Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The was no beginning.

Merely silence.

Then she heard the footsteps come – maybe hers, although there was no echo to be found.

Aurelia wandered through her dream like a stranger, as though it didn’t belong to her. The Jedi Temple rose around her scattered, the spires flickering like candles in the wind. Ash clung heavy in the air and the sky bled crimson as the twin suns burned through the atmosphere.

She turned a corner, and the air changed. He was there, and he was waiting.

In the heart of the Council chamber, a robed figure stood tall against the shadows, a dark light wrapped around him. His back was turned towards her, yet she’d recognise him anywhere. One hand lay open by his side, while the other clasped a red blade, it’s hum too loud in the quiet room.

He gently turned.

Her breath gone.

Her voice trapped.

His face is one she would know even if she were blind. But his eyes had changed, they were not his own.

“You’re too late” he whispered, his mouth barely moving “But then again, you always are.”

Around them, the floor shattered. The chamber grew dark. Names of those she loves ricochetted around her like dying prayers. Small robes lay crumpled on the floor where the children had once stood. A woman wheeped beside a lifeless man. Fire bloomed behind a stained glass like a sunrise filled with grief.

Aurelia reached for him.

He moved back. And the dream melted –

She awoke with her arm stretched out and the air stuck in her lungs.

Her chambers were quiet and unmoving. The whirr of the lively city planet barely reached the edges of her hearing.

The Force was louder. It spoke of too many paths. And in them all, the same frightful truth remained.

Anakin falls.

Chapter Text

Dawn gently rose around Coruscant, casting long rays of early sunshine through the Temple’s windows, encasing the courtyard in a tender glow.  The morning air was still cool, untouched by the planet’s general chaos.

Aurelia Solari sat cross-legged beneath the trees in the Temple’s Room of a Thousand Fountains, her eyes closed, and her posture relaxed. Whispers from the Force bustled soothingly around her like soft flowing waves. This morning, her visions seemed to have calmed down, for now at least. After the debacle that was last night’s dream, she had been sat here long before dawn even thought about emerging, trying to shake the chills from the visons the Force thrusted upon her. Aurelia had to be ready, she had to put her fears aside, she couldn’t risk feeling the tendrils of the dark side of the Force, not right now, she had to remain sharp and focused, she wasn’t going to let the future she saw take over. Everything would be fine. She was in control. She breathed deep and slow, her mind finding peace.

“Aurey! Aurey, where are you?”

The voice was unmistakable, never failing to disturb her as soon as she found her serenity.

She opened her eyes to see Anakin Skywalker, her fellow padawan, leaning against a tree, arms crossed, and his usual smirk firmly in place. “Meditating, again? Does it not get tiring just sitting there and doing nothing?”

“Well good morning to you too Anakin. How are you this fine morning? Me? Well, I’m doing perfectly well, thanks for asking, how kind of you.” She retorted back. “You need to learn your manners again, and as for meditating, its relaxing, I find it helps set me up for the day. I think you need to try it sometime”

“Meditation is too boring for me. I prefer to take action.” His grin grew wider, but his eyes softened “It looks like you’ve actually gotten some sleep, Aurey. It’s good to see you wide awake for once.”

Oh, how wrong he was. Sleep has eluded her for weeks, the Force plaguing her mind with endless visions of a dark future that lay ahead. But no one needs to know about the terrible things she sees, at least, not yet. She offered him an absentminded smile instead. “Sleep is...relative.”

Anakin stepped closer, concern written all over his face, his voice lowering. “Aurelia, what’s going on? I’m your friend, you can talk to me. You’ve been distant lately and it worries me.”

Before she could answer, their Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, interrupted from behind. “Good morning, you two. I trust that you’ve been training hard and not wasting any valuable time arguing again.”

“Just a bit” Anakin quipped. “Master.”

“Good morning, Master.” Aurelia replied.

