Chapter 7 - Chaos
Author's Note: There's one chapter left after this. :D
~ Amina Gila
Obi-Wan doesn't know how to feel about how Anakin knew Maul. Anakin cares about him, and it's so strange to imagine the Sith knowing anyone. Maul killed Qui-Gon, and Obi-Wan thought he killed him. It's why he was Knighted in the first place – aside from that he was a senior padawan and his master was dead.
No one would've been willing to finish his training, and he was ready to move on.
He didn't realize Anakin was a slave, either. That explains so much about him. Obi-Wan knows a little about slavery from his time as a padawan, and he knows, to a point, what it does to people. He's interacted with slaves before, but he's never been able to do anything for them.
How much of Anakin's I've had worse was from his time as a slave, versus a Sith apprentice? Obi-Wan doesn't know, but Anakin has very little grasp on the Dark Side.
He knew Maul. Obi-Wan doesn't understand the details of how, but he isn't going to press for it right now. He's more disconcerted by the fact that Anakin cares about him than he is anything else. He'd have thought Anakin, as Sidious's next apprentice, would've been glad he was gone.
Assuming he knew about him in the first place.
Where was Anakin while Sidious was still the Chancellor?
Obi-Wan never asked him. He doesn't know exactly when Anakin was freed, but it must've been early on. He isn't going to ask him anything about Maul or about his past right now, though – not after everything that happened regarding the Sith. Anakin is upset at him, at least to a point, and Obi-Wan thinks it's probably best to leave it be for now.
He's not any happier that the Council actually agreed to let Maul help them, instead of simply imprisoning him. Obi-Wan doesn't trust this is remotely genuine, and he killed Qui-Gon. That's not something he's ever going to forget. He also doesn't really want the other Sith around Anakin. He doesn't want the... lightness the boy has to be affected by the Sith. (He doesn't want it to affect whatever... bond they share now. He doesn't know what it is, but they're close.)
He doesn't trust Maul in the least – and why would he? He's a Sith, and everything with Anakin is different, so the same doesn't quite apply to him. If he was going to try something he would've already. He's genuine about wanting to help.
Maul's agreement to help them also means Obi-Wan has to deal with sitting in the same shuttle as him all the way to Naboo. There's been sightings of Abeloth there, and they're going to check it out before she actually has the chance to cause damage. At least, there's a team of other Jedi with them this time, including Plo.
"I don't understand why she'd go to Naboo," Anakin comments, clearly on edge. He seems uncomfortable with the entire situation period, actually.
"It is a fitting place for this to... begin," Maul replies, shooting a pointed glance in Obi-Wan's direction.
He doesn't know what that's supposed to mean, but it doesn't help remembering what happened the last time he was on Naboo. "For what to begin?" Obi-Wan snaps back. He does not want to be anywhere around the Sith. Actually, he just wants to kill him and make sure he can't hurt anyone else.
"Perhaps I meant end," Maul hisses back, yellow eyes suddenly burning, "Your master, Qui-Gon Jinn. I gutted him while you stood helpless and watched. How did that make you feel?"
Anakin stares at him, wide-eyed.
He expected Maul to say something intentionally aggravating, but not so pointed. He knew it'd happen, but he wasn't ready for the memories this is dragging up. "I like your new legs," he throws back, "They make you look taller."
He's decently certain Maul's about to jump at him.
"This isn't helping!" Anakin interjects, stepping forwards, frustration written all over his face. "We're fighting Abeloth, not each other."
Obi-Wan has to grudgingly admit that if he was a Jedi, he'd be a good one, but he doesn't understand the threat Maul poses. "The difference is minimal," he replies.
Anakin glares. "Sith don't go on murder sprees because they're bored."
Obi-Wan firmly disagrees with that assessment, but considering Anakin was raised by a Sith, his opinion is biased. And, considering how Obi-Wan's master was killed by one, he is a little, too.
