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Chapter Text

"Good soldiers follow orders," Tup muttered as he shot Master Tiplar, her life extinguished in an instant.

"Kriff," Anakin cursed under his breath, a mix of frustration and sorrow gnawing at his heart. He swiftly turned, the absence of Tiplar's Force presence chilling him to the bone. "Hold your ground!" Anakin shouted to the remaining clones, his lightsaber flashing as he deflected blaster bolts.

He fought relentlessly, pushing the enemy back, realizing that they’ve lost all their momentum, "We've lost our position! Fall back!" he commanded, turning to his ARC Trooper, "Fives, I don't understand what's happening, but Tup is your responsibility now. Get him back to base; I want answers!" Anakin yelled as Fives nodded and dragged Tup away.

Anakin rushed to Tiplee's side, witnessing her mourning her sister. The anguish in her voice was palpable, and Anakin knew this loss would weigh heavily on Tiplar's Padawan.

"I'm about to find out what’s happening," Anakin reassured Tiplee as he stormed to the room where they were holding Tup. "Rex, how's he doing?" Anakin demanded, a mix of outrage and curiosity swirling within him.

Anakin's thoughts wandered as he listened to Rex's report, but he suddenly remembered a crucial detail. Tiplar's Padawan was on Coruscant, and he needed to deliver the devastating news to her, knowing that Tiplee was in no condition to do so.

Rex turned to Anakin, pulling him back to the present. "General, are you ready to take him to the med-bay?" Rex asked, awaiting Anakin's lead.

"Yeah. Let's go," Anakin replied, taking charge of the situation.

After their group discussed the possibility of biological warfare, Anakin turned to Tiplee. "I have to return to Coruscant. Tiplar had a Padawan, correct?" Anakin inquired, receiving a solemn nod from Tiplee. "I have to let her know of Tiplar’s death and ensure she finds a new master soon," Anakin assured as he headed towards his cruiser, where R2-D2 patiently waits for him, just as he always does.

"Alright, Artoo, let's head home," Anakin said, and the droid responded with excited beeps.

***

Upon landing on Coruscant, Anakin made his way directly to the temple. However, as he approached the entrance, he sensed a presence on the rooftop, where he had once battled Barriss Offee. Intrigued, he changed course, spinning on his heel.

Stepping onto the rooftop, Anakin found a distraught young woman, her hair was light brown with strands of blonde mixed in and she looked to be around twenty years old. He approached her in silence, the sound of her sniffles tugging at his heart.

Sitting down beside her without a word, Anakin allowed the silence to envelop them. She eventually spoke, "Who are you?"

Anakin was momentarily surprised by her apparent lack of recognition, but he decided to keep things simple. "I'm Anakin," he replied, not inclined to flaunt his status as the Republic's hero to a grieving Jedi.

The young woman nodded shyly, acknowledging the name but showing no signs of awe.

Anakin accepted her silence as her need for it, closing his eyes in meditation. Suddenly, her words jolted him out of the silence he was getting used to, "Have you ever just wanted to die?" she asked, her voice heavy with pain and regret.

Anakin raised a hand to reassure her, that she did nothing wrong, "At times, yes," he admitted, revealing a vulnerability that seemed to catch her off guard, "Especially in the last six months."

The woman nodded with understanding. "I'm Evelyn Zaad," she introduced herself, her shoulder lightly brushing against his.

Anakin smiled at Evelyn, his charisma shining through. "Anakin Skywalker," he replied quietly, and they exchanged smiles.

"Have you ever lost someone?" Evelyn asked, her thoughts dwelling on her late masters, including Evan Piell and Tiplar.

Anakin's mind instantly traveled to Qui-Gon and his mother. He nodded solemnly, "Very important people to me," he shared, "I try to carry their memory with me, but it's not always easy."

Evelyn nodded in agreement. "It's the hardest thing in the world," she acknowledged, her eyes reflecting deep sorrow. "I've only been a Padawan for six years, and I've already lost four masters, all of them becoming one with the Force." Anakin's jaw dropped at the revelation. He hadn't expected this young woman to still be a Padawan, let alone endure such loss, "Sometimes it's hard to keep going," she confessed honestly.

Anakin looked into her eyes, captivated by their beauty, "I understand," he said softly, empathizing with her pain, "But I've learned that the best way to move forward is to carry the memory of those we've lost with us, honoring them with everything we have."

Evelyn continued to gaze at Anakin, realizing that she wasn't alone in her pain. The Jedi Order often preached that there was no such thing as pain, only the Force, but she saw through that facade.

To be quite frank, it was a load of bantha shit.

The temple's interior clocks rang, prompting a groan from Evelyn and a chuckle from Anakin. She turned to him, still somewhat dazed.

"I'm being reassigned again," Evelyn explained, her voice tinged with bitterness. "It seems like whoever becomes my next master is doomed."

Anakin laughed at her bluntness. "So sure of that, are you?"

Their conversation was interrupted by Master Yoda, who had been observing from afar. Yoda assured Evelyn that her next master would be a formidable one.

As they walked with Yoda, Anakin asked about their next steps.

Yoda stopped walking. "Assigned to temple duty, you are," he said, surprising Anakin with his new station, "Complete Evelyn’s training, you will," Evelyn turned to Anakin, shocked, while Anakin remained composed.

"Your wish is my command, Master," Anakin said, bowing to the Grand Master before heading to the council chambers.

"Let me finish, you will," Anakin and Evelyn freeze in their places, turning on their heels in an instant, their faces covered in an apologetic glance, "Hardly the same age, the two of you are," Yoda begins, Anakin and Evelyn not really sure of where the green Jedi is going with this, "Merely a guide to Young Zaad's knighthood, will Skywalker be. Too inconvenient, master and apprentice is, for the two of you," Yoda says, giggling at how true that statement was.

Given he was talking to two of the most unconventional Jedi in the order. And the fact that Anakin had already trained a Jedi to knighthood, but she left before he got the chance to see the ceremony through.

Yoda thought that by letting Anakin guide Evelyn, he would finally get majority approval to become a master. And above everything, he just wanted Skywalker to be happy.

Anakin and Evelyn wait, not sure if Yoda is finished yet, but after a long silence, the two Jedi bow before the Grandmaster he goes on his way.

Evelyn and Anakin stood in comfortable silence for a few moments before it was interrupted. "So," Evelyn began, prompting Anakin to look at her with a wicked grin. "This is going to be so much fun," she exclaimed with a laugh as the two high-fived.

Anakin shook his head. "Maybe not so much fun for you, but definitely for me," he teased, causing Evelyn's eyes to widen. "I lead the Republic's best clone division, and you have some catching up to do.”

Evelyn crossed her arms shyly, still processing the weight of the responsibility that came with Anakin's guidance. "So, we're going to be everywhere?" she asked, a hint of nervousness in her voice. She had never traveled much before due to the lack of trust her previous masters had placed in her.

Did that stop her from mastering a few forms of lightsaber combat? Hell no.

Anakin nods, understanding her concerns. "Yes, but don't worry. I'll help you handle it," he assures her, "And remember, the best way to move forward is to carry the memory of those we've lost with us,” he smiles at her, “Consider that my first lesson.”

Evelyn chewed on the corner of her lip, visibly unsure about what the upcoming months with Anakin would entail. She also pondered why her previous masters had lacked trust in her abilities. Her thoughts seemed to flow too easily, and she felt exposed.

Anakin sensed her unease. "And you shouldn't think so loudly," he remarked with a playful smile, leaving Evelyn slightly embarrassed, but also amused. She blushes slightly and manages to make a small chuckle.

Evelyn has a newfound sense of comfort with Anakin, a Jedi Knight who understands her struggles and pain. "Thank you," she says, slightly bowing to him, sticking to the teachings of the Code.

Anakin grins, his charisma shining through, "No need for formalities, we’re like the same age," he says, "Just call me Anakin."

Evelyn nods, appreciating the informality, "Anakin, then," she replies, feeling a sense of happiness swarm over her.

Anakin's smile widens, and he places a hand on her shoulder, "We're going to make a great team."

Chapter Text

In the following months, Anakin continued to push Evelyn to her limits, helping her grow exponentially in her abilities.

Evelyn woke up earlier than she ever had, her sleep disrupted by a sudden splash of cold water, courtesy of Anakin Skywalker. He stood over her with a wide grin, playfully asking, "What, can't handle the cold?"

Wiping the water off her face, Evelyn replied, "No, I can handle it. It's just that it's..." She glanced at her clock and then back at her new friend, "Four in the morning!" Despite the early hour, Evelyn couldn't help but smile as Anakin's infectious grin spread to her face.

Anakin nodded, unfazed by the time. "Good, because we've been assigned," he said, spinning on his heel. "We leave in five." Evelyn's eyes widened in surprise as Anakin exited the room. She jumped out of bed, shedding her nightgown and effortlessly using the Force to retrieve her underwear and robes, dressing in record time.

She grabbed her silver lightsaber hilt from her nightstand drawer before heading to the washroom to complete her morning routine.

Meanwhile, Anakin strolled onto the bridge where his yellow speeder was parked. He meticulously checked all the compartments, ensuring he had the right amount of rations for their upcoming mission.

He turned to see his newly assigned mentee dragging her feet towards him. Anakin chuckled to himself, observing the tired yet determined young Jedi approaching him. "Stop laughing, Skywalker," Evelyn demanded, trying to sound stern.

Anakin shook his head, unrepentant. "Don't want to," he replied, reveling in gently mocking his new friend.

Evelyn, clearly tired, asked, "Can I take a nap on the speeder?" She was unaware that they would be spending an extended period on it.

Anakin walked over to the pilot's seat. "Of course, you can. I've packed blankets in the back," he reassured her, earning a grateful smile.

"How long have you actually been on Coruscant during the war?" Evelyn inquired, her voice tinged with curiosity and perhaps a touch of reluctance.

Anakin shrugged, "Maybe five months? Well, six now that I'm your guide," he replied, seemingly indifferent to the passage of time. "Honestly, I've lost count. But I know it hasn't been much."

Evelyn's eyes widened with surprise. "You don't even know?" she asked incredulously.

Anakin laughed along with her, their shared amusement lingering in the noise, "Seems like The Hero with No Fear can't keep track of time," Evelyn remarked playfully.

"I'm being verbally attacked, and I don't know how to feel about this," Anakin quipped, turning his attention to their surroundings as they approached their destination.

Evelyn's response was interrupted by the sight of a ship crashing down to the planet. Anakin recognized it immediately, his expression shifting to one of alarm. "No!" he exclaimed, trying to leap toward the ship but failing to reach it in time, tumbling to the ground before he could catch himself with the Force.

Concerned, Evelyn asked, "Anakin, what's wrong?"

Anakin tried to reassure her that he was fine, his unease palpable. "We're going to try something," he said. "You know how we use the Force to jump?" Evelyn nodded in agreement. "Well, now we're going to use it to propel me up to that ship," Anakin said with a hesitant grin, causing Evelyn's eyes to widen in disbelief.

"How?" Evelyn asked, her anxiety evident as she wiped her sweaty hands on her Jedi robes.

"You'll use the Force to lift me up there," Anakin said confidently, momentarily forgetting Evelyn's anxiety.

"But what if it doesn't work?" Evelyn's anxiety flared, and she braced herself to use the Force to propel Anakin toward the crashing ship.

"It's going to work," Anakin assured her gently. "Just feel the Force." He closed his eyes and took a few steps back, unable to detect any life signs within the ship. However, he was certain something was inside.

"NOW!" Anakin yelled, and Evelyn reluctantly summoned her strength, using the Force to propel Anakin toward the ship with a shout.

Evelyn watched in awe as Anakin seemed to float toward the crashing ship. However, her awe turned to panic when she realized he wouldn't reach it on his own. Digging deep, she planted her feet firmly and channeled the Force to propel Anakin further toward the ship.

Anakin smiled with pride when he recognized Evelyn's determination. He ignited his lightsaber and cut open the cockpit, rescuing the unconscious person inside. Safely away from the crashing ship, he tried to get as close to the Jedi Temple as possible and landed in front of the steps, assisted by the Temple Guards.

Ki-Adi-Mundi, seeing Obi-Wan slung over Anakin's shoulder, anxiously asked, "Is everything alright, Skywalker?"

Anakin replied with humor, "Obviously not, Master." He continued, "We need to get him to the healing center," he muttered.

Plo Koon intervened, "No, to the council chambers," prompting Anakin to comply.

Obi-Wan, regaining consciousness, grumbled, "Anakin, put me down," Anakin obliged, and they were met by Plo Koon, who was among the few Jedi masters Anakin trusted. Anakin agreed to let Koon and Mundi take over Obi-Wan's care.

Anakin turned to Obi-Wan, expressing concern, "Let me know when he's healthy." He couldn't help but add a touch of humor, "Is this the eighth time I've saved you?" he chuckled as he sensed his exhausted friend approaching.

Obi-Wan, still recovering and trying to maintain his Jedi composure, retorted with a weak grin, "You've been keeping count, Anakin?"

Anakin grinned back; his worry momentarily replaced by their familiar banter, "Well, you know, Master, it's hard not to when you're always in trouble," he quipped.

Evelyn had caught up by now, panting heavily from her rush to the Temple halls. "Saved him. Got it," she said breathlessly, playing along with their exchange.

"Just in time, we are in serious need of your help," Obi-Wan said, acknowledging Evelyn with a warm smile. Anakin's protective instinct swelled as he saw Evelyn being welcomed into the camaraderie of their close-knit group.

"Aww, Master, don't be too harsh on her," Anakin defended Evelyn, flashing her an encouraging smile, "She's still learning."

"Stop mocking, young Zaad, you must," Master Yoda interjected, drawing their attention. He issued their next orders, "Go to the Council Chambers, we will. Mission, I have," Without further words, Yoda turned and started walking, expecting them to follow.

As they made their way to the Council Chambers, Anakin was invited inside, but Evelyn was asked to wait outside. Anakin felt a twinge of irritation at the exclusion of Evelyn from the discussion but understood the importance of the matter.

Inside the Council Chambers, Anakin joined the discussion led by Plo Koon. They delved into the mystery of Master Sifo-Dyas and the sealed files.

"Then it is the lost ship of Master Sifo-Dyas?" Mace Windu asks as the three Jedi walk into the chambers. 

"I found this at the crash site," Plo Koon says, lifting up Sifo-Dyas' old lightsaber with the force.

Anakin takes a seat at Plo Koon's seat upon the approval from Yoda as he continues the meeting, "Hmm, the lightsaber of Sifo-Dyas it is. Never found when he died it was," the Grand Master states as Mace Speaks

"Master Kenobi, remind the Council of what you discovered regarding Master Sifo-Dyas before the start of the Clone War," the master says as Obi-Wan nods.

"My investigation of the bounty hunter Jango Fett led to Kamino," Obi-Wan starts to summarize, “The Kaminoan’s recounted that it was Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas who ordered the production of a clone army," Kenobi says as he looks around the room taking to his compatriots.

"Without the consent of the Council or the Senate he did this," Yoda states bluntly and with a bit of unease. The council continues their discussion on Sifo-Dyas, which leads them to Madame Jocosta.

***

"Our records definitively state that Master Sifo-Dyas died on Felucia," the archivist explained to Anakin, Evelyn, Yoda, Mace, and Kenobi. "In the fifth quarter, a small skirmish broke out between the native Felucians. Master Sifo-Dyas was assigned to negotiate peace talks between the tribes. The negotiations failed, and Sifo-Dyas was killed."

Master Koon, still projecting himself as a hologram, inquired further, "What became of his body?"

"I'm afraid I cannot answer that," Jacosta replied with a look of shock as the holo map and files turned red. "Any further information on this incident has been sealed."

Mace Windu, curious and concerned, pressed the issue, "On whose authority?"

"By the office of the Supreme Chancellor," she stated, causing all three Jedi Masters to furrow their brows.

"Thank you, Madame Jacosta," Yoda said before turning to Anakin and Evelyn. "To Felucia, Skywalker, and Zaad will go," Yoda declared solemnly. "A trail long gone cold it is, yet hidden clues may remain. You must question all who were present on the day of Sifo-Dyas' death."

Mace, still intent on addressing the sealed file, asked, "And what of the sealed file, Master Yoda?"

Yoda responded, "I will personally speak with the Chancellor to ascertain the extent of the Senate's involvement in this matter."

As Evelyn rushed to their ship, Anakin couldn't help but reflect on the similarities between her and his younger self right at the start of the Clone Wars. They both approached missions with eagerness and anticipation, treating them as thrilling adventures rather than mere assignments.

"Ev, be careful," Anakin cautioned as Evelyn turned to face him. "Overconfidence could be the downfall of this mission, even if it's just recon."

Evelyn smirked playfully, "Says you." Anakin knew she was right; his tendency toward overconfidence was well-known.

"Fair point," Anakin conceded with a smile as they boarded the ship. "Just don't lose your lightsaber. I don't feel like enduring a lecture from Obi-Wan today."

"Never will I ever lose this, Skywalker," Evelyn declared, her blue eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. Anakin chuckled, appreciating her determination, before taking his seat in the cockpit.

***

After running into a dead end on Felucia, Anakin and Evelyn found out the location of Sifo Dyas’ aid, Silman….

Obah Dia. And that’s why they’re currently interrogating said aid.

"Because he wanted to be Sifo-Dyas," Silman rambled incoherently, testing Evelyn's patience. She tapped her foot impatiently on the ground.

"Why?" Anakin asked, teeth gritted in irritation. Before Silman could respond, he was choked through the Force, collapsing lifelessly before them. Anakin turned toward the Sith in fury, his blue lightsaber igniting, while Evelyn mirrored him with her green blade.

"Dooku!" Anakin yelled, his voice tinged with anger, "For once, you've come to do your dirty work."

"Who is this guy?" Evelyn thinks to herself as she assumes her Sorecu stance, ready to attack.

"Count Dooku," Evelyn hears Anakin say in her mind, "Don't use Sorecu, he easily overpowers it. Try something different," Evelyn nods and waits for Anakin to strike as she assumes Niman instead - a simple, but very effective form.

Evelyn nodded in response, awaiting Anakin's lead as they launched into the fray. Their duel with Dooku carried them into a corridor, where flashes of blue and red lightsabers filled the air.

Evelyn's acrobatic strikes complemented Anakin's relentless assault. Dooku struggled under their combined pressure, and Evelyn saw an opportunity. She leaped to disarm Dooku, but he countered with a powerful kick to her chest, sending her tumbling to the edge of the platform.

Anakin's immediate concern for her prompted him to try and use the Force to catch her, but Dooku thwarted his attempt with a swift attack. Evelyn lost her grip on Anakin's mind, falling into the abyss below.

"I'm alright," he hears Evelyn say as he continues his push on the Count, "Anakin!!" Evelyn yells as she gets Anakin's attention, throwing her lightsaber at him as Anakin catches it with ease, igniting it and facing Dooku.

Anakin smirks as Dooku assumes another stance, uneasy, "Deja Vu?" Anakin says with a deep tone as he twirls in the air, a ball of blue and green hurling towards Dooku, catching him off guard as he maneuvers around the Count with a sidestep, before going for a blow at his head, Dooku is barely able to block in time. 

As Anakin gained the upper hand, Pykes entered the scene, much to his annoyance. Evelyn hurried back to Anakin, playfully taking her lightsaber from him as they stood ready to face the new threat.

"You have no business left with the Pykes, Tyranus," Minister Lim shouted across the bridge.

"Tyranus? You are the man called Tyranus?" Anakin's voice dripped with anger.

Dooku retorted, "I told your master everything he needed to know on Geonosis all those years ago, Skywalker. He should have joined me. Sifo-Dyas understood. He saw the future. That is why he helped me."

"You lie," Anakin turns to the Pykes, "Minister Lom, if you are going to help us, now is the time!"

"Kill Tyranus!" Lom yells as his troops open fire on Dooku.

The Count blocks all of the shots with ease as he makes his way towards the Pykes, killing Minister Lom, and then quickly escaping on a transport in cowardly fashion.

"Evelyn!" Anakin yelled, retreating as Evelyn instantly grasped his intention. She prepared herself to exert the Force and propels him towards the transport. Anakin sprinted toward the edge and leaped off, guided by Evelyn's skilled use of the Force.

As Anakin soared through the air, he made precise slashes at Dooku's legs and face, each strike pushing the Sith Lord further toward the ship's engine. With a sudden backflip, Dooku severed the engine, setting the ship into a violent shake that sent Anakin grasping for a nearby bar to prevent falling to his death.

Amid the chaos, Anakin noticed Evelyn, gracefully hovering beneath him on a speeder. He couldn't help but smile, feeling a rush of pride for Evelyn's resourcefulness. Anakin descended and seamlessly landed in the speeder.

"See, I can be useful," Evelyn said with a triumphant smirk. Anakin couldn't contain his laughter, acknowledging her skill and determination. However, he couldn't hide his disappointment, his moody expression revealing his frustration.

Evelyn placed a comforting hand on his leg, her voice gentle and encouraging. "Hey," she began, "You'll get him next time. And then you'll finish the job once and for all."

Anakin simply nodded, still harboring the frustration of letting the man who had taken his hand escape. As Evelyn expertly piloted the speeder, they returned to their ship.

Chapter Text

"Who are these people?" Evelyn whispers through her teeth to Anakin as they're approaching Skako Minor with the Bad Batch and Captain Rex.

"Clone Force 99. The Bad Batch," Anakin tells her through the force, "Experimental clones that take on high-profile missions. No one knows they exist other than higher ranking officers," Evelyn nodded in response as they prepared for landing. As the ship touched down, the two Jedi made their way to the cockpit.

"Rex, what do we know about this place?"

"On this part of Skako, there's a race of locals, the Poletec," Rex says as Anakin nods, "All we know is they're very primitive."

"Primitive is being kind," Tech says, swiveling his chair around,  "My intel says the Poletecs worship flying reptiles."

Just then, one of the said flying reptiles slams onto the window of the cockpit as Evelyn jumps back in shock, unintentionally landing in Anakin's arms bridal style.

"Scared much?" Anakin says with a chuckle as Evelyn's face is filled with a blush, "Don't worry, I'll always keep you safe," Evelyn looks at Anakin with a smile, time seeming to stand still.

"Oh! What the heck was that?!" Wrecker screams as he gets himself off the cockpit, jolting the Jedi out of their moment.

"It's one of those reptiles," Tech says frantically as he looks at his datapad, Evelyn reluctantly untangling her arms from around Anakin's neck as he sets her down.

"I want that thing off my ship," Hunter yells as the Batch opens the doors and gets ready to attack the reptiles.

"Hold on! Hold on! Don't just run out there," Rex says as they ignore him and run out. Evelyn chuckles and pats him on the shoulder as she grabs her lightsaber off her belt along with Anakin as they follow them out, seeing Poletecs on said reptiles.

"Hey!" Wrecker yells as he motions to the Poletec, "Get off of there!"

"Hey, calm down!" Anakin yells as Evelyn jumps back at his sudden anger, "We need to talk to them," he says forcefully.

"Why?" Hunter questioned roughly, but Anakin's stern gaze silenced him.

"Anakin’s right," Evelyn began to say, but she was interrupted when a reptile swooped down towards her.

"Look out, Ev!" Anakin shouted, and Evelyn was suddenly pushed to the ground. When she looked up, she saw the reptile carrying Anakin away.

"Anakin!" She yells as she tries to hold the Poletec back with the force but fails. She turned to the Bad Batch, desperation in her eyes, "How do we get him back?"

"I have a thermal reading," Tech answers her as he pulls down his visor, "Point-two-five east, elevation 175," Evelyn smiles in thanks at Tech.

"Job's not done Commander," Tech says blankly as Evelyn rolls her eyes, looking down at her foot, seeing Anakin's lightsaber, "Relax, I'll handle this," Crosshair declared, sniping a wire onto the reptile as Hunter grabbed the wire and attached it to his belt.

"What are you doing?" Rex asked, stepping forward to take command, but Evelyn stopped him with a hand on the shoulder.

"Going for a ride," Hunter said with a confident grin, visible through his helmet. Evelyn knew it was there as the reptile carried Hunter away.

"Gotta work on being less controlling, Rex," Evelyn remarked with a playful smile, then ran back to the ship to keep up with Hunter.

"Where are you going?" Wrecker asked in a puzzled tone, while Tech just rolled his eyes.

"To find the General," Evelyn responded with a shrug, and the remaining members of the squad followed her onto the ship.

***

After the rescue of Anakin, the Poletecs provide the squad with intel on Wat Tambor's whereabouts on the planet. As they approach the tower, Anakin notices that Evelyn is struggling to shield herself from the blowing dust. He pulls her closer into his chest, shielding her from the gritty particles.

"How are you so good at this?" Evelyn says softly, her voice barely audible amidst the wind and dust.

Anakin chuckles, his voice carrying through the commotion. "Good at what, blocking the sand?” Evelyn nods in his chest in response, prompting Anakin to continue, “I lived on Tatooine before I became a Jedi," he explains with a shrug, avoiding the darker details of his past life as a slave.

Evelyn, knowing there was more to the story, merely nods and keeps walking, knowing he'll tell her when he's ready.

Hunter approaches the two, "We're in business, General," he announces, nodding to Anakin. Evelyn reluctantly releases her hold on Anakin, her face faintly flushed, as they prepare to move forward.

"Tech picked up Echo's signal from this tower," Hunter continues, turning to Tech for confirmation.

Tech, so engrossed in his datapad, doesn't bother to respond verbally. He simply presses a button, and the doors to the tower slide open, allowing the group to proceed, "It's a lift," Crosshair remarks, and Wrecker stands outside, looking around nervously.

