Chapter 16Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Ayumu was not anticipating this much heavy lifting. The Jedi helped with the cleanup anyways, and he had strapped down so many pieces of the ship. A barge came out for them to Force lift everything onto, and the water was finally clear. It was still toxic from the spill, but the majority of the oil had been cleaned up, and the AgriCorps members were now focused on coaxing the ruined coral back to life. A large section of the massive barrier reef had been taken out in the crash, and the rest of the coral was dying from the poisoning, and, well. It was a mess.
The water purifiers would take about a month to clean the ocean, but the crops had been saved. They managed to get the purifiers set up in time for the contaminant to not spread too far. Moxie was in their element, directing with some sort of glee in the circumstances, and laborers had come from the Un to help with the rebuilding effort of the buildings that had been destroyed. Kit and Ayumu had been basically useless the entire time, but they helped as much as they could. Ayumu was kind of tired of living in a full body wetsuit, though. He liked his smaller one, that just came to his knees and elbows, but his head tails were proof alone that the water was toxic. They were dry, cracked and damaged, and he knew they would take a while to heal. His colors were dull, too, from the exposure, but so were all of the Patul. They looked rough, to put it frankly. They looked really, really rough.
Moxie was lucky in that she could cover her whole body. The Nautolans were suffering.
Even so, Ayumu was glad to take a break after a long day of hauling the wreckage onto the barge to be taken away to be properly disposed of. He was laying on a skiff, mask off, slightly dozing in the sun when another body hauled themself up next to him. Ayumu opened one lazy eye to take in the sight of Toon, who was getting marginally less annoying the longer he was exposed to her.
"Hi, Ayumu!" she said brightly, and he hummed.
"Hi, Toon."
"What are you doing?" she asked and flopped down next to him as she peeled her mask off her face, and he hummed.
"Taking a break," he replied, and she poked at his peeling head tails.
"Wow, you look rough, " she said, and he opened his eyes to look over at her.
"You're not looking much better," he said, because her colors were dull, gray and lifeless, trying valiantly to turn green and failing.
"I know!" she said brightly. "Dad says it'll clear up in about six months or so."
"Hm," Ayumu hummed and closed his eyes.
"Where's your myrkos headdress?" she asked, and he opened his eyes again as irritation ticked up.
"Left it on Coruscant," he said, and he had to admit, he felt a little naked without his padawan chain. He hadn't seen any myrkos since the crash, and he had to admit, he was a little worried about them.
"Do you feel weird without it?" she asked, and sat up. " I feel weird without mine."
"A little bit, yeah. I attached my padawan braid to it, so it feels weird to be without it," he replied, and she crossed her legs.
"Do you want to go for a swim?" she asked, and he smiled despite himself, because this poor girl had the worst case of ADHD he had ever seen, and they didn't even know what that was in this galaxy.
"I'm relaxing, " he said, and sat up. "I've been swimming all day. "
"Well, excuse me," she huffed and crossed her arms.
"You have way too much energy. How are you not worn out?" he asked, and she rolled her eyes.
"I don't know. Why are you so lazy?"
"I'm enjoying the sun, " he corrected as he stretched out and scratched at a dry piece of skin flaking off of his exposed scalp. "You should try it."
"Fine," she said and flopped back over. Silence passed for a few moments, and then she asked in a rather small voice, "Do you think there is going to be a war?"
He knew there was going to be a war, but he wouldn't say as much.
"Nothing is set in stone. Things constantly change around us," he said, and she rolled over to look at him.
"I'm scared," she admitted, and he gave her a small smile. "I love to study war. It's interesting to me, but I never thought I would live in it."
"Glee Anselm will probably stay untouched," he said soothingly, and she frowned.
"That doesn't mean we won't be affected. Waging a war is expensive. Taxes are going to go up, tariffs, fees, traveling will be dangerous, and Representative Gloss is staunchly anti-war. I grew up with him. He's like an older brother to me. People already want him silenced."
Ayumu was silent, wishing he knew what kind of Jedi wisdom to impart to her, and then he turned his face to the sun and sighed as his eyes slid shut.
"I have visions of death," he admitted. They had gotten easier to deal with, but he still had them. The same dream, over and over, of that youngling dying at his feet while he was helpless to save her. Blaster shots in the darkness, bright blue, with the face of her murderer shielded from his vision. He hadn't dreamed since he came to Glee Anselm, but he knew it was lying in wait. "It's hard to accept death is a possibility. It's hard to cope with it, and everyone has something else to say about it."
"But, what do you have to say about it?" Toon asked, and he thought about it. What did he have to say about it? There were not enough words in basic that could encompass that feeling.
"I say… C'est la vie," he said wryly, and she tilted her head.
"What does that mean?"
"Such is life," he said with a shrug. "I'm supposed to believe we go to the Force when we die, but I don't know… I think we just go somewhere we can be happy. Death is nothing but a door to another way of existing."
"How can you be a Jedi and not believe you join the Force?" she asked, and he smiled wryly.
"Say I had an experience," he said wryly, because in his experience, you just went to go do it all over again. It was surprisingly nice to think about, now that he thought about. All those people he couldn't save living their lives, maybe without their memories, but doing something with their time. It was…
Well.
It made him feel a little bit better about his own circumstances.
"It must have been a pretty big one to make you question your faith like that," she said doubtfully, and he snorted.
"Yeah. It was a pretty big experience," he said, and sat up. "It's probably time to get back to work."
"Aw, you just got me to settle down!" she complained, and Ayumu rolled his eyes as he got his mask back on and sealed it.
"What, don't want your head tails to rot off?" he asked as he slipped into the water, and she sat up and got her own mask on.
"Hey," she said, and he tilted his head. "If the Republic goes to war, will you, too?"
"Probably," he replied, and she frowned.
"Doesn't that scare you?" she asked, and he shrugged as he braced his hands on the skiff to hold on.
"Why would I be scared of it?" He knew how he died, after all, and he didn't die in the war.
"Because you might die," she said, and she looked sad at the thought, felt concerned in the Force.
"Well…" he said, and trailed off, because he couldn't exactly explain that. "We all die, don't we?"
