Hi! <3

I made a little announcement earlier, but if you are interested, I made some additions to the cast in the intro chapter. 

This chapter is a little bit of a set up. But please let me know if you have any questions about what's happening. 

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Four Months Later

Anakin's POV

Sweat poured down my forehead, causing me to blink profusely as it stung my eyes, blurring my vision. I quickly brought up my forearm to wipe away the moisture, never once slowing down or faltering as I sprinted towards the gunship that had just landed across the field from me.

The closer I got, the better I was able to make out Ahsoka reaching out towards me with fear written across her features. Rex held her back, making sure she didn't jump out of the gunship to meet me in the crossfire.

This entire mission had been shit show. We came to Dantooine to liberate local farmers whose land and livelihood had been seized by the corrupt landlords who used their stolen spoils to support the Separatist movement. The farmers had been forced to work with no pay and hand over their entire crop to help keep greedy officials and politicians fed. Nothing makes my blood boil more than seeing innocent people forced into labor with no say over their own destiny. So, to say I came in a little more hot than usual is a fucking understatement.

When we were ordered by the council to stand down and return back to the temple before we had managed to actually free the farmers, I took matters into my own hands. I couldn't stand the idea of political bullshit keeping these people enslaved when I knew I could do something about it.

I just didn't think my solo attempt at negotiations with the landlords would result in an entire Separatist battalion coming out of fucking nowhere. And every time I think I have seen it all, they come at us with a new, deadlier weapon. This time, it was in the form of BX-series commando droids. I barely made it out of the landlord's chambers alive.

I already knew the council would be pissed. Obi-Wan has been on my ass about my increasingly "reckless behavior." But I couldn't deny the fact that the adrenaline pumping through my body right now was the only thing keeping me going. More and more, I found myself chasing thrill and danger. It was my way of dealing with the growing futility of this war. And plus, the adrenaline seemed to be the only thing that knocked me out of my exhaustion-induced haze.

Who needs sleep when you have the constant threat of death keeping you sharp and alert?

A blaster shots whizzed over my head and one just barely grazed below my shoulder. The smell of singed leather seeped into the heavy breaths of air I was sucking in. I chanced a quick glance at my bicep where the blaster had barely skimmed the surface of my battle leathers. Just a flesh wound. That was close.

I needed to get the fuck out of there.

"Master! Watch out!" I heard Ahsoka call out. A split second later, the ground not even a foot beside me exploded, knocking me off my feet sending my body careening through the air.

And as I slammed into the ground, before the world went completely black, all I could see was her.

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Kels's POV

"I don't know, Kels. I think this is a bad idea." Blake said from beside me as he scratched nervously at his arm, leaving a slight smudge of black grease on his skin.

"I'll be fine," I said with an eye roll as I swung a leg over the Aratech 74-Z speeder bike Blake had just finished tinkering with. He had just activated the gravitational hover, so the bike was bobbing gently in place. "I've been paying close attention." I shot him a smirk which caused the corners of his frown to tip upwards.

"Yeah, but they're a lot more powerful than they look." Blake said, concern still etched into his features.

"I am a lot more powerful than I look." I said, biting down on a cocky grin.

Blake chuckled softly and flipped the rag he held in his hand over his shoulder. "You attend a few speeder races and all of the sudden you think you're an expert?" He asked, raising his eyebrows in challenge.

"I think I can handle a measly test ride around the block, Blake." I said, again rolling my eyes. "It's not like I'm trying to race or anything."

"Yeah, for now. But who knows? Next week, I'm not so sure you won't try." He said with an amused expression.

"Blake, please." I begged softly, meeting his gaze as my shoulder slumped slightly.

He let out a deep sigh and crossed his arms over his chest. My eyes lingered on the intricate tattoo that peeked out beneath the sleeve of his white t-shirt. I had asked about it in the past, but he claimed it didn't mean anything.

After a couple more seconds of silence, Blake let is arms drop in defeat. "Fine," he eventually conceded with an eye roll of his own, "but I'm coming with you."

I squealed with excitement and grabbed one of the helmets that was hanging off the handlebars and quickly put it on before handing Blake the other one.

"Hop on" I said with a grin, shimmying up on the seat to make room for him. He chuckled and took the helmet from me as he swung a leg over the bike to take his place behind me. I heard the click of his helmet as I reached up to grab onto the handlebars, my thumb grazing the clutch.

