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Craving, not having, is the mother of a reckless giving of oneself.

—Eric Hoffer—

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The Father held up a gnarled finger. "One test."

"A test...?" the young man before him raised a skeptic brow.

"Yes," Father nodded. "Do this or you shall wander aimlessly upon Mortis until you agree," he threatened lightly. The planet was not the safest place for mortal beings to inhabit. Throughout the course of a single day the seasons change from rebirth in the morning to destruction at night.

"Fine, old man," he relented reluctantly. "What do you want from me?"

Father lifted his eyes to the horizon. "I need you to balance the Force."

His children in their beast forms flew down into the stadium. Each of them holding one of the two companions of the supposed 'Chosen One' just as he had instructed.

"A-Anakin!" the male yelped. He was currently being restrained by the claws of a white hippogriff.

"Master!" his student cried out, struggling in vain to free herself from the talons of the vampire bat holding her.

"Ahsoka, Obi-Wan!" Anakin whirled around angrily to the Father. "What is the meaning of this!?"

"I have ordered each of my children to kidnap your companions."

"Let them go!" he raged.

"Only you can do that..." the Father stood back. "Let the test commence!"

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan cried out. "This planet is the Force, use it!"

Anakin did just that as he gathered the energy to himself. Heaven and Earth spun in and out of control as he wielded the Force with such mastery and precision. The children of the Father fought with all their might against Anakin, but in the end, his will was stronger. "ON YOUR KNEES!" he bellowed. Morphing back to their humanoid forms, his children dropped to the ground before him in perfect submission.

Father smiled in relief. This man was indeed the one, the Chosen One created by the Force itself. "Well done, Anakin Skywalker," Father applauded him. "Well done!"

The man didn't bask in his praise but instead demanded, "I did your test old man, and now you must set us free!"

"Do I really need to?" the old man replies vaguely.

Anakin narrowed his eyes. "Yes you do! That was our deal!"

"Hmm..." the Father stroked his beard. "I recall saying no such thing... what I said is that you shall wander Mortis until you agreed. I did not say I would release you."

"You forked tongue son of a Balaski!" Anakin swore at him.

The Father ignored the insult as he strolled forward. "Your training will begin now."

"Training?" the man asked, incredulous. "You must be senile if you think I am becoming your student!"

"There is no other option!" the Father stated firmly. "The balance must always be maintained, a task carried on beyond my death. Either you stay or give us an heir to take your place," Father motioned a hand to Ahsoka. "Your female companion is more than capable of bearing us what we need."

The young togruta blinked, she glanced over her shoulder to make sure a woman wasn't standing behind her. "M-Me?!" she shrilled. "I... b-but that's not appropriate! H-He's my Master!"

Anakin swelled with rage like a firework ready to burst. "That's going too far! The answer is NO!"

The Father raised an eyebrow. "Then you will stay?" he inquired.

The man internally raged like an animal beating against the bars of a cage. Several moments past, but then like a flame extinguished, his shoulders slumped in defeat. "Fine..." Anakin agreed wearily. "...if you let Ahsoka and Obi-Wan go then, yes, I will stay here."

Master Kenobi cried out, "Anakin! You can't-"

"You heard him, Obi-Wan," Anakin interrupted. "There is no other way out of here. Just promise me you'll take care of Ahsoka, alright? I want her to be your Padawan if I cannot teach her anymore."

"And Ahsoka..." Anakin turned towards her, his eyes bearing into hers. "Don't follow my mistake, actually try and listen to Obi-Wan. I'll admit he's a bit long winded-" Obi-Wan huffed in the background. "-but eventually he gets to the point," he managed to crack a smile.

Ahsoka felt her chest tighten. "No, Master..." she shook her head with pleading eyes. "...I won't."

Her Master blinked, looking at her in confusion. She turned to the Father. "Once the baby is born, can we return to our dimension in peace?"

The Father bowed his head. "Yes, you have my word."

In a small voice, the young female relented, "Alright, I'll have a child in order to free Anakin-"

"No, Ahsoka!" Anakin and Obi-Wan rebutted her simultaneously.

"But Master, Masters," she included Obi-Wan. "There's still a war going on and the Grand Republic needs Anakin! He cannot stay here and play babysitter to Force manifestations!"

The Father's lips twitched wryly. His two children, however, were less dignified at her accurate description. "We don't need a babysitter!" his Son raged indignantly while Daughter visibly slouched with a pout on her lips.

"But Ahsoka I-I can't do that to you!" Anakin turned away from her. "... y-you are my Padawan and you are so young-"

Ahsoka felt indignant. "I'm sixteen!" she reminded him. "That's the legal age in a lot of star systems including my home planet by the way!"

"Don't give Anakin any ideas, Ahsoka!" Obi-Wan scolded her. "It doesn't matter anyway; by all accounts it's still illegal by one year in Coruscant-"

"I'm turning seventeen in four months!" she retorted.

"It doesn't matter, Snips! The law is the law!"

"Only without consent!" she countered, jabbing her thumb at the Father. "And we have consent!"

The Father could see memories of a petite brunette beauty running through the Chosen One's head. That, along with the growing guilt at the idea of using his impressionable student just to be reunited with his secret wife.

"Just what are you afraid of?" the young togruta placed her hands on her hips. "Am I too childish for you or something?"

Anakin's face flushed scarlet and he face palmed with a groan. "On the contrary, you are too well developed..." he muttered ruefully.

"Yes," the Father agreed, trying to be helpful. "She is fully developed and perfectly capable of bringing forth a strong heir to control my children-"

"Stay out of this!" the man of destiny hissed at him.

"Then is my species too ugly for you?" she asked next.

Anakin rolled his eyes. "You're not ugly, Ahsoka! You're very beautiful. You have no idea how many men aboard the Resolute I needed to threaten away!"