"Wait wait wait, a lift?" Wrecker asks with a bit of fear in his voice, "How far up are we going?"

Hunter turns to his comrade, "Don't worry Wrecker, I'll hold your hand," he says with sarcasm lacing his voice.

"Hey, cut it out Sarge," Wrecker quips back as he bumps his shoulder, "Just give me some droids to crush."

As they ascend in the lift, Anakin breaks the awkward silence, "Remember, this is a stealth mission," he reminds the group. He points to Crosshair, "No blasting," then, he looks at Wrecker, "No blowing things up," finally, he turns to Hunter. "Nobody should know we're here."

However, their attempts at stealth are quickly thwarted. Because as soon as the doors open, Wrecker lets out a war cry and charges into a group of battle droids. The rest of the clones follow suit.

"So much for stealth," Evelyn remarks with a wry smile, looking at Anakin.

"Let them have their fun," he says as Evelyn subtly makes her way closer to Anakin loving his presence, "In the meantime, I want to talk to you about something."

Evelyn nods, "About what?" She asks curiously as Anakin chuckles when he senses her sudden fear.

"Don't worry, it’s nothing negative," he says with the wave of his hand as Evelyn lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding in, "I want to talk about The Trials," Evelyn's eyes get wide.

"You think I'm ready?" She asks with shock as Anakin nods, "I don't even think I'm ready."

"Well, as an experienced Jedi, I know you're ready," Anakin says teasingly, getting an eye roll out of his partner.

Looking deep into her ocean blue eyes, almost getting lost in them until he snaps out of it, "And who knows? My trials were unorthodox given I defeated Asajj Ventress, yours could be too."

Evelyn tilts her head in confusion, "What do you mean by that?" Knowing exactly what it means, just wanting to hear his voice tell it to her.

"I mean that maybe on one of these missions, we face Dooku or Grievous and win," Anakin says as he puts a hand on her shoulder, "I mean that you could become a Knight any day now," he says with pride as Evelyn nods in excitement.

Their moment is broken by Wrecker's celebrations, "Yeah! Hah! Ha-ha! Yeah!" Everyone looks at him like he's crazy, which he is, "Uh sorry. I just got excited," the big guy apologizes.

Anakin traces his hand down Evelyn's arm until he reaches her hand, "Come on, we've got work to do," he says with a smile as Evelyn smirks and nods as they run to the door.

"I've still got a lock on Echo's signal," Tech reports, his attention still on his data pad.

"All right, men. Let's hunt some droids," Hunter commands, and the clones follow him through the door, with Anakin and Evelyn trailing behind, savoring each other's presence.

At the end of the corridor is a closed door. Anakin takes charge. "Breach the door, and then we look for Echo," he orders. Rex and Hunter quickly open the door, swiftly taking down two droids each.

"Where exactly is Echo's signal coming from?" Anakin asks Tech.

"Strange. I just lost the signal," Tech admits, surprised by the sudden glitch in his electronics.

"What? How can that be?" Rex demands, his frustration evident.

"Well, I have a new theory," Tech states as he raises his finger, "I'm surprised I did not consider it earlier," he continues as Evelyn and Anakin cross their arms at the same time, "The signal is only traceable during data transmissions. So, until Echo dispenses more intel, I cannot pick up the signal," Tech finishes as Anakin nods, knowing his plan.

“Okay, we're splitting up," Anakin announced, using hand gestures to illustrate his plan, which brought a smile to Evelyn's face, "Search every door. If someone finds Echo, contact the others," he directed, giving Rex a pointed look to ensure the message was clear, "We go in together, just in case there's trouble," he concluded before dashing off, with Rex and Evelyn following to the left while the Bad Batch went right.

"Ev, take the second door, I'll handle the first," Anakin instructed her as she continued running, "Buy as much time as you can," he communicated through the Force as they entered their respective rooms.

Once Evelyn finished checking her room, she sensed that Anakin was in trouble. She Force-ran out of her room and into Anakin's. However, when she arrived, she noticed that Anakin was toying with the droids. Anakin's playful antics ended when he raised all seven droids in the air and crushed them with the Force, leaving Evelyn in awe. Anakin spotted her and gave her one of his signature smirks.

"Teach me?" Evelyn asked, her face still filled with wonder, as Anakin nodded and rushed past her, "Wait, where are you going?" she called after him, following him out the door to join the rest of the clones. They were met with the sight of dozens of battle droids marching toward the main entrance.

Anakin puts an arm out in front of Evelyn, "Find a moment to strike and take it. This isn't one of those moments," Anakin tells Evelyn as she nods, waiting for their next move.

They hear the clones shooting at the droids, then at that point, Anakin force pushes all of the droids to the ground as the two run to the clones, "Act fast, we don't have much time," he tells Tech as he starts working on the door.

As more droids converged on their location, Tech managed to get the door open. Both he and Rex rushed inside to locate Echo.

In just a matter of minutes, the five of them dismantled approximately 500 droids. Anakin hurried to the door Rex and Tech had entered, with Evelyn and the Bad Batch following closely behind. They took positions guarding the door. "The situation's under control, but more are coming. We have to move fast," Anakin said, turning to Rex.

"How is he, Rex?" Evelyn asked with concern.

"He's too weak to walk, very disoriented. He doesn't even remember how he got here," Rex reported, and Anakin nodded, his worry deepening, "He remembers being at the Citadel, but that's about it."

Evelyn chimed in, "Any word on the extraction squad?"

"We called it in, but no word back yet," Rex replied, his expression blank.

"Well, that's no surprise," Anakin scoffed, "We knew when we got into this that we'd be on our own," he added, offering Evelyn a weak smile.

"It's going to get more difficult to get out of here!" Crosshair warned as he examined his scanner. "There are several squads of droids closing in!"

Suddenly, battle droids managed to pry open the door. Crosshair and Hunter attempted to close it again, but a droid's head got stuck in the door, causing Wrecker to rip it off. Hunter tossed Crosshair a torch, and the two quickly welded the door shut to buy themselves more time.

Crosshair brought down his thermal reader from his helmet and relayed the information, "Enemy approaching. Droids. Lots of 'em."

Anakin turned to the strong members of the Bad Batch. "How long can you hold them off?" he shouts back at Echo, pale as ever

"How long do you need?" Hunter asked Anakin, but Evelyn beat him to the punch.

"Tech, how much longer?!" She asks the clone with a tone Anakin had never picked up from her.

"Not yet. I need more time," Tech responded, typing frantically at the controls. The droids were getting dangerously close to breaching the door. Hunter and Crosshair had to retreat to the last door and repeat the process they had done earlier, "I've got it!" Tech finally announced, "You can unplug him now."

Rex began the process of unplugging the tubes connected to Echo's robotics, but with each tube removed, Echo stumbled until Rex could stabilize him.

Echo started coughing but managed to speak, "Rex?"

"What is it?" Rex asked, kneeling down to Echo. Anakin looked back at the door, his mind racing.

"I've got a big headache," Echo said with a faint smile, and Rex struggled to return it.

"It's better to feel something than nothing, old buddy," Rex said as he placed an arm on Echo's shoulder.

"It's a touching reunion, guys, but we need to get out of here, now!" Anakin exclaimed as the door was nearly breached.

"There's an exhaust vent that leads to the cooling systems right there," Echo says weakly as he barely manages to get his arm up to point to the ceiling where the vent is.

"They've breached the front door! It won't be long before they're through the second," Hunter reported, concern etched on his face.

Just then, the battle droids managed to pry open the door again, and Crosshair and Hunter tried to close it. Wrecker intervened, tearing off a droid's head before the doors sealed shut again. Hunter passed a torch to Crosshair, and they began welding the door once more.

There's a click as Echo stands up, "That should get it open," he says with a grim smirk as the vent opens.

"Great," Hunter says as he looks at the vent in the ceiling, "Now how do we get up there?"

Wrecker walks towards Hunter, "Oh, I can help with that," he chuckles as he grabs Hunter by the shoulders.

"Wait, what?" Hunter asks as Wrecker pushes him to underneath the vent, "Wrecker, what are you doing?" Just then, Wrecker throws Hunter up to the vent as he stabilizes himself.

"A heads-up would've been nice!" Hunter yells before he starts climbing and soon following Hunter is Crosshair, then Tech, then Rex, and Echo.

Wrecker reaches for Evelyn but she puts her hand up, "It's okay, Wrecker. I've got this," she says as she leaps up to the vent with ease.

Anakin jumps up after her, but sees Wrecker running back, "What are you doing?" He yells as Wrecker starts throwing charges.

"I'm putting an end to Tambor's little science experiment," he says with pride as he runs back to plant more bombs.

"Are you done?" Anakin asks before the droid breaches the door, "Time's up!" He yells as he lifts Wrecker in the air with the Force as he and Evelyn climb up a little more to make room.

"Whoa! Whoa!" Wrecker says as the exterminatior starts shooting purple electricity out of it, "Oh, no! What is that thing? I don't like it!" He yells as the lightning gets a bit too close to his chest, "I don't like it! It's trying to get me! Whoa!" After Anakin gets him into the vent, it automatically shuts.

"Come on," Anakin grunts as the three make their way up to the ventilation shaft.

"Huh," Tech looks in interest, "This ventilation corridor acts as a cooling system for all the computers in the facility," he says as he looks at his data pad.

"How did you know it was up here, Echo?" Anakin asks as they turn a corner. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Evelyn breathing hard intentionally so she can see her breath which brings him to smile at her.

“Well, they got access to my memory, and I got access to the Techno Union database," Echo explains as Anakin nods, "All their plans, inventory, building schematics... everything."

"You mean you can find us a safe way out of here?" Hunter asks as Echo lets go of Rex.

"Well, there is a way, but you're not gonna like it," Echo says as he opens the door to a metal pipe that's about 100 meters long. "There's a landing pad on that other building," Echo says as he points to the other side of the suspended pipe.

"So you think there's a ship there we can steal?" Crosshair asks as he lets go of the door.

"Well, I hope there's a ship we can steal," Echo quips back as he stands up.

Anakin stood beside Evelyn, "I'll go first; you go last. If something happens, buy us some time," he instructed. Evelyn nodded, a hint of concern in her eyes.

"Let's hope this plan isn't for nothing!" Crosshair exclaimed as they followed Anakin and Hunter onto the bridge.

"Oh, boy. I can't even look," Wrecker says as he hesitantly steps onto the bridge, "Just keep walking, Tech."

"That's fine, but if you fall, don't take me with you," Tech responded dryly as Evelyn made her way onto the bridge.

"Hang on, Wrecker," Hunter reassured him, "We're almost there."

"Uh-oh. I looked!" Wrecker says as Evelyn stops as Wrecker flails his arms for a quick moment, "Ahh! I think I'm gonna be sick. Not gonna panic."

"Wrecker, if you fall, I'll catch you, but I really don't want to," she says with a smirk as Wrecker stabilizes himself.

Suddenly, droids appeared on the edges of the pipe, trapping the group. Anakin and Evelyn ignited their lightsabers, ready for a fight. "Hunter, take over," Anakin said as he backflipped to Evelyn's side of the bridge.

"Change of plans," he told her, and she nodded, blocking blaster bolts with her lightsaber.

"What's the new one?" She asked as Anakin took a step back to stand beside her.

"Go to the front and charge through the droids," Anakin says as he looks at the dozen droids blocking the entrance.

 A shot gets past Anakin's sight as Evelyn gets shot in the hand wielding her lightsaber as it immediately gets shattered to pieces falling to the abyss, "No!" He yells, unleashing a powerful Force push that sent the remaining droids scattering. He rushed to Evelyn's side, concerned about her injury.

Evelyn attempted to shrug it off, but the pain was evident in her eyes. "Ow," she said shakily, and Anakin examined her wound, seeing a hole the size of several credits burned through her hand.

Anakin called for Rex, who quickly arrived. "Take her to the ship; I'll be there in a few moments," Anakin ordered.

"No way, I'm not leaving without you," Evelyn protested weakly as Wrecker prepared to lug her over his shoulder.

"I'm gonna jump to the other side when I cut that side off. I'll be fine," Anakin says as he places a hand on her cheek, "I promise. I'll take care of you on the ship, okay?" He says gently as Evelyn weakly nods as Wrecker takes her away.

"What about the General?" Hunter asks as Anakin jumps off the entrance to the other platform and slices the entry and exit points, causing the pipe to fall as he jumps back over to where everyone is standing, "Oh," Hunter says with a chuckle.

"We gotta move fast," Anakin insists, taking Evelyn from Wrecker and making his way down to the platform, seeing a decently sized ship, "That one," he says, motioning towards it with his head.

"Wait what about our ship?" Hunter asks as he stands in front of Anakin, "We still need it."

"If we go back to the Poletec, all of these droids will follow," Anakin says seriously, "I have a plan that gets us back to the ship as well as getting us off this planet alive," he says as Hunter nods.

With that, Anakin and Tech boarded a nearby speeder. "Evelyn, Tech, and I will take the speeder to the village. The rest of you create a distraction and blow this place to smithereens. Got it?" Anakin ordered, and the clones immediately complied, boarding the ship.

"It hurts," Evelyn tells Anakin as he rubs circles on her arm. Just through that act, she knows what exactly he's saying.

"Get us there as fast as you can, Tech," Anakin says darkly as Tech nods. Knowing how much he hates this; he presses two fingers on her forehead as she immediately passes out in his arms, relieving her from the pain of her injury.

Chapter Text

Evelyn settled beside Anakin in the dimly lit barracks aboard the cruiser, her gaze soft and inquisitive. Anakin's fingers moved delicately as he worked on bandaging her hand, taking great care to avoid the intricate web of wires and robotic components that now occupied a portion of her palm. The shot that had caused her injury had obliterated the natural tissue, causing her to get electrical implants in her palm.

With a gentle smile, she began, "So tell me,” her eyes gleaming with curiosity, "How did you become such a mastermind on the battlefield?" The sincerity in her voice was evident, and her playfulness as she bumped her shoulder against his was endearing.

Anakin chuckled softly, his blue eyes occasionally flickering away from his task to meet her gaze. "I don't know," he admitted, a hint of humility in his voice, "It's like a second nature to me. I see different strategies, different ways to gain an advantage, and I try to never hesitate to make the call because I have this certainty that it'll work," he explained, his eyes returning to his work as he continued to bandage her hand, filtering hints of bacta to heal the edges of her wound. Evelyn nodded in understanding, her expression filled with respect and admiration for the man in front of her.

As he finished wrapping the gauze around her hand, Anakin let his hand linger on her knee, a gentle, reassuring gesture. "All better," he said with a soft smile, and Evelyn returned the smile with gratitude shining in her eyes. In that moment, the dimly lit barracks seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them in their own world.

There was an unspoken connection between them, something that’s been there since the beginning. Anakin didn't see her solely as his mentee; she was his equal, his confidante. Her presence had a unique aura, a magnetic pull that was difficult to resist.

Their four blue eyes locked onto each other, and for that fleeting moment, it felt as if nothing else in the galaxy mattered.

As soon as Evelyn’s eyes flickered just a few inches south of Anakin’s eyes, the door slams open, Rex urgently walking in, "Sirs, General Kenobi has requested to see you in the communications room," the captain says as the two Jedi nod as they stand up and walk to the holo-table, sneaking quick glances at each other pretending that the other didn't notice.

Anakin entered the room to find his old master waiting for him, "Everything alright, Master?" Evelyn inquired, showing her concern as Obi-Wan turned to face them.

"I'm afraid not," the Council Member replied, running his fingers through his beard, "Anaxes is almost lost-"

"And we need your help," Obi-Wan's statement was interrupted by the entrance of Mace Windu, "How far are you from this location?"

"Not far," Anakin responded, pushing a button on the table, "We'll be there within the hour," he confirmed, appreciating how Evelyn had already taken the initiative to reroute the course to Anaxes, causing a warm smile to grow across his face.

***

Once the squad reaches Anaxes, they take the Marauder to Mace Windu's Cruiser, "This is the one we don't like, right?" Evelyn asks with curiosity as Anakin keeps a stern look while crossing his arms.

"Sometimes," he responds as Evelyn nods, getting the hint to not talk about it. As they land, Anakin and Evelyn depart to the bridge as the clones stay back and prepare while Echo is carted away for medical examination.

Anakin chuckles when he sees that Evelyn is still fiddling with her new palm which has been healed by robotic implants, "It takes a while to get used to it, but it'll be great once you do," Anakin says as Evelyn smiles at her friend, entering the bridge to see Mace and Obi-Wan on the holo table.

"We have more than a dozen active battlefronts on Anaxes, and we are losing nearly every one," Mace says, briefing Anakin and Evelyn on the mission as he pulls up a holo map of Anaxes, "But if Admiral Trench can no longer anticipate our moves, we now have the opportunity to retake the planet," he finishes as he clenches his fist.

"I can improve your chances," Echo says, walking up to the meeting as the five turn to him in shock.

"Eh, excuse me, Generals," Rex says as he walks over to the recovering Arc Trooper. They make their way to each other before Rex puts a hand on Echo's shoulder, "Echo, I'm sorry, but I just don't think you're ready for battle yet."

"I am not a liability, Rex," Echo reassures with a bit of anger, "I'm the best chance we have to take back Anaxes," Echo says as Rex still looks unsure.

"If the trooper has a plan, I'd like to hear it," Mace says as Anakin nods in agreement for once.

"May I?" Echo asks his captain as Rex steps aside and Echo walks to the table, readying his robotic arm, "While Master Windu leads a team to retake the assembly complex, the Bad Batch will escort me into Trench's new comm vault, which, according to current intel, is now located on this Separatist Dreadnought above Anaxes," Echo says, switching the projection to a Separatist Dreadnaught,"Once I'm plugged in, I can feed Trench strategies, but this time, you'll know every move before he makes it," he continues, looking at the Generals before pulling his arm out of the system.

"And you are certain that if we get you onboard that ship, that you can convince Trench's army to do what you want?" Mace Windu asks, bringing a hand to his chin.

"Absolutely," Echo responds without hesitation, "Unfortunately, I've been doing this for a while," he says in shame before lifting his head back up, "but this time I can help bring about a Republic victory instead of a defeat," Echo finishes passionately as Mace and Obi-Wan nod at each other.

Anakin and Evelyn make their way out of the bridge with Rex and Echo, "Rex, you and Echo go get the Bad Batch ready while I go get Commander Zaad prepared."

"Yes, sir," Rex says as he and Echo run off to the docking bay.

"Come on," Anakin urged, tilting his head toward the storage room, "You need a weapon to fight." His words were laced with seriousness and a touch of playfulness. Evelyn bit down hard on her lip, trying to hide the smile that tugged at the corners of her lips.

"Lead the way, Skywalker," she replied with a light giggle, falling into step beside him as they briskly headed to the storage room.

"Be glad Master Yoda made sure to supply Jedi Cruisers with crystals after the situation on Cato Nemoidia," Anakin remarked with a chuckle, his voice filled with a mix of nostalgia and amusement. Evelyn, however, furrowed her eyebrows in curiosity.

"What situation?" she asked, her curiosity piqued. Anakin simply shrugged, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Nah, I can't tell you," he admitted, a smirk dancing on his lips. "Obi-Wan would kill me if I told you!” He raised his hands in a mock defensive gesture, as if to shield himself from Evelyn's inquiries.

"Uh huh," Evelyn responded with a sassy tilt of her head, her playful demeanor matching his. "Just give me a fucking laser sword, please," she quipped back with a hint of sarcasm, her impatience showing. Anakin couldn't help but burst into uncontrollable laughter, his vibrant laughter filling the room.

As he reached into the drawer and handed her a silver lightsaber with wooden detailing on the side, Evelyn ignited it to reveal a bright orange blade. Anakin's eyes widened in surprise and slight dismay.

"Kriff!" he exclaimed, attempting to retrieve the saber from her grasp, but Evelyn skillfully avoided his attempt, shaking her head with a playful smile, "Wasn't supposed to give you that one, but I guess it's fine," Anakin conceded with a nonchalant shrug. They continued their journey, saber in hand, toward the docking bay, their laughter echoing in the corridors of the cruiser.

***

As Anakin, Evelyn, and the clones make their way through the Separatist cruiser, they finally set their sights on the command tower they're looking for, "There it is," Evelyn says, letting a sigh of relief leave her mouth.

"Impatient I see," Anakin turns to her with a smile as Evelyn shrugs, "You're not wrong," he says, turning back around to face Tech, who's running an interface on the panel.

Echo turns to Anakin, "General, we should make sure there are no other entrances to this facility," Anakin nods and runs out to do some recon.

Echo squats down and connects to the tower, "All right, I have access to everything and good timing," he says, turning to his comrades, "I just scanned a strategy request Trench sent to the Techno Union."

"Wait," Tech interrupts as he puts an arm out, "You can't just send a signal from here," he reasons.

"Why not?" Echo asks in confusion, clearly not aware of how the system works.

"We have to make it appear as if your signal is originating from Skako Minor," Tech explains with diligence, "Otherwise, they'll know we are here," he finishes as Echo nods at him.

While the clones were arguing, Evelyn felt a gentle hand on her arm and was pulled out of the room. She turned around to find Anakin with a mischievous smile, his finger pressed to her lips in a hushed gesture.

He held his com-link in the air, ensuring that the both of them could hear the transmission coming through, “At this point in the Clone War, I have dismantled and destroyed over 100,000 of your Type One battle droids," they heard Mace Windu's voice over the comm.

Though, Evelyn wasn’t really focused on what was happening on the comm, but rather on how close she and Anakin were standing. She was slowly inching closer to him by the second, and she realized that Anakin was doing the exact same thing.

"I'm giving you an opportunity to peacefully lay down your weapons so that you may be reprogrammed to serve a better purpose than spreading mindless violence and chaos throughout the galaxy," Windu continued, his voice echoing in the message.

Anakin quickly turned off the comm, and Evelyn couldn’t help but burst into laughter at the naiveness of the Jedi Master, unconsciously placing her hands on Anakin’s chest for stability.

"He does know that they're programmed to destroy anyone and everything right?" She asks as Anakin can't get words out, flustered by the fact that Evelyn's chest is now flushed against his, "I mean, they're not very good at it, but they still try."

***

"What do you mean there's a bomb?" Obi-Wan's voice crackled through Anakin's commlink, urgency lacing his words.

Anakin ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident on his face. "There's a bomb showing up on the scan we ran," he replied, his brows furrowing as he processed the information. "It's in the fusion reactor."

"I'm on my way," Anakin heard Mace Windu's voice chiming in, and he couldn't help but roll his eyes as he disconnected the comm link.

Anakin swiftly turns to Echo, "I found the bomb. Echo, what's the sequence?" Anakin asked, taking charge of the situation.

Echo began relaying the sequence, but he was abruptly cut off as a wave of electricity surged through him, rendering him unconscious. Evelyn reacted quickly, catching the fallen clone before he hit the floor.

"Kriff!" Evelyn exclaimed, her voice tinged with frustration, as she cradled Echo in her arms.

"Echo, are you there?" Windu's voice echoed over the comm.

"Master Windu, Trench took out Echo," she panted, her concern evident, "We can't get you the last number of the sequence. I'm sorry," Evelyn reluctantly admitted.

"It's quite alright, Padawan," Mace replied, using a tone that irritated Evelyn. She felt that he was condescending, and it gets on her nerves every time he mindlessly tells her what to do, "Get to safety and get everyone out of there," he instructed, dismissing her.

Anakin looks at Evelyn, “You got this?”

She gives him a reassuring nod, “Alright, meet you in the hangar,” he says, turning on his heel and running towards the command bridge.

***

Anakin ignited his lightsaber, ready for action, as the doors to Trench's chamber slid open, revealing the imposing command droid. With a swift and calculated strike, Anakin sliced off the droid's head, sending it tumbling backward.

"Jedi scum," Trench hissed, and the surrounding battle droids began to encircle Anakin. However, they were no match for his skill and agility, and he swiftly dispatched them with ease.

Trench attempted to catch Skywalker off guard, firing a shock web at him, but Anakin executed a gravity-defying flip to evade it. He cornered Trench, placing his ignited lightsaber dangerously close to the alien's throat.

"Tell me the sequence to disarm the bomb," Anakin demanded, his tone resolute.

"Never," Trench defiantly responded. "Dooku would kill me for losing Anaxes."

"And you think I won't?" Anakin retorted with a steely coldness in his eyes.

"You're a Jedi," Trench mockingly sneered. "You're nobility—"

Anakin swiftly silences Trench's taunts by slicing off all three of his arms in one fluid motion. "I don't have such weaknesses," he yells, pointing his saber menacingly at Trench, "Now, let's try this again. Tell me the sequence to the bomb!" Anakin's voice was unwavering as Trench finally gave in.

"It's seven!" Trench yells as Anakin keeps his saber to Trench's throat.

"Master Windu," Anakin says into the comm link, "Trench was kind enough to tell me the code himself. Try seven," Anakin says as Mace agrees.

"Good work, Skywalker," Mace Windu acknowledged after successfully disarming the bomb, his tone indicating a grudging respect, somewhat enjoying working with the unorthodox knight.

"You both owe me one now," Anakin says with a chuckle. Just then Trench electrocutes Anakin with his staff before Anakin stabs trench through the throat, killing the Separatist Admiral immediately.

As Trench fell lifeless to the floor, Anakin walked over to a nearby panel, swiftly entering a sequence of keys. A trigger popped out, and Anakin couldn't help but grin.

"Wrecker's gonna love this," he muttered to himself before dashing out of the room, leaving Trench's lifeless form behind.