It wasn’t typical for a Master to receive two padawans, actually it was practically impossible, but the council had made an exception for Master Kenobi. The decision made out of respect for Master Qui-Gon Jin’s dying wish, Obi-Wan’s former Master, to have his padawan train the boy, that boy being one Anakin Skywalker. However, since Aurelia was already to be assigned to Obi-Wan, once he passed his trials, and there was no other master who wanted to take her, he was granted the two padawans. Although stern and righteous, underneath the Jedi persona was a heart of gold and a wry sense of humour. Obi-Wan has been their Master for ten years now, they love him like the fathers they never knew.

Obi-Wan sighed at Anakin’s antics. “The Council has requested our presence. Briefing will begin in ten minutes.” He cast a stern look towards Anakin “I trust that you’ll be on your best behaviour.”

The Council chambers were heavy with unease, something bad is happening, Aurelia could feel it in the Force. Senator Amidala’s holographic form hovered in the middle of the room recounting the recent attempt on her life. Numerous of members of the council leaned forward, their expressions grave.

“This is now the second time the Senator’s life has been threatened,” Master Mace Windu said, delicately folding his hands. “It is evident that whoever is behind these attacks is resolute in their intent.”

“This has Count Dooku written all over it,” Master Ki-Adi-Mundi offered. “Each day these Separatists grow bolder.”

Master Yoda simply narrowed his eyes, remaining silent on the matter. Aurelia knew that the sagacious Master could feel the same shifts in the force, something dark was coming and he didn’t know how to stop it. But maybe she did. No, she can stop it. It has to be her, she’s the only one who sees. When there is a will, there is a way, and she will find a way, even if it leads to her own doom...

A small nudge on the arm shoved the Jedi out of her own mind. Back in reality, the Council members looked at her warily. She could feel her hands clam up, her heart began to race, Aurelia couldn’t help thinking that they knew everything, they were going to expel her from the order, and then what would happen. She would be helpless then; she wouldn’t be able to save them. Or him.

Master Windu cleared his throat “Padawan Solari, are you well?”

Aurelia breathed a sigh of relief, they didn’t know, she was good, she was safe. “Yes, quite well, I apologise for my disengagement, I was simply processing all the information we have been presented with.”

“Good, apology accepted, it is a critical situation we have on our hands,” replied Windu, his tone even and cool, “as I was saying, The Senate is demanding heightened security for the Senator. Skywalker, you will be assigned to protect her. She departs today for Naboo.”

From the corner of her eye, she noticed Anakin try — and mostly fail — to suppress the flicker of excitement that crossed his face. It made her smile for her friend; he’s always harboured an innocent crush on the Senator.

“Aurelia Solari,” Windu now turned back to her, “you will remain here, on Coruscant. Chancellor Palpatine has requested an additional Jedi to serve as liaison while our investigation into these attacks continues.”

Aurelia inclined her head and accepted her duty despite the feeling of dread in her gut. “Of course. Mater.”

As the meeting adjourned, Obi-Wan fell into step beside Aurelia.

“You do not seem surprised, almost like you were expecting this.” He said quietly.

“I may be young, but I have seen enough to know where the currents are pulling,” she replied. “Besides, Padmé will be in good hands.”

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. “You place a great deal of trust in Anakin.”

She smiled softly. “I always have, and I always will.”

They stepped into the main hall, where they were greeted by the sight of Senator Amidala getting ready to leave. She was stood by the ship, having a quiet conversation with Bail Organa. Padmé Amidala carried herself with the quiet authority of one accustomed to standing before kings and councils. Her dark brown eyes held an unyielding fire beneath layers of grace. Though her regal beauty was undeniable, it was the strength of her character that made people listen. Her voice, measured and melodic, rarely needed to rise; conviction alone commanded the room. Aurelia always admired the Senator; she was someone who she looked up to. But there was more to it than that, the two women held a tender and respectful friendship, they would often confide in one another as both women had to navigate life under the weight of immense responsibility.

As the two Jedi approached, she looked up and greeted them warmly “Master Kenobi. Padawan Aurelia. It is good to see you.”

