Hello, friends!
Yes, I'm back after a necessary month long hiatus. We shall now continue with our story which reached its zenith and now will start towards the inevitable conclusion. Lots of fluff upcoming, but also a bit of heartache and angst as well. In reality, I should call this chapter 'The one where they all get some much needed sleep.'
I also just want to give a quick shoutout to everyone who has reviewed, followed, favorited, or even just clicked on this story (flame reviews not withstanding). It means a hell of a lot. Nearly 1000 reviews, 1700 follows, 1400 favorites, and 500,000 views later, it really has become bigger than I thought it would. Thank you for making that possible.
"It's so hard to forget pain, but it's harder to remember sweetness. We have no scar to show for happiness. We learn so little from peace."- Chuck Palahniuk
Chapter 45. Aftermath
The wake of the battle against Darth Sidious carried its own consequences. Wild rumors abounded across the capital and the galaxy at large- everything from assassinations to blood rituals, right down to the color of Count Dooku's underwear. A few pieces of truth circulated among the official reports. That Palpatine had been voted out and he'd been involved in a physical altercation with the Jedi. Bail Organa had been appointed Acting Chancellor in the interim. The frontlines stalled as multiple clone units refused to fight until their inhibitor chips were removed.
Anakin Skywalker didn't care about any of the gossip. Only one person was on his mind.
"Anakin-"
The Grand Republic Medical Facility had become a zoo of bodies and confusion. Dozens of shock troopers had been injured or killed. Communication lines were down, and the status of new arrivals overwhelmed an otherwise orderly, highly efficient staff. Medicine and treatments were being delayed for some patients.
"Anakin-"
He squeezed through all of it, ignoring the chaos in the Force. They were tiny molecules to be pushed aside. Padme was alive; he felt it, but fear won over logic.
Please let her be alright, please let her be alright.
"Anakin, slow down!"
Obi-Wan's voice didn't register. Not when he smashed the button to reach the highest level of the hospital. Not when he moved past the protesting staff at the private wing where Padme resided. Not when several doctors noticed he was missing a hand and insisted he go to the emergency room. The protection of his wife enabled him to become a force far more unstoppable than in any duel.
Then, he came to an abrupt halt mere meters away from her room.
"Finally. I've been trying to-"
Obi-Wan's surprise barely registered when he turned around.
"I-I can't go in there…"
"Anakin, I've been attempting to slow you down for the past twenty minutes. What's wrong?"
The instinctual urge to tell Obi-Wan to jump off a cliff burned hot before it cooled at the sight of his eyes. They were soft and contained no disapproval like in the old days. His voice was tender.
Old habits and old feelings died hard.
"Master I…"
Brotherly intuition kicked in.
"Your feelings are louder than I've ever felt them."
Anakin cursed himself even now for never learning the degree of emotional masking most Jedi mastered in their youth. Not for the first time, it made him wonder why the hell he was a Master of the Order, never mind a Knight.
"She's going to hate me."
The desire to see Padme had been swallowed by a sinking pit of self loathing. The images of Luke's memories were still fresh. How he'd acted on that hellish volcanic world, his hand moving to crush her windpipe…
"You know that's not true," came Obi-Wan's compassionate voice of reason.
"Well it should be!"
He turned away and bit his hand.
"How can I look at her, Obi-Wan? How can I even be in the same room as her, knowing what I did?"
"Someone else did those things," his master responded with a touch more firmness. "You share a physical body and nothing more."
"I yelled at her the last time we spoke. I accused-" he stopped, wave after wave of disgust piling on. "-I accused her of being a traitor. Of sharing a bed with my own son."
Obi-Wan showed and spoke no judgment. He brought his best friend close, both hands on the side of the brunette's broad shoulders.
"Did you physically harm her? Did you understand what was going on at the time?"
"No, but-"
"Anakin, you must accept that you are not the man in those memories, just as I am not the one I saw." Anakin's eyes lit up at the realization that Obi-Wan had been subjected to the same experience as him. "We both made mistakes in alternate lifetimes. But this is here and now. And right now, there's a woman who needs you, just as you need her."
Stars, he never knew just how good he had it having Obi-Wan as a friend and master.
"You're right."
"Of course I am." Obi-Wan gave a humorous wink. "Now go in there before one of the doctors forces you into the emergency room."
"I'm fine."
"Might I remind you that you're currently missing a hand?"
Point well taken. It was highly awkward to walk around without a hand, especially an inorganic one with wiring sticking out everywhere. Sooner or later, that little inconvenience would need to be fixed. But not before seeing Padme.
"Ok."
The first steps were tentative at first, untrusting of his own actions. Legs carried him, love took care of the rest.
Upon entry, the sight of Padme nearly sank Anakin to his knees. His wife sat in a bed, barely conscious, visible veins crisscrossing near the base of her neck and below. Dark circles only emphasized just how badly she suffered. He'd give anything, his other arm and more, to take it away.
Her soft, brown eyes met his blue ones.
"Ani."
A nurse protested his presence until Padme interrupted.
"That's my husband."