"Admiral, it was a pleasure," Anakin said almost casually, paying his respects to the fallen enemy before rejoining the fight.

***

"Wrecker!" Evelyn's voice cut through the chaos, her squad struggling against the relentless onslaught of droids, "Go!"

Wrecker grinned ear to ear, handing his blaster to Hunter, cracking his knuckles, "Time to release the wrecking ball!" he bellowed, charging headlong into the hallway, his massive frame crashing through and dismantling the droids left and right

Hunter glanced at Evelyn, a wry smile on his face, "I honestly feel bad for those droids," he remarked, earning a light chuckle from her.

"It's all clear!" Wrecker's triumphant voice echoed back to them as he dispatched the last of the droids.

But Tech's alert interrupted their moment of relief, "There's more!" he warned, and Crosshair swiftly moved to the front.

"Go!" Crosshair ordered, his blaster at the ready, "I'll buy you some time."

Evelyn nodded, leading her squad out of the hallway. Crosshair swiftly threw reflectors on the walls, as the squad fought off the droids.

"Aw, man!" Wrecker's voice echoed down the hall, "He's gonna try and top me!"

Tech's sensors picked up more approaching droids, and Evelyn racked her brain, attempting to embrace her inner Skywalker senses, but failing to do so.

"Hope you're not waiting on me!" Anakin's voice boomed as he sprinted toward them. Evelyn's face lit up as he winked at her in passing.

"Now all we're missing is Crosshair," Hunter remarked, and as if on cue, Crosshair raced down the hallway, methodically attaching reflectors to every available surface.

"You miss me?" Crosshair asked dryly, aiming his rifle as the droids poured into the corridor, "How touching," he chuckled, shooting the first reflector, his blaster shot ricocheting off the walls, annihilating the oncoming droids.

Wrecker stood dumbfounded, but Hunter approached him with reassurance, "Relax, Wrecker. You'll top him next time."

"No, he won't," Crosshair retorted, walking past Wrecker, and boarding their ship nonchalantly.

"Hey, Wrecker," Anakin said with a grin as the squad was back in the ship, "I've got a present for you."

He held out a trigger, and Evelyn couldn't help but smile at his kindness.

"Aw, seriously?" Wrecker's eyes practically sparkled with excitement. "I get to blow it up? The whole stinking thing?!" His grin grew even wider as he eagerly accepted the trigger. Blinking back a tear, he added, "This is the happiest day of my life."

With a press of the button, Wrecker triggered the explosion that obliterated the entire Separatist fleet.

As they touched down on the Republic base of Anaxes, Mace Windu and Obi-Wan Kenobi were there to meet them. Anakin and Evelyn stood next to their superior Masters, the proud looks on their faces evident.

"Captain Rex, Corporal Echo, and Clone Force 99," Mace Windu began, his voice resolute, "you have all done a great service for the Republic. Thanks to your courage and effort, Republic shipyards will soon be up and running again. You've got some medals coming your way," he concluded before departing with Obi-Wan.

"Thank you, General," Rex said sincerely, but he turned to the Bad Batch. "You coming?"

"Not really our thing," Tech responded, with Echo nodding in agreement.

Taking that as their cue to leave, Anakin and Evelyn turned around. Evelyn playfully body-checked Anakin, causing him to sway slightly. Her action drew a playful laugh from him, "You know, if I did that to you, you'd be flying across this shipyard."

Evelyn rolled her eyes, a mischievous pout gracing her lips. "Of course, I know that, and that's why I take advantage of the fact that you could never bring yourself to hurt me in any way possible," Her teasing tone flipping Anakin’s stomach upside down, and back around again.

"You're not wrong," Anakin admitted with a soft smile. Evelyn's fingers traced along his right arm, sending a pleasant tingle through him.

"Race you to the mess hall!" Evelyn declared before swiftly yanking Anakin's sleeve out of its tucked position and dashing away.

"Oh, you're gonna get it, Zaad!" Anakin shouted with a grin, racing after her, the carefree laughter of two souls intertwined in pure joy filling the air.

Chapter Text

Evelyn is in the senate chamber, and sees Anakin, using all his might, tiredly swinging his lightsaber, attacking a hooded figure with rage. She looks down and sees Obi-Wan's lifeless body on the floor. She checks his pulse, feeling one but it's about to fade.

She watches helplessly as Anakin's lightsaber hilt is sliced in two as he is force-pushed into a senate pod.

Hard.

"Anakin!" She screams, but nothing is heard by him.

Anakin slowly gets up, jumping to the main senate pod, making his last stand to the Sith Lord, both fists raised prepared to lay down his life for the galaxy, no matter the costs.

She hears the cold cackle of the hooded figure, "Now, Skywalker, you will die!" She hears as a frenzy of blue lightning was thrown at Anakin as he uses tutaminis to absorb the lightning with his hand, sending it back at the dark figure with immense force, but it just disintegrates.

She sees Anakin close his eyes as he slowly levitates, raising his hand as the hooded figure starts to press their lightning attacks even harder, "Unlimited power!" The figure yells as Anakin opens his eyes, but they're not his normal color. Anakin's eyes are pure blue, filling himself with the force as he lunges forward, grabbing the figure by the throat, and choking the life out of him.

There was an explosion of light that knocked Evelyn to the floor. She jumps up to find the burnt body of the hooded figure, unrecognizable. She looks a few feet away, and she sees the robes of Anakin Skywalker, burnt and charred.

He's gone.

***

Anakin is jolted from his slumber by screams and yells. He rubs his eyes to see what's wrong, but he immediately feels a pain in his head, knowing Evelyn was hurting. Using the force, he jumps out of his bed, flying towards the door, swinging it open as he lands in the hallway.

Running to Evelyn's quarters, he doesn't even care that he's not wearing a shirt or his glove, exposing his Nelvaan tattoos and the robotics of his hand to the night crew of the base. What only takes a few seconds feels like a lifetime as he swings open her door, but the thing is she wasn't screaming.

He still hears her screams in his head as he slowly approaches her bed, "Ev?" He whispers, slowly putting his hair in a bun, so it doesn't get in his way. He still hears her light whimpers as he approaches her bed. To know what's going on, he crouches down and puts his hand on her head, but quickly removes it as her forehead is on fire. He uses his mechanical arm and presses two fingers to her temple, waking her up with the force.

She shoots up with pain and horror in her eyes, "Anakin?" She whispers as he puts his flesh hand on her bare shoulder.

Anakin gently smiles at Evelyn, "I'm here," he whispers back to her, "What's wrong?"

Evelyn's almost scared to tell him that she just had a premonition of him dying. She doesn't know how to sugarcoat it, so she just comes out and says it, "You died," her voice breaks as Anakin's eyes go wide, "And I couldn't save you."

"Well, I'm here, aren't I?" He says with a chuckle while Evelyn puts a hand on his arm as a means of validation, not fully believing him, "Very much not dead. I'm too young and pretty to die anyway."

Evelyn looks at the man she's admired the entire Clone War, the one that she never wants to leave, and just then, she realizes just how close they actually were, "It was so real," Evelyn says as she sits up, trying to subtly get closer to Anakin, "It was like a vision!" She yells as Anakin's head snaps up.

Anakin is all too familiar with visions. His mind goes back to when he was a padawan a few years ago, having nightmares about his mother. He can't tell Evelyn that, not yet at least. It'll spook his already spooked friend.

But is she really a friend?

Anakin stops himself from going there. He's already swiftly avoided a relationship with Padme by meditating for an extreme amount of time on multiple different instances, with the help of Obi-Wan of course.

Attachment through love isn't the Jedi way. He can't think that way about anyone ever again.

Especially Evelyn.

Anakin's so lost in thought that he almost forgets that Evelyn's staring up at him, waiting for an answer, "They pass in time," he finally responds, "Trust me, they do. But just know, I'm not dying," Anakin assures Evelyn as he sits next to her on her bed, "It actually says so in the prophecy that's been tied to my head that got me into the order," he says mockingly, getting a chuckle out of Evelyn.

Evelyn rested her head on Anakin's shoulder, "Thank you," Anakin wrapped his arm around her, kind of fitting perfectly around her waist.

"Don't mention it," Anakin says, snapping her out of her little daze, "I'm assuming that you're not sleeping after this?"

Evelyn actually has no idea if she can go back to sleep with all of these rambunctious thoughts running through her head at the moment, but she decides to keep them by shaking her head no, not fully trusting her words.

Anakin's heart flips a little knowing that he can spend more time with her, "Great," he says, bringing his arm back over to his lap, "I'm going to go get a shirt on, and come back with a cup of caf for each of us and we can talk about our feelings," Anakin says with a chuckle, "Well, we can talk about your feelings, mine our off limits."

Evelyn rolls her eyes, fist-pumping in excitement. She's grown to love the tradition of drinking caf with Anakin and the boys after a mission, even more so the fact that she gets to do it so often because Anakin's such an unorthodox Jedi.

***

Anakin stirred from his slumber, the sound of his comlink ringing disrupting his peaceful rest. As he reached for the device, grogginess clouding his mind, he realized he was not in his own quarters but rather nestled in Evelyn's room.

And speaking of Evelyn, she’s directly on his chest, curled into his side.

Carefully, he maneuvered himself to answer the comlink without disturbing her, "Skywalker," he murmured into the device, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep.

"Anakin, go to the bridge," he hears his former master say.

Anakin couldn't help but let out a half-amused chuckle, "You could've told me that after I woke up, you know," he replied, trying to inject some humor into his tone.

Obi-Wan's voice remained unyielding, a hint of amusement hidden behind his stern tone, "Yes, but I know how you are in the mornings, so hurry up now." With that, the comm call ended abruptly.

Evelyn stirred beside him, lifting her head off his chest, a soft smile covering her face, "What did he want?" she mumbled sleepily.

Anakin ran a hand through his tousled hair, trying to collect his thoughts, "We have to go to the bridge," he replied. Evelyn groaned softly as she sat up on her bed, still appearing slightly dazed.

Anakin carefully swung his legs over the edge of the bed, using the Force to fetch his lightsaber and glove, dragging his lazy ass to the bridge, and giving Evelyn some much-needed privacy to change.

"Well, I see you had a good nap," Obi-Wan says through the holo-projector, Rex chuckling while Anakin is still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Well, I was until someone woke me up," Anakin says as he runs his fingers through his tangled hair, "What do we have?" He asks, "And wait when did you get off the cruiser?"

Obi-Wan sighed "There's been a siege on Yerbana," he began, the urgency in his voice apparent.

Evelyn entered the bridge, having finished her quick change, tying her hair into a ponytail, "And let me guess, you need our help?" She asks, a cheeky grin spreading across her face.

Obi-Wan nodded reluctantly, "Unfortunately, we do; the forces are too overwhelming for us. Now, hurry quickly," and with a brisk nod, he disconnected.

"Sir, shall we prepare for light speed?" Rex asks as Evelyn looks at Anakin as he nods, signaling for the pilots to send them off.

"Prepare your men, Rex," Anakin says as he turns to his captain, "I have a plan," Rex and Evelyn immediately give each other a look, not too thrilled to hear about what Anakin's cooked up this time.

***

Anakin's voice crackled through the comm; his concern for his men evident, "Rex, you guys good down there?"

"Yes, sir!" Rex responded with a mix of exhaustion and enthusiasm, "But uh, the boys are wondering when we can blast some clankers?"

"Just a few more moments," Anakin reassured him before disconnecting the comm.

"Are you sure this is gonna work?" Evelyn asks, still not sold on, nor understanding Anakin’s plan as they walk towards Obi-Wan, who just sliced a missile in half to protect Cody.

"General!" They hear Cody exclaim in shock.

"Cody, get down!" Obi-Wan says as he and his Commander hop over a barrier and recover, "Well, I can see things are going splendidly on this front," the master says with sass.

"It's no good. We can't locate the tactical droid. He's staying out of sight," Cody exclaims, frustrated at their disadvantage.

"Anakin, where are you?" Obi-Wan called out as Anakin and Evelyn finally reached him.

"I'm right here," Anakin responded with a smirk. "Oh, and Evelyn's here too!" he added with childish enthusiasm, and she waved in acknowledgment.

Obi-Wan, while glad to see Anakin, wore a grim expression, not entirely sure he wanted to know what monkey-brained scheme he had concocted this time.

"What are you doing down there?" Anakin asks with a chuckle as he swiftly dodges a blast previously aimed at his head.

"We are taking cover!" Obi-Wan yells out in annoyance, "Now get down!

"You're not serious!" Anakin retorts, "There's only a thousand droids down there, tops!" He reasons with a bit of a whiny undertone.

Obi-Wan, seeing right through his childish act bravely speaks, "What are you up to? Where's Captain Rex?" He asks as Anakin stands on the barrier his former master is taking cover.

"Waiting for me to give him the signal for that good old master plan of mine," Anakin replied confidently as he peered out over the battlefield, narrowing his eyes, not seeing the tactical droid.

"You're overdoing it," the older Jedi rolls his eyes as he speaks, "Again!"

"Now, Master, I mean no disrespect," Anakin said condescendingly, as if addressing a child, "If you want, I can hide here with you, and we can let the people in the city suffer longer."

"Now, Anakin, you know I-" He's cut off by his old friend.

"Or, we can do things my way… and help them now."

"All right. I know better than to try and stop you," Obi-Wan says, surrendering to that master plan of his, "What's your plan this time?" He asks, turning to Evelyn as she gives him a clueless shrug.

Anakin rolls his eyes as he gets back up, "Stay here. Both of you," he states while looking at Evelyn.

With measured steps, Anakin approached the Separatist forces just as they were about to fire, "Ready. Aim…"

Anakin dramatically threw his arms up in the air, "Hold your fire! Hold your fire," he pleaded, struggling not to burst into laughter. Cody, Evelyn, and Obi-Wan poked their heads over the barrier, curiosity getting the better of them.

Anakin takes a deep breath, "I have come to surrender," he mockingly says as he throws his arms out at his sides as Evelyn and Obi-Wan snap their heads to each other's, "Uh oh," Evelyn whispers, knowing Anakin's about to commit another war crime.

"Surrender? That's a relief," a battle droid replied.

"Notify the tactical droid," the commander ordered.

"Your forces fought valiantly, and I must admit that we are overmatched by your superior firepower," Anakin continued his performance, "I gladly surrender myself to the mercy of the Separatist forces," Anakin says, still peeking through the Separatist defense to find the tactical droid.

Evelyn finally started to understand this plan.

"He's stalling!" Evelyn exclaims with excitement, repeatedly tapping Obi-Wan on the shoulder much to his annoyance.

"Oh no," Obi-Wan says as he rubs his hand on his forehead.

"What? This is absolute genius!" The woman says, hitting Obi-Wan in the shoulder once again.

"Yes, I'll give him that. But he's about to commit his seven hundredth war crime," he says with exaggeration.

But not really. Anakin has a tendency to commit war crimes like no one he’s ever met.

"Why have you ceased fire?" The tactical droid says as he marches to the pod.

"Jedi General Anakin Skywalker has surrendered to us, Commander," The battle droid tells his superior.

Anakin smiles as he motions to Artoo, "There he is."

"It's a trap, you fools. Open fire!"

"Now, Artoo!" Anakin yelled as R2-D2 signaled the 501st to lift off and start bombing the Separatist forces. Anakin used the Force to pull the tactical droid to him, ignited his blue lightsaber, and sliced the droid's head off.

Obi-Wan let out a sigh of relief he hadn't realized he was holding, while Evelyn grinned from ear to ear. She hopped over the defense and approached Anakin, encouraging Cody to join them.

"General?" Cody asked impatiently.

"Yes, Cody," Obi-Wan said with a smile, "You may join the fun as well."

"Yes, sir," Cody grinned under his helmet, "Blast them!" he yelled to his men, who charged the Separatist forces.

Evelyn and Obi-Wan make their way to Anakin, who is currently basking in the success of yet another plan.

"I can’t believe it took me that long to understand your plan,” Evelyn exclaimed causing Anakin to chuckle, her eyes locked onto his blue orbs.

"Bravo, Anakin, you've done it again," Obi-Wan praised, clapping Anakin on the shoulder.

"Oh, I can't take all the credit," Anakin said, and Obi-Wan's smile grew, "Your state of helplessness really sold them on my surrender talk," Anakin added with a laugh, deflating Kenobi's sense of accomplishment and earning another eye roll from Evelyn.

"Always glad to help, my friend," he states with a sarcasm laced in his voice as Anakin's comm beeps.

"Skywalker here," he answers picking up Admiral Yularen's frequency, "What is it, Admiral?" Anakin questions.

"Sir, we've received a transmission from someone using your subspace frequency - Fulcrum."

Anakin looks at Obi-Wan with a furrowed brow, "Saw Gerrera?" He asks, shocked as Evelyn looks at him in confusion, having no idea who that is.

"Perhaps the siege at Onderon has taken a turn for the worse?" Obi-Wan questions, returning the worried & confused look of his former padawan.

"No, sir, it's not Gerrera," Yularen says with a pause, "You had best take this transmission here on the ship. Both of you."

Anakin lets out a sigh, "All right, Admiral," he says as he motions to his two friends, "Ladies first," he says while stifling a grin at Obi-Wan, who just rolls his eyes as he walks past with Evelyn.

But Evelyn waits for Anakin with a smirk on her face.

"Ev, come on, get in the ship," Anakin says with haste, sensing that whatever news he's gonna be getting is on the positive end of things.

"When do you think we'll head back home?" Evelyn asks as they board the ship and head to the fleet, having this be the most time she's been off Coruscant.

"Perhaps after we finish this up," Obi-Wan says as he strokes his beard, "Which hopefully won't take long. I feel this war is getting closer and closer to its end."

"I agree, Master," Anakin states, crossing his arms, "It feels like everything's been leading up to this end, but I sense a great disturbance, something serious that we're missing."

"Hopefully it's nothing," Evelyn says uneasily, trying to spark some optimism into her superiors as they solemnly nod.

As they landed in the hangar bay, Evelyn rushed to the restroom while Anakin chuckled at her youthful antics.

"Anakin, a word," Obi-Wan said with a serious tone, and Anakin nodded.

"Come on, Master, I was just—"

"This isn't about you laughing at her," Obi-Wan smiles as he put his hand up, "Though, I have done that to you on multiple occasions, this is about her," Anakin rolls his eyes, flashing a smile at his brother, "Upon our arrival to Coruscant, she is to be knighted," Obi-Wan says with a warm smile as Anakin's face lights up.

Anakin's face lit up with joy "Wait, really?!" he whispered in excitement, "But I've only been guiding her for a few months," he mused aloud.

"That's just it," Kenobi explained. "She's improved greatly under your tutelage and the guidance of masters Piell and Tiplar. Master Yoda and the other Council members believe she has passed most of her trials."

"I'm so happy for her," Anakin states with a huge smile, "I've seen her as an equal for so long, but finally she will be."

Obi-Wan smiles back at his friend, "I'm proud of you too, Anakin. This is also a huge step in your journey too," Anakin ruffles his brows in confusion, "With Evelyn being knighted, you are one step closer to being my equal," Obi-Wan says as Anakin's jaw drops, "Just don't think or say anything about it," he finishes, turning on his heel, leaving his former apprentice in shock.

Evelyn approaches the two, seeing Anakin flabbergasted, "What happened to him?" She asks through giggles.

"I have been the first one to make him speechless it appears," Obi-Wan says with pride as Anakin rolls his eyes, continuing their walk to the bridge.

***

Anakin has been left speechless for the second time in ten minutes. First, he learns that he's on the brink of a promotion along with Evelyn.

Then he hears that he's going to be reuniting with his former padawan and little sister, Ahsoka Tano, who's landing in the hangar as he tries to process everything.

Obi-Wan approaches Anakin with Evelyn at his side, "It all makes sense now!" Anakin exclaims to the two with hope, Obi-Wan looks at Anakin, motioning for him to continue his thought, "If Ahsoka hadn't left the Order, then she wouldn't have been where she needed to be!" Anakin exclaims as he looks at Evelyn with a smile.

"That's one way to look at it, I suppose," Obi-Wan says, seeing Anakin’s point.

"It's the only way to look at it, Master," Anakin says with determination in his eyes, "We're gonna capture Maul, finally," he claims, his old master looking unimpressed, "I thought you would be more excited about this!"

"I am cautiously optimistic," Obi-Wan says as he moves around Anakin to the landing ship in front of the three.

As Evelyn stood there, watching Anakin's excitement at the prospect of reuniting with Ahsoka, a familiar sense of insecurity crept over her. She couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy.

Was Ahsoka better than her? More skilled?

Evelyn snaps herself out of her thoughts, knowing that Anakin would've told her during their nightly caf meetings. Anakin had always been open and honest with her, and she couldn't let baseless insecurities tarnish their bond.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Anakin's voice, and she refocused her attention on the conversation. Ahsoka had held up a hand, cutting Anakin off, indicating that there was no time for catching up. Bo Katan's urgency about the mission further emphasized the gravity of the situation.

"We understand," Obi-Wan said, taking charge, "Please, follow me."

Evelyn rubbed a comforting hand on Anakin's arm. It was her way of silently expressing that she was sorry he couldn't catch up with Ahsoka.

And Ahsoka noticed this small interaction and smiled to herself, recognizing the genuine bond between Anakin and this new Jedi he was working with.

The five of them arrived on the bridge, and Ahsoka began to explain, "Bo-Katan had been tracking Maul's movements for several months. I was able to obtain some transmission codes from the Pykes on Oba Diah, which helped her pinpoint some of his previous locations."

"What were you doing on Oba Diah?" Anakin inquired, his protective instincts kicking in, fully aware of the danger associated with that place.

"That's a long story and not really relevant right now," Ahsoka says bluntly as Anakin crosses his arms tighter in frustration.

"What is relevant is that we know Maul is on Mandalore, in the city of Sundari," Bo-Katan said, projecting a map of Mandalore on the holo table.

Obi-Wan questioned the two women, his tone reflecting a mix of curiosity and concern, "Are you certain of this?"

"He arrived two days ago," Bo-Katan confirmed somberly.

"So why not take him yourself?" Obi-Wan probed further, still trying to get the bigger picture, "Or, to be more specific, what do you want from the Republic?"

Bo Katan looks at Ahsoka as she gives her a nod of reassurance "I don't have the numbers needed for a siege," she says, looking down at the table before looking back up, "Without a complete lockdown of the city, Maul will escape again," she continues as she pulls a map of the city, "That's why I'm proposing a joint operation. If we are successful, you'll have Maul and I'll have Mandalore."

Anakin and Obi-Wan exchanged a silent conversation, carefully weighing their options. Obi-Wan voiced his concern, "If Republic forces aid you in your assault, it will break treaties that are 100 years old. We will effectively be drawn into yet another war."

"What's one more?" Bo Katan grits out.

"Well, we're not finished with our first one yet," Anakin says with just a hint of annoyance.

Bo-Katan pleaded, "There's no time! Maul's influence on Mandalore is destroying my people! He murdered their ruler, my sister!” Obi-Wan freezes in his tracks, taking a sharp inhale at the mention of his fallen love. Anakin took a threatening step forward, anticipating Bo-Katan's next move.

And he was right. Bo Katan saw Obi-Wan’s change in demeanor and decided to keep pressing, “I thought she meant something to you!"

Evelyn slams her fist on the table, having enough of the Mandaorian’s attitude, her voice booming, “ENOUGH!” Ahsoka took a step back while the blonde Jedi silently walks over to comfort Obi-Wan, again, hearing Anakin’s thoughts, knowing that he would want to take the lead on this one.

“I don’t know who you think you are, coming onto my ship, and taking jabs at my men, my people,” Anakin says through his teeth, “And I understand that you’re hurting, that your people are hurting… but you have no right to use that pain and place it on others,” Anakin finishes, defending Obi-Wan.

Bo-Katan met Anakin's furious gaze with her own determined one, refusing to back down, "Your precious Jedi treaties and principles won't bring justice to Mandalore. Satine's death—"

"IS ON YOUR HANDS!!” Anakin booms, taking a stand, already hearing everything he needs to know about Mandalore’s situation from Obi-Wan.

Speaking of Obi-Wan, he’s caused Anakin to back down from what would’ve been a verbal beat down on Bo Katan by placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, silently thanking him, "She did," Kenobi responds quietly, trailing off in his thoughts, the entire room turning their attention to him, "And she still does. But I cannot allow my feelings to cloud my judgment," he speaks definitely, "The council will decide what our course of action will be," Obi-Wan says as he leaves the bridge.

Bo Katan nods before walking out of the bridge with her men following.

"So, that went well, all things considered," he said with a slight smile, trying to lighten the mood before a sudden realization hit him, "Oh!" he exclaimed in excitement. "This is my friend, Evelyn," he announced, gesturing toward his blonde friend, who waved shyly. Ahsoka gave her a friendly nod, " Anakin continued, his pride evident, "She's about to become a knight."

"Nice to meet you," Ahsoka smiles at the girl,  "You're lucky to have Sky Guy as your friend," Ahsoka praises, "He's the best in the galaxy."

"Aw, thanks Snips," Anakin says with a teasing smile, "Come on. I have a surprise for you," he says as he walks out of the bridge, the two girls following him.

***

"Loyalty means everything to the clones," Anakin concluded as he pressed a button to open the doors, revealing the 501st, all wearing helmets that honored Ahsoka.

"Company!" Rex bellowed, "Attention!" In unison, the clones turned to face the center, leaving Ahsoka looking uneasy.

