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Organised by
RogerDodger
Word limit
400–750
Anakin Alone; Ashoka Abandoned
A flash of lightning illuminated Anakin’s otherwise dusky meditation chamber. A gentle rain pattered against the large bay windows which covered three-quarters of the room’s circular walls. The ambient light from nighttime skyline of the city-planet of Coruscant left the room poorly lit. These were perfect conditions for meditating. But Anakin wasn’t meditating, he was sulking. The events of the past day and a half played through his mind’s eye as if he were still standing at each location his mind took him to. He visited his Padawan in the jail cell she had been unjustly put in. Next, he was chasing her through the sewers until finally, he was standing there, hand outstretched, ready to head back to the Jedi Temple with her. Instead, she chose to jump through an opening in the large pipe, and into the lower levels of the planet, just like the events of the previous night.
Anakin’s attention was jarred back to the present when his chambers were once again flooded with light. This time, the light was accompanied with a pneumatic whoosh of the door behind him opening. He opened his eyes to see Obi Wan cross the room and sit down in front of him.
“Are you alright, Anakin? You haven’t eaten all day.”
“I’m fine,” he growled.
Obi Wan paused before presenting a second question. “Is this because of what happened with Ashoka?”
“I said, ‘I’m fine.’ I just need some time alone to meditate.”
“’Sulk’ is more the word I’d use.” Anakin could just feel the rage building up. First, he’d lost his Padawan. Now, his master was here to lecture him. “Anakin, this isn’t the end. Losing one’s Padawan—”
Anakin suddenly stood up. “What would you know about this? This is the end. It’s the end of the line for me, and for Ashoka. And I said to leave me alone.”
Obi Wan called after his apprentice, but his words went unheeded. Anakin stormed out of the room, presumably to go sulk someplace else.
A cloaked figure wandered aimlessly through the undercity of Coruscant. The figure’s build would have suggested it was female, and the way she carried herself was indicative of her depression. As she passed an alley, a female voice called out to her. “Ashoka? Is that you?”
The ex-Jedi muttered the other figure’s name under her breath. “Ventress.” The ex-Sith ran to catch up before slowing to Ashoka’s pace.
“It is you! How is Skywalker’s pet doing?”
“The term the Jedi use is ‘Padawan.’”
“Sorry. Old habits die hard I guess,” Ventress said as she rubbed the back of her head. “So, can I expect to be acquitted of my war crimes? I held up my end of the deal.”
“I—I can’t help you, Ventress. Not anymore. I’m . . . no longer a Jedi. It’s over for me. I’ve reached the end of the line.”
“Well, I was betrayed by my master, and that didn’t stop me from dusting myself off and getting back on my feet.” Betrayed. That word stuck out more than all the others.
Silence followed this exchange until Ventress ventured a question a few blocks later. “So, do you want to talk about it? Last I knew, you got some intel from Barriss Offee. The same Barriss who attacked me and took my lightsabers and mask.”
“So it was Barriss who fought me in the warehouse,” Ashoka said to herself.
“Barriss attacked you?”
“Yeah. She tried to frame me for bombing the Jedi temple and killing the assassin. Anakin was the only Jedi who believed me. The rest wanted me executed for treason.”
“So that’s why you aren’t a Jedi anymore. You don’t trust them.” Ventress thought for a moment, before directing Ashoka down an alley. After another turn, they were out of public sight, and Ventress pulled two lightsabers from out of her cloak and handed one to Ashoka.
“What’s this for? To end my pitiful existence?”
“Ashoka!” She snatched it back. “I’m trying to help you! I know you aren’t with the Jedi Order any longer, as I am not a Sith apprentice. What do you say we try being Grey Jedi instead?” She turned on the lightsabers. They weren’t red like Sith blades, but they weren’t the typical green, blue, yellow, or purple of Jedi weapons, either. They shone with pure white light. “So, you in?”
Ventress shut one lightsaber off, and offered it to Ashoka. She thought a moment, then reached out and accepted it.
Anakin’s attention was jarred back to the present when his chambers were once again flooded with light. This time, the light was accompanied with a pneumatic whoosh of the door behind him opening. He opened his eyes to see Obi Wan cross the room and sit down in front of him.
“Are you alright, Anakin? You haven’t eaten all day.”
“I’m fine,” he growled.
Obi Wan paused before presenting a second question. “Is this because of what happened with Ashoka?”
“I said, ‘I’m fine.’ I just need some time alone to meditate.”
“’Sulk’ is more the word I’d use.” Anakin could just feel the rage building up. First, he’d lost his Padawan. Now, his master was here to lecture him. “Anakin, this isn’t the end. Losing one’s Padawan—”
Anakin suddenly stood up. “What would you know about this? This is the end. It’s the end of the line for me, and for Ashoka. And I said to leave me alone.”
Obi Wan called after his apprentice, but his words went unheeded. Anakin stormed out of the room, presumably to go sulk someplace else.
A cloaked figure wandered aimlessly through the undercity of Coruscant. The figure’s build would have suggested it was female, and the way she carried herself was indicative of her depression. As she passed an alley, a female voice called out to her. “Ashoka? Is that you?”
The ex-Jedi muttered the other figure’s name under her breath. “Ventress.” The ex-Sith ran to catch up before slowing to Ashoka’s pace.
“It is you! How is Skywalker’s pet doing?”
“The term the Jedi use is ‘Padawan.’”
“Sorry. Old habits die hard I guess,” Ventress said as she rubbed the back of her head. “So, can I expect to be acquitted of my war crimes? I held up my end of the deal.”
“I—I can’t help you, Ventress. Not anymore. I’m . . . no longer a Jedi. It’s over for me. I’ve reached the end of the line.”
“Well, I was betrayed by my master, and that didn’t stop me from dusting myself off and getting back on my feet.” Betrayed. That word stuck out more than all the others.
Silence followed this exchange until Ventress ventured a question a few blocks later. “So, do you want to talk about it? Last I knew, you got some intel from Barriss Offee. The same Barriss who attacked me and took my lightsabers and mask.”
“So it was Barriss who fought me in the warehouse,” Ashoka said to herself.
“Barriss attacked you?”
“Yeah. She tried to frame me for bombing the Jedi temple and killing the assassin. Anakin was the only Jedi who believed me. The rest wanted me executed for treason.”
“So that’s why you aren’t a Jedi anymore. You don’t trust them.” Ventress thought for a moment, before directing Ashoka down an alley. After another turn, they were out of public sight, and Ventress pulled two lightsabers from out of her cloak and handed one to Ashoka.
“What’s this for? To end my pitiful existence?”
“Ashoka!” She snatched it back. “I’m trying to help you! I know you aren’t with the Jedi Order any longer, as I am not a Sith apprentice. What do you say we try being Grey Jedi instead?” She turned on the lightsabers. They weren’t red like Sith blades, but they weren’t the typical green, blue, yellow, or purple of Jedi weapons, either. They shone with pure white light. “So, you in?”
Ventress shut one lightsaber off, and offered it to Ashoka. She thought a moment, then reached out and accepted it.