Obi-Wan was right. At the very least, she did not appear on the verge of death as she had mere hours ago. He was gentle when probing her life Force, which was reduced but still there, stubbornly holding on.
They were also not alone. A familiar Jedi Master, the same species as his former padawan, stood by her bedside. As was a blonde woman Anakin had met more than a few times.
"Hello Master Skywalker."
"Master Shaak Ti."
Anakin wanted to bow, but his back went stiff. Shaak Ti merely smiled at the lack of formality.
"You have one incredible woman as your wife."
Blinking three times, he could hardly believe a Master of her caliber, a Council member no less, was congratulating him on his marriage.
"She's saved my life," Padme spoke now, but she too, had a smile far too large for someone in her condition. "And Satine here has kept me company."
Anakin, still unsure of what to do or say, managed to bow this time.
"Tha-thank you, Master. To you both."
Bowing deeply, Shaak Ti exited the room but paused in the doorway.
"You have nothing to fear, Skywalker. Consider me someone in your corner."
Satine was next, gazing into his eyes with fearful intensity.
"Obi-Wan…is he…"
"He's fine."
Her relief, the sheer amount of passion residing in that slender Mandalorian pacifist only confirmed what Obi-Wan told him earlier and deepened his shame. These two loved each other with their entire souls. Why had he doubted it?
"Anakin."
Padme's voice had a magnetic effect, pulling him in by her bedside. Yet once more, his tongue disobeyed the command to speak for a good ten seconds.
"I…guess the secret's out, isn't it?"
"Let's be honest. We were never that good at keeping secrets."
The words came out strained, but there was a note of humor in them that elicited a watery chuckle. It broke the dam in Anakin's heart. Tears rushed forth as he bent down to one knee and clasped her hand.
"Padme, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"
"You can say that phrase as much as you'd like. There's nothing to forgive. It's okay."
The use of the phrase only sent Anakin further into a tailspin, remembering some of the last words Luke had spoken.
"Ani-"
"It's not okay," he said, trying to push down the misery throbbing in his chest. "None of this is okay. That bastard, that kriffing sleemo, nearly killed you. And I would have been responsible."
He stopped short of saying 'I am responsible' but only because the lump in his throat prevented articulate speech from forming.
"But you figured it out," she said weakly, but the conviction never wavered. "You did what Master Qui-Gon always thought you would."
Stars, he wanted to believe that. But the line between his current future and his past blurred so closely, Anakin was scared to even put a single toe forward.
"You have no idea what I've done tonight."
"Then tell me."
She squeezed his hand in an affectionate gesture of comfort despite being barely strong enough to do so. It only intensified the love he felt for this woman.
"It's a long story."
He recalled it to the best of his ability, as the last few hours felt more like a few days with everything that had happened. Anakin wanted to jump out of the window at the mention of certain parts, hanging his head in shame. He almost did when describing the moment he nearly joined Sidious. Padme never wavered or showed any sign of anger.
"Ani, I'm so sorry."
"Angel, I'm the one who needs to apologize."
"You didn't know what was going on," she said, placing that soft hand over his cheek. "Palpatine manipulated you. He manipulated everyone. Luke will be the first one to tell you that."
Luke's name created a fresh well of tears as Anakin interlaced that hand with his own fingers, kissing it.
"He did. He was the one who brought me back."
'Again' should have been the next word, but the limits of his emotional capacity had been reached. Anakin did not have the heart to repeat the horrors of Mustafar or the Death Star.
"I was this close to falling." He brought up two fingers pinched together to emphasize just how perilous that battle had been. "We fought. I refused to listen." The stump of his right hand was shown to his wife. "He gave me this."
Padme gave a small squeak.
"I'm alright," he said quickly. "I've had far worse. He helped me realize what kind of path I was headed down." He stopped as another lump in his throat throbbed in anticipation of the big reveal. "Padme…Luke isn't some random warrior from the stars, he's our son."
She gave a faint smile.
"I know."
Her response nearly blew his hair back.
"What? How did you-"
"I figured it out. That's why I was trying to tell you earlier this evening at dinner."
It was a statement filled with levity in an effort to make him feel better, but it had the opposite effect. Every new piece of information only served to bring him down lower and lower.
"Palpatine," Padme breathed out the word like a black cloud hanging over them. "He's dead?"
"Yes. I killed him." It was one death he didn't mind admitting to. No one would begrudge the passing of Sheev Palpatine into a dark void. But his thoughts drifted again towards the beautiful blond.
"Luke, he…didn't make it." Anakin failed to stop himself from choking up. "He's gone."
'No one's ever truly gone.'
His son's last words were supposed to be prophetic, a silver lining in a pyrrhic victory. So why did it feel like he was lost forever? And what about the message to his sister?
"I want to tell you something."
Padme pulled Anakin closer. He obliged, settling into a kneeling position beside her.
"I'm pregnant with twins. Anakin…we're going to be parents."
A ray of sunlight broke through the clouds. He breathed in and out as the Force danced with joy. Padme's eyes twinkled, defying the dark, sickly circles underneath them.
It was a miracle. Or a coincidence. Or was it sheer dumb luck? Perhaps a combination of all three.
