Barondoctor
The things I chase come to me.
- Location
- The other side of the mirror
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
Outstanding.
I regret that I have but one like to give this piece, and that there isn't a better reaction like "wow".
Last edited:
May The Invisible Hand Be With You - (Star Wars CK2-Style Quest)
- Thread starter Dr. Snark
- Start date
- Sci-Fi
-
- Tags
- star wars canon what canon tsundere dice ck2 quest actions have consequences all the credits all work and no play makes ciaran a dull girl best sister capitalism ho! despairing qm teetotaller society member gotta catch 'em all insanity looting off the rails sage dice approaching spicy sheev tsundere asajj
I regret that I have but one like to give this piece, and that there isn't a better reaction like "wow".
Barondoctor
The things I chase come to me.
- Location
- The other side of the mirror
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
Pretty sure that's American vs British punctuation, but not totally sure.
Temple Bombing - Aftermath
Dr. Snark
Exactly As Planned...Probably
- Location
- Right where I want to be
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
Coruscant
"Shocking news has come from the Jedi Temple as initial reports indicate that serious fighting took place within its walls, reportedly instigated by fellow Jedi. Military and civilian authorities alike have been demanding answers in the wake of these attacks but Council spokespeople have so far not given much details, though according to them it is largely due to them trying to understand the cause of the fighting."
"Look at what just happened! We've been letting Jedi lead our armies, and then out of nowhere they start killing each other for who knows what reason! You have to wonder why - were there moles in the Temple or did someone take their 'disagreements' on whatever they're on about too far? Still I for one want answers-"
"If the Jedi themselves are facing infighting of that scale what does that say about the rest of the Republic? The war with the Separatists seems to be bringing out the worst in everyone, whether it be a Republic politician or a Jedi alike-"
------------
"Thrawn. You've heard the news?"
"I have."
"Sorry to say, but it looks like you're not going to get a shot at Tarkin just yet."
"I am well aware, Gulan. Such is the reality of the situation."
"Hahaha. The reality where Jedi are killing each other seems pretty damn surreal to me..."
"I would not mention that to Lady Ciaran. She would no doubt give you a rather lengthy lecture on the Jedi Civil War."
"...Point taken. Anyway, anything interesting pop up while you were setting up Tano's case? Individuals of interest?"
"Nothing particularly noteworthy. Wullf Yularen is already a noted individual, though I believe we have not put enough focus on him as a potential contact in the Republic Navy."
"Fair enough then. I'll let you know when...when this starts to make sense. Out."
"...Reason has little place in this time of war, it would seem."
...
"...A pity really. I doubt that the Watchers would be interested in a random captain of an Acclamator. Even so, you do seem like such a fascinating individual, Captain Pellaeon. Perhaps..."
------------
Three days passed, and it seemed like the entire galaxy wanted answers from the Jedi Order. Why were Jedi killing each other? How long had these traitors been hiding in the Order and corrupting it from within? How could the "wise and knowing" Jedi Council not see this coming?
The official report lit up what was nothing short of a firestorm in the media. A Jedi Master had turned traitor without the Order knowing it until it was nearly too late, actively corrupting his subordinates and students to help assist him as both moles and sleeper agents. It would have been hopeless had it not been for Anakin's presence.
As certain media groups like the Coruscant Intelligencer began to spin it, The Hero With No Fear had managed to uncover the conspiracy and had alerted the Order to Sora Bulq's betrayal. While he was unable to bring in Bulq alive he did manage to bring in a significant number of his cohorts, including the woman behind the Temple bombing - Barriss Offee.
The report that was published shortly thereafter indicated that Bulq had attempted to cover up the bombing by having his followers murder Letta Turmond in her cell, not only to silence her but also to frame Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano in the process. Within minutes of the report the case against her evaporated and she was exonerated of all charges...
...as soon as anyone could figure out where she was.
-----------
Three days.
Three days of nonstop questions, demands, and grieving that Anakin had to go through.
Three days of him honestly wondering whether his Padawan should even come back to the Temple anyway.
Three days of his doubt gnawing at him more than ever.
Still, it wasn't all for nothing. It was why he was sitting on the Temple steps, waiting for Ahsoka to finally come back. Ciaran had told him that after the news she wanted time to process everything and at the same time hide from the media attention that would have been hounding her. And of course, it would be rather suspect if she immediately showed back up right after everything had been sorted out...
As Anakin looked out towards the Coruscant skyline, the sun beginning to set and bathing Courscant in an orange light, he wondered what exactly the Council was doing about all of this. They had effectively sealed themselves in the Council Chamber to try and make sense of what had happened, and he hadn't heard a word from anyone about what they were talking about - not even from Obi-Wan.
In another time he might have been envious of being locked out while they were deciding the future of the Order. But then again...
"Things change," Anakin muttered to himself.
"What does?"
Anakin turned around and looked slightly up to see Padme standing behind him, a worried look on her face. "A lot of things...when did you get here?" he asked quietly.
"A couple of hours ago. I was trying to get a more coherent report on the casualties and-"
"Thanks."
Padme smiled sadly. "...Was it that obvious?"
"Yes, but I'm not going to complain about the company at a time like this," Anakin said as Padme sat down next to him. "...Sorry for not contacting you sooner, it's just..."
Without a word, Padme moved to gently squeeze Anakin's hand. With a small nod of gratitude Anakin turned back towards the stairway, continuing his vigil as Padme continued to gently hold his hand.
"You know, if one of the Masters sees us like this, I'm probably going to be lectured for weeks on end," Anakin said, trying to lighten the mood.
"And exactly how long would it take for you to find a way to skip out on them?" Padme teased, visibly brightening up at the banter.
"...An hour. Two at the most."
"That's more than I'd give you credit for."
"That's more than I'd give me credit for."
As the two of them chuckled lightly they heard a familiar voice from behind them say "He's quite right. I think it would only take him a few moments to try and get away from a lecture like that."
Anakin froze up for a brief second before turning back to see a clearly bemused Obi-Wan. "You're out!? What's been going on in there?"
With that question Obi-Wan's smirk vanished as he sat down opposite Padme. "We've been trying to understand what made Bulq fall...though that was the easy part."
"I'm not sure I understand," Padme said. "How was it so simple?"
Obi-Wan was silent for a moment before replying. "Because Master Windu gave us an answer almost immediately." He leaned forward to face Padme directly. "Master Windu and Bulq were developing a new lightsaber form called 'Vaapad,' which apparently ran the risk of bringing its user closer to the Dark Side due to how it worked. It's admittedly far more complex than that but for your purposes that should be enough of an explanation. At any rate, it seems that Bulq tried to outpace Master Windu in mastering the form despite explicit warnings from Master Windu and...it consumed him."
"So...what happens now?" Padme asked, and in response Obi-Wan sighed sadly. "That is why I've been meeting with the rest of the Council for the last few days. We've been asking ourselves that same question and to be honest we're not much closer to an answer."
