"All I want is, and all I need is, to find somebody. I'll find somebody like you."

- Kodaline All I Want

Narrator's POV

Anakin Skywalker, Mace Windu and Obi-Wan Kenobi walked delicately alongside Desmond Valero down the long corridors of the Jedi Temple, making their way to the High Council Chamber. After looking the Jedi up and down, Desmond couldn't help but think that the Jedi looked, and were, figuratively superior next to him; their cloaks drifted calmly behind them, their hefty boots clicked on the tile of the hallways, their lightsabers were clicked securely to their belts.

Desmond adjusted his appearance as they neared the Council Chamber, pulling loosely at his ragged slave clothes, looking at himself insecurely after watching the graceful movements and looks of the Jedi. He knew he could never be one of them; his midi-chlorian level was nonexistent, unlike his sister, and he had no Jedi potential.

In the long run, it made him feel poorly that they were just using him to try and speak to Kyla. After all, he might've been the only thing they could use to try and negotiate with her, but it still made him feel utterly unimportant to the Jedi. Regardless of how he felt, though, he was going to help them.

"You do understand what's to come of this, correct?" Obi-Wan asks Desmond without turning to him as they walk. Desmond uncomfortably sighs.

"Yeah, I suppose so. I mean, I know I have to talk to my sister, but..."

"It won't be that easy," Mace booms, his voice practically echoing down the classy hallway of the Temple, "It won't be easy at all. Even though she is your sister."

"She's changed," Desmond admits, "It's like talking to a completely different person."

At this, Anakin turns and glares at Desmond discreetly. It bothered Anakin that everyone else around him, including her own brother, believed Kyla had changed. Deep down, Anakin knew she wasn't the same person... but it killed him to think so.

Aside from the guilt poking at him for letting her down, it was the overpowering thought that he had failed to save her, like his mother. Fortunately, he didn't lose Padmé or his children and was able to save them... it would've been worse if he hadn't.

Nevertheless, Anakin couldn't explain for himself why he was so hung up on believing Kyla had changed. She was Demetrious now, and as much as he ignored everyone else for thinking that, he couldn't let himself. It was physically impossible... for now.

Plucking Anakin from his thoughts at his alarming tone, Mace bellows, "It is just like talking to another person. You will be speaking to Darth Demetrious, the most powerful being in the galaxy."

Desmond shakes his head and glances at his shuffling feet as they walk. "Yeah, that helps."

Obi-Wan turns to Desmond and smiles, then turns back to where they were walking. "I thought you said you were the one who faced reality," he chuckles.

Desmond laughs. "I am. And, I do. But sometimes, it's just difficult to."

Anakin curls his upper lip and prevents himself from speaking up. As they scurried down the hallway swiftly to get to the High Council Chamber, his anxiety was growing - he knew it was going to make him feel even less than the Council already considered "young Skywalker" - they were going to bring up how he failed at his attempt to negotiate with Kyla, another reason why they were using Desmond instead.

At last, the High Council Chamber is around the corner, and the three Jedi stop Desmond for a moment in case he wasn't mentally, or physically, prepared.

"Don't stress this," demands Obi-Wan calmly. "Speaking to the rest of the Council is nothing to be worried about."

Desmond shakes his head. "I... I don't know. I think it is, I mean, for me. I've never even spoken to Jedi before you came to retrieve Kyla all those months ago. Let alone the Jedi Council. I know I don't have a place of honor here" - Anakin turns away and rolls his eyes - "But I still think it's a big move for me. I'm going to present myself as best I can."

Obi-Wan smiles reassuringly. He was a very assuring man, always calm and sure of himself and his surroundings. He truly was one with the Force - and it angered Anakin sometimes.

"I think you will be all right," secures Obi-Wan, setting a gentle hand on the nerve-wracked boy's shoulder.

Desmond looks up from shuffling his feet and it takes him a moment to register how kind Obi-Wan is being to him. Desmond then nods and smiles, thankful for the assurance the Jedi Master provided.

"Thank you, Master." Desmond turns to Mace and thanks him as well, at last turning to Anakin. "Thank you too, Master."

The sound of the word Master in Anakin's head made him cringe - he had only ever been called that by Kyla. He clenched his fists, but released them, took a breath, and turned to face the boy who was only about two years younger than himself. "It was our honor to assist you, Desmond," Anakin chokes out, cracking the best smile he could manage despite his sudden anger.

