Cassandra hovered beside Anakin in the back of the shuttle. He sank heavily onto a vacant bunk, bowing his head over his knees. "How are you doing? The old man put you through a lot."

Tipping his head to the side, Anakin brushed a fringe of hair off his forehead. "I'm tired. I'll rest."

Dark circles ringed his bloodshot eyes. Neither of them had gotten much rest last night because of the Son's cruel trick. The Fake Shmi's appearance had rattled him badly.

Some wounds never heal. Losing his mother had left a gaping hole in Anakin's heart. Cassandra had no idea how to help him. His heart was now a raw and bleeding thing because of those selfish demigods.

The old man called Anakin to Mortis as if he expected the Jedi to use a mop to clean up his mess for him.

Cassandra wished she could take away her Jedi's pain even for a moment. For it cut her right to the bone to see him hurting this way. She scooted closer, rubbing his back in soothing circles. He stared blankly into the distance. "When you're ready to talk about things, I'm here." She whispered, kissing his cheek.

"I know." Anakin sighed and stretched out on the bunk completely drained. Every part of his body ached and throbbed. 'Cassandra's devotion is no small thing. She stood up for me against the old man, ready to beat him with her staff. Seeing my mother, hearing her voice again...in a rush brought back the moment she died in my arms. The agony, the helpless rage, the fury, the shame and the bloodlust.'

Cassandra retrieved a blanket from a cupboard and draped it over him. She kissed his forehead gently, her soft lips a balm to his wounded heart. "Sleep." She stroked the side of his face and murmured. "If you need me, I'll be in the cockpit with the others."

Left alone, Anakin allowed his thoughts to drift. 'Cassandra is the only one who cares. As a Jedi, Obi-Wan assumes I've put the loss behind me. I'm not the Jedi I should be; I've always been different. I can never forget what happened on Tatooine. It haunts my every step. Only Cassandra acknowledges my pain, saying I have a right to grieve but I can never tell her what I did.'

Gradually, sleep took hold like a tide pulling him out to sea. Anakin surrendered to the pull, knowing Cassandra was nearby if he needed her.

*********************************************************************************************

The sooner they left this planet, the better. Cassandra wouldn't feel safe until they were in open space again which said a lot since she generally disliked flying in open space.

The shuttle rose into the clouds, a wall of wispy white surrounding them. Cassandra strapped herself in with the harness, fumbling the buckle with trembling fingers. She reached for her magic feeling its warmth spread through her bad hand flowing through the damaged nerves like liquid gold.

The Mystic Arts could be used to return Cassandra's hand to normal, but the cost would be her power. Like Stephen Strange she would learn to live with the change because she had gained so much more. If it were not for her magic, she never would have met Anakin.

Then, again maybe she would have if the old man was telling the truth. They were a Dyad in the Force. Whatever that meant. Cassandra wasn't a Jedi and didn't understand how it was possible.

With a frustrated sigh, she released her hold on her magic. At least her damaged hand stopped shaking.

A moment later Ahsoka jumped up from the co-pilot's seat. "I'll be back. I want to check on something." She told Obi-Wan who nodded in acknowledgment.

Cassandra suspected the Padawan was checking on Anakin. Though they bickered often, Ahsoka clearly cared for him like an older brother.

She resisted the urge to follow the Togruta out the door and remained in the cockpit with Obi-Wan. The older Jedi held the controls with practiced ease.

"You're being quiet." Obi-Wan remarked.

"That's because I don't have anything to say." She told him.

"Hmm." The Jedi made a skeptical noise.

Cassandra didn't care what he thought. She wished he'd fly faster and get them the hell off this stupid planet. The shuttle glided sedately through the atmosphere as if Obi-Wan were in no rush.

Without even realizing it, she had gotten used to the normality of traveling between planets. An unthinkable act before Anakin Skywalker showed up at Kamar Taj and transfixed her with his intense blue eyes and clumsy attempts to flirt with her. Cassandra grinned.

"Why are you smiling?" Obi-Wan's suspicious question cut through her warm and fuzzy haze.

She concealed her smile with her hand. "No reason."

"Well, keep your guard up. We're not off Mortis yet." The Jedi warned.

As if Cassandra wasn't aware of that. She had her doubts about whether the old man would keep his word and let them go. He was too desperate for Anakin to take his place. "If you're so concerned about getting off Mortis, then maybe you should fly faster." She suggested sweetly. "A turtle can pass us at this speed."

Obi-Wan pinched the bridge of his nose. "What exactly is a turtle?"

Before she could reply Anakin burst into the cockpit, panicked. "The Son took, Ahsoka!"

"What?" Obi-Wan startled, gaping at the Jedi uncomprehending.

"Move, you gotta let me fly!" Anakin shoved the Jedi out of the way taking control of the ship.

Through the windshield, Ahsoka dangled limply from the claws of the Son's giant bat form. The shuttle rolled erratically in the air before it leveled out.

Damn it. Cassandra hated it when she was right.

"Slow down!" Obi-Wan scolded, picking himself off the floor.

