(Y/n)'s pov
Red lights, alarms, that's what I was awaking to. For how long I'd slept I didn't know, but finally waking up was some relief. Not much however given I didn't know where I was and I couldn't sense a friendly presence anywhere around. Then there was the fact I didn't feel I had the energy to move.
However fighting my exhaustion and fatigue I glanced around at the machines hooked to, noticing how I'd been left unattended. Though my body didn't want to I fought to sit up, reaching to hold my my head as it throbbed. There was a tube in the back of my hand running into some machine to the side, the pipe tugging with a numbed pain as I ran my fingers through my lengthened hair.
'Exactly how long have I been out of it?'
I thought to myself in confusion while lowering my hand again and looking round the small room, trying to figure out where I was. As my eyes travelled down they widened at the sight of my swollen belly, fear hitching my breath in my sore throat as I looked at the baby bump I'd been hoping to avoid.
Hesitantly I placed my hand over the bump and gently felt around. My heart jumped slightly as I felt the pure innocent presence of the little life growing inside me. Having been scared to sense it before this was the first time I'd felt the light of that new life, it was beautiful. Whatever had been done to me, whatever that stranger had tried to do, it hadn't worked, my baby was very much alive and unharmed.
And though that terrified me in itself it was a great relief to know the child was unharmed. However that little thought led me to another, another that made me freeze up before suddenly moving to free myself of the bed and escape the room using the IV machine for support.
"Ana-kin..." I whispered with a pained voice while stumbling down the hall. I needed to find him, I needed him to know I was alright. So dragging my feet down that hall of flickering light I searched desperately for some sort of communications box.
I didn't know where I was nor how long I'd been here, but I knew I wanted to go home.
I needed to go back to Anakin...
Anakins pov
Dream
Sparking cinder and cole black ash spiralled through the smouldering hot air. There was no life anywhere to be seen, only lava and pitch black mountains of pumice. From where I stood at the shores of the river of magma there was nothing to see, nor a sound other than the raging rapids of searing fire below.
"You have to make a choice, death or your destiny?" A woman's voice asked, a woman I recognised. I couldn't see her but I could sense she was behind me, though I couldn't look back to her face.
"I choose to be with her." I replied though it wasn't the voice active in my mind. No this was preset, like a vision of something to come.
"You can't, she's dead, and you will be to if you choose wrongly." The woman spoke followed by a couple of crunching footsteps through the rocks. Inside I felt my heart breaking, knees weak with the want fo sob at the thought (y/n) may be dead. It was a thought that had often crossed my mind in the past months, the one that haunted me.
"I won't join you, I won't turn to the dark side." I spoke up while sending her approach behind me, practically able to feel her breath on the back of my neck.
"You will turn...I have foreseen it," the woman spoke while walking round. I first caught sight of her in my peripheral vision, a tall pale skinned woman in a elegant black dress - far to elegant for this place. As she walked further round I began to recognise her more and more. The long brown waves of hair held up with a silvers bands, pale blue eyes like ice yet burning with fire.
"I know who you are...Lord Vader." She spoke through lips a recognised from that drunken night. She was the woman who tried to seduce me. Now she was trying to seduce me in a very different t way however.
"I won't join you, that I promise." I replied with more of a defensive growl to my voice. She smiled with a dull laugh and looked off to the side, turning so her back faced my way.
"You will in time, you'll see, and when you do you'll come to me...not him." The woman replied with some form of sinister intent I didn't much like, the image of her crackling an electric blue. The woman then just seemed to dissipate into sparks and ash herself, shifting off trough the clouds of ash. After that I was left alone on the banks of those godforsaken lava river.
'Anakin..'
"(Y/n)?!"
I called out at hearing the peaceful whisper drift like a cool breeze among the unbearable heat of this place. My eyes darted round but she wasn't anywhere to be seen. However I knew she was near. I knew for the simply fact that all around the ash had begun to turn to snow. Even the lava appeared to have grown cold and frozen over.
