Chapter 16 - They Suffer Through Harm

Author's Note: In which truths come out. ;)

~ Amina Gila

Anakin runs into Obi-Wan a few levels up – he's moving swiftly through the halls, followed by a long line of stormtroopers. They were definitely heading to wherever they sighted the Rebels – or to where Obi-Wan sensed him.

He looks the same as before, even if there's something stormier and more desperate at once about how he feels. Their last two meetings didn't go very well and he's not exactly ready to face him again – doesn't really know how he's going to react considering how angry he was when Anakin left – but he'll never be more ready than he is now. He has to do this. He can't not try to... help Obi-Wan if there's really a chance it'll work.

The stormtroopers instantly raise their blasters, but Obi-Wan gestures for them to wait. "Coming on board was foolish." The tone is warning, but he doesn't really sound angry.

"I came here for you," Anakin replies, forcing himself to hold the Sith's gaze through his mask.

Obi-Wan stills. "You have been considering my offer?" he asks.

Anakin hesitates, gaze darting past him to the lines of stormtroopers. This isn't a good place to have this conversation if he actually hopes to reach Obi-Wan – he's never going to show any hints of disloyalty to the Empire if anyone else is present.

Obi-Wan seems to follow his gaze and reach a similar conclusion, though probably for different reasons. It's not as if he'd want to publicize his own technically treasonous intentions. "It may be too late for that," he says, after a pause, "My master demands your presence immediately. You'll be coming with me."

His master? Why would his master want to see Anakin, and not just have him killed? He does not want to be dragged right to another Sith, who wants Force-knows-what with him.

Obi-Wan gestures to the stormtroopers again and they immediately move forwards, putting Anakin in binders.

One of them takes Asajj's lightsaber, passing it to Obi-Wan.

"Don't lose that," Anakin interjects, because it's easier to focus on that than that he's being restrained, and he does not like being in this position. At all. He wouldn't be able to escape easily even if he was trying, and right now, all he can do is try to trust that Obi-Wan isn't intending to hurt him. Which he wants to believe, but he can't let himself get comfortable believing that, considering that the last two times they met, he did hurt him, even if it wasn't bad or entirely senseless, from Obi-Wan's perspective.

"Why?" the Sith asks dryly, studying the curved hilt, "Hoping to find a quick way out of here?"

"I borrowed that from my sister," Anakin tells him dryly, "I promised to return it in perfect condition."

"I don't believe that's something you need to be concerned about anymore," Obi-Wan replies, the faintest hint of amusement in his tone.

Because he's not planning to let Anakin go back to the others. He'll worry about that... later.

That doesn't stop the chill snaking through him as he's led through the halls, to a shuttle in a nearby hangar. He has no idea who Obi-Wan's master is, but it's a Sith who's unquestionably far worse, and he's had enough experiences with Sith.

Two stormtroopers come on board to head to the cockpit, and the ship takes off moments later, flying away from the Malevolence.

He really is serious about taking him to master, then. Does he still... want Anakin to join him? Or did he change his mind? Anakin assumed he said it was too late because they had an audience, but he doesn't know that. But if the Sith actually... cared enough to offer that, he can't believe that would just change.

He could try escaping, but his point is to keep Obi-Wan occupied, and maybe get him off the ship, so this... is a start, even if it's far from ideal.

"Sit," Obi-Wan instructs, gesturing to the bench in the hold.

He does, trying to ignore the feeling of helplessness gnawing at him. He does not appreciate being in restraints, even if he can still use the Force to defend himself if he needs to.

Obi-Wan settles across from him, setting his helmet on the table.

It's the first time Anakin's seen his face since... his first capture. His eyes are yellow, and it sends a chill through him, though it makes it feel a little more like he's talking to Obi-Wan than a Sith when he sees a face, instead of just the mask.

"So, you mentioned my offer," he prompts.

He takes a deep breath, trying to... prepare himself. He's only going to have one attempt at getting through to him.

"It wasn't your offer as much as it was you," Anakin tells him bluntly, meeting his gaze. He's... definitely nervous, but he needs to say this. He's been waiting to say this. He's been... trying to find the best ways to convince Obi-Wan, and he's been repeating it in his head so many times. Still, the moment Anakin sees him, the words disappear.

"And?" Obi-Wan presses. Looking at him is unnerving. He feels so dark.

