just stared at him for several seconds as her mind worked through that.

Fett who hated Jedi.

Fett the bounty hunter who was the template for the clones.

Fett who worked for Sidious, even if indirectly.

Fett, who happened to be one of the most dangerous people towards Jedi in the entire galaxy.

She groaned.

xXx

AN: *Using the 00:00 time because Coruscant's time is extremely similar to Earth's.

I'd like to thank Khalthar, Quathis and Hidden50 for their help with this! :D Sorry it's late, that's entirely my own fault, not any of my lovely beta's. Muses are a little taken with another story I'm writing now *shifty eyes* What? Demon Slayer rocks. *ahem* In any case, I'm actually really happy with how this chapter came out. And believe it or not, this is getting closer and closer to my final set up for the end of this book and this arc altogether. :) Super excited after working on this for an entire year.

Also, I'm going to be trying to publish something on Kindle Vella, which is very similar to fanfiction format, so it should be interesting. It's a fun little story that I'd be happy to tell you about if you're interested. Should be publishing that by the end of August (hopefully).

Thanks for reading!