The last time I heard (y/n) like this was six months ago, but back then her presence was fading. This time it was growing, the ice all around a clear sign.
My snow Angel was coming back...
Dream ends
I awoke with a start leaping up and suddenly falling from the couch where I'd passed out last night. I groaned in complaint after hitting my head on the corner of the coffee table. However the pain, the dizziness, none of it mattered. I could sense (y/n), I stood a chance of finally finding her again.
"Padmè!" I called out while propping myself up on my elbows and looking round the room wildly to try and catch sight of anyone. Just like I hazily remembered from last night I was in Padmè's living quarters just opposite the large floor to ceiling windows. There was no response from around the room with a struggle of numb limbs I tried to sit up.
"Padmè!" I called out again while grabbing at the glass table for support as I scrambled up to my feet. Wobbling as I stood I flung my arms out and tried to keep my balance for a bit before tripping and falling back onto the sack, banging my head yet again in the process. "...urgh...ow..." I complained while closing my eyes with a long groan of frustration.
"Oh lords! Just a second! I'll have to call you back senator," Padmè called across from the other end of the room followed by a series of rushed footsteps. She seemed to be on a call with someone from the senate but was still hurrying over. I lifted my hands to my head and ruffled them through my hair with another groan, this time from my hangover. "I'm here Ani, don't get up." The woman spoke while rushing over to my side, placing a hand on my forearm. I pulled a single hand away from my eyes and looked up to her, ignoring her concerns and fighting to sit up.
"(Y/n) - Padmè I can sense (y/n)!" I exclaimed while fighting to get back up to my feet, ignoring her light grip on my arms trying to steady me. I needed to get my boots on and get out the door to find her, I couldn't let this opportunity pass. However as I spun on the spot to try and remember where my boots had been thrown Padmè placed her hands up on my shoulders.
"Whoa whoa whoa, slow down there Anakin, what do you mean you sense her? Are you sure you didn't just have another dream?" The senator asked while looking up towards my eyes, eyes that were darting about frantically trying to place where my stuff was so I could get going. This was my chance, even with a hangover I couldn't waste it.
"Yes and no - but no it wasn't just my dream Padmè - I can feel her presence in force - she's somewhere out there and I finally have the chance to find her again." I rambled on still not focussing on the senator before me, to scatter minded to listen properly to what she had to say. Shaking off her grip I rushed over to where I could see my right boot, hoping as I tried to tug the shoe on and do it up while still scanning to try and spot where the other one lay. Oh and then there was my belt, I still had no idea where that had been put.
"Ani slow down, you're not leaving the apartment like this, I'm going to call Obi Wan, you can talk to him and figure something out." The woman responded while rushing round the room after me trying to get me to calm down I guess. Eventually she managed to get round in front of me and I finally stood still and looked at her. Still I could t help but roll my eyes, she must've thought I just had some drunken dream or something. To be fair it was reasonable assumption.
"Fine..." I mumbled while going back and slumping down on the couch, a different idea sparking in my mind. All due respect to Padmè but I had no intention of staying in this apartment longer than a half hour. Luckily I knew of the perfect pair to call upon for a quick escape.
"Good, now I'll fetch you some breakfast, you just wait here and I'll be right back." The woman responded while patting my shoulder before leaving the room again. Glancing over my shoulder I looked to check she was completely gone before pulling out my comlink.
"Hey, I need a lift off world, think you can help with that?"
Ari's pov
"Ok so we're all set?!" I called back from where I sat in the cockpit of my fighter, roof raised and landing gear still down. There was no need to take off for what we were up to.
"Ready commander!" Fives called back from atop the end of the of the fighter, crouched above the engines. This had to be one of the best ideas we'd ever had - though of course Rex and Ahsoka were standing by with fire hoses.