"Then what's the problem-"

"YOU ARE MY STUDENT!" the Chosen One exploded. "You were put under my charge for protection and instruction! Not to end up bearing my child! Argghh!" he yanked his hair in pure frustration. "I have to take something precious from you Ahsoka!" he yelled, desperate for her to understand.

His Padawan sent him a look that clearly said "duh", but he didn't let that deter him. "I can't ask you to do this!"

"But I'm offering," the young girl insisted. "That's the difference!"

"No! No, you don't understand what you are doing-"

"Yes, I do!"

"Ahsoka, stop it!" Anakin yelled, but the Father could feel his resolve breaking.

The Chosen One wanted to give in badly much to his growing despair. His sense of obligation to help end the Clone Wars along with the fear of never seeing his wife again was beginning to tip the scale of his judgment.

Ahsoka grasped his arm and pulled him towards her. "Don't you want to come home with us?" she pleaded.

Anakin closed his eyes. "More than you know," he finally admitted. "There is someone I..." he trailed, his face turning pensive.

She smiled sadly. "Then don't keep Senator Amidala waiting."

Anakin's eyes bulged. "...y-you knew about us?" he gasped softly.

"I wasn't supposed to?" Ahoksa giggled. "You're a horrible actor, Master!"

Self-loathing filled the Chosen One's entire being as he gazed down at the togruta remorsefully. "I'm so sorry, Ahsoka..." he patted her montrals. "...I wish there were another way."

She appeared equally saddened. "Me too, Skyguy, me too..."

In the background, their male companion sputtered, "A-Anakin! You cannot be seriously considering this! ANAKIN!"

He was ignored as the Chosen One and his togruta companion stared into one another's eyes. Emotions and unspoken words passed between them that not even a Force bond could describe.

Finally, Anakin spoke. "I will be gentle," he promised her. "And if you change your mind at ANY second at ANY moment I will stop."

"I won't change my mind," Ahsoka replied. "I am ready to do what needs to be done."

Obi-Wan face palmed with a loud groan. "...this cannot be happening!"

"Good," The Father commended. "If you are ready to commence, I will provide you two with privacy."

With a wave of his hand, the Father used the Force to transport them to a furnished guestroom in his monastery for their activity.

Sparing a glance at the Chosen One's former master, he offered, "You are welcome to stay as well, Obi-Wan Kenobi, to a room in a separate dormitory. I doubt you wish to be near their dwelling during this time."

The human winced. "Indeed, I would not," he agreed dully. "No need to transport me, I think I will go by foot. I have a lot to think about..."

"I will guide you," Daughter volunteered, sounding more cheerful than she had in years.

Obi-Wan raised a skeptic brow. "The last time I went anywhere with you my dear, I was kidnapped and used for bait."

Daughter appeared remorseful. "I am sorry that happened," she apologized. "As long as my Father doesn't command it, it won't happen again."

"Then I suppose that will have to do, lead the way, my Lady." Obi-Wan followed his daughter.

In the corner of his eye, the Father saw the Son trying to sneak away from the stadium, heading in the obvious direction of his monastery. "And where do you think you are going, my son?" the Father demanded.

"Oh," the dark man stopped in his tracks and spun around. "Nothing Daddy-dearest! I was just stretching my legs-"

"You will not disturb them!" Father commanded.

"Like the kriff I won't! I won't stand here as they spawn my new jailer!"

"You shall not lay a hand upon the Chosen One nor the Young Mother, or else you will be banished from my hall!"

"Just try and throw me out, old man!"

The rest of the night was stressful. The Father was sure the battle between him and the Son took years off the remainder of his life-force. The Son finally retreated at dawn when his powers weakened as his sister grew stronger. He transformed back into a fanged bat and flew back to his fortress to wait out the day until he could strike again.

The Father returned wearily to his monastery. On the way to his throne, the Father decided to stop by the room occupied by the Chosen One and his togruta companion to check up on their progress.

The young man groggily answered the door. "What is it now, old man?"

The Father raised an eyebrow at his disheveled appearance. It seemed someone else didn't get a good night's sleep either. So much for gentleness, the tortuga seemed to have roughed him up during their time together.

The girl came to the door amusingly less fatigued than her partner. "Don't be rude, Master." She was glowing so beautifully. The presence of the Force pulsed within her like a strong and steady drum.

"My heartiest congratulations to you, Young Mother," Father bowed his head to her. "The Force has bestowed upon you a son and a daughter."

The Chosen one paled while the togruta looked incredulous. "…it's t-twins?" she gasped breathlessly.

Father nodded. "I can sense they are equal in power. Either one will do."

"Just what do you mean by that?" she demanded.

"I only need one child to hold the balance," the Father explained patiently. "You may take one and leave the other or leave them both in my custody."

Her eyes fluttered wider. "R-Really? Then maybe we-"

"We will leave them both," the Chosen One stated decisively over his female companion. He glanced down at her flat belly fearfully. "We cannot take back any evidence of this."

The young mother lowered her eyes, saddened by his remark and then suddenly sickened. She kneeled over and vomited right at the Father's feet. Her expulsion spattering on his shoes and the ends of his robe.

"Ahsoka!" the young man bent down to support her. "Are you alright?!"

She gagged, looking mortified. "I-I am so sorry, Father, I-"

"Worry not about something you have no control over," The Father waved his hand and the mess was cleaned up, including his clothing. "Go rest Young Mother. The sickness should pass by noon."

The Father teleported himself to sit on his Neutral Throne for mediation and settled into a long deep trance. He must recover his strength for the next confrontation with the Son. The fate of the universe will be decided at dusk tonight.

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Next Chapter: Sinister Shadows

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