Chapter 7 – When It's Over You're The Start

Author's Note: Aaaand the climax! :D

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~ Amina Gila

Ahsoka almost can't breathe through the surge of adrenaline as she races after Anakin back for the main facility. She can feel Anakin reaching out through the Force, warning Shaak Ti, sending a message to Obi-Wan, telling him that they need reinforcements immediately. The Force is screaming at her, and she feels sick as the swelling darkness washes over her, chilling her. This was never supposed to happen. Did the Sith somehow find out what they are, that they're here? Did they come here to destroy the facility with them inside in the hopes of destroying them?

It doesn't feel too far off, but it doesn't quite feel right.

The chips, then. But they never told anyone that –

It hits her all at once.

"Tarkin!" she yells to Anakin and Rex. "Tarkin knew we'd be coming here! He told Palpatine!"

"We'll deal with him later," Anakin calls back, ducking back as a red laser beam bursts through the clouds, slamming into the facility ahead of them.

Omega screams, and Rex grabs her, holding her close to him, as if he can shield her from what's coming. Another laser bolt follows, and then a third.

Anakin shakes his head. "No. No!"

He lights up, his body flickering in and out of reality as the aqua mist that Ahsoka has come to associate with him swirls around his limbs.

"Woah," Omega breathes.

"Go!" Anakin orders, turning. His eyes are burning with an unnatural glow, and with the red laser fire coming down behind him, he looks… terrifying. But Ahsoka knows that power, and her own surges, the Light swelling up and washing over her. "Help the others. I'll hold them off."

He lifts his hands, and the red laser fire just… stops.

It freezes, vibrating against an invisible shield. Ahsoka can see the wavering in the air as the shield strengthens and expands. Anakin will be fine. This is nothing for him. He's not even straining himself. This is him, in all of his glory.

"C'mon!" She waves to Rex and Omega, and together, they run the rest of the way to the main facility.

"How can he do that?" Omega queries, voice filled with wonder.

"It's a long story, kid," Rex tells her. "We'll explain later. Are you ready for some action?"

"Yes!" She sounds excited, and Ahsoka feels a pang of pity for her. She doesn't really understand what the war is like. She's like so many of the shinies, who have never seen action before. But this isn't a place for her, and if Nala Se sees her, she'll take her back.

Ahsoka shakes her head. "Artoo, scomp in and find Clone Force 99. If they're here on Kamino, take Omega to them. They'll keep her safe. If they're away, come and find us. We're going to the command center." That's where they need to be, to plan their best defense. The Separatists aren't holding back, and if they're already firing down on the planet, they must have broken through the Republic's defenses… which would explain the darkness. The blockade must have been destroyed, at least mostly.

But she doesn't have time to think about it.

Artoo whistles an agreement, and then, she and Rex take off to the command center.

**w**

Obi-Wan jolts when the call comes from Anakin.

Kamino? Why would the Separatists be attacking Kamino? They just fought there not long ago, so why would they be coming back? What do they want? But he doesn't have time to think about that. They need to focus on saving the planet first. He contacts Cody, tells him to immediately prepare their forces to jump to hyperspace, but they're too far away. It'll be hours before they get to Kamino from Coruscant, hours that Kamino doesn't have.

Anakin and Ahsoka are there. They're good, but he has the feeling that the Separatists won't be holding back. There had been so much desperation when Anakin contacted him, and he knows they can't wait for the clones. He needs to go there. Now. Anakin can transport himself through space. Perhaps Obi-Wan can do likewise. He doesn't know that for sure, but… Maybe if he borrows power from Anakin, he can get there.

Kamino needs a defense.

The Separatists need to be destroyed.

Maybe it's time for him to embrace who and what he's become. Anakin and Ahsoka have already done likewise, so why not him, too? He might not relish the thought of using the Dark in such a manner, but the things he's capable of just might save Kamino.

"Anakin," he calls, reaching through their bond, "If you share your power with me, I can come to you." Because to him, Anakin is a beacon, especially now. Anakin is the middle of them, the one who keeps the balance. He needs to be there. Anakin is – he means so much to him. Maybe he can't die, but Obi-Wan isn't keen on testing that theory.