"That's…" Happiness, not loathing, stifled the buds of his tongue. "I can't believe it." He glanced towards her stomach. "They're…alive?"
"Untouched," she said happily. "They protected me. The doctors don't know how, but it's the reason I'm still here. Our little ones…"
Energy slipped from Padme's grasp, and days, if not weeks, of recovery awaited. But she still had enough left for one final request.
"We should name them." She smiled again. "I think the choice is obvious."
Anakin could not have agreed more. He placed his one delicate hand over his wife's stomach.
"Luke," he said, embracing the love he felt as the Force channeled through him. "That will be his name."
Light giver. My beloved son, who saved me from darkness.
"What of the other?" he asked.
They sat in silence, thinking it over.
"Luke told me he had a sister," Padme said. "A twin sister."
"Do we know that the second one is a girl?"
"It's a girl." Motherly intuition sometimes surpassed the power of the Force. "I'm sure of it. Leia was the name Luke mentioned," Padme whispered.
Luke's final wish suddenly made a lot more sense. Anakin nodded.
"Then she shall be Leia."
Padme's strength failed, and she sat back in her bed, eyes fluttering over. But she was not dying. Anakin knew that with certainty.
"I love you, Ani."
"I love you too, angel. And I swear as long as I live, I will never leave your side again."
He pressed a kiss against her cheek and settled in the chair beside the bed, reclining just enough to allow his head to rest on the pillow. Their hands were still interlaced together, unbroken, intact, and content.
Those doctors could wheel him out on a stretcher full of sedatives. They'd have to. He'd sooner lose every other limb on his body than lose Padme Amidala a second time.
Yoda hobbled his way up the steps of the Jedi Temple. He breathed in and out, flowing in conjunction with the midi-chlorians swirling around him. Weariness nipped at his old bones. The fight with Sidious had taken all the strength he could muster at almost nine hundred years old.
The sick, strange darkness which had cast a looming pall over Coruscant for decades, rescinded into the clouds above. It rode a dark wind and drifted on by as if to haunt him one last time before entering oblivion.
Yoda held out his hand.
Be gone.
The Grandmaster's power dwarfed that of the dwindling malfeasance which had plagued the galaxy for so long. Too long.
Light banished the darkness. A steady air of peace and calm returned, like a sunny sky after a storm. The oppression of the Sith evaporated into the nighttime air. But its taint, its influence, would always remain. Yoda understood that now.
Behind him was a procession of clones from the 212th, a dozen or so who'd volunteered to transport the bodies of Master Mundi and Master Tiin back to the Temple. Above, he felt the awaiting souls of thousands still inside. Communications across the planet had been knocked out, adding to the anxiety pulsing inside the building. No one knew anything.
A contingent of Jedi Guards, ready to fight to the death in defense of their home, bowed, allowing him to pass. Atop the steps underneath the pillars of the Four Masters, were Adi Gallia, Agen Kolar, Cin Drallig, Oppo Rancisis, and Depa Billaba. Their lightsabers were at the ready, as if they were expecting an attack. The sight of their longtime leader brought enormous relief.
"Master, you're alive."
"Yes."
Agen Kolar bent low, offering a hand.
"Everyone has been speaking of a planet-wide battle between the Jedi and the Chancellor, but there have been no answers."
Yoda waved aside any assistance. Of all the combatants who'd gone against Sidious, he'd come out mostly unscathed. Unlike Kenobi and Skywalker. Unlike Mundi and Tiin, who were no longer among the living.
A sad consequence of war. The young perished and the old lingered. To rejoice in the passing of the dead into the living Force did not seem appropriate.
"Is it…done?" They all sensed both great sadness and relief. That Sidious was dead. Kolar was only asking for peace of mind. A mark of just how much fear had consumed them the past three years.
"Yes." Depa Billaba took a deep breath and exhaled, as though she were taking in oxygen for the first time. "Balance is returning to the Force."
"The Sith are no more?"
Yoda nodded towards Drallig.
"Attacked us, Sidious did. Lives were lost."
The clones arrived carrying two bodies on top of gurneys, white sheets covering them. All five masters bowed their heads and closed their eyes at the loss.
"Ki-Adi Mundi and Saesee Tiin, slain they were," he said in his most gravely tone yet.
"And what about Anakin and Obi-Wan?" said Adi Gallia, her stoic demeanor quivering.
"Injured but alive. Fulfilled their destinies, they did."
This certainly caused a variety of expressions from the rest of the group, some of polite surprise, relief in others. But it was Rancisis who noticed one other was not among them.
"What of the other Skywalker? I can no longer sense his presence, yet I see nobody."
Yoda's ears drooped as the clones moved inside with the bodies. There would be time for an official ceremony later. The Force, a clear pool in the cosmos free from the murkiness polluting its water, dictated that the Jedi needed to learn, reflect, and change. To take proper perspective and know just who it was that gave up his own existence so they might live to see a brighter future.
"Luke Skywalker is now one with the Force. Returned to it, he did."
He saw their faces. He felt their sorrow, regret, and lamentation. With a flick of the wrist, Yoda summoned his lightsaber and ignited it.
