𝗙𝗔𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗦 | anakin skywalker

✰ 74: decisions

For hours upon end, Akya and Obi-Wan sparred in the docking bay.  Obi-Wan took a very offensive position, and Akya was forced to take the defensive, something she wasn't very experienced in.  She knew Palpatine would be a formidable opponent, like nothing she'd ever fought before, so Obi-Wan was putting all his might into every swing of his saber.  Ahsoka had come in and done a couple rounds with them, as had Anakin.  But after 3 hours, it was master and padawan, together again. 

They were in the middle of a match when the docking bay door opened revealing two figures— both Jedi pointed their lightsabers towards the entrance door once they heard the whoosh of the lock coming undone.  Once they saw the familiar faces of Tech and Echo, both with their hands up, they retracted their blades, relieved.  Behind the two Jedi, the rest of the Bad Batch stepped down from the ship, along with Captain Rex.

"We didn't know you were coming back just yet," said Obi-Wan.  "Sorry."

"We called," said Tech.  "Captain Rex answered."

The Jedi's heads turned to the clone captain.

"You two looked busy," he said.  "I didn't want to disrupt your flow."

"That's alright," said Obi-Wan.  He turned back to Tech and Echo.  "Have you got the information?" he said.

"As much as we could gather," replied Echo.  "But it's better than nothing.  And it'll do us some good."

"Good," said Akya.  "I'm done with this."  She hooked her lightsaber back onto her belt.  The clones and the Jedi boarded the ship again, meeting Anakin and Ahsoka in the main room.  Tech plugged his data pad into the holo-table and a model of the senate building on Coruscant appeared, complete with tiny clone guards.

Tech and Echo explained each location of guards as well as their numbers. Tech calculated their chances of getting through each entrance, along with different routes to the chancellor's office, where Palpatine would be. The chances were high that the Sith Lord would sense them coming— but he wasn't one to back away from a fight. The most optimal time to get there was at night, when no other senators' safety was at risk and they could take Palpatine and his many guards alone. These guards were used to thieves in the night, but had never fought anything like the Bad Batch— it was one of their few advantages.

They would leave in the morning, and would arrive when it was night on Coruscant.  That gave them a few hours to rest (if they even could sleep knowing what was to come), or get themselves together.

Akya didn't plan on sleeping, so she stayed in the common room of the ship, watching Anakin tinker with his mechanical arm. He would usually adjust something small, flex his fingers, then make a confused or unsatisfied face, and start the process all over again. She'd probably watched him over his shoulder for 15 minutes before she finally began to ask questions.

"What are you trying to do?" she asked him.

He continued looking down at his arm, a small tool in his hand. "It hasn't felt right lately," he said. "I think it's the sand."

"Has it ever felt right?"

Anakin turned around and looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean has it ever felt like a part of you? As if you don't even know it's there sometimes?"

Anakin sighed, and looked down at his arm. "No," he said. "It's never felt right. It's always bothering me. I hate the way it feels like someone else.  It always holds back.  It's like a ghost of what used to be there."

Akya took the cold, mechanical hand into hers.  "It's never bothered me," she said simply, tracing circles on his metal palm.  "It feels like you. Whether under a glove or glinting in the sun, it's you."

"I'm glad you think so." He didn't look at her when he said it, and continued staring down at his hand. Tension resided in the air, an easily interpreted sign of what was to come. They were both nervous. Afraid. But something else seemed to linger, another question in Anakin's mind. Akya sensed this uncertainty.

"What is it?" she asked, putting a hand on his back.

"I can't be a Jedi anymore," he said.

"Anakin, the Order—"

"I can't call myself a Jedi anymore. Not after this."

"I think this is a special case, Ani."

He finally turned to her again. "It's not just the code, Akya. I don't care about the code anymore. It's the light. The choosing sides. I don't want to be a Jedi, and I don't want to be a Sith."

Akya understood this, but she had one question. "Then what will you be?"

"I don't know," he answered, looking down at his lap again. His two hands rested in it, one flesh, one metal. According to him, they had never worked well together, and though they both felt like Anakin, Akya agreed they felt different. Their gentleness. Their touch. Something about each hand was so slightly different, but they both belonged to one person.

Anakin Skywalker was neither light, nor dark, but something else entirely. Akya understood that now. In some way, perhaps she always had.

a.n.:

happy halloween! (and also diwali, which i celebrate.  big day for me lol)

I like this chapter.  i really wanted to bring anakin's light and dark sides together in some way and really make a decision for him to leave the order and about his future

I love you, don't forget to vote!!

molly