Actions

Work Header

Rating:
Archive Warning:
Category:
Fandoms:
Relationships:
Characters:
Additional Tags:
Language:
English
Collections:
Trio Time, Time Travel, Vader and His Twins, manga’s Favorites, Skyguy & Snips, In the Blood and the Force, Grieflord's Star Wars Compendium
Stats:
Published:
2020-12-09
Completed:
2021-10-18
Words:
106,833
Chapters:
50/50
Comments:
847
Kudos:
1,008
Bookmarks:
216
Hits:
42,811

Consequences

Summary:

Every decision has long reaching consequences. When Ahsoka Tano is taken to the future, she joins Luke Skywalker as he attempts to rescue his friends from Darth Vader. The truth is as devastating to her as it is to him. Away from the Order and the friends she'd known, Ahsoka realizes that she may not like the Council, but she'll always be a Jedi at heart.

Chapter 1: Prologue

Notes:

This was written and planned mostly by my sisters, but I did offer my advice, write the prologue, and edit. :P

~ Amina Gila

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Every action has consequences, only some of which can be understood at the time. And in certain cases, the consequences might be galactic in proportion. Every action causes a ripple, some stronger than others. And sometimes, ripples collide, creating disaster and wreaking havoc on all and sundry.

This is a universal truth. One to which the Jedi are particularly attuned. It is for this reason that they often spend time meditating to discover which action they should take, which will cause the least mayhem. Reducing biasing emotions is key, but sometimes, it's not always possible.

I stand in the center of the Jedi Council room, facing all the masters, a multitude of conflicting emotions surging through me. I don't know what I want. I don't even know how I feel right now. Even if the Order wants me to return, I don't think I could do that. Not right now. Probably not ever. If the Jedi Council didn't even trust me enough to think I was innocent, how can I be expected to trust myself?

My master, Anakin Skywalker, takes a step closer to me, his blue eyes piercing into me. I sense his sincere regret when he speaks, "Ahsoka, I am so sorry about everything." He's silently begging me to believe him, and I do. I know he never wanted any of this to happen. Unlike the Council, Anakin was convinced of my innocence.

"You have our most humble apologies, little 'Soka," Master Plo tells me softly, "The Council was wrong to accuse you." I silently take a breath to steady myself. Master Plo was the one who brought me to the Temple as a child. He was the closest father figure I ever had. He still thought I was guilty, didn't he? They all did. Everyone except my master and Obi-Wan.

"You have shown such great strength and resilience in your struggle to prove your innocence," comments Master Tiin.

"This is the true sign of a Jedi Knight," agrees Master Mundi, nodding slightly. A feeling of bitterness threatens to overcome me, but I push it back. Now they say I was brave, that I acted like a Jedi Knight. I watch them, disbelief slowly rising. Do they think that if they apologize it will make everything right?

They don't realize how hard it is to live with the knowledge that everyone I considered my family were willing to throw me out of the Order and abandon me, instead of helping me like they should have. In this moment, I'm suddenly grateful that Anakin was my master. No other master would have done for me what he did.

"This was actually your great trial. Now we see that," explains Master Windu, trying to seem less cold and aloof than usual. "We understand that the Force works in mysterious ways, and because of this trial, you have become a greater Jedi than you have otherwise." Oh. So, this is the Force's fault now? And here I thought that nothing else could have possibly turned against me.

I look between them, knowing it is not yet the time to speak. They aren't done talking yet. I reach out to touch the Force gently. I've always been taught to trust in the Force. It was the Force that guided me when I tried to prove my innocence. I know it didn't betray me. The Jedi Order did. And that is why I can't rejoin them. If they could do this to me, they could do this to anyone. I do trust the Force. It's myself that I can't trust anymore.

"Back into the Order you may come," Master Yoda informs me.

"They're asking you back, Ahsoka," Anakin walks towards me, stopping directly in front of me, "I'm asking you back." He extends his right hand. In it is my string of Padawan beads. I look up into his hopeful face. He wants me back. I know he does, but I can't… I can't go back. It's not that easy.

I look down at the beads again. Accepting would be so easy. I just need to reach out and take them, but something is stopping me. I move my hand slightly towards them and look up into Anakin's eyes. He's silently encouraging me to do it. This will be hard, much harder than I'd initially thought. He's stood by me this entire time and now, I'm going to be hurting him badly.

"I –" I begin, knowing what I must do. My emotions swirl tumultuously. I swallow, as I reach towards his hand to close it. It kills me to do this, but I don't have any other choice. I'm almost ready to agree, if only to spare him the pain. Why does this have to be so hard? How can I do this to him?

I'm so focused on what I feel I must do that I scarcely feel the surge in the Force. It tugs at me, almost desperately, as though it's trying to tell me something. But what? I pause. Everything around me is spinning. What's… happening? Distantly, I hear Anakin cry my name in alarm, but I can't respond. I feel like I'm a million miles away. Soon, the whole world turns black.

Notes:

If you liked this, maybe consider reviewing and leaving kudos...? :)