After the Darkness Shines Through the Light

by creativside, SuperQueeroTrash

Summary:

A Master and a Padawan are meant to choose each other. Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano never had that choice. Now, after years on the battlefield, they choose to share a night of unbridled passion…and feelings that have weighed heavy on their hearts. Attachment is forbidden for Jedi, but Anakin and Ahsoka always break the rules anyway. By night the two share all they are. By day they fight side by side to save a wartorn galaxy - Anakin because it is his destiny and Ahsoka because she must follow her Master. Every struggle weaves them closer together in the Force. After all, it is the will of the Force they are side by side, and who are they to deny the Force's will?

For Anakin, Ahsoka is a bright light guiding him away from the Dark. Ahsoka has been called fearless, and is not afraid of his darkness. There are greater threats to the galaxy, and to the Light, than Anakin. Now, as a web of impending devastation wraps ever tighter around everyone and betrayals disrupt everything they thought they knew about the Order, Darkness and Light, and the nature of the Force itself, Anakin and Ahsoka will have to face the truth of what they have become, and the cosmic destiny that has chosen them both.

Chapter 1: An Inch Away From More than Just Friends

Notes:

Recommended Listening:
Naked in Manhattan - Chappell Roan
Sailor Song - Gigi Perez
it would feel like this - girl in red
First Time - Lifehouse

“Touch me baby, put your lips on mine.

Could go to hell but we’ll probably be fine.

I know you want it, baby you can have it.

Oooh I’ve never done it, let’s make it cinematic.

Like that one sex scene that’s in Mulholland Drive.

I wanna know baby, what is it like?

I know you want it, baby you can have it.

Oooh I’ve never done it

Naked in Manhattan.”

 - Naked in Manhattan, Chappell Roan

 

Ahsoka walked through the halls of the Jedi Temple, head held high despite nerves singing through her veins. It had taken hours to build up her courage; after reading the texts about the ancient Jedi Practicum - and jokingly discussing them with her peers, as all Padawans did - she had made her decision. However, it was one thing to joke about it, and another entirely to do what she was about to. She breathed, checked that her headdress was sitting correctly, and called out, “Master, are you in there?”

 

A pause, and then, “Uh - yeah come in Snips.”

 

His voice had a husky quality, as though he were half conscious or distracted. If it were anyone else Ahsoka would assume she’d startled them from meditation, but knowing Anakin it meant he’d been asleep or tinkering with some piece of tech. Just her luck. She really shouldn’t be here, she knew. Not for the reasons she was, at least. But they’d never had a conventional Master/Padawan relationship. It wouldn't be the first time she’d found herself in his room late at night. He wouldn’t think anything of it. Ahsoka entered her Master’s quarters quickly. She took a moment, leaning back against his door to take another breath before -

 

“Hi Master.” She imagined the smile she gave him projected confidence, but was suspicious it only betrayed her insecurities. “I hoped you’d be here.” 

 

Anakin stood and stretched, his tank top riding up a little, and Ahsoka had to work to keep her gaze from lingering on the strip of skin that appeared. He gave her that look that always had her worried he was reading her thoughts. She checked, not for the first time, that her shields over their bond were solid.

 

“If you're looking for an escape from the heat, the cooling systems are down here in the Knight's wing as well.” He smirked. “Wonder how long maintenance will keep everyone sweating it out before they let me take a crack at it. Of course, I do have one thing Padawan quarters don't - a conservator. You want something cold?” 

 

Without waiting for an answer, Anakin headed through the other door in the room, toward the tiny kitchenette all Knight’s quarters had. Ahsoka was vaguely aware of a hint of curiosity across their bond. He wasn’t shielding himself, and her shields had proven nearly impossible at keeping him out, even if he wasn’t trying to share what he was feeling. 

 

“Try not to worry too much, they'll get the systems fixed.” He called from the other room.

 

Ahsoka quirked an eye-marking at that. Why would he think she was worried? Unless… She didn’t have as tight a lid on her side of the bond as she thought. She corrected that, and stepped further into the room, peering into where he’d headed. It occurred to her that he probably had been mostly fine in the heat. After all, Coruscant’s climate controlled atmosphere had nothing on Tatooine, where he grew up. And "suffering" through a heat wave when he had access to as much to drink as he wanted, cooling towels like the one draped around his neck, and cold showers - it was more like luxury than suffering. And that annoyed Ahsoka. Not that he was so capable of coping, but how differently they were treated simply because he was a Knight and older than her. After being on the battlefield in all sorts of climate conditions they were practically peers. Everything he could handle she could, she’d proven that. It didn’t make sense. 

 

“Every time I come here, I forget how big your room is compared with mine. You really could share this much space.” 

 

Anakin shrugged, then bent to open the conservator. 

 

“Masters have even bigger suites. And you've seen Master Yoda's quarters, he's got more space than some people's entire houses.” 

 

With Anakin’s attention occupied rummaging through the tiny conservator, Ahsoka went back over to the edge of his bed and perched there, crossing her legs and trying to arrange herself in the most alluring way possible. The effect was spoiled when, as soon as he reappeared, she had to catch the drink Anakin tossed her. He didn’t seem to notice anything. At least he kept talking like he hadn’t. 

 

“Besides, I let you in here often enough, don't I?” He nudged her teasingly in the Force. “Somehow taking up the entire floor with your research when you have papers due.” 

 

Ahsoka squeezed the bottle tighter than she needed to. This was not the time to be talking about studying. At least… not studying texts. It wasn’t until Anakin spoke again that she realized she’d let her thoughts wander.

 

“No comeback, Snips?” He quirked an eyebrow. “Is the heat getting to you that bad, I didn't think Togruta were particularly sensitive to it.” 

 

When Anakin walked closer to the bed, Ahsoka had to fight the urge to move away. She looked up at him, so close to her, towering over her.

 

“You do look flushed.” He said, smirking.

 

That caused her to flush some more. He draped the cooling towel he'd been wearing around her neck, cracked open his drink, and tapped the side of hers. 

 

“Drink up.” His brow was furrowed now, and she felt concern coming off him in waves. “Are you dizzy? Nauseous? I know you tend to forget fluids when you’re busy.” 

 

“No! No.” She ran a hand under her back head tail. It felt like he was determined to keep her head tails flushed. “I feel just fine... Anakin.” She took another breath, and looked him in the eyes. “Can you join me on the bed? Please?”

 

Something fluttered over the bond from Anakin at the invite. They'd occasionally, incidentally, sat on his bed together. Ahsoka worried now that he might think this was just another one of those times. Just like when he touched her to fix her stances. Or they danced together - close together, around campfires. Or worse, that he might want it to be one of those times. Casual. For him. He might not want it to be anything. All she was getting from him as he sat was curiosity and confusion in the Force.

 

“Snips...Ahsoka... is everything okay? You seem nervous. What’s going on? Why are you shielded?”

 

Ahsoka laughed nervously. It was almost time to let him in, to open herself up to him. Almost. Not yet. “Nothing’s wrong, Anakin.” She angled herself toward him, so that when he mirrored her, they were facing each other, in almost-meditative poses, legs crossed, both completely on the bed. Simple movements. “I just… have something important to me that I want to talk to you about.”

 

He smiled in a way that usually reassured her but right now made her heart flutter. 

 

“Take your time Ahsoka. We're in no rush. And when you're ready to talk to me, I'm here, listening.” 

 

“I'm in a rush!” She blurted out. “If I lose my courage I'll end up storming out of here and everything will be ruined.”  

 

“Uh...Snips?” He said slowly.

 

“What?“ She snapped back.

 

“Take a deep breath.” His voice was steady, calm. Stern.

 

She did as he’d said, and saw him inhale in time with her. 

 

“You’re running really high.” He continued in that same tone, the one that she drew strength from, that let her know everything would be alright. “I promise, whatever it is you want to talk about, it’s not the end of the world.”

 

Ahsoka took another breath. He was right. She didn’t want to come across as desperate, or too eager. She reminded herself of the speech she’d practiced. All she had to do was say it, word for word. Easy.

 

Anakin took a long gulp of his drink. She sensed his concern, which was the last thing she wanted from him right now. He passed her his open bottle, and all but commanded - 

 

“Take a sip, and a breath, and talk to me .”

 

She sipped, breathed, removed her shielding from their bond, and began. 

 

“I'm the only senior Padawan - at least, the only one interested in sex - who's still a virgin, and I need you to help me fix that.” 

 

Anakin thought...a lot of things about that statement. He was not considering this. For starters, she was younger than he had been when he'd...was this normal? He'd always thought for a Jedi he'd started early. She was staring at him expectantly. Nervously. And…there was something else there too, over the bond.

 

“Being a virgin at your age is nothing to be ashamed of. Or a problem to ‘fix.’” Yes, good, this was what she needed to hear, what a Master should say to a Padawan with this...dilemma . “If anyone is making you feel like that puts you…’behind the class’ that's their problem, not yours.”

 

Ahsoka suppressed a growl. Somehow, she’d really thought this would be as simple as telling him she wanted, needed him. “Anakin, I want you to teach me how to kriff. Can't you get that through your flyboy skull?” 

 

Ahsoka’s eyes widened at how far off script she had just gone, that speaking to her Master so flippantly was not only not her plan but could get her in trouble in normal circumstances, which this was anything but. It was just that she hadn’t planned on everything being so overwhelming; the heat, his nearness. And with both their shields down, not only could he sense her much more easily, but she had a no holds barred, all-access pass to the thoughts and feelings of the most powerful Force-strong being alive. 

 

Anakin raised an eyebrow, a little stunned.“Ahsoka, there's a lot wrong with what you just said. For starters, that's Master flyboy to you. And I've got serious concerns about the rest of this. Not the least of which being you are my Padawan . If the only reason you're interested in sex is some asinine belief that you're behind everybody and you need to ‘solve’ that then you shouldn't be doing this with anyone. At all .”

 

He was pretty sure she was using bravado to cover nerves, and he'd learned the only way to break through when she was like this was to give it right back. He crossed his arms. “If all you're after is a progress marker, anyone could give you a few hard thrusts and leave you with a bloody cunt to rectify the situation. You didn't need to come here and risk the sanctity of our relationship as Master and Padawan.”

 

Ahsoka felt miserable. “That's not...” She whined and pulled her arms tight around her chest. “I want to... and I thought... you're my Master so I wanted to learn with you.” She took another breath, and before she could think better of it, reached behind her neck to unhook the fastening on her battle tunic and let it fall to catch around her hips, revealing undergarments Anakin had definitely never seen before. She was certain she wasn't supposed to have them. At least, not unless she was on the kind of assignment where they might be useful, and then she’d have to be specially trained and, Force, she was really in revealing underwear in front of her Master right now.

 

“I'm supposed to learn with you. That's what we used to do.”  

 

Anakin tried and almost succeeded to breath through and push away the flash of heat that went from the top of his head to settle between his legs at the sight of his Padawan. He was suddenly wishing he was in layers of robes, not lounge pants and a sleeveless shirt, to better hide his physical reaction. Ahsoka looked… where had she gotten that thing? He shouldn't be looking. But then, she wanted him to look. He cleared his throat, and gentled his tone. In the Force, he offered a supportive nudge. “What do you mean what ‘we’ used to do? ” 

 

Ahsoka smiled. Things were back on track. She glanced down his body and could see she hadn’t ruined things after all. “I found a source, well another Padawan did, in the archives on Jedi relationships and intimacy. It says that about ten thousand years ago, Masters always facilitated the sexual education of their students. I thought…” She met his eyes with a newly burning confidence. “You've taught me so much else. It seemed right to come to you. Master.”

 

Anakin sighed, a little amused, “The Practicum.” The flash of recognition in her eyes told him all he needed to know. Eventually all Padawans stumbled upon this particularly scandalous and rarely discussed piece of history, and usually made their Masters feel very awkward by asking questions about it. But that’s not what Ahsoka was doing. He met her eyes. Anakin had come to know Ahsoka so well over the last couple of years. His Padawan had trust issues bad enough they were highlighted in her file, but she trusted him . She always had. She was trusting him now. That was no small thing, where he was from - intimate trust. “You would have research to back this up.” She only smiled in response, giving a coy shrug that tugged at the delicate and numerous straps on the thing she was wearing. “Ahsoka, what makes you think I even have anything to teach you regarding this?” 

 

He was trying to gauge exactly what she had in mind for this evening. Learning with him...did she hope they'd fumble through a first time together? He needed to know. Anakin realized with a start that knowing exactly what she wanted to experience meant he had already stopped telling himself he wouldn't help make it a reality. He...was actually considering, no, planning sex with his Padawan.

 

Ahsoka smirked. “Because Master, of all the rumors.” 

 

“What ru- oh.” He chuckled. “Padawan gossip network is alive and well I see.” He let his tone shift - he was flirting now. It felt...good. “Tell me, my Padawan, what rumors do they tell about your Master?”

 

Ahsoka blushed all the way through her head-tails. “I know they're not true, because when would you have time?” She shifted under his stare. He clearly wasn’t letting her off that easily. “Supposedly you have someone in every port. Casual flings, nothing that breaks the Code.” 

 

Anakin took the bottle from where Ahsoka had set it down and took another swig. “You said the rumors are why you think I have something to teach you. Now you say you know the rumors aren't true. You're right. Fighting a war and training doesn't leave me with much time for romance. But that begs the question; if you already know I'm not kriffing some sidepiece in every starport, then what, exactly, do you think is true about what I have to teach you?” 

 

“You're my Master, you have everything to teach me. Even if the rumors are exaggerated…I know you aren’t inexperienced.”

 

Anakin quirked an eyebrow. “Do you now?”

 

“Come on Master. You're you! I know you aren't a virgin.” She gave him a pointed look. 

 

Now it was his turn to laugh. “I don't exactly have hot and ready beings throwing themselves at my feet begging me to pump them full of midichlorians.” He eyed her - and her lingerie top - again. “Usually.” Another rush of heat between his legs. He was getting hard, again. She was going to notice soon. If she hadn’t already.

 

“Master!” She drew out the word so it sounded more petulant than demanding. “I know you… and what you’ve done. Do you really want me to tell you how?”

 

Anakin considered that. “I... appreciate your restraint. I think.” 

 

Right now, what was important was the two of them, in this room. He had questions. Anakin knew crushes on one's Master weren't unheard of. This...was more than a crush though. She was on his bed, asking for instruction. How had he missed it, that she felt this way?...And had it been for as long as he had? That moment a while ago outside 79's when they'd stood so close, and he'd looked at her lips...had they both wanted a kiss? And most importantly, did he really have anything to teach her?

 

“Ahsoka...I need you to know I'm not that experienced.” Anakin scratched at the back of his head. This…was awkward.

 

 “I haven't had sex in over a year, and I've only ever been with one person.” He moved even closer, and placed his ungloved hands, one flesh, one mech, on the outsides of her thighs, pushing the awkwardness aside. She stiffened slightly, then eased against his hands. He had never, ever touched her like this. “Regardless of what the historical texts say, this is the height of taboo in the Order, not to mention the GAR’s fraternization rules and it’s technically against Republic law.” He paused, exhaling slowly as he rubbed her thighs ever so slightly. “You understand the gravity of what it is you're asking me to do?”

 

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes at him, trying to ignore how her heart had started pounding as soon as he touched her. “Of course I understand. I’ve thought about all of that, I’m not a child Master.” 

 

“No,” Anakin moved just a little closer, looking at her through hooded eyes. “But under Republic law, I am legally your guardian until you’re of age on Shili. And…this would be a secret. Something to carry just you and I. No one can know. Not Barriss or your other friends, not Obi-Wan. Could you do that Ahsoka? Could you live that way?” He had to make sure she had thought this through. 

 

Ahsoka grabbed for his flesh hand and squeezed it. “That's fine. I keep your secrets all the time.” She even kept secrets of his he had no clue she’d figured out.

 

Anakin rose up on his knees, their faces centimeters apart, and squeezed her hand back.

“This is a big one, Snips. It might feel harder to keep once you're holding it. But I haven’t seen you face a challenge yet that you can’t rise to, and I'm honored by your choosing to trust me with this.” 

 

She was right. He was her Master, she was his Padawan. It made sense for him to guide her in this way. Now that he thought about it, the idea that anyone else might be in his position pissed him off. Who else could she trust so fully to look after her, make sure she enjoyed herself? She'd chosen him.

 

“I think you've chosen wisely.” He closed the small distance between them, relishing the long-imagined feel of her lips on his.

 

A small, surprised noise escaped Ahsoka as she kissed back, both eager and full of nerves. His lips were softer than she’d expected, somehow. He made a sound too, one she was pretty sure meant he liked kissing her. When they briefly stopped for air, his name left her lips, all breath. 

Anakin had goosebumps now, what with Ahsoka's desire thrumming in harmony with his. Kriff every other reason, they would do this because they wanted each other. But he had to remember she was new. “If at any point you need this to stop, you will tell me. Am I understood, Padawan?” He said it as sternly as he could manage through the desire that refused to be ignored any longer.

 

Ahsoka nodded. She did not want to stop right now, just wanted his lips on hers again. “Yes Master.” And then she dared to pull him close, running her hands through his hair.

 

“Mm!” Anakin let his Padawan take the lead for a little bit, let her feel over the bond how much he liked her hands threaded in his hair, how it relaxed him. Though, maybe relaxed wasn’t quite what he felt just now. And then when he felt her tongue on his lip, he pulled back. 

 

“Slow down, Ahsoka. You wanted to be taught. So I'm going to teach you.” An idea occurred to him, and he stood. “Kneel on the bed with your back to me. I'll be right back. He waited until she obeyed, and then went to a chest in the corner to look through the small supply of training tools they’d used here every now and again.

 

Ahsoka tried to calm her nerves, to keep from shifting her body as she heard her Master rustling around in search of…something. She tried to ease her anxieties into the Force. Training, she could do that. Sure.

 

Anakin found what he was looking for and turned back to Ahsoka, who was kneeling obediently. He was enlivened, excited by the prospect of this night with her. The … contraption Ahsoka wore had straps positioned in such a way her back was still bare. He appreciated the sight as he stepped up behind her, and tightened a blindfold over her eyes.

 

Ahsoka gave a sharp, stuttery inhale as her vision was enveloped in darkness. She almost broke out of her kneeling position but stilled when heavy hands landed on her shoulders, and Anakin’s voice echoed in her montrals.

 

“Match your breathing to mine.” Anakin said. His voice was deepened by lust, but the cadence was the same one he used in the training room as he took even breaths to create in them both a sense of calm. He was determined to give Ahsoka solidity since her presence was sparking with nerves. “I want this to be good for you, Ahsoka. And I will do everything in my power to make it so. Now, bring your awareness to my hands here. ”  Anakin kneaded her shoulders just a little, being extra careful not to use too much pressure with his mechno hand.

 

Ahsoka breathed and settled. This was Anakin. Of course. She knew this, knew training with him. It came as easily as her breathing matched perfectly to his own, the warmth of him so near radiating onto her bare back. “Mmm…What else do you need me to do, Master?”

 

A smirk tilted the corners of Anakin’s mouth up, and he smirked. That was his Ahsoka. “I'm going to remove my hands in a moment. You are going to stay alert, and use your awareness to be ready for my touch wherever it may come from next.” He gave her shoulders one final squeeze and lifted his hands away, eyes catching on a white marking at the base of her spine he'd never noticed before. He reached to trace it with metal fingers.

 

Ahsoka responded with a shiver. She'd never been touched there before. “Ooh!”

 

Anakin felt a jolt go through him at the noise she made, and continued gently tracing the marking - shaped almost like wings - as he surveyed her skin, everywhere he could see from behind her. Bacta was a miracle, but occasionally wounds, especially small cuts and scrapes, were left too long. So here and there she had tiny, faded white marks that were not natural. 

 

“So many scars.” he murmured, almost without meaning to, as he tapped them one by one.

 

“You were there for most of them.” Ahsoka shuddered pleasantly at each whisper of touch from behind her. There was a brief quiet and stillness after her comment, then -

 

“...I'd like to say I'll never let it happen again. But it will. Until I end this war.” Anakin shook his head as though to shake the thought off. “That's not here, not tonight. Tonight it can't touch us.” But touching each other, that they would do. He let his flirtation ripple into the bond. He started to work off the many delicate straps of Ahsoka's bra. It was kind of a feat of engineering, clinging to her sides and around her neck and underarms with no straps across the back. With the help of the Force, strap by strap he maneuvered it off of her without looking at her chest. He was looking forward to that, but he could wait.

 

Ahsoka felt the lack of touch as viscerally as if Anakin's hands were running over her back. The strength of him in the Force was always something to experience, and how often did he use it as a tool on her? Still, she asked “Are you going to touch me again? Master?” She tacked on the title at the end a little sheepishly. She hadn’t meant to forget her place, and why she was trusting him.

 

Using the Jedi skills in stealth they'd both been trained in, Anakin moved silently to whisper directly in her auditory gills. “Oh, I'm going to be all over you, my Padawan. Lie on your stomach.”

 

Ahsoka didn’t resist smiling to herself as she quickly obeyed. “Yes Master!”

 

Anakin smirked. “Eager to obey when it benefits you, huh Ahsoka?” And then, giving her no time to respond, Anakin licked from the wing-shaped mark at the tip of Ahsoka's spine up her back, over her lek, all the way to the valley between her montrals.

 

“Ooohhh!” The sound Ahsoka made started low and ended in almost a squeak, the sensation of her Master’s tongue up her back sharp and delicious and sending chills throughout her body. She found it left her a little out of breath.

 

Anakin picked up his drink, still cold but dripping condensation, took a swig, and held the bottle over Ahsoka’s back as the condensation dripped onto her beautiful skin, amused when she twitched at the sensation. “I know you're capable of impulsive decisions but tonight wasn't one was it, my Padawan?” 

 

He touched the base of the bottle to her skin. “I suspect you've thought about this for longer than a day. Where I'd touch you, how you'd touch me. Tell me Ahsoka. What you've thought about.”

 

“Uhh, what?” Ahsoka squirmed at the press of the cold glass. “Thought about? I've thought about... everything.” Her throat was suddenly a little dry and she swallowed thickly. “Every touch you could give me.”

 

On her stomach and blindfolded, Ahoska couldn’t see Anakin quirk an eyebrow behind her, but she surely would feel hIs challenge in the Force. He clamped his hand on the back of her neck, and slid a knee between her legs, knowing that now she would also feel him hard against her ass. “Are you sure about that? You want to give your body over to me completely to do with as I please? No requests? You took the same sex ed class I did, I know you've got the words.”

 

Ahsoka whimpered, suddenly grateful for the blindfold as the pressure of her Master so near was almost overwhelming. She bit her lip, seeking the courage to honestly answer his questions. There were things she had thought about for awhile now, things she wanted to try. “I want to... suck you off.” She stifled a laugh at the phrase.

 

Anakin caught Ahsoka’s cut off giggle, and laughed even as his cock twitched. “It can be funny, Snips. Sometimes sex is.” 

 

He left his hand where it was, but shifted off of her, only to roll her onto her back and whip off the blindfold without warning as he brought their lips together again. This time, his tongue pushed past her lips, his intention clear - she wasn't the only one who wanted a taste. The in-out motion was a promise of things to come.

 

Ahsoka’s eyes had popped open when he ripped off the blindfold, only to loll closed again when he kissed her. She felt her core pulse as he shoved his tongue in her mouth, getting the message of what was promised to come as Ahsoka moaned greedily around her Master’s tongue.

 

Anakin swallowed Ahsoka's moans, finally thinking to pull a Force shield around them to muffle the noise. Given the war and the Jedi’s increasingly small numbers, this particular hall of the Temple was all but deserted, but better safe than sorry. As he and Ahsoka tangled together, her hands gripping his hair again and her own tongue daring to explore his mouth, Anakin sensed that while the Temple’s Intimacy and Sexuality curriculum focus on consent was valuable, he and Ahsoka were both less the type to ask and more likely to dive in, to try, to risk . It was reckless, but it was them. Over the bond he picked up that she was, partly, overwhelmed by her desire, by new sensations in her body, and she needed his guidance. So he didn't ask if he could trail kisses down her jaw, her neck, run his tongue over a headtail as he moved toward those bare breasts he was very looking forward to. He just did those things.

 

Ahsoka knew what she had been taught about sex, but all the same she hadn’t been sure what to expect from tonight. She did, however, know Anakin, and herself; she was Togruta and her nails and fangs were sharp and his mouth was moving down toward her chest and… her mind started to blank under his touch.

 

Anakin licked Ahsoka’s head-tail again, kissed her collarbone, and then finally brought his hands up to her breasts, cupping them firmly but not too tightly, giving her a squeeze every now and again. Her nipples were nearly the same color as her lips, and they were tightened and begging for his attention which he gladly gave, gently running his thumbs back and forth over them. When Ahsoka arched into his touch with a clicking noise in the back of her throat, he squeezed harder. “Mmm…”

 

“Ohh... Master…” words were getting harder for her, but Ahsoka managed that much, and he seemed to understand.

 

“You like that, don't you Ahsoka?” Anakin didn’t wait for an answer. “What about this?” He replaced one hand with his mouth, tongue circling her nipple before he flicked it back and forth. His mechno hand moved to massage her head-tail tip. In the bond, his Force presence was shifting, pulling in tight around hers, the metaphysical equivalent of wrapping her in a bone-tight embrace.

 

Ahsoka moaned. “Anakin…” and she reached up to put her arms around his neck, eager to look into his eyes.

 

Anakin kept his head where it was, working her breast, moving to nip at her flesh. On impulse, he started to suck, hard, on her skin. He wanted to mark her, leave some evidence of what was happening between them. He kept eye contact with her the whole time. 

 

Now that he was looking at her, Ahsoka could see her Master’s eyes were dark as space with desire. It hurt a little, what his mouth was doing, but she didn’t want it to stop. Sadly, it did. 

 

Anakin admired the purple bruise he’d left behind, tongue sneaking out to lick the it once before he met her eyes again, wrapping more tightly around her in the Force. “My Ahsoka…” He spoke against her skin.

 

“Yours?” Ahsoka asked breathlessly.

 

He kissed lower. Just under her breasts, toward her bellybutton, which he circled with the very tip of his tongue as he felt curiosity at his words over the bond “That's why you're here, isn't it Ahsoka?” His hands came to grip the waistband of her leggings through her tunic, still bunched around her waist. “Because you're my Padawan?” He tongued just under the edge of her clothes, then pulled them, following the revealed path of her thighs with kisses. In the bond, rather than tugging against his tight grip, Ahsoka was entwining with him slowly, the two of them like fabric being woven together.

 

Ahsoka growled, knowing the truth in her Master’s words. “Yes.”

 

They understood each other, then. 

 

She reached for the waistband of his pants. “Let me. Please.” 

 

Always delighted by her boldness, Anakin nodded, and kissed her on the forehead. “Be my guest.”

 

Ahsoka made quick work of getting her Master’s pants off. Staring at him in his boxers, she paused. Gulped. She could see his hardness through the fabric and just the sight had her dripping between her legs. Or at least it felt that way. 

 

Anakin saw her eyes wander down, felt the pulse increasing in her Force presence. She wasn't intimidated, not his Ahsoka. She was eager . And then he saw her eyes follow his motions back up as he peeled off his sleeveless undershirt.

 

Ahsoka thought the sight of him hard was stunning, what really got her and short-circuited her brain for a few seconds was him removing his shirt. She'd seen him shirtless, but this was different, this was... she reached out and touched him.

 

“Mm...that's it Ahsoka, let me feel those hands on me.” Anakin let her spend a moment running her hands down his chest, shivering when her palms brushed his nipple. Then he cradled her face in his hands and kissed her, languorously, no less passionately for the tenderness. His hands trailed down her arms, to the gauntlets she still had buckled there. “Can I take these off?”

 

Ahsoka swallowed hard at the question. He had occasionally seen her without them, but it was considered deeply intimate to be seen without arm and forehead coverings among her people. Somehow that made her more nervous than being half naked in front of him. But she nodded, watching as deft fingers undid the buckles on each arm and set aside the gauntlets carefully, where she could reach them. And then he brought one of her arms to his mouth and ran his lips up the newly revealed marking that ran most of the way up her forearm. Ahsoka shuddered at the sensation.

 

“Um…you can take my headdress off too Master.” 

 

Anakin raised an eyebrow at her over her arm, which he still held to his mouth. “Show me where it latches.”

 

Trembling slightly, Ahsoka gripped his much larger hands in hers and guided them to the spots on the back of her headdress where the strands of beads that ran past her montrals connected under her headtails, and he had them loose in seconds. 

 

Aankin could see his Padawan was more than a little nervous to be exposed to him in this way. She had told him ages ago about the akul hunt that had earned her that headdress, and so he was extremely careful as he lifted it from her forehead and set it gently aside, kissed the line of tender skin where her montrals joined her forehead, amused when she giggled.

 

“That tickles.”

 

Smiling, he kissed down her forearms again, and guided her to lie on her back. He mouthed his way down her torso once more, nipping playfully at her sides, tongue leaving wet trails. He did the same to her thighs, and paused to suck another bruise there. With teeth, this time. And when he inhaled…

 

“Oh, kriff, you're so wet I can smell you.” He met her eyes as he shared an impression of the earthy scent over the bond, and fingered the waistband of her underwear. “Are you ready to show me?” His voice had gone rough with heat, a heat that seemed to pour off him and into the already stifling air.

 

His words had thrown her off, not killing her arousal but suddenly leaving her embarrassed. The stripes of her headtails flushed a deeper blue. “You can smell me?”

 

Anakin felt his Padawan’s embarrassment even before she blushed, and offered a smile and soothing in the Force. “It's a good thing, Ahsoka. I like it .” 

 

He settled lower between her legs, almost...wiggling his hips as he shifted his weight in excitement, the kind she had felt from him before a battle he knew he could win, one where he'd get to show off. 

 

“It makes me want, very much, to taste you.” He rubbed her thighs gently, soothingly. “Makes me hungry for you.” Ever so lightly, he kissed the soaked-through crotch of her underwear, something like a growl rising unbidden in his chest. “And I know you're going to taste so good. Let Master taste you, Ahsoka.” Anakin’s tone fell somewhere between request and command.

 

Ahsoka found herself nodding. Her Master’s words and that touch of his lips right over her…she wanted more of that. He was hungry for her, he’d said, and she would willingly let herself be devoured. “Please. Master please, Taste me.” 

 

Ahsoka reached to start removing the panties, but Anakin caught her hand with a glint in his eye. He grabbed the waistband with his teeth and pulled, that growl sounding again. Her scent was rich, sweet, heady. “Oh, Snips.” he stared unabashedly between her legs, taking in the glistening folds, the marking on her mound. Then traveled his gaze back up to meet her eyes. You are very pretty.” He rubbed ever so gently with two flesh fingers. “And soft. And sooooo wet…” He cupped her with his palm.

 

Every touch was so good, so new, that Ahsoka had to suppress the urge to scream in pleasure. “Ohh…Kriff!”

 

Anakin, sensing her need - and impatience - dipped his head back down and took his time. A light kiss on her folds. Another. More thigh massaging. A gentle flick at her clit. And then a long, slow lick up the whole of her, his tongue flat and heavy.

 

Ahsoka bucked and squirmed and one moment her eyes were closed and another they had shot open. As she cried out. “M-Master!”

 

Anakin used his mechno arm to put pressure across her pelvis so she stayed in place. With the other, he reached out and grabbed her hand, squeezing it, as he slipped his tongue into her dripping cunt. “Mmmm!” 

 

Oh she was warm and mineral and incredible and his . He lapped, and on instinct - he'd been told his were good - brought his teeth down on her clitoral hood. Not hard enough to hurt. Just to give a bite of pressure. When she cried out he did it again. And again. And tongue kriffed her the best he could through a self-satisfied smirk. She was wet and slippery and he was consumed even as he consumed her. The air grew hotter still around them.

 

And Ahsoka grew wetter, digging her free hand into Anakin's hair. “You..” her voice was breathy, “feel so good.”

 

Anakin groaned through Ahsoka's touch, unable to speak and so sending across the Force that she tasted good. He had a brief moment of disbelief - was he really here, up to his chin in his Padawan's pussy, with her arousal bright as suns in the Force and her dripping onto his tongue and - my Ahsoka … he would treasure this night for the rest of his days.

 

Ahsoka felt a shimmer in the Force, as if something snapped into place between her and Anakin. She had known something was off, an emptiness in her since Mortis, and now it was being filled in the way she’d sensed it must. By her Master. Her body seemed to flood with heat. “Ohh! I... Anakin... I..”

 

Anakin nodded, gave her hand an encouraging squeeze, and intensified a rocking motion with his head that kept him vacillating between deep tongue thrusts and pressure bites over her clit.  She was close, he could sense that along with a shimmering rightness in their bond, something that hadn’t been there for a while. He felt so sure he was where he was supposed to be, more than he had in a long time. Some people called an orgasm completion. Some felt like it was falling apart. There were as many ways to describe it as there were beings in the galaxy. Anakin had neglected to ask if Ahsoka had ever had one, but whatever it was for her, he would be there to guide her. Ahsoka…

 

Ahsoka felt like she was being pulled towards something, her body on fire, burning, burning down to her core like a sun spinning through the vast darkness of space. It burned away everything in her but desire, leaving nothing but an Ahsoka who needed Anakin. And she had him. She exploded in response.

 

Anakin "watched" as Ahsoka went dazzlingly incandescent in the Force, felt her shift around his tongue, her clit pulsing against his mouth. Mine... and she was beautiful. He stayed close to her now even wetter core, not wanting to shock her, but did pull his mouth off, keeping up gentle circles on her thighs as she stilled, watching her face with a smirk on his. “You seem like you enjoyed that.”

 

Ahsoka knew her Master had said something to her, but all she could manage in response were incoherent mumbles as she slowly came back to herself. “Hnnn. What?”

 

Anakin chuckled - she was adorable incoherent - and crawled up so they were face to face. “I'm just glad you're enjoying yourself, Snips.” He almost whispered “I'm enjoying you, too,” but kissed her instead, mouth full of her flavor. Affection bloomed across the bond, from both sides. Surely that was it, just affection. Though it felt like much more. It felt like…

 

Anakin’s mouth helped settle Ahsoka, and she relished the warmth blooming to life between them, weaving them together; entanglement and necessity. Ahsoka spoke unthinking. 

 

“I love you.”

“I love you.” 

 

It took Anakin a moment to register they'd said it in near unison, they’d put a name to the gleaming gold in their bond. Something he should have recognized immediately for what it was, but didn’t until the words he hadn't known he'd say were out of his mouth, echoing his Padawan. For a moment neither of them said anything else, just stared at each other wide eyed. Jedi did not love. Not the way they meant. What they had already done was taboo as Master and Padawan. To love , to be attached on top of that...But the words were in the air now, and couldn't be taken back. Anakin found he didn't want to take them back. So instead he smiled tenderly at Ahsoka, and basked in their entwining in the Force. “I love you, Ahsoka.”

 

Ahsoka herself was stunned, mostly that she said the words, not really at the feeling. And then Anakin saying the phrase back, not just once but twice… “I... you meant that?” She asked, voice all nervous wonder.

 

Anakin blinked, a sinking feeling in his stomach. Damnit, had he misread this? “Did...you?” He shook his head, and mumbled. “Maybe right after I made you come wasn't the time to take what you said at face value…” But he'd felt it in the bond, still felt it now. Was it possible he had just completely karked things up?

 

Ahsoka frowned at her master. “What are you talking about dummy? I said I love you. Of course meant it.”

 

“You asked if I did , I thought maybe you got caught up in the moment and didn’t - and who are you calling dummy ? I might love you but I'm still your Master, show some respect, Snips. ” But the scolding came with a teasing smile, and then peppered her face with kisses.

 

“Ahhh!” Ahsoka exclaimed, giggling, and turned her face this way and that, as though to dodge his lips. She did not succeed. The laughing and kissing and grabbing shuffled them around and without entirely meaning to Anakin found himself settled between her legs, albeit still wearing his boxers, but hard and able to feel her warmth and wetness through the thin fabric. He groaned.

 

Ahsoka gave her Master what she hoped was a coy look. “Are you gonna take those off Master? Or should I?”

 

Anakin smirked. “That depends.” He flipped them so that she was on top. “Did you still want to ‘suck me off?’”

 

Ahsoka growled in her throat, a hungry and eager sound that was no parts Jedi and all Togruta hunter. “Yes, please. Master please. ” She growled again.

 

“Mm…” He arched his back, his hips pressing into hers as she growled, then pushed a thumb past her lips to press into the point of a fang. “Those'll be interesting. Be wary of them.” But he didn't sound worried, only intrigued. “Let's see what you've got. You'll have my guidance when you need it.”

 

Eager, Ahsoka ripped off his boxers and was met with a glorious sight. Anakin Skywalker’s - her Master’s cock. Whatever he may have called it, there it was springing to life in front of her. It was mesmerizing. Gently she reached up to grab it, to get a feel for it. “Is this okay?”

 

Anakin's cock twitched at Ahsoka's gaze. That was his Ahsoka. She had nerves here and there but mostly, she was no blushing virgin. Just fearless. His breath came out on a shudder at the touch of her hand. He reached down to adjust her grip slightly. “That's it. To be honest, what we're taught about wielding sabers can apply here. Steady grip rather than firm. You want your hand able to move over it just like you want to be able to spin a saber. Well...my cock's not great for spinning tricks but I think you get the idea.” He was in a strange, aroused place between tense and relaxed as he guided her hand over his balls, shuddered again. “I like being touched here too.” He pressed her fingers to the sensitive patch of skin just beneath them, and bit off a moan. “And here.” He said a little breathless.

 

“You're a lot more sensitive than a lightsaber Master.” Ahsoka quipped as she saw his cock twitch, his body responding to the slightest touches.

 

“Mmm...wait until you see what I do when you get that mouth on me.” 

 

It was Anakin, so somehow this was a challenge...and a threat. His tone, though husky with desire, sounded absurdly like he did in any training session. 

 

“Now, your hands are perfectly good for stroking the shaft while your mouth works the tip. But I know you. I know you're going to try taking all of me in. So for starters keep your muscles loose.” He reached his flesh hand up and unthinking circled her throat with his fingers, rubbing the sides gently.

 

Ahsoka responded with a soft moan, something about his hand on her throat thrilled her. Like it connected them in ways beyond their bond.

 

Anakin quirked an eyebrow at his Padawan’s reaction. “You like that, Snips?” He tightened his fingers infinitesimally. Just enough that they'd be a solid presence. It felt...right. like everything else so far. Like she was trusting him completely with her whole being, and he was worthy of that trust.

 

Ahsoka felt like she couldn't move, not because he was forcing her to be still, but because she wanted to stay exactly as she was. “I do.” She blinked. “I think I'm ready to try you now.”

 

Anakin slowly lowered his hand, an expectant, encouraging look on his face that he wore when they sparred. “Impress me, Snips.” 

 

Ahsoka resumed her unguided grip, but took into account what he had shown her. She took a deep breath and pulled back his foreskin and kissed the tip of his cock. It felt smooth against her lips, and brought fire to her belly. So she did it again and again.

 

The repeated light touch of Ahsoka’s lips didn't...tickle exactly , but Anakin did let good-natured amusement flow over the bond, even as his breath hitched. Ahsoka's lips felt so, so soft. He resisted the urge to thrust past them, wanting to give her a chance to explore.

 

Ahsoka felt her Master’s eagerness and found she was more than happy to oblige, parting her lips and using them to keep the tips of her fangs covered, and took his tip inside. “ Oooh…” she moaned at the feel of him, the sound muffled as she swirled her tongue.

 

Anakin groaned , and his flesh hand came up, cupping her cheek under her head-tail. That swirling sensation was cosmically good, his legs shifted back and forth. “Oh, kriff, keep doing that with your tongue.” His breathing became deep and hard.

 

Ahsoka’s eyes were alight with some inner fire as she sucked and licked and took Anakin deeper into her mouth. She glanced up at him for approval, fully at her Master’s mercy despite having his most vulnerable member in his mouth.

 

Anakin let his pleasure flow in waves across the bond to her as his grip on her headtail tightened. He watched himself disappear into her, and finally gave in to the urge to thrust, as controlled as he could manage to make the motion. He'd had a mouth on him, just never actually kriffed someone's throat before. But the look in Ahsoka's eyes, the way she seemed to be settling into herself, opening up to a new way of being as she opened her body to him...she wanted whatever he could give. He thrust again, harder. “Oh your mouth. Snips .”

 

Her eyes widened as he thrust. It. Felt. So. Good. To be full of him. Ahsoka twirled her tongue, ran her lips up and down the shaft, sent an impression of him thrusting to say It's okay, Master, please kriff my throat.

 

And Anakin didn't need it suggested twice. It was hard - for both of them - to tell if it was more him thrusting down her throat or pushing her head down onto him but either way his hips pumped and his cock was entirely held and warm and wet and he could feel her rightness as he filled her. Then there was a familiar heat down his spine, a tightness building between his legs, and he spoke warningly.

 

“Ahsoka, you need to pull back before I come in your mouth. You can finish me with your hand.”

 

He said that like it was a bad thing, like she couldn’t handle it. Ahsoka would show her Master what she could take. She couldn’t exactly argue right now, but she managed an “Mm-mm.”

 

“You’re not - ” Force this felt good - “you don’t know what you’re in for. I -”

But she looked at him so fiercely, sucked him harder, flicked at the tip of him with her tongue, and the words of well-intentioned protest died on his. “Last ...call.”

 

Anakin held out for a moment longer, and then he came, groaning, only half aware of the surprised little noises coming from his Padawan, and the gulping motion around his cock. Swallowing. His Padawan was eagerly swallowing his seed. He hadn't expected that, and it aroused him so much he half thought he was coming again . She always had risen to a challenge. “Ahsoka…” he breathed.

 

Ahsoka let her affection show in how eagerly she swallowed her Master's midichlorians. She loved him, and everything he had to give her.

