Four days later
2.4K words
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3rd Person POV
Trailing through the thick forest of Kashyyyk, leaves crunching underneath each of his steps, and birds flying away from the disturbing noise - Master Yoda held a sleeping Grogu in his arms while he made his way to the man he's been looking for.

When (y/n) had her shift towards the light - it didn't go unnoticed. He felt it the moment it happened, he felt the strong presence of the woman he once called his daughter.

Although he could no longer feel it, the hope it brought to his heart had remained because now he knew that getting her back was truly possible. But he couldn't rush away to find her, not with the child in his care - he needed to find someone suitable enough to care for him.

Luckily he saw someone, in a vision not too long ago when he was meditating, someone the force wanted him to see - where Grogu truly belonged.

Yoda approached the beaten up ship that looked like it had taken one too many hard hits throughout the years. He then used the force to lower the ramp - already feeling the life force of who he was looking for inside.

A man in armor came into view, his blaster aimed right at the bizarre looking creature in front of him, "And what the hell are you supposed to be?" The man asked as he heavily stepped down his ramp, his beskar shining in the sunlight of Kashyyyk.

"Unnecessary that is," Yoda waved his free hand and the blaster flew out of the mans grip, making his eyes widened in surprise behind his helmet.

There's only a certain type of group capable of such an ability. That's when this man came to realize that standing in front of him now - was a Jedi. He was shocked to have encountered one, especially after hearing that they had all been extinguished. He had heard rumors of survivors, but that's all he thought they were, rumors, until this very moment.

"Here for violence I am not, but for peace." Yoda nodded slowly, hoping the man saw believed his words, "Din Djarin."

Din took a step back, "How do you know my name?"

Yoda chuckled, "Know many things I do," He stepped towards the mandalorian, who finally took notice to the baby wrapped in Yoda's arms.

"Is that your child?" The mandalorian questioned curiously as his helmeted eyes gazed at the baby, considering it to be adorable in comparison to the ghastly creature in-front of him.

Yoda narrowed his eyes, "Read your mind I can." He huffed, causing Din to smirk underneath his helmet - he knew he could hear, "And no," Yoda sighed, his mind roaming to an image of a four year old (y/n) chasing butterflies as she giggled adorably, "My child, he is not." His ears dropped as he suppressed his own tears.

"Well," Din folded his arms - not taking Yoda as a threat anymore. He knew a Jedi once, someone good, someone too sweet for the fate given to them. So despite what the galaxy thinks of the Jedi now, he knew they weren't bad - he knew it was the empire's manipulation, "What is it you came here for?"

Yoda held Grogu up, causing the baby to waken and eye the mandalorian with curiosity, "Care for him, you must. On a quest I must go."

Din chuckled with a head shake, "I'm not a baby sitting service, I'm a bounty hunter. I can't take a child with me - he won't be safe."

"Safer with you than anyone else," Yoda countered confidently. In his visions, he saw this mandalorian caring for Grogu as his own, just as he himself cared for (y/n) as his own.

Again, Din shook his head as he walked over and picked up his blaster from the floor, "My answer is no. I'm sorry you came all this way, but I'm not having this kid follow me around." He turned towards his ship to walk up the ramp to finish his repairs.

Yoda sighed, "Felucia."

Din froze, before slowly turning around to look back at him, "What?"

"Aayla Secura, her fate - on Felucia it was." He informed him.

Aayla is the Jedi Din once knew, she saved his life many years ago from an angry Rancor that nearly took his head. He was a new bounty hunter at the time; not even close to being as skilled as he is now. He owed her his life, a debt he never got to repay despite the countless missions they helped each other on.

"How do you know I knew her?" Din asked curiously.

"Her face in your mind, I can see. Good Jedi she was, good friend she was." Yoda nodded as his way of paying his respects, he lost so many, and missed so many - Aayla being one of them, "Her favorite, Grogu was." He informed him, knowing that that truthful information is what will likely seal the deal.

Din was silent for a moment as he thought it over - the image of Ayala in his mind. Then he sighed through his helmet as he walked closer to Yoda and the child, "Grogu is it's name?" He asked as he bent down and held his finger out to the kid. He may not have been able to pay Aayla back for his life, but maybe he can do it this way - something told him that Aayla would gladly accept the terms.

Grogu instantly reached forward and grasped the mandalorian's finger with a few babbles, making Din involuntarily smile behind his helmet, "Yes," Yoda responded, "Grogu."

"How long?" He questioned, "And what exactly is this quest of yours that's so important - you would leave a child with a stranger?"

Yoda thought about what to say for a moment, not wanting to accidentally admit that Lilith herself was his daughter, "To find my child, I must. Lost for a long time, she has been." He held the baby towards the mandalorian, who finally accepted him - cradling him in his arms, "Unknown how long I will be. But try my best to return, I will."

The mandalorian nodded before standing up as the child giggled and attempted to remove his helmet with the force, "No," He scolded the baby and used his free hand to push his helmet back down. Then he addressed Yoda, "I'll care for him until then, and I have a feeling that I don't need to tell you where to find me afterwards - right?"

"Find you through him I will." Yoda smiled, knowing that when and if the time comes - this mandalorian won't want to give Grogu back.

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Anakin sat quietly in the field just outside of the hut that him, Ti, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, Cal, and the bad batch we're currently resided in. He gazed up at the stars with a painfully heavy ache in his chest.

She had said one day, and it's been four..

