Part 2
Author's Note: Anakin finally meets Ahsoka face-to-face... and chaos unfolds. Not necessarily the good kind, either. :) This is the final part of this story! I hope you enjoy it! :D
~ Amina Gila
The sound of cheers ringing out around him is loud enough to make his dragon ears twitch uncomfortably. They're far sharper than when he's a human, and the noise is deafening.
It only serves to fuel his mounting frustration and bitterness and helplessness at the situation, as his gaze darts around the arena. Everyone here is happy, excited, to watch the... fight to the death that's about to unfold.
Azmorigan evidently was entirely serious when he said they would find uses for him where he actually would be forced to be of use – because in this gladiator ring, he has no doubt he'll be forced to fight to the death whatever animal or... person they decide to throw in here. It won't even be like Jabba's palace, where he and that Twi'lek girl were actually able to try and escape together even if that lasted an all of a few minutes.
Here, he won't have a choice.
The collar around his neck yet again speaks loudly enough for that. He's back where he started before he was rescued in the first place. He doesn't know why he ever thought that he wouldn't be sold off to someone else eventually. Why did he ever believe that phase of his life was over?
He's thrown into an entirely unfamiliar territory again with no one like has happened so many times before. (He misses Obi-Wan already, and he has no idea if he's ever going to see him again. He doesn't even know if he's okay.) He wants to scream, or – or cry or something, but if he started doing either, he'd never stop. (It's easy to see now, how so many people finally break under this, after they've lost everyone so many times over, but he can't do that. He won't. No matter just how close he feels to that right now.)
The gate at the far end of the arena opens with an agonizingly loud clang again, and Anakin spins towards it, tail flicking as he watches it opening. He has to be ready for this, whatever's about to happen.
Except, he's not at all expecting who's actually shoved through the opening, before the guards behind her retreat from sight.
It's the very same Togruta girl he saw that night with Obi-Wan. The Jedi kid who was with the clones.
Now that he can see her clearly in the light, he can see how young she is. She must be barely in her early teens, and she's so small. Something about how she feels in the energy gives him a sensation of what he can best describe as rose petals, but he can feel how scared she is, even if outwardly, she's too stubborn to show it.
She has a collar around her neck too, marking her as a slave like him. From her sheer panic and how lost she looks, it's obviously something she's never had to face before. Anakin's dealt with it his whole life and he knows how to act, has been forced to learn how to face it, but she... has no idea. And she's just a child, who deserves so much than this – not that that isn't true about all the slaves he's ever met. But for her, she's... really the first child he's ever had time to interact with in years. He wasn't kept near any on Zygerria.
He's never felt that overwhelming urge to protect the way he does now – he wants to do that to everyone, to help everyone he can, and he always has, but something about this is a little different.
Not to mention her clothes, which certainly aren't designed to give her any protection in a fight. They look more like they're designed to... show her off,and it disgusts him.
Anakin takes a hesitant step towards her, and she throws up her hands, an invisible energy slamming into him, throwing him across the plaza. He catches himself halfway, wings flapping to slow himself, ignoring everyone cheering. They'll probably cheer no matter who's winning. All they want to see is a fight. They don't care what happens to any of those they throw in here. To them, everyone here is nothing but animals – and even animals deserve better than this.
Turning towards her again, Anakin reaches out, nudging her mind.
He feels her flicker of surprise, the way she responds to him the same way Obi-Wan does, but something about it is far less sloppy. Like she actually knows how to use the energy consciously, which... of course she does, if she's a Jedi. The first one he's ever met. Once, he thought of them as legendary beings, but they're just as much mortals as he is – and she needs his help and protection far more than he needs anything from the Jedi.
"I didn't realize you were sentient," she says, hands dropping to her sides though she still looks wary, jittery. After everything she's been through, there's no shock there.
"I am. My name is Anakin."
"I'm Ahsoka," she replies, taking a few cautious steps closer, "I've never seen a dragon before. Except once."
Probably, she saw him flying over the clone camp, right before the other gangsters showed up and took her. "That may have been me, too."
She frowns. "You were near the camp...?"
"Yes. Long story." Probably not something they can really talk about right now.
Anakin can already sense the observers' distinct unhappiness that nothing is happening. That... doesn't mean anything good, but there's nothing he can do. With the collars on, they'd never make it out of here. He's not stupid enough to try.
"What do we do?" Ahsoka asks, voice quiet enough that he's probably the only one who can hear her.
He doesn't want to look this child in the eye and tell her he doesn't know, that she's trapped here forever in this life like he is. "I will find a way to get you out," Anakin promises, because he doubts he could get himself out, but at least her –
And now, he can entirely understand how his mother always felt, about him.