"Yeah, but---"
"If I'm going to die, I'd rather do it fighting for democracy and peace," he said, and she was quiet.
"But will you be fighting for peace?" she asked quietly, and he hesitated.
"That's what I choose to believe," he said, and she slipped into the water next to him.
"Or is everyone just fighting to fight?" she asked, and he hesitated.
"I don't know," he said, because he truly didn't. "I guess I'll just have to find out and decide from there."
She was quiet, and he jostled her with his shoulder.
"The war won't happen for a while yet. Don't look so down," he teased, and she frowned at him.
"But, what if you die?" she asked, and he shrugged.
"Then I die, I guess. There's worse things that can happen than that. "
"Like what?" she asked.
"Falling, I suppose," he said, and she tilted her head.
"What is Falling? Like falling in the air?"
"No," he said and pushed off the skiff. "It's when you fall to the Dark Side."
"Oooohhhh," she said. "So, like, a metaphorical death."
"Yeah, kind of," he said, and she swam around him.
"Well, you can't die," she declared, and he rolled his eyes.
"Everyone's gotta die," he said, and she dove under the water and came up alongside him.
"Well, you can't. You haven't even hunted a second myrkos," she said, and he snorted.
"I'm not concerned with killing animals," he said, and she let out an offended gasp.
"How could you say that? It's a sacred tradition!"
"Jedi aren't supposed to want to kill things," he said, and she hummed.
"I suppose it would be weird if you were all raring to go kill something," she agreed, and Ayumu paused at the feeling of something lurking in the water. Something big, and angry, and it was headed straight for them. He could feel pain, and he turned.
"Get behind me," he ordered as he reached for the lightsabers on his belt.
"Wha---" Toon was cut off with a yelp, and there was a splash in the water. When he turned, she was gone, and panic leapt in his throat before he dove down after her. She was screaming and kicking, reaching for the knife on her waist, and she pulled it out and stabbed down at the tentacle wrapped around her leg. It let her go, and the great monster with a yawning maw of rows and rows of teeth lunged after her, wrapping an uninjured tentacle around her leg. She stabbed at it again, and inky black blood spilled into the water.
"What's happening?" someone asked over the coms, and Ayumu didn't respond as he ignited his sabers and dove down after it, severing the tentacle in one strike. "Is someone being attacked?"
"Dealing with it," Ayumu said and the tentacled monster swarmed up towards them. A tentacle wrapped around Ayumu's head tails and pulled, and he gritted his teeth before he slashed through it. The tentacle went floating off into the depths, and the thing lunged for them, its mouth wide open, and he stabbed his saber directly into its yawning maw.
It seared through it, and the thing let out a screech as it died. The poisoned creature floated up towards the surface, and Ayumu turned to Toon.
"You okay?" he asked as his blue lightsabers lit up the darkness of the water, and she stared at him with wide eyes, panting, still clinging to her fishing knife.
"Yeah," she said, breathless, and he let out a shaky laugh.
"I think it was poisoned and dying," he said. "It was probably confused. It felt like it was in pain."
"... Y… yeah," she stammered, white faced and afraid. "I… Wow. You were fast."
"Are you two alright?" someone asked over the coms, and Ayumu let out a breath.
"Yeah, we're fine. We just got attacked by some tentacled thing," he said. "I killed it."
"Stay there, I'm coming to you," Armin said over the coms, and Ayumu nodded, though he couldn't see it.
"What was that about worrying about me dying?" he asked Toon, and she blinked.
"Hey, low blow," she said, as soon as what he said registered.
"What? You were absolutely about to die there," he said as the shadow of the sea monster passed over them, bobbing in the water.
"I was not! I had it handled! I was going to stab it in the eye with my knife!" she said, and he laughed.
"Sure you were," he said, and she swam around behind him.
"You have suction marks on your head tails," she said, loudly, and he reached back to feel at the aching pain there.
"Ah, it's fine," he said dismissively. "They're already screwed up."
"Kids!" Armin called over the coms, and both of them turned to the sight of him swimming towards them. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, we're fine," Ayumu said and clipped his lightsabers to his belt. "Just a little scared."
He wasn't exactly scared, but he mostly said it for Toon's benefit.
"Are you alright?" Armin asked as he laid his hands on Toon's shoulders and checked her over for injuries, and she looked down.
"I probably have bruises from the suckers on my legs, but I'm fine," she said, and he hugged her tightly as Kit swam over to them.
"Are you alright, Yu?" he asked, and Ayumu nodded.
"I dealt with it," he said, and looked up at the thing bobbing in the water above their heads. "... Probably can't eat it, though. It felt like it was in pain. Betting it was poisoned."
"I can't believe you just killed a tengu," Armin said in awe. "We don't let our kids fight them until they're eighteen."
"Well, the lightsabers helped," Ayumu said, deadpan, and Kit swam around him to check his head tails.
"It got you good. You're all red," Kit said and poked at it.
"Well, don't poke at it!" Ayumu snapped, and Kit wrapped his arm around his shoulders.
"Just glad you're okay," he said, and Ayumu glanced at him. The toxins were starting to wear on him, too. His exposed flesh was graying, flaking off and looking dull and ugly.
"Well, let's get this body cleaned up before the tides take it and something eats it and gets poisoned," Armin said and let go of Toon. "I'll have it disposed of properly."
Ayumu was kind of glad he came. He knew Toon had a long life ahead of her, but he was almost scared for a moment. Almost.
That was the one of the few benefits of knowing when everyone died, at least. You didn't fear for their lives. Only dreaded their demise.
Notes:
:D
Chapter 17Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
It was the last day, and they had celebrated with a hunt. A variety of different fish were plated up, raw and waiting for consumption, and Ayumu had spent the entire day wandering the markets with Toon as she excitedly showed him everything they had to offer. The marketplace was bright and colorful, boasting varieties of food, silks, clothes, jewelry, knick knacks and just about everything you could think you needed. She took him to the nighttime food market, too, last night, where he got to see the varieties of food on display. It was all fish, mostly, but they imported some things from off world, too. Fruits that grew underwater, carefully bred over centuries for optimal consumption, and now it was over.