"You were my master," Anakin tells him bluntly, "You raised me. We may have had... frequent disagreements, but we were still... close." He tries not to think about how this Obi-Wan hurt him. About how even his own has. That's not what this is about. "I am aware you have done... things I suspect you regret. I know what Qui-Gon meant to you, and I cannot imagine that would be any different here."

"How is he," Obi-Wan asks, voice almost deceptively smooth, "Related to this?"

"He believed in you," Anakin tells him, "He still does."

"How do you know him?"

"We work together. He was one of the first people I met when I came here. I know what people have probably said about you. About what you've done, and I have to... tell you, you can still make those choices. Any of them. You can still be what you want to be. To do what you want. You don't have to live in your master's shadow. You don't have to be... this."

"And why would you believe I wanted anything except to fight for the Empire?" Obi-Wan demands.

"This isn't who you are," Anakin tells him firmly.

"I am not who you remember. I won't spread chaos throughout the galaxy because it suits me."

"I can't say for many of the Fallen Jedi who survived," Anakin replies – he still doesn't know how that happened. He should ask someone sometime, maybe. Doesn't know how the galaxy could stand for it. The Jedi have been here for so long, they've helped them, they've... Anakin can't make sense of much of anything in this reality. "But I can say for myself, that I fight the Empire because I see what it's done, where it's going, and what it's doing."

"There is a price to be paid for order," Obi-Wan says flippantly.

Force. What happened to him? It hurts so much to see him this way. "Who decides?" Anakin asks, "Because it's not the people who are paying for it. It's the ones who benefit from it."

"The Republic which came before was no different," Obi-Wan replies.

He doesn't want to address that point. Doesn't know if it's true or not – Anakin was never there to see it. "I'm not here to argue about the galaxy. I just wanted to tell you that you can still leave with us."

"And what makes you think I want to?"

"I had to ask," Anakin tells him bluntly, "You – you said you wanted me." Knowing Obi-Wan, he won't listen. It feels hopeless now, and Anakin has no idea how to get through to him any more than he ever has in the past. Talking to Obi-Wan was always so hard.

It always felt like he was there but so far away, forever unreachable.

"I thought that would... mean something." It means everything to Anakin, and he can't imagine how Obi-Wan has felt, being alone for so long. "I know you're used to being alone," he continues, "But I don't think anyone should have to live like that. Ahsoka has. I know many people who have. And I know... there is nothing in life worth anything if you are alone."

"That's a sacrifice which has to be made," Obi-Wan tells him flippantly, "I serve my master and the Empire."

You are second to that, his mind fills in, and Anakin resolutely does not think about that yet. Not right now. Doesn't have time, doesn't need to get distracted. "Then you have to help us make this better," Anakin goes for instead. He can't let that chance slip by. "You can help us."

"You can help the galaxy by joining us," Obi-Wan replies, "By becoming a Sith."

"I can't do that." It's so hard to tell Obi-Wan that, but if he does, he'll forsake everything he believed in, everything he is fighting for. Everything his own master raised him for.

For all that he might care for this version of Obi-Wan, he isn't the one who raised him. He's not... his own. It's still hard to disagree with him, though. To tell him no.

(Obi-Wan said he wants him, even if he wants Anakin to change everything about himself to accept him. He said – that's not something Anakin's master ever said.)

"What does your master want with me?" Anakin asks finally. That's what he's most afraid of. Right now, he doesn't even know who the Sith master is.

"You're powerful," Obi-Wan answers, dismissively, "He will make that decision when he meets you."

"You don't know," Anakin realizes. "You never even asked him, did you?" Maybe Obi-Wan doesn't intend to hurt him himself, but that doesn't mean he can't do it in... many other forms. It makes sense now, why he sensed it'd be more than a few hours before he saw Qui-Gon and Ahsoka again. It's going to be, with his capture and all, even if he makes it back soon. "You must know what's happening to the galaxy by now."

"The war is because of the Rebellion."

"I'm not talking about the war," Anakin argues, "That will be the last of our concerns if there is no galaxy left to speak of."

"Ah," Obi-Wan replies, "The rebellion has told you of it?"

"I heard through other sources, but that's not what matters. How did it happen? What's causing it?"

"My master has a plan to end it."

"You're just going to leave it up to him? Do you have any idea what's happening? People are dying. Planets are disappearing. This isn't something you can just brush off." Does Obi-Wan even know the severity of it? He doesn't feel half as concerned as he ought to be. As everyone ought to be.