"Honor his sacrifice, we shall. Never to be forgotten."
Yoda raised his emerald blade in the air. The other Masters followed suit, as a succession of green and blue were raised to the sky.
"To Luke Skywalker."
"To Luke Skywalker," they all repeated.
The soft wind altered from the east to the west. This curious phenomenon was not unnoticed by Master Yoda. The Force seemed to signal something. A change. A permanent shift in the universe. As if one world had crossed over the horizon and a new one rose to take its place.
Sun sets
In twilight one must die
A sacrifice
The other destined to survive
So it would be written in the hidden halls of the archives. The Prophecy spoke not just of the Skywalker clan but of time itself.
Victory was never without loss.
"Oh, Ben…"
Satine had enveloped him in a tight hug. As they were both unaccustomed to public displays of affection, it was enough to break down any remaining inhibitions. He clung to her, never wanting to let go.
"Satine…"
"I was so worried-"
"I know, I know-"
They broke apart, and she kissed him softly on the lips, one which he returned. Obi-Wan noticed some of the hospital staff staring. For once, there was no holding back. Let them look. Jedi Code or not, he was going to kiss his woman.
"No one knew anything," she said, pulling away and running a hand across his bearded cheek. "We lost all contact with the Temple shortly after the Senate passed Order 65. The thought of losing you…"
Brave tears brimmed in those sea-blue eyes. Crying didn't come easy for Satine. Mandalorian women were raised to be just as hard and emotionally tough as men. To see her like this rocked Obi-Wan's world.
"I'm here, darling. Somehow, we've emerged from this unscathed…" He glanced around the hospital as the bodies of numerous shock troopers were rushed in. Flashes of Master Tiin and Master Mundi, cut down by a living nightmare, haunted his mind. The horror was still fresh.
"Almost unscathed," he muttered.
"I take it Palpatine did not come quietly."
"No," Obi-Wan hoarsely. "He did not. Nor did he die quietly."
Satine brought him in one more time. Obi-Wan found her touch soothing in a way no one else ever quite unlocked. Qui-Gon maybe, but Qui-Gon was a father figure. Satine was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Above everything.
Oh.
This is what his apprentice must have felt for years. The itch, the burning passion of love. And the potential heartbreak of being forced to give it up.
"We're both still here," Satine whispered into his ear. "That evil man is gone. We can build something new. Something better."
He took both of her hands, and the burgeoning couple gazed intently into each other.
"I once told you- had you said the word, I would have left the Jedi Order all those years ago. If you ask me again now…my answer will be different."
Satine's eyes widened to an impossible length, but her response was cut off.
"General, Senator."
Commander Cody's untimely arrival jerked Obi-Wan back into Jedi mode.
"Yes, Cody. What is it?"
If any awkwardness existed in the clone, he didn't show it, being the cool professional he was. Force bless that Cody.
"The Senate Rotunda, Executive Building, power stations, and all main checkpoints are secure. Every shock trooper, including Commander Fox, has been placed in holding cells or medical wards. There have been no reported attacks against the Jedi Temple. The planet is stable, sir."
"Very good."
It seemed odd he would have nothing more to say after nearly two and a half years of war. Every successful mission eventually led them to plan for another one. But there was a tangible sense of finality. A war going full tilt a mere rotation ago had stopped in full force.
Cody cleared his throat before continuing.
"Communications were fully restored five minutes ago. And there's someone who'd like to talk to you."
He held out a holopad, the blue visual of Bail Organa illuminated in the hallway. The hologram flickered as several medical staff filtered past.
"Master Kenobi. I'm glad to see you well."
"Still intact by some miracle."
He should have been a bit more formal, but the joy and relief of the past hour diluted Obi-Wan's normal posh filter. Bail chuckled politely.
"I had little doubt of that. To see you alive brings me great joy."
He sensed a 'but' somewhere in there. Not out of disingenuousness but the creeping necessity of politics.
"My call has a twofold purpose. To check on your welfare and the status of the Jedi's mission. Since Palpatine hasn't returned to murder everyone in the Rotunda, I can only assume he's in your custody or dead."
"The latter."
When he didn't elaborate with more details, Bail continued onward.
"I have been named Acting Chancellor in the interim. As such, all emergency powers previously granted to Palpatine are now vested in me."
"The Senate made a worthy selection."
He meant it, but Obi-Wan saw the weariness in Bail's posture. The man was a natural leader, but power of that kind was not something he wanted. Perhaps those were the kind of people best suited to high office.
"Your support is most gracious. But there is much to do, I'm afraid. I've only had the job for half an hour, and already things are spinning out of control. There are reports that the clones are in full rebellion in certain sectors. The Separatist government has collapsed, but what remains of their droid armies refuse to lay down arms. Various Outer and Middle Rim worlds are in a state of panic. The crisis unfolding threatens to engulf the previous one."
It really hit home just how much the Clone Wars were controlled and shaped by Sidious. Without the Sith Lord pulling every string, the facade had fallen apart piece by piece. And now they were trying to avoid the heavy debris.
"What do you need from the Jedi Order, sir?"
The man was Chancellor now. Acting or not, he deserved all of their respect.