He wasn't exactly sad about it, but he had enjoyed being on Glee Anselm. It was a welcome break from Coruscant, and the culture here was entirely different. People were friendly, open, while on Coruscant, they looked like they were about to shiv you at any given moment. There was a sense of community here that was more boisterous and loud than the Jedi community, and he found that he liked it.
After the war, he probably wouldn't be able to return here. He had too many friends, too many connections from before the war, and he would be hunted. He would miss it, but he would survive.
This might be the last time he got to be here, he thought wryly as he took a bite of fish. It was sad, but it was what it was. Maybe he would be able to sneak in from time to time. He didn't know how they would feel about Jedi after the war, though, because he anticipated a massive smear campaign, but it was what it was. He would survive.
That's what he did.
Survive, until he couldn't.
"Why the long face?" Toon asked, and he sighed.
"I don't have a long face."
"Yes, you do," she teased. "What, will you miss me?"
"No," he deadpanned, and she laughed.
"You're absolutely gonna miss me!" she crowed. "Dad, Ayumu's sad because he's gonna be gone!"
"Leave Ayumu alone, Toon," Armin called with that world-suffering patience he seemed to possess in spades. It had to be exhausting to raise a girl like Toon.
"Never," she promised and turned to him. "You have to com me from time to time, okay?"
"Yeah, okay," he agreed, and leaned back as he put another piece of fish into his mouth. He looked out the glass bubble that made up the banquet hall. The coral on the reef was young, freshly regrown with the Force, but it was strong. In a few years, it would look as beautiful as ever. He was kind of sad he'd never see the Spore Festival. He was sure it was a sight.
Sadness touched him like a gentle caress, and he got up and made for the door.
"Where are you going?" Toon asked, and he waved a hand.
"Just going to the bathroom," he said, and she pulled a face as she realized she couldn't tag along behind him. He made his way out into the hall and leaned against the wall, letting out a breath. The door opened, and Kit came out after him.
"Hey," Kit said, and Ayumu waved at him tiredly. "You're not actually going to the bathroom."
"No, I just… needed a break," Ayumu said, and Kit studied him.
"You're sad," he said, and Ayumu smiled quietly.
"I just wish I could come here again. That's all."
"Do you think you won't be able to come back?" Kit asked, and Ayumu looked at the glowing letters over his head.
"No, I don't think I'll be able to do that," he said quietly, and Kit pursed his lips.
"Nothing is set in stone, Yu," he said gently, and Ayumu heaved out a world-weary sigh. If only Kit knew the truth. But, he was never going to tell him.
"I know, but I just… I'm prepared," he said, and smiled at him. "I'm prepared for whatever's next to come."
"Are you prepared, or have you just accepted it?" Kit asked gently, and Ayumu smiled.
"Both," he said, and looked away. "That's what we're supposed to do, isn't it? Accept that things are out of our control, and do our best in spite of it?"
"That's not…" Kit trailed off, and then sighed. "You deserve better."
"You've said that before."
"I'm sorry the Force has done this to you, but I'm glad you don't hate it for it," Kit said seriously, and Ayumu hummed.
"Sometimes I do," he said quietly, and Kit tilted his head. "Sometimes, I really, really do, but then I remember that all things happen for a reason, and I have no choice but to trust in it."
It was more of a begrudging mutual respect, if he was being honest. His relationship with the Force wasn't as pure as other Jedi, and he didn't think it ever would be, but it was something. It was definitely something.
He didn't know.
He wished things were different, but they weren't, and here he was, in the thick of it. In a year, the war would begin, and nothing would ever be the same. Jedi would soon be a distant memory in people's memory, and that would be that. But, he was going to go down fighting. He was going to go down fighting.
"Let's go back inside, before Toon goes looking for you," Kit said, and Ayumu dropped his head before he nodded.
"Yeah. Let's do that," he said.
Soon, this was just going to just be a distant memory, but he would cherish it.
Notes:
sorry for the short chapter, i didn't want to mess with it.
Chapter 18Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Ayumu, wake up," Kit said, and Ayumu blinked open his eyes with a groan.
"Wha---?"
"We've been called before the council, get dressed," Kit said and promptly dragged Ayumu out of bed and dumped him on the floor.
"Hey," Ayumu snapped, and sat up in his mess of blankets. "Did you have to do that?"
"We've got to move, Yu," Kit said and hurriedly adjusted his robes. "Come on, let's go!"
Ayumu stumbled to his feet and made for his chest of drawers, fumbling around in them blindly before he pulled out a clean set of robes and started getting dressed. Kit rushed out the door, and Ayumu pulled on his clothes. They were being called before the council? Why? They had to have a new mission for them or something.
He was fifteen now, and he was taller, almost as tall as Kit. His head tails were longer, and had healed from the toxic ocean from nine months ago. He was getting broad in the shoulders, broad in the torso, and he knew he was probably going to be built like a truck when he was older, which was distressing. At least he wasn't going to be slim and dainty, but…
Well, he thought as he got his leather wraps around his head tails and tightened them in place. It was fine. His padawan braid tinkled against his myrkos headdress, and he tightened everything up and made sure it was spiffy. His boots in hand, he made his way to the fresher to brush his teeth and wash his face.
"We don't have time for you to wash your face and do that stuffy skincare, Yu!" Kit called from the living room, and Ayumu rolled his eyes as he started brushing his teeth. It was his one vice. He wasn't supposed to have possessions, but he received a stipend, and he was going to use it, dammit. He used to be so stringent about skincare in his previous life.
Ayumu gargled and spat and headed out into the kitchen, where Kit was hurriedly stuffing his face with grilled fish. Ayumu grabbed one and gobbled down the filet, and then Kit was bodily pushing him towards the door.
"Hurry, put your boots on," he said and Ayumu pulled them on, still refusing after all these years to leave them on in the quarters, and then the two of them were off, down the hall, without even their hooded robes for company.
"Where's the rush coming from?" Ayumu grumbled as he rolled his neck around, and Kit glanced down at him.
