Chapter 18 – Battle

Author's Note: *awkwardly waves* Sooo... it's been a while, huh? Lol. I'm so sorry for just. Vanishing like that. I never meant to drop this fic for so long, but I'm back! And I'm hoping/planning to update this weekly until it's done. It should be 20 chapters. :)

Thank you all so much to those of you who have stuck with me all this way and who have waited patiently for more. You mean the world to me. ^-^

To Guest: Uh... ngl, that's such a stupid thing to say. Anakin and Padme might be married, but they don't know each other very well, not the way Anakin and Obi-Wan do. Of course Anakin is going to be gutted if he thought Obi-Wan died. Smh.

To Rainydaylover321: Your review convinced me to stop procrastinating and finish this fic, so thank you for that. :) I'm glad that you enjoy how I've been portraying Anakin's inner turmoil! :D

~ Amina Gila

Anakin awakens to pain. His entire body aches, fierce and unyielding, and a quiet whine escapes from him as he twitches. A feeling of pins and needles ripples through his limbs, and he winces, pulling his eyes open. The room is familiar to him, extremely so, given how many times he's ended up in the medbay on his Star Destroyers, and it takes him a moment to realize how unusual it is.

He left the Order. He hasn't been fighting for some time now.

And then, reality returns.

He almost wishes it hadn't. Aside from the almost constant ache inside of him, from the way everything has come crumbling down, is now the even more real fear for Obi-Wan. No matter how hard he tries, he can't forget or unhear it, Obi-Wan's agreement to join Dooku. Force. His master is Fallen now. He's joined Dooku. This was never supposed to happen, not to Obi-Wan. He was – he was supposed to…

But he'd been so adamant. He'd refused to listen to Anakin, no matter how Anakin tried to convince him not to do it, and he doesn't know what to make of that, what to feel. The Jedi way would tell him that now that Obi-Wan's gone this far, he's lost. He can't be saved. But Anakin cannot believe that. He cannot believe that Obi-Wan is lost to him forever. Even if they never speak to each other again, it would have been a comfort to know that Obi-Wan is out there. The Jedi would tell him to – to kill him probably, the way they've tried to kill Dooku and Ventress and even Maul.

Good thing Anakin isn't a Jedi. He didn't kill Maul or Savage, though he could have, and he did kill Sidious – it hadn't been pre-planned though – but he won't kill Obi-Wan. He'll find him. He'll stop him. Maybe if Obi-Wan sees that he's safe and free, he'll turn back before he does something too regrettable.

Maybe.

"I can't. You – I… you mean too much to me."

Hopefully.

He'll just have to try not to be too optimistic.

Anakin turns his head to see Ahsoka at his side, head pillowed on her arm as she curls half on his cot and half on her chair. She's sleeping, albeit restlessly, and Anakin just watches her for a moment before reaching out and lightly resting a hand on her head. She comes awake with a start and a gasp, eyes widening, her relief crashing against his shields.

"Anakin, you're awake!"

Her exclamation draws attention, and the next thing Anakin knows, Kix is fussing over him, checking his vitals and making sure he's alright. "You need to rest and take it easy, General," he says, giving him a firm look. "Do not strain yourself excessively. You're recovering from a very… trying ordeal and being cut off from the Force like that was very hard on your body."

Anakin pushes himself upright, bracing himself as his head spins from the change in position. "I'll be fine, Kix," he answers. "We – we need to get to Obi-Wan before it's too late."

Ahsoka's face pinches with concern. "Where did he go? Do you know?"

"I…" He wavers, uncertain what to say, but there's no use in denying the truth, no matter how much he doesn't want to explain to Ahsoka what has happened to Obi-Wan. "I – when I was captured, all Dooku wanted in exchange for my life was Obi-Wan's compliance."

Her lips part soundlessly, her surprise quickly turning to horror as the meaning sinks in. "But he – Obi-Wan wouldn't –"

Anakin touches her shoulder, feeling the grim despair try to pull him under. "He joined Dooku," he tells her quietly, "And we need to stop him before he goes too far."

"You need to rest," Kix interjects, frowning.

