Can Jedi Wear Orange?

by dextron11

At the start of their trip, a mysterious power pulls Naruto and Jiraiya into the distant future. With no way back home, and no idea what's going on, what will they do? Join the Jedi, naturally. But there are other, more sinister forces after them as well. With the Force to wield and a new group of friends, can Naruto change the future of a galaxy threatened by darkness?

51. Chapter 51

This chapter took a lot longer to get to you than expected. When I finished writing the chapter I'm currently on and went back to look at this one, it was not good. I had to rewrite half of it and add several scenes. The Naruto and Ahsoka scene in particular is completely new. I realized they needed a moment together after the events of Geonosis, especially because they won't be seeing each other again for a while. I also rewrote part of the diner scene and added the scene with Jiraiya in the Chancellor's office. After all that, I wanted to have this chapter out yesterday, but my body randomly decided I should sleep for 15 hours instead. So here it is now.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. You all had very kind things to say, except for those that didn't. That's okay, though. To my ADHD having, RPG loving ass, they all make the little number go up, and that's what matters. (Not really, though. Don't measure your story's value by numerical metrics.)

Once more, please show your support for Ukraine however you can.

Warning! This chapter contains a mature scene. It was partially censored for FF policy reasons. The uncensored version of this chapter is on AO3, under the same story and author name.

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Chapter 51

HNE Special Report

War has begun!

By: Oortaakloi'gnua-hllrm IV

A thousand years of peace has come to an end. The office of the Supreme Chancellor has officially announced that the Republic declared war on the Confederation of Independent Systems (often called the Separatists) and launched an invasion of Geonosis, a Separatist stronghold in the Outer Rim.

In a stunning series of developments, Jedi Master Mace Windu and his rising star Padawan Naruto Uzumaki discovered a secret army of human clones on the previously unknown world of Kamino. Per the Jedi Council, Jedi Master Sifo Dyas, himself a former Councilor, commissioned the army ten standard years ago, shortly before his tragic death in the line of duty. According to them, Master Sifo Dyas frequently had visions of the future granted by the mystic energy field known as the Force. In a plan he allegedly kept secret even from his fellow Jedi, Master Sifo Dyas traveled to Kamino and commissioned the natives to build an army for the Republic. When the Jedi discovered evidence of his trip to Kamino, they dispatched the aforementioned Master-Padawan team to investigate. Though the exact details of what they found are purportedly classified, the clone army is said to number in the billions. What went on over the next few days is unknown. Officials on Kamino have not made themselves available for comment.

At the same time, the Senator from Naboo, Padmé Amidala, accompanied by Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Padawan Anakin Skywalker, traveled to Geonosis on a diplomatic mission, hoping to mend the broken ties between the Separatist faction and the Republic. As with the events in Kamino, exactly what happened next is unclear. However, Count Dooku, now known as a Sith Lord and part of an apparently re-emergent Sith Order (see more here) contacted the Senate and announced he had imprisoned the delegation on charges of espionage and attempted sabotage. Prior to their imprisonment, however, the Senator managed to get a message through to the Jedi Council. In it, she revealed Padawan Skywalker had discovered a secret battle droid factory on Geonosis, apparently manufacturing an army to attack the Republic. In response, the Senate declared war and invested Supreme Chancellor Palpatine with emergency powers in accordance with the Republic Charter. The Chancellor directed the Jedi to lead a task force of this clone army, now officially the Grand Army of the Republic, to destroy the factory and arrest the leaders of this Separatist revolt. Shortly afterwards, the Supreme Chancellor released a statement.

"It is with deepest regret that I must report the long years of peace this Republic has enjoyed have now come to an end. I remain committed to a diplomatic resolution to the Separatist issue, but I cannot and will not allow our Senators or Jedi representatives to be seized as hostages. Nor will I tolerate such an aggression as manufacturing an army to attack us. This is a tragic day for the Republic, but I am confident, with the Jedi to lead our new army, we will see a swift resolution to this conflict."

The Jedi Order did not release a public statement.

The details of the strike on Geonosis remain unclear, but several facts have been released. The droid factory Padawan Skywalker discovered has been destroyed, and several "key Separatist leaders" were detained. Count Dooku himself, however, evaded capture. Multiple reports claim Master Windu, a renowned blade master, dueled the Sith Lord to a standstill before Dooku fled to parts unknown. However, no eyewitnesses of this battle could be found, leaving the exact events still shrouded in mystery.

What is clear is the clones and Jedi won the day, but at a cost. Preliminary casualty reports say over 30,000 clones gave their lives in the battle, with at least as many wounded. Perhaps even more tragically, 62 Jedi Masters, Knights, and Padawans died as well. Among those was Jedi Master Coleman Trebor, a member of the Jedi High Council and a well-known diplomat, though the exact circumstances of his death are unknown. Those numbers are expected to rise in the coming days as more information comes to light.

Already, dozens of skirmishes have been reported near the borders of Separatist aligned systems. Travel warnings are in effect (see here) and Republic citizens are advised to steer clear of any potential conflict zone. Chancellor Palpatine has announced GAR units will arrive shortly to re-establish order and prevent further violence.

Citizens should contact their local Republic officials for more information on how this war may affect them. New policies, including rationing, safety drills, service options, etc. are likely to go into effect in the coming weeks. Use HNE or the local affiliate to stay informed.

Shmi Skywalker raised her gaze from the news article on her padd to look at her sons from her seat across from their place in the Halls of Healing. Both her sons, though she could only claim blood relation to one. She hadn't known Naruto for half so long, hadn't carried him, hadn't raised him, had no true right to him, but Anakin called him his brother and that was enough for her. The two had been all but joined at the hip the last few years whenever missions hadn't dragged one or both away from the Temple. She'd fed him when he was hungry (which he was almost constantly), comforted him when he needed it, and celebrated his achievements right along with Anakin's. Blood or not, he was hers. They were both her boys, and now they were in the hospital, gravely injured. Her heart lurched just thinking about that awful call from Master Windu telling her that her sons were hurt. That her baby boy had lost his arm.

They were in a small exercise room doing their prescribed physical therapy exercises. The Healers had asked her to keep an eye on them, particularly Naruto, to prevent any ideas of escaping before they got medical clearance. Ahsoka had arrived not long after she had, and had promptly perched on the wall like some sort of bright orange gargoyle, calling down equal parts encouragement and mockery. Most of the mockery, she noticed, was aimed at Naruto. The girl had not been best pleased when she'd heard of his encounter with Dooku, and even less so when she'd learned the two had actually sought the duel. For Anakin, she'd only had an eye roll and a snort, perhaps thinking he'd suffered enough. Naruto hadn't escaped so lightly. Their conversation had shifted between Basic, Nihongo, and Togruti (probably so she didn't hear the curse words), but she'd caught the drift. Naruto was nine different kinds of stupid, his ancestors had mated with mynocks, and he was never to do something like that again without her there. She had emphasized that last part heavily. It seemed it wasn't the fight itself that upset her so much as her not being able to share the danger with her friend.

'Friend, or something more?' She wondered. There had been a closeness to their posture, almost an intimacy. Neither was what anyone could call touch averse, but this had been beyond that in her eyes. She'd often speculated something beyond mere friendship would grow between those two. Hopefully, it had. A little light would do them both good in such dark times, and Shmi was not above a little matchmaking. Not that she needed to do much in that area for either of her boys.

Anakin wore a robotic prosthetic where his right arm used to be. She had to force herself to look at it. It was a bulky-looking thing, all white plastoid and exposed wires. Hardly elegant, but then again, it wasn't permanent. It was a trainer, designed to stimulate nerve function and improve prosthetic integration, or so the Healers had said. According to them, it could do in a week what would take three months otherwise. She didn't doubt them, but she hated the thing. Hated the sight of it, the thought of it, the very fact it had to exist, and not just because it meant her baby had lost an arm. As part of its function, it hurt him. Badly. Nerve stimulation at that level was excruciating. It was meant to help Anakin, but it also hurt him, and that made her stomach clench and fill with bile.

