"It's over, Anakin. I have the high ground."

There were a million words pressed against the back of his teeth, yet he couldn't bring himself to say any of them.

"You underestimate my power!"

Obi-Wan shook his head in disapproval, anxiety settling in the pit of his stomach. "Don't try it."

A sickening slice rang through the air shortly after Anakin sprang from the raft, and a body tumbled down the embankment. Obi-Wan reeled in a few shallow breaths.

"You were the Chosen One!" he screamed through the smoke in his lungs and the rasp of his throat. "It was said you would destroy the Sith, not join them! Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness!"

He set his jaw and turned, forcing down the rebelling thoughts that pleaded against it, his trembling legs leading him to the higher ground. One foot in front of the other, he reminded himself, his nose and throat burning from the unpleasant fumes in the air. He tried to ignore the wails of agony behind him by focusing on the loud bubbling noises coming from the lava instead. Anything else. Anything was better than the screams.

He picked up Anakin's—no, not Anakin, not anymore—the blue lightsaber with shaky fingers, and braved one last look at his apprentice, his gaze landing on the writhing, burning man that clawed at the dust with golden eyes. The kind of eyes that he only ever saw in their enemies.

"I hate you!"

Anakin's words hit him in the chest, the sorrow that followed nearly making his knees buckle. "You were my brother, Anakin," he said, his head spinning, voice threatening to break. "I loved you."

And he sincerely meant every word—far more than he ever should have. Far more than the Jedi Code would allow.

Anakin's clothes caught fire, and the agony in the Force became too much for him to handle. With a ruined soul, he tightened his grip on the lightsaber, turning once again to walk away—only this time, he didn't let himself look back.

»»««

The suns of Tatooine had yet to fully rise, and Obi-Wan Kenobi sat in the sand, trying his best to meditate despite the nagging awareness of Anakin's Force signature inside the hut behind him. His eyelids felt heavy, but his mind refused to sleep knowing Anakin was in the area—so here he was, going on his fifth hour of sitting in the dust and speaking into the air.

"I wish I could forgive as you did, Master," Obi-Wan muttered, not quite sure whether or not he believed the spirits listened. He closed his eyes and let out a breath, "Every time I look at him, I only see the fallen. Even still, I sense the conflict between light and darkness in him."

He sat in the quietness of daybreak, listening, waiting for something. A sign, perhaps, to assure him that he did the right thing by letting them stay—because it seemed that with every moment that passed, he thought up ten new reasons why he shouldn't have offered.

Anakin needed to leave. As long as he was on the planet, Luke's life would be at risk. It was far too dangerous—reckless, even, and there was little Obi-Wan Kenobi abhorred more than recklessness.

But he knew, deep down, they were meant to be there.

For what purpose, he had yet to uncover. The Force was unfortunately mysterious, always working behind the scenes to orchestrate events and circumstances.

"Be with me," he murmured into the air, "be with me."

Tatooine often felt very lonesome, but sometimes, as he sat underneath the orange and pink painted sky, he could pretend that isolation wasn't as bad as it felt. He found comfort in speaking to Qui-Gon when he sought guidance.

A few more moments of silence passed. Then, Obi-Wan felt a presence behind him. He sighed. "Come on out, Ahsoka."

She stepped outside with an apologetic grimace. "I'm sorry, Master Kenobi. I didn't mean to interrupt."

Obi-Wan only gestured to a place beside him. Ahsoka accepted the offer, quietly lowering herself into the sand to sit next to him as his eyes slid shut.

"Are you talking to Master Jinn?" she asked softly.

Obi-Wan thought for a moment before deciding on, "I speak to whoever listens."

Ahsoka hummed, shifting to get into a more comfortable position as the breeze quieted and the suns began to scald the dust around them.

"I never thought I would see him again," Obi-Wan admitted quietly, "and now that I've gotten the opportunity, I'm not quite sure what to do."

Ahsoka looked over to him for a moment before facing forward again. "After the war ended, all I could think about was all the things I should have told him. Things I should have told you both," she paused. "I suppose you only think of the right things to say when it's too late."

Another beat of silence passed, and Obi-Wan watched her closely. "Surely you've seen what he's become. Why do you still have so much faith in him?"

Ahsoka parted her lips before pursing them again as she thought over her words. "Because I know he's trying. That's really all I can ask of him."

"You truly believe he can change?"