"There is a way to rectify it," Obi-Wan promises, "My master has assured me of that."

"You don't know how bad this is, do you?" Anakin demands, "I know people who died from this. Planets that have been destroyed."

"Maybe you can address your concerns to him," Obi-Wan offers.

That doesn't help anything. Certainly, it doesn't bring back everyone who died.

"Who is your master?" he asks, in the off-chance Obi-Wan will actually answer. He doubts it'll be a familiar name anyway, but...

"Darth Plagueis," he replies, after a momentary pause of silence.

That – He heard that name before, from Sidious. He was his master. Except in this universe, he apparently took a different apprentice. Palpatine had told him when they were at the opera, one of the last nights Anakin was back home. "The clones shouldn't always have to die for the mistakes of everyone else," Anakin had said to him. "I know it's... a price to be paid for victory. I know they will never fault me for my mistakes, but I still make them. I wish it did not have to be this way."

"There is a legend I have heard," Palpatine had said, "A long time ago. Have you heard of the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise?" He'd explained that there was a Sith with power to stop death, and Anakin doesn't know if it's possible on mass scale, or even if it's true, but he can certainly say that he wishes it were.

He brought Ahsoka back to life on Mortis. That has to mean something, and it isn't something the Jedi ever spoke of. They always told him not to search for such power, and Anakin can understand the... concerns of misuse, the cautions against seeking power, but he can't help it. His clones need him. People need him. They die every day in a war they didn't want or choose. He's only ever wanted to help them, and Palpatine always promised him he could and would.

Maybe... maybe he did care. Just a little bit. Even if it wasn't enough.

... Is all of this happening because Palpatine never became Sidious? He doesn't really know what to think about that. That's not the primary concern right now, but it's still an unsettling thought.

"You said before that we could... destroy him," Anakin finally tries offering, because it's the last thing he can think of. He doesn't want to go meet this Sith, with... Obi-Wan against him, too.

"Yes," he agrees, "But now that he has taken direct interest in you, the chance of success is very minimal. Especially if you refuse to embrace the Dark Side."

"I defeated a Sith in my reality," he argues. It's not like they have to be dark to defeat another Sith.

"He is far more powerful than any Sith in centuries," Obi-Wan replies, "He spends all his time studying the Dark Side. Unless you embrace your true power, we will not stand a chance."

It's not an outright refusal but arguing with Obi-Wan about it won't be productive. Nor is it something Anakin's remotely comfortable with trying to do. For now, all he can do is wait... and trust in the Force.

**w**

Anakin's never been inside the Sith Temple on Coruscant before. It's entirely sealed off in his reality, and he's only heard about in what he studied as a Jedi. It's so dark down here, especially in the Force. He does not want to be here. He has no idea what's going to happen, what the Sith are going to do to him. He doesn't know how to feel that it's Obi-Wan who's bringing him here, knowing full well that he could be hurt, or that the Sith Master could kill him.

Does... Obi-Wan care? Did his offer mean as much to him as it did to Anakin? (That someone actually wanted him, no matter how many awful things they've done? But was it him or was it just his power?) He doesn't want to dwell on that right now. He needs to focus on getting out of this alive, first.

The intensity of the Dark Side is only growing as he's led through the halls, into an enormous room. The room is dark and it's hard to see until his eyes start adjusting to the lighting.

"Welcome, Skywalker," a deep voice rings out, and Anakin's gaze darts to the front of the room where a hooded figure stands.

Darth Plagueis himself.

There's an overly decorative throne behind him, and columns that line the walls. It... is probably where the Dark Side is strongest on the planet, from how intense it feels.

"I have been expecting you," Plagueis goes on. There's something wrong with him in the Force. Anakin can't figure out what it is, but it almost feels like he shouldn't exist, and he doesn't know what to make of that. No living being should feel like that, no matter how evil they are. Not even Grievous did. Something is wrong.

He can feel something... that reminds him of the pain and death he feels everywhere, of the galaxy's death, and in that moment, it finally occurs to him. The galaxy isn't dying because Sidious ripped a hole in it to send Anakin here. It's dying because Sidious never existed at all, because he wasn't here to kill Plagueis and stop this before it happened. Anakin doesn't know how to feel about that, so he doesn't feel about it at all, opting to file that away for later analysis.

Obi-Wan approaches the Sith and Anakin follows, reluctantly. Fear is gnawing at him, but he's not going to show it.

