The Clone Wars Gets A New Victim

Chapter 14: A Secret Kept and a Secret Told

Grim could not get Father's words out of her head.

What if he wasn't lying? What if she truly was destroying the very universe she was fighting to protect?

The mere concept destroyed her.

It would have meant everything she had suffered thus far was for nothing, and even if it was in vain she knew she would still fight.

Grim had to, no matter how many times the Force told her that she would fail.

Grim refused to believe the events of the future were predetermined and written in stone, the fate of the Jedi sealed. And she knew they weren't.

Grim meditated to clear her head of her worries. Reciting a Jedi mantra under her breath. It helped her feel like a Jedi and not a stranger. She knew she belonged here, as a Jedi Padawan. Over her stay in this universe she had come to see the Temple as her home and the Jedi as her family.

Though after what had happened on Mortis she was reminded of how alien she was.

She found herself floating in a void between two universes, her heart unsure of which she belonged in. Perhaps she belonged in both, perhaps neither. Although it did not matter. The one she was in now was her home.

Anakin walked over the mediating padawan. He had been bothered by the events that had taken place on Mortis. He still did not understand what the connection between Grim and Father had been. The way she acted, what she knew, there was more to her than what she let on.

Anakin was also bothered by the way she had reacted when Father had told him that she was not who she said. There was no need to draw her lightsaber at those words, not if it was a trick.

There was no denying that she was hiding something about her. He always knew there was more to what she said and did than she let on, but he never pryed. There was no need, he trusted his old master's new padawan.

He had grown to see her almost like a little sister.

Although that trust had been shaken by the events of Mortis. By Father's words and her reply.

"Grim," he said. "We need to talk about what happened on Mortis."

The padawan opened her eyes and exited her mediation. She looked at Anakin and sighed.

Grim had known he would bring this up again. He had questions and she had answers.

Answers that she could not give, not fully.

For Grim would not tell Anakin the full truth behind the way she acted, or what she had said.

This was because she was afraid, afraid of what he might do if he knew and she failed.

"Of course," she said with a sigh. "It's about what Father told us, I assume?"

"Yes," Anakin confirmed. "And about you."

"Me?"

"You're being closed off. You're shutting me out. You're hiding something from me, Grim. You're keeping secrets," he accused her.

"Oh?" replied Grim, becoming agitated at Anakin. "I'm the one hiding things and keeping secrets? That's rich coming from the man who has a secret wife, not to mention is hiding the fact that he massacred an entire village out of revenge, using the dark side. You're one to lecture me about keeping secrets, Skywalker," she snapped.

The way she said his name was as if it was poison on her tongue. Her words were sharp like a knife.

Anakin stared at her, unable to speak.