Anakin held his Padawan a little closer, beginning to slowly lead them away from the chaos.
They're dead... all of them.
"It's okay, I've got you...," he spoke softly, soothing words, even as he did not feel them in the slightest.
He wouldn't pretend that everything was like it used to be between them - it never would be. But now they only had each other, whether they liked it or not.
Pulling the girl into a side alley, he asked a question that had been burning itself into his brain for weeks - maybe even months. "Ahsoka, do you know where Obi-Wan is?"
The girl took in a laboured breath and nodded. "Yes... he's- he's not here."
Relief washed over him.
"Thank the Force," he breathed, "... they told me that he died during-," the words got stuck in his throat, "during whatever they did to him in that facility."
"He almost did," Ahsoka pulled away from him, absently scratching at the blood on her arms, "...he still could."
Anakin tried to catch her gaze. "Are you hurt?" He took note of every cut and bump that littered her body.
"No, I- ," his Padawan turned away briefly, the burning temple reflecting in her eyes, "...just a couple of scrapes and bruises."
"Okay, that's good...," he tried to reach for but she took a step away from him, making him halt his movement, "... I am not going to hurt you."
"How am I supposed to trust you?" Ahsoka turned back to him, her eyes shining with unshed tears, "After everything that's happened… after everything you did."
Anakin's legs gave way and he fell to his knees. He barely felt the pebbles make their way under his skin. "I'm sorry, you hear me?" he pleaded, "I know I can't undo anything and damn it, I hate myself every day for what I've done... but you have to trust me now, please." Tears welled up in his eyes as he knelt there, one trembling arm outstretched to his Padawan - no not anymore.
"Did you know he was afraid of me?" Ahsoka breathed sharply, her silhouette grotesquely illuminated by the flames behind her, "Of me, Anakin. You tormented him so much that he couldn't recognize me. He begged for them to stop."
She clenched her teeth. "And there was nothing I could do. He could not sense me - and he could not see me. If he hadn't given me Satine's necklace before, I don't know what he would have done to himself."
A tear dripped onto the asphalt in front of her. "And that's your fault."
He heard footsteps in the distance.
Again, he forced himself to his feet, stumbling in Ahaoka's direction. "I swear, I will never harm any of you again... But we have to get out of here, Ahsoka. Now."
Her eyes narrowed and her hands clenched into fists as she jutted her chin up at him. "If you think that's the end of it, you're wrong," she hissed, "You destroyed us. And why? Because you were too blind to see the truth. You threw everything away because you can't even listen for a moment!"
Ahsoka shoved him away from her and he barely managed to stay on his feet as his sore ankle gave way. Her words hurt, but he knew they were the truth.
He didn't have time to reply as a squad of clones rounded the corner, but he also knew the words would have been stuck in his throat either way. Instead, he quickly grabbed Ahsoka's wrist and pulled her along, barely avoiding the blaster bolts that whistled past his ears.
She could hate him. But he wouldn't leave her behind.
Never again.
Blindly, he fired his blaster backwards, wincing inwardly as he heard one of the men fall in response.
Anakin dashed on, leading them through many winding alleys before finally arriving at a familiar diner.
"Dex!" he bellowed pulling Ahsoka away from the windows and ignoring how the guests stared at him in shock and some of them left the room in a hurry.
The chef entered the room barely a moment later, weapon carefully hidden behind his apron. His eyes widened. "You...," he murmured when he recognized him.
Exhaustion began to pull at his bones. „Please... we need your help...," he panted, "... we need to get out of here."
Dex didn't lower his weapon, but eyed Ahsoka instead. "You okay, kid?"
The teen took a moment to gather her breath. "Yes...," she finally replied, "...but he's right, Dex. We have to leave Coruscant immediately... the clones, they- they are hunting us."
It seemed as if the Besalisk finally understood what was going on. "The smoke...," he muttered in disbelief.
" ... is coming from the Jedi Temple," Anakin finished for him, eyeing him with despair.
The other man finally lowered his blaster, ushering them into the kitchen. "The ship we used to get here is in the lower docks," he murmured, still meeting Anakin with distrust, "You can have it."
"What about you?" Ahsoka asked worriedly.
Dex gave her a toothy grin. "I'll be fine. If they wanted something from me, they'd have shown up here by now."
His Padawan was less than convinced, but didn't comment on it. Instead, the Besalisk raised one of his arms, inviting her to come closer.
Anakin was surprised that there was no hesitation. The girl almost melted in his embrace and it somehow hurt to see that.
The trust.
It's all your fault.
"Take care of yourself, okay," Dex whispered barely audibly, "I- I can't do it again."
His expression looked pained and for a moment he clutched the girl a bit tighter before letting go of her.
I can't do it again? What is he talking about?
Anakin was lost in confusion until it finally dawned on him. "You got him out right...? Obi-Wan. You and Padme..."
Saying his wife's name hurt like being hit in the chest by a blaster bolt.
"Yes, we got him out...," Dex breathed, taking a step towards Anakin, "But it was more than close..."
