Chapter 2 – Discoveries

Author's Note: In which Anakin wakes up in the past and Ahsoka arrives. And we get a little from Obi-Wan's POV, the only part in a while unfortunately, but there's going to be more with him later. Promise. ;) (Honestly, I'm still trying to get used to writing from his POV lol)

And I want to give a huge thank you to all of you for your support! :D I never expected this story to get so much attention so quickly!

And again, if anyone has any ideas/suggestions or even just scenes for what I can include later, let me know! :D

PS: A few people asked me to kill off Tarkin and I'll just leave at this: I'm gonna find some way to, one way or another. :) (It's gonna hafta be something that doesn't involve Anakin outright killing him though, because Anakin's nicer than me :v and wouldn't kill/hurt someone for something they haven't done)

~ Rivana Rita

What is happening? How is this happening? Anakin jolts to his feet with a start, on high alert. This – how is he here? He's almost tempted to believe this is a dream, but it can't be. Everything feels far too real. He's wearing his armor again, even though he distinctly remembers taking it off. And the Force feels different, lighter. Obi-Wan even looks different, younger, and he feels so much lighter as well. Anakin hadn't even realized exactly how much the war changed him until this very moment. And Ahsoka… a chill runs through him when he suddenly realizes he doesn't have a bond with her. It didn't break. If it did, he would have felt it, so what's happening? Why isn't it there?

It must have taken him a full moment to register that yes, Obi-Wan is talking to him, and looks rather concerned. "Are you alright?"

He blinks a few times before the question sinks him. "Yes, of course." Most definitely not. He has no idea how he got here, or why he's… is he missing Ahsoka so badly he's even having a detailed dream about when they met again? Or did he fall off a cliff and get stuck in some sort of… something?

"No, you're not. What's the matter?"

Why does his mind have to make Obi-Wan act like this even in his sleep? He can't possibly miss – yes, he can, and he does. Anakin scrambles to find the most logical explanation, trying his best not to freak out at how non-dream like everything is. People aren't supposed to have such a hard time figuring out what to say in a dream! He can hardly start babbling about how he was supposed to be on Coruscant, though. "I had a dream," he spews out finally.

"Oh?" He looks so skeptical. It makes Anakin wonder how long it took for him to answer. "I've never seen you so shaken up from a dream before."

He's hardly sure what to say to that. Why is he hardly sure what to say to that? He can't say he's dreaming. He doesn't want anyone to know something's wrong, but it's like… it's like he got teleported two and a half years back to when it all started. Which he has just finished deciding is impossible, so he has to be dreaming, or… The Force wouldn't have sent him back to where it all started, would it? None of this makes sense, but if it did, he's not about to blurt that out to Obi-Wan, or anyone. Not now, maybe not ever.

"It was detailed," he supplies lamely, and from the pointed stare he's being given, he knows he took way too long this time. Besides, he has absolutely no desire to explain to Obi-Wan that he may or may not have gotten himself killed by falling off a cliff.

Thankfully, Obi-Wan doesn't call him out on the not-exactly lie. "Alright, let's get going."

Go? Where to? He doesn't even remember what was supposed to be happening! Anakin scrambles to remember what exactly happened on Christophsis. The battle must be about to start, which means the might've already fought Ventress – that happened here, right? It's almost embarrassing how all those little details slip his mind right when he needs them the most. Ahsoka isn't here yet, so it must be before that last battle… it didn't stick out in his mind. The later part was what did, when he met Ahsoka, and he dares not think about meeting her again yet. Not when he needs to be focusing on the upcoming battle when he doesn't even remember what's happening.

Oh, right. They had all been keeping watch, knowing the droids were heading their way. Anakin had gone to the lookout post and gone out there as soon as they were spotted to wait near the cannons. One of the clones had notified Obi-Wan, and he came in just in time for the battle to start.

So… he needs to go find the lookout post. Just to check up.

Yes, he had wanted to get a chance to change things, but he didn't realize that it would be like this. He doesn't even remember what was happening half the time.

Anakin finally finds his way there, grateful that bits and pieces of the conversation earlier starts coming back and partly following the Force out to where Rex and the other clones are waiting. His heart clenches painfully as he sees several of the clones waiting nearby. He remembers seeing many of them dying during the war, and the more he looks around, the more certain he is that he actually is here, though that doesn't make any sense. He couldn't have remembered the details so well that his unconscious mind could conjure such a perfect replica, but then again, he didn't have a reason to think about it.