"Kriffing Bantha poodoo," Anakin said through gritted teeth as he ran through the range of motion again. "Worthless piece of fucking Skriton shit. That stings!"

She wanted to comfort him. Wanted to hug him and kiss his hair and make it all better, but she couldn't. She couldn't, and that killed her, but there was something she could do. For herself as much as him.

"Anakin Skywalker! I did not bring you up to swear," she said firmly. There. Give him something besides the pain to focus on, even if it was irritation at her treating him like a child.

It worked. He gave her a flat look, but the barest hints of a smile tugged at his mouth. "Sorry, mom."

Naruto and Ahsoka did a poor job of disguising their giggles, and she turned her gaze on them. "Don't think you two are in the clear, either. I heard your talk earlier. I don't speak Nihongo or Togruti, but I know cursing when I hear it. Ahsoka, the boys may be a lost cause, but I expect more out of you, young lady."

"But Ms. Skywalker, Anakin's going to be my Jedi master. How am I supposed to be better if I've got these two lumps as role models?"

"I'm sure you'll find a way, dear," she said absently. Most of her focus was back on Anakin. There was no mistaking it now. Behind the mock outrage and the last traces of pain, there was a smile on his face. She couldn't keep one off of hers. It wasn't much in the face of a war and a missing arm, but it was more than there'd been before. That was enough.

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Naruto scratched absently at the still healing wound on his thigh and looked at Ahsoka. Shmi had not so subtly hinted Anakin would enjoy some privacy, and he and Ahsoka had left him to his exercises. He'd brought her to the machine lab to help him with an idea he'd had, but one glance told him those plans would have to wait. She'd taken a seat as far away from him as she could get, and the hunch of her shoulders sent a clear message. Despite her earlier good humor, she was still mad at him. He could feel the anger in her Force presence like a coal. It had been easy to pretend otherwise when they were both with Anakin- to fall back into the familiar rhythm of teasing each other. Now that they were alone, there was no ignoring it any longer.

"Ahsoka, can we talk?" He asked. For a moment, he thought she'd ignore him, but eventually she turned around. The look in her eyes hurt almost as bad as Dooku's blade had. She wasn't just angry. She looked… almost betrayed.

"You're obviously still mad at me," he continued.

"Hmmm. I wonder if that's got anything to do with you fighting a kriffing Sith Lord after you promised me you wouldn't die." Her glare threatened to scorch his hide. "Maybe it's got something to do with that."

"Hey, I didn't die," he pointed out.

"But you could have!" She hissed. "You knew Dooku was too much for you, and you went after him anyway. What if he'd decided not to toy with you two? You. Would. Have. Died!"

She threw each word like a brick, but he refused to back down. A flicker of annoyance kindled at her unbraiding. "I had to try," he snapped. "Don't you get that? Anakin and I could have stopped this whole war. We had a chance, and we took it. Sure, it didn't work, but we had to try. You would have done the exact same thing. It was the right thing to do and-"

"I KNOW!" She shouted. Her fist slammed into the workbench hard enough to leave a dent. The noise made him jump, and in the sudden quiet, even her whisper sounded loud. She seemed to deflate in front of him as her head bowed and her shoulders slumped. "I know."

"Then what-"

"He hurt you, Naruto," she said, her voice hoarse. "He tortured you, and I couldn't help you. I could feel something was wrong, that you were hurting, and I was stuck here like a kriffing child. It was-"

She cut off and lunged at him. Before he knew it, he was wrapped in strong, thin arms with her face buried in his chest. He caught a few sniffles coming from his robes and wrapped his own arms around her.

"I hate being stuck at the Temple," she muttered. "I hate not being able to help people. It sucks."

"I know," he said, and he did. "But I'm okay, Ahsoka. I came back, just like I promised. Besides, I don't think you'll be stuck here much longer."

She looked up at him. Her eyes were a bit watery, but a hopeful smile crossed her face. "Really. Anakin's…"

"I don't know for sure," he said. "But yeah, I think so. It's about time, anyway. So you'll be out in the galaxy wreaking havoc in no time."

The small smile transformed into a massive grin, and she vaulted off the bench to jump for joy. "Yahoo! Finally! It's about damn time." She turned back to him. "I'm going to pass you up in no time, Goldie. Just you watch."

He rolled his eyes. "Sure thing, 'Soka. Just grow half a meter, get super badass with a lightsaber, learn a bunch of cool Force techniques, even more jutsu, get way better at-"

"Oh, shut up." She tossed a hydrospanner at his head, forcing him to duck. When he straightened, she was suddenly right in front of him. The look in her eyes was… intense. He felt rather like a scrat under the gaze of a passing hawk-bat.

"You know, I just remembered something," she said. There was a tone in her voice that made his stomach clench. "We did something right before you left. Something I said we could do more of when you got back."

He tried to swallow, but his throat had gone dry. Her face was close to his. Very close. The memory of what they'd done the last time they'd been so close moved to the fore of his mind and he felt heat rise in the back of his neck. His heart kicked into overdrive. From the incredibly self-satisfied smirk on her face, Ahsoka could hear it trying to pound out of his chest. For some reason, that look just made it beat harder.

"I, uh- I remember," he choked out. She was even closer now. Had her eyes always been this captivating?

She giggled, and the sound made his stomach do jumping jacks. Then her hands were cupping his face, slim fingers hooking under the fabric of his mask. "I'm glad. But first, this'll have to move."

He held his breath as she pulled the mask down, but didn't stop her. She was the first person aside from Mace and Jiraiya he'd willingly bared his face for since first putting the thing on. Sure, she'd seen him without a mask once before, but that hadn't been his choice and he'd put it back on again as soon as he could. It was a symbol of Kakashi-sensei's trust in him. Wearing it was his way of honoring not just the man, but the ideals he'd passed on. More than that, he'd gotten used to the comfort it offered, the anonymity. Now, though, the thought of showing Ahsoka his face was exhilarating. Terrifying, but exhilarating.

The mask fell below his chin and her eyes scanned over his face. Her fingers traced his jaw before scratching lightly over the whisker marks on his cheeks. The sensation sent an involuntary shiver down his spine. She didn't seem to notice though, and just kept staring at him, lips slightly parted, fingers still on his cheeks.

"See something you like?" he asked with a smirk. Without warning, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his.

His heart skipped a beat. If he'd gone blind, deaf, and dumb right at that moment, he wouldn't have noticed. The only thing that mattered was the touch of her lips. They were warm, full, and impossibly soft. He'd felt them once before, back on Rago, but that had just been on the cheek. That was a spark next to an inferno when compared to this. He kissed back, relishing her closeness, the scent of her, the bonfire blaze of her emotions. Intoxicating didn't even come close to encompassing it.

One of her hands twined into his hair, and he traced his own up her back to gently cradle her rear lek. He let the other cup her face, slipping under her right lek and tracing a thumb over her cheekbone. She shivered and hummed against his lips, and the hand in his hair gripped tighter.

After what felt like hours, though not nearly long enough, she pulled back. They were both panting, and her stripes were an iridescent cobalt, with the tips of her lekku so dark they looked black. His own face was steaming hot, and he imagined he was glowing red. The sight of her lips, now swollen and flushed, might have been the most spectacular thing he'd ever seen.

"Does that answer your question?" she panted.

It took him a moment to remember what he'd asked her, and then another to remember how words worked, but eventually his brain lumbered back into working order.

"I- ummm- ngh."

Mostly working order.

"Yeah," he finally choked out. "I'd say it does. That was… amazing."

She let out a bark of laughter, but he felt a twinge of relief under her amusement. She wasn't any more sure of this than he was. With the hand he still had cupping her face, he pulled her closer and leaned his forehead against hers. She closed her eyes and pressed into the touch, just like she always did.

"I don't know exactly what this is, Ahsoka," he whispered. "And I sure as hell don't know what I'm doing. But I really like doing it with you. And no matter what happens, I will always be your friend. I'd like to be more than that, but I'm always your friend. Before anything else. Okay?"