Looking suspicious of Anakin's actions but keeping it to himself, Desmond smiles and nods in Anakin's direction, turning and facing the High Council Chamber's door.

The three Jedi enter before Desmond and only Anakin and Mace seat themselves; Obi-Wan remains standing in the center of the room with Desmond, a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"I present Desmond Valero, the older brother of Darth Demetrious."

The Jedi on the Council, once twelve but now only around nine or ten, all eye Desmond suspiciously. None say anything until Desmond surprisingly speaks up, clearing his throat and shuffling his feet like he did often.

"It's an honor to be here today, er, Masters," Desmond mutters with a confused tone, as he truly was unsure of how to address all of them.

Grand Master Yoda - someone Desmond had only heard of around talk on Mos Eisley - seemed most interested in the boy. "A pleasure to meet you as well, it is," he croaks wisely, then addressing Obi-Wan with a solemn look. "Useful information, does he have?"

Obi-Wan shakes his head. "We've heard everything from him we possibly could regarding Demetrious. There truly wasn't anything we already didn't know," he says glumly, "But we were hoping we could assist the boy on Demetrious' cruiser to attempt speaking to her," he explains.

The room goes silent for a moment until Yoda speaks. "To negotiate with Demetrious, you will try?" he asks of Desmond.

"Yes. Well - I sincerely hope so, Master."

Master Yoda makes a faint humming sound and nods slowly. "Work, will this decision? Afraid, are you?"

Desmond sighs. "I... I kind of am, Master Yoda. Regardless of her being my sister, she's... different. Talking to her won't be the same as it used to be."

Behind him, Anakin lets out an exaggerated breath, gripping the sides of his chair, attempting to settle himself. This entire conversation aggravated him.

Master Yoda blinks slowly and nods. "Understand, I do. How upsetting, how upsetting..." his voice trails off as he shakes his head in dismay.

Desmond says nothing, and Obi-Wan finally speaks. "We are at risk of being executed on her cruiser, unfortunately. Anakin reported there were armed Clones everywhere."

Mace intervenes, "But we will most certainly take to any precaution we can. The three of us, while assisting Desmond, will be as careful as we can, Master Yoda."

Yoda nods in Mace's direction and turns back to the men in the center of the room. "Soon, do you plan on arriving on her cruiser?"

Obi-Wan nods. "We wanted to inform the Council before, of course."

Yoda nods again. Desmond found he had been doing this frequently.

"In fact, we will be leaving just as soon as the meeting is dismissed," Obi-Wan adds.

Mace glances over at Anakin, who seems to be having trouble keeping his temper down; he is leaning all the way back in his circular chair, his prosthetic gloved hand propping his chin up, his flesh hand gripping the side of the chair, practically squeezing the life out of the inanimate object. He definitely looked angered.

Yoda thanks Obi-Wan for informing the Council beforehand and dismisses the meeting. As the Council rises to leave, commotion stirs and the men begin talking amongst each other. Amidst the commotion, Desmond turns to Obi-Wan, leans in and whispers, "Are all Council meetings always this short?"

Obi-Wan chuckles at Desmond's wittiness. That would, sadly, be his only time in the High Council Chamber anyways. "No, I'm afraid not. It was just to inform them of our soon-to-be whereabouts."

"But why?" questions Desmond.

"We are a sparse group, young one. We've lost many along the way, and cannot afford to lose any more. It is only taking precaution by informing them where we are, in case anything is to happen. Also, it involves the entire Republic" - Obi-Wan flashes a smile to Desmond as they exit - "And the Council plays an important role for it in its entirety."

Desmond nods. "Ah, I see. Makes sense."

"Precisely."

Anakin catches up to the three men, as Mace joined shortly after, and decides to bring his own thoughts into their small talk. "I don't think this is a good idea, Master," he urges to Obi-Wan as the Jedi and the boy fast-walk down the corridors of the Temple.

Obi-Wan practically ignores Anakin's impending statement. "I believe it is only what's best for the Republic," he begins, "to at least attempt to negotiate with her."

"But Master, don't you see? I already did - "

"It didn't work, Anakin. And I don't advise you to try again. Desmond here is our best bet for the time being, and I'm not going to pass this up." Obi-Wan glances over his shoulder at Anakin as they walked, who is trying desperately not to lose it. He had a short temper, as the entire Order knew of. But, Anakin had recently been trying to higher his status in the Order, so he had no choice but to conceal his anger best he could.