"The Jedi did that once," Maul interjects, a dark gleam in his eyes, "When they first destroyed the Sith."
"The Sith were destroying the galaxy back then, just like you intend to do now," Obi-Wan snaps back, feeling a little bad a second later at the slightly stung look on Anakin's face. Though, it wasn't him he was talking to. More and more, he just... doesn't really see him as a Sith.
"I believe this is a discussion we can save for later," Plo cuts in, approaching. Clearly, he overhead the squabble.
"Afraid to confront the truth, Jedi?" Maul sneers.
Obi-Wan really, really wishes Maul would go away so he could actually... enjoy the time he has with Anakin. He was, more than he ever thought he would, before Maul showed up. (Maybe Abeloth will deal with that. And that's a very un-Jedi-like thought, but he can't help wishing for it, anyway.)
"It was not a slaughter the way you describe it as," Plo replies, evenly, "It was in battle. You have the chance now to show it if we made the wrong choice."
Maul scoffs, but he doesn't bother continuing the conversation, which is probably for the best. Anakin is right that they need to be focusing right now.
**w**
Being back on Naboo again is a sharp reminder of the years Anakin lived here with Sidious before the Jedi took him. It feels like a lifetime ago now. If Obi-Wan or Maul have any issue being here, given what it probably reminds them of, they aren't showing it aside from glowering at each other occasionally. At least they stopped fighting for now because Anakin had... no idea how to handle that.
He can't understand how they could be being so cruel to each other, even if – Ugh. He doesn't even want to think about it anymore.
He's seen enough of Maul's condition, especially since he offered to help him adjust his legs so they're a little more real. The Sith had agreed grudgingly, though Anakin thinks his initial refusal was only so it didn't look... weak. Because he seemed grateful afterwards.
Besides, they need to be focusing on the mission. If Abeloth is on Naboo, she could do anything to this planet, and – Anakin doesn't want to let her hurt anyone else, but Naboo feels more like a home than he's ever had and he's not letting her destroy the planet entirely, no matter what it takes.
Once they're on-planet, they track the disturbance in the Force by meditating. Anakin helps them do it, and they finally pinpoint her location.
The area they're going to right now is deep in the hills, a strange place to imagine her hiding. Usually, she doesn't hide at all. She's in the most populated area to cause the most damage. Something doesn't feel right, but he can't place what. Abeloth's Force presence doesn't feel as overwhelming as it did the last time he saw her, which is... odd.
It's dark out, as they drive through the trees on speeders, trying to keep their approach quiet. Someone's staying with the ship to pick them up quickly, though, which Anakin hopes they won't need. But he knows how easily this could go very badly. Any of them could be hurt. Or they could – No.
He can't let himself think that anything could happen to Obi-Wan or Maul. Or... even Plo.
Something moves in the trees up ahead of them, and he reaches for his lightsaber, tensing. It's hard to pinpoint specifically when there's so much life around him, but he can tell there's actually numerous people watching them. Which doesn't make sense if only Abeloth is out here.
Does she have... people who help her? There's never even been rumors of it that Anakin's heard of.
Maul is the first to react, lashing out with the Force, and yanking someone through the trees, dumping them very unceremoniously on the ground in front of their speeders. Branches snap all around them, and seconds later, they're surrounded by masked people who are all aiming blasters at them.
Wait, are these the Amidalan rebels? But that doesn't make sense. He still senses Abeloth literally right here.
"We're not here to fight you," Obi-Wan speaks up, though legally, Anakin's pretty sure the Senate would demand they have to, since the Federation is the supposedly legitimate government. That's not their mission right now, though, so at least the Jedi are ignoring that. "You must have heard rumors of the attacks in the cities."
"The bombad attacks yousa blaming wesa for?"
There's a Gungan here? He shouldn't really be surprised about that.
Anakin might've said something, but when there's so many other Jedi here, he's still more comfortable staying invisible. Even if he... finds himself a little more comfortable about speaking up than he did a month ago.
