Epilogue
Author's Note: I hope I didn't lose too many of my readers during my unscheduled break. Lol. I know a lot of y'all loved this fic and wanted to see how it would end, and HERE WE ARE! :D We're at the end! I never would have expected it to end this way when I started writing it, but I absolutely love the note it ends on, and I hope you will too! Feel free to scream in my general direction about your thoughts/feelings. I always love hearing from you! :)
PS. It is a little bit sad to say goodbye to this universe, but eh... I've got a dozen or fifty other storylines in the works. Lol.
~ Amina Gila
It takes Anakin longer to recover than he thought it would, and when he asks the healers, they tell him that if he hadn't lost so much weight and had trouble sleeping so frequently, combined with the Force-null prison cell Dooku put him into, he'd have been back on his feet already; he might not have even gone into a coma in the first place for that matter. And so, his stay in the Halls of Healing continues for a week after he wakes up. It's boring, and he's restless, and if not for Obi-Wan and Ahsoka who are almost always there, and Padme who drops by and stays every night, Anakin might have snuck out.
But he doesn't, because they're worried about him, terrified for him, and he doesn't want to make that worse. He focuses on getting better, instead, and on passing the time with two of the most important people in the galaxy to him. Three when Padme joins them.
It's been a week, and the healers are planning to discharge him soon with strict orders to rest when he senses the Jedi coming. Ahsoka is away, meeting up with Rex and the boys to discuss the infiltration operation that they're planning on Skako Minor to see what the algorithm is which Dooku used. Anakin won't be able to go – he won't be recovered, unfortunately – so he's sending Ahsoka instead. If his boys are going, he wants them to at least have one Force user with them to keep them safe.
The door to his room opens and Yoda and Windu enter. Anakin swings himself upright, setting his feet on the floor so he's on more even ground with them. He doesn't know exactly why they're here, why they came only moments after Obi-Wan was called away, but he doesn't think it's accidental.
"Pleased to see you recovering we are," Yoda states, looking up at him, and there's a strange approval in his tone which Anakin's never heard before. He wants to ask why they're here, but he doesn't know how, so instead, he remains quiet, just watching.
"You have done a great service for the Republic," Windu tells him, and his voice, too, is different. It's calmer, warmer even, and Anakin feels more than a little taken aback. "If you were still a Jedi, we would make you a Jedi Master."
He ducks his head at the words, overwhelmed. This is Windu. He's never made a secret of how little he trusts Anakin, always viewing him with suspicion, and to hear this now… it's not something he ever could have expected, especially given the depression he's struggled with for so long, the certainty that he's nothing close to the Jedi he ought to be, no matter what Obi-Wan said on the matter.
"I – thank you," he manages, "But I'm not coming back to the Order."
Windu and Yoda exchange glances. "Knew this we did," the Grandmaster replies. "Another life you have chosen."
"You… didn't just come here to thank me, though?" Anakin guesses, because his instincts tell him that there's more.
"No," Windu agrees, and somehow, he seems far more serious. "You are aware that Obi-Wan has Fallen." He waits for Anakin to nod before he continues. "We removed him from the Council, and he has indicated that he intends to leave the Order and go with you, wherever you intend to go."
"Yes," Anakin murmurs, "He mentioned it to me." Still, he can't help the tendril of wariness and unease. He doesn't know what they want from him.
"Keep an eye on him," Windu requests. "He has not actually harmed anyone, except for Tarkin, but we cannot have another situation like we did with Dooku."
Anakin winces. Hearing Obi-Wan being compared with Dooku angers him, but he also understands it. They want him to watch over Obi-Wan, to make sure he won't go deeper into the Dark and hurt anyone as he loses himself. "I will," he promises. "Obi-Wan will be fine. I'll make sure of it."
"Appreciate this we do," Yoda says, and he means it; Anakin can feel it in the Force. "Concerned for him we have been."
"He's been Falling for a while," Windu adds, eyes serious, "His attachment to you has made him unstable. The Council agreed that you should be made aware, so you could prevent him from going too far."
The Dark Side is… a risk, Anakin knows, but he also knows that Obi-Wan won't follow Dooku's path, not so long as he's alive. "I'll keep an eye on him," he tells them, instead of expressing his own thoughts. They don't need to know what he thinks about the Dark. Obi-Wan will be fine, so long as they stay together.
**w**
The air is tense, expectant, as Anakin and Fives wait on the landing platform for the Marauder to land. It's been a couple weeks now since Anakin was released from the Halls of Healing, and he's been continuing his recovery at Padme's apartment. The healers might not agree, but he's fully recovered now. He feels better than he has in a long time, even before he left the Order.
Ahsoka went with Rex and the boys, accompanying Clone Force 99 to Skako Minor to investigate the algorithm. Anakin doesn't know what he expected them to find, but not what they actually found.
