A/N: Two chapters in a row? Nani?! I know. I'm just as surprised as you are.
But jokes aside, we're nearing the end, folks! This will be the last chapter before the Epilogue, and then this story will be all wrapped up. I can't say I'll be sad to see this story go. I'm just glad it lasted as long as it did. With over 600 people reading and enjoying this adventure. From the bottom of my heart, I thank each and every one of your reviews, favorites, and follows. Showing a guy a support that went further and beyond his wildest imagination.
"You ok?" Serra asked Obi-Wan, who hadn't said a word since leaving Mustafar. They were descending to the surface of Coruscant now.
"I'm just relieved this madness is over," Obi-Wan said, his voice quiet. "Well... depending on what happened in the Senate building."
"If Skywalker couldn't pull it off, I'm sure Master Yoda's assistance was more than capable of finishing the job," Serra assured him.
"Do you think he's alright?" Padme asked, causing both Jedi to turn towards her.
"I have faith in Anakin's abilities. Even more now than before. And he was very talented before," Obi-Wan assured the woman before facing forward again.
Padme nodded and her eyes hardened with resolve as she turned her gaze away, staring at something that neither Jedi could see.
Nearing the planet's surface, Obi-Wan's comm immediately started to beep.
"Master Kenobi," Yoda started.
"Master Yoda. Darth Maul is defeated. Are all of you alright?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Alive, everyone is. Defeated, the Sith are. In our custody, Darth Sidious and Dooku are," Yoda said, causing Serra to sigh in relief. "Office of the Chancellor, we must meet. Meet and make our next decision there, we will."
"We're coming," Obi-Wan said, immediately turning off the call and piloting the ship towards the Senate building.
"Isn't that tiring?" Ahsoka asked.
Anakin turned to her with a gentle smile before shaking his head in the negative. His hands were out, and he was keeping both Sidious and Dooku on their knees with the Force. They both of them were unable to move, which was something that even Yoda had a hard time believing. These particular Sith weren't exactly weak. But it seemed they were powerless against Anakin's focused power.
"The Son and Daughter were far harder to tame," he said, giving Sidious a smirk that he knew would make him angry. But there wasn't a thing he could do about it. Because he had failed. Decades of planning for nothing.
"Makes sense," Ahsoka said, remembering their trip to Mortis. Both the Son and Daughter were living representations of one side of the Force. It was hard to believe any Force user could measure up to that. Even ones as powerful as these. And Anakin had finally mastered the power revealed to him that day.
The door soon opened, and Obi-Wan, Serra, and Padme walked in. The latter of which Anakin was relieved to see alive.
"Bout time you showed up," he said in a relaxed tone. Obi-Wan finally caught sight of what Anakin was doing, and the sight had the Jedi raising his eyebrows in disbelief.
"Anakin, are you..."
"Keeping them there?" Serra finished, in just as much disbelief as Obi-Wan was.
"It's actually not as hard for me as you would think. The trial I had in Mortis was far more taxing," Anakin said.
Obi-Wan was reminded about how he was restrained by a giant griffin, and Anakin pushed him into a wall with the ease he would a droid. Then brought them to their knees. Suddenly restraining two Sith didn't seem as surprising as it was before.
"Isn't Mortis just a myth?" Serra asked.
"It was believed to be. But only because no one could plot its location. But it is all too real, I assure you of that. And it was there I learned a lesson. A lesson that should've stuck, but didn't. Now it has," Anakin said calmly. It was a calm that was tempered by a mix of kindness and rage.
"You think this changes anything?" Sidious questioned, making everyone look towards him.
"From where we're standing, yes. It does," Serra said, eyeing the Sith Lord with disgust.
"And if you don't believe us, all you have to do is look as this," Ahsoka said, raising a video tape. "This is the result of all your wrecking out there. You know. When you were swinging your red lightsabers out there on security video feed."
"And your claim that the Jedi attempted to overthrow the Senate will be proven all for naught when they find out you've been a Sith all along. Your eagerness blinded you to see the bigger picture. And as long as I stand, you will murder no more innocents," Anakin said, allowing a bit of anger to slip through. But that was all that slipped through.
