Chapter 6 - Abeloth
Author's Note: In which they fight Abeloth. ;)
~ Amina Gila
Ahsoka tries to steel herself, as the ship streaks through the sky, to where they can sense Abeloth. The moment has finally come. They're going after her for one last time. They have to finish her off, once and for all. If they don't, they'll... die trying. If they fail, who knows what it will mean for the galaxy.
She throws a tense glance between all of them, anxiety twisting inside of her. Once, she was used to missions like this, but now – She just found Anakin again. What if something happens to him again? She doesn't think she could handle that, but there's nothing they can do.
From the tense way the other three are holding themselves, she can tell they're feeling similarly.
Anakin seems... a little better. Maybe the faintest bit less dark, though his presence is also brighter now, because he's more human. She's still feeling sick at the mere sight of what he looked like. How could he even – anything like that. She would like to have some serious words with Obi-Wan later, but right now, they need to focus on the mission.
And for the first time in almost three years, since she left the Order, it's a mission where Anakin is at her side. He has his hood pulled up over his head, mostly concealing his face, almost as though he's hiding, but he's... here.
But is she about to lose that again? There's so much she wants, needs to say to him first, but she doesn't know where to start. Years ago, she thought they'd have time to talk after, but after never came.
A pulse of energy ripples through the Force, and on the horizon, she sees two columns of... nearly visible energy rising. One is dark – it seems to practically be sucking all light into itself – and a distance away, on the other side of the horizon, is one that's just as light as the other one is dark, practically glowing.
It feels like a hole's being ripped in reality, and – Force. Is she trying to turn the twins into the Ones?! The Son and Daughter?! "We're too late," Obi-Wan realizes, practically deflating.
"We can still stop her," Anakin retorts, firmly. They have to. Especially when she can so keenly feel Anakin's fear over his children's fates.
"She must be somewhere in the middle, to be doing this at once," Mill realizes.
"Those are the entrances to the Well of the Light and Dark, aren't they," Ahsoka agrees, as the ship speeds forwards. She... really feels bad for the twins right now, likely abandoned in those wells all alone with no idea what's happening. They have to stop this. These are Anakin's children – how that happened, she has no idea, but she can already see how much they mean to him.
"Don't we need a plan?" Mill asks, almost nervously, "How will this go any differently than before?"
"Anakin is stronger now," Ahsoka offers, but truthfully, she's scared. How could this end without all of them dying?
"We don't have time for a drawn-out plan. We need to focus on getting the twins from her," Obi-Wan points out, "If we leave with the ship, she'll be left here."
Anakin hesitates, uncertainly. "If we are failing," he says, finally, "Leave to get the twins. I will face her myself."
Horror rises inside of Ahsoka, instantly. "We're not going to leave you to die!"
"If I cannot stop her now, there... will be no other time," is all he says.
Maybe he's not wrong, but she's hating this more and more. Ahsoka shifts closer to him, as the shuttle finally circles in, landing a distance from Abeloth.
She's in her human form, floating above the ground, clearly in deep meditation. She definitely senses them approaching, but she's probably too focused on the ritual – which is essentially ripping apart the Force itself – to interrupt and lash out at them. Unless she's just waiting to squash them all in one swipe.
Anakin moves first, lashing out towards her, trying to break her grip and disrupt the ritual. Ahsoka instantly join with a distraction of her own, activating one of her lightsabers and throwing it at the Mother.
Everything seems to happen at once. A Force-wave explodes outwards, hurling everyone across the clearing, and her lightsaber comes flying straight back at her. It narrowly misses her as she hits the ground, struggling to catch her breath.
"I warned you," Abeloth snarls, as the shockwave in the Force starts to dissipate.
Ahsoka tries to move, but she feels the Force holding her in place, wrapping around her presence. Too much like it did last time, when she'd nearly sucked her life out. And there's nothing she can do to stop it.
That moment haunted her for a long time, and it's about to happen again. Icy dread floods her, even as she tries to fight back. But there's nothing she can do. She's hopelessly outmatched. Obi-Wan and Mill are in no better of a state.
She – she's going to kill them all now, like this isn't she?
No.