“Senator, I hope you are well after these recent events” Obi-Wan addressed. His tone professional, but Aurelia didn’t miss the way his gaze lingered just a moment longer than it should.

“Yes. I am doing as best as I can in the current climate. But it will not be enough to stop me or take me down,” Padmé replied. “I would also like to thank you and the council for your continued vigilance.”

Aurelia curiously studied the brief exchange. She didn’t need the Force to sense the subtle flow between the pair – quiet ease, a familiarity that felt warmer than mere formality. It gave the padawan a pause, though only for a moment. If anything, she was glad her Master had found a friend in these uncertain times. Nothing more, she told herself — not yet.

“We should disturb you no longer, Senator. You have a long journey to prepare for. Padawan Skywalker should be joining you soon, I believe he has gone to retrieve his belongings before your immanent departure.” Obi-Wan said.

Padmé nodded, but her smile faded just slightly as he walked away.

The two women were left alone now. Before Aurelia knew it, the Senator enveloped her in a caring embrace. “You take care of yourself, young padawan.”

 “You too Senator. And please don’t mind Anakin, you know how he is, just make sure he doesn’t get himself into too much trouble.” Aurelia smiled.

There was an untamed intensity in Anakin Skywalker — a storm forever swirling beneath calm blue eyes. His tall frame carried both grace and raw power, every movement infused with purpose. While his smile could light a room, shadows often danced at its edges — the weight of destiny never far behind. Aurelia always felt an intense need to warn others about his temperament, so wild and untamed, but she knew he meant well, his deep empathy and love for those around him often burning brighter than his own restraint.

She glanced at Anakin now, as he approached, ready to take on his new task.  One day, she thought, his heart may be both his greatest gift and his greatest burden. Except for now, she allowed herself a small smile. Whatever trials lay ahead, they would face them together — as they always had. She wished him well for his first solo mission, and then left to let him prepare.

Later that evening, in her quarters, Aurelia sat alone once more. She closed her eyes, reaching out for the Force. Visions flickered – flashes of possibilities, futures branching and twisting into countless outcomes.

She saw Anakin, standing at a precipice of shadow. The temple consumed by flames. Clone troopers marching under an unseen will. And then came the image of something darker still, a figure cloaked in deception, hidden underneath layers of trust.

Aurelia started to feel dizzy, the visions devouring her whole. The more she tried to focus, the more they slipped beyond her reach, like grasping at smoke.

Something is coming.

Her breath shuddered as she opened her eyes. The galaxy balanced on a knife’s edge, and though she did not yet know how, she could feel the weight of it pressing upon her.

Chapter Text

The Temple was hanger was bathed in early daylight as it pulsed with activity from the constant flow of transports. Freight droids hovered overhead. Merchants moved quickly along the floor, offloading supplies from various vessels. Others coming and going in their Speeders. Aurelia stood still, hands folded lightly behind her back, watching the buzzing scenes around her all go by, she was here to wave goodbye to Anakin.

Padmé and Anakin were still here. Their departure delayed due to an unexpected security protocol, Captain Typho had insisted on rerouting their course after new intelligence revealed a potential Separatist contact in the original sector. The interval, brief as it was, had bought some time. But for what she was meant to be waiting for, she wasn’t still sure, only that the Force needed her close.

Across the hanger, she spotted Anakin arguing with the dockmaster, his hands moving animatedly, his face filled with unabashed annoyance. The Senator stood nearby, gracefully giving orders to the pilots, despite the ongoing chaos.

Anakin noticed Aurelia before she could give him a wave. He jogged over to her, the storm in his eyes clearing, their usual lustre returning, and his signature mischievous grin firmly in place.  “I was starting to think you'd finally gotten tired of chasing me across the galaxy.”

She arched a brow. “More like giving you a head start.”

He laughed, but the concern in his eyes betrayed him. “You alright, Aurey? It looked like you were trying to burn a hole through the floor before I came over.”