"I know he will never be the same as he once was," she said, "but I'm also learning that we've changed too. I don't believe growth should be feared."

They stayed outside for a while longer, sitting in silence as they watched the suns rise. It felt peaceful. More peaceful than Obi-Wan had felt in a while—but before long, he realized that the time he had asked them to depart had come, and the two made their way back inside the stone hut.

"It's about time you two showed up," Anakin called from the living area when he saw them walk in. "I was beginning to think that you already left."

Obi-Wan raised a brow. "Is that one of my rags?"

Anakin smirked to himself. "Maybe it is."

Rex looked up from where he was organizing their shared 'pack with narrowed eyes. "Why are you scrubbing your boots so hard?"

"I hate sand," he grumbled before tossing the rag to the side and tugging his boots back onto his feet. "Come on, Ahsoka, time to go."

Obi-Wan forced a smile. "Before you've raided my food supply? That doesn't sound like you."

"There are plenty of supplies on the ship," Anakin replied. "Food that I don't have to double-check."

"You should know I'm not the poisoning type by now."

"One can never be too sure."

"Where is your ship stationed?" Obi-Wan asked.

Anakin hesitated. "Over by the North Ridge," he paused to narrow his eyes. "Why?"

Obi-Wan let out a breath to keep himself from rolling his eyes. "You don't have to be so defensive. I was only going to offer a ride."

"As if I would accept a-"

"That would be great, Master Kenobi," Ahsoka called over her shoulder, disregarding the offending glare Anakin shot at her as she took the 'pack from Rex and slung it over her shoulder. "I imagined the walk back would be much worse now that the suns are out."

"I think I'd rather get sun poisoning." Anakin leaned against one of the stone pillars.

Obi-Wan ignored him. "I'll get my landspeeder," he said. "Wait here. It should only take a moment."

With that, he stepped back outside, walking around his house to the vehicle. The old red speeder was hidden behind a dusty grey tarp, and he tugged it off, rolling a large rock on top of the material to keep it in place while he was gone.

Perhaps they were meant to leave, he thought belatedly. Everything seemed to be going according to plan. They were ready to head back to the ship.

Obi-Wan got into the pilot's seat of the speeder, sparking the engine once, twice—then on the third time, it sputtered to life.

The speeder was working.

Perhaps they were meant to leave, he thought again.

He slowly drove the speeder to the front of the house, a small pang of sadness hit him in the chest when he saw the three of them standing there. He pursed his lips, finally realizing that this was likely the last time he would see them in this life. Perhaps they could stay for a-

"You expect me to ride on this piece of junk?" Anakin asked loudly, and the sadness suddenly disappeared.

Obi-Wan bit the inside of his cheek. "Well, you can always walk to the ship if that's what you prefer."

Anakin grumbled something under his breath but begrudgingly climbed onto the back of the speeder, taking a seat beside Ahsoka and behind Rex. Obi-Wan listened to the old engine rumble as they wordlessly drove toward the ship, dodging the various rocks and natural structures in the canyons before merging onto a side trail.

"Oh, dear," Obi-Wan muttered once the Ridge came into view.

Anakin sighed. "What?"

The speeder skidded to a halt. Anakin leaned forward, his eyes widening when they finally caught on the sight ahead of them.

"No," he said. "No, no, no, no."

A group of Jawas gathered by the ship—or rather, what was left of it—and the four of them abandoned the speeder. Anakin snapped off some very loud, colorful words, causing the creatures to scatter, and Obi-Wan sighed at the sight. Their ship had been completely stripped.

Most of the Jawas retreated into the Sandcrawler, but some lingered outside to watch the four of them. Obi-Wan slowly approached the group, offering a kind greeting in Jawaese and sitting down in front of them.

"He's speaking to them. Of course, he's speaking to them," he heard Anakin say. "Was this your plan all along? Make us stay overnight while your little friends here destroyed our way out of this place?"

"Don't flatter yourself. I want you to leave just as much as you do." Obi-Wan said. "Now quiet, Anakin, I'm negotiating. They're less likely to cooperate if you upset them."

Obi-Wan didn't need to be a Jedi to sense Anakin's anxiety. Anakin begrudgingly went silent, and Obi-Wan continued his conversation with the Jawas.

"Rex, can you check the damage?" Ahsoka asked quietly, and he nodded, wordlessly slipping past them to get to the ship.