Swallowing hard, he looked into the amber eyes of his counterpart. "Thank you...," he choked out, "I know my words aren't worth much, but - just thank you."
Dex's features softened ever so slightly. "Listen, Anakin. I'm not the one you need to apologize to," he inched closer so his mouth was next to his ear and whispered, "But I want you to know that if you harm a hair on any of them - I'll kill you."
A threat. One of whom Anakin knew to take seriously.
"If I ever go off the rails again...," he continued, his throat dry, "then don't hesitate."
"I never do." Dex finally moved out of his space, his signature in the Force cold as Hoth.
Anakin let his gaze dart briefly to Ahsoka, noticing how she was already peering nervously towards the windows. They were running out of time.
There was another question burning under his skin.
"Padme...," he held the cook's glare, "is she okay?"
"She is intending to leave for Naboo soon," answered the other man, "... no one tried to get to her until now."
"Good...," Anakin was more than relieved, "That's good...Will- will you have an eye out for her? I don't know when I can see her again."
For a moment, Dex did not answer, the words hanging between them like a bad omen. Anakin forced himself to take a breath, even as his chest tightened.
"I will." The reply was so quiet that Anakin barely heard it, but despite the darkness that currently surrounded them, the words rung with honesty.
"We have to go," Ahsoka suddenly hissed from her position, pointing towards a squad of clones approaching the diner.
"Go," Dex urged them in response, pointing towards a back exit, "I'll keep them busy."
Anakin had just enough time to give a silent 'thank you' in his direction before Dex disappeared back into the diner, closing the kitchen door behind him.
"Okay, let's make sure we get out of here," he muttered shortly afterwards, listening with an uneasy feeling as the troopers entered the restaurant. On quiet feet, he turned towards the back exit, only to be held back by a hand on his upper arm.
"Wait," Ahsoka whispered behind him, "...you're going to need this."
She held something out to him and it took him an alarmingly long time for his mind to take in what he was seeing.
He immediately shook his head vehemently. "No, forget it... I can't take this."
His Padawan didn't listen to him. Instead, she pressed the silver hilt unceremoniously into his hand, closing his fingers around it.
The crystal sang with sorrow. Whether it was because of his presence or the absence of its owner, Anakin could not tell.
This weapon is your life, Anakin.
Somehow this broke something inside him and he barely suppressed a sob that escaped his throat, a hot tear escaping from his cheek.
"I'm a monster," he mumbled, squeezing his eyes shut.
By now it was like a kind of mantra for him.
"Now come," Ahsoka's fingers tugged at his poncho, oblivious to his struggle with his demons.
Anakin lowered his hand, the fabric of the poncho effectively hiding his martyrdom. His heart pounded painfully as he began to follow the teenager, caught in a daze that made him lose touch with reality.
He paid half a mind to the fact that they had started running, zapping past the silhouettes of the lower level. His finger kept flexing around Obi-Wan's lightsaber, as if that could calm the crystal inside.
Instead, it continued to hum its mournful song, as if it had witnessed Anakin's atrocities.
If Obi-Wan had had his weapon, he probably wouldn't be blind right now.
Loud shouts snapped him back to the present and he realized at the last moment how another squad of clones had spotted them and opened fire.
They were so close and yet the docks suddenly seemed so far away. As if in slow motion, Anakin stared at the red bolt, his hand twitching to activate the lightsaber but his mind held him back.
This is not your weapon. You should not wield it.
A searing pain shot through his shoulder and he began to stumble, the floor rising up to meet him.
A hand closed around one arm and yanked him in the opposite direction - away from what could have been his end. Ahsoka had a snarl on her face as she pulled at his limb, swinging her green lightsaber with the other hand.
"Why..." he started to ask, but he couldn't get out more than a croak.
Ahsoka understood him anyway. "If I wanted to get rid of you, I would have done so already," she pressed out between clenched teeth and continued to defend him.
There was that spark of familiarity. The feeling of something he thought he had lost long ago.
Their eyes met for a moment and suddenly brought their surroundings to a standstill.
Fear. Anger. Sadness. But also forgiveness and determination.
Oh Padawan Mine.
His feet finally found their footing again, and that was enough to get him moving. His world was now spinning faster than he could follow, and the next moment he found himself on a small ship, pushing the button with all his might to close the ramp.
Ahsoka was already in front of him in the cockpit, frantically entering the coordinates before they ascended into the atmosphere.
Anakin watched silently and settled into the co-pilot's seat - he knew he wouldn't be flying today.
The blue lines of hyperspace almost blinded him, but he took them in instead, for they were a sign of freedom to him.
Another sob escaped him, and he ran a hand through his hair to rid himself of dirt and grime. „You should try to clean yourself up a bit," Ahsoka suggested, eyeing him from the pilot's seat, "Then I can patch up your shoulder."
He looked down at his now dirt-encrusted hand. "Yeah... maybe you're right."
With shaky knees, he stood up, leaning on the back of his seat. His eyes wandered back to the viewport. "... where are we going?"
He would have expected a lot in response, but not that.
"Stewjon."