She gave a shuddering sigh and leaned into him more. "That sounds… pretty awesome. And I don't know what this is, either. But I'd definitely say you know at least a little of what you're doing." She shifted so she could whisper into his ear. "And I definitely want you to do it more. A lot more."

The tickle of her breath on his ear made his spine shiver. "I can absolutely do that," he said.

And so he did. Repeatedly and with great enthusiasm. It was almost an hour before they actually got around to the project he had in mind, but he didn't care. It had been time supremely well wasted.

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Anakin gritted his teeth as he ran the training arm through its paces for the thousandth time that day. Literally, the thousandth. He'd counted. Nerves caught fire, skin stretched and howled, and muscles did their best imitation of overcooked noodles, but he got through it. Just. By the time he finished, he was leaning against the wall panting with sweat pouring off his face. His shirt clung to him like a second skin and his hair hung limp and sweat-dark around his face. He didn't actually remember the moment Dooku's saber had carved through his flesh and bone, so he couldn't say for sure this hurt worse, but it wouldn't have surprised him if it did.

"Ani, enough. Even the Healers wouldn't put you through this much." His mother was the only one left in the room. Obi-Wan had spent most of the afternoon there, but he was still recovering from his own injuries and needed rest. Naruto and Ahsoka had vanished some hours before to start on some secret project. No doubt they'd squirreled away in one of the engineering labs, concocting some devilry or other. Naruto, of course, wasn't yet cleared to leave the Halls, but that was more encouragement than deterrent to him. Now, more than ever, Anakin envied his little brother's healing ability. Envied it and hated himself for envying it when he remembered where that ability came from.

His mother had stayed, though. He didn't have the heart to send her away, and he was sure she wouldn't have gone if he'd tried. Having her see him like this wasn't pleasant, but at the same time, her company was probably the only thing keeping him upright.

"Just a few more," he panted. "I don't want to waste any time getting back in the field."

His mother pursed her lips. He knew she didn't want him on the front lines of this war. What mother would? But he needed to be there. He had no right to take on any less than his fellow Jedi. Stars, he ought to take on more. He was stronger than any of them, save perhaps Naruto. It was his duty to do more. To be more. But he didn't say that.

"You've done enough for today," she said in a pleading tone. "More than enough. The Healers told you not to push it. What if you go too far and set your recovery back? Please, let yourself rest. That's an important part of healing, you know that."

He tried to straighten up and almost fell over. Hot pain lanced up his arm as he caught himself with the trainer. He ignored it, though, and forced his body not to sag. "Just one more, mom. Maybe two. Then I'll-"

He cut off when he sensed another person approaching. Not a Jedi, either, but the presence felt familiar. A second later, the door hissed open and Padmé stepped into the room. His heart skipped three beats at the sight of her. He hadn't seen her since they'd gotten separated on Geonosis, and though everyone had told him she was safe and well, he hadn't truly let himself believe it until this moment. She looked… radiant. She wore a simple, hooded dress of green velvet, and her hair hung in loose curls around her face. It was an outfit she chose when she didn't want people to recognize her, but also didn't want anyone who did recognize her to think she was sneaking somewhere. At least, he thought that was it. She'd explained the logic behind her clothing choices to him once, and his head hadn't stopped hurting for a week. How she could keep all that straight was beyond him, but he didn't care. She would have stolen his breath dressed in a burlap sack and smeared with mud.

His mother greeted her with warm words and a hug, both of which Padmé returned. Anakin just stood there as the two women exchanged niceties, trying to marshal his scattered thoughts. He wished he wasn't so sweaty. Then again, Padmé had often complimented how hard he trained, so maybe that wouldn't put her off. Would it? She'd kissed him on Geonosis. Really kissed him, not one of her teasing pecks on the cheek. He'd dreamed of her doing that for years, but where did they stand now? Force, he wished he'd had a chance to shower and sleep and maybe regrow his arm. Would she even want him now he was missing a limb? For that matter, had she wanted him before?

Abruptly, he realized the two women had stopped talking. He looked up just in time to see his mother glance between him and Padmé and the move for the door. As she passed Padmé, he caught her whisper.

"Take care of my son, please."

Padmé gave the tiniest nod, so small he would have missed it if he hadn't been looking, and moved to stand in front of him as his mother left. She gave the training arm a hard stare. When she spoke, though, her voice was as gentle as he'd ever heard it. "Take that off, Ani. Your mother told me what you've been doing. You're hurting yourself. Please take it off."

With a sigh, he nodded. There was no arguing with that tone of voice. He shut the limb down and unhooked it from the interface at the end of his stump. As it came away, his stomach lurched. Everything he'd eaten that day tried to crawl up his throat at the sight of the stub of flesh where his arm had once been. While he wore the trainer, he could pretend he was still whole. It was bulky and inelegant, but it looked like an arm, at least. There was no pretending now. It took several deep breaths before he was sure of his stomach. Only then did he notice Padme's hand on his chest, and the other on his shoulder. She was almost pressed against him; she was so close. His stomach lurched again, but for entirely different reasons.

"Naruto told me what you did." She looked up at him with those dark, liquid eyes that held so much wisdom for such a youthful face. "I think that was the bravest thing I've ever heard."

He wasn't sure what to say to that, so he kept his mouth shut. In truth, he wasn't sure he could have formed words right at the moment. Fortunately, she seemed content to provide all the conversation.

"Get yourself cleaned up. You're handsome, but you smell like a gundark." He winced. Anakin had smelled gundarks, up close and personal unfortunately. The comparison was not flattering. "After you've showered and changed your clothes, we can talk some more, okay?"

Again, there was no possibility of arguing with that tone. Besides, a shower and a change of clothes sounded nice. He nodded and headed for the refresher. Putting on pants with only one arm proved something of a logistical challenge, but he managed without falling over (much). Ten minutes later, he emerged, freshly scrubbed and in a clean set of clothes. He pinned the right sleeve of his tunic to the shoulder so the arm wouldn't hang loose. Padmé eyed him up and down from her place on the couch and gave an approving nod. Apparently, she'd meant what she'd said about talking more, because she started as soon as he sat down next to her.

"On Geonosis, I kissed you," she said.

"I remember." Anakin doubted he would ever forget that moment. Not if he lived to see three hundred.

Padmé blushed a little. "Yes, well-" she paused for a calming breath. "I want you to know it wasn't just on a whim. I've wanted to do that for a while, actually. I understand if it was too-"

She didn't get any further before he cupped the back of her head and pressed his lips to hers. He could feel her shock, but it lasted only an instant before fading into something bright and warm. She shifted to face him more and pressed against him until she was all but in his lap. Her arms went over his shoulders, and Anakin wished he had another arm to wrap around her waist. Their kiss was everything the one Geonosis hadn't been; soft and slow and sensual. Her lips were warm against his, and softer than the finest silks. For someone so small, she instantly took up his entire universe. He couldn't have said how long they stayed like that, but when they broke apart, he was out of breath and twin spots of color had bloomed in her cheeks.

"I've wanted to do that for a long time, too," he said. Not that she didn't know that. He hadn't exactly been subtle about his feelings, even by his standards. Not once he'd figured out they were real. He wasn't subtle now, either. Words came to his lips before he even realized he meant to speak. "I want more with you than just friendship, Padmé, if you'll give it to me."

Suddenly, he remembered Sabé and Cordé, and he blanched. What was he doing? She was still grieving. There'd been no time for it on Geonosis, but now? And here he was, pushing himself on her. He could have slammed his head against a wall.

"Sorry," he blurted out, and her eyes widened. "I didn't mean to take advantage. I mean- you're still- they were your friends and I shouldn't…"

He trailed off helplessly, cursing himself for babbling like an idiot. As always, though, Padmé knew his mind better than he ever could. She laid a small hand on his cheek and smiled up at him, a little sadly but also fondly.

"That's very sweet of you," she said. "But I'll decide how I mourn them. It hurts, but they'd nail my ears to my elbows if I tried moping and sulking. You're not taking advantage of me, Ani. I want more than what we have, too. And I want it now. This, here, with you, is what I need right now. It helps. You help."

