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Kede was a densely forested planet, with blue leaves and deep purple trunks clumped so closely together it was nearly impossible to see more than a foot ahead. With a final swing of his lightsaber through the foliage, Darth Vader stepped onto the cobblestone courtyard of the ancient Jedi temple. The thick, brightly colored vines curled tightly around the weathered stone of the large doors, and with a swift tug of the force, they were ripped from their resting place.
Vader imagined the air was stale as he force pushed the doors in, dust particles glittering in thin streams of sunlight that had made their way through the cracks in the roof. He stood silently for a moment as his men filed in behind him, sweeping it with proficiency.
“I want the entire temple searched. Take anything that can be moved and bring it to the ship. Nothing is to be left behind.” He announced as he swept down the main corridor. The clones snapped out a ‘yes sir!’ and began to search the crates scattered throughout the room.
Vader would look for the artifact himself.
His master had been unclear of its purposes, the texts detailing its uses having long been lost to time.
He motioned for Commander Thrasher and Captain Rose to follow him as he walked through the main archway, reaching out with the force to guide him through the labyrinth of a temple.
He could feel the crystal, feel it pulsing in the force, though it seemed… muffled, like it was trying to hide.
Dozens of turns and archways passed before Vader could tell they were in the right room, however, the pedestal in the center of the room was empty. He reached out even further; the crystal was here.
And so was something else.
Someone else.
He whirled around in time to see the light of a blue lightsaber barely miss the clones’ heads as someone dropped down from the ceiling. The Commander dropped and rolled out of the way of her next swing as Captain Rose’s armor was seared by the heat of the Jedi’s blade.
Vader watched as the young Chagrian girl backed up from the three of them, her cerulean skin only being intensified by her lightsaber that was being held defensively in front of her.
He stepped forward and ignited his own lightsaber, the space between them turning purple as the light overlapped.
“Tell me where you hid the crystal, child.” The young girl bared her teeth at him, her feet slowly inching towards the entryway. She was holding herself tensely in Form II’s defensive position, her stance uncertain and wary.
Weak.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Sith.” She spat, though Vader felt no anger in her, only pure fear.
She stopped her approach towards the door as she felt the presence of more clones making their way towards them. Her eyes flickered desperately around the room before they steeled and she lowered her lightsaber to an offensive position instead.
Vader watched her closely and matched her when she sprang forward. He let her hit his saber a few times, before pushing back, shoving her back into the position she was at before.
She dodged the clone's shots and she ran forward again, only to have her lightsaber blasted from her hand as she raised it.
She screamed out in pain and slid to her knees at his feet, panting in pain for a few seconds before glaring defiantly up at him, even as he hovered his lightsaber at her neck.
“I won't ask again, tell me where the crystal is.”
“I would rather die.”
He looked at her for only a second.
“So you shall.” She clutched at her throat as she was lifted into the air, gasping desperately. He could see the pain in her eyes flicker briefly to determination for only a second before the hand that had been behind her back while fighting had swung and hit the side of the head and everything was swallowed in a flash of white.
Air. That was the first thing Vader felt as he regained consciousness. Fresh, moving air.
His eyes snapped open and he threw himself into a sitting position. The world wasn’t tinted red, the soft white and brown of the walls illuminated by the streaks of light peeking through the blinds.
He could feel the soft sheets against him. Against his legs, his arm.
He couldn’t stop himself from reaching up to his face, his skin slightly bumpy and consistent.
This was wrong .
He was wrong.
Vader threw himself off of the bed, he stumbled and crashed into one of the crates stacked in his way. He hadn’t seen this room in years, but it was ingrained permanently into his mind, no matter how hard he tried to forget it all.
He didn’t give his old room another glance before he opened the door and walked out into the hallway. And suddenly, he was stuck in the past, he couldn’t do anything but watch as he nodded to the passing Jedi. He itched to cut them down, to watch the light fade from their eyes. But he was helpless as his face stretched into a smile as younglings waved at him as they ran around his legs.
He entered the elevator alone, Vader threw himself against the barrier of his own mind. Trying to find any small divot he could use to tear down the walls keeping him in place. He pounded at his cage as hard as he could even as he walked into the lobby, but nothing gave.
He continued his assault, only to come to an abrupt stop at the painful sound of a familiar voice.
Finally tuning into his surroundings, his blood turned to lava as Obi-Wan came into view, a small smile on his face as he turned to face Vader. His temples were streaked with gray and the wrinkles around his eyes told that this wasn’t the past anymore.
But as Obi-Wan raised a hand in greeting, that's when he saw her and the lava turned to ice.
Ahsoka had grown so much. Her montrals were just shy of matching her with Obi-Wan’s height, and she was dressed in red and brown robes, so unlike what she used to wear.
But it was her expression that truly struck him, it was so relaxed, so filled with joy.
She was alive, and in the Jedi Order.
He couldn’t help but reach back as Ahsoka and Obi-Wan pulled gently at their bond. The force danced in glee as they reunited.
“Ah, Anakin. Ahsoka was just telling me of your next mission, it seems you and your padawan will have your hands full.” Obi-Wan’s teased. Anakin could only roll his eyes as Ahsoka smirked at him.
“Oh yeah, harvest festival security detail will be a real adventure.”
“You’ve gotta practice not falling asleep during council meetings somehow, Master.” Ahsoka said as she elbowed him.
His reciprocation was cut short by a squeal of laughter slamming into his legs and a small scaled hand wrapping around his metal fingers. Anakin grinned down at Ihonn, running his other hand over the top of her scaly green head.
“Playing games, my padawan?” Anakin teased Ihonn, who was about to say something before squawking out a ‘Sorry, Master!’ and sprinted off as a human youngling rounded the corner.
Anakin rolled his eyes as he refocused on Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, who looked at him with amused smiles.
“Well, I wish you two an uneventful mission.” Obi-Wan ribbed as he looked to his beeping comm. Ahsoka snorted as she crossed her arms.
“Yeah right, she’s even more of a bad influence than I was. Best case scenario, half of the festival will make it”
“Hey!” Anakin protested, but his full retort was cut short by Obi-Wan.
“Unfortunately, Ahsoka and I have to be on our way, we have a Gala to chaperone.”
“Can’t let the senators go too crazy,” she said, nudging Anakin with her elbow, “we don’t want a repeat of last time.”
Anakin laughed as they all waved goodbye and watched as they descended down the steps of the Jedi Temple.
His comm buzzed faintly with Padmé’s unique tone as the temple went white, his home fading into nothing.
Vader stumbled as he was pulled out of the vision. The Chagrian girl was still flailing in his grasp with the Commander and Captain aiming at her floating body. He growled as he used the force to pull the crystal from her hand.
He watched as her bloodshot eyes filled with tears, not waiting another moment before crushing her throat.
She dropped to the ground lifeless, hands still wrapped around her neck.
Vader sneered at her body before sweeping past the clones and walking out of the room, the rage still boiling under his skin. He clenched his hands into fists as he walked faster through the temple.
Just more pathetic Jedi tricks.