"Go ahead," Anakin encouraged, a warm smile on his face, "They've been waiting to see you." Ahsoka glanced at Evelyn, who offered an encouraging smile.

Taking a deep breath, Ahsoka walked down the middle of the legion, her eyes widening in shock.

"As soon as Rex and the guys knew you were back, they got to work," Anakin explained proudly as Ahsoka, still speechless, slowly walked back.

She reached out and touched Rex's helmet, "The paint job is a little crude, but we think it gets the idea across," he explained as Ahsoka ran her fingers down the helmet, touched by the gesture, "Glad to have you back, Commander."

Ahsoka smiled, feeling a sense of belonging she hadn't experienced in a long time, "Rex, thank you, but you don't have to call me commander anymore," she said, shaking her head.

Rex smiles, "Sure thing. Commander."

"OH!" Anakin exclaims, "I have one more surprise for you," Evelyn hands Anakin a box that has Ahsoka's old lightsabers in it, but before she can open the box, the alarm starts sounding.

Obi-Wan runs in frantically, "Anakin, Evelyn, Rex, prepare all forces, we're jumping to hyperspace immediately," he says as he catches his breath.

"Yes sir," Rex responds as the 501st runs to their stations.

Evelyn steps forward in excitement, "So the attack on Mandalore was approved?"

Obi-Wan crosses his arms, "Unfortunately not. It's Coruscant. Grevious has attacked the capitol," he states as Ahsoka looks at him in disappointment, "We'll have the ship there within the hour."

Ahsoka couldn't hide her frustration with that decision, "So that's it? What about Bo-Katan and her people?" she demanded.

Obi-Wan turned to her, trying to convey the gravity of the situation, "Ahsoka, surely you understand this is a pivotal moment in the Clone Wars," he began.

Anakin and Evelyn exchanged knowing glances. Obi-Wan seemed to be starting one of his lengthy monologues, "The heart of the Republic is under attack!"

"That's not as long as I thought it was gonna be," Evelyn tells Anakin through the force as he stifles a laugh.

"I understand that, as usual, you're playing politics," Ahsoka says angrily as Anakin and Evelyn wince, "This is why the people have lost faith in the Jedi! I had too, until I was reminded of what the Order means to people who truly need us!" She finishes, Evelyn opens her mouth to dispute the fact that if Coruscant is destroyed, there is no order to help people, but decides to not speak.

"Right now, people on Coruscant need us," Obi-Wan retorts firmly.

"No. The Chancellor needs you," She quips back as Anakin's eyes widen as he steps in.

"Okay, hold on," he interjects, taking his former master and apprentice aback, "We don't have a duty to fufill to Mandalore, at all," Anakin says coldly, "We have to go help the chancellor, period," Evelyn nods, firmly agreeing with Anakin, "But I also have a duty to my former padawan, and my friend, regardless of my feelings for the person that got Satine killed," Anakin says, smiling at Ahsoka, "Once we complete the mission, Evelyn and I will take the 501st to Mandalore and help with the invasion."

Obi-Wan nods, satisfied with Anakin's plan, "And what of myself?" He asks, wanting to fight alongside his brother.

"You'll brief the council on the rescue and then either come to Mandalore and help us, or you can be boring and stay at the temple," Anakin says with a teasing tone, causing Obi-Wan to roll his eyes before Anakin looks at Ahsoka.

"Can you wait half a day for us to meet you at Mandalore?" Ahsoka nods in response, "Good, and don't do anything stupid," he says as the three Jedi turn to depart for Coruscant.

Ahsoka, however, couldn't hide her amusement, "How can I?" she asked, directing her comment toward Anakin, "You're taking all of the stupid with you,” Anakin turned around and smiled proudly at his former padawan, turning away.

"Anakin!" Ahsoka called out suddenly, making him whirl back to face her. She looked at him with a genuine smile, "Good luck."

Anakin nodded before the blast doors shut behind them, leaving Ahsoka behind as Anakin, Evelyn, and Obi-Wan prepared to do one thing:

Save Coruscant.

Chapter Text

Evelyn and Anakin take a nosedive, just behind Obi-Wan, flying in their starfighters - blue, yellow, and red respectively.

Anakin flips multiple switches in his ship, trying to adjust the flaps on his wings as he and R2 fight off relentless vulture droids, "Master, have you located The Chancellor yet?" Anakin asks through the comm device.

Evelyn is also very worried about Palpatine, as he was the one who helped her through the loss of her sort of mentor outside of the order, Hego Damask, about thirteen years ago now. She visits with him from time to time, but she hasn't had any time to do so because she's been on the front lines.

"Not yet I'm afraid."

Anakin grumbles in frustration, focusing on the ships in front of him, twirling, spinning, firing on anything he sees, making his definitive case for the greatest star pilot in the galaxy, right before it hits him, "He's on the Invisible Hand."

Evelyn swallows a giant lump in her throat, nervous about the fact that she's already roped into invading the most renowned CIS command ship in the galaxy.

Yet again, she is the commander for the most renowned general in the entire war.

Speaking of that said general, Anakin and Obi-Wan move forward on her left, making their approach as she bobs and weaves in between cruisers, trying to pick off any stragglers that somehow made it past Anakin and Obi-Wan's near-impenetrable defenses.

If there's one thing that Evelyn's learned from flying with the duo, it's that Anakin loves flying. It's his pride and joy, what keeps him at bay when he's stressed. And he's a damn good one at that. Master Kenobi on the other hand?

He fucking hates it.

"Master," Evelyn hears her own say, snapping her out of her thoughts, "General Grievous' ship is directly ahead - the one crawling with vulture droids," Anakin says, a hit of venom in his voice, excited to kill the being that's caused the Jedi so much loss throughout the war

Obi-Wan narrows his eyes, "Oh I see it, how easy this will be," the eldest says, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "Odd Ball, do you copy?" Obi-Wan asks the clone

"Copy Red Leader."

"Mark my position and form your squad up behind me," Obi-Wan says, activating general mode while Evelyn and Anakin flank on his left and right as they charge toward the vulture droids.

Anakin smiles to himself, "This is where the fun begins," he says happily, gunning down vulture droids left and right, just before they fire missiles. Anakin's eyes go wide, "Missiles, pull up!" Anakin commands, just before realizing that they went straight past him.

"They overshot us," Obi-Wan says, reluctantly spinning to avoid the missiles.

Anakin smiles, getting all four missiles to lock onto his ship before spinning around and around, causing them to all collide with each other.

Anakin laughs to himself, "He seems to be having fun," Evelyn says to herself, still stressed about having to fly, not doing this very often.

Obi-Wan flies through what seems to be space rocks before realizing his mistake, buzz droids landing on his ship, "I'm hit!" Obi-Wan exclaims, frantically pressing buttons to get them off, but it was too late for R4, who met a tragic end, "They're shutting down all the controls," he panics before Anakin works his magic.

"Move to the right so I can get a clear shot at them," Anakin says, aiming his blasters at the droids.

Kenobi curses, "The mission, Anakin get to the Chan-" he can't finish his sentence before Anakin starts shooting at the droids, inadvertently shooting his master's ship, taking off a wing in the process, "Anakin stop! You are not helping!"

Anakin winces, "I agree, bad idea," he says, trying to find another way to help Obi-Wan. He flies next to him, using the wings of his ship to get the buzz droids off, and it works.

"Masters, the command ship is dead ahead," Evelyn says in anticipation.

"Anakin, get the shields down!" Obi-Wan yells as Anakin spins into action, shooting the exterior sides of the landing bay, and destroying the shields.

Anakin’s eyes go wide when he sees the blast doors closing, fast, "Oh I have a bad feeling about this," Obi-Wan says, shaking his head as the three Jedi somehow make their way into the command ship.

Obi-Wan and Evelyn instantly shoot out of their cockpits, destroying droids left and right, while Anakin takes his sweet time getting out of his ship before shooting out, cutting through droids. Evelyn, Obi-Wan, and Anakin go back to back, finishing off the last of the droids.

"Artoo, locate the Chancellor," Obi-Wan orders, cutting through the final droid as Evelyn brushes off her tan robes.

Anakin and Obi-Wan look around to see any remaining droids before joining Evelyn and Artoo.

"I sense Count Dooku," Anakin says begrudgingly, clenching his right fist in anger.

"I sense a trap," Evelyn says, peering at every corner of the ship, making sure that there's no ambush coming.

Anakin turns to his old friend, "What's the next move?"

Obi-Wan smiles at his two friends, "Spring the trap," he says, chuckling while walking away.

Anakin turns back to Artoo, "Stay with the ship, wait for orders," he tells his droid.

Obi-Wan takes a communicator off his belt and throws it to Artoo, who catches it with ease, "Stay safe."

The three break into a run towards the elevator shaft, having Anakin and Obi-Wan take point as they always do, Evelyn was trailing behind, ever so slightly.

Unfortunately, a blast door closed right in between them, separating Anakin and Evelyn, "Ev!" Anakin yells out, banging on the door in anger.

"Hey, I'll catch up to you guys," she says through her comm, "Go save the Chancellor."

Anakin ignites his lightsaber, ready to cut through the door before three destroyer droids attack Anakin and Obi-Wan, forcing them to move into an elevator.

Back on the other side of the blast door, Evelyn is handling herself, fighting two magna guards, easily disposing of them thanks to Anakin's helpful tips.

She turns to go to the elevator shaft before laying eyes on General Grievous, "Oh no," she says to herself as she tries to find a way to escape as Grevious cockroach crawls towards her, and the two lock blades for the first time.

She force pushes the General through a couple of walls, and she realizes that her only viable option for escape is what Anakin has insisted that rubbing his fucking eyebrow is the signal.

She smiles before spinning in a circle, cutting the floor from underneath her, falling to the floor below her before running to the elevators.

***

"We should've gone back for her," Anakin tells his master, his concern for Evelyn evident in his tone.

"Anakin, you’ve been guiding her for the past few months exceptionally," Obi-Wan says, comforting his old friend, "She'll do just fine since she's always good at getting out of these tough situations."

Anakin nods, happy that those words of knowledge helped, "I can't wait to put an end to this," he thinks out loud, "There has been so much - what he's done - not just to us, but the whole galaxy."

"Anakin," Obi-Wan began warningly.

"Don't worry, I'm not angry or vengeful," Anakin says, trying to believe those words himself, "I'm just looking forward to capturing him," Anakin says, leaning on the wall, realizing the gravity of the situation.

"Anticipation-"

Anakin recovers, "Is distraction, I know," Anakin says, used to this lesson, "And I know everything else you're dying to tell me right now," he says with a teasing grin.

Obi-Wan's slight bow was very affectionate towards Anakin, "I can't help trying to keep teaching you," he defends, "Force of habit."

Anakin chuckles before looking at the door waiting for it to open, allowing the force to reach into him, "I'm ready, Master."

Obi-Wan smiles, very extremely proud of the man standing before him, "I think it's about time you start calling me Obi-Wan."

Anakin smiles and slightly bows towards his old master, standing alone.

They're Kenobi and Skywalker. Two halves of one unstoppable force. These two men have been through hell and back, relying on each other as they made their way through this hellish war.

They were brothers until the end, and they wouldn't have wanted to end this war with anyone else.

The elevator doors open as they run through them, seeing the Chancellor bound to a chair overlooking the battle.

"Chancellor," Obi-Wan says, bowing to the leader of the Republic.

"Are you alright?" Anakin asks his friend.

"Count Dooku," Palpatine says darkly, pointing to the fallen Jedi walking towards them on the floor they were just on moments ago.

Anakin walks behind Obi-Wan, "This time, we do it together," Obi-Wan says, bracing himself for combat.

"I was about to say that," Anakin whispers back, eager to finally end Dooku's reign of terror.

"Get help!" Palpatine pleads, playing his role perfectly, "You are no match for a Sith Lord!"

Anakin turns to Palpatine disapprovingly, "Chancellor Palpatine," Obi-Wan chimes in, "Sith Lords are our speciality," he says with a cheeky grin as the two Jedi throw off their cloaks, Dooku approaching them.

"Your swords, please," Dooku taunts, "We don't want to make a mess in front of the Chancellor."

Obi-Wan steps into an Ataru stance, and Anakin takes a Shien stance, "You won't get away this time, Dooku," Kenobi promises, as the three duelists ignite their weapons, lunging at each other.

Dooku has one goal in mind. Isolate Anakin, and kill Kenobi. He knows the General has already handled Skywalker's lousy apprentice, so he'll be able to draw Anakin closer and closer to the darkness.

Skywalker and Kenobi however, have a different goal. Keep up their ruse, and then capitalize on the inevitable shock Dooku has.

"I've been looking forward to this," Dooku grins, still fixated on his plan.

Anakin paces, "My powers have doubled since the last time we met, Count," he taunts, ready to obliterate the Sith Apprentice.

Dooku, still wearing a grin on his face, responds, "Good, twice the pride, double the fall."

Obi-Wan strikes high, while Anakin goes low before the three find themselves at a hold, all three sabers deadlocked before Anakin breaks the stalemate, allowing Dooku to swipe at Obi-Wan.

Given that Dooku was the one who trained Qui Gon, he knows exactly how he's going to kill Kenobi, but first, dispose of Skywalker for the time being.

Dooku hops on top of the table in the middle of the room, expecting Skywalker - who he thought was going to use his acrobatics to meet him on top, slices the table in half at his feet, causing the Sith to topple to the ground.

What?

Then, Dooku realizes his grave mistake. He had completely misread Skywalker. He's not a Shien duelist, but he's fighting with Djem-So.

And a damn good fighter at that.

But then again, Dooku shifted his tactic, sweeping Anakin's legs from underneath him, leaping over to Kenobi to kill, knowing every move he was going to take, but to his shock, Kenobi blocked every single swipe and jab that Dooku threw at him.

Without even moving his feet.

Dooku's had enough of these fucking ruses, so he force pushes Obi-Wan to the ground as Anakin is there to meet him, the two fly up the stairs at a very quick pace, Dooku careful to not lose his footing.

Obi-Wan makes his way up the opposite flight, destroying the droids in his way, and before he can strike at Dooku, the Sith Lord kicks Anakin down before grabbing a hold of Obi-Wan, flinging him towards the wall, bringing the walkway down on top of him.

Anakin's body trembled with rage before lunging at Dooku with a roar, kicking the Sith Lord in the face, and sending Dooku flying off of the second floor, but Anakin instantly calmed, sensing Evelyn rapidly approaching.

Anakin flips down after him, ready to take full control of this duel as he tests Dooku's strength, each of his blows aging the old man by a decade.

Anakin and Dooku reach directly in front of the Chancellor. Spinning around each other, as Anakin's strikes become heavier and heavier on the Count's joints.

Anakin jabs towards Dooku's chest, and Dooku brings his saber down onto Anakin's hands, falling directly into his trap.

The last mistake he'd ever make in Anakin's eyes.

And for Dooku, he realized his mistake once he saw the twitch of Anakin’s lips into a smirk.

Anakin releases his lightsaber, sneaking his arm out and above Dooku's collapsing saber. Dooku tries to recover, but it's too late. Anakin goes up, down, and around Dooku's saber, removing both of Dooku's hands, taking hold of the curved hilt, and holding both swords at Dooku's neck.

"Good, Anakin, good," Palpatine chuckles, "Kill him," he demands, Dooku looking at his master in shock, "Kill him now," Palpatine demands again.

Anakin furrows his eyebrows, "I shouldn't!"

"DO IT!" Palpatine roared.

Anakin was about to decapitate an unarmed man before someone cries out, "NO," Dooku is immediately flung away, out of Anakin's blade lock, hitting the window and knocking out.

Anakin drops the hilt, looking at his hand in horror at what he was about to do before whipping his head around to see Evelyn.

Palpatine internally growls at the fact that she's still alive, "Anakin, what the hell were you thinking?!" Evelyn demands, darkness lacing her voice.

Anakin looks down in shame, embarrassed of the example he was about to set for her, "Skywalker, we don't listen to politicians when it comes to MURDERING UNARMED PRISONERS."

"I'm sorry," Anakin whispers to her, "I felt a wave of darkness flow over me, and I couldn't control it," he continues, his words barely a whisper.

Evelyn shoots a glare over at Palpatine, narrowing her eyes in suspicion before releasing his restraints, "Chancellor, I say this in the nicest way possible," Evelyn begins, "Don't say a fucking word."

Palpatine internally smiles, seeing the potential in Evelyn becoming his apprentice if Anakin doesn't work out. It's always good to have a plan B after all.

Anakin runs over to Obi-Wan, "Evelyn, grab the Count!" He calls out, "We're taking him as a prisoner of war," Evelyn nods, running over to Dooku before somehow managing to throw him over her shoulder.

She turns to see Anakin hoist Obi-Wan over his shoulders, seemingly pissed off, before the two run out of the room.

The three arrive at the elevators, but something's wrong, "The elevator's not working," Evelyn points out, out of breath.

Anakin picks up his comm device, "Artoo, activate elevator 3224," he says, trusting his droid will get the job done.

Though, before they can get into the elevator, the ship starts to plummet downwards, causing them to hit the floor fast. Anakin gets his foot locked in, turning around to help Evelyn up, but before Evelyn can get up, something causes Dooku to slip out of her hands.

Evelyn tries to use the force to catch him, but it doesn't work for some inexplicable reason, "Ev, come on!" Anakin calls, trying to pull her up before the three run down the elevator shaft.

Unfortunately, the ship starts to level out again, and the three start to slide down the elevator shaft.

Anakin manages to grab a hold of some loose wire while Evelyn finds a pipe to grip onto while the Chancellor holds on to his leg of all things.

"Anakin, I'm slipping!" The Chancellor calls out, clinging on to the leather for 'dear life' as Anakin tries to find escape, "Give me your hand!"

Anakin ignores him, not even risking the chance of dropping Obi-Wan.

Speaking of Obi-Wan, he's starting to stir, "Nice of you to join us; we're in a bit of a situation," Anakin says, out of breath.

Obi-Wan's eyes shoot open and he too, clings onto Anakin, "Uh oh," Evelyn says, causing Anakin to look up, seeing an elevator heading straight for their heads, "Jump!"

Anakin lets go of the wire while Obi-Wan lets go of Anakin as the three Jedi take out their grappling hooks, throwing them around an iron beam and shooting out the open elevator shaft.

"Let's see if we can find something in the hangar bay that's still flyable," Obi-Wan says, taking point as the other three get up.

"Artoo, get down here," Anakin says into his comm.

"Come on, we must hurry," Obi-Wan says as the four break into a jog.

Evelyn runs alongside Anakin, "So, what'd I miss?" She asks, trying to figure out why Obi-Wan was knocked out.

Before Anakin can answer, ray shields activate them, effectively permitting them from escape, "Ray shields!" Anakin curses.

"Now hold on, we're smarter than this," Obi-Wan states, frustrated with himself, "How did we let this happen?"

"Apparently not," Evelyn mumbles, crossing her arms across her chest.

Anakin chuckles at her antics before he takes a breath, "I say patience," Anakin says.

"Patience?" Obi-Wan repeats, crossing his arms and not fully believing what his former apprentice is saying, quite proud.

"Yes," Anakin assures, "Artoo will be along in a few moments, and then he'll release the ray shields," and not even two seconds later, Artoo comes flying in, causing Anakin to puff out his chest in pride, "See? No problem."

Obi-Wan and Evelyn roll their eyes just as droids surround the Jedi, "Do you have a plan B?" Obi-Wan quips.

Evelyn's eyes light up, "I have something!"

Anakin nods, ready to hear another one of Evelyn's ingenious escape plans.

***

The four are escorted to the command bridge, where they're met with General Grievous, "Ah yes," the droid general chuckles, "General Kenobi," the three Jedi make their way directly in front of Grievous, "We've been waiting for you. That wasn't much of a rescue," he finishes, snatching the two sabers from his droid.

Grievous shifted his attention to the taller Jedi among them, "And Anakin Skywalker," he remarked, his multiple arms whirring as he walked toward Anakin, who stood firm and unperturbed by the cyborg, "I was expecting someone with your reputation to be a little... older," the General taunted, earning a smirk from Evelyn.

“Seems like someone has a grandpa kink,” Evelyn mutters before catching a light elbow from Anakin, who speaks next.

Anakin looks up at the General, disgusted, "General Grievous, you're shorter than I expected," Anakin taunts back, amusement lacing his one. Evelyn bites back another smile, still working on her restraints with a hidden pin.

Grievous coughed dismissively, "Jedi scum," he muttered before turning away.

"We have a job to do, Anakin, try not to upset him," Obi-Wan mutters, voice laced with sarcasm.

"Your lightsabers will be a fine addition to my collection," Grievous says, placing them in his cloak.

Anakin nods at Evelyn as she drops her cuffs to the ground, using the force to push down everything around them, and effectively crushing a couple of droids before pulling her saber out of her boot with the force, igniting it.

"Artoo!" Anakin yells as the droid releases all of his gimmicks while Obi-Wan and Anakin grab their sabers from Grievous, cutting through their restraints.

The three Jedi are each targeted by magna guards, before dispersing. Evelyn manages to cut through hers with ease, using her flexible body to maneuver around the droid, slicing all of its extremities off.

Anakin battles his droid to the back of the room, where two battle droids are dragging the Chancellor out. No matter how... opinionated the chancellor can be, he's still Anakin's close friend and mentor. Which is why he just cut down three droids to get to him.

Obi-Wan had the most trouble, which is saying something considering it took him about fifteen seconds to totally and completely dismantle a beheaded magna guard before Obi-Wan catches Grievous, using the cyborg's shoulder to balance himself on his leap, placing something in the cape as Anakin comes around from the other side.

"You lose, General Kenobi," Grievous taunted before hurling the staff at the window, causing the four inside to cling to the ship as the blast doors sealed the windows once more.

Evelyn and Anakin swiftly crossed the command deck, dispatching the remaining droids. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan consoled the Chancellor, ensuring his safety.

Anakin hears a beeping on the console, looking at it, "All the escape pods have been launched!"

Obi-Wan curses, "Grievous," before turning back to Anakin, "Can you fly a cruiser like this?"

"You mean, do I know how to land what's left of this thing?" Anakin corrects as the four sit down and strap in.

"Well?"

Anakin flips some switches, "Well, under the circumstances, I'd say the ability to pilot this thing is irrelevant," Anakin declares, "Strap yourselves in."

"Already have," Evelyn brags, fully expecting a response.

"Well, congratulations Evelyn, aren't you prepared?" Obi-Wan asks his grand student, a sassy response as always.

Anakin focuses on the ship, letting the Force flow through him, "Open all hatches, extend flaps and drag fins," Anakin orders, causing Obi-Wan and Evelyn to get to work on the task at hand.

The resistance caused by the flaps causes the cruiser to explode down the middle, splitting into two parts.

Artoo beeps as Anakin turns around, eyes wide, "We lost something," before going back to landing this thing.

Obi-Wan looks around, "Not to worry, we are still flying half a ship," he points out, ever so professional.

"Eight plus sixty," Obi-Wan reads out, "We're in the atmosphere."

Anakin points at a trigger on Obi-Wan's panel, "Grab that, keep us level," Anakin orders, trying to land as safely as possible.

The four Jedi descended toward the city of Coruscant as five ships sprayed the flaming vessel with water, "We're coming in too hot!" Anakin exclaimed as the ship slammed onto the landing deck, coming to a harsh and abrupt stop.

The four let out sighs of relief, not realizing they had been holding their breath, "Another happy landing," Obi-Wan quipped, running a hand through his hair.

"You call that happy?" Evelyn muttered, rubbing her head.

***

The shuttle's engines hummed softly as it made its way back to the Jedi Temple. Anakin, Evelyn, and Obi-Wan sat in the dimly lit cabin, the quiet hum of the engines providing a soothing backdrop to their conversation.

Obi-Wan leaned forward, his hands clasped in front of him, "So, I will brief the Council while you two take Rex and his fleet to Mandalore," he stated, "I will meet you two there when I've concluded."

Anakin and Evelyn exchanged nods, their faces displaying a mixture of determination and anticipation.

Evelyn couldn't resist a teasing smile as she turned to Obi-Wan, "Try not to get too bored, Master," she playfully quipped, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

Obi-Wan grinned back at her, "Oh, trust me," he began with a twinkle in his eye, "After what you two put me through, I'm quite excited for a little bit of boring."

Anakin rolled his eyes at their banter, his affection for both of them evident. The shuttle's landing gear extended, signaling their arrival at the Jedi Temple.

As they disembarked, Obi-Wan looked at Anakin with a mixture of pride and concern, "Be safe, Anakin," he said, his voice carrying the weight of their long history together.

Anakin nodded solemnly, his Jedi robes billowing as he made a respectful bow. "May the Force be with you, old friend.”

Obi-Wan smiles at his brother, “And with you.”

As the two walk off, shoulder to shoulder, Anakin wraps his arm around Evelyn’s waist, “Last one there has to buy the caf refill,” he says, swiftly unhooking her lightsaber, dropping it to the ground as he sprints towards the fleet in a fit of laughter.

Chapter Text

Anakin walks into the hull with Evelyn and Ashoka flanking his sides, "Obi-Wan finished meeting with the council, and he's on his way with the 212th and the 7th," Anakin announces to the ship, "With any luck, this war will be over within the month," he says confidently.

Evelyn playfully bumped Anakin's shoulder, a mischievous grin on her face, "Master Kenobi says there's no such thing as luck," she says with a teasing grin.

Ashoka chuckles, "Good thing Anakin taught us otherwise," she quips as the three laugh.

"General, Prime Minister Almec is on the comm," the pilot says as Anakin nods at his newly promoted Commander.