Anakin reaches back, and the power that sweeps into him makes him stumble, gasping from the shock of it. But he can feel the tug deep within him, and he locks onto Anakin's Force signature and… lets go. His vision blurs as reality shifts and warps, and when he blinks, he's standing outside, next to Anakin. The sky is glowing red with laser fire that's raining down on Kamino, though it's all being held back by Anakin's mind, dissipating into whisps of reddish smoke as it fades away. It's awe-inspiring, and Obi-Wan just gapes at it for a moment before he turns his focus to the battle.

He's needed in space. He can feel that Dooku is here – his presence is Dark, calling to the darkness within him. If he goes to Dooku, maybe…

Obi-Wan latches on and tugs, and again, reality shifts. It makes his head spin a little, and he feels dizzy, but he brushes it off as he straightens, facing Dooku. "Dooku," he says sharply, and only then does he become aware of the way he's pulling light into himself. He knows his eyes are glowing red with the Son's power.

Dooku startles, spinning. "Master Kenobi," he replies coolly, "I didn't realize you were on world."

Obi-Wan's grin is feral. "There are many things you are not aware of, Count," he answers, stalking closer. "I will only say this once. Stand down." Outside, through the front viewport, he can see the smoldering ruins of the Republic cruisers. They've been destroyed. Possibly through a collision by the looks of it. "You will never succeed."

Dooku hums, lifting an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

Obi-Wan narrows his eyes. "You know it to be true. You fear me." A pause. "As you should." He is something… other. Dooku should fear him. Sidious should, too. The Sith get their power through him, and if he wishes it, he could destroy them in an instant. He could destroy everything if he wishes it, but for Anakin and Ahsoka, he will stay his hand. He won't go that far.

The Sith only smiles. "Fear leads to anger, which leads to hate, which leads to power, Master Kenobi. But I'm sure you already know that." He holds out a hand, and Obi-Wan can feel him reaching toward him through the Force, though he's not sure way.

It becomes abruptly clear when Dooku wraps a metaphysical hand around Obi-Wan's power, and yanks.

The power of the Son is not something he was born with. It was gifted to him. That means it can be taken away, too. It wasn't until this moment that Obi-Wan even realized it. And that scares him. It terrifies him. Should Dooku get this power –

But Obi-Wan is the Son now, and he will not relinquish his role without a fight.

The universe is counting on him.

**w**

The Force is overwhelming to Anakin. It always has been, but that's true even more so now that he's truly become something other. Things are changing. He can feel it deep inside of him, the way the Force ebbs and flows. Whatever the outcome of the battle here today, it will change the galaxy forever. He can only hope it's for the better.

Ahsoka is frantic. He can feel her chaotic thoughts from here, the way she's trying so hard to stand strong and firm for the sake of the clones as they scramble their defenses. She's hurting, too. The darkness in the Force is hurting her, but she isn't letting it stop her. He's so, so proud of her.

Obi-Wan is afraid. He's in a fight with Dooku for his power. Anakin didn't realize that it was something they even needed to be worried about, but… it is. They need to let their power change them. It was a gift, yes, but they need to let go. They need to let it become a part of them, no matter what that means, even if it means walking away from the galaxy for a time until they learn to control it.

It has to start with him.

Anakin looks up at the sky, at the red laser fire still raining down, increasing in intensity. He inhales, slowly, and then, he lets go.

The Force crashes into him, and this time, he doesn't fight it. He stays aware, alert. He is mindful of himself and his thoughts, and the way life flows around him, the perfect balance between light and dark.

Good. It sounds like Qui-Gon, his voice warm and approving. You have done well, Anakin, succeeded where no one else has. If he closes his eyes, he can almost imagine the Jedi Master's hands on his shoulder, guiding him.

They need to embrace who and what they have become. Denying it only makes it hard.

He reaches out, tugging on his bonds with Obi-Wan and Ahsoka. "Let go," he whispers to them, "You need to let go. Let your power change you. You must embrace who you have become."

This is not the end. This is a beginning.