"How much for the parts?" Obi-Wan asked in Jawaese. After a moment of discussion, he nodded to the Jawas and walked over to Anakin and Ahsoka again.

"Well?" Ahsoka asked.

Obi-Wan sighed. "I'm afraid they won't compromise."

"I'm sure I could persuade them," Anakin scowled, taking a threatening step forward and causing a few of the Jawas to stumble.

"Utinni," one of them shouted, and Obi-Wan pulled Anakin back.

"You most certainly will not," he snapped quietly. "These Jawas are my primary source of income. Do not upset them."

"Then tell them to give our stuff back-"

Ahsoka folded her arms when Rex returned. "What's the report?"

"It's not good," the captain replied grimly. "The accelerator is missing. Our supplies were taken. Lateral stabilizers, shield boosters, and drive plates are all gone too. Looks like we're stuck here."

The remaining Jawas had already filtered back into the Sandcrawler, and the engine stuttered for a few seconds before it slowly began to roll away.

Anakin scrubbed his face with his hands. "Great. This is just great. Stuck on Tatooine. No ship. No karking supplies."

The drive back to Obi-Wan's stone hut was tense. Anakin looked like he could explode at any second—combined with the surges of emotion rippling in the Force around him, Obi-Wan would be lying if he said it didn't put him on edge—while Ahsoka and Rex kept to themselves, each wearing their own grim, contemplative expressions.

Well, Obi-Wan thought humorlessly, you did ask for a sign.

Anakin stormed inside once they got back, ripping his cloak off and throwing it to the floor in a rather immature manner. "I should have made you hide it better," he swept a hand over his head. "This never should have happened."

Ahsoka sighed. "It's not your fault, Anakin. We'll figure something out."

Obi-Wan walked past them, making his way into the kitchen to retrieve a piece of flimsiplast from his cabinet. He grabbed a pen and scribbled down a list of items before taking a couple of covers from his rack.

"This is working out just perfectly, isn't it?" Anakin jolted when Obi-Wan launched his discarded grey cloak at him. "What the-"

"Put it back on. We're going to Mos Eisley."

He looked at the cloak. "I thought you wanted us to leave?"

"I do," Obi-Wan replied, kindly handing a shawl to Rex, "but your ship is in no such condition. You'll crash well before you reach the atmosphere."

Narrowed, skeptical eyes met his. "And what's in it for you?"

"The ability to sleep tonight without worrying about your ship crushing my home."

Anakin held eye contact for a moment before clicking his tongue. "Fair."

"What's Mos Eisley?" Ahsoka asked after Obi-Wan extended a cloak to her.

"A womp rat's nest," Anakin grumbled under his breath.

"One that might have the parts that you need," Obi-Wan added. "Now, are you coming?"

»»««

Anakin Skywalker remembered a lot of things about Tatooine—the sympathetic faces he received when some saw him working in Watto's shop, the sand that always trickled through his worn shoes, the ins and outs of the hut he once shared with his mother. Above all, however, he remembered that nothing blended worse than the arid Tatooinian atmosphere and a bustling midday crowd.

Mos Eisley held a mob of people, all boorishly and senselessly worming their way through the booths set up on the street before their fellow sentient, and unluckily, Skywalker found himself walking among the masses.

"Keep your heads down and your hoods up. Don't interact with the authorities-"

"Yeah, yeah, we know the drill." Skywalker interrupted. "Don't draw attention. Don't blow anything up. Got it."

Obi-Wan sighed. "Ahsoka, please keep an eye on him."

Skywalker opened his mouth to spout something undoubtedly vulgar, but Obi-Wan held a hand up tiredly.

"Save your insults for later, Anakin. We have to get moving."

Skywalker bit the inside of his cheek as the four of them carefully slipped through the crowd, blindly following Obi-Wan to wherever he had planned. When they arrived, Skywalker's eyes narrowed.

"You have to be kidding me."

"Come along, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, already beginning to walk into the sandpit known as Mos Eisley's Cantina. "The longer you complain, the longer we have to be here."

Skywalker scoffed, his eyes darting around the area anxiously before following them inside. The boisterous chatter of the tavern flooded his ears when they entered, the sharp scent of sweat, liquor, and cheap perfumes instantly causing his nose to scrunch.

"Do try not to wander," Obi-Wan spoke over the commotion. His eyes scanned the crowd before landing a figure sitting in a booth. "This should only take a moment."