"Send him through!" Rex responds back as Almec appears on a hologram.

Anakin's expression darkened as he watched Almec's holographic image materialize. The Prime Minister of Mandalore was not a welcome sight for him, given Almec's involvement in the murder of someone Anakin had once been lucky to call a friend.

"What is the meaning of this invasion?" Almec demanded angrily, his tone accusatory, "The Republic's presence here is a direct violation of our treaty."

Bo Katan speaks up, "Your time has come, Almec" she taunts, "We know you're Maul's puppet, and we are coming for him," she says, pointing at the fraud menacingly.

Almec smiles, "Ah! Mistress Bo-Katan, the traitor," he labels the sister of the late Duchess as he crosses his arms, "I should have known you were behind this incursion," he says sarcastically, "Siding with the Republic will make you an enemy in the eyes of the people."

Anakin and Evelyn look at each other, feeling a disturbance in the force, "She's nothing like her sister," Anakin mumbles to Evelyn as Bo-Katan rolls her eyes.

Evelyn rested her hand gently on Anakin's elbow, her touch reassuring, "What's the plan?" she asked, her eyes locked onto his.

Anakin strokes his chin, but before he can say anything, Bo-Katan speaks up, "I already have one," she says as she pulls up her plan, almost causing Anakin to cringe. 

"This is a terrible plan", Anakin thinks to himself, furious at the arrogance of the person who got her own sister killed.

The room fell into an awkward silence, and all eyes turned to Anakin, expecting him to provide a better alternative as Bo Katan stood up, challenging Anakin, "I said that out loud, didn't I?" Anakin jokes, "Well I'm not wrong," Anakin defends, approaching the holo table.

"Maul has his forces everywhere, and I'm not talking about Death Watch," Anakin says pointing to the underground tunnels, "I've been sitting in on some council meetings, and there's been a recent development of a criminal empire led by Maul rising through the ranks to rival the Hutts," Anakin says, shocking everyone in the room except Evelyn, "He's going to have his forces everywhere."

Bo-Katan growled impatiently, her eyes fixed on Anakin, "So hotshot, what's your plan?" she demanded.

Anakin smirks as he pushes a button, bringing up a full map of Mandalore, "We need to liberate the citizens before we do anything," Anakin explains.

"Also, Death Watch is the bigger threat, so we save them for last - take down the Crimson Dawn before we do anything regarding Maul," Evelyn chimes in, being fully in the loop of Maul's growing empire.

 Anakin turns to Ashoka, Rex, and Evelyn, "You guys know the endgame?" He asks as they all nod, "Good," Anakin says before turning back to Bo Katan's forces, "I'm not comfortable sharing anything else in case we have spies," Anakin says, looking directly at Bo Katan, "I have an endgame, and hopefully by three days, Mandalore will be free and at peace once again."

Evelyn couldn't help but smile at Anakin's leadership, "Couldn't have said it better myself, Sky Guy," Ahsoka added with a smirk.

Anakin nods, "Jesse, I want you to take a squad to the east side of Mandalore and do some recon, Rex, do the same with Ashoka and your ARC troopers on the west," Anakin says before turning to Bo-Katan, "Have the rest of your troops take the south, and Evelyn and I are taking the north," Anakin says definitively.

"By yourselves?" Anakin hears one of the Mandalorian troops wonder out loud.

Ignoring the skeptical Mandalorian, Anakin continues, "Do not, under any circumstances do anything stupid."

Evelyn coughs, looking directly into Bo Katan's eyes, "He means engage with any enemies," she says firmly, "Learned that the hard way," she says humorously as Anakin chuckles.

"We have our marching orders, move out," Anakin says as he spins on his heel with Evelyn on his tail.

The two head to their starfighter as the other squads move to stealth fighters so they go unnoticed by Mandalorian forces. 

***

Anakin and Evelyn make their way down to the surface relatively unnoticed before getting a transmission from Obi-Wan that he's on his way, "Well that was fast," Anakin says in shock, surprised that Obi-Wan debriefed the council so quickly.

"Well, it was Master Kenobi," Evelyn says with a smirk, "He does make the negotiations short," Anakin openly laughs at Evelyn's mockery of Obi-Wan.

But as they gazed out at the planet's surface, their mood shifted. This was no time for shenanigans; they were on the precipice of a dangerous confrontation with Maul.

Evelyn's expression shifted to one of shock as she noticed Mandalorian ships approaching the capital city, "Anakin..." she began, her voice filled with concern.

Anakin slams his fist on his ship so hard that the metal dents, "Damn it!" Anakin yells, "I gave strict orders to Bo-Katan, and she-"

Evelyn swiftly turned toward Anakin, her hand reaching out to gently cradle his face. The touch was grounding, and the darkness in his eyes vanished instantly, "Hey," she whispers, her voice soothing Anakin by the second, "Let's play this right, yeah?"

Anakin nodded; his anger quelled by Evelyn. He raised his comm device and contacted Rex and Ahsoka.

"Rex, Ahsoka, come in," Anakin said into the comm.

"Loud and clear, General," came the prompt response.

Evelyn nods at Anakin, "Obi-Wan's on his way, but Bo-Katan decided to take the invasion into her own hands," Anakin spits out, "Have your men back her up and take a squad with Ashoka down into the underground tunnels to scout out Maul," Anakin demands.

Ahsoka's voice came over the comm, inquiring about their plans. "And what of you and Evelyn?"

Evelyn smirks at her equal, "We're gonna have some fun," Anakin says as he shuts off the device, "Let's go take care of some cronies," he says with a smile as Evelyn's face glows up and she follows Anakin, igniting her orange blade. 

Anakin and Evelyn turn the corner and see some Crimson Dawn thugs as he too ignites his cobalt blade, charging at the men who barely stood a chance against two of the order's best.

***

Over the next few hours, the team on Mandalore slowly takes down Maul's forces, but Anakin hasn't heard back from Ashoka and Rex in a while and starts to get paranoid, "Anakin, come in."

Anakin looks to his wrist and smiles, "Master, I need you to go to the tunnels underground to find Ashoka and Rex," Anakin says without hesitation, worried about his friends.

"Alright," Obi-Wan responds, "And what of you and Evelyn?"

Anakin and Evelyn walk right in front of the throne room, "There's only one way to stop a psychopath," Anakin begins.

"Cut the head off," Evelyn finishes for Anakin.

Obi-Wan nods as he gets off his ship, "I'll get started on the evacuation after I find them," Obi-Wan says, "Be careful, you two."

"No promises," Anakin says before disconnecting.

Anakin looks over at Evelyn, who looks a little worried, "I have a bad feeling about this," she whispers as Anakin walks up to her.

"Ev," he says gently, "We're going to finish this," Anakin placed his flesh hand on her cheek, his touch warm and comforting.

Evelyn mirrored his gesture, their foreheads touching as they closed their eyes. Anakin's voice was soft and sincere as he spoke, "I'm never leaving you, Ev. I promise."

Evelyn nods her head, her eyes filled with trust and love. She had no doubt in her mind that the man in front of her meant every word he just said, "I promise too," she said gently as they chuckled softly. She started to say something more but hesitated, her mouth hanging half open.

"Tell me after?" Anakin asked, cutting her thoughts off, his eyes locked onto hers.

Evelyn nodded in agreement, "After," she affirmed as Anakin took a deep breath.

With their unspoken feelings for each other simmering just below the surface, they broke the embrace and faced the looming threat ahead.

 Evelyn whispered, "Let's go," and Anakin nodded, his determination unwavering.

Together, they walked shoulder to shoulder into the throne room, subtly linking their pinkies before they found Maul, silently waiting for them.

"At last," Maul's voice echoed with malevolence, a sinister chuckle escaping his lips as he stood, tall and imposing, from the throne he had wielded for the second half of the Clone Wars.

His piercing yellow eyes bore into Anakin and Evelyn, who had wandered into his dark domain, "The Chosen One in my grasp," he sneered, his lips curling into a wicked grin. His gaze shifted to Evelyn, "And who is this?" he asked, his tone dripping with malice.

Anakin protectively steps in front of Evelyn as he growls, "Your reign of terror ends here and now, Maul," he states, igniting his blade as Evelyn follows suit, the room being illuminated in a blue and orange hue.

"Oh no, chosen one," Maul taunts, "It's just begun!" Maul ignites his crimson blade as he lunges at the duo. Anakin leans back in preparation as Maul swings for Evelyn's legs as she easily evades the strike before he moves on to Anakin, who goes full force. Anakin catches Maul's blade mid-air with the force as he spins around and tries to slice down his back before Maul sends a kick to Anakin's chest, sending him back a few feet.

Evelyn twirls her blade in her hands as she sends a flurry of attacks towards Maul, who blocks them easily. Maul ducks one of her swings as he aims to slice Evelyn's arm before being swung across the room by Anakin, who force jumps into the air, just barely missing Maul's neck, slicing Maul's blade in half just as his master did all those years ago, before being kicked across the room by Maul.

Maul raises his blade to swing at Evelyn before she pounces on Maul's laziness by jabbing, twirling, and slashing everywhere she can as she makes the transition into form five. Maul growls as Anakin joins the battle again, lunging at him, calling his lightsaber to him as he punches the Zabrak in the jaw before sending strikes everywhere he sees vulnerable.

Maul kicks Anakin off of him before he presses his own attacks against Evelyn. Anakin steps into Sorecu, along with Evelyn as Anakin furrows his eyebrows once Maul ignites the dark saber, and he struggles to keep up while Evelyn covers both him and herself.

And that's when shit hits the fan.

Evelyn decides to go into physical combat, throwing her foot up, only for her achilles to be sliced as she screams out in pain, alerting Anakin to her injury.

With a surge of anger and desperation, Anakin used the Force to push Maul out of the window, sending him hurtling through the void. As Maul vanished from view, Anakin crouched beside Evelyn, his concern etched across his face, "Ev!" he calls out, rushing over to her, eyes filled with worry.

Anakin crouches next to Evelyn, "Are you alright?" Anakin asks, looking at the hole in Evelyn's ankle.

Evelyn sits up, "Nothing I haven't had before," she jokes, thinking back to her hand on Skako Minor.

Suddenly, a deafening roar shattered the fragile peace. Anakin's instincts kicked in, and he acted swiftly, using the Force to push Evelyn against the furthest wall while positioning his lightsaber defensively. Maul crashed back into the room through the shattered window, his two sabers in hand.

Anakin snarls as he twirls his blade in his hand before Evelyn force pulls her lightsaber to her, "Ani!" Evelyn yells once she sees an opening. She throws her lightsaber and Anakin catches it with ease, going back into Djem So.

~

“Something’s wrong…”

“Go! I’ll handle this.”

~

Anakin gets an advantage and pushes his offense harder than ever before, using his physical strength as Maul struggles to maintain his balance, becoming truly terrified of the Jedi in front of him.

In a last-ditch effort to survive, Maul uses the force to crush the pillar next to Evelyn, and Anakin gets a terrible case of déjà vu as he tries to stabilize the pillar before Maul slices Anakin's hilt in half as he jumps back, still holding on to Evelyn's orange saber in his right hand before he slices upwards on Anakin's right arm.

Anakin yells out as Maul digs his robotic leg into his knee. Maul force pushes Evelyn straight into a pillar, dazing her. Maul grabs Anakin's shoulder, painfully pulling him up while holding his crimson lightsaber to his neck.

"ANAKIN!" Evelyn shoots up, ignoring the gaping hole in her ankle, ready to attack.

"Move, and he dies!" Maul yells at the blonde Jedi. Evelyn looks at Anakin as the two hold each other's gaze for a minute, Evelyn silently pleading for Anakin to be spared, "I'm going to kill him anyways when Kenobi gets here."

Evelyn holds her hands up, as her lightsaber rolls right in front of her, maybe five feet in front of Anakin as she opens her mouth to speak, but nothing comes out, "Ev," Anakin mumbles, not knowing what to say. His eyes shoot over to Evelyn's saber just a few feet away from him.

"Don't even think about it, Skywalker," Evelyn tells him through the force.

Anakin slightly shakes his head, "Evelyn, it's the only way you get out of this alive. Tell Obi-Wan that I love him."

Everything happens so fast.

Evelyn barely hears the glass above her shatter when sees Anakin reaching his hand out, pulling her blade to him with the force, but before he can get the blade in his hand, Maul knocks Anakin in the head before throwing him out of the window.

“ANAKIN!” Evelyn yells out as he vanishes to the depths below. She looks over back to Maul, but she instead sees Ahsoka Tano standing adjacent to Maul, a pile of glass shards being crushed under her feet.

“You’re going to pay for that,” Ahsoka promises as she lunges into battle with the former Sith.

And Evelyn’s mind goes dark…

~

Anakin opens his eyes to find himself in a surreal realm, lying on a translucent bridge that seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction. The bridge was bathed in a calming bluish glow, providing a stark contrast to the surrounding void of darkness. Confusion gripped his mind as he took in his surroundings.

Suddenly, a familiar voice pierced through the eerie silence, calling his name. Anakin's head snapped around, and there, standing before him, was Qui-Gon Jinn, the Jedi Master who had rescued him from a life of slavery.

"Master?" Anakin gasped, his voice filled with a mixture of joy and confusion.

Qui-Gon greeted him with a warm smile, his blue eyes radiating serenity, "Hello, Anakin.”

“Am I dead?”

Qui-Gon's smile remains gentle as he steps closer to Anakin. "No, Anakin, you are not dead,” he replied, his voice carrying a soothing reassurance. “You are in a place between life, death, and time itself... A world between worlds, if you will.”

Anakin's eyes widen in confusion, "But I died,” he thinks aloud, “I failed.”

Qui-Gon shakes his head, his voice filled with understanding, "You didn't fail, Anakin," he assured him. "You faltered, as every Jedi does at some point in their lives. But you still have a role to play in the galaxy."

Anakin's heart pounds in his chest as he tries to process the situation, “There’s more to do?"

Qui-Gon's expression becomes solemn, "Anakin, the Force has a purpose for you. It brought you here to show you that your journey is not over,” he explains, his words ringing in an echo, “You must return to the living, to the galaxy that still needs your guidance and strength."

Anakin looks down, conflicted, "I've always struggled with the guidance part, Master,” he says honestly, “My emotions have often led me astray. How can I guide an entire galaxy when I’m struggling to guide myself?”

Qui-Gon places a hand on Anakin's shoulder, "Your emotions are a part of you, Anakin, and they can be a source of strength, but you must learn to balance them,” he says, helping Anakin’s inner conflict subside, “This galaxy needs you, now more than ever. And you are at your strongest when you are with the one that you guided.”

Anakin takes a deep breath, “Yes, Master.”

Qui-Gon smiles at his young pupil, “Remember, you are the Chosen One,” he reminds, the weight of his words ring heavily, “Embrace your destiny, but never forget the light within you,” Anakin nods solemnly, ready to finally step up to the plate and fulfill his destiny, “Remember Anakin; the Force will be with you, always."

As Qui-Gon's words fade, Anakin feels a powerful surge of energy coursing through him, and his vision of the world between worlds begins to blur. He closes his eyes as he is transported back to the world of the living, ready to face his destiny with a new purpose.

~

Anakin's eyes shoot open as he gasps for air, finding himself in front of the throne room, where he was just with Evelyn before they entered, "EV!" Anakin yells out, barging in with a roar.

The massive doors swung open with a deafening crash, revealing a breathtaking spectacle. Ahsoka Tano was engaged in a relentless battle against Maul. Her dual blue lightsabers danced through the air, a blur of agility and precision. Maul, the once-dreaded Sith Lord, now struggled to match her pace, forced on the defensive.

Anakin's lips curled into a confident smirk as he watched the fierce duel unfold. Without a moment's hesitation, he summoned Evelyn's lightsaber to his hand, the orange blade blazing to life with a radiant glow. His arrival did not go unnoticed by the combatants. Both Maul and Ahsoka froze, their expressions shifting between fear and surprise.

"Like I said," Anakin declared with unwavering determination, his eyes locked on Maul, "Your reign of terror? It ends now."

With the Force as his ally, Anakin surged forward, closing the distance between himself and the crimson-skinned Sith. Ahsoka, ever the fearless warrior, followed his lead, her lightsabers ignited and ready for their final showdown.

The throne room became a whirlwind of flashing blades and raw power as Maul desperately tried to fend off the relentless assault of the two Jedi. Anakin's attacks were fueled by the last words he and Qui-Gon shared and his burning desire to protect the galaxy from the Sith's malevolent grip. Ahsoka's every move was a testament to her skill and determination, her twin blades carving through the air like a deadly dance.

Anakin and Ahsoka fought in perfect harmony as if no time had passed between the two of them, their connection in the Force guiding their every move.

Ahsoka uses Anakin’s body as a pivot, throwing herself over and around Maul as if she were a human-sized yo-yo, and Maul's once-confident demeanor crumbled under the relentless onslaught. His strikes grew less precise, and his defenses weakened with each passing second.

With a final, decisive strike, Anakin disarmed Maul, using his lightsaber to go over and around, slicing his arm off. Ahsoka swiftly moved to incapacitate him, ensuring he posed no further threat to the galaxy.

And with one final strike, Ahsoka cuts Maul vertically in half, ensuring his death. The room fell into an eerie silence, broken only by the heavy breathing of the victorious Jedi.

“Just like old times, yeah?” Ahsoka says with a smirk, turning to Anakin.

Anakin nods, still heavily breathing, “I wouldn’t have it any other way."

Finally coming back down from his adrenaline rush, Anakin rushes over to the still-unconscious Evelyn as Ahsoka lingers behind, letting Anakin check on her.

Anakin slowly brings Evelyn back to consciousness, pressing his hand to her forehead before grabbing her arms, knowing how she reacts when waking up, “Hey Ev,” Anakin says with a loving smile, “It’s over.”

Finally getting all her marbles in a row, Evelyn realizes what’s in front of her, “You’re safe,” she says quickly, desperately throwing her arms around him, “I thought I lost you,” she sobbed.

Anakin releases their hug, and Evelyn instantly moves to place his cheeks in her palms, "Hey, hey, you're okay, it’s okay, I’m okay," Anakin assures as he feels Evelyn relax, laying her head back in his lap, "We finished it," he whispers, wiping her tears away, "We did it," he says, running his hands through her blood-stained strands of hair.

Obi-Wan, Rex, and Cody bolted into the throne room, "What happened?!" Obi-Wan demands while Rex and Cody pump Maul full of blaster bolts, making sure he stays dead.

Ahsoka stands up, joining Obi-Wan and the clones, explaining the situation to him.

Obi-Wan smiles at his brother, "I'm glad you're okay, Anakin," Obi-Wan says with a proud smile as he squats down across from Evelyn, "I'm proud of you," he whispers in Anakin's ear. Anakin's eyes swell up with tears as Evelyn wipes them off quickly. Obi-Wan gently smiles at the two in front of him before they both pass out due to exhaustion in each other's arms Obi-Wan sees the very obvious hole in Evelyn's ankle, though Anakin seems to be unscathed, "Stabilize them" Obi-Wan tells the medics that rush in before turning back towards them, "And don't separate them, not even for a second."

"Yes, Sir," Kix responds, going to work on his general and commander.

Obi-Wan smiles. By any means, he is not stupid, he knows that Anakin and Evelyn love each other very dearly. He's not going to say anything because all he's ever wanted for Anakin was to be truly happy.

And that's what Evelyn makes him.

Chapter Text

The next week, despite his newfound level of self-control, Anakin mom walks the halls of the barracks hall, a giant smile plastered on his face as he stops at the door that he's become so familiar with over the past seven months.

He doesn't even have to knock, the door swings wide open, "Hey, you," Evelyn says softly, leaning on the door, getting used to the beskar implant in her ankle, seeing Anakin's smile as one grows on her face as well, "Everything alright?"

Anakin nods, a bright smile on his face, "The council needs to see us," Evelyn tilts her head in confusion, knowing that Anakin hates council meetings, "Something about the war ending soon," he elaborates, lying through his teeth.

Evelyn nods, “We don't want to keep them waiting, do we?" She says smoothly, grabbing her brown cloak, walking out of her room, and joining Anakin in stride toward the central elevator.

"I'm proud of you," Anakin says in the elevator as Evelyn looks at him with a smile, "I hope you know that."

Evelyn nods, "You never cease to remind me," she says, still trying to catch a rhythm in her strides.

Anakin nods happily, "Good. You're coming into your own," he continues, "You stopped me from killing Count Dooku in cold blood, you stood toe to toe with Darth Maul, and you're alright with a lightsaber," he says teasingly, knowing that she rivals even him in that regard.

Evelyn bumps his shoulder, "You're not too bad yourself, Master," Evelyn says as both of them cringe at the title, knowing that she has to keep appearances by calling him that.

Even though that is absolutely not what he is.

Anakin reaches out to open the door, "Please," he says, the doors slamming open to the pitch black room a warm smile on his face, "In the eyes of the Jedi, it's Anakin from now on."

Evelyn looks at Anakin, confused as he slips into the darkness, Evelyn follows suit, but finds herself in the middle of the council chambers as 13 lightsabers ignite, Yoda standing on his chair, catching her off guard.

She looks towards Anakin, standing right next to Obi-Wan, both wearing proud smiles on their face, "Step forward, Young Zaad," Yoda demands. Evelyn does as the Grand Master asks, kneeling before him, honored to be a part of a legendary lineage of Jedi.

"Evelyn Zaad," Yoda intoned, moving his saber to her right shoulder, "By the right of the Council," he continued, shifting the saber to her left, "By the will of the Force," Yoda hovered his saber over Evelyn's head, "I dub thee, Jedi," he declared, severing Evelyn's braid, "Knight of the Republic."

Evelyn rises and is shocked when the last person she expected puts his hand on her shoulder, "Congratulations, Zaad," Mace Windu says with a smile, "You have been through a lot of adversity to get here, and speaking for the council, we know you will do right by the order and the galaxy."

Anakin's jaw drops in shock, as does Evelyn’s, but she contains it, "Thank you, Master," Evelyn responds, bowing her head in respect before walking over to Anakin and Obi-Wan, giving a huge hug to Anakin, who swings her off of her feet in pure excitement, and a hug to Obi-Wan as well, celebrating together.

***

Anakin's again in the halls of healing, trying to figure out what his next step would be. He's trained Ashoka, he’s guided Evelyn, but what does he want to do for the next few years?

He snapped out of his thoughts when the doors behind him slid open and he heard an audible gasp. He whips his head around and sees Evelyn with a hand clasped over her mouth, tears threatening to pour out of her eyes.

Anakin knows immediately that she saw the scars on his back - the ones he got from the war, from Watto.

She saw them all.

He stands up, putting his hand out, "Who did this to you?" Evelyn demands, walking over to Anakin, quickly turning him around, and running her hands over his scars as if she's trying to take them away from him.

She's not happy when Anakin doesn't respond, so she spins him around again, grabbing his face with her hands, feeling his pain, "Ani," she says, her voice full of love and compassion, "How did you survive this?"

He opens his mouth, trying to find the words, but he can't get them out, but she knows. It's the most obvious thing in the world.

"Obi-Wan?" Evelyn asks, coming to the realization that Obi-Wan will never know how much he really means to Anakin. Anakin nods, knowing that he would be completely lost without Obi-Wan Kenobi - his brother.

Evelyn reaches down to grab a shell-shocked Anakin's robes and puts them over his chest, covering Anakin up, "Come on," she says, grabbing Anakin's hand, lacing their fingers together as she helps him out of the chambers, and takes him to her room.

She never truly realized how much pain Anakin's really been through. He's the most kind and loving man she's ever met, how could some monster do this to someone like him?

She'll never know, but that's not going to stop her from scouring the galaxy to find and kill the person who did this to him, "Stop thinking so loud," Anakin says with a hint of a smile as they walk through her door.

"How do I?!" Evelyn shouts, outraged that somehow, he's okay with all of this pain he's been put through, "You, the most compassionate one out of all of us, YOU are the one who has to experience all of this!" Evelyn rants, tears slowly flowing down her cheeks, "You don't deserve this," she says, tears starting to flood down her cheeks, "How could they?" She asks, voice breaking with each word she says.

Anakin rushes over to Evelyn, cupping her face with his hands, wiping all of her tears away, "Our hardships make us stronger, who we are today as people," Anakin says wisely, "Yours was losing your masters," Anakin takes a deep breath, knowing once he tells Evelyn, there's no going back, "Mine was being a slave on Tatooine," he whispers, finally opening up about his past to her.

Evelyn gazes at Anakin, her heart aching for the pain he's endured, the weight of it seeping into her very being. "All the struggles, all my complaints? You had all of this done to you and I was whining over the things that didn't matter," she whispers, her voice laced with empathy.

Anakin's expression tightens, a battle raging within him. He knows he should restrain his emotions, but the desire to let go tugs at him, "Don't say that," he pleads, his voice quivering on the edge of just saying fuck it to let himself finally feel the happiness that he’s always wanted with her, "Everything that matters to you matters to me."

Anakin momentarily loses himself but then forcefully steers away from that precipice. "Come on," he says, pulling her close as they head towards the coffee machine.

As Evelyn starts preparing the drink, her back pressed against Anakin's chest, she leans into him before turning around and enveloping him in a warm hug. Tear tracks still mark her cheeks as she looks up into his eyes, arms encircling his shoulders while his hands gently rest at her waist.

In a moment of recklessness, Evelyn decides to act on her feelings, knowing that what she's about to do violates the very code she's sworn to serve.

She rises on her toes and kisses his left cheek, then his right, feeling his grip on her tighten. "You're so brave," she murmurs, her lips inching closer to his, locking onto his gaze before flickering down to his lips.

