Shadows of Tomorrow

Chapter 47 - Trial

Author's Note: Welp, this book will be a total of 100 chapters, including an epilogue! :D

~ Amina Gila

Theseus hates how this is reminding him of the exact same feeling he had right before Ahsoka's trial. He knows ahead of time, more or less, what the outcome will be. The Jedi don't execute people, thankfully, but he knows without a doubt that his mother will be imprisoned for life. She's a Jedi Master, and likely too far lost in the Dark Side for hopes of change, unlike himself. He had wanted to find balance; she doesn't.

He has classes to attend, a war to be monitoring, and likely strategies to work on with Cody, but it feels wrong to do any of them right now. He hates going to classes especially now that Ahsoka is gone, because she should be with him. Certain moments he can pretend she's on the field with Anakin, but he can't when the said Knight's presence is lingering in the back of his mind.

The tension in the air is eating away at him, and he doesn't know what to do, and no matter what he does, he can't get his mind to focus on anything else. He knows the most likely option. They're going to imprison her, and... he'll probably never see her again.

Once someone Falls to that point, no one is allowed to see them other than Council members. They'd certainly never allow a padawan in there.

Theseus stands up with a sigh, dumping the datapad that he's been staring blankly at for the past probably half hour onto the table in front of him and paces over to the window to stare out. He can feel Anakin's gaze on him as he stares out at the passing traffic. The Knight decided to come over and join him in Obi-Wan's apartment. Generally, when they spend time together now, this is where they are. Anakin's apartment... it still feels too much like Ahsoka, and Theseus knows it's hard for both of them to be there.

From the way Anakin keeps glancing at him, Theseus knows there's something he wants to ask. "What?" he prompts finally.

"I – how are you?" he asks. "I won't ask if you're alright, because that's a stupid question."

"Upset?" It's an understatement, compared to what he's feeling right now. He's upset that his mother did this and that people were bold enough to attack the Temple on their own and that he's never going to see her again, probably. "My mother is a deranged Sith. I don't know what more to say."

"I suppose there's not much that can be said," Anakin agrees quietly.

There is, though. It's too soon for him to process everything. "She's not entirely wrong though," Theseus says finally. "We're clearly doing something wrong if so many people are willing to turn on us. We still have no idea where Sidious is. We don't even know where to start looking. How can we defeat him, or Dooku, if we can't find them?"

"We have hope," Anakin replies. "We can keep moving. If we stop fighting, then what?"

He makes it sound as though it's so simple, but it's not. "The only two people I always had are gone," Theseus replies, bluntly.

"Ahsoka won't be gone forever," Anakin replies quietly.

The padawan's head snaps up. "How do you know? Did she tell you?"

"A feeling," he admits "And I can't believe my padawan would never look back."

Something in him deflates a little; he'd honestly been hoping for a guarantee, a promise, not speculation. "I couldn't blame her," he says. "We're Jedi, and I know why she'd never want to come back."

"I still can't understand it," Anakin continues. "How she could have walked away from everything, everyone she knew."

"Sometimes, people put their own well being over caring for others," Theseus replies. "It's... necessary."