"Why? What was so special about this 'Bulq?'" Padme asked.
This time Anakin replied to her. "Bulq was not only one of the Order's most premier lightsaber instructors, but one of the wisest minds the Order had - or so we thought. He was supposedly calm, rational, reasonable, and was outwardly an ideal Jedi. So the fact that not only did he fall, but he also corrupted even more Jedi..."
"We've been asking ourselves why so many fell," Obi-Wan clarified. "The war is an obvious factor, but that seems...insufficient to describe what happened here. This was a failure of the Jedi to see the suffering and corruption of our own, within our very walls no less..."
Anakin was going to continue the discussion, but before he could he noticed what he had been waiting for:
The sight of Ahsoka Tano walking up the Temple steps.
Without a word Anakin leapt up and ran towards her before slowing down to a stop as he and Ahsoka faced each other, neither of them able to say anything.
"...Are you alright?" Anakin said after an awkwardly silent moment.
"I'll live," Ahsoka said quietly. "...Thanks. For believing in me. And the advice."
"Of course. I wouldn't be much of a teacher if I didn't believe in my pupil, would I?"
Both of them went silent again before Anakin broke the silence. "Ahsoka...what do you want to do now?"
She seemed to visibly wilt at that question. "I...I don't know. It's just...with everything..."
Without a word, Anakin sat down on the steps, gesturing for Ahsoka to sit beside him. As she did she curled up almost reflexively, her hands wrapping around her knees.
"I feel...I don't know, confused? Lost? I'm not really sure how to put it but..." She visibly tensed up. "I heard...I heard about Barriss, and Bulq, and all of that and..." She glanced over her shoulder, looking up at the Jedi Temple. "For the first time...I don't know if the Temple is really home anymore. If that makes sense..."
"It does," Anakin replied. "A lot of people I've been talking to have felt the same way - and are planning on going to Tython to keep an eye on the younglings and get some distance from all of this."
"Tython doesn't seem so far away right now, Master."
"I know, Snips."
"It's just...I can't help but...doubt. The Jedi didn't see this coming until it was almost too late, and if it wasn't for you and Darra-" Ahsoka stopped as something occurred to her. "Where is she, actually? Is she alright?"
"She's been roughed up a bit but she'll live. The Healers are taking a look at her to make sure nothing's wrong. After that she's planning on heading to Tython like a lot of the others."
"So she's staying then?" Ahsoka froze up as the words left her mouth. "I-I mean, it's not - I don't-"
"I understand. Believe me," Anakin said quietly as he listlessly gazed into the distance, thinking to himself before something came to him. "Hey Ahsoka...mind if I tell you a story I heard once?"
"Okay...?"
"A long time ago there was a Jedi named Meetra Surik who fought in a war against the Mandalorians - against the orders of the Council at the time. Though she went against them she was still a loyal Knight above all else, and once the war was finished she returned to the Council to face their judgement willingly. In response...they cast her out of the Order and exiled her, forcing her to leave the galaxy behind."
Ahsoka was starting to look at Anakin with rapt attention as he continued.
"Eventually though the galaxy was threatened by the Sith, and the Order was too weak to stop them. And then Meetra, the exile, the woman the Order had forsaken came back and helped save the Jedi and the galaxy - even though at the time it was filled with hatred and bitterness towards Force-users. It's because of her that you and I are able to have this conversation right now."
Anakin put a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder and looked her in the eyes.
"You have a choice, no matter what anyone tells you. You can stay if you truly think you belong here, or you can leave and walk your own path. Either way, you're still a Jedi no matter what anyone else says. Just...do what you think is right."
Ahsoka took that in, then looked into the distance. "...I...I need to think about this."
Anakin nodded, stood up, patted Ahsoka reassuringly on the shoulder, then walked back up the stairs towards Padme and Obi-Wan.
"How is she?" Obi-Wan asked.
"...She's doing about as well as you'd expect at a time like this," Anakin replied. "I was thinking about getting the rest of her friends out here to help cheer her up but...right now she just needs some space."
Obi-Wan nodded before turning to face Padme. "Actually while I'm here I suppose now would be a good a time as any to ask you a favor, Senator-"
"Padme is fine," she said politely but firmly. "I'd like to think we're familiar enough with each other for that."
In response Obi-Wan couldn't help but chuckle. "Right. Since you're in more regular contact with Duchess Kyrze-"
"Satine," Anakin said as a slightly vicious grin came over him. "I'd like to think you're familiar enough with her for that."
"-I wanted to ask if you could get a message to her - unofficially of course," Obi-Wan said, shooting Anakin a look of what could only be described as disappointment before completely ignoring his words.
"That shouldn't be a problem," Padme replied, visibly curious. "But...what exactly do you want me to tell her?"
"That I may or may not be staying on Mandalore for the remainder of the war as a full-time Republic and Jedi ambassador - barring military duties for the GAR and so on as they become necessary, she'll understand that. To be clear right now I'm not entirely certain that will actually happen but it is not an unrealistic possibility."
"I see...I'll let her know."
Anakin was about to open his mouth and quip-
"Hey Ani. I'm at the foot of the staircase off to the left. I need to talk to you about something, it's important."
He shook his head. "Right, well while you're talking about secret messages or whatever, I need a walk." He glanced at Padme. "I'll don't know when I'll be back, but..."
"I understand. See you later, then."
Anakin nodded before quickly moving down the steps, glancing and flashing a quick smile at Ahsoka as he passed by her before continuing on. As he reached the bottom he glanced to the side to see Ciaran standing at a noticeable distance from the Temple, dressed in rather plain clothing and looking fairly inconspicuous all things considered.
"I'm surprised you're even out here right now," Anakin said once he got closer to her. "I really doubt anyone in the Order wants to see you right now."
"Good, because I feel the same about them," Ciaran replied flatly, worrying him since there wasn't even a sarcastic quip involved. "Now then, remember how I told you about that Force Bond?"
Anakin's brows furrowed. "I...I'm still trying to grasp that honestly. How did we-"
"Mortis probably. Weirder things have happened, I'm sure."
Anakin started to open his mouth before quickly realizing he didn't really have much of an argument against that. "Well there's no way to prove that wrong, is there?"
"Nope. Anyway, remember how I mentioned I figured out how it worked just before you fought Bulq's people?" Anakin couldn't see her eyes but he knew she was narrowing them. "I don't know what is was you were doing before that, but you did something that caused backlash through the bond, for lack of a better way of putting it. Given that I'd rather not have that happen at an inopportune moment I'd like to know what exactly you were doing."
"I was..." Anakin thought to himself, his eyes widening as he realized the likely cause. "...Would you believe me if I told you I was trying to search through my...'Vader memories' for something? If that makes sense?"
Now Anakin was getting the sense that Ciaran was blinking owlishly at him, trying to process his explanation. "You...let me get that straight; you were trying to search through the memories of a future that probably isn't going to come to pass after everything that's happened and you only have because..." She shook her head. "Well it's no wonder I got that migraine given that you were trying to interact with something given to you by the Son. You remember, the being that is the living embodiment of the Dark Side!?"
