After Jedi

Hope (Hopeful Ending)

"Hi," Ahsoka said quietly.

"What-what are you doing here? It's not safe for you."

"I came to talk to you."

"Talk to me? About what?"

"About what's happened since I last saw you."

Anakin's expression softened for a moment. "Well, after I brought Dooku in I was promoted and given a seat on the Council. The others made me spy on the Chancellor. You were right about him, Snips."

Ahsoka nodded. She knew she was right.

"He eventually told me who he was so I reported him to the Council. We confirmed it with Dooku, who's still in jail, and then they went to confront him... without me. I guess they thought I was too close to the situation... but I needed to see this for myself. Mace was about to kill him; He said the Chancellor was too dangerous to be allowed to live. That's not the Jedi way."

"And then?"

"Then I... I disarmed him and the Chancellor threw him out the window. That about brings us up to speed."

"Really? You're not forgetting anything?"

Anakin pretended to think about it. Ahsoka knew all his tells. She'd grown up under his tutelage, after all.

"No, I don't think so," he lied. Ahsoka narrowed her eyes at him.

"Didn't murder any children in any Temples on your way over here?"

Anakin's eyes darkened, flickering between blue and yellow. "What do you know?"

Ahsoka stared at him defiantly. "Everything. I saw the footage at the Temple. Why would you do this? How could you do this?"

"I did it so there could be peace!" he yelled. His eyes met Ahsoka's and they were yellow again.

"And the Separatists?" Ahsoka asked firmly.

"The war is over! I have brought peace to the Empire."

"Empire?" Ahsoka said in disbelief. "It won't work, Anakin. The peace won't last. Palpatine is using you, how do you not see it? I told you who he was, I told you not to trust him, I told you!"

"I believed you Ahsoka. I still do, but I kept having these dreams that I would lose Padmé and he told me there was a way to save her. That's all that matters to me..."

"And how would she react to you killing innocent children?"

Anakin closed his eyes and said, "I did as my master ordered."

"So you think if you do what he wants you'll be able to save her? He's using you, Anakin. You can stop all of this, you're strong enough to defeat him and then there can finally be peace."

"Padmé will die unless I do as he says."

"How do you know he's not just using her to manipulate you? He's had you doing his dirty work and you haven't even learned how to save Padmé yet," Ahsoka argued.

Anakin paused, his eye color flickering again.

"You still believe he's telling the truth, don't you? That he has your best interests at heart? He's a Sith, Anakin, the worst of the worst! He's spent twenty years manipulating everyone and controlling the war on both sides! How can you still trust him?"

"I am only doing what is necessary to save Padmé."

"And you think she'd respond well to this violence? You're not the person who taught me. Not anymore."