"How many languages do you speak General?" Rex asked Anakin, as he had yet finished another another meeting with a senator.
"20," Anakin answered. "I recently added Bocce and old Alderaanian."
Six months have passed since the war with the Separatist have broken. Half a year in the battlefield in the outer-rim, away from Curoscant. The Hutt Space was no more. Slavery was banned in those systems and democracy ruled. The Republic was none the wiser of how easyly they've been used. They were quite delighted by crushing the enemy so fast and having free use of those hyperspace routes. They also adored how the public opinion of the war has turned around like a tide.
Anakin Skywalker was in every holonet channel, being called the Breaker of Chains by the Republic. Anakin had been smart and gotten the not corrupt holonet channels to the freed outer-rim planets to show the reality of the outer-rim. The injustices and corruption the Republic had allowed. The Senate might think the public opinion had turned in their favor, but they were wrong. This time around, instead of getting hate for turning their backs on peacekeeping, the public was sympathetic for the Jedi Order, who had been stopped by the horrid Senate from aiding these planets.
The public was grateful for the hard work of the Jedi, who had kept their systems in peace for centuries, realizing the true extend of their hard work. That if they had not had the Jedi Order they would have ended like the outer-rim, a lawless system.
The public watched as the Agri Corps aided these planets, like Tatooine, to heal and grow food. How the Medi Corps worked hard on dechippings slaves and take care of injured soldiers and civilians alike. How the Education Corps built schools and the Exploration Corps shared their knowledge. How all of it was aided by the Skywalker Corporation and Skywalker Foundation. All while the Senate laid back and basked in the perks of having more ships, armors, and weapon, because of the new Skywalker Corporation branches.
Those outer-rim planets thrived under their new goverments, new jobs, and donations from the civilians whose hearts ached by what they saw in the helonet. Which made Anakin smirk at how well his plan was going. He no longer was the Senate's poster boy. But the Jedi Order's golden boy.
And the Senate was unaware! Palpatine was too focused on trying to regain control over the Senate and get even more emergency powers. However, Padme's political group was way too influential this time around. Not only, was she not only an ex-queen of a mid-rim planet. She was Senator Skywalker, a beloved ex-queen that finished with the Trade Federation, head of her own noble family, wife to two influential war heroes, and daughter-in-law of one of the richest women in the galaxy. Her influence was overwhelming.
Especially, with all the evidence she get from Anakin abouut the corruption of the Senate. Many senators were arrested and jailed, replaced by the choice of her and her allies, after they strongly adviced their home planets. All these corrupted senators, that had worked for Palpatine, ended up dead, deaths that were blamed on the Separatist, fueling the flames of War.
Though, Anakin knew the truth. Palpatine had killed them all, to keep his secret safe.
Good ridance! Anakin was viciously happy of how easily and systematically he was isolating Palpatine in the Senate.
"May I ask why these senators?" Rex asked carefully. "Lady Padme was shocked that you wanted them to come in to the various freed planets to sign an alliance with the Senate."
"Many of them are new senators that replaced previously corrupted ones. But while they were recommended by my angel and her friends, I needed to make sure their alliance was firmly set on my angel's political party. Seeing the horrors here in the outer-rim, not only as an expectator through the holonet, but speaking to previous slaves and liste ning to their story... it drives the message home." Anakin explained grimly. "You saw their reaction, they were horrified and felt guilty of their ignorance. Many of them have al ready donated millions of credits and became patrons of the planets they've visited. They will not betray my angel's ideals and they might even become her most ardent supporters. The others, were neutral senators and came to the outer-rim to discuss an alliance with the Republic, are already joining my angel's political party." Anakin turned to Rex with a tired smile. "A war is faught in various fronts, Rex. We can do good outside the battlefield. It has been tiring... but worth it at the end. Look at what we've achieved!"
Rex looked around Tatooine. The dessertic planet he had first laid eyes on, was no more. Green plants laid around, thanks to force-rapid-growth, colors decorated the previously barren buildings, freed childrem were laughing and playing around the donated Skywalker droids.
