Strike the Past

Chapter 6 - Abeloth

Anakin moves first, lashing out towards her, trying to break her grip and disrupt the ritual. Ahsoka instantly join with a distraction of her own, activating one of her lightsabers and throwing it at the Mother.

Everything seems to happen at once. A Force-wave explodes outwards, hurling everyone across the clearing, and her lightsaber comes flying straight back at her. It narrowly misses her as she hits the ground, struggling to catch her breath.

"I warned you," Abeloth snarls, as the shockwave in the Force starts to dissipate.

Ahsoka tries to move, but she feels the Force holding her in place, wrapping around her presence. Too much like it did last time, when she'd nearly sucked her life out. And there's nothing she can do to stop it.

That moment haunted her for a long time, and it's about to happen again. Icy dread floods her, even as she tries to fight back. But there's nothing she can do. She's hopelessly outmatched. Obi-Wan and Mill are in no better of a state.

She – she's going to kill them all now, like this isn't she?

No.

This can't be the end. She won't let it be. But there's nothing she can do. Not unless –

Anakin is the only one still free. "Your ritual would have failed regardless," he replies, evenly, "They are gone, Abeloth. You know that. Their energy now surrounds you. You cannot reverse that." She doesn't know why the resolve in his voice almost surprises her. (Maybe he's not as broken as she was afraid of. But this is Anakin. It seems nothing can truly take him down.)

"It would have worked," she retorts, furiously.

"You know it would not have. Your children were creatures of the Force itself. If you transferred their spirits to ones who are mortal, it would destroy them. Even if you gave them the power your children once wielded, it would not be them."

Those are... all very good points that Ahsoka never fully considered herself.

Ahsoka can feel her fury, but more than that, grief, and if not for all the people she's killed senselessly, she might actually sympathize with her.

"Then they will still be mine," she seethes, "And the rest of you will die, for coming here."

"Why this destruction?" Anakin asks, "It serves no purpose. It will not bring your family back."

"Your family came back for you," Abeloth snarls, "You do not know the pain of knowing they never will."

"I never knew they would," he retaliates, anger slipping into his voice. It's a stark reminder that he's still a Sith, even if he seems strangely lighter now. "And they are not here now as they were before, as – a family. They are here for the mission."

"Then I will give you one last chance to join me – to be with your children, so neither of us will be alone any longer. And we can watch the galaxy burn." A certain glee has entered her eyes now.

Of all the most consoling offers in the world –

"I see your pain. They left you, abandoned you as my own also once did to me. Perhaps you are right that you never knew they will return. They will leave you again. But together, we will never be alone again. We can destroy them here."

Does she seriously think such an offer would be tempting?

"Is there anyone you can truly trust will not betray you?" Anakin asks, evenly. "That does not justify this destruction. It will not change what you lost."

"I'm still with Anakin. I always will be," Ahsoka retaliates, firmly. Maybe it's not helping, but she's going to say it anyway because she's sick of this.