Chapter 6 - Ashes

DISCLAIMER: We (unfortunately) do not own Star Wars. :P

Author's Note: This is... an interlude chapter of sorts. ^-^

Thank you all so, so much for the favorites, follows, and reviews! I really hope that you'll continue to enjoy this tale as it unfolds! :D

~ Amina Gila

By mutual agreement, Anakin and Vader decide to give Dooku a funeral. For one, it will give them – Anakin especially – a sense of closure. For two, it will allow them to take a short break before moving ahead with their next series of actions. They stand side-by-side as they watch Dooku's body burn. They'll scatter the ashes on his property somewhere. It seems oddly fitting that his final resting place be here instead of as space dust over Coruscant, at least based on what Vader told him about the Count's death in his reality.

Anakin feels only relief, because their first step towards destroying the Sith – Vader excluded, of course – is complete. Dooku has long been a source of endless trouble for Anakin personally, especially given that he lost his arm to the man. It was the first – and hopefully last – limb he lost, and he'll never be able to forget the endless hours of pain and difficulties which he dealt with in the aftermath. Even now, many months later, it still hurts sometimes. It may never stop; it probably won't. For the rest of his life, he'll deal with this. He might not take pleasure in Dooku's death, but it was necessary, and he certainly won't feel bad about killing him. Dooku deserved that much and more.

"We should fix your arm," Anakin says absently, eyes never turning away from the flames, the air filled with a sense of solemnity.

Vader flexes his left arm, the one that was damaged by Dooku during the duel. "It is fine," Vader insists, as if the mere movement didn't send a wave of agony through the limb. The pain was acute enough that Anakin was able to feel it through their bond.

"It most certainly is not fine," Anakin argues.

"Perhaps not," the elder concedes, "But it can wait." The helmet turns for the first time since the fire was ignited. "We have other, far more pressing, matters to which we must attend. I will contact the Separatist Senate and inform them of Dooku's death. With the Force as our ally, I will be able to convince them to appoint me as their new leader. With the Separatists at our back, we will proceed with the next step of our plans."

It is... exceedingly ambitious, and Anakin is pleased to see that Vader has thought so far ahead. While they both are good at strategizing, Vader has had far more experience. It makes sense that he's planned so much. More than likely, he had a detailed plan of their next steps all the way until they defeat Sidious and beyond. "We'll have to discuss our plans in detail, won't we?" Anakin questions. They haven't actually talked about it yet, but Anakin is assuming that Vader doesn't trust himself enough – and that hurts – to give Anakin orders on their next course of action. It probably says something about his own mental wellbeing that he even wants orders.

"Of course," Vader replies instantly, turning to face him fully, arms crossed over his chest. "Whatever we do from here, we will do it together." You're not alone. Never again. Those words don't need to be said; they're an echo of Vader's thoughts that enter Anakin's mind, and it's something that is true for both of them. Anakin only nods, looking back at the flames as he watches them burn.

**w**

The moment the recording finishes playing, the Council chambers erupt into chaos. Obi-Wan pinches his eyes closed for a moment, massaging his temple as he tries to wrap his mind around the most recent development. Darth Vader has just declared himself the new head of the Separatist Alliance, given the recent death of Count Dooku. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what happened. Vader – with Anakin's help, undoubtedly – killed Dooku, thereby usurping control of the Separatist movement.

A part of Obi-Wan can't even believe that the Separatist Senate went along with him, but apparently, Vader is an excellent orator, and he knows how to be convincing when he wants to be. It's not as if Obi-Wan didn't already know that; he persuaded Anakin to turn to the Dark Side and join him after all. Obi-Wan won't deny the resentment burning hot and sharp within him as he sees the way Anakin follows Vader with such devotion. Who else could the hooded figure standing loyally at Vader's side have been? Besides, Obi-Wan would recognize the way Anakin stands anywhere.

"Proceed with caution we must, but act with haste we will," Yoda declares, effectively restoring order to the room.

"We cannot allow Vader to roam freely," Windu asserts, "Especially not if he has Skywalker under his sway. Dooku was dangerous, but Vader could be worse. He is an unknown, one which we cannot afford at the present moment."