This can't be the end. She won't let it be. But there's nothing she can do. Not unless –
Anakin is the only one still free. "Your ritual would have failed regardless," he replies, evenly, "They are gone, Abeloth. You know that. Their energy now surrounds you. You cannot reverse that." She doesn't know why the resolve in his voice almost surprises her. (Maybe he's not as broken as she was afraid of. But this is Anakin. It seems nothing can truly take him down.)
"It would have worked," she retorts, furiously.
"You know it would not have. Your children were creatures of the Force itself. If you transferred their spirits to ones who are mortal, it would destroy them. Even if you gave them the power your children once wielded, it would not be them."
Those are... all very good points that Ahsoka never fully considered herself.
Ahsoka can feel her fury, but more than that, grief, and if not for all the people she's killed senselessly, she might actually sympathize with her.
"Then they will still be mine," she seethes, "And the rest of you will die, for coming here."
"Why this destruction?" Anakin asks, "It serves no purpose. It will not bring your family back."
"Your family came back for you," Abeloth snarls, "You do not know the pain of knowing they never will."
"I never knew they would," he retaliates, anger slipping into his voice. It's a stark reminder that he's still a Sith, even if he seems strangely lighter now. "And they are not here now as they were before, as – a family. They are here for the mission."
"Then I will give you one last chance to join me – to be with your children, so neither of us will be alone any longer. And we can watch the galaxy burn." A certain glee has entered her eyes now.
Of all the most consoling offers in the world –
"I see your pain. They left you, abandoned you as my own also once did to me. Perhaps you are right that you never knew they will return. They will leave you again. But together, we will never be alone again. We can destroy them here."
Does she seriously think such an offer would be tempting?
"Is there anyone you can truly trust will not betray you?" Anakin asks, evenly. "That does not justify this destruction. It will not change what you lost."
"I'm still with Anakin. I always will be," Ahsoka retaliates, firmly. Maybe it's not helping, but she's going to say it anyway because she's sick of this.
She senses Anakin's flare of gratitude for that, and wariness at once for how it's going to make Abeloth react.
"I stand with him, as well," Obi-Wan speaks up. and she keenly feels Anakin's flare of shock and confusion. He throws a sideways, incredulous glance at him.
"So will I," Mill says, firmly even in her ever-soft voice, "I know he needs it. But so do you. You don't have to keep doing this."
"Then all of you will die," Abeloth hisses, anger rippling outwards. The pressure against Ahsoka's mental shields grows just the slightest bit, and the knot of fear in her stomach rapidly morphs into growing panic, even if she refuses to show it.
Anakin lashes out at the same moment, and Ahsoka wonders suddenly, how long he's been stalling, waiting for this moment. If that's why he was saying what he was, or if he actually meant it. Maybe both, she doesn't know.
But here, on Mortis itself, it seems he can practically be one with the Force without it overstraining him.
The Force wave that rips outwards hurls Abeloth to the ground, the grip on Ahsoka abruptly coming free. She scrambles to her feet, drawing her lightsabers as the two battle.
Anakin is practically glowing, and so is Abeloth, but this he's the one winning. He's channeling the Force through him – Light and Dark – in a way she's never seen in the past. It's mesmerizing, if she's being honest.
Seeing his true power is as aweing as it is terrifying in some ways, to know someone can use the Force as though it's one with them. She saw that once before, but that makes it no less incredible to see again – it almost seems like he's using it even more deeply now.
The columns on the horizon have vanished entirely, and Abeloth lands on the ground, struggling and straining against the Force grip Anakin's now holding her with. She glares up at him finally, perhaps realizing that there's nothing more she can do. She's lost.
"Finish it," she hisses, "There is nothing left for me here."
For a heartbeat, no one speaks.
"If you truly desire that freedom, I will not deny you that after I have searched for it for so long," Anakin says. His voice is echoing strangely, the way it once did, but it's the words that make Ahsoka freeze entirely. Why is he implying that he wanted to die?! Well, given what happened to him, it's probably true, but that makes it no less awful to hear.
"But you do not have to remain alone if you don't want to. You can still know my children, if it would truly grant you any solace from what you lost – so long as you will remain here, and cease spreading this destruction."
That... was not the offer Ahsoka expected to hear. She can't trust that they'll ever be safe so long as Abeloth is alive, but then again, they killed her once, and she came back. Can she even die?