Ahsoka reaches up lightly, touching his snout. The touch is soft, almost featherlike as she trails a hand along his scales. At least he can finally appreciate the feel of being touched again.
Except, they don't even have a moment to linger in it, because he sees several guards approaching the railing up above, talking to each other. One brief glance at them is enough to say what they're about to do.
Anakin doesn't have the chance to warn Ahsoka, not that a warning would've served any purpose.
Her collar activates the same second that his does, the hiss of crackling electricity ringing in his ears as the burning pain consumes all his senses.
**w**
Anakin would've stayed a dragon on the trek back to... wherever these people are taking him, if he were given a choice, but they re-fitted him with a human-sized collar before taking him there – which is enough to say that it has the same capabilities that the collar the Queen always used had.
Everything still aches, and his neck feels like it's on fire – it's probably burned almost raw, after all – and walking without limping is nigh impossible. The guards shoving him forwards every two seconds for stumbling is only making it worse.
They reach a hall of cages, bars dividing each from each other. At first glance he thinks most of the beings down here are animals, but when a low growl draws his gaze to the far end and he spots a Wookie, he reconsiders that. Maybe most of them are animals. Certainly not all.
They shove him in one of the cells and he lands on the hard floor on his knees, looking up as the door clangs shut behind him and they lock it. The hall is mostly dark, but there's still enough light coming in from the far end – a barred window? – that he can see into the cells next to him.
And Ahsoka is curled up in the corner on the floor right beside his. Her arms are half wrapped around herself, almost protectively. From the way her shoulders shake occasionally and from the quiet sniffles, he can tell she's crying.
It hurts to see, and he desperately wants to do something, anything, to help her. "Ahsoka," Anakin calls softly, scooting to the edge of the bars so he's as close to her as he can get.
She starts slightly, looking up.
"It's me," he explains, "As... human."
"Anakin?" she asks, voice still slightly shaky but she practically sags in relief.
"How are you holding up?" he inquires. Asking her if she's alright would be senseless. Even in the dim lighting he can see the bright red marks tracing across her neck, too. Talking even hurts him, but they have to talk about this.
"I hate this," Ahsoka bites out, voice breaking again, "I have to get out of here and I don't know what to do. Every time I try, they –"
He can well imagine the rest. "You need a plan, first," he cuts in, "This place is designed so no one can get out."
"Has anyone?" she asks, a hint of desperation in her voice. She scoots closer, so nothing but the barred wall and the darkness is separating them.
Does anyone get out of this life? He's never known anyone who has, not in anything beyond dreams. Or legends. "There are... legends," Anakin answers, slowly, "It is not impossible if you truly believe in it. That was something my mother always used to tell me, along with the legend of the sun dragon."
"The sun dragon?" Ahsoka echoes, confused.
He nods. "She would tell me that story almost every night. The sun dragon is a beast that lives inside a star, guarding everything it treasures. Nothing could hurt it. Not fire, not flame. It survived through the most impossible circumstances, even life in the core of a star. Because the sun-dragon had the biggest heart in the galaxy, a burning furnace powerful enough to protect everything and everyone it loved."
She listens to it silently, her breathing evening out a little. "Why are you... telling me this?"
"I don't know you, but to stay this... strong, I know you're brave. And determined. Like the sun dragon my mother always told me about. And that means there is a way for us to get out of here."
Us.
For the first time, Anakin's actually included himself in that. For the first time since he was ripped away from Shmi, it actually feels like there might be a chance for that. He doesn't know where this sudden swell of determination is coming from, strong enough to force back the underlying hopelessness that's been overwhelming him all these years, but it's a strength he's missed for so long. Something he forgot he could even feel anymore.
Maybe it's having Ahsoka here, someone relying on him, who he can't help looking at as something of as... a younger sister maybe? He wondered sometimes, what it would feel like to have a sibling, or even to be raising a child, and he's only known for an hour max, but the urge to protect is already overwhelming.
Ahsoka looks up at him, her blue eyes locking with his, and he can see the stubbornness burning there. She's not going to give up, not this easily. "You've been here longer than me. What do you know about ways we can get out?"
Anakin pauses, considering. "We'll have to get our collars off first. Perhaps you could do that with the... whatever it is you use?"
"The Force?" she asks, smiling faintly.
"Yes. That." He didn't realize that's what Jedi call it. "But we would have to wait until we are certain we can break past their ranks, or there will be no second chances." He hates having to wait even a moment longer, but he needs to consider this realistically. "I could probably break the bars as a dragon, but we may want to wait until we know more about the guards' positions. It's a risk, but... one we will have to take." Trying and failing entirely would be worse. He can only hope they won't be separated.