"We're going to be paired up with Obi-Wan and Anakin, and Obi-Wan is terminally on time and punctual, and I don't want us to be embarrassed by showing up late," he said, and Ayumu nodded. Okay, that was fair.
"Since when did we have the resources to pair up two sets of Jedi?" Ayumu muttered, because the Jedi were stretched a bit thin right now, beating down multiple fires across the galaxy, and, well.
"Since someone tried to assassinate a senator," Kit said tightly, and Ayumu's brows went up.
"Someone's trying to assassinate a senator?" he asked, and Kit nodded.
"Senator Amidala," he replied, and Ayumu whistled lowly. He knew she was a firecracker, but really? Who would do that?
The Trade Federation, probably. They still hadn't let go of the Invasion of Naboo. It incensed them to this day. He had learned all about what not to bring up in his diplomacy class. He would probably bring it up, anyways, if they annoyed him, but he still had not quite got a handle on the whole diplomacy thing.
"So, we're going with Obi-Wan and Anakin?" he asked, and he wasn't so sure about that. He wasn't around Anakin a whole lot, considering he was a junior padawan and Anakin was a senior padawan, but Anakin had a reputation. He had a quick temper, rage issues, and was generally unpleasant to be around. There were quite a few padawans that didn't even want him in the Jedi Order, but that wasn't their call. He didn't seem to be outgrowing it any time soon. In fact, he seemed to get worse with age.
Ayumu wasn't looking forward to this. He generally liked going on missions with other Jedi, but he already had a bad feeling growing in his gut. He knew the first battle was going to happen sometime this month, and he had managed to figure out that there were going to be a lot of deaths, and, well. The Trade Federation had ties to the Separatists, no matter how much they denied it.
He had a feeling this assassination attempt was connected to it.
He had a very, very bad feeling.
They reached the lift that would take them to the council chamber, and Kit stopped to fiddle at Ayumu's robes and smooth them out.
"Remember. We have to seem like we have our shit together," Kit said, and Ayumu rolled his eyes.
"Fine," he said and pushed past him. "Let's go."
He hit the button, and the lift doors opened. The two of them stepped in, and Ayumu took a deep breath in and fiddled with his leather wrap on his thickest head tail.
"Stop that," Kit muttered, and Ayumu obediently put his hand down before Kit turned to fiddle with it and fix it so it was just so. "You made it crooked."
"Sorry," Ayumu said, and the lift stopped, the doors opening to admit Obi-Wan and Anakin.
"Oh, are you two heading to the council, too?" Obi-Wan asked in surprise as he stepped inside. "Or heading somewhere else?"
"No, we're heading to the council," Kit replied, and stepped aside so they could fit in. They actually had their hooded robes. Ayumu felt a little naked without his.
"Oh, what good timing then," Obi-Wan said cheerfully. "Anakin, you remember Kit and Ayumu. They taught you how to swim!"
"Yeah, I remember," Anakin muttered, and Ayumu cringed at the memory. He had been a terrible student. "You're Kit's apprentice now?"
This question was directed to Ayumu, and he nodded.
"Junior padawan, but yeah," he replied as the lift ascended.
"You're using Jar'Kai?" Anakin asked as he glanced down at the two lightsabers on Ayumu's hips, and he nodded.
"It's useful," he replied, and Anakin hummed.
"I just started learning it. You must have started really young, then. You're, what, fourteen now?"
"Fifteen," Ayumu corrected. "Close enough."
"Fifteen," Anakin repeated. "So you taught me how to swim when you were eight?"
"That's right."
"You were little," Anakin said, and glanced at him. "You didn't seem it."
That burning Force presence was focused entirely on him, and it made Ayumu feel uncomfortable, like he was peering into his innermost thoughts and struggles and knew everything. A shiver rolled down his spine, and he swallowed.
"I get that a lot," he replied, and the lift came to a stop. The doors slid open, and the four of them exited into the antechamber. The conversation was forgotten, and for that, Ayumu was grateful. He didn't think he could take any more of the Chosen One's targeted attention like that.
The doors to the council chamber slid open, and the four of them entered it. All of the masters were assembled there, and Mace's eyes lightened at the sight of Ayumu.
"Welcome. Thank you for coming," he said and leaned forward. "Anakin, Obi-Wan, report, please."
Obi-Wan glanced at Kit and Ayumu curiously before he turned to Mace.
"I managed to trace the dart to a planet in the Outer Rim called Kamino. Cloners, my contact said. They keep to themselves, for the most part, and don't bother others, but they make armies. I also managed to confirm its existence was wiped from the Jedi Archives."
Ayumu blinked at that. Erased from the Jedi Archives? But that---
"Only another Jedi can do that," Mace said with a frown, and Ayumu nervously glanced at Kit.
"Yes, that's what I'm worried about," Obi-Wan replied.
Mace sat back in his seat and rubbed at his jaw before he looked over at Yoda, who was hunched over his cane.
"Disturbing, this is," Yoda said and tapped his cane on the ground. "Take Master Fisto, you will. To Kamino, you will go. The senator, the padawans will protect."
"Wait, I don't need a fifteen year old underfoot while I'm trying to guard Padmé," Anakin said immediately, and Mace stared at him with a flat gaze.
"Ayumu is very advanced for his age, and matches your prowess with a lightsaber. He will be fine," Mace said, and Ayumu shifted, uncomfortable with the praise.
"But, I---"
"Anakin," Obi-Wan said quietly. "May I ask why two Jedi teams are being put on this?"
"The bounty hunter is a Mandalorian, and those are Jedi killers. I would be more secure if you had backup," Mace said and rubbed at his chin. "Ayumu and Anakin should work well together, and Ayumu has done protection details before. He's comfortable in that area."
"Not safe on Coruscant, Senator Amidala is," Yoda said. "To Naboo, you will take her. Hide in the lake country, you must."
"You three will take a refugee transport to Naboo, and wait there for the all clear signal," Mace said, and Ayumu glanced at Kit. Kit looked back at him and nodded once, and Ayumu bowed.
"I will do my best to protect the senator," he said, and Mace nodded at him.