“I’m fine,” she said, brushing it off. “I just thought I’d see you off properly this time. Assuming you ever actually leave.”

“Yeah, well... the Force seems determined to keep us here.”

Her smile didn’t quite mask the heaviness in her chest. “Maybe it’s trying to tell you something.”

He tilted his head slightly. “You’ve been seeing things again, haven’t you?”

She couldn’t answer. Not directly. “Just… stay focused, Anakin. Promise me you’ll be careful; I don’t want to lose my friend.”

He exhaled and touched her shoulder gently, his gaze holding hers. “I promise. But there is no need to worry, I will be fine. It’s just Naboo, it’ll be peaceful.”

“You and peaceful don’t really go well together.”

He chuckled, then his voice quieted. “I’ll be careful, I swear.”

Aurelia embraced him then, it took Anakin by surprise, but it didn’t take him long to return the sentiment. In that moment, the rest of the hangar seemed to fall away, the noise, the urgency, the war. All that remained was a sense of something old and familiar. They had grown up together in the shadow of the Temple, shoulder to shoulder through every battle, every scar, every sleepless night. He had been her fire when she doubted. She had been his calm when he raged. A loose curl from her honey-brown hair brushed against his cheek, the scent of temple incense still clinging to her robe. Anakin stilled slightly, then held her tighter.

“Don’t do anything reckless,” she murmured near his ear.
He gave a quiet, lopsided smile. “Now you’re asking for too much, no promises.”

She pulled back just enough to meet his eyes. “Then give me your word that if something doesn’t feel right, anything at all, you’ll listen to your instincts. And you’ll call me.”

His smile faded into something quieter. “I will.”

She didn’t say the other things, things the Force was whispering. That she’d seen him broken, alone, burning with grief. That some part of her was already afraid she was too late. Instead, she just squeezed his hand. And then let go.

A few meters in front of them, Obi-Wan approached Padmé. The tension between the two was almost invisible, but Aurelia noticed the way Padmé’s smile lingered when she looked at him.

“Senator, may the Force be with you. I wish you a safe and pleasant journey.” Obi-Wan said politely. Padmé returned the sentiment with a graceful nod, but her eyes softened as Obi-Wan turned to leave. Aurelia caught the moment. She didn’t dwell on it, not yet. There were more pressing matters.

She turned her gaze toward the departing vessel, her expression indecipherable. The future flickered at the edge of her senses, branching and bending like sunlight onto water. So many paths. So many ways for this to go wrong.

And still, she remained on Coruscant...for now. Bound to duty. Bound to orders. But even as the shuttle lifted off, something inside her had already started to move.

The Force was pulling. And this time, it will not be ignored.

That afternoon, Aurelia had begun her mission. Serving as a Jedi liaison to the infamous Chancellor Palpatine. She stood in his office, head high, shoulders straight, Jedi uniform pristine. The floor-to-ceiling windows bathed the dark polished office in a golden light.

The Supreme Chancellor sat behind his desk, watching her with a politician’s practiced warmth. “I must say, I was met with surprise when The Council assigned you here, yet it was a wise decision on their behalf, Padawan Solari,” he said. “Your reputation precedes you. Calm, measured, insightful... a rare quality in a Jedi so young.”

She inclined her head, framing her answer just like any politician would, she didn’t trust the Chancellor, something in the Force around him made her feel unease. “I serve where the Order asks.”

“Of course.” His gaze narrowed slightly. “You were trained alongside Knight Skywalker, were you not?”

“Yes, Chancellor. We share a Master. Although, Skywalker is not a Knight yet, a common mistake I am sure, given his skill.”

“Ah,” he mused “He is quite...spirited.”

There was a pause. Then he smiled, a strange smile Aurelia thought, there was something eerie about it. “So much potential in that one. Don’t you think?”

Aurelia didn’t change her expression, she remained neutral. “Anakin has many strengths. He’s loyal. Brave. Compassionate.”

“And unpredictable.”

The way he said it sent a chill crawling up her spine.

