When the Sun Sets

Prologue

The 501st and 502nd fly over the edge of the bridge with their jetpacks, throwing explosives into the droid army below. Joining in the chaos now would only make us collateral damage with the number of explosions, so I extinguish my lightsaber, content to watch the droids get blown to bits this once.

Aniya scrambles to collect the tactical droid's head. "Let's see what information this thing can give us," she says, "We might be able to find Dooku's location from it."

Most the droids are down in a matter of moments. Clones from the 212th move forwards, chasing after the remaining droids as the others continue fighting from the air, blue flames from their jetpacks licking out behind them as they pass.

"Bravo, Anakin, Aniya. You've done it again," Obi-Wan remarks, not particularly happy but not as cranky as he usually is about these things.

"Oh, we can't take all the credit," I point out teasingly, "Your state of helplessness really sold them on our surrender talk." Honestly, if we counted the number of times that we nearly, mostly saved Obi-Wan as opposed to the times that we absolutely, completely did, I think we'd be somewhere close to a hundred now. So yeah, we let those slide.

Most of the time.

Because yes, Obi-Wan, I did come halfway across the galaxy to save you on Cato Neimoidia. And I got in serious trouble with Master Windu, so he does owe me that. Even if I'll never regret the time I spent with Mill Alibeth or... anything. Because I'm not sure he could have made it out alive from there. Sometimes, I still wonder what would've happened if I had taken her as a padawan instead of Ahsoka, but I will never regret training Ahsoka. Even if she left. Even if her leaving is a constant, unending ache in my heart.

"Always glad to help," Obi-Wan replies dryly, "Aniya, you should get that droid up to the cruiser immediately."

"Working on it," Aniya assures, and the moment is interrupted when my comm beeps.

"Skywalker here," I say in greeting, turning away from the battle so I can hear the voice above the commotion. "What is it, Admiral?"

"Sir, we've received a transmission from someone using your subspace frequency 'Fulcrum'," he reports. Strange.

"Saw Gerrera?" suggests Aniya as a walker passes behind us. "Perhaps the siege on Onderon is getting worse?"

"No, Ma'am, it's not Gerrera," he answers immediately, "You had best take this transmission here on the ship. All three of you." There's a sense of urgency in his voice, that I don't miss.

"Alright Admiral," I respond.

"We're on our way," Aniya adds before I disconnect the call. "I have no idea who it could be," she muses with a thoughtful expression. There are not many people who'd be calling us that could be so urgent, and I have the feeling that it's... important. Very important.

"We'd best hurry," decides Obi-Wan as we head for the shuttle. Hopefully, the troops will be able to hold out alright until we return.

Aniya hands the droid's head over to Appo so they can hopefully find a location before we head back to the cruisers. Obi-Wan insists on taking a moment to make himself look more presentable – why he considers that important when we could be called back to battle any minute, if Dooku is spotted, I'll never understand but his neatness is almost aggravating, and it's definitely one of his more annoying habits – before we head to the briefing room.

"What's so important you brought us all the way back here?" I demand as we step into the room where the Admiral is waiting.

It's the presences just as much as the image being displayed on the holotable that makes me freeze. Three of them – one in Mandalorian armor, and... I can only stare as an altogether too familiar figure glances over her shoulder, finally turning around to face me, brilliant blue eyes catching mine. Alema, on her other side, turns also.

Ahsoka speaks first. "Hello, Master. It's been a while." She sounds different, in a way that painfully reminds me that she's no longer the cheerful little girl I practically raised. Her montrals are bigger, the white markings across her face larger and more distinct. They've grown with her. And she's much taller than I remember from before, dressed in blue instead of the usual dark red, white, and purple.

"Been a long time," Alema nods slightly, her expression betraying little of her emotions. She's changed so much too. She looks... she looks like an adult now. She's dressed the same as Ahsoka. They've changed so much. Neither are anything like the light presences they used to be, but they're still my little sisters. And I thought I'd lost them forever. All those months we'd spent fearing we'd never see or hear from them again. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about them constantly, but they're here. They're really here, even if it's just a hologram, they're really in front of us.

"Ah... Ahsoka? Alema?" I stammer, finally managing to find my voice. Ahsoka's eyes skirt away from mine for a moment before she looks up again. "Wha – I don't believe it. How are you? Where are you? Are... are you okay?"

"W-what?" Aniya manages finally. "Where've you been? Are you alright?"

"We're all right, thank you," Ahsoka answers. Something about her tone is off. Like it's been so long, she doesn't think she belongs here anymore. She's wrong. She always has belonged here. She always will. She's a part of me. Same as all my sisters. There's never a time she wouldn't belong here, never a place where I wouldn't want her back. It doesn't matter how long she's gone.

"I wish we had more time," Alema interjects. She has the same tone, though it's a little more underlying. But it still hurts to know they think that. Is that why they never came back all this time? Because they thought they wouldn't fit in? "But we have urgent information for you."

"What is it?" Obi-Wan asks.

"We and Lady Bo-Katan," she begins, casting a glance at the armored figure next to her who looks very much like a former member of Death Watch, "Have located the renegade Sith Lord, Maul." Darth Maul? What in the world have our former padawans been up to during this time? We need to know, but it's obvious they're not going to talk about any of it now. And why is Maul back? The last times we saw him didn't... go well.

"If we move fast enough, we may be able to capture him before he escapes again," Alema continues.

Just like Dooku, but... I think we can spare the time. Maybe. "Can you rendezvous with our fleet here?" Obi-Wan inquires, moving forwards.

"We'll head to your coordinates immediately," Alema replies. She shifts slightly, uncomfortableness visible.

"Very well," Obi-Wan replies with a nod. I'm grateful he's taken over the conversation, because I don't think I'd be able to get out a single coherent sentence right now. Our sisters are back and – and I had no warning. I don't even know what to say. How am I supposed to act? What are we supposed to do?

But if they're uncomfortable, it makes it easier, because then we... just need to help them fit in again. Emotions are always so much simpler to handle when I focus on someone else's more than my own.

Aniya looks no less at a loss for words, as she stares at the figures in the hologram, likely still struggling to accept that this is real. I move closer to her instinctively, trying to offer comfort merely through my presence.

"We'll... see you when we get there," Ahsoka offers finally, gaze darting between both of us – Alema hasn't taken her eyes off us either, even if both of them seem distinctly uncomfortable – before the hologram flickers off.

Now I need to figure out how in the galaxy I'm supposed to react to this and what we need to do. Luckily, I think Rex would be overjoyed to help with that – though Appo is quite otherwise occupied, but... I can only hope they'll have the chance to meet him again shortly as well.

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