"Something was missing."
Ciaran went dead silent. "What?"
"I've...been having flashes of those 'memories' whenever I see or hear something relevant enough to one of them - I thought it was just trauma, but it seems like it's something much...different. Anyway one of the memories I saw...left out someone." He looked at her worriedly. "You're better with knowing about people than I am...do you know if any of the Organas have a girl going by the name of 'Leia Organa?' Or maybe-"
He trailed off as he noticed Ciaran visibly tense up and go dead silent, clearly deep in thought. "Uh..."
"That name. That name's important," she said suddenly, not really acknowledging Anakin. "But why, I don't think there's anyone by that name in the royal family, I'd probably know..." She continued to mutter under her breath for another moment before she looked at Anakin again. "You said those visions omitted her. How did they and how did you figure out her name?"
Anakin thought to himself for a moment before shrugging helplessly. "Her appearance was a blur and her name was...not there until I basically figured it out through forcing an answer out. Aside from that...I don't know what else to tell you -" his eyes narrowed - "except there was someone else that was also blocked out."
"Who? Do you have any idea?" Ciaran asked intensely.
"Not a clue. Just looking at...whoever it was caused me to...I don't know exactly what happened but it ended up causing some kind of backlash."
"That explains the migraine...but why..." Ciaran started to mutter to herself again but was conspicuously letting Anakin overhear her. "...This Leia person is blocked out but the reaction to her is less severe, so why is it that there's such an extreme reaction to whoever else is being omitted...maybe it has something to do with the Son giving you those memories?"
"That's what I thought," Anakin said, interrupting Ciaran. "I assume it has something to do with the Son not wanting me to see something, but I really don't get why. From what I can tell Vader saw Leia as a...target, for lack of a better way of putting it."
Ciaran glanced at Anakin, frowning. "...There's an important piece of that puzzle missing, but right now only you would be able to do anything about it...unless..."
A chill went down Anakin's spine. "I don't think I like where this is going..."
"So Anakin. Remember how I said I couldn't read your mind?"
"...please tell me you have a better idea."
"It's literally the only idea I have," Ciaran said with a shrug. "Either you try to bash your head against a wall trying to figure out who this person is and continue to have backlashes from it...or we try and circumvent that by having me take a look instead and seeing if I can get around that somehow."
"Do you think it will work?"
"Anakin, I have no damn idea." She said, shrugging helplessly before she looked at him with a serious expression. "And I also have no idea what it might do to you if something goes wrong. Are you sure you want to take that risk?"
He went silent for a moment before nodding. "I have to know. There's something important buried in those memories and I have to know what it is."
-----------
"Honestly I didn't expect to ever come back here of all places," Anakin said as he followed Ciaran through the doors to her base in the Abyss.
"This is a good a place as any for some privacy. With the better part of the Undercity surrounding us there's going to be enough 'noise' to keep anyone from noticing if something goes weird with the Force." She didn't say anything else as she led him to a dark room that seemed to have nothing at all inside.
"Right then," Ciaran said as she sat down and settled herself with Anakin quickly following suit. "Like I said, I have no idea how this works, so we're going to have to basically guess and hope that the Force bond itself does most of the hard work for us. So..."
She thought to herself before shrugging. "We'll start with a proof of concept experiment. Try bringing up a memory that has Leia in it - wait hold on," she said suddenly, startling Anakin slightly. "Descriptions. Give me details, it might help."
"Well...the one I can think of that you'd be able to visualize fairly easily is where Vader is standing behind her as Tarkin - Admiral Tarkin, you know him?"
"Yes."
"He's threatening to destroy Alderaan unless she tells him about the location of some rebel base or something. They're on a space station of some kind - there's not much in the room aside from a viewport to let her see Alderaan and a few consoles on the sides..."
"Good enough, that should be enough to go on...probably." Ciaran breathed in, readying herself. "Now then...focus on that memory and...we'll see what happens."
Anakin nodded, closing his eyes and going into a trance. Ciaran waited for a brief moment, then nodded to herself before breathing in and trying to focus on the connection, bringing up the images Anakin had given her and seeing if maybe she could see them for herself...
For a long moment it seemed like nothing was happening despite Ciaran's best efforts. Then another moment passed, then another, and another, and another-
I don't know how I'm supposed to be doing this, but apparently the way I'm doing it is the wrong way. I have the bond, I have the image, what am I missing? It shouldn't be that hard to visualize the event in question...
Wait...
It's an important event. It has to be. So maybe I'm just trying to look at it in the wrong context...
Ciaran shifted her focus, trying to visualize the shatterpoint that Anakin had described. It was a difficult endeavor, likely due to the fact that said event was increasingly unlikely to occur, but maybe-
After another moment Ciaran "blinked" and saw the scene Anakin had described. It was a rather surreal image though as it seemed like she was looking at it through glass of some kind, the image becoming slightly distorted as though light was passing through something...
Still, there it was, just as Anakin described it...and Ciaran couldn't help but gape once the memory had played out and Alderaan was obliterated before her very eyes.
...I think I'm beginning to understand why Anakin was so frightened of these visions.
Refocusing and not really having anything else to go on she decided that since looking at the event as a shatterpoint seemed to work...somehow (and she had a feeling questioning it at this point would probably end badly)...maybe she could use it to determine other important memories?
She focused in on the image further.
Tarkin only had a few. But by contrast Leia seemed to be completely surrounded by them, though almost all of them were completely incoherent.
Who is this girl!? And what the hell does she do to cause so many different fractures!?
...Questions for later I suppose. Right, since that didn't work looks like I'll have to do this the hard way and go through these chronologically. That...should work...
As she thought that the image seemed to shrink and Ciaran got the sense that she was in a...hallway or gallery for lack of a better way of putting it. Moving over to the next one she saw Vader crossing lightsabers with an old man that looked familiar...
Hang on...is that Obi-Wan? Huh. Age was kind to him apparently...or will be kind to him? Dammit, tenses are confusing at times like this...
Still...how far into the future am I looking then? If he's gotten that old it has to be at least a couple of decades.
Moving on again she came to another image where Vader was looking out at a group of people - she hazily recognized the droids...weren't they around Anakin a lot? Then there was a man she didn't recognize, and a Wookiee-
Hang on...didn't I meet him somewhere? ...Yes, that's...Chewbacca was his name, right? Seems like he's going to be a lot more important than I gave him credit for...
Then there was Leia and-
|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|-
Ciaran recoiled slightly as the last person seemed to be - well she wasn't sure exactly what was blocking them out but whatever it was wasn't pleasant to look at.
That must be what happened to Anakin earlier. Okay then...what's so important about you then?
Trying not to look directly at them she tried to view their shatterpoints...
And if anything there were even more surrounding them than there were around Leia, though it was hard for Ciaran to get a good estimate.
Okay. What is with these people.