**w**

Ahsoka twitches, startled by Anakin's words. The message was wholly unexpected. All this time, ever since they left Mortis, they have fought to control their powers, tried to harness them and keep them contained lest they caught unimaginable chaos in the galaxy. So why is Anakin telling them to let go?

But he would never lead them astray. He sees more than they do, and if he's telling them to do this, he must know what he's talking about.

She flexes her hands, turning away from the holotable where she, and the others, are gathered, planning a defense. "Excuse me," she says, slipping from the room. Rex follows her with his eyes, but he doesn't leave; he can't afford to, and she wouldn't want him, too, either. This is something she has to do alone.

Her powers bid her to go to those who have been injured, and she does, letting her Light wash through their bodies, healing and restoring them. It's not like it was for Rex – they are not on the brink of death like he was, and she knows that she is not bonding to them. She is merely giving, restoring. This is where she needs to be.

Letting go is easier than she thought. Giving into her power merely means giving herself permission to reach out and help. It's easy. It's something that she's always been taught to do as a Jedi. When she comes to the first sign of damage to the facility, she stops, wondering.

Can she fix this, too? It's not organic, but…

Ahsoka kneels on the floor, brushing her fingers lightly over the twisted, warped metal, looking up through the burned hole overhead where rain is coming inside. She presses her hands against the floor and closes her eyes, focusing. The metal remembers how it used to be only hours ago. It's faint, but the impressions are still there. It might not be alive in the literal sense, but everything in the universe is connected together, and she wills it to become whole again.

The Force rushes out, cleansing and healing, and when she opens her eyes, the hallway is smooth again. The only evidence of what was once there is in the rain on the floor.

If she can fix even this, is there anything she can't do?

It's a sobering thought.

Where does it end? At what point does she need to stop and restrain herself? Because she can't fix everything and everyone. It's not her place. If she loses sight of their path, Obi-Wan undoubtedly will do likewise, and then… Well, Ahsoka does not much care to think about the 'and then'.

**w**

"You need to let go. Let your power change you. You must embrace who you have become."

Is that really wise, Obi-Wan wonders? Is that truly the path they need to take? And yet, if he does, he'll make this power a part of himself, and Dooku will fail. Already, the Sith has stolen the smallest tendrils from him, and if Obi-Wan keeps fighting his power and Dooku, he can never win. The power he has is too important, too much, for it to be handed out freely. Maybe he can't contain it like he'd hoped he could. Maybe none of them could. Maybe it was only ever wishful thinking.

"This power isn't yours, Dooku," Obi-Wan tells him, shaking his head. "It was not given to you. You have no right to it. You play with things you cannot even comprehend."

Something dark flashes through his eyes. "But it is yours, Master Kenobi?" he mocks. "You were not born with it, either. What is given, can be taken. What is granted, can be lost."

Obi-Wan smirks darkly. "I think you misunderstand. I am the Dark. There is no darkness in the galaxy that is not also mine."

And he lets go, like Anakin told him to. If he goes too far, he can trust that his former padawan will bring him back. He has already proven himself more than capable. Maybe they can succeed where the Ones failed, because they are already a family. Anakin is their anchor. Anakin is the one that he and Ahsoka revolve around. They love him more than they could ever love their power, and because of that, because of him, they will not be lost. They were mere mortals; this isn't a power they should have been able to bear, much less wield, but because of Anakin, they found the strength.

The Dark whispers of power, of pain, of death, of destruction, and Obi-Wan relishes the way Dooku's eyes widen with genuine alarm, as the tendril of power he'd taken slips from his grasp, eagerly returning to its true master, lapping at his heels and awaiting his command.

"I will ask you again." His voice is practically a purr, and the way it echoes would terrify even the strongest of men. "Leave. Surrender." But the Dark demands more. "Kneel."

"You cannot control what you have taken on yourself," Dooku replies, taking a step back.

"Oh, I don't have to," Obi-Wan answers, laughing. "That's why I have Anakin." He holds out his hands, letting the Dark explode from him in a shockwave. But he had forgotten how the Dark destroys, and the entire cruiser crumbles, dissolving into space dust, taking Dooku with it. His life winks out, and further away, on a different cruiser entirely, Obi-Wan feels Grievous die, too.