She's surprised the Mother isn't immediately sprouting off threats like she was before. "You would do that?" she demands finally, eyes narrowed. "Let me know your children?"
"I know what it means to be entirely alone. I will not do that to another."
She doesn't miss Obi-Wan's very distinct flare of guilt, or the way he looks away. (Good. He better feel bad.)
"Then I will accept," she concedes, at long last.
Ahsoka... doesn't believe it.
For a long moment, Anakin doesn't move – perhaps reaching to the Force itself to verify the truth of her words – before he finally releases the Force grip. (Something about him feels strangely lighter than before now. It's weird, with how dark he was when she first met him.)
Abeloth climbs to her feet, staring him down for a long moment. The deranged look in her eyes has somewhat faded, to something more... Ahsoka's not sure, but it doesn't unsettle her any less. This is the maniac who tried to kill her moments ago, after all. "They are not hurt," she says, "But the role of the Son and Daughter will be forever tied to them."
Anakin nods, stiffly. "I will retrieve them now."
He... definitely doesn't trust her at all from how he's moving, even if he's showing her some level of compassion that Ahsoka admittedly doesn't understand why. She doesn't want to think about his 'I know what it means to be entirely alone'.
With that, he moves for the ship.
**w**
Ahsoka doesn't miss how tired Anakin looks as they take off again, heading for the Well of the Dark Side first. To be fair, after how he was just healed and used the Force so deeply to tame a literal Force abomination, it's no surprise. He ought to be resting, but there's no way he'll do that until his children are safe, and likely, until he's gotten a little time to know them.
"Are you alright?" she finds herself asking, anyway.
"I am fine," Anakin assures, though he pauses to glance back at her, something... softer in his expression than she's seen since first coming here.
He seems to be doing better. That's good, at least.
She still remembers with glaring clarity when she'd come to pick Obi-Wan up here before, and he'd said that Anakin Fell. It hadn't made any sense to her then. Really, it still doesn't.
In the center of a rock structure down below, there's... a young child. A boy with blonde hair, who looks about two.
Anakin leaves to bring him onto the ship, and she's mildly impressed at how quickly he's able to quiet the wailing child. His Force presence reminds Ahsoka a lot of Padme, but soft around the edges in a way that's definitely from Anakin. Though now, there's a certain, almost unnaturally powerful, darkness lingering around him, that she can only imagine is because of the ritual, and whatever connection he now has to the Son.
Obi-Wan is hovering close, watching Luke, though neither of them speaks.
Ahsoka volunteers to take over flying, letting Anakin just sit there holding him. They go to the Well of the Light Side next, and the sheer intensity of it is flooding her with an almost unnatural peacefulness that she hasn't felt in so long.
She's knows it's not really her, but it's... nice here. In the same way the Dark was so overwhelming that it made her feel angry about nothing and just want to get away.
So, she's frankly not even surprised that when they land in the middle of waterfalls cascading down the walls, and lush, brilliant trees and bushes growing everywhere, the dark-haired two-year-old girl crawling around in the middle of a similar rock structure to the one in the Well of the Dark Side doesn't even seem remotely perturbed that she's all alone here.
Anakin goes to get her, too, shifting Luke to his other arm as he tries to carry them both.
Leia's Force presence feels very much of Anakin, Ahsoka can't help noting, except that it has a certain sharpness to it that must be from her mother. And now, there's a strangely unnatural Light that lingers around her.
Anakin looks more than a little overwhelmed as he stands there holding them, before moving to the hold to sit down on the bench, where he can hold them better.
There's so much Ahsoka could say, but she thinks he needs this moment to just be, when he's getting to know them the first time, after apparently thinking they were dead.
"We must determine what to do now," Obi-Wan is the first to speak.
Right.
Because they still have a galaxy of problems to face, and Anakin is still a Sith, and...
"It's late," Mill notes – the plants were already all dying outside, as the sun sunk close to the horizon. "I think we should rest." She throws a pointed glance at Anakin, obviously noticing how tired he is.
"Here?" Obi-Wan objects.
"Abeloth isn't supposed to be attacking us," Ahsoka volunteers, "I don't see why not." Even if she really doesn't think she could sleep well with that maniac anywhere in the same sector. "Besides, before we leave, we... need to talk, and I don't think anyone's up to that right now."