Ahsoka flops back against her cell wall with a huff. "I don't want to wait. I know we need to, but –"
"I know," he assures, soothingly, "But to start with, we will need our strength. You should rest."
She glances around the small space they're trapped in, looking none too happy, but finally shifts so she can stretch out on the floor. Anakin curls up close to the bars next to her, long accustomed to the uncomfortableness of the location. But it's better than a rancor pit.
The crisscrossing bars are close together but not too much that he can't squeeze his hand through, reaching out to take Ahsoka's. It's the most comfort he can really offer her.
She blinks in surprise, but returns the grip with surprising fierceness, clinging to him. The feel of her small hand in his is grounding for him too, as he drifts off to sleep.
The peacefulness of it doesn't last long.
Something jerks his wrist hard, and Anakin's eyes fly open, immediately trying to sit up, wrenching his wrist nearly hard enough to yelp.
... That was stupid.
Sleeping with his hand stuck through tiny bars he can barely get through isn't necessarily the smartest decision. Especially not when Ahsoka is still clinging to it, but from how much she's moving around – and endeavoring to drag him through the bars – she's obviously having a nightmare.
"Ahsoka!" Anakin calls quietly, tracing his thumb over the back of her hand in an effort to wake her. "Ahsoka."
She finally stirs at the sound of his voice, eyes flying open with a quiet gasp.
"Ahsoka," he calls again, and she twists around in the darkness, gaze locking with his, "It's alright."
She's breathing hard, but her grip tightens on his hand, and she scoots about as close as she can. He can only imagine what she's seeing, and there's no way it's something she wants to focus on a second longer.
"I didn't mean to wake you," she mumbles, staring up at the ceiling above them.
"It's fine," he promises. It's not as if he doesn't have nightmares nearly every night, too.
Ahsoka shifts restlessly next to him, though she doesn't reply.
"Sometimes my mother would sing to me, when I was going to sleep," he tells her.
"Hmm?" she asks, rolling onto her side to face him.
"It might help," he explains.
She looks curious and uncertain, and he gives her a small smile, before he... starts singing. It's in Amatakkan and nothing Ahsoka needs to understand, but he knows it was always calming for him when his mother did that, and it doesn't take long before she's drifting off to sleep again.
**w**
A single ray of sunlight falls across the hallway between the cages when Anakin awakens. He didn't bother waking up early – there wasn't a point for that. Sitting up, he sees Ahsoka sitting cross-legged in her cell, eyes closed.
"You're... meditating?" he guesses, when she finally stirs.
Her eyes lock briefly with his. "Yeah."
"I've never met a Jedi before," Anakin comments, "Until you. Once, I wanted to be one."
"I don't know how you didn't end up as one," she replies, "You're... strong. I don't think I've ever felt someone so bright in the Force, before."
Anakin blinks. That – he didn't know that. "Am I?"
She nods.
He tries to imagine it, a universe where he was a Jedi. Where he didn't spend his entire life as a slave. He really can't imagine that, not anymore. "The Jedi never came to Tatooine, where I lived. They never found me. But I can still sense things sometimes, that I have never seen anyone else able to."
Ahsoka eyes him, curiously. "Most people close themselves off to the Force once they get older. But there might be a chance you could still reach it."
Anakin perks up. Not that he ever questioned it, but it wasn't a real thing – to think someone could teach him to use that energy, in any way other than transforming himself. "Could you tell me how?" Anakin inquires, "I would like to try. If I could learn, maybe it could help us get out of here."
Ahsoka looks uncertain and eager at once. "It would," she agrees, "But I don't know if it would work. We always connect with the Force when we're young because that's the best time to open our minds to it."
"It couldn't hurt to try, right?" Anakin suggests, hopefully.
"True," she concedes, though she still seems slightly hesitant.
"What?" he asks, finally.
"It's not disallowed to teach others about the Force if they aren't Jedi, but it's not really done," she explains.
Anakin doesn't really get why that would be a deal, but he doesn't understand Jedi beliefs, either. "It's only so we can escape." Though on that note... "What's the chance other Jedi will come out here looking for you?" He surprised they haven't shown up already honestly, unless Azmorigan is that good at covering his tracks.
Ahsoka practically deflates. "I don't know," she replies, something frustrated in her gaze, "Master Plo would look for me, but he wouldn't know where or what happened, and he wouldn't expend too many resources searching."
But that's – "Plo is your... guardian?" he clarifies, frowning.
She nods.
"Then if there's a chance something happened to you, why would he ever stop searching for you?"
"As Jedi, we can't put the needs of just one over many, and he's leading the war effort," she replies, even if there's a distinct unhappiness to the way she says all of it. She's not happy with her life, he realizes abruptly. He always thought of the Jedi as heroes. He never considered that they might be... dissatisfied with whatever their life is like.