“Jedi are taught to walk the line between passion and restraint,” she finally said. “Anakin walks it in his own way.”

Indeed,” Palpatine said softly. “And you?

“I walk where the Force leads me, Chancellor.”

He studied her a moment longer. Then he nodded. “Very good, Padawan. Dismissed.”

Something about the interaction had disturbed Aurelia. It made her wonder why he had taken such an interest in Anakin. What was his aim? She knew then that Chancellor might pose a threat, a snake in sheep’s clothing, he mustn’t be trusted. There was something darker at play here.  

Evening shadows cast a veil over The Council chamber, supple and weightless as smoke.  The great circular hall held its usual silence, solemn and suspended as if the walls themselves were preparing to listen. Aurelia stood near the threshold, wrapped in her own quiet, and like the walls around her, she was ready to hear.  Beyond the columns, the twin suns began their descent, the Coruscant skyline burned gold at the horizon’s edge, turning towers into blades of light rising into dusk.

The air was still, but not calm. The Force stirred, low and tense, as though it too heard the Chancellor’s words and found it wanting.

At the centre of the chamber, her Master, Obi-Wan addressed assembled members of The Council. His tone was clipped, controlled, but Aurelia could see the subtle tension lining his shoulders, in the way he held his back a little too straight and gripped his hands tightly behind his back.

“Kamino confirms that the army is nearly operational,” he reported. “Ten thousand units trained, with another twenty thousand on the way.”

Mace Windu learned forward then, his expression unreadable. “And you still believe they were commissioned without the Senate’s knowledge?”

“I imagine that no one in the Senate remembers doing it,” Obi-Wan replied. “The request came from Master Sifo-Dyas. But the accounts show that he died nearly a decade ago.”

A mummer ran through the room then, barely audible, but present, nonetheless. The members all shared a glance with one another.

“Clouded all of this is,” Master Yoda expressed melodiously. “Shadows growing they are.”

From the edges of the chamber, Aurelia felt the weight of it pressing in. Shadows in truth, not just political, but spiritual. Something unseen, moving in the darkness. She didn’t yet know what. Simply, she was starting to understand where it was leading.

As the Masters rose from their seats, their robes shifting like falling banners, Aurelia remained near the obscurities, silent and still. The Council did not call on her. They rarely did; she was still a padawan learner after all. But she watched them closely: the measured rhythm of Mace Windu’s stride, the way Master Yoda lingered just slightly longer before stepping down from his chair, as though listening and waiting for something he could sense.

Obi-Wan caught sight of her as he descended the steps. He moved to her side with his usual quiet grace, the tension from the briefing still present in his posture, still he greeted his padawan learner with a kind smile.

“You heard all of that,” he said softly, more of an observation than a question.

She nodded. “Enough to feel like we’ve built a tower on sand.”

Her Master lightly chuckled. “And the wind is rising.”

She turned towards him fully, searching his face. “You do not trust the clones.”

“I trust what they have been taught,” he replied. “I don’t trust what we have not.”

A moment of pause passed between them.

“I saw the Chancellor today.” She quietly stated.

Obi-Wan furrowed his brow “And what did you learn?”

“He is...calm. Courteous. Polished. However, the Force around him does not move the way it should, it seems disturbed. It is like still water that never ripples. As if he is hiding his reflection.”

Master Kenobi didn’t answer immediately. His gaze drifted towards the windows, watching the night almost swollow the skyline.

“Keep your instincts sharp, Aurelia,” he said at last. “And speak carefully. Especially within the walls of that office.”

She bowed her head. “Yes, Master, I will.”

But even as he walked away, she couldn’t shake the feeling that words wouldn’t be enough.

That night, Aurelia knelt in silence.

The candlelight trembled faintly across the stone walls of her chambers, their glow flickering against her skin like the breath of a ghost. Below, Coruscant mummer, a subdued, distant hum, the sound of a city that never slept, never rested.

The Force pulsed quietly around her, consuming her senses. She reached for it. And it came undone.

