Precipice by shadowsong26
Captain: Chapter 4
Anakin brought them in through Bestine. It was one of the farther settlements from the farm, and had more soldiers than the other cities, but he hadn't used that spaceport in months. Anonymity outweighed the other concerns. He tried to switch up his approach at random-usually he had Artoo pick the landing site and fake transponder he'd use for the Waterfall; today, she was the Blue Giant instead.
He picked his own name, though. None of his false IDs would pass muster on an actual civilized planet, but out here, as long as he had enough money (or applied a half-decent mind trick) no one would care.
"Sir?" Rex asked, while he was sorting through the cards, trying to pick one. "Can I ask-what exactly are we doing here?"
Which was a fair question. It wasn't exactly a secret how much Anakin disliked this place, after all. And maybe he was rushing this a little, but he could feel how wary Rex was, how much he distrusted Anakin's trust in him.
It was an uncomfortable tangle, and he'd spent too damn long in one too similar to let this go on any longer than he absolutely had to.
Besides, he was officially between missions until Obi-Wan called again, and that meant going to see Leia.
This one, he decided, putting the rest of the ident cards back behind the hidden panel in his pilot seat. I like this one. It was a little obvious, maybe, but it felt like home. It would bring him-luck.
He slid the card into his pocket and stood up. "You'll see."
And, yeah, the way he was doing this was maybe a little unfair, but he was really looking forward to Rex's face when he saw Leia for the first time. It would be better if she was a surprise.
Besides. It wasn't often that he got an opportunity to be the enigmatic one. He was almost looking forward to it.
"Right," Rex said.
"Artoo, you know the drill."
The droid beeped out a few profanities and settled into his usual spot, ready to quickstart the ship if things went south on them.
"Yeah, you too, buddy," he said, patting his dome and heading for the boarding ramp, pulling his hood up. "Rex, if anyone asks, my name's Ben Naberrie."
"Right," he said. "I've...uh, just been using my name?"
"That's fine," he said. "We've got a bit of a hike to where we're going."
"Won't be a problem, sir."
He nodded. "Knew it wouldn't be." He grinned, and led the way out of the ship. Once past spaceport control, they'd have to pick up a pair of eopies-they'd hold up better over the distance than a speeder.
And, as he'd expected, they hadn't had any trouble with the officials in Bestine. He hadn't even had to pull out a mind trick, and no one had tried to follow them. Either to the livestock market or out of the town.
It was nice, having Rex here with him, he realized as they made their way into the desert proper. Partly as another layer of camouflage-he almost always came to Tatooine alone; while he and Obi-Wan did sometimes come straight here after a mission, it was more typical for his master meet him here for visits-and partly as a distraction.
When Anakin travelled through the desert alone, the sky seemed to weigh down on him, overburdened with everything he'd seen and done here.
Another advantage to Bestine, he thought, as Bestine disappeared into the heat haze behind them and Rex started attacking his question, just like Anakin had known he would. I never travelled this route before Leia came to live here. If I have time, maybe I'll loop around in the future.
Something to think about. For next time.
They reached the farm about four hours after double noon, with sundown still a ways off.
"Here we are," Anakin said, leaping down off his eopie and staking her in place.
"Right," Rex replied, dismounting with a little more decorum.
He had barely had time to finish tying their mounts down when a tiny comet launched herself out of the house, barreling right into him.
"Daddy!" Leia shouted. "Daddydaddydaddy!"
Behind him, he was vaguely aware of Rex stiffening, and possibly-probably-swearing under his breath in startled Mando'a.
That didn't matter, though. Nothing mattered anymore, all of his problems melting away as he stooped down to catch Leia before she tripped and went flying.
Which, of course, meant she promptly grabbed onto the closest, most convenient handhold to steady herself.
"Ow-okay, princess, we talked about this-ow- please don't pull Daddy's hair. "
She obligingly untangled one sticky hand-he still hadn't figured out how the hell she was so sticky all the time; but Beru said it was just a toddler thing and he'd long since decided to accept her wisdom on such matters.
"Thank you," he said, holding her close and kissing her cheek.
"Daddy!" was her response, and she grinned at him.
"Missed you, too, princess," he said. "Have you been good for Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru?"
"Uh-huh!" She nodded vigorously, bouncing a little in his arms.
"Good," he said. "That's exactly what I like to hear."
She giggled and nestled closer, leaning her head on his shoulder, and finally getting her other hand out of his hair.
"Listen," he said. "There's someone I want you to meet." He turned around, and Rex was there, looking exactly as poleaxed as Anakin had expected.
He'll probably forgive me. Eventually. ...worth it.
"This is Daddy's friend Rex," he told Leia. "Can you say hi?"
"Hi," she said dutifully, waving.
Rex just stared.
"Rex, this is my daughter, Leia," Anakin prompted.
No response.
Oops.
"Uh-oh," he said softly. "I think Daddy broke Rex, princess."
Leia pulled back and stared at him, her tiny eyebrows furrowing into what would probably be a very impressive glare if she weren't two and tiny and the cutest child in the known universe.
"Daddy, mean."
"I didn't do it on purpose!"