"But you're like his child, aren't you?" Anakin argues. He doesn't really understand what she's saying, either. His mother always told him to help everyone if he could. Obviously, there's times you can't, but that's never a reason not to try.
"Padawan," Ahsoka corrects, "Jedi don't have parents."
"I don't know much about the Jedi," he admits, "Except what's in legends. I can see I don't know much about what they're... like."
"Things were... more different before the war," Ahsoka replies, expression scrunched in long-buried frustration, "Now I have to lead my men into battle constantly and they're always getting killed because of my orders, and I don't know how to do this. I wasn't even able to defend that kyber crystal shipment."
That explains what was so important about it. Anakin knows kyber crystals cost a fortune on the black market, and hearing all this, he's never been gladder that he refused to attack. Though if he had, the clones' lives might've been spared even if they lost the shipment. Maybe. That doesn't mean things would be any better in the long run, though.
He has no idea how to feel either, about the fact that Ahsoka is only fourteen,and she's being forced to lead in a war.
"We have to adjust to the times," he tells her gently, because it's the brutal truth, even if it can be hard. If he hadn't adapted to trying to survive on his own, he would've died long ago. "If it's war, people will always die. It's... the reality of command. That doesn't make it all your fault."
Ahsoka leans back against the back wall, crossing her arms. "It's not that simple. And now I'm just stuck here,and I don't know how I'll even get back to them."
"Can you teach me about the Force?" he asks, again. "It may help us get out of here."
Ahsoka nods, straightening. "I'll teach you."
**w**
Trying to open himself back up to the Force when he's unconsciously closed himself off from it is hard – and it's especially hard to reach into the energy without feeling the urge to start transforming into a dragon – but Anakin's starting to get used to trying.
Once he actually understands how she's trying to tell him to connect with it in the first place, it comes naturally in a rush.
He's always sensed things strongly, but he never realized how brilliant the universe was around him until he's actually able to reach into it more actively.
Anakin has no idea how long they've been trapped here, but he's spending all the spare time he has focusing on trying to connect with the Force. There's been an occasional time that the guards come, dragging him back to the arena to fight against an animal. The animals are starved wild and always attack without hesitation, so he has to fight back, but it – At least he hasn't had to fight another person. Yet.
He doesn't doubt that it's coming.
They've taken Ahsoka a couple times, too, to put her up against animals, and every time afterwards, she's further withdrawn on herself when she comes back. Bitter. Angry.
He can see the signs, the way her simmering fury is starting to grow, and he's admittedly worried about her. But there's nothing he can do but try to learn more about using the Force, while he mentally maps out the best way to get out of here.
What will happen after that, he has no idea. (He misses Obi-Wan. He misses Mom. He wants to find both of them, but he doesn't even know where to start, for either one.)
"I was hoping our situation could speed this long," Anakin says, as he focuses on trying to levitate a rock in an unoccupied cell opposite them.
"That's not how it works," Ahsoka replies, a hint of amusement in her voice, despite the usual tightness of her expression recently.
"I know." The more frustrated he gets, the harder it gets to actually connect with the Force. And Ahsoka's warned him repeatedly that Jedi are supposed to be calm, because acting on negative emotions "leads to the Dark Side". He doesn't fully understand why it's such a bad thing, but she's the one who should know what she's talking about.
That's part of what worries him so much, because for all that she repeats the importance of being calm, she's been anything but calm, and as the days go by, it only gets worse.
Anakin closes his eyes again, focusing on the Force flowing around him. He can imagine the feel of the rock in his hand, imagine being able to lift it, and all he has to do is be able to move it.
He always feels so much, and trying to find a center of calm away from his emotions isn't always easy, but he tries focusing on...
Ahsoka, and whatever it is they're forming. She's so much like a little sister, what he always imagined having a sibling would be like, but she's also more than that, with the protective feelings he has for her. Maybe. It's not like he knows what it's like to have a sibling. Or a child, for that matter.
Obi-Wan, and how much Anakin was starting to look up to him. He hadn't been able to feel safe around anyone the way he could when they were together.
And of course, his mom. She took care of him, was all he had for years, and gave him a strength to keep moving that nothing else has. He'll never forget the story of the sun dragon.
He's supposed to be strong enough to protect everyone he loves, and even if he's failed every single time before, he's not going to fail to take care of Ahsoka.
"Open your eyes," Ahsoka says, a hint of eagerness in his voice.
Anakin does, to see the rock floating off the ground.
He can do it. It floods him with a rush of elation, and more than that, hope. His mother told him he was the sun dragon, and he – he's going to be, whatever it takes.