"Alright, hold down the clutch and press the start button." Blake said, His chin brushing my shoulder as he leaned over to watch me. I swallowed at the contact but nodded and did what he said. The bike roared to life beneath me, and the surge of power had me grinning all over again.

"Now close the choke, and gently open the throttle." He murmured. I had seen Blake do this plenty of times, it couldn't be that hard. I took a deep breath and twisted one wrist back while pushing the other forward. Suddenly, we pitched forward, and Blake let out a yelp before grabbing onto my midsection to keep him from falling off.

"Fuck! Gently, Kels. I said gently!" Blake called out over the roar of the engine as we shot off the small landing platform outside his uncle's repair shop.

"Sorry!" I called out over my shoulder and eased up on the pressure I was applying. A speeder then came out of nowhere and I quickly veered out of its way, but not without the driver shouting a stream of expletives my way. I cringed and gave them a sorry wave.

"Kels. Both hands on the handlebars." Blake ordered in a warning tone, his grip on me tightened.

"I know, I know." I muttered and quickly returned my hand to the handlebars before giving them a slight turn. I took a few moments to get used to the steering as I merged haphazardly into a less busy skylane below the main throughway.

"Good," Blake said, "Now just take her up and around the apartment building over there." He removed one of his arms and pointed over my shoulder at the large gray apartment complex in front of us. His hand that remained hooked across me slide further across my stomach to maintain his grip as he leaned forward. I simultaneously felt butterflies tickle my gut while a lump formed in my throat.

Blake and I had been spending a lot of time with each other over the past few months. It was a hard winter of tears and pain, but as the first signs of spring began to show and the season changed, eventually I began to heal or at least forget. Largely thanks to my growing friendship with Blake and Rala. However, with Rala spending more time with Fellan, it made for a lot of alone time between Blake and I.

After weeks spent driving myself insane inside the temple after the banquet, I had taken him up on his offer to attend one of the speeder bike races. It didn't take long until I was hooked. 

The atmosphere was unlike anything else. Excitement buzzed through the air as racers and spectators alike waited for the starting light to turn green. It wasn't difficult to get caught up in the thrill as the races were incredibly dangerous, and as I recently discovered, incredibly illegal. It felt like between a potential catastrophic crash or the looming threat of getting shut down by law enforcement, there was always an undercurrent of adrenaline for all those involved.

I found myself gravitating towards the thrill these days. I'd crave adrenaline out of nowhere. Which was new for me, and I couldn't quite explain it, but I welcomed it.

After all, it was the best distraction I could ask for.

Blake had been kind enough to not bring up the banquet night. Although, I knew he was aware that something went down. And I had tried my best to hide it when I returned to him after my disastrous encounter with Anakin. But even though I had managed to dry my tears and fix my makeup in the bathroom, it's much more difficult to hide a broken heart.

But I can tell in the way Blake looks at me when he thinks I am unaware, or how he has stopped asking me about what goes on in the Jedi temple, or the way his jaw clenches at the mention of "Anakin Skywalker, the hero with no fear" over the holonet. He is dying to ask. But he remains patient with me, never pushing me to talk about it.

And I am grateful, because talking about Anakin would surely cause the delicate control I have constructed over my emotions to unravel. It was painful enough just thinking about him.

And I do think about him. All the time.

It's the worst at night. I can't get him out of my head. I imagine his intense yet gentle gaze, boring into my sole and making me feel truly seen. I hear his beautiful laugh echoing through my mind, he always knew the right thing to say to get under my skin or get me to crack a smile. As if he had written the fucking manual on how I operate. The worst is when I can practically feel his hands on me, so soft yet so commanding. I craved him most during those midnight hours.

I miss him with every inch of my being.

And as much as my rational mind would like to let Blake in to ease some of that pain and longing, my heart simply won't allow it. So, I keep him at arm's length.

It's selfish, I know. Because I do enjoy his company. Blake is a good friend. He is forthright with his emotions, incredibly kind, and never takes things too seriously. Almost a direct opposition to Anakin's cold, severe, brooding nature. The nights when I lie awake, missing the Jedi who broke me, I internally beg my stubborn heart to just move on...give Blake a chance. It would be so much fucking easier.

The words of my mother come to mind. The right path is not always the easy one. Real, everlasting beauty takes work. But it's always worth it.

She would tell me this as she carefully looked after her garden, making sure to adhere to each plant's unique needs and schedule. My dad would always chuckle when she'd run out in the middle of dinner to water a plant that had just reached its bloom stage, or when she'd wake up to ensure the lunar lilies were receiving adequate amounts of moonlight. She never took the easy route when it came to her plants, and that is exactly why she had the most beautiful, thriving garden I have ever seen.

