Chapter 61 - Reunited

Author's Note: Until the third season of the Bad Batch is fully out, we'll be posting updates monthly from now on. :)

~ Amina Gila

Oba Diah is... not the best place in the galaxy. Anakin hates it from the moment he sees it. He can feel the misery here. It's a slaver's planet, and there are so many people here who could use their help. He wants to help, and that's what they're here for, as always.

They can't liberate an entire planet, but they can still do a small amount of good. That's what they've been doing ever since their group joined the civilian part of Ahsoka's military branch, though because they work so independently, he... hasn't had contact with anyone he used to be close with.

There's a disturbance in the Force, and it's nudging him onwards to – to something, though he's not sure what. There's someone important here, someone that the Force is urging him to find.

Anakin and Shmi are silently making their way along a walkway, staying in the shadows, when he suddenly senses something is off. Something's wrong.

"Wait," he hiss-whispers, and Shmi stills, hand resting on her blaster.

"What?"

"I sense..." Faintly, he can hear loud voices arguing – never a good sign on a slaver planet – and he circles around the building, watching from a distance away. The Pykes are arguing with two teenage girls – what are they doing in a place like this?! – something about a missing spice shipment.

And he already knows what the Pykes are going to do to them. They'll probably sell them off into slavery, if they don't kill them.

Anakin glances back at Shmi, who nods affirmatively, and they fire at the Pykes.

The Pykes instantly drew their own blasters, shooting back – there were too many to take down at once. The doorway behind them opens, more swarming out, shooting at them. The girls instantly try to run, but nearly get shot, and scramble to find cover.

It would be easy if he could use the Force, but he can't or the Pykes will blame the Jedi for sending someone here. He and Shmi duck behind a nearby barricade to take cover, as they shoot at the Pykes starting to close in on them.

They're able to hold them off right now, but then, Anakin senses someone approaching from behind. He spins around, taking down the first couple before the group jumps on them. But physical fighting he can do, and he uses maybe a touch of the Force to enhance his moves as he knocks them down, fighting them off.

But there's still too many, and a stray shot hits Shmi's blaster, sending it flying from her hand.

He barely stops himself from calling her, to see if she's alright – if anyone knows they're related, it will only be used against them. And he can feel in the Force that she's fine, for now, because seconds later all the Pykes have their blasters trained on her.

If he doesn't stop, they're going to shoot her.

Anakin drops his blaster, reluctantly raising his hands, and the Pykes instantly move forwards to restrain them, shoving them towards the building alongside the two girls.

The halls are dark and gloomy, and he can feel the pain and misery from everyone they have imprisoned here. The place is sickening, and he wants to free everyone here he can, but... Right now, they need to focus on staying alive. They're by far outnumbered, and the only advantage they really have is that Anakin has the Force, and no one knows it.

The guards throw them all in the same cell, red ray shield hissing closed, leaving them alone.

"Who are you?" the other girl asks warily, turning to them.

He can't tell them exactly why they were there, when he doesn't know if he can trust them yet. "You needed help," he replies, instead, "And we were already on-planet to... rescue someone else."

Her eyes narrow. "You attacked those Pykes for us?"

"Really?" the younger asks.

"You needed our help," Shmi interjects, firmly.

"The rescue just... didn't go as planned," Anakin offers, a little sheepishly.

"Why would you do that?" the other queries, obviously confused and disbelieving.

"It is what we do. What are you doing on Oba Diah? It's a dangerous place for anyone, especially... your age." And as girls, he doesn't add.

"We were delivering a spice shipment," she replies, irked, "The dealer must have double-crossed us."

"I didn't expect to end up in a place like this the first time I took my ship out to fly," the younger says, glumly.

"We'll find a way to get you out," Anakin tries to reassure them. Even if he hasn't quite figured out how yet. "I'm Anakin Skywalker. Who are you?"

"Trace," the younger replies, "This is my older sister, Rafa."

"Hmm, interesting name," Rafa replies, studying him. She still doesn't trust them, likely expecting them to want something.

"How could you get us out?" Trace asks, confused and hopeful at once.