Which happens to be the very moment Anakin suddenly senses something off. It's a flicker of warning from something far off, but it's coming closer. Something's going to happen. He can feel it.
"Something's coming," Anakin warns, lowering the rock to the floor.
Ahsoka stiffens, and he can see that shift in her expression, when she's reaching out to sense something. "What is it?"
"I don't know." Not yet.
The faint sound of a blaster shot, from somewhere close, but muffled through all the walls, rings out. It's quickly followed by several more shots, until they're going off almost constantly.
A gang fight?
Or something close, at least.
The hall is dark now, the sun already disappearing below the horizon a while ago. The perfect time to try to escape if they have the chance.
And then he feels the slightest nudge from the Force, and he knows. "It's time," Anakin says, tensing. He's afraid, but he won't let that stop him. They might never have a better chance. Even if he knows all too well what will happen if they fail.
"You mean to... go?" Ahsoka asks, gaze darting around the hall.
He nods. "Now. We'll let out the animals to cover our tracks."
Without waiting, he closes his eyes, reaching into the Force, focusing on the collar around his neck. It's not hard to find the mechanism and feel it, and he nudges it hard, daring to breathe a sigh of relief when he hears it snap off. Ahsoka has already realized the same thing because she gets her own collar off. Anakin delves deeply into the Force like always, drawing it in to him, twisting and transforming himself into a dragon. There's hardly room to move, but his strength is enough for him to rip the bars down on the front of the cage, forcing himself out, ignoring the way the metal screeches and groans, and the way it scratches along his scales.
He rips Ahsoka's cage open next, and she scrambles out.
It's the first time they've been side by side in person – other than the arena – without the cage bars separating them. The Togruta lingers for only a moment, lightly touching the scales of his snout before they take off, starting at the far end of the hall to let all the animals out before they make a run for it.
Anakin rounds the corner sharply, throwing the guards standing right around the corner in the wall, hard enough to knock them unconscious. But there's definitely supposed to be more of them here. The sound of blaster shots is louder out here, but it also sounds like it's growing more intense. The other guards probably already went to deal with whatever's happening.
Unease twists inside of him, as he shifts back to his human form. The less noticed they are right now, the better. Anakin has no idea who's attacking this place, after all. Probably, it's people just as awful as the ones currently holding them so they don't need anyone to see them. But escaping has never been that easy before, and he's wary of thinking it actually will be this time. There are one million things that could go wrong, and –
The animals they freed are running loose through the halls now, as he and Ahsoka run.
They round another corner abruptly, only to come face to face with another group of guards. Anakin fires several stun blasts on them instantly, with the blaster he picked up along the way, but there's too many and with so many weapons trained on them –
Maybe, he should've stayed a dragon after all.
"The slaves are escaping!" one of them calls, "We need to warn –" He cuts off mid-sentence with a strangled choking sound, hands going to his neck, as he and another guard in the front are lifted off the ground.
Anakin's head whips around, to see Ahsoka standing there, hands raised, a desperate fury burning in her eyes.
"Ahsoka –" he starts to say, but it's not fast enough to stop her from snapping their necks.
He can't say he has much sympathy, but it was entirely unexpected, and he's worried that Ahsoka would do it. But there's no time to stop and talk about it right now. All they can do is keep moving until they finally find a back entrance.
The blaster fire is much louder now, as they dart outside, into the cool night air. An electric fence surrounds the place, so they'll have to find a way to get over that. Or Anakin could transform again and fly them over, but there's numerous ships surrounding the place on all sides, and they don't want to be seen by those people, either.
Definitely a gang fight of some kind, and he yanks Ahsoka back against the wall when someone from one of the ships nearly shines a light right at them. Escaping is going to be nearly impossible.
But they have to move, before the people make their way around here. Through the darkness, Anakin can just make out the shadows of the people attacking, and then his blood runs cold.
They're Zygerrian.
Force.
No.
This can't be happening. Not right now, not here. No, no, no – He was free from her. He wasn't supposed to have to go back. He was –
No.
"Anakin," Ahsoka hiss-whispers.
Right. He needs to focus on something other than his wildly pounding heart and how it feels nearly impossible to suck in any air right now. There's an open area between several ships up ahead that they might be able to make it through. There's no better opening they're going to find, if they're serious about escaping.
Anakin gestures to the spot, a wordless communication with Ahsoka before they both break into a run across the field.
"I'll throw you over the fence," she calls, when they're half way there.
He does not want to cross the fence before she does, but there's no other option. It's electric. They can't climb it. This better not be a fatal mistake.
Anakin sprints ahead, drawing the Force to him as he jumps. It helps a little, but it doesn't get him nearly far enough, until Ahsoka catches him with the Force, throwing him the rest of the way.