 

Even as he poured himself down her throat, Anakin allowed his love to wash over Ahsoka. It wasn't just her clever if inexperienced use of her mouth. It was what it revealed about her, about them. Her determination, her willingness to connect to him, her desire for his pleasure. And as he calmed down and his breathing stilled, Anakin realized with a start he hadn't felt... cared for in awhile. He sat up and eased Ahsoka off of him so he could kiss her, tasting himself on her fangs. “You never fail to impress, my Padawan.”

 

“Really?” Ahsoka raised both eye markings in surprise. “It was just a blowjob…” she trailed off, looking down to avoid his gaze.

 

He tilted her chin up so their eyes met, entwining his presence in the Force with hers, unafraid for once of letting her feel all he did, as intensely as he did. “Don’t get shy on me now, Snips. You did well, and I really enjoyed it.” He kissed the markings on her forehead, traced the ones on her cheeks. He was silent for a moment taking her in. “Have I ever told you I think you're really beautiful?”

 

“No, because I'm pretty sure up until twenty minutes ago, you would have thought that was inappropriate.” She smiled, a twinkle in her eye.

 

Anakin raised an eyebrow and glanced behind him at the chrono on the bedside table, then back at her. “More like forty minutes.” He smirked, mischief sparking between them. “I guess I'll need to say it a few more times then. Find ways to show you.” Flesh fingers stroked her thigh. “You, Ahsoka Tano, are very beautiful.” A thought occurred to him. “I have something to show you.” 

 

Ahsoka watched as her Master rifled through his bedside table and produced a small notebook - an old-fashioned sketchbook, she remembered now, with real paper in it, and just the right size for the pouch he kept on his belt in the field. 

 

“Wow, I haven’t seen you with that in a minute.” She said as he flipped through the pages.

 

“I stopped carrying it. War doesn’t leave much time for sketching. Now where… here it is.” He handed Ahsoka the sketchbook, a little nervous about what she would make of the drawing he’d turned to.

 

“Is that me?” She looked up at him and then back down with a smile, fingers stroking the page. It was her, markings and headtail stripes exact, but her smile - when was the last time she’d smiled like that? “It’s beautiful.”

 

Anakin’s hand came up to stroke her cheek once more. “ You’re beautiful.” And then he kissed her, setting aside the notebook as the distance between them closed once more, relishing her bare skin on his. 

 

Ahsoka clung to her Master, tasting him and her in their kisses. She shuddered when he pulled back and a hand stroked her thigh.

 

“There's more you were hoping to learn tonight, yeah?” Anakin asked, voice thick with desire once again.

 

Ahsoka swallowed, then grabbed a sip of his drink - still open on the bedside table - before answering. “Yeah, the whole thing Master. What was it the boys say?” She aimed for a bravado she didn’t entirely feel. “Slap and tickle me Skyguy.”

 

Anakin chuckled at the familiar, half-loathed half-loved nickname and kissed her again. His tone was teasing. “I think… we'll save how the boys do things for another night. Anal quickies are very advanced , and you're still a beginner, Snips, albeit one with good instincts.” He cupped her face in both hands. “Lie on your back for me.”

 

“Anal quickie? ” Ahsoka said, confused, but did as she was told.

 

“I'll explain another time.” Anakin reassured. He shuddered with anticipation at the sight of her laid out for him, taking her in head to toe, noting the markings that he'd seen for the first time tonight. His cock stiffened again, and he reached his left hand up to stroke her between her legs. “Mm...still wet, that's a good thing. You must've really enjoyed pleasing me with your mouth.” He started to gently work a finger into her.

 

“I di.. uhhh,” her words were interrupted at his touch, at the new sensation of someone else's fingers inside her for the first time. “Ohhh kriff.”

 

Anakin felt pleasure from her striking him like a blow. And as he worked a second finger in, he felt something else. She was tight . Getting tighter, as if her insides were shaping around his fingers. “That's...interesting.” he murmured with real curiosity. “Don't remember feeling you form to my tongue exactly, but then everything was so warm and wet.” Vaguely he remembered a page he had skipped years ago when reading up about Togruta biology - this had seemed like something about his apprentice he did not need the details of. Now he wished he had read it.

 

“Does this hurt, Snips?” He circled his fingers, trying to carefully stretch her, make more space, to no avail.

 

“Uh, no. It feels ... good. Right.” She hadn’t felt this tightening before. But yes, it did feel good, just unfamiliar, like so much of tonight. 

 

Anakin’s fingers did sink deeper, but that seemed to be because the tight walls were pulling him in, not because she was actually widening. It had him a little worried about what else they were planning, but as long as she felt good... he then coaxed her body off of his fingers, and shifted to settle himself between her legs, hovering over her. His voice was calm, but his heart pounded and his cock throbbed at what awaited them. “You tell me if anything does start to hurt. I'd rather die than hurt you.”

 

Ahsoka shook off his well-meaning concerns, the gravity of his words. “I don't think you're gonna die or hurt me, Skyguy.” 

 

“Just promise you'll tell me if I do.” His voice was serious, stern. He couldn't bring himself to explain why this was so important, that was a whole load of details about life on Tatooine he had no interest in sharing, but he needed her to understand it was important.

 

“Yes, Master. I promise.” Ahsoka met his sober tone this time. And then she took a deep breath and let herself really feel him hot and hard between her legs. She was eager, wet, and ready. “Master, please…I want you.” Her need soaked her voice.

 

Ahsoka's voice gave Anakin chills in the best possible way. He rubbed the tip of himself against her folds, feeling her slickness, teasing her one last time. “You've got me.” And now he would have her. He thrust, and her folds parted for him, welcoming him a little way into her tightness. Being opened and entered this way was revelatory, and Ahsoka let out a gasp.

 

Anakin kept still, giving her body time to adjust, touching his forehead to Ahsoka’s. And then he worked himself deeper. With Ahsoka's biology that meant two soft thrusts, and then a harder one, controlled but with more power than he'd initially planned. That control felt a bit like holding back a tidal wave with the Force, and he was the roaring water. Anakin shuddered, determined to be careful as he slid further in. Two small thrusts, one harder. Wait a little. Again. Fingers digging into bedsheets. Again. And then he felt their hips touch, and looked between them to see no distance. Around his cock was a slight tingling as she formed perfectly to him. 

 

“Krrriiiiiiiff…” he said on a drawn out groan. In the Force they were tangled tighter than ever, all golden love and hot, dark possessiveness. Anakin allowed himself to be consumed by those feelings, letting them through in his words as he stared deep into Ahsoka’s eyes. “ Mine ... “ the word was a growl. “You are mine, Ahsoka. You are so tight I am going to ruin you , destroy you completely. When I'm done you'll be shaped just for me and no one else will ever fit in you.” 

 

Ahsoka reached for something to cling to; Anakin's arms, his chest, anything. He was so inside her and she was... his? HIS and Anakin Skywalker, was HERS. Her claws dug into his flesh.

“Ahghhh.” She moaned. “M-Make me yours, all yours. Destroy me, please!”

 

Anakin surprised himself with how hungrily he took her. She surprised him by taking all he could give. As Ahsoka's nails threatened to break his skin, he remembered vaguely that Togruta were hunters, apex predators. Kriff, that was hot. He'd so far avoided comparisons, but not only did this feel different than anything he'd ever done, he felt different; like someone he'd never been, or always been meant to be. Hers. Her chosen one. And then he thought nothing. His hips pistoned, his head was buried in the crook of her neck, her lips teasing at his opposite shoulder with every thrust. The bed creaked beneath them, their breathing grew loud, their names left each other's lips like murmured prayers, clearly restraining themselves when they wanted to scream. Oh, how Anakin wanted to hear Ahsoka scream. His rhythm was relentless, unforgiving, and matched.

 

Beneath her Master, Ahsoka scratched and clawed, wrapped her legs tightly around to pull him as deep as she could, lost herself in him, tangled inextricably in the Force as they were. She was close, close to that feeling from before and his skin was brushing her lips and without thinking she bit down.

 

“Ah!” Anakin exclaimed as he felt his Padawan’s sharp teeth in the flesh of his shoulder. She made a noise that sounded half like an apology and moved as though to stop. “No.” He commanded. “Harder.”

 

Ahsoka obliged, sinking her teeth deeper, and the red heat that dripped onto her tongue sent her tumbling over the edge and she screamed his name, muffled by his flesh in her mouth.

 

The sharp pain in his shoulder made Anakin shiver, and as he felt Ahsoka clench and writhe and once again shine so bright with pleasure he came too, groaning loudly against the headtail he’d nuzzled again. It was a release like he'd never experienced. “ 'soka…”

 

Ahsoka’s eyes shot open, her jaw losing its grip as he flooded her, her body drinking him in eagerly. He pushed himself just a little and she met his eyes, saw the burning fire there, and felt their connection, their bond, become inseparable. The ache she'd felt inside since Mortis was gone.

 

It was probably a trick of his body coming down from the orgasm, but for a moment Anakin could've sworn Ahsoka's markings glowed with the brilliance of Tatooine's moons. In body, in heart, in soul, he felt they were one. He spoke through heaving breaths. “You...we...that was…”

 

“Amazing?” Ahsoka asked hopefully. Please let him say it was amazing , she thought desperately. Even though she could sense it had been.

 

Anakin heaved a laugh that was mostly breath. “Yeah, amazing... You are amazing.” This was almost whispered, and reverent, and followed by a lingering kiss.

 

Ahsoka smiled and laughed. “Not as amazing as you, Anakin.” 

 

“Oh, I think we were about even.” His eyes took on a gleam that was familiar from post-battle pride. “We were so in sync, so connected . ” He glanced between them. “Maybe I should save the conversation for when I'm not still inside and on top of you.”

 

In response, Ahoska wrapped her arms tight around him, and gave a squeeze with her legs, still around his hips. “Noooo. Please stay.”

 

“Mmm…” Anakin adjusted a little, relishing being wrapped in her. “Ahsoka, I'd stay here for the rest of my life if I could. But it will hurt less if I pull out while I'm still a little hard and you’re still very wet. Cunts like things to go into them, not come out.”

 

Ahsoka sighed in frustration. She trusted her Master’s judgement, but that didn’t mean she had to have good humor about it. “Fiiiiine.” She loosened her legs and found that they were a little shaky as they flopped to the bed on either side of him.

 

Anakin slowly and carefully eased himself out of her clinging cunt, kissing down her torso and resting with his head low on her stomach, her fingers in his tousled hair. “You feel good.” He meant her hands, and also her Force presence twined with his.

 

“I feel…sleepy.” That wasn’t the right word for the ease, the good feeling in her body right now, but it was the one that came to mind, inadequate as it felt.

 

“That's not sleepiness, it's satisfaction , Ahsoka.” Anakin offered as he traced lazy circles on her belly with cool metal fingers. “What was your favorite part?” He asked with open curiosity. 

 

“...When your shirt came off.” Ahsoka answered, just a little sheepishly.

 

Anakin laughed at his Padawan’s response and shifted to be eye level with her, leaning on one elbow.  “You had my tongue, my fingers, and my cock inside you, and your favorite moment was something you've seen me do dozens of times?”

 

“Well,” Ahsoka was a touch defensive now.“I've never seen you take it off to kriff me before.” She placed a hand flat on his chest.

 

Anakin gave her a private, intimate smile and covered her hand with his own. “So you're saying,” he leaned forward to press a kiss to her neck, “it was special,” another kiss, “because it was just for you?”

 

Ahsoka grabbed his face between both her hands and answered seriously. “Yes.”

 

With one metal finger, Anakin traced the markings on her face, his gaze something like reverent. “Will anyone in the Padawan quarters be suspicious if you don't go back tonight?” His desire was building in the bond again, like incense smoke drifting through a room.

 

“No, only…” Ahsoka cut herself off and rephrased her answer. “Nobody would have any reason to be, in fact it’s likely no one will even notice.” She felt what he was putting off in the Force, and her insides flipped. “You... want to do it again?” she bit her lip, hopeful.

 

“I do.” Anakin said as he nodded. “But I was thinking maybe we’d get out of the Temple first.”

 

Ahsoka blinked, a little thrown off by that. “And go where?” she asked, half laughing.

 

Anakin shrugged. “Somewhere not filled with other Jedi. Nowhere special except that we'll be there together. They don't own us, as long as we're where they need us when they need us, we can do whatever we want. But also…” he shifted, and their sweat-slicked skin slipped wetly together, “somewhere with a working cooling system.”

 

Ahsoka shifted and took in Anakin's form appreciatively. “You are a bit sweaty.”

 

Anakin rolled away from her and out of his bed in one smooth motion. “What do you say Snips? Up for a little adventure?” He asked with a smirk as he held a hand out to her.

 

“As long as we put on clothes first, absolutely.” She met his mischievous grin with one of her own.  She felt utterly at peace, here with Anakin, even knowing Master Kenobi would disapprove, Master Plo too... Even still, with Anakin she was her fullest self and this? What they had just done? It was an adventure. The best one she’d ever had. She placed a hand in his outstretched one.

 

Anakin took her hand and pulled her to her feet. Which made him stop and look at all of her, completely bare and beautiful, a quiet, sure strength rolling off her in the Force. He shook his head slightly, and started snatching his clothes up and pulling them on. “Get dressed, wait ten minutes, and meet me at the back south entrance of the Temple. No one ever sees who comes and goes from there. I'll be waiting with a speeder. See you soon, Snips” He kissed her on the cheek, and slipped out the door.

 

Ahsoka waited until Anakin was gone, before eagerly following his instructions. Very few would look askance at her leaving her Master's chambers at this hour, but still she waited till she felt the pulse of his bond come from Temple South, then she headed that way. She passed two Knights, only one which even looked at her. She found Anakin’s meeting spot by the heat coming off him for her in the Force, and, as she got close, the faint scent of his blood. She licked her lips unthinkingly, and climbed in the speeder beside her Master.

 

The whole drive, Anakin was just a little distracted by Ahsoka's scent still on his skin. And her right beside him, the awareness of exactly what awaited him under her clothes, sharp in his mind, which replayed moments from their coupling on loop. They got a hotel room a few levels down, where they were unlikely to run into anyone who knew them. It wasn’t the nicest room. Though it was nicer than a lot of their sleeping arrangements in the field. And with working air conditioning. It was not what Anakin wanted. 

 

What he wanted was to take his Padawan…his lover…the woman he loved, to the most expensive hotel room his credits could buy, but that was too risky. Too high profile. He wouldn’t endanger her like that. Maybe next time, after he’d done some recon on which places had the most discreet staff. This room also had the benefit of a tub, but it was small. He wasn't convinced they'd both fit in it. Though that gave him an idea, and he turned the water on, and just a glowing blue light by the edge of the washstand.

 

“Undress and come join me, Snips.” He started to work his own clothes off, smirking at scratches on his chest.

 

Ahsoka stripped, after side-eying the accommodations. She looked at Anakin, at the tub, and back at Anakin. “It's a bit small, don't you think?”

 

“It's big enough for you.” He stared unabashedly at her, completely revealed to him once more, eyes lighting on the bruise on her breast that he’d made with his mouth. The tub was full, so he turned off the water, which he'd run slightly cool. “Get in.” His voice was thick with sexual expectation.

 

Ahsoka obeyed, eyes quickly adjusting to the dim light. Hers were better than his after all. She did give her Master a confused look. “I don't get it, you're not joining me?”

 

“Oh I am. In a sense.” He knelt beside the tub, and put his flesh hand around her throat in a gentle caress. “I'm right here with you.”

 

She swallowed hard, thoughts harder to follow with his hand there. “I'm not certain what you mean?”

 

Anakin’s voice was a rough purr, quiet but inescapable. “You're going to lie there, and I'm going to touch you. Anywhere I like.” He stroked his thumb back and forth over the pulse of life's blood just under her flesh, and his presence echoed his hand - stroking and possessing hers.

 

Ahsoka felt entirely consumed, by the water and by the racing in her blood caused by Anakin's touch. Her head rolled back and she let out a quiet, pleasurable sigh.

 

Anakin switched hands, powerful but oh-so-careful metal fingers around Ahsoka's throat, quickly warming against her skin. With a flesh fingertip and a feather-light touch, he traced the markings on her forehead, her cheeks, then stroked down one headtail only to rub teasingly over the tip.

 

Ahsoka grabbed his hand, water splashing at the sudden motion. “Are you just going to tease me Master?”

 

In response, Anakin infinitesimally tightened his hand on her neck, and traced the markings on her breasts. “As long as you're in the tub, yes.” His gaze burned into hers as he fondly circled a nipple without touching it. “I want to turn my Padawan into a quivering little puddle of desire, put in her body by me . If you think you can get out of the tub, be my guest.” He rubbed over her jugular again with his mechno thumb.

 

“Ahhh.. I think uhhh... I'm - kriff -  good here.” She was trying not to writhe too much, she didn't want to knock into the tub, but Anakin’s hand was torture.

 

“Good girl.” Sensing the physical frustration in his Padawan he exhaled slowly. “Use what you've learned. Breath, welcome the sensations into your body.” He reached down to run a warm hand from ankle to calf, up and down, then up her thigh, down the other. He liked how she shuddered so he did that again. “You light up soooo bright in the Force when you're aroused, Ahsoka.”

 

“What…” As he’d commanded she breathed through the sensations, through the heat trailed by his fingers that was cooled by the water. “What do you mean?”

 

“Over the bond, you shine. You're all warmth and light and heat.” He reached through the bond to share an impression of what he was experiencing from her, how she glittered and gleamed. His fingers reverently swept over the marking over her womb.

 

At a loss for words Ahsoka let herself be overwhelmed by Anakin's touch, and his view of her. Earlier he’d shown her how he saw  her, the drawing in his notebook. This was another even more intimate way of seeing her, she understood. She moaned pleasantly.

 

Anakin decided she was ready for more, and reached over and pulled the plug on the drain. As the water gurgled away, he leaned casually against the edge of the tub and let his eyes roam Ahsoka again. “Let’s see, you got to ‘suck me off,’  you're not a virgin anymore. Any other requests?” 

 

Ahsoka shook her head. “No. What's your request? What do you want to do to me?”

 

Shifting to cup the back of her neck, Anakin pulled Ahsoka up into a sitting position and whispered against her mouth. “So much, Snips. More than I can do here tonight. More than I thought I was capable of. More than I've ever done before…”

 

Ahsoka couldn’t resist pressing her mouth to his. “Your lips are... so nice to kiss.”she laughed softly.

 

Anakin smiled. At the kiss, at her laugh. “So are yours.”He kissed her back, pulling her as close as he could with the edge of the tub in the way, pressing against his stiff cock. I think you need to get out of there and join me in the bed.”

 

Ahsoka bit her lip, and looked up at him through her eyelashes. “I... may have a request.”

 

Anakin quirked an eyebrow, amused. “Can't wait to hear it, Snips.”

 

“In bed first?” Ahsoka looked sheepish, and stood, waiting for his response.

 

“Whatever you need.” Anakin said as he helped his Padawan out of the tub and waited for her to dry off before leading the way over to the bed, offering both curiosity and reassurance over the bond.

 

Ahsoka turned down the sheets and climbed into the bed on her back, spread her legs, and said, ”I want your mouth on me... again. Please.” She gave her Master what she hoped was a flirtatious and respectful look.

 

Anakin smirked, hands stroking her thighs. “I would love to put my mouth on you again.” He kissed down her stomach. “And again.” A featherlight kiss on her folds. “And every day for the rest of my kriffing life.” 

As Ahsoka arched into the pleasure Anakin brought her when he set about devouring her, they both felt the rest of their lives started right then, that night, which they spent getting to know their shitty hotel bed - and each other - very, very well.

Notes:

WELCOME to After the Darkness Shines Through the Light. Please bear with this loooong author’s note, as it has some important bits about this fic’s relationship to the Clone Wars timeline. This fic has been a year and a half in the making and much of it is still a messy, messy first draft. Please pardon our delay while we continue editing, but know we are hopeful to someday have a regular posting schedule, and chapter two out sooner than later. But it was really important to us to share this story shortly after the winter solstice here in our hemisphere, when dark and light are equal, and also during Channukkah, the Festival of Lights, which our multi-religious family celebrates. The reasoning for this timing and the title will become clear later.

Please know, dear readers, that your authors have ZERO CHILL when it comes to Anisoka. This story is what happens when two aspiring professional writers who are lesbians, Star Wars fans, and married decide to write a story back and forth over text and then edit and post it to AO3. We hope you will have as much fun reading it as we had writing it.

AtDSTtL will follow the narrative of the Clone Wars tv show to a point. It’s important to note we started working on this while watching a very cool fan project called Clone Wars Refocused, which slightly remixes the Clone Wars to, among other things, make sure Ahsoka is never gone for more than an episode or two until after season 5. We’ve also pulled some narrative elements and characters we LOVE (and think you will too, if they are new to you) from Clone Wars tie-in novels, comics, and videogames, and are blending in some legends elements to boot. Most of what you know from Clone Wars either has or will happen, but it may be in an order that’s unfamiliar. We hope you’ll still enjoy!

There will be more song recs to come.
We love comments, feel welcome to share your thoughts! (They are moderated though. Antis get deleted). Also, you may want to subscribe for updates.

Thank you sincerely for reading. We so look forward to sharing this story with you.

You can find us at:

tinytogrutafemale on tumblr
creativside on tumblr
creativ_side on the site formerly known as twitter
Creativside on YouTube (I make Anisoka amv’s!)

Finally, we owe a great debt of inspiration to:
Adley90’s The Chosen Ones
How_long_must_we_live and their fic Practicum
Fialleril and their Tatooine lore
LadyDae, Especially her epic How to Take an Empire
StarCrackedOpen(Misthia) especially their Things Carried, Unseen series, much of which could be considered canon to the world of our fic.

Chapter 2: Daylight

Notes:

PAUSE HERE
If you have not read creativside's prequel, Touch Starved, this is the best place in the story to do so. But do as you please, and enjoy either way!

Content Note: There will be a non-graphic description of physical injury in this chapter.

Recommended Listening:
Daylight - Taylor Swift
Touch Tank - quinnie
say anything - girl in red

“I don’t wanna look at anything else now that I saw you.

I don’t wanna think of anything else now that I thought of you

Been sleeping so long in a twenty-year dark night

And now I see daylight

I only see daylight”

Daylight - Taylor Swift

 

The first thing Ahsoka Tano was aware of as she came slowly to consciousness was her Master’s scent. She had always liked it, it had a sort of sweetness to it, something herbal and rich, always with an underlying hint of metal and wires and oil, not just because of his arm but because he worked on machines almost constantly. And it was everywhere, on the scratchy pillow under her head, coating her skin, in the air around her. Half asleep, that struck her as strange. They hadn’t slept in the same tent in ages. And then she remembered, and her eyes opened, squinting as the Coruscant daylight peaked through the curtains on the hotel window, to see -

 

No one. The other side of the bed had a dent in the pillow from where Anakin’s head had rested, but he wasn’t there. 

 

“Master?” she murmured as she sat up, clutching the sheet to her chest and looking around. The light in the small ‘fresher was out so he wasn't in there. “Anakin?” His clothes were gone, too. Ahsoka frowned. Surely, her Master, who was overprotective sometimes to the point of being overbearing, hadn’t left her here; he hadn’t left a young Togruta who also happened to be his Padawan alone in a cheap hotel, especially after what they’d said. Right?

 

Before she could get really worked up, there was a beep and a click, and the door to the room slid open, revealing her Master, hair mostly smoothed but still sticking up in a couple places from where she’d tangled her fingers in it. A smile turned up the corners of her mouth.

 

“Hey, Skyguy.”

 

Anakin set down the takeout containers he’d brought with him and was at Ahsoka’s side in a moment, pulling her into his arms. “I was hoping I’d make it back before you woke up. Sorry, Snips.” He had felt her concern and a mild sense of abandonment leech into the bond as he’d been coming up the stairs to their room. She seemed fine, now that he was here. 

 

She gave him a mischievous smile. “I think I can forgive you if that’s breakfast I smell.” She nodded her head toward the containers. 

 

He smiled back and kissed her on the forehead. “You’re in luck. Or I suppose I am.” He retrieved the food he’d brought, passing her a takeout cup of caf the way she liked it - full of cream and sugar, and presented her with breakfast. 

 

“For you, sausage and bacon with extra hot sauce and crispy topatoes. And a breakfast pastry that I really shouldn’t let you have because it’ll leave you too lethargic to train later.”

 

Ahsoka looked at him through her eyelashes, letting a memory of them tumbling around in this bed and panting, play across the bond. “Oh, I don’t think you can blame it all on one pastry, Master.” She watched with satisfaction as a shudder went through him while she gratefully sipped her drink, then frowned at him. “Where’s your caf? Don’t tell me you decided to skip it.”

 

He shrugged, voice a little sheepish. “I had two or three while I was waiting for the food.” He stood again to kick off his boots and strip off his clothes, eager to feel her skin.

 

Ahsoka laughed. “And Master Kenobi says I’m a caf-fiend.” She watched appreciatively as her Master’s body was revealed, eyes lighting on scratch marks, the deep purple bruise from where she’d bitten him. His short sleeved undershirt landed close to her on the bed, and with a furtive glance at him she snatched it up and tugged it over her head, having to stretch it a little to fit over her montrals and headtails. He was giving her a fond look when she was done. “Whatcha looking at Anakin?” She asked coyly.

 

Anakin let his affection float over the bond, wrap around her warmly. “You. In my shirt. It’s cute.” He leaned in for a kiss only to be thwarted when Ahsoka stuffed a strip of cured meat in her mouth. 

 

“Sorry Master,” Ahsoka said through a full mouth, “need to replenish calories. Our um… training session last night really left me hungry.”

 

Anakin chuckled and settled next to her with his own food. “Good morning, by the way.” 

 

She leaned against him with a satisfied sigh. “Good morning.” 

 

They ate in companionable silence for a while, basking in the warm, soft feelings weaving around each other in their auras. It was both similar to and unlike many mornings they’d shared in the past. But Anakin knew there were things that needed to be discussed before they headed back to the Temple.

 

“Ahsoka?”

 

The tone in Anakin’s voice…he sounded worried? Guilty? “Yes, Master?” She replied with apprehension. 

 

Anakin stared at his lap as he spoke; the words threatened to get stuck in his throat. “I said some things last night that…we were both very caught up in the heat of the moment, and now it’s morning and feelings can look different in the light of day.” He met her eyes. “I just need to check that you don’t regret anything we did or…or said. And if you do, know that I won’t let it interfere with your training. I owe you that much.”

 

Ahsoka set down her caf and took both his hands in hers. Her Master had his insecurities, she knew. And she sensed that this was playing on the ones that had to do with being a worthy teacher. “Anakin…Master, last night was everything I’d hoped it would be and so much more. I loved every moment of it. And I love you.” She let the golden feeling shine over their bond to emphasize her words. 

 

Anakin smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Every moment?” He let remembered phrases over the bond. 

 

Destroy you…ruin you…

 

And also an image; his hand cradling her throat.

 

Ahsoka shuddered, a warm pulsing starting in her core. “I..” She flushed from forehead to lek tip. “I liked that too.” She squeaked out. “I told you. I like all of it.” She resisted the urge to bury her face in her hands, and when her Master tilted her chin up so their eyes were meeting she let him.

 

“It was an incredible night for me too, Ahsoka. One I never dreamed of. I’m glad I got to share it with you, and I love you too.”

 

He kissed her, and they both seemed to ease into each other's lips, reassured that, no, a night to sleep on it had not changed their minds but rather solidified all they were to each other. Breakfast finished, Anakin leaned back, and Ahsoka cuddled into the crook of his arm. She did have a question burning on her tongue. One she wasn’t entirely sure she should ask but needed to.

 

“This... how different is it for you…” she traced her fingers in a circle on his chest as she searched for the right phrasing, “...from before?

 

Ahsoka had talked vaguely around knowing he wasn't a virgin last night. He wondered now what exactly she knew. “I'm...not sure it's fair to anybody to compare, Ahsoka. That said, I've only been with a human woman, so this was....” He paused. “Your being Togruta isn’t the only thing that made it so different, of course. It’s you and me together, who we are, that made last night incredible.” He smirked, his tone a little teasing. “It was new to be bitten hard enough to break the skin. Or at all, really.”

 

Ahsoka smiled for a moment, then frowned. “Human woman…” she murmured under her breath, then fell silent before a quiet growl came from low in her chest. “I guess Padmé is pretty.”

 

So that was what she’d been inferring. Anakin tilted her chin up. “That growl was...intriguing. Are you jealous , Snips?” In the Force he was a blend of mischievously curious and concerned.

“No.” Ahsoka said sharply, too sharply, and over the bond, her heat cooled.

 

“You don't have anything to be jealous of.” Anakin reassured as he felt her stiffen in his arms. He didn't let himself look away, but his face heated. “Padmé and I split up. A year ago. Like I said earlier, I haven't been with anyone since.” He cupped her face in her hands. “And I’m so happy to be with you now.”

 

Ahsoka ignored his attempts to reach her and turned her attention to what was happening on his face. “Are you blushing Master?”

 

“I…what?” Anakin scoffed, attempting a casualness he did not feel. “ No .” His ears turned red as he spoke.

 

“You are!”  Ahsoka laughed. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you blush before.” She tapped his nose with a fingertip. “It's adorable.”

 

“No one's called me ‘adorable’ since I was a kid.” Anakin did look away now. “The stuff with Padmé is embarrassing to talk about. I karked it up. And -” his head swiveled back. “How did you even know ?”

 

“Well, you used to disappear every time we were onworld, and you always came back smelling like some fancy soap. And then one day we were, I don’t remember, running security at the Senate or something and I caught the same scent on her. From there it wasn’t hard to put two and two together and well…” she fiddled with the edge of the bedsheet. “The whole 501st suspected.” Ahsoka forced herself to meet his eyes. “You're not together anymore?” 

 

So it was her sensitive Togruta nose that had let her figure it out. Anakin squeezed her a little tighter, trying to reassure her over the bond. “No. We're not.” He frowned as a thought occurred to him. “Wait, you thought I was still with her and you came to me and asked me to have sex with you anyway? The whole night, when we were confessing our love to each other you thought...what did you think?”

 

“I wasn't sure... I... you hadn’t snuck off in a while. So I figured maybe… I mean if you were married or something I would’ve known. I bet Rex money on it once.” It was Ahsoka’s turn to blush. “Um…maybe don’t tell him I told you that.”

 

Anakin shook his head, mostly at his own obliviousness. “And I thought I was so discreet.” He carefully considered what to say next, taking a deep breath. “I should make something abundantly clear.” His Force presence swirled around her, a barely constrained possessiveness, leashed by his will, “Ahsoka, I don't share. I don't share myself, and I love you, which means I'm not sharing you. You deserve that much. And please know I would never have said yes to you if I was still engaged to Padmé.”

 

Ahsoka’s eyes went wide and she sat straight up. “You were engaged?!”

 

Anakin closed his eyes briefly. “Damnit…” She was staring him down, waiting for an explanation. “Yes. I was. It was a mistake. The war had justt broken out and we were both…it seemed right at the time.” He would give her a moment to absorb that before he circled back to what he’d said about exclusivity.

 

“Ugh. I thought I knew all your secrets.” Ahsoka crossed her arms, more aggravated that she hadn’t figured her Master out as well as she’d believed than about other things. She sighed, considering what else he’d said. “I…don't want to share you either, Skyguy.” She offered him a small smile, and her aura responded to his possessiveness by reaching to wrap herself in it.

 

“Mmm…” Anakin held his arms open welcoming Ahsoka back into them as they intertwined in the Force. His voice was very somber, guilty, maybe. “You don't want to know all my secrets, Snips.” 

 

But she deserved to know, didn't she? Wasn't it dishonest to let her love him if she didn't know about the Tuskens?

 

Ahsoka pressed her head against his chest, feeling warm and right. “You know, Rex thinks you're trying to be dark and broody, but Sister thinks you're just mysterious.”

 

Anakin chuckled, relishing her closeness, her comfort with him. Hoping nothing would change that, even if he told her the truth. “And what do you think, my Padawan?”

 

“I think... that you're the only Jedi in a long time to choose this life, and that one's reasons for wanting to be a Jedi must both be mysterious and your own.” She laughed. “I'm not trying to be deep.”

 

“You can be wise without trying when you want to, Ahsoka.” They were quiet for a moment, enjoying each other's nearness then -

 

“There are some who would say what we did - and said, and feel - disgraces me as a Master and ought to disqualify us both from being Jedi.” Anakin’s tone turned half joking. “If we want to get away with it we'll have to completely transform the Order.” 

 

“Well,” Ahsoka said with a shrug, “you are the Chosen One.”

 

Anakin smirked and rolled so he was an top of her - a position that was quickly becoming familiar - and his voice was pure flirtation. 

 

“You going to help me bring balance to the Force, Ahsoka? By betraying the Jedi Code, letting me pump you full of pups, raising them all to be Jedi who get attached and fall in love and do all kinds of other un-Jedi-like things..?”

 

Ahsoka’s eyes went wide. “Whoa there, Skyguy. Pump the brakes.” shd put both her palms flat on his chest. “ Pups? ” Did Anakin want babies? That was so absurd she could hardly fathom it. “Jedi don't have children.”

 

“Jedi also don't seduce their Masters, kriff their Padawans, or declare themselves in love. Yet here we are.” Anakin wriggled his hips a little between her legs. He was joking, he told himself. But deep down he knew that wasn't the whole truth.

 

“Okay, that's true. But…” Ahsoka couldn’t believe she was about to ask her Master this question. “Do you want kids?” She couldn't hold back a wince as she asked.

 

Anakin had been so sure at some point he would say or do something that would be a step too far. It seemed they'd reached that point. He rolled off of her, staring up at the ceiling. “It's so easy, sometimes, to forget that anyone raised in the Temple their whole life probably hasn't thought much about any other way of living.”

 

“Why would I?” came her response.

 

Anakin smiled wryly at the open honesty in her voice. “It must've been a beautiful childhood.” He rolled to face her, resting his cheek on his hand. “To answer your question, I guess having kids is a dream I never quite let go of. But it's just a dream, I…” he shook his head, “I know that.” Anakin mostly avoided thinking about Tatooine, but the long-held dream of having children who would live and grow free - it wasn't an easy thing to stop wanting.

 

“If it wasn’t just a dream, what would it look like? You've clearly thought about it. Them.” Ahsoka was surprised to find herself genuinely curious if a little uncomfortable with the topic.

 

“Ahsoka, we don't have to talk about this.” Anakin had meant his tone to be casual but it came out a little sharp. “As you said, Jedi don't have children, not to keep, not to raise. I shouldn't have said anything.” He retreated a little in the bond.

 

Ahsoka looked down, trying to hide the slight sense of rejection at his brusque tone. “Okay, if that’s how you feel about it, Master.”

 

It was the first real moment of tension between them since they’d kissed last night, and Anakin didn't like it. He closed his eyes, and made himself take a breath. This was Ahsoka, his Padawan. He loved her. She loved him. And she’d asked him a question. He let the bond ease fully open again. “Right now,” he spoke slowly, like he had to lay the words down carefully one by one, “I'm imagining kids with blonde hair and white markings.” He chanced a look at her.

 

“You don't even know if we're bio-compatible.” Ahsoka teased, her eyes twinkling. She hoped he’d understand she didn't mean it as discouragement, and gave him a playful nudge in the Force.

 

“Actually, I read up on Togruta biology right after you became my Padawan, and we are.” Anakin told her, and pressed himself flush against her on the mattress, daring to flirt again. “Of course, there's only one way to be completely sure…” He nuzzled her neck, licking a mark he'd left last night.

 

Ahsoka growled softly, letting him sense her growing desire. “Can we table this conversation?” she murmured breathily. 

 

“Yes.” Came Anakin’s response. He kissed her, caressed her cheek. “I never asked, how are you feeling? Sore at all? Tired?”

 

“No, Master, not at all.” And she gave him a look like she could devour him.

 

“Good.” Anakin held her close as he rolled onto his back, smirking at her. “You can be on top this time.”

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

“I’ll take good care of him, Kix.” 

 

Anakin had been bleary and half-conscious pretty much since he took a swipe across the belly from the stinger of some large, annoying, and poisonous beast in the woods of the world they’d arrived to for deployment earlier today. But that voice put him on alert. He didn't have the strength to sit up as the flap to his tent opened and his Padawan came in, but he gave her a smile. “Hey Snips.” 

 

Ahsoka hesitated at the entrance to the tent. She had seen him injured before, and she didn't want to admit that it felt different now. But it was. She was his Padawan, she was supposed to look out for him, but that wasn’t all. “Hey yourself, Skyguy.” Her eyes lingered on the bandage wrapped around his stomach.

 

Anakin cocked his head at his Padawan, sensing her hesitance. “You can come over here, I won’t bite you.”

 

She rolled her eyes, but smiled. “We both know that’s not true.”

 

“Hm.” He gave her a smirk. “Takes one to know one.” And he let the memory of her teeth sinking into him flow across the bond.

 

Ahsoka shuddered - not unpleasantly - at the memory as she came further into the tent. “This is hardly the time, Master.” Her voice was tight with worry. She’d seen him pull through worse, why did saying three little words out loud have her so…she reached for his hand. “How are you feeling?” 

 

Anakin gave his Padawan’s hand a reassuring squeeze, even as he offered a soothing brush against her in the Force. “Been better. Been worse.” His tone turned wistful. “I have to say, this isn’t how I pictured my night going.”

 

Ahsoka’s brow furrowed. “Oh?”

 

“Well I’d hoped for a little less injury and a little more romance when I invited you to share a tent again but -”

 

Anakin felt a zing of delight through Ahsoka at his words.

 

“You had me move out of your tent ages ago.”

 

“I know.” He met her eyes. “I…may or may not have been trying to protect you from…some very inappropriate thoughts your Master was starting to have about sleeping so close to each other.”

 

Ahsaka gave him a fond look, then mischief lit up her eyes. “That worked out well.” 

 

“It might have if my Padawan hadn’t been so eager to break all the rules.” He teased. 

 

“Don’t forget who taught me that, Master.” Ahsoka gave right back. 

 

“Oh don’t worry Ahsoka, I haven’t forgotten any lesson I’ve ever taught you. Some, I admit, do stick out more clearly than others. I had hoped to continue those lessons tonight.” He opened himself to her fully, letting her in on images and sensations that played across his mind.

 

“I like to be touched here…”

 

“Relax your muscles.”

 

The sound of her swallowing as he came down her throat. 

 

Ahsoka swallowed hard. “Master, don’t…”

 

“Don’t what, Ahsoka? Tease?” His voice was deeper with desire, and since he was mostly naked he knew Ahsoka could see his response as well as sense it. 

 

“Master!” Ahsoka whispered urgently, very aware of what his body wanted but couldn’t have. 

“You are injured and recovering from poisoning. I’m happy to sleep in here with you - I’m really glad you want me to - but …we can’t -

 

“I’m clear on what we can’t do, Ahsoka.” He was suddenly every part Master Skywalker, tone authoritative in a way that made her sit up a little straighter. “But I taught you to be more creative and optimistic than that. What you should be focusing on is what we can do.”

 

“Like…what?” Ahsoka couldn’t think of anything they’d tried in either his room or the hotel that wouldn’t somehow aggravate his injury. 

 

“I have a couple of ideas.” He tugged on her hand to bring her face closer to his, and kissed her, tongue slipping between her lips with what was quickly becoming familiarity. She got the message. 

 

“Master,” She sighed, half in eagerness and half exasperation, “how could you possibly manage that in the state you’re in.”

 

“There’s a way.” Anakin reassured her, speaking in a matter-of-fact voice that barely hid his amusement. “You’ll have to sit.”

 

“Sit?” Ahsoka raised an eyebrow, confusion evident in her tone and the Force. “Sit…where exactly?”

 

In response, Anakin reached up and tapped a finger to his lips.  

 

Ahsoka flushed, chevrons of her headtails turning a deeper blue. She wouldn’t have thought much would make her bashful after their first night together but, well, that was her Master - always throwing what she didn’t expect her way. “Um…what…how…Anakin I-I can’t do that, I’ll hurt you.”

 

“You won’t.” Anakin insisted. “I'll just be lying here, flat on my back, head on the pillow, tongue up your cun-”

 

“I get the picture!...Master.” Ahsoka tacked on the title half as an afterthought. “I just…”

 

Anakin took her hand again, stroking the back of it with his thumb. “Hey, Snips, there’s no pressure here. If you don’t want to, we won’t.” He made his words as sincere as he could, backing them up with quiet support in the Force.

 

Ahsoka watched his mouth as he spoke. She was intimately familiar with what he could do with it, and she didn’t resist letting him feel it in her aura. “It’s not that I don’t want to.” She sighed, and tightened both her hands around his, her tone serious. “It’s just that you push yourself, Master. All the time and more than you should. I need to trust that if this makes you too tired or hurts you, you won’t ignore that, and we’ll stop.”

 

Anakin gave her hand another squeeze. “I promise. I won’t risk injuring myself further just to get you off, my Padawan.”

 

“I’m serious, Master.” 

 

“So am I.” Again, he let it ring true in the bond. His words might be slightly flippant, but he meant them.

 

Ahsoka assessed her Master for another moment, eyes not leaving his, feeling him out in the Force. When she was satisfied he was being genuine, she nodded once, and stood. “Guess…I’ll need to get naked then.” 

 

“At least from the waist down, Padawan.”

 

“And leave half of me untouchable, Master?” She was getting better at flirting - or at least she thought she was - as she he undid her belt, sabers still attached, laying it within easy reach. Her eyes went to the tent’s entrance. A measly scrap of fabric between her, her Master, and the squadron. “Anyone could come in. If there was an emergency.”

 

Anakin nodded, taking what she said in stride. “That is a risk we take, yes. Though Rex is usually the only one who would dare, and he tends to announce himself.” 

 

He was right, Ahsoka knew. “Thank goodness Master Kenobi isn’t on this deployment. I’m not sure I could go through with this if he was.”

 

Anakin considered that for a moment, and then smirked at her. “I think I could.” 

 

Ahsoka scoffed. “Sure you could, Skyguy.” She half believed him though as she worked off her boots, shimmied out of her leggings, unclasped her tunic and tugged it down her hips. All the while she felt her Master’s eyes on her, and tendrils of him in the Force on her skin. She shivered, and not just because she was bare.

