Wartorn

Chapter 3 - Geonosis

Author's Note: IceyGemini has fanart for this fic on ao3. :)

~ Amina Gila

Anakin can sense a prickle of wrongness through the Force, though he's not entirely certain what it is that's so unsettling. Something is going to happen, though he doesn't know what. All he does know is that he has a bad feeling about it. A very bad feeling about it.

So, no, he's not surprised when Artoo enters where he and his family are, beeping wildly.

"What is it?" Anakin asks instantly, alarm skyrocketing.

The droid beeps again. "I have a message from Ahsoka."

"Let's go to the ship and play it," Anakin replies, instantly making a beeline to the ship. He knows this is important – he can feel with more certainty than he has felt anything in a long time. He gets there before the others, but they'll catch up. Artoo plugs himself into the ship and starts displaying the hologram for him.

Ahsoka looks slightly flustered, Anakin thinks, and she's obviously upset and worried about something. "Anakin, I lost my long-range transmitter. Can you put this through to the Council?"

"Of course," he answers immediately, before carrying out her request.

He watches in silence – and growing worry – as she explains the situation, explains how she saw both the Count and Countess of Serenno making a deal with the Trade Federation, Banking Clan, and others, of how they're planning and preparing for an all-out war. She's stopped in the middle when she's attacked by a group of droids.

Destroyer droids, actually, and Anakin realizes with a surge of fear that the chances of her escaping unharmed are very, very low. Instincts scream at him to go there, to protect his former padawan no matter how old and capable she is now, but he also has a duty and mission here. He can't leave Padme and his children.

The hologram shifts to one of Adi Gallia and Obi-Wan, the current heads of the Order in place of Yoda and Windu. "Anakin," Obi-Wan says, "The Council will send a group of Jedi to retrieve Ahsoka."

He feels numb. "But Master," Anakin argues, "You're half a galaxy away. What if you don't get there in time?" It's been years since his mother died, but Anakin has never forgotten that or what followed. If he had gone back there sooner, he could have freed her himself and... He can't let someone else in his family die. Not if he has a choice.

"If you leave, the Senator will be left unguarded," Obi-Wan cautions.

"No, she won't be," Leia interjects, carefully staying out of range of the hologram. Anakin's eyes dart to her, but he doesn't let anything show visibly.

"I'll figure something out," he replies instead.

Obi-Wan sighs. "Alright, Anakin. But be careful. Having Ahsoka in an open place would be far more ideal for a Jedi attack."

"Always," he promises, but to his former master, that's probably an extremely un-reassuring response. Still, that's all Anakin can offer right now, and it's better than nothing. "I'll try to delay it, at least. I'll see what I can do."

"You have to go help her," Luke says, immediately.

Anakin nods. "I will. Will you be alright here?" Something always happens to take him away from his children, it seems, but right now, he's more worried about Ahsoka.

"We'll be fine," Leia promises, "No one even knows where we are."

"Are you sure you won't need help?" Luke asks, frowning, "This is obviously gonna be dangerous."

And the truth is, Anakin has no idea what he's about to walk into, but he can't wait. "The other Jedi will get there eventually. There is no time to wait."