He came to the conclusion that his Princess was gone. He couldn't feel her anymore; even when she was just Lilith, he still always felt a small part of her in the galaxy. He's even tried to reach out to her, only to be greeted nothing but the feeling of emptiness. There was nothing, not even a speck of the presence of the woman he loves.

Which utterly devastated him.

He dropped his gaze down to the dirt covered floor, tears prickling in his eyes, "I'm so sorry I called you selfish. I was just angry and so scared. But I understand why you did it, I understand you wanted to protect us, to protect me." He sniffled as he spoke, hoping that if her spirit was around, she could hear him, "But I really wish you let me stay with you, then at least if we died together; I wouldn't have to suffer in a galaxy that you're not in." He looked back up at the stars, his eyes catching a glimpse of the one that stood out - the one that shined the brightest, "I love you so much Princess, always and forever."

From behind him, Anakin heard beeping, as well as wheels running along the dirt. Coming up next to him was his best friend, the droid that (y/n) had created and gifted to him. Which only made him love Artoo even more - (y/n) placed her love in him, as well as gave him a bit of her own personality.

"I'm okay buddy," Anakin lied as he gently laid his hand on top of Artoo's metal exterior, he was far from okay - but he was trying to be strong, "I just need some time-"

Anakin froze when Artoo pulled up a holographic image - one of (y/n). He remembered this day, it was the day she gave Artoo to him, "He has everything you could possibly need, he's extremely intelligent, he can fly, he can hack, he can sass, I pretty much added in anything you can think of." She spoke with excitement as her figure knelt down and she placed a hand near his camera, "I made him myself instead of buying you one because I wanted to make sure he was perfect for you. This little guy is going to have your back since I'm not out there to have it for you." She smiled as she looked off screen, to Anakin. Her holographic eyes locked with his - making his chest tighten painfully as he pretended that it was really her looking at him. No mask, no hint of evil in her eyes, and no scar, just her normal self. The girl he missed more than words could describe, "Think of him like a little piece of me that is always with you, keeping you safe."

Anakin blinked; causing his tears to roll down freely, "Why are you showing me this?" He asked as he choked back a sobbed.

Artoo beeped an apology for making him cry, but informed him that it's to remind him that even though they no longer had her - they will always have each other. And that he will always happily be a metal shoulder to cry on.

Anakin finally smiled for the first time in days as he wiped in her his, "You know, for a droid, you truly have a way with words."

Artoo beeped again, informing him that (y/n) programmed him that way. So he can always have an encouraging thing to say in her place.

Anakin nodded, feeling depressed, and missing her desperately, "Do you have any other recordings of her?" He asked with hope, he just wanted to sit outside alone and reminisce on the happiest times of his life.

Artoo spun in a circle with a 'yes I record everything.'

Anakin cocked a suspicious brow, "What do you mean by everything?"

Artoo immediately stiffened then began to roll away from his master with a 'nothing nevermind.'

Anakin's eyes widened as he jumped up to follow his best friend, "Artoo you sneaky droid, get back here!"

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Screams of agonizing pain echoed through the halls of Palpatines base on Byss. He brought Lilith here shortly after the 'incident' in case Anakin or anyone else attempted to infiltrate the Death Star in search of her. He didn't want his conditioning to be interrupted.

(TW: Torture - force lightning)
Lilith screamed again as the lightning struck her, causing each and every one of her nerves to ignite like they were lit on fire, "Please stop!" She begged in a cry, he's been torturing her for days - hardly giving her a rest. Her deep amber eyes held dark purple bags underneath, her body felt weak, and her skin was becoming a sickly pale, "It hurts so much." She whimpered when his lightning ceased, but she already knew that this relief was only for a moment - she knew he wasn't done with her.
(TW ends)

"Pain my dear, makes you stronger." He lectured as he walked around her - she was currently on her knees, panting, "And strength is what you need if you are to fulfill your orders, you do know what your orders are correct?" He asked, raising his hand in a threatening manner.

She nodded weakly, hardly feeling like herself anymore - merely just a soldier with orders; much like a clone, "Kill the Jedi."

It's those three words that have been embedded into her brain over and over again during the course of those four days. It's the only words that are now being repeatedly whispered to her by the voices in her mind. The same voices that Palpatine has taunting her, just as he had them do previously during the temple era. Her weak mind now belonged to him, she fully belonged to him.

Palpatine was deeply aware of the lingering humanity that stuck with Lilith thanks to her attachment to Cal - her memories of her previous happy life with her former family - and her deep love for Anakin.

But now, she doesn't have a single memory of a happy life, nor does she remember any love - she only knows pain, suffering, hatred.

He was using this time with her, and this torture to rip away and humanity she has left. Then, he plans to release her to the galaxy to finish what she was meant to do. No longer having any worry that she would easily become corrupted - she will be exactly what he always wanted her to be since he took her as a child; a soulless shell with only three words etched into her brain.

Kill the Jedi.

"Good, and do you know what happens if you fail me again Lilith?" He asked her threateningly, "If you don't kill the last of the Jedi?"

Her tired, yet menacing eyes met his, "You'll kill me."

Palpatine smiled, "No my dear, I'll just make you wish you were dead."

(TW: Torture - force lightning)
And with that, he shot his lightning through his fingertips - her screams of agony filled the halls once more. Using this torture to evaporate any humanity left inside of her soul.

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Hope you enjoyed it!!♥️
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