 

Anakin watched her every motion with unbridled interest, breathing deeply to keep his hips from twitching as his cock stiffened. He mentally reminded the thing that this was not about it, because stomach muscles clenching in release was a great way to rip out stitches. But Ahsoka’s pleasure? That he could manage without hurting himself. At least he was pretty sure.

 

When Ahsoka turned, naked, to her Master, she saw his eyes focus right in on the love bite he had marked her with, and saw him swallow thickly as she bit her lip, the memory of that moment playing across the bond from both sides. She could all but feel his teeth in her skin and at the same time, teeth sinking in, how soft Padawan’s skin was under Master’s lips.

 

Anakin, for his part, as he let Ahsoka see, feel the memory of giving her that mark, sucking on the tender flesh until the color deepened, was treated to the ghost of pleasurably painful sensations as though the mark had been left on him, as though he had whimpered. He licked his lips. Intimacy was really something else with another Force-user, the self becoming not just one, but two. Two bodies and all they felt, shared openly. It struck Anakin he should be careful. He’d been warned, time and time again, that his power could overwhelm. And so he tempered how fully he shared himself across the bond. Not because he wanted to, but because he had a responsibility to his Padawan.

 

Ahsoka whimpered as her Master pulled back in the Force, like a cloud covering the heat of the sun. It was always intense, to feel him entirely, but she wanted it anyway, and she left her side of the bond wide open and welcoming just like she’d made her body a few nights ago. “Master…” she murmured, the word mostly breath. She took a few steps closer to him, sinking on her knees so that she could lean down to kiss him.

 

“Mm…” Anakin accepted the offering of his Padawan’s mouth eagerly, her soft lips, her curious tongue which he teased with a bite of pressure, making her squeak. He brought one hand up to the back of her neck to keep her right there as he traced her lips with his tongue, then past them once, twice, a preview of what else he intended. With gentle pressure, he used his hand on her neck to shift her back just slightly, not missing how her eyes had darkened or how her lips stayed parted. Oh kriff, did he wish he could push something else past them. “You ready to give this a try, Snips?” His words came out rough with lust.

 

Ahsoka felt herself nod at her Master's words, very aware of his hand on the back of her neck, her own on his wrist as though to keep it there. She rose up on her knees, grateful he’d been laid out on a bedroll on the ground and not a cot which would have made balance next to impossible. “I just…lower myself onto you?” Some quieted part of her mind heard the awkwardness in her words, but she was eager too, and that helped.

 

“That’s right. One leg on either side of my head.” Anakin almost unconsciously licked his lips in anticipation. 

 

Carefully, ever-aware of the injury behind her, Ahsoka swung a leg over her Master’s face, positioning herself as he’d said to. She hovered just a little over his mouth and couldn’t resist the giggle that bubbled up as she stared into his blue eyes. “Hi down there, Master. This is… interesting.”

 

Anakin smiled up at Ahsoka, stroking both of her thighs where they straddled his head. “How so, my Padawan?”

 

“Well….you’re my Master, you’re…I mean you always say we’re a team but you’re in charge. And now you look very… not that.”

 

Anakin tilted his head, as much as he could, quirking an eyebrow at her. “Do you feel in charge Padawan? Just because you’re up there above me? Did you feel that way on top of me the other morning?” His grip in her thighs tightened, and he opened himself a little more, memories shared across the bond again.

 

His memories. Her own. Both tumbled through Ahsoka’s mind. Master’s hands working her nipples, the tips of her headtails, rubbing at the sensitive nerves between her legs. And then he had sat up and they’d been chest to chest, him deep in her, holding her tightly to him as he thrust upwards… she hadn’t been in charge then, and as she looked down at her Master she knew she wasn’t in charge now. She shivered with anticipation. “No, Master.”

 

“Very good, Snips. Now, bring that sweet little cunt to my mouth.” 

 

Ahsoka made a small, surprised noise at his language. He’d known it would shock her just a bit, and he smirked with satisfaction even as he stroked her thighs to encourage her to obey his command. And obey she did.

 

With a slow exhale, Ahsoka adjusted so that her core was flush against Anakin’s lips.

 

“Mmmm…” he groaned ravenously into her, rubbing his lips back and forth, relishing her scent, her softness. Anakin slid his flesh hand up her torso to cup the breast that still bore the bruise from his mouth even as he closed that mouth around the tip of her clitoris, sucking ever so lightly. When that had Ahsoka arching her back to push herself closer, Anakin began a slow circling motion with his tongue that quickly became an insistent, inescapable licking where she was most sensitive. 

 

Above her Master Ahsoka did her best not to writhe so hard she accidentally hurt him. She should have known what to expect but somehow, despite what she’d already experienced of him, it all still felt new. It was also harder than she expected to keep quiet, especially when the hand that had been squeezing her breast started to roll the nipple, to pinch it juuust enough that she whined and jerked -

 

Anakin inhaled with a hiss. His Padawan had moved in just the wrong way and it had put too much pressure on his torso, tugging at the still healing slash on his stomach. 

 

Ahsoka froze. “Master? She searched his face, nudged the bond in concern. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean -”

 

“I’m alright, Ahsoka.” He reassured with his words and over the bond. “It was nothing. Now where were we?” And this time, he parted her slick folds with his tongue. 

 

“Oh!” Ahsoka stopped being concerned, stopped being much of anything as her world became her Master's tongue inside her. In between getting ready for this mission, hyperspace travel, and today's recon, there had been a few days since they’d had time for this. As Ahsoka had quickly discovered, it was maybe one of her favorite sensations in the galaxy, and she shared that enjoyment with him in their wide open bond.

 

Anakin groaned into Ahsoka as he was brought into what she was feeling; the thoughtlessness, the desire as his tongue ratcheted her desire up higher and higher. And in kind, he stopped holding back his possessiveness, his ownership of her, his Padawan. In the Force, he twined around her and she not only let him but reached back, all heat and light. He brought his teeth down on her clit as he had before, while his flesh hand snuck up toward the column of Ahsoka’s throat.

 

Each time the careful but hungry pressure of her Master’s teeth pressed into her, Ahsoka made an eager clicking sound in the back of her throat. It was one she made rarely, only when her body and emotions were heightened and, well, they didn’t get much higher than this. She would have thrown her head back if it wasn’t for the steady presence of her Master’s hand around her neck, not tight, just… there. Everywhere he touched her felt electric, and to feel him in the Force was to know that he wanted her, that he would never let her go, it was enough to have Ahsoka rocking her hips down, grinding against his mouth, chasing the release he was pulling her closer and closer towards until - 

 

“Anakin! Master! Oh, Master!” The words were a desperate whisper of peaked pleasure.

 

The motion of his Padawan’s hips did strain Anakin’s wound just a little, but he was beyond caring as their bond was lit up with the brightness of her climax, as he felt her warmer, wetter, around his tongue and lapped like someone dying of thirst, running his thumb over the pulse in Ahsoka’s throat and relishing his name, his title, the sounds that spilled from her lips. And then she tipped a little, almost woozy, he sensed, and he dug his hands into her hips to keep her upright and help her ease off of him.

 

Ahsoka lay next to her Master, panting, shifting her thighs and feeling the wetness from her, and from her Master’s mouth. She nuzzled into him, sighing and making that clicking sound again as his arm settled around her shoulders. “That…certainly was something, Master.”

 

“Glad you enjoyed it.” Anakin murmured in response. She ran warmer than he did, and in the heat of passion he hadn’t realized how cool the night air had gotten. Her warmth was welcome, and he shivered. Ahsoka looked at him, renewed concern on her face.

 

“Did I hurt you?”

 

“No, Snips. Just cold.” 

 

Despite how shaky the orgasm had left her, Ahsoka darted to the other side of the tent to grab a blanket, covering her Master and herself and curling against his side once more. He made a frustrated noise. 

 

“Wish I could hold you properly.”

 

“Hm.” Ahsoka buried her face in the crook of his neck. “Patience, Master.” she said, a little mischief in her voice.

 

“Not my strong suit. Not where this is concerned. Kiss me.”

 

Ahsoka knew a command when she heard one, and leaned over to obey, then giggled.

 

Anakin titled his head, raising an eyebrow at the giggling accompanied with bubbling amusement in the bond. “What’s so funny, Snips?”

 

“Your face is a mess.” She laughed again, “My fault, I guess.”

 

Anakin’s arm tightened around her. “It is, isn’t it?” There was mischief and something more lustful in his tone. “You better clean me up then.” 

 

Ahsoka swallowed hard at the look in her Master’s eyes, and then leaned over again. She started off just kissing him, then ran her tongue over his skin, tasting herself there. She lapped at his chin, playfully nipped his lip with a fang.

 

“Careful, Snips,” Anakin chided with no seriousness. “Wouldn’t want to have to explain a bloody lip to Kix.” 

 

“Oh, you could just tell him you conquered another fearsome beast in the night. Imagine how impressed the boys would be to hear you faced down a terrible apex predator lying on your back in bed.”

 

“Is that what I’ve done?” Anakin tilted Ahsoka’s chin so she was looking at him. “Conquered you?”

 

“Uh…” Ahsoka’s stomach did somersaults at his word, but she answered steadily. “Yes…”

 

Anakin let the hand on her chin wander until it rested over her heart, feeling the pounding there. “I love you.”

 

Ahsoka’s responding smile was radiant. “And I love you, Anakin.”

 

Anakin opened his mouth - to say something, to kiss her - and instead yawned. 

 

Ahsoka nudged his cheek with one montral. “I may be conquered, but I think you’re worn out, Master.” 

 

“Having an eager Padawan and so much to teach her can be exhausting.” Anakin was aware it would have been a better jibe if he hadn’t yawned again halfway through it. 

 

With another giggle, Ahsoka gave her Master a kiss on the cheek and made sure that the blanket was tucked securely around them both. “Goodnight, Master.” 

 

Anakin, bolstered in the Force by his Padawan despite his exhaustion, willed the one lantern in the tent out. “G’night, Snips.”

 

Ahsoka lay in the dark, her Master’s heartbeat close to her ear and echoing through her montrals as his breathing evened out and he dulled in the Force the way that meant he was falling asleep. “I really like falling asleep with you,” she whispered.

 

Anakin was much too tired to respond, but he smiled ever so slightly, and let her feel, over their connection, that he really liked it too.

 

Notes:

HAPPY AHSOKA TANO DAY!

Seventeen years ago on January 29th it was first announced that a new character - Ahsoka Tano - would be appearing in the Clone Wars film as Anakin Skywalker's Padawan. What better day to get chapter two out to y'all? We certainly wouldn't be here without it.
Honorable mention to lyrics that didn't make the epitaph, but are very relevant:
"And I can still see it all (in my mind)
All of you all of me (intertwined)
I once believed love would be (black and white)
But it's golden.

And I can still see it all (in my head)
Back and forth from New York (sneakin' in your bed)
I once believed love would be (burnin' red)
But it's golden."

Thank you as always for reading. Your co-authors LOVE comments and do our best to answer each and every one. We are going to do our best to update monthly, with hopes that soon we'll be updating more frequently than that!

You can find us at:
tinytogrutafemale on tumblr
creativside on tumblr
creativ_side on the site formerly known as twitter
Creativside on YouTube (I make Anisoka amv’s!)

Chapter 3: Every Little Thing She Does

Notes:

Recommended Listening:
TRUSTFALL - P!NK
Please Be Rude - Gigi Perez
Every Little Thing She Does is Magic (cover) - Sleeping At Last
This Fire - Atom Circus

“Every little thing she does is magic

Every thing she does just turns me on

Even though my life before was tragic

Now I know my love for her goes on.”

 

• Everything Little Thing She Does is Magic (cover) Sleeping at Last

 

 

This deployment had been meant to have been a simple one. Recon and surveying. There were plans for a GAR outpost on the small, remote planet of Theyliss. Notes were to be taken on water sources, terrain. Wildlife too, Anakin thought wryly as he hand brushed over the spot where his wound had already completely healed. Once, this sort of mission would have been exclusively for the Exploratory Corp; Jedi Knights whose purpose it was to map and explore the galaxy. As a child, he’d told Qui-Gon Jinn he wanted to visit every star system in the galaxy. And certainly, he had seen many. 

 

But since the start of the war, those visits had been about battle. And this one turned out to be no different. The Separatists were already present, they’d discovered a couple of hours ago. Now, in the aftermath, the air was still full of the stench of burning metal and droid pieces littered the ground. Anakin’s lightsaber, extinguished though it was, sat heavy in his hand. As he surveyed the battlefield, his gaze landed on Ahsoka going over datapads with Rex and he thought, not for the first time, about how he had been trained to be a Knight, but Ahsoka was a soldier. She had been a fierce one in this battle. The two of them seemed more in sync than ever; every movement had felt more fluid, easier, their connection strengthening each of them in the Force. When Rex approached him with the preliminary report he half knew what it would say; surprisingly low casualties. Surprisingly high kill count. Even more than was usual for General Skywalker, the Hero with No Fear, and his fearless Padawan. His beautiful Padawan, smiling as she raised a canteen to him from across the field and drank, a trickle of water escaping to slide down her jaw. Anakin traced the droplet’s path, down her neck, her chest, slipping between her -

 

“General? Need your signature, Sir.”

 

Anakin shook his head, pulled back to reality by, in his opinion, the best Captain in the Clone Army. “Sorry, Rex.” He entered his code to sign off the battle report, and glanced back at Ahsoka, who was shrugging off a check over from Kix - a bad habit she had picked up from him. He smiled to himself, though it turned to a frown as he sensed apprehension and…embarrassment in the Force. From the man beside him. He turned again, raising an eyebrow. “Everything alright, Captain?”

 

“Sir I …how do I put this?” Rex ran a hand over his cropped blonde hair, his own gaze going to Ahsoka where she was now putting a hand on Fives’ shoulder, giving him a sympathetic smile. “General, yourself and Commander Tano are my superiors but well, I’d like to think there’s a friendliness between us.” 

 

Anakin smiled now, clapping a hand on Rex’s shoulder. “You’re our friend. Absolutely.”

 

That didn’t actually make Rex feel any better. “Permission to speak freely, Sir?”

 

“Of course Rex.” Anakin reassured. 

 

Rex took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and met his General’s gaze head on. “I’d hate to see either of you get hurt, Sir. Hate to see you hurt each other.”

 

Anakin was completely still as the meaning of Rex’s words sank in. He had a choice here. He had been so determined to impress on Ahsoka that no one could know. But this wasn’t telling. And he needed to know…“Are we that obvious?” he said flatly.

 

Rex sighed. “Not…not to those who don’t know what to look for. All due respect, Sir, I have seen you with heart in a whirl before.”

 

Anakin laughed with no humor. “Yeah, so I’ve heard.” He clapped Rex on the back again. “So, we never speak of this again?”

 

Not usually one for showing his discomfort, Anakin was surprised to see Rex grimace. 

 

“Speak freely, remember?”

 

Rex took in his General. A man he trusted with his life. A man who had always ensured the troopers who served him felt like people, not war tools . There would be no consequences for saying what he thought, but his conditioning made that hard to act on sometimes. Like now. He looked again at his Commander across the field. She beamed at him, and waved, and the corners of his mouth turned up a fraction as he lifted his hand in acknowledgement, and found his voice.

 

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Commander Tano smile like that, sir. Now, I know she can look after herself. I know she might not appreciate this but I feel…well protective of her sir.”

 

Anakin nodded. “That makes two of us.”

 

Rex faced Anakin again. Damn if the Knight’s stare wasn't intense. “I recognize that’s true when you're her Master and her General. But she’s like a sister to me. And there is something else you are to her now, and that could hurt her.”

 

Anakin took a deep breath. “Her happiness and your respect are both deeply important to me. I will do everything in my power to maintain both.” 

 

Rex nodded once, satisfied that he had made himself heard. “Very good, Sir.” He turned about to leave.

 

“Oh and Rex.” Anakin called to him, and he turned. 

 

“Yes, General?”

 

“She couldn’t ask for a better brother.”

 

~~~~~~~

 

The holographic Council flickered, for about the umpteenth time in the last three hours. Ahsoka had expected a brief check-in, a progress report, and then onward to what came next now that their deployment was less recon and more take-back-the-planet after their discovery of a Separatist base three rotations ago. Now a paranoid and bored part of her wondered if there would be a next assignment or if the Council had conspired to keep her, Rex, and her Master trapped here forever. Anakin had found a way to distract her somewhat for the last hour. The hand on her leg under the table, where Rex and the Council couldn’t see, his thumb running in circles. She’d managed not to react when he first touched her, but it was getting harder.

 

As a Padawan, Anakin had fidgeted nonstop in meetings. It had always bothered Obi-Wan, but who could blame him? They never managed to hold his attention. Over time he'd learned some subtlety; on the surface, he'd be a cool, collected, attentive Jedi Knight. But he always had something in his hand, usually a spare gear he could flip back and forth over his fingers. The boredom had only gotten worse during the war. He found that after about half an hour most important topics had already been covered. The more he honed his skills as a warrior, the more ever-ready he was for battle, the less he could stand to be so still, 

 

Anakin felt confident he, his troopers, and his Padawan could strategize for themselves. Hadn't their recent success proved that? He'd never felt closer to Ahsoka, never so able to connect with her using only body language and their Force bond. The most serious injury so far had been his own initial very stupid mistake with the manticale. And yet, here they were hours into a discussion about local planetary and system politics. Within the first fifteen minutes he’s been shifting in his seat. That was when he noticed Ahsoka's knee bouncing under the table - she wasn't doing any better than him. He placed a hand on her knee, giving their bond a gentle nudge as he did so, and she stilled. Good job, my young Padawan he thought to himself, leaving his hand where it was and absently tracing circles with his thumb. It helped both of them stay calm, focused. Better than a gear any day. Any excuse to get his hands on her was a good one, he let her sense.

 

Any excuse to have his hands on her was better, Ahsoka nudged back across the bond.

 

As the meeting dragged on, Anakin surprised himself by how attentive he could sound while his mind was mostly occupied with thoughts of what he would do to and with Ahsoka once they were out of here. It took great discipline indeed not to lick his lips at the memory of her soft, wet folds pressed to his mouth from above, of the adorable look on her face when she'd realized the sounds he was making were all about how she tasted. He wondered if her thighs were marked where he'd gripped them. After that night there'd been no time for anything except snatches of sleep here and there in each other's arms so he hadn't had a chance to see her naked since.

 

Ahsoka breathed in. And out. It was how she kept her face neutral. She was certain that if she let her boredom show everything else she was feeling would be visible too.She tried to focus on what Master Yoda was saying, something about how they had to "be careful" - of what she had lost track. Her Master was not quite being careful. She knew him touching her leg was already pushing the boundaries of what they could get away with with the eyes of literally all the Order’s most powerful Jedi in the room. Well, all the ones who weren’t busy on fronts of their own. Even holographically she was certain that Master Plo would sense it if Master Skywalker touched her where she wanted him to. If he drew his hands over the green bruise forming on her leg. He had gripped just a bit tight with his right hand and well... he had talked about her being his. He was certainly beginning to mark his territory as it were. And she liked it.

 

A part of Anakin hated himself for noticing how Ahsoka's clothes left little to the imagination. It wasn't about attracting eyes, he knew that, but his were drawn anyway. Had been for sometime now, well before she'd made her way into his room - had that only been a week ago? She made him feel so alive, so completely himself, he had the sense that a lifetime had passed between then and now. without shifting his gaze or turning his head, he saw Ahsoka's steady breathing. He recognized that rhythm, it was the one he'd taught her for remaining calm. Maybe his thumb on her leg was doing more than he thought. Maybe he should stop. Instead, he opened himself - just a little - to the fullness of their force bond, seeking clarity on where Ahsoka's head was at. He had a good guess, but wanted to know for sure.

 

Ahsoka stiffened as she felt her Master open his side of the bond wider. Just a little, but his presence in the Force was so strong a little was a lot. And what he shared with her was hungry . Without thinking she reached out to him and touched his presence with her own, just as hungry, just as eager for his arms around her and his hips between her legs and -

 

As quickly as he could, Anakin threw barriers around his force signature, blocking the feedback loop of his and Ahsoka's desire. He'd done it for their protection, not wanting to risk either of them exposing themselves as unfocused - or worse - in front of the Council. To make sure Ahsoka didn't feel rejected, he gently squeezed her leg once, then continued the circling of his thumb. Screw their tents. As soon as this endless torment of a meeting was over he was taking her to the nearest semi-private space and having his way with her. And she would like it. No...no. He could restrain himself long enough for them to be safely alone. Someone - Plo Koon, he thought , mentioned "closing thoughts." A little longer now. To keep himself going, Anakin imagined himself walking calmly, steadily across the camp. Ahsoka's tent was closer, that would work. He replayed that unhurried walk in his head, refusing to let his mind wander into what would happen when the tent flap closed. He would end the call, get up from the table, walk across camp, hold the flap for Ahsoka, follow her in... end the call, get up from the table, walk across camp, hold the flap for Ahsoka, follow her in... end the call, get up from the table, walk across camp, hold the flap for Ahsoka, follow her in…

 

Ahsoka recoiled from the sudden end of contact from her Master in the Force. She almost didn't realize Anakin's hand was still on her leg. She breathed in - and stood up quickly.

 

“My apologies Masters. I have something I need to take care of.”

 

She didn't wait for a response before she stormed out of the command tent, and nearly tripped running to hers, so eager to get away from Anakin and the Masters. Here she could finally breathe. Ahsoka knew she'd be lectured from running off like that, but she could make some excuse and of course anything important in that meeting she'd hear from her Master or Rex. So really, nothing was stopping her from sitting and crossing her legs and breathing. In. And. Out. Again. In. And. Out. Not in the rhythm Anakin had taught, but slower and more shallow, the kind meant to bring on meditation. Surely that would calm her pounding heart and racing thoughts.

 

As the meeting came to a close, Anakin made apologies on Ahsoka's behalf, and promises to speak with her about her behavior. Internally, he berated himself, and when the call was ended and Rex left, he ran his hand through his hair in frustration. He was her Master, and she needed to be able to trust him. He ought to have kept his hands to himself, and his feelings, he never should have prodded their bond, he'd pushed her too far, and the Masters had seen, and it was his fault. He owed her an apology, if she would accept it. And so he took several deep breaths, and when he felt less...at the ready as it were...he reached out, much more gently, to tap their bond in the Force.

 

Ahsoka felt her Master’s tap like a knock on a closed door. And of course now that she'd embarrassed herself she couldn't let him in. She tried imagining a magnetically sealed door, that no light, sound, or air could leak through. Surely that would keep him out.

 

Anakin could take a hint. He figuratively stepped back from their bond. If Ahsoka needed space, that's what he'd give her. In the meantime, he'd run katas until his mind stopped trying to tear him to shreds for his part in embarrassing her. And when she was ready, he'd be there. Being in love with his Padawan was even more complicated than Anakin had been ready for.

 

Sitting in her tent was absolutely useless - Ahsoka found she couldn’t sink into mediation this way. So she got up and went for a walk, finding a small clearing far enough from camp that she couldn’t hear any chatter or general noise; just birds and other chittering wildlife. It was blissfully free from all distractions. She toed off her boots and felt the grass and earth beneath her feet, her stance the one her Master had corrected so that she could easily be combat ready. While Anakin had a bad habit of not meditating as often as he should -a nd she had picked up that habit - his instruction had still been good. And so Ahsoka knew how to open herself to whatever memories, thoughts, and feelings came up without holding on to any of them. She was a little surprised when some were of the horror and strangeness she’d experienced on Mortis, but brushed straight past those. She needed to be just herself for a moment; that proved difficult as there was hardly a memory of hers that didn't involve Anakin, or her thinking about Anakin. Her memories of the time before him felt empty compared to everything else. 

 

Especially after Mortis. A dream, vision, or reality, it had affected them both, she knew, though they never discussed it. But now as she wiggled her toes in the grass and observed her thoughts and memories pass her by, she could see that it was after that…experience she had really become aware of her growing feelings for her Master. Maybe it was the inexplicable mystery that bound them. It had left Ahsoka feeling different in a way she couldn’t explain, wrong somehow. A wrongness, an emptiness that had gone away after that first night with her Master. Now she was full instead. With his love, his body. Regardless of the intensity of those feelings, she couldn’t afford another outburst like the one she’d just had. Ahsoka sighed. Clearly being in love with her Master was even more complicated than she had been ready for.

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

Hours later as the sun was beginning to set, Anakin felt an…invitation over the bond. To find his Padawan, to talk. He walked past the edge of camp and into the trees, where he found Ahsoka sitting on the grass, looking much calmer and more grounded. She felt it too, he could sense. He knelt opposite her, their positions reminding him of their first night together. 

 

“Hey Snips.”

 

She looked up at him a little sheepishly, and took a deep breath. “Hi, Master. I’m um…sorry about before. I didn’t mean to be disrespectful I just -”

 

“No, Ahsoka, it wasn’t your fault. Not completely. I should have kept my feelings - and my hands - to myself. You’ve got years of Jedi discipline but certain things make it hard to reach. I was thinking we could work on that together.”

 

Ahsoka eased at her Master’s reassurance, then raised an eye marking at what else he had to say. “Work on…not reacting to being aroused?” 

 

“Well,” Anakin let a little mischief into his voice, “it would make flirting without getting caught easier.” 

 

Ahsoka’s head-tails darkened in a flush. “Oh?” Her voice came out breathy as her Master leaned closer. “How would we work on that exactly?”

 

Anakin stopped when his mouth was almost on hers. “You’ll see. First, on your feet.” and he leapt up himself.

 

Suspicious now, Ahsoka rose more slowly. 

 

“First,” Anakin said, his voice all authority, “we need to get your blood pumping.” He raised his fists, sinking into his favored opening stance for when they sparred.

 

Ahsoka wasn’t entirely sure how this would accomplish anything, but she trusted her Master , and so she, too, prepared for a match, cracking her neck and her knuckles, forming two loose but ready fists. “Ready, when you are, Master.”

 

What followed was almost more a well-rehearsed dance than sparring match. They knew each other so well - and even better, recently - that both Master and Padawan could sense what the other would do next with ease. When Anakin tried to sweep her legs, Ahsoka backflipped, and when she aimed for his face he ducked. He was bigger and stronger, but she was fast and he had very carefully trained her to hone that skill against opponents who thought they could overpower her through sheer mass. She did manage a solid kick to his chest. 

 

“Hold,” he called out, coughing. “Good job, Snips.” 

 

Ahsoka lit up in the Force at her Master’s praise. “You taught me well.” She said through fast breaths. The meditation had helped, but she was appreciating blowing off steam too. She linked her fingers and stretched her arms above her head, feeling more at ease.

 

Anakin unclipped his saber and nodded at her belt to indicate she should do the same. Ahsoka shuddered. There was a quiet, intense power rolling off of him, one he rarely let her see even when he was being very serious in a training session. She knew he held back his true capabilities most of the time, not just from her but everyone else too. Wordlessly, she obeyed, saber and shoto flaring to life in her hands and sinking into a crouch. She started to prowl, her Master circling as well though his spine stayed straight, his shoulders broad. Ahsoka pushed thoughts of gripping onto that powerful form aside. She was still a little lost on exactly what this would do to help. And then her Master spoke.

 

“Sex, like a fight, asks everything of us. Engages our bodies, our minds - at least if we’re doing it well. The trick to both, when we have the Force, is to keep some awareness of the world around us. Otherwise it’s too easy to get lost in the flow. And when, like in our case, the stakes of getting caught are higher, this becomes imperative. Close your eyes.”

 

Ahsoka did so, immediately folding her awareness into the rest of her senses and the Force. The echoing in her montrals helped her identify every subtle shift of her Master’s body even as the Force hinted at what he would do moments before he did. And so she was able to block the swing of his saber. The dance was harder, scarier now. The glow of three blades was muted through her eyelids as they crossed weapons. Would’ve been easier to keep her eyes closed with a blindfold on, like he’d put on her their first night. She had really liked that, and wondered if he would do it again if she asked -

 

“How many birds are in the third tree to your left?”

 

“W-What?” She gritted out, finally flipping away from their standoff. She could only hold him off for so long. 

 

“You heard me Snips. Answer the question.” 

 

Ahsoka reached into the Force tracing life, the Living Force. “Ten.” She answered confidently.

 

Anakin smirked as he circled his Padawan, noting with approval how she followed his movements with subtle turns of her head. “Good.” He said, voice neutral. “Keep your eyes closed.” 

 

He lunged, moving with her through a flurry of blocks and dodges. His student had always been called “advanced,” from almost the moment she had come to the Temple. It was part of why she’d been assigned to him. She made her mistakes, had her growing pains, but overall his Padawan never failed to impress, and now was no different. Still, she was the student and he the Master, and when he set out to disarm her, he succeeded, tossing her weapons aside and getting her in his grip, her back to his front. This was an exercise in discipline for him, too. Not to react to the all but intoxicating nearness of her.

 

“Gotcha.” 

 

Ahsoka panted, not just from exertion. She could feel every muscle in her Master’s arm where it pressed tight across her chest, the other encircling her waist. She could feel other things too, but she resisted the urge to grind her ass back against him. They were lovers, yes, but this was training - in discipline no less. So she better show him some. Anakin’s voice rumbled through her. 

 

“Where’s the nearest trooper?”

 

“Huh?” Oh kriff, was that breathy sound her voice? So much for discipline. 

 

“Focus, Ahsoka. Clear your mind. Reach into the Force.”

 

She growled her frustration. Their connection was the brightest, nearest part of the Force to her, so how was she supposed to -

 

Anakin took a deep breath, offering calm, stability, to ease the whirlwind of emotions in his Padawan. “I know, Snips. I know it’s difficult, but that’s the point. We’re together most of the time, and it has to be a secret. I told you at the start this would be difficult in ways you couldn’t imagine. But I also know you can do this. So breath and focus. How many feet from us is the nearest trooper?”

 

Through the turmoil of having him so close to her and so wide open to the sheer power of the most Force-strong being in existence, Ahsoka could understand the sense in her Master words. And so she shifted her perspective, letting her bond be a source of strength to do what was asked of her, taking all that heat and need and honing it to the task at hand. 

 

“Um…there’s someone about 20 meters off, at the perimeter of the woods. No risk they’ll come too close.”

 

“Very good, Ahsoka. Keep track of them. Use those hunter’s instincts.” Anakin kept her close with one tight arm. With the other, he reached up to undo the clasp at the back of her neck that held her tunic on.

 

Ahsoka, eyes still firmly closed, let out a small gasp as her tunic fell and the cooling air hit her skin. “Mmm…Master…” 

 

Anakin didn’t say a word, just pulled her down to the ground with him, keeping her on her stomach.

 

Ahsoka didn’t panic, exactly. But something animal and fierce in her rebelled against this in a way that was… fun. She wouldn’t be taken that easily. And so she struggled forward across the grass, groaning but smiling, trying to get away despite how good he felt on top of her. It was all to no avail of course.

 

“Now, where the hell do you think you’re going, Snips?” Anakin grabbed at her as she wriggled, snatching off first one of her boots, then the other, somehow managing to get her belt undone.

 

“Ah!” Ahsoka screeched through laughter and growls as her Master stole her clothes away, held her briefly still with a heavy knee to her back and then when his full weight returned she felt skin on skin. Oh kriff, he was half naked now too, and his hands were on the waistband of her leggings, yanking them down and she almost got away but he snatched her back and pinned her wrists and her nose was filled with the scent of grass brushing her face and him and -

 

“Where is that trooper now, Ahsoka?”

 

And because his training was good, her answer was ready. “Still twenty meters away, but… he’s come further southwest from his position before.”

 

“Excellent.” Anakin turned Ahsoka over, grinding between her legs and loving the moan it brought out of her. “Open your eyes, Ahsoka”

 

Ahsoka let her eyelids flutter open. The sight that met her was a stunning one. Her Master, over her, a fond smile on his lips. The setting sun on Theyliss was particularly colorful, and in the orange light his skin was almost the same color as hers. He’d let his grip on her wrists go slack, and she brought one hand to his cheek. “Hi, Master.”

 

His smile widened. “Hey Snips.” He leaned down to kiss her, but at the last minute turned his head and whispered “How many blades of grass are under you right now?”

 

“I think you mean under us. ” Ahsoka dared to tease, wiggling her hips a bit. He raised an eyebrow at her and she cleared her throat, pulling her focus into the earth, the green blades crushed under her back. “1,513.” 

 

She felt her Master’s own presence reach as well, to where she had, counting. “Sounds right.” He said with easy confidence. Ahsoka beamed at him, then frowned as he shifted and stood, grabbing his robes and underlayers.

 

“Get dressed, Snips. We need to head back to camp.”

 

“But…” He paused in dressing to meet her eyes, and she pushed herself up to a sitting position on the grass. “I sort of thought we might…well, we’re all alone here and the sunset is so beautiful.” She looked up at him through her lashes. “It’s awfully romantic, don’t you think?”

 

Anakin had to admit, as he looked at her lying there, mostly naked, her gilded headdress gleaming in the setting sun, he was sorely tempted to toss the whole lesson out and take her. But no. He was her teacher. He had a responsibility. “Sorry, Snips, but no.” Her face fell, and he felt a pang of guilt. “Not for lack of desire. I’m giving you a test, and we can revisit that suggestion if you pass.”

 

Ahsoka sat up straighter. “Oh?” She was good at passing her Master’s tests. 

 

“Yes. Rotation after next, we have a report back scheduled with Obi-Wan. If you can keep our bond open but not lose your cool and run off this time, you’ll get a reward.” 

 

Hardly believing her own boldness, Ahsoka rose to her feet, sauntered over to her Master, and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Will my reward be your cock, Master?”

 

Anakin almost growled. “It just might be. But I’d hate to ruin the surprise. Think you’re up for it, Snips?”

 

Ahsoka nodded once, all self-assurance born of his belief in her capabilities. “I can do it.”

 

“Good girl. Now get dressed.” 

 

Anakin didn’t miss the thrill that went through his Padawan at the praise. And he couldn’t resist holding her hand as they made their way through the woods and back to camp.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

Ahsoka sat cross legged at the holotable fully five minutes before their scheduled call with Obi-Wan. If she was being truthful, a briefing with just her, Anakin, and Obi-Wan was worse than having the entire Council present. After all, Obi-Wan knew her almost as well as her Master. But she was confident that thanks to his lesson she'd make it through. She had to, if they were going to avoid any unwanted questions. The holotable flickered to life just as Anakin sauntered over.

 

Anakin caressed Ahsoka's presence in the Force across their bond as he took a seat next to her, hoping the gentler motion wouldn't startle her. It shouldn't. He'd been very impressed with how quickly she'd picked up on his lesson - as he'd teased her this morning, sex with him was apparently an excellent motivator for her. He spared her physical contact - he felt mostly confident she could handle it, but this was just Obi-Wan. His attention would be focused on them. And while there was nothing to be done about the necessity of lying to his face, it was better if they didn't have to. Anakin had done all he could to set his Padawan up for success. It was down to her now.

 

Ahsoka carefully opened herself to Anakin's presence. Just enough that she could feel him, and he could sense her every response. The holotable flickered on and the familiar brown robes of Obi-Wan appeared. Ahsoka nodded her head slightly. 

 

“Master Kenobi.” She was ready for this. It was only an hour, right?

 

Anakin felt a flicker of uncertainty in his Padawan. He sent her reassurance over their bond - as well as a sense of his desire, the force bond equivalent of putting her hand over the bulge in his pants. A reminder of what waited for her if she succeeded. 

 

“Master.” He greeted Obi-Wan, his tone perfectly neutral.

 

Ahsoka breathed. She could feel her Master, but she presented a neutral mask. When Master Kenobi spoke she nodded or answered as needed. She even managed to ask a few questions. All while remaining open to Anakin feeling his desire and stroking it with her own. She smiled, pleased with herself. On the holo, Obi-Wan’s gaze focused on her, his brow furrowed.

 

“Ahsoka, since when is Separatist influence over the citizens of a planet something to smile about?”

 

Ahsoka schooled her expression immediately. “Sorry Master, I remembered a joke Master Skywalker made this morning about routing the Seppies. That's all.”

 

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. “How the two of you can joke about war continues to escape my understanding. You'll have to enlighten me about this particular witticism once you've returned to Coruscant.”

 

Anakin smirked. “I think you'd find this particular joke in poor taste, Master.”

 

He was proud. Ahsoka had done so well, staying engaged with Obi-Wan's briefing and with their bond. That smile had been a slip up, but it was still early days, she had time to practice, to perfect. He allowed pride to slip along the bond like a hand settling on her shoulder. 

Obi-Wan shook his head, none the wiser, Anakin felt sure. 

 

“In that case kindly keep it to yourself. At any rate, there’s nothing we can do now that the Separatist presence has retreated. We will have to hope Theyliss’ citizens do not welcome them back, and we’ll be manning an outpost to see to it that’s less likely. You're both expected back in Coruscant in one standard rotation. You ship out tomorrow afternoon. Until then, May the Force be with you.” The transmission cut off.

 

Ahsoka turned to Anakin, all eagerness she couldn’t contain. “So Master, do I pass?” She had slipped, she knew, kriff why had smiled, but she’d covered well enough, right?

 

Anakin brought his gloved right hand up to cradle the back of her head and draw her in for a kiss. “With flying colors, Snips.” He smiled against her mouth.

 

Ahsoka squealed and threw her arms around his neck, pressing her lips against his in another, longer kiss.

 

Anakin's smile broadened at the adorable sound his Padawan made. He could get used to making her that happy. “Think you can wait until sunset?” Could he, was also an important question.

 

Ahsoka nodded. “I want to wait - to keep practicing my self-control.” She winked at him.

 

In response, Anakin traced his lips down her jawline and murmured against the soft skin of her neck. “I'm very impressed with your self-discipline, my young Padawan.”

 

“I'm not that young, you know.” Ahsoka said a bit breathlessly as Anakin's mouth found her jaw. “I…do need to go. One of my responsibilities is to oversee de-camping, remember?” Though if he really wanted to take her here on the holotable…

 

Anakin released a breath. Right. Responsibilities. They both had those. “I'll see you at sunset, in the clearing. After all, it was so romantic.” He gave her one more kiss before letting her go. 

 

Ahsoka bit her lip at the look in his eyes, but was determined to show him she could control herself. “I’ll see you then, Master.” This time when she darted from the tent, it was not in a panic, but with excitement for what awaited her when the day began to fade to night.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

For the second time in as many days, Anakin found himself pressed as close as it was possible to be to his Padawan, her back to his chest. Only this time her hips canted up at an awkward angle that she seemed perfectly happy to keep herself in as long as he was thrusting as deep into her as he could. 

 

“Oh, my Ahsoka…” he hoped he never stop reveling in the way she formed perfectly to him, the wet sounds coming from where their bodies met as he took her - and she surrendered to him, curling her fingers where he laced their hands together on either side of her head as he groaned with the effort of holding back. Anakin had made sure she was eager, ready, begging with every part of her being before he’d gotten inside her, but their position meant he currently rub anywhere that might help her along, and he was determined not to come until she did. This was a reward, after all. 

 

“Come on Ahsoka, come for Master.” Anakin commanded, making sure he was open in the bond so she would feel his pleasure.

 

Ahsoka, already panting and whining beneath her Master, gasped at the intensity of his passion unleashed on her soul. There was nothing for it but to close her eyes and welcome the whirlwind, let herself get carried away in it. And carried away she was, her orgasm making her scream loud enough her Master had to shove his arm against her mouth to keep her quieter. What better way to muffle his name on her lips than to sink her teeth into his arm. And then it wasn’t just his presence in the Force that filled her, but his essence as well, a hot stream flooding her core as her Master made noises that sounded more-than-human behind her. Noises that almost scared her, except they were … fun. 

 

Sex with Ahsoka, outside, the sunset bemoaning it would never match the beauty of her skin in its light, was…divine, Anakin thought as he panted and settled. “So beautiful…” he murmured, following some instinct to lick up her head-tail which twitched subtly under his tongue.

 

“Uh-mmm!” Ahsoka exclaimed, and then made a clicking sound in her throat as her Master's tongue left white-hot heat behind, and then finally he took mercy on her and eased in the Force and released her hands. It was only when she felt him grip her hips and shift that realized he was going to leave her empty, and she whined. 

 

Anakin’s laughter shook through them both as he eased free of her and eased her hips to the ground, nudging her to roll over and meeting her eyes as they blinked open. “Are you going to make that adorable sound every time I pull out?”

 

Ahsoka pouted up at him. “Well, not if you just stay inside me.”

 

He laughed again and leaned down, kissing first one of her eyelids and then the other, then flopped in the grass at her side. “Do you feel rewarded, my Padwan?”

 

In response, Ahsoka arched her back in a stretch, not missing how Anakin’s head whipped toward her. “Mmm! Yes I do, Master. Thank you.” She batted her lashes at him as she curled against his side, following his gaze to the sky above. The sun had finally dipped below the horizon and there were hints of darkness in the distance, but just in this moment Ahsoka felt not darkness could ever touch either of them, and she felt the same safe contentment from her Master in the bond. To think there had ever been a time in her life when she hadn’t known him this way.

 

Anakin laced his fingers through Ahsoka’s again and drew their joined hands up to point at a distant twinkle. “First star of the evening.” 

 

“Hm.” Ahsoka nuzzled closer to him, heard him inhale and knew he was appreciating the warm scent of her head-tails - just different enough from the rest of her scent that a human could notice. She traced their hands around the star in a circle. 

 

Somewhere in the galaxy, Anakin thought, a world was being warmed by that distant light. And right here in his arms, his own personal sun was warming him. 

 

“You know,” Ahsoka murmured, “in some cultures they say a wish comes true if you make it on the first star you see at night.” She smiled at him.

 

“Oh?” Anakin’s own lips turned up at the corners. “Well, then I wish -”

 

“No, Master!” Ahsoka covered his mouth with her hand. “You have to keep it secret, between you and the star.”

 

“I see.” Anakin said, the sound muffled by his Padawan’s hand. She giggled, and pulled it away. “Guess you saved me Snips.”

 

“I’m always saving your skin, Skyguy.” She was feeling giddy after the sex, and it came through in her voice, in her smile which widened. “So make your wish, and i’ll make mine, and if they ever come true we’ll tell each other, mkay?”

 

“Okay, Ahsoka.” Anakin answered tenderly, tracing the marking on her cheek and then looking back at the tiny, twinkling star that maybe had the power to grant wishes. Ashoka did the same.

 

And silently, deep in their hearts, each wished for many more evenings just like this.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

“You just have to see it, Master.” 

 

Anakin let Ahsoka drag him by the hand to the small stream. “Ahsoka, transports are loading, we have to go. ” He only half protested. There were many personnel who would not be pleased if they were late, but well, their lineage had made it a habit at this point. Everyone would get over it, and she was so eager. 

 

“It’ll just take a second, Master, look!” She pointed into the water, clearly pleased with herself. “You’re always saying we need to find the small, beautiful things to help us get through the war. And, well..” she smiled at him as warmly as any sun. “You’ve shown me something really beautiful recently, and I wanted to return the favor. Aren’t they pretty?”

 

Anakin was touched by her words, and he followed the path of her arm to the stones in the water. “Oh… whoa. ”

 

“I told you.” Ahsoka gloated beside her Master, smiling so wide she knew her fangs - which had left a fresh mark on his shoulder last night - were sticking out. 

 

“Yeah, this is worth seeing, Snips.” He knelt to get a closer look. Every rock in the stream was smooth glass, their surfaces catching and reflecting the light. Between that, and how many colors they were, the effect was dazzling. He remembered vaguely something about the glass streams of Theyliss from the briefing, but, well, if it wasn’t relevant to military strategy it didn’t get much focus. He stood again, and faced Ahsoka with a smile. “Thank you for showing me this, my Padawan.” He let tenderness warm his voice, and his side of their bond.

 

Ahsoka stared at her Master, the warmth in his presence washing over her, and felt them both about to lean forward for a kiss when there was a loud whistle and they both looked up to see Rex waving them over. 

 

“Oops. We almost forget ourselves.” Ahsoka said conspiratorially. 

 

“That we did. Better get out of here before I really lose grip on my self control.” 

 

The warmth from Anakin turned to heat, and Ahsoka giggled. “I love you, Master.” 

 

“And I love you. Let’s go.” 

 

Anakin took just a moment to fondly watch Ahsoka turn toward their transport, then just as he took a step to follow, felt a tap from the Force. He turned back to the stream with curiosity, following that subtle sensation, reaching a gloved hand into the water and closing his fist on a stone. When he opened his fingers to look at it, he saw the surface had a rainbow sheen - and the color was identical to Ahsoka’s skin. 

 

A remembered tradition came to him then, one he hadn't thought of in years, that had to do with sex and first times and trinkets…he couldn’t imagine actually telling Ahsoka any of it. 

 

“Master!” 

 

A voice as familiar as his own called out, muffled by the distance to their transport up to the ships that would take them back home. Anakin looked toward his Padawan, gesturing for him to join her, and back at the stone. He tucked it into the small pouch on his belt, and felt a hum in the Force, and ran toward the woman he was quickly realizing might be his destiny.

Notes:

Rex knows his Jedi too well. And cares about them both so deeply. Please enjoy imagining him and Kix having an awkward but fond conversation about something being up between Anakin and Ahsoka, and how much of a headache it will cause. Also, this is FAR from the last time Anakin and Ahsoka will revel in the joys of having sex outside.

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL FANWORKS DAY! As major fangirls, we really wanted for both y'all and us to enjoy a new chapter being posted today. The (very rough) draft of this chapter is actually the first part of the story we wrote down. Hope you enjoyed it so so much. What a great life it is to be in fandom, and share it with other fans! We are going to do our best to get the next chapter out in 2-4 weeks.

You can find us at:
tinytogrutafemale on tumblr
creativside on tumblr
creativ_side on the site formerly known as twitter
Creativside on YouTube (I make Anisoka amv’s!)

Chapter 4: Secrets Will Destroy Us, the Truth Will Set Us Free

Notes:

Recommended Listening:
Cool for the Summer - Demi Lovato
Love Me Like You Do - Ellie Goulding
Last Time (acoustic) - Aamir
I Found - Amber Run

“You’re the light

You’re the night

You’re the color of my blood…”

 

• Love Me Like You Do - Ellie Goulding

 

 

When her communicator pinged to remind Ahsoka of the lunch she had scheduled a month ago with  Padmé, Ahsoka almost called the woman to cancel. Until recently, she had been really looking forward to meeting. Before her last deployment. Before…everything. After surviving the Blue Shadow Virus she and the Senator had become friends, and if Ahsoka was being honest with herself, she had once harbored a bit of a crush on the older woman. And, well…there were moments when Ahsoka had implied, and  Padmé seemed to understand, that she suspected there was something between the woman and her Master. 

 

Now there burned in her gut a fire; the Jedi said jealousy was irrational and Anakin seemed to think was cute. Ahsoka didn't know what to believe. All she knew right now, as she stood outside the restaurant the Senator had picked, was that the idea of the Senator looking at Anakin the way Ahsoka did made her want to claw the woman's eyes out. It wasn’t rational, but it was how she felt. Remembering her lessons, she took a breath in and out to release her frustration. To release the sick feeling into the Force. Instead she latched onto a fond memory of the Senator - since when did she call  Padmé “the Senator?” -   Padmé giving her advice on the way to Alderaan, about how to trust one’s self. She had always gone to  Padmé for advice, and if she’d been… involved with anyone besides Anakin probably would have spoken to her friend about it. But it had to be a secret, and  Padmé herself had been involved with Anakin and - 

 

Ahsoka took another deep breath.  Padmé was her friend, and it would be okay. Ahsoka stepped inside and saw, at a table in a back corner,  Padmé was arguing with someone Ahsoka assumed was a plain-clothes guard, if only because they looked a little like  Padmé. One last breath and Ahsoka walked toward her friend.  Padmé’s eyes lit up when she caught her approach, and Ahsoka found herself smiling too. 

 

“Ahsoka. It's so good to see you.”  Padmé whispered something to the guard, who disappeared to a booth a short distance away. 

 

“You too,  Padmé.” It was true, mostly. “Find a way to end the war yet?”

 

“Unfortunately no. I did however just complete negotiations for vital aid to be sent to the Outer Rim Territories. Sometimes it's the small victories.” Her smile didn’t reach her eyes, but Ahsoka could sense that she was genuinely pleased with her work.

 

The two of them ordered, and waited for their food to arrive. Ahsoka looked around at the restaurant. “Can I ask…when we go out to eat it’s always these hole in the wall places down a few hundred levels. Not that I’m complaining, the food is always good and I’ll eat anywhere. It’s just I would’ve thought you’d pick one of the nicer restaurants in the Federal district.” She smirked. “I mean we’re about as far down as we can get without being in the Undercity. How do you even know about these places?”

 

“Oh.”  Padmé looked around fondly. “I used to come down here with a friend. The paparazzi droids never travel this far down, it’s nice to have proper privacy now and again. We found some places to eat that would scandalize the upper Republic City residents with how good they are, and all without being rated on any HoloNet Guides.”   

 

“I think the folks here got the memo.” Ahsoka said, taking in how crowded the place was, with a low light atmosphere and chatter in a hundred different languages. She grew quiet again. That “friend”  Padmé referred to must’ve been Anakin, but there was no subtle way to ask. And she was releasing her jealousy into the Force, anyway. 

 

 Padmé looked at her younger friend with a little concern. Ahsoka’s eyes were darting everywhere but their table, and she got the sense their conversation was missing its usual ease. She didn’t want to push, so she waited until their food had arrived and they had begun eating before she said anything. Years of diplomatic meetings had taught  Padmé that having things to do with one’s hands and bites to chew on while one considered a careful response tended to help in such situations.

 

“You know, Ahsoka, you can tell me if something’s bothering you.”  Padmé said. 

 

At the same time, Ahsoka managed “Threepio’s skills come in handy don't they?” 

 

Ahsoka stared at her friend in what felt like a battle of wills. She lost, looking down at her plate and aggressively slicing into the hunk of she didn’t-remember-what animal. “There’s nothing bothering me.” She knew denial wasn’t the answer, and would get her nowhere with  Padmé, but she went with it anyway. There were secrets to be protected. And  Padmé knew aaaaall about that.

 

“If you say so.”  Padmé responded, only the lightest touch of disbelief in her voice. “Why do you mention Threepio?”

 

“This place is so small, and so crowded, and I hear very little Basic.” Ahsoka said as she swept an arm at the clientele. “It just had me thinking how much of a luxury translation droids are. And how much easier things would be for everyone if they weren’t so expensive, especially ones like Threepio with his special programming for extra languages.”

 

 Padmé let some of the tension in her shoulders ease. Language was a subject she knew Ahsoka was fond of, and she looked forward to seeing the girl - who already spoke or at least understood five languages - get more multilingual with experience. “Growing up in a political family I always thought of such things as a fact of life; we didn’t own a protocol droid personally, but when I went with my dad on diplomatic missions there was always a protocol droid. You’re right though, they are a luxury. And Threepio even more so. That extra programming is because he belonged to Anakin before he gifted him to me. Truly a one-of-a-kind droid.”  

 

“Oh?” Ahsoka managed to make her exclamation sound more like stifled curiosity than total shock. “I didn’t know Anakin ever had a droid to gift.”

 

 Padmé sensed the tension in Ahsoka coil tighter. Whatever was bothering the girl had to do with her Master. There were a number of scenarios that she dismissed out of hand leaving her only with guesses. And tact. “Anakin built Threepio for his mother. I was with him when she died and so after the war started Anakin gifted him to me. I think…” How much did Ahsoka know? They had occasionally talked around  Padmé’s past with Anakin, but she thought it best to err on the side of discretion. “In case the worst happened, he wanted Threepio to have a good home where he’d be truly useful, and for me to have something to remember him by.”

 

Ahsoka blinked. Mother? Died? And that other thing…“I think you’d have plenty to remember him by, regardless.” She muttered under breath.

 

“What was that?”  Padmé’s gaze sharpened. Now she was worried. “Ahsoka, is everything alright between you and your Master?”

 

Ahsoka tried to take a breath, but she felt hot all over and her words came out fast, faster than she could think them through. “Between me and Anakin? Of course. Why wouldn’t everything be ‘ alright ’? He gave you a droid he made for his mom who died, and he’s never told me any of this even though I’ve been at his side for years. It took him forever to -” she stopped and stared at  Padmé, remembering now something she had brushed off years ago when she’d seen Artoo’s maker’s mark; Property of Naboo Government. “You gave him Artoo didn’t you?”

 

“I…did, yes.”  Padmé admitted slowly, not sure why this conversation about droids had Ahsoka so worked up. “You know how they briefly worked together and were massively important to saving Naboo from the Trade Federation. He needed a unit for the war effort and Artoo was very determined to keep him alive. They really bonded when we were in hiding just before the war.”

 

Clear as day, Ahsoka heard in her head what Anakin had told her in the hotel room their first morning after.

 

  “You were engaged?!”

 

“The war had just broken out and we were both…it seemed right at the time.”

 

And now Ahsoka’s mind was filling up with extremely rude and highly inaccurate descriptors of  Padmé that would nonetheless be deeply satisfying to say out loud if she let herself. Then images started to flood in… Anakin and  Padmé holding hands, kissing, in increasingly compromised and impossible positions. She felt a touch on her hand and looked down to see  Padmé had reached out. But Ahsoka didn’t want that, not right now. She pulled her hand free and hugged herself tightly. She’d never felt like this and she couldn’t manage to let it go and -

 

 Padmé was beginning to be alarmed. She was increasingly certain from Ahsoka’s behavior that Anakin had somehow betrayed the girl’s trust, and from the way Ahsoka was referencing  Padmé’s time with Anakin, her guesses as to how Anakin had overstepped were narrowing to ones she didn’t want to entertain. Even the thought of Anakin… hurting… Ahsoka in that way made her ill. She knew Anakin. Stars, there had to be some other cause for Ahsoka’s odd behavior. She hoped. At any rate, it was clear that lunch was over.  Padmé stood and, ignoring Ahsoka’s attempts to shrug her off, guided her from the table out into the open air, out of the way of foot traffic. Ahsoka leaned against the wall of the restaurant and refused to look at her.

 

“Ahsoka, please, I’m concerned. Will you tell me what’s got you so upset?” She tried to rest a hand on Ahsoka’s shoulder.

 

“You do!” Ahsoka nearly spat the words as she shrugged off the Senator. “You touched him, kriffed him, and he gave you Threepio and now he goes everywhere with Artoo. And what do I have? He said he loved me, but I’m sure he said the same to you.” Distantly Ahsoka knew that the words coming out of her mouth were going to get her in trouble, that she would regret them later, that she had promised her Master she could handle keeping this a secret, and that she didn’t, in fact, feel this way about  Padmé. She trusted her, valued her friendship, and now…

 

 Padmé stepped back just enough to give Ahsoka some breathing room, trying to process her shock at the words hanging in the air between them. Anakin…had said he loved Ahsoka? Clearly there were some things her friend needed to talk about, and maybe  Padmé could help her, but the Jedi Padawan was in no condition for that at all just now. Besides which, in public was not the place for the discussion of what exactly had led to Ahsoka’s current state. She signaled on her personal comm for Duja to come outside, and turned to her when she arrived.

 

“Duja, we’ll be escorting Padawan Tano back to my apartments. She is … unwell. If you would please see her to our speeder - I’ll be right behind you.”

 

Duja nodded and turned to Ahsoka. “Master Jedi? If you will follow me.”

 

Ahsoka had managed to get herself under control in the few moments it took Duja to join them, and now shame was creeping up her spine. For breaking her Master’s trust. For the horrible way she’d just spoken to her friend. She looked at  Padmé. “I’m sorry” she mouthed, unsure if she managed to actually voice the words.

 

 Padmé smiled at her. “We’ll talk it all over, Ahsoka.”  

 

In response, Ahsoka smiled weakly and let herself be led off by Duja.  Padmé watched, feeling for the girl. They would talk. But she also had some strong words for Master Skywalker. She pinged him to come to her apartment ASAP, and then followed the two women to the speeder that would carry them to her home.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Anakin Skywalker hopped in a speeder as soon as his comm beeped. He had learned years ago if Senator Amidala said get here fast it meant get here now. And so without even checking the rest of the message he rushed to the vehicle bay in the Temple and was halfway to  Padmé's apartments before he realized he hadn’t responded. He kept driving anyway, using his official Jedi privileges to avoid traffic violations. Her security let him through with barely a glance as usual, but one of them did touch their wrist-comm as he passed; an alert to let  Padmé know he had arrived. That was…odd. He’d never been announced before, and it had him on alert as the turbolift carried him up.

 

As he stepped into the vestibule room with its golds and soft blues, some holo that he couldn’t see, but could hear, was playing in the guest room down the short hall. From the sound of it, one of the Cato Neimodian animations his Padawan so enjoyed. But why would  Padmé be - 

 

A laugh rose over the sound of the holo. Ahsoka’s laugh. She was here? And…now that he was thinking about it, he realized the bond was shielded. He had half taken a step down the short hall to the room to find out what the hell was going on when he heard the door open, then close. But it wasn’t his Padawan who came around the curve of the hall, it was  Padmé, surrounded in the Force by a cloud of quiet rage and wearing a steely expression that he had only seen directed at her enemies. So she hadn’t invited him over for a friendly chat then.

 

“Anakin Skywalker.” Her voice was quiet but could have crushed boulders with its ferocity. “The only reason I haven’t had you arrested is because that girl in there won’t say a word to me about what’s going on other than that you told her you loved her, and she wanted it. Now, she didn’t tell me what it is, and I don’t get the impression she means the love an average Master has for a Padawan. So you are going to explain yourself, and I will know if you’re lying, and so help me if I’m the least bit unsatisfied with what you have to say I will report you to Obi-Wan.”

 

Kriff. Ahsoka had told someone. Not just someone.  Padmé.

 

“ Padmé, I know you have no real reason to believe me, but I swear, nothing happened that she didn’t ask for, explicitly. I would never hurt Ahsoka or anyone like that, but especially not my Padawan.” As  Padmé continued to stare him down - more discerning now than angry - it occurred to him that was what every asshole said when they got caught. And what if…Ahsoka had changed her mind? It had been a couple of days since they’d had any real time together, between his being stuck in the War Room and her in mandatory Padawan classes. They had flirted back and forth over the bond, but maybe she had re-assessed, and come here because she wanted a way out, a friend she could trust to help her? He didn’t really think so. Still… “Is she okay?”

 

“I don’t know, Anakin. She seems mostly alright at the moment, and she let me sit and watch holos with her, but at lunch she was very upset with me.”

 

Anakin’s brow furrowed. “With you? Why?”

 

 Padmé sighed in a long-suffering way. “Oh Anakin. For someone so brilliant, you sometimes almost comically miss the obvious.” 

 

“I…don’t understand.” Anakin said.

 

“No, you don't, do you?”

 

She motioned to one of the long sofas, and called for Teckla to bring water, which Anakin didn’t touch.  Padmé did feel pretty confident that Ahsoka meant it when she said she’d wanted whatever was happening between her and her Master. So she would stay calm for now, and do what she did best; talk things through.

 

“It came up over our meal that you gifted me Threepio, and that the trusty Artoo unit who follows you into every battle was a gift from me, and she didn’t take it well.”

 

“Oh, Snips…” Anakin murmured, staring down the hall toward the room just out of view. “She’s jealous.” A fond smile turned up the corners of his mouth for a moment. She wasn’t looking for a way out. She was too deep in. “It seemed right to come clean about you and me, after, and I guess I should have talked it over with her a little more but -”

 

“After what Anakin?”  Padmé interrupted. She was pretty sure she knew, but between Anakin and Ahsoka, they had effectively been talking around it all day and she was fed up.

 

Anakin took a deep breath and turned to face her again. “ After the night she came into my room, cited an ancient Jedi ritual known as the Intimacy Practicum, and begged me to teach her how to make love. The same night she told me she loved me, and I said it right back.”

 

 Padmé could only blink, stunned. It didn’t surprise her to hear Anakin had declared his love for someone. And if she was honest with herself, her more recent time with Ahsoka had told her the girl was really more young woman than girl . It also didn’t surprise her that Ahsoka had asked for exactly what she wanted. But…“She said that?”

 

Anakin looked at her pointedly, and spoke in as genuine and open a tone as he could. “I'm not putting words in her mouth or making assumptions. She said it. Our first night. I think it’s something we’ve both felt for a while, because neither of us was surprised once the words were out there.” 

 

 Padmé thought back over when she'd seen Anakin and Ahsoka together. Mostly they'd seemed like close friends, at times siblings. If Ahsoka harbored feelings for Anakin, Padmé wagered that she had only recently discovered their nature. 

 

“I suppose that's possible.” She said. “Ahsoka can be as intense as you at times. And you two tend to…match up emotionally.” 

 

Anakin flopped against the back of the sofa. “Yeah...intense...that is certainly a way to describe our time together.” The scratches down his back. The bite mark on his shoulder. He shook his head, the other thing  Padmé said sank in. What if Ahsoka had just been matching him? What if - “I'm not good for her…”

 

 Padmé’s head whipped toward him. “Where's that coming from? Ahsoka may sometimes be quick to act, but she knows you. ” She couldn’t quite believe she was about to say this, but instinct told her it was true, and she spoke in a rush. “If she took you into her bed after two and half years of being your student and seeing you at your best and your worst in every corner of the galaxy, she knew what she was getting into..”

 

“My bed actually.” Anakin murmured without thinking, but  Padmé only quirked an eyebrow at him. “You’re…taking all of this in stride.” He said, “I was kind of expecting you to slap me and lay out all the reasons I deserve to be tormented in the nine Corellian hells. Especially after that very cold and unfriendly greeting.”

 

 Padmé crossed her arms. “Just because I've not resorted to physical violence doesn't mean I don’t have concerns. Ahsoka is only seventeen years old. She might know what she's getting into, at least in terms of what to expect from you, but she clearly has no idea how to grapple with….”  Padmé searched for the right words, it was an awkward thing to describe someone’s negative feelings towards her. “With jealousy of a romantic nature.” She ignored the incredulous look Anakin gave her at her choice of phrasing. “Besides that, you have a responsibility as the adult and her teacher.”

 

Anakin sighed heavily, leaning his head back against the sofa and following the swirling gold patterns on the columns on the opposite side of the room. “I know. And the last thing I want is to hurt her or get her into trouble. I want…” He paused. “What I want doesn't matter. I want her to have everything she wants. Even if the Code says it doesn't make sense.” He paused again, and turned his head to look at  Padmé, who had gone very still and was watching him intensely. He sensed in the Force concern and total focus on what he was saying. “Maybe it’s not fair to talk to you about this, given our past, but… I do love her. More than I ever thought I’d love anyone again.” 

 

“Anakin kriffing Skywalker.”  Padmé said in a whisper so intense it may well have been a shout as she stood and paced the room, arms gesturing aggravatedly. “Every reason we had for not staying together applies to her, and more. You're both Jedi, she's your student , and in most Core worlds, not legally an adult yet.” She rounded on him. “If you love her, the best thing might be to make sure this never happens again.”

 

Anakin considered that. Thought back to the look in Ahsoka’s eyes when she’d said the words, the rightness he’d felt when she’d curled against him in his tent on Theyliss, and the fact that he didn’t know exactly what had happened between her and  Padmé but that as her Master he knew he wanted to help her through it any way he could. And he felt a hum in the Force. The kind that meant he was on the right path. 

 

“It’s too late for that,  Padmé.” He wasn’t sure she would understand. And…it was possible she would follow through on that threat from earlier about turning him in, but somehow he didn’t really think so. “It's hard to explain, but...it's like the Force wants us together. It feels more right than anything has in a long time. I don’t mean just the sex, but being someone other than her Master, knowing she's more than my student, but also still being those things to each other.” 

 

That was Anakin alright. And…if  Padmé had to admit, it was Ahsoka too. “Leave it to you and her to do nothing halfway.” She sighed. “Tell me, Anakin, if you pursue this, where do you see it going?” 

 

Anakin did what he always did when asked hard questions; reached into the Force for an answer. But except for that hum, it was quiet. “I don’t know.” He smiled. “And for once in my life that doesn’t completely terrify me.”

 

 Padmé sat beside him again. For as long as she had known Anakin he had struggled with fear, and she knew from Obi-Wan that such struggles were especially difficult for Jedi. Besides, she hadn’t seen him smile so freely in a long time. “I see. Anakin, I know you aren't foolish, even though you don't always think things through. You want this?”

 

Anakin nodded. “I do. I want it as long as she does. I didn't know I wanted it, not entirely. I mean I always saw her. And then how I saw her, it...changed. I'd written it off as an impossibility, just like having a Padawan in the first place. But now she's in my life and nothing's ever felt so right. I think...she might be my destiny.”

 

Padmé didn't know what to say to that, so she said nothing. “If you both want this, and sufficiently understand the risks, all I can say is, be careful. I don't wish to see either of you hurt.”

 

“I know you don't.” A thought occurred to him. “ Padmé, keeping what we had a secret was a strain on you. It left you isolated.”  Padmé opened her mouth to respond and Anakin held up a hand. “Please don’t deny it. I’m not trying to drag myself into a guilt spiral, and this actually isn’t about us, it’s about Ahsoka.”

 

 Padmé’s brows shot up. Master Skywalker indeed, looking out for his Padawan. “I’m listening.”

 

“No one was supposed to know about Ahsoka and I but now that you do, can she come talk to you? She trusts you, and I don't want…I want to do better by her. If it’s too awkward with our history -”

 

“Of course she can talk to me, Anakin.”  Padmé gave Anakin’s hand a squeeze. “She’s my friend. That won’t change for me just because of who she loves, though we might all experience some… discomfort as we adjust to this new reality. Speaking of which, right now the one she most needs to talk to is you. Unless you’re ready to trade back Threepio for Artoo, you need to find some way to console her about our exchange. That seems to be what’s made her so jealous, after all. And for the record, Threepio’s not nearly as useful in a dogfight as I’m sure Artoo has been.”

 

“I…” Did Ahsoka want him to give her a droid of her own? He could probably build one, an astromech, but it would take awhile. He had picked up the stone back on Theyliss, but Ahsoka wouldn’t understand why that meant anything unless he explained, and he wasn’t sure he was ready to do that. She needed something he could give her now. Anakin’s eyes fixed in the direction of the door through which some magical battle could be heard playing a little too loud on the holo. He had some idea what he could give, and that she might not want it but it was only fair he tell her. “I’ll talk to her. Is it okay if we do that here, now?”

 

“Go right ahead.”  Padmé knew the look in Anakin’s eye. Sheer determination to do what needed to be done. 

 

Anakin nodded and stood, then turned back to her. “ Padmé?”

 

“Yes?” She met his gaze.

 

“She’s lucky to have a friend like you. And so am I.”  

 