"I am sure you will do an amazing job, Ayumu," he said, and Ayumu relaxed in the praise. "Now, you four have your missions. May the Force be with you."
"May the Force be with you," the four of them said, and as one, all turned for the door.
"And remember, padawans, you're in disguises, " Mace called, and Ayumu waved over his shoulder.
"We'll blend in!" he assured him. They just had to somehow convince a senator into plain clothes. Great.
Notes:
and after 35k words we're finally getting to the plot :D wow am i long winded
Chapter 19Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"You can't wear that," Ayumu said flatly as he stared at the resplendent clothing Senator Amidala was wearing. She had a headdress on, and she thought she would blend in on a refugee transport? What the hell was she wearing?
"This is the drabbest clothing I own," she said, and he looked at Anakin helplessly, who shrugged.
"I think she looks fine," Anakin said, and Ayumu inhaled through his nose.
"That's not clothing you see on a refugee transport. That's hand embroidery, " he said, and turned to her handmaiden. "Could you please go buy her some spacer clothes from a market?"
The handmaiden glanced at Senator Amidala, who gave her a hesitant nod. Without another word, the handmaiden turned and exited through the doors, and Ayumu rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"You'll need different luggage, too. Those suitcases aren't going to work," he said and turned to the handmaiden before she could leave. "New bags, too, please!"
"Yes, Jedi," she said and dropped into a short curtsy before she fled out the door.
"Do we have time to repack?" Senator Amidala asked, and Ayumu checked the chrono on the wall.
"We leave in three hours, so I think it's fine," he said, and set his backpack down.
"For the record, I don't agree with this," Senator Amidala said, and moved to her suitcases to start unpacking them. "I don't want to hide. This vote is important. "
"It's at the request of your queen and the chancellor," Ayumu said, and she pursed her lips.
"I don't agree with it," she said sharply, and then took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. It's not your fault. I don't mean to snap."
"Well, it's a stressful situation," Ayumu said, and he felt for her, he really did. She was leading the opposition to the formation of an army, and he understood the passion of an idealist, but it wasn't realistic. The Separatists were going to turn out an army any day now, if they didn't already have one, and either the Republic would make its own army, or it would bow to the pressures. Whoever struck first would win, and the Separatists were probably already ready.
Her ideals had no place in reality. The Separatists were already to make their move.
He wanted to believe Count Dooku was a good person. He was a former Jedi, after all, but… He still remembered what President Amalis said about him. Said about both him and the Chancellor. And he was inclined to trust her judgment on the matter.
He still didn't know if she made the right choice. He wished there were better options for those in the Outer Rim. But, they often felt like they didn't have a choice. The Republic had all but abandoned them, and they had their reasons. He knew that. Being a padawan before the war had given him a different perspective than most.
Senator Amidala was angrily pulling clothing out of her suitcase, and Ayumu turned for the door. He needed to get out of this room. Anakin wasn't hiding his want, his longing in the Force, and it was nauseating to be around. He was being practically perverted in how strong his overpowering desire was, and it was giving Ayumu a headache.
"I'm going to go check security," he muttered, and left the room. If Anakin wanted to be alone with her that bad, he could just say something. Jeez.
Neither one of them scarcely noticed him leave, and he left the two longing lovebirds to it. Gods, being an empath was exhausting. He wasn't exactly obtuse in his last life, but it was nothing like this. He still remembered how Botan and Rei used to dance around each other. That had been borderline painful, and reminded him a lot of Senator Amidala and Anakin.
The desire faded, and Ayumu made for Captain Typho.
"Is everything clear?" he asked, and Captain Typho glanced at him.
"Not a peep," he said, and Ayumu nodded a few times.
"Good. I'm going to go check the other levels," he said, because if he was confident in anything, it was that Anakin would rabidly defend the senator. He made for the doors, and they slid open to admit him entrance. This apartment was entirely too opulent. It was going to give him hives.
Ayumu made for the lift, waiting for Anakin's burning Force presence to fade, and pressed the button to go to the ground floor. He would sweep each individual level and then come back up to the top, and---
The doors open as he descended to admit a familiar face. Senator Organa.
"Oh," the senator said, looking surprised as he stepped into the lift. "You must be Ayumu."
"Yes," Ayumu replied, and the senator glanced at the button for the ground floor, lit up.
"Are you going to do security checks?" he asked, and Ayumu nodded. "Good. Thank you for taking care of Senator Amidala."
"It's my pleasure," Ayumu said, even though it wasn't much of a pleasure, not at all. He should have known Anakin was hopelessly in love with the senator from the way he protested, and now he was going to be stuck on a ship with them, and then stuck on Naboo for gods knew how long. At least until Obi-Wan and Kit caught the bounty hunter and figured out who was after the senator, which may take some time.
Oh, well. At least he got to see Naboo. He had always wanted to see Naboo. He heard it was a beautiful planet, with some stunning architecture, and maybe he would get to meet some Gungans. He had a soft spot for other aquatic species. Even the amphibian ones.
But… swimming in freshwater, he thought with a shudder. He didn't mind it, per se, but it wasn't his cup of tea. It tasted wrong in his gills, and it was a little difficult to breathe, like being at high altitudes. He could do it, because Kit insisted he desensitize himself to it, but it wasn't easy. He was a saltwater fish.
"How is Padawan Skywalker doing with his mission?" Senator Organa asked, and Ayumu glanced up at him.
"He's doing fine," he replied. He wasn't, an was getting terminally attached to Senator Amidala, already, but far be it from Ayumu to point that out. Anakin was at that age when all love was overpowering and overwhelming, where he thought he would die if he didn't get it, and Ayumu anticipated some firm conversations in their future about the Jedi Code.
Ah, well. If he left the Order, he left it. It was no skin off Ayumu's back.
"And how are you doing?" Senator Organa asked. "This would be your first mission on your own, wouldn't it be?"
Oh… Right, it was, Ayumu realized, and it was a startling realization. Kit hadn't made mention of it, but it was almost natural for the two of them to part. He was only a junior padawan, but he had been entrusted with the safety of a sitting senator, and that was… a little uncomfortable, actually. He hadn't really considered it in the moment, but now that he was here…
"I will just follow my master's teachings," he replied smoothly, because that was all he really had to do. They had strict orders, and it would be relatively simple to follow them. Go to Naboo, don't leave it. Protect the senator.