"Are you sure you can handle that? You cannot watch me forever," Sidious said, feeling a small surge of satisfaction at seeing Anakin's eyes light up with anger. But as quickly as it came, it was gone. And nothing more than a strong feeling of conviction remained.
"Know this Sidious. I am no longer the man who allowed his emotions to be ruled by your words. Your future will know nothing of darkness. Whether in death or a cell, I am not certain. But I am certain of this. You. Are. Finished," Anakin said as he flicked his wrist. The Sith Lord was forced to put his hands downward, and it was almost like he was lying prostrate before him. Something that the Sith did not like, and Anakin knew it.
"So get used to it, my Lord," he finished sarcastically before looking to Dooku. "Do you have anything to say, Count?"
"No. Nothing," Dooku said calmly, and Anakin only nodded.
Everyone noticed the proud way Anakin stood, and the decisiveness of his words. There was impartial feeling in his attitude - his emotions on the subject not dictating his actions. Palpatine's actions let Anakin act as he did, and it was only through that impartial ruling that Sidious was allowed to live. Yoda and Obi-Wan were glad to see Anakin come so far.
"So what now?" Serra asked.
"Now we fix things," Obi-Wan answered.
The Senate building was deafening at the moment. The repairs to the building took weeks to finish, and Anakin made sure to keep Dooku and Sidious off Coruscant in the meantime. No clones could be allowed to find them and distract them from guarding the Sith. Because while Dooku had seemingly put his ideas of fighting to rest, Sidious did not. And he knew his target was Ahsoka.
It wasn't hard to see the motive behind that. Anakin had defied him. Spared him. Refused to do any of the things he had been manipulating the man to doing, and in the end, Anakin stuck to his convictions and said no to every decision. Now instead of attempting to turn him, Sidious wanted him to suffer. It should've been an idea that made him angry, but it didn't. It was all but an empty desire if he could not act on it.
The Senate was a bit more tricky. According to Sidious, the Senate was done for, and an Empire sprouted in his place. But, given how they were the only ones who knew of the Emperor's whereabouts, they all but demanded all members of the Senate show up. Since no one could find where the Jedi had hidden Palpatine, they had no choice.
Which lead to how Anakin was here. Acting as a representative for the Jedi, given Obi-Wan was the figurehead for getting messages out to the public. The clones were ordered to stand down, and Dooku was sent to a jail cell while Anakin and Obi-Wan held Sidious as a prisoner. Of course, Anakin was doing the heavy lifting.
"You are here on terms that you forcibly made us agree to," Mas Amedda said, which generated a large number of noise from the crowd. The Chargrian continued as if nothing happened. "Explain the purpose of this meeting."
"Very well," Obi-Wan said, his voice coming out calm and powerful. "I'm well aware of what the late Chancellor has said about the Jedi. About how all of us attempted to overthrow the Senate by attacking the Chancellor. That story couldn't be further from the truth."
"And you have the evidence to back this up?" Mas Amedda asked.
"We do," Obi-Wan said with a nod before clearing his throat. "But before I present this evidence, let me ask you all this. Why? Why would you all be so eager to end a world of democracy in exchange for a rule where you would only answer to one person?"
"Emperor Palpatine has clearly shown that he acts with the fairness and decisiveness needed to lead the galaxy to a better place," Lott Dod said, and his words garnered agreement from the crowd. "Even your attempts on his life would not stop him."
"And did he ever expound on how he survived this attempt?" Obi-Wan asked.
"He keeps a personal guard of clones to protect him at all times; well trained enough to fight and kill the Jedi that attempted to end the Emperor's life," Lott Dod said.
"Clone Assassins. Yes, I was well aware of these specific clones. But they would've stood no chance against a well trained Jedi Master, which Mace Windu so happened to be," Obi-Wan said, flicking a thumb over the late Jedi's saber. They found it tossed carelessly outside of the Senate building along with whatever was left of his body. He learned what Sidious was, but didn't tell anyone. And it cost him his life.
"And how would you know which Jedi attempted to kill him if you didn't order it?!" another Senator exclaimed, and it attracted a lot of angry stares. Then, for the first time since this meeting started, Anakin spoke up.
"Because Palpatine, or Darth Sidious as I've come to know him as, was the one to kill the Jedi," he said, his voice even.
