Mortis
"I think you owe me some explanations," Anakin said as he faced down Ciaran. Once he'd recovered from his shock he had dragged the woman into his room, and for the most part had managed to ignore the innuendo that she was rattling off as he did so.
Ciaran sighed, trying not to show how much she appreciated the chance to sit down on the bed and rest her aching legs. "If it's about the eyes, you were talking with my grandfather a few days ago-"
"That-" Anakin interrupted before shaking his head, "Okay, while I
am curious about that that's not what I was talking about. Wh
y are you here, and on a similar note,
how are you here?"
"I got here through a combination of an escape pod and admittedly poor impulse control," Ciaran said, chuckling ruefully. "As for why though..."
"...Yes?"
"I...don't entirely know?"
Anakin stared blankly at Ciaran. "...Let me get that straight: you got here by an
escape pod, which means that there's
no other way off this planet for you, and you're telling me
you don't know why you did that to begin with!?"
Ciaran closed her eyes for a moment, then looked Anakin in the eyes. "Perhaps I should be clearer. I don't know
exactly why I'm here
at this moment. I
do know that it's...
important somehow." Her eyes narrowed. "And I also know that it has something to do with you."
Anakin scoffed at that. "Assuming I believe that - which I don't - how exactly would you know that?"
"Perhaps it has something to do with your last visitor that I saw through my Force vision," Ciaran interjected before Anakin could say anything else. In response he froze up slightly, a flash of anger visible on his face for a moment before he calmed down.
"Right. The old Sith man. I was going to
politely ask him what was going on before you showed up," Anakin noted before he noticed Ciaran facepalming. "What?"
"I don't know what you experienced just now," Ciaran said exasperatedly, "but it frustrates me that you're automatically assuming that A: that he's the only person here, and more importantly B: that he's a Sith. Don't you remember that conversation about shades of grey we had-"
"
You didn't see what I saw," Anakin coldly interrupted, unconsciously exerting his power to Ciaran's worry. "...Then tell me what you did see," she flatly replied. Anakin frowned, and the pressure from him faded as his shoulders began to slump.
"...my mo-
An illusion of my mother," Anakin quietly said. "That
thing...it...it reminded me of when..."
"Anakin," Ciaran quietly said as he tried to find the words to express himself. "...Didn't my grandfather and I tell you to stop feeling guilty about things beyond your control?"
"That's just it," he replied in a monotone. "I don't know why, but seeing her just now...it reminded me of how close I've come to losing people I care about. If your people weren't there on Tatooine my mother would have died. If you hadn't kept her safe from those assassins when the war broke out, Padme could have died. If your men hadn't been there, Ahsoka could have died on Wasskah," he said, his voice shaking more and more as he went on before his eyes snapped back into focus. "All those times I
failed them, and all I could do was
watch as you did what I should have been able to do myself!" Anakin half screamed, half roared out as Ciaran felt the pressure coming from him dramatically intensify before suddenly cutting off. "...I..." Anakin paused and breathed in for a moment before continuing. "...as wrong as it sounds...I hate you for that. ...No, it's more that...I hate that you've been able to succeed where I've been failing."
The room went silent for a moment, then Ciaran breathed in, stood up, looked a confused Anakin in the eyes for a brief moment, and then promptly slapped him across the face.
"Anakin Skywalker, you're going to listen to me
very carefully now," Ciaran said in a tone brooking no argument as Anakin gingerly rubbed the point where Ciaran had slapped him, staring as Ciaran with wide eyes. "I get it. You're the type of person who wants to be at the front of every battle and at the heart of every crisis because you
want to be there and you
know you can do the most good there. And honestly I respect that. I really do. But
that just now? All that talk about 'failing' people?" Ciaran's face softened as she smiled sadly. "Anakin, as much as people might say otherwise there's only so much we can affect the lives of others. And as much as we wish we could always be there when they need help the most, there are going to be times where we just
can't help them."
"You've been going down a path that I just can't follow you on."