"I'm working on it." He paces over the ray shield, staring into the hall. The best way would be deactivating it with the Force, but –

The sound of footsteps approaching reaches his ears a moment later, and he backs away from it, though keeping himself positioned in front of the others, just as two guards appear in the entrance, deactivating the shield.

"You, come with us," one of them barks, motioning to Rafa.

"You –" Anakin starts, because he knows what they're going to do, if they take her. He can't let that happen. Maybe if they jumped them now –

The Pyke hits him hard with a... prod-club-thing they're carrying, and he stumbles. The guards step forwards, taking Rafa and pushing her into the hall.

"Rafa!" Trace yells, panicked, but they're already disappearing down the hall, leaving them trapped inside. This is not good.

Shmi appears at his side a second later, expression tight. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Mom," he assures.

"What are they gonna do with Rafa?!" Trace asks desperately, pacing back and forth in the cell.

He wishes there was something he could say that would actually make her feel better, other than that they won't kill Rafa, because they think they need information from her. And that won't help anything.

"They're going to question her," he replies, grimly.

"But we didn't even do anything!" Trace yells, sounding half-hysterical and close to tears.

"You're young. What are you two doing alone, getting jobs like this?" Shmi interjects, softly.

Trace stops pacing, slumping onto the ledge in the corner of the cell. "We have to look out for ourselves. Had to for years."

Their parents must have been lost, probably during the war. He knows that pain, far too clearly from when he thought Obi-Wan died. He's been away from him long enough that the sharpest sting of the betrayal and the emotions of that moment are starting to fade, but it's still a scar that will never truly go away.

(He still misses him though, so much. And Ahsoka, and Cody, and Rex –)

"I'm sorry," Anakin offers, quietly.

They don't have much longer, before the cell door opens again, and Rafa is thrown in, landing unceremoniously on her face.

Trace calls her frantically, running to her side, but she doesn't move. Her clothes are singed, and Anakin can distinctly smell the... what it's like after someone is electrocuted. Of course.

"What did you do to her?!" Trace yells, jerking forwards, but Anakin catches her arm before she can actually jump the guards, and risk them seriously hurting her.

They only close the shield in her face, leaving them alone again.

As Trace darts back over to Rafa, Anakin crouches on her other side, checking her pulse. It's still jumpy and irregular, but it's starting to even out a little more. "She'll be alright," he assures, standing and moving to the cell entrance again.

It's now or never, before the Pykes come back for someone else.

Reaching out with the Force, he deactivates the ray shield, as soon as he hears Rafa stirring behind them. This is their way out, and they need to move.

"Come, we need to go," Anakin whispers, turning back to them.

All heads simultaneously swivel to the door.

"What did you do?" Rafa demands.

"There must have been a power dip," he supplies, darting into the hall. "Hurry."

Rafa is still moving a little unsteadily, but they break into a run down the hall. Up ahead, he can feel Pykes approaching, and quickly signals for them to step back, backtracking the way they came, but there's no turns they can take to hide, and –

And there's someone coming the other way, too.

"Get ready," he warns, backing against the wall, even if he knows the guards will never miss them here. A few of them round the corner, and Anakin jumps at them, before they can see it coming. Two go down, and he wrestles their blasters away, throwing them to the others before tackling the third.

The other two are already getting up, but he knocks the other one out, as Rafa and Shmi shoot down the other two.

But then, another Pyke rounds the corner, instantly whirling and slamming his hand down on a button. An alarm starts blaring, probably echoing through the entire facility.

So much for that.

"We need a diversion," Anakin says, spinning to them, "I'll deal with that. You get back to the ship, and I'll meet you there."

The other two nod right off, but Shmi hesitates a moment longer before following them.

Hopefully, they can get to the ship without getting in any further trouble. It's them he's worried about. Turning, he takes off down the hall again, before opting to use the vents to get to a nearby weapon's closet.

Gathering all the bombs he can, he plants them throughout the nearest command center he can find. Except, then he suddenly senses... the Dark Side?