"You would turn against your friend for the Jedi that attempted to kill him? The Emperor said such good things about you," Lott Dod said distastefully.
"Don't call him that." Anakin's voice was calm, but his words held a fire that was unbecoming of someone who was calm. "No one man should ever have the power to rule over every man, woman, and child in the galaxy. I used to disagree with democracy; saying it was something that allowed fools, greedy people, and lovers of war to prosper. That they could indulge the people with their lies, and the common people would believe it while good people died and evil prospered."
"But I was right and wrong," he continued before gesturing to Sidious. "This man, through the efforts of both good and bad men, was able to orchestrate a war that went on for years. He became Chancellor, and wormed his way into the hearts of every man and woman that believed he could do good. Including myself. But it was nothing more than a lie."
"The Chancellor that I was once proud to call my friend was nothing more than the Sith the Jedi had been looking for this entire time: Darth Sidious. The man whose orchestrations started the Clone Wars. Who lead to so many families being destroyed. To good people losing their lives in battle. The exact kind of person I swore to stop," he finished.
"You cannot prove these are any more than lies the Jedi fed you!" a Senator retorted.
"It's not a lie," Senator Clovis suddenly said, rising to his feet.
"Senator Clovis. And here I thought you made smarter political decisions," the same Senator noted with a raise of the eyebrow.
"I do. And it's why I choose to make this decision," Senator Clovis retorted calmly. "Hours before, I learned of the Emperor's decision to take Senator Amidala hostage. A decision that had absolutely no ground behind it; other than the simple fact that she once knew Anakin Skywalker. The man the Chancellor spoke so highly of."
"Officially, if a baseless questioning has to take place, the accused is taken to a jail cell that resides in the city itself. Not off planet," Padme said, speaking up from her chair. "Anyone who has basic knowledge of law knows that. And I assure you, I was not taken to a Coruscant jail cell."
"But the Jedi were still on Coruscant, making for an easy rescue. It sounds like a good decision to me," Lott Dod said offhandedly.
"It is not a good decision, not matter who she was once affiliated with," Senator Organa said, rising from his seat. "In a democracy, people are innocent until proven guilty. No one man should never be able to arrest a woman without justifiable cause without questions. That is the exact flaw in an Empire - a flaw that no one here ever saw coming, but should've."
"But what makes you think the cause was not justifiable?" Sidious suddenly said.
Anakin stomped down on the urge to smack him unconscious. This was a neutral meeting, so if Anakin did that, it would've looked like he was trying to stop Sidious from saying something that could've been the truth. And the result would not have been pretty.
"And what was the purpose?" Senator Organa as with a raised brow.
"Senator Amidala had always been a staunch supporter of the Jedi, and there was knowledge of Jedi who had escaped the justice of the clones," Sidious said in the calm and confident voice the man always used when addressing the Senate. "The purpose of the arrest was to ensure she did not have any information relating to any escaped Jedi. The purpose was not to imprison her indefinitely."
"Then why a prison all the way out on Mustafar? Why not here on Coruscant?" Padme asked, following up on the statement without missing a step. That caught a lot of peoples' attention.
"Mustafar? The lava planet?" another Senator asked.
"It was secure, you mean," Padme said distastefully.
"If I might, Senator Amidala?" Clovis asked politely.
"The floor is yours, Senator Clovis," Padme said with a nod.
"Fellow Senators, when I learned of her arrest, my intention was to see about Senator Amidala and hopefully help clear the situation up as is proper protocol. But I learned that they were not taking her to a cell on the planet. I followed them, and my findings lead to the Mustafar planet. The reasons of her relocation there are unknown to me," Clovis admitted.
"But not to us. And I think it's about time to give the Senate the proof they've been searching for. Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked, who nodded before slipping the tape in his hands into a port.
And from there, the video footage began. The footage started from when Anakin and Sidious were rising up in the same pod they were standing on now. The one that was ripped from its place during their fight. And everything was captured. Anakin's anger. Sidious' cackles. The Force Lightning and red lightsabers that proved Sidious was every bit the Sith Lord Anakin said he was.
