Unification

Part One

Eight years later...


Joss and Anakin cloaked themselves before stepping into the club. They looked at each other and grinned, this was the best place yet that they had visited. The two had been visiting the darker side of Coruscant for several months.

A young man in the corner was watching them covertly. He leaned against a pillar, watching the two make their way around the club. He couldn’t believe that Jumo hadn’t seen them and thrown them out yet, they looked barely old enough to shave, let alone have enough credits to get in here.

Geo walked around behind them, watching them stealthily. They walked up to the bar and sat down, gesturing for a drink. Geo stared in shock, Dy’Aleea, the Twi’lek bartender poured without even asking for money up front. Something odd was going on here and he was going to find out.

Geo slid along the bar, sitting a few seats away from them as they drank their Alderaan Ales. He watched carefully, trying to figure out who they were and what they wanted.

“Anakin, this is a great place! Look at those women! Which one do you want? I want the blond in the corner, what a fucking rack she has!” Joss said excitedly, watching the dancing girls cavort on the small stage.

“I want the redhead. Look at her lips, she looks like she could suck better than a hooverdroid.” Anakin smiled at his best friend before turning his head quickly, picking up Geo’s force signature. He looked at Joss, pathing silently.

* Did you catch that? * Anakin said, his senses on high alert.

* Yeah, where is it coming from? * Joss replied, looking around carefully.

* Behind me, I think, do you see anything? * Anakin replied. Joss nodded imperceptibly, both men grabbing for their lightsabers.

They jumped up at the same time, Anakin’s hand wrapping around the man’s throat as Joss blocked them from view of the doorway and the huge Hutt that guarded the door.

“What the fuck do you think you are doing?” The man ground out as Anakin squeezed his throat.

“We could ask the same of you friend.” Anakin said coldly, his fingers twitching slightly.

“I am supposed to notice unusual things, that’s my job and you two are most definitely unusual. Jumo over there didn’t even see you come in and Dy’Aleea poured you drinks without asking for money. That alone makes you suspect, she doesn’t even breathe without asking for money first.” Geo pulled at Anakin’s fingers, managing to pull them away enough for him to speak.

“And you are?” Joss asked, leaning in close to him and letting him see his saber at his side.

“Geo Astara, I work for Gorduk, the Chagrian that owns this place.” Geo rubbed his throat as Anakin released him, still watching him carefully.

“We don’t want any trouble, Astara. We are just here to have a good time.” Anakin said, waving his hand in front of Geo’s face.

Geo looked at him like he was nuts. “What the fuck are you doing? Trying some Jedi mind trick on me? That shit doesn’t work, everyone knows that!”

Joss and Anakin looked at each other in shock, they had never seen a non-Jedi be immune to a Force suggestion before. This was definitely someone they wanted to get to know better.

“So, are you going to tell me what you are really doing here?” Geo continued, pounding on the bar for a drink. Dy’Aleea stalked over and poured him a whiskey, straight up, flipping him the third finger on her left hand, a choice Twi’lek insult. Geo just smiled and winked before looking back at Anakin and Joss.

They slid onto stools on either side of him, reaching for their own drinks. “We are just out having a good time, friend, nothing more.” Joss said.

“Lemme tell you what I think.” Geo said, gulping his drink down and slamming the glass on the bar. “I think that you two are up to something and until you either tell me what it is or leave this club, I will be sticking to your sides like flies on shit.” He watched them both out of his peripheral vision. He knew that they were conversing but he wasn’t sure how.

“We’re Jedi.” Anakin said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. Joss nodded his assent from Geo’s other side.

“And I’m fucking Chancellor Palpatine! Try again with something more plausible.” Geo laughed loudly, holding his sides as his deep belly laughs continued.

“Believe what you will friend, it is the truth.” Joss stated quietly.

The three continued to drink and talk far into the night; a friendship beginning to form that would last long beyond this evening.