"We aren't accusing you of anything," Plo replies, "But we tracked the one responsible to here."
Why isn't Abeloth just attacking them? Is she enjoying dragging this out, or is something else happening? Because Anakin can't shake the feeling it's the 'something else', and he has no idea what. But it's scaring him. Something's wrong.
"We haven't seen anything," a female voice replies, stepping forwards. Anakin can feel the others' wariness as she steps forwards, which makes him wonder... Is she the Queen?
Anakin's gaze narrows on her, and she – She's the one who feels wrong in the Force. As though she's Abeloth, but the Force presence isn't as strong. Is she doing something to her?
"You are certain?" Obi-Wan asks, a hint of suspicion in his voice. He must sense it too.
"Leave now," she orders, "And we might consider forgetting we saw you here."
Several of the others exchange glances – this isn't how she normally acts. Anakin's certain of that, despite how the Federation paints her, and he reaches out with the Force, cautiously nudging at her.
He's seen flashes of images of her on the holonet before. He knows what her Force-presence is, and she's fiery, but not like this.
It almost feels double? The queen's mind is somewhat there, but mostly it's just Abeloth. Is she possessing her?
He's shoved back roughly, suddenly, nearly hard enough to throw him physically off-balance. And it's the only warning he has before a blinding blast of lightning crackles through the air, straight at them.
Anakin scrambles to form a Force-shield, barely in time, but it's still hard. Several of the Jedi go down with strangled screams, and he can feel the danger growing from beneath them. The lightning is too blinding to see anything, but he can smell burning – the speeder is frying, and it's going to explode.
The lightning is stronger than an intensity he's ever seen Sidious use, and she – she must be going for the kill. And he's not going to let her hurt anyone if he can stop it. He's never done this before, but he delves into the Force as deeply as he can while trying to hold up his Force shield, and lashes out, trying to throw the energy back at her.
There's a blinding flash of light as the energy explodes between them, and Anakin leaps from the speeder while he still can, heart pounding.
The others all climb up, too, except one – they're still lying unmoving, robes smoking, and before someone can move forwards to pull them free, the smoking engine of the speeder explodes, flaming debris thrown through the trees around them.
He can feel the horror of those surrounding them; they have no idea what's happening, or probably why their queen is suddenly being like this. Or for that matter, what's happening at all, because she's not Force-sensitive.
Everything explodes into complete chaos. The Jedi pull out their lightsabers, jumping at Amidala – who Abeloth must be possessing – and Anakin draws his own blade, ready to join.
Maul was never given a lightsaber, but to be honest, he doesn't even need one. Sidious wouldn't have chosen him for an apprentice if he wasn't good at improvising.
The Amidalan rebels are all crouched back in the trees, staying out of the fight, obviously in shock about what's happening.
She throws the Jedi aside with ease, and Anakin jumps at her next, only to be Force-blasted backwards, into a nearby tree. She blocks one of the Jedi's lightsabers with her hand, then twists their blade around so fast, stabbing it right through them, faster than they have time to react.
"Whasa happening?" the Gungan asks, panicked, looking between them and the Rebels.
"She's possessed," he replies, breathlessly, forcing himself upright. "The being we were telling you about is controlled her somehow." He didn't even know that was possible, but it shouldn't be a shock. But – wait. Is Abeloth even here?
"Itsa manipulating hersa head-thoughts?" he asks, aghast.
He nods, instantly darting forwards again when he sees Abeloth Force-choking Obi-Wan. She lets him go when Anakin comes at her again, kicking him to the ground. It shudders beneath him suddenly, and he can feel the rocks ripping apart as he tries to scramble back to his feet, except he goes for a tumble instead. Anakin catches himself on the rocky slide, that's rapidly growing larger, and down below, he can feel the heat and see it as the rocks are starting to glow. She's... heating them up with the Force. Anakin knows nearly anything is possible with the Force, but this is –
Looking up, he sees that everyone is down right now, though Plo is standing up again. "How did you break free?" he asks, "You have been contained for millennia."
