Chapter Text
‘Master Obi-Wan is going to kill me,’ Anakin thought with a groan attempting to shake the pain currently pounding inside his head.
He was recently knighted, as many padawans his age were due to the start of the Clone Wars. Thanks to this, he was made a general and thrown into the war. His reckless yet successful plans made up for his lack of experience, which is why he was confident he would have succeeded in his endeavors.
Anakin had, like usual, gone through another of his reckless plans. He remembered his master clearly saying with a painful sigh looking at him as if he’d grown a second head, ‘ Anakin, even for you this is impossible, there are too many Separatist ships surrounding the planet .’ Anakin had waved off his master’s concerns with a cocky grin, confident that he could get past the blockade, especially with his 501st by his side.
Let’s just say he crashed his ship. He went in a blaze of panic and glory. One of the wings of his ship was shot and down into the planet he went. With sweat running down his forehead and hands flipping every switch, the ship entered the planet’s atmosphere. The 212th’s flagship was attempting to make contact with his ship, making Anakin wince at the thought of how manic his master must be.
‘ I’m gonna die at the ripe age of 19 ’ Anakin thought as the ship only continued to plummet to the ground. ‘ Force, Obi-Wan is going to outlive me.’
When the ship finally crashed into the planet’s surface, everything went dark. He felt as if he was in stasis or floating in a sea.
If Anakin didn’t die from his injuries then Obi-Wan certainly would finish the job. He did not want to even think of his master’s reaction.
His vision was blurry and his head pounded. Once he somewhat managed to alleviate the after-effects of the crash that he miraculously survived by only the will of the Force, he began to look around. ‘ What the hell am I doing back in the Room of a Thousand Fountains? ’ Anakin thought, clutching the back of his head in pain.
He looked at his hands, “Did I somehow get teleportation powers?”
“Maybe you did. Would you perhaps tell us who you are and how exactly did you get in here?” A voice said from behind him. A voice that he recognized with ease due to how many times that voice got annoyed with him.
Anakin turned around and came face to face with Mace Windu with Master Yoda next to him, eyes narrowed at Anakin picking his Force presence apart. Anakin internally groaned before catching onto what the man said. His eyes widened, “What do you mean, Master Windu? I’m literally your biggest headache.”
“I have never seen you before in my life.” Mace Windu said with a frown. Yoda simply hummed in agreement, eyes closed and ears twitching, no doubt listening to whatever the Force was telling him.
Anakin narrowed his eyes at Windu, noticing fewer wrinkles and frown lines on the man’s face. “Why do you look less old and disappointed than usual?”
Before Mace could even respond, Yoda’s eyes opened, sparkling with excitement, and cackled, “Have an interesting story, you do. Eager to find out more, I am.” He gestured at Anakin to follow him, happily hobbling away as Anakin trailed after him with Mace on their tail. “Know us you do but know you, we do not.”
“What—How could you not know me?” Anakin spluttered, waving his hands around as his voice got higher. “Is your old age getting to you?”
“Show some respect-“ Mace growled. A vein that looked close to bursting was clear on his forehead.
‘At least that hasn’t changed,’ Anakin thought.
Yoda interjected, giving out a chuckle as he said, “Refreshing your impudence is.”
As they walked, Anakin watched groups of younglings run around chasing each other. Some of them pointed at Anakin and whispered to one another, no doubt wondering about this new presence. There was one or two that Anakin thought he recognized or noticed they looked like the mini-versions of people he knew but he shook the ridiculous thoughts out of his head.
One in particular made him pause. The resemblance was uncanny.
‘That’s karking Obi-Wan Kenobi,’ Anakin stared at a happy 12 year-old version of his master running around with other younglings.
Mace cleared his throat, “Would you mind introducing yourself?”
“Oh—right!” Anakin stammered, not wanting to seem like a creep for staring at a kid despite said kid being his master. “I am Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker.”
Mace frowned while Yoda laughed, no doubt already having somewhat of an idea about Anakin’s ordeal, “Skywalker? I don’t remember any knightings under that name.”
“Uh—that’s likely because there won’t. Not until maybe give or take two decades.” Anakin scratched the back of his head looking nervously at the two councilors.
Mace froze, “And who was your master?”
Anakin glanced back at the red-haired youngling in the distance and began to panic. He couldn’t say, ‘See that youngling over there? He’ll lead a sad life that’ll make him take me as a padawan at a young age.’
So Anakin did what he thought was the smartest thing at the moment. He pointed at Mace Windu and declared, “You did, Master!”
Yoda cackled.