The air in his lungs froze. He couldn't tell if he was about to holler for joy or panic. His love for her, the love he'd felt for years, ignited a bonfire in his heart, but at the same time, cold, whispering doubts nibbled at his thoughts. She deserved… everything. Perfection. And that wasn't him. Not anymore. Maybe not ever. He wasn't whole.

"I- how can you say that? How can you still want me? I'm…" he trailed off helplessly and looked at his mutilated arm. She followed his gaze, and he saw the glimmer of tears in her eyes.

"Oh Ani, how could you think that?" She traced a hand over his jaw, and her fingers left trails of fire in his skin. "You are wonderful and brave and I want you."

Then she kissed him again, and this time it was the furthest thing from slow and soft. It was hard and full of a fiery passion that took his breath away. She captured his lower lip between her teeth and pulled none too gently. His lips parted to gasp, and before he quite realized what happened, her tongue was in his mouth, touching, teasing, tasting. There was no time to think, though, no space for thoughts in his head. Just instinct and hope and delicious passion. It was a dance between them, one she was very definitely leading. Their breath mingled as hands traced over smooth skin and hard muscle. When they pulled apart, panting and flushed, there was a different sort of light in her eyes. A smoky, primal light that had him acutely aware she was a woman.

"I want you." Her voice was husky, and it washed over him like an intoxicating wave of fire. The meaning was clear. He shuddered and tried to find his own voice.

"I- I've never done this before," he admitted. She just smiled.

"Then I'll show you how. If you want me too."

"Yes." He didn't hesitate. Whatever doubts had crept into him earlier were gone, seared away by this tiny, brilliant woman in front of him.

-Lemon start-

The word had barely left his mouth before she was on him again. If he thought she'd been passionate before, it was nothing compared to the bonfire now. She kissed his lips, his jaw, his neck. Her hands traced over his shoulders and down his back. He did his best to match her step for step, but it was difficult with only one hand. She didn't complain, though, and in fact moaned throatily when he kissed at the base of her jaw. His hand raked through her shimmering hair, traced its way down her back, and came to rest on her firm butt. Even through the dress, he could feel her warmth.

"You can squeeze," she whispered with a smirk, and he did. That drew another moan for her, and he thought it was the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard. He would make her make that sound again, and again and again, and he doubted he would ever get tired of it.

Somehow, he was too caught up in her sheer sensuality to pay attention, she guided them across the room and into the small sleeping chamber adjacent. Along the way, his tunic and undershirt vanished, leaving his torso bare for her to play with. And play she did. Nails traced ever so lightly down the muscles of his chest and stomach, and he groaned at their touch. Never had he thought something so simple could have felt so good.

"Mmm, you're gorgeous," she said, eyes dark with desire. It wasn't the word he would have expected, but from her, it was the greatest compliment anyone had ever paid him. Before he could come up with some witty reply, she fiddled with the broach at her front. It came apart with a click, and the green velvet slid off her like oil. Any words, any chance he might have remembered how to speak, died a happy death as centimeter after centimeter of smooth, flawless skin bared itself before his eyes. She stepped out of the puddled garment like a goddess of myth, clad in nothing but her underwear. With quick, graceful movements, she shed those pieces too, leaving her naked in front of him. She was very good at being naked. If her beauty had been overwhelming before, now it struck him like an axe between the eyes. Slender, graceful limbs, a toned stomach, perfect breasts, and the face of an angel framed by a waterfall of shimmering brown silk. He swallowed hard and tried for speech. It took two attempts to find words again.

"You're perfect," he said hoarsely. "The most beautiful thing in the galaxy."

"Flatterer," she teased, but he could feel her delight at his words and see the quickening of her breath. "How about we get you naked, too?"

That seemed the best idea anyone had ever had, and he set to it. One hand made the task difficult by himself, but Padmé's two made up for it. His trousers fell away, and then his boxers, until he was as bare as she. Then she was on him again, and his world became one of pure sensation. There was only her. Only the two of them, and their bodies writhing against each other. At first, he tried to take the lead, but she shook her head and pressed him back down with a surprisingly strong hand.

"Nice try, but I'm piloting this speeder, flyboy," she said, and her flushed face did nothing to undercut her confident tone. "You'll get your turn at the controls later. For now, just follow my lead and enjoy the ride."

Anakin didn't think he'd ever been so glad to follow an order. As before, she led their dance, and he did his best to match her speed and rhythm. Sensations drowned him, from the sound of her moans, soft at first, but growing louder, to the waves of pleasure taking a sledgehammer to his thoughts. Time slipped away. They could have been at it for a minute or an hour for all he knew. He could feel the end coming closer every moment, and not all the Jedi self-control in the universe could have held it back. Lights exploded in his brain, and for a timeless moment, he lost himself in perfect bliss.

Reality trickled in like the first rains after a drought. For the first time, he noticed the sweat covering his skin, and the way his bones were doing a fair impression of wet straw. Most of all, though, he noticed Padmé, lying beside him in the too-small bed, an arm and a leg draped over his body, staring at him with those gorgeous dark eyes filled with… something. He wouldn't call it love, not until she said the word herself, but it was surely not far off. That alone was as good as the sex had been. Well, nearly as good, anyway. Though, he thought with some embarrassment, their coupling had probably been better for him than for her. He didn't think she'd reached her own orgasm.

"That… was amazing," he said. "Sorry I couldn't keep up with you."

She giggled. "You're sweet, but don't worry. I had more than my share of fun. Besides, no one's an expert at sex their first time. If you want to 'keep up' with me, we'll just have to practice. Again, and again, and again, until we get it right."

Her voice lowered as she spoke until she was whispering sensually into his ear. The tickle of her breath sent shivers down his spine and reignited the fire in his belly. With a lustful growl, he turned over and kissed her as hard as he could. She shrieked and laughed as he nearly pitched them out of the bed, but soon she was once again moaning his name.

True to her word, they "practiced" several more times that evening, and well into the night. When they finally finished, Padmé and he both panted, glistening with sweat and bone weary. Cleaning up took longer than it might have, between shaky limbs and the (not so) occasional teasing kiss or touch. He was grateful the Healers kept the recovery rooms cool, because Padmé curled into his side on the bed, sharing warmth. Sleep came in minutes, and the last thing he heard was the music of her soft breaths tickling his neck.

-Lemon end-

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Dark. It was dark. He was in the dark, alone. No, not alone. There was… someone. A sense of someone? A memory? A shadow? He did not know. Thoughts slipped from his grasp like greased eels. There was just him, and the dark, and that other.

Light. Light in the dark. Harsh light, familiar, from small, round windows set in thick mud daub walls. Metal floor, rough beneath his feet, and bits of droids and engine parts scattered everywhere. The smell of grease and rubber and dust in the air. Hot air. Hot like an oven, but cool compared to what was outside. He knew that. How did he know that? Memory was as elusive as thought.

Sound. A sound in that oven air. A scream and a low, harsh chuckle. He knew that chuckle. He knew that scream too, or thought he did, but the chuckle he was sure of. Unseen feet carried him around the droid parts, over the rough floor, and into another room. In that room was the source of those chuckles. Tiny wings, baggy blue skin, and a potbelly he knew was filled with buoyant gas. That pudgy fingered hand held a shock prod. At the other end was the source of the screams.

It was his mother. No, it was Padmé. No, Ahsoka. Now it was Naruto, and now it was Obi-Wan. Now it was his mother again. Maybe it was all of them, and a dozen others besides, with a dozen Wattos all jabbing them with the shock rod.

'This isn't real,' a voice whispered in his mind, but it was the voice that didn't seem real. Watto was beating his family. His friends. As he had beaten him so many times. Those screams all blended in a chorus of pain and accusation.

"Why don't you save us?" Those screams asked. "Why don't you save everyone?"

A lightsaber in his hand. The hum of the blade, icy blue but hotter than the hottest star. Anger in his heart. Black anger. Black, but burning like the suns. Like the saber. Like ten thousand suns and sabers all burning together in a furnace. He was the furnace. He burned, and everything around him would burn. The saber descended. Watto did not scream. Not like he had. Not like his mother had. Not like any of the others. He just died. His blood stained the ground, stained his hands, stained the saber. Red blood, and a red blade to match the red in his vision.