"I realize great stress has been placed upon your institution. (There was no need to mention the attempted genocide). But there will be a need for a full Senate investigation in the coming days and weeks. Much of what happens now depends on our ability to navigate the law. Because in its eyes, a former Chancellor, Sith Lord or not, is now dead at the hands of the Jedi Order. I need to know: did Palpatine resist arrest? Did he attack you?"
"He did. Security holos will confirm as much."
A bit of weight lifted off Bail's shoulders.
"I have little reason to doubt your word, Obi-Wan. All the same, I believe it would be wise for the Jedi Order to release a statement explaining what happened tonight. I'll have my office issue a declaration of support."
It was sound advice. And already indicative of things to come. Bail Organa was someone they could count on to lead them out of this asteroid field.
"I'll contact Master Yoda."
The Alderaanian addressed Satine.
"Senator Kryze. I hope this recent turn of events will convince Mandalore that the Republic's intentions are good and that your people are not about to be subject to an autocratic tyranny."
"Of course. I can already assure you Bo does not want war and will be satisfied with Palpatine's death."
Bail gave the smallest of smiles through those tired eyes.
"We've won the war. Now, we must win the peace."
The hologram flickered. It occurred to Obi-Wan that with Sidious's death and Luke's passing, whatever fate originally had in store for Bail Organa was now erased. The slate was clean. Who knows how many lives had been spared?
"Please give my love to Padme and Anakin. I apologize for not being there in person but-"
"Say no more. They will understand."
Bail gave a slight bow.
"I'll be in touch, Obi-Wan. Go and get some rest. I daresay you deserve it."
The transmission ended, and Cody stowed it away into his utility belt. Obi-Wan's thoughts immediately shot in several different directions. Anakin was still in a vulnerable state, Ahsoka had been severely roughed up, not to mention the Temple and whatever else needed doing.
Press release. Master Yoda.
He searched his robes for a comlink but realized it likely fell off or broke during the fight with Sidious.
"Cody, can you contact the Temple?"
"With respect, sir. I think you should take the new Chancellor's advice."
Obi-Wan opened his mouth, but his protest came out as more of a slur than coherent speech. He suddenly felt disoriented as the adrenaline sustaining him began to crash.
"I think he's right, darling," Satine said quietly, slinking an arm around his waist. "You've been through quite a lot in the past three rotations."
"Oh no, I'm fiiii…"
Obi-Wan, weighed down by weariness and the painful ache seared onto his joints by Sith lightning, barely had the strength to stand. Three battles in the last four rotations had finally caught up to him. He collapsed into Satine's arms, who staggered at the sudden weight she was not strong enough to carry.
"Commander…um, a little help?"
Cody quickly draped Obi-Wan's arms and body around his shoulders. A nurse stopped and quickly called over a stretcher.
"We have a collapse on the floor! I need a room, stat!"
"It's alright," Cody assured them. "He's just exhausted and needs a bed."
"Cody," Obi-Wan breathed. "I needa contak the emple."
"The Temple can wait, sir. I'll take care of it."
That didn't properly compute for Obi-Wan. It was his job to take care of people. Cody, Anakin, Ahsoka, Satine, etc. He couldn't just fall asleep now.
"I'm going to take care of you for a change, you stubborn man," Satine teased softly. "Sleep now."
The gentle shushing from his beautiful girlfriend only helped him to slip away further as the outline of his vision began to blur and then blacken. The last thing he saw was Cody's yellow-painted armor and the lights of the hospital wing as Satine said the words.
"I love you, Ben."
Ahsoka gritted her teeth as Kix worked his magic. She didn't take to medical treatment all that well, a trait learned from her Master and Grandmaster respectively.
I guess it runs in the family, she thought with a humorous note.
"Kix, how much longer?"
"As long as it takes, General."
Typical response from the medic. When it came to the health and safety of his patients, he outranked everyone. Even Jedi.
Ahsoka watched numerous 501st troopers go by. Various units were taking shifts in and around the Senate district now that the Coruscant Guard had been essentially put out of action. She'd wanted to go to the Republic Grand Medical Facility with Anakin and Obi-Wan, but Rex deemed her injuries too severe. In addition to Sith poison and a smoking flesh wound, she'd apparently sustained three broken ribs during the confrontation with Sidious.
Wincing, she turned away as Kix pressed a hot vibro blade against the wound. She sat on a crate outside the Executive Building even as activity continued throughout the Coruscanti night.
"I wish you'd come to me sooner," he grumbled. "Wouldn't have to use heat as a disinfectant if you had."
"Did you miss the part about the giant battle against the evil Sith Lord?"
Kix showed some humor with a chuckle and finished the painful part of the cleaning process. He then began applying cool bacta, which felt much more relaxing.
"Believe me, ma'am. Nothing surprises me after the past few days I've had."
Touche.
Kix flashed a light into both pupils. She flinched but only slightly. He placed a hand near the lower part of her chest.
"How's the pain?"
"I've had worse."
Kix stuck a patch on the area and tugged her shirt back down.
"General Luke was pretty twitchy when I attended to his injuries too," he said with a fond smile. "Must've picked that up from him."