When the video ended, the yelling was now more than definite. Sidious' face was still calm, given how some were still voting that it was nothing more than a lie. But a lot more people were outraged; that they gave control of the entire galaxy to a man who was possible worse than Count Dooku.
"Quiet!" Anakin's voice suddenly boomed, which was a voice that held enough power to force each Senator to listen. He then cleared his throat, and Obi-Wan began to speak in his stead.
"You should not blame yourself for not knowing," the Jedi said calmly. "Many of us did not know until it was too late."
"And if you many of you insist that we're lying, let me enlighten you about information that I'm sure many of you cannot dispute as fact," Anakin started.
"I did not like the Jedi. I was part of them, but I left them for a reason. I thought they were fools. I thought their philosophies were flawed and stupid. I still do, in fact. A person should be allowed to experience emotion. Allowed to feel anger. Allowed to feel sadness. Happiness. Love. To the Jedi, these things were weaknesses. For me, they were my strengths."
"But never would I ever suggest they deserved death. I would never wish death upon a group of people that see the world in their own way. I would never see men, women, and children slaughtered in their home for a crime they did not commit. Betrayed by their own soldiers. By the government they swore to help." A deep sympathy and anger broke his calm, but he made sure to keep his words steady.
"That's what this man did. And those are not the actions of a good leader. A good leader is firm, yet merciful. Compassionate, yet strong. I look at Palpatine... no, Darth Sidious, and I see a man who is cruel to everything and everyone. He cares not for anyone but himself. All he wishes for is to rule. And if you are to look at me and tell me would you trust yourselves to be ruled by a man capable of that, then by all means, you deserve him."
Anakin was never a politician, but he was good at saying what he honestly felt. And his words captivated the Senate.
"I know I wouldn't. For the sake of my family, I would never want someone that needlessly cruel as the ruling the galaxy," Senator Organa said.
"Neither would I," another Senator said.
"Nor I."
"Or I!"
Sidious' upper lip curled in distaste. After decades of sitting in the courts and preening a bunch of fools, all of his favor was lost in a few mere moments. He was still a powerful Force wielder, but it had little use if he had no influence. And all of that was dead and buried.
"Then, make your decision. Darth Sidious is guilty of many crimes; lying being the least of them. Your vote will decide what to do with him. And make a decision together. Not one that he tells you to make. Make your decision as the voice of the people! The people who elected you and trusted you to put their needs over your own!" Anakin exclaimed.
There was a cheer of agreement, and a weary smile finally made its way onto Anakin's face. He was getting somewhere with these people. Padme couldn't help but smile at the sight of Anakin handling the Senate as well as Palpatine did, but with far purer intentions.
"And you wonder why I left you to the politicians more often than not," Obi-Wan said in an amused tone, making Anakin scoff.
"Doesn't mean I liked doing it," he said, making his old master chuckle good naturedly.
There was a long discussion amongst themselves. It was filled with the most chatter Anakin had ever heard. Every Senator was actually talking to each other and discussing what they had just heard. Not just going with whatever decision would benefit their specific side. What decision would benefit the people of the galaxy?
"Those in favor indefinite imprisonment with no chance of parole?" Mas Amedda asked after the discussion quieted down.
"That depends on if the Jedi plan on watching him. I don't trust a guy who can do stuff like that to something as big as the objects we're standing on!" a Senator exclaimed, and there was a loud murmur of agreement.
"If the war is to be truly over, then the Jedi can go back being keepers of the peace. We were never meant to be soldiers of it," Obi-Wan told the man.
"In not so many words, that's a no," Anakin said blandly, making Obi-Wan's lips twitch in a ghost of a smile.
That lead to imprisonment getting almost no votes. Something that Anakin wasn't terribly surprised to see. There's no way he would've spared Sidious if the Jedi didn't need their names cleared. And it was harder to do that over a corpse of Sidious. Even with the proof that they had, people would've fought it. And that was just something that Anakin did not want to have to deal with.
"Those in favor of sending the accused to his death?" Mas Amedda asked.
Almost every hand in the Senate building raised, a sea of hands spreading from seat to seat. Some Senators' faces were hard. Some expressionless. Others were smiling. But whatever their expressions were, many agreed that the galaxy was a better place without such a dangerous man breathing.