'No.'

Gardulla was before him, now, fat and wrinkled and covered in slime. She held the shock rod. She made his family scream. That thick hide and thicker blubber didn't save her. Flames roared from his mouth, and her shriveled corpse crumbled to ash. The walls crumbled to ash. The building, the town, the desert. All ash.

'No!'

Others were there, now. Slavers, thugs, rapists, murderers. Aurra Sing was there, and Granta Omega, and Maul, and a thousand others. So many, he couldn't see his friends. The saber flashed, and the fire roared, and people died, but he still couldn't see his friends. Where were they? He had to save them. He was saving them. Yes. He would burn everything to ash to find them. To keep them safe. But the blade flashed, the fires roared, and he still could not see his friends.

"NOOOOO!"

Anakin wrenched his eyes open with a breathless shout. It was dark in the meditation chamber, but not the nothing-dark at the start of the vision, nor the smoke filled dark of the end. Just the shadowed dimness of a large, windowless room lit only by a single, small candle. Even so, he flexed his will, and dozens of other candles flared into brilliant life all around the room. The shadows in the room fled, but the ones in his mind remained. His fingernails had dug bloody gashes into his palm, and if he clenched his jaw any further, his teeth would crack. Cold sweat soaked his clothes, making him feel as if he'd just taken an ice bath. The stump of his right arm ached. The Healers had cleared him for a permanent prosthetic, but Naruto had told him to hold off. He wasn't sure why, but he trusted his brother.

"That wasn't me," he muttered as visions of dozens, hundreds of people dead at the end of that crimson blade flickered behind eyelids squeezed shut, but the words didn't feel quite right. "That will never be me. I will not become that monster."

That last sounded… better, somehow. More true, though he wasn't sure of the difference. It must have been better, though, because he felt a shift in the Force, as if a piece of some great machinery had just clicked into place. With a soft rumble, the door to the meditation chamber opened and light spilled in from the outside. He walked out on legs shaky from hours of meditating. Obi-Wan was there to greet him, as large a smile on his face as any Anakin had ever seen. He caught him in a hug as soon as he cleared the doorway.

"Congratulations, Anakin," he said. "The Trial of the Spirit is no easy challenge."

"That really sucked, master," he murmured. That didn't cover the tenth part of it, but he didn't feel up to talking much. Obi-Wan squeezed him a little tighter and sent comfort and strength through their bond.

"I never doubted you would pass. But yes, it does suck, as you so eloquently put it." He paused, as if unsure, but when he spoke again, his voice was the same steady rock Anakin had leaned on for the last decade. "No one may make you speak of what you faced in that room. But if you ever want to talk; about anything, I will always be there for you. What's about to happen won't change that. Not ever."

Anakin leaned into the man who had raised him and let out a deep breath. A knot of tension he hadn't even known he was carrying until then unraveled. Wordlessly, he nodded his thanks and understanding. Together, they walked to the halls of the Temple as master and Padawan for the last time.

When they came to the Hall of Knighthood, the door opened on a darkness as black as the depths of space. Anakin strode in without hesitation, though. These shadows, at least, held nothing for him to fear.

He walked to the center of the room. How he knew it was the center without sight of the walls he couldn't say, only that the Force guided his steps. He could feel Obi-Wan behind him, but his master hung back. This was for him to witness, but not participate in. When Anakin stopped, a dozen lightsabers ignited in a ring around him. The light could have stood in for the noonday sun, though shadows still lingered at the edges of the room. The High Council made for an impressive sight, standing around him as they were. It was with only a little shock he recognized Jiraiya, green blade alight, standing in what had been Master Trebor's spot in the circle. If no one before had ever been raised Knight, Master, and Councilor in the same day, then there had also never been a Padawan like Jiraiya before. Anakin felt only the briefest flicker of jealousy, one he quickly stamped out. Jiraiya had earned his place and then some. He would join him soon enough.

"Anakin Skywalker, passed the Trials you have," Yoda said. "Kneel."

He kneeled and felt the buzzing heat of Yoda's lightsaber hover over first one shoulder and then the other. "By the right of the Council, by the will of the Force, name you I do Jedi, Knight of the Republic."

The blade flicked up past his ear, and he felt his Padawan braid fall to the ground. At the same time, he felt the training bond between him and Obi-Wan shift. Not dissolve, exactly, but change. No longer was there an imbalance, with Obi-Wan the higher and he the lower. They were equals now, and the bond reflected that. In a way, it was lesser than it had been. No longer did his master sit in the back of his mind, a constant presence, not his own, watching and guiding. What remained, though, felt deeper and more profound than what had been; the foundations of a bond of trust and brotherhood they could build on anew.

"Rise now, newest Knight of our Order."

He grabbed the severed braid and stood. The lightsabers winked out, plunging the room into darkness once again, save for the light from the open door. The Masters filed out ahead of him. When he stepped into the light, a cheer greeted him.

Naruto, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, Jiraiya, Padmé, and his mother all stood waiting for him, beaming smiles on all their faces. Well, he assumed all. Naruto wore his mask as always, but he had his eyes scrunched up in that expression that always meant he was smiling. There was a scuffle over who would give him the first hug. His mom won, while Naruto and Ahsoka bickered and Padmé deferred.

"Oh, my son. I'm so proud of you." He grunted as his ribs protested. Shmi Skywalker was not a weak woman. "I love you so much."

"Come on," Naruto urged. "We've got food to eat and stuff to do. Mostly the food, though. Let's go."

Anakin grinned. His little brother had been cooped up for the last week, and was handling it about as poorly as could be expected. "Patience, young Padawan," he teased, and laughed as Naruto gurgled and spluttered with outrage. "We can go soon. There's something I have to do first."

He stepped in front of Ahsoka and kneeled down so he could look her in the eye. His cheer evaporated for a moment, and deadly seriousness took its place. "Do you still want this? I'm going into war. There's no shame if you want to wait until that's over."

She met his gaze just as seriously and shook her head. "No way. I'm ready. I know I am, and I'm not letting you go into this without me backing you up."

She wasn't a child, he had to remind himself. Not truly. Young, yes, but not a child. Twice already she had faced battle and death and come out the other side intact. He believed in her, and more importantly, she believed in herself. Straightening, he adopted a formal tone.

"Alright then. Snips, I accept you as my Padawan learner."

She bowed. "Skyguy, I accept you as my Jedi master."

He snorted at the nickname, but honestly, things wouldn't have felt right if his Padawan treated anything with the reverence it deserved. His Padawan. His Padawan. That was… something. Something big and terrifying and wonderful all at once. He didn't let any of that show on his face, though. Instead, he reached into a pocket and withdrew a cord of silka beads. Ahsoka tilted her head, and he fastened them to her akul tooth headdress, just behind her right lek. As he did so, he reached out with the Force to their rudimentary training bond. It had grown some since he'd first become aware of it, but it was still a tiny green shoot compared to the mighty tree it would become. Just like Obi-Wan had taught him, he followed it to Ahsoka's mind and channeled the Force through the slim pathway. Her eyes went wide as it snapped into place. Instantly, the dim, distant awareness of her presence became a veritable flood of information. For a moment, he could feel her breathing, her heartbeat, the floor beneath her feet, and the frantic rush of her thoughts. Then the bond settled, and the torrent became a trickle.

"Woah," she whispered. "That was intense."

"The bond will grow with time, just as our partnership does," he said, repeating the same lesson Obi-Wan had given him when they'd formed their bond. "I'll teach you how to use it later. For now, though, I think Naruto will start chewing holes in the walls if we don't get him some food soon. Let's go."

Naruto let out a cheer and Jiraiya laughed heartily. Together, they made their way out of the Temple and over to Dex's Diner. From the way Dex bragged about Anakin's many accomplishments (some of which were actually true) one might have thought he'd trained him himself. Anakin didn't mind, though. An old blowhard the man may have been, but there was nothing but honest sincerity in his eyes when he clapped all four arms on Anakin's shoulders and told him how proud he was. Blessedly, he took only a single look at his empty sleeve and then carried on as if everything was normal.