"Yeah."
His face fell a bit.
"I wish I'd been up there. Maybe I could have saved his life."
Ahsoka looked down and said nothing. She might have told Kix there was nothing anyone could have done. That Luke's passing was the will of the Force. But she didn't. The pain in her heart was too much to bear. Seventeen years of Jedi teachings dictated that it was time to let go and celebrate his return to the midichlorians. Attachment was forbidden.
But seventeen years of Jedi teachings failed to account for this inherent contradiction. How did one spend time with people they loved and not feel attachment? Or loss when they died?
She tried breathing slowly and releasing the pain into the Force, which felt much lighter and calmer than even an hour ago. It was more like what she remembered as a youngling in the cache. But simply 'letting go' wouldn't make this go away. At least not right now. It was the one wound Kix couldn't treat.
I did love him, she realized with a throbbing ache. And love is a gift, not a curse.
Luke taught her that. He'd taught her many things, broadened her horizons, and showed the way to become more emotionally healthy. Ahsoka had lost a friend, mentor, a half-uncle/half-nephew figure in her life. They all had. More time was required to heal.
"Thank you, Kix," she said after a brief pause.
"Any time, General. I recommend getting plenty of rest. At least a week and no missions," he added sharply. "You likely have some head trauma as well, but your physiology protects you from concussions more than humans."
Ahsoka nodded but had no intention of following that advice. Padme was still in the hospital, and Anakin was likely there with her. Sleep could wait. They needed her support.
I haven't talked to Anakin since I was kidnapped.
She stood up, but a nasty headrush threw her off balance. Kix reached out to steady her.
"Whoa, easy there."
"I have to go find Anakin."
"What about 'rest' do you not understand?"
An amused snicker cut its way through the argument.
"I often find when Ahsoka has her mind set on something, there's very little anyone can do to stop her."
Captain Rex's eyes twinkled. Kix wrinkled his nose in disapproval.
"This is the same Jedi who stowed away inside a ship on a mission to the most notorious Separatist prison in the galaxy after being specifically ordered not to," Rex said, failing to keep the amusement out of his voice. "Trust me, orders aren't going to do much in this case."
"Doesn't mean I can't put those orders in writing," Kix shot back.
Rex placed a hand on the medic's shoulder.
"Let me talk to her."
Kix rubbed a hand through his lightning bolt fade and began muttering. Ahsoka caught the words 'Jedi' and 'crazy'. Rex simply smiled as he pulled up a second crate and gestured for her to sit down. She did. He was one of the few people who held any kind of moderating influence on her.
"I just received word from Commander Cody. General Skywalker and Senator Amidala are fine. He's staying with her for the night."
That made her feel a bit better.
"At least Obi-Wan is with him."
"Funny you should mention General Kenobi. Apparently he collapsed from exhaustion shortly after arriving. Don't worry-" he said, seeing the panicked look on her face. "He's fine too. Senator Kryze is with him."
Ahsoka gave a snort.
"I don't think either one of them is complaining much. Lucky di'chuwas."
The use of the Huttese swear (Rex knew all of them by now) elicited a laugh. Ahsoka didn't remember the last time either of them laughed together. Had the war really drained them that much?
"Anything else I should know about?" she asked him.
"Yeah. Comms are back online, and the Senate has ordered an immediate ceasefire with the Separatists. As far as I can tell, Palpatine never had a chance to issue Order 66…except for the Coruscant Guard. There was no attack on the Jedi Temple. Everyone's fine."
She took a small amount of pride in remembering the horror stricken look on the bastard's face when the clones refused to kill their Jedi.
"But your brothers aren't. Most of them still have those chips in their heads."
"I'm hoping we can remove them all in a few weeks," he said. "Making sure the Republic doesn't fall into anarchy is our top priority right now. We still took an oath."
Ahsoka marveled at Rex's loyalty, engineered or not, it was incredible to witness. The army, acting as the vanguard of democracy, was everything to him. She idly wondered what would happen when there was no more war to fight.
What kind of world would emerge from the one Luke left behind?
Rex's comlink beeped.
"Captain Rex here."
"Rex, it's Cody. I have good news. None of the other orders in those chips were activated elsewhere. I also had my boys run a planet-wide scan for any WMDs and that came up negative. Chancellor Organa just ended martial law."
Ahsoka and Rex both heaved a sigh of relief. That meant that the planet was under civilian control again.
"Chancellor Organa? They elected a new one already?" she asked.
"He's acting technically."
"Anyone's better than Palpatine," Rex muttered darkly.
"That's not even the best part…Count Dooku agreed to surrender."
Rex nearly fell out of his chair, and Ahsoka's jaw dropped.
"You're kidding."
"Nope. He's agreed to turn himself over to General Aayla Secura during the next rotation. It's all over the Holonet. The press is going to have a field day with the amount of shit going on right now."
Ahsoka briefly wondered what on earth could have made a man as evil as Dooku voluntarily turn himself in. The answer came swiftly: Luke. It had to be. He'd tried to convince him to betray Sidious in exchange for clemency not too long ago.
