Lost in the Familiar

Chapter 2 - When Everything's Cold

Author's Note: Credit to G4dgetJunior on ffnet for the inquisitor Ahsoka fanart on the front cover. :D 

More of the history in this reality is explained. ;)

~ Tirana Sorki

Anakin doesn't really know what he expected when Ventress said she was taking him to the Rebel command. He expected there'd be some Separatists there, but not... And mostly? He was not expecting her to take him to Mustafar, of all places in the galaxy.

"Problem, kid?" she snips, catching his expression.

"The last time I was here, my padawan and I nearly fell into the lava."

"Huh. I didn't think you were old enough to train a padawan."

"I was." He doesn't say more about Ahsoka than that. He's not ashamed of her, or of anything she's done – quite the opposite – but he doesn't want to tell Ventress much about himself until he's entirely certain he can trust her. Which, as of now, he is not.

The atmosphere is tense and dark, though not outright volatile.

There are battle droids everywhere. That, at least, is something Anakin expected, but it's hard to see them without attacking them. He keeps expecting them to start shooting at him, but nothing happens. It's unnerving.

"You always been on the run?" Ventress queries.

"A bit," he answers, "Usually. Sometimes not." Not fully true, but it's easier than talking about his past right now. He needs to focus, and presently, that means getting answers.

"Halt!" a battle droid squawks, approaching them the moment they disembark from the ship, blasters raised. "You're not supposed to be here!"

"Really?" Ventress asks mockingly, pushing her helmet up.

"Oh," the droid says, lowering its blaster, "Come inside, mistress."

Anakin follows her, scanning the halls. It's a small facility and considering the location – the only other people on Mustafar in his reality was the Black Sun, meaning criminals – no one would think to look here. Probably.

Are the Separatists here in his reality? He pushes that thought away – it doesn't really matter.

Someone stops them by the door, not someone Anakin recognizes. He's more searching for familiar faces, and presently, there are none. He can make out a few people who were Separatist leaders, though, and he can't help wondering how... everything was here. He still has so many questions.

"I picked up a stray kid," Ventress says, "Show me to the Jedi, if you don't mind."

The Jedi?

There's still some here?

Someone, at least, and Anakin feels a flicker of hope at that.

The person shows them to a room off the main conference hall area. It's fairly small, and a little too open for Anakin's liking – he doesn't feel safe here. It's dark, too. Everything here is so dark.

Ventress seats herself on the table edge, and Anakin leans against the wall, arms crossed.

It feels like he should be fighting here. Feels like maybe in another time, he did. Not just standing around, watching. He doesn't belong here.

And that's when Anakin senses something. Or, more accurately, finally understands a presence he's felt since the moment he exited hyperspace, one he's tried so hard not to focus on. He doesn't want to believe it true. Possible. Present.