"What are we supposed to do in the meantime?" Skywalker asked.

"Stay out of trouble," Obi-Wan deadpanned, and with that, he disappeared into the crowd.

"Where do you think he's going?" Ahsoka asked.

Rex shrugged. "Beats me."

Skywalker stood beside them, hovering awkwardly among the sea of drunkards, thieves, and spice-addicts that surrounded the bar. The music pounded into his head so hard that it made his eyelids ache, and he rubbed his temples, trying to center himself the best he could.

A small tremor spread to his fingertips, and he clenched his fists tightly, forcing himself to use the calming techniques he was taught as a Padawan.

Breathe in, breathe out.

At least the Jedi were good for one thing, he supposed.

He dimly heard Ahsoka's voice on his left, her words indistinct under the layers upon layers of other conversations that ranged everywhere from death threats to meek discussions of the weather. Skywalker exhaled a low, shaky breath through his teeth when the unruly voices around him got louder.

Their ship was ripped apart. But it was fine. He was stuck on Tatooine with Obi-Wan Kenobi. But it was okay. Everything was great. It was perfect.

He closed his eyes and reeled in another breath. He left the Empire for this. He lost everything—his security, his power, his reputation.

All to end up on Tatooine.

At last, he no longer had to rely on the Emperor—but it was beginning to feel like he was no better than where he was when he started.

Skywalker gritted his teeth and dug the heels of his hands into his eyes, the air filling his lungs suddenly not satisfying enough. He counted to ten, murmuring the numbers under his breath until his throat felt too tight.

No, he was better off. He didn't have to kill anymore. He could finally find peace.

It wouldn't be deserved, though, a voice in the back of his mind spat, not after everything you've done.

His hands were shaking.

But he was fine. He knew he was fine. Besides, Ahsoka and Rex were with him. Nothing was going to happen. He was safe in the crowd.

Then he opened his eyes again, and suddenly Ahsoka and Rex weren't next to him anymore. Alarm swelled in the pit of his stomach as his eyes bounced over the chaotic array of people.

No, no, no, no.

Skywalker shoved past some sentients, the cloak neatly clasped over his collarbone suddenly feeling much heavier than it did earlier. But it was fine.

Breathe in, breathe out.

His breaths had become shallow and sharp, each intake of air only adding more pressure to his chest until the room started to feel suffocating. He turned again, eyes frantically searching for familiarity but finding nothing. Too hot. Too many people.

Where are they?

Skywalker's fingers clawed at his cloak despite knowing he wouldn't be able to remove it, desperate for some relief from the invisible, smothering weight on his chest.

Breathe in, breathe out.

In his searching, he managed to bump into an Arcona with a half-empty canteen in her hand and an eyepatch strung over her eye. The liquid in her cup made a small swoosh sound at the impact.

"You alright there, pal?" she asked gruffly.

The ground began to sway when Skywalker tried to nod. "I think I just need a breath," he replied weakly, unable to hear his own words over the booming sound of music and conversation. He stumbled to get to the door, his eyes burning, fingers tingling, and-

"Hey, watch it!"

The warning was received far too late. A crate of machinery and parts dropped to the sand, clattering and loud, and Skywalker sobered up just enough to snap his attention to the young, narrowed eyes staring back at him.

"Sorry, kid," he grumbled, shaking his head and reaching out to help pick up the fallen pieces. The stuffy Tatoonian air did little to relieve the tightness of his throat, but it was admittedly far better than the Cantina. Once they gathered the parts and put them back into the crate, Skywalker stood. "That's an… interesting load. Where are you headed?"

"What's it to you, old man?"

Skywalker stared at him for a moment, his chest still slightly constricted. "You know what, I don't care. Safe travels."

The kid watched him with a crooked smile. "I'm just messing with you," he answered lightly. "Anchorhead. My uncle's buddy owns a power shop down there."

Skywalker let out a breath and narrowed his eyes. "Isn't that a long way to travel on foot?"

The kid picked up the crate with a soft huff. "One of our fuel cells ruptured when we were driving along the canyon. Once we get our supplies, we're off."

Then, there was a voice from the crowd behind him, calling a name Skywalker didn't quite catch. The kid turned his head at the noise.

"Kriff, that's my cue." The kid shook the crate to make the pieces inside settle neatly before giving a smile. "See you on the flip side."