Her shoulder dipped, and she let out a tired breath. He'd really thought of everything.
"There's one last bit of news, Rex. You're being relieved of duty. You and the 501st go back to barracks."
Rex almost looked insulted.
"That's not necessary, Cody. We've-"
"Fought two major battles in three rotations. "I've seen your schedule, Rex. The 501st hasn't had a break longer than two weeks at any point during the war."
Of course Cody would know that. As a Marshal Commander, it was his job to deal with the bureaucratic end of things as much as the actual fighting.
"I swear, sir. We're fine."
"I'm going to tell you the same I told General Kenobi: I'll take care of everything from here on out. Get some sleep."
"But-"
"That's an order soldier."
This time, Rex didn't argue. For once he was too exhausted. They all were.
"Thank you, Cody."
"Anytime, old friend. The next round at 79s is on me."
The connection ended, and Ahsoka's eyelids began to flutter. Rex allowed her montrals to settle on his shoulder.
"Rex…"
"Yeah?"
"We did it."
Rex gave a fond smile as Ahsoka fell asleep on his pauldron. She looked so young. Almost like that bright-eyed youngling he met on Christophsis. It was easy to forget at times that she was a fully ordained Jedi Knight, a mature young woman who grew up fast in a war he now knew to be orchestrated.
Victory and death. He'd seen both tonight. Things that were impossible to understand. But the clone captain didn't need to. His men, his friends, had survived. Things would get better from here.
He called in an evac and told maintenance staff to prepare Ahsoka a bed, even if it had to be his own.
She earned that much.
Holonet- 1:26 am CDT (Central District Time), Coruscant
'Citizens of the galaxy,
This is Senator Bail Organa, representative of the system of Alderaan. I speak to you in a time of great upheaval and confusion. No doubt many of you have heard the various rumors that have sprouted in the past twenty-four hours, including disturbing reports about Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. I am here to address them and speak the truth.
Crucial information was given to the Senate at twenty-one hundred hours during our session that confirmed Sheev Palpatine is a Sith Lord, going by the name of Darth Sidious. This not only confirms his membership in a historically hostile religious organization, but that he was de facto head of the entire Separatist movement, which has battled against the Republic for nearly three years. He assassinated Senators, public officials, and journalists, including several attempts on our beloved Padme Amidala of Naboo.
Given this development, the Senate could not in good conscience allow Chancellor Palpatine to continue as head of this government. He was voted out of office by means of Order 65 and ordered to be arrested and tried for crimes against the Republic. But he refused to step down or face summons. The Jedi bravely stood their ground against violent resistance from a murderous Sith Lord. In the end, they were able to prevail but not without loss of life.
We honor Ki-Adi Mundi, Saesee Tiin, and Luke Ahch-To as those who gave their lives to preserve our democracy, as well as survivors Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Master Yoda, and Anakin Skywalker. The Jedi have kept their oath as guardians of our institutions and of peace. A great threat has been removed. We owe them our lives and our thanks.
Further thanks must be given to our clone troopers: fearless, honorable men who risked their own lives and freedom to fulfill their duty to a government that has often failed to provide them the same. You are seen, you are heard. The Republic will ensure this sacrifice is repaid.
I'd also be remiss if I didn't announce that Senator Amidala is now in serious but stable condition and looks to be on the mend. In times such as these, we owe her more than any of us could possibly give. She is a light in the darkness. A voice for those who previously had none. Once more, the Jedi are responsible for her recovery.
In addition to this news, I can confirm that Count Dooku, the public face of the Separatist Alliance, has agreed to surrender himself and enter negotiations to end the war. I call upon all systems on the front lines to cease hostilities. We have fought for too long and for nothing to continue shedding the blood of billions.
In the interim, I have been named as Acting Chancellor and will immediately initiate new elections to be set at a determined date. Voting is essential for any functioning democracy, and the time has come to restore the norms that we have so carelessly tossed aside. Palpatine told us that democracy is worth fighting for, but in fighting, we forgot the reasons why it is so precious in the first place. We traded freedom for security. Pluralism for dictatorship. We lost sight of ourselves and the lives of people around us.
I shall work to rebuild and regain the confidence of every citizen, Republic and Separatist, as we emerge from the ashes of this destructive conflict. Unlike the last Chancellor, I will not offer false promises and lies. There is work to be done. Hard work that will require sweat, diplomacy, dedication, and trust. For there is no greater bond in democracy than trust. Palpatine violated these principles, smashing them into pieces. Only by acting in good faith can we hope to see a brighter future.
My last words to you come from an old Alderaanian proverb: Starting a war is much easier than keeping a peace. And that is the road that I strive towards. The one that places the value of common people above violence, greed, and hatred. Power for the sake of power, is an empty shell. The bonds that tie us together are what matters most.
Long live the Republic. And may the Force be with us.'
The next rotation- Serenno
Count Dooku was almost amused by the amount of speculation surrounding his decision to surrender and enter formal negotiations with Bail Organa.
In truth, he wasn't going to be a free man much longer anyway. Coalescing and liquidating the corporate guilds was possible. Gunray and the rest of those leeches no doubt feared prison enough to keep fighting. They had enough droids to be a thorn in the side of the Republic. Someone in his position might consider fortifying his system and hold out indefinitely. He had the personal fortune and resources to do so.