"What's the status?" he asks, pacing over to the window.

"No signs of anything yet," Rex reports.

"Well, just keep watching. They'll be back," Anakin states, opting to wait nearby. He feels restless but does his best to focus on the present. If the droids are about to arrive, he needs a forewarning.

**w**

"They're back," Anakin calls as Obi-Wan runs up. Anakin had been the first to reach the droids as soon as they were spotted, Rex arriving not long later.

"I told you this victory was too easy," Obi-Wan insists. "We should never have sent the ship back for supplies."

"I think it was your idea," Anakin points out, or at least he can't imagine it would've been his own. He always seems to know those things.

"All right, men." Obi-Wan turns to the clones gathered nearby. "Second wave incoming."

Anakin and Rex were going to… attack from the side. Right. "Rex, you and your men follow me," Anakin orders, trying his best to ignore the strange sense of wrongness that suddenly hits him. Rex only fought with him a few months, but Anakin remembers years of them fighting side by side. He really doesn't have enough time to think about exactly what all this means, though. After a brief summarizing of the plan, they hastily ascend to the roof of a building that overlooks the droid army steadily approaching Obi-Wan. Anakin knows he's being unusually quiet the entire way, but as they go, he does his best to block out all other thoughts.

He feels mostly collected by the time they reach the top. Anakin slips forwards to the very edge, looking down. The octuptarra droids – spider droids, as the clones call them sometimes – are the hardest to take out, and they're the ones he's going after. It's not like it'll even be hard for him. He's fought them so many times in the past. The Republic's cannons are firing down on the droids, and explosions rip across the ground, but the clones are already falling. He can already feel it, the pain of their lives fading. Focus.

"What's our plan of attack, sir?" one of the clones inquires.

As if he would even need – no. There's no time. "Follow me," Anakin replies, jumping over the edge. He lands atop one of the droids, igniting his lightsaber. The clones fire up their jetpacks and fly down. They start shooting up at the other droids while he stabs his lightsaber down into the top of the droid. Another of the spider droids spins to fire at him. Experience has given him all he needs to know about their weak spots, and it only takes moment for him to deflect a shot into the right place back at the droid firing, making it fall sideways and crush many of the nearby droids and slowing their advance.

He throws his all into the battle, just like always. It's too easy. In the future he's seen, battles are far more severe than this. It had seemed so hard at the time, but now it feels like both sides were still learning how to fight. He jumps down onto the leg of the one he's on and cuts it off before leaping clear, landing back on the ground. And he moves on, working through the droids one by one. He can feel everything, like he always can during battles. People are dying, and he throws himself onwards faster, knowing that every moment he slows, more of their men will die.

As he goes, he half expects Ahsoka to appear out of nowhere and has to keep reminding himself that no, he didn't leave her at the Temple on this mission because she's gone – or actually, he hasn't even met her, but being back in battle is giving him something to focus on other than the constant pain he's been carrying.

It's not until all the droids are down that he falls back to his former master's side.

**w**

Obi-Wan does not have a good feeling about this. Something is definitely off. When Anakin woke up earlier, he had sensed something very wrong. He had felt a ripple in the Force, centering on Anakin. He definitely felt and still feels the darkness and pain Anakin mysteriously contains. Obi-Wan knows the war has been hard on him, but this is something else entirely, and the fact it came out of literally nowhere concerns him even more. Even stranger, the way Anakin is fighting – as efficient as it may be – is nothing like he's ever seen before.

"When did you learn to fight like that?" he asks. It was darker, more aggressive (and admittedly, much more showy than necessary) than he's seen before.

As usual since it happened, Anakin stares at him blankly for a few moments. He looks honestly confused. "I learned efficiency," he supplies finally, and Obi-Wan senses the prickle of concern he feels every time Anakin says anything. He'd been relaxing a little during the battle, but now he's getting tense and close off again during the battle. Something is definitely wrong. Whatever he saw, it was bad.

Obi-Wan returns his attention to the battlefield, trying not to let his concern distract him. "We're going to need reinforcements, but we haven't been able to get through to the Admiral."

Anakin mutters something that sounds suspiciously like a 'how did I know this was going to happen?'

Tanks are making their way forwards now, through the debris field, even while the cannons fire down on them. Until they suddenly stop advancing and turn around, heading back the way they came.

"They're pulling back!" Anakin exclaims.