"I need to find Obi-Wan," Anakin corrects, swinging his legs over the side of the cot and drawing the Force to himself to stabilize his body and give him the energy to keep moving. Force, he hurts. But he isn't going to tell anyone that. The pain is welcome, familiar. Maybe he didn't cause it deliberately, but it's still there and it's grounding. It helps him focus on what's important, saving Obi-Wan, instead of the chaos in his head. "We need to move."

The medic looks like he's about to argue, or maybe stab Anakin with a sedative to knock him out again, but instead, he does neither, stepping back with a tired sigh. "Don't come complaining to me when you inevitably collapse, sir."

"I won't," Anakin answers, trying for a little levity, "I'll be carried to you."

Kix just pinches the bridge of his nose, waving him off, though it might be to hide the smile quirking at his lips. Huffing out a half-laugh, Anakin goes with Ahsoka to the briefing room where she and Rex fill him in on the rescue operation that they launched with the help of Clone Force 99. They are… different. In a good way. And just from looking at them, Anakin thinks that he kind of likes them. They don't fit in, just like he never did with the Jedi.

He's exhausted, running solely on the energy he's drawing in from the Force, and he knows how dangerous it is, but he needs to do this. They're running out of time to save Obi-Wan. And maybe even the galaxy itself. Anakin looks between Rex and Ahsoka before glancing around at the other clones who were there during the rescue mission. "We need to track Obi-Wan, and preferably, extract him before anything… worse happens."

"General, with all due respect, you need to be resting right now," Rex objects.

"C'mon, Rex," Anakin replies, and he can't quite hide the smirk on his face, "Where's your sense of adventure? The war could end if we get this done right, and that'll be the end. What do you say? One last mission together for old time's sake?"

Rex looks up at the ceiling as if asking for patience, and finally, he shakes his head with a smile. "You know I could never say no to that."

Anakin laughs, feeling a flicker of light deep inside of him. Behind him, one of the clones, Hunter, he thinks, mutters, "And the regs think we take risks," under his breath sounding equal parts admiring and amused.

"We planted a tracker on the shuttle," Ahsoka volunteers, and Tech moves forward without having to be asked, tapping on the console and bringing up the location of the tracking beacon.

"It appears that they are en route to Coruscant right now," he tells them, and Anakin can hear the frown in his voice, his confusion.

His blood runs cold at that, because why would Dooku be taking Obi-Wan to Coruscant? "Make the jump," he orders, "And contact the Council. We need to warn them."

It feels so familiar to give orders like this, to be in the thick of things with the boys. Anakin hadn't realized how much he missed them until now, until they're back together again. The tension in the room is high while they attempt to contact the Council. It feels like it takes longer than it should before Windu finally answers, looking stressed.

"Skywalker," he greets him, before Anakin can even open his mouth, "Coruscant is under attack by Separatist forces. We need all the help we can get. They're trying to take the Senate."

Anakin blanches. "We're on the way there," he replies. "We'll be there in a few hours." Hopefully, they'll get there before it's too late.

"Hurry." It's all he says before disconnecting the comm. He sounded worried. Worried. Windu never sounds worried, and Anakin can only prepare himself for the worst, for whatever is lying in wait for them on Coruscant.

"Well," he says, turning around, "I guess this is it. The final battle of the Clone Wars. Gear up. Get ready. It'll be hard, but we can do it if we work together. Rex, get some of the boys together. Hunter, your squad will come with me, too. We'll go to Dooku and Obi-Wan. If I can get through to Obi-Wan, we might have a chance at taking down Dooku once and for all."

"Yes, sir," Rex and Hunter answer, nearly chorusing, saluting him before turning to give out orders of their own.

Ahsoka shifts closer to him, the worry and fear in her eyes unmistakable. "May the Force be with us," she whispers.

Indeed.

And now, until they get there, Anakin will follow Kix's orders and try to get some rest. He needs to be at his best after all, or at least at the best he possibly can be given the situation.

**w**

Obi-Wan is quiet as they take a shuttle down to the Senate building, an escort of fighters accompanying them, peeling away one by one to deal with the clones who attempt to intercept them. He ought to feel worried. He knows that. But he doesn't. Instead, he just feels numb. Empty. Dead.

Anger simmers beneath it all, a fierce, burning vengeance which demands he turn the world to ash around him for what was done to Anakin. It would change nothing, though, and right now, Anakin's only hope is him, his compliance. He can hope that Ahsoka got to him, but he has to be realistic. He can't afford to take a gamble on Anakin's life based merely on hope.