She's exhausted, too.
"Very well," Anakin concedes.
The ship doesn't exactly have cabins for sleeping, though, so they'll have to make do either in the spare seating, or outside.
Anakin is attempting to make a bed of sorts for the twins in the hold, and she doesn't think he entirely intended to fall asleep in the process, but now he is, half-holding one of the twins in each arm.
Perhaps, it's partly that they're still so close to the Well of the Light Side and can feel it so strongly.
The other three slip outside, just to give him some... room for now. Besides, there's things she wants to say before going to sleep herself. It's dark out, reminding her unsettlingly of when the Son stole their ship all those years ago, but it doesn't feel like a violent storm is about to break out. They should be fine. Hopefully.
"There are still matters we need to discuss," Obi-Wan is the first to break the silence.
"Didn't we decide to have this talk together in the morning?"
"In part. He is a Sith, working for the Empire. It is our duty to... stop that."
Something clenches tightly inside of her. "He must've been deceived. I can't imagine how Anakin could even support them." Especially not after she's been around him so long again, fought next to him, helped him heal. No, she can't imagine them ever not being on the same side. It's unthinkable.
This is something they'll have to address, though.
"Can't we convince him not to go back?" Mill objects, frowning.
"I do not know if it will be that simple," Obi-Wan replies bluntly, "I tried once."
"When?" Ahsoka demands, another thought suddenly occurring to her, "When you two fought? What happened? How could you have done that to him?!"
"He assisted Sidious in destroying the Order," he replies.
She freezes. What?!
Yes, it was... probably expected, but it's different to hear someone who knows. "He wouldn't," she protests.
"He has long been groomed for his role as my master's new apprentice."
"I didn't want to believe it either, but it happened. Master Yoda sent me to end it, but I... could not. It got out of hand."
"Out of hand," Ahsoka repeats, flatly. She doesn't know how much of Anakin's condition was from that versus the clearly terrible medical treatment – or for that matter, what could've happened to his skin in the first place – and she doesn't much want to.
"It was far from the best choice I made," he admits, grudgingly.
"That," she replies, fiercely, "Is one way of putting it." She'd add a lot more colorful words, but she doesn't know how much he caused and frankly, she doesn't want to. It's awful either way.
"We have to help him," Mill objects, "Even if he doesn't want it. We're Jedi. That's what we're supposed to do, right?"
Both of them turn to look at her. She's... not wrong, even if it's not always that simple for Dark Siders. This isn't just a Dark Sider, though. It's Anakin, even if Ahsoka can't understand how he could've done what he has.
"We can't force him to turn against the Sith if he doesn't want it. And he would not still be with Sidious if he didn't," Obi-Wan argues.
"Maul said he was groomed," Ahsoka replies, "I didn't believe it at the time, but I – I can see he wasn't lying now."
"And he couldn't go anywhere," Mill agrees, "His condition was terrible. He said – that Sidious was the only one who knew details of it, and how to have it treated."
Obi-Wan looks... there's an obvious hint of guilt on his face. "We will know when we speak to him," he settles for, finally.
Ahsoka nods. "In the morning, then. I think I'll stay out here for the night. And we may want to take turns keeping watch in case something happens."
**w**
It's approaching dawn when Mill wakes Ahsoka up for her second watch. She'd taken first watch too, unable to sleep from how restless and excited she was feeling. With Anakin here again, everything feels... easier than it did before, even if she doesn't know what it'll mean when they leave Mortis.
Still, as she watches the sunrise, watches as all the dead plants surrounding them start to come to life and grow sprouts, she can't help feeling that maybe this is a sign of what's going to happen to the galaxy now.
It's light enough she shouldn't need to keep watch any longer – frankly, she's genuinely surprised that everyone isn't already awake, but yesterday was exhausting.
Cautiously, she makes her way for the ship, tiptoeing into the hold. Anakin's stretched out on the bench, with the twins half on top of him, in a position that couldn't possibly be comfortable, but it doesn't look like he's even twitched since he first fell asleep. He's clearly thoroughly worn out.
She's about to back out when she sees him moving suddenly, sensing it as his presence flickers and brightens with life, and he opens his eyes, spotting her in the doorway.