It's elusive as though the user isn't here in person, and yet –

Hesitantly, Anakin starts forwards, slipping into a production room of the spice, which is swarming with people. But still, he manages to spot several Pykes talking to a hologram of... is that Savage?! There's a hood pulled up over his head, but Anakin can still see the yellow and black stripes, and the voice is so familiar.

There's too much noise to make out the words, but if that's Savage, he needs to get back to the command center, and try tracking the transmission. Darting out of the room, he heads back there, easily breaking into the communication system.

And it's... on Mandalore.

That's not really a shock. There were rumors about Maul being there for a time, but the Jedi never got involved. But this information needs to get to them, and –

He hears someone coming. He ducks behind the table when the door opens, several Pykes stepping inside. The moment their backs are turned, he takes off out the door, pushing the trigger on the bombs.

The floor shudders beneath him, and he can hear explosions as he runs to catch up with the others.

**w**

"Thanks for helping us," Trace says sincerely, as Anakin and Shmi stand outside the mech shop she lives in.

"You want something in return?" Rafa asks, unsurprisingly.

"That's unnecessary," Shmi assures, "We –"

"Isn't that sweet?" a voice calls, and Anakin whips around to see an armored figure approaching, with Death Watch markings. "Making friends?"

"Who are you?" Anakin demands, gesturing for the others to stay back.

"You don't know me," she replies, reaching up to take off her helmet, "But I've heard of you. I'm Bo-Katan Kryze."

Oh. Wait – He knows that name.

"Death Watch? Why are you here?"

"Don't worry. Death Watch is gone," she assures, withdrawing a hologram and turning it on. It... shows both Savage and Feral, though why Maul isn't there, Anakin doesn't know. "And now, you and I have common enemies. I need your help. Once we are underway, I will explain everything. You have five minutes to decide."

This... Anakin has to do this, if there's a chance to stop the Dark Siders from hurting people. But he knows it's going to mean going back to the Order. He misses everyone enough that he already wants to, but the thought of going back is still a significant step.

Rafa and Trace step back to give him room, as he approaches Shmi. "I... don't know what to do," he says, quietly.

"What does your heart tell you?" she asks, softly.

As she always did, and when he follows that advice, he knows what he needs to do. "I have to go back. I have to warn them. The Jedi, the galaxy needs my help, but when I left, I... didn't want to go back." It doesn't really matter, though. If he's needed, he can't turn that down. He can't refuse to help those who need him, no matter how much he doesn't want to go.

"It's what you're meant to do," she tells him, and he knows it. Maybe he'll drop by to see Rafa and Trace again later, but now, it's time for him to go back to what was once his home, to... everyone who still is every bit a part of his family.

**w**

"Are you hiding again? Seriously?" Ahsoka calls snippily, making her towards Obi-Wan's position. Up ahead, she can see him and Cody crouched behind a destroyed gunship as the droids keep shooting at them.

Obi-Wan looks up at her, obvious irritation on his face. "We're taking cover. Now get down."

"Why would I do that?" she throws back. "You're never going to win the battle if you keep sitting there." Their relationship is as tense as ever, and she's never fully sure anymore, if they're throwing jibes at each other to get the other to react, or as... the remains of what they used to have. Not that she cares much, either way.

Everything has been cold since Anakin left, even when she draws on the Force. She hardly finds it in herself to care anymore. She's been bitter most of her life, but now, it's an integral thing she never truly stops feeling. It's normal now.

"There's too many droids out there," Obi-Wan warns.

"You know, I didn't come out here until after I finished up my part of the battle." She pushes a button on her comm. "Are you in position, Rex?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Attack," she orders.

And seconds later, the 501st – with jetpacks – are swarming towards the droids, attacking them from the air. Drawing her lightsabers, Ahsoka sprints forwards, spinning her blades to deflect the shots away.

They still need to get to the tactical droid, though, and that will mean tracking where he is, in the first place. But they don't have a way to do that except cutting through the droid lines as fast as they can.

The 212th and Obi-Wan finally come out of hiding to join them, and even if the clones are still falling quickly, together, they're decimating the droids much more quickly. And finally, up ahead she can see the tactical droid, giving the others orders from somewhere it can actually view the battle.