Their shuttle touches down on the landing platform of the Senate building, and Dooku casually strides off, taking in the damage around him as he stalks into the building as though he's already won. No one is there to stop them, which is strange. Surely, the Senate guards would be here? But they're not, and it's… it's wrong. Something is wrong. There is something Dooku hasn't told Obi-Wan about his plans.

The Dark curls around him, greedily lapping up the death and fear and pain that's permeating the air all across Coruscant. The power is simmering through him, humming at his fingertips, ready and waiting to be used.

Movement up ahead makes Obi-Wan tense, and he watches warily as Tarkin steps around the corner, expression flickering with pleasure. "You're here," he greets. "The Coruscant Guard have the Chancellor in his office, but the Senators have been evacuated according to protocol. The floor is yours, Count Dooku."

Dooku smiles. "Very good," he says. "Now let us claim our Empire."

Obi-Wan wavers, but he still follows Dooku as he leads them onward towards the Chancellor's office. This doesn't make sense. Why would the clones obey such an order? Even if Tarkin is in control of military matters, an order such as that should have immediately raised alarm bells. What have they done to the clones?

He wants to know, but he doesn't ask. He can't afford to. He can't do anything that might put Anakin at risk. It's an effort to keep his mouth shut, especially with Dooku going to confront Bail Organa, since he's the Chancellor. Something could happen to him – Dooku could have him killed. But Anakin matters more. He always will.

Obi-Wan is quiet as they walk down the hall leading to the Chancellor's office. It's being guarded by clones, and one of them is Commander Fox. He recognizes the man's armor. Almost immediately on seeing Dooku, he raises his blaster, uncertainty warring within him. Tarkin holds out a hand.

"Stand down, Commander," he orders. "We've lost this battle. Losing more lives now would be needless."

There's a moment before Fox lowers the weapon, gesturing for the others to follow suit, and the pit of unease within Obi-Wan only deepens. He can feel, through the Force, the way their minds are… different somehow. Empty. Focusing solely on their orders and their loyalty to the Republic. Dooku did something to them, but he doesn't know what or how, much less what it'll mean for the Republic and the Jedi Order. But then, in retrospect, it should have been obvious. The Council never ordered the clones. The Sith did. This was their plan from the beginning, and it sends a spark of white-hot anger through him.

It dies just as quickly, withering away to resignation, the memory of Anakin's too-still body keeping him from doing anything rash.

Bail rises, expression angry, when Dooku enters the office with the air of someone who knows he's already won. "What is the meaning of this?" he demands. "What have you done to the clones? They disobeyed protocol and kept me here."

"It is finished," Dooku says with relish. "The war is over, Chancellor. You've lost. I will accept your unconditional surrender, and in turn, I will cease my attack on your planet. Do we have a deal?"

Bail looks at him, expression tight, but it must be obvious to him that there's nothing he can do. If he refuses, Dooku will have him killed and present the Senate with his demands – and they will be far more accommodating, no doubt. There's a look of betrayal in his eyes when he glances at Obi-Wan, though he doesn't say anything to him.

"We have a deal."

**w**

"Sir, with all due respect," Hunter objects, voice quiet as he stands next to Anakin in the hangar bay of the 501st flagship, "I do not believe you are in the condition to be running headlong into battle like this."

Anakin gives him a tired smile, one which is real, at the genuine concern in the clone's voice. He hardly knows them, and yet, they… care. "I will be fine," he answers gently, "The Force is my ally." It's because of the Force that he's on his feet right now, but it's not as though anyone else needs to know that. The Light is curled around him, filling him with an unmatchable strength and power, and he knows that he will endure the battle that is coming.

They board the gunships which will transport them to the surface, to the Senate building where Dooku is located. Less than an hour ago, he proclaimed on a live holofeed that the Republic has surrendered and announced his intentions to bring the galaxy together under an Empire. Most of the battles on the surface are over, a heavy, strained ceasefire lingering between the sides. The slightest move will reignite the conflict, Anakin knows. They lost contact with the Council, but the last they heard, Windu was going to take a strike team in to flush out Dooku and eliminate him.