~~~~~~~~

 

Anakin stood in front of the door to Padmé's guest room, on one hand balancing the heavily laden plate of snacks she had shoved at him, and palming the door panel with the other. 

Ahsoka didn't look his way at the sound - probably hadn't even realized it was him given the blanket was pulled completely over her head, the outline of her montrals poking up into it was adorable. He smiled fondly, and rapped his knuckles on the door frame. “Mind if I join you? I come bearing snacks.”

 

Ahsoka looked up from her holo. Her eyes widened when she saw Anakin, both from surprise and embarrassment. She must have been very absorbed by her show not to sense him “...What kind of snacks?” She asked, her voice eager, yet reserved. 

 

Anakin entered the room, setting the plate down in front of her, and sitting on the bed at her side. “Looks like about five kinds of stuffed pastries. No clue what's in them. Padmé said something about you not finishing lunch.” He wouldn't push her to talk. Yet.

 

Ahsoka nodded as her stomach made a noise as if angry now that it had been reminded about not eating. Nevermind why she hadn’t finished lunch. “Thanks.”

 

She grabbed for one of the half-moon pastries and took a bite, instantly feeling the rush of sugar. Too much and she'd grow lethargic, but... she had the day.

 

Anakin had long ago accepted that Padmé would never stop enabling Ahsoka's sugar habit, so he said nothing as she ate three pastries. In fact he kept quiet until the episode was finished and the last notes of the ending theme had played. And then he grabbed the remote and switched off the holo. “Anything you want to tell me about your afternoon?” He said it sternly. It was a question in form only.

 

Ahsoka faltered, but then took a breath. “I made a fool of myself, Master.” She couldn’t quite bring herself to look him in the eye.

 

Anakin would have taken her hand if she hadn't still been completely wrapped in the blanket. As it was he settled for the Force equivalent; a gentle support even through his ire. “What happened, Snips? I told you after we made love you had nothing to be jealous of. And you were so ready to keep what's between us a secret.”

 

“I... was. But when we met up for lunch it just… slipped out. I'm sorry Master, I didn't mean to lash out at her, but when she was talking about Artoo and Threepio... I lost my composure.” 

 

Now Anakin put a hand on her shoulder, and spoke again when she met his eyes. “I am yours, Ahsoka. A couple of droids doesn't change that. Artoo and Threepio have chosen who they want to stay beside, and so have I. It's you. And I'll reassure you of that as much as you need.”

 

Ahsoka sighed in exasperation. With herself. “I'm ... embarrassed Master. I didn't act in a way becoming of a Jedi.” 

 

“No, you didn’t.” There was no point pretending. “But your behavior is completely expected for  a young woman who's never been in love before.” 

 

Ahsoka took a deep breath and forced herself to hold her Master’s gaze as she admitted, “It…it felt dark Master. And that scared me.”

 

Anakin sighed heavily. “I imagine it did. As Jedi we’re taught to resist darkness. Unfortunately Ahsoka, yelling at a friend is barely the tip of the iceberg on how love can twist inside those of us who wield the Force if we aren't careful. And I’m worried I may not be the person to teach you how to resist the darkness in those moments.” 

 

He let his hand drop. Was he really going to do this? Yes. He had to...

 

“Master, you have everything to teach me.” 

 

Ahsoka looked up at him, trust in her eyes, and he could see and feel light in her entire being, regardless of the tiny ripples of the Dark that had touched her today. This was going to be harder than he thought.

 

“I'm going to tell you something, and then I'm going to give you some space and time. I want you to use that to decide if this is what you really want.” He dampened the bond so she wouldn't be overwhelmed with the storm of emotion just the thought of what he was about to share brought about.

 

Ahsoka’s brow markings furrowed in confusion. “Space and time? What do you mean? Why would I need -”

 

“Just listen.” Anakin could feel his body shaking, but he willed his voice at least to be steady. “I have told two people this. Obi-wan isn't one of them. You will be the only person in the Temple who knows. You should know this, both as my student and someone who loves me, though it will probably change how you feel about both of those things. And that terrifies me, but...this has to be done.”

 

Ahsoka found her throat was suddenly dry. She so rarely saw her Master shaken.

 

“You know that I came to the Temple late. I had a much longer time with my family than most Jedi do. And…attachment is forbidden, but let’s just say I never let go of mine.”

 

Well, that didn’t surprise Ahsoka in the slightest. Especially given how the two of them had ended up. But if that was darkness, if that was wrong, then why did it make her feel so right inside? And…was he really opening up about his family right now? She stayed quiet, since he clearly wasn’t done.

 

“A month before the battle of Geonosis, I started having nightmares about my mother. In pain. I finally went to help her, but I was -” He cleared his throat, “I was too late. She had been kidnapped and...” dammit this was almost impossible to talk about, “by Tusken Raiders. She died in my arms.” He paused, trying to find the right words for what came next, and deciding there weren’t any, and that he would just have to keep talking anyway. “It was the greatest test to resist the pull of the Dark the Force has ever given me, and I failed.”

 

He spoke now through clenched teeth, barely able to bring himself to say the words. “I sought revenge, and I had it. On every person in that village.” Shame crept into him, cold and heavy, permeating his presence in the  Force.

 

Ahsoka unconsciously leaned away from Anakin, pulse pounding. “Everyone? An entire village?” Horror flooded her, and shame too, shame that her Master was capable of something so monstrous.

 

Anakin wasn’t surprised when she leaned farther from him. “Yes.” What else was there to say? He could feel what this truth brought out in her emotionally, and wished for the millionth time he could undo his past.

 

Ahsoka stared at the person in front of her, trying to find the Anakin she knew through what she now saw. Shadows, darkness, murder. “I…” She had known, because he was Chosen and she was simply an above average Padawan, that she'd never be his equal. And now she wondered… did she want to be? Her eyes flickered towards his lightsaber, resting clipped to his belt. She had never thought about who he had killed with it before, because a Jedi didn't seek to kill. A Jedi didn't seek revenge. And he was... had been, the best of them. She swallowed. “Who else did you tell?” 

 

The question startled him. It wasn't anything he'd expected. “Is that important right now?”

 

Anger she couldn’t bring herself to release slipped into Ahsoka’s voice, and she spoke tightly. “Who else did you tell, Master?” 

 

Anakin supposed in this moment he owed her nothing less than whatever she asked for. It was entirely possible that there could be serious consequences to what he was about to say, but when he reached to the Force for guidance, it was silent. So he made himself meet Ahsoka's eyes for the first time since he'd started speaking. “Padmé was with me on Tatooine. She could tell something was wrong, and I admitted the truth when she asked. Then, shortly after the declaration of the War, basically the same thing happened in a private conversation with Chancellor Palpatine.” 

 

Ahsoka felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room. “But not Obi-Wan?” He had said that, hadn’t he, that she would be the only one in the Temple who would know. “Master Kenobi had to have known something was wrong, you were bonded!” Anakin always, always knew when something was wrong with her. Sometimes it was grating. 

 

“I'm sure he did sense it. He knows my mother died - Padmé told him.  And he's...I think he's wanted to ask me or...leave room for me to talk about it a few times.” He made a noise that was somewhere between a pained wince and a sardonic laugh. “I scare him, Ahsoka. There's a lot that's great about Obi-Wan, but he's been afraid of what I can do since I was fourteen. So he's afraid to ask.” He didn't mean to let bitterness creep into his tone, but it did.

 

Ahsoka wondered if she should be afraid too. If Anakin’s Master, the great Obi-Wan Kenobi, friend of Mandalorians, feared what he was capable of... No. ”No, that can't be true. Master Kenobi trusts you with his life.” She hadn’t meant to sound quite so much like a child being told a beloved fairy tale wasn’t true.

 

Anakin sighed in a resigned way. “As much as our Jedi teachings like to pretend the opposite, emotions between people are complicated Ahsoka. He does trust me with his life. And he knows the Council treats me differently than every other Jedi, and that's put him in a difficult position, especially when I was his Padawan.  When I was fourteen and through sheer Force of will tapped into a technique usually only seen in the most experienced and well-trained Masters, he looked at me like -” Like what? Like he was capable of slaughtering innocents? Anakin shook his head, pulling his thoughts back to the present. “What goes on between Obi-Wan and I isn't what's important right now.”

 

Ahsoka’s spoke quietly. "I guess it’s not. You’re right, I do need some time to think about things."

 

Anakin nodded, and stood. “When... if you want to talk, you know how to find me.” 

 

And he left, not once looking behind him as he climbed into a speeder and took off toward the Temple, pretty sure he had just imploded the most important relationship in his life.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

Ahsoka sat still, wrapped in her blanket, for…she wasn’t sure how long, trying to absorb everything she’d just been told. It couldn’t have been too much time, or Padmé would have come to check on her. And…he had told  Padmé. Ahsoka uncurled herself from her makeshift cocoon and went into the receiving room, relieved to find her friend sitting there.”Padmé?” 

 

Padmé turned as Ahsoka came in, looking somehow more sad and conflicted than before Anakin had gone in to speak with her.

 

“Ahsoka, is everything alright? I saw Anakin storm off without saying anything.”

 

“He's giving me space.” She felt as if she'd had the floor ripped out from under her. Now she was balanced on the tip of a saber, and would fall one way or the other soon. “After he told you about the Tusken village, what did you do?”

 

Padmé inhaled sharply as a memory came to her. Hot, unforgiving desert air and Anakin crying in her arms. And another memory, months later - the two of them in her room, curled close, after his first mission with his Padawan. 

 

“I still can't believe the Council sent me to Tatooine to help a Hutt. ”

 

“This Padawan of yours, did you...tell her? That you were a sla-”

 

“No, of course not! And I'm not going to. The past is in the past.”

 

“I...I haven't spoken openly about this very often.” She cleared her throat, looking embarrassed. “I only met his mother briefly, but she was one of the warmest, kindest people I have ever known, despite the harsh life she lived. I asked myself what I would have done, if someone had hurt my mother and I had the power to…” she met Ahsoka's eyes, her expression resolved. “I told him his anger was natural. And then I forced him to go with me to Geonosis to save Obi-Wan, because he wouldn't do it himself. After what he did he was trying so. Hard . to be the perfect Padawan. It was heartbreaking.”

 

Ahsoka took a deep breath. It was easier now, without him in the room and his words hanging so heavy in the air, to remember that there was a light to her Master’s being. The shadow she saw wasn't everything in him. He loved, fiercely and passionately, and maybe the Jedi said it was wrong, but when she let herself open to the Force, it felt right. Few things had ever felt so right as loving and being loved by Anakin Skywalker. And that meant seeing all he was. “I guess… just like the Force isn’t only light or dark, Anakin isn’t either.” Ahsoka checked that she was armed. Then nodded at Padmé. “Thank you. I'm going after him.”

 

 Padmé nodded. “Good luck. But...be careful, Ahsoka.”