"And who'd've thought that little shrimp Obi-Wan dragged in here ten years ago would have grown into you," he barked. "Of course, I credit my food. Nothing like a proper diet to get you Jedi to sprout up. Speaking of which, you'd best bring your own little apprentice by for some good food on the regular, y'hear me? She's almost as tiny as you were. Best get her growin' soon as possible, I say."

Ahsoka squawked indignantly at being labeled tiny, though it was hard to argue when she barely cleared the Besalisk's waist. He restrained her before she could try to bite Dex's nose and assured the man they would be by as often as he could manage. The arrival of their food thankfully stifled any thoughts of Ahsoka proving just how tiny she wasn't. The serving droid took some convincing before it believed the eight bowls of ramen really were just for Naruto, but it surrendered them before it got its arms removed or its processor disassembled. It was a risky business, standing between his little brother and ramen. Padmé, who had somehow never had the pleasure of watching Naruto eat before, goggled hilariously as bowl after bowl of steaming broth and noodles vanished through his apparently unbroken mask.

After they'd all cleaned their plates and Naruto had finished off his fifteenth bowl of ramen, he produced a scroll from his robes with the sort of solemnity normally reserved for precious artifacts. Or bombs. Anakin eyed the thing warily, as did Padmé and Obi-Wan. They'd all seen what sort of unnatural lunacy Naruto could unleash from one of his scrolls. He didn't think he would pull a prank somewhere this public, but his brother took the title of Most Unpredictable Padawan in the Temple a bit too seriously at times.

"I have presents," he announced, and everyone relaxed. Naruto took presents very seriously. His gifts hardly ever exploded or covered you in paint or made terrible noises, and never on purpose. "Lots of presents. I may have gone a little overboard."

"You? I don't believe it," Jiraiya said with a grin as he ruffled Naruto's hair. "Well, don't keep us waiting. I'm not getting younger."

Naruto rolled his eyes, but unrolled the scroll anyway. It had six storage seals on it that Anakin could identify, though he couldn't guess what they held. His own attempts to learn fuinjutsu weren't good for much beyond remodeling (or removing) some walls. Naruto pulsed his chakra in a fast pattern and the first seal unraveled. A book appeared on the table. An actual book, made of flimsi and ink. Anakin stared, but Jiraiya gasped out loud.

"Is that…?"

"Yup. It's your first book." Naruto nodded proudly. "Granny Tsunade told me about it after she took the hat, so I found a copy in the library and read it. I… didn't think you could write anything but porn. But I really liked it. I don't know why more people didn't."

Jiraiya actually had a tear in his eye. "I- thank you, Naruto. But how did you get a copy here? I know you didn't bring one with you."

"I used that Force memory thingy technique Master Koon was lecturing about last month. It took a while, but I was able to remember every word. Now you can publish it again if you want."

Jiraiya's eyes widened before a smile slowly spread across his face. "Publish again? That's a great idea. Nothing will raise people's spirits more than reading the works of the great Jiraiya."

Naruto stared at him for a moment before he shook his head. "I'll let Luminara take the air out of your ego. Anyway, next present."

Again he pulsed his chakra, and this time a long, cloth wrapped package emerged from the seal. He proffered it to Anakin, who took it with his one hand. When he unwrapped it, his jaw dropped.

"An arm. You made me an arm." It was beautiful. That was the only word to describe it. The appendage was sleek and sturdy-looking; a far cry from the skeletal appearance of most modern prosthetics. It was made from some sort of silvery metal, and when he looked closer, he could see a complex pattern of light and dark whorls across the whole thing.

"I made it out of chakra conductive steel, mined from Mt. Myōboku, and quenched in the Toad's special oil, so it should be almost as tough as beskar," Naruto said. "It's got built in comms, a grapnel launcher, a holoprojector, and-"

Anakin cut him off with a one-armed hug. "It's perfect. I couldn't have made one better."

"Thank you for saving my life, brother," Naruto mumbled into his shoulder. "I'm sorry you lost your arm."

"It was worth it."

Anakin unpinned his right sleeve and, with Padmé's help, slotted the new arm through the sleeve and hooked it into the adapter at the end of his severed stump. Sensation rushed in with a flood, and he gasped as he felt the new appendage interface with his nervous system. It was intense, but there was no pain, which boded well. It boded very well, in fact. Even the best prosthetics usually had some pain on the initial hook up. When he moved it, the arm felt natural. Even organic. There was no sound, no impedance, no feel of weight or poorly tuned servos. The fingers and wrist wriggled smoothly at his command. Good timing, full range of motion, no issues with control. If he wasn't looking at it, he'd have sworn it was his own flesh and blood.

"It's perfect," he repeated. That wouldn't stop him from tinkering with it, of course. Perfect was only a starting point as far as he was concerned, but Naruto had apparently thought of that. Nestled in the cloth was a set of tools and a datachip, no doubt loaded with the schematics. For an often impulsive, always hyperactive knucklehead, his brother could be amazingly insightful.

To Obi-Wan, he gave a jutsu scroll and a piece of unprocessed chakra conductive ore. Manipulating the rare ore was apparently the final control exercise for earth chakra. His former teacher, now a newly minted Jedi Master, thanked Naruto graciously.

Naturally, Naruto saved Ahsoka for last. She did an admirable job of remaining patient, but Anakin could feel the buzz of eagerness through their bond. Her foot tapped a rapid drumbeat on the floor as he unlocked the next seal. What emerged on the table didn't look like anyone's idea of a good gift. At least, it didn't if one didn't know Naruto. A pack of balloons and a rubber ball now littered the table. Ahsoka stared at them for a moment, unblinking. When she looked up, her eyes were bright with emotion.

"The rasengan? You're sure?"

Naruto gave her an eye smile. "Absolutely. There's no one I'd rather pass my dad's jutsu on to than you."

One moment, Ahsoka was sitting next to Anakin. The next, she'd vaulted over him and tackled Naruto into a hug. "Thank you," he heard her whisper. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

She pressed a kiss against his nose, and then another one against his masked lips. It was quick, just a light peck, but Anakin saw it and quirked an eyebrow. That was new. Wasn't it? Surely it was. Still, new or not, it wasn't entirely a surprise. Padmé had pointed out to him months ago that Naruto and Ahsoka were very close for just being friends. Even best friends. He wasn't sure what they were to each other, exactly, but it was definitely more than just friends by what he saw.

"I suppose it's technically for the both of you," Naruto said as he tossed him another bag of balloons. "I mean, I can't just teach you something, 'Soka. Anakin would get all jealous and pouty. This, though, is just for you."

From the final storage seal, he produced another cloth bundle and handed it to Ahsoka, who tore into it like a youngling on Life Day. She pulled out several very recognizable pieces of clothing.

"Armor," she breathed, looking at the package with awe. "You made me armor."

It was indeed armor. Specifically, he'd given her a set of mesh armor, a flak vest identical to the one he'd worn on Geonosis, and a set of greaves and vambraces. Anakin reached over and squeezed his brother's shoulder gratefully. A tiny bit of his terror at taking Ahsoka into a war zone evaporated. Naruto looked at him and gave a tiny nod.

"Now you'll have a cool new way to scrap battle droids, and you won't get dead doing it."

"Ha! Bet I'll take down twice as many as you," Ahsoka said. Naruto snorted and gave her a (mostly) friendly shove.

"You'd better learn fast," Jiraiya told Ahsoka when she'd sat up. "I'm afraid Naruto and Mace ship out in a week."

Anakin felt his good mood waver, but he refused to let it go. Not even the war could dampen this day. He wouldn't let it. Privately, he vowed that, no matter what, he wouldn't let the war totally consume Ahsoka's apprenticeship. Even if it lasted ten years, he would make sure she got as many moments like this as he could.

"We won't be far behind," Obi-Wan said. "I'm to take command of the Open Circle fleet and the 212th at the same time. Anakin, you and Ahsoka will be commanding the 501st. You'll have an extra week of medical leave, but then you'll be under my command."

