Shadows of Tantiss

Chapter 4 - Pabu

Pabu is beautiful. Anakin stands there just enjoying the freshness of the air for a few minutes, watching as the residents come to greet the Batch – minus Tech who's on the ship still – now that they're back. It's peaceful here, giving him a certain sense of peacefulness that he hasn't felt in a long time. It feels like the first time he's been anywhere that hasn't been visibly destroyed by the war. It's a reminder of – what he thought he was fighting for, but it feels like fighting is what's destroyed all of this in the first place. But... maybe it hasn't everywhere.

"I expect you all have questions," Anakin says, approaching the Batch once the commotion is starting to settle down.

"Yeah," Wrecker agrees, right off. His chest is still bandaged but at least he's moving around again. "How'd you end up on Tantiss?"

"I didn't know you were there," Hunter agrees.

"And I thought you mentioned something about... fighting for the Empire?" Echo asks, frowning, "When you were talking to those operatives. What happened?"

Anakin's not really looking forward to explaining this, but they deserve answers. "The night everything fell apart, I was with the Chancellor. I saw the Jedi trying to assassinate him. They were planning to take over the Republic though I do not know how far along their plans actually were."

"They were?" Echo asks, shock bleeding into his voice.

"So... they were traitors?" Crosshair inquires, about the first thing Anakin's heard him say all this time. He's been unusually quiet.

"Yes. I suppose they were. But Pa – the Emperor was just using that as an opportunity to grab power for himself, the same way the Jedi were." It hardly feels right to call him Palpatine anymore. He's not the person Anakin always respected and looked up to and its loss he doesn't know how to begin facing. The one person he always went to for support is gone even though he's still alive. "I didn't see it at the time. I thought he was right."

"You stood with the Empire?" Hunter realizes. He seems a bit taken aback and uncertain but not distrustful.

Shame flickers through him, even if he's long grown accustomed to it. "I did."

"You fought the Jedi?" Echo asks, clearly still disbelieving.

He tries not to wince. "I saw them as traitors, so yes. I didn't realize the truth of what was happening until... later. I was sent after a Jedi who was hiding on Raada – I didn't realize until I got there that it was Ahsoka."

Echo's eyes widen. "She's alive? Rex told me she was but – He didn't know what happened to her after that."

"She's alright. Or at least... she was." He doesn't want to think about that yet. But he can feel the Force properly again and he doesn't sense anything having happened to her. She's still out there but he doesn't know where to look. "She wanted to kill the Emperor and eventually I agreed. It did not go well."

"So he sent you to Tantiss," Hunter realizes.

Anakin nods.

He can feel Emerie's flicker of guilt, where she's listening to the conversation off to the side. He needs to talk to her about it, later.

"And we helped rescue ya and you helped rescue us!" Wrecker concludes cheerfully.

Anakin cracks a smile. "Basically, yes."

"Whatever happened, it's... good to know you're alive, General," Echo says.

"I can tell you the same," Hunter interjects.

He nods. "I am relieved to see that you are all here and together again." They aren't alright but at least they have a chance of getting there. "And you don't need to call me General anymore. That's not really what I am."