"You're... not as powerful as I expected," Anakin supplies.

What's he supposed to say to him? It's not like he's going to show him any respect. Even if he probably should be quiet because antagonizing him is only going to make this much worse.

The Sith's eyes narrow. "You are the cause of the disturbance I have long sensed in the Force."

"The disturbance from the wormhole that brought me here, or the death across the galaxy that I assume you know something about? That has nothing to do with me." He doesn't think so, at least. Qui-Gon assured him it wasn't possible.

"So you know of it," he muses, gaze boring into him. Like he's studying him. Anakin's pretty sure he is, especially when his Force presence brushes roughly against Anakin's shields. He shoves him away, but the Sith continues probing at him anyway for a few moments before pulling back.

It's enough to make his skin crawl, especially when he's looking at him like he's an object. He's seen enough people look at him like that to recognize it, and that's exactly what he's seeing now. "Everyone knows about it. Are you the cause of it?"

"I am the one asking questions, Skywalker," he says, voice chillingly cold.

"... But you haven't asked me anything yet."

"I see you haven't taught him any measure of respect," Plagueis hisses, gaze shifting to Obi-Wan for the first time.

"I'm a slow learner," Anakin offers. Yes, he really should shut up. He's also not going to.

The look Plagueis gives him is nearly worth it, though he tenses up anyway, half expecting violence.

Obi-Wan shifts next to him. The rigid way he's standing is so abnormal for Obi-Wan – who is, in fact, extremely informal despite how dignified he pretends to be, considering that he nearly always sprawls when he's sitting, even in important meetings – like he's not comfortable here. He's afraid of him. It's... never been more obvious than it is now, and Anakin doesn't quite know how to feel about that. He's never seen Obi-Wan afraid of a person before. "I haven't had the opportunity yet," he says, voice carrying the same roughness, sharpness, it did when Anakin first called him, after coming to this reality.

"That will no longer be necessary," Plagueis muses, "I had to see him in person to determine if he would... be the solution to the most severe problem we have at present."

"Master?" Obi-Wan asks, uncertainly.

"Bring him here," he instructs, moving to the throne and sitting down.

Anakin suddenly has an inexplicably bad feeling about whatever's about to happen. The Sith Master isn't making sense, but it's obvious he didn't bring him here because he wanted to turn him. And if that's not what this is about, then what does he want?

Obi-Wan pushes him forwards, even if he's not half as rough about it as Anakin was expecting.

There's a circle engraved into the stone a few paces away from the throne, where they pause.

The Dark Side is twisting around him even more strongly now, and he hates it. Wishes he could be anywhere but here, actually, because this Sith is – he's far worse than Sidious. Anakin can tell that just by sensing and looking at him. And he doesn't know how easy he'd be to defeat. Obi-Wan wasn't lying about that.

"The death of the galaxy began the same time the Force brought you here," Plagueis begins, "You are all I need to stop it."

"You want me to help you?" Anakin asks, warily. Does that mean the Empire isn't responsible? Something about this doesn't feel quite right, though.

"Yes," Plagueis agrees, a dark glint in his eyes, "Your life is all that I need to stop the decay of the galaxy."

His – what?!

Obi-Wan jolts forwards, and Anakin's almost certain he senses a flare of fear. "Is that really the only way, Master?"

"If you desire him as an asset," Plagueis cuts Obi-Wan off sharply, "This is where his use lies best."

His use.

(Just a – a thing, like he always has been.)

Plagueis is going to kill him. And Anakin has no idea how that's supposed to help the galaxy or anything, but –

He doesn't have a moment to think about it either, because Plagueis holds out his hands, a Force wave exploding through the room.

All along the walls next to each column, a glowing red holocron activates, an eerily light spreading the room as they lift of the ground. And the center of their energy is on him. He can feel the oppressiveness of the Dark Side wrapping around him, but it's not stopping there. Plagueis is pressing against his mind, with the full strength of all the holocrons behind him, and it's too much for him to just fight off.

Pain stabs sharply through his head, whiting out his vision, but it doesn't just stop there. It's rapidly spreading through his entire body, and it feels like he's about to be ripped apart. He tries to resist, to fight against it, but everything hurts and –

He's well accustomed to fighting through pain no matter how bad it is, but this is far worse than anything he's ever felt before. It feels like if he stops fighting for even a second, he's going to dissolve into nothingness, while still feeling every moment of it, and that's probably true.

