Chapter 1 - The Clone Wars
The war has been raging for mere months, but the galaxy already feels like a different place entirely. It feels like almost a lifetime ago that there was peace, that the Republic wasn't owning a slave army that they claim isn't sentient enough for it to break the anti-slavery laws simply because they're clones, and that Anakin was still a padawan.
He's a Knight and a general now. He's ready to be a Knight, but a general? Not so much. Especially not with everything it comes with.
He's not ready to leave his men into battle, to their deaths, every single day, wishing there was more he could do to protect them. And he knows he's doing everything he can and he was able to save his mother so he can somewhat trust that he's not completely failing, but it never feels like enough. Especially not when his men are slaves, just like he was, and they don't even get a say in whether or not they want to fight.
But he's never thought about that quite as obsessively as he is now, after they lost so much ground on Christophsis because of a clone turned traitor.
"It's the Jedi who keep my brothers enslaved. We do your bidding. We serve at your whim. I just wanted something more."
"And all you had to do to get it was put the rest of us all at risk. "
"I love my brothers. You're too blind to see it, but I was striking a blow for all the clones."
Slick wasn't right in what he did. There's no doubting that. They lost the battle because of him, and that's not to say how many of his brothers he hurt or killed in the process.
His fate is going to be up to the Republic now. To his superiors. Rightfully, he should be executed. He committed treason, and he's a traitor. To the Republic, to all of his brothers. He could have killed Rex and Cody. He tried to, and Anakin will never forgive him for that. Loyalty is important. Slick had a family, and he hurt all of them. He was willing to kill his own brothers.
But – but, at the end of the day, Slick was a slave, too. He had a right to be willing to fight for freedom, even if it doesn't begin to justify the means he went about it. He might have been willing to betray the Republic and everything the clones fought for, are dying for, but that... doesn't mean he was fully wrong.
No one is wrong for wanting freedom.
The dream of every slave is to kill their masters, and it feels like that's what Slick was doing. He's one of the only clones who understands their status enough to want anything else.
They lost the battle because of him, but Anakin isn't going to call Christophsis a lost cause yet. He doesn't do that – maybe it's not possible for most people, but he'll make it work, because he has to and people are counting on him. There's no other way it can be.
"I still can't believe one of our brothers was willing to sell us out like that," Rex remarks, still visibly angry.
"The lines of trust are blurred in war," Anakin supplies, and it's not anything that will help and hardly even something he can offer, but he has to say something.
Cody nods his agreement, no happier. "Until now, I've always believed we could at least trust our brothers."
"Still don't understand what he thought was worth all this," Rex sighs.
How many of them even realize what they are? They're so brainwashed into loyalty to the Republic, Anakin doesn't know if either of them have even thought about some of the truth to Slick's words – not that it makes it any better than he was killing his own brothers, but still.
Rex has always been extremely loyal and strict to the book, ever since Anakin met him. He didn't understand why Anakin came back for him when he was hurt, in one of their first battles. Or why Anakin was trying so hard to learn from him what he needed to do best, to lead his boys.
Cody's always been a little more flexible, but he's still as focused on duty as all the clones are.
Do they ever want more? Anakin can't believe they don't, but they likely feel like they don't have the right to want anything else, like there's something wrong with them if they do.
"He did have a point that none of you are... free," Anakin has to point out. "Even if that does not justify how he made his point."
Rex and Cody exchange glances.
"We are free," Rex objects, "We fight for the Republic because we choose to. We are where we want to be."
This – isn't something Anakin even knows how to address. There are slaves on Tatooine who become so accepting of their status, they no longer want out anymore. That's... the point where the clones are, and it hurts. "I know that's what you were trained to believe," Anakin replies, "And maybe it is what you believe, but even if it weren't, you would never be able to leave. There are always going to be some of you who want a different life, and it's not fair to take that from them."
"We have a duty," Rex argues. "All of us do."
"This is what we were made for," Cody agrees, though he looks visibly subdued.
"Despite what the Kaminoans may have created you for, you're still people. You don't only matter for what you're capable of doing for the Republic. You still should have the right to choose if fighting for the Republic is really what you want to do," Anakin replies. "And it's not wrong if any of you want something else."
"I can't imagine doing anything else. This is all we've ever known," Cody replies.
"The only reason we exist is because of the war. Helping end it is our duty," Rex objects.
