April, 9th, 2000
Anakin and Skye chased each other around one of the Jedi Temple courtyards. They startled the old librarian of the Jedi Archives Jocasta Nu. She dropped a stack of data pads and used the Force to lift them from the ground back into her arms. She scolded the pair of younglings but Anakin and Skye were laughing to loud to hear her.
They kept running accidentally knocking over R2D2 who beeped loudly in annoyance. Skye attempted to use the Force to leap over Anakin to tag him but Anakin tapped into the Force to detect her acrobatic move and react to it quickly. Anakin stopped and Skye failed to tag him landing sprawled on the ground. Other younglings laughed as Skye struggled to get to her feet.
"Leave her alone!" Anakin yelled glaring at the group of younglings
One of them a black girl with short hair apologized and the rest followed with apologies of their own.
"Thanks Anakin. I'm glad you have my back." Skye said
"I know what it's like to be different, to be the new person. But you had it worse than me. I still have my mom and when I become a Jedi Master I'm going to free her from slavery. But I also want to use my power as a master to help you find your parents Skye."
"Thanks Ani." Skye said kissing Anakin on the cheek
"Hey that's weird." Anakin said
"I'm sorry I just wanted to thank you for being so nice to me all year. If it wasn't for you and Master Yoda I'd be stuck in that orphanage on DC Coruscant." Skye explained sadly
"Oh I'm sorry Skye I didn't realize it was that bad in the orphanage. Well then if I help you find your parents you can kiss me on the lips." Anakin said with laughter
"I thought you said a kiss on the cheek was gross but you're saying a kiss on the lips is ok?" Skye asked
"We can't be boyfriend and girlfriend Skye. Jedi can't form attachments but we can definitely kiss if it's to thank one another when we're older."
"Ok. How long do I have wait for you to become a Master? I mean how old is Master Yoda anyway, he's a Jedi Master?" Skye asked
Anakin frowned struggling to formulate an answer.
"Who knows? He's so old he makes Master Dooku look young." Anakin finally replied
"I heard Master Dooku fought in World War II with Captain America. That must have been like 250 years ago. You really want me to wait that long to give you a kiss?" Skye asked incredulous
"Well Master Yoda said I'm the Chosen One. Destined to defeat the Sith and bring balance to the Force. So that means I can become a Master faster than anyone else. I'll be a Jedi Master in no time."
"That makes sense. You're really talented Anakin. Aren't you going to start your lightsaber trials next year?" Skye asked
"Yep. Me and Ayla are actually going to start our trials around the same time. I can't wait to become a Padawans and no longer be a younglings." Anakin said excited
"So that means I have one more year before we have to say goodbye." Skye replied
"Oh that's right. I'm sorry Skye. I didn't mean to make it sound like I'll leave you behind. I'll definitely visit you every week. I promise." Anakin said hastily
"Thanks Ani. I really wish I had a lightsaber right now. One day we'll be Jedi together and I can help protect your mom and you can help find my parents." Skye said with a smile
In her excitement Skye started moving her arms as if she was swinging a lighgsaber making humming noises similar to how a real lightsaber swords when swung around by its owner. Anakin joined her and the two began to have a mock lightsaber duel. The duel quickly devolved into another chase but this time into the corridors of the Jedi Temple. Skye bumped into a tall man with an eyepatch who looked identical to Master Mace Windu. Skye startled by the resemblance the eyepatch man had to Windu hid behind Anakin.
"Mr. Skywalker I know you. Shield saw how you blew up an entire armada of droid airships as a 9 year old back in the Battle of Italia Naboo back in 1996. Very remarkable. Seems Ms. Poots is also impressed with your skills but I need to talk to her about something extremely important."
"My name is Skye! And who are you?" Skye asked moving away from Anakin
"My name young lady is Nicholas J Fury. I'm the Director of an organization called Shield. Just like the Jedi Order we who work at Shield focus on keeping people safe. You must call me Fury, just like you I require people to call me a certain name. Skye I need you to come with two nice women who work for me. There going to give you something very important to do. Don't worry, Master Yoda said it was ok. Do you understand?" Director Fury explained
"What's going on?" Anakin asked apprehensive
Fury pulled Anakin aside as Skye walked toward Agent May and Agent Danning. Danning was a short brunette woman with a warm smile.
"Skye needs to be moved to a safe location. She's being targeted by the Trade Federation. The group of people that attacked Italia Naboo when you were younger. Their influence is spreading because the unrest from the bombings in Sokovian has increased dramatically. Also there's a Sith Lord after her. His name is Darth Sidious. Master Yoda had a vision about that and considering how much damage Maul... Sidious former servant did in Italia Naboo think these things are linked. Therefore Skye must leave the Jedi for good. It's the only way to keep her safe."