Anakin replies through gritted teeth, "Sorry, Master."

Obi-Wan turns away from Anakin without saying anything, and instead focuses on Desmond. "Are you afraid?" he asks him.

Desmond hesitates. "To be brutally honest, Master... yes, I am. I hate to admit it."

"That's nothing to be afraid of, young one," Obi-Wan says to Desmond gently. Desmond looks awfully shaken; Anakin seeming to be the only one having noticed yet again.

"I should feel the same way about talking to her. She's my sister," Desmond panics, "Yet... she isn't. It's confusing."

"Well, there isn't too much pressure being put on you here, boy," joins Mace, actually cracking a smile for the first time Anakin's ever seen.

However, Mace was a serious man, and he released his smile the next chance he got. He regains his seriousness, and clears his throat. "I don't think you should be afraid. We won't let her try anything on you."

Desmond glances over at Mace with widened eyes. "You really think she's gonna try and kill me?"

Anakin takes initiative, "She might."

"Anakin," Obi-Wan scolds, shooting him a look then turning back to Desmond, "I highly doubt that. After all, you and Anakin were the only lives she spared - "

"Don't forget, Master, she spared your life in her apartment as well," Anakin reminds Obi-Wan vaguely of that bitter memory; Kyla's harsh voice snarling in Obi-Wan's face, 'You are beaten.'

"You're right, Anakin, I almost forgot," exhales Obi-Wan, as though that was the one thing he had been fighting so hard to forget.

Anakin boasts, "She couldn't kill you, Desmond, only because you're her brother."

Obi-Wan, merely standing up for the boy, objects at Anakin's brash statements. "And she couldn't kill you because of your apparent 'bond,'" he mocks, "She couldn't kill me for reasons unexplained."

Anakin scoffs at Obi-Wan, feeling rejected and, for a moment - replaced by this boy. He knew very well the siblings had a strong bond for an extended amount of time in their lives - before she was Demetrious, that is. But Anakin had a bond with her as well, something that they swore would never be broken. Something that was supposed to last them until forever. For however long forever may be.

At long last did the Jedi and the slave boy reach the Starship Desmond took a strong liking to; and to the Jedi's relieve, the boy didn't feel the need to comment on everything in the interior. Desmond was inexplicably dumbfounded with the ways of Starships; even though he had grown up working in a podracing shop, everything in Coruscant was new and different to him.

When he pointed this out, that he knew a variation of nothing in the realms of ship technology, Anakin felt a wave of supreme wash over him - something he instantly tried to push away. He shouldn't want to feel better than Desmond, to feel stronger or more powerful, because he was - but he shouldn't want to be any more than that. He knew he had more advantages than the slave boy, but he still wanted to be superior to him, and he couldn't help it.

The ride up to Demetrious' cruiser wasn't nearly as annoying as the ride back to Coruscant from Tatooine. Anakin stayed silent in the main area of the ship's interior, tinkering and fumbling with his prosthetic hand like he did when he was bored, while Mace carried a small-talk conversation with Obi-Wan and Desmond in the cockpit. Both Jedi seemed so interested in the boy's life and all the stories he had to share about him and Demetrious as children. Anakin was almost... jealous.

Occasionally, when Anakin were to perk up and eavesdrop on the conversation, he would pick up on a few things. "No, no, I assure you," Anakin heard Desmond faintly laugh from the cockpit, "I was never nearly as much of a troublemaker as she was. Did I tell you both about that time she stole the nearby speeder? She was only five, too!"

Anakin rolled his eyes as he heard his Jedi companions laugh at the boy's sheepish stories. He couldn't really be... jealous... could he?

I can't feel jealousy, he told himself, I've never felt this way before. Not towards Obi-Wan, not towards Padmé or the Chancellor or... anyone.

Mace emerges from the cockpit and sits beside Anakin, lowering himself with a slow exhale. "We're almost to her cruiser," he announces boldly as Anakin sighs.

"Good to know." Anakin nods slightly and gestures with a swift nod towards the cockpit, "How's Desmond doing? Keeping you two interested with his childhood stories?"

Mace chuckles slightly, looked pained as though he wasn't going to allow himself to fully laugh. "He's quite the entertainer, actually. You should have heard some things he had to say about Kyla."