Amidala laughs, in a crazed way that doesn't sound anything like the body she's possessing. Anakin doesn't know the former queen personally, but he's seen enough about her to know what she's like, or at least to guess. "You have been unbalancing the Force for centuries now. It made the others' work far more difficult." The others? She must mean the Father, Son, and Daughter, who've been containing her all this time. Anakin was wondering how she broke out, too.
"Who has been?" Obi-Wan demands, sharply.
"All of you," she sneers, "And once the Sith began twisting the Chosen One to their way, the disturbance grew strong enough. And the Ones are too distracted fighting each other to come to your rescue."
Wait – wait – What?
Obi-Wan's lightsaber lowers a little, and he looks at Anakin, eyes widening.
"The – what's that?" Anakin asks. He has no idea what that means, or what the significance of it is, but Obi-Wan clearly does.
"The Jedi have a... prophecy," he explains briefly, never taking his eyes off Abeloth, "Of a being far more powerful than all Force-sensitives known before. He is said to bring balance to the Force."
Anakin didn't even know the Jedi believed in prophecies. It isn't something Sidious ever taught him about, or something he had any idea existed. "How does that affect us?" And in short, how does it even matter? He doesn't even know what that means. How can a person balance the Force? Isn't that something it does itself?
"It's you, Anakin," Obi-Wan replies, and he just stares.
Doesn't even know what that means. Him? He's supposed to be strong, at least that's always what his master told him, but that doesn't mean... this? He has no idea what this even means. Probably best to worry about it later.
"And now, you all die," Abeloth hisses, raising her hands again. The Jedi jump for her at once, and Anakin starts forwards, to join them. Except, he's not even halfway there when a Force-wave slams into him, hurling him back faster than he can counter, and the next thing he knows, he's falling right for the dangerously glowing rocks below.
His heart skips a beat, and he tries to find a handhold, something to hold onto, because he's not about to die right here like this by this – this crazy creature.
Someone catches him with the Force, barely in time, pulling him to the still safe edge of the rocky slope. Anakin scrambles the rest of the way to the top, to see Maul standing near the edge.
"Thanks," he says breathlessly, heart still pounding. That came so close, and several of the Jedi are already dead, and they're still no closer to defeating her.
"There is another way to stop her," Maul says, lifting a hand. Anakin's only half sure what he's doing, until he sees Amidala stumble a step, nearly getting stabbed in the process. He's – he's attacking her mind.
Anakin has no idea how to do that, has never been able to do anything like that, because his presence is too strong – not that he even wants to, obviously, but he has no idea what it'll do to the person inside. It might be the only way to stop Abeloth without killing the host, though, and that's not something Anakin wants to do. Queen Amidala is a symbol of hope for her people, and Anakin respects her.
He senses the blast of lightning coming a second before it does and jumps in front of Maul to block it with his lightsaber. At least he can let him focus. Amidala Force-shoves the other Jedi away from her, stumbling unsteadily again. "You still lose," she hisses, sounding gleeful before she suddenly collapses, and Abeloth's Force presence abruptly fades out entirely.
Though, it seems more like because she chose to leave, than anything else, because it's... very unlikely Maul would've been able to shake her hold that easily.
"Did she just transport herself elsewhere?" Anakin asks, half freaked out. Okay, he is freaked out, and he has a very good right to be. He's never dealt with something like this before, didn't train for it, and didn't even know it existed. He has no idea what she's really capable of.
"It appears so," Obi-Wan muses, sounding no less unsettled, as the other Amidalans scramble to their queen's side.
Plo's comm suddenly beeps, and he moves a few paces away to answer, though Anakin can still see Windu's tiny hologram. "You need to return at once," he orders, "Abeloth is on Coruscant, attacking the Temple."