Glancing over she saw significant amounts of shatterpoints around the man and Chewbacca, though not quite as many as the other two.
So apparently these people are all instrumental figures in galactic history or something. Because that's the only explanation I can come up with for why they all cause so many fractures.
...I'm getting the distinct impression that Anakin should not have left Mortis with these memories intact, even vaguely. Guess it's a good thing the Father was off his game when we got back to him...
Still, this doesn't really help, and it looks like the direct route's out. Okay...indirect route it is. Let's keep going...
Ciaran moved on to see Vader in the cockpit of a fighter she didn't recognize, chasing down what looked like a Headhunter with two extra wings.
Interesting... She thought to herself as she examined the design as best she could. I wonder if I should tell Seti about that, give him and Incom some ideas...
Focusing in on it further the image went into motion, the fighter darting around Vader's fire.
"The Force is strong with this one," he said.
Is it the same person as before then?
Before she could continue the thought further she saw the images of what were apparently Vader's wingmen go out, followed by him getting shot at by another ship and being sent flying.
...Well that's not helpful. Alright, time to keep going...
The next image she came to had the same distortion as the one she saw before and wasn't coherent anyway, so she simply shrugged and moved onward.
The next one she noticed seemed particularly distorted, though from what she could tell Vader was talking to a man in green Mandalorian armor on the bridge of a starship. Focusing in on it the image went into motion as the two of them discussed a 'Rebel(?)' they were tracking...
His voice...is that Jango? No, the armor is a different color and if it's the future...that might be Boba then. I think that's the same armor as Jango's...
"Did you bring me anything of value, bounty hunter?" Vader said to Boba(?).
"Not much. Just his name," Boba said to Vader. "|/\/|\\/\."
The distortion blocked out the name, but before Ciaran could process it she suddenly felt what she could only describe as pure malice start to radiate from the image as Boba said something she didn't hear as he left Vader's sight. From what she could tell Vader was radiating Dark Side energy, causing a viewport near him to begin buckling from the strain.
What the hell...what would cause that kind of reaction?
Okay...I need to see if I can get an idea of what the name is. I might be able to get the number of syllables if nothing else.
Forcing the image to restart Ciaran focused on Boba's cadence, trying to get an idea of how he spoke and how quickly he said words. Once the distortion hit she determined that the name took about a second to say, which narrowed it down to about three or maybe four syllables...
Okay. Three-ish syllables, no sign of a break so that means it's either a first or last name, and makes Vader mad as hell...
Ciaran thought to herself for a long moment before an idea came to her, though she was unable to process it once it clicked in her mind.
No way. There's no way that's possible...I saw Padme die in the visions on Mortis! She was choked...out...unless...unless she just fell unconscious. That's not an impossibility between the psychological strain and the lack of oxygen meaning that she at minimum survived for some time afterwards. Which could mean...
Going as fast as she could through the images she came to one where Padme was tearfully confronting Anakin on a world with lava surrounding them...
And she could easily tell that she was pregnant. Given the size of the bulge of her belly, probably close to delivering even.
...I'll be damned, Ciaran thought to herself as she went back to the first distortion she saw. But then again...putting what I know about this distortion and these memories together...it makes perfect sense. After all...
If there's anyone the Son would want to block out it would be Anakin's son, right?
With that realization the distortion vanished and Ciaran saw the young man it was hiding. To her slight bemusement he looked fairly mundane from what she could tell - he had slightly long dark blond hair in an unkempt style, was dressed in simplistic white clothing, and from all outside appearances looked completely ordinary.
Heh. Figures that after all that buildup...he looks like an ordinary human being that you'd meet just walking down the street. Though there's probably more to this given the severity of the distortion...
Just to confirm her conclusion she went back to see the conversation between Vader and Boba. And sure enough, the name Boba uttered was in fact "Skywalker."
Well that leaves no room for doubt then...now comes the hard part.
With that Ciaran came out of her trance, shaking her head and noticing that Anakin was visibly wincing. "Did...did you figure out who it was?"
Ciaran went dead silent.
"...What's wrong?"
"...I'm just trying to figure out how to put this..." Ciaran said, thinking to herself for a long moment before sighing. "That person who was blocked out is a young human man."
"I see-"
"His last name is Skywalker."
The moment Ciaran said it Anakin froze up in place, a myriad of emotions swirling across his face as he tried to process what he had just heard. "I...what...h-how...but does that mean...I don't..."
"I didn't see any more details than that...honestly I just assumed the fact that he even existed would have been enough reason for the Son to block him out," Ciaran continued as Anakin stared at her, wide-eyed. "Given how severe that distortion was...there's probably more to this than that, but I didn't look any further."
"I...I see..." Anakin said quietly, still trying to process what Ciaran had told him.
Ciaran went silent for a moment before standing up and turning to leave. "Take your time. No one will interrupt you," she said over her shoulder as she walked out, leaving Anakin behind as he stared into space...
AN: I was planning on ending this mini arc this update. Then the word count hit 5k. Say it with me now: "It got away from me again."
As it turns out it takes a lot of words to not only start resolving a character arc I've had going since the very first moment I took over but also kicking off another couple of them in earnest to boot. Go figure.
Next time, I swear.
(Also yes, you will be able to follow up on Ciaran's comments on the X-Wing and give causality the middle finger (even more) if you want.)
"Shocking news has come from the Jedi Temple as initial reports indicate that serious fighting took place within its walls, reportedly instigated by fellow Jedi. Military and civilian authorities alike have been demanding answers in the wake of these attacks but Council spokespeople have so far not given much details, though according to them it is largely due to them trying to understand the cause of the fighting."
"Look at what just happened! We've been letting Jedi lead our armies, and then out of nowhere they start killing each other for who knows what reason! You have to wonder why - were there moles in the Temple or did someone take their 'disagreements' on whatever they're on about too far? Still I for one want answers-"
"If the Jedi themselves are facing infighting of that scale what does that say about the rest of the Republic? The war with the Separatists seems to be bringing out the worst in everyone, whether it be a Republic politician or a Jedi alike-"
------------
"Thrawn. You've heard the news?"
"I have."
"Sorry to say, but it looks like you're not going to get a shot at Tarkin just yet."
"I am well aware, Gulan. Such is the reality of the situation."
"Hahaha. The reality where Jedi are killing each other seems pretty damn surreal to me..."
"I would not mention that to Lady Ciaran. She would no doubt give you a rather lengthy lecture on the Jedi Civil War."
"...Point taken. Anyway, anything interesting pop up while you were setting up Tano's case? Individuals of interest?"
"Nothing particularly noteworthy. Wullf Yularen is already a noted individual, though I believe we have not put enough focus on him as a potential contact in the Republic Navy."
"Fair enough then. I'll let you know when...when this starts to make sense. Out."
"...Reason has little place in this time of war, it would seem."
...
"...A pity really. I doubt that the Watchers would be interested in a random captain of an Acclamator. Even so, you do seem like such a fascinating individual, Captain Pellaeon. Perhaps..."