"Then it is decided. Darth Sidious will be executed for his crimes against the people of the galaxy and the government," Mas Amedda said, his face giving nothing away as if he never agreed to align himself with the once future Emperor. "Does the accused have a final statement?"
"Indeed I do," Anakin said, and he prepared himself to react against anything Sidious might try and do. "Execute Order 67."
Everyone was confused as to what the words meant. But the loud sounding of blaster fire caught everyone's attention. It was from a clone trooper, and his target wasn't any Jedi that was around. It was on a simple Senator.
"No!" Obi-Wan exclaimed, suddenly leaping from his position up to the stands.
The entire Senate was thrown into a panic as Anakin wrenched a blaster from a clone's hands and knocked him into a wall to knock him out. Sidious took the opportunity to fire a bolt of lightning at Anakin's back. The last Skywalker immediately wheeled around, his saber ignited to block it. Then, with absolutely no hesitation, ran the Sith Lord through with his second black lightsaber.
"I've let you live for too long," he snapped before forcing his saber out.
"Yes. You did..." Sidious trailed before Anakin stabbed him again. That took whatever life was left in Sidious and drained it.
But Anakin had no time to brood on that as the place was still lighting up with blaster fire; clones that heard the order being forced to kill everything on sight. But Anakin wouldn't stand for any of it.
"STAND DOWN," his voice boomed, resonating with the power of the Force.
Immediately, as if something had adjusted their minds, every clone in the immediately stopped their firing. The only thing they did was stand at attention; as if awaiting orders. And as if they hadn't just attempted to murder the entire Senate.
"Contingency orders," Obi-Wan said, his voice grim. "Almost a dozen Senators were counted amongst the dead."
"He won't be doing anything else of the sort. He's dead," Anakin said, his voice hard.
"I never thought I would say this, but I think that's for the best," Obi-Wan said, around at the clones. "I think a trip to Kamino is in order."
"I think every Senator will lead the charge with torches if we don't," Anakin said, his face not lifting from its grimness.
Padme was sure the Senate met up more in the past few weeks than they had in the entirety of the war. So many decisions needed to be made. And they had all seemingly taken Anakin's advice to heart. Discussing the problems as one rather than making selfish decisions. That was probably because thinking like that nearly lead to them electing a Sith Lord as their Emperor.
All of those weeks were filled with reparations for the Jedi. And slowly fixing all the damage that had been done over the course of the war. And there was a lot of damage.
"Master Skywalker. I hope you're well." Padme was snapped out of her thoughts by a Senator's voice. One who was obviously talking to Anakin.
"Just Anakin is fine. I'm not a master yet," Anakin said with a genial smile. "Obi-Wan just needed me to convey that the Kamonians are underway of fixing the chips implanted in all of the clones. Please make sure and relay this to the other Senators. I really don't want to have to tell it to a bunch of people."
"I'll make sure to. Who is charge of overseeing them now?" the Senator asked.
"Soldiers from quite a few planets. Mostly Felucians. After hearing Aayla Secura's fate concerning the clones, they were more than willing to volunteer to make sure it never happens again," Anakin said.
"Felucians are a warrior tribe, correct?" the Senator asked.
"Yes, they are. Not technologically advanced, but resourceful. Now if you don't mind, I must get back to the Temple," Anakin said, all subtlety thrown out of the windu.
"Of course. I'm sorry for keeping you Mr. Skywalker," the Senator said with a bow of respect.
"It's fine," Anakin said with an easy smile, returning the bow.
"Anakin," Padme said, standing up from the pod she was sitting on. Anakin's head turned towards her and when he looked towards the Senator, the man nodded in understanding before walking away.
"Hello Padme," Anakin said with a nod. "I trust you're well after that whole ordeal with the clones?"
"Yeah, I am. Thanks to the Jedi," Padme said.
"And Clovis. He was the one who told us you were in danger," Anakin told her.
"He did?" Padme asked. "I thought the Jedi had just found me somehow."
"No. He found out where you were, and made sure we knew. You can thank him for your prompt rescue," Anakin told her.
"And you. He was using me to make sure you didn't act against him," Padme said softly.
"Didn't work. But like I said, I should be getting back to the temple if you've got nothing else," Anakin said.