Maybe it's not the most Jedi thing to do, but she doesn't really care. Dodging behind a destroyed spider droid for cover, Ahsoka focuses on reaching out with the Force, until she can pinpoint the droid's location, and then crushing it into nothing but a hunk of sparking metal.

Finally.

It throws the remainder of the droids into disarray instantly, and she pulls back for a few moments to collect herself.

Her comm beeps suddenly. "Yes?" she asks, answering.

"Ma'am," the Admiral's voice crackles over the line, "We've received a transmission from someone using your subspace frequency 'Fulcrum'."

"Who?" That's odd.

Obi-Wan slashes a few nearby battle droids into four pieces – why does he always do that? – before coming over to listen.

"You had best take this transmission on the ship. You and General Kenobi."

"We're on our way," she assures, unable to shake the sheer strangeness of this. It feels important, though. Like... something massive is about to change again, starting with this.

**w**

She gets cleaned up from the battle quickly – well, she only bothered because Obi-Wan insisted he had to first – before they head to the briefing room. "What was so critical –" Ahsoka starts to say as she steps into the room, then freezes when she sees the hologram in front of her.

Really, it was Force presence that always shines as bright as a star that hits her first, overwhelming her.

But Anakin is there. He looks different now, hair grown longer since he's not a padawan, but he hasn't changed much beyond that. Except being a little taller.

But why is he calling now? What –

"Anakin?" Ahsoka asks, faintly.

Obi-Wan looks no less mind-blown.

"Hey Ahsoka, Master Obi-Wan." Anakin replies, smiling in that same... contagious way he always used to. It nearly makes her smile back, though she's so much in shock right now, it's taking time to register that he's even here. She didn't know if he would ever come back, if she'd ever seen him again. "I know it has been a long time."

"Anakin," Obi-Wan finally finds his voice. "Where are you?"

"Are you alright?" Ahsoka supplies.

"Yes, I am," he assures, "I... I'm on Coruscant right now, but I need to explain this to you in person. I have a lead on Savage and Feral."

What?!

Of all things she expected, it wasn't that. But if he was just calling to talk to them, he wouldn't have called the Admiral as though it was an emergency.

"What about Maul?" Obi-Wan asks.

"We haven't seen traces of him, but hopefully," Anakin replies.

"Come to our coordinates," Ahsoka says, motioning for the Admiral to send them to him.

It still hurts to see when the transmission fizzes out, but Anakin's coming. He's going to be here soon, and they'll be together again for the first time in months. She can't wait.

**w**

Anakin hasn't been his padawan now for half the time he was in the first place, and those days feel like a lifetime ago. Obi-Wan can hardly believe he's coming back either, but he can't help hoping that if he comes back to deal with the Sith, maybe they can convince him to stay. Probably, he would return to being Ahsoka's padawan, but...

At least there's a chance he could see him again, though it doesn't much matter when they don't really talk to each other anymore. Haven't in over a year now.

He's supposed to focus on his duty as a Council member, not on the attachments he shouldn't have, but he can't entirely make the feelings go away. He wants Anakin back, and he doesn't know if that will ever happen.

But what matters right now is that he's finally coming back.

He and Ahsoka are already waiting in the hangar when the ship lands. The ramp descends, Anakin walking down it. He might look different now, but he's still him, and Obi-Wan realizes even more achingly how much he missed him now that he's seeing him again.

Anakin approaches, a happiness on his face Obi-Wan doesn't remember seeing in a long time, even before he left.

"Have you been... alright?" he asks hesitantly, after a moment where they just look at each other.

Of course, that's the first thing he'd ask. "Yes," Obi-Wan tells him. There's so much more he could say, but he hasn't talked to Anakin in so long, and he'd rather do it in a private setting.

"Maybe better than fine?" Ahsoka offers, though she seems to be feeling distinctly uncomfortable.

He smiles again, in that shy way he often used to. "I... missed you," he supplies, "I know I chose to leave, but I –"

The Mandalorians are already approaching behind him.

"We should talk later," Ahsoka interjects, which Obi-Wan has to agree with, even if he doesn't want to wait anymore than it looks like Anakin wants to.