------------
Three days passed, and it seemed like the entire galaxy wanted answers from the Jedi Order. Why were Jedi killing each other? How long had these traitors been hiding in the Order and corrupting it from within? How could the "wise and knowing" Jedi Council not see this coming?
The official report lit up what was nothing short of a firestorm in the media. A Jedi Master had turned traitor without the Order knowing it until it was nearly too late, actively corrupting his subordinates and students to help assist him as both moles and sleeper agents. It would have been hopeless had it not been for Anakin's presence.
As certain media groups like the Coruscant Intelligencer began to spin it, The Hero With No Fear had managed to uncover the conspiracy and had alerted the Order to Sora Bulq's betrayal. While he was unable to bring in Bulq alive he did manage to bring in a significant number of his cohorts, including the woman behind the Temple bombing - Barriss Offee.
The report that was published shortly thereafter indicated that Bulq had attempted to cover up the bombing by having his followers murder Letta Turmond in her cell, not only to silence her but also to frame Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano in the process. Within minutes of the report the case against her evaporated and she was exonerated of all charges...
...as soon as anyone could figure out where she was.
-----------
Three days.
Three days of nonstop questions, demands, and grieving that Anakin had to go through.
Three days of him honestly wondering whether his Padawan should even come back to the Temple anyway.
Three days of his doubt gnawing at him more than ever.
Still, it wasn't all for nothing. It was why he was sitting on the Temple steps, waiting for Ahsoka to finally come back. Ciaran had told him that after the news she wanted time to process everything and at the same time hide from the media attention that would have been hounding her. And of course, it would be rather suspect if she immediately showed back up right after everything had been sorted out...
As Anakin looked out towards the Coruscant skyline, the sun beginning to set and bathing Courscant in an orange light, he wondered what exactly the Council was doing about all of this. They had effectively sealed themselves in the Council Chamber to try and make sense of what had happened, and he hadn't heard a word from anyone about what they were talking about - not even from Obi-Wan.
In another time he might have been envious of being locked out while they were deciding the future of the Order. But then again...
"Things change," Anakin muttered to himself.
"What does?"
Anakin turned around and looked slightly up to see Padme standing behind him, a worried look on her face. "A lot of things...when did you get here?" he asked quietly.
"A couple of hours ago. I was trying to get a more coherent report on the casualties and-"
"Thanks."
Padme smiled sadly. "...Was it that obvious?"
"Yes, but I'm not going to complain about the company at a time like this," Anakin said as Padme sat down next to him. "...Sorry for not contacting you sooner, it's just..."
Without a word, Padme moved to gently squeeze Anakin's hand. With a small nod of gratitude Anakin turned back towards the stairway, continuing his vigil as Padme continued to gently hold his hand.
"You know, if one of the Masters sees us like this, I'm probably going to be lectured for weeks on end," Anakin said, trying to lighten the mood.
"And exactly how long would it take for you to find a way to skip out on them?" Padme teased, visibly brightening up at the banter.
"...An hour. Two at the most."
"That's more than I'd give you credit for."
"That's more than I'd give me credit for."
As the two of them chuckled lightly they heard a familiar voice from behind them say "He's quite right. I think it would only take him a few moments to try and get away from a lecture like that."
Anakin froze up for a brief second before turning back to see a clearly bemused Obi-Wan. "You're out!? What's been going on in there?"
With that question Obi-Wan's smirk vanished as he sat down opposite Padme. "We've been trying to understand what made Bulq fall...though that was the easy part."
"I'm not sure I understand," Padme said. "How was it so simple?"
Obi-Wan was silent for a moment before replying. "Because Master Windu gave us an answer almost immediately." He leaned forward to face Padme directly. "Master Windu and Bulq were developing a new lightsaber form called 'Vaapad,' which apparently ran the risk of bringing its user closer to the Dark Side due to how it worked. It's admittedly far more complex than that but for your purposes that should be enough of an explanation. At any rate, it seems that Bulq tried to outpace Master Windu in mastering the form despite explicit warnings from Master Windu and...it consumed him."
"So...what happens now?" Padme asked, and in response Obi-Wan sighed sadly. "That is why I've been meeting with the rest of the Council for the last few days. We've been asking ourselves that same question and to be honest we're not much closer to an answer."
"Why? What was so special about this 'Bulq?'" Padme asked.
This time Anakin replied to her. "Bulq was not only one of the Order's most premier lightsaber instructors, but one of the wisest minds the Order had - or so we thought. He was supposedly calm, rational, reasonable, and was outwardly an ideal Jedi. So the fact that not only did he fall, but he also corrupted even more Jedi..."
"We've been asking ourselves why so many fell," Obi-Wan clarified. "The war is an obvious factor, but that seems...insufficient to describe what happened here. This was a failure of the Jedi to see the suffering and corruption of our own, within our very walls no less..."
Anakin was going to continue the discussion, but before he could he noticed what he had been waiting for:
The sight of Ahsoka Tano walking up the Temple steps.
Without a word Anakin leapt up and ran towards her before slowing down to a stop as he and Ahsoka faced each other, neither of them able to say anything.
"...Are you alright?" Anakin said after an awkwardly silent moment.
"I'll live," Ahsoka said quietly. "...Thanks. For believing in me. And the advice."
"Of course. I wouldn't be much of a teacher if I didn't believe in my pupil, would I?"
Both of them went silent again before Anakin broke the silence. "Ahsoka...what do you want to do now?"
She seemed to visibly wilt at that question. "I...I don't know. It's just...with everything..."
Without a word, Anakin sat down on the steps, gesturing for Ahsoka to sit beside him. As she did she curled up almost reflexively, her hands wrapping around her knees.
"I feel...I don't know, confused? Lost? I'm not really sure how to put it but..." She visibly tensed up. "I heard...I heard about Barriss, and Bulq, and all of that and..." She glanced over her shoulder, looking up at the Jedi Temple. "For the first time...I don't know if the Temple is really home anymore. If that makes sense..."
"It does," Anakin replied. "A lot of people I've been talking to have felt the same way - and are planning on going to Tython to keep an eye on the younglings and get some distance from all of this."
"Tython doesn't seem so far away right now, Master."
"I know, Snips."
"It's just...I can't help but...doubt. The Jedi didn't see this coming until it was almost too late, and if it wasn't for you and Darra-" Ahsoka stopped as something occurred to her. "Where is she, actually? Is she alright?"
"She's been roughed up a bit but she'll live. The Healers are taking a look at her to make sure nothing's wrong. After that she's planning on heading to Tython like a lot of the others."
"So she's staying then?" Ahsoka froze up as the words left her mouth. "I-I mean, it's not - I don't-"
"I understand. Believe me," Anakin said quietly as he listlessly gazed into the distance, thinking to himself before something came to him. "Hey Ahsoka...mind if I tell you a story I heard once?"
"Okay...?"