But none of that was tenable anymore. Prior to his demise, Sidious no doubt told the Separatist Council that he was a traitor. His willingness to enter negotiations with the Republic ensured they would no longer take orders from him. The Confederate Senate had dissolved, and though they had never been anything more than a useful proxy, there were no more funds to even give the appearance of legitimacy.
They were out of money, out of options, and out of luck.
Dooku breathed in the Force. He saw the receding darkness, always present but tamed, a slumbering beast content to stay inside its cave. The light, a shining sun, had broken through the clouds. He'd felt that gargantuan shift the second it occurred- when Darth Sidious was killed, and Luke Skywalker passed into the living Force. In that moment, everything had changed. It tipped the scale in deciding to surrender.
In the middle of his throne room within Castle Serenno, the highwater of elegance, a symbol of his once near infinite power, Dooku rummaged through the dusty drawers. He pulled out something untouched for at least a couple months.
Dooku ran his thumb over the hilt. Warmth spread through his fingertips as though he were being embraced by an old friend. Red sprang forth upon activation.
An intense pang of nostalgia followed. A part of him had resented that Sidious had made him bleed his old blue crystal red. At the time, pouring all of his anger and hatred of the Order had been a mental release of a valve long held at bay. That anger had served a purpose, propelling his power to heights never dreamed of.
But he never forgot those old, idealistic days. Even swathed in darkness, that old affection lingered somewhere. Ironic really, he thought embracing the darkness was the missing link Jedi foolishly ignored. They didn't have what it took to enact true justice. But it was Luke Skywalker, light personified, who brought about the real change, the kind needed to make the galaxy a better place.
Time would tell whether that change was for the better, but Dooku was content to ride that wave. Follow the Force wherever it led. In another lifetime, he might have run, gathered what treasure remained, and become the wealthiest fugitive in galactic history.
But he had no interest in running anymore.
He sensed Aayla Secura was close. The rumble of Republic Accelerators and gunships could be heard outside of the plexiglass, color-stained window. Despite protests from his protocol droid, he ordered no defense of the planet.
Dooku took one final glance around the vast halls of the palace. An heirloom of his family line, the title he won from his tyrannical brother, only to become a tyrant himself. Was this what power did to people? Twist them into unrecognizable monsters? Or was he always inclined to evil?
What would his legacy be after all of this?
Acting on impulse, he raised his lightsaber in the air calmly using the Force to dismantle every screw and every bolt until every single piece hovered on its own. Another flick of the finger, and the chamber containing the crystal popped open with a small hiss. He snatched the crystal and pocketed it within his robes
The automatic doors opened and Secura, Commander Bly, and their men entered his domain. They quickly surrounded the room, cutting off any potential escape.
"Count Dooku." The Twi'lek's voice was tight but respectful. She'd lost many friends to his actions. "We are here to take you into Republic custody."
"You have the right to remain silent," Bly said, reading off his personal rights. "Anything you do or say can and will be used in a court of law against you."
"I'm aware."
Secura walked forward, eyeing the lightsaber in Dooku's hand carefully.
"I'll be needing that."
"Of course."
A flash of surprise crossed her features when noticing it was not the blade of a Sith she held. He felt a rush of conflict, even confusion, from the Twi'lek Jedi.
"You understand what this entails?" she asked. "That you will be called upon to testify in front of the Senate. That you will also be charged with high crimes and, if convicted, spend the rest of your life in jail?"
"If I did not, I assure you, you would not be waltzing into my home unscathed."
It came out sharper than expected. His beard furrowed, then receded into something more neutral. That old sense of arrogant superiority still snarled at the Jedi Order and their sanctimonious posturing. If it wasn't for him, they'd all be dead.
You are done fighting that battle. Let it go.
The old anger passed, and Dooku stepped down from his perch and allowed himself to be put in binders by Commander Bly.
"I have one final request."
"What?"
"There is a substantial war chest in the confines of my lower chambers. I'd like it to be returned to the people of my world."
Bly didn't say anything, and Dooku sensed his anger at the implication. Yes, he stole, lied, and cheated. They all had.
Secura gave a nod.
"Consider it done."
Without further word or protest, Count Dooku exited the castle with the same grace and dignity he'd carried his entire life. He'd sit back and watch as Chancellor Organa and the Jedi tried to do what they had failed to for years.
It would make for quite the entertainment from a cell.
A/N #1- Before anyone says anything, no Ahsoka did not love Luke romantically. Just as an uncle yet also kind of a nephew kind of figure.
A/N #2- The old canon timeline is officially gone now. Luke disappeared in part because he prevented Anakin from ever becoming Darth Vader and Palpatine forming the Empire.
A/N #3- I have something planned for Dooku but I can't reveal what that is yet.
A/N #4- Anakin isn't going to be a magically healthy person right away. There's work to do in that regard.
Next update I'm hoping will be sometime next month. I do not know when that will be, however so please do not ask.
You guys are awesome! Rock on!
~The Wasp