He catches himself, turning as she Force-jumps over, landing easily on the ground. They break into a run again, but not fast enough. A light falls right on them. Air freezes in his lungs for a moment, but he doesn't slow. They've been spotted already, but maybe the guards will ignore them. He can hope, but he doubts it already.
"It's him!" he faintly hears one of the Zygerrians calls, and then he knows. They were here for him, weren't they? Someone must've recognized him in the arena.
Which means, the Queen must want him back.
Stun blasts whiz past them seconds later, and he swerves sharply to avoid it. Golden light flashes behind him seconds later, and he knows it's one of those stunshots before he even has time to dodge. Except, it's not him the blast hits. It's Ahsoka.
She lets out a strangled yelp before she falls. Anakin jerks to a stop, spinning around, fully intent on picking her up to keep running, but the guards already have their blasters trained on her.
"Another step, and she dies," warns one of them.
He knows better than to test it. He thought they were going to escape, and instead, he's ending up right back where he started, somewhere worse. And it's going to be far worse for Ahsoka there than here, which is saying something.
He failed again, the way it always seems like he does. Why does it feel like that's all he ever manages? He's not going to give up yet, though. There might still be a chance, but he – he'll watch for it, but he can't truly let himself hope for it, not knowing how unlikely it is. Especially not when the guards move forwards to put that collar on him again.
**w**
Anakin's heart is pounding loud enough he's almost sure everyone can hear, as he's shoved forwards onto the main Zygerrian ship. He already knows who's here, even without having to reach out with the Force to feel her sickening Force presence. He never wants to see her again, and for all the things he's seen her do, he thinks she's the one person he could kill without remorse. If only to feel like he can sleep at peace at night again.
Did she seriously come all the way out here for him? Or was she just in the area, maybe to attend the arena? He has no idea, and he frankly doesn't want to.
Sure enough, she's sitting at the front of the room, with one of her birds perched on her shoulder. The gentleness she treats them with, for how she treats all her slaves is downright sickening.
He doesn't miss that gleam in her eye, the pleased look on her face, when she sees him.
"Vader," Miraj purrs, and he tries not to outright flinch at hearing that name again, in that voice.
It never fails to flood him with a helpless fury that she forces him to go by a name she chose, but his second thought only a moment later is a panicked once Ahsoka wakes up and tries to find him, Miraj's going to know he's been going by a different name than Vader.
Not that he probably isn't about to get beaten, anyway. He's faced that countless times before, though. He's more afraid of what else could... come later.
"It's been a long time without you. Aren't you going to greet your Queen?" she asks.
He wants to throw up, actually. Or smack her in the face with his dragon foot. "Your Majesty," he replies finally, evenly, careful to keep his voice quiet.
"I'm pleased to have you back, Vader. I won't let another steal you from me again," she goes on, as though he's somehow supposed to agree with her.
Several thumps echo loudly outside the door suddenly, and Anakin stills. That sounded way too...
Something's coming, but with all the chaos, he never even noticed that Force presence until this very moment. That familiar feel of the coming rain, and he knows who's about to enter right before the door bursts open.
Several blaster shots ring out, and the guards on either side of the door drop to the floor, dead.
Obi-Wan himself is standing in the doorway, blaster held in one hand, pointing at the Queen.
Anakin sees a flare of alarm in Miraj's eyes, before she glares him down. "Another intruder, I take it?" she asks, evenly.
How did he even get here?! How did he –
But Anakin's never felt quite so relived in his life, both to see him here and to see that he's alright.
"Your reign is at end, Zygerrian," he shoots back, sharply.
"Oh, I'm afraid not," she replies, "The rest of my forces will be along shortly to deal with you."
"They're otherwise occupied," he says, something almost smug in his gaze.
"Vader," Miraj says, a sharp edge to her voice, "Kill him,and you will be greatly rewarded."
Does she genuinely think he's going to obey that? Anakin stands his ground, no matter how hard his heart is pounding, with disobeying a direct order like that.
Obi-Wan's expression darkens – it's something that promises violence. "I think," he replies, steely, "That you will regret the day you first learned Anakin existed."
Miraj jolts to her feet, sudden anger in her eyes. "I will not be ordered about by the likes of another scum like you."
Obi-Wan fires.
Anakin starts at the suddenness of it, even more so when Miraj tumbles to the floor with a scream, a smoking hole in her leg.
Obi-Wan did that intentionally. It wasn't intended to kill. He can't say why it makes him so sick, when it's not like he really feels bad for her. He's just glad that she can't hurt him anymore, but that doesn't –
"Anakin," Obi-Wan says, never taking his eyes off the queen, "Get to my ship. I'll catch up later."