"Say sorry," she demanded.
Since arguing with Leia was about as productive as arguing with-
He held her a little closer, and grinned at Rex, scrambling to cover that spike of pain. This was a happy moment. "Sorry," he said. "Want to try again?"
His captain finally managed to find his voice. "I. Uh."
I'll take that as a yes. "Rex, this is my daughter, Leia."
"Uh. Hello, ad'ika."
That word he knew, at least vaguely. Or he knew 'ika' was a diminutive suffix, anyway. Much better.
"Hi," Leia said again, then wriggled a little. "Daddy, down."
No, he wanted to say. He wanted to keep holding her for a little while longer.
But he'd learned a lot, in the last two years of being a parent.
"All right," he said. "But stay right here, where you can touch Daddy's robe, okay?" With him and Rex right here, the worst risk was her getting under the eopies' feet, but better not to take chances.
She nodded, and he put her down.
"You...you have a daughter," Rex said.
"I do."
"So...so you and the Senator really were..."
It was Anakin's turn to stare. "Me and-did everyone know?"
Rex coughed and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Uh. Not that-you know, not that there was any chance of a little one, but…we could all see how you felt about her, sir. Uh. Sorry."
Anakin buried his face in his hands. "Daddy's an idiot, princess," he announced.
Leia blinked up at him. "Uh-huh," she said.
Rex was suppressing laughter. He could hear him.
He was about to retaliate when-
"Ani! I thought I heard you out here." Beru, smiling bright and exaggerating just a little (because she would never have let Leia run up here if she hadn't known there was someone to catch her), was standing on the stairs, leaning against the wall with a towel in her hands.
"Aunt Ru!" Leia said, bouncing up and tripping on the hem of Anakin's cloak. He caught her he by the collar and steadied her carefully.
"Easy, princess," he said. "Hey, Beru. This is Rex."
"Nice to meet you," she said. "I'm Anakin's sister-in-law."
"Pleased to meet you as well," Rex said, with a sketch of a salute.
"Owen's out on the ridge, but he'll be back soon," she said. "Why don't you two come inside, have some water?"
"That would be great," Anakin said, scooping Leia up again. "After you?"
She nodded, and led the way down into the slightly-cooler underground house. Anakin felt the last of the desert's weight slip off his shoulders as he ducked under the doorway, his daughter in his arms and Rex at his back.
If only Obi-Wan and Padmẻ and Luke could be here, it would be perfect.
Specter's work was now public, and it was almost the most pleasing thing he had ever experienced. True, it was hardly the debut he'd been dreaming of in the two years since his Master had found and elevated him, but he still relished watching the whispers and dread spread through the Senate and beyond.
It hadn't even been a particularly flashy or spectacular kill, the kind Specter knew he was capable of. The kind he was burning to try on something a little more real than the assassin droids he trained with.
Because yes, of course, his Master was right; a shadow appearing out of nowhere to kill swiftly and mercilessly and then vanish without a trace inspired terror. Delicious terror. More, perhaps, than a messier murder might.
But Specter had known how to do that-or most of it, anyway-since he was a child. He knew how to melt into shadows, how to perfect an ambush, how to stalk his prey. He had certain biological advantages there, of course, to say nothing of the Force, but any half-decent pickpocket from the underlevels could do it.
Not as well as him, of course, but they could.
He sighed, and toyed with his lightsaber for a minute. The fact was, as successful as it had been, as pleasant as the victory tasted, his first actual mission as the newly-minted official Sith Lord Darth Specter had been just...unsatisfying.
It also concerned him. That he had been given such limiting instructions. That he was still not trusted with an actual display of power.
He had not been his Master's first choice. He knew that all too well. Lord Sidious never failed to take advantage of an opportunity to remind Specter that he was vastly inferior.
That he was not, nor could he ever be, Anakin Skywalker.
Specter snarled to himself, and flipped on his lightsaber. He meditated on the crimson blade for a minute, imagining it plunging into his rival's chest.
Well. Maybe not his chest. Maybe he'd start somewhere a little less...immediately fatal. Really take his time. Have some fun with it.
That, Specter knew, would demonstrate how strong and skilled he was. That would show his Master he had chosen well. That would prove him to be a worthy apprentice.
And it was the only thing that would.
Best of all, as he had learned only hours ago, it was actually possible.
Specter had spent the last two years competing, ironically, with a ghost. He and his Master had suspected that Skywalker may have been one of those few who had survived the execution of the Jedi, but had had no proof. And his Master had decreed it a lesser priority, and he had obeyed.
But now, Specter had a recording of his own. It was even poorer quality than the one he'd left, unfortunately, but it was clear enough for him. After all, he knew Skywalker's face almost as well as his own now-maybe even better, he hated him so.
To him, grainy as it was, the footage of the exploding mine was quite illuminating.
His rival was alive.
His rival could be killed.
All he had to do now was find him.
"And when I do," he murmured, the soft hum of his lightsaber a perfect accompaniment to his vow, "when I find you, Skywalker, you will burn. And I will rise from the ashes."
And once he did, nothing would stand in his way.
Original Author's Note: lol what even are children: the sequel.