"You seem relatively sure of yourself," Senator Organa said, and Ayumu shrugged.
"It's a relatively simple mission. Protect the senator. Don't go outside our mandates," he replied, and Senator Organa nodded.
"If I had that kind of confidence in my youth, I would be a lot further along in politics," he said, and Ayumu blinked.
"It's not confidence. I just know what I'm doing," he replied, and the doors slid open. "Have a good day, Senator Organa."
"You as well," Senator Organa said with a bemused glance given to him, and Ayumu stepped out into the lobby and immediately headed to the security at the door to check in.
Gods, this was going to be a long trip.
"Be safe," Kit said, and laid his hands on his shoulders, and Ayumu looked up at him.
"This is my first mission without you," he said, and Kit squeezed his shoulders.
"And you will do fine, " he said. "You have a good, responsible head on your shoulders. You're incredibly advanced for your age, and you always make the right decision."
"Except when it comes to diplomacy," Ayumu said, and Kit winced.
"Yeah. Except when it comes to diplomacy," he agreed, and Ayumu shot him a sly grin.
"I'll try not to get shot by the queen with my sharp mouth," he said, and Kit inhaled.
"You will behave, " he said threateningly, and Ayumu snorted.
"You don't have to worry about me," he said and glanced over at Anakin and Senator Amidala, bidding goodbye to Obi-Wan and Captain Typho and her handmaid. "I'll be fine."
If he didn't space himself over how painfully obvious Anakin was about how head over heels he was for her. He might actually do that.
"Are you worried about them?" Kit asked quietly, and Ayumu pursed his lips. The force of Anakin's feelings… It could just be because his Force presence was larger, larger than life, but…
"The size of his feelings for her concerns me," Ayumu said, and Kit looked over at them.
"You always were more perceptive than most Jedi when it comes to empathetic abilities," he said slowly. "Do you think it'll be a problem?"
"I'm more than enough equipped to handle a teenager with a crush," Ayumu said wryly, and Kit squeezed his shoulders and nodded.
"Okay. Okay," he said, and stepped back. "Obi-Wan and I will be going as soon as you three leave. Do you have your robes and everything?"
"I have everything," Ayumu confirmed, and then glanced up at Kit. "Are you sure I'm ready for this?"
"Yes," Kit said, with all the confidence in the world. "I am. You'll do great."
Ayumu had a feeling this particular trip was going to come with some decided twists he wasn't anticipating, but he didn't say as much. He knew in his gut that the war was going to start over this, but he didn't know how. He saw it, when he looked at her. Senator Amidala would be a central figure in this war, and he didn't know how to cope with that one. He was sure this was going to go badly.
"You think this is going to go sideways," Kit said, and Ayumu let out a breath.
"Yes, I do," he confirmed and then he shot Kit a smile. "But, I'll survive. I always survive."
Until he didn't, but he knew he was going to survive at least this. So, there was no fear speaking casual cruelties in his ear. Even if it went wrong, he wouldn't die, and neither would his charge. Or Anakin, he guessed. Anakin had some decades left. Ayumu was starting to massively dislike him, though, even though he wasn't sure why. There was just something about him. Maybe it was the way he refused to reign in his Force presence and shield it from other Force sensitives. Being around him gave Ayumu a headache, and his emotions were all over the damn place, all the time. He could learn a little control.
But, Ayumu wasn't about to go into his first solo mission complaining.
Kit suddenly dragged him close, and Ayumu was overwhelmed with a sense of fondness from him as he grasped Ayumu tight.
"Come back to me safe," Kit said quietly, and Ayumu nodded.
"I will," he promised.
"And don't get into too much trouble," Kit added, and Ayumu nodded again.
"I won't," he promised, and Kit released him as Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Senator Amidala made their way over to them.
"Are we ready?" Senator Organa asked, and Ayumu nodded.
"We're ready," he said and stepped back from Kit. "May the Force be with you, Master."
"May it also be with you," Kit said, and Ayumu stared up at him.
They still had a few years left, and Ayumu was going to cherish them.
Anakin and Senator Amidala were practically folded over the small table, and Ayumu had been left to sit behind them, and this was… painful.
"But isn't it hard?" Senator Amidala asked, and Ayumu took a sip of his soup. "No love, no attachments, no possessions… Not being able to go where you like, do what you like?"
"I mean, yes, attachment is forbidden," Anakin replied, and Ayumu hated the undertone in his voice. "But, Jedi are taught compassion, which is nothing but unconditional love, so you could say we're encouraged to love."
Ayumu's leg was bouncing, and he was biting back the urge to turn around and correct Anakin. Attachments were about possession, not love. Yes, they were encouraged to love, but they were encouraged to do it selflessly, but…
Actually, Ayumu was going to mind his own damn business, he thought as R2D2 rolled up with a new bowl and a slice of bread.
"Thank you, Artoo," Senator Amidala said and took the bowl and bread.
If Anakin wanted to be wrong about the Code, he could just be wrong. No wonder he wasn't a knight yet. Sheesh.
"But what about traveling?" Senator Amidala asked. "Traveling the galaxy… You said to me once that you were going to be a pilot. Didn't you want to see all of them?"
"I see a fair bit," Anakin replied. "Jedi do travel around a lot. Granted, they're for missions, not sightseeing, but…"
Plenty of Jedi completely let go of the temple to wander the stars. There was Eno Cordova, an archaeologist obsessed with extinct Force sensitive cultures. And there was that rumor about that woman, the Dark Woman. Jon Antilles, who was legendary in the creche for dying and coming back every time. But, Ayumu kept his mouth shut as he crammed soup into his mouth.
"What happens if you fall in love, though?" Senator Amidala asked, and Ayumu didn't like her tone or how she felt in the Force, either.
"Then, I suffer," Anakin said, and his tone was absolutely nauseating. "Gladly. Every day."
"It doesn't seem a very happy way to live."