It's not something either of them are going to understand right off. The most Anakin can do is hope it's something they'll keep in mind. "But if one of your brothers wants more, they shouldn't be executed for it."
The clones are slaves, and he has no idea how to help them see that. It hurts, but maybe he just needs to wait, because there will inevitably, someday be a point that they all know.
**w**
The situation on Christophsis is only getting worse, especially since they have yet to be able to send a clear transmission through to Coruscant to ask for reinforcements. So Anakin can't begin to say how relieved he is when he sees a shuttle flying in.
It's just one, but it must be reinforcements or supplies, or... something.
Artoo rolls along next to him, beeping hopefully. Padme gave him the astromech in exchange for Threepio – his mother had insisted he take the protocol droid with him when he left Tatooine.
The shuttle ramp descends, but instead of more clones there's just a... youngling? The Togruta isn't even tall enough to reach his shoulders yet.
"Who are you supposed to be?" Anakin asks, studying her.
"I'm Ahsoka," she replies, looking up at her, eyes bright and wide. "Master Yoda sent me. I was told to tell both of you that you must get back to the Jedi Temple immediately. There's an emergency."
"We are in a bit of an emergency right here," Anakin tells her bluntly.
"Yes, our communications have been a bit unreliable," Obi-Wan grumbles, "But we've been calling for help."
"Master Yoda hadn't heard from you, so he sent me to deliver the message," Ahsoka supplies.
Anakin sighs. "We still need a way of sending a message through."
"Maybe you can relay it through the cruiser that just dropped me off?" Ahsoka suggests.
It works, at least temporarily, and they do get a message through. The transmission is cut off before they finish, but at least Master Yoda knows about the situation now and promised reinforcements.
"It's time for a proper introduction," Obi-Wan decides, turning to Ahsoka once the holotable shuts off.
"I'm the new Padawan learner. I'm Ahsoka Tano. I've been assigned to Master Skywalker."
"What?" Anakin asks, blinking. He looks to Obi-Wan, confused. "I never requested a padawan?"
"Master Yoda was very specific," she insists, "I'm assigned to Anakin Skywalker, and he is to supervise my Jedi training."
Obi-Wan is smirking. He's actually smirking, like he somehow finds this genuinely hilarious. Anakin's just confused. He's never been outright opposed to training a padawan, but he never really thought he could... do it right. He's far, far from an ideal Jedi, and doesn't know how he could ever get it done right. It'd be hard, with the war and all, but really?
If Obi-Wan did this as a prank, and based on his expression and very obvious amusement, Anakin is going to find a way to make sure he regrets it. He has no idea what he's in for.
"Well," Anakin says, smiling ferally in a way that is going to guarantee Obi-Wan nightmares, "Come along, padawan. I'll check out with Rex on the lookout."
**w**
"What's the status, Rex?" Anakin inquires, approaching him. Ahsoka's tagging along behind him, looking around wide-eyed at their surroundings.
He doesn't quite know how he's going to teach someone so young how to survive on a battlefield. This isn't what the Jedi were trained to be. Anakin had to figure it out quickly, and she's still a child. Keeping her safe and teaching her at once is... not going to be easy. But he'll have to figure out a way. Somehow.
"Quiet for now, sir. They're gearing up for another assault." Rex's gaze shifts past him, to Ahsoka. "Who's the youngling?"
"She's my new padawan," Anakin introduces, cheerfully.
If Obi-Wan thought this was a good prank, then he's pranking him back.
"Ahsoka Tano," the Togruta adds.
"Sir, I thought you said you'd never have a padawan," Rex objects.
Anakin talked to him a bit about it once. They were fighting with another Jedi who had a young padawan, and it was definitely not something the padawan was able to handle. He couldn't really imagine just opting to teach someone like that, either. But apparently Obi-Wan decided to make that choice for him. "It was not the plan," Anakin replies, "But she was assigned to me. Why don't you help her get adjusted?"
There's actually so many things that they'll have to prepare to handle, if he's going to literally raise a child in the middle of the war, in addition to trying to take care of the clones. He'll have to have an actual talk about it with Rex later, when they aren't about to be attacked again.
"Right," Rex agrees, gesturing for Ahsoka to follow him.
He'll also have to take the time to get to know Ahsoka later.
**w**
Anakin's had plenty of missions in his time as a Jedi that he had complicated feelings about, but he doesn't think anything's been quite as bad as this one. The clones are a slave army, dying for the Republic with no say, and now they're being sent to rescue the child of a slaver – Jabba no less – who's perfectly capable of sending his own forces to do it.