"I concur," Obi-Wan states. His decision is not at all motivated by the fact that Vader took Anakin with him, convinced him to betray his friends and family. If Vader could influence the Chosen One himself, he is far more dangerous than any of them can conceive. "We need to take Vader out of the equation if the Republic is to have any hopes of bringing a swift end to the war. Our time to act is now."

"With Dooku dead, the Separatists might be more willing to negotiate," suggests Plo.

"Or they might be more willing to fight," adds Mundi, darkly. "We all saw the way the Senate was responding to Vader's call to rally together and stand as a single united front against the Republic. It's a call to war. We have to fight, now more than ever. Skywalker is... He has become a threat."

Obi-Wan momentarily feels a pang of... something. He doesn't care to explore that feeling. "He can be reasoned with," he counters. "I can get through to him if we can keep him away from Vader long enough." He's actually not confident of that at all, but he doesn't want to think about Anakin as an enemy, not yet and hopefully not ever. He raised Anakin, taught him everything. He – he doesn't want to entertain the possibility that Anakin threw everything – their friendship – away for a Sith he doesn't even truly know.

"We must keep his Padawan away from him at all costs," Windu contributes. "He might hurt her or worse. She will be vulnerable to his persuasions."

Obi-Wan privately doubts that Anakin would hurt Ahsoka, but then again, he doubted Anakin would join the Sith and look where that got them? "I'll take her on as my Padawan," he informs the Council. "Ahsoka will be safe with me." Plo casts him a quick, grateful look.

"I propose that we send a strike team after Vader to take him out," Oppo Rancisis announces. "We can certainly spare a few Jedi Masters to destroy this new Sith threat before he becomes too powerful. Once Master Piell retrieves the secret hyperspace coordinates, we'll be able to launch a direct attack in the heart of the Separatist territory. The war could be over in a matter of weeks."

There's an almost hopeful note in the air after the proclamation. Weeks. It seems so surreal. They've been fighting for over a year now, and the realization that they could end the war in weeks is hard to comprehend. But, there is another problem.

"We don't even know where Vader is right now," Adi Gallia reminds the Council before Obi-Wan gets the chance. "We should employ a Shadow to locate him first."

"Quinlan Vos," Obi-Wan suggests. He and Vos are friends – they somewhat grew up together – and he trusts Vos' abilities. If anyone will be able to track down the elusive Sith Lord and Anakin, it will be him.

"Agree with that suggestion, I do," Yoda says, ears twitching, expression unusually solemn. With a twinge of sympathy, Obi-Wan remembers that Dooku is dead. Supposedly. Yoda lost another Padawan. He tries not to think about it. "Begin searching for Vader on Serenno, he should if killed Dooku has been."

It seems reasonable. It's not as if they have any other leads right now. If nothing else, they'll be able to confirm or deny Dooku's death as well as whether or not Vader and Anakin are on Serenno. It's a good place to start, and Obi-Wan suddenly feels hopeful, optimistic. Perhaps the end of the war finally is in sight.

**w**

The Senate has, understandably, been thrown into tumult. For so long, Count Dooku has been the face of the Separatist Alliance, but now, he's gone, dead. It's so unbelievable, and Padme might not have believed it had she not seen the public statement given by the new leader: Darth Vader. She's never heard of him before. The tall, masked cyborg certainly knows how to rally people to his cause. Since his speech, there have been responses from all over the galaxy as the Separatist systems – and even a few which were once neutral or allied with the Republic – have responded, promising to support Vader in whatever he decides to do next.

He's a military leader, and unlike Dooku, he was never a Jedi, at least as far as Padme knows. From the little she's heard from Anakin about the Sith, the title Darth is used only by Sith. Even if Dooku is now dead, they have yet another Sith Lord to deal with. Is this Dooku's master, or someone else entirely? He claims to be a voice for the people, to be sworn to defeating those who wish to subvert the people's desires. More than that, Vader has maintained that Dooku's true master is working inside the Republic.

In the privacy of her office, Padme rewinds the footage of the statement, replaying that part of it, idly wondering about the mysterious hooded figure who is standing at Vader's side. This will change the course of the war, and she's beginning to despair that anyone will seek out a peaceful solution. Vader's words were a rallying call to war, not to peace.