"Alright, switch gears here." Blake said, tearing me from my thoughts as he pointed to a lever to the left of my thumb. I shook my head softly and pressed the lever forward. The bike lurched forward and gained speed. The wind was now whipping through my hair and the sounds around me where muffled. It was oddly peaceful despite the increased speed we were now moving at.

A smile spread across my face as I turned the handlebars and had us gliding around the final corner of the building. I punched the throttle and we picked up even more speed as we made our way back to the repair shop. I heard Blake laugh behind me as he rested his chin on my shoulder.

Blake talked me through the basics in terms of parking and I felt a tinge of pride when I followed his directions perfectly and eventually shut the bike off. Blake quickly hopped off onto solid ground and I followed him closely.

"I think this one is ready to go." I declared, patting the bike's seat gently.

"I felt a few issues with the gears," Blake said with a warm smile. "But it's almost ready."

"So, how did I-" I began to ask Blake's thoughts on my flying when I was hit with an overwhelming sense of dread out of nowhere. It cracked through my body, and I had to grab the bike's handlebars to steady myself. 

Something just happened.

"Woah, are you okay?" Blake asked, stepping forward to grab my elbow and steady me.

I shook my head and tried to form words. But the only thing that occupied my mind was the undeniable feeling that something bad had just happened. The feeling of urgency pumped through my body, and I felt a panic creep up through my throat.

My head snapped in the direction of the Jedi temple that was barely in view from the small landing platform we stood on. At the same time, a collection of republic military ships slashed through the sky above us. They were headed towards the temple.

That was nothing too out of the ordinary, it had become normal to see republic ships dot the skyline. But this time, something felt off.

"That is weird." I mumbled, mostly to myself, forcing myself to breathe deeply. 

"What?" Blake asked, he angled his head to capture my gaze with a concerned expression.

"I don't..I..." I began but my voice trailed off unable to explain what I had just felt. "I think maybe the vertigo from the speeder got to me." I forced my features into a smile and pressed my still-shaking hands to my thighs.

"That happens," Blake said softly, his features relaxing with understanding, "You'll get used to it."

"Yeah, of course" I whispered with a soft shake of my head.

"But to answer the question you were trying to ask, you did great." Blake said, his thumb softly grazing my arm before he dropped his grip from my elbow once he was sure I wouldn't fall over. "Minus almost crashing into that speeder." He added with a smirk.

This pulled a chuckle from my throat as I looked up at him. His hazel eyes sparkled, and I could see a hint of pride. "Gotta keep you on your toes." I said, mirroring his smirk.

"You always do, K." He said in a way that felt like it had a deeper meaning. I swallowed hard and smiled in return.

"I think I should head back to the temple. I might need to lie down for a while." I said, still unable to shake the uneasy feeling.

"Of course, let me just put this bike away and I'll drop you off." Blake said. He smiled but I could tell he was disappointed I was cutting our hang out short.

"Thank you, Blake." I said softly, reaching out to rest my hand on his arm as he walked past me to begin guiding the speeder bike back to its repair bay. He froze at the contact and looked down at me. "For the ride. And for letting me fly that thing. It was the most fun I've had in a while." I glanced down at the bike.

"Well...you know I can't say no to you." Blake mumbled and shot me a tight smile before pushing the bike away. I felt my heart twist with guilt.

True to his word, Blake quickly put the bike back inside the shop and took me home. We chatted idly about an upcoming race later that week and made plans to watch together. I was looking forward to it, really, I was, but my mind was elsewhere.

And as soon as I stepped through the temple doors after saying goodbye to Blake, I was approached by none other than Obi-Wan, as if he had been waiting for me.

"Hello, Kels." He said in a smooth voice, but I could see the exhaustion and stress present in his eyes.

"Hi, Obi-Wan. How are you?" I asked. I hadn't really spoken to him since Canto-Bight so I was excited to be interacting with him again.

"Well, I have been better, truthfully." He said with a dark chuckle. I felt my eyebrows pull together in concern. "I have a potentially uncomfortable request for you." He said. 

I tipped my head to the side in curiosity. What could he need from me?

"Whatever you need." I said quickly. And I meant it. He smiled softly at my response and exhaled deeply.

"It's Anakin." He said, eyeing me carefully. I did my best to keep my face unmoving, but my heart immediately jumped hearing his name. "I need you to come to the med bay with me."