 

~~~~~~~~~ 

 

Ahsoka left  Padmé’s and headed for the nearest tram, grateful that unlike most Padawans her Master had made sure she was familiar with Coruscant’s public transit. Despite how clear she felt about the decision to confront Anakin, her emotions were conflicted. She didn’t feel ready to open the bond fully, and without it couldn’t clearly sense Anakin’s location, just a vague direction. The Temple, obviously. She raised her wrist comm to her lips. 

 

“Where are you, Skyguy?”

 

Anakin, who had shut himself alone in one of the Temple training rooms to blow off steam, startled at the sound of Ahsoka’s voice. That was unusual for him; normally he felt Ahsoka's presence more strongly in the moments before his communicator would ping with a message from her. But the bond was still quiet. No less than he deserved. He had been distracting himself from the deafening silence and thoughts of Ahsoka - not to mention the ghost of her scent on his skin - with a series of high speed katas and complex lightsaber moves. He took a breath. If she was coming to him he had to hope it wasn’t to say she never wanted to see him again. Not if she was using the nickname he had grown fond of in spite of himself. 

 

“Ahsoka.” He acknowledged the call. “Just follow the comm signal, you’ll find me.” Despite his hope, he couldn’t bring himself to say much else. He activated the send location function with a beep, and waited…

 

Ahsoka strolled through the door to the training room ten minutes later. Despite her proximity, he still couldn’t get a read on exactly how she felt.

 

“Master.” She said the address with as little inflection as possible. She wasn’t one-hundred percent sure where she was headed with him, and she imagined it couldn’t hurt if he sweated a little. Couldn’t hurt much, anyway. 

 

Anakin for his part also showed no emotion on his face, save for the light of recognition in his eyes. Ahsoka looked at the familiar off-white paneling on the walls of the training room. She had always wondered if they were intended to encourage students toward the light side. She had several fond memories of these rooms, many of which she was certain violated some aspect of the Code... And a part of her hoped she was about to make one more. Deciding to lighten the mood - or at least take a step forward from shock and shame - Ahsoka smirked. “No audience today?”

 

“I haven’t felt particularly interested in being observed, no.” Anakin searched the static hum where their bond wove through the Force, hoping to get a sense of Ahsoka’s state of mind. She was locked down tighter than she ever had been, not that he could blame her. “I thought you needed time.”

 

“I changed my mind.” Ahsoka removed her lightsabers from her belt. “I’m glad I found you here. I was thinking a good training session might be exactly what I need to move past… this. It worked so well on Theyliss, after all.” She let a flirtatious edge into her voice. Because she did still want to flirt with him. More than that.

 

“You want to fight me, after what I told you?” Anakin’s brow furrowed. Yes, they’d had quite the time training on their last deployment.

 

“For pretend of course, Master.” Ahsoka smiled at him mischievously. 

 

“Alright…” Anakin tried to hide his hesitation, but he couldn’t hide his worry that she’d want nothing to do with him after this. If she wanted a challenge, he would give her one. He waved his hand in the direction of the wall panel, and the lights went out. 

 

Ahsoka sensed something dark coming through their bond, and a chill - not entirely unpleasant - went up her spine. Curiosity guided her tongue. “What kind of training are we doing without the lights on?”

 

Anakin's saber flared to life at his side, for a moment the only illumination until her own blades hissed to life.  “Saber forms for starters. Other things, if you can disarm me and get me on the ground. Open yourself to the Force, Ahsoka. You'll need it.”

 

Ahsoka breathed, embracing all of her senses, letting the Force enhance her montrals' receptivity to vibrations. She could see Anakin's blue saber bright in the unlit room, but its light didn't seem to illuminate him as she would expect. He was pulling the Force around himself in a way that nearly hid him. It gave the eerie effect of the saber floating in space. “Try me, Skyguy.” Ahsoka said with anticipation.

 

Anakin leapt as high as he could into the air, the Force aiding the power he had worked hard to build into his muscles. It also amplified his velocity as he came down, ready to hit Ahsoka with more force than his body alone should have.

 

Ahsoka held her ready stance, lightsabers in a basic defense until just before Anakin would have hit her, when she raised them and caught his blade in a reverse grip X. She held as long as she could and then extinguished her blades and rolled away. “Force Master, what was that?”

 

“Something that comes a little differently to everybody.” He quenched his saber and called the Force to his feet this time, softening his footsteps. Not silent, but quieter than they otherwise would be. “Using the Force to amplify my physical attributes. For me, it makes me stronger, heavier. For you, faster. Every Force-strong being with any training does this instinctually - the Force is with us in all we do, after all. But as our power and skill in the Force grows - and yours continues to - we can amplify ourselves. ” And then he shut up as he stalked around where he could sense Ahsoka in the room.

 

Breathing with the Force, Ahsoka could feel it in her muscles like oxygen in the blood. With her hearing amplified she could both just hear his muffled footsteps and feel their vibrations. Once again she waited until he was almost upon her before igniting a single yellowish-green blade just to the left of where she felt Anakin's presence.

 

Anakin only just avoided being struck by his Padawan's saber. And then she spoke, finally putting voice to the reason they were both here. 

 

“Are you sorry Master?” Ahsoka’s face was illuminated briefly by her shoto as she asked the question. Before Anakin could answer, she turned it off again. Her voice came to him from the darkness. “Would you do it again?”

 

Ashoka began to run circles around her Master, using that speed he had pointed out. Her presence seemed to come from all over the place, and Anakin found it disorienting.

 

“Yes, I am sorry” His breathing was suddenly the only sound either of them could hear, and it seemed to echo through the room, a slightly winded in and out. “And no, I would never do it again. That night is the deepest regret of my life.”

 

There was more silence, and Anakin’s breath continued to echo unnervingly. Then Ahsoka  opened her side of their bond and Anakin was flooded with her instant relief at his words. And her love, warm and untainted by this new knowledge of him.

 

“Good.” Was all Ahsoka said before Anakin was caught blocking an attack she had managed to surprise him with.    

 

“Well done, Ahsoka. You catch on quick.” He gritted out as he held off both her sabers with his own. “I'm impressed. What else can you do?” He allowed lust to soak into his voice just a little, his presence swelling with relief and pride. He tentatively reached out with his Force signature and caressed Ahsoka's own.

 

“You’ll just have to find out, won’t you, Skyguy?” Ahsoka flipped away as the light of her sabers vanished.

 

A laugh bubbled up in Anakin's chest as he switched off his lightsaber, working with the Force to tell him where Ahsoka would land. His only hope for a strike was to get where she was going before his Padawan did. As the Force enveloped her in its loving embrace, he suspected that was a very slim hope.

 

Ahsoka dodged easily, not even having to light her sabers to block his. “Afraid you're too slow, Master?” She let the Force flow through her, giving her the speed and courage to whisper the words in his ear as she zipped past him again. A courage he had helped her find, so different from the false confidence she had had when she first joined him on the battlefield.

 

“Not afraid, Snips. You should be. If I catch you, I'll crush you.” In spite of all that had happened earlier, he found himself having fun. He never felt more right than in these moments where he could feel, hear, taste the Force with his entire being. He once again leapt high in the air, repeating his first move.

 

Ahsoka breathed in, feeling strength from the Force, bolstered by her Master who was… something to be sensing just now. She let that flow of power guide her movements, holding still just long enough for Anakin to land where she had been, having dodged at the last second and raised her foot to his side poised to kick him if possible. She let an image of what she'd do to him if she got him on his back flare across their bond. 

 

Ahsoka's foot connected solidly with Anakin’s side - which might have been a problem if he hadn't been flooding his muscles with the Force. He went to grab her ankle but at that moment an image of her riding him flashed in his mind and he missed. She flowed out of his grip like water. He tried to trace her Force signature from the mental image she sent, but it was equally slippery. There was another chance though. His saber flared to life and he came at her as fast and hard as he could again and again. She had speed but he had endurance. If - and it was far from guaranteed - he could keep from being disarmed long enough to tire her out, he'd have the upper hand.

 

Ahsoka dodged each one of her Master’s attacks, knowing that if their sabers connected she'd have a harder time pushing him back as she tired. She had to end this before she was too worn out. And then it hit her; she waited until Anakin came at her, his breath still miraculously steady, and she flowed behind him, aiming to move up onto his shoulders and straddle his neck from behind.

 

Too fast. Ahsoka was way too fast. By the time Anakin realized she wasn't in front of him anymore, her legs were around his neck. He tried to slash at her with his saber but felt a whisper in the Force that it was too late.

 

“I win.” Ahsoka chirped, pleased with herself. Anakin had the sense she meant more than just the training session as she squeezed her thighs around his head. “Master.”

 

“You still have to disarm me, Snips.” He slashed at her with his saber again.

 

Ahsoka swerved out of the way, using the momentum and her weight to throw Anakin off balance and hopefully toward the floor. She'd kick the saber out of his hand if she could.

 

Anakin had expected Ahsoka to first go for getting his saber out of his hand. She'd surprised him by instead using her very advantageous position wrapped around his windpipe to tipping them both over toward the ground.

 

Ahsoka waited until the last possible second to loosen her grip so her knees wouldn’t slam into the floor.

 

When Ahsoka’s grip loosened ever so slightly, Anakin twisted himself so that he would land on his back and cushioned his blow with the Force, protecting Ahsoka in the process.

 

While Anakin was distracted trying to keep them both from getting injured, Ahsoka grabbed his lightsaber, extricating it from his grip and then tossing it away. It was then she ignited her shoto - albeit on the training setting - sitting on Anakin's shoulders, and held it millimeters from his face. 

 

“Like I said Skyguy. I win.” 

 

There was nothing he could do to her from this position and very little she could do to him, but she could feel his strong shoulders under her and how his torso moved when he breathed, muscles contracting. If anyone walked in they'd likely be none the wiser, seeing only that she'd bested him in a duel. They wouldn't dare nudge at her shields and see how deep her desire for him ripped through her being. Then again, the way her Master’s power permeated the darkness around them? She wasn’t sure they’d be seen at all. Though just now, she wanted to see him clearly.

 

Anakin licked his lips, breathing hard not from exertion but anticipation as his cock hardened. Despite the blade's perilous proximity to his artery, he shifted enough to run his hands up the outsides of her thighs. “ Most impressive, Ahsoka.” 

 

She was such a sight, poised effortlessly above him - seemingly effortlessly, he knew the muscles in her well-trained body were hard at work - a triumphant, proud look on her face. “What will you do with me now that you've won?” He embraced their Force bond, allowing heat to flood them both.

 

“Master…” Ahsoka murmured almost sheepishly, “I want the lights on.”

 

Unseen by his Padawan, Anakin’s brow furrowed. “Turn them on. Ahsoka. You always could have.”

 

Ahsoka started. That was true, wasn’t it? She’d been so caught up in finding her way through the dark it had never occurred to her to turn on the lights. And she got the sense that maybe that was part of her Master’s lesson; never to forget the light in the darkness, and her power to wield it. She thumbed off her shoto and reached with the Force to the mechanisms on the walls, willing them on to the lowest setting, not wanting either of them squinting. She admired her Master’s outline, his features, as they came into view. 

 

The low light caught the reflective edges of Ahsoka’s eyes, and in them Anakin saw appreciation, attraction…and sympathy, which also came across the bond in gentle waves. She reached out to lay a hand on his cheek.

 

“You were with your mother? When she died?” 

 

Ahsoka had more questions under those two. Did he mark the day, did he think of her often? What had she been like? The word “mother” was a mystery to Ahsoka. It barely even conjured the ghost of an image, a scent. But Anakin had known his and lost her and she wanted to know, if he would share.

 

Anakin took a deep breath, and covered Ahsoka’s hand with his. “I was. And…Ahsoka, I’m sorry, but I really can’t talk about it. Her. It’s not that I want to hide anything from you, I just - my past is hard enough to shake without discussing it. Maybe someday, when I’m stronger.”

 

Nodding, Ahsoka smiled down at him. “I understand, Master.” She didn’t hide that it was a little disappointing. She also let him feel that if he ever changed his mind, she would be here. He hadn’t scared her off. And he wouldn’t.

 

Feeling at ease for the first time today, Anakin let himself bask in the warmth and support he felt from Ahsoka, giving the same back. She could tell him, next time she felt insecure or jealous. They were here for each other. And really, that wasn’t so different from what they had always been. 

 

“Come to my room.” The invite was calm, quiet, and completely lacking expectation.

 

Ahsoka swallowed hard. She knew what would happen if she followed her Master back to his quarters. Moreover, she knew that she wanted it. The trouble was, Anakin Skywalker was not Ahsoka Tano’s only priority. 

 

Anakin quirked an eyebrow as his Padawan grimaced above him. “Ahsoka?” 

 

“I…my friend Cara ships out tomorrow so -”

 

“Ah.” Yes, Ahsoka’s friend Padawan Zorel. The two had been in the same initiate clan, and stayed close.

 

“It’s been ages since we were both onworld in time for a bad holo-athon send off. I mean I could -” 

 

“Ahsoka, go see your friend.” He smiled up at her, making sure she felt he had no hard feelings. Well, one hard feeling. 

 

Feeling what her Master did, Ahsoka let loose a quiet growl. “Master…you aren’t making this easy…” She’d meant to scold but it sounded more like a whine. 

 

“No, Ahsoka, I’m making it hard. Or you are, sitting over me like that -” 

 

She leaned down to kiss him, and Force if that didn’t shut him up. Ahsoka relished the little satisfied sound he made, and the feel of his hands sweeping up her thighs, her sides, her neck, until he was cradling her face in his.

 

It was with not a little reluctance that Anakin broke the kiss. He was her Master, and he had a responsibility to ensure her world didn’t shrink to just him. Most of the time. “Go, Ahsoka. Be with your friend, watch your holovids, stay up way too late. Have a good time.” This was important. War took people. Her friend would be on the frontlines again tomorrow. 

 

Ahsoka just caught the somber turn of her Master’s thoughts as they untangled from each other and she got to her feet. “Thanks for understanding, Anakin.” She didn’t dare give him a goodbye kiss - getting close again was dangerous, the way she could feel desire singing in her blood in the low lights. In fact, she turned them up a little, just to shift the mood. And it worked.

 

“Mm!’ Anakin squinted in the brighter lights as his Padawan giggled near the door. 

 

“Sorry, Master.” She didn’t sound the least bit sorry.

 

“No, it’s fine, I have the Force I don’t need to see.”

 

Ahsoka scoffed. “You’re so dramatic.”

 

Anakin gave her a smile. “I’ll see you at the dining hall for breakfast tomorrow?”

 

“It’s a date!” Ahsoka chirped, then sobered. “Master? What you told me today…I’m glad you were honest with me. And I’m honored by your trust.”

 

Anakin surveyed the woman before him, the warmth in her eyes and over the bond. And he walked over to take her hand, brushing his lips over her knuckles. “And yours honors me, my Padawan.”

Notes:

Ah, the first chapter with no kriffing. We hope you still enjoyed! Don't worry, there's still plenty more smut to come.

It was important to us that what Anakin did on Tatooine be out in the open with Ahsoka in this story sooner than later, that it not end up a far-along betrayal of everything she knows about the one she loves. It's definitely jarring enough as it is.

Padme on the page! Writing Anakin and Padme navigate being exes is one of creativside's favorite things to do, as is writing them breaking up. More on that that VERY soon.

The first draft of the Padme and Ahsoka conversation was um...VERY different, as was Anakin's response. Let's just say that was before a plot had reared it's head, and so everything was a bit more hilariously smutty. That version will probably be making an appearance in a cutting room floor post on AO3 sometime soon. Not to spoil TOO much, but let's just say in that version Ahsoka mouths off to Padme much more aggressively, and Anakin gives her ...something ELSE to do with her mouth. ;)

And for fans of the Supergirl character/comics/franchise, why yes, the OC Cara Zorel, name-dropped here, Ahsoka's initiate clanmate, is in fact named after her.

Thanks so much for reading! We appreciate every kudo, bookmark, subscription and comment. We are hard at work editing the next few chapters, and hope to have one out in 2-4 weeks.

Until then!

You can find us at:
tinytogrutafemale on tumblr
creativside on tumblr
Creativside on YouTube (I make Anisoka amv’s!)

Chapter 5: Happy Haunting

Notes:

A gentle reminder that we are not necessarily following the airing order for The Clone Wars. It is both delightful AND infuriating that the anthology nature of the show means there is very little direct consequence from one arc to another, and we are using that quirk to our full advantage.

A Note on Content: This chapter deals explicitly with death/loss/grief. Proceed with care.

Recommended Listening:
Happy Haunting - Rare Monk
Diet Pepsi - Addison Rae

“So, if you were to die before me

I hope you haunt me forever

And if I were to die before you

Yeah, I’m gonna haunt you forever, with clever puns…”  

- Happy Haunting, Rare Monk

 

 

The moment the ceremony was over, Anakin darted from the Pyre Room. He couldn't face anyone right now, least of all Ahsoka. She was reaching for him over the bond, had been since...kriff, her face, so broken, while in her arms was... no, he was too unbalanced, no good to her, not what she needed. He almost went to his own quarters but a memory came to him; a bottle of blue alcohol, a glass in his dead Master's hand after they’d returned from a campaign with heavy civilian casualties. Every memory was like a kick in the gut, leaving him breathless with pain, but at least this one was useful. Alcohol would dull his connection to the Force, and that would deaden the horrific, smothered blankness that lay where Obi-Wan should be. He'd done this once before, on Jabim - lost his Master. But this time was different. This time he'd seen the body…

 

He made his way to the kitchenette in Obi-Wan's apartments, throwing open cabinets and shoving aside boxes of artisanal teas he'd always thought tasted like not much of anything. Another memory - Obi-Wan, sniffing, then slurping tea, snacking his lips, going on about subtle notes of hay and stone fruits. The thought made Anakin let out a laugh that became a sob. He reined it in. Where was the damn - There!

 

The bottle was in its place at the very back of the cabinet. Anakin grabbed a glass, filled it, drained it, the burning down his throat a welcome distraction from the much deeper pain in his heart. He downed another glass. It didn't help as he’d thought it would, but he didn't stop.

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

Ahsoka had tried to run after Anakin, but Master Plo stopped her, shaking his head with wordless authority she was too currently too fragile to push back against despite how much she knew her Master needed her, and her him. Instead she was trapped in this room, a place she had been too many times during the war, but never had a pyre burned so close to her. Obi-Wan…

 

She envied Duchess Satine her loud, unbridled sobbing. Jedi decorum demanded Ahsoka maintain a quiet calm to her sadness. And she did so as a GAR official she didn’t know personally with sharp cheekbones and an affected Core accent offered her dry condolences, and even when the Duchess came over and briefly placed a hand on her shoulder. She did nearly crumble when Padmé pulled her into a hug. 

 

“Ahsoka, if you need anything,” Padmé offered, voice was syrupy with emotion, “you know where to find me.” 

 

Ahsoka nodded, scrunching her eyes shut against tears.

 

“He’ll be greatly missed.”  Padmé’s voice broke on the last word, even her own skills at stoicism learned from years as Queen and Senator failing her in the wake of this very personal loss. “When you two are ready, I want to have a memorial for him, share good memories. Just close friends. Will…you let Anakin know I’m here for him, too?”

 

Ahsoka let out a shaky breath. Had it really been days ago she was caught up in something as petty as jealousy over this woman’s past with her Master? That seemed so small and meaningless now.  “I will.”

 

Padmé gave her a worried look Ahsoka was sure was reflected on her own face, then looked behind her. “I should be going. Satine needs to rest.”

 

Ahsoka followed Padmé’s gaze to a doorway the Mandalorian ruler was just disappearing through. “I forgot she was in town staying with you. Good thing, I guess. Or she might’ve…” Ahsoka didn’t finish the sentence. That Obi-wan’s will had had very strict instructions for his funeral; he’d wanted to be cremated as soon as possible. Lucky they’d been on Coruscant. Good thing Satine had been here or she would have missed it. What absurd thoughts. “How she’ll find the strength for that meeting with the Defense Committee tomorrow, how either of you will…”

 

“We’ll manage, Ahsoka. It’s sweet of you to care.” 

 

“You're my friend, and I greatly respect and admire the Duchess. I wish…this hadn’t been what brought us all together.”

 

Padmé gave her hand a squeeze.”Me too. Take care, Ahsoka. Both of you. And…” she hesitated, leaning closer, “You're not responsible for his feelings.”

 

Ahsoka knew that. But she also knew her Master needed her. And she needed him . Deciding she had played the proper Jedi long enough, Ahsoka left the room no more than a few minutes after Padmé. On her way out she heard another Senator, here as an official representative for some reason or other, whisper to a friend. A human might have missed the words, but Togruta hearing was quite sensitive.

 

“I heard she held him while he died. Poor thing, to see something so awful at such an early age.”

 

The comment made Ahsoka want to laugh. Or scream. She'd held children as they died, and troopers, held Barriss’ hand as the two of them nearly suffocated under rubble on Geonosis. Had she been too young for all of that as well? Did any of the Senators care?! This whole horrible evening reminded Ahsoka of something her Master had said to her after the first time her mistakes got people killed.

 

“Take heart, little one. That’s the nature of war.”

 

Force, she needed to get Anakin. His pain was so thick in the bond she was half-convinced every Jedi in the Temple could sense it. It left an easy path to follow, not to her Master’s quarters. But to…Oh. The door wasn't locked. Inside Anakin sat in the near dark, and she realized with a start that she wasn’t just sensing his heartbreak, but drunkenness also. “Master?”

 

Anakin didn't answer her. What was there to say? He didn't look away from the flame of the single candle on the table - the one he knew Satine had sent Obi-Wan, one of those giant ones that smelled good - which was the only light he'd bothered with. He wasn't sure how much use he'd be, but his Padawan and lover needed him. She was heartbroken too. Kriff.

 

In the dark, the candlelight on his face, Ahsoka thought her Master was pretty in a haunting way. But she didn't say that. Instead, she blurted out “You look terrible.” 

 

At his Padawan’s words, Anakin made a noise that might have been an attempt at a half-hearted chuckle. He poured more liquor into the glass, but pushed it toward Ahsoka and for himself gulped straight from the bottle. He couldn't feel the burn down his throat anymore. He should be shielding himself from Ahsoka, Anakin knew that. He was intense, he had to be careful as the dead man whose sofa he was drinking on had said many times. But Anakin couldn't muster the energy to hide from her. He didn't know what to say. He was lost. Lost in loss....was that clever? No, he was just drunk. Obi-Wan in the alley replayed in his mind, and his mother dying, and Qui-Gon's funeral on Naboo all those years ago. He shivered. When had it gotten so cold?

 

“Anakin…” Ahsoka wasn’t sure what he needed right now. His feelings were intense but unclear. Just pain, sharp and cold. She shivered, and inched closer to where he sat, ignoring the glass of spirits he had clearly poured for her, and reached out to touch him, with her hand and in the Force.

 

He must've really, really been cold, because Ahsoka’s hand on his back was warm even through his clothes. And where she touched him in the Force...oh….

 

“Ahsoka…” Anakin murmured, her name the first word he'd spoken since...he turned to face her and pulled her down onto the sofa, all but pinning her there, kissing her again and again, open-mouthed, wet. Everything around him, in him, was cold and darkness but Ahsoka, his Ahsoka , even in her grief she was warmth and light and Anakin was starving for it. He was raw, open, his possessiveness clear in the bond. No more loss, none, she was his and nothing else could claim her, not even death, he wouldn't let it. He hadn't, on Mortis.

 

Ahsoka was stunned at the raw intensity from her Master, the confused thoughts and images she half caught over the bond. ..Mortis? Instead of dwelling on it, she kissed Anakin back, gripped him tight, inhaled through her nose when she could catch a breath. That was when the scent of the candle reminded her where they were. She spoke haltingly through hard kisses. “Master...Mm! Not - here.”

 

Anakin kissed his Padawan again, harder, half out of his mind with drink and grief. And then her words sank in. Not here. In their dead friend's quarters. And suddenly he didn't want to be in the Temple at all. He let that thought through clear in the bond as he stared down into her eyes, and, understanding him, she nodded.

 

“Come on.” He got to his feet, a little unsteadily, and offered her a hand to pull her up. “You'll have to drive.”

 

Ahsoka’s brow furrowed. “Uhh... I can't drive on Coruscant Master... “ She said as Anakin pulled her to the door. “It won't be any more legal than you driving right now.”

 

“No,” Anakin agreed, “but it will be safer.” He was vaguely aware his words were slurred. “You've been begging me to bend the planetary vehicular rules for you. After all the sex, what's breaking one more?”

 

There was no one around them as they walked through the halls toward the Temple vehicle bank, but Ahsoka still glanced over her shoulder, checking for eavesdroppers. “You're right.” She laughed sadly, “Let’s go.”

 

Anakin picked a yellow speeder, pressing the button for the cover as soon as they were inside. Ahsoka had figured he would want to feel the air on his face, as he always did, but the reason for the unusual choice quickly became clear. At every traffic stop he got his hands or mouth on her somewhere. Lust was like a veil pulled over everything else he was throwing out in the Force. She was a good pilot, but he wasn’t making it easy. They followed a portal down many, many levels, and then he guided her to a darkened, hidden street and told her to park, climbing into the back seat of the speeder. “Come here.”

 

After all this time, little her Master did should surprised her and yet,“You want to kriff here ?”

 

“Just get back here, Snips.” He bit out, then grimaced and softened his tone, vulnerability creeping in. “Please.”

 

Ahsoka found that looking at him cramped in the backseat, hair rumpled from where he’d run his hands through it, expectation in his gaze, and over the bond, she didn’t want to wait anymore either. She crawled over the seat divider and straddled Anakin’s lap. “This what you want Master?” She asked, her voice letting him know they were on the same wavelength.

 

Anakin didn't say anything, just made a small noise and got his arms around her and his mouth back on hers. His tongue didn't ask, it simply was in her mouth. His hands were hungry too, unhooking the neck of her dress, getting his fingers on her nipple, pinching and rolling. Some part of Anakin knew he was being rougher than usual; he was drunk, unbalanced... dangerous. What other word could describe a person who had a young girl in the back of a speeder in the dark underbelly of Coruscant, no one knowing where she was while he loved her roughly. While drunk. He nudged her in the Force. Not words, an impression. Am I scaring you?

 

Ahsoka paused to meet her Master’s eyes as she sent the impression of her response over the bond. You're really asking me that?   And then she kissed him harder, nipping at his lip with a sharp fang.

 

“Mm!” Anakin was still learning her. It had only been - kriff, a couple of weeks since they'd made love for the first time. He liked who he was with her, what her fangs and claws brought out in him. She seemed to like it too. No, she wasn't afraid, not of his too-tight grip or the hand that circled her throat or his mouth sucking the skin of her breast until it darkened, marking her as he always found somewhere to. She is mine he thought. His warmth, his light. Nothing could touch them here, not pain, not death. While Masters in the Temple always warned of giving in to the raw power of emotions, Anakin did so now, shrouding them in his Force presence, in the intensity his Padawan hadn't run from. Enveloped as they were in his presence, Anakin was pretty sure even if someone pressed their face to the glass they’d see nothing. 

 

Ahsoka needed to be relaxed and wet if he was going to take her, so he shifted enough to shove his flesh hand down the waistband of her leggings, massaging her clit, working a finger into her. She'd taken to sex like she'd taken to any new physical skill - enthusiastic and learning fast, and it showed tonight in every kiss and each moan.

 

“Ahhh!” Ahsoka didn’t think of herself as pliant in her Master’s bed - or elsewhere - but aside from gripping him with teeth and claws she let him do as he pleased with her body. She wasn't feeling very tough right now, and his embrace - hot and dark - was like a shield from the emotions she was supposed to be letting go of anyway.

 

“I've got you.” Anakin murmured, and he held her - in his arms, in the bond. They were both so fragile right now, but they were here, together. Maybe it was enough that they could both safely fall apart. It would have to be - he was not holding it together. When Ahsoka was slick around his fingers, they struggled together to work her leggings down low enough she could spread her legs. She ended up with one boot off and one leg completely bare which would have looked a little funny if anything had been humorous right now. And then he freed his cock, and positioned himself to part her slick folds. He'd long given up stretching Ahsoka on his fingers - her body wasn't made for that, it was made to adjust to what was in it, and her walls molded to him now. “Kriiiiiff…” 

 

She was still on top of him in the small space, but he guided their motions, trying not to ram her montrals into the dome of the speeder as he thrust up.

 

Between his hand getting her ready and the reverberations of the intense feelings they were both all but drowning in, Ahsoka’s body, mind, and soul were desperate for an outlet, any outlet. And when all that was joined by the stretching of her body around her Master’s cock, she found it. Anakin was so deeply alive inside her, and it reminded her that she was alive too, heart pounding, one hand pressed to the speeder’s dome to keep from slamming into it. On her Master’s third powerful thrust, she came around him, consumed entirely by Anakin Skywalker in the crowded speeder. Unexpected tears formed in her eyes, and Ahsoka tried to blink them away as she clung to her Master as tightly as she could.

 

A few thrusts later, face pressed to Ahsoka’s skin, Aankin had his own release, his essence filling his beloved Padawan followed immediately by a sob. He clutched her, and shook, and cried.

“I hate funerals…” He choked out, but he meant he hated losing people. Over the bond came a memory. Padmé all in white, Threepio, his stepfamily, the woman his stepbrother was courting. Disturbed sand, a hand - right hand, still flesh - clutching a handful of it. And his voice. "I wasn't strong enough to save you, Mom. I wasn't strong enough. But I promise...I won't fail again."  

 

And then more tears. He had. Failed again. Through his own heartache, he could feel Ahsoka's. This was why he had bolted after the ceremony. She needed her Master. He wasn't much of a Master just now. But he stroked her back tenderly, kissed her on one eye, then the other, his lips catching tears.

 

“You don't have to be strong for me, Master.” Ahsoka sniffled, stroking his hair.

 

He held her tighter, face buried on the crook of her neck, pillowed on a headtail. “Someone has too. With him gone. Somebody has to be the strong one. I shouldn't…” absurdly he started laughing “I was going to say this is a bad example, Jedi are supposed to accept death and loss.” He spoke through laughter that didn't really contain humor. “But I'm sitting here with my cock in you so, not exactly the picture of model Jedi behavior.” 

 

Ahsoka laughed too, at that, the noise surprised out of her like her orgasm had been. “You've never been a ‘model’ Jedi. Coming inside your Padawan was just the tip of the Hoth iceberg.”

 

Anakin sombered once more. She knew now, how true that was. He held her tighter, all the more grateful she was here with him. “This - what happened to Obi-Wan - doesn't feel real. Did I ever tell you I thought he was dead once?”

 

Ahsoka grew quiet. Brushing hair out of his eyes. “No, you didn’t.”

 

Anakin shifted slightly. “What do you know about the Battle of Jabim? 

 

Ahsoka blinked. “It’s infamous . The Battle was during the first six months of the war, the deadliest of the Clone Wars at the time. In just over a month we lost twenty-seven Jedi and 9,000 clones. You were still a Padawan and -”

 

“And it was almost twenty-eight Jedi dead. Obi-Wan got caught in an attack. Everything was so chaotic, the Force was nothing but gaping wounds. I couldn't sense him so I thought… it was horrible. Then two weeks later, he was back. So now I keep thinking…” he trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

 

“That he's going to come back.” Ahsoka spoke the words her Master couldn’t, not quite in a whisper, but full of grief.

 

Anakin didn't answer, staring off in the distance. “We saw the body. You checked for a pulse, we rode back with him, saw them wrap -” he shook his head and made himself look her in the eye. “Kriff Ahsoka, your face broke my heart.” Over the bond flashed an image - her from his perspective, cradling Obi-Wan and wearing an expression that had told him she was at a loss for words.

 

“Don't do that, please.” Ahsoka said, eyes wide.

 

With a sharp inhale, Anakin reined in the bond, deadening It as much as he could. “I'm sorry, I -” he took a deep breath. Another. Reached into the Force asking it to help remove the toxin he'd willingly put into his bloodstream. His head cleared, but that just made what he felt stronger. He held back harder, doing his best to keep his intensity from his Padawan. And then he moved to shift her off of him. “We can’t stay here all night, let’s go find a room somewhere. I'll drive.”

 

“Why? You don't wanna sleep in this gorgeous yellow speeder?” Ahsoka dared to half-joke. She waited a moment before she climbed off him, his seed dripping down her thighs as she struggled back into her clothes and joined him in the front, pulling her legs to her chest. “You don’t have to cut yourself off. In fact, please don’t, Master. Having you right there in the bond just now makes me feel…well not better, but not alone. I just... don't need to see that. I lived it.”

 

Anakin put his hand on her shoulder. “I didn't mean to, Ahsoka. I'm having trouble controlling what comes across. Which is no excuse.” Another deep breath, and he did his damnedest to be open to her in the Force without flooding her. “You’re not alone. We’re in this together. What do you need right now?”

 

Ahsoka considered that for a moment. “...I'm hungry.” She said sheepishly, glancing sideways at her Master.

 

Something like relief washed over Anakin. “Now that is a problem I can solve.” His smile was strained, but genuine. “Dex's?”

 

Ahsoka released a breath in relief, shoulders easing a bit and the ghost of a smile on her lips. “Yes please. I’m sure he could use some friends right now. And I hope he still has raw kybuck burger on the menu.” The thought of sinking her fangs into real meat perked Ahsoka up a little despite everything.

 

Anakin started the speeder back up and headed for the familiar diner. After a few moment’s silence, he said “Yellow is the color of the wind.” At Ahsoka's confused look, he explained. “On Tatooine, yellow is the color of the wind, of speed. Good for vehicles.” 

 

Ahsoka wasn’t sure what to say to that. Her Master never spoke about anything to do with the planet of his birth. That funeral for his mother…was he even aware he’d let her see it, let her sense his thoughts around it?

 

It didn't take long for them to arrive at the diner, both grateful for the familiar glare of the neon sign. Dex was busy, but he gave them a sad look of acknowledgement before sending a server droid to get them seated in what counted for a quiet corner booth. They half collapsed into seats across from each other and placed their orders, not finding much to say but soothed by their bond in the Force. It was Dex who brought their food out a few minutes later, and Ahsoka absently wondered whose orders had been bumped for theirs to be up so soon. Her mouth watered as she caught the smell of their dinner balanced easily in Dex’s four arms.

 

“Bantha breakfast burger topped with extra tearfruit and a double order of spicy protatoes.” He set down Anakin’s order, the soft yolk of the egg already dripping and soaking the bread just the way he liked it, and turned to Ahsoka with a smile, “And for the hunter, a double kybuck burger that I barely let look at the broiler in terror before slinging it on the plate, side of battered tearfruit rings so crunchy they're almost burnt. And I threw in a Clear Sky, on me, extra thick.” 

 

Between them Dex placed a ridiculously tall, blue milk shake, topped with so much whipped cream it had started to drip down the sides, and dotted with almost a dozen of the candy-sweet bright red stem fruit Ahsoka was fond of. Two straws poked out of the beverage, one for each of them. He leaned in close, and spoke just loud enough for them to hear. “Any leads on the bastard who did this?”

 

“Actually,” Anakin said around a mouthful of protatoes. “That’s one of the reasons we’re here. Besides really needing the food, I was hoping you might be able to get us some leads.”

 

Ahsoka raised an eyebrow at her Master, going still with her burger halfway to her mouth. He hadn’t told her that. But she really shouldn’t have been surprised Anakin Skywalker was already looking for answers.

 

Dex scratched his chin and glanced around. “It’s been real quiet down here, but give me an hour or so, I’ll have something for you. I’m guessing only a professional could have done this, and “The Negotiator” is too big a get to keep quiet about.”

 

Anakin’s expression darkened as he dipped a fry into the milkshake. “That’s pretty much what I figured too.” His eyes came up to meet Ahsoka’s. “Eat, Snips.”

 

She obeyed, digging into the burger as Dex left them alone at the table. About halfway through, she snatched up one of the stem fruit. “I still don’t understand why you don’t like these, Skyguy.” Ahsoka said, dangling the fruit before snapping it off the stem with her teeth.

 

“I don’t mind them fresh but that syrupy kind they put on ice cream reminds me way too much of cough medicine.” He grimaced as she chewed.

 

“They don't taste anything like cough medicine.” Ahsoka insisted, popping a second one in her mouth, stem and all. Once she swallowed the fruit, she worked her tongue for a few focused moments in a well-practiced motion, and then smiled in a way that fully showed off the stem now tied in a knot around one fang. 

 

Anakin's stare intensified as her tongue wrapped around the fruit, and when she smirked to reveal the stem around a fang, his cock twitched and heat swept through the bond. “That's a neat trick.”

 

Ahsoka leaned toward him across the table. “Want an up close demonstration?”

 

He gulped heavily and pushed the shake toward her. “Maybe later.” He swirled his tongue around one of the straws like it was a lek tip, then sucked.

 

Ahsoka made a noise that was somewhere between a gasp and choking. And then she took the second straw in her mouth, and gulped, loudly, satisfied when Anakin’s eyes turned a deeper blue. But a thought struck her, and she frowned.

 

“Ahsoka? What is it?” Anakin’s hand stretched halfway toward her across the table. 

 

“Is it…okay, to do this? Flirt, and more than flirt, after what happened?”

 

Anakin sighed. “Every being handles grief in their own way, Ahsoka. This is ours. We’re lucky to have each other, and our connection, to find solace in. And what have I always taught you?”

 

Ahsoka slid her hand over the table until her fingers were just touching her Master’s. “In the face of all the darkness this war has to offer, we have to find the good, small things that remind us life is worth living.”

 

“Exactly. And this, you and me? This is worth it.”

 

It was hard to find words to meet her Master’s, so Ahsoka settled for letting him sense that she felt the same, offering all of herself as her aura entwined with his, satisfied when he briefly closed his eyes and some tension left his shoulders.

 

The two of them kept eating. At one point Dex came over with a sabbacc deck; Anakin lost most of his protatoes to Ahsoka. Dex bet her 300 real credits and she won, then tried to give them back.

 

“Nah, you hold on to ‘em. Buy yourself something nice.”

 

“But I’m a Jedi, I don’t need-”

 

The chatter in the diner was pierced by the insistent beeping of Anakin's communicator going off, and he and his Padawan were on their feet tossing down credits for the food and out the door before he'd even answered it.

 

“Do you think they have a name?” She said while Anakin tapped the comm.

 

The Force was buzzing, having lit up as soon as his comm beeped. Answers, it promised. “They've got something. This is Skywalker, Masters.”

 

It was Master Windu’s voice that came through; “We've found the one responsible for Kenobi's death. A Mandalorian bounty hunter from Concord Dawn named Rako Hardeen. I'm sending coordinates of his last known location to you, an inn and cantina on level 1300. Bring him in, alive. Kenobi would want his killer to face justice.”

 

Anakin didn’t like it, but he had to admit that was true. “Yes, Master Windu.” He ended the call and pulled up the coordinates as they hopped back in the speeder.

 

Ahsoka sat and buckled in quickly, hoping that yellow would mean the same on Coruscant as Anakin had said it did on Tatooine - speed. “Do you think this guy being Mandalorian means anything?”

 

“ Concordians aren’t Mandalorians, same system, similar language, but you confuse one with the other, they’ll shoot you.” As he navigated the speeder into traffic and down a descent portal, Anakin was pulling a mask down, hardening... preparing. He felt Ahsoka doing something similar across the bond. “But Concordians are just as good at killing, at the very least it would explain how he pulled it off, and given Obi-Wan’s past on Mandalore, there could be more to it. I'll get the Council to let us interrogate Hardeen after we bring him in.”

 

Anakin wasted no time, using Jedi traffic privileges to race down thousands of levels, hardly stopping to secure the speeder when they arrived at the coordinates. As they entered the bar, his every move was precise, predatory, his presence heavy. In the Force he was cold, and the chill almost seemed to come off him in waves.

 

Ahsoka had followed his lead, shoving down her hurt, letting her anger bubble to the surface. Force knew it wasn’t the Jedi thing to do, but with Obi-Wan dead this very night, she didn't care. She watched with deadly calm as Anakin worked his way through the establishment, to the back room Rako Hardeen was in. Anakin's anger was a roar in her ears by the time they made it to the room the bartender had pointed them too. 

 

“Is he dead?” Ahsoka asked, her voice cold.

 

Anakin barely heard himself respond with some threateningly delivered quip when they saw the murderer lying there, and turned the bastard over, the scent of alcohol soaking the air.

 

“A Jedi? No, I already killed a Jedi today…”

 

The man had some nerve. “He's not dead, he's drunk.” Anakin spat as he hauled Hardeen up and slammed him into a wall, getting right in his face and seriously considering breaking the kriffer’s nose with his forehead. “If it was up to me, I would kill you right here! But lucky for you, the man you murdered would rather see you rot in jail.”  He could feel Ahsoka's own rage bolstering his in the Force. 

“Come on you coward, before I change my mind. Ahsoka, comm the Masters and tell them we have this filth in custody.”

 

Ahsoka growled in the back of her throat. She wanted to shred this man, but if Anakin was going to hold himself back, she would too. As they exited the bar, drawing every eye in the room, she commed as her Master had ordered.

 

“Master Windu, this is Padawan Tano. We have Hardeen in custody, we’ll be headed to the GAR -”

 

“No, Padawan Tano. You and your Master are to bring Hardeen to the receiving dock of the supermax sector in the civilian prison in  -”

 

Anakin kept a grip on Hardeen with one hand as he grabbed Ahsoka wrist to speak into her comm. “All due respect, Master Windu, I sense there is more to this than a simple assassination. Surely we should -”

 

“The Council has made their decision.” Master Windu said, in a tone they were both familiar with, all unshakeable authority. “Hardeen’s confession will be taken and his sentence carried out at the civilian prison. Is that clear?”

 

Ahsoka exchanged a look with her Master, but let him do the talking.

 

“I don’t understand, Master Windu. He killed a Jedi -”

 

Master Windu cut him off. “It is not up for discussion, Skywalker. You have your orders and you will follow them.” He ended the call before Anakin could respond.

 

Anakin clenched his jaw and closed his eyes, his flesh hand fisting at his side. 

 

“...Master?” Ahsoka dared, reaching toward him, but before her hand could make contact Hardeen spoke up.

 

“You gonna be a good little boy and do what the almighty Masters tell you?” 

 

Wham!

 

Ahsoka was absolutely sure she heard something break when Anakin’s hand connected with Hardeen’s face. And she wasn’t the slightest bit sorry as the man reeled while her Master gripped the murderer’s hands behind his back.

 

“Snips, can I trust you to keep a grip on him on the way to the prison?” Anakin ground out the words.

 

“Of course, Master.” Ahsoka said, her voice steady and sharp.

 

She climbed in the back of the speeder and kept a grip - and a vicious glare - on her grandmaster’s murderer as they drove Hardeen to the supermax section of the civilian prison. It bothered her only a little that he would get no trial before the key was thrown away.

 

Something was wrong. Anakin felt sure of it, in the Force. But he shook it off. Of course it felt like something was wrong; Obi-Wan was dead.The only way to not feel lost was to take things step by step. The next step was Hardeen tossed in a cell, and so he willingly handed the man over to the Clone guards when they arrived.

 

“Let me know if he's any trouble. I'll be happy to straighten him out.” he said, and then there was nothing to do but watch the guards march Hardeen off. Anakin couldn't shake the feeling this was far from over as he drove back to the Temple without a word.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

It hadn't even been a question, whether Anakin and Ahsoka would spend the night together. In the span of hours, they'd lost Obi-Wan, been to his funeral, and caught the man responsible. They needed each other. And as soon as the door to Anakin’s apartments slid shut behind them, they had each other. Anakin’s arms looped around Ahsoka’s waist from behind, his lips going to the side of her neck. Ahsoka lost herself in Anakin’s touch, everything a blur of emotion and sensation…

 

Later, Anakin held Ahsoka in the dark, skin on skin. They were half asleep as he ran a hand over her back lek, staring up at the ceiling. Their nearness brought...not peace, but something close. A moment's stillness.

 

“This whole thing, with Obi-Wan…” Anakin murmured, “I don't know, I can't shake the feeling there's more to it than we know.”

 

“Like what?” Ahsoka asked, not moving from her comfortable spot pillowed on his chest. “A plot to kill more Jedi?”

 

“I don't know.” Anakin kissed Ahsoka between the montrals, holding her a little closer. “It's just a feeling. Maybe it's more to do with these rumors about an attack on the Chancellor. Maybe it's that everything feels...wrong now. Well,” he tilted her chin up and closed the short distance between their lips, “almost everything.” His gaze was loving, intense, yet somehow vulnerable, as his eyes traced her face markings, drinking her in.

 

“What are you looking at?” Ahsoka’s voice came out breathy, almost shy under his eyes.

 

“The woman I love.” His voice was solemn. Honest. It made Ahsoka smile.

 

“You're a sap.”

 

Anakin half-smiled back, lifting his fingers to touch her markings now, reverent. “Call me all the names you want, I'll never be sorry for telling you exactly how I feel. That way you'll know if…” he trailed off, unwilling to finish the thought. “You'll know.”

 

Ahsoka pressed her palm to his cheek. “Hey, that's not gonna happen.” Not if she could help it.

 

Anakin covered her hand with his. “Even our luck has to run out eventually, Ahsoka. If this war doesn't end soon...hell, kriff the war, most Jedi don't die of old age. Obi-Wan was on Coruscant, for Force' sake, on level one. ” He shook his head again. “I'm sorry, I don't want to think about this, I just want to enjoy being with you and safe, for now.”

 

“Master Plo and Master Yoda are both several hundred years old.” Ahsoka countered, trying to keep her tone light. She would not entertain this possibility, not for a moment. Masters died, tonight had reminded the Order, but not hers. 

 

“That's...a fair point.” Anakin admitted, another almost-smile gracing his lips. “What would I do without you?” His eyes still held a sadness.

 

“Probably fall into the sun or something.” Ahsoka quipped with a shrug, as though she could joke away their pain. It did get a barked laugh out of Anakin, but then he went right back to frowning.

 

“....I don't know what I'm gonna do without him. ”

 

“You both managed after Master Qui-gon.” Ahsoka offered as gently as she could. 

 

Anakin sighed. “Sometimes I think all we ever did was struggle without the Master we both needed.” 

 

Over the bond Ahsoka saw a flash of a younger beardless Obi-Wan, only a few years older than Anakin was now, pyre light reflecting in his eyes. The image was grainy - after briefly unleashing the connection fully when they'd made love again, Anakin was trying not to barrage her with his chaotic emotions. He didn’t say anything else, only kissed her between the montrals. 

 

“You should get some rest.”

 

Ahsoka caught herself about to say something else she hadn’t thought through. That was all she'd been doing tonight. Not thinking about what she said made it easier to not think about Obi-Wan. And sleeping... “I don't want to rest.” She shot up from the bed and started pacing. “I need to hit something.”

 

Anakin made a small noise of protest as Ahsoka slipped from his arms, then sat half upright and watched her pace, naked, and murmured mostly to himself, “How are your legs not shaking…” He spoke up as her words sank in. “We could spar. It's the middle of the night, so training rooms'll all be empty.”

 

“I don't know…” Ahsoka’s tone was unsure. “I want to hit and bite and…” she forced the words out, “frankly Master, I don't trust you to hit hard enough right now.” She looked at him over her shoulder.

 

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and reached for the part of him that he was repressing and ignoring the hardest - the part that was angry - and he let it bloom over the bond. This was different than the pain, the grief. Active, energized. Looking for a target. His eyes opened, focused on her. “You're my responsibility. Master has what you need, Ahsoka.”

 

Incredulous, she crossed her arms over her breasts and raised an eyebrow at him. “Oh?”

 

He stood, stretched, danger pouring off of him. “Are we doing this naked in my quarters or dressed and in a training room?” And then something nudged at the back of his mind. “Wait, I know what you need, and it’s not to fight me. Get dressed.” He went to his small closet and took out a set of clothes he only wore when he needed to look like a civilian.

 

“Oh come on, now you're just stalling!!!” She yelled as she threw on a sports bra, leggings, and a jacket and followed him out of the room and through the Temple back to the transportation bay.

 

Once there, Anakin checked out a speeder bike and got her on behind him, then sped down, as far down as they'd been when they kriffed in the alley before. He led her to an absolute hole in the wall bar, where he gave credits to the bouncer to let them in, and then led her through the crowd to a staircase at the back, down which was a packed crowd around a small boxing ring. “Well, Snips, no better place on Coruscant to get the poodoo kicked out of you. Or to do it to someone else.”

 

Ahsoka stared - not too hard, she didn’t want to look like she didn’t belong. “ When did you find a fighting ring?”

 

“About a year into the war, I started going for drives at night when I couldn't sleep whenever I was onworld. Not all the time, but enough it got noticed. Questions got asked. Keeping an eye on relatively innocent, barely legal underground gatherings like this kept... people off my back.”

 

Ahsoka huffed at his vagueness. “What people?”

 

“Just one. Won't happen anymore.” Because the person in question was…time to change the subject. “You wanted to ‘hit and bite?’”

 

Ahsoka realized with a start who he must have meant, and did her best to shrug off the grief, straightening her shoulders. “Lead the way, Master. How do we get started?”

 

Taking some strength from Ahsoka’s trust in him and her use of his title, Anakin led her to a rickety table where a grizzled, scar-covered Cathar was taking names on an honest-to-moonlight paper and clipboard. “Hey there, Nidar.” Anakin addressed the attendant.

 

Nidar looked him up and down. “Well, well, haven't seen you here in some time, Kitster.” Thought you'd gone soft, let the fire go. Been boring without ya.” He glanced behind Anakin, eyes landing on Ahsoka. “Never seen you bring a friend before, neither. Who's the lady?”

 

“Kitster?” Ahsoka raised her eyebrow at Anakin. His look was all “play along” and so she did.

“Sister! I'm his sister.”

 

Brow furrowing, Nidar glanced from the very Human Anakin to the very Togruta Ahsoka. 

 

“She's adopted.” Anakin answered the unasked question in monotone.

 

The attendant only shrugged. “We don't ask for answers here, just credits.” Anakin obliged, and Nidar pointed a pen - with ink and everything - at Ahsoka. “Name?”

 

“Ashla.” She said without thought. The word was a name for the Force she had heard from time to time in her training, and the the first name that came to mind. 

 

Nidar took the name down. “Your brother may have explained this to you, but just in case; Matches are pulled at random. You don't like your partner and pass on a match, you don't fight tonight. Winner takes half the entry pot and ten percent of the betting pool.” He smirked. “Your brother here has a tendency to lose stamina on his last couple matches. Think you can redeem the Banai family name?”

 

“Oh yeah,” Ahsoka said, all performative bravado. It felt like relief, to put on a character who had nothing to worry about but winning fights. “I have him beyond beaten on stamina. Bring it on!”

 

Anakin chuckled. She absolutely did not have him beat on stamina, especially not when he wasn't faking his losses to keep from looking too skilled. He led her to a locker room where he stashed the civilian jacket he'd worn, leaving him in just a sleeveless undershirt. He helped Ahsoka wrap her hands as he'd shown her once or twice before; Anakin had felt it was important to teach her some very un-Jedi-like hand-to-hand. “This’ll be a good chance for you to practice fighting dirty.” He dropped her wrapped hand and leaned close. “Impress me little sister .” He all but purred.

 

“You're the worst.” She smiled a fanged smile at him and gave him a shove. “Head-tails crossed I get a Mando or Concordian opponent.”

 

He was her Master. They were Jedi. When she said she needed to hit something, he should've suggested meditation. But they were not typical Jedi; she'd expressed that need naked in his room. Anakin would focus on getting them both through the next few days, hours, minutes without falling apart, and then he would worry about balance. 

 

Ahsoka was a sight in the ring, even tempering her acrobatic skills. It got his blood pumping, made him try harder than usual. To impress her, he admitted to himself.

 

Ahsoka faced down one opponent after another, and while it should have bothered her that she was taking as many hits as she was getting in, all that mattered was she kept getting up and her opponents didn't. Rex would be proud. She could tell Anakin was. Obi-Wan... thwack ! 

 

Her head rang from savage swing at her montral. She blinked, then growled. “That's it kriffer, you're dead .” 

 

Her opponent wasn't Mandalorian; there were none signed up tonight. But the one she faced was bald with tattoos and that was close enough. Ahsoka unleashed herself, treating the opponent like prey, stalking, scratching, biting. She was beginning to understand how her Master had done what he did when his mother died. It didn’t matter that the blood on her hands wasn’t from the one who had taken her grandmaster. When she had them down on the ground, unable to get up, she simply straddled their chest and kept hammering their face. She didn't hear herself, but she was screaming.

 

Anakin felt when something shifted from teetering on the edge over toward the Dark in Ashoka, right before the screams tore out of her throat. He took that as his cue to step in. Never, ever had Anakin seen his Padawan so angry, and it broke his heart. He wrapped her in his own Force presence, cool against the raging heat she was putting off, as he wrestled her off her now-unconscious opponent. “You've had enough, Snips.”

 

“Let -” Ahsoka struggled with flagging strength against her Master “Let go of me! ”

 

“You need to get her outta here!” Nidar called from somewhere to Anakin’s left.

 

“I'm on it.” Anakin grunted even as he hauled her back to the locker room, where he was the only person she could let all that ferocity out on. “I can take it, Ahsoka.”

 

She hit his chest hard. “Why weren't you there to save him?!”

 

It was what Anakin had been asking himself all night. Why did he listen when she said I've got him, go!  

 

“Obi-Wan had survived worse. I knew it was a risk but I thought...you were there. You had it handled. I wanted to catch the bastard who shot him. And...and he'd survived worse. ”

 

“I was there to handle it?” Ahsoka all but yelled at her Master, any semblance of respect gone. “So what, now it's my fault?”

 

“I didn't say that!” He hadn't, he very pointedly hadn't, and had been savagely beating back the nasty voice in his brain that suggested it. “Ahsoka he was…” he forced out the words “dead when he hit the ground, that shot went straight to his heart. This wasn't you, or me, it was Rako Hardeen.”

 

Ahsoka, reminded of who the actual villain was, deflated. “And they just... locked him away.” She suddenly felt weak on her feet.

 

Anakin moved in to hold her close now, keep her steady. He bolstered her over the bond too, lending his strength. “Yes. Master Windu was right it's....” he took a shuddering breath, “it's what Obi-Wan would've wanted. His version of justice.” Not Anakin's justice. Not what Anakin visited on those who killed the people he loved. But he had told Ahsoka he never wanted to do that again, and he’d meant it.

 

Letting herself sag into her Master’s embrace, Ahsoka murmured, “Can we ... I'm tired.”

 

Anakin nodded. “Let's get you home, and to bed.”

 

His Padawan clung tightly to him on the back of the speeder bike. When he got her to his quarters, he cleaned her bloodied knuckles, kissed her. It was never a good sign when Ahsoka just accepted care, he had learned. It was more than physical exhaustion that had her letting him tend her now. He only paused briefly before helping her out of her dress and leggings and into his undertunic, before tucking her in the bed next to him. She immediately curled so close against his side they were practically one being. Silence stretched between them, and then he said, “This has been just about the longest kriffing day of my life.”

 

“Let's get to sleep, and it will be over.” Ahsoka said, her tone almost hopeful. The day Obi-Wan died, over at last. That did sound like something she could hope for. 

 

Anakin offered her the closest thing he had to a smile, and kissed her one more time. Then he watched as her eyes closed and her breathing evened out, her body relaxing against his in a way that had quickly come to feel routine. He held calm, in the bond. Anakin wanted Ahsoka to sleep peacefully, even if he knew, on the night of Obi-Wan’s funeral, the same would be impossible for him.

Notes:

BEHOLD! A recognizable The Clone Wars plotline has appeared! Tearfruit = onions, stem fruit = cherries. It was a delight to right Anakin and Ahsoka sharing a milkshake. Thank you for reading! we can't believe this story has, at time of posting this chapter, just over 6,000 hits, WOW! We love and appreciate every click, kudo, and comment

You can find us at:
tinytogrutafemale on tumblr
creativside on tumblr
Creativside on YouTube (I make Anisoka amv’s!)

Chapter 6: I Don't Need a Parachute, Baby if I've Got You

Notes:

Recommended Listening:
Parachute - Cheryl Cole
willow - Taylor Swift

“I don’t tell anyone about the way you hold my hand 

I don’t tell anyone about the things that we have planned…

They wanna see us fall,

They wanna see us fall down…

I don’t need a parachute baby if I’ve got you

Baby if I’ve got you

I don’t need a parachute

You’re gonna catch me

You’re gonna catch if I fall down, down, down…”

 

Anakin dozed on and off through what was left of the night, never for more than an hour. That was the longest he went before the images woke him. Images of Obi-Wan laid out in the back of a med transport, a flame eating away his Master's remains. Worst of all was the one of Ahsoka's face, speechless, with a body sprawled across her lap. When the sun rose, and he knew more sleep was hopeless, he nudged Ahsoka in the Force. She was exhausted, sleeping heavily. Good. Keeping his presence in a light embrace around her, he slipped from the bed, showered, threw on lounge pants, and set to work doing a regular tune up of his spare mechno arm, then the one that was attached to him. Technical repair was his favored form of meditation; it almost helped to focus on wires, metal, minute adjustments on tiny parts - things he could fix.

 

Ahsoka awoke to the Temple's artificial recreation of the Coruscant sun blazing through the "windows" in her Master’s chambers. “Uuuugh. What time is it?” She said through a yawn, her voice groggy.

 

Anakin turned as he heard Ahsoka shift, his expression softening at the sight of her in his shirt, bleary-eyed, headtails indented here and there from where sheets and blankets had bunched against her skin. “Late. Almost noon. I figured you needed the rest, so I emailed your Ethics and Debate teacher, got you a pass for today, and the next couple if you need it.”
 

“Oh, Force,” Ahsoka flopped back. “I can’t believe I slept through my favorite class!”

 

Damnit, Anakin thought fondly, she could be adorable. He waved a data pad. “I sent you our itinerary for the next couple weeks. We're grounded. The Chancellor's requested me as security until we know more about these rumors of an attack on him. We’ll take advantage of the off-field time to continue your special training.”

 

Right, Ahsoka grumbled internally. The test against clone troopers she had had the naivete to ask for as a new Padawan and still never passed with flying colors. “And that’s my least favorite class.” But she got up and got dressed. “Whatever you say, Skyguy.”

 

Annoyance blipped through the bond at her flippancy, and when Anakin spoke, his tone was stern. “As yesterday's events made very clear, being able to sense and dodge attacks from well trained, flesh-and-blood warriors firing blasters can be the difference between life or death. I'm going to make you better than a Jedi Master, no matter how tedious you may find it, my Padawan”

 

Ahsoka winced. She knew love and fresh grief were underneath the harsh tone. For a few minutes there, she’d almost felt like everything was normal, but now the pain rushed back in. “No I just…” she submitted to his presence over the bond, letting his Mastery wash over her. “I meant no disrespect, Master, honestly. I just don't like looking weak in front of the men. And a Jedi General died in my watch yesterday so…” at a loss for words, she rubbed a hand against her back lek.

 

Anakin sighed, softening, and came over to stand next to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. “What happened to Obi-Wan wasn’t your fault Ahsoka. What you did do is help me put his killer behind bars. The clones won’t blame you, and they don’t think you’re weak. Military code of conduct doesn't really give them an avenue for praising you, but every time we have one of these sessions, I overhear them bragging to each other about how impressed they are with you, how you're building immunity to the bolts, how you move like no other Jedi, how much better it makes them to face off against you. Especially Rex. He doesn't think I know it, but he brags. ”

 

Ahsoka brightened a little. “Good thing they're on our side then, if I’m making them that much better at what they do.” She laughed. That felt strange, next to the raw pain she was still struggling to let go of. “Do we have time for breakfast - or, I guess lunch - in the refectory first?”

 

“We do. Or I could throw something together here. The meal won’t be as satisfying, but we’d avoid the pitying stares. Although maybe it's better to get used to them.”

 

Ahsoka glanced at the door just next to the bed, through which was the ‘fresher and the tiny kitchenette where Anakin had occasionally made her a simple meal when she studied in his room late at night. “I have to admit Master, staying holed up in here with you is enticing in it’s way. But… it would be nice to try to catch Barriss. I’m pretty sure her flight came in sometime around the crack of dawn.” She smiled sadly. “We haven’t had time together in ages , even just over lunch.”

 

“Refectory it is then.” Anakin said with a nod. He hesitated, then pulled Ahsoka close for a kiss, a long one that he only reluctantly ended to say “I'm really grateful to have you by my side, my Padawan.”

 

Ahsoka found herself having to catch her breath in the wake of that kiss. “Hey, I'm not going anywhere.” She reminded her Master solemnly.

 

“I know.” He cupped her cheek. “It's just that this would be so much harder without you.”

 