'Two weeks,' he thought. Two weeks to get Ahsoka ready for war. Two weeks to spend with Padmé. Then it was into the grinder. 'I can do it. She'll be fine. No, she'll be a lot better than fine. I'll make her the best damn Jedi anyone's ever seen.'

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

For what had to be the millionth time in the last few days, Jiraiya took a deep breath just to relish the feel of air in his lungs not choked with dust. He'd only been on Geonosis a short while, but Coruscant already seemed a paradise in comparison. He hadn't had to fight in a desert since the Third Great War, and he'd forgotten how awful it was. Of course, Coruscant held its own battlefields; some worse than any war-torn desert. He suspected he was walking into one now. Then again, he always felt that way when he entered the Supreme Chancellor's office. He'd much rather have been with Naruto, sharing another meal and teaching his knucklehead of a godson more of his amazing moves, but instead he was here, walking into the rancor's den.

At least he wasn't walking into it alone. Yoda hobbled along in front of him, though his limp never seemed to slow him down, and Hammer followed just behind his left shoulder. The clone looked strange in his dress grays rather than the armor Jiraiya had grown used to seeing him in. He looked uncomfortable and out of place amidst such opulence, but he would just have to get used to it. Jiraiya's first act as a newly promoted Master had been to promote Hammer to general and assign him to Republic command alongside himself and the rest of the Council. It had stirred up a surprising, and disheartening, amount of resistance from various members of the Senate and the executive, but he had put his foot down. If they were going to use the clones to fight this war, then he would be damned sure there was a clone at the highest levels of command. Quite apart from being the right thing to do, it just made good sense. No one knew the clones' capabilities and limitations as well as one of the Alphas who'd helped train the whole army.

The Chancellor's office was, as always, brightly lit, with a few historical artifacts scattered around the walls the only decoration. Palpatine himself sat behind his desk, back to them, looking over the city out his window. As they walked in, he turned around and rose to greet them. His smile was just a little forced, though, his eyes a touch cooler than usual. Overall, he did not look all that pleased with them.

'No surprises there,' Jiraiya thought. 'Hopefully he'll see sense once we explain things to him.'

Once pleasantries had been exchanged, Palpatine took his seat once more and stared at them over steepled fingers. When he spoke, it was not in the grandfatherly tones he typically used. There was steel in his voice now, and anger, and above all an expectation that those listening would recognize his authority and respect it.

"Master Yoda, why have I received reports that you are preparing our forces to retreat from Geonosis?" His pale eyes narrowed. "Forgive my ignorance, but is it not counterproductive to abandon our only foothold in enemy territory not even a week after seizing it?"

"Understandable your ignorance is, and forgiven you are," Yoda replied. His tone held nothing but courtesy, yet underneath it was a less than subtle rebuke. Supreme Chancellor or no, Palpatine was speaking to the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order, and he would do so with respect. Jiraiya had to hide a smirk. His former master had dealt with far more intimidating people than this politician.

"With your permission, explain our reasoning we will," he continued. Palpatine eyed him for a moment before bowing his head in acquiescence.

"The problem is our navy," Jiraiya stepped in. "Or rather, our lack of one. We simply don't have the ships to go on the offensive right now."

"I have already commissioned our ship yards to accelerate production," Palpatine said. "And many of our retired vessels are undergoing a retrofit to enter them back into service."

"Yes, your Excellency," Hammer said. "But it'll be at least a month before the retrofit is done, and another before enough new ships can reach the front lines. We can take territory with the ships the Kaminoans already have, but without orbital support and resupply, we can't hold it."

Palpatine closed his eyes, leaned back, and took a deep breath. "Of course," he said after a moment. "My apologies. You are, of course, the experts. This is not a situation I ever imagined I would find myself in. I beg your patience."

"Forgotten, it is," Yoda said. "And a plan we have to turn our weakness into a strength."

"Oh?" Palpatine raised an eyebrow and glanced at Jiraiya. "Do I sense your hand in this, Master Jiraiya?"

"We all contributed," he said, trying to hide his impatience. This meeting was already taking away precious time he could spend with his godson and his lover. He didn't need to waste time on whatever political maneuverings Palpatine had going on. "The key point is that we cannot stop the Separatists from advancing on all fronts. It isn't possible. But we can direct them."

He pulled up a map of the galactic south and highlighted the Corellian Run. "It's risky, but I think it's our best option to avoid a drawn out stalemate."

By the time they finished explaining, Palpatine once again wore a frown. This one was contemplative rather than confrontational, though. He may not have been a military man, but he was still as shrewd as they came, and a calculated risk-taker. Eventually, he nodded.

"Very well," he said, even as resignation colored his voice. "I do not like it, but times such as these necessitate unsavory measures. May the Force be with us all."

They took the implied dismissal and made their departures. Jiraiya's feet itched to run back to the Temple as fast as he could, to wring every second out of what little free time he still had, but he forced himself to walk. He was a Jedi Master now, and it wouldn't do for him to be seen sprinting through the streets like his ass was on fire. The anticipation was murder, though. It had been far too long since he'd sparred with Naruto, and he still had so much to teach him. As he walked, he compiled a list of what he could cram into the boy's head in the next few days and what he could have him start practicing on his own while they were apart. Mace was an excellent teacher, and he would be forever grateful to the man for taking Naruto under his wing, but there were things only Jiraiya could teach him. If he was going to fight in this war, and Jiraiya had no doubt his godson would dive headfirst into every clusterfuck within ten parsecs of himself, then he would damn well prepare him.

'Maybe it's time to tell him about Minato's plans for the rasengan,' he mused. 'If anyone can complete it, it's Naruto.'

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Omake 2: Take Two 6

Knox was the first one to return. The Nautolan came back clutching a blue crystal in one hand, covered in dirt, and smiling broadly. Naruto congratulated him and had him start to meditate on his soon to be built lightsaber.

Trilla and Galdos returned at the same time, her with another blue crystal, and he with a rare yellow. Neither said much, but judging by the singes on their parkas and the smell of ash, he guessed they'd wound up facing their tests together. They joined Knox off to one side, marveling over each other's kyber crystals and their plans for their saber hilts. None of them mentioned a thing about what they had faced down in the cave, though. Not many Jedi did. It was a strict rule that no one could force anyone else to discuss what their trials involved. Naruto thought back to his trip into the cave and shivered. No way did he want to discuss that with anyone. It had been unpleasant enough to live through it once.

It was another hour before he heard the next set of footsteps echoing up from the tunnel. The ice was two-thirds of the way down the exit and creeping further with every passing second when the familiar sound of running feet reached his ears. A few seconds later, Ahsoka flew out of the tunnel, soaking wet, bruised, and grinning like a monkey-lizard. Naruto stared at her for a moment and had to swallow a snort of laughter.

"Have a nice swim, 'Soka?" He asked, barely able to keep the giggle out of his voice.

"It was lovely," she shot back, though her growing shivers gave the lie. He could feel her using the Force to stay warm. Nevertheless, the look in her eyes dared him to make a wise-ass remark. Do it, that look said. See what happens.

"Uh-huh," he said. "Well, take this."

He gave her a small scroll from inside his pouch. She eyed it and looked back at him questioningly.

"Dry clothes," he explained. "Go change before you freeze to death."

She took the scroll gratefully and scuttled off behind a pillar to change. After a few seconds, her irritated voice drifted back to him. "Naruto, these are your clothes."

"Well, yeah. It'd be pretty weird if I just carried around a set of your clothes, wouldn't it?"

"But they're huge!" She complained. "I'll look ridiculous."

"Hey, I'm not the one who went for a swim on freaking Ilum. You get what you get. Besides, you'd look more ridiculous frozen solid." He heard her snort, but from the sound of rustling cloth, she'd decided a little humiliation was preferable to actual death. "Did you at least get your crystal, or was this just a vacation for you?"

"Ha! Even better. Hold on a second." He heard a grunt and a muffled curse. "Why are you so freaking big? This is just stupid."

