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Anakin
It was a well known fact that Anakin Skywalker, the Hero with no Fear, was not a fine dining kind of guy. Whether it was his past upbringing or just the rather plain food that was served at the Temple, there was just no hope in bringing culture to his pallet. The problem was that Anakin seemed to find himself invited to nice meals. It was probably best that he didn’t see the look of disappointment on the Chancellors face when he asked for ketchup for his very nice bantha steak Palpatine was treating him to. Anakin’s problem was that many nice restaurants, or rich politicians' homes, just don’t have ketchup. His solution? Why he just pockets ketchup packets whenever he comes across them. I mean, they were free to take. And Obi-wan was always telling him to be resourceful. So it'd simply be a waste not to.
He was real good at it too. Most would consider it good fast food etiquette that one buys something before taking condiments or utensils. But Anakin knew very well that these places were owned by people who had way too much money to care. Back on Tatooine, if they could steal from the Hutts they would. Why should the Hutts get to have everything? And why should people care if he takes ketchup without ordering? He had mostly ketchup in his pocket. But lately kept an inventory of peanut butter.
People complained to him. Telling him it’s “nOt ProPer” but no one ever complained when they were down to just plain ration bars on long missions. None of the 501st ever questioned when General Skywalker dumped out the contents of his condiments pocket. Lemme tell you, peanut butter and jam on a ration bar was an excellent dessert after a day of being shot at by a droid army. Even Obi-wan was known to partake in pocket ketchup once in a while.
“I really do hope the new supply ship comes through soon.” Obi-wan said as he looked down at his sad dinner of ration bars and ketchup. And then back up at his former Padawan, who was currently eating a ration bar with his hand, squeezing ketchup onto each single bite.
“Good, the pocket’s getting empty.” Anakin said as he popped another piece of ration bar in his mouth as Obi-wan sighed.
Ahsoka
War’s hard when you’re fourteen. War’s hard for anyone really. But a kid that age shouldn’t be a commander of an army. Ahsoka shouldn’t be a military ship. She should be on a peacekeeping mission. Or at the Temple with her master, perfecting her lightsaber form. Ahsoka should be doing normal Padawan things. But no, here she is. Huddled up by herself on the Resolute.
She had only become Anakin’s apprentice a few months ago. They began on a rocky start but it all worked out in the end. To be honest, she wasn’t sure what she was getting into when she was assigned to him by Master Yoda. This was THE Hero with no Fear we’re talking about here. How was she supposed to live up to that? Answer is, pretty well actually. They made a great team. And Ahsoka was doing well as a commander. So why was she curled up on the ground of the briefing room? Anakin always seemed to complain about the coldness of space, and tonight Ahsoka completely understood. The latest battle did not go so well. Men were lost. Men she had just been joking with the night before. She’d seen death before, far too many for her age, but this time it seemed to hit a little closer to home. After briefing she found herself staying behind, making some excuse to do so. All alone she sat on the floor. Lost in thought, tears threatening to roll down her face.
So lost in thought, she never heard the door open and close. It wasn’t until Anakin wrapped his heavy Jedi robe around her shoulders that she realized she wasn’t alone. He sat next to her but didn’t speak. He knew there wasn’t much he could say to her to comfort her. The most he could do was just be there for her. Sure Anakin could give her some sage Jedi wisdom or whatever. But that was never Anakin Skywalker. Anakin wasn’t a normal Master. He was more like her older brother. And Ahsoka wouldn’t accept anything less.
She pulled the robe tighter around her body. It was warm and smelt of engine grease. Torn and restitched in some places. Jedi robes had several pockets on the inside. A proper Jedi carried around small first aid kits or ration bars in case of emergencies. And to his credit, Anakin carried around a multitool and of course small droid parts. But there was one pocket that pressed against her side oddly. Whatever her master kept in there was squishy. Now it wasn’t Ahsokas’ place to go through someone else's pockets. But he did put his robe around her shoulders. She reached a hand into the pocket and pulled out a handful of ketchup packets. Like the ones you get at fast food restaurants. Ahsoka had now forgotten why she was sitting on the cold floor of a spaceship. Because all she could think about was why Anakin Skywalker had a pocket full of ketchup.