Skywalker Corporation donated a lot of droids to the freed planets: maid droids, teacher droids, building droids, nanny droids, and human-relation droids. They did take a lot of weight off the Skywalker Foundation and the Jedi Corp, who had been working nonstop to aid them.
"Yeah," Rex agreed warmly. "We have."
Anakin smiled at the reaction of his friend. His brother. This time around, he had been able to give the Rex a war worth fighting for.
"What's wrong?" Anakin asked not even turning around. "I can feel your unease and guilt in the force, Aayla."
"We need to talk," Aayla told her friend softly.
"What did you do?" Anakin asked her worriedly. Like honestly worried. He had never seen or felt Aayla like this before. She was so close to the edge. What had happened? "Come, let's go to a more private place."
"Is this where you and Lady Shmi used to live in before?" Rex asked as they entered the small house, followed by Aayla and By1.
"Call her mom, she did adopt you," Anakin smiled, taking a seat, the rest following. "And yes. This used to be home, once upon a time. Now I have the temple, a senatorial apartment, and a lake. A whole lake with a beautiful cabin, that is more of a manor than a cabin really. It's truly incredible how far I've gone." Anakin sighed, before turning to face a weary Aayla. "What happened?"
"Two slavers died," Aayla confessed.
"All slavers and Hutts were condemned to death all over the previously known Hutt Space by the newly elected governmental bodies across the planets," Anakin replied confused, before realizing what she had meant. "Oh... you killed two slavers. Aayla," Anakin sighed, frowning when she flinched. He slowly stood up and went to see beside her. Hugging her, as she cried on his chest. The two clones watched sadly, the generals were too young for war... they all were. "I've dwelevel into the dark side too."
"W-what?!" Aayla looked up startled, not having expected that.
"Of course, I did," Anakin chuckled humorlessly. "I feel too much, I was a slave and now I am nineteen years old leading a battalion into a meaningless war. I am observing as the Order I hold dear, turns their backs on what they are at the core: peacekeepers. I am forced to lie, cheat, and kill to achieve my objective of freeing slaves. How ridiculous is that? When slavery is supposed to be illegal?!"
"Ani... " Aayla murmured shocked. "I did not think about it like that. You've always see me larger than life, so composed, and in charge. Of course, all of this has taken a toll on you."
"Luckily, I am going back home and my battalion is getting a month off," Anakin chuckled, hugging her close.
"Six months on the field nonstop and after this miracle take down," Aayla commented. "You guys deserve it."
"Who were they?'' Anakin finally tackled the elephant in the room.
"Gardulla and Watto," Aayla confessed.
Surprise and dark pleasure rippled through the Force, before Anakin rapidly tucked it in.
"Thank you," he simply said.
After all, what else could he have said?
"He kriffing did it!" Ahsoka exclaimed eyes shinning in awe and admiration as the holonet was passing a documen tary of Anakin and his friends' efforts in the outer-rim. "He is going around every rule of the Senate and Jedi Counsil, using every loophole in the book to his advantage. He is dealing with the corruption in the outer-rim! Marvellous!"
"Here we go again," Barris teased her best friend, her sister. The White Sisters, as they were being called lately. "Your Kight Skywalker hero worship is showing."
"Well, there worse Jedi to look up to," their Creche Master joined the initiates with a wide smile. "Master Koon should be so proud of his padawan."
"He is!" Ashoka jumped in excitedly. "The Senate can't do a thing to stop him! The public loves Skyguy! They are starting to see that something good will come out of this war! The civilians are even donating to help these planets! They've accumulated millions of credits by now.'"
"People are starting to work together, everyone is putting their grain of sand," Obi-Wan said softly by the door.
"Master Kenobi!" The initiates exclaimed delighted.
"Skywalker now," Obi-Wan corrected fondly with a chuckle. "But I'll allow it, as having two Skywalkers might be confusing."
"Just as Lady Shmi had wanted," Barris commented softly "Cooperation. Ironically, it happened when all of us were supposed to be at each other's throats."
"War tends to unite people in many ways," Obi-Wan said softly, eyes glazed in memory.