"Unknown to most, Dooku betrayed his own people, working for a master who is a part of the Republic. Together, they had planned to bring down the galaxy, seizing control for their own betterment and gain, stomping on all those who oppose them. The galaxy cannot exist under such a tyrannical Empire. If there must be an Empire, then it must be led by an Emperor who has the people's best interests in mind, not by someone who only seeks power and control."

Padme isn't foolish enough to fall for Vader's words, but he is a very admirable speaker. He knows just how to speak, how to manipulate his listeners to make them agree, to make them want to support him, to make them worship him. The aura of mystery and darkness which surrounds him certainly doesn't help matters. Twice already since seeing the broadcast, Padme has tried contacting Anakin, but he's not answering his comm. Perhaps he's still busy on the frontlines somewhere, though she doesn't think so. In the last message she got from him three days ago, he promised to contact her after checking a distress signal. There's been nothing since.

She'll admit to being worried. She's always worried about Anakin when they go without contacting one another for extended periods of time. Logically, Padme knows that Anakin is more than capable of taking care of himself, but she still fears that, one day, she might receive the news that he was killed or mortally injured in battle. In her heart, Padme feels convinced that she would know if something bad happened to Anakin, and right now, she has the feeling that something is wrong. It's scaring her.

Almost as if in response to her thoughts, the door to her office opens and Threepio informs her of her Jedi visitors. Padme looks up from her desk to see Obi-Wan entering, Ahsoka following behind him, her expression filled with a mixture of anger and hurt. Padme's stomach plummets somewhere down near her toes as she realizes who is missing. "Master Kenobi, Ahsoka," she greets them, forcing herself to act courteously as she rises from her chair. "It is good to see you. Is something amiss?"

Ahsoka glares down at the floor, somehow managing to look bitter, frustrated, and betrayed all at once. Obi-Wan grimaces, but still plasters a polite smile on his face. "There are some things going on," he informs her, "And we both agreed that you ought to know."

"Is – It's about Anakin, isn't it," she admits reluctantly, looking between the two.

"He betrayed us!" the Togruta blurts out in a rush.

Padme takes a small step back, uncertain. "What?"

"Ahsoka is right," Obi-Wan tells her quietly. She can see the pain lurking in his blue-gray eyes if she really looks. "We went – well, we were on a mission, and we encountered a Sith Lord there: Darth Vader." She tenses at the words. Vader. They ran into Vader? "This is the first we've ever heard of him, and I'll admit that I do not understand how he survived on such a planet, but be that as it may, he – he convinced Anakin to join him."

The blood drains from her face, and all she can do is whisper "what?" again. Her head is spinning, and she grips the edge of her desk, forcing herself to remain standing. That – that doesn't even make any sense. Why would Anakin do something like that? Why would he want to join a Sith? He's not dark; he's a good person!

"It's true, Padme." Ahsoka's voice is pained. "He left with Vader. He abandoned us."

"Why would he do that?" she demands desperately, as if one of them might have an answer. "Why would Anakin betray the Republic? That's so unlike him. We must be missing part of the story. Are you certain that Vader didn't... do something to him?"

"Mind control, you mean," Obi-Wan realizes, stroking his beard, gaze distant. "I asked myself if Vader could be the Son, a Dark Side embodiment who we met on the planet, and a part of me suspects that to be the case... but the Council does not agree with me."

"Nor do I," Ahsoka volunteers with a frown. "The Son possessed me, and you told me that I felt different. Anakin still felt like himself, though darker, when he left."

Obi-Wan shrugs slightly, and Padme feels bad for him. He's in denial, desperately seeking an explanation, however outrageous it may be, for Anakin's actions. He doesn't want to accept that Anakin betrayed them. Padme doesn't either, admittedly. It seems so ludicrous, but if the Jedi think that, then it must be true. She doesn't know the Force like they do. She has no way of knowing or understanding the Force aspect of their lives. Sometimes, like now, she wishes she did. She wishes she had answers; they all do, she's certain.

"Thank you for telling me," Padme murmurs, recovering herself with great effort. She doesn't want to believe that her husband could or would do something of that magnitude. She won't lose faith in him. If Anakin joined Vader, then it's possible that he knows something which they don't. It's possible that he didn't want to tell anyone else, lest they try to stop him from sacrificing himself for them.