"Are you sure –" he starts to object, except pauses when Obi-Wan holsters his blaster, hand lingering near his knife.
Never mind. He's going.
"Yes," he replies, "I'll be fine."
Anakin nods, not even sparing a glance over his shoulder before he reaches out with the Force, detaching the collar from his neck as he runs. Most of the Zygrerians out here have either been stabbed or stunned, probably to avoid making any noise.
He sprints to the prisoner area where he saw them taking Ahsoka, tackling the few unsuspecting guards he runs into on the way.
Ahsoka is unconscious behind a ray shield, but she looks otherwise unharmed. Deactivating it quickly, he lifts her into his arms, sprinting for the outside of the ship. It's still on the ground, a distance away from any other Zygerrian ships.
They're still fighting with some other gang members, and it only occurs to Anakin right now that he has no idea where Obi-Wan was planning to take him. but he doesn't have anywhere better to go, and he – he wants to talk to Obi-Wan again.
Ahsoka's starting to stir by the time he gets on board, laying her down on a bench in the hold. He doesn't know what Obi-Wan is doing, but he better be here soon. They need to get out of here before it's too late.
His hand lingers on the Togruta's shoulder, when she finally opens her eyes, blinking in a confusion, with a quiet groan. "We're safe," Anakin promises.
She blinks again, eyes focusing on him as before she rolls over, slowly pushing herself upright, pressing a hand to her head. "What's going on?"
"We were nearly captured, but a... friend of mine showed up to help get us out. He should be back soon."
Ahsoka blinks again, gaze darting around the hold. "Thought you didn't have any friends."
"I didn't know he would come. I did not... know if I would see him ever again." But he's never been quite so happy to be wrong. Now, he just needs to find Mom again. And get Ahsoka home, though he realizes, with a sharp pang, that that will mean they won't be with each other anymore, and he doesn't want to leave her. But they'll worry about that... later.
Anakin senses as much as hears it when Obi-Wan appears in the doorway, traces of blood on his clothes.
He's not going to ask. Definitely not. "Are you alright?" Anakin asks anyway, just to be certain.
"Yes," he assures, throwing a questioning glance at Ahsoka, but doesn't ask, "And the Queen is dead. Come on. We should go."
"Where are we going?" Anakin inquires.
"We can speak on the way," Obi-Wan replies, which Anakin entirely agrees with. He scrambles to the cockpit, taking the pilot's seat as they take off. Several ships are giving chase, but Obi-Wan enters what seems like an entirely random hyperspace jump, and they make the jump before the Zygerrians can come anywhere close.
He – he's free.
Anakin stares at the swirls outside the cockpit window for a long moment, too overwhelmed to feel much of anything. It's the first time this has felt entirely true, and he doesn't even know what that means. Doesn't know how Obi-Wan ended up here either, though, or what he might want. Did he come here just for him, or –
There's a weighted look in Obi-Wan's eyes when he turns to face him. Something considering, but there's also a visible lingering affection there. "Where do you want to go?" Obi-Wan asks.
"I..." Anakin hesitates, glancing back at Ahsoka who's standing behind their seats. He's rarely been asked what he wants by anyone, except by other slaves. Usually, that question is loaded, indicating that he's supposed to answer in a specific way, but he thinks this time the question is genuine. "This is Ahsoka, a... Jedi I picked up. Ahsoka, this is... Obi-Wan. We need to take her home."
"What are you going to do after that?" she asks, crossing her arms.
"I... want to go back to Tatooine, to look for my mother," he replies.
The Togruta hesitates a moment, as though considering something. "Maybe if it doesn't take long, I can help you find her first," she proposes.
The offer catches him a little by surprise, but maybe it shouldn't have. Ahsoka already doesn't want to fight, and with how much he knows she's struggling with what she went through, maybe she needs some time before she ends up back on the fronts. Though, a break to fight more slavers probably isn't ideal. Unless it's the kind of fight she actually wants to fight in.
"If that is what you want," Anakin replies, "Do you want to let... Plo know that you're alright, first?"
She nods. "Yeah. I'll let him know I'm getting you to safety, before coming back."
He has to say that he's glad, because he doesn't want to let her go just yet, even if it's inevitable eventually. Probably.
Obi-Wan disappears to one of the rooms in the back of the ship to 'change his clothes', and Anakin is hard pressed not to roll his eyes considering that he was the one who messed them up in the first place, but it gives him a moment alone with Ahsoka.
"Are you alright?" he asks, studying her.
She blinks, as though slightly taken by surprise at the sudden question. "Yes. We're finally out of there."
"Yeah," he agrees, touching her shoulder, "But I know the effects of something like that will take time to fade." He can't imagine how they ever could, actually. He's supposed to be free now, but he's more lost at what that even means, more afraid that it isn't going to last than anything else right now.