"But...why can't we just train Skye to deal with these threats as a Jedi?" Anakin asked tears in his eyes
"No. Ironically the Jedi and Shield agree about something for once. We both believe Skye will be safer if she is moved and doesn't remember her time here. That she doesn't remember she trained to be a Jedi." Fury said solemnly
"No! Skye is my friend! You can't take her from me!" Anakin yelled
He tapped into the Force in anger and hurled Fury into the Temple courtyard. Anakin ignored the shocked stares of those walking by and the thud as Fury hit the ground. He barged into the room where Agent May and Agent Danning took Skye.
"Leave my friend alone!" Anakin yelled
"Young man please stop its done!" Agent Danning called out in fear
"What's done. What did you do to Skye?"
"Skye? Whose that? My name is Mary Sue." Skye said
"No your name is Skye. Come on let's go." Anakin said walking over to Skye
Skye moved away from Anakin in fear.
"Who are you? What do you want with me?" Skye asked
"Anakin...you need to calm down. I understand this is hard for you but we had to wipe Skye's memory to keep her safe. Now Skye go with Agent Danning to the quinjet. It's a fancy airship that's going to take you to your new home." May said
"So is Skye my nickname and Mary Sue's my real name?" Skye asked
"Agent Danning is going to explain everything and answer your questions on the airship ride."
"I'm sorry your sad but maybe you'll find a new best friend to play with." Skye said to a saddened Anakin
Anakin started crying as Agent Danning walked Skye towards the temple exit.
"Young man I deserve an apology." Fury groaned as he walked towards May and Anakin
Anakin still angry and disheartened walked past Fury without saying a word.
****
"I'm sorry Phil." Laura Barton said as she finished explaining Skye's past at the Jedi Temple
"Laura Barton...not Laura Danning, not Agent 19 code named Mockingbird. And I guess your communicating with me via holo from a classified location?"
Phil Coulson replied
"Fury set it up once Laura resigned from Shield. The location is off books. Laura was the 1st person I could truly trust. My mom was betrayed by my dad. He walked out on her when I was baby. Then my mom betrayed me and I was alone. Laura loves me for me not because of my accuracy with a bow and arrow or with any kind of weapon. We fell in love after the Battle of Italia Naboo in 1996. We managed to get assigned to work on missions as a team permanently." Hawkeye explained
"After May and I transferred Skye over to the St Agnes orphanage in New York/Lothal Dooku Serenno left the Jedi Order. He reclaimed his family name and title becoming a wealthy philanthropist. It was all a cover to set up the Seperatist movement but Skye was the 1st place prize in his plan. Asajj Ventress was just a lucky consolation prize. Things changed though and a few months later I resigned." Laura explained
"Why did you resign from Shield 11 years ago? Why did Fury set up this undisclosed location for you and Clint?" Coulson asked
"I got pregnant and it wasn't planned. The mission involving Skye and Anakin it broke me because I thought about getting rid of the baby to remain an active operative of Shield. I started feeling guilty about how many more kids lives I would ruin for the greater good. I thought about how I'm preventing myself from being a mom just to lie and keep secrets for a living.
So I told the Priest at St. Agnes the truth about Skye's parents. I told him to tell Skye she isn't normal and that Shield knows the truth. Skye's father was half a non galactic human and galactic human. He trained as a Padawan and his Master was Jedi Master Mace Windu. He left the order because he failed his trial to become a Jedi Knight." Laura confessed
Coulson felt a mixture of emotions. Sympathy for the Bartons. They have a family to protect and it made sense Fury set up a secret location for Clint to raise his family and for Laura to be a stay at home mom. Coulson also felt sympathy for Skye and how Shield had moved her around like a valuable piece of jewelry. Then Coulson felt rage at how everyone in Shield had lied to him despite the fact he died in service of Shield.
"Why was I not trusted with this information?" Coulson said
"Because your ressurrection is extremely dangerous and experimental. In fact you're just as unstable as Mike Peterson." May answered
****
"Why did your older brother Christian make you drown your younger brother Thomas in the well?" Skye asked
Ward turned over on his side of the bed and gave Skye a kiss. Skye returned the kiss and held him tight. She liked this side of Ward as opposed to the obsessive and stiff side of him. Skye wanted to comfort Ward after he told her the memory Wanda tormented him with. Things started out with a hug and a kiss on the cheek but escalated very quickly. After they made love Skye thought about Anakin and her previous friendship with him. How Shield erased all of her past but now she was actively operating within Shield. She was sleeping with her Supervising Officer an experienced and dedicated Shield Agent who didn't care the organization regularly deceived people against their will. Skye was confused about all of this but she felt connected to Ward.
