In the hangar complex adjacent to the Jedi Temple, Anakin stood watching his 501st Legion prepare for their upcoming deployment. His attention drifted to Hardcase, Jesse, and Kix, their animated conversation carrying across the deck in overlapping bursts of enthusiasm and laughter.
The three had accidentally detonated some ordnance during their last mission, leaving Jesse and Kix with fresh scars they wore like badges of honor. The Jedi Council had been less than pleased, but Anakin saw only their courage and resilience.
His mind wandered back through countless battles fought alongside these men. They'd trusted him with their lives, followed him through suicide missions and impossible odds. They'd survived strategies that would've gotten anyone else killed, all because they believed in him. Because he'd proven, time and again, that he would never abandon them.
Yes, Anakin knew his approach to combat bordered on reckless. But he led from the front precisely to show his men they could trust him. Trust built through shared risk.
Yet now, standing here watching them prepare, Anakin felt that everything he'd given them wasn't enough.
Not long ago, the Avengers had gathered him and his apprentice, along with Barriss, Obi-Wan, and Aayla. When they'd begun discussing the clones, Anakin had experienced emotions he couldn't fully name. Frustration. Anger. Fear. Guilt. None of those words captured the full weight of what he'd felt.
His thoughts pulled him back to that meeting in the Avengers' quarters.
Ahsoka had collapsed into the nearest seat, looking utterly shattered. Barriss appeared completely devastated. Aayla had tried desperately to confirm whether what the Avengers discovered on Kamino was actually true, and when they'd confirmed it, shock had blanked her expression entirely.
When Obi-Wan learned something had been implanted in their forces, he'd fallen silent. But Anakin could sense his former master's thoughts and emotions through the Force. Confusion and turmoil, tangled together like razor wire.
Padmé had appeared then, crossing the room to place her hands gently on Anakin's shoulders. Offering comfort even though her presence there put her at risk. Made their secret relationship more obvious.
Anakin had cursed the surveillance they all knew existed, gripping Padmé's hand like a lifeline. In that tense moment, she'd been unusually alert, moving from Obi-Wan to Aayla to Barriss to Ahsoka, conveying silent support through her presence alone.
Whether the others knew about the biochips implanted in their heads or not, Anakin felt he'd failed his clone troopers. Failed the men who trusted him.
Ahsoka felt the same way, her distress radiating through their training bond. Her relationship with the clones had long transcended simple camaraderie. They were brothers in all but blood.
Barriss and Aayla, along with Obi-Wan, had all expressed anger in their own ways. All had wanted to immediately inform the other Jedi. The Avengers had stopped them.
Ahsoka had been on the verge of breaking down entirely. Barriss had looked deeply troubled, hands clenched tight as she fought to maintain control. Obi-Wan had seemed particularly worried, unease written in every line of his posture.
But Anakin's reaction had been worse. His expression had shifted from confusion to disbelief, emotions building like a tsunami gathering strength. He'd made an excuse and left the room.
A moment later, angry shouts had erupted from where he'd gone. Everyone had rushed in to find the space in shambles. Lightsaber marks scored the walls, furniture lay in pieces, equipment sparked and smoked.
Anakin sat in the center of the chaos, breathing heavily, rage still burning in his eyes. As they watched, the red slowly faded back to natural blue. His body gradually stilled from its trembling, though his heart clearly still needed an outlet for the news he'd received.
Sam hadn't sugarcoated it. "Why'd you react like that?"
Anakin hung his head, not responding immediately. When he finally spoke, his voice came out raw. "I was a slave."
The words dropped like stones into still water. The Avengers all showed visible shock.
"Before I became a Jedi, my mother and I lived as slaves on Tatooine." His voice carried fractures, pieces of something broken that had never properly healed.
The Avengers' gazes shifted to Padmé and Obi-Wan, who both nodded confirmation.
Ahsoka, Barriss, and Aayla looked equally stunned, their slightly parted lips revealing inner turmoil.
Several people opened their mouths to ask questions, but Steve cut them off firmly. "Now's not the time to make him relive that."
Anakin seemed ready to say more, but he glanced at Padmé beside him. Whatever he saw in her expression made him choose silence instead, offering only a reluctant nod.
With everyone's help, Anakin returned to the main room. Fatigue shrouded him like a physical weight, as if he'd fought an endless battle and lost.
"There's still much we don't know about these chips," Natasha began carefully. "Why they were implanted. What triggers them. But if word spreads throughout the Republic military that the clones are being controlled, it'll cause mass panic."
"This whole thing is insane," Rhodey muttered.
"The problems we're facing are way beyond anything we can control," Scott added pointedly.