When she came out from behind the pillar, he saw what she meant. Ahsoka had always been fairly small, but in his tunic and robes she looked like a child wearing a tent. Fabric bunched around her wrists, ankles, and waist where she'd tied it up, but the overall effect was still absurd. Normally, he would have launched right into teasing her about it, but the sight of what she had in her hands captured his attention even more than her comical appearance.

"Two?"

"That's right," she said proudly. "Two of them. I'll have to talk to Professor Huyang about what to do with them."

"Nice, Ahsoka," he said. She grinned and then sat down next to him, leaning into his side. He raised an eyebrow at her, but she just pushed her head into the pocket of his shoulder.

"Shut up. I'm cold and you're basically a furnace that talks. Deal with it."

He laughed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in closer. "You always say such nice things, 'Soka."

She snorted, but neither of them made a move to separate. Eventually, the others noticed the two of them and decided to join in. As a huddle, they waited for their last member to get back.

And waited.

And waited.

As the ice crept steadily towards the floor, Naruto felt the first stirrings of concern. He didn't want to lose faith in Barriss, but he also didn't want her stuck in the cave for an entire night. The Gathering wasn't wholly risk free. Getting trapped in the crystal cave could be dangerous, and he'd had more than enough of his friends being in danger for the time being. Still, he forced himself to wait. It was her test, and whether or not she made it in time was on her.

Finally, when the ice was mere centimeters from sealing the tunnel off entirely, he saw a shadow move behind it. A dark figure slid along the floor and rolled into the atrium just seconds before the exit vanished completely.

"Barriss!" Ahsoka shouted, launching herself towards the girl. "Oh, thank goodness. I thought we'd have to wait here all… night…"

Her voice trailed off into a gasp, and when Naruto moved closer, he could see why. All the Clawmouse clan members had come out of the cave a little worse for wear, but Barriss looked as if she'd fought a gundark. Her clothes were ripped and filthy. There were bloody cuts all over her hands and knees, and it looked as if something had torn off more than one of her fingernails. From her puffy, reddened eyes, he guessed she'd been crying. Not all that surprising, given how brutal the visions in the cave could be, but the rest of her injuries were heart wrenching to see. Still, she had a kyber crystal clutched in one hand and a satisfied, if tired, smile on her face.

"Welcome back," he said as she climbed to her feet. She swayed, and he caught her arm before she could fall. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, but even that movement looked like it exhausted her. He put an arm around her back and pulled her arm over his shoulders so he could take her weight. She leaned against him with a small sigh. From her, it might as well have been a tearful confession of gratitude.

"I'm fine," she said. It would have been a bit more convincing if her voice didn't wasn't a croaking whisper. Ahsoka's expression of skepticism could have had a team of expert mathematicians double-checking their algebra homework.

"Really," Barriss insisted. No one looked convinced.

"Let's just get back to the ship," Naruto said. "I don't know about you all, but I don't want to spend any more time here than I have to."

He didn't miss Barriss' relieved sigh as they headed out of the temple, nor the turbulent storm of emotions roiling in her thoughts. He didn't ask, though. He couldn't. All he could do was be there.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Back on the Crucible, Ahsoka was just finishing up a long meditation on her lightsaber components when she felt Barriss' presence draw close. She opened her eyes and let the pieces settle back to the cloth in front of her just as Barriss came through the door into the study room.

"I hope I'm not interrupting you," her friend said, her voice even softer than usual. She'd been quiet, even by her standards, ever since they'd left Ilum. "I can always come back later."

"No, it's fine." Ahsoka patted the spot next to her for Barriss to sit. "I just finished meditating and I could use a break. What's up?"

After a moment's hesitation, Barriss took the offered spot on the bench and sat with her knees hugged to her chest. That alone was enough to tell Ahsoka something was wrong beyond just the lingering stress of the cave. Barriss was never anything but perfectly composed. She took as much care with her posture as some people did with their children. For her to curl up like that was concerning, to say the least.

"Is everything okay?" she asked. "I'm not Naruto, but I can feel something bothering you."

Barriss kept staring into nothing, and Ahsoka thought she might not have heard her. She was about to repeat herself when Barriss started speaking. Her voice was still soft, and even with her sensitive hearing, Ahsoka had to strain to make out what she was saying.

"When you got your crystal, there was a test, right?"

"Yeah," Ahsoka said slowly. "I think there's one for everyone."

Barriss nodded, though she still didn't look at her. "And did you understand it?"

"What do you mean?"

"The cave is supposed to make you face your flaws. Your weaknesses. You're supposed to overcome them in order to get your crystal." Finally, she turned to look at Ahsoka, though her eyes were obviously still back on whatever had happened in the cave. "But I don't know what my test was about. How am I supposed to overcome my flaws if I don't even know what they are?"

She sounded so lost and confused that Ahsoka couldn't stop herself from reaching an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into a brief hug. She stiffened, but didn't pull away.

"What does it matter if you didn't understand the test?" she said. "You obviously still passed. You got your crystal. That's all that matters."

Barriss grunted and pulled her knees even higher. "But I need to know. What if I didn't overcome it all the way? I can't be a good Jedi if-"

"Hey, you are a good Jedi," Ahsoka interrupted. "You don't have to become one. Master Unduli already decided you were good enough to be her Padawan. The cave decided you were good enough to get your crystal."

She thought back to her own trial. For a moment, she was back in that freezing river, lungs burning for air, limbs weak from the cold, body bruised and aching from bouncing off the rocks. She thought about how she'd finally overcome the current, and about what lesson she'd been supposed to learn.

"I don't think going through the cave is supposed to mean we don't have those flaws anymore," she said. "My test was about patience, sort of. But I don't feel more patient now than I did. I think it was more about me proving I could overcome my weakness, not about getting rid of it."

"But how am I supposed to get better if I don't even know what I was doing wrong?" Barriss hissed in frustration. "It took me so long to get my crystal, and I still don't know what I did to pass. And now I can't even control my emotions well enough to meditate."

She let her head fall back against the wall with a thump. "I just don't want to mess up," she whispered. "I can't disappoint Master Unduli. I just can't."

Ahsoka sighed and pulled herself around so she was looking Barriss in the face. "You're not going to. I know that. Who cares if you know exactly what the cave was testing you on? You passed. You have a crystal. That's what's important. So here's the deal."

She pointed at the cloth with all her lightsaber components on it. "You're going to go get your parts and bring them here. Then we're both going to build the best damn lightsabers Huyang has ever seen. Got it?"

Barriss stared at her for a moment, eyes wide and blinking in surprise, before she smiled. Not just smiled, but giggled a little, too. "It's a good thing the cave didn't test your manners, or we'd all still be there waiting for you. But you're right. Building our lightsabers is what's important right now."

She got up and walked to the door before turning around. "Thank you, Ahsoka. You're a good friend. And I think you'll make an amazing Jedi."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

A bit of a chunkier chapter, this time. I probably could have split it, but I wanted to get all the fluff and interlude stuff out of the way so I can move on to the next arc. That said, obviously there were some pretty major milestone's covered here.

I went back and forth for a long time on the lemon with Anakin and Padme. Initially, my plan was to hold off until later, as they were both recently traumatized and should take time to heal. However, they're also both young, and young, traumatized people in love don't make great decisions. What clenched it is that they probably aren't going to share another scene for at least ten chapters, and you all have been very patient so far with the slow burn relationships.

I didn't include the scene for brevity's sake, but yes, Jiraiya was promoted to Jedi Master and given a seat on the Council. I wanted to write it out, but Anakin's Trial took precedence. He actually had to go through the official Trial in the Temple this time, because he hasn't had the vision on Yavin IV. The details on what the Trial of Spirit involve are scarce, but I wrote as close to what I could find.

This is the last of this omake series. I don't currently have another one planned, but I'm sure something will come to me eventually. I reserve omakes for bits of story canon I can't fit into the proper chapters, either due to pacing, timing, or because they only occurred to me after I wrote that part.

Thanks for reading. If you have any comments, questions, rants, or raves, please leave a review. Be sure to log in and turn on PMs, or I won't be able to respond to any questions.