Ok so this was the idea: me and Fives had come up with the crazy idea of making kettle corn for the entire 501st, however obviously we couldn't make that much in the military canteens. So, I'd had the bright idea to super heat some barrels of corn with my fighters thrusters. Sure the whole idea seemed risky but at the same time it was a must-do. Besides master kenobi had left chasing some stolen holocron so there was nothing else to do and no one to tell us no.
"Alrighty then, let's do this thing!" I exclaimed with a big grin before starting up the engines. The thrusters ignited with a roaring hum that was hard to hear anything else over. So I just assumed things were going well and continued to keep the fighter on the ground with the engines working at full capacity. That's when I saw a couple of pieces of puffed corn fly down across the front of my ship.
However moments later I suddenly became aware of Ahsoka running out in front of the ship and waving her arms in the air. I furrowed my brows in confusion as the teenager worked to get my attention. She seemed to be shouting something at me, something I soon figured out at the smell of smoke and sight of cinders.
"Oh force!" I exclaimed on realising we'd started a raging fire. Quickly I began work on the controls trying to cool down the engines before this got out of hand.
"Commander! It's getting a little hot up here!" Fives called back from the roof while I struggled with the controls. Cursing a few various words under my breath I stood up and slammed my hand on the kill switch.
"Thrusters off! Is it any better up there?!" I called up while pulling myself up to look over to the back of the ship, looking up towards the clone trooper.
"Well if you define 'out of control blaze' as any better than yeah! Sure!" The trooper called back while turning back with his helmets in his hands, a helmet of corse filled with kettle corn. I rolled my eyes and went to get up onto the roof, reaching up and clasping my hand against the windshield to pull myself up. However before I could water poured down on us like the oceans of Kaminio falling from the sky. I slipped and fell back into the pilot seat, spluttering as the water washed away.
"Holy frikkin force I didn't know you could be drowned on dry land." I coughed with a frown while climbing up out the cockpit, my fringe sticking to my forehead in places. Actually it was looking a little long, I'd have to give it a cut next time I got a chance.
"Sorry commander! We're trying to contain the blaze!" Rex called down from the nearest rooftop where he'd been stationed with the fire hose, the water still running just not over Fives and I any longer. Pulling myself up into the roof I walked across and plucked a piece of corn from Fives helmet.
"Mm, that's not half bad." I hummed with an impressed expression as I looked up to the clone trooper. His lips tugged into a half smirk as he picked up a couple of pieces and chucked them up into the air before catching them in his mouth. Beyond where we stood Rex and Ahsoka where busy putting out some of the smaller blazes.
"I know right? The boys would love this stuff...provided we don't blow the planet up making it." Fives replied with a chuckle as we shared out a few more of the soggier pieces. To be fair it was a good plan, alright no, it was a dumb plan, but a fun one.
"True true, maybe we could use the Excuters generators." I replied while watching the embers fall all around us, smoke still rising from the burnt barrels of corn. Fives chuckled and shook his head beside me, crouching down and sitting lazily upon my fighters roof.
Just as I was sitting down I heard my comlink splutter into life, the light flickering as I cast my eyes to it upon my wrist. Growing the thought almost immediately crossed my mind that this could be the council, and that maybe, just maybe they'd caught on as to what we were up to. That could be seriously bad considering I'm still going through the consequences of my last 'mistake'.
"Aren't you going to answer that commander?" Fives asked as I just stared at the communications device.
"Just a second I'm thinking..." I mumbled while continuing to stare at the device and trying to figure out a plan. "Alright, alright if I answer this and it's the council, I'm getting in this ship and flying to Kashyyk, you'll meet me there with a fake identity and all the credits from my secret savings account." I explained while looking across to the trooper whom just seemed amused.
"You don't think that's a little over the top commander?" Five's chuckled as I went to answer the communication while standing ready to hop into my ships cockpit at any given moment.
"Nope not one bit." I replied before stepping away and clicking the button to answer, most relieved when I realised it wasn't the council at all.
"Hey, I need a lift off world, think you can help with that?" Master Skywalker spoke in a hushed voice through the poor quality connection. At his words a smirk grew across my lips. However it then fell when I noticed sparks flying down around a nearby tower of fuel canisters.