"Hey, Skyguy," she greets, with a grin. It makes something in her ache painfully for a time she wouldn't have thought twice about using that nickname, for a time when she said it all the time. It's been so long.
"How long has it been?" he asks, maneuvering upright and gently adjusting the twin's positions, careful not to disturb them.
Seeing him right now, she can't even imagine him having been a Sith. Did he really kill the Jedi? That...
"It's morning," she offers, crossing the room and dropping onto the bench next to him.
He nods, and for a few moments, they just... sit there.
"I've missed you," Ahsoka says, finally. So much.
A shadow crosses his face, and he reaches out, almost uncertainly, touching her shoulder. "I have as well, Ahsoka. I would have found you, but I... did not want you to be hurt."
She swallows hard, leaning into the touch, even if it's his left hand which is metal now. (Because of Obi-Wan. How could he have done that? That couldn't possibly have been necessary, even if they were fighting. It's no wonder Anakin was so furious when they'd run into each other again. She's surprised he's taking it so... calmly now.)
"I didn't know what happened to you, I thought you were..." She trails off, looking away. There had been nothing like that moment that she went to find Senator Amidala, who was her last fleeting hope that she'd be able to find out Anakin's fate. Only to discover that she was gone too, and with her, any links to ever knowing what happened. Even if, in some ways, she didn't want to.
"I know," he replies, quietly, "I... went in search of the cruiser, as soon as I was able. I... found where it crashed. And I saw your lightsaber there. I knew you and Rex were still alive, but the rest were... gone. Was it Maul?"
She nods. "He destroyed the hyperdrive, pulled us out of hyperspace. All the others were trying to kill me, so all I could do was focus on getting out. Rex helped."
Anakin stills. "What? Why would they harm you?"
How does he not know that? "They were under orders to kill me, like all the Jedi."
"But you are no longer a Jedi."
"Apparently, that didn't matter. Jesse said that he was under direct orders from Sidious."
There's another heartbeat of frozen silence, before she feels his flare of fury. And that is a sharp reminder that yes, he is a Sith, from how the Dark Side responds to him. "He told me this order was only for the Jedi. He never said it would include you."
Something twists uncomfortably inside of her. "Were you involved in that? What happened to the Jedi?"
Some of his anger quiets, shifting to something like guilt. "...Yes."
She has no idea how to feel about that. "Why? Why would you do that?"
"I told you, they... committed treason. After I saw Master Windu violating everything the Jedi stood for, I no longer knew what to believe."
That would be hard to see, but she doesn't understand how that could make him turn on them. They were his family, and hers too – even if she lost faith in the Council.
"You were still with Rex," Anakin thankfully changes the topic for her, "Is he... well?"
"He's been fighting to free the clones," she replies, "I don't know all the details, but the Empire has been... experimenting on them. Killing them off."
Anakin freezes, for probably the third time. "What?"
"You never heard about that?" She shouldn't be surprised. Anakin would never stand for treating the clones like that. That's part of why she didn't understand how he could be staying with the Empire. The clones... always meant more to him than even she understood.
"Sidious told me they would be dealt well with. He said little of them – Most of what I heard was from the Senate. They were to be given adequate resources to live outside of the military."
Ahsoka scoffs, bitterly. "That never happened. I can call Rex when we get out of here, if you want."
"Yes," Anakin agrees, a certain anger humming in his eyes now. They're burning gold again, the way they have been this entire time, except briefly after he was healed and when he first got Luke and Leia. It's unsettling, but a glaring reminder that he is a Sith. At least she can see his face, unlike when he was in the armor.
"We can still free them," Ahsoka offers, finally, "We can still... make this better." He doesn't have to continue doing what he has been if he doesn't want to. Not that she understands how he could've wanted to in the first place.
"Yes." He says it almost hesitantly, but at least it's a good start.
Maybe there's a chance they will be able to fight side by side again.
Ahsoka leans forwards almost impulsively, wrapping her arms tightly around him. Force, she's missed him so much. It's nearly enough to bring her to tears. As easily as he can when the babies are right next to him, Anakin twists around to return it, holding her close.
And she thinks something about the... darkness he's been radiating even now seems maybe a thread lighter.
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