And here, Anakin genuinely didn't think the circumstances could get much worse than they already were. He was wrong. Coruscant is hours away, and the battle will probably be over by the time they finally show up. He has no idea how Abeloth can transport herself between two totally separate places so fast. Nothing about her makes sense. Unless she was possessing Amidala from far away.
But what really matters right now is that they get back to Coruscant and try to help before it's too late.
**w**
Anakin can feel the death and chaos before they even make it to Coruscant. They can see the smoke from the moment they pass through the atmosphere.
Dread coils inside him, dark and heavy. There's so much smoke, and the atmosphere – at least near the Temple – looks hazy. He can't even imagine how many people are already dead, but he can feel it.
The Force is hurting, as are countless people on-planet, and the migraine he gets is practically instant. Anakin throws his shields up, trying to block it out, but there's a direct center to the fear and chaos, and he can track it easily.
"She's already inside the Temple," he says, shifting forwards in his seat.
"Take us down," Obi-Wan replies tightly from the co-pilot seat. He looks tense, as afraid as Anakin himself is.
Sidious is inside the Temple, and if – if something happens, Anakin doesn't want to lose him. He's terrified of losing him, and it's one of his greatest fears now. Sidious raised him in much the same way his mother did, and there's nothing he's more afraid of than having another – Sidious isn't his parent, but it still feels like it – die.
It wouldn't be hard. Force – it would be easy. If part of the Temple collapsed – and it looks like a bit already has – he could get caught in the debris.
He feels Obi-Wan's eyes on him, and Maul's smugness at seeing the destruction. He doesn't really know what to think about that, but considering what the Jedi did to Maul on Naboo, Anakin has to excuse him for being somewhat... satisfied at seeing how badly they've been hurt.
That doesn't mean he's remotely comfortable with it. Anakin doesn't know that he exactly likes the Jedi, either, but they're still people, and he knows them. He's interacted with a good number, and doesn't like most on a personal level, but he doesn't want them hurt. He doesn't want them to die. They never did anything to deserve that.
And that youngling – Ahsoka's inside. Anakin only saw her once, but he adores her.
This is Obi-Wan's home, and the building is massive. The destruction inside must be insane. Anakin can't imagine what it's doing to him to see this, either. He'd be furious if something happened to Naboo, and that's different than the Temple. Anakin has never gotten overly attached to places exactly – he couldn't on Tatooine, and that's always been true – but still.
Anakin doesn't know where it's safe to land, after what happened last time, so he guides them down towards a landing platform that's a short distance from the destruction, just in case. Hopefully, Abeloth is too focused on the Jedi to notice their approach, though realistically? If what Obi-Wan said is true, she probably sensed Anakin the moment they exited hyperspace.
He wants to ask Obi-Wan if he's alright, just to – because that seems like the right thing to do, but they need to focus. There's not time.
They make for the Temple as fast as they can. It doesn't take long, and the moment they step inside, Anakin loses track of everyone except Obi-Wan.
Not everyone made it uninjured off Naboo.
Not everyone will make it out of here, either.
Not when the literal meaning of chaos in the galaxy is here.
They're only a few halls away from where Abeloth is when Anakin catches sight of a familiar youngling, and instantly freezes. "I'll catch up," he tells Obi-Wan, turning to Ahsoka. The Knight nods, taking off down the hall.
"Ahsoka, what are you doing here?" Anakin asks, trying to ignore how fast his heart is pounding. He's terrified, that they could lose this fight, that someone he knows could die. He doesn't want to die, either. He has no idea what would happen to Obi-Wan or Maul or even Sidious if he wasn't here.
"We're Jedi," she answers, "We have to help."
His gut flips. "Yeah, but you're still an Initiate," he argues, "I've fought her. She's dangerous. There's nothing you can do about her."