"Christian tormented all of us. My sister, she's the youngest...her name's Diane. Mom shipped her off to an all girls boarding school. It was hell living in that house with my father who did nothing to stop it and my mother who encouraged Christian to rule over us. As soon as I turned 18 I got recruited to join a military institute and from their Agent John Garrett recruited me into Shield."
"Wow...I didn't realize Shield was an escape for you. I never grew up in a home. I was separated from my parents and sometimes I daydream about having a nice normal dinner with them. I didn't even know what they looked like so I just pretended I did. Made up what they looked like in my head. I didn't think someone could be in a living nightmare growing up with their parents." Skye replied
"Skye I shouldn't have done this with you. This type of relationship is frowned upon within Shield. I'm supposed to be training you to become a Shield Agent. If the rest of the team find out...if Agent Garrett found out...he was my SO and he's like a father to me...I'd be embarrassed."
"They're not going to find out. Besides Coulson doesn't trust Shield anymore. Hand is up to something...she's keeping secrets from all of us. So until we figure what she's up to I say screw protocol. Let's just screw each other." Skye said with a mischievous grin
She grabbed Ward and started rubbing his chest softly and kissing him deeply. Ward momentarily resisted but eventually stopped and wrapped his arms around Skye's back and kissed her back.
****
Ahsoka stared in shock at a video she found in Skye's laptop. Ahsoka suspicious about Skye's behavior snuck into her laptop. She used R2D2 to crack through the encryptions in order to see what Skye was hiding. Ever since Coulson ordered the entire team onto the Bus along with Master Plo Koon's assigned Shield Agent's John Garrett and Antoine Triplett Skye's suspicious behavior began. Ahsoka took advantage of Ward and Skye's extended training session to see what had Skye worried.
"Director Fury I understand you wanted to achieve something the Jedi thought impossible. Something the Sith attempted and failed to accomplish according to the history the Jedi have recorded. Either way you believed through alien technology that ressurrection after death could be achieved. Unfortunately even though the test subjects have been ressurrected the side effects are to devastating to their mental and physical health. They experience hallucinations, paranoia, increased irritability, repetitive ideation of chants or slogans, and heightened stress. As head of Project T.A.H.I.T.I. I recommend the project be shut down and you don't use this technology to ressurrect anyone not even a dead Avenger or a Jedi."
Ahsoka realized that Fury made Coulson go through Project T.A.H.I.T.I. That Fury was using Coulson as bait to draw out the Clairvoyant and their secret project. That's why Dooku and Darth Sidious valued the Clairvoyant the most out of all Seperatist leaders even more than Asajj Ventress. The Clairvoyant told Dooku and Sidious the secrets to ressurrection would be found within Shield. Ahsoka realized Agent Hand was the Clairvoyant.
****
"You understand why my patience is wearing thin." Darth Sidious growled
Darth Sidious was a hooded figure wearing a black cloak that obscured his face. Secretly Darth Sidious was Chancellor Palpatine elected leader of the United Republic and Chairman of the World Security Council. Yet Palpatine was truly a Dark Lord of the Sith the latest in a long line of Sith Lord's that existed throughout history. His face was etched in wrinkles that formed spider web patterns and his eyes glowed a haunting yellow color. A stark difference to the kindly old man that gently encouraged Anakin as Chancellor Palpatine.
"I'm sorry Master. The Clairvoyant still hasn't uncovered the secret of Coulson's ressurrection nor have they kidnapped him and brought him to me." Count Dooku said
Dooku knelt on one knee in reverence to the power and superiority of Darth Sidious. He looked at the ground in shame aware that his master wasn't pleased with his progress leading the Seperatist army.
"You have to force the Clairvoyant to act. They cannot hide forever within Shield waiting for an opening to attack Coulson. Phil Coulson has become too suspicious and therefore too cautious. The Clairvoyant will be waiting forever to strike at him directly or create a scenario that would draw Coulson into the open like they did with Ian Quinn and Franklin Hall on Batonn/Malta. You need to push the Clairvoyant harder my apprentice. Give the Clairvoyant incentive to want to fulfill their promise to find out how Coulson was ressurrected. With this technology the emergence of a planetary Empire under my rule and your guidance will be assured and that Empire will be immortal. No enemy or threat could destroy an Empire with the power over death not even Thanos." Palpatine elaborated
"Yes my master. I shall push the Clairvoyant to act more aggressively and if they refuse. I will send Asajj Ventress and the Maximoff twins to deal with the Clairvoyant." Dooku said