He doesn't know when he ended up on the floor, but he can feel the cold rock beneath his left hand as he struggles to breathe against the sheer agony of it. He can scarcely even see the room around him anymore, except for the glow of the holocrons, and Obi-Wan is just standing there.

But with each passing second the pain is only getting worse, as are any attempts at fighting back and staying conscious. He's going to die here. He's going to –

He's never going to see Qui-Gon again, never get to tell Ahsoka what she means to him, never get to – to have the life he wants with Padme, to – oh, he still hasn't given Asajj her lightsaber back –

"Obi-Wan," Anakin chokes out, desperately. There's nothing he can do anymore, but –

The scene in front of his eyes is shifting, changing to something else suddenly. It's as though he's watching the galaxy from above, but he can still see how the entire Outer Rim is nothing but black holes and... nothing now. It's literally been reduced to nothing. What...?

And the planets and stars aren't just dying.

They're... shredding?

Turning into dust right in front of his eyes, as though the fire and rock and – everything is nothing. It's disintegrating, being torn apart, and Anakin can see the speed of it reaching across the planets faster and faster everywhere.

What if his life is the only way to save the galaxy? What if –

Vaguely, Anakin registers the sound of a lightsaber activating, and an energy wave practically explodes through the room. It's only through sheer effort that he's able to drag his eyes open – his throat feels raw; he doesn't remember screaming but he probably was – in time to see Plagueis falling to his knees, with a hole in his chest, Obi-Wan standing over him with his lightsaber out.

The holocrons are all falling back to the floor, deactivating, as a wave of nearly visible energy from them backlashes, slamming into Plagueis.

And then he just shreds, disintegrating into literally nothing right in front of them.

The room goes eerily silent, the intensity of the Force moments before fading.

He presses his hands against the floor, breathing in shakily. Everything still hurts, and he feels unsteady and only half-conscious, but he...

"Anakin." Obi-Wan appears at his side seconds later, a tinge of worry in his voice.

He just saved his life. He betrayed his master for – for him.

"Here," he rasps, weakly.

Obi-Wan crouches in front of him, hands on his shoulders. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," he mutters, breathing in shakily. He came close to dying, but he's fine now. That happens all the time. (Doesn't mean he can quite shake the feel of nearly being ripped apart from mind. He keeps expecting it to happen again, and he just wants to get out of this place.) Even if he's so exhausted, he could probably sleep for a week right now, and just trying to force past the exhaustion is pretty much impossible. He doesn't have the presence of mind to find Obi-Wan touching him anything other than comforting right now, even if it's not his version of him.

"We should go," Obi-Wan says, glancing around the dark room.

"Where?" Anakin demands, stiffening a little. He might've saved him, but he doesn't know if he can trust what he wants now, or –

"You had a lightsaber to urgently return, I thought?"

Anakin blinks, confused and tentatively hopeful. "You're going to take me... home?"

That doesn't seem quite right. Not unless – unless Obi-Wan really was thinking about what he was telling him.

"I'm not going to destroy the galaxy alongside the Rebellion, but there may be... something we can work out," he replies, pulling back, and Anakin feels unreasonably disappointed at that, until he realizes that he's... taking the stuncuffs off? Being able to move again is more than a little relieving.

Obi-Wan stands, offering him a hand. He takes it, stumbling to his feet unsteadily, head swimming.

The walk back to the shuttle is nearly long enough and exhausting enough to make him cry – which is ridiculous because he's had to fight past exhaustion countless times in the past – and he lets Obi-Wan worry about chasing off the stormtroopers, all of whom are shooting Anakin suspicious glances but none of them say anything. Obi-Wan is their superior, though.

"I can fly," Anakin mutters, eyes half closed, when they finally get on board.

"And I cannot die burning to death in space," Obi-Wan says dryly, pushing him onto the bench in the hold, ignoring his startled definitely-not-squeak. "Go to sleep."

... Fine. That's probably fair. It's relieving to finally be sitting down, anyway. "Thank you," he breathes, "For – for helping me."

Obi-Wan pauses, looking back at him for a long moment. "I wasn't going to let him hurt you, Anakin."

He squashes the instant question of then why did you take me there in the first place? Obi-Wan... helped him, turned against his master for him, and that's – that's something, at least.

He just nods tiredly.

"We can speak once you're awake," he says, disappearing into the cockpit.

Without even meaning to, Anakin's dozing off before the ship even takes off.

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