~~~~~~~~

 

“Ahsoka!”

 

It was clear that Barriss had been looking for her when Ahsoka entered the refectory with Anakin,  the other girl's eyes narrowing a fraction as she looked Ahsoka up and down appraisingly. Her call had been carefully pitched to be heard but not draw undue attention from the other diners. Force knew Anakin and Ahsoka would be high profile enough without the help. Anakin nodded to Ahsoka to indicate she should head to where Barriss sat while he went to get trays. Barriss’ expression was warm, concerned, but she offered nothing save a very Code-approved squeeze of Ahsoka’s hand as her friend joined her, and pushed her a plate on which sat a half moon shaped pastry.

 

“They had those sweets you like. I grabbed one for you before they ran out.”

 

Ahsoka smiled at the kindness. “Thanks, Barriss. It’s good to see you, despite…everything.”

 

“You too. I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there last night.”

 

An exhausted sigh escaped Ahsoka. “There’ll be other funerals.” 

 

Barriss frowned, and squeezed her hand again just as Anakin came over and set food down in front of her. Over the bond, he offered his love, his support. That Ahsoka kept fiercely shielded, so even surrounded by other Jedi, no one would know.

 

“Mind if I join you?”

 

Anakin looked up to see Tru Veld, all silver haired and silver eyed as all Teevan were. As he had been since Anakin had first met him when they were Padawans. Knighthood and war had kept them apart, but they’d been good friends for a time, and Anakin was glad to see him now. 

 

“Please. He gestured to the seat next to him. 

 

Tru offered no verbal sympathies, but his quiet presence at the table was a support just the same, and he found a way to carry on not entirely meaningless conversation. The rest of the refectory was mostly silent, though the Force was rife with painful emotions. Grief. Confusion. Fear. Many Jedi had been lost in the war, but this? A Jedi Master - one of the most recognizable and most skillful? It had everyone shaken, to put it lightly.

 

“Reminds me of -” Tru started to say, and Anakin jumped in;

 

“After the First Battle of Geonosis, yeah.”

 

Ahsoka sat quietly between Anakin and Barriss, nibbling at her food and unusually quiet herself, grateful simply for the company. While there were some stares, she found them easy enough to ignore. What bothered her were the tiny, indecipherable shreds of whispers she picked up here and there. “Are they talking in code?” She murmured to herself.

 

Anakin's eyes moved toward her - though his head didn't move - for a moment at the mutter, his hand even more briefly squeezing her leg under the table, reassurance flowing over the bond. Soon enough lunch was over, and Anakin excused them both, explaining they were heading out for some meditation.

 

“Ahsoka,” Barriss said as they got up to leave, “I'm shipping out for another campaign the day after tomorrow but you know my holonet address if you need anything. She dared to squeeze Ahsoka's hand again. “May the Force be with you.” her glance fluttered briefly to Anakin. “Both of you.”

 

“And also with you.” Ahsoka returned the expected greeting and then followed her Master out, taking a deep breath at the unexpected relief of being away from all that the Force struggled to hold of other Jedi’s emotions. “Alright Skyguy, let's go get dirty.”

 

He chuckled as they headed out of the Temple. “That is...not what we're doing.” His voice dropped. “Maybe later.”

 

~~~~~~~~

 

The next few days were a blur for Ahsoka. Anakin had her training with the 501st's best shots every day. She woke faster and faster, but couldn't dodge the stun blasts longer than five minutes, her personal best for over a year. The nights they spent together. Those were a blur for Anakin. Everytime he closed his eyes there was some memory, recent or long past, of his time with Obi-Wan. The man had raised him after all. He slept worse than ever, despite Ahsoka's nearness and the sex when she had the energy. Most of the late night hours Anakin spent staring at the ceiling. Sometimes he meditated, but his relationship to the Force was unusually agitated, like it wanted him to notice something, something that should be obvious. 

 

“It's like an itch, Ahsoka.” he described in bed one night, sitting up and gesturing while Ahoska leaned on one elbow next to him. “An itch I can't reach, but more urgent, more dangerous. Something is wrong , something to do with Obi-Wan’s death, and I can't figure out what, and the Council is ignoring every damn request I make for a meeting about further investigating who hired Hardeen.”

 

“Maybe they think we're too close to it?” She offered. Of course something felt wrong, Ahsoka thought to herself. Obi-Wan was dead. That still felt hard to believe.

 

“Probably.” Anakin huffed, then looked at her with something like vulnerability in his expression and the Force. “Master Plo…he cares a lot about you. If you told him we’d like a chance to speak to the Council, he might listen.”

 

Ahsoka sighed. She was concerned that this was just her Master’s grief speaking, and she needed to figure out a kind way to bring that up. “I can certainly ask him, Master. But I can’t make any promises.” She grabbed her datapad from where she’d tossed it when he’d interrupted her homework by kissing the side of her neck until she moaned, and typed out a quick message to her trusted mentor. “Sent.”

 

Anakin plucked the datapad from her hands himself this time, seeming to ease just a little in the Force. “Thanks, Snips.” he said, gratitude and love wrapping around her aura as he lowered his body over hers again, and she gladly accepted him.

 

~~~~~~~

 

The next day, Anakin was tasked with security for the Chancellor earlier in the day than usual, and Rex was called away with him. That meant no stun blasts getting fired at Ahsoka. She tried to use the time how she knew she should; katas, and her old favored form of meditation, barefoot on the grass in the Room of a Thousand Fountains - really more a self-contained jungle than a room , the sound of the grand waterfall always audible.  But whether it was her grief, her Master’s restlessness rubbing off, or he was right and something was off, she could find no peace. Since the night of Obi-Wan’s death, the only times she’d felt at ease were when she was in bed under Anakin or defending against blasts from the clones. And those were both impossibilities right now. Although…

 

She couldn’t very well have a tryst with her Master in the Senate hall, but she could find Jesse and the boys and get some training in. She was getting better, could last for almost six minutes now. It would be a shame to break her streak.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

Three hours later, she came to on the ground, her shoulder aching. She hadn’t slowed herself enough with the Force, and could feel the joint swelling. Kix came over and wrapped it, quickly and efficiently, in a bacta bandage.

 

“You’re damn lucky it didn’t dislocate, Sir.”

 

“I guess we’re done for the day, boys. Thanks Kix, I’ll be more careful next time.” 

 

“You had a damn fine run, Commander.” Jesse said with a nod as Fives called for a transport. Getting better all the time, we should do this more often.”

 

Ahsoka laughed. “Oh sure, let’s add all of you firing at me instead of just droids on the field. Please, don’t give General Skywalker any more brilliant ideas.”

 

“What brilliant ideas am I stealing?”

 

Ahsoka’s eyes went wide as she turned to see her Master and Rex striding toward them across the empty warehouse. She hadn’t thought anything this morning when her Master thinned their bond to a trickle. He was still trying not to overwhelm her with the riot of his feelings in the Force. But it did mean she hadn’t been entirely aware that he was approaching. Given their recent private training, he wouldn’t like that. And given how pissed off she could now feel he was in the Force, he didn’t appreciate her taking this module into her own hands either. When he spoke his tone held none of the warmth or care it usually did. This was not her lover, her beloved, this was her Master .

 

“Dismissed, gentlemen.” Anakin announced to the clones, who saluted and made their way out the door with Rex. Ahsoka hoped the Captain wouldn’t give them too rough a retribution. It had been her idea after all.

 

Anakin wasted no time making it very clear exactly what he thought of the situation. “ Don't run that training module without me again. When I'm there, I can use the Force to slow your fall. And I can’t have you or the boys getting in trouble for any of it - you are well aware this kind of training is beyond Jedi protocol, and as their superior you have a responsibility to them. Am I clear, Padawan?”

 

Across from him, Ahsoka crossed her arms, though he noticed she moved the left, bandaged one gingerly. “I can handle it. Kix was there the whole time.”

 

“Kix is your med specialist, not your Master . And you cannot handle it Ahsoka, or you'd be able to last longer and not get injured . This will not happen again. I need to know where you are and what you're doing, I can't have you taking unnecessary risks when I'm not looking. You are not invincible, Ahsoka, none of us are.” 

 

He felt a twinge in his heart at his words - Ahsoka’s pain at the reminder of who they had so recently lost. “I know, Master. I just…I couldn’t do nothing . It’s fine when I’m in class or with you but… this is so hard to let go of. I feel like I’m not the Jedi I should be or I could just release my grief into the Force and -” her gaze dropped to the floor.

 

Anakin softened at the sense of defeat coming off his apprentice. “I’ve…” he swallowed past the lump in his throat. “I’ve been wondering what Obi-Wan would say, if he -” he saw Ahsoka’s head shoot up in shock, and mustered through, “If someone asked him how he managed after losing Qui-Gon. And I think he would say that we have to find purpose, find what needs doing now. And yeah, for him, that might mean letting go of all the grief and pain. But for some of us, I think that means learning to keep going with the weight. It does get easier to bear, Ahsoka, I promise.” That last part, he realized, had been more about the weight of his mother’s loss than anything else. 

 

Ahsoka’s aura seemed to ease into his, accepting the support he offered her though they stood just out of arm’s length of each other. She took a deep breath, and stood up straighter. He sensed resolve in her. And a challenge, for him.

 

“You’re right, Master. I know you are.” Ahsoka said in her most steady, respectful tone. “But I also know that you would want to do everything in your power to get stronger, better, to be more able to protect those you love next time.” She was sure now that he hadn’t realized that the night of the funeral he had accidentally shared memories of his mother’s graveside, and of his desire never to fail that way again. 

 

“You’re my Master. I learn from you how to be Jedi. So improvement is what I’m after, too. Please don’t deny me the chance.” He had to hear her. He had to.

 

Anakin considered Ahsoka’s words. She wasn’t wrong. With Obi-Wan gone she probably knew him better than anyone else in the galaxy. “What happened to Obi-Wan -”

 

“Wasn’t my fault I know. My name’s not Rako Hardeen and I didn’t fire the blaster. Neither did you. Still…” she didn’t know how to finish the sentence, so she didn’t. “Besides, you’ve always said the best way to keep me alive is to teach me to do it myself. How can I learn that if you’re always twenty feet away?”

 

Anakin sighed. He couldn’t ask Ahsoka not to be who she was. She had come to him determined to be the best, and he had worked hard to make her spectacular. And she was. She was his and she knew that and she liked that. But he knew that his insistence on being present for this training came partly from fear. And Jedi faced their fears. They didn’t look for the easy way out, so he wouldn’t. Anakin Skywalker would do his best to be a Master worthy of Ahsoka Tano.

 

“You can continue your training.” When Ahsoka’s face lit up, he held up a hand. “Every other day while we’re on leave. And only when Kix is available if Rex and I aren’t. Does that sound fair?”

 

Ahsoka nodded enthusiastically and closed the distance between them, taking his hand. “Yes, Master.”

 

Anakin briefly tightened his fingers around hers, eyes going to the bandage. “How’s your shoulder?”

 

Ahsoka had to resist the urge to literally shrug off his concern. “A little sore. Nothing a night with a bacta bandage won’t fix. Thank you, Master. For trusting my judgement.” She leaned up to kiss him on the cheek.

 

Anakin smiled. “Trust is the most important thing between a Master and a Padawan. You will always have mine, Ahsoka.”

 

~~~~~~~~

 

Master Plo did, in fact, manage to set up a meeting for Anakin and Ahsoka. Not with the whole Council - so many were regularly offworld or needed elsewhere these days. But in addition to Master Plo were Masters Windu and Yoda. 

 

“Thank you for taking the time to meet with us Masters.” Anakin said with a bow Ahsoka mirrored next to him, tense for reasons she couldn’t explain, hoping she looked confident and supportive of her Master.

 

“I want to strongly urge you to consider further investigation into the death of Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Given the fact that Rako Hardeen is Concordian and Obi-Wan’s past in that system, not to mention the timing - with whispers of a plot against the Chancellor, make this far too suspicious to write off as solved simply because the murderer has been caught. I can sense it in the Force, Masters, something isn’t right here.”

 

“Understandable, it is, for there to be a strangeness in the Force when lost a close comrade, a Jedi has.” Master’s Yoda’s tone was gentle. 

 

“All due respect, Master Yoda,” Anakin said, a phrase Ahsoka had learned usually meant he was about to disagree, “This is more than that. We still don’t know who hired Hardeen -”

 

“Getting such information from the bounty hunter will be impossible.” Master Windu interrupted. 

 

Anakin frowned, and Ahsoka saw his shoulders tense. “We’ve done it before, Master Windu. When Cad Bane was interrogated -”

 

“I am afraid,” Master Plo spoke up from the left, his brow furrowed, “that it is not our capabilities as interrogators that are the issue at hand.”

 

Ahsoka and Anakin exchanged a glance, dread coming from both sides of the bond, and at last she spoke. “What do you mean, Master Plo? Has something happened?”

 

Master Yoda sighed, and leaned forward. “Called you here this morning to hear out your concerns we did not, Knight Skywalker.”

 

If any of the Masters caught how Anakin bristled, they said nothing.

 

It was Master Windu who continued. “We received word that there was a breakout at Coruscant Central Civilian Prison last might. Moralo Eval - our current lead for the Separatist threat against the Chancellor - was one escapee. The others were Cad Bane and Rako Hardeen.”

 

Immediately a rage-full chill came over the bond to Ahsoka from her Master. 

 

“So there is more to Hardeen’s involvement then.” Anakin’s voice was all determination, only an edge of desperation creeping in, and probably only noticeable to Ahsoka.

 

“We’ll bring him to justice, Masters. Are there any leads on where they were headed -”

 

“You will do no such thing, Skywalker.”

 

Anakin glared, actually glared at Master Windu. “I don’t understand. We brought him in once. We can do it again.” 

 

“You are needed elsewhere.” Master Plo said, his voice reassuring in a way Ahsoka had once found effective, but just now it wasn’t reaching her. Like her Master, Ahsoka didn’t understand. 

 

“Masters,” she tried for both insistence and supplication, “as Master Skywalker says, if killing Master Kenobi was part of this plot then shouldn’t we be investigating further?”

 

“Too near to this matter are you both. Too personal, the death of Obi-Wan is.”

 

“But not too close to be sent to arrest Hardeen in the first place?” Came Anakin’s passionate response.

 

Master Windu levelled her Master with a stare they had both seen before; the one that brokered no argument. “Padawan Tano is to assist you with security for the Senate and Chancellor Palpatine’s personal residence. We will need round the clock Jedi and trooper presence to ensure his safety until this threat is resolved.” 

 

He didn’t even look at Ahsoka as he spoke, and not for the first time she felt like an appendage to her Master, who said nothing. Again came Master Plo’s gentle authority.

 

“Rest assured, all is being done to see that justice is served. You must both trust in the Force.”

 

Ahsoka stared at her Master, ready to take her cue from him. To her surprise, he didn’t argue further. Over the bond she could still feel his anger, his confusion, but also the curdling awfulness of resignation. For now.

 

“Yes, Masters. As you say.” Anakin responded at last. He and Ahsoka bowed once more and left the Council chamber.

 

~~~~~~~

 

The next day, Ahsoka spent her morning with the 501st before her afternoon shift on Senate security. She was beginning to wonder if passing out this much was bad for her as she failed once again to last longer than five minutes deflecting stun blasts. There goes half an hour, she thought darkly before she hit the ground. What seemed like seconds later, but must have been minutes, she woke with a sharp pain in her chest and Anakin standing over her holding a stim shot. 

 

“Uh, I guess you got bored looking after the Chancellor?” she murmured groggily as she sat up.

 

Anakin didn’t respond, but over the bond came purpose, solid and steady. And his eyes…he looked ready to kill. 

 

“What happened?” She asked, although she had a sneaking suspicion she knew.

 

“I have a lead.” Anakin offered Ahsoka a hand and hauled her to her feet. “From the Chancellor himself. Come on. We're headed to Nal Hutta”

 

On the way there he was quiet, icy, his intent crystallizing and sharp in the Force. And then they landed. Before disembarking, he turned to her. “The Council removed the bounties on Eval, Bane, and Hardeen. Supposedly to give them more freedom to make moves that could get them caught. I don’t like the strategy, but let’s not waste the chance we have now that we know they’re here. These lowlifes we’re going after? They’re the worst of the worst. But you know that. You remember how Bane violated our Temple and kidnapped potential Jedi, you know Eval is working with a Sith to harm the leader of the Republic, and Hardeen…” He trailed off, then took a deep breath, “You know. I am ready to do what needs to be done, whatever it takes to stop them.” He put his hands on her shoulders, “Are you ready to stand by my side in this, Ahsoka?”

 

“Don't forget that Bane also almost threw me out an airlock.” It was half reminder, half quip. She didn’t want to admit it, but this whole situation made her a little nervous.

 

“Is that a yes, Padawan?” Anakin demanded, quiet but stern. “Will you pledge, to me as your Master and in the Force, to do what you have to?” The Force swirled around where he touched her, like a strong cord. Binding.

 

Ahsoka took a deep breath. She trusted him, and she was a Jedi. They sought Justice. And… this was justice, right? She let her aura swirl with his. “Yes, Master. I'll do what I must.”

 

He kissed her once, tenderness backed by intensity, and led the way off the ship.

 

“Where do we even start?” Ahsoka muttered. Anakin turned to her with a smirk.

 

“Ahsoka, you should know by now, if you want to find lowlifes-”

 

She met his cocky expression with her own, seeing where he led them and pointing. “You start at the saloon.”

 

Anakin entered first, taking in the atmosphere of vaguely threatening figures, the mostly naked Twi’lek dancers, the eyes that moved from those dancers to the girl with headtails at his side. It was hardly a decision to make a show of power with the Force when someone tossed an errant weapon their way. He barely recognized that he nearly took the assailant's head off. Behind him was Ahsoka, steady and strong, unphased by all of it. That was his girl. He didn’t even have to explain to the bartender why they were here.

 

“The ones you're looking for left not long ago.”

 

“All three of them?” At the Ithorian’s nod, he continued. “Headed where?”

 

“Answers don't come free-”

 

“I don't have time for games.” He really didn’t. Anakin raised his right hand - which he'd worked so hard to reconnect to himself, and the Force. Work which paid off as he clawed his fingers, and the Bartender struggled for breath. Out of the corner of his eye, Anakin saw Ahsoka shift, he sensed determination but discomfort in her aura. She could handle it, and he knew what he was doing. This wasn’t loss of control, but exertion of it. He had to. He clenched harder, raised his arm, and the bartender levitated.

 

Ahsoka watched, only a little wary of Anakin’s behavior. It wasn't unusual, though he didn't often go this far. She felt over the bond a certainty masking near loss of control. She trusted Anakin, so she made herself let go of her fear. If she remained calm, she hoped he would too. 

 

The bartender gave them the information they needed, and Anakin dropped them heavily.

“Let's go, Snips.” He walked out without a backward glance, but Ahsoka spared one, making sure the bartender was actually getting up. Then she followed her Master - she had made a promise, after all.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

By the time they'd reached the shipyard they had been directed to, Anakin had calmed slightly. He did pay the merchant for information, and learned there was a scam to underfuel ships so his brother could charge for refuel on nearby Orondia.

 

“We better get going.” Ahsoka said beside him. “Orondia's pretty deserted. They may steal a ship there, to throw us off their trail.”

 

Anakin offered her a half smile. She was a good researcher, had had her nose in a datapad about the sector on the way here. No surprise she had information on Orondia. “I like your thinking.”

 

“That's not the only thing of mine you like.” She winked up at him and took off for their transport. “Let's go!”

 

Ahsoka was right, her mind was definitely not the only thing Anakin liked, and he had to work to keep his hands and the rest of him off her as they sped toward Orondia. They hadn't brought a droid to co-pilot, or he would have risked it. They were so close to fixing this mess - the threat to the Chancellor, to catching - and this time ending - Hardeen. To getting an answer to the unformed question the Force had been tormenting him with since Obi-Wan's death. All of that had Anakin’s blood up, and Force knew his Padawan was a fitting, willing outlet. But no, just now he had to focus. Something reached out in the Force as they entered atmo, and he followed it, spying a ship and a few boarders out the viewport.

 

“Master, it's them. Look, it’s Cad Bane!” Ahsoka thumbed out the window in the direction of a Duro in a large hat.

 

Anakin knew as a Togruta she had better far sight than him but he was skeptical. “Are you sure?”

 

She raised an eyebrow “Who else wears a hat like that?”

 

Anakin chuckled. “Good eyes, Snips.”

 

The three beings boarded a little faster when they saw the Jedi cruiser, but not fast enough that Anakin’s human eyes didn’t spot Hardeen among them. A vicious pursuit followed. Anakin rammed their ship, trying to bring them down, and when that didn’t work - 

 

“Take the controls!” He called to Ahsoka as he leapt from his seat. “I'll get them grounded.” He lit his lightsaber and jumped from the exit ramp, landing on the ship and facing down Bane in a struggle that was more even then he would have liked. Then the ships struck each other again, and both plummeted toward the ground

 

Ahsoka tried to right the cruiser, but it was too late. She resorted to one of Anakin’s first lessons: crashing safely. And then her head banged into the controls, and she saw black.

 

Anakin was vaguely aware of a pang over the bond. The ship had crashed. Ahsoka! But he could also sense Rako Hardeen, close. Ahsoka didn't feel seriously injured, she was already regaining consciousness. She was tough, she'd be okay. He had to go after Obi-Wan’s murderer or this would all be for nothing. It was with these increasingly desperate thoughts in his head that he threw himself into the fight with Hardeen.

 

“You are going to pay for what you did!” He ground out between clenched teeth.

 

The Force was a storm in his blood, honing his focus in on Hardeen - maybe a little too focused - Bane came from the high ground and caught him up with a kriffing whip. Anakin had to switch targets, vaulting up to kick the Duro, lighsaber whirling through the fog to disarm the bastard. He was set to slice Bane’s head off when Hardeen tackled him. Kriff, he needed to expand his awareness, this couldn't keep happening. And then in the blink of an eye, his lightsaber clattered from his hand and Hardeen was wailing on his face, strike after strike. Anakin just managed to leverage the strength of his mechno arm to throw Hardeen off, but the man seemed to guess where he would lunge and caught him, one arm around his throat squeezing tight. Cutting off blood to his brain. He struggled. No, no, Ahsoka needed him, he had a war to fight and men to protect and a destiny to figure out and a woman he loved it couldn't end like -

 

“Anakin, don't follow me.”

 

The voice was wrong , but the suddenly unmasked presence was a comfort, and that tone, that cadence, he'd know it in his sleep. Speaking of which, Anakin knew a sleep suggestion when he felt one. But Rako Hardeen wasn’t Force sensitive. So how…? No, it was impossible. But as he lost consciousness, Anakin thought a name: Obi-Wan...?