With that, he jogged over to a mysterious figure that turned before Skywalker could see his face. Skywalker's eyes lingered for a few moments, and a bizarre sense of familiarity fell over him as the crowd engulfed the two figures.

He started to take a step forward, feeling a faint tug toward the two, a longing—but he was suddenly stopped, nearly jumping out of his skin when a hand landed on his shoulder.

"Oh, thank Force. There you are. Rex and I have been looking all over for you, and I did not want to explain to Obi-Wan that you-" Ahsoka's lighthearted smile dropped when she noticed his wide eyes. "Hey, what happened? Are you okay?"

Skywalker glanced over to the crowd that the boy had just disappeared into, subtly flexing his fingers to get them to stop shaking. "Nothing," he forced a smile, "just needed some fresh air."

Ahsoka eyed him. "It doesn't look like nothing."

He shook his head and shrugged her hand off his shoulder. "Come on. We should get inside before Obi-Wan tries to cut my new arms off."

"You don't have to do that, you know."

Skywalker stopped walking. He turned around with a sigh. "Don't have to do what?"

"Be secretive," she said gently. "I won't push you. But you don't have to keep carrying so much on your own, Anakin. It's not healthy."

"I'm fine," he replied stubbornly, and she stared at him for a moment, clearly not willing to let up. "I'm fine, Snips. We have bigger things to worry about."

The nickname was a low blow, he knew, but he wanted to escape the conversation as quickly as he could. For a fleeting moment, it looked like she was going to argue further—but to his great relief, she only sighed. "All right. I'll take your word for it," she said, "but I'll be here if you ever need me."

Skywalker parted his lips to say something back, but the words never left his throat. He watched her walk into the cantina, lingering outside for a few more seconds before stepping back in and following Ahsoka to a booth.

"Ah, good," Rex said when he caught sight of them, "you found Skywalker."

"What did I tell you about wandering off?" Obi-Wan asked in that stupid patronizing voice that he only seemed to use on him. Skywalker sat beside Ahsoka, directing his scowl to the man sitting across the table.

"Did you actually get something, or are you just trying to waste our time?"

Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes. "A name. Peli Motto. She manages Bay 3-5."

"How does that help us?" Skywalker asked, still trying to shake the tremor out of his hands.

"We have to keep a low profile," Obi-Wan replied. "From what I'm told, she doesn't ask questions."

"You're sure she'll have the things we need to fix the ship?" Ahsoka asked him.

"I'm afraid going through a secondary supplier is our only option right now. All of the official manufacturers on Tatooine are Imperial-run."

Rex crossed his arms and leaned back. "What are the chances of them noticing us?"

"They report directly to the Empire," Skywalker grumbled. "All of the names and purchases are kept on file."

"How often are the logs looked into?" Rex asked.

"Too often. We wouldn't get far."

Ahsoka turned her attention to Obi-Wan again. "The bay. Is it nearby?"

He nodded. "It's toward the outskirts of town, about a ten-minute walk."

"Well, no better time than the present." Ahsoka readjusted her hood to hide her face. "Let's go."

»»««

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Skywalker furrowed his brows, whispering to no one in particular as they stood in front of Bay 3-5.

"Certain," Obi-Wan said. "Perhaps she-"

Before he could finish, a woman stepped out in front of them, her curly dark hair tied back and a blaster-rifle in her hands.

"Hello there," Obi-Wan greeted calmly, his hands instinctively raised at his sides. "Are you Peli Motto?"

"Depends on who's asking."

"If you have the parts we need, a customer."

The woman slowly lowered the rifle. "A customer, huh? Haven't had one of those in a while."

Clearly, Skywalker wanted to say, but he kept the comment to himself.

She slung the blaster over her shoulder, walking to the switchboard that stood to the side of the docked transport. Obi-Wan followed, standing a safe distance away from her as she grabbed a pair of pliers and clipped a few circuits.

"We heard that you retail starship components."

"I do," she replied, looking up to glance at the four of them. "What kind of components are we talking about?"

"I've written down all of the parts we need here." Obi-Wan reached into his robe and drew out the flimsiplast note, and Peli straightened, reaching out to take the flimsy from him. She clicked her tongue a few times as her eyes scanned over the page.

"Can you supply them?" Ahsoka asked after a moment.

"Yeah, I can supply them," she said finally, her eyes flickering between them, "but I request full payment upfront."

"We'll pay when the pieces are in our possession," Skywalker said, causing Obi-Wan to narrow his eyes. He opened his mouth to scold him, but Peli spoke before he could.