"So what?" Anakin's voice carried an edge of desperation. "We just watch our warriors get controlled by these things? They stop being our brothers and become enslaved combat droids? They could turn on us. Turn on each other. Turn on the Republic."
Sam crossed his arms. "This isn't gonna be easy, Anakin. We need to move carefully."
Peter leaned against the wall, speaking quietly. "We did the right thing bringing this to you. But we've got a lot more problems to solve before we can act."
"Who knows how many people will completely lose it if this gets out," Pietro pointed out.
Barriss frowned, worry evident in her voice. "Shouldn't we at least inform the Jedi Council? This is too important to keep secret."
"We need to understand this more deeply before we decide anything," Matt said calmly.
"Our lawyer's right," Hope said, patting the shoulder of the man some called the blind hero, her tone carrying a hint of levity despite the circumstances.
Matt continued, "First priority is learning everything we can about these biochips and the clone army's true origins."
"Before deciding on any action, no matter how large or small, you need complete information," T'Challa added, his words carrying the weight of royal wisdom.
"Any rash action, especially going public or widening the circle of who knows, might provoke a violent reaction from whoever's behind this," Natasha concluded decisively.
Anakin looked anxious, hesitating before speaking. Obi-Wan spoke instead. "The hidden Sith Lord. Ultron gave us his name."
The Avengers all nodded silently. They'd witnessed the recorded evidence Peter brought back from Kamino themselves.
"When Dooku captured me before the First Battle of Geonosis, he mentioned how a Sith Lord had infiltrated the Republic. Was working within the Senate." Obi-Wan's words drew sharp attention from several people in the room.
Padmé and the Padawans looked shocked. They'd been unaware. Some of the Avengers were clearly hearing this for the first time as well.
"Wait, what?" Peter asked, genuine astonishment in his voice. "There's a traitor in the Senate? That's..."
Sam gave a bitter smile. "We're dealing with another Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D. situation."
"Hydra? S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Ahsoka and Barriss whispered in near unison, confusion evident.
"We'll explain later," Natasha said. "Point is, what happened to us has a lot of similarities to what might be happening here."
"So you understand how to handle this correctly," Obi-Wan observed.
Sam shrugged. "Except here, we need to be even more careful."
"I can barely sleep knowing Rex, Domino Squad, and the rest of my men could turn into mindless droids at any moment," Anakin's voice rose with agitation. "Just following whatever orders someone programs into them."
Ahsoka felt the resonance of his distress through their bond. She rubbed her arm absently, deep sorrow visible in her expression. Obi-Wan and Barriss tried to maintain composure, but the grief in their hearts was impossible to fully hide.
Aayla crossed to the troubled Jedi, placing a comforting hand on Anakin's shoulder. "I understand how you feel. Believe me, I don't want this any more than you do. Thinking of Bly, Lightning, Cameron, and my other brothers being controlled by these chips..." She paused, voice catching slightly. "It breaks my heart."
Anakin looked up at her. "Then what do we do?"
Aayla responded calmly, her Twi'lek composure reasserting itself. "The Avengers are right. Recklessness won't help. We must be patient. This isn't just about the Jedi. It's about our army, our Republic, the entire galaxy."
Anakin studied Aayla, the Jedi Knight he'd considered a close friend long before the war began. They'd fought together, shared victories and losses. Though they hadn't spoken extensively over the years, an understanding existed between them. Trust.
The Avengers had demonstrated through their actions that they trusted Aayla too. She was one of only five Jedi they'd brought into this, which spoke volumes.
"Why tell us at all?" Barriss asked quietly. "You could've taken this to the Council, to the Senate, even to the Supreme Chancellor."
"We talked it over with the other four first," Scott replied, waving a hand vaguely.
"But why us specifically?" Ahsoka pressed, staring at the Earth heroes with confusion plain in her eyes.
The Avengers fell briefly silent. Finally, Peter spoke. "Because we trust you."
"You trust us?" Obi-Wan asked, something searching in his tone.
"Yeah," Peter said simply. "We've fought together so many times. You've stood up for us when others questioned us. You've had our backs."
The answer was like warmth cutting through cold fear and anxiety. A reminder that trust, once earned, could be the foundation for overcoming impossible odds.
"In a worst case scenario," Steve said with quiet finality, "you'll know exactly who stands with you. We've seen enough to know you're people we can count on. That's why we came to you first."
Obi-Wan smiled, a genuine expression of warmth that softened his features. "I find myself genuinely touched by that trust."
The other Jedi showed more conflicted expressions. Barriss hesitated, then spoke softly but firmly. "I want to tell my Master about this. This isn't something I'm willing to hide from her."
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