 

~~~~~~~~

 

Ahsoka burst from the crashed, mostly intact cruiser as soon as she woke up. She sprang up walls toward the sound of the fray her Master was no doubt caught up in. When she saw an unconscious Anakin with Bane approaching him, blaster raised, she vaulted the last few yards, lightsabers raised in his defense. She crouched, growling, over Anakin, ready to fight off Bane, Hardeen, and any one else who came near him. This was her Master and he was not dying today. The Force sang in her veins as she deflected blasts like it was nothing - all that training with the clones had come in handy. Ahsoka barely heard the words Bane and Hardeen exchanged before they ran off, though she did catch a condescending “little lady.” Her body stayed ready for a fight even as she knelt to see to her Master. They were safe. For now.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

Anakin, head pounding, came around to the sound of Ahsoka's voice.

 

“...ster? Master, are you alright?”

 

He glanced around. They were alone. No Bane or Hardeen...no, not Hardeen…but it couldn’t be. “That's...why I felt a connection before. Obi-Wan...he's alive.”

 

“What?” Ahsoka looked at him incredulously. “I-I don’t understand.” 

 

“Me either. But we're going to get to the bottom of this.” Anakin assured his Padawan. Over the bond, Ahsoka didn’t come across as particularly comforted by his words. When he tried to stand, his head spun and he stumbled, accepting Ahsoka’s immediate offer of support.

 

“Anakin, let's get you back the ship.” She propped him up with her arm, ignoring the pounding in her own head where she’d bumped it. By the time they made it back to the cruiser, Anakin was steadier on his feet, and he plugged in the command for a diagnostic to make sure the ship hadn’t taken too much damage. Ahsoka reached across herself to squeeze one arm - a habit from her youngling days. “Should…we comm the Council and figure out what to do next?”

 

That reminded him - he had turned his comm off. He had a number of missed beeps, and one voice message from Master Yoda requesting he call, saying he wanted Anakin back for a meeting immediately. He punched in the Council frequency, but had to leave a message. 

 

“Master Yoda, I received your message while I was out in the field. I want you to know my Padawan and I have been tracking Hardeen and the other escapees, Rako Hardeen told me not to follow him.” His voice was pure ice. “I'd like to meet too, Master .” And then he turned the comm off again and put his head in his hands. “I feel like I'm losing my mind.” 

 

“Why did you say Obi-Wan’s alive?” Ahsoka couldn’t keep the hurt and confusion out of her voice. “I held him in my arms -”

 

“I know. I know.” Anakin looked at his Padawan, really looked at her for the first time since they’d seen Hardeen boarding that ship. He noticed a darkening bruise on her forehead. That would need seeing to.

 

“...I don't know how to explain it yet, but I think it has something to do with why everything's felt so off. I think...no, it sounds insane.”

 

Ahsoka put a tentative hand on Anakin’s arm. “Whatever is going on, maybe it'll be better after you rest? You feel… stretched by the Force, Master. It's strange.”

 

Anakin set aside his suspicions for the moment. His Padawan needed him. “I'll rest after you let me see to that injury. You hit your head.”

 

“It's no big deal Master, it happens all the time.” Ahsoka tried to brush it off. She didn’t want to be fussed over, she wanted to find out why her Master was claiming a dead man was alive.

 

“Please, Snips. Humor me. You won't do anyone any good with a concussion. And I need you in top form right now.” Stretched, she had said. It was a good word for how he felt. Stretched too far, feeling too much too deeply for too long.

 

“Fine,” Ahsoka sighed, resigned. “Just don't mess up my good looks.” She snarked, trying to cover a lot of things. Physical pain, worry for her Master’s sanity. Grief, so hard to let go of.

 

Anakin just about managed a smirk. Somehow. His mind was still reeling from the impossibility of Obi-Wan being alive. “Nothing could, Snips. You're too pretty.”

 

All the same, the bandage that he wrapped around her forehead and montrals to keep the bacta patch in place did look a little silly. It made him feel better though, that she was taken care of. He quickly ran through the basic neuro checks they all learned for field work. 

 

“I think you might be on the edge of a concussion. The bacta should take care of it, but you tell me if you get nausea or blurred vision, understood?”

 

“Yes Master.” Ahsoka took a deep breath, and spoke in a rush. “And you'll tell me if you’re cracked, right?” She did her best to let her genuine concern come through in the bond, despite the harsh words she couldn’t hold back. “There's no way Obi-Wan could be alive and frankly Anakin, insisting on it when I held his dead body …” She paused, took another breath. She was not going to cry, “It hurts.” Ahsoka sagged in the co-pilot chair, suddenly exhausted. She just wanted to get home and put this behind them; let someone else catch Hardeen and the rest of them.

 

Anakin sighed, and put a hand on her leg where she sat across from him in the cockpit, speaking slowly and carefully. “I realize how what I said sounds. But I know what I felt, Ahsoka. A familiar presence - Obi-Wan’s - and a sleep suggestion. I don't know what it means. Maybe we're all being played somehow, or it was a trick of the Force. But I know I felt him, as sure as you’d know me , even if I was unrecognizable”

 

“Why couldn’t I feel him?” Ahsoka asked, still confused.

 

Anakin shrugged, at a complete loss. “I used to have a Force bond with him, he actually used the Force on me, this is all in my head. Your guess is as good as mine, Snips.”

 

“Ugh.” The system beeped - the ship had superficial damage, but was just fine to fly. Ahsoka tapped a few keys, telling the navcomputer to start calculations for Coruscant. “Thank the Force once we're onworld the Council probably won't make us wait to speak to them.” She murmured.

 

“We'll barge into the Council Spire ourselves if we have to. After all, Master Yoda said he wanted to meet.” He squeezed her hand. “Thanks for saving my life down there.” In spite of everything, over the bond his love for her was a warm, golden glow.

 

Ahsoka pulled her arms tightly around herself, unsure how to respond to her Master's warmth. “I wasn't gonna let you die Master.” She sighed “Anakin... can we just get back to the Temple, please?”

 

“Sure.” Anakin was a little concerned that Ahsoka seemed so physically closed off to him. His sense of her in the Force returned only confusion and exhaustion. Nothing helpful. As they rose through the atmosphere and jumped to hyperspace, he left his side of the bond wide open in case she decided she wanted it. It was clear this mess - whatever was actually going on - was taking its toll. 

 

They passed the trip mostly in silence. He tried to rest, as he'd told Ahsoka he would, but couldn't. He did insist Ahsoka lay down while he took the controls for the last couple hours, and she listened, eyes drooping closed. 

 

She had felt the steady presence and warmth of her Master’s love, wrapping around her all golden in the Force. A part of her wanted to reach out to him in return but... she didn't trust herself right now. She felt cold and dark and didn't want to put that on Anakin. He had his own struggles with such things. 

 

Ahsoka slept deeply enough that she didn’t notice when Anakin put the ship on auto and came to stand near her, watching her breath, sensing the darkness she struggled with. He didn’t shy away or fix it, just left space in their bond for all she was. Though she wasn’t conscious of his acceptance, he did see her body relax, and in the Force the swirl of her emotions began to still. 

 

The familiar sounds and vibrations of the ship entering atmo woke Ahsoka. She felt much better, in body and in spirit. As the ship maneuvered the lane that would take them to the Temple, she walked up to her Master in the pilot’s seat and put a hand on his shoulder, Smiling when he glanced her way. “Hey, Skyguy.”

 

He smiled back. “Hey yourself, Snips. Sleep well?”

 

“Yes.” She exhaled in pure relief. They’d get to the bottom of this mess. They’d be okay. “Thanks, I needed the nap.”

 

“Of course, my Padawan.”

 

Anakin turned his full focus back to flying, and when they arrived at the Temple and docked, he was surprised to see-

 

“Did you ask Master Plo to meet us?”

 

“Plo? No Master, I haven't sent anyone any calls. Why, is he here?”

 

“Yes. Talk about not having to wait to meet with the Council. Or maybe he’s just worried about you, getting dragged off by your Master on an unsanctioned mission.”

 

“Pfft.” Ahsoka exclaimed. “If Master Plo let himself worry about that, he’d have a heart attack from the constant stress.”

They exited, leaving the cruiser in the capable hands of the vehicle bay staff, and turned to meet Master Plo as he approached.

 

“It is good to see you both returned safely. Skywalker, Master Yoda has asked to see you in his quarters immediately.”

 

“Yeah, I bet he has” Any warmth or ease Anakin had felt alone on the cruiser with his Padawan evaporated. “Come on, Snips.”

 

“Master Yoda insists you come alone, Skywalker. Ahsoka, I must speak with you .”

 

“Oh come on!” Ahsoka said with no real vehemence, feeling like an afterthought again.

 

“This is not a time for argument, Ahsoka. There is much to be discussed.”

 

Ahsoka was concerned that meant much that she and her Master were in trouble for, what with them leaving their post at the Senate and running off to Nal Hutta and crashing a cruiser... She placed a hand on Anakin’s arm. “You'll be okay?

 

Anakin patted her hand - not squeezing it like he wanted to. “I'll manage. We'll meet up in my quarters when you're done, I'm sure we'll have things to meditate on.” He left threads of his presence around her, his support, should she need it, as he walked away.

 

“Come with me, Ahsoka.” Plo said, his voice sounding…well Ahsoka couldn’t be sure. Sad? She followed dutifully behind him as he led her to the receiving room in his quarters, though she turned down the tea he offered, getting impatient to know just what in the galaxy was going on, and when the lecture about running off to Nal Hutta would start. At last, her old friend spoke.

 

“You may be expecting a reprimand for yourself and your Master regarding this unauthorized trip off-world. However, the circumstances are delicate. I need to know what happened when you went after Hardeen and his…associates.” He eyed the bandage on her head.

 

Ahsoka sighed. She adored Master Plo, but sometimes he really did sound every bit the Council member. “Well we almost had that lowlife, but in bringing down his ship I…kind of crashed ours. By the time I got to the fight and could see what was happening, Anakin was unconscious. I was ready to take Bane and Hardeen myself, but the sleemos ran off. When my Master woke up he…he started rambling about Obi-Wan being alive? Feeling a connection with Hardeen?” She was suddenly very aware of the pounding in her head. “Master Plo, I'm really worried about him.” It wasn’t a question, but she did need help.

 

Across from her, Master Plo took a deep breath. It was unusual for the emotions of the most learned Masters to be noticeable in the Force, but Ahsoka sensed regret from him just now. “Master Plo? What’s wrong?” 

 

“Your Master is correct. Master Kenobi is still amongst the living.”

 

Ahsoka was on her feet without even having decided to stand up. “But...that’s not possible, I saw.. I…  he died in my arms!”

 

“What you and young Skywalker saw was the effect of vitals-surpressing drugs. The Council tasked Master Kenobi with a dangerous undercover mission, one that will, hopefully, allow us to foil Moralo Eval's plans against the Chancellor. His cover had to be complete, and so his death had to be believable. And then costly and rare technology was used to disguise him as Rako Hardeen. It was believed the death of a Jedi was the only target impressive enough for ‘Hardeen’ to catch Eval's attention and be welcomed into the fold.”

 

“But... “Ahsoka’s lekku twitched as she struggled to wrap her mind around Plo's words. “Why didn't he tell us?”

 

“The Council chose to keep this mission from you.” A hot flash of righteousness ran through his aura in the Force and was quickly smothered. “Out of concern for the completeness of the illusion. We were…not in agreement about the necessity of such covert maneuvers.”

 

Having known him as long as she had, Ahsoka could tell that was his way of saying he had voted against that particular decision, but if that was some attempt to escape blame, she was having none of it. “Yet you stood there at the funeral when I said I was worried about Anakin and said nothing . You told us Hardeen had escaped and we were too close to Obi-Wan to pursue him, Master Yoda went on about how of course Anakin felt like something was wrong and you -” Her confusion and pain was quickly becoming anger . “We deserved to know! We were trying to kill Hardeen.. or Obi-Wan or whoever he is. Anakin almost did…” 

 

She stepped back from Master Plo, crossing her arms and calling on strength from her bond with her own Master. She had never felt such strong rage and betrayal before.There was a flare of identical anger over the bond, and then reaching, Anakin calling - no, pulling her to him, an insistence she couldn’t have ignored even if she had wanted to.

 

“Once the decision was made,” Master Plo continued in an infuriatingly calm voice, “I was not free to act as I saw fit. Besides which, the risk of exposure to Master Kenobi was too high. It still is. But after your excursion to Nal Hutta, Master Yoda deemed it a greater risk for yourself and Skywalker not to know. He has been deeply conflicted about this, Ahsoka. It seemed the best path to him at the time. I am deeply sorry for the pain it has caused you.”

 

“Fine, you're sorry. ” She all but yelled, turning on her heel. “I have to go.” And she fled for her Master’s quarters, a place she could be sure to find someone to trust.

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

The moment Anakin sensed Ahsoka outside his room, he opened the door with a wave of his hand before she could even ring the chime, ceasing his pacing to pull her in for a rough kiss. In the clash of their lips was all the rage they both felt. That anger needed somewhere to go or they’d do nothing but suffer, and meditation was off the table. Anakin’s hands grabbed at his Padawan as he regarded her with dark eyes. “Take off your clothes.”

 

“You'll get no argument from me.” Ahsoka said a little breathlessly, and Ahsoka ripped through her tunic and underclothes until she stood bathed in the light, utterly naked and appreciating her Master’s unapologetic gaze. She hid nothing from him, and she knew he offered the same openness in return.

 

Anakin's own clothes were flung aside in moments. He paused to take in Ahsoka, sunlight playing off her skin, especially her markings and the whites of her lekku. Then he backed her to a wall. Over the bond he let flow what Ahsoka clearly already understood; he didn't want to talk or think about what they'd been told, he just wanted to do the only thing that made sense right now - be with her. He was going to devour his Padawan, starting with her mouth which his tongue drove in and of, wrestling with hers, relishing the prick of her fangs on his lip and the surprising coppery taste of his blood. Those red drops followed the trail of burning kisses he left down her neck, the dark bruise he sucked into the flesh there. Next he got his mouth on a lek, idly wondering how deep down his throat he'd be able to swallow her when they grew. When the appendage twitched, Anakin worked his mouth lower - to her nipples which he tongued and nipped until she was panting, whining. And then he was on his knees, one of her legs hooked over his shoulder so he had full access to her dripping cunt. His presence rushed hers as he licked her folds. Mine...mine… the words wouldn’t transmit over the bond, but the sensation of his claiming her would.

 

Ahsoka wanted to pull herself tight around Anakin, to squeeze and bite him, but she also couldn't resist being devoured, so she didn't. With his mouth on her, her will nearly evaporated. She was his, that was all that mattered. She answered what she felt over the bond out loud. “Yes Master, all Yours!”

 

She was so, so good for him. He could sense the instincts in her to sink her sharpness into his skin; later he would give her the chance to do just that, and relish it. For now, he would keep doing this. Something that was apparently more inappropriate than bowing to the demands of a Council who didn't give a damn about personal relationships. He shoved those thoughts away even as he shoved his mouth into Ahsoka, his tongue making good on the promise he'd given her mouth earlier. His mechno-thumb circled her clit, and his presence stroked and clutched at hers over the bond. He felt a strength from where they met in the Force, and wrapped his aura around them both to shield them, hide the noise and intensity from anyone outside the room.

 

After what could have been moments or hours pressed against the wall, Ahsoka succumbed to Anakin's ministrations, cresting a wave of pleasure. Her hands tangled in his hair, wanting him close, to ensure he never got away. “Anakin!” She screamed.

 

“Mmmm!” He groaned into her throbbing core, lapping up every drop she gave him, pulling back with gentle licks and kisses as she stilled. “That's my girl…” he breathed, lips, chin, even the tip of his nose wet with her as he looked up, on his knees but claiming her just the same.

 

“You look pretty covered in my slick master.” Ahsoka said on a sigh, smiling mischievously.

 

He smirked, then surged to his feet and caught her mouth in a wet kiss.

 

“Mmmmoooohh…” She moaned loudly, holding nothing back. “Anakin…”

 

They weren’t done, not by a long shot. Anakin lifted Ahsoka so that her legs were around his waist. She struggled only a little as he lifted her, nipping at his ear, then clinging to him as he carried her over to the bed, backing into it and landing with her on top, straddling him. His hands roamed up to her breasts, which he caressed not-quite-tenderly. “My Ahsoka…”

 

“Mmmmaster,” Ahsoka braced herself, hands on his chest, “You wanna climb inside me, don't you?” Her voice was a growl, and her nails raked over his nipples and down his stomach. She yelped when his back arched and his hips pressed up into her.

 

“Always, my Padawan.” Anakin answered her questions, taking just a moment to admire the raised red marks she’d left before he flipped her over, ready to claim her again.

 

Ahsoka lost herself in the connection with Anakin, letting it consume and obliterate all other concerns. She could feel what he did - a power was growing between them. It sparked with danger, but stronger than that was love, and, most importantly right now, complete and utter trust.

Notes:

HAPPY MAY THE FOURTH!!!

Please note two updates back to back weeks is HIGHLY UNUSUAL much as we wish our schedules allowed for it, but it was important to us to get this out for Star Wars Day. We hope you enjoyed! Thank you for reading, commenting and leaving kudos. We are so moved by your comments, and to know our hard work is coming through in the quality of the writing/story. May the Force be with you today and every day!

You can find us at:
tinytogrutafemale on tumblr
creativside on tumblr
Creativside on YouTube (I make Anisoka amv’s!)

Chapter 7: And Never Turn to Night

Notes:

Recommended Listening:
100 Years - Florence + the Machine

"I let him sleep, and as he does
My held breath fills the room with love
Hurts in ways I can't describe
My heart bends and breaks so many, many times
And is born again with each sunrise"

- 100 Years, Florence + the Machine

 

Did anyone notice? That Anakin and Ahsoka effectively disappeared for the next day and half? At least that’s how long Ahsoka thought it had been. They slept, they made love, they ate ration bars or self-heating meals, drank some tea with spices Ahsoka couldn’t identify that was the one of the best things she’d ever tasted. They made love again, more roughly, then dozed off clinging to each other. At some point Ahsoka blearily reached with the Force toward the blinds she didn’t remember either of them closing, wanting to see if it was night or day. The barest hints of light peeking through could easily have been either sun or nightlife. But a mechno hand grabbed her wrist.

 

“Don’t look…”

 

She hadn’t even realized her Master was awake, but she understood the command. After the emotional beatdown that had been finding out the entire Council - including Master Plo, who she considered her oldest friend - had kept a secret to manipulate their emotions, everything outside this room, outside each other , felt suspect. Here in the warm safety of their dark little world, though? Breath stuttered out of Ahsoka as Anakin’s teeth grazed her knuckles, her fingertips…

 

Some part of Anakin absurdly imagined this sensuous marathon as a practical intensive. He knew Ahsoka had never imagined sex could be so good for grief, make her feel safe, balance the turmoil of emotions they both felt. Not to mention they were certainly pushing their bodies to limits. He nipped her skin here and there as he worked his mouth down her stomach, and soon enough had her forgetting all about the view out the window.

 

The next time Ahsoka woke, it was to Anakin’s comm beeping, calling him to a briefing.

 

“Mmmm.” Ahsoka resisted the urge to pull the pillow over her head, yawning, but staying where she was with her eyes closed. “Master, better get up.”

 

She heard the door to the ‘fresher slide open. “ Already up, Snips.”

 

Of kriffing course he was. She rolled to face her Master, shirtless, just finishing applying bacta to the freshest bite she had given him on his forearm.

 

Anakin saw his Padawan’s eyes land on the bite, and wondered if she noticed her tongue dart briefly out to wet her lips. Ahsoka had been especially fierce after the news about the Council's deception. Now, as he nudged the bond, they both seemed more balanced. Turned out a couple days alone with nothing to do but kriff each other was as good as a meditation retreat. Between that and the fact that Obi-Wan was alive, he was feeling a lot less weighed down than he had been. He actually smiled as he went over to kiss her on the cheek. “Morning.”

 

“Mm.” It was good, to sense her Master feeling more like himself in the Force, but a part of her was sad knowing it meant a return to normalcy, the breaking of their cozy little bubble. “I’m supposed to have class today, should I skip and join you for the briefing?” 

 

“Yes. I don't have details but it's about wrapping up Obi-Wan's undercover mission. You and I will both be needed. We'll neutralize the threat to the Chancellor, and then we'll bring Obi-Wan home.” Anakin did his best to focus on these positives, to carry forward the balance he had found alone with Ahsoka and not worry too much about exactly why they were in the situation. It worked. His Padawan gave him a cheeky grin.

 

“Sounds like it’s all in a day’s work for the two best Jedi in the galaxy.”

 

Anakin chuckled, and kissed her again. “Careful, Snips,” he said, all teasing, “ego does not become a well-trained Jedi.” 

 

She grinned wider, a fang flashing at him. “Well, I don’t know what that says about your training…”

 

“Take it up with Obi-Wan after the mission. Save the banter for later; shower and throw on your clothes - you have fifteen minutes.”

 

~~~~~~~~

 

Anakin’s mood turned sour once they were in the briefing room with Council members. The meeting dragged , everyone went on about the danger their undercover operative was in and how delicately they had to handle the situation since they were now out of contact for his safety, as if they hadn’t caused the problem in the first place. The longer he was trapped with them, the stormier Anakin felt. Ahsoka noticed. She kept throwing concerned glances his way when no one else was looking, her support a tentative but warm tendril of light in the bond. For her sake, he took deep breaths and kept what he really thought and felt tightly under wraps. He’d given everyone enough of a performance of those dangerous emotions that were so useful after all. He found he could bite his tongue no longer when right toward the end of the meeting while discussing the layout of the Naboo palace; Master Windu mentioned the need for flexibility since they had yet to hear from Obi-Wan. 

 

“He'll do his part,” Anakin said, tone clipped and voice bitter, “we just have to do ours.” And he stalked out, feeling Ahsoka's concerned gaze digging into his back and into the bond. She would join him shortly, it seemed to say. Fine with him. If his Padawan could stand another minute of that meeting, well…maybe she was the better trained of the two of them.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

“Masters... is this really the right path? Pretend we're not hurt by this deception and... just do our jobs?”

 

Ahsoka knew she took a risk to ask this. Part of her could hardly believe the words were coming out of her mouth. But she trusted the Council. Master Yoda had always supported her, and Master Plo was her oldest friend. She couldn’t let this come between them. She wouldn’t.

 

Yoda stared gravely at Ahsoka and gestured to everyone else. “Leave us.”

 

Once they were alone, he motioned for her to sit across from him on the floor, and she did so. “Young one, admit, I will, that risky, every path before us was in our mission to stop this plot against the Chancellor. In hindsight, clear it is, that deception was not the best of these. Regret, I do, this choice was made. But made the choice has been. Put personal feelings aside and perform his duties, protect and serve, your Master will. Teach you to do the same, he should. This, the way of the Jedi is. Not to hold on to our pain, but to let go and find a new path.”

 

“I know that Master,” Ahsoka said with as much deference as she could muster. “But it isn't as easy as you make it sound.”

 

The Grandmaster gave her a tiny smile. “Never claimed, have I, that easy the Jedi path is. Strong of spirit your Master is.” He pointed the tip of her cane at her. “Strong, too, is his Padawan. Come through this, you both will, and stronger for it may you yet prove to be.”

 

Ahsoka found that she had nothing else to say to that. The refrain was familiar and yet she wasn’t sure it helped. “Thank you, Master.” She bowed at the waist. “I should join Master Skywalker, talk through my assignments for the mission.” She left the chamber, nodded to Master Shaak Ti who smiled as she passed. Walking through the Temple she got sympathetic nods from other Padawans, a Tholothian youngling stopped her to say how sorry she was to hear of Master Kenobi’s passing. To protect the mission, it was still a secret to most in the Temple that he lived. Her skin crawled at keeping a secret like this from her fellow Jedi, her family. And to think that her current hidden…extracurricular activities with her Master would be considered the more taboo of the two. 

 

~~~~~~~

 

When Anakin got back to his room, he figured it needed to feel slightly less like a private Skywalker-Tano kriff den and more like a meeting place to prepare for a mission. He opened the blinds, tossed out the food wrappers they’d been careless with, made the bed, folding the undershirt of his Ahoska had taken to sleeping in and tucking it under the pillow on the side of the bed she favored. It brought a smile to his face, to think of some evidence of her and what they were here having a permanent home, a place it was meant to be. Just like she had hers by his side. He shook himself from that peaceful reverie as his datapad pinged with notes from the meeting, necessary blueprints, lists of staff for the Festival of Light celebration at which Republic Intelligence and Jedi Shadow reports seemed sure everything would come to a head. It was absorbing, and for that, he was grateful. A few minutes later, the door swished opened and Ahsoka came in. Caught up in reading, Anakin didn’t look up, but he did sink into the embrace of her Force presence, prickly though his own was, and mumbled, “They left Obi-wan with no back up, of course they're worried about him, this never should've happened, what the hell were they thinking ?”

 

His Padawan didn’t answer as she took a seat on the meditation roundel and watched him where he stood at his work desk. Anakin felt a gentle nudge from her aura to his, as though implicating that maybe, just maybe, he worried too much. Perhaps, he considered, he could have more faith. Obi-Wan was a powerful Jedi, and clever to boot. He could handle himself. Then again, Anakin had had to swoop in and save his ass more than once. And he would be there on Naboo to do it again.

 

Ahsoka picked up a second datapad next to him, looking over the Council’s notes as she sat again, this time on the edge of the bed. “Naboo.” she murmured. “It will be nice to visit and not almost die of a rare, deadly virus.”

 

Anakin turned to her with a start. “Damn, that is the last time you were there, isn't it? Hmm…” He considered his Padawan briefly. “I'm in charge of security assignments.” He tapped a stylus, his voice and presence growing thoughtful and determined. “There are about a dozen places it would be good to have you, but I’m more interested in your judgment than mine. Look at the list of necessary positions and tell me where your skills would be best put to use.”

 

“I... “ Ahsoka stood up a little straighter, pride lighting up her being as she flicked through the pages. Her Master trusting her to pick her own assignment on such a high stakes mission? She couldn’t help but be flattered, and feel the call to prove she could handle it. “Padmé will need a Jedi guard, and the Queen too. They're both politically tied to the Chancellor and the Seppies really hate your ex.”

 

Anakin’s eyebrow twitched at the casual reference to Padmé as his ex, grateful they’d put the worst of that awkwardness behind them. “Good choice, Snips. Padmé will technically be in the Queen's entourage for the festival. I'll assign you as personal guard to both. That way you and Padmé can look out for each other, you two are good at that. Force knows she'll probably have a weapon stashed somewhere . Though be warned, protocol will be to get them to a safe location if the situation becomes dangerous, not to join in on the action. It may not be the most exciting assignment.”

 

“Padmé’s about as friendly with protocol as we are, you know that, Master.”  She smirked, a fang poking out. “Besides, she was Queen, she probably knows more about that palace than you or I ever could. The idea of me leading her to safety is almost laughable.”

 

He met her slightly mischievous expression. “Maybe this is a mistake - putting the two women most likely to go looking for trouble at this festival together . Moralo Eval won't know what hit him.”

 

It felt good, the casual banter, Ahsoka thought to herself. Like this was just another mission with her Master. “I don't know who he should be more worried about, you, me, or Obi-Wan.” She paused after his name - she hadn’t quite meant to say it, not after all the talk in the meeting of the danger he was in and how clear it was they could do nothing. Master Yoda’s words came back to her as she saw her Master flinch. They had to find a path forward. She squared her shoulders. “When do we leave?”

 

“In two hours.” He sighed, tilting his head back. “Naboo is beautiful. I wish we had time for you to actually see it. Other than Theed. I mean, yes even the capitol's a work of art. Still, it's nothing compared to the lake country. Though we will get to see the Festival of Light, and that’s really beautiful.” He paused, turning contemplative, “And I think we should find time to stop by Qui-Gon’s memorial, I haven’t been there in ages.”

 

Qui Gon Jinn. Ahsoka great-grandmaster. Talking about him was clearly painful for both Obi-Wan and Anakin, but she’d gathered it was Master Jinn who had found Anakin on Tatooine and planned to train him. And then he’d been murdered defending Naboo from the first known Sith in a millennium. She knew how close one could be to their finder, the one who brought them home to the Temple. And to lose him that way… a Master lost… Ahsoka shook her head. 

 

“I’m sure I’ll enjoy any of it that’s not a secret laboratory full of dying clones.” Oops. She really hadn’t meant to bring the mood down. “Um, sorry Master.” She sighed. “I’m a little on edge. I don’t like lying about this to everyone in the Temple, letting them think Obi-Wan is really gone.”

 

He half smiled, eyes sad and expression tired. “It’s okay, Snips. It’s hard for me too. Soon we’ll have Obi-Wan home, and everything will be back to normal, you’ll see.” He hoped the words sounded convincing - he needed to hear them too - and did his best to send her support over the bond.

 

Bolstered by her Master’s confidence in her, and what she felt from him over the bond, Ahsoka found it hard to sit still. Anakin had to finish up prep work and sign offs on his datapad, so he couldn’t keep her occupied, unfortunately. Instead, once he got back to work, she started moving through her forms. She was still perfecting her work with double sabers, and hadn't decided which grips she preferred, so she practiced all of them

 

In the last half hour before they headed out, Anakin, finished with his work until they landed on Naboo, observed her with a unique blend of a Master's and lover's gaze. Occasionally he offered a comment or an adjustment to her stance, her grip. He favored the standard rather than her preferred reverse because it kept enemies at arm’s length. He would really like her to use it too. “You're getting really good at this, Ahsoka.”

 

“Thanks.” She blushed. “Like what you see?”

 

Anakin’s gaze turned mischievous. “Always. You're impressive, and beautiful, and mine .” He stroked her cheek, and then a flushed lek. “And very, very cute when you blush.”

 

Ahsoka blushed harder, and then when their comms beeped in unison, grabbed Anakin’s hand.

“There’ll be time for that later, Master. Right now, we have to go save the Chancellor and make sure Master Kenobi makes it home in one piece.”

 

~~~~~~~~

 

The eight hour flight to Naboo was one of the more awkward Anakin and Ahsoka had taken. The Chancellor had insisted on the lightest security possible during travel, and that meant obfuscating exactly which ship he was in. Rather than Corellian Egret - the Chancorial transport -  Anakin chose a convertible Jedi cruiser. Dividers were lowered into the living section, which was outfitted into a temporary cabin for the Chancellor and his aide. The rest of the security outfit - Anakin, Ahsoka, a few clone troopers from the Coruscant guard, and Master Windu - who had insisted on joining them and whom Anakin spoke to only when necessary - made do in the now cramped quarters left to them. Needless to say, Anakin and Ahsoka were on their best behavior, keeping their distance, acting for all the world like nothing had changed between them. Due to the time change between Coruscant and Naboo, the three Jedi took meditation shifts in the small berths to avoid hyperlag, always two awake and one resting. It was a relief when they landed. Padmé was there to welcome them, and though she kept a professional distance, her voice was warm.

 

Anakin almost let himself smile when he saw Ahsoka looking around at the festival decorations, but instead kept focused on the task at hand. He reviewed with Ahsoka and Padmé some concerns about the evening; that while the festival crowds were large enough to make the ceremony an unlikely time for Dooku's people to attack, the Palace was still the likeliest place for an ambush. He could hear the frown in Padmé’s voice where she walked behind him with his Padawan.

 

“Are you that certain an attack is imminent?”

 

“I'm afraid so. Which is why I'm making Ahsoka your personal bodyguard. If there's trouble Ahsoka will get you, the Queen, and your staff to safety.”

 

“At your service, my lady.” Came the respectful response from Ahsoka. Anakin did smile then, glad that was between him and Ahsoka hadn’t caused permanent damage to her friendship with  Padmé.

 

“What about you?” Padmé asked him.

 

Anakin, more smirking than smiling now, answered without turning around. “Hopefully, I'll be where I always am.”

 

“He means saving the day.” Anakin caught his Padawan say to the Senator, not even trying to make sure he couldn’t hear, fondness edging into her tone.

 

“Of course he does.” Padmé said, with her own familiar fondness.

 

Anakin chuckled at the teasing, grateful for both of them, and the very different types of affection he sensed from each.

 

Ahsoka looked between her Master and her friend, sensing something between Anakin and Padmé that was different than her own bond with him, but still... something. She filed it away for later. Right now, she had a job to do.

 

“Senator,” she said, all business, “if you don't mind, I would like to check the perimeter and I have a few questions about your security and any particularities of the palace layout you think our standard blueprints might not be privy to. Good luck Skyguy!” She sent affection over the bond, warmth, and hope that Obi-Wan would emerge soon and safe, then motioned with her hand for her and Padmé to split off.

 

“See you both at the ceremony.” Anakin said, bouncing affection right back. He could feel this whole headache edging toward a close, and beautiful as Naboo was, he felt more than ready for the mission to be done. 

 

~~~~~~~~

 

Once they were alone, Padmé turned to Ahsoka. “I know you well enough to tell when there's something on your mind. I know things have been...difficult for you. I'm here if you need me.”

 

Ahsoka kept her voice even, neutral. “Have you talked to the Council much in the last few days?” Better safe than sorry. Who knew where their enemies were? She couldn’t risk flat out asking if Padmé knew the truth.

 

“No.” Padmé’s voice was, likewise, cool and calm. “But I did get a very upsetting message from Anakin on my scrambled comm channel.”

 

“Oh? What'd he say?” Ahsoka tried to sound casually interested.

 

Padmé met Ahsoka's eyes very solemnly. “I don't dare repeat it, but suffice it to say I took Obi-Wan's loss very hard and this didn't help.” She looked around the halls they were walking through. “I was a novice Queen when Obi-Wan and Anakin helped me save my home. Anakin was so young, but he managed to - as he always does - save the day.  Obi-Wan...he played his part too. And Qui-Gon. There's a memorial to him here. It's visited often by grateful Naboo citizens. I was thinking of funding one for Obi-Wan to go right next to it.” Her tone gave away nothing. But to those who knew the truth, the pain of betrayal in her words was clear.

 

Ahsoka absorbed what her friend had to say. Anakin had mentioned the possibility of visiting Qui-Gon’s memorial while they were here.“This whole situation, how the Council’s handled it, it’s…” She searched for the words and couldn’t find them, “Upsetting.” she finished, feeling as though that barely began to cover it.

 

Padmé was still. So still she didn't seem to be breathing. “I'm sure they thought it was the right thing. Though I will never get the sound of Satine sobbing out of my head. She cried all night after the funeral.”

 

Oh, Duchess Satine. Anakin had told her that the Duchess and Obi-Wan had “a history.” Ahsoka wondered if and when anyone would tell her the whole truth? She stood beside Padmé for a moment on a balcony overlooking Theed. “In politics, what do you do when people lie to you who you're supposed to trust?”

 

Her friend took a deep breath. “Re-assess. Re-evaluate. Figure out if I need to carry forward or break ties. Lean harder on those I can still rely on.” She furrowed her brow - no wait, that might have been a glare - “Trust less easily in the future.” She concluded coldly.

 

“Ugh,” Ahsoka huffed and leaned her arms on the railing, ready for a subject change. “I still don't know why you think I would make a good politician.”

 

Padmé’s expression eased as she relaxed a little too. “I think the skillset would be new to you. But what you believe in, how fiercely you defend others, how strongly you hold to what you know to be right - we need more of that.” She smiled at Ahsoka.

 

Ahsoka smiled back, then sighed. “I don’t know how much Anakin told you, but Rako Hardeen - bald, tattooed, Concordian - he poses no threat to you. At least, I don’t think he would take his plot so far as to hurt you, but well... I'll be there in case. Can you show me the fastest route to the best defended room nearest the ceremony?” As Padmé led the way, Ahsoka observed the halls of the Palace, the art on the walls, even the building itself carefully crafted. “You lived here when you were Queen?”

 

“I did. Four incredible and very difficult years. But I was lucky. I never had to do any of it alone.” Her face lit up. “In fact, my regnal handmaidens will be here tonight, or most of them at least. I think you'd all get along, I'll make sure you're introduced. Though that will probably worry Anakin even more than the two of us getting up to our own devices.” Padmé said conspiratorially.

 

Ahsoka grinned at her friend. “They don't still work for you, do they?”

 

“They were Queen Amidala's handmaidens. When I was no longer Queen we parted ways, though for a while some of us maintained closer ties than others. They've each found their own path now. Near or...or far.” She looked wistful. For some reason her expression prompted Ahsoka to comment on what she’d noticed when they’d arrived.

 

“You and Anakin. You're connected somehow, did you know that?”

 

Padmé opened her mouth. Closed it. Laughed. “Some part of me still feels like I have to deny that completely. We...I...I'm not sure how you want me to answer that given...everything.”

 

Ahsoka shook her head. “I don’t mean your history, I mean there's something between you in the Force.”

 

Padmé blinked. “Oh?”

 

“I can't see it clearly and I doubt Anakin would talk to me about it, but it's almost like you two have a Force bond.”

 

“Hmm.” Ever curious and clever, Padmé considered what Ahsoka had said carefully. “Is that even possible? I’m not Force sensitive.”

 

“I don't know. There's a lot about the Force I don't know yet.” She stared at Padmé. “Maybe you are Force sensitive, just a little. Maybe you wouldn’t have to be for this to be possible. I just caught a glimmer of something between you two. You are his oldest friend.”

 

“You have a bond with him as well, yes? As…” there were things it was not safe to say out loud, “as his Padawan?”

 

“Yes, every Master and Padawan pairing does. It's part of how he trains me; I can sense how he moves and acts with the Force. And we meditate together.” They did, but just now that called what they’d done recently holed up in his room, and she looked at the floor, determined not to let anything show in her expression

 

Padmé's brow quirked. She wanted to know more, if it was possible she was somehow bonded to another person too. “How does it...work exactly?”

 

“There's a flow of energy between two Jedi -” Ahsoka paused, “or beings I guess, and you can share feelings, thoughts, even have conversations if the link is strong enough, though Anakin and I aren’t there yet. And we can sense each other’s locations most of the time, which makes protecting one another from threats easier. Kind of. It’s…hard to explain to someone who didn’t grow up with this training, am I making sense?” 

 

“I think I understand.” Padmé smiled sheepishly. “As much as I ever understand anything with the Force. So if they're bonded as Master and student, how did Obi-Wan's... death affect Anakin? Could...he feel him?” She meant had Anakin sensed he lived, but this was as close as she dared get to asking.

 

“He could.” Ahsoka scrunched her face in thought. “He seemed stretched out in the Force for a while, and he said it felt like there was a cloud hanging over him, a blur where Master Kenobi had been. It was hard for me to see. We’re discouraged from looking at other people’s bonds. And well... you're supposed to break a Force bond once you're not a Master and Padawan pair anymore. They had, both have mentioned it. But I guess…” she looked at Padmé pointedly. “Once you know someone that well, as long as they’re still in your life, maybe it doesn’t entirely go away. I am just a Padawan learner though, so this is all guess work.” She shrugged.

 

Padmé sighed, fondly. “Anakin does still mean a great deal to me. He’s a dear friend.” She considered all Ahsoka had said, and her next question was gentle. “So this bond, you and Anakin won’t always have it then?”

 

Ahsoka nearly stopped in her tracks, then caught herself. “I guess not.” She hadn’t actually thought about that. About not being by his side, not able to feel him as closely. What would the sex and everything else between them be without a bond? Focus on the present, she reminded herself. “The bond has made it both harder and easier to work through our grief and...and other emotions surrounding this mission.” Wow, she was proud of how she managed not to sound angry.

 

“Yes, I’m sure you’ve both been sorting through your feelings, and I know you’re a great support for him, and I hope he is for you too. He's not…” Padmé did stop, catching Ahsoka by the arm. “I know you're his student, and how deeply you two care for each other. But however Anakin feels about all of this - and I know how intensely Anakin can feel - it isn't up to you to fix it.” Her voice sounded not a little bit like a warning.

 

“Oh come on Senator, if you think I'm trying to fix him -” she laughed, “As his… Padawan, I will always be there to help when he needs it. And he does no less for me.”

 

Padmé stared thoughtfully at a complicated fabric sculpture. When she spoke it sounded sad. “I think you and Anakin understand each other in a way he and I never have.” She blinked rapidly, as though to hold back tears. “I should not …” she cleared her throat. “Enough about that. You’re here to help Naboo right now. Does my loyal Jedi bodyguard have any other security concerns?” Her voice was all Senator Amidala once more, Padmé Naberrie taking a backseat.

 

Ahsoka wanted to ask if Padmé was okay, but she could sense now was not the time. “No questions. I think it’s time I met the Queen though.”

 

~~~~~~~~

 

In the couple of hours before the ceremony, Ahsoka was introduced to Queen Neeyutnee as well as Naboo’s long-standing Governor Bibble, and the staff who would be with them all during the ceremony. It was all decorum, bows at the waist. There were places in the galaxy, and people, who made Ahsoka feel less like a skilled senior Padawan and more like a little girl, but the people of Naboo were different. After all, their Queen was about her age, and the young man who currently served as mayor of Theed was only fourteen. She was appreciative of that particular cultural quirk right now. The last thing she needed were doubts about her capabilities from older more experienced leaders, not with the lives of her friend Padmé, her Master, the Queen and government officials and oh, the leader of the Republic hanging in the balance. In a quiet moment she stood again looking over the city, hands folded behind her back and eyes closed. She reached into the Force and found it rife with excitement, trepidation, and an undercurrent of something more sinister- she followed the thread and found it coalescing around the Chancellor.

 

The moment was interrupted when a voice called out.

 

“ There she is!”

 

What could only be described as a small herd of younglings yelling some variation of "Aunt Padmé" came stampeding over, dragging two women with them, one of whom sported several scars on her face. Padmé’s aura lit up  as she scooped one of the smaller younglings into her arms.

 

“Ahsoka, this is Representative Saché Adova, her wife Yané, and most of their children.”

 

Ahsoka kept her voice respectful. “At your service Representative, Lady Yané.” Ahsoka looked between the three women. With the right clothes and makeup, there would be a certain resemblance. “Former handmaidens, I presume?” She gave a half smile.

 

Padmé nodded. “And they sacrificed much for the safety of our people.”

 

Ahsoka saw Padmé give Saché a compassionate, meaningful look, before pulling her Senatorial demeanor back. She leaned toward Yané.

 

“Has Padmé always been able to do... that? It can make her quite hard to read, even for a Jedi.”

 

Yané nodded as she picked up an insistent youngling. “Ooooh, yes. You should have seen her when she had the hair, makeup, and even more ostentatious dresses.” Her voice dropped into one that Ahsoka recognized from old recordings she’d seen once or twice of Queen Amidala giving speeches. “Of course we all had to learn how to keep what we really thought and felt under wraps.” She smiled, sounding like herself again “but Padmé and Sabé were the best at it.”

 

Before Ahsoka could say how impressed she was with the voice or ask if Sabé was here tonight, a youngling of about eight came up to her. 

 

“I know you from the holos. You're The Apprentice, Ahsoka Tano.”

 

“I told you she had to be here if the HwnF was.”

 

Ahsoka raised an eye-marking. “The Apprentice? HwnF?”

 

Padmé rolled her eyes. “Surely you've seen the holoheadlines? ‘ The Hero with no Fear and The Unstoppable Apprentice ?’ ”

 

“A number of our little ones practically idolize you.” Saché said.

 

“Can I see your lightsabers?” Asked the one who had first spoken to Ahsoka. Yané shook her head no when the child wasn’t looking.

 

Ahsoka knelt to the youngling’s eye level with a smile. “I'm actually here to keep everyone safe during the festival so I need them. Just in case.” She gave a wink, and the child giggled.

 

“I still think if there's this much security needed we shouldn't have brought the children..” Yané said, voice full of worry.

 

“But then we'd have missed out on this reunion.” came a new voice as another woman rounded the corner.

 

There was a repeat of the stampeding younglings and joyful calls to, as Yané joked, another "Aunté" - the pun made everyone groan.

 

“Yes, it's good to see all of you off holo.” Rabé reassured the younglings, and then she spotted Ahsoka, eyes also going to her sabers. “Oooh a new Jedi trailing after you, Senator?”

 

Ahsoka frowned. “I'm not trailing her, I happen to be in charge of security for the Naboo governmental officials this evening.”

 

“You seem a little younger than the last one.” Rabé said, voice all teasing.

 

“Rabé, please. ” Padmé sighed, head in her hand. “Ahsoka is trustworthy, and a friend. ” 

 

Rabé smiled. “I'm sorry, I shouldn't give you such a hard time, I just want to know our girl’s in good hands. Thank you. It's good to know the Order sees how special she is.”

 

“Well,” Ahsoka said conversationally, “it's really Master Skywalker, I don't know about the Order itself, though Master Yoda -”

 

“Skywalker?” Rabé cut her off, quirking an eyebrow at Padmé.

 

“A friend among the Jedi, and Ahsoka's Master. She’s a Padawan learner, but don't let that make you underestimate her.” Her smile was full of faith in Ahsoka’s capabilities.

 

Rabé nodded once. “Wouldn't dare.”

 

Yané, a child in her arms once more, addressed the group. “This is all of us, Eirtaé was called away for work last minute.”

 

“Again?”

 

“And who does she get it from, Senator ?” joked Saché. 

 

“Oh, tell me about it.” Ahsoka joined in. “Whenever I’m on her security or shadowing her at the Senate, I have to remind her to eat so she doesn’t pass out.”

 

Padmé huffed, but it was clear in her demeanor and in the Force that she was more amused than displeased. “See, Ahsoka? You fit right in.”

 

After that was a flurry of conversation, Ahsoka being filled in on years of inside jokes and very much treated as "one of the girls." A few minutes later an attendant came to escort Padmé and her small staff to join the Queen, and her former handmaidens went to find their own seats.

 

“Good to meet you, Ahsoka.” called Rabé as she walked off.

 

A couple of the children had to be all but dragged away from their hero Ahsoka Tano. She had to admit, it was kind of flattering, though she wasn’t entirely sure it was great for children to be looking up to a war hero. Though she was a Jedi first, so it was probably fine.

 

“You were a hit.” Padmé told her as they walked to the pavilion for the ceremony. “The girls don't often care for strangers. They're very protective of me.”

 

“Well, so am I, Senator, so we have that in common. You all seem…very close .”

 

“Well, that can happen when you share living quarters, spend every waking and sleeping moment together, and are responsible for keeping each other alive for years. Not so different from the Jedi, in that way.

 

“Hm…” Ahsoka considered that. “Maybe a little different. I mean, we do share pretty much all of our time with our clanmates as youngling Initiates and of course I’m -“ at that moment they entered to pavilion and Ahsoka’s eyes immediately went to Anakin’s across the way.

 

“Practically attached at the hip to your Master?” Padmé’s voice gave away nothing, but she hadn’t missed that look, and Ahsoka didn’t miss the joke at her expense.

 

 “We're not supposed to get attached to each other. But you and your former handmaidens? I think they could still finish your sentences. Or start them.”

 

“It's true, we've remained connected. But when my time as Queen was over, even though I knew I would miss them all terribly and grieved for what could never be again, I was so joyous to see each of my handmaidens - my friends - go out in the world to seek their own dreams, not just support mine. I didn't have to lose the connection to say goodbye.”

 

Ahsoka remembered her almost panicked realization earlier; that one day she wouldn’t be a Padawan anymore, and her entire relationship with Anakin would change. Maybe Padmé and her handmaidens were a good example. “I think maybe the Jedi could learn from you, Senator. Part of the reason we're not supposed to be overly attached is because caring about specific individuals could hurt our ability to fight for the galaxy. But it never stopped you, has it?”

 

“On the contrary.” She looked around her, at the people gathered, the Queen, the city laid out beyond them and the crowds gathering in the streets as the sun sank. “My first love was Naboo. It was a drive to care for this place and it's people that made me who I am. I've always found that having something - or someone - in my heart to fight for makes me stronger, more determined.” As Anakin waved to them both, her voice dropped, so quiet only Ahsoka, right next to her, could hear. “I...think that's true for him as well.”

 

“You... wanted that someone to be Anakin?” Ahsoka said back, just as quiet.

 

Padmé's polite smile tightened a fraction. “You're a friend, Ahsoka. And I've had very little opportunity to speak about the truth of that relationship. If you really want to hear it, I will share. Are you sure you want to? Given everything?”

 

“You're my friend, and he's well... he's Anakin. If you're worried about hurting my feelings?” She smiled as her Master gave her a loving nudge over the bond, and she tapped back. “Don't be. “However, now may not be the time. The ceremony starts soon.”

 

“Yes...I'll just say one thing; Anakin and I failed for all of the reasons I thought we should never try in the first place. That doesn't mean it hurt any less, or even that I regret trying, but we hone our instincts for a reason and if we listen to them maybe we  can save ourselves some heartache.”