Fuck it.

Anakin closes his eyes and presses his lips to Evelyn's, and she instantly returns it. Their kiss both firm and tender. He wraps his arms around her waist as she clings to the back of his neck, both of them wanting to stay in that moment forever.

When they finally pull away, Anakin has a warm smile as he rests his head inside the crook of her neck. Evelyn holds him for a moment before lifting his head, kissing him with more urgency, eager to continue, finally being able to act on the feelings that she's had for months.

One, two, three more kisses as Evelyn flips Anakin around, his back to the counter as she continues to smother Anakin with her love.

"Wait," Anakin pants, pulling away, concern in his voice, knowing where this is headed, "Are you sure?"

Evelyn doesn't initially answer with words but rather with a gentle brush of her lips against his, "I've never been surer of anything in my life," she conveys, her eyes filled with love.

Anakin's smile widens, a surge of relief washing over him, "Evelyn?" he starts, his voice trailing off, his eyes revealing the unspoken emotions that words can't express.

Evelyn, knowing exactly what Anakin is feeling at this moment, responds with a soft certainty, “I know, Anakin,” Anakin exhales as she smiles at him, love evident in her eyes, “I know.”

She pressed her lips to his once more, sealing their unspoken love confession in the only way she knew how. Her fingers twitch and the kitchen lights are turned off, plunging the room into a dimly lit aroma as she slides the brown over-cloak off her shoulders.

"Stay?"

Chapter Text

Anakin awoke to the soft sight of Evelyn sleeping peacefully beside him, her head nestled against his chest. A content smile played on his lips as he closed his eyes, reliving the events of the past eight hours in his mind.

Evelyn started to stir, rolling over to the side of the bed as she opened her eyes, seeing Anakin staring lovingly at her, "Hi," she whispered, her fingers gently brushing his cheek.

Anakin's smile grows wider than the sun, "Hi," he says, causing Evelyn to grow a serious blush on her face, "Sleep good?"

Evelyn rolls her eyes, "Please," she says, scooting over to stretch, "Best sleep of my life," she whispers before giving Anakin a loving kiss and nestling back into his chest, closing her eyes again, "What's today looking like?"

Anakin thinks, "I have to meet Obi-Wan for lunch," he says, excited, "Not have to, but just we planned it."

Evelyn nods in understanding, "Okay," she mumbles before wrapping her arms around Anakin, drifting back to sleep, not yet wanting to talk about whatever last night was.

***

Anakin rushed into Dex's Diner, running late for his meal, "Sorry I'm late, Obi-Wan," Anakin apologized, "I slept late," he said, sitting down in the booth across from his friend.

Obi-Wan waves him off, "Oh it's quite alright, I only just got here," he reassures, taking a sip of his drink, "So what did you need to talk about?"

Anakin and Obi-Wan talk for a few more minutes before Anakin spits out a question, "You and the Duchess more than friendly, weren't you?" Obi-Wan's jaw drops, "I'm sorry, I know she meant a lot to you."

Obi-Wan waves his friend off, "No no, it's quite alright," he says, taking another sip of his drink, "Satine and I were always very complicated," Obi-Wan explains, "When I was a young padawan, I was protecting her from a group of insurgents in the wake of her appointment to Duchess..."

Anakin cuts Obi-Wan off, sensing the pain his friend feels, "I'm sorry, Obi-Wan," Anakin says, "I know how important she was to you," Anakin and Obi-Wan sit in silence for a good while.

Obi-Wan pauses to stop the tears threatening to leak out of his eyes. He composes himself again before deciding to drop the bomb that Anakin didn't know was coming, "I loved her just as you love Evelyn," Anakin spits some of his drink out, his eyes widening by the second, fumbling over his thoughts, not being able to get words out, "Oh come on, you really think I'm that stupid?" Obi-Wan says with a knowing smirk.

Anakin, still trying to come back to his words, "No, master, I just-"

"Didn't expect me to go against the code?" Obi-Wan finishes for his brother, "Trust me, Anakin, if there's anything you should have learned over the past thirteen years is that you always keep an open mind," Obi-Wan says as the two fall into comfortable silence, "Are you happy?" Obi-Wan asks, breaking the silence.

Anakin looks up, "Yes," he says, almost instantly, knowing in his heart that Evelyn was the one who will save him from everything.

His escape artist.

"That's all I've ever wanted for you," Obi-Wan says, "You're my brother."

Anakin's eyes lock onto Obi-Wan's, full of emotion, "You're mine."

***

Anakin and Obi-Wan are walking the halls of the temple, arms crossed, acknowledging the respectful nods from others within the temple. "Now that Evelyn is a Knight, do you plan on taking another apprentice?" Obi-Wan asks his friend, curious about his future.

The long-haired Jedi simply shrugs, "I'm not sure," he says honestly as the two round a corner, heading to the landing port of the temple, "I think that I'll take a break, learn more about the Force before I make my glorious return to teaching," Anakin says with a large smile on his face.

Obi-Wan laughs with his former student, "Now we both know that this return of yours will be anything but glorious, my old friend," the Master quips, pulling Anakin's leg.

Anakin rolls his eyes, "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Obi-Wan," he says teasingly.

Obi-Wan strokes his beard, feeling the Force around him, "And what of you, Evelyn?" Anakin whips his head around, starting to become flustered, looking for his...

what is she exactly?

Evelyn pops out from the corner they just turned, cheeks red with embarrassment, "I-um, was wondering if I could maybe take one on?" The woman says nervously.

Anakin takes in her raw beauty. She's wearing her hair down now since she doesn't have to have her braid showing, and she's absolutely perfect.

Obi-Wan narrows his eyes, quite literally hearing Anakin's thoughts, "Are you sure?" He asks the young Jedi, only a couple months away from twenty, "Training a Jedi is a great responsibility, just look at your old master, he was quite the handful," Obi-Wan pokes, taking a chance to tease Anakin once again.

"Yeah a handful that saved your ass ten times," Anakin mumbled under his breath, crossing his arms.

"NINE!" Obi-Wan strongly corrects.

Evelyn and Anakin roll their eyes, "Oh, come on Master, that business on Cato Nemoidia will always count," Evelyn snickers, giving Anakin a fist bump.

Obi-Wan turns to Anakin, mock betrayal written on his face, "You told her?" Anakin's smile grows wider, "Of course you did," he pouts knowingly. The three laugh together as they continue to walk across the halls of the temple before being summoned by the Council.

The trio make their way into the chambers, where Anakin and Evelyn stand in the middle, not yet being members of the Council. Evelyn stands slightly behind Anakin, as he technically outranks her.

Anakin looks over to the empty seat next to Ki Adi Mundi, vowing to make that seat his when the Council deems him worthy, "Masters, Grievous has landed on the Utapau system, thanks to the tracker that Master Kenobi planted on him during our confrontation," Anakin states, informing the Council on the dealings.

"Made aware of this, we were," Yoda states, giving an appreciative glance towards Anakin for his honesty.

"I suggest that he be the one to hunt him down," Anakin says, shocking a lot of members due to his openness, "I apologize for the bluntness, but however, Master Kenobi knows Grievous better than any of us, no offense to Master Fisto," Anakin says respectfully, "If anyone were to handle the situation, it would be him," Anakin says, confident in his Master's abilities.

Mace and Yoda look at each other, contemplating Skywalker's proposal, then nodding, "Very well," Mace Windu states, "Obi-Wan will lead the charge on Utapau, but not before we vote on something else," Mace turns his head to Obi-Wan, motioning him to speak.

Obi-Wan smiles, "Given that Anakin has taken down two of the three last remaining Sith Lords, I plead the case that Anakin Skywalker should be granted the rank of master and placed on the high council of the order," Obi-Wan says, causing Anakin's jaw to drop dead to the floor.

Evelyn turns to Anakin, so excited for him, seeing the happiness radiate off of him, realizing that she's witnessing history.

Mace and Yoda look around the room, tracking the head nods from the other Masters. Mace Windu stands up, walking up to Anakin, "I apologize for ever doubting your loyalty to the order, Master Skywalker," Mace says, reaching a hand out to Anakin, who takes it with a humble smile on his face.

"I will do right by the Order and the galaxy, Master," Anakin vows, bowing his head respectfully.

Mace Windu walks back to his seat, "Take a seat," Mace motions to the empty seat Anakin had laid eyes on moments before. Anakin bows before walking over to the empty chair, pride radiating off of Evelyn's face.

Evelyn turns to Yoda, "Master Yoda, is there a youngling that is ready to be taken as a Padawan?" Evelyn asks curiously, piquing the interest of the grand master, "If so, I'd like to take one on," she says confidently.

Yoda thinks for a moment, "Mm, yes, a Padawan we have. Ready, he is," Yoda states, "Great master to him, you will be," Yoda states, getting up from his seat, "Come," Evelyn bows to the council before following Yoda into the corridor, "Great teacher, you will be," Yoda praises, "Honored am I to have you in my lineage."

Evelyn smiles at the Grand Master, "Master, I'm kind of nervous," Evelyn admits to the green Jedi, not knowing what to expect.

Yoda chuckled softly as they continued their silent walk to the training rooms. Evelyn sits down with Yoda as the two watch a Wookiee youngling go through the normal training exercises, and Evelyn is extremely impressed with his prowess and athleticism, reminding her of a Wookiee she once met when Master Piell was still alive.

Evelyn waits for him to finish before she walks up, taking the gentle approach, just as Anakin did to her, "Hi," she says, sitting down to his level, "How would you like to become a padawan?" She asks, getting an excited look from the Wookiee, "I'm Evelyn, and if you'd like, I'd love to become your master."

The Wookiee roars in excitement, happy to finally be taken by a master, given that Petro, Byph, and Katooni have already been selected.

"Well, Gungi, let's get to work," she says, standing up and guiding her new padawan to the sparring deck.

Anakin peeked around the corner, his heart swelling with pride as he watched the woman who had taught him so much. He was about to head to the restricted section of the temple to continue his studies on finding the Sith Lord when a message from Rex interrupted his plans.

Come to base. Emergency.

***

Anakin barges into the room, Kix right on his tail, "How is he?" Anakin asks his Captain, concern written all over his face.

Rex looks at his general, and shakes his head, "Appo... didn't make it," he says sadly, "Kix is going to run some scans right now to determine the cause of this."

Anakin nods, crossing his arms across his chest, as Kix walks back into the room, "Results?"

Kix looks at the tablet in his hands, "Sir, it appears that there's an anomaly in the chip that caused an infection, spreading to the brain, most likely caused by the Mandalorian atmosphere," Kix hypothesizes.

Anakin nods, "How do we stop this from spreading?" He asks, wanting to keep as many clones as safe as possible.

"I have an idea," Kix responds, sending a message to the legion before getting to work.

***

Anakin and Obi-Wan are walking on a landing platform, just underneath them, clones are loading up their fleet, "Are you sure you're going to be alright without me?" Anakin teases, crossing his arms.

"I feel this might just be a wild bantha chase," Obi-Wan responds with a chuckle, "We do know how Grievous operates."

Obi-Wan turns to leave, "Master!" Anakin calls out, running towards him, "I hope I haven't disappointed you," Anakin says softly, "I hope you know that I very much appreciate your training, even though I'm overly arrogant sometimes," he says apologetically.

Obi-Wan smiles at his former student, "You are strong and wise, Anakin, and I am very proud of you," he says honestly, "You will be an even greater Jedi than you are now, remember that will you?" Anakin nods, "And be wary of the Chancellor," Obi-Wan says softly, Anakin giving Obi-Wan of confusion, "Just keep an eye out for anything suspicious, and tell me immediately," Anakin nods in response before Obi-Wan nods, walking off, Anakin by his side as they continue talking to each other before saying farewell.

"Obi-Wan!" Anakin calls, unmoving, "May the Force be with you."

Obi-Wan smiles at Anakin, "Goodbye, brother," he says, "May the Force be with you," Obi-Wan turns around, walking down a ramp before entering the Republic Cruiser.

Anakin turns on his heel, walking back into temple, heading for the archives. Jocasta Nu greets him with a smile as he heads towards the restricted section, where he holes himself up for hours, studying everything he can about the Force, the Jedi, and the Sith.

***

Evelyn paces around the balcony, Gungi standing directly across from her, "Let's focus on Shii-Cho, and once you're efficient enough, we'll work our way up," Evelyn orders her new student.

Gungi nods in excitement, always being one with little words before pulling his saber to his hands, using the random strikes of the form to his advantage. 

Evelyn plans to recruit Anakin to help Gungi with strength training, knowing that even a Wookiee like Gungi needs proper training to understand how to train his body. 

Evelyn steps into her Sorecu defense, swiftly blocking each strike before sweeping Gungi's legs out from underneath him, not taking it easy, "They won't fight fair," she says, offering a hand to her padawan, "Always get back up," she teaches, just as Tiplar taught her.

Gungi nods, grunting at himself, "It's okay to fail sometimes, that's why we practice," Evelyn continues, Gungi paying intense attention to his Master before he sees a butterfly flying over them. 

The young Wookiee smiles, pointing at the beautiful creature, causing Evelyn to smile at the fact that Gungi takes time to appreciate the beauty of nature. 

***

Evelyn walks into an office, "You wanted to see me?" 

Palpatine spins around in his chair, "Yes, I did, Master Jedi," Palpatine says, an innocent smile on his face.

Oh, but it was far from innocent...

***

A dark hooded figure steps off a shuttle, being caught in the rain as he walks into the cloning facility on Kamino. He uses the force to mask his presence, walking directly to the far corner of the facility.

"How's Project Knightfall progressing?" The man growls at a Kaminoan.

"Right on schedule, Lord Tyrannus," he responds, opening a capsule, revealing Anakin Skywalker, short hair, no scars, and all limbs intact, floating in a tube.

Tyrannus laughs, "You really shouldn't have let me get a hand on that hand of yours, Skywalker," he says to himself.

Dooku walks out of the facility, activating his comm, "Master, Operation Knightfall is ready."

"Good, Lord Tyrannus," Sidious says, laughing, "The Jedi Order is nearing its end."

Chapter Text

In the heart of the Jedi Temple's training grounds, where the sunlight beamed down onto the medium-sized balcony, Anakin Skywalker and Mace Windu stood facing each other. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation as the two Jedi Masters prepared to engage yet again in their spar.

Anakin and Mace had always butted heads. It was no secret to all of the Jedi on the High Council, but today? Today, they wanted to put a start to burying the hatchet, and the only way they both knew to build trust between peers was one thing.

Sparring.

And as he did several hours ago, Anakin moved first.

The duel resumed with calculated strikes and parries, each move precise and deliberate. They exchanged blows with remarkable speed and agility, the lightsabers clashing in a symphony of energy and skill. The Jedi apprentices who had been practicing nearby had paused hours ago to watch in awe as their masters demonstrated the extremely detailed art of combat.

These two Jedi Masters were arguably the best duelists that the order had to offer, along with Plo Koon, Yoda, Obi-Wan, Kit Fisto, and even Evelyn Zaad.

The two Jedi danced around each other in an organized fashion, knowing each calculated move they would make before it was even made.

As they continued to exchange blows, it became evident that they were not simply fighting for the sake of competition. It was a duel of respect; a display of trust being built through mutual combat. With every clash of their blades, the tension between them seemed to dissipate, replaced by a growing understanding.

Meanwhile, not far from the training grounds, Evelyn and Gungi are walking to the mess hall after their training, "I hope I didn't push you too hard today," Evelyn says, wiping sweat off her brow.

Gungi shakes his head, "I enjoy the challenge, Master," Gungi says back, happy that he's being pushed to be as great as he can be.

Evelyn closed her eyes for a moment, her mind briefly flashing back to the disturbing visions of Anakin's death in the Senate chamber. She fought to suppress the haunting images, unwilling to let them consume her thoughts.

The two keep walking before she hears lightsabers clashing in the distance. Evelyn looks at Gungi, motioning her head towards her and Anakin’s favorite balcony to spar on.

She’s still harboring a little bit of saltiness towards Anakin since he won’t allow their score to even out during sparring sessions. She’s beaten him 45% of the times they’ve entered the ring. Maybe it’s her pride speaking, but he cheats every time!

As the two walk onto the balcony, Gungi’s jaw quite literally hits the floor, the astonishment written all across his face as Anakin leaps onto a pillar, narrowly missing a strike from Windu that would have cost him the dual.

Evelyn watched the duel unfold, her eyes sharp and analytical. As the clash of lightsabers continued, she couldn't help but hope that this sparring session would not only improve Anakin's relationship with Mace but also offer her Padawan an understanding of how great he could be.

Mace is immediately put on the backpedal as Anakin presses his attacks, cold and calculated strikes driving the Master of the Order back on his heels. However, Mace quickly tips the scales, sweeping Anakin’s legs from underneath, swinging down, but missing Anakin completely as the Chosen One flips backwards, steadying himself as he waits for the next wave of attacks.

Four hours of sparring against Mace Windu was tiring, sue him.

The two Jedi, covered in sweat, nod at each other before deactivating their sabers, bowing to each other symbolizing the end of their dual. Mace walks over to Anakin with a grin on his face, clapping the young Master on the shoulder as they head to get some water.

Evelyn smiles at the two as Windu walks away from Anakin, and decides to make her way towards him.

Anakin turns around to feel someone directly run into him, "Oh, sorry," he looks down and sees Evelyn looking up at him, a giant smile on her face.

Anakin Skywalker stood before her, a wide grin on his face as he peered down at Evelyn. His teasing tone filled the air, "Watch where you're going, Zaad," he playfully chided, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement.

Evelyn's eyes snap over to Gungi, quickly separating from Anakin, "This is my new apprentice, Gungi," Evelyn motions with a smile on her face, "Gungi, this is my best friend, Anakin Skywalker,” Anakin smiles at her, knowing that even through everything, they’re each other’s best friends over anything else.

Gungi stands frozen in his place, not fully believing that he's meeting the Master Skywalker - the Jedi that he's looked up to for the past three years.

"How's it going?" Anakin asks, bowing respectfully to Gungi.

Gungi found himself momentarily stunned by the presence of the legendary Jedi Master he had looked up to for years. His towering figure exuded an aura of power and wisdom. Gathering himself, Gungi finally manages to make a respectful bow to one of his idols, "Pleasure to meet you, Master Skywalker," he said, his voice filled with reverence.

Anakin bowed towards the padawan with respect, “Likewise,” he responded with warmth as he started to walk away.

"Where are you off to, Master?" Evelyn asks teasingly, a smirk plastered on her face.

"The Chancellor invited me to an opera," he says, returning the smile, "I'm not sure what to expect, but I'll enjoy the time I have with him," Anakin assures before giving Gungi a friendly nod and heading in the direction of his intended destination.

***

"Anakin, NO!"

Evelyn shoots up from her bed, looking to her left as Anakin sleeps peacefully next to her. She doesn't care if she's leaving him, she has to go somewhere.

Anywhere but here.

With unsteady steps, Evelyn made her way through the dimly lit corridors of Anakin’s room. The Force guided her, though she didn't understand why, as she moved with purpose toward the Senate Building. Her instincts were her compass, and she couldn't ignore the call…

And Darth Sidious could not be more happy

Sure, he's pissed off that he couldn't complete Anakin's turn to the dark side, but if he's being perfectly honest, Evelyn was his next best option. The fact that she had about 22,000 midichlorians and had been able to master her craft under Anakin's guidance was good enough for his Empire.

Around an hour later, Evelyn emerged from the hallowed halls of the Senate Building. The memories of her vision still haunted her, but she knew she couldn't stay there. Determined to distance herself from the suffocating dread that had gripped her in her sleep, she climbed aboard her sleek blue Jedi starship.

***

"So, why are you here?" Obi-Wan asked her as the two walked stealthily across the rafters above General Grievous and his army.

Evelyn paused for a moment, considering her response carefully. She wasn't entirely sure if she was being entirely honest with herself, but she decided to share a fragment of her truth. "I had to clear my head," she admitted. It wasn't a lie; the relentless nightmares of the Jedi Order's fall and Anakin's death had been haunting her, and she needed to get away from that planet.

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow, his tone laced with both curiosity and understanding, "And leaving your apprentice on Coruscant and coming to help me end the war was the way to do that?" he asked, his teasing tone tempered by a recognition of her point.

Evelyn met his gaze evenly, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "Can't be a good master without a steady head," she countered, enjoying the challenge of conversation.

Obi-Wan nodded, acknowledging her perspective. He appreciated her quick wit and ability to hold her own in a conversation. "Let's go," he said, ready to descend into the fray. With a confident jump, he landed gracefully on the ground below, and Evelyn followed right behind him.

“Hello there.”

***

Anakin stands before a group of younglings in the training room of the Jedi Temple. The room is filled with the hum of lightsabers as the young Padawans practice their forms under his watchful eye. He wears a patient smile, his presence radiating a mix of authority and approachability.

Even though he hadn’t seen Evelyn in a couple of days. He woke up and she was just gone.

"Alright, everyone," Anakin addresses the younglings, "Today, we're going to work on your balance and focus. Let's form a circle."

The younglings gather in a circle, their curious eyes fixed on Anakin. He ignites his own lightsaber, the blue blade casting a vibrant glow across the room as the class gazes upon him in astonishment.

"Today, we're going to practice the art of balance," Anakin begins. "Physical balance is just as important as your connection to the Force. It's the foundation of your combat skills."

He proceeds to demonstrate various exercises, from simple poses that test their stability to more challenging stances that require concentration. The younglings follow his lead, attempting the poses with varying degrees of success. Anakin provides encouraging feedback and adjusts their positions when needed.

"Now, let's try something a bit more fun," Anakin suggests with a mischievous glint in his eye. He reaches into a container and pulls out a stack of small objects – some small stones, trinkets, and even a few small holocrons.

"We're going to balance these objects on the back of your hand using the Force," Anakin explains. "Remember, it's about finding the connection between your mind and the object. Let the Force guide you."

The younglings excitedly take the objects from Anakin, their brows furrowed in concentration. One by one, they attempt to balance the objects using the Force, and while some struggle at first, their determination shines through.

Anakin moves from one youngling to another, offering guidance and encouragement. "Relax your mind," he advises, "Feel the object's energy, its weight. Don't force it – let it find its place."

After several attempts, a young Twi'lek manages to balance a small Holocron on the back of her hand. Her face lights up with a mixture of surprise and accomplishment.

"Great job," Anakin praises her. "Remember, training is all about progress, not perfection."

As the training session continues, Anakin incorporates more playful elements into the exercises, like having the younglings walk across a low beam while maintaining their balance using the Force. Laughter and determination fill the room as the Padawans support and cheer each other on.

By the end of the session, the younglings are tired but satisfied. Anakin gathers them in a circle once more. "You all did exceptionally well today," he says with a smile, his voice filled with pride, "Balance is a skill that takes time to master, but each step you take brings you closer to becoming the Jedi that the Force made you to be."

The younglings exchange smiles, their sense of trust and happiness stronger than ever. Anakin deactivates his lightsaber and bows to them. "Continue to practice these techniques on your own and remember – the Force is your ally. Trust in it, and it will guide you."

With that, the younglings disperse, their spirits lifted by the training and their bond with Anakin. As the room empties, Anakin lingers for a moment, a sense of pride and fulfillment warming his heart.

Training the younglings wasn't just about honing their skills – it was about shaping the next generation of Jedi, instilling them with the values and teachings that had been passed down for centuries.

***

The battle on Utapau is fierce, but Obi-Wan and Evelyn fight side by side, each trusting the other's skills completely. After completely dismantling Grevious, the two Jedi joined Cody and the 212th on the ground as they ran the Separatists out of Utapau.

When the dust settles and victory is secured, Obi-Wan and Evelyn stand among the remnants of battle. Utapau is free, but the weight of their responsibilities remains.

"We did it," Obi-Wan says, his voice weary but full of relief.

Evelyn nods, a small smile touching her lips, "That we did."

Obi-Wan and Evelyn make their way up to the cruiser where Anakin is waiting for them on the holo table, "Evelyn, are you alright?" he asks, his eyes searching hers and his voice full of relief, finally pinpointing where she ran off to.

Evelyn meets his gaze and nods, grateful for his presence, "I'm okay, Anakin. Just needed to be in the action for a while."

Anakin's concern doesn't fully go away, but he understands her need for release, "You two did quite a job on Utapau," he acknowledges, prideful of the work that they just finished.

Obi-Wan smiles, "Teamwork, Anakin. Teamwork."

Evelyn's eyes flicker between her two companions, a sense of unity settling within her. Whatever challenges still lie ahead, they'll face them together.

Chapter Text

Anakin is going through some training exercises with Gungi since Evelyn had to go to Utapau. Anakin closely observed Gungi's performance against a group of training droids and couldn't help but be impressed by the Wookiee's natural talent.

"Good!" Anakin calls out, impressed with Gungi's impressive dueling against the droids, "Alright, come at me!" The Jedi Master challenges.

Gungi looks a little hesitant, knowing Anakin's dueling prowess, "Hey, be confident in yourself," Anakin teaches, "Let the Force flow through you, let it guide your movements," Gungi nods, closing his eyes, focusing on the Force.

With newfound determination, Gungi slowly approached Anakin, his lightsaber spinning in his hand. He adopted the form five combat stance, his movements demonstrating a level of skill that genuinely impressed Anakin.

Though a padawan is no match for The Chosen One, who easily knocks Gungi back to the ground, "Come on, what did Master Zaad teach you?"