And then, he's floating in space, the entire Separatist fleet disappearing all around him from the force of his power, his rage. It is his, and no one will take it from him, not Dooku, not anyone.

Space is… cold, Obi-Wan decides, and it is suffocating, too.

But it doesn't kill him. Because of the Son, he has transcended even death. Things that would kill mortals can't touch him anymore.

He drifts through space, before Kamino catches him in its gravitational field, pulling him in.

… This would be such a stupid way to die.

Maybe space didn't kill him, but freefalling through the atmosphere like an asteroid probably will – he'll burn to death from the friction. Or landing in the water. That will probably smash him. He has no particular desire to die today, not like that. But… he can fly, can't he? The Son could, at least, and maybe they haven't figured out how to change their shapes and forms, but in theory, they should be able to.

The Father said something about that, about how they did it, though Obi-Wan can't remember it right now, through the panic that's starting to consume him. Maybe he won't actually die, but a part of him is afraid he will, and he does not want Anakin to have to rescue him. That would be so embarrassing.

When he taps into his power, the Son's power, he changes physically. Maybe he just needs to learn how to control that change, so he can change himself to how he wants to appear. It is terrifying, to be plummeting through the atmosphere on Kamino, knowing that he either has to do this or possibly die, but somehow, he manages to push the distractions from his mind. It's something he was taught to do as a Jedi. Ironic that it works even now, with the Dark a part of him.

Obi-Wan can't quite say how he does it, but suddenly, he's changed. Maybe all it took was bidding his power to give him wings so he can fly. And then, he's soaring downward, body the shape of the bird-like creature that the Son changed into. He doesn't think he likes this form. It's odd. Big. But it gives him wings, even if that's really the only plus to it.

He lands on the outside pathway where Anakin is, flailing a little as he tries to get used to his size and weight.

Anakin is watching him, amusement glinting in his glowing blue eyes. "That was quite an entrance, Master," he says. "I thought you didn't like flying."

Naturally, the only response to that is to hiss at him, because this form is incapable of human speech. Anakin merely laughs. "Easy, Obi-Wan." He holds out a hand, approaching him fearlessly, gently rubbing his forehead.

Obi-Wan pulls away from him – it feels strange; not wrong, necessarily, but still strange – prodding at his powers as he tries to change himself again. He nearly falls on his face when he changes back to being human, and Anakin instinctively steadies him. "I took out the fleet," he tells Anakin, grateful that he can speak normally. He doesn't understand why the Son and Daughter liked transforming so much. It feels unnatural to him.

Anakin opens his mouth and then closes it. "I don't even want to know," he answers warily, "But I felt Dooku die."

"And Grievous," Obi-Wan adds, "The war is over."

Anakin blinks at him before smiling. "That – that is good. I think we will need the time, to understand what we are."

Obi-Wan looks down at his hands, at the visible darkness staining under his skin, the way he pulls light into himself. It's odd, and he doesn't know if he'll ever truly get used to it, but it is… easier, with Anakin here, to balance him out. "I agree." He looks up, meeting Anakin's eyes, and though his own must be red, Anakin doesn't even flinch. He looks at him the same way he always does, with warmth and undisguised affection. "What do you have in mind?"

He turns away, looking at the facility where Ahsoka is – Obi-Wan can feel her keenly. "I think we need to leave, just for a little bit. We need time to practice and master our power without pushing it out."

"Yes," he concedes, because for all that he doesn't want to walk away and live in isolation, it's what they need, if they are ever to find balance in themselves. "I think you may be right."

Anakin almost seems surprised by that, but it fades away quickly. "But there is something we need to do first. We need to tell the Council what we found about the inhibitor chips, and… we need to get them out. Then – then we can go."

"We need to… have a little chat with Sidious, too," Obi-Wan adds quietly, because he has no doubt that if they walk away now, without Sidious being dealt with, he'll take advantage of their disappearance.

His former padawan sighs, looking drained. Obi-Wan might not be able to understand how he feels, knowing that Palpatine has been a Sith this whole time, but he still… sympathizes with him. "Yes. We do."

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