It's hardly for him to decide what's right or not, but it feels so wrong, that every single one of his boys who are already dying on this mission are dying for someone like Jabba. He doesn't want to do this. He wishes he could just say no, he's not going to lead them all to die for something like this, even if he can understand the importance of the hyperspace lanes.
But it's not like he can refuse the mission.
The number of people they lose on the way up is high. So much higher than he even wants to think about, and of course, even after they find Rotta, Ventress comes at them again. That is something Anakin is far from surprised over. The Separatists set up this entire thing, and they aren't going to be willing to part with their plans or whatever they hoped to gain from it easily.
Their forces are overwhelmed fast, and Anakin has them fall back inside the monastery. The doors seal shut, and he turns back to what's left of his company, panting a little and trying to regather his bearings, focusing on the present. He can get death counts later, but he can feel the death in every fiber of his being.
It's hard.
It hurts, but he's used to death, so he breathes in and out and tries his best to let it go. It would certainly be easier to try to accept it if it wasn't all for a slaver, though.
"Our mandate was to get this Hutt back to Tatooine and time is running out," Ahsoka says, holding up Stinky. She's not wrong, even if Anakin's far more worried about getting Ahsoka and his boys out of this alive, than anything else.
"Do you have a plan?" Anakin inquires.
"Yes, or I think so, Artoo willing. There has to be some passageway out of this place, right?"
"There should be," Anakin muses. It's the kind of place that would have underground passageways or concealed entrances somewhere. "See what you can find. I'll hold the droids here with Rex, but comm me if you run into too many. If you can get to an exit point, a gunship should be able to pick you up."
He doesn't really want to let Ahsoka go off alone, but the worst of the danger is going to be right here. Not with her. At least he can hope so. He didn't have his own mission entirely alone until he was nineteen and she's far younger than that. But there were countless times he ended up alone unintentionally. He just hopes this isn't going to be a mistake.
Ahsoka's life isn't something he's willing to gamble with, but they have the mission and his men, too.
Ahsoka doesn't seem afraid though, even if she's maybe a little nervous. "I'll do it," she promises, instantly.
"Be careful," he cautions, "And may the Force be with you."
Ahsoka nods, and Anakin watches her until she disappears from sight and he can refocus on the battle.
**w**
Anakin's never been more glad that he stayed here to help defend the clones. They're being overrun already because the droids keep coming but at least if he's here, he can hold them off longer. The droids are gaining ground, at least.
But that doesn't stop how much the death hurts, how many have died here for literally nothing. He doesn't want to be forced into leading a slave army to their deaths, as they literally fight for a slaver.
Doesn't want to know who's going to be next to fall, when he's not able to stop it.
And then, in between the droid lines, he catches sight of Ventress.
Of course, she'd show up, and that's only to make the chances of anyone coming out of this alive even more difficult. Unless...
"Here," Anakin asks, and he feels unbearably awkward about this, but he doesn't have time to think of another option. It'll give all of them an advantage. It helped him and Padme on Geonosis. It's what kept her alive there and he can't let Rex die here.
"Sir?" he asks, half confused.
"Just do it," Anakin requests, and Rex very, very hesitantly takes his hand. It's probably weird to him, but to Anakin, even that one small move means everything. It's a promise. A level of trust that's something only slaves can have with each other, because they can never truly trust a freeborn.
The levels are too different, power gaps too wide for them to ever click together as one.
Anakin squeezes Rex's hand, willing them to morph and twist and shift into one. His mind instantly recognizes Rex's presence as safe and home and same, so this is easy. It's fast, even if it's different, and with a flicker, they merge into one.
He spots Ventress's dark-robed, shadowed figure approaching, though she pauses when she sees them.
Anakin doesn't know what they look like now. He's never seen his reflection of a fusion with another person, so he doesn't know what they've morphed into, but he does know he's taller. Bigger.
He feels Ventress's confusion tinged with fear. She's scared of them.
They draw their lightsaber, igniting the blade.
"What are you?" Ventress demands, igniting her own lightsabers.
They don't take the time to answer – not as though there's something to say – swinging for her. They've never fought with a lightsaber when they're this big before, but it still gives them an advantage, especially one of physical strength. Ventress might be fast and agile, but that's not a match for their Force skill or combined fighting skills.