"Always get back up, no matter what!" Gungi growls in response, eager to get back at it. The two keep going like this for an hour before Anakin stops the training.

"You're getting better," Anakin says, resting a hand on the Wookiee's shoulder, "You're going to be an incredible Jedi one day, Gungi," Anakin compliments. 

Gungi bows in respect, thankful for the compliment as the two sit down, drinking some water while they rest, "You realize that you're a part of the greatest and most powerful lineage of Jedi, right?" Anakin questions.

"Lineage?" Gungi responds, not knowing exactly what that means.

Anakin nods, going into explanation, "Well, a lineage is the line of a Jedi," Anakin says, not knowing exactly how to put it into words, "So, Master Yoda, grand master of the Order, he trained Count Dooku," Gungi's eyes go wide at the mention of the Sith Lord, "Before he left the order, Dooku was a great and wise Jedi, and he trained Master Qui Gon," Anakin looks down in sadness, missing his early mentor, "Master Qui Gon trained my master, Obi Wan-"

"And Master Kenobi trained you, who trained Master Zaad, who's training me!" Gungi says excitedly, catching on to what Anakin's saying.

Anakin laughs, "Exactly," he responds, helping Gungi to his feet, "Alright, let's go again!"

***

Evelyn and Obi Wan land back on Coruscant, "Home sweet home," Obi Wan says happily, a hint of nostalgia in his voice while his eyes reflected a sense of relief. In his arms, he held a case with the four lightsabers that Grievous stole as the two made their way down the exit ramp.

Evelyn, however, seemed preoccupied as she fidgeted with her fingers, her thoughts clearly elsewhere. Suddenly, she broke the silence, her tone somewhat distant, "I have a meeting," she announced abruptly, her gaze locked on the horizon as she made her way towards a nearby speeder.

Obi-Wan furrowed his eyebrows, his confusion evident. He trusted Evelyn implicitly but couldn't help but wonder about the unexpected meeting. He decided not to press the matter and let her go without questioning her further, knowing she had her reasons.

Evelyn's destination was the Senate building, a place she approached with a mixture of determination and trepidation. Despite her growing unease, she felt compelled to face the looming shadows of her visions. The haunting images of Anakin's death continued to haunt her, a future she desperately wished to prevent at all costs.

***

Under the veil of the Coruscant night, Evelyn and Anakin emerged from a familiar apartment building, having spent time with a long-time friend. Padmé Amidala stood at the doorway, a bittersweet smile on her face as she bid farewell to her old friend.

"Thank you for coming by," Padmé expressed her gratitude, her voice carrying a tinge of relief.

Anakin bows at the woman he's known for thirteen years, "Not a problem, Padmé," Anakin says quietly, "I'll contact you when I need you," Anakin says, giving her a knowing look.

"Be safe, Anakin," she whispers, taking him in an unexpected hug, not really knowing if she'll see him again. Anakin pulls away, as Padmé turns to Evelyn, bringing her into a friendly embrace, “You too, Evelyn.”

The two Jedi nod, “We’ll try our best,” Evelyn replied with a genuine smile, the promise of their commitment resonating in her words.

Anakin and Evelyn make their way into Anakin's yellow speeder as they wordlessly make their way back to the Temple. Anakin's hand found it’s natural place on Evelyn's inner thigh, mindlessly rubbing circles with his thumb on her thigh.

***

Evelyn shoots up, yet again, her heart racing as the remnants of a distressing dream cling to her mind. She's in her quarters at the Jedi Temple, the room illuminated by the soft glow of a single lamp. She sits up, her breath shaky, as she tries to shake off the feeling of unease that the dream has left behind.

Beside her, Anakin stirs, sensing her restlessness. He blinks awake, concern immediately etching his features as he notices her distress. He reaches out, gently placing a hand on her arm, the metal of his arm cool and comforting, "Evelyn, are you alright?" His voice is laced with worry, his eyes searching hers.

Evelyn's gaze meets his, and she takes a moment to steady her breath before she speaks. "It was a dream," she begins, her voice shaky.

Anakin's brow furrows, his concern deepening, knowing that she’s been continuously plagued by horrible nightmares. He shifts closer, his fingers brushing against hers. "Hey," he says softly, "I'm right here. I'm safe."

Evelyn nods, her fingers gripping his reassuringly. "I know," she replies, her voice filled with tears threatening to pool out of her eyes, "I've just been having dreams of you dying."

Anakin's eyes soften, his thumb gently stroking her hand, "I know," he murmurs, "Do you wanna talk about it?"

Evelyn shakes her head, tears starting to pool down her eyes, “Anakin, I can’t lose you,” she cries softly.

“Well, you’re not going to,” he says confidently, wrapping her up in his arms, her legs thrown across his, “I promise you, whatever dark and evil force is out there, I will not fall to its hand,” he reassures, “I’m kind of the best duelist in the Order,” he finishes with a small and quiet chuckle.

Evelyn's lips quirk into a small smile at his attempt to comfort her, "It just feels so real, Ani, and I'm terrified."

Anakin shifts even closer, "I'm here for you," he assures her, his voice steady and sincere. "No matter what dreams might try to tell you, I'm not going anywhere. I kind of have a prophecy to fulfill."

Evelyn leans into his embrace, finding solace in his warmth and presence. She rests her head against his shoulder, her fingers tracing absent patterns on his chest. "I don't want to lose you," she admits quietly, her voice tinged with vulnerability.

Anakin tightens his hold on her, his voice gentle yet firm. "You won't lose me, Love," Anakin promises, pulling Evelyn to his chest.

She lifts her head to meet his gaze, finding comfort in the sincerity she sees in his eyes. "Thank you," she says softly, gratitude lacing her words.

Anakin leans in, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead. "Anytime," he replies, his lips brushing against her skin, "I’d miss you too much to leave you anyways."

***

The next day in the senate building, Evelyn and Palpatine are walking side by side, "They don't trust you, Evelyn," Palpatine says sneakily, "And your old master is holding you back, it appears."

Evelyn nods, "It's not Anakin," Evelyn insists, staring at the wall, "I know that there are things that they're not telling me about the Force," Evelyn grits through her teeth, frustrated at the council, wanting to save Anakin.

"You must break through the fog of discrepancies and lies that the Jedi tell you," Palpatine says, leading them out of his office, "Let me help you know the subtleties of the Force."

Evelyn furrows her eyebrows, "How do you know the ways of the Force?" She asks, concern rising every step she takes.

Palpatine turns to look at her, "My mentor taught me everything about the Force, even the nature of the dark side," he says in a low tone.

Evelyn turns to Palpatine, stepping in front of him, "You know the dark side?"

Palpatine now had to choose very carefully what he's about to say, "Evelyn, dear. If one is to understand the great mystery, one must study all its aspects, not just the dogmatic, narrow view of the Jedi," Evelyn takes a deep breath as he continues, "If you wish to become a complete and wise leader, you must embrace a larger view of the Force," Evelyn starts to circle Palpatine now, "Be careful. Only through me can you achieve a power greater than any Jedi," Evelyn knows what this means, but doesn't want to accept it, "Learn to know the dark side of the Force, and you will be able to save him from certain death."

Evelyn's eyes widen in shock once Palpatine mentions Anakin's death, "What did you say?"

"Use my knowledge, I beg you," Palpatine pleads, and then it clicks. Dark side knowledge, one mentor, shit-talking the Jedi-

In a surge of rage and realization, Evelyn ignited her lightsaber, "You're the Sith Lord!" She yells, rage filling her veins.

***

Meanwhile, in the Jedi Temple's hangar bay, Anakin and Mace Windu walked side by side, discussing their daily training session and other pressing matters. Mace's brow furrowed with concern as they spoke, "Are you sure about this, Anakin?"

Anakin nods, "Absolutely positive," he reassures, "Nothing will stand in the way of this," Mace nods as Kit Fisto and Agen Kolar walk up from behind the two, breaking into conversation. 

Suddenly, Evelyn burst into the Temple's hangar bay, her urgency palpable as she sprinted toward Mace and Anakin, who were heading toward a waiting gunship, "Masters!" she called out, her voice filled with urgency, "We were right," she declared breathlessly, Anakin looking at her in concern, "Chancellor Palpatine is the Sith Lord."

Anakin and Mace exchanged a meaningful glance, before Mace turned to the other Jedi, "We need to protect the integrity of the Order," he said as they made their way to the senate.

Chapter Text

Mace Windu, Kit Fisto, Agen Kolar, and Anakin Skywalker leaped from their Republic gunship, lightsabers held idle on their belts as they charged up the stairs of the executive building, a sense of urgency driving them forward. Their footsteps echoed in the empty corridor until they came to an abrupt halt just outside Chancellor Palpatine's office.

Anakin, in a hushed tone, motioned toward the Sith Idols that had caught his attention earlier, "These are the statues I was telling you about," he whispered.

Mace Windu employed the Force with a simple gesture, causing the Sith Idols to crumble and shatter into pieces. He nodded at Anakin, signaling for them to walk in, and together, they entered the Chancellor's office.

Palpatine turns around in his chair, keeping his facade, "Master Windu," he says, eyes quickly glazing over to Anakin, "I must say, you're here sooner than expected."

Mace and Anakin glance at each other, nodding before taking their lightsabers into their hands, "In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic," Mace starts as the two Jedi ignite their lightsabers, "You are under arrest, Chancellor," Kolar and Fisto glare at the Sith Lord, silent, igniting their weapons.

Sidious glares at the Jedi, "Are you threatening me, Master Jedi?"

Ignoring him, Mace shoots back, "The senate will decide your fate," he sneers.

Palpatine stands up, a frown on his face, "I am the senate," he growls.

"Not yet Palpatine," Anakin says back, furious at his former mentor.

Palpatine brings his saber to his hand, "It's treason, then," Sidious lets out a Sith scream, disorienting Agen Kolar, but not the other three, who step back, bracing themselves for impact.

Sidious slices through Kolar's chest, killing him instantly before trying to stab Mace's chest, but he deflects perfectly as Anakin spins around to Mace's left side, going low before Sidious deflects perfectly. The three Jedi work off of each other, still a little unfamiliar with each other's movements, but still being a formidable team.

Sidious swings sideways, causing the Jedi to move into the hallway, stepping over the crushed idols as they do so, defending Sidious's onslaught of attacks.

Fisto jumps back and forth, using his agility and speed to maneuver around Sidious' ferocious attacks before he senses a presence that shouldn't -

Before Fisto could even finish his thought, the Sith Lord's blade struck with a swift and brutal efficiency. With a single swipe, Fisto's head tumbled from his shoulders, ending his life. Palpatine spun on his heel, taking a moment to savor the death of yet another Jedi, his lightsaber at the ready, his malevolent grin widening as he sensed Evelyn's presence drawing nearer with each passing second.

Anakin and Mace pressed forward; their coordination impeccable within the confines of the room. They moved as one, their lightsabers an extension of their very souls, weaving a mesmerizing dance of precision and power.

However, in a matter of seconds, Anakin found himself pushed off balance as Sidious unleashed a surge of the Force, propelling the young Jedi backward into his main office. The collision rattled the room, but there was no time to recover.

Palpatine fakes forward, and unfortunately for Mace, he falls for it as the Sith spins around, slicing through Mace's thigh, but before he can end the Master, Anakin uses the Force to throw Palpatine through a wall, hitting the grand window in Palpatine's office, cracking the glass a little bit.

Anakin grows worried, feeling Evelyn's presence running down the hall. He has to end this.

Like, right fucking now.

Anakin, fueled by a potent mix of determination and anger, surged forward with a breathtaking display of speed. His cobalt lightsaber traced blinding arcs through the air as he closed the gap between him and the Sith Lord with blinding speed. Palpatine responded with uncanny speed, his crimson blade a whirlwind of deadly precision.

The two adversaries danced a deadly tango, their lightsabers clashing in a crescendo of sparks and energy. They maneuvered gracefully to the back end of the room, drawing closer to the grand window that loomed ominously behind them.

Sidious missed a critical strike, and in that fleeting moment of vulnerability, Anakin seized the opportunity with flair. With an electrifying flourish, he spun his lightsaber with breathtaking speed, blurring the line between warrior and artist before smashing the old man in the chest with his foot, sending Palpatine flying back to the crevice of the window.

Anakin chases Palpatine down, pointing his saber at Palpatine's throat, but as soon as he looks over, he sees Evelyn walking through the doors, "What are you doing here?" Anakin asks through their bond, noticing that Mace's body is gone.

Anakin doesn't have time to enter a dialogue with her, so he just holds out his hand before turning back to Sidious, "You are under arrest," Anakin spits out.

Palpatine turns towards Evelyn, "I told you it would come to this," the Sith cries, "The Jedi are taking over!"

Anakin rolls his eyes, "Seems to me like you killed three of us and are now just a weak old man," he rebuttals, making Palpatine furious, "You've lost!"

Sidious breaks into a wicked grin, "No, no, YOU HAVE LOST!" The Sith Lord yells before shooting lightning at Anakin, who blocks it with precision as Evelyn winces at the light, "He's a traitor!" Sidious yells, trying to get Evelyn to turn.

Evelyn thinks, "He's the traitor!" Anakin yells, aiming the lightning back in the direction of Sidious as the Sith's face starts to melt. Sidious stops his attack, seeming too tired to continue his onslaught, "I'm ending this," Anakin says, leaving no time for rebuttal from his former padawan.

He raises his lightsaber to kill, "WE NEED HIM!" Evelyn yells, reaching her hand out to try and stop him, but Anakin's shot out of the window by the force.

Evelyn looks down at her hands, instantly breaking into tears, "ANAKIN!" She cries out, falling to her knees, "What have I done?"

Sidious gets up with a wicked grin, "He had to die," he says quietly, "He was holding you back."

"I loved him," Evelyn mumbles, trying to not fall, but ultimately failing to do so.

"And he didn't join us," Sidious says sinisterly, continuing his manipulation on Evelyn, "You're fulfilling your destiny. Become my apprentice, learn to use the Dark Side of the force," Sidious growls.

Evelyn pants, still trying to recover, "I will do," Evelyn contemplates her next words, still unsure if she wants to do this, "Whatever you ask."

Palpatine smiles, "Good," he says, continuing his manipulation, "The Force is strong with you," Evelyn gets on her knees, pledging herself to his teachings, "Henceforth, you shall be known as Darth... Canarger."

"Thank you, my Master," Evelyn whispered, sealing her fate, and embarking on a dark path she could never have imagined just moments before.

Chapter Text

Evelyn storms up the steps of the temple, the entire 501st trailing behind her, weapons at the ready, she lowers her hood from her head, turning towards Anakin's captain, "Rex, set up a perimeter around the temple, no one gets in or out," she commands before throws her hood back over her head, igniting her lightsaber, and walking inside the temple.

"Yes, sir!" The clone captain calls out, ordering his men around.

Inside the temple, a Jedi tries to gather the younglings, bringing them to safety inside the council chambers before the doors fling open. The Jedi whips his head around, igniting his blue blade, ready to lay down his life if he has to.

Evelyn lowers her hood, "It worked," she says softly. The Jedi comes out of the shadows, wrapping Evelyn in a hug, "Sorry if I pushed you too hard," she says with a tiny chuckle.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Anakin reassures her, "Are you alright?" he asks, gently taking her face in his hands, "Did he hurt you?" Evelyn shakes her head, giving Anakin some relief.

"And Master Windu?" Evelyn asks, concerned for the master of the order.

"He's alright," Anakin says, "Obi-Wan got him out with ease, and he's almost healed since the slice wasn't too deep."

"Master Skywalker, why are you and Master Zaad hugging for so long?" One of the younglings, Sors Bandeam, calls out. Anakin and Evelyn instantly jump away from each other, not remembering that the younglings were in there.

Anakin turns towards the younglings, red-faced, "Uhm, I was just-"

"He was telling me some secret information," Evelyn says, covering for Anakin, who nods towards her appreciatively, "What's the next step of Operation Fortress?" She whispers with a concerned look on her face, hoping that this plan works.

Anakin smirks, remembering how he brought his plan to the Council a few days ago.

Operation Fortress:

A few days ago...

After Anakin and Kix discover the inhibitor chip infection, Anakin and Rex take a walk with the medic, "Kix, what's this idea of yours?" Anakin asks, walking to a private room with Rex following.

"Well, sir, I was thinking we could issue a chip removal for our legion to prevent any more infections," Kix says, not wanting any more of his brothers to perish.

Anakin nods his head, "Any risks?" He asks, not wanting to do this unless it's a guarantee.

"Almost none, Sir," Anakin nods, satisfied.

"Proceed with the plan," Anakin says, walking away, but not before Kix slips a small container into Anakin's hand.

Anakin shuttles back to the Jedi Temple, and heads straight for the archives, "Master Nu!" Anakin calls out, running towards the head archivist.

Jocasta turns around, and looks over at Anakin, "What can I do for you, Master Skywalker?" She asks happily, beginning to take a liking to the studious master.

Anakin takes the container out of his belt, "I need you to analyze this chip, see if anything's wrong with it," Anakin explains as the elderly woman nods, taking the chip from Anakin's hand.

"I'll need a day or two," Jocasta responds, turning to set the sample down before facing Anakin again.

Anakin nods thankfully, "Thank you, Master," he says, bowing respectfully, "Let me know when you're done."

Anakin walks out of the archives before he heads up to Evelyn's quarters, hoping that she's not training with Gungi. He pounds on her door, growing impatient.

The door swings open, "How'd it go?" Anakin asks, Evelyn letting him in.

Evelyn goes to get caf for the two, "He was trying to engage in conversations about his old mentor, Hego Damask, a member of the banking clan thirteen years ago before he was murdered," Anakin takes his cloak off, throwing it over the couch as he sits down, deep in thought, and realizing something about both Palpatine and this Hego Damask.

Evelyn can practically hear Anakin's thoughts, realizing that Anakin's connected something no one in the last twenty years has - Hego Damask was the Sith Lord.

"Holy shit," Evelyn mutters, "We have to tell the council!"

Anakin stands up, "Now hold on, we can't do that yet," Anakin says reasonably, "We know that they're going to sit on it, so I'd rather have a really good case against the chancellor before I go to them."

Evelyn grumbles, "Why can't we just go kill that fucker?"

Anakin chuckles, "He has too much power," he says simply, "And he's painting the Jedi Order in a really bad light, so if we kill him, it looks really bad on us. We have to build up a strong legal case against him."

Evelyn nods her head, understanding where he's coming from, "We have to bring someone in," Anakin nods, agreeing with Evelyn, knowing exactly who he has in mind. Two people to be exact.

"Evelyn, what I'm about to ask of you is extremely dangerous," Anakin warns, "And I don't want to put you into harms way," Evelyn nods, understanding Anakin's concern, "I need you to spy on The Chancellor for me."

Evelyn nods slowly, "And do what, exactly?"

"Talk all the shit you can about the Jedi, about me," Anakin says, a broken look appearing on Evelyn's face, "Get him to believe you're going to fall."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm absolutely positive," Anakin says, bringing her into a hug, and kissing her temple, "Wanna go spar with Master Windu?"

Evelyn smirks, biting her lip as she pushes him to the bed, "I have a better idea."

Landing Pad: Jedi Temple.

"And be wary of the Chancellor," Obi-Wan says softly, Anakin giving Obi-Wan of confusion, "Just keep an eye out for anything suspicious, and tell me immediately," Anakin can't believe what he's about to tell his master.

"Master, I believe he's the Sith Lord," he says through their bond, not wanting to reveal anything to anyone listening in.

Obi-Wan's eyes so wide, drawing his lightsaber about to storm the Senate, "Hey, I have a plan," Anakin says, "And you have a part to play," Anakin says, talking his old friend down.

"What do you need me to do?" Obi-Wan asks, ready to end this tyranny.

After Obi-Wan leaves...

Anakin runs back into the temple, meeting Jocasta Nu in secret, "Master Skywalker, I've found a terrible truth."

"What is it?" Anakin asks, preparing for the worst.

"The chip contains only one executive order written by the Chancellor; sixty-six," Anakin furrows his eyebrows, not knowing the detrimental nature behind that number, "It's an order to wipe out all of the Jedi."

Anakin's breath gets caught in his throat, completely blindsided by that, "So it is him," Anakin mutters.

Jocasta's eyes go wide, "I'm sorry?!"

Anakin starts to run off, "I'll explain later, Master, I have to go!" Anakin calls out, sprinting towards the council chambers, slowly piecing together the endgame of his plan, leaving Jocasta to organize the Younglings while protecting the integrity of the archives that she built.

Anakin bursts into the council chambers, "We need to activate Operation Fortress," Anakin all but shouts, taking the attention of all of the Masters.

Padme's Apartment...

"We've come a long way since Tatooine," Padme says with a smile before growing serious, "What do you need me to do?" Padme Amidala asks her old friend, who is walking with her in her home.

"Get everyone out of the senate, and keep them out for the entire day tomorrow," Anakin says seriously, "I know you had a plan to take him down, but it's in our hands now."

Padme nods, taking a deep breath, "Are you sure about this?"

Anakin nods, "We need to ensure the safety of the Republic, and that means taking Palpatine out of the equation entirely. He has too much power for anyone to get anything done," Padme understands Anakin's concern, and won't fight back, knowing that if anyone were to save the galaxy, it would be him and his plans.

Okay maybe she didn't mean that, but Anakin is the best option.

Jedi Temple...

Evelyn runs into the Temple hangar bay, finding Obi-Wan, Mace, and Anakin heading towards a gunship, "Masters!" Evelyn yells, sprinting towards them, "We were right," Evelyn says, "Chancellor Palpatine is the Sith Lord."

Mace nods, apparently already knowing the truth, "Follow us."

"We need to have the element of surprise," Anakin says, walking with Mace Windu, Obi-Wan, Kolar, Fisto, and Evelyn to a gunship, "The temple's defenses are going up as we speak."

"Is the plan still the same?" Obi-Wan asks Anakin, who nods.

"If either myself or one of the others is wounded, Obi-Wan, you're on relief duty," Anakin points as the four Jedi get into a gunship, taking off, "I'm assuming that once Evelyn is really close, Palpatine's going to throw the duel to try and turn her, Evelyn is going to come in, and accidentally force push the four of us out of the window, cementing your imminent fall to the darkness," Anakin says humorously, catching Evelyn a little off guard since she was just finding out this information, "Once we do that, march the temple, set a perimeter, and check in with us in the chambers."

"And in the morning, Master Plo and the council will mask our presence, while we go end the Chancellor once and for all," Mace Windu says, somewhat understanding Skywalker's risky, but astonishing plan.

The gunship lands at the Senate building, "May the Force be with you," Obi-Wan says, bowing to Mace before wrapping Anakin in a strong hug, "Be careful, brother," Anakin nods before going over to Evelyn, giving her a loving hug that makes Obi-Wan smile, truly happy for Anakin.

"You better come back to me," Evelyn whispers, on the verge of tears.

Anakin hugs her a little tighter, "I love you," he whispers for the first time before releasing their hug, leaving Evelyn's heart hurting, not ever knowing if she'd hear those words again.

As the four Jedi run off, Anakin hears a voice, "I love you too," Evelyn says through their bond.

Present

"Send a beacon to all Jedi, tell them to not trust the clones, and return to the temple immediately," Anakin says, looking out of the window.

Evelyn nods, running out of the room with Anakin following slightly behind, guiding the younglings down to the archives.

Obi-Wan meets the two down there, "Mace is recovered, thanks to bacta patches," Obi-Wan says, "When are we making our move?" Obi-Wan asks, ready to bring an end to the tyranny of Palpatine.

Anakin thinks, "Middle of the day tomorrow," he says, knowing that time is the one thing other than Palpatine that is not on their side, "Palpatine's going to discover that Evelyn was lying, so we need to act fast," Anakin says, handing the younglings over to Masters Sinube and Nu, "We have Master Plo leading the rest of the council in deep meditation since he was a former Baren Do Sage, but he's going to be the one that can help us mask the presence of the order," Anakin reveals, upset that he can't have him face Palpatine with them, but knowing that he was the best force user they had, "Has Padme emptied out the senate?"

Obi-Wan nods, "I did a sweep," he explains, "Everyone clocked out except Palpatine and his staff," he says wearily.

Anakin nods, "Now we wait," he says wisely, seeing Evelyn run towards them, "Good luck," he tells her as she runs out of the temple, headed towards the senate building.

Anakin and Obi-Wan run up to the chambers, where they're met by all of the Council on site before they go into deep meditation, masking the presence of all Jedi.

Chapter Text

"I really wish Master Plo were here," Anakin says as Yoda and Mace lead a group of the Order's best to the Senate building, their determination burning like stars in their eyes. "He'd help us get out with minimal casualties."

Mace nods, agreeing, "I am aware, but we need to capitalize on this opportunity right now," Anakin's eyes sweep over the gunship's interior, finding solace in the familiar faces of Obi-Wan, Saesee Tinn, and Yoda himself.

A silent acknowledgment passes between them; not everyone is coming back. And he clings to the hope that they all will.

Anakin looks to Mace with a concerned look on his face. The pain etched on Mace's face speaks volumes, a testament to his resilience and the exchange that the two of them went through the night before.

Anakin's lips tighten with determination, fully aware of the sacrifices that have brought them to this one moment.

"May the Force be with us," he says, his voice reverberating with an almost fervent resolve as the gunship touches down, its engines fading into the roar of battle that surrounds them. The masters explode from the vessel like comets, sprinting toward the heart of the storm.

As they burst into the corridor leading towards Palpatine's office, Evelyn's expression mirrors that of determination and fear.