"A long time ago there was a Jedi named Meetra Surik who fought in a war against the Mandalorians - against the orders of the Council at the time. Though she went against them she was still a loyal Knight above all else, and once the war was finished she returned to the Council to face their judgement willingly. In response...they cast her out of the Order and exiled her, forcing her to leave the galaxy behind."
Ahsoka was starting to look at Anakin with rapt attention as he continued.
"Eventually though the galaxy was threatened by the Sith, and the Order was too weak to stop them. And then Meetra, the exile, the woman the Order had forsaken came back and helped save the Jedi and the galaxy - even though at the time it was filled with hatred and bitterness towards Force-users. It's because of her that you and I are able to have this conversation right now."
Anakin put a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder and looked her in the eyes.
"You have a choice, no matter what anyone tells you. You can stay if you truly think you belong here, or you can leave and walk your own path. Either way, you're still a Jedi no matter what anyone else says. Just...do what you think is right."
Ahsoka took that in, then looked into the distance. "...I...I need to think about this."
Anakin nodded, stood up, patted Ahsoka reassuringly on the shoulder, then walked back up the stairs towards Padme and Obi-Wan.
"How is she?" Obi-Wan asked.
"...She's doing about as well as you'd expect at a time like this," Anakin replied. "I was thinking about getting the rest of her friends out here to help cheer her up but...right now she just needs some space."
Obi-Wan nodded before turning to face Padme. "Actually while I'm here I suppose now would be a good a time as any to ask you a favor, Senator-"
"Padme is fine," she said politely but firmly. "I'd like to think we're familiar enough with each other for that."
In response Obi-Wan couldn't help but chuckle. "Right. Since you're in more regular contact with Duchess Kyrze-"
"Satine," Anakin said as a slightly vicious grin came over him. "I'd like to think you're familiar enough with her for that."
"-I wanted to ask if you could get a message to her - unofficially of course," Obi-Wan said, shooting Anakin a look of what could only be described as disappointment before completely ignoring his words.
"That shouldn't be a problem," Padme replied, visibly curious. "But...what exactly do you want me to tell her?"
"That I may or may not be staying on Mandalore for the remainder of the war as a full-time Republic and Jedi ambassador - barring military duties for the GAR and so on as they become necessary, she'll understand that. To be clear right now I'm not entirely certain that will actually happen but it is not an unrealistic possibility."
"I see...I'll let her know."
Anakin was about to open his mouth and quip-
"Hey Ani. I'm at the foot of the staircase off to the left. I need to talk to you about something, it's important."
He shook his head. "Right, well while you're talking about secret messages or whatever, I need a walk." He glanced at Padme. "I'll don't know when I'll be back, but..."
"I understand. See you later, then."
Anakin nodded before quickly moving down the steps, glancing and flashing a quick smile at Ahsoka as he passed by her before continuing on. As he reached the bottom he glanced to the side to see Ciaran standing at a noticeable distance from the Temple, dressed in rather plain clothing and looking fairly inconspicuous all things considered.
"I'm surprised you're even out here right now," Anakin said once he got closer to her. "I really doubt anyone in the Order wants to see you right now."
"Good, because I feel the same about them," Ciaran replied flatly, worrying him since there wasn't even a sarcastic quip involved. "Now then, remember how I told you about that Force Bond?"
Anakin's brows furrowed. "I...I'm still trying to grasp that honestly. How did we-"
"Mortis probably. Weirder things have happened, I'm sure."
Anakin started to open his mouth before quickly realizing he didn't really have much of an argument against that. "Well there's no way to prove that wrong, is there?"
"Nope. Anyway, remember how I mentioned I figured out how it worked just before you fought Bulq's people?" Anakin couldn't see her eyes but he knew she was narrowing them. "I don't know what is was you were doing before that, but you did something that caused backlash through the bond, for lack of a better way of putting it. Given that I'd rather not have that happen at an inopportune moment I'd like to know what exactly you were doing."
"I was..." Anakin thought to himself, his eyes widening as he realized the likely cause. "...Would you believe me if I told you I was trying to search through my...'Vader memories' for something? If that makes sense?"
Now Anakin was getting the sense that Ciaran was blinking owlishly at him, trying to process his explanation. "You...let me get that straight; you were trying to search through the memories of a future that probably isn't going to come to pass after everything that's happened and you only have because..." She shook her head. "Well it's no wonder I got that migraine given that you were trying to interact with something given to you by the Son. You remember, the being that is the living embodiment of the Dark Side!?"
"Something was missing."
Ciaran went dead silent. "What?"
"I've...been having flashes of those 'memories' whenever I see or hear something relevant enough to one of them - I thought it was just trauma, but it seems like it's something much...different. Anyway one of the memories I saw...left out someone." He looked at her worriedly. "You're better with knowing about people than I am...do you know if any of the Organas have a girl going by the name of 'Leia Organa?' Or maybe-"
He trailed off as he noticed Ciaran visibly tense up and go dead silent, clearly deep in thought. "Uh..."
"That name. That name's important," she said suddenly, not really acknowledging Anakin. "But why, I don't think there's anyone by that name in the royal family, I'd probably know..." She continued to mutter under her breath for another moment before she looked at Anakin again. "You said those visions omitted her. How did they and how did you figure out her name?"
Anakin thought to himself for a moment before shrugging helplessly. "Her appearance was a blur and her name was...not there until I basically figured it out through forcing an answer out. Aside from that...I don't know what else to tell you -" his eyes narrowed - "except there was someone else that was also blocked out."
"Who? Do you have any idea?" Ciaran asked intensely.
"Not a clue. Just looking at...whoever it was caused me to...I don't know exactly what happened but it ended up causing some kind of backlash."
"That explains the migraine...but why..." Ciaran started to mutter to herself again but was conspicuously letting Anakin overhear her. "...This Leia person is blocked out but the reaction to her is less severe, so why is it that there's such an extreme reaction to whoever else is being omitted...maybe it has something to do with the Son giving you those memories?"
"That's what I thought," Anakin said, interrupting Ciaran. "I assume it has something to do with the Son not wanting me to see something, but I really don't get why. From what I can tell Vader saw Leia as a...target, for lack of a better way of putting it."
Ciaran glanced at Anakin, frowning. "...There's an important piece of that puzzle missing, but right now only you would be able to do anything about it...unless..."
A chill went down Anakin's spine. "I don't think I like where this is going..."
"So Anakin. Remember how I said I couldn't read your mind?"
"...please tell me you have a better idea."
"It's literally the only idea I have," Ciaran said with a shrug. "Either you try to bash your head against a wall trying to figure out who this person is and continue to have backlashes from it...or we try and circumvent that by having me take a look instead and seeing if I can get around that somehow."
"Do you think it will work?"
"Anakin, I have no damn idea." She said, shrugging helplessly before she looked at him with a serious expression. "And I also have no idea what it might do to you if something goes wrong. Are you sure you want to take that risk?"