The sound of an engine draws the Jedi Master's attention skywards. A shuttle flies directly overhead, moving past to land. "Looks like help has arrived," he remarks. "Our cruiser must be back." He wonders, now, if Ahsoka is going to be sent in now. Before heading for Christophsis, he had spoken with Master Yoda about giving Anakin a padawan. It would do him a lot of good, and the girl needs a master soon. They would fit perfectly, but the only way Anakin would even agree is if they were forced to work together. Given the circumstances, now might be the best time.

Obi-Wan starts heading towards the landing platform, realizing immediately that Anakin isn't following, and the sheer amount of fear pouring off him is almost tangible. He stops and turns back.

His former padawan stands a few feet behind, unusually pale. His usually clear blue eyes are full of fear and pain.

"Anakin." Obi-Wan steps up to him, and he flinches slightly, but at least seems to somewhat snap out of whatever it is he was thinking. "Anakin, what's wrong?" His tone brooks no refusal. Because something is very, very wrong, and he needs to know what.

Anakin blinks a few times, like he's having a hard time believing what he's seeing before he finally answers. By dodging the question. "We have to deal with this. Let's just get it over with."

"Anakin."

"We can talk about it later." He somehow manages to look both resigned and desperate at once, motioning towards the ship.

"Fine. But we are talking about this." Obi-Wan gives him a pointed look. He hates seeing him like this, but he doesn't know what happened to cause it. "Stay calm. Focus." He's beginning to rethink giving Anakin a padawan after all. With how he's acting now, it might not be a good idea. If anyone needs help, he does, but Ahsoka is already here. Anakin would make a great teacher someday, but maybe not now while he's so clearly struggling.

He was expecting Anakin's comeback to be something about being a Knight now, but it doesn't come. "Right," he mumbles instead, and follows Obi-Wan up to the shuttle just as the ramp lowers.

**w**

His heart clenches painfully the moment he senses her bright and untamed presence. She looks so young and innocent now, as she walks down the ramp. Nothing like the girl he trained. Ahsoka – this Ahsoka – is still a child. Hardly a teenager. The one who looks at him like she expects some sort of hero instead of… her brother. She doesn't remember him. She doesn't know their history. The last time he saw her, she – she walked away. If he had enough time to remind himself of what's about to happen, he would have known this was going to happen, but he can't get a single word out as much as he tries.

The face that haunted his dreams now stares up at him with absolute innocence, completely unknowing of what she did to him in another lifetime. He wants to be angry at her for leaving – he is – but this Ahsoka isn't his. She doesn't know him.

He should talk. Say something. Anything. But he's frozen, not wanting to look at her but unable to look away, either.

"I'm Ahsoka," she states cheerily. "Master Yoda sent me."

For what? To haunt him? The sound of her voice cuts through him, and really he wants to scream 'how could you do this? How could you leave me?' but he's the only one who knows what she did. What everyone did, and again, the entire galaxy has fallen on him to protect it. Alone.

"I was told to tell both of you that you must get back to the Jedi Temple immediately. There's an emergency," she announces.

The Temple. No, no. He can't go back there. Not now, not – he doesn't want to go back. The realization hits him like a physical blow.

He feels Obi-Wan nudging him through the Force, reminding him again that he'd been quiet way too long. He's almost tempted to snap back 'don't worry, just trying not to have a panic attack' but decides better of it. He doesn't need anyone to know of his weakness. No one has time for it.

"We have a bit of an 'emergency' right here," he retorts, unable to help his annoyance at the Council's stupidity. They didn't even bother checking before sending her in. It was all a set-up from the start, to be fair. Obi-Wan had…

"Yes, our communications have been a bit unreliable," Obi-Wan continues, "But we've been calling for help."

"Master Yoda hadn't heard from you… so he sent me to deliver the message."

"Well, let's relay the message through the cruiser," Anakin suggests. It's the most logical thing he can think of now. It could get through to Coruscant, at least for a short time. They should get the message through to the Council, at least. The Council… no. An icy fear grips him. The last time he spoke with them, Ahsoka had left, and – no. He doesn't have time to think about it now.

"That should work," Obi-Wan agrees. "Anakin, I will report to the Council."

"Sure – wait. What?"

"You can stay here."

Anakin tries not to gape at him. He doesn't think he manages. "But –" He can't seem to get a single sensible word out.