She nods, expression shifting to something more subdued. "I know."
Bringing up directly what happened with those guards won't help, when he already knows she must be struggling with that and everything that led to it. Or maybe, with the fact that she doesn't regret it at all even if she feels like she should. And Anakin can entirely understand it if she doesn't. "It's easy to... lose control sometimes," he tells her, "There are many who break under it."
"I used the Dark Side," Ahsoka replies, looking away, "It was everything against what I've been taught, and I don't even... regret it. Not really. Just that I don't." Like he expected.
"I cannot say those guards didn't deserve it, even if it isn't for us to make those choices," Anakin responds. That's what his mother would tell him. "Even if you did something against your Code, that does not mean it's something you'll repeat in the future. It was a... difficult situation, and I understand why you did it."
Ahsoka nods, not really answering.
"Thank you for offering to help me," Anakin tells her, sincerely. He can't believe there's finally a chance he'll be able to find his mother again. "Are you certain you want to do this?"
"This is what I want to help with," she says, "I want to help the people, not fight."
He nods, lightly squeezing her shoulder. "Well then, you'll have that chance."
**w**
Ahsoka is curled up on the seat next to him, fallen asleep now, when Obi-Wan comes back into the room. It's been a very long day for her – only this morning, they still didn't know when they would ever get out, or if, so it's not surprising she's totally out of it. He's exhausted, too, but he can't rest yet.
"Obi-Wan," Anakin greets, giving him a tired smile when he reappears, crossing the room to sit on Anakin's other side.
A hint of concern is lingering in Obi-Wan's eyes as he studies him. "How have you been holding up?" he asks.
"I... have had worse before."
"I'm not letting any of them hurt you again," Obi-Wan promises, fiercely.
A small flare of warmth spreads through him, along with that feeling of protected that it's been so long since he's truly felt... protected.
"Thank you," he says, almost shyly. He still doesn't really understand what he means to Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan touches his shoulder, and Anakin leans into it, just a little.
"What about you?" Anakin asks, "I know they were... upset at you for standing up for me. Are you... alright?"
His expression shifts, to something grimmer. "They might have taken action if I hadn't left to search for you, when I did. And now that I'm gone, they're going to start looking for me, but disappearing should not be too hard on a place like Tatooine." He's already planning to stay with him then, to help search for Shmi, and Anakin has no idea how to feel about that, what he could even begin to say to that.
"I didn't mean for you to – to leave everything because of me," he blurts out, finally. He can't shake the tiniest thread of guilt, even if it's not like any of what Obi-Wan was doing was good for anyone, including himself. If he's not doing the same anymore, it's definitely for the best that he left, but it's still... something Anakin felt like he needed to say.
Obi-Wan's grip on his shoulder tightens. "Anakin," he says, firmly, "I never realized how... meaningless all of what I have done was, until you were gone, and I did not know if I would ever find you again. Meeting you was the best thing that... happened to me. Never apologize for that."
Anakin gives him a small, shy smile, unsure how to respond. No one's ever told him that he mattered to them, not like that, and he has no idea what to say. He hasn't felt like this about anyone since his Mom.
The most he can think of to even begin expressing how he's feeling is –
He leans forwards impulsively, wrapping his arms tightly around Obi-Wan.
It's Obi-Wan who nearly freezes for a moment, but he returns the embrace with surprising fierceness. Neither of them speaks, but they don't need it. That moment says more than words ever could.
Anakin hasn't had anyone in so long, but now, he has Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, and he... doesn't want to lose either of them. And for all that he's afraid of Ahsoka going back to fight and never seeing her again, he doesn't entirely think that will happen, even if he doesn't know why it wouldn't.
But finally, for the first time, he can truly understand the meaning of the sun dragon legend his mother told him so long ago. Because for once, he actually was able to protect someone – he saved Ahsoka, and he... helped change what Obi-Wan was becoming, and that's... something.
Maybe Anakin still has a very long way to go, to figure out what being free even means, but there's nowhere else he'd rather be.
Final Notes: Reviews are always appreciated! ^-^
Come hang out on Discord (delete spaces), discord . gg / nqSxuz2 or find us on tumblr at fanfictasia (our more serious blog which does have controversial posts on it; I won't be offended if you choose to block it, promise), and disastertriowriting (which is our fun blog with crack posts or incorrect SW quotes)
We've got a YT channel for tributes! (delete the spaces) youtube channel / UC_g1M5rSCxJUzQCRS29B6pA
ALSO: We have SW gift request forms for General, Anakin-Clones-centric, and Bad Batch fics. :D (delete spaces) bit . ly / CourtesyTrefflinFicRequests