Suddenly the whole place went up into flames, me and fives dropping to take cover behind my ship as debris fell. Peering up on the cockpit after the initial blast I cringed as sirens began to go off.
"...off-world you say? Yeah, I think I can do that." I replied with a slight squeak as the police began to arrive. Placing the comm down for a second I whipped my head to face Fives and ushered him over. "Fives..! The generals going to need a ship prepped, tell Rex and Soka, we'll meet at the usual place." I instructed before sneaking away to the nearest speeder, which I may of may not have been intending to steal for the time being. It's all military property so it shouldn't really be that bigger deal.
"Ari, Ari what's going on? I can see smoke rising from the military base, did something happen?" Master Skywalker asked sounding concerned.
"Just a minor technical error master nothing to worry about." I lied, I'm a great lier after all.
"Ari...what did you do?"
Okay well, great at lying to nearly everyone.
Obi wans pov
Mustafar was perhaps the last place I wanted to be dragged to however Cody had made the observation dust from this system was present of our assailants ship. I only hope we arrived in enough time to rescue the children from separatist hands. We'd already entered the building, Cody Waxed and Boyle having my back as we moved through the dimly lit halls. It was strange however, not only could I sense the children but someone else, someone I hadn't been expecting.
(Y/n)
The ground shook slightly beneath us and I estimated we wouldn't have long. Knowing Anakin would never forgive me for not investigating the trace of his lost bride though I knew we where going to have to split up. So sending the troops on ahead to collect the children I ran down a neighbouring hall.
Her presence was getting stronger and stronger, some how the scorching airs lifts with a cool draft as her signifier grew. This was nothing like the leads we'd chased in the past, this actually felt like it had an end point within reach. I couldn't even sense any other sith, which didn't mean I wasn't any less cautious - in fact I'd say I was even more suspicious. But also relieved.
Up ahead the lights where more constant and flowing a paler hue, illuminating a fallen body sprawled across the floor at the bass of and IV stand. Immediately I picked up my pace and ran over, dropped to my knees and reaching to check her pulse. Reaching to check she was really.
My heart near skipped a beat with joy as I fell her shallow heartbeat drumming through her veins, immediately leaning over to scooped her over into my lap and disconnect the drip. It was as I moved her I noticed her increased weight, the way a distinctive bump poetised from her lower belly.
She was still pregnant, all these months alone the choice had been taken from her whether she kept the baby or not. It was to late to do anything now, and I couldn't help but feel guilty at that, at the fact we hadn't been able to find her sooner so she could avoid the stresses to come.
"Oh (y/n)...I am truly sorry," I whispered while tucking the young girls hair behind her ear and scooping her up into my arms so I could carry her away from this awful face. "I promise you, everything's going to be just fine, we have everything all worked out so you won't have to worry one bit, your and Anakins secret will remain safe I swear." I added while standing up with the unconscious young woman held bridal style within my arms. It's possible I imagined it however I could've sworn when I mentioned Anakin that a smiled tugged at her lips.
Finally though, after months of searching through endless dead end leads, finally Anakin was going to have a reason to smile again. He'd no longer have to go through those depressing nights alone worrying wether (y/n) was safe because she'll be right there with him, and I swear on my life I won't let anything pull them apart ever again.
They deserve they're happiness...I know what it's like to love, and I know no code may ever trump those emotions.
Anakin needs (y/n) as the sun needs the moon and vice verser, I may have forfeit my chance of domestic happiness long ago but now I have the chance to ensure they can maintain theirs.
No matter what I say or do, more than anything I simply proud of these crazy kids.
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Emotional reunion nest chapter! Purely because I got carried away with the fun part of those one, but well you'll understand why later in the book - I need my funny skits now to save me later!'
Hope you enjoyed this chapter, I've been feeling super sick all day and therefore really wanted to put something up because I love all your feedback so so much! So thank you and I'll be writing more sooooon!