And Anakin – Rex – whoever they are now, is stronger. Much stronger. It's clumsy to fight when he's this size, but that doesn't mean he's not still skilled, and Rex is letting him do the fighting.
They push the fight outwards onto the platform outside where there's more room to move. The clones – his brothers – are dying, and they need to help.
Anakin is pretty sure kicking her off the edge was Rex's idea, but he doesn't know. Doesn't really matter.
They blink apart, dropping back to themselves and breathing a little heavily. It's exhausting, but Ventress is gone, and Anakin stands again, shaking off the after effects. Rex is looking at him, and Anakin feels his surprise, though he's more confused and maybe a little amused by it than anything else.
"I didn't know it would feel like that," Rex says. He sounds a bit overwhelmed, but not in a bad way.
He's heard about the Fusion thing - everyone had, because all the clones were talking about it after Geonosis.
"It can be... overwhelming the first time," Anakin replies. But the closeness of it is something unforgettable. Anakin can't say how long he's wanted to do something like that with Rex before. They're close, on the same level, in a way he hasn't been with anyone in years. It's not a sense of companionship he ever thought he could have again, and if they could be One whenever they wanted to, it would...
Rex is a friend, and the Fusion cements it into something familial in a way he didn't even realize. Padme had been his friend for years, and other than her, Anakin has only Fused with people he knew well as a child. He's thought of Padme as family for a decade. Rex is... new, and it's not something he's ever had before. It's a little overwhelming for Anakin, too.
"Yes," he agrees, a not-quite laugh escaping him. "It was."
Anakin's comm beeps suddenly, Ahsoka's voice crackling through when he answers. "The gunships can't make it," she calls, "And I have droids closing in."
Fear spears through him. Of course she ran right into a mess. He needs to get to her before she gets hurt. "Come on," Anakin calls, sprinting back for the monastery entrance, "We'll barricade ourselves inside before more droids get here, then go after Ahsoka. It will take them time to figure out which way we went."
Especially if they won't be seeing Ventress for a while.
**w**
They found a passageway that goes deep into the monastery, opening into the jungle beyond. It's a dangerous place for them to be, but there should be enough room for a gunship to make it in between the towering trees.
When Anakin finally catches up to Ahsoka, it's to see her tiny form flailing at the edge of a river.
He runs to her the moment he sees her, grabbing her hand and pulling her out. She comes up smuttering and shivering, eyes wide. "You okay?" Anakin asks after a few moments of her coughing once she's safely ashore again.
"Yeah," she promises, though he knows she's lying, and he can feel her exhaustion. Ahsoka is stubborn and persistent, though, so she won't show weakness. He might not know her long, or very well, but Anakin knows that.
"Trouble with wildlife?" Anakin asks.
"Something like that," Ahsoka grumbles.
"How's Stinky?" he asks grudgingly, because they don't need the Huttlet drowning before they get back to Tatooine.
"He didn't like playing in the water much, but he's fine."
They don't have to wait long for several gunships to fly in, and they all scramble on board. The number of survivors is small, but Anakin knows it's much greater than it would have been had he left the clones to fight on their own.
"We have clankers incoming," Rex observes, scanning the trees with his macrobinoculars.
Anakin follows where he's looking. He can hear branches snapping and crackling already. "Good thing we're leaving," he replies, as the ships take off, right before a group of droids makes it through the trees to start shooting at them.
Hopefully, Ventress and the droids haven't figured out yet that they all escaped the monastery, or all the Separatist forces will be converging right on them.
And making getting Stinky back to Tatooine next to impossible. Though Anakin's far more concerned about the lives that will be lost, no matter how afraid he always is of failing the mission. He can't fail – that's never been an acceptable outcome for him. He's supposed to be strong enough; he owes it to the Order, but... the mission isn't more important than lives.
The gunships head back for the cruiser, but they don't even make it into the atmosphere before vulture droids are swarming them. Clone fighters are shooting them down, but in a gunship there's not much Anakin can do except watch.
A stray laser shot catches the front of the gunship, and it jolts violently, spiraling right back for the forest floor.
So much for that.
The landing is going to be rough, especially if they flatten countless trees while they're going down.
Anakin reaches out with the Force, wrapping it around the ship, trying to slow its fall. He's not done anything this extreme before, but he can at least try. He can feel it as the ship starts to slow, but the trees are still in front of them and he focuses as hard as he can, nudging the ship sideways to avoid some large branches.