"I would gladly suffer for love," Anakin said, and Ayumu buried his face in his hands, unable to take it anymore. Could Anakin even sense how uncomfortable he was, or was he just obtuse? That boy had no regard for the feelings of the others, which was a terrible trait in an empath. Ayumu could sense how he was reveling in Senator Amidala's conflicted emotions, her own longing and want, and he just…
Ayumu stood up and picked up his soup bowl. It was packed on the refugee transport, but he made his way back to another group of strangers, plopping down beside them and huddling over his soup. They all gave him looks of alarm, and he glanced at them.
"I'm a third wheel over there," he said bluntly. "Mind if I sit?"
As one, all of their heads swiveled around to take in the sight of Anakin and Senator Amidala huddled over a table, and then the big Besalisk patted him on the back.
"You're fine to sit with us, kid," he said, and Ayumu nodded shortly before he jammed more soup into his mouth.
"Thank you," he said primly, and he dearly hoped the rest of this trip wouldn't be like this. At least he got Senator Amidala out of that stupid gown and headdress. She was now in a spacer's jumpsuit, with her hair pulled back in two simple braids, and in his opinion, she looked a lot better that way. The only problem was that Anakin seemed to agree with him. She was his whole world right now, and Ayumu was a very, very tired homosexual.
Force, he couldn't wait for this mission to end.
Notes:
man i really do love my exposition don't i. can't wait to get to the MESS.
Chapter 20Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Kamino was a rainy planet, and Kit would have loved it had the planet not been shrouded in a shadow of Darkness. It was thick on the planet, misery and death in spades, and he popped open his cockpit and climbed into the thunderstorm. Hoods were useless with his head tails, so he greeted the rain like an old friend as Obi-Wan climbed out of his own Delta-7 and flicked up his hood. The other Jedi was already soaked to the bone, but Kit didn't mind getting a little wet. He rather enjoyed it.
"Let's go inside," Obi-Wan said, and turned for the door. They hadn't really gotten a chance to talk since they went into hyperspace, and Kit had to wonder how he felt feeling Anakin off his leash for once. Obi-Wan always kept his volatile apprentice close to himself, so this was something new. He had to be nervous at how it would turn out.
"How are you doing with Anakin on his first assignment?" Kit asked as they approached the double doors. Obi-Wan glanced at him, and then looked straight forward.
"Not as nervous as you, probably. Isn't Ayumu a bit young for it?" he asked, and a deflection. So, he was incredibly nervous.
"I have complete faith in Ayumu," Kit replied, because he did. Ayumu had always been calm, level headed and while Kit initially thought he had a temper, he did an admirable job at keeping his short fuse in check. He had little patience for nonsense, but he had done a very good job at removing himself from situations that might make him blow. He was well aware of his limits, and Kit trusted that far more than foolhardy padawans that thought they had none.
"Well, I have complete faith in Anakin," Obi-Wan lied. "All he has to do is keep one senator alive, after all."
He had been ignoring the obvious sparks flying between Anakin and Senator Amidala, but Kit didn't say as much.
The doors slid open, and both of them startled at the tall, tall aquatic inclined woman standing there.
"Master Jedi," she said slowly, "we've been waiting for you for a long time. We were beginning to think you weren't coming."
… What?
Kit had never been so horrified in his life. An army of slaves, bred and primed for destruction, to march to their deaths for a Republic that wasn't going to care about them. He felt like he was going to be sick, and all he could think about as he stared at the rows of children learning on the consoles was what would Ayumu see here?
He had never seen Ayumu cry, but he thought this might do it. Kit felt like he was going to be sick as Taun We explained how they had been genetically engineered to be more docile, more receptive to commands, more patient than the original host.
"And who is this host?" Obi-Wan asked, and Kit tore his attention back to the conversation at hand. Obi-Wan was admirable at acting like nothing was wrong. Kit was not nearly as good as him at it.
"A bounty hunter called Jango Fett," she replied, and Kit looked away to cover how his eyes lit up.
"And what do you do with this Jango Fett?" Obi-Wan asked, and she inclined her head.
"Oh, we keep him here," she replied, and Obi-Wan nodded. "He comes and goes as he pleases, but he is paid handsomely for his work for us. Curious, though, the only terms of his agreement was his pay, which is considerable, and an unaltered clone for himself."
"An unaltered clone?" Obi-Wan echoed, and she inclined her head.
"Yes. No genetic manipulation or growth acceleration. Just the blank template he could raise as a son," she replied. "Curious, no?"
"Hm. Very curious," Obi-Wan agreed, and Kit felt eyes on him from afar. When he looked over, a clone was staring at him, openly and directly, and he managed a wave even though he felt like he was going to throw up. The clone looked away, and Kit took a moment to memorize his presence in the Force. He was calm, but also not, like a summer storm. He stood out amongst his peers, and Kit had to wonder who he was. "I'd very much like to meet this bounty hunter."
"I am sure we can arrange something," Taun We said, and Obi-Wan bowed to her.
"It would be greatly appreciated," he said, and Kit made a mental note to never force Obi-Wan to lie to him, because he would never recognize the difference.
"Jango's quarters are this way," she said and led them off down the hall with her slow, loping movements. Kit, personally, wanted to investigate the source of all the death he felt here. It was overwhelming, cloyingly sweet and pressing on all of his senses. It was like a massacre had happened, worse than the worst of the nexuses he had been in, and all he could think was it had been happening for a long, long time.
"If you don't mind, I'd rather spend my time speaking to some of the clones," he said, surprising himself at how he spoke up, and she inclined her head.
"Of course," she replied. "The hall to reach them is this way."
She inclined her head, and Kit took off, content to leave the mission in Obi-Wan's hands. He could still feel that presence in the Force, and he knew immediately that that clone was the one to talk to.
The doors slid open for him, and he walked quickly to the lift to carry him down to the clones, his mind in a whirl. Why had Sifo-Dyas do something so horrendous? What had possessed him to commit this deeply, deeply evil act? There were millions of them, all born to suffer, and Kit couldn't understand it. This was slavery. Born and bred for war, nothing but bantha fodder for someone else's war, and he felt like he was going to be sick.