He went silent for a moment before nodding. "I have to know. There's something important buried in those memories and I have to know what it is."
-----------
"Honestly I didn't expect to ever come back here of all places," Anakin said as he followed Ciaran through the doors to her base in the Abyss.
"This is a good a place as any for some privacy. With the better part of the Undercity surrounding us there's going to be enough 'noise' to keep anyone from noticing if something goes weird with the Force." She didn't say anything else as she led him to a dark room that seemed to have nothing at all inside.
"Right then," Ciaran said as she sat down and settled herself with Anakin quickly following suit. "Like I said, I have no idea how this works, so we're going to have to basically guess and hope that the Force bond itself does most of the hard work for us. So..."
She thought to herself before shrugging. "We'll start with a proof of concept experiment. Try bringing up a memory that has Leia in it - wait hold on," she said suddenly, startling Anakin slightly. "Descriptions. Give me details, it might help."
"Well...the one I can think of that you'd be able to visualize fairly easily is where Vader is standing behind her as Tarkin - Admiral Tarkin, you know him?"
"Yes."
"He's threatening to destroy Alderaan unless she tells him about the location of some rebel base or something. They're on a space station of some kind - there's not much in the room aside from a viewport to let her see Alderaan and a few consoles on the sides..."
"Good enough, that should be enough to go on...probably." Ciaran breathed in, readying herself. "Now then...focus on that memory and...we'll see what happens."
Anakin nodded, closing his eyes and going into a trance. Ciaran waited for a brief moment, then nodded to herself before breathing in and trying to focus on the connection, bringing up the images Anakin had given her and seeing if maybe she could see them for herself...
For a long moment it seemed like nothing was happening despite Ciaran's best efforts. Then another moment passed, then another, and another, and another-
I don't know how I'm supposed to be doing this, but apparently the way I'm doing it is the wrong way. I have the bond, I have the image, what am I missing? It shouldn't be that hard to visualize the event in question...
Wait...
It's an important event. It has to be. So maybe I'm just trying to look at it in the wrong context...
Ciaran shifted her focus, trying to visualize the shatterpoint that Anakin had described. It was a difficult endeavor, likely due to the fact that said event was increasingly unlikely to occur, but maybe-
After another moment Ciaran "blinked" and saw the scene Anakin had described. It was a rather surreal image though as it seemed like she was looking at it through glass of some kind, the image becoming slightly distorted as though light was passing through something...
Still, there it was, just as Anakin described it...and Ciaran couldn't help but gape once the memory had played out and Alderaan was obliterated before her very eyes.
...I think I'm beginning to understand why Anakin was so frightened of these visions.
Refocusing and not really having anything else to go on she decided that since looking at the event as a shatterpoint seemed to work...somehow (and she had a feeling questioning it at this point would probably end badly)...maybe she could use it to determine other important memories?
She focused in on the image further.
Tarkin only had a few. But by contrast Leia seemed to be completely surrounded by them, though almost all of them were completely incoherent.
Who is this girl!? And what the hell does she do to cause so many different fractures!?
...Questions for later I suppose. Right, since that didn't work looks like I'll have to do this the hard way and go through these chronologically. That...should work...
As she thought that the image seemed to shrink and Ciaran got the sense that she was in a...hallway or gallery for lack of a better way of putting it. Moving over to the next one she saw Vader crossing lightsabers with an old man that looked familiar...
Hang on...is that Obi-Wan? Huh. Age was kind to him apparently...or will be kind to him? Dammit, tenses are confusing at times like this...
Still...how far into the future am I looking then? If he's gotten that old it has to be at least a couple of decades.
Moving on again she came to another image where Vader was looking out at a group of people - she hazily recognized the droids...weren't they around Anakin a lot? Then there was a man she didn't recognize, and a Wookiee-
Hang on...didn't I meet him somewhere? ...Yes, that's...Chewbacca was his name, right? Seems like he's going to be a lot more important than I gave him credit for...
Then there was Leia and-
|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|-
Ciaran recoiled slightly as the last person seemed to be - well she wasn't sure exactly what was blocking them out but whatever it was wasn't pleasant to look at.
That must be what happened to Anakin earlier. Okay then...what's so important about you then?
Trying not to look directly at them she tried to view their shatterpoints...
And if anything there were even more surrounding them than there were around Leia, though it was hard for Ciaran to get a good estimate.
Okay. What is with these people.
Glancing over she saw significant amounts of shatterpoints around the man and Chewbacca, though not quite as many as the other two.
So apparently these people are all instrumental figures in galactic history or something. Because that's the only explanation I can come up with for why they all cause so many fractures.
...I'm getting the distinct impression that Anakin should not have left Mortis with these memories intact, even vaguely. Guess it's a good thing the Father was off his game when we got back to him...
Still, this doesn't really help, and it looks like the direct route's out. Okay...indirect route it is. Let's keep going...
Ciaran moved on to see Vader in the cockpit of a fighter she didn't recognize, chasing down what looked like a Headhunter with two extra wings.
Interesting... She thought to herself as she examined the design as best she could. I wonder if I should tell Seti about that, give him and Incom some ideas...
Focusing in on it further the image went into motion, the fighter darting around Vader's fire.
"The Force is strong with this one," he said.
Is it the same person as before then?
Before she could continue the thought further she saw the images of what were apparently Vader's wingmen go out, followed by him getting shot at by another ship and being sent flying.
...Well that's not helpful. Alright, time to keep going...
The next image she came to had the same distortion as the one she saw before and wasn't coherent anyway, so she simply shrugged and moved onward.
The next one she noticed seemed particularly distorted, though from what she could tell Vader was talking to a man in green Mandalorian armor on the bridge of a starship. Focusing in on it the image went into motion as the two of them discussed a 'Rebel(?)' they were tracking...
His voice...is that Jango? No, the armor is a different color and if it's the future...that might be Boba then. I think that's the same armor as Jango's...
"Did you bring me anything of value, bounty hunter?" Vader said to Boba(?).
"Not much. Just his name," Boba said to Vader. "|/\/|\\/\."
The distortion blocked out the name, but before Ciaran could process it she suddenly felt what she could only describe as pure malice start to radiate from the image as Boba said something she didn't hear as he left Vader's sight. From what she could tell Vader was radiating Dark Side energy, causing a viewport near him to begin buckling from the strain.
What the hell...what would cause that kind of reaction?
Okay...I need to see if I can get an idea of what the name is. I might be able to get the number of syllables if nothing else.
Forcing the image to restart Ciaran focused on Boba's cadence, trying to get an idea of how he spoke and how quickly he said words. Once the distortion hit she determined that the name took about a second to say, which narrowed it down to about three or maybe four syllables...
Okay. Three-ish syllables, no sign of a break so that means it's either a first or last name, and makes Vader mad as hell...
Ciaran thought to herself for a long moment before an idea came to her, though she was unable to process it once it clicked in her mind.