The sky darkened, pillars of stone appearing from out of the fog. Anakin swerved around them erratically, tracking the Son's meandering flight. "It's my fault he took her!"

The fog grew thicker, absorbing the bat. Anakin lost track of him and cursed. Desperation radiated from him in waves.

"Anakin, we'll save her." Cassandra reassured him. They had their magic back. Whatever the Son hoped to achieve would fail.

A giant tower made of emerald glass appeared from the gloom, glowing with a sickly light. The shuttle hurtled at deadly speeds toward its walls. Cassandra yelped and threw her arms up to shield herself. "Look out!"

Swerving at the last second, they avoided colliding with the building. Anakin lost control, the shuttle taking a nosedive. The ship plowed through the ground, the underside groaning ominously as it bumped over rugged terrain, skidding wildly to a stop on a dismal looking field.

Stunned, Cassandra sat there, her heart threatening to burst from her chest. Dear God, that was close!

Anakin slumped over the console, his ears ringing from the crash. Moaning, he raised his head. "Cass?"

On edge, she jerked wildly at the sound of her name. "What?"

"Cass?" He called again, moving slowly as he got his bearings. "Are you hurt?"

Cassandra composed herself. "I'm alright."

Broken wires showered sparks over the cockpit, dangling free from broken panels. Cassandra wriggled free of her harness and crouched beside Anakin. Her legs wobbled underneath her, so she sank to her knees gripping his thigh. "I'm here."

In blind panic over Ahsoka's abduction, Anakin had forgotten his wife was aboard. He could have gotten her killed! Shame burned his face. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Cassandra smiled weakly, still shaken. "Things happen."

"You're being so understanding. This is my fault." Anakin rose and helped her stand. Cassandra swayed against him. He steadied her, fingers lingering around her wrist, reluctant to release her. "Are you sure you're, okay?" He tipped her chin up and stared into her eyes.

"I'm sure."

He swiped his thumbs back and forth across her cheeks in an absentminded caress. "I'm sorry."

Despite Cassandra's brave words she appeared agitated by the crash. Yet again, his impatience had gotten the best of him. Conscious of Obi-Wan watching them, Anakin released her and stepped back.

"I didn't think you saw it." Obi-Wan remarked, brushing his hair away from his forehead.

"It was a giant tower! Of course I saw it!" Anakin retorted, stalking from the cockpit. A ceiling panel dangling by its hinge snapped free, crashing to the floor behind him.

Stepping over the fallen panel, Cassandra hurried after her husband.

Her Jedi staggered down the ramp, broad shoulders tight around his ears. The back of his neck was red.

Cassandra lost her balance and tripped, slamming into his back. "Oops."

Anakin reached behind him and steadied her. "I'll go after the Son." He said, looking toward the tower the shuttle almost plowed into. "Remain with the ship, Cass."

"Someone has to stay with the shuttle." Obi-Wan joined them. "We can't afford to lose our only means of transportation. I'll go with you Anakin. There's no telling what the Son has planned."

Cassandra touched his forearm. "Be careful."

Anakin's trademark cocky smirk returned. "I always am."

"We both know that's not true." Cassandra reminded him. "Remember how you flew me into a space battle when we first met?"

"Hey!" Anakin objected.

Obi-Wan snickered. "The sorceress has a point."

Cassandra grinned, folding her arms. She tipped her head in the direction of the tower. "Get going, hero. I'll be here when you get back."

Anakin walked backward down the ramp, never taking his eyes off her. "Promise?"

"I promise."

*********************************************************************************************

Cassandra raised wards around the shuttle. A golden wave of power rolled out from her feet swelling to encompass the ship. The Mirror Dimension would work better to conceal the ship. However, she had no clue how the unstable energy of Mortis would react to her summoning another dimension. Better play it safe.

She perched at the top of the ramp to wait for Anakin and the others. The field lacked cover for an enemy to conceal themselves, the land entirely flat. From her vantage, Cassandra would be able to see someone approach from way off.

Hours passed in silence. She kept her eyes peeled on the tower and waited for the Jedi to return.

Finally, Cassandra spotted movement on the horizon. Three figures strode across the field. She straightened, clutching her staff in a death grip.

The clouds passed overhead, a shaft of moonlight spilling across the approaching group. Cassandra breathed a sigh of relief when she recognized Anakin's tall lean frame and Obi-Wan's stocky build. She dispelled the wards and dashed across the field to meet them. "Looks like your mission was a success."

A subdued Ahsoka answered. "Not exactly. The Daughter was killed."

Cassandra glanced at Anakin and Obi-Wan for an answer. "What happened?"

"The Son attempted to kill the Father. The Daughter leaped in the way and took the death blow." Obi-Wan said, rubbing a hand over his face. "We need to fix the ship and get out of here."

Yeah. With one of the Force Wielders dead, their group could end up the target for a revenge strike. Cassandra led the way back to the shuttle. "Everyone, get on board, I'll redo the wards."

A/N: The Mortis arc wraps up next chapter. I hope you enjoyed this! Have a great day!