Ciaran frowned as something came to her. "Just ask my grandfather. I was abandoned in the Undercity for
years and he was fully aware of it, but he simply
couldn't help me then as much as I know he wanted to. But...I like to think that because of what I learned from him I was able to survive and thrive when by all rights I should have died and been forgotten.
That is what you can do for the people you care about," she declared to Anakin, who was looking at her with an unreadable expression. "If you truly care about someone, you shouldn't fight their battles for them. Give them the strength to do it themselves, whether through training or your bonds with them...and they'll surprise you every time. Look at your Padawan; without your training she would certainly have died." She smirked. "Don't you have faith in her?"
Anakin was silent for a moment, then sighed. "I do, and I know you have a point about all of that...but when Ahsoka is in danger like that it's hard for me to
not be worried for her."
"There's no shame in
that," Ciaran replied. "Worrying about people you care about is perfectly normal; it's what reminds us that we care about them. But I don't want to hear that you've been 'failing' anyone ever again. From where I'm standing you've been a good son to Shmi, a close friend to Padme, and a fine Master to Ahsoka. None of them would
ever ask for anything more than-" Ciaran stopped short as she considered something while Anakin looked at her confusedly before she
smiled. "Well I'm fairly sure that Shmi and Ahsoka wouldn't ask for anything more than what you've given them, but I don't think I can speak for Padme in this case~"
"Uh..."
"Look, all I'm saying is that I
am a matchmaker in my spare time, and I can
definitely see some chemistry between you and Padme~"
"W-wasn't this supposed to be about encouraging me or something!?" Anakin said nervously.
"Oh of
course," Ciaran replied with barely hidden glee, "but encouraging people in their love lives is just as important as giving them encouragement in general-"
Before Ciaran could continue needling Anakin further, she sensed
the Father's presence heading towards the room they were in. Noticing her sudden discomfort, Anakin asked "What is it?"
"The 'old man' as you so colorfully put it is coming here," Ciaran replied, before turning back to face Anakin. "I don't know what he wants from you but...just remember what I've said here, alright?"
"Are you not coming?"
"I'd appreciate the chance to rest my legs a bit more," Ciaran admitted as she sat back down on the bed, "and if he needs to talk to me I'm sure he'll come get me anyway. It'll be fine."
Anakin didn't seem entirely convinced, but nodded nonetheless and left the room as Ciaran breathed out in relief.
"Most impressive, Traya."
Ciaran's head jolted up as she heard Kreia's voice. "Where exactly have you been?" she flatly asked.
Kreia shook her head. "I am not your slave to be called by your whim. Indeed, are you not my student, as Revan and Meetra were?" She smirked, as though she had all the time in the world. Much to Ciaran's annoyance she realized that as a Force ghost, Kreia probably did.
Despite her reservations, Ciaran nodded. "I know my history, Kreia, but is now really the time?"
Kreia rolled her eyes. "You would be a fool to turn away more knowledge at a time such as this," and as she said that Ciaran raised an annoyed eyebrow at her words, "and while you claim to understand your predecessors you only know of what was written and managed to survive to your time, just as thousands of years from now the names Plagueis, Sidious, and Tyranus might manage to be worth but a single line. In fact, there is a certain technique which both Revan and Meetra considered essential that went unrecorded. It is one that you currently lack knowledge of, and it would be unbecoming of Darth Traya to not be able to utilize it to its full potential."
Curiosity sparked in Ciaran's eyes then, though she managed to suppress it slightly. "Fascinating as that sounds, how exactly is that going to help me right now? And on that note, why didn't you tell me about it back on Malachor if it's so important?"
"Patience, child." Ciaran sighed internally as she realized Kreia was about to start lecturing her at length on the topic. "Meetra and Revan knew a technique that was common for the Jedi of their day that the Coruscant Jedi Council can never touch. The Council fears attachment, but it is that very attachment that can bring power and knowledge."