Echo is alive.
They left him for dead at the Citadel, but he wasn't dead. He survived. And he's been a Separatist prisoner ever since, his mind taken and used by the TechnoUnion to give the Separatists an advantage. It's infuriating, and Anakin cannot hide or bury the anger that burns hot in his chest when he thinks about it. They're bringing Echo back to Coruscant to present testimony to the Senate, so they aren't sanctioned or punished for their unauthorized mission. And even if they are, it'll be worth it, because at least Echo will be free.
Fives is livid, just as much as Anakin if not more so. He mourned Echo deeply, and Anakin can't even begin to imagine how it must be for him to learn that his batchmate survived the mission when they thought him dead.
Finally, the Marauder lands. Ahsoka is the first off, tired but happy, and Anakin doesn't hesitate, pulling her into his arms and hugging her tightly. She's grown so much since she became his Padawan so long ago. She's still a child, but she's not inexperienced like she once was. She knows how to lead a mission, and he's so proud of her for that, no matter that it hurts what her life has had to be.
"Good job on the mission, Ahsoka," he murmurs, stroking her back lekku. "I'm proud."
She grins up at him, pulling back to playfully nudge Fives' arm as they look back towards where Rex and the other clones of the 501st who went are lingering. And then, Echo disembarks. His steps are slow, a little unsteady, but heavier than they used to be. Anakin reaches out a tendril of the Force to feel him, to see what damage has been done, and he clenches his hands into fists when he feels – and sees – the extent of the modifications on Echo's body. Stars, he failed him. Echo was his responsibility, and he didn't keep him safe, not like he should have.
Next to him, Fives makes a choked sound, and then, he's barreling towards his brother. "Echo," he croaks, pulling Echo to him. They just hold each other, foreheads pressed together, and Anakin looks away at Rex to give them a moment of privacy to reunite.
"How was it?" he asks.
"It went well," Rex answers, nodding. "I'll give you the full debriefing if you want it, but the Commander saved us back there. They didn't know we were coming, but they were well prepared. If not for her and Clone Force 99, I'm not sure we'd have all made it out."
"I'm glad you're okay," Anakin tells him honestly, reaching out to touch his shoulder before he approaches Echo.
The clone pulls back from Fives, snapping to attention. "Sir," he greets him, and Anakin waves it off.
"I'm not a Jedi anymore, Echo. You can call me my name." Though Anakin doubts Echo will do that anymore than the rest of the 501st has.
Echo offers a small smile. "As you say," he answers, and then, after a deliberate pause, "General."
Anakin laughs at that, touching Echo's shoulder. "I'm sorry about what happened to you," he tells him, more serious, "And I'm sorry I couldn't be there with Fives to get you out."
"It's okay, sir, really," Echo assures him. "When I did what I did… I knew the risks."
Anakin turns to look at Hunter as he and his brothers disembark from the ship. "Thank you," he says simply. There's nothing more he can say.
"Just doing our job," Hunter answers, nodding, but Anakin knows that he understands.
And now that they have Echo back, tangible proof of what the clones have endured, Anakin and Padme can start lobbying in earnest for them to be granted rights, especially since Anakin's free to move around. Better late than never.
**w**
The war ends.
It only took years and the deaths of millions for it to happen, but it finally ends with the Republic conceding to let the Separatists cede, like they had wanted to do from the beginning. Somehow, it all feels so pointless.
The Republic didn't win, and though it didn't lose, it was still broken up. All those lives that were lost, and for what? It's a testament to the corruption within the system that it even happened in the first place, and only time can tell whether the Republic will begin to improve from here or whether it will spiral and go up in flames as the corruption rots it from the inside out.
And just as Anakin expected, Dooku is put on trial. Though it has yet to end, the outcome is already set in stone. He'll be executed for his crimes against the Republic, against the galaxy. With him the last of the Sith will die – except for Maul, who is on a different path. No one has heard from him, and Anakin doubts they ever will, despite what he claimed. Maul knows Anakin is far too strong for him, and he's chosen his brother over revenge. He might be alive, but the conclusion is still satisfactory.
As for the clones, their fight is only just beginning. It is hard for them to be recognized as people, for them to be granted citizenship and rights, but with Anakin speaking out publicly, and with Padme and Senator Chuchi both lobbying in their favor, they'll come out on top, even if it takes some time to sort out the details. Maybe the thing most in their favor will be the discovery of the inhibitor chips.
The Council sanctioned Anakin and Obi-Wan to go on an investigation on Kamino. What they discovered there about the chips, about what they can do, is horrifying. Had Palpatine survived, had Dooku or Tarkin gotten the chance they'd been looking for, the war could have ended in a very, very different manner, with the Republic and Jedi Order burned to the ground. Annihilated. But that didn't happen, won't happen; the clones are safe, and they are free.