The ship slams into the ground, nearly throwing everyone to the floor – but not half as hard as it would have otherwise.
"Everyone alright?" Anakin asks, untangling himself from a flailing Ahsoka and yowling Stinky.
A chorus of "yes, sir's" echoes through the ship.
"Except that you squashed me, yes," Ahsoka snips, as he offers her a hand, pulling her up.
"Was that you who slowed the ship down, General?" Rex queries, something like awe in his voice, as they clamor outside of the gunship.
"Yeah," Anakin confirms, scanning the trees. Enormous bugs are flying in between the trees and overhead, but otherwise there's no sign of any hostility... yet.
They'll have to find another way out, before it's too late. He pauses when his gaze falls on a landing platform a significant distance away from the building – and from them – with a ship on it.
"There's our ride," he decides.
"How are we gonna get over there?" Ahsoka objects. "Unless we learn to fly?"
"...That gives me an idea." Anakin reaches out with the Force, to the mind of the nearest bug flying by. He often struggles connecting with animals, but it'll have to work.
He feels it when the bug finally responds, flying down towards them even if it's none too happy about it. Anakin clamors on, trying to balance himself on its back.
"This is your idea?!" Ahsoka yelps.
"Climb on," he calls cheerfully, offering her a hand. She tries to clamor on, but it jostles the bug enough to scare it. It jerks into the air, wings flapping wildly as it tries to take off. "Anyone else?"
"I think we'll wait for you to come pick us up," Rex calls after, amused.
Except he practically loses control over the bug entirely and it takes off into the sky with Ahsoka still flailing around, trying to get on its back. She huffs dramatically as she finally gets on.
"You alright?" he asks, even if he can't quite smother his amusement.
"No thanks to your flying, Skyguy, yes," she snips.
Skyguy? Of all things she could call him? "Technically, it was the bug'sflying, Snips," he shoots back.
He might hardly know Ahsoka, but he already thinks he's glad to have taken her as a padawan. They're definitely going to make Obi-Wan regret ever pairing them together as a prank – and without even trying.
**w**
Going back to Tatooine is hard, but after dropping off Rotta with Jabba – and trying his hardest not to think about what he's doing – he slips away to see his Mom again. Yoda is dealing with the negotiations, anyway, and it's not like Anakin's needed.
Ahsoka comes, and Rex perks up the moment Anakin mentions it, so he opts to take both of them, Obi-Wan, and a gunship-load of some of the boys he knows best.
Owen ushers them inside, though the clones look sorely out of place about the entire thing.
Shmi is waiting for them, and Anakin sinks into her arms and clings to her the moment he sees her. She's recovered now, and he can't say how relieved he is to see her better. She's safe. She'll be fine, and Anakin can only hope the Lars will be able to keep anyone form hurting her again. He knows they'll try.
"Mom," he says, chest clenching with a wild combination of nerves and excitement, "This is Obi-Wan, my master. He was Qui-Gon's apprentice."
"Master?" she asks. Her face is clear, non-judging, but he feels her flicker of worry. Anakin himself had reservations about that in the beginning. He'd never been comfortable with it, and sometimes still isn't, but he's long since learned to accept it.
"It's not what it means here," Anakin promises, "He took care of me."
Her eyes turn to Obi-Wan, who somehow looks a thousand times more nervous than Anakin feels.
"Anakin talks about you all the time," Obi-Wan tells her, "It's good to see you in person."
She smiles at him. She's so gentle, Anakin has entirely forgotten what it was like to have her in his life. "Thank you," she tells him, "For protecting him."
"And this is my padawan," Anakin says, laying a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder. She shifts forwards, eyes bright. She's smiling brightly despite her obvious exhaustion.
"Good to meet you, Ms. Skywalker," Ahsoka says with an unbearable level of awkwardness, and Anakin laughs.
Shmi ushers them inside to sit down when she sees it. She asks about their presence on Tatooine, and Anakin tells her. About the mission, that the war came to Tatooine.
"Who are these?" she asks finally, turning to the clones lingering quiet and awkwardly in the doorway.
Anakin holds her gaze. This isn't something the clones would like answered bluntly, or Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, but this is his mother, and she deserves to know the truth. "They're clanless," Anakin tells her, because there is no better way to explain who they are. "And they're my brothers."
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