 

~~~~~~~

 

Ahsoka stood guard next to the Queen and Padmé as Anakin and Master Windu oversaw the ceremony. Once the rayshield went up, her unease increased. She expected the opposite, for her sense of safety to rise with the shield, so she alerted her Master in the Force. Anakin echoed her concern. The Chancellor’s speech went off as planned, followed by glowing fireworks that lit up the Theed sky. Even still she kept alert, and she saw Master Windu sneak off. Moments later she heard her Master yell something about the shield generator, there was a horrible electric sound, and over the Force Anakin was in pain as the shield went dark. 

 

Everything after that was a blur as Ahsoka sank into the Force, letting it guide her. sabers extended, she fell into a familiar defensive crouch. Worried as she had been, her Master reappeared and called to her to get the Queen to safety, and then she was ushering her charges away from the chaos.

 

“This way!” Padmé spoke quietly and forcefully while indicating they should follow her. Ahsoka and Typho - Padmé’s everyday security chief - exchanged looks. Of course, Padmé would put herself in charge no matter what the Jedi Council had to say. Ahsoka took the lead with Padmé while Typho pulled up the rear, blaster out and ready.

 

When they approached the pre-established safe-room, Rabé of all people was standing there, gripping a blaster in her right hand and looking fierce but determined. Padmé gave her a smile. 

 

“Of course you all came prepared, I should have expected nothing less.”

 

Rather than speaking, Rabé raised the weapon and pointed it at the Queen. Ahsoka shifted in front of Padmé, sabers raised and ready for a fight, but a blaster bolt hit the woman in the chest, Rabé seeming to melt away revealing green flesh as she fell. A Changeling. Ahsoka turned, expecting to see Typho had fired, but a blaster smoked in Padmé’s hands instead, just as Anakin had predicted.

 

“Rabé holds a blaster favoring her left hand, not her right,” was all Padmé offered by way of explanation.

 

“Any idea why there’s a Changeling imitating your former handmaidens, Senator?” Typho asked. There was concern in his voice, but something about his demeanor in the Force hinted at what Ahsoka knew - this was business as usual where Padmé was concerned. She had a lot of enemies.

 

“I don't know Captain, but we need to ensure the safety of the Queen, Governor Bibble, and their staff.”

 

Ahsoka nodded. “Everybody in, please!” She called out in the voice she used when she had to give troopers an order she needed not to be questioned. “Captain Typho, can you stay here and guard the door?”

 

“Yes.” said the captain, brow furrowing, “but where will you be, Master Jedi?”

 

“Senator Amidala and I will get to the bottom of this.” She gestured with her shoto to the dead Changeling at his feet.

 

Typho glanced at Padmé and her blaster then down at the Changeling she’d done away with, before meeting Ahsoka’s eyes again. “Take care of her.” 

 

Ahsoka smirked. “She’s just as likely to keep me alive.”

 

Captain Typho nodded once, then he and the others disappeared into the room and Ahsoka heard it lock click home, just before Padmé’s comm beeped. 

 

“Teckla?” The Senator said as she answered. Ahsoka hadn’t even been aware the assistant - who she now realized was the Coruscant equivalent of a handmaiden - was here tonight. Because naturally Padmé had at least three plans in place. Over the comm came Teckla’s voice, sounds of mild chaos in the background.

 

“Gunray's got assassins in Theed. It’s suspected that you and the Queen are the targets.”

 

“I know, one showed up looking like Rabé. How did you find out?”

 

Saché's voice came over the comm. “They attacked us, looking like us. We took care of them, but knowing Gunray there's definitely more.”

 

 “I'll keep the Senator safe. Don't worry.” Ahsoka called out just as Padmé said, “I’ll be fine!”

 

The two exchanged glances and then Padmé smirked before assuming the role of guiding Ahsoka through the passages to where she hoped they would find safety.

 

Ahsoka would hardly call herself an expert in Naboo culture, but if those she had met were any indication, they were a people determined not to be conquered again. Even the Queen and Governor Bibble, while not combat trained, had shown a clear steadfast bravery that was familiar after spending any time with Padmé. 

 

But the two of them had never fought side by side quite like this before. It was Padmé and the handmaidens' closeness that saved the day. Much like any Jedi worth their sabers could tell Clones apart, Padmé and the others knew each other in moments no matter how long they’d been apart. That knowledge gave Padmé an advantage when dealing with the Changelings. Yané had hunkered down somewhere with the children, which made any other Yanés found fakes. Rabé had left with Captain Typho, and Padmé had already shown she could tell the real Rabé from an imposter.

 

Things got dicey though when the two of them ran a corner Padmé had assumed would be safe only to find a squad of battle droids, who fired as soon as they registered the women. Ahsoka batted away the first several bolts, but their numbers were enough that if she didn’t get rid of them things would get bad fast. Shots sped past her from behind as Padmé took aim at the intruding droids, taking down three in quick succession. Ahsoka started to smile, three out of ten wasn’t bad. Then she heard it; the impact of a bolt hitting a body, and then a thud as Padmé was tossed toward a wall. Sparks flew from Padmé’s comm, and Ahsoka sensed her fall unconscious. She leaped to defend her friend, exhausted but determined to deflect every remaining blaster bolt. She had no choice but to succeed.

Notes:

Cutting it close but here it is June 2nd as promised!

We hope you enjoyed this. We really love when Ahsoka and Padme get time together, and after reading the Queen's Hands trilogy we really wanted to work in the handmaidens who we also deeply adore. Re-watching this arc, it just really felt like Ahsoka and Padme should have something to do while Anakin was saving the day, so we gave them their own day to save! Don't worry, this won't divert things from the main plot of this arc, which will finally wrap up in the next chapter. Thanks for reading, leaving kudos, and comments. We do our best to respond to the latter. Until next time!

You can find us at:
tinytogrutafemale on tumblr
creativside on tumblr
Creativside on YouTube (I make Anisoka amv’s!)

Chapter 8: I Look at You

Notes:

Recommended Listening:
When I Look at You - Miley Cyrus

“When my world is falling apart

When there’s no light to break up the dark

That’s when I, I look at you.

When the waves are flooding the shore

And I can’t find my way home anymore,

That’s when I look at you.”

- When I look at You - Miley Cyrus

 

Saché wound her way through the halls of a palace that had once been her home. She heard footsteps and slinked against the wall, turning the corner with her blaster pointed at -

 

“Ahsoka! ...Ahsoka?” The Togruta girl was crying.

 

“Representative Saché I tried, I tried , but there were too many and...and Padmé, she...she's gone .”

 

Sure it must be a trick, Saché comm'd Padmé but got no answer.

 

“Oh no…” she shook her head, and steeled herself. The Togruta in front of her was Jedi, yes, but also a young girl and the unthinkable had just happened to her. Saché could imagine how she felt; for years as a handmaiden she had lived with the fear of just this every day. There would be time for devastation later. 

 

“Ahsoka, look at me.” Pain and shame were clear in bold blue eyes when they met hers. “Padmé would want us to stay strong, and keep fighting.” 

 

The young Togruta nodded. “The Queen. We should get to the Queen.”

 

“You're absolutely right.” And they took off toward the safe room, Saché doing her best to push back the wave of overwhelming grief that threatened to consume her entirely.

 

~~~~~~~

 

Elsewhere, Ahsoka knelt down to Padmé, who was just regaining consciousness, brow furrowed with worry.

 

“Ahsoka? What's wrong?”

 

“I sense something, a disturbance. I think we need to go back to the Queen. Can you walk?”

 

Padmé looked at the two dead Changelings feet from them, and battle droid pieces thrown about, and stood with Ahsoka's help. Her head throbbed, but she wasn't dizzy or nauseous. “Better. I can run.”  

 

And they did, arriving at the door and preparing to enter the code when Saché turned the corner - with Ahsoka.

 

The Ahsoka at the end of the hall with Saché widened her eyes in apparent shock. “P-Padmé? You're alive?!”

 

“Oh kriff.” Saché murmured.

 

Padmé raised her blaster, looking at the Ahsoka who had woken her suspiciously. “I was unconscious…”

 

“Padmé, get behind me.” Ignoring the blaster aimed at her, the Ahsoka next to Padmé ignited her blades.

 

“Give me back my lightsabers you scum!” Called Ahsoka’s voice from the end of the hallway.

 

“Saché, that thing is an imposter!” came the response in the same voice from the Togruta lit by the green glow of lightsabers.

 

Next to Saché, who had also raised a blaster, Ahsoka stood up straighter. “Padmé, I thought you were gone, or I would never have left you. Please, you have to believe me.”

 

“Padmé, any ideas?” called Saché.

 

“Don’t take your eyes or your aim off her!” Padmé raised her own blaster and pointed it at whoever stood next to her. “Deactivate the sabers.” 

 

The Togruta’s eyes widened in hurt. “Padmé?” 

 

“ Now.”

 

When what she’d commanded was done, Padmé spoke so quietly only the person right next to her would hear 

 

“What did I tell you about the end of my relationship with Anakin earlier today?”

 

The response was a frustrated one. “We don't have time for this!”

 

Another response, from next to Sabé, in an identical worried yet annoyed tone. “Padmé, I swear, she's right about one thing, we don't have time. Take her out so we can protect the Queen.”

 

“Yes we do.” Padmé said to both of them, and to the one in front of her, “Well?”

 

“Fine, you said your relationship didn't work out for all the reasons you knew it would fail, but you don’t regret trying.”

 

Padmé didn’t even nod in satisfaction to her friend, she just turned to train her blaster on the imposter - just as she snarled and grabbed Saché, a blaster pointed at her head, with a wicked smirk that was absolutely not Ahsoka’s, while next to her the real deal lit her sabers again.

 

“Didn't realize you two were such good friends. Rats! Now open the door or I blow the nice representative's head off.”

 

“Don't do it!” Saché cried out.

 

“I thought you were here for me? Just shoot me and leave Saché alone.” Padmé tried.

 

Not-Ahsoka shrugged. “You, your girlfriends, the Queen. With my compatriots dead I'll receive quite a sum for removing you all from the Dejarik board.”

 

“I've had about enough of this.” murmured Ahsoka, subtly pointing her fingers and using the Force with surgical precision to keep the blaster from going off before yanking it from the fake’s hand. As the changeling relaxed her grip on Saché to keep hold of the blaster, Ahsoka tossed the attacker against the wall where, dazed, her form dropped.

 

“You could have done that sooner.” Saché said.

 

Ahsoka shrugged as she held a saber to the Changeling’s throat to stop her trying anything again. “I had to listen to the Force, wait for the right moment.”

 

“Spoken like a true Jedi.” Padmé said, her voice proud and fond.

 

“Jedi scum.” dared the Changeling, despite the saber to her throat.

 

Ahsoka’s comm beeped, her Master’s code, and she couldn’t resist a smirk as she opened the channel.

 

“Ahsoka, come in. We've neutralized the threat, the Chancellor is safe. It’s over.” 

 

Ahsoka’s shoulders relaxed a little at her Master’s words. Over. The whole mess with disguises and lies and fake identities. Over. She could hear the relief in his voice too. Obi-Wan would be coming home.

 

“Same here, Master.” Her eyes followed Padmé as she unlocked the safe room and instructed Typho to cuff the imposter. “The Senator is safe, and the Queen. Got a story for you though.”

 

What sounded like a quiet laugh crackled through the comm, and sure enough there was amusement in the bond. “Of course you do.”

 

~~~~~~~~

 

“Sounds like trouble came looking for you this time.” Anakin said after Ahsoka told him everything back at the ceremony pavilion. “Thank the Force you're all okay.” His words indicated everyone, but he had eyes only for Ahsoka as he said it, and she gave him a half smile.

 

Saché spoke to Padmé and Rabé beside them. “Yané's already on her way home with the younglings. This all has her spooked. That changeling said they're after all of us. It pains me to say it but the easiest solution is -”

 

“Not to appear publicly together, I agree.” Padmé sighed. “I don't like it, but I agree.”

 

“We'll....see each other again soon, we'll find the time.” Rabé sounded like she was trying to convince herself. The three exchanged hugs, and parted ways.

 

Ahsoka watched as Padmé's friends left, then spoke tentatively to her friend. “I think you're probably safe after today. Gunray doesn't seem the kind to target you without the distraction, not anymore anyway.”

 

“He is relentless, Ahsoka. Believe I’ve been dealing with this for years. Better safe than sorry.” Her eyes were sad as she stared after her friends.

 

“Don't worry Senator, we'll have Dooku and his lackies taken care of in no time.” Ahsoka couldn’t help but feel confident, still bolsteted by her success against the assassins.

 

“I'm sure you will.” Padmé turned to both Ahsoka and Anakin. “The Hero with No Fear and the Unstoppable Apprentice.” Behind them, talking to Master Windu and looking like the man accused of killing him, stood Obi-Wan, and her eyes lighted on him briefly. “And the Negotiator.”

 

Anakin followed her gaze, frowning, though his voice couldn’t hide his fondness for his teacher and friend. “Yeah, ‘The Negotiator’ will be debriefing Master Windu for hours. We should get some food and rest, Snips. You've got a sunrise flight back to Coruscant.”

 

“Ugh, really? Wait, what do you mean I’ve got, aren’t you coming?” 

 

“‘Fraid not, Snips. The Chancellor’s asked I stay on as security while he’s here for the next couple of days.”

 

Ahsoka pouted. “So why can’t I stay? I’ve proven myself, haven’t I?”

 

Anakin sighed. “Of course you have, Ahsoka, and I’m very proud of you. But unfortunately, you have essays to make up from the last couple weeks. It’s also kind of…a favor to the Chancellor.” He smirked at Padmé. “Naboo political figures are very resistant to more than the bare minimum when it comes to security.”

 

Padmé stood up a little straighter, her tone laughably prim at her own expense. “We can take care of ourselves, thank you very much.”

 

“Yeah, yeah I know.”

 

Ahsoka couldn’t help but smile at the familiarity between her Master and the Senator. But if he was really leaving tomorrow, she had some ideas about how she’d like to spend tonight.

 

“Master, you said we might visit Master Jinn’s memorial? And then there's something I'd like to go over with you, in private.”

 

“Of course.” Anakin didn’t miss the double meaning in what his Padawan said. First, honoring Qui Gon. Then…

 

~~~~~~~~

 

Anakin watched as his Padawan took in the life-size bust of Qui-Gon Jinn. The man whose Padawan he had thought he might be.

 

“I didn’t know him for long, but he still managed to teach me lessons I carry to this day. He was so open about the Force, how he moved with and through it. I really admired him. And Obi-Wan did too.”

 

“Maybe we should have asked him to join us?”

 

“No, he um…he doesn't come here. He’s moved on I guess.” Anakin sighed. Perhaps he should move on too. Stop letting his view of the Jedi be colored by a maverick he’d known for barely two weeks years ago. Over the bond came an at once both tender and teasing nudge from Ahsoka; she was here for him, it said. And also he was spiraling just a little. He looked over at her where she joined him on the contemplation bench, sending gratitude over their link. That was when Anakin noticed his Padawan was clutching something, a small, unremarkable looking stone she rubbed her thumb over again and again. A memory came to him.

 

Ahsoka’s fifteenth birthday. Jedi didn’t, as a rule, tend to celebrate birthdays most of the time. But after surviving the Blue Shadow Virus, Padmé had insisted on throwing her a party and Anakin hadn’t had the heart to say no. Besides, the first birthday after becoming a Padawan, one was meant to receive a gift, and he had one for her. He smiled as he held it out. 

 

“Happy Birthday, Ahsoka.”

 

She gasped, eyes lighting up as she accepted the small box. “My Padawan gift?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“Oooooh is it a valuable gem of some sort? Or a fancy compass, or-” She pried the lid off the box, then frowned, dumping what was inside into her hand. “It’s a rock.”

 

“That’s right.” Anakin responded, enthusiastic. “It’s a stone that’s touched by the Force, and imbued with its warmth, a tactile reminder even in the coldest, darkest places - literal and metaphorical - that the Force is always with us.”

 

He knew this was non-traditional. Padawans were often given some high-quality tool for their training, or cloaks made of fine wool. And as his Padawan tried to hide a grimace, he suspected she might have preferred one of those.

 

“Thanks for the rock, Master.” Ahsoka said, with a bad attempt at a happy voice. 

 

“Ahsoka, this stone is important to our lineage. It helped me through many difficult moments after Obi-Wan gave it to me as my Padawan gift. And before that, he carried through his whole apprenticeship after Qui-Gon gave it to him.”

 

At that Ahsoka met his eyes, interested. “Really? Our lineage has passed it down since Master Jinn?”

 

“Yes. You are the third exceptional Padawan to carry that stone. I hope you’ll do so with pride.”

 

Ahsoka’s smile was genuine, this time. “I will, Master!”

 

“I wish I could have known him.” Ahsoka said, drawing Anakin back to the present. “Someone who you still think of so fondly after he was with you for so little time must have been a very special person. Master Jinn is even talked about with reverence in the Temple.”

 

“I know.” Anakin took her hand, half-smiling. “Still whispered about as one of the great disobeyers of the Council, too. Apparently he was good enough to be worthy of a seat, but they never offered him one because he was such a loose cannon. Caught up in the Living rather than Cosmic Force.” Which Anakin himself had been accused of. He wondered if Master Yoda had ever told Qui-Gon that his feelings made him dangerous.

 

Ahsoka leaned her head on his shoulder. “That’s a shame” she sighed. “Maybe if someone like him was on the Council, they never would have gone through with tricking everybody like this.”

 

The memorial pavilion was relatively private, so Anakin dared to put an arm around Ahsoka’s shoulder. He wanted to reassure her that it had all been for the mission, all been worth it, but despite their success and the fact that the culprits had been caught, he didn’t entirely feel that himself. “Maybe.” he offered. 

 

They sat quietly in the small memorial, undisturbed. It was getting late, he knew, and she had an early flight. They should really make the most of the time they had before then. The night air was getting cooler, and he shivered. Ahsoka looked up at him. 

 

“Let’s get inside, Master.” 

 

The walk back to their rooms in the palace - with a conjoining door - was silent but companionable, a pleasant warmth building across their bond. Wordlessly, Ahsoka followed her Master through his door.

 

“You did a great job tonight.” Anakin said, and then he kissed her the moment the door was shut. “I’m so proud of you, my Padawan.”

 

Ahsoka kissed him back, eager to connect. “Mmmm. I like making you proud, Master…”

 

He kissed her again, deeper, his hands cradling her face, and then murmured against her lips, “What exactly was it you wanted to ‘go over privately’ with me?” His voice was husky, and he could feel the heat between their lips.

 

“This.” Ahsoka all but panted, running her hand through his hair. “You. Us.”

 

Anakin groaned , leaning his head into her touch. “Mmm...my Padawan…” he took his time, his kisses searing and languorous, like they had days, not hours. His hands moved down to her throat.

 

Ahsoka mewled her encouragement, sinking into her embrace of Anakin. This felt so different from any of the desperate sex they’d had the last few weeks, clinging to each other for balance, processing grief and then betrayal in the merging of their bodies. This was enjoyment and relief. She was happy the mission was over and everyone was safe, and was ready to show it.

 

Anakin basked in everything Ahsoka was throwing off in the Force. Happiness. Satisfaction. Pride. Love. He took it all in and bounced much of it back, along with an ease neither of them had felt in what seemed like ages. His hands brushed down her arms and he carefully worked her bracers off, then kissed up the often-hidden markings on the inside of her wrist, lips skimming her skin as his eyes met her own, their usually pale color deepened with need.

He'd come to treasure her trust in him, that he was permitted to see her this way. 

 

This whole ordeal had left Ahsoka full of a sense of her and Anakin against everything in the  universe. He had shown her a dangerous side of himself as they’d hunted Hardeen, as he’d pulled the Force around them in his room in a way she didn’t want to look too closely at. She would focus on the present, and presently, she wanted him.

 

Anakin backed Ahsoka up to the bed, and when she tipped over onto it, he stripped down to his boxers - not too fast, he wanted to give her a bit of a show. And then he worked off first her boots, then her leggings, leaving her tunic on, and speaking solemnly as he stroked up her legs. “You are so beautiful, do you know that?”

 

“So you keep telling me, and so I’ve gathered from the looks I get sometimes, but a Jedi is not supposed to indulge in vanity.” She blushed at his compliment though, and at how exposed she was, somehow feeling more so in her tunic with no underwear than completely naked.

 

Anakin chuckled darkly, his presence inching over her even as his fingers - and then his kisses - worked up her legs. “Hm...well humility is an important quality for a Jedi.” He kissed her calf. “I can't have you getting conceited.” Her knee. “What kind of Master would that make me?” Her thigh. “I'll just have to keep you” her thigh again “Mmm...in a little Force bubble where no one but me can lay eyes on you.” Over the bond came molten hot possession as he nipped and licked her thighs, pushing her skirt to her hips. He saw the blue of Ahsoka’s lekku darken - in pleasure and bashfulness at his intensity. When he spoke his breath breezed over her folds. “It's so cute, Ahsoka, the way you blush for me even after I've had you so many times. I'm going to make you mine again now.” And he flattened his tongue against her and licked.

 

Ahsoka writhed against his tongue and moaned, eager for his ministrations.

 

“Mmm...oh you taste so good, Ahsoka. But a Jedi must have patience. And so we both will.” He left her wet and empty as he focused his mouth on her clit, sucking, pressing his teeth to the hood, using the tip of his tongue to flick and prod and, once she started to squirm and pant - to trace the letters of his name over the sensitive bundle of nerves. “How wet can you get for Master, Ahsoka? Show me, in your body and our bond. Let me see, feel, taste your desire.” He rubbed his thumbs over the sensitive junctures of her thighs as he spoke, and then went back to tormenting her clit. He wanted her close to the edge before he dove inside.

 

Ahsoka’s aura bloomed with light, then reached for the tempest of darkness that was Anakin. In the throes of pleasure her thoughts were untempered and she let herself make the connection - her Master and darkness. Her hips pressed toward his face, and she reached to run her hands through his hair again.

 

Finally, finally , Anakin began to lap at Ahsoka’s core in earnest, his tongue sinking into the wet warmth of her. Her Force presence tangled with his even as her hands caught up in his hair, and he groaned, growled, buried his face as his arms tightened around her thighs. Mine...

 

Ahsoka radiated in response to Anakin claiming her, her Master, her - she cried out in pleasure, lighting her up like a supernova in the Force.

 

Anakin guided Ahsoka down from the pleasure peak as skillfully as he'd driven her up it, mouth staying warm on her, hands rubbing circles on her thighs until she stilled. From between her legs he stared, taking in her relaxed form with a fond smile, basking in her pleasure.

 

“You…” she mumbled, “know what to do with that mouth.”

 

He chuckled. “Careful, or I'll be the one developing an ego.” He stroked lazy circles on her thigh. “Ahsoka...I know I haven't been -” he seemed to search for the right words “the easiest person to deal with during this whole mess.” He met her eyes. “Thank you. For sticking by my side. 

 

“...I love you. And you make me feel so loved, Ahsoka.” He was open to her in the Force, completely, all vulnerability.

 

Moved by his words and unguardedness, Ahsoka tugged him up onto the bed with her so she could embrace him. “You don't have to apologize, Master, I understand everything. I know you, and I trust you, and I love you.”

 

Anakin held her tightly in return, pulling her onto his lap and working her dress off so he could feel all of her. He kissed her over and over as they shifted until she was beneath him, hips open to welcome his. “I love you...I l ove you…”

 

And then she was gripping him and he was sinking deep, sinking home, lost in her and happy to be. Her kisses lit his blood on fire, her core squeezed him, her eyes met his and oh kriff... he couldn't believe he had ever gone a day in his life without loving Ahsoka Tano. 

 

For her part Ahsoka was ready to give in to Anakin, any lingering concerns about his behavior melting away as she was again reminded of all he was. She admired the places their skin touched, the contrast of the colors, nipping at his shoulders as he filled her, her Anakin, her Master.

 

Anakin claimed his Padawan with a groan that sounded like her name, his essence flooding her, marking her. Their bond was blindingly bright with love, with pleasure, as in harmony as their bodies.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

After too little sleep and a quick kiss goodbye, Anakin and Ahsoka headed to Theed’s air strip. She got the closest look she’d had at Obi-Wan, still wearing the face of the bounty hunter, and rolled her eyes. What, was he stuck that way? She followed Master Windu to the cruiser they were taking home, while Anakin spoke to Obi-Wan, who was apparently also staying. She felt Anakin brighten over the bond for a moment, probably glad to be properly reuniting with his former Master. 

 

And then that brightness was replaced with cold. She almost shivered at the sensation and turned to see Anakin storming off. A hand on her shoulder, Master Windu's, reminded her that she couldn't go after Anakin. Purpose before feelings, as they’d always been taught. Of course, that was before they’d realized they were in love. Although, she was his Padawan, and was supposed to look out for him…The stern look on Master Windu’s face made the protest die on her tongue. The Chancellor had demanded minimal security. Only the necessary personnel. She was not. And so Ahsoka would have to wait until her Master was back on Coruscant to know what had upset him. Until then, she would have to do her best to set aside her worry about the cold feeling coming from him…

 

~~~~~~~~

 

Anakin put on a show. He couldn't afford to sink into what he was feeling, so he did what he often had - pretended he wasn't feeling it at all. He got the sense that the Chancellor saw through him at least a little as he escorted him down one of the palace's ornate halls to - apparently - a surprise banquet thrown by Queen Neeyutnee and Padmé. Why they hadn’t informed him, as security, that this feast was planned, Anakin didn’t know. It annoyed him more than it should have, already keyed up after Obi-Wan’s reveal as he was. 

 

“I assume the brilliant plan to disguise Obi-Wan Kenobi was yours.” The Chancellor said smoothly.

 

It wasn’t even a question. Anakin was floored by the Chancellor’s faith in him. It meant a lot, that at least someone who he considered a friend and mentor believed he should have been part of this plan. He didn’t feel quite ready to discuss the humiliation of  learning his own former Master had done this to him to manipulate his emotions, but Anakin did talk around it.

 

“No. It wasn’t, sir. I was in the dark as much as you were.”

 

“ Really ?” Palapatine raised both white eyebrows.

 

Anakin couldn’t help but appreciate the shock evident in the Chancellor’s tone and expression. It felt like reassurance that the Council had acted unfairly, and of course should have clued him in to what the plan was.

 

The Chancellor continued. “I was under the impression the Jedi always worked as a team.”

 

There was barely time for Anakin to bitterly think that, yes, so had he, before the door to the small banquet hall slid open. In it, the only light was moonlight streaming in through the window, and the table was empty of food. At its head sat not Queen Neeyutnee, but Count Dooku. 

 

Anakin had just a moment to roughly push the Chancellor behind him when white hot pain licked up his side at a meager tap from a vibro staff. Clutched in the hands of one of the Magnaguards that appeared out of the shadows. He gritted his teeth and reached into the Force, honing his senses and preparing for a fight. He shouldn’t have let Windu, Ahsoka, and Obi-Wan leave.

 

As if reading his mind, Dooku rose and spoke in the smug voice Anakin was increasingly tired of hearing. “Fighting off the entire Jedi security force would have been difficult. But now that they are gone - “ his red lightsaber hummed to life, “defeating you alone will be an easy task.”

 

We’ll just see about that. Anakin thought to himself. For the next few minutes, he was entirely focused on two things; protecting the Chancellor and defeating his enemy. Or, mostly focused. The rage he felt at Dooku’s duplicitousness brought to mind Obi-wan’s.

 

“Too bad the Council didn’t trust me.”

 

“Anakin, it was my decision to keep the truth from you. I knew if you were convinced I was dead, then Dooku would believe it as well.”

 

“Your decision?”  

 

“I did what I had to do. I hope you can understand that.”

 

“Understand? You saw what thinking you were dead did to me on Jabiim -”

 

“I saw you pull bravely through it and face the mission at hand. It was my hope that would be the case with Hardeen, that you would want to set the example for your Padawan -”

 

“Don’t pretend you thought about how this would affect Ahsoka, or me. You lied to me. How many other lies have I been told by you and the Council?!”

 

His hand was around Dooku’s throat. If he could defeat the man, here, tonight, then he could not only save the Chancellor’s life, he could end the war. Finish all this subterfuge and ugliness, death and destruction, be free to sort out his and Ahsoka’s future -

 

His thoughts were cut off by pain, pain that would have been unimaginable except he’d experienced it before. Force lightning. Tearing through his nerves, contorting his muscles, and to add injury to injury Dooku threw him into a couple of pillars for good measure. Open as he was to the Force, Anakin was able to soften the blows - no broken bones but he’d be one giant bruise when this was over. As he struggled to his feet, catching sight of Dooku and his droids dragging the chancellor away, he heard footsteps and felt a familiar presence in the Force. Obi-Wan. Still wearing Hardeen’s face.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

It was a stupid question for many reasons, and Anakin didn’t see the need to dignify it with a response, taking off after the Chancellor instead. Protect the Chancellor, stop his enemy.

 

He only managed one of those, forced to watch Dooku escape again . One day. One day he would end that Sith once and for all.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

Obi-Wan had the sense to leave him alone on the flight back. He talked instead to the Chancellor, who took an interest in the recent minor adjustments to his newest lightsaber hilt, and had kind things to say about Padmé, always ready when one least expected with a blaster and a plan to defend her home and the Republic. And Ahsoka, the Chancellor noted, had performed her duties so admirably. That got a smile out of Anakin, his first real one since learning what Obi-Wan had done. Once they had reached Coruscant and seen the Chancellor settled back at his residence, Anakin left Obi-Wan to pilot the ship and withdrew into himself, barely noticing when they landed in the Temple hangar.

 

Obi-Wan spared him a look, sighed, and headed down the exit ramp, surprised to see -

 

“Ahsoka.”

 

“Ugh, you still look horrible.” she quipped, then looked past him up the ramp. “You're alone?”

 

Obi-Wan half smiled at her comment, so similar to Anakin’s right before…then his face fell and he glanced behind him. “He and I are...in disagreement over the mission. I want you to know, I never meant to hurt either of you.”

 

“Tell that to the Council.” Ahsoka shrugged. That had come out a little more bitter than she’d meant it to. And Obi-Wan was on the Council after all. “You were just doing your job, right?”

 

Obi-Wan didn't squirm physically. But it was the best description of what happened to him in the Force. “I...am very committed to my duties to the Jedi and the Republic. That is what must come first for all of us. Purpose before feelings.” His words were discordant with his presence, which was full of regret.

 

“Right... that's what Master Yoda said when I asked why we weren't part of the plan. I... don't like it, but we don’t have a say do we?”

 

“Ahsoka…” It was somehow so clear that “we” meant himself, her, and Anakin. And she would hear the truth one way or another. Better from him now, when he could explain himself, than Anakin, thinking the worst. “I spearheaded this mission.”

 

“What do you mean?” She felt regret from him, faint, as they had no training, or lover’s bond. Regret for what?

 

“The Chancellor had to be protected, Ahsoka. I felt convincing Anakin of my death was the best way to ensure I could go undercover and get close enough to stop Dooku.”

 

“Wait, what?” Ahsoka couldn’t believe it. “It was your idea?” Of course, that’s why the cold from - she glared at Obi-Wan and brushed past him, running up the ramp and onto the ship. “Anakin?”

 

The inside of the ship was mostly dark, and icy cold. Anakin sat on a berth, staring toward the floor but at nothing in particular. His jaw was clenched tight, and he was dampening the bond. He didn't answer her.

 

Ahsoka crossed the ship’s multi-use area to him, the warmth flowing from her own anger a contrast to his cold. “Anakin? I just saw…he told me it was his idea?”

 

“He said...my reaction sold it…” Anakin’s voice sounded weak and faraway even to his own ears. Totally pathetic. “Apparently my believing he was dead convinced Dooku. Because my emotions are so volatile. Because he saw what losing him did to me on Jabiim, so he knew… ” He was wrestling his emotions, lurching instinctively toward Ahsoka's intense warmth then trying to keep his own presence from her. To protect her. He was dangerous, he was volatile, the Chosen One who felt too much. He'd hurt her.

 

“But…” Ahsoka had to clear her throat to speak, hands fisting at her sides. “He didn't just do this to you. Padmé and Satine, me, we all thought he was dead.”

 

“I know. I screamed at him about that. He should have thought about what this would do to anyone else .” He was righteously angry on her behalf. “I never knew he was this heartless. I never knew any of them were. Maybe I should have.” And then he clamped down harder on the bond, a memory from over a decade ago he refused to share of himself in the Council chamber and the word no.

 

“He said it was the only way to keep the Chancellor safe. He believes that.” Ahsoka was still trying to wrap her head around the betrayal. She wasn't sure what to say or do, she was angry, and only partly at Obi-Wan.

 

“Of course he does. That's Obi-Wan all over.” Anakin’s voice was tight, his tone icy. He was stunned by the heat of Ahsoka's rage. He took several deep breaths, trying to rein in his own feelings. His Padawan needed him now. “Sit with me.”

 

“You... don't have to hide your feelings from me.” Ahsoka said slowly as she sank to join him on the berth.

 

“I'm no t hiding them. I'm protecting you . Highest midichlorian count in all of history remember? You don't need the....assault of that intensity. Not right now.”

 

“I think I can take it, but if it makes you feel better….” She reached out for his hand. “He really said he did this because of Jabiim?”

 

Anakin loosened his hold on his emotions what he hoped was just a little, letting her in on the sense of betrayal that was chilling him to his bones, humiliation sharp on its heels. “No. Not exactly, not because of Jabbim, but that how ‘bravely’ I handled myself thinking he was dead there gave him confidence in me that…” Anakin trailed off, then spoke with quiet fury. “I can't believe him! He knows what it is to lose his Master. He knows I've been through thinking it happened to me . And he used that against me for a mission. ” Another wave of cold rushed off of him. “And with no thought for how it would hurt you .”

 

“I did sense regret from him…” Ahsoka offered tentatively, but her heart wasn’t in the words. “I think…I know I’m just a Padawan, but I think we have the right to be angry, whatever Master Yoda says.”

 

Anakin sighed, and squeezed her hand. “Yeah, except if I stay angry, I may never get off this ship. Hell, right now I'm tempted to say kriff all our responsibilities and take off with you somewhere.”

 

“I'd prefer not.” Ahsoka said, managing a small smile. She knew he wasn’t entirely serious. “If you don't mind, Master. We can’t get through this by running from it.”

 

“I know.” He sighed heavily. “We're not going anywhere.” He smiled back, but it didn’t quite meet his eyes, and then squeezed her hand harder. “Ahsoka?”

 

“Yes Master?” Sensing whatever he was about to say was hard for him, she squeezed back as hard as she could, though his grip was tighter than hers.

 

He spoke in a rush. “You would never do this to me, right?” In his eyes and in the Force was a strange blend of ferocity and vulnerability.

 

“What?” Ahsoka’s hand slipped free from Anakin’s as she stood, got a couple paces away, and then whipped around to face him, her Force energy swirling bright with anger she didn’t even try to hide or release. “Of course not! Why would you even ask me that?!”

 

He met her anger with a stony, determined calm as relief flooded him. “It's not that I think you would, not really. But until two weeks ago, I never thought Obi-Wan was capable of hurting me on purpose either. I never thought the Council would lie to me, keep who knows what secrets from us. I just...needed to hear it.” He offered…not an apology, not quite, in the bond. 

 

Ahsoka sank to her knees in front of him, taking both his hands in hers. “I would never do that Master, never let you believe I was dead, not for any mission, no matter how important. I swear it. ” She put all her heart into the truth of her words, and felt him accept them. “And you?” Her face crumpled “You know how much it hurts to lose a Master, or think you have, so please say you wouldn’t -”

 

“ Never, my Padawan.” He brought her hands to his heart, holding her gaze. “I couldn’t put you through that. I won’t. Your life and your heart are safe with me. We can trust each other, no matter what happens.” 

 

The air around them began to thaw, and Ahsoka felt warm from head to toe as she kissed her Master, as though to seal the promise. “No matter what happens.” She repeated faithfully.

Notes:

And with that, this arc is finally over! And unlike in Clone Wars, there will be noticeable aftereffects of this whole mess. thanks again for indulging us in our Padme and Co plotline, and we hope you can forgive us for the frightening bait and switch at the top of the chapter. We promise we would NEVER do that without a warning.

FUN FACT: The rock Anakin gave Ahsoka is actually from the EU! If you want to know more you can the Jedi Apprentice Series about Obi-Wan's time as a Padawan, and Jedi Quest which follows Anakin's Padawan journey. Creativside highly reccommends both series! Each book is 150 pages or less, and really well written.

We are already hard at work on editing the next two chapters, and so excited to share it with you. It's one of creativside's favorite arcs. Thanks as always for reading, and for every comment and kudo!

You can find us at:
tinytogrutafemale on tumblr
creativside on tumblr
Creativside on YouTube (I make Anisoka amv’s!)

Chapter 9: I'll Follow You

Notes:

A reminder that this fic is taking advantage of the Clone Wars anthology nature to move some narrative arcs around. This is based in part on the fan project Clone Wars Revisited, which edits the Clone Wars to, among other things, make sure Ahsoka is never absent for more than episode or so. On to the story!

Recommended Listening:
I'll Follow You Into the Dark - Death Cab for Cutie AND as covered by Daniela Andreda

“To be honest, my greatest concern is the lack of support we’re getting from the local government. It shows a certain lack of judgement -”

 

“Well, you would know all about that, wouldn't you , Master. ”

 

Ahsoka resisted the urge to wilt in exhaustion at her Master’s comment. She wasn’t sure which was the more draining-  the jabs from Anakin, or Cody not speaking to Obi-Wan except for bare minimum strategizing and acknowledgement of orders. Who was she kidding; it was the latter. 

 

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan said with a weary sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose, "you mu st let it go.”

 

“Maybe if you apologized-”

 

“I cannot be sorry for doing what was necessary and having faith that you -”

 

“Don’t you act like you're the one betrayed, here -” Anakin abruptly cut himself off, straightening from where he’d been looking over the battle maps. Ahsoka sensed that maybe he was as sick of this back and forth as everyone else. 

 

“Ahsoka and I are clear on our positions, we'll be there when you need us. Come on, Snips.”

 

And he turned on his heel and left. Just before she followed, Ahsoka offered Obi-Wan…not quite a smile. She wasn’t sure forgiveness was the right word for how she felt about the situation, but she was doing her best to put the betrayal behind her. Maybe if he saw her doing it, Anakin would too. Wasn’t it true that sometimes the student taught the Master?

 

Perhaps the Commander could learn from the Captain, she thought that night as Rex took a load off next to her by a glow lamp. There’d been no battle today, just surveillance, but he looked worn out. 

 

“How’s Cody?” She asked, not bothering to pretend she didn’t know exactly what had him down. 

 

Rex let out a bark of a laugh with no humor. “How’s General Skywalker?”

 

She grimaced. “He’s…getting better. He’s fine. Sometimes.”

 

That got a conspiratorial half smile and a playful nudge from her Captain. “Sometimes, eh?”

 

Ahsoka cleared her throat and sat up a little straighter. She could blush and get bashful, or she could give right back. “Yes. Sometimes. What can I say, I’m a very devoted Padawan.”

 

Rex rolled his eyes, but she caught a hint of amusement in the air, and she laughed, then stretched her arms above her head, feeling a welcome soreness where Anakin had pinned her wrist above her head last night. On this mission, Ahsoka had discovered that with her Master's new powerful shields in place she could, in fact, be brave enough to have sex in the same camp Master Kenobi slept in. After the Hardeen incident, Obi-Wan felt so much less omniscient; she was aware now that he was capable of making mistakes. Even if he didn’t think of it that way, the whole mess had been a mistake, as evidenced by the nightmare of snide remarks and cold shoulders this mission was turning out to be. 

 

“Is there anything I can do? To help out with Commander Cody? Or you, or any other troopers feeling…however you’re all feeling about what General Kenobi did?”

 

Next to her, Rex eased off his chest and shoulder plates and rolled one shoulder, then the other. “Appreciate the offer, Commander, but there’s nothing for it but time.”

 

She couldn’t help but notice he didn’t look her in the eye when he said it. “But…how are you feeling about it, Rex?” Ahsoka asked as gently as possible. 

 

After a few quiet moments he finally met her gaze. “I know we all want this war to end. And that protecting the Chancellor and catching Dooku are key. And I know General Kenobi, all you Jedi, have to make tough decisions in leadership…” He trailed off.

 

“But?” Ahsoka encouraged, laying a hand on his shoulder.

 

“Loyalty is everything to us Clones.”

 

~~~~~~~~

 

“Master! Sorry I’m late, I just heard about the briefing.”

 

Anakin froze in place, not missing the concerned look from Master Plo and the downright amused one from Obi-wan. The former spoke.

 

“You two have much to discuss.”

 

And then he was alone in the hallway with a Padawan who was about to be very disappointed when she realized exactly why he hadn’t had her spend the night in his room last night - so he could get to the briefing, and the mission, without her.

 

“Ahsoka, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier, but you’re not coming on the mission.”

 

Unsurprisingly, her Force presence flooded with confusion. “Not coming? But you’re breaking into the Citadel. No one's ever done it.”

 

“That would be reason number one you aren’t on the assignment; I won’t pretend I’m not at least a little guilty of encouraging this in you Ahsoka, but this mission is against forces that have captured a Jedi Master with deeply sensitive information. This isn’t about glory or novelty.” His aura was as chiding as his words, and she did have the grace to bow her head. 

 

“Okay, fair point. But I want to help rescue Master Piell, and we’ve…been such a good team lately, don’t you need me?” She reached for him now in the Force, like taking his hand, clearly calling on their shared feelings that still felt so new and somehow also like they’d always been there. Especially after the Hardeen mess, they needed each other.

 

Anakin wanted nothing more than to reach back welcomingly, but he couldn’t. For her sake. “The Citadel wasn’t designed for common criminals. It was designed to hold Jedi who lose their way and fall to the dark side.”

 

“I know, Master. I haven’t had much time to research, but it’s likely that in the Separatist’s hands, without Jedi oversight, many of the traps will be unusable. They’ll have some self-contained Force-based technology, but -”

 

“You’re not understanding me Ahsoka.” He looked up and down the hallway, making sure they were alone. “It was designed by Jedi who think very traditionally. And you and I, my Padawan, have a bond that is in every way… not.”

 

He watched as understanding dawned on Ahsoka’s face. “You think…that somehow our relationship will affect how the Citadel responds to us? That, what, some ancient traps will be able to tell ? Master, you’re being overprotective, and a little paranoid, and it’s not fair.” 

 

Ahsoka let him feel her Force presence