"If you still need some time to collect yourself, spending time nearby people isn't going to help." He can sense Ahsoka's confusion and curiosity and pulls up his shields as tightly as he can. He can't bring himself to dwell on it right now.

"Sure," he manages, trying not to stare in disbelief. How much of his thoughts was Obi-Wan picking up on? He thought he was shielding himself, but maybe not enough. Or maybe Obi-Wan just knows him too well. "Thanks."

"Come join us when you're ready," Obi-Wan tells him, and as the two of them walk off, Anakin tries his best not to think about the last time he saw Ahsoka.

The moment they're gone, he slips back aboard the shuttle and out of sight, sinking to the floor. Exhaustion nags at him. He hasn't slept for days, ever since Cato Neimoida before everything happened. Here. Now. He's back in time. It's still beyond that which he can wrap his head around. Yes, he had wanted… but that doesn't mean he thought the Force would actually allow it. But he has what he wanted, another chance, so why does it hurt being here?

Now, Obi-Wan is just going to ask him to train Ahsoka, again. He can't. He failed her before. He can't go through that again. He wasn't able to teach her properly. He's always been too emotional, too uncontrolled, and all that was passed on to Ahsoka. That's why she left. Obi-Wan would have been so much better for her. He never would have made the same mistake Anakin did.

But she – this Ahsoka isn't his Ahsoka. They may look alike, but she's not the girl he raised and trained and fought with and gave his everything to. This Ahsoka doesn't even remember him. Anakin came back here alone, completely by accident, without even thinking about it. Like he never thinks about anything – the other thing he passed on to his padawan. But Ahsoka is gone now, and nothing he ever does can bring her back, because the look-alike of her will never be the same. She left him, and he knew in his heart that the moment she walked away, nothing he did could get her back, and that's precisely what happened. And it hurts.

He remembers the younger Ahsoka's hopeful expression every time she looked at him, expecting him to welcome her as a padawan, unlike everyone else. How could he turn her down? How can he? He's doing this for her. Obi-Wan will be much better, but the thought of how much it would hurt her is nauseating. Even now, he can't let himself be the cause of her pain. Not even after everything she did to him. He only wants her back. But he can't – he can't fail her again. And he will, he knows he will.

Padme and Rex don't even remember the years they spent together throughout the war anymore. Rex trusts him at least, and he can only be grateful he didn't go back any farther. He doesn't know or want to know what he would do if he wasn't still married to Padme.

And Obi-Wan… Obi-Wan doesn't remember anything of the war, either. He's back at the beginning, and Anakin suddenly wonders how many times he's wished time could rewind for them. How much he's longed for a universe where they still trusted each other. But now… now, he'll never be able to understand the sacrifice Anakin made for him. How Anakin stayed for him, when he so easily could have lived the rest of his life in peace with his wife and their daughter.

The fate of the world rests on his shoulders, now more than ever. Beyond the whole 'being the Chosen One' thing. He has two and a half years-worth of knowledge of the war, of future plans the Separatists have. He thinks of Ahsoka again. He can't ever get his version of her back, but maybe… at least he can try to take care of the younger her. Or help Obi-Wan take care of her, because he can't – he can't train her again. The war had made her into someone she never should have been forced to be, even if it was only the war that made them so close, that made her grow up so fast. Maybe… maybe he can end it earlier, take out Dooku earlier, and let Ahsoka still have time for the childhood she deserves. After failing her in his last lifetime, he owes her that much.

Obi-Wan had wanted to talk to him about this later, and – oh, no. He is not going to tell anyone that he time-travelled, especially when he's not completely certain that this isn't simply his own imagination. He's never heard of anything like this before, and how in the galaxy is he supposed to tell someone like Obi-Wan something so outrageous?! He can't. Anakin had told him something about having a vision, and he doesn't think Obi-Wan would believe that it was simply something about the war, but… he's going to have to hope, because he will. Not. Tell. Anyone. If he tells Obi-Wan, the Council will want to know, and Anakin is certain he won't make it through the door before accidently killing someone or throwing up. And he's not dealing with either.

So. Christophsis. Anakin and Ahsoka blew up the shield generator together. Best to let that part follow through. Anakin isn't stupid enough not to realize things have already taken a different turn, and he better not let this mission slide through. Obi-Wan can deal with the droids thrown at him while Anakin takes out the shield, and on Teth… no. He will not let Teth be the same. He won't let so many of his men die, whatever the cost. That's an easy fix, but he'll worry about that later. Now, he needs to rejoin the others.