Her presence strikes Anakin like a lightning bolt, a mix of emotions swirling within him. He rushes to her side, his heart hammering in his chest, a silent promise of protection that overpowers any words that he can share with her.

"He knows," she reveals, and the shock that ripples through the assembled Jedi is as tangible as the air they breathe.

The Jedi look at each other, shock spread across their faces, "As expected," Anakin says, turning to Obi-Wan, sharing a final nod with his master that carries a universe of unspoken sentiments. Together, they stride into the maw of darkness, the weight of their duty hanging heavily in the air.

In the tumultuous symphony of their thoughts, the bond between Anakin and Evelyn pulses with an intimacy known only to them. His love for her echoes through the Force, a whisper of devotion that only they can hear.

***

The  Jedi rush through the doors, "You fools," Sidious growls, "You really  think I'm a fool not to have a backup plan?" He spits, disgusted at the  Jedi in front of him. From the corners of the office, Dooku and a clone of Anakin Skywalker emerge from the darkness, hatred written all over their faces,  "You really think-"

Palpatine is cut off by Anakin, who barely lifts a finger, throwing him through a wall before Yoda and Mace spring into action against the Sith Lord.

Anakin and Evelyn take on Dooku while Saesee and Obi-Wan lunge toward Vader, determined to end this, once and for all.

Yoda leaps everywhere around Sidious as the Sith Lord effortlessly blocks the attacks, careful not to fall into a trap. He force pushes Yoda into a  wall before engaging Windu

Frustrated, Yoda leaps at Sidious,  but Sidious was ready, he effortlessly dodges the Grand Master before throwing the Jedi out of the window with the force.

Evelyn swings her orange blade up and around Dooku before catching a right hook to her jaw.  Anakin inhales, going for a jab as Dooku instantly dodges the strike.

Saesee was the first one to go. Obi-Wan was using his defense to defend against a clone of his student who used a very aggressive version of form five. Saesee was too slow as Vader sliced him across the chest.  Obi-Wan stays strong, using the impatience of Vader to his advantage,  slowly bringing the clone's offense into a standstill, but not able to gain any ground.

Anakin uses the same move he used on Maul - well sort of.  Anakin gives himself up, checking up on Evelyn, who was knocked to the floor, turning his back to Dooku, and as Dooku prepares to strike him down, Anakin ducks, turns, and stabs the fallen  Jedi straight through his back, penetrating the heart, killing him instantly.

Evelyn instantly jumps towards Vader, locking blades with the clone before he lifts her up with the force, throwing her through a wall. Anakin angrily kicks Vader in the chest as the duel starts to move into the hallway, giving him more room to destroy the clone as Obi-Wan comes back to engage Vader.

Mace follows suit, drawing Palpatine into the hallway as  the Jedi and Sith lock into a fierce duel just outside the senate  chambers as Anakin leaps into combat with Windu, the two masters moving in total fluidity, but not as fluid as Anakin and Obi-Wan

Sidious knows he has to isolate Mace to even have a  chance, so he pushes Anakin through three walls before using a three-point combo, getting Mace down on one knee, ready to kill before Evelyn rejoins the fight, force pushing Palpatine into the senate chambers,  giving Obi-Wan about ten seconds to kill Vader - which he does since  Anakin is running back towards the fight.

Obi-Wan flips over Vader while Anakin uses the force to give his master an extra boost, causing  Vader to jump off of the ground to get a slash in.

And before Vader can even hit the ground, Anakin slices all of Vader's legs off before cutting his head off, "Stupid clone," he mutters as the four Jedi regroup, slowly walking towards the senate chambers, weapons at the ready.

Palpatine thinks - if he gets Mace and Evelyn out of the fight, he wins. He lets out another scream, disorienting an exhausted and severely injured Mace, shooting lightning into Mace's leg before cutting through the Master of the Order.

Obi-Wan is heartbroken at the loss of one of his close friends, but he soldiers on. He enters his Sorecu stance as he takes his place on Anakin's right, Evelyn on his left. The three Jedi created an arrow, ready to end this evil once and for all.

Anakin strikes first, going high while Sidious parries the Jedi Master.  Palpatine gets Anakin off balance before striking at Obi-Wan,  underestimating the Jedi once again as the master of defense blocks every single strike with ease before going on the counterattack.

Frustrated,  Sidious kicks Obi-Wan across the room, using the force to increase the power of the kick as Evelyn tries to kick back, trying to catch the Sith Lord off guard.

Bad move.

Sidious catches her leg mid-air with the Force, motioning down to cut her leg off, but Anakin sees this, throwing himself at Sidious, deflecting the Sith Lord's target to her now repaired ankle - a gift from the Mandalorians.

Sidious' blade bounces right off, but he counters as he sends a wave of electricity towards Evelyn, launching her across the senate chambers.

Distracted, Anakin slugs him in the jaw, effectively breaking it, sending the Sith Lord to the ground before he picks the Sith up with the  Force, throwing him into a senate pod, and buying himself a moment to catch his breath.

Anakin speaks to Evelyn through their bond, "Are you alright?"

"I'll live," she groans, "Time to end this" she grits out, struggling to get to her feet as Anakin and Obi-Wan stand side by side, prepared to launch into an attack.

shit.

Evelyn thinks back to her dream, "No!" She mutters, but it's too late.

Anakin and Obi-Wan soared upward, their figures etched against the backdrop of impending doom. In a cruel twist of fate, Sidious ensnared them both in his malevolent grip with the force, halting their advance.

The Sith Lord's fingers crackled with electric malice as he unleashed a storm of lightning, a searing cascade of dark energy that had the two Jedi withering in pain.

Evelyn jumps down in an attempt to stop the attack, but Sidious uses one hand to freeze her in place, hovering slightly above the two brothers, who are still getting relentlessly electrocuted by the primary source of pain in both of their lives. Anakin tries desperately to free them both from the storm, but he can't move.

The lightning stops, and Anakin expects Palpatine to enter a dialogue, but no. 

Anakin feels a disturbance, looking to his left to see Obi-Wan be violently pulled towards Palpatine.

time stands still.

Anakin and Evelyn watch, not able to do anything as Sidious pulls Obi-Wan directly into his blade with ruthless precision, a gut-wrenching echo reverberates through Anakin's soul, his heart dropping to the bottom of his stomach.

His eyes go wide in shock and heartbreak, his shared life with Obi-Wan flashing in front of his eyes - a kaleidoscope of memories that painted their unbreakable bond.

The initial struggles, the friendship that blossomed throughout time, battles fought side by side, whispered wisdom shared in moments of quiet reflection - each memory etched with the mark of a brotherhood like no other.

And though he's still being held in a relentless grip, Anakin's knees feel like they dissolve underneath him, the very foundation of his strength crumbling beneath him.

A heart-wrenching wail escaped his throat, carrying the weight of a spirit shattered by grief.

The loss of a friend, a mentor, a brother who was as much a part of him as his own breath.

Evelyn's eyes welled up with unshed tears, her heart aching in silent solidarity with Anakin's anguish. The father she had never had, the pillar of wisdom she had come to admire, had been ruthlessly stolen from their midst by a relentless force of darkness and evil.

Her attempt at unwavering strength for Anakin's sake falters, unable to shield herself from the overwhelming tide of sorrow that threatened to engulf her.

In those harrowing moments, as the shadows of tragedy loomed large, a chilling specter danced at the edge of perception. Evelyn looks at Anakin and feels the embodiment of a consuming rage that mirrored no other.

As Anakin is released from Palpatine's grip, he has absolutely no time to mourn as he pulls his saber to him, igniting it with a glare of ferocity like no other.

Evelyn stands right next to him, her orange blade at the ready, knowing that as long as both of them are on the same page, they will win.

and in that moment, she could have sworn that she saw his eyes flicker yellow....

Chapter Text

Anakin stands tall, rage coursing through his veins, menacingly pointing his cobalt blade towards Sidious, "YOU'RE GOING TO DIE FOR THAT!" He yells, pacing back and forth as Evelyn stands behind him, a pillar of unwavering support, her orange blade at the ready.

Sidious snarls before the two avatars of the force, light and dark, raise up a bundle of senate pods, launching them at each other, ultimately missing the intended targets.

Evelyn charges Sidious while Anakin flips over Sidious, standing on the edge of the pod, twirling his blade with ease, blocking every strike sent his way, leaning into the Force and defense more and more before being blasted by lightning.

Sidious smiles, seeing Anakin severely backpedal to evade the maneuvers coming his way. Anakin sees this smile and finally realizes what it's going to take to defeat the Sith.

Sidious keeps pushing more and more towards his failed prospect, not noticing Anakin's growing smirk. He sees an opening and swipes at Anakin's neck, but Anakin just drops straight below the saber to another senate pod.

Palpatine leaps down after him, and Anakin's calculated advantage allows him to unleash a powerful roundhouse kick, connecting directly with Palpatine's already-damaged jaw.

Anakin becomes a blur, ducking, rolling, and spinning, slicing Sidious' robes and his hilt in half, destroying the blade before he's caught off guard as Sidious pulls out another blade instantly, but before he can cut through a shocked Anakin, his blade is halted by Evelyn's orange saber before she throws him with the force, buying Anakin a moment of time to catch his breath.

The two of them thought that their bond was enough to get them through this, but they severely underestimated Palpatine's manipulation of the dark side of the force.

Palpatine leaps towards the two Jedi as they break the attack, following up in an impressive maneuver, the two Jedi keeping Palpatine on his heels for a while before he gets tired of these games.

He kicks Evelyn back as he ferociously attacks Anakin. His strikes were ferocious and calculated, and as Evelyn rejoined the fight, she struggled to regain her footing.

Her once fluid and graceful movements were now strained as she desperately tried to fight off Sidious's relentless fury. Despite her resilience, a moment of distraction cost her as Palpatine's blade found its mark, cutting upwards on her arm before slashing across her back, and severing her left arm at the shoulder.

She staggered back, a cry of pain escaping her lips. Fortunately, the back wound wasn't too deep, but the downside now is that she doesn't have an arm.

With a newfound aggression, Anakin strikes at the Sith Lord. Each swing of his lightsaber being a declaration of his determination to protect Evelyn at all costs by keeping her out of this fight from this point on.

Though, while powerful, Anakin's aggression costs him as Palpatine finds an opening, slicing through Anakin's right forearm.

Anakin gets pushed back, not having time to mourn his fallen limb, pulling Obi-Wan's blade to him, igniting it, using form three to hold off the raging Sith Lord, letting the Force flow through him, fighting with one hand before his sword is knocked out of his hand as he looks helplessly the depths of the senate chambers.

Anakin hears the cold cackle of the hooded figure, "Now, Skywalker, you will die!" A frenzy of purple lightning is thrown at Anakin. 

Drawing upon his newfound mastery of tutaminis, Anakin absorbs the lightning with his flesh hand, sending it back at the dark figure with immense force, but it just disintegrates as Palpatine continues his onslaught.

Evelyn sees Anakin close his eyes, slowly crumbling to the ground, raising his hand as the hooded figure starts to press their lightning attacks even harder, "Unlimited power!" The figure yells triumphantly.

Anakin hears Evelyn's voice, a distant but powerful call within the Force. And with her as his anchor, he taps even deeper into his well of strength as he stands up, walking towards the Sith lord.

Sidious desperately sends a wave of lightning towards Anakin, catching him off guard as he's caught by the relentless lightning, faltering by just a touch.

In a remarkable feature of his power, Anakin's eyes light up with a radiant white energy, as Evelyn begins to recover from the wound she was dealt.

Sidious's expression shifts from triumph to terror as he looks at Anakin's eyes, radiating a force of their own as the energy begins to envelop Anakin entirely as he releases a roar of power, shaking the chambers, causing pods to fall down from their idle placements.

Evelyn jumps into the glow, ready to join Anakin in one final stand as the blinding glow subsides, revealing the two Jedi, ready to end this battle. 

In perfect synchronization, they charge at the Sith Lord, sabers blazing with their newfound might. With every blow, every strike, they tear through the Sith Lord's defenses.

It's Anakin who finishes him off. With every swing, he dismantles Palpatine's dark legacy. 

Left arm severed, then the right. Both legs hacked away. 

And finally, in a crescendo of grace and determination, Anakin delivers the coup de grâce- a swift decapitation of the Sith Lord.

A haunting silence settles in the room, broken only by the hum of lightsabers. Anakin gazes down at the remnants of the Sith Lord, a mix of satisfaction and weariness etched on his face. However, his thirst for closure is not yet satisfied. 

With a mixture of disdain and defiance, he spits on the jumble of dismembered limbs before unceremoniously punting Palpatine's severed head away from the scene.

Anakin's breath is heavy, the weight of his choices and actions hanging in the air like a dark cloud. He takes a moment to collect himself, his mind still reeling from the magnitude of what he's just done. As the reality of his victory sinks in, his thoughts shift to another pressing concern.

The only thing that matters at this moment.

Anakin jumps down, "Obi-Wan," Anakin cries out, racing to his best friend, the man who raised him. He drops to his knees, right next to Kenobi's fragile form, "Obi-Wan," Anakin sobs out, his eyes filled with tears, his heart breaking with every shallow breath that escapes the dying Jedi's lips.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan mutters, his voice weak and frail, barely audible, "I'm... so proud of you," he says, barely getting the words out, his words a final testament of his unwavering belief in Anakin Skywalker.

Anakin holds Obi-Wan close, his body trembling as he tries to stop the inevitable.

"You're gonna be okay," Anakin says through tears, the realization of one of the texts he found in the Jedi Archives - a healing technique that seemed like a thing of legend.

Anakin gets a hold of his bearings before placing a shaky, but calm hand over Obi-Wan's wound, closing his eyes, letting the Force flow through his body, one last time, ready to give his life to the man who raised him, to the man who sacrificed so much for him.

But as he channels the Force, he comes to a terrible realization - there's not going to be a happy ending this time.

"It won't work," Anakin's voice quivers with heartbreak as Evelyn slowly approaches, "Why won't you work?" He pleads, sobbing through his words, trying to save him, "Please," Anakin sobs.

Obi-Wan places his hand, weak and frail, on Anakin's wrist, a bittersweet gesture. One of farewell and understanding. His eyes were dim, but still full of the wisdom and peace that Anakin grew to adore with all of his heart. 

The two finally meet each other's gazes. With a slow, mournful shake of his head, Obi-Wan conveys the painful truth that acceptance is the only path left, "Remember what I told you?"

Anakin nods, "Dying is the easy part," he echos, remembering the lesson that he was taught a decade ago.

Obi-Wan smiles one final time at his student, his friend, his brother, "Keep going, Anakin; keep. Living," he continues, his breathing becoming shallow, "And don't you ever let her go."

Anakin grabs a hold of Obi-Wan's hand, trying to stay strong for his Master in his final moments, nodding furiously, the reality of this impending loss becoming more and more undeniable. He watches as the Obi-Wan's eyes slowly flutter shut, taking his last breath.

"Trust in the Force... always."

With those final words, Obi-Wan goes limp in Anakin's arms, the presence that was always in Anakin's mind slipping away by the second before it's extinguished like a flickering flame.

The body of Obi-Wan Kenobi vanishes in his brother's arms, responding to the call of his former master, answering to serve a higher purpose in the galaxy.

Anakin, knowing what has just happened, clutches Obi-Wan's robes to his chest, cradling them as if his life depended on it.

And amid the depths of Anakin's grief, he feels Evelyn. Her presence became a comforting anchor. She finally decides to step in after allowing Anakin his final moments with his brother, instantly wrapping him in her arms, and whispering comforts to him.

Anakin desperately clings to her, his cries muffled against her chest as his sorrow consumes him.

The chamber plunges into darkness, a symbolic reflection of Anakin's shattered world. The loss of Obi-Wan, a father figure and guide, is a blow that strikes at the very core of his being. And as the darkness envelops his eyes, Anakin's grief is a vortex of emotion that threatens to consume him whole.

***

Anakin is awoken by loud, pounding footsteps. His consciousness pulled from the depths of his grief, "Oh thank goodness," a voice calls out, "Master Jedi, they're over here!" A voice exclaims; it's tone familiar...

Padmé

He senses ten temple guards along with Gungi, Cin Dralig, and Master Yoda, clearly still recovering from his fall.

Anakin tries to get to his feet, determined to keep Evelyn protected at all costs, "Stay restful, Master Skywalker," Yoda says, not wanting Anakin to hurt himself any further. Yoda's eyes are drawn to the robes that Anakin has clutched to his chest - the remnants of his fallen brother. The weight of shared understanding passes through them, no words are needed.

Gungi runs over to Evelyn, crouched right by her side as she wakes up. His heartfelt relief breaks through the somber and mournful atmosphere. He wraps her in a bone-crushing hug, trying his hardest to not look at her gruesome injuries, a silent testament to the horrors they've just faced.

Gungi helps Evelyn to her feet as the group makes their way back to the temple, letting Cin Dralig and his guards do what they need to do before the Senate gathers - a duty that cannot be postponed.

Anakin tucks his stump of a right hand into his side, the painful reminder of what he's just endured. Padme's arms wrap around him, offering support that goes beyond words. Their eyes meet, a shared understanding, an unspoken connection woven by years of friendship and shared trials.

As they walk back to the waiting gunship, the heaviness of their steps reflects the weight of their shared sorrow.

Amidst the tragedy, the spirit of hope persists. Yoda's words, resonating with wisdom, captured their collective sentiment in a simple phrase. And with these words, a vow is created. In the face of a Sith Lord's unraveled plan, the Jedi's strength persists, finding strength in unity, forging a new path for the Jedi from this moment forward...

"Reform, we must."

Chapter Text

five years later...

"So, I take it the Jabba's Empire is finally neutralized?" Plo Koon asked, sitting in the seat that used to belong to Mace Windu, the seat directly to the left of him empty, as well as the seat to the right of Master Yoda.

They have been for the past two years.

In the center of the chambers, Anakin, Evelyn, Gungi, and Anakin's apprentice for three years now, Zett Jukassa - a fifteen-year-old humanoid, are on a hologram reporting to the council.

Anakin nods, a smile on his face, "Yes Master, the Hutt Empire has finally fallen," he says proudly, "The slave rebellion led by Owen Lars has managed to overthrow Jabba and his forces, freeing Tatooine once and for all."

Yoda smiled, knowing this brought a great amount of peace to Anakin, "Done well, you have. Return to the temple, Knight Gungi and Padawan Jukassa, will," Yoda says, pondering his next words, "Sending Master Skywalker and Master Zaad to Takodana, we are."

Evelyn and Anakin exchanged puzzled glances, wondering about the purpose of their mission to Takodana, "You're going to be meeting an old friend of ours there," Plo Koon explained, "She has the location of one of the first temples of the order," Anakin and Evelyn nod in understanding, "We need you two to go there and recover the ancient texts so we can further our knowledge on balance with ourselves."

"Yes, Masters," Anakin says, ending the transmission.

Once the council meeting concluded and the Jedi and their Padawans parted ways, Anakin and Evelyn made their way to their ship - a Corellian YT-1300 that Anakin was gifted after freeing slaves from the Pykes on Corellia.

He's been heavily modifying it with Evelyn, and he's almost finished.

"You ready?" Evelyn asks Anakin, who gives her a quick kiss, something falling out of Evelyn's robe; a necklace that she had tried to keep hidden from the Jedi.    

Anakin wiggles his eyebrows at the necklace that fell through her robes, "Can't have anyone seeing that," he says teasingly.

Evelyn looked down at her ring, which Anakin had lovingly crafted from gold and a part of his old kyber crystal, the same crystal that had been accidentally destroyed during a mission they embarked on four and a half years ago, helping The Bad Batch recover lost clones from Mount Tantis.

She rolled her eyes playfully before reaching under Anakin's robes, retrieving the gold ring that she had crafted for him.

"Oops," Evelyn smiles at her husband innocently, "Guess we're both caught," she says, causing Anakin to smile, shaking his head.

"I love you," Anakin says, still amazed by his wife of four years, leaning over to kiss her.

As they continued their playful exchange, another item slipped out from Anakin's robe - a blue crystal, elegantly suspended from a sturdy necklace crafted from Mandalorian beskar. A tribute to both his fallen master and the woman Anakin knew to be the love of his master's life:

Obi-Wan Kenobi and Satine Kryze.

Evelyn playfully shrugged, a hint of humor in her voice, "Who wouldn't? I'm awesome," she said, getting a laugh out of Anakin, and kissing him on the cheek, "I love you too," she said before putting her hand on the hyperdrive switch, "Now, shall we?"

Anakin nodded, his heart full of love and anticipation. The two Jedi boosted themselves into hyperspace, setting their course for Takodana.

***

Two hooded figures walk into a castle, taking in all of the extravagant details of the interior, careful not to draw too much attention. Unfortunately, the universe had other plans.

"SKYWALKER!" A female voice booms throughout the cantina, and all heads turn towards them.

"So much for subtle," Anakin mumbles, getting a hearty chuckle out of Evelyn. He then ran his hands up his head, removing his hood, revealing his long brown locks, tied behind his head.

Evelyn followed suit and removed her hood, her majestic light brown hair cascading down her back. He addressed the source of the booming voice, "Maz Kanata!" He responds, a sly smile playing on his lips as he glances around at the curious onlookers.

Maz Kanata stepped forward, her orange eyes gleaming with amusement, "Ah, Skywalker and Zaad, a pleasure to see you both again," she said warmly, holding a lot of respect for the two Jedi who saved her on their almost failed endeavor to Mount Tantis, "I see you haven't lost your talent for making an entrance."

Anakin grinned in response, "Well, we've had plenty of practice," he quipped.

"I assume this isn't a personal visit then?" Maz presses, getting straight to business.

The two Jedi shake their heads, "I'm afraid not," Evelyn says before leaning down, "Can we talk?"

Maz eagerly nods, leading them down to her basement where they'll have some privacy. Once the three get to a secure location, Anakin interrupts the silence, "We're looking for the birthplace of the Jedi Order," he says, cutting directly to the chase.

Maz Kanata's eyes widened with intrigue, "The birthplace of the Jedi Order, you say?" She asks, Anakin nodding in confirmation, "That's no small task. What brings you on this quest?"

Anakin and Evelyn exchanged a knowing look before Anakin continued, "We believe that the knowledge hidden within the first Jedi temple can help the Order find its true path once more; to find the balance within ourselves."

Maz nodded thoughtfully, "Very well, Master Skywalker," she conceded, pulling out a silver circular piece of metal with a blue orb in the middle, "Everything you need to know is in this star compass."

Evelyn takes the trinket from Maz, running her fingers across the artifact, amazed, "Where did you get this" She asks, "It looks like something that was made in the Old Republic."

"Because it was," the historian responds, "The ancient Jedi used this to navigate the anomalies of the Galactic Barrier to find the worlds of the unknown regions to serve as their staging grounds."

"Where does this map lead us?" Anakin wonders aloud, curious where they would find themselves.

"This will guide you to Ahch-To," the two humanoids peer up, curiosity piquing, "The birthplace of the Jedi Order."

Maz shows them out of her castle, "Thank you, Maz," Anakin says, a smile on his face, "You've helped us a great deal."

"It's no problem, Skywalker and Zaad," she calls back, seeing that Evelyn peers at Anakin, "Or should I say, Skywalker's," she accuses, giving them a knowing look.

Anakin and Evelyn's eyes go as wide as saucers, their jaws dropped to the floor, shocked as to how Maz figured it out, "Oh please, you two are so obviously attached to each other," she says, calling them out, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone of your secret illicit romance," Maz says with a cheeky grin, the married couple's cheeks covered in a blush.

"Thank you, Maz," Evelyn says with a giggle, burying her head in Anakin's arm, "We were really that obvious?"

Maz waves a reassuring hand, "Oh, I don't doubt that you two behave in the temple, but on Mount Tantis? Yes, absolutely all over each other."

The three share a laugh at Maz's words, "I hate to cut this party short, but we have a temple to find," Anakin says with a smile, "Thank you for everything."

Maz Kanata smiled, her ancient eyes filled with hope, "May the Force be with you on your journey to Ahch-To, my friends. And may you bring back the wisdom that this galaxy so desperately needs."

And with that, Anakin and Evelyn walk up the ramp, departing for their final destination before returning home.

***

As their ship emerged from hyperspace for the last time on this long journey, Anakin and Evelyn couldn't help but be mesmerized by the breathtaking sight below them.

Evelyn's voice barely above a whisper, she turned to her husband, her eyes wide with wonder, "Oh Anakin," Evelyn uttered, "It's beautiful," she whispered.

Anakin nods in agreement, still at a loss for words. He skillfully guided the ship toward a small, picturesque island, gently settling it on an open stone pad.

Hand in hand, they stepped out onto the sun-kissed terrain, their overcoats left behind in the ship to combat the planet's warmth.

Evelyn turned to Anakin, a soft smile gracing her lips. "You ready?"

Anakin turns to his wife, kissing her, "I was born ready," he says, causing her to wrap her arms around his middle.

With a playful tug, Evelyn yanked Anakin's sleeve out from its tucked position, once again, her eyes filled with love and a sense of adventure.

"I'll race you to the top!"

And as husband and wife raced their way to the top of the temple, two glowing blue figures watched them from afar, their smiles reflecting the immense pride and happiness they felt in that moment. The boy they had both played a pivotal role in raising had finally found his eternal happiness with the woman who had saved him from the depths of his inner darkness and turmoil.

The Chosen One was only just beginning his journey, and right by his side was his equal.

Anakin and Evelyn Skywalker would continue to shape their legacy with every step they would continue to take, spreading their permanent symbol of hope and serenity throughout the galaxy.

fin