Daughter was the only one who knew where the dagger was hidden. She could not be tempted by power therefore she had been entrusted to keep its whereabouts secret and safe. Daughter was adamant that she must go alone, but everyone was worried about her.
"What if she finds you?" Ahsoka argued. A sentiment shared throughout the group of motley Force users.
Daughter only sighed.
"She's right." Ben piped up. "What if Abeloth kills you with the dagger huh? You'll be dead and Abeloth will have the dagger to kill everybody else. And I don't fancy getting ganked by a god with a god killer."
The Father came forward. "You must take someone with you. You cannot do this alone."
"It is my duty alone to retrieve the dagger." Daughter argued. "I would not have any of you endanger yourselves needlessly."
Anakin shook his head. "Are you thick in the head? Somebody has to go with you, whether to take the dagger or distract Abeloth if she shows. This isn't up for debate."
Still Daughter shook her head. "It won't come to that. Abeloth cannot intercept me in my own home."
Luke stepped forward. "You don't know that. This is not the Abeloth you know." He pointed out. "She is from decades into the future. You don't know her at all or what she's capable of now. None of us do. You have to take someone with you."
Finally Daughter hesitated in her stance. She turned away and looked out to Mortis. The once bright world was covered in angry storm clouds. It was a dark and terrible place. Not as she knew it. Slowly Daughter nodded.
"I will take Tano." She decided.
Ahsoka raised an eyebrow and Anakin laid a protective hand over his padawan's shoulder. "What? Why Ahsoka?" He demanded to know.
"Abeloth has sought out Luke and his son. She also wants you." She looked to Anakin pointedly. "Your padawan has a quiet presence in the Force. At of all of you, Tano will be the one most likely to slip out from under Abeloth's nose should we be discovered."
"No way-" Anakin began but Ahsoka grabbed his arm.
"Master," She soothed, "I can do this."
"I have a bad feeling about this, Snips." Anakin muttered back. "If something happens to you..."
"Then you'll rescue me." Ahsoka said with an easy smile. "I can do this. But we're having a long talk when I get back."
"A talk?" Anakin asked in surprise.
Ahsoka smirked and glanced behind Anakin towards Luke and Ben. "You're nuts." She said before moving out of Anakin's hold. "We'll be back before you know it."
Obi-Wan crossed his arms. "Be careful, Ahsoka. Do only as Daughter says."
The daughter had morphed into her bird form and knelt to let Ahsoka up on her back. "As you wish, Master Kenobi."
Ben stepped forward. "Hurry back, we still haven't had that fight."
Ahsoka laughed as she settled between Daughter's golden wings. "All the more reason to come back. Now stop worrying."
With that Daughter turned towards the open doors. Once outside she leapt into the air and they were gone.
Luke tentatively came to Anakin's side. "Ahsoka seems to be a fine padawan. She'll be okay."
Anakin sighed. "Thanks. I really hope so."
Someone cleared their throat. Luke, Anakin and Ben turned to face Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan sighed and shook his head. "Ben has brought up many strange things. And seeing as how we cannot do anything about Abeloth until Ahsoka gets back..."
Ben glanced at Luke, who was giving his son a glare. "What? They pressured me!"
Luke rolled his eyes. "I can only imagine the horrifying interrogation tactic." He said dryly.
~~~
The flight through the stormy skies was uneventful save for a few close calls with lightning strikes. The giant glowing bird skillfully maneuvered through the air til she came upon a cliff side. It had been cracked by lightning and torn through by quakes. Daughter landed precariously on the edge and waited for Ahsoka to dismount before transforming back to her human form.
The doorway she had crafted into the mountain was blocked off by rubble. "We will have to dig our way in." Daughter informed.
Ahsoka sighed and nodded. "Sounds about right."
Together they began to lift rock after rock, careful not to cause an avalanche as they went. The work took longer than either woman cared for. But eventually they found their way into an actual corridor. Daughter's light was all they needed to traverse the hidden path into the mountain.
"You hid it in here?" Ahsoka asked softly.
Daughter nodded. "This mountain was not special in any way. I thought it perfect too, my brother never cared for this side of Mortis."
"Why?" Ahsoka asked again.
"I think it had something to do with Mother actually." Daughter said with a shrug. "She liked to set boundaries and make us work together rather than fight. Perhaps leaving these particular mountains was his way of practicing those boundaries again."
Ahsoka nodded slowly. "So, Abeloth was your mother?"
Daughter smiled a soft, pained smile. "She was. Not anymore."
They continued on in silence until the corridor opened up into a grand cave. Down in the depths was an altar of blue fire. Daughter paused and looked to Ahsoka. "After leaving it here I vowed never to touch it again. I was willing to come alone and break my vow..."
"It's okay." Ahsoka raised her hand and smiled. "That's what I'm here for, I'll get it."