No way. There's no way that's possible...I saw Padme die in the visions on Mortis! She was choked...out...unless...unless she just fell unconscious. That's not an impossibility between the psychological strain and the lack of oxygen meaning that she at minimum survived for some time afterwards. Which could mean...
Going as fast as she could through the images she came to one where Padme was tearfully confronting Anakin on a world with lava surrounding them...
And she could easily tell that she was pregnant. Given the size of the bulge of her belly, probably close to delivering even.
...I'll be damned, Ciaran thought to herself as she went back to the first distortion she saw. But then again...putting what I know about this distortion and these memories together...it makes perfect sense. After all...
If there's anyone the Son would want to block out it would be Anakin's son, right?
With that realization the distortion vanished and Ciaran saw the young man it was hiding. To her slight bemusement he looked fairly mundane from what she could tell - he had slightly long dark blond hair in an unkempt style, was dressed in simplistic white clothing, and from all outside appearances looked completely ordinary.
Heh. Figures that after all that buildup...he looks like an ordinary human being that you'd meet just walking down the street. Though there's probably more to this given the severity of the distortion...
Just to confirm her conclusion she went back to see the conversation between Vader and Boba. And sure enough, the name Boba uttered was in fact "Skywalker."
Well that leaves no room for doubt then...now comes the hard part.
With that Ciaran came out of her trance, shaking her head and noticing that Anakin was visibly wincing. "Did...did you figure out who it was?"
Ciaran went dead silent.
"...What's wrong?"
"...I'm just trying to figure out how to put this..." Ciaran said, thinking to herself for a long moment before sighing. "That person who was blocked out is a young human man."
"I see-"
"His last name is Skywalker."
The moment Ciaran said it Anakin froze up in place, a myriad of emotions swirling across his face as he tried to process what he had just heard. "I...what...h-how...but does that mean...I don't..."
"I didn't see any more details than that...honestly I just assumed the fact that he even existed would have been enough reason for the Son to block him out," Ciaran continued as Anakin stared at her, wide-eyed. "Given how severe that distortion was...there's probably more to this than that, but I didn't look any further."
"I...I see..." Anakin said quietly, still trying to process what Ciaran had told him.
Ciaran went silent for a moment before standing up and turning to leave. "Take your time. No one will interrupt you," she said over her shoulder as she walked out, leaving Anakin behind as he stared into space...
AN: I was planning on ending this mini arc this update. Then the word count hit 5k. Say it with me now: "It got away from me again."
As it turns out it takes a lot of words to not only start resolving a character arc I've had going since the very first moment I took over but also kicking off another couple of them in earnest to boot. Go figure.
Next time, I swear.
(Also yes, you will be able to follow up on Ciaran's comments on the X-Wing and give causality the middle finger (even more) if you want.)
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Holy crap, both an awesome omake and an update within a few hours, must be our lucky day.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Even if I didn't know his potential, I would simply because of your interest. I like to think Ciaran would feel the same. Anyone who can interest Thrawn like that is worth at least an extra look or three.
- Location
- USA
Dammit Snark! I was just about to go to bed.
Nice update, it's nice to see things from Anakin's point of view.
Nice update, it's nice to see things from Anakin's point of view.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Here's the scene described between Boba and Vader
Evaunit02mark1
S-s-smell the Prey, S-s-start the Hunt.
Congratulations Anakin, you're a dad, was a dad, will be a dad?
Time travel/alternate timeline tenses are hard.
Time travel/alternate timeline tenses are hard.
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I love all of this, but I think that my favorite part is Anakin telling Meetra's story to Ahsoka. Just so many feels.
Plus, we have indoctrinated him to the point where he is spreading our view to other Jedi.
Plus, we have indoctrinated him to the point where he is spreading our view to other Jedi.
Evaunit02mark1
S-s-smell the Prey, S-s-start the Hunt.
Indoctrinate is an ugly word, I'd rather say we gently nudged him into a more contemplative direction.
If those thoughts just happen to undermine the strict Jedi code and leave him and any other disillusioned jedi free to join us, well, those would just be completely unforeseen consequences.
Omegastar
fear the {CENSORED}.
There is no next time. The muse will have her way with your word amount. There is no resistance.
Luke: I am your son!
Anakin: Nooooo! That is impossible!!!
Luke: Search your feelings Father. You know it to be true.
Anakin: No. I serious, this should be impossible. How can I have a son if I haven't even gotten Padme pregnant? I also doubt she would hide something like this from me after our last heart-to-heart. This is obviously a trick.
*Anakin proceeds to force chock the imposter and he disappears*
Anakin: I kriffing hate Force Illusions. The time on Mortis only made it worse.
Anakin: Nooooo! That is impossible!!!
Luke: Search your feelings Father. You know it to be true.
Anakin: No. I serious, this should be impossible. How can I have a son if I haven't even gotten Padme pregnant? I also doubt she would hide something like this from me after our last heart-to-heart. This is obviously a trick.
*Anakin proceeds to force chock the imposter and he disappears*
Anakin: I kriffing hate Force Illusions. The time on Mortis only made it worse.
backgroundnoise
Getting Too Old For This...
- Location
- The Shadowlands
*chuckles darkly* The Son made plans to keep out Anakin, unfortunately he utterly failed to account for Ciaran being a dirty cheater who cheats.
Good! Use your entrepreneurial feelings girl! Let the exploit flow through you!
Khepri14
Thus kindly I scatter...
- Location
- Following the wind
All's fair in love and war they say, this being both, and turnabout is fair play. -V
Can we get an omake of this?
- Location
- Australia
This last update was boring. No surprises, nothing particularly interesting done or pointed out, and the conversations seemed like they were there mostly because they were mandatory. In A Bug's Life, the main character lies. You know that there's going to be a Liar Revealed scene. You've seen the scene a million times before in other movies, but the scene is mandatory because of the plot so it'll happen, even if it'll inevitably feel boring. It happens, you sit through it, and you hope it ends quickly so that the movie can get back to the interesting stuff. That's what this last update felt like.
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- Location
- At your local SPCA
Incoming: Grandmaster Samuel L. Jackson's take on the Temple Bombing Arc.
I may or may not be able to confirm that Mace may or may not be Rapping and/or a whole litany of Inglouous Basterds references.
I may or may not be able to confirm that Mace may or may not be Rapping and/or a whole litany of Inglouous Basterds references.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I'm sorry you felt that way.
- Location
- USA
An excellent omake and an update to wrap things up, and Ciaran is Ciaran. I do hope we get a Luke and Leia, of the star wars quests I have followed I only recall them in one, and there as hero characters and not the focus.
- Location
- At the Edge of Insanity
Only about a generation? Cheriss probably has half a dozen perfect examples in a box somewhere that she's forgotten about, then.
Errrr... why in a box? What do you THINK she is rinding in around currently?
Falzyker
2020! What will you try now?
- Location
- Somewhere with Bad Internet.
The part I'm exited the most for is this... The X-Wing, I want so badly an X-Wing it would be the epitome of broken right now.