"Three-quarters."

"We'll pay half now and half later." Skywalker extended a hand. "Do we have a deal?"

The woman stared at him for a moment, and Rex swore caught Kenobi pinching the bridge of his nose out of the corner of his eye.

Peli scoffed, her lips tugging up into a smirk. "All right, you've got yourself a deal," she said, shaking his hand firmly. "Come back midday tomorrow and I'll have your parts ready to go."

Skywalker tossed a smug glance over to Obi-Wan. "Sounds great."

»»««

The suns on Tatooine had finally set again. The fire from the pit rose to meet the dark sky, crackling and bright, and Ahsoka watched Anakin. He sat a small distance away from the rest of them, a faint, blue light coming from the palm of his hand.

"I'm worried about him," she told Rex quietly.

He looked over at her. "What for?"

"I don't know," she said, "I just... sense this turmoil in him. Do you think he's having second thoughts?"

"It's hard to say." Rex huffed. "The General never did like this place. I'm sure being stuck here isn't helping anything."

The holoprojector was just loud enough for her to detect a female voice, soft and familiar, almost completely hidden beneath the sound of embers sparking from the campfire.

"Maybe you should talk to him."

Ahsoka quirked a brow. "Why me?"

Rex shrugged. "You're the only one here he really trusts."

"I don't want to upset him."

"If he doesn't want to talk, he won't talk," he said, "but it wouldn't hurt to offer."

Ahsoka threw another uncertain glance in Anakin's direction. The recording flickered in his hands. She stood, quietly making her way over to where he was to sit down next to him. The blue light vanished.

"You two went well together," she offered.

The sides of Anakin's mouth tipped into a sad smile. "I suppose we weren't as subtle as I thought we were."

Ahsoka nearly asked what happened to her. But she knew she couldn't. So they sat in silence, simply looking into the obscurity of the night's sky. After a while, Anakin shifted, and Ahsoka looked over to him as he hooked the holoprojector back onto his belt.

"Is everything okay?" she asked when his hands suddenly stilled. He hesitated for a moment before he pulled his grey cloak to the side and drew a familiar silver item into the dim light. Her brows furrowed.

"My lightsaber?" she breathed. "How did you-"

"I found it at the crash site several cycles ago," he said. "It was buried beneath the wreckage."

Anakin gingerly offered it to her, and she accepted it, rolling the rusted hilt around in her palm. "The Emperor had already told me that you were dead. Finding that only convinced me further."

A sigh fell from her lips as she stared at the lightsaber. "So many died that day."

At her words, Ahsoka felt his guilt seep into the Force. "I know," he said, closing his eyes tightly. "I know."

They sat in more silence.

"You kept it after all this time?" she asked quietly.

Anakin's shoulders stiffened. "I should have given it to you sooner."

"No, it's okay," she said. "I'm not upset with you."

Anakin nodded slowly, turning his eyes back to the open desert in front of them. The sight looked rather ominous—nothing but sand and darkness as far as the eye could see. She sighed.

"Here."

He snapped his attention to her extended hand. "What?"

"Keep it," she said, pushing it toward him. "You need it more than I do."

Anakin eyed the lightsaber for a few seconds before taking it again. He clasped it onto his belt once more, not bothering to conceal it with his cloak this time.

"You know you shouldn't trust me with this."

"You've had it this whole time and haven't done anything with it," Ahsoka paused. "Trust goes both ways. You can't trust me until I trust you."

"This could be a mistake," he warned lightly. "Obi-Wan always said that misplaced trust is dangerous."

"Then don't let it be misplaced."

He looked over at her, his gaze flickering between her eyes. "All right," he muttered, and Ahsoka was satisfied with that. She glanced over her shoulder to see Obi-Wan and Rex sitting by the fire.

"You're welcome to join us over there, you know," she offered. "The fire feels much nicer than the air over here."

Anakin hesitated. "I think I'll stay here for now."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded silently, and Ahsoka took the hint. She stood again to walk back to her spot. Rex nudged her shoulder lightly when she returned.

A pleasant feeling of nostalgia fell over her as she listened in on the story that Obi-Wan had been relaying to Rex while she was gone. It reminded her of the times that they shared during the war—and though Anakin wasn't sitting with them, his presence in the Force was enough to bring back the memories.

For once, Ahsoka Tano felt at peace.