Daughter bowed her head. "Thank you."
The way down was precarious, and for good reason. But for Ahsoka it was all too easy. She made it to the altar in record time. The blue fire parted and the Force hummed in response to Ahsoka's touch. Gingerly she reached in, a hilt transforming in her palm. As she grasped it the blade also came into existence. The dagger had been retrieved.
They returned to the corridor, making their way up and out of the mountain. Still sensing no immediate danger Daughter transformed back into a bird and helped Ahsoka up on her back. She leapt into the air. And that was when she sensed it. Abeloth's presence was coming.
~~~
Luke was watching Anakin and Obi-Wan curiously. Obi-Wan was processing Luke being Anakin's son despite being significantly older than Anakin, and he was processing Ben being Anakin's grandson despite the boy being only a little younger than his grandfather. And of course to top it all off Obi-Wan also had to process the taboo marriage Anakin had entered into with Padmé Amidala, who was also a dear friend. Secrets really were damnable.
"Anakin why didn't you tell me?" Obi-Wan finally asked.
"Probably because you wouldn't have understood?" Anakin reasoned with a begrudging grimace.
Obi-Wan shook his head. "You really think that little of me?"
This seemed to take Anakin aback. He just starred. Obi-Wan sighed softly, looking incredibly hurt.
Luke glanced at Ben, this was a tough conversation to watch honestly. And it was clear neither really knew how to talk. Standing up, Luke approached the struggling men.
"I don't think Anakin thought you wouldn't understand." He offered, glancing at Anakin. "I believe he was much more worried about the judgment of your council."
Obi-Wan frowned. "Anakin I would have never outed you like that."
Anakin sighed. "How was I supposed to know that though? You've always followed the rules to a tee."
"Not always." Obi-Wan said slowly. "I too... have had feelings. And these feelings are not wrong Anakin, they're natural. They're a part of us whether we like it or not." He explained gently. "It is how we go about these feelings that dictate who we become. You are a good man, Anakin. But I do fear the strain a secret marriage will, and has, put you and Padmé through. Especially when you are destined to have children." He gestured to Luke and Ben. "What will happen when Luke comes along? Padmé cannot raise him alone."
Anakin bowed his head. Clearly he had no idea what he and Padmé would do when they had a child... not that they had to worry about that though, Luke thought bitterly. But he kept that future to himself. The mood was already so sour and probably timeline altering.
"I'm sorry, Obi-Wan." Anakin finally spoke. "I was... am scared. I'm lost. I have no idea what to do."
Obi-Wan smiled, a painfully sad smile. "When we get back, we will figure it out together. And I will not inform the council."
Anakin shook his head and exhaled. "Thank you, that means a lot."
Luke smiled slightly. That last time he saw these two together it had been Darth Vader cutting down an old Ben Kenobi. How odd to watch them shake hands, to come into an embrace-
The floor suddenly shifted, knocking the Jedi to their knees by the sheer force of it. Outside the storm had blown up. Rain came down in a torrent, thunder boomed and cracked just outside. Lightning was striking down on the fortress, shaking the structure further. Luke grabbed Ben's arm and planted his stance as the shaking subsided. "You all right?"
Ben nodded his head, eyes wide as he looked to the entrance. "That isn't good."
Luke followed Ben's gaze. Through the thickened storm he could make out Daughter's glow. But she was coming in fast and her wings were tucked in.
"Anakin!" Luke snapped. The other Jedi had picked himself up and turned to Luke's voice. Luke started for the entrance. "Daughter's coming."
In a ball of fading light Daughter fell to the courtyard, cracking the marble on impact.
Father stopped the other Jedi before they could leave. "Stay inside, the storm is fatal." The towering god snapped before he and Son went out down the staircase towards Daughter's crumpled heap.
Anakin was antsy, watching as best he could from the doorway. He only backed up when a burst of lightning snapped down, licking the ground beneath his feet. "Ahsoka!" Anakin called out. No one answered.
But finally, finally the Father and Son came back. The Father cradled Daughter in his arms while Son was holding Ahsoka by her arm, shielding her from the storm until they got inside.
"Good Force what happened?" Ben exclaimed as Anakin pulled Ahsoka against his chest. The girl looked shaken but otherwise fine. Daughter was unconscious, her light fading in and out.
"It was Abeloth." Ahsoka said breathlessly against Anakin's tunic. "Something from the dark hit her, she saved my life."
"What of the dagger, child?" Father asked hurriedly.
Ahsoka bit her lip, moving out of Anakin's hold and from her belt produced the hilt of the dagger. "She tried to take it, but Daughter was faster."
Luke glanced between Ahsoka and the Father, who cradled his hurt child. "Will she be okay?"
The Father shook his head as the Son took her out of his arms and headed upstairs. "She is at the mercy of the will of the Force now. We have the dagger, that is what matters."