"It must be hard,"Ahsoka said softly, quite serious for her lighthearted carachter, earning a few startled looks. "I miss Skyguy," her confession earned her various looks of surprise and a soft-gentle-sad expression from Obi-Wan. "He is your husband and it's been six months since you've seen each other. It must be hard."
"It is... war on it's own is hard, but being away from those you love makes it harder," Obi-Wan confessed softly with a small-sad smile.
"The Senate are sleemos!" Ahsoka cursed.
"Ahsoka!" Barris exclaimed, scandalized.
"What?" The tortuga turned to her in defiance. "I'm just saying the truth! They are corrupt and slave drivers! They are running the 501st to the ground!"
"Force! You are just like dear heart," Obi-Wan complained, but had a beaming smile on his face- fondness humming into the Force.
Ahsoka flushed in pride at being compared to her hero.
"How do you do it?" Barris asked, sadness and confusion surrounding her in the Force. "War, fighting when Jedi are supposed to be peacekeepers."
"Our duty is to the Force and our enemy is the Sith," Obi-Wan answered slowly. "We do not agree with the war, but we need to stop the Sith from creating their Empire. We have to go back to our time as Jedi Warriors, before the Republic was a thing," Obi-Wan sighed. "It is tirering… but if we play our cards right we can also achieve great things. Like my dear heart, is crushing an empire built on slavery, one that has been around for centuries." Obi-Wan smiled with pride. "However, no one will force you to go to war if you do not want to. Especially, initiates and padawans. None of you will see the battlefields." Obi-Wan assured them firmly. "There are many ways of aiding in war efforts."
"Like the Corps!" Ahsoka pointed out, recalling the holonet documentaries.
"Yes, the Order might free the planets, but the Corps will help them heal and grow," Obi-Wan explained, noting how some initiates looked interested. "You might even say their job is even more important than ours "
Before Obi-Wan could continue his impropt-lesson, the holonet channel broke into breaking news, catching everyone's attention.
"Bop'ka! What's going on on the front lines?" Ca-fan, the hostess of the news holo channel asked with a serious expression.
"I am in the Ekkreth, the ship under the command of Jedi Knight Skywalker!" A beautiful woman with red hair appeared, as the camera changed to, clearly the interior of a battle ship. "We are in the space above Tatooine, where Jedi Knight Secura's starfighter was stranded and is now surrounded by vulture droids!"
"W-what?" Obi-Wan stuttered, eyes widening, as the initiates' worry leaked into the Force. This was his best friend's padawan... his nieces of all but blood.
"Right now Jedi Knight Skywalker is on his way, on a solo mission to get her back!" Bop'ka continued, and then the image changed to a N-1 starfighter - the same ship that Padme had commissioned for both of her husbands.
"On his own?!" Obi-Wan exclaimed distressed, as he watched his husband zig-zag around the vultures and take them down with missiles and rays. "That idiot!"
"Wow!" Ahsoka murmured, stars in her eyes, as she watched Anakin play with the vultures as if it was a piece of cake. "Such a smooth piloting... even with Jedi reflexes that kind of flying should be impossible!"
"He must be by now the best pilot in the galaxy," Barris agreed with her friend.
"He is the only human to have ever won the Boonta Eve Classic race and broke the Trade Federation barricade, all between the ages of eight and nine," Obi-Wan sighed, worry and pride leaking into the Force as he watched Anakin do a shark's tooth maneuver getting three vultures to collide with each other. "He is the best pilot on the galaxy... might have been for a while."
"Shit!" Ahsoka cursed, but no one scolded her. Anakin had reached Aayla and was now flying her back to the Ekkreth.
"He did it..." Barris sighed in disbelief. "He has truly done it!"
"Why do you think he is the first Jedi we call to rescue other Jedi in bad situations?" Obi-Wan chuckled, but his own relief was palpable. "I'm sorry little ones but I need to get to my wife. She must be losing her mind."
"Oh, Skyguy s in trouble!" Ahsoka teased, much more relaxed now that everything had ended up alright.
"He is," Obi-Wan agreed darkly. "When will he ever learn not to give me a heart attack?"
The answer was never.
Poor O-W.