Anakin knows he should have told them about Obi-Wan. The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't force them out, no matter how he tried. Maybe it doesn't matter. Maybe he can get to the Senate before the entire Jedi Order finds out how Obi-Wan has turned against them. Maybe no one else will ever have to know of the choice that Obi-Wan made in Dooku's prison, when faced with the chance of Anakin's death.

It's unlikely, but he can still hope.

Clone Force 99 is joining him, Ahsoka, and a company of men from the 501st, led by Rex, of course, as they attempt to destroy Dooku, save Obi-Wan, and restore the Republic.

Getting into the Senate building is easier than expected. While Dooku has somehow managed to activate the clones' inhibitor chips, or at least those among the Coruscant Guard who were at the Senate, they were clearly not ordered to consider the Jedi hostiles, and they readily let Anakin and the others through. The droids aren't so accepting, so it becomes a matter of eliminating them, pushing through hallways and up lifts as they press towards the Chancellor's office.

This is familiar, though. Anakin might be almost literally dead on his feet, but the motions of battle are familiar to him. It's all muscle memory and the Force, and he has both in abundance, no matter how he can feel exhaustion nagging at him. For the first time, he regrets not taking better care of himself. Perhaps if he'd done something different, eaten better, slept better, he wouldn't be so run down. But it's too late for regrets, and he calls the Force more deeply as he shoves an approaching line of droids back and away.

They leave clones to cover them from behind as they push steadily towards where Dooku is.

He opens the doors to the antechamber of the Chancellor's office to a scene of chaos. Dooku and Obi-Wan are in there, fighting side by side against Windu and several other Jedi. There are droids in there, too, and some clones. Tarkin is there, as is Chancellor Organa. Anakin steps into the room, the Force swirling around him, raw power vibrating through the air, and he doesn't say anything, doesn't need to say anything, to draw everyone's attention. For half a heartbeat, everything freezes, all eyes turning toward him.

He can feel the Dark Side in the room, so strongly, from Dooku and Obi-Wan both, and it hurts him to feel it, especially from his once master. But he doesn't let it phase him.

"Surrender," he says lightly to Dooku, "You're outmatched."

The Count scoffs derisively. "You're too injured to be a threat to me, Skywalker."

He glances toward Tarkin, a silent, unspoken order, and the Admiral lifts a comm. Which is shot from his hands instantly, and Anakin turns to see Fives standing there, fury rolling around him in the Force. "I don't think so," snarls the clone. "You are a traitor to the Republic, Admiral. We know about the chips. We know what you and Dooku have planned, and we will not be a part of it. Chancellor, what are your orders?"

Bail is afraid, almost visibly so, but he's also steadfast and determined. "Stop Dooku," he answers immediately, "And arrest every traitor who is siding with him."

Dooku holds up a hand. "Not so fast," he says, almost smug. "If I die, the droids have orders to bombard Coruscant. Is that really what you want? Millions will die. The Jedi Temple and Senate building will be destroyed. Are you willing to take that risk?"

The room freezes, and for a moment, no one moves.

The right thing to do, the thing the Jedi taught him to do, would be to go through with it anyway, stopping Dooku no matter the cost. Maybe millions will die. But it'll be better than an Empire under the Sith, where the entire galaxy will be crushed and exploited. Killing Dooku, even if Coruscant is the cost, would be for the greater good.

But Anakin has never been willing to sacrifice people for the greater good. He has always tried to save everyone, always, no matter the cost to himself.

What do I do? he asks the Force, because the Force has always been there, protecting him, guiding him. Now more than ever, he has learned to trust. He has learned to have faith. After everything that has happened, he has leaned on the Force more than ever in the past, and the Force has guided him, protected him, comforted him. He does not remember what happened exactly when he fought Sidious, but he knows the Force guided him.

The Force will guide him here, too.

Trust, comes the answer. Let go.

With the Force, anything is possible. He might be able to kill Dooku, but doing so may well mean that the rest of his family dies here, and that is not a cost Anakin is willing to make. And so, he lets go. He falls into the Force, letting the Light wash through him, lighting him up with a power the likes of which Dooku only wishes he has, a power no other living being can even conceive.