Anakin, who was still messing with brackets on his gloved hand, suddenly looks up at the mention of her real name.

"Master Windu?"

"Yes, young Skywalker?"

"Did... did you just refer to her as - Kyla?"

He looks puzzled at Anakin, furrowing his brows. "I believe I did. Why? Is there a problem with that, young Skywalker?"

Anakin immediately shakes his head, nearly giving himself a headache. "Oh, no, Master, not at all. In fact, I prefer the use of her previous name rather than... Demetrious." He shudders at that word, like he had been every time it was mentioned in any conversation.

Mace leans in, propping his elbows on his knees. "Interesting." He takes a breath, "You do realize, young Skywalker, that she no longer is the girl you very much would like her to still be, correct?"

Anakin stiffens. "Y-Yes, Master, I... realize that."

"Good." Mace replies coldly, being a man of few emotions. He was a dedicated Jedi Master, which Anakin dreamed of being, but with his personal thoughts and feelings always getting in the way, he had little hope for becoming an all-powerful Jedi Master. He might've been a Jedi Master, and respected his place of honor very much, but no married Jedi with children could be as dedicated as Mace Windu.

To Anakin's disappointment, Desmond struts back in, flashing grins at both the Jedi and taking a seat with an exaggerated exhale. "Just trying to lighten the mood," he explains brashly, "'Cause I'm not really all for trying to speak to Kyla." There it is again, Anakin thinks, Kyla.

"I understand fully," Mace replies emotionlessly, though trying to have empathy.

"As do I," Anakin heaves, rising from the seating in the main section of the Starship. "I'm going to go speak to Obi-Wan, if you'll excuse me, Master." He bows at Mace formally and exits.

"He's persistent," Desmond says to Mace at Anakin's leaving. "Makes for a good Jedi Master. I know Ky liked him."

Mace nods. "We needed a Jedi like him on the Council. The Order's glad to have him."

Desmond smiles faintly. "Yeah," he says, locking and unlocking his fingers in his lap to pass time, "I feel like he doesn't like me all too well. It shouldn't matter, though, I'll probably never see him again after this."

"It's still nice to have earned a Jedi's respect," says Mace.

Desmond sighs. "You're right."

Anakin enters the cockpit and sits beside Obi-Wan without a word.

Obi-Wan turns to him alarmingly. "Anakin," he addresses, "What do you need? Anything to discuss?"

"That boy," starts Anakin, "He... He isn't what we need."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't think he can help us the way we need to be helped, Master. He doesn't make a good conversationalist, but - "

"Anakin, this is his sister he'll be speaking with. The Council believes it's a good idea."

"The Council believes he is our last resort," Anakin insists, "And I believe otherwise. I think I can negotiate with her. I think I can help her, Master, really - I do."

"You've already tried, Anakin," Obi-Wan sighs, growing irritated. "Once is enough. I don't want to hear your complaints, anyhow. Her cruiser is just ahead, I want to find a way to land in the hangar without causing too much disruption to the army..."

"Most of them are taking commission in the Death Star's construction, Master," Anakin explains, leaning further onto the dashboard to get a better look at the nearby hangar Obi-Wan intended landing the Starship in.

The Starship glided swiftly into the hangar without trouble; and to their surprise, it was empty of Clones. Obi-Wan hopelessly began to wonder if Demetrious was even here.

Cautiously, the men exited the Starship with Anakin in lead, directing them to get to the main control room; where he expected Kyla to be.

Without thinking too deeply, Anakin ordered the rest of the Jedi and Desmond to hush, as he was going to enter the room without stealth, almost like an ambush.

Immediately he pushed the heavy metal door open, air sweeping onto their faces as the door swiftly slid across the floor, resisting a scraping sound.

At last, they were fully open, revealing the main control room, a wide-spread room with various controls lining the desks and walls with windows in every direction, a perfect view of the Death Star.

Standing right where Anakin saw her standing when he attempted speaking to her, stood Darth Demetrious.

"It's not like I haven't been expecting you, Desmond," she snarls, her voice even more wretched and brash than any of the men could remember.

A/N: A longer chapter, but kind of boring. The next one is filled with action - make sure to vote and comment if you enjoyed this chapter and previous ones!!

I respect all the support. Thank you all so much.

- Claudia 💜