“Uh Skyguy?” she broke the silence holding up the handful of ketchup. There was still more inside the pocket. Anakin at first looked confused, because why wouldn't one keep extra condiments on hand? But the even more confused look on his Padawans face broke him out into a smile.
“Well Snips, you never know when you might need ketchup.” he said as he grabbed a packet, opened it and squeezed it into his mouth like that was a normal thing people do. She smirked as he grabbed a second and tore it open. “Besides. Master Kenobi is always telling us we need to be prepared for all situations.”
She let out a giggle as Anakin squeezed the second packet into his mouth like it was some weird tomato pudding.
“Dig to the bottom of the pocket. I think there’s peanut butter in there.”
Ahsoka did indeed find peanut butter. It was almost like he knew she loved peanut butter. They sat in relative silence enjoying a rare moment of peace. War is hell and sometimes you just need to eat peanut butter in silence with your older brother
Vader
Lord Darth Vader was an intimidating man. The Emperor's right hand man. The guy who almost wiped out an entire order of space wizards. He could kill you from across the room if you looked at him wrong. And that’s why no one dared to watch him as he suddenly walked through the ships’ canteen. Maybe he was bored. Maybe he was there to observe troops by surprise. It couldn’t have been the latter as Vader seemed to meander about before standing there by the buffet where utensils and whatnot were kept. And just like that, he left the room. Cape sweeping dramatically behind him.
Why did he just do that? Vader mentally smacked his forehead. He had spent twenty years ridding himself of anything Anakin Skywalker. But THAT. It was like muscle memory. Darth Vader had no reason to steal condiments anymore. He could just ask and he would receive. It’s not like he could use it on actual food. And no, ketchup doesn’t make Vitapaste taste better. He didn’t dare try to return them or dispose of them. What if he was noticed? And he never kept them near his lodgings on the Executor. What if someone found them? If he killed everyone who came across his stash, it would just bring more attention to it. He hid his secret in a compartment in his personal emergency ship. Because when you’re a Lord of the Sith, you get a personal emergency ship in case shit goes south.
Luke
So Luke wasn’t so sure what had surprised him the most in the last little while. It could be that Darth Vader, the evil Sith lord, was his father. Or the time he was captured by said father, which in turn he turned his father back to the light. And also convincing his father to join the rebellion. But Luke would have to say it had to be the odd stash of condiments (mostly ketchup?) in a compartment in his fathers private ship.
They had left the Executor during the night, making sure there was no tracking on the ship. Father and son decided it was best to lay low for a bit. Let them get their guards down before making the trip to the rebel base. It was also a good time to think about how they were going to get the rebel alliance to accept Vader. Luke had spent time with his father. Seeing a side of Vader few, if any, had seen. It’d be so much easier if he could just show them that. There were things about his father that were very Vader. But there were also things about him that Luke was sure were Anakin Skywalker. Like when his father whispers ‘wizard’ under his breath when something pleases him. That was definitely Anakin because no one outside of Tatooine said ‘wizard’. The very subtle excitement when a new top of the line ship was flown into the hanger. Luke had seen little Anakin-isms that Vader hadn’t buried.
And he was glad. Luke got to see bits and pieces of his father many would think lost forever. Maybe in a different universe Luke would grow up with his parents and get to see more of the man his father had once been. But Luke had this Anakin-Vader, whoever his father decided to be, and he would love him. He would accept the person his father is, even if he did some real horrible things. Together father and son would help Vader do better. And maybe a little therapy for them both.
Luke walked back into the cockpit, two handfuls of ketchup packets. He stood and looked at his father, who by now sensed his presence and turned to look at his son. Vaders eyes darted from his son, to the ketchup packets, and back to his son. He had forgotten about the compartment.
“Father, what gives?” Luke asked in regards to the two handfuls of ketchup as he raised his hands closer to Vader. He was certain his silence, besides the breathing, was because his father was either trying to figure out who did this or an excuse as to why there was a compartment full of ketchup. Vader stood and walked towards his son. He took the packets from his sons hands, looking at them like he was lost for thought.
“Well Luke,” he began. Taking in a deep breath.” You never know when you might need ketchup.”
Luke smiled, taking a single packet back from his father, tearing off the corner, and squeezing it into his mouth.
“You know it’s kind of like weird tomato pudding.”