He can feel everything, every life on the planet, and it's overwhelming, making him waver in place, nearly bringing him to his knees. He can feel the clones fighting the droids, and he can feel the droids, too, the strange lifeless, metallic threats that they pose. He can feel the cruisers in orbit, Republic and Separatist both, and he feels his heart stutter as his power and the Force begin to overwhelm his physical body.

Maybe it will kill him to do this, and for all that he does not want to die, for all that he wants to live now, he wants to protect his family and end this even more.

With a flick of his finger, the droids around the room are crushed into scrap metal. His hand clenches, and the droids throughout the Senate are demolished in an instant. Anakin reaches further, upward, letting the Light guide him, feeling the way it cocoons him, keeping him alive as he does things that no living being should be able to even conceive.

"What are you doing?"

He doesn't fully know who the words come from, if it's from Dooku or Tarkin or someone else entirely, but he can feel their shock and awe, and if he tried, he could hear their thoughts, too. "Ending this," he answers, and even he is conscious of the way his voice nearly echoes with an overwhelming power.

Dooku moves toward him, lightsaber poised, ready to strike. Ahsoka lunges to intercept, and so do the other Jedi, but they aren't fast enough. Anakin doesn't even bother reaching for his own blade again, merely lifting a hand, and stopping Dooku's lightsaber with the Force, fingers curling around the blade and holding it there, in much the same way the Ones did on Mortis. Only now can he understand how they could, the immense connection to and control of the Force having been something that eluded his grasp until just recently.

Distantly, he can hear the startled, "is he glowing?!" from one of the clones, Hunter, he thinks, but he's already gone, mind drifting up to the Separatist cruisers above the planet, feeling the ones closest, the ones with cannons aimed down at the surface, locked onto targets. It's almost child's play to find the reactors, the Force guiding him along, and rip them apart, starting a chain reaction that will destroy the entire ship.

Anakin is distant from his body, but not so much so that he doesn't feel the way his heart is beating irregularly, the way his thoughts are slipping through his fingers like water, his brain unable to keep up, the warmth of the blood streaming from his nose as his body begins to shut down. But he doesn't stop. He can't stop.

He destroys the cruisers closest to the planet, the ones which are the biggest threats, before he has to pull back, the strain too much for him to continue. Black spots are dancing on the edges of his vision, and he wavers on his feet, standing only through sheer willpower.

"Do you surrender?" he says to Dooku, finally letting go of his lightsaber blade. "It's finished."

Everyone is staring at him, shock and awe and horror in their gazes. Respect, too. Anakin feels distant, above it, untouchable. He feels like he's going to either die, pass out, or throw up, and definitely not worthy of the feelings they're experiencing toward him.

He meets Dooku's eyes and sees only fear.

With great effort, he turns toward Obi-Wan. "Master," he says, hardly sure what he's even saying, "You don't have to help him anymore. I'm fine."

Obi-Wan makes a strangled sound. "You're not fine, Anakin!"

He feels the danger before it even happens.

Tarkin draws a blaster and fires at him. Unsteady as he is and as awed as everyone else is, the chances of him being hit are high. But he's not a normal human; he never has been. The blaster bolt is flicked aside, harmlessly hitting the ceiling long before it can ever hit him. The Dark surges violently, wildly, and Obi-Wan spins toward him, expression murderous as he lashes out. Tarkin is thrown into the wall, struggling to breathe, grasping at his neck as Obi-Wan strangles him.

Dooku intends to attack while he can, intends to escape. Anakin can feel it, and he throws out a hand, hurling him backward, knocking him to the floor and pinning him there while the clones stun him. As they fasten binders on him, Obi-Wan releases Tarkin's dead body, letting it fall to the floor.

Anakin takes a step forward, at least he thinks it's forward; everything is elusive to him right now, uncertain, unsteady, spinning. "Obi-Wan," he manages to get out, hopefully in Basic, "Let it go. You need to let it go."

Obi-Wan looks at him, a hint of yellow lurking in the depths of his blue-gray eyes. He doesn't answer.

He steps forward again, but the strain on his body is too much – he can still feel blood dripping from his nose – and he wavers. Darkness rushes up to meet him all at once, as his heart stutters again.

And stops.

And Anakin falls.

The last thing he hears is Obi-Wan's panicked cry, and a quiet, strained, "I've got you, Anakin," from Rex, before everything becomes blissfully dark.

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