He had to gather himself, and so he did, in the elevator as it descended. It dinged open, and he made his way out into the throngs of eating clones, headed straight for the one that had been staring at him. He was focused on his food now, not paying attention to his surroundings, and Kit walked right up to him.
"I'm Jedi Master Kit Fisto," he introduced himself right off the bat, and the clone blinked at him.
"... Good to meet you, sir," he said, and Kit tilted his head.
"Do you mind showing me around?" he asked. "Sorry to interrupt your meal."
"Not at all, sir," the clone said and rose.
"What's your name?" Kit asked, and the man inclined his head.
"CC-5433, sir," he replied, and Kit frowned.
"Do you have a name other than that?" he asked, and the man hesitated.
"Monnk, sir," he replied, and Kit stuck out a hand.
"Well, it's good to meet you, Monnk," he said, and took in the presence of all of them now that he was mingling around them.
They were all unique in the Force, a million and more presences in the Force, and it was like being caught in the midst of a storm. Brilliant, brilliant lives, and Kit could not imagine how many would be snuffed out in the coming war, because now that the Republic had an army, there would be a war. There was no doubt about it.
And Kit would be there with the rest of them.
He was under no illusions that the Jedi would be drafted into service, as they did before Ruusan. It was inevitable. They would be sent to war, and maybe for the first time in all the years he'd known Ayumu, he wondered what he saw over Kit's head. Was he going to die in this war? He didn't fear death, not really, but he did fear dying for a cause he didn't believe in, because he was under no illusions. The Republic was corrupt to its very core, and there was no other way around it. He fought for the idea of it, the democracy that breathed life into the galaxy, but he wasn't sure if he fought for the Republic specifically.
Even so, he had sworn his oaths.
Monnk shook his hand, and Kit smiled at him.
"Show me around?" he prompted, and Monnk nodded.
"Yessir," he said and turned. "This way."
Gods, Kit wished Sifo-Dyas had done literally anything else. What was that man thinking?
Obi-Wan's thoughts were straying to Anakin. He knew his padawan struggled with attachment, didn't listen to him, regularly did things the opposite way. He had a strange obsession with the concept of 'power' that concerned Obi-Wan, and he didn't get along well with others. Ayumu was fairly solid, with a good head on his shoulders, and Obi-Wan had read his mission reports. If he had attitude issues, or anything like bullheaded teenage stubbornness, Kit never mentioned it in his reports.
He was worried. Anakin had always been somewhat obsessed with Padmé, put her up in a pedestal in his head, and that obsession had not faded over the years. This was his first mission on his own, and Obi-Wan wanted to trust him, but he was… worried. He was very worried.
Ayumu would keep him out of trouble, he hoped. Ayumu was a good influence, calm, rational, and had grown into quite a young man, though he was still a bit prickly. He thought he could trust him, but he was also only fifteen. Anakin would be in charge of the mission as a senior padawan, and Obi-Wan was concerned he might use his position of authority to disregard Ayumu when he told him to slow down.
Well, they were only staying on Naboo. So long as there hadn't been any other bounty hunters hired to assassinate the senator, everything would be fine.
Even so, Obi-Wan was concerned at Padmé and Anakin's close proximity to each other. He was very concerned about it, and hoped nothing went wrong.
"This is Jango's apartment," Taun We said, and gestured to the door.
"Thank you," Obi-Wan said as he was ripped from his musings. This place made his skin prickle. There was death here, clinical, sterile, and it made him uncomfortable. Kit had probably gone to investigate the source of the death, but Obi-Wan wasn't sure if he should be poking around. Oh, well. It was what it was.
Taun We ran the doorbell, and the door promptly slid open to greet a young boy, no older than ten, with curly hair, dressed in a blue tunic and pants.
"Hi, Taun We," the boy said, and Taun We inclined her head.
"Boba," she said. "Is your father here? I have a visitor for him."
"Yeah," he replied, and turned to walk inside as he gave Obi-Wan a wary once-over. He didn't seem pleased Obi-Wan was here, but Obi-Wan assumed the child of a bounty hunter and assassin would never be happy about a Jedi's presence. He was all hostility in the Force, and Obi-Wan was quietly amused by it.
Taun We stepped inside, and Obi-Wan followed her. Boba walked into the dining area, and Obi-Wan turned at the approaching Force presence. A man walked out, folding up his sleeves, and Obi-Wan tilted his head.
"Jango Fett?" he asked, and the man inclined his head.
"That's me," he replied, and Obi-Wan took in his Force presence. It was hard, jaded, angry and sour, and he didn't like the feel of it. There was a craven, greedy nature to him, and this was why Obi-Wan didn't like to be around many bounty hunters.
"It's nice to meet you. I am Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi," he said and bowed. "You have made a very fine army, you must be very proud."
Obi-Wan, personally, was highly disgusted with it, but he wouldn't say as much.
"They'll do their jobs well," Jango said and made direct eye contact with Obi-Wan. There was something meaningful in his gaze, and Obi-Wan frowned lightly.
"Yes, of course," he agreed, and then tilted his head. "Taun We mentioned you just returned. Did you go on a trip?"
"Yes," he replied, and Obi-Wan made direct eye contact.
"Ever made it as far as Coruscant?" he asked, and Jango paused.
"I can't say I have," he replied, and Obi-Wan hummed. That was a lie. He could feel it in his Force presence.
"Hey, Boba, shut the door," Jango said in Mando'a, and Obi-Wan directly did not look at what he was hiding. Boba moved to shut the door, and Obi-Wan cleared his throat.
"Well, thank you for your time," Obi-Wan said, and bowed. "I look forward to seeing your clones in action."
"Like I said, they'll do their job well," Jango said, and Obi-Wan noted the anger in the man, tightly wound and compressed. He was furious at the sight of Obi-Wan, and Obi-Wan didn't trust this, not at all. The Kaminoans were blank slates, without a single shred of emotion to be found, and Obi-Wan found their Force presences to be disturbing at best, but this… This was more concerning.
This was a lot more concerning.
Notes:
i wonder what Kit will find :D