**Chapter 414 – What Remains**
The training deck of the *Finalizer* was quiet except for the low hum of the ship's engines and the occasional spark from a damaged practice remote. Nox stood with his arms crossed, watching Ahsoka Tano pace back and forth like a caged nexu. Her montrals twitched with every sharp turn.
"This is complicated for me too," Nox admitted, voice low. "But I consider it practice. Ashara and I… we lost our daughter before she ever drew breath. Helping you navigate this mess might be the closest I get to being useful as a father right now."
Ahsoka stopped pacing. Her shoulders sagged.
"I was his Padawan first," she said, the words tumbling out. "His partner when he rescued Kayla, Flare, and Stella. I watched him chase the darkness out of them. When I lost my squadron… when I felt like I was drowning in guilt, he was there. Every single time it was *him* helping *me*. And the one time I tried to help him—on Jabiim—I saw it. The darkness rising in him. Then Durge stabbed me and Dagon… he risked everything to protect me. Dagon healed me."
She laughed bitterly, wiping at her eyes.
"Why is it always him saving me? Why can't I ever be the one strong enough for him?"
Nox let the silence sit for a moment before speaking.
"I understand the feeling of not being good enough," he said quietly. "It was hell clawing my way up to Sith Lord. Even worse reaching the Dark Council. But Ahsoka… you can't hold his protectiveness against him. You were his Padawan. He saw you as his daughter long before anything between you two took that… turn."
"It's not weird," Ahsoka snapped, cheeks already flushing. "It's love."
Nox raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
"You were fifteen when he took you as his Padawan. He was twenty-six. What did he do? Spoiled you with treats from every planet you visited. Taught you with patience most Sith could never manage. Encouraged you to try new things, to push your limits without breaking. Every gentle lesson, every quiet moment of pride… that was him trying desperately to stay *normal*. To stay *Dagon*. But the war, the darkness, and all of us pushed him to become something more."
Ahsoka's flush deepened as memories flooded back—Dagon's warm voice correcting her saber form, the way he'd ruffle her montrals after a successful mission, the quiet pride in his eyes when she mastered a new technique. All of it painted in a different light now.
"He just wanted a family, Ahsoka," Nox said softly. "Under all that war-hardened shell, under the titles and the power… he's someone who wants a family. Someone to come home to. Someone who looks at him and sees *him*, not the weapon."
Tears welled up again. Ahsoka tried to blink them away, but they spilled over anyway.
Nox stepped closer and placed a steady hand on her shoulder.
"Dagon wants you. Right now. He's in the bed quarters at Finalizer headquarters. He's transferring command over there tonight. Don't be late."
Ahsoka stood frozen for half a second, then nodded fiercely. Without another word she turned and ran—boots pounding against the deck plating as she sprinted toward the hangar.
Nox watched her go, a tired but genuine smile crossing his face.
"May the Force be with you, kid," he murmured. "You're both going to need it."