***

One year later…

Anakin returned from his first solo assignment badly shaken, Obi-Wan thought. His daughter, Acaciah had gone out to the Temple Gardens. “Anakin,” he said, trying not to sound sharp, “Please bring Acaciah in so we can start dinner.

“Yes, Master” Anakin said dully. Now he was errand boy to Master Kenobi, fetching his 8-year-old girl.

He found Acaciah picking flowers, a Temple no-no. In spite of himself he laughed aloud. “What are you doing?” he asked.

“You are sad,” Acaciah said. “You miss your mama.” She sat down beside him and put her arms around his neck. “I miss my mama too. These flowers are for you; Mama says you give them to people when they lose someone that they love. That’s what they do on Alameen where she lives.”

Anakin said nothing, a lump forming in his throat.

“Mama talks to me sometimes, you know,” Acaciah said. “When I’m sleeping she comes to visit me.”

“Mine can’t do that,” Anakin said, bitterness creeping into his voice, “she’s one with the Force now.”

“We still love you,” Acaciah said, tugging on Anakin’s Padawan braid.

“Jedi aren’t supposed to love,” Anakin retorted. “The Council has forbidden it.”

Acaciah giggled. “You want to know a secret?” she asked, whispering. “Mama says they’re full of poodoo!”

Now Anakin laughed. “You have no idea,” he said.

Acaciah turned serious again suddenly. “Papa says sometimes people have to go away. He says you won’t be his Padawan anymore soon. Are you going away, Anakin?”

“I will have to go on missions when I am knighted, Acaciah,” he answered.

“I will miss you,” she said, taking his hand.

“That’s all in the future, little one,” he said. “Let’s go eat.” They left the Gardens and headed home.

***

Two years later…


Joss found Liza sitting in the Gardens, lost in thought. He had been looking for her for several hours, wanting to give her the small anniversary gift before he left again.

She sat on the bank of the small reflecting pool, idly dragging her finger through the water, watching the small waves that formed.

He stopped, leaning against the small pergola, watching her. Her features were ethereal, promising to turn into great beauty one day. You could already see hints of the woman she would become in her eleven-year-old face.

Liza looked up, feeling his presence. The connection that had begun all those years ago had gotten stronger, their bond becoming almost like that of Master and Padawan, only deeper and more intimate. She smiled, watching him walk towards her. He never forgot her anniversary day, even if he was away on missions, a box appearing on her bed mysteriously, not even Master Nehiri figuring out how.

Joss dropped to his knees beside her, a slow smile spreading onto his face as he watched her eyes light up. He handed her the small box, tied with a purple ribbon. Liza reached for it eagerly, untying the ribbon and lifting the lid.

A face stared back at her and Liza gasped, almost dropping the box. She set it down on the grass, lifting the frame out of it and cradling it in her hands. The blond hair and indigo eyes that stared back at her were as familiar to her as her own face. Liza raised her shining eyes to Joss, tears spilling down her cheeks. “How?” she breathed, her voice breaking on a sob.

“I went back and searched. Miraculously this holo survived. It was buried deep, next to a small crib. It took me two days of searching but I wanted you to have some piece of your past to cherish.” Joss said, tucking a stray curl back away from her face.

“How can I ever thank you?” Liza sobbed, throwing herself into his arms, clutching the picture tightly to her chest. Joss’ arms encircled her and held her tight, his hands stroking the honeyed waves.

Liza would cherish this gift above all of the others he had given her over the years. He had found a picture of her mother, finding for her a missing piece of herself. Liza only wished that she could do the same for him. One of the reasons that she spent so much time in the archives was to search out clues to their pasts. Somewhere, buried in that vast repertoire of knowledge, the clues hid, waiting for her to discover them.

Joss kissed the top of her head and rose, pulling her to her feet as well. They were going to celebrate with Anakin, Galaxa and Acaciah, sharing a small cake to mark the occasion in his quarters before he had to leave again in the morning.