Thinking about what-ifs is useless.
Maybe it will take time, much time, for everyone to find a path forward, but now, they actually have a chance.
**w**
When Anakin opens his eyes, he's standing on a faintly glowing pathway, surrounded by stars. The Force is singing a song of harmony and peace, and for a moment, Anakin just lets himself be. It's so peaceful. It's the kind of peace he's been seeking ever since his depression set in.
It's been a couple months since everything happened, since they defeated Dooku, and Padme has finally taken a break from the Senate. They're on Naboo now, at the Lake House on Varykino where Anakin and Padme got married at the beginning of the war. They have a child on the way, children actually, if what Anakin senses is accurate. They deserve time to relax, them and Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, both of whom are staying here as well. Anakin's gotten better over the weeks he's been going to a mind healer, and while he's far from better, he's… improving. They all are.
"Chosen One," comes the voice, and Anakin tenses, spinning as he looks around, searching for the owner of the voice. It echoes oddly, the same way it did when Anakin last saw him in person.
And there, standing only feet away, is the Father. He looks real, somehow, and inside of himself, Anakin knows that this is no mere dream. "Why am I here?"
"I asked you, once," the Father says to him, "To stay and keep my children from breaking loose. Now, we are gone, a part of the Force, but our legacy and power lives on. You are the Chosen One. You have brought balance to the Force. I am here to grant you the gift of my power, that you might bear my mark and learn to tame the power within you."
Anakin stares at him, speechless, uncertain how to even begin to respond to that. "Why?" he asks finally. "Why me?"
"Because you are worthy. The galaxy needs someone to fill my role, all of our roles. I have chosen you, and it will be your duty to seek out those who can carry the mantle of Son and Daughter, to retain the balance in the Force."
His lips part soundlessly for a moment. "My body cannot handle my power, not when I delve into it," he answers finally. "I left the Jedi. I'm not one of them anymore. I'm just… me."
"That is all you need," the Father replies. "You are ready. And with your link to me, your power will no longer overwhelm you. You will be the guardian, the balancing point, the one in the middle."
Maybe it had been foolish of Anakin to think that his time for serving the galaxy was over. He's the strongest Force user ever, and there will always be those who need his help. That doesn't mean, of course, that he can't take time for himself, but to step back and live a reclusive life would be selfish. Besides, that's not what he wants. Already, he finds that he misses the action, misses helping others. It's in his blood, engrained into him from the time he was a child. He knows how important it is to help other people, because if he doesn't, who will?
He knew he could never go back to the Order, but he had been waiting, searching… for something. Maybe this is it. Maybe this is his calling. Maybe a part of him always knew, from the time he came to Mortis, that his life would be forever different. Maybe this is always who he was meant to be.
"I accept," Anakin murmurs, the Force singing around him.
The Father steps forward, and Anakin doesn't move as he reaches out, pressing a finger to his forehead.
And the world shifts.
He can feel the warm heat rushing into him, the tendrils of raw power curling through his veins. He can feel everything, the burning of distant stars, the lives all throughout the galaxy, across every single world. He can feel it all, and he shudders beneath the onslaught, but it doesn't overwhelm him like it once would have. He feels it all, and he knows that the Father was right. This is who he was meant to be. This is his purpose.
Anakin opens his eyes to see that the Father is gone, fading away entirely into a fine, aqua mist.
And then, he's waking up.
For a moment, Anakin lays there next to Padme, just breathing as he feels the Force in a way he never has before, not unless he's delving into it. Slowly, he eases away from her, tiptoeing into the 'fresher, vibrating with raw power. He reaches for the light, and then falters, stopping when he realizes that there's already a glow in the room.
Coming from him.
Curiously, he approaches the mirror, staring at himself. His eyes are a brilliant blue, glowing with an otherworldly power, and his skin is radiating light, much like the Father himself did. It's… strange. He sucks in a deep breath, flexing his fingers, realizing how much he's capable of now. With a snap of his fingers, he could probably eviscerate an entire planet or star. It's a heady feeling, but it's also a sobering one.
He is the one in the middle.
And Anakin touches the power within him, though it feels like grasping a live wire, dragging it back and down, deep into his core. He watches as the light fades from his body, his eyes returning to their normal blue. In the morning, he'll have to tell Padme and Obi-Wan and Ahsoka what happened, and they can deal with it, and the implications, then. In the morning, he can decide what to do about what the Father told him, about how he needs to choose someone to take up the mantle of the Son and Daughter.
To think that he'd thought their adventures were over.
No, it looks like they're only just beginning, and this time, he won't be facing it all alone. He'll face it with his family: with Obi-Wan, with Ahsoka, with Padme, with Rex, with all the clones. He is not alone.
This is not the end.
This is a beginning.
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