"Things are moving quickly," Bo-Katan interrupts, shortly, "Every moment we waste here gives the Sith an opportunity to escape."

"We understand," Obi-Wan assures, motioning for them to follow to the briefing room.

He can see Anakin's gaze lingering on him and Ahsoka, as they gather around the table to discuss the situation.

"Bo-Katan has been tracking Savage and Feral's movements for several months," Anakin speaks up, "I tracked a transmission from the Pykes on Oba Diah, and pinpointed a possible location where they are."

Oba Diah? Of all places he could be? Although, if he's been fighting to free slaves, it makes sense.

"What about Maul?" Obi-Wan asks, frowning.

"He disappeared a while back," Bo-Katan replies, "We don't know what happened to him. But what matters is that the other two are in the city of Sundari."

That's strange, but maybe he's just good at hiding.

"You know this for sure?" Ahsoka asks.

"He arrived two days ago."

"So, what do you want from the Republic?" Obi-Wan inquires.

"I don't have the numbers needed for a siege. Without a complete lockdown of the city, they will escape again. That's why I'm proposing a joint operation. If we are successful, you'll have the Sith, and I'll have Mandalore."

It would work, if not for the location, and it irritates him to no end, but he has to think logically. "If Republic forces aid you in your assault, it will break treaties one hundred years old. We will effectively be drawn into yet another war."

"What's one more?" she throws back, scowling.

"We can handle it," Ahsoka agrees instantly, just like Obi-Wan knew she would. "We have to do this. We can't let them get away."

Anakin looks between them, hesitantly, though he says nothing.

"I agree, but we must be cautious," Obi-Wan replies, "I will advise the Jedi Council of this development."

"There's no time!" she snaps, "Their influence on Mandalore is destroying my people! They removed Satine from power. I thought she meant something to you."

Yes, but that was something from so long ago. He might still care about her fate, but he won't let it impede his rationality. "The Council will decide our course of action," he reiterates firmly, casting one last, long look at Anakin before he turns to go.

They'll have to talk later, because this is urgent. Even if he hates having to leave when they haven't even had time for a proper greeting.

He really hopes he can get the Council to agree, though. If not, Ahsoka will probably go anyway, and if she doesn't, then Anakin will likely go alone, and he doesn't want him facing the Sith on his own. He would like to go himself, if he's being honest, but first he has to talk to the Council.

**w**

Anakin watches Obi-Wan go, the longing flooding him almost overwhelming. He missed him and Ahsoka so much. He never realized just how much until he's back here again. And he doesn't want to leave them again, especially when he can tell they... miss him. He never wanted to hurt them, and leaving again would do exactly that, but... He'll have to think about it later.

It's been long enough that he does want to talk to Obi-Wan again, but he'll have to do it later. Right now, at least he has the chance to talk to Ahsoka.

"If the Council won't agree, we'll figure something else out," Ahsoka assures, turning back to him.

Anakin smiles up at her – except, he's not looking up at her anymore. They're literally the same height. "I know."

"You've grown," Ahsoka blurts a moment later, circling around the table to stand in front of him.

"I'm taller than you now," he agrees, grinning.

"My montrals are still taller," Ahsoka insists.

"Really," Anakin deadpans, reaching up to where his head is, drawing a line in the air over to hers. And he's definitely not cheating to say that he doesn't brush her head.

"Yes," she insists, patting him on the head, and he's half a mind to swat her hand away, but how much he's missed her overwhelms him instead, and he practically tackles her in a hug. Ahsoka catches him with a startled noise, but she returns the gesture.

"You sure you've been alright?" Anakin asks, voice barely above a whisper. It doesn't feel like he has the right to ask that, after he left. But he needs to know, because she feels... different. Hardened in a way he doesn't like, because Ahoska already felt so sharp when he left, but it's worse now.

"Yes," she replies, very not persuasively, pulling away, "And I believe the boys are waiting to see you."

Anakin perks up instantly. "Of course. Can we go now?"

"Yeah. Obi-Wan will probably be busy for a while. Come on."

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