Ahsoka looks sullen, maybe a little angry. "She's killing people! We have to stop her!"
"The best way you can help," Anakin supplies – because he's certain it is, even if they've been given different orders – "Is to get everyone who can't fight out of here before she gets far. Can you do that?"
Ahsoka deflates a little. "I can," she concedes, still looking a little unhappy.
"If she comes to the area with the Initiates, you need to be ready for it," Anakin tells her, and that isn't just a way of trying to convince her to leave. It's the truth, even if he desperately hopes it won't go that far.
"Okay," she nods, determinedly. She's so adorable, if he's being honest, or maybe it's that he hasn't interacted with any children younger than him in so long. He wishes he could have the chance to know her better – not that there's time to worry about that right now.
He lingers long enough to make sure Ahsoka is listening and going back, before taking off, to catch up with the others.
Anakin still doesn't really know what to do, but he has to figure something out fast. They can't get close enough to her with a lightsaber to kill her, but he has to try. Somehow.
And she mentioned being contained somewhere. Is there some way to... send her back there? Though, if she broke out once, she'd probably be able to again, but he doesn't know.
All he does know is that he can distinctly hear the sound of fighting in the hallway right up ahead. At least, what's left of the hallway, because holes have been ripped through the walls and floor, where the Jedi are trying to fight Abeloth – she's in her humanoid, tentacled form, the way she was the first time Anakin saw her.
And that's when he senses another familiar, close presence.
His master?
His master was in the prison levels, right? Or is he? Did he escape, or did they let him out? Anakin has no idea. All he knows is that – for better or worse – Sidious is here, and Anakin spots him slashing at one of Abeloth's countless tentacles on the far side of the hall.
Presently, Anakin still has no idea if this is going to be good or... even worse.
He'd say he can hope they'll all pull through, but he needs to be realistic, too, and it's a little past that point.
But at least his master is still alive. Under the circumstances, that's all he can ask for, at least right now.
**w**
The endless fight against Abeloth feels practically hopeless by now. Anakin drags himself upright for what feels like the hundredth time, every inch of him aching. Debris from the collapsing floor cut deeply through his arm, but he ignores the bleeding, struggling to catch his breath.
The Jedi keep going at her ceaselessly, but there's no end. The floor beneath him trembles violently suddenly, nearly throwing him off-balance. Heart pounding, Anakin breaks into a run, for the hole in the floor where the fight fell through again. Seriously, how many layers does the Temple have?
To be fair, it's the tallest building on Coruscant.
He jumps down the opening, landing easily on the floor to see a dozen or so Jedi still going at her. Sidious unleashes a blast of lightning on Abeloth. It crackles into her, and she whips around with a snarl, throwing him back. Maul reacts the same moment, throwing a borrowed lightsaber at several of the supports of the floor above them. The blade slashes through the pillars, and the floor groans loudly before the Force flares in warning.
The area of the floor right above her abruptly gives way, collapsing right towards them, and everyone dives for safety. It's smoking and burning when it lands on her, but with an agonizingly loud groan, the pieces of debris levitate off her, and she hurls it at the gathered Jedi. The gaping hole in the floor above them only looks even more unstable now, and Anakin really hopes the entire building in this part isn't going to start collapsing.
Explains the outside destruction, at least.
Maul is about to start towards her again when Anakin feels her lash out with the Force, wrapping it around him and crushing.
Maul lets out a strangled half-gasp, half-snarl as he lands on the floor, his metal legs entirely crushed.
No.
It's – it's way too easy for him to get hurt now, and he won't be able to help them anymore either. (Not to mention how sick it makes him feel, that he even can be hurt like that.) Someone starts picking up large pieces of debris, hurling them at her, while several others circle around behind, jumping for her head. It's probably only because she's blocking the debris and another onslaught of Sidious' lightning that they even get close enough. Plo lands on her back, running his lightsaber deep into her, to the general area where her heart ought to be – assuming she even has one.