Kreia paused to reflect a moment as Ciaran began to show more visible signs of curiosity. "I wonder how you will approach it, though. Revan was skilled, a skill that comes from training, of seeking. Meetra took to it like breathing." She tilted her head in consideration. "Though I may have helped Meetra along with it when she returned to the galaxy at large. I speak of the Force bond, the ability to form connections with other beings through the Force. Revan used it to learn the Rakata language and to make them understand his, however Meetra was perhaps the most powerful user of the technique, using it to greatly strengthen her companions and be strengthened by them in turn." She smirked. "The technique was used by Nihilus as well," and when his name was mentioned Ciaran shuddered slightly, "but he had many
other failings as you are well aware."
Ciaran was curious about why Kreia chose now of all times and here of all places to reveal this ability, but didn't want to run the risk of interrupting again...and admittedly she couldn't help but be fascinated by it. "It is a powerful technique and very relevant to your current circumstances. For that matter, I can also tell you that you may have already been using it unconsciously to an extent. Your companion on Malachor was connected to you by it, though for now its potential has yet to be fully realized. I might sense the beginnings of one with the boy you were speaking to just now. Considering the strength of the Force here though, I could be mistaking it for a different form of attachment."
"That's...you're
sure I've formed this 'Force bond' with Asajj?" Ciaran asked after seeing that Kreia's lecture was done. "I mean, we'd only been in close proximity to each other for less than a year before she and I went to Malachor."
"The bond itself is almost impossible to notice unless you are made aware of its presence...and as for the proof of its existence I believe you are fully capable of verifying that on your own," Kreia replied as Ciaran folded her arms and processed what she had heard.
"...Alright, so I probably have this Force bond
thing with Asajj. That's great and all, and I'll be sure to look into it when I get the chance, but what's so important about these 'bonds'
right now?"
Kreia frowned. "I...cannot say. Our conversation is not as private as either of us would like," she calmly explained, causing Ciaran to visibly tense up. "In fact, I may have been here for too long," Kreia said almost offhandedly as she turned away from an increasingly worried Ciaran. "I can say this, however:
This world and those who dwell within it are hopelessly bound to their fates. Do not forget that."
"Wait, wha-" but before Ciaran could finish speaking Kreia vanished once more, and as she tried to process Kreia's words she noticed that the presences
of the Son, the Daughter, and the Father were all converging on a location close by.
trial
Resolving to figure out what she had been told, she quickly exited Anakin's room and began running at full speed towards the location of
the three Ones, appreciating the fact that she'd gotten enough rest to handle another dead run. Fortunately for her, said run was short as she burst out onto a platform overlooking what appeared to be an arena of some kind.
That was the least of her concerns as she quickly noticed
that the Son was in his gargoyle form, holding Ahsoka prisoner in his talons, the Daughter was in the form of a griffon doing the same to Obi-Wan, the Father was standing impassively on another platform overlooking the arena, intently focusing on the center where Anakin was, equidistant from Obi-Wan and Ahsoka. He seemed to be struggling with himself for a moment, then Ciaran noticed that his power suddenly began to
build. From what little she could clearly make out she could tell that Anakin was drawing upon the Force energy of Mortis itself, using it to amplify his already considerable power. As Ciaran struggled to breathe with the pressure in the area rapidly mounting, she saw Anakin push out with his power, capturing both the Son and the Daughter with it and forcing them to let their prisoners go. Anakin barely seemed to notice it in his trance-like state as he continued to resonate with immeasurable power, forcing both the Son and the Daughter to move in front of him, then revert to their human forms, then drop to their knees, unable to resist the power Anakin was exerting. And as power resonating from Anakin reached its peak-
Ciaran could no longer withstand the strain from enduring it and blacked out.
Chosen One
AN: I am so so so so
soooooo sorry this took so damn long, but I
really wanted to make sure this was at its best for reasons I'm sure you understand. And honestly the next...I'd say 2 parts will probably be the same.
Don't want to say too much, aside from giving a shout-out to
@Barondoctor for writing out that exposition on Force bonds Kreia brought up; I ended up integrating it into the update (with some minor revisions and adjustments to fit it within quest canon) since it fit so well with my plans anyway.
Enjoy~
) make "your own path"