"I'm sorry. For what I did to you," Padme said sincerely. "I never apologized."
"I'm over it," Anakin said, and it hurt Padme that he was so dismissive of it. As if it didn't matter.
"Doesn't make it any less wrong," she told him.
"Like I said, I've made my peace with the situation. And I'm no longer dating you. If you want to sleep with someone else, that is entirely not my problem," Anakin said, his tone still calm. But the gravity of the statement was still there.
"I... I deserved that," Padme said with her head bowed.
"But... I accept your apology," Anakin said, his tone kind. "And I wish you well."
"You too. You and Ahsoka," Padme said.
Immediately, there was a reaction. A small lift of Anakin's lips, which made her sigh out loud. But he also fixed the woman with a raised eyebrow.
"What's this about?" he asked.
"I need to clear the air. Make peace with the situation. I thought I was going to die before I had a chance to do it," Padme told him honestly.
"Then the goal of that isn't to make sure I forgive you. It's to make sure you forgive yourself. Obi-Wan said that it's sometimes the hardest thing to do when you've done something wrong. And when you forgive yourself, you'll find its far easier to find your peace," Anakin told her.
"I'm not sure I'll ever forgive myself. Because of my decisions, I lost you," Padme said regretfully.
"I'm sorry to have to remind you, but even if you didn't make that decision, you were going to lose me," Anakin said gently. It didn't make hearing it any easier.
"Do you... do you really love her?" Padme asked softly.
"I do. And she may not have ever said it, but I know she loves me too. And it's something I'm not going to give up on," Anakin told her.
"I know. Even when you didn't love me anymore, you did the right thing," Padme said, looking away in an ashamed fashion.
"One day you'll forgive yourself. And when you do, just remember that I'll be here. But as your friend," Anakin told her before walking away.
"The most amazing man I ever met... and there he goes," Padme thought with a sigh. But she thought back to his words. One day, she would be able to forgive herself. And then things would be ok.
"So... what now?" Serra Keto asked.
Obi-Wan, Yoda, Serra, Anakin, and Ahsoka were all sitting in the room of the late Jedi Council. After months of rebuilding and quite a bit of profit dividing, the Jedi Temple was restored to its former glory. Library, statues, and everything else. The only thing that was missing were Jedi.
"Retire, I think I must," Yoda said to the surprise of everyone else.
"Are you sure, Master Yoda? You've lead the Order for centuries," Obi-Wan said.
"All the more reason to retire, that is," Yoda told them. "Thrive, this Order will without me."
"Then... who will take your place?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Anakin Skywalker," Yoda said, making Anakin's eyes widen. Now everyone was looking at him, expecting a response.
"But... I don't agree with your Code at all. That was the whole reason I left," he said, his voice confused.
"Exactly. Wrong I was, about the Force," Yoda said, which had everyone looking at each other in bewilderment. Everyone was never as confused by the Jedi Master as they were now.
"Please explain, because I can't be the only one wanting answers," Ahsoka said.
"Same," Serra agreed.
"The same, the Jedi Code has been. No emotion. Peace. Opposing the Sith since the beginning, we have. A new change, we need," Yoda said before looking at Anakin. "Why I nominated you, this is."
"You want me to teach future Force users?" he asked.
"Powerful, both ways of the Force are. Balance the Force, they do. Your destiny, that has always been," Yoda said, pointing a finger at him.
"Anakin's use of both sides of the Force..." Ahsoka trailed.
"Do you believe that is the way the Force was always meant to be?" Obi-Wan asked, and the old Jedi nodded.
"Saw it I did, when Skywalker faced Darth Sidious," Yoda said calmly. "Control over his emotions, he had. His power. Focused, it was. Acted impartially, he did. But never let go of his emotions, he did. Master this, not all Jedi did."
"That's because I never believed that attachment or emotion lead to the path of evil. A lack of control did. How did you ever expect a person to control their emotions if they were never allowed to experience them?" Anakin explained. "It's like expecting a regular person to know how to fly a ship after sitting them in the cockpit. Some people might be good, but others won't."
"Teach this to your students, you will. Succeed where the Jedi have not, you will," Yoda told him, a small smile gracing the old Jedi's face.