He's so selfless, so compassionate. He has no reason to betray them; they would never betray him. Anakin values loyalty above all. He doesn't give his devotion to many people, and when he does, it's for life. Anakin didn't betray them, not truly. That much Padme is certain of. But it also scares her, because what could be so bad that Anakin would be willing to allow them to think him an enemy? What does he know? What did he discover?

She doesn't share any of those thoughts with the Jedi; she instinctively knows that Obi-Wan would likely reject her line of reasoning, and Ahsoka seems to have already come to terms with it, if the betrayed look on her face is anything to go by. "I'm sorry, Ahsoka," she says to the Padawan. Ahsoka is like a daughter to her, in many ways, and she doesn't like seeing her hurting. "I know it can't be easy for you right now. You can talk to me anytime, you know that."

Ahsoka nods, a brief, strained smile flickering across her face. "I know," she agrees.

"If either of you hears anything about Anakin, please do let me know," Padme practically beseeches, looking back at Obi-Wan. "The Senate is in chaos right now with Vader having taken over the Separatists, so I have to get back to dealing with it, but I would love to talk to you about what happened in detail, if you have the time."

"Just give me a call, and we'll explain," Obi-Wan promises. She notices that he doesn't agree to tell her if he hears anything about Anakin. It stings, but she also understands. As far as the galaxy is concerned – though Obi-Wan knows better – she and Anakin are only friends. "We need to leave too. I have Council work to attend to, and I need to help Ahsoka adjust to becoming my Padawan."

"Only temporarily, until the Council can figure out what's going on with Anakin," Ahsoka chimes in. She doesn't seem very happy with this change either, though that's to be expected.

The look on Obi-Wan's face indicates that he doesn't think the answers they find will be promising, but he gestures to Ahsoka to follow him. "Sorry for leaving so soon, but we do need to be on our way," he informs Padme.

"It's alright. I'll call you sometime later, so we can catch up," she promises.

Obi-Wan nods before leaving, Ahsoka following behind him. When they're gone, Padme sinks back into her chair, trembling, wondering how far Anakin is willing to go. Is he willing to betray Republic intel to Vader as well? Everything, it seems, has fallen apart because of Vader, and Padme stamps down on a violent surge of anger and hatred. He took Anakin from them, and she'll never forgive him for that.

**w**

Sidious glowers inside his office. Events are not proceeding as he had foreseen. The sudden, unexpected appearance of Vader has thrown everything into chaos. Dooku is dead, and with his death, Sidious has lost control over the Separatist Alliance, especially now that Vader has become the new leader. Whoever this Sith Lord is, he is incredibly crafty, not to mention intelligent. Well, it's no matter. This is only a slight disturbance, a small deviation from the original plan, and Sidious has plenty of backups.

He still has control over the clone army and the Republic. The war may become more unexpected, but he is confident that he will prevail. This Darth Vader does not realize with whom he is meddling. Sidious has been playing this game for years, and he will not be thwarted by another would-be Sith Master. Vader will be destroyed; he will see to it personally if he must.

For now, perhaps it is time to test Vader's mettle, to show him that he's playing with forces he cannot hope to beat. Vader is impossibly outmatched, and he needs to understand that. Sidious reaches for his personal commlink, the one he uses when contacting Dooku or other individuals. It is time to make a call to a certain bounty hunter. Cad Bane will be more than capable of putting together a team which can successfully infiltrate Dooku's castle on Serenno where Vader is currently located.

They will destroy him, and the loss of his mentor will leave Skywalker vulnerable. It will be a perfect time for Sidious to move in and force him to break. Dooku may be dead, but all is not lost. Not at all. If anything, this will only hasten the end of the war, of the galaxy as everyone knows it. Vader is but a temporary nuisance.

Sidious makes the call.

Final Notes: If you want to join our Discord to receive updates or just hang out, here's the invite link, and please delete the spaces! :) discord . gg / nqSxuz2

We also have a tumbr account (and delete the spaces): fanfictasia . tumblr . com

And! We have a YT channel for tributes! Please delete the spaces in the link. :D youtube channel / UC_g1M5rSCxJUzQCRS29B6pA

Finally, if you're interested, you can submit a SW gift fic request via the following form (delete the spaces): forms . gle / rmXWtRomMMaULuPa6