Visions broke through her mind like light through shattering glass.

A scream beneath twin suns.

A woman, bound — her face hollow, eyes pleading.

A son kneeling in sand beside a grave.

The Temple, devoured by fire.

Anakin, eyes aglow with fury, no longer his own.

Her breath seized. She collapsed forward, palms flat against cold stone.

The Force wasn’t whispering.

It was weeping.

It was warning.

It was begging to be heard.

Pale beams of morning light filtered through the high windows of The Council chambers, casting the Masters in long silhouettes across the polished floors. Aurelia stood in the centre, robed in reserve. Her hands were folded, and her back straight, the picture of confidence, yet heart thundered in her chest. They won’t believe me, she thought. But she needs to try for the sake of the galaxy. For the sake of Anakin’s fate.  

“I request permission to accompany Padawan Skywalker and Senator Amidala to Naboo,” she said, voice steady despite the tremor behind it.

A pause. Wind stirred the hem of Master Yoda’s robes.

“You were assigned to the Chancellor,” Mace Windu said slowly, folding his hands. “A high appointment. One not easily set aside.”

His tone was measured, but beneath it, Aurelia heard his suspicion. He didn’t trust her instincts. Perhaps he never had.

“I’m aware of the assignment, and it is one I took with great honour, knowing the trust that was bestowed upon me,” she replied. “Nevertheless, the Force has made it clear, that is not where I’m needed.”

Ki-Adi-Mundi tilted his head. “You believe Skywalker is in danger?”

Aurelia hesitated. Not because she doubted it but because there was no simple way to explain what she’d seen.

“Yes,” she said. “But not only him. The Order. The future. Something’s shifting beneath us all.”

The Council exchanged quiet glances. Even Plo Koon looked concerned.

“Dreams, you have had,” Yoda said soothingly.

“Visions,” Aurelia quietly replied. “Tangled paths. In all of them, Anakin stands at the centre. And everything breaks around him.”

Windu’s eyes narrowed. “You’ve always been...gifted...with the Force. However, visions are not a certainty. And Skywalker, emotional and reckless as he is, is hardly the most stable foundation for prophecy.”

The words hit harder than she expected. But she didn’t flinch.

I know what I saw. I know what I felt.

“I trust the Force,” she said simply.

For a moment, silence reclaimed the chamber. Then Yoda’s gaze met hers, ancient, steady, full of mutual respect, and slowly, he nodded.

“Strong in your convictions, you are. Trust them, we must.”

Windu didn’t look pleased. But he gave a curt nod. “Very well. Permission granted. But remember you are not on assignment. You are there to observe. Nothing more.”

Aurelia bowed. “Understood. Thank you Masters, I will not take this opportunity for granted.”

Yet as she turned to leave, she could still feel Windu’s gaze on her, like a weight between her shoulder blades.

They don’t see it yet, she thought. But they will.

Daybreak cracked along the edges of the skyline, a pale hush breaking over the endless sprawl of Coruscant. The Jedi Temple stood tall behind her, silhouetted in the golden haze like a monument to everything that was and everything that might soon be lost. Aurelia sat alone in the cockpit of the shuttle. The soft hum of repulsorlifts vibrated through the deck plates, steady and hushed like a held breath. She hadn’t slept. She hadn’t even tried. Aurelia had a mission, and she wasn’t going to stop.

Her hands hovered over the controls, but her mind was still in the Council chamber… still in the visions… still with him.

Anakin standing in fire.

The Temple in ruin.

A scream beneath twin suns.

The Force definitely was not murmuring this time. It pressed around her like cold air before a storm, electric and certain. She didn’t know exactly what she was walking into. But she knew what would happen if she stayed behind. The shuttle lifted gently into the air. The city began to fall away beneath her, towers and speeder lanes shrinking into the distance. She glanced once, just once, at the Temple as it disappeared behind a veil of clouds.

Too many futures. Too many ways to lose him.

But not this time.

This time, she was going to stand in the way.