"I..." Anakin paused for a moment before nodding. "I will."
"All of you, assist him will you?" Yoda asked.
"I will. Without a doubt," Ahsoka said, smiling at Anakin warmly. He mirrored her smile back at her, holding her hand gently.
"As will I," Obi-Wan said confidently.
"Going back on the Code that I've lived all my life... how are you able to do it so easily?" Serra asked, looking to Obi-Wan.
"If you cannot do it, then that is fine. But I see it as a way to learn something new about something I thought I knew quite a lot about. I wouldn't have been a very good student if I was not willing to listen whenever I heard something new. Are you?" Obi-Wan asked.
Serra thought over it for a few moments before looking over to Anakin and nodding.
"Grandmaster of the Jedi Order, you are now," Yoda said.
"Gray Jedi," Anakin corrected. "It'll still be called the Jedi Order, but... we're Gray Jedi. We belong to neither the Dark nor the Light. We are both. We are balance."
"A new Order needs a new Code. One that all future generations will need to follow," Obi-Wan told him.
"Then we'll make one. Everyone grip hands," Anakin said as Obi-Wan grabbed one of Ahsoka's and Serra's hands. "Focus. When you think of the Force, you think of your emotions. Anger, happiness, sadness. But the harmony of those emotions is what's important. Being able to balance the good and the bad."
Soon, as if they were all under the same influence, the four of them recited the new Oath:
Flowing through all, there is balance
There is no peace without a passion to create
There is no passion without peace to guide
Knowledge fades without the strength to act
Power blinds without the serenity to see
There is freedom in life
There is purpose in death
The Force is all things, and I am the Force
In an instant, the moment was over and everyone looked to each other with small smiles. As members of a new Order. Of a new beginning.
"So Grandmaster, how do you feel?" Ahsoka teased.
"Tired," Anakin said before sitting down on his bed. "Yoda promised he was going to go over the whole process on how to recruit younglings, and something tells me that I will be very busy in the future."
"But not right now though. So move," Ahsoka said as Anakin easily scooted over to make room for her on the bed. Then he wrapped his arms around her while she nuzzled into the embrace.
"We did it, Snips," Anakin said.
"Yeah. We did Skyguy," Ahsoka said, a soft smile gracing her face. "It wasn't easy, but we got here. I just wish we didn't have to do this over the ashes of so much death."
"Neither did I. But as long as we we learn from past mistakes and move forward, then things will only get better," Anakin told her, kissing her temple.
"You're so wise now. It's weird," Ahsoka said, making him laugh.
"I could be wise. Just not often. And wisdom comes from learning from your mistakes. And I've made a lot of them," Anakin told her.
"Seriously. Obi-Wan's going to have a contender for wise quotes now," Ahsoka said, her smile not leaving her face.
"Contend this," Anakin said before turning her face towards him and kissing her full on the lips. One Ahsoka soon leaned into, holding the side of Anakin's face gently.
This is what Ahsoka wanted her life to be - a peaceful one with this man next to her. A wide grin spread across her face at the thought.
"What is it?" Anakin asked, noticing the smile the that suddenly appeared.
"Nothing. Just wondering what it would be like if my life was nothing but this," Ahsoka said, comfortably snuggling into him more.
"I certainly wouldn't complain about that," Anakin said, giving her a kiss on her forehead.
"I love you Ani," Ahsoka said.
"Love you too Ahsoka," Anakin said, giving her a kiss on the lips. "Now my love, if you're willing, I want to get some sleep."
"Ugh. You're the worst," Ahsoka said, rolling her eyes while still smiling.
"And you love me for it," Anakin teased, kissing one of her lekku.
"Yeah. I do," Ahsoka said with a content smile.
A/N: Couldn't resist ending the chapter off with Ahsoka and Anakin stuff. No way I was going to pass up that chance.
Epilogue will be up next. It's going to be a quick overview of life in the new fashioned Gray Jedi Order. This will take place five years after these events. It seems like the right time period I think it would take for Anakin to get some younglings settled in the temple to train. I'll get to work on that soon enough. Hope you enjoyed everyone!
P.S., I do not regret the windu pun. Am I corny? Yes. Am I ashamed. No.