She shakes the Jedi off, ripping his lightsaber away with the Force and throwing it back at him. Plo tries to block it, but he doesn't move fast enough. The blade runs him through, somewhere in his lower chest.
"No," Anakin barely recognizes his own strangled denial as Plo falls to the floor. No, no. No. He feels frozen, staring at Plo's motionless body when he very much does not have time to freeze up. Everyone else keeps moving as though nothing happened, as though Plo wasn't just stabbed, and he – He's one of the only people Anakin's known since leaving Tatooine, and he –
He's been so worried about Obi-Wan and Sidious and Maul and Ahsoka that he hadn't even given much thought to Plo.
And he has to stop this. Now. He has to. Past his overwhelming horror and denial, he's flooded with a desperate helpless rage and he's so tired of feelinghelpless. He's supposed to be the most powerful Force user and Sith, if he can't even be that, can't even keep anyone safe – he's watching Plo die just like he did his mother – what's he even good for?
If they can't kill Abeloth, then there has to be something else they can do. Anakin delves into the Force more deeply than he ever has before, desperately searching for something he can do to get rid of her. Only the Force can guide him on that, and when she's hurting the Force itself by being free, he's certain it will.
Now he's opening himself up to it in a way he never has before, it's practically overwhelming him, flooding him with a power he's never felt before. It's not really Light or Dark; it just is.
It's not easy, but to keep himself grounded, he – the easiest person for him to reach for is Obi-Wan. It gives him... strength in the way his bonds with Maul and Sidious can't.
But it's also more than that. His Force bond with Obi-Wan is already overwhelmingly strong for the short time they've been together, almost more so than his with Sidious even if that doesn't really make sense.
There's something about it that's different. Something about touching him in the Force that whispers home in a way that isn't just physical. It's a connection Anakin doesn't really understand, but he draws on it and feels Obi-Wan respond, touching him reassuringly through the Force, when he reaches for Abeloth.
He's seeing more through the currents of the Force than he is his eyes right now, and he can see the way she's twisting it around her unnaturally. She's hurting the Force, he tries to latch onto that sheer imbalance, to rip it apart.
Abeltoh shoves him back violently. Probably, that would be a fight he couldn't win, so he forces on twisting the currents of the Force around her, trying to rip open whatever it was that let her out in the first place, to throw her back through.
He has no idea what he's doing, but he can feel a massive shift in the Force forming as he keeps up his efforts.
It's sort of... instinctive, as if he should know how to remove her and where to send her back to, though he doesn't really. But since it's in mind, he's not going to let it stop.
Abeloth turns towards him, and he can feel her fury, but Obi-Wan and the others are blocking her way, even if she's tearing through them as though they're nothing, to get to him. She's not going to keep playing with them anymore. She's going to finish them all off.
Anakin knows in that moment, and the overwhelming terror that floods him with is enough for him to keep going. If he fails now, everyone is going to die.
The fear doesn't overwhelm him like it often would when he's this deep in the Force, though. It just... exists and keeps everything he can focusing on writing out this – this thing that'd disturbing the Force.
The shift in the Force widens abruptly, sharply, and as though a... rift in the Force itself is forming right in front of them. He has no idea if he's starting to see stars or if that's just how the rift in the Force looks like physically, but Anakin gathers the Force to him as strongly as he can, hurling it at Abeloth. She tries to deflect the Force-shove but it's too strong, especially when the Force itself is on his side, and she's thrown backwards, into the gaping rift, back to whatever hole she crawled out of in the first place.
Anakin lets go of his hold abruptly and the shockwave that runs through the Force at how abruptly the rift slams closed is enough to throw him off his feet literally. The entire world is spinning, and instead of the power he felt seconds ago, he feels a little more like he got the Force carved out of him, along with every last bit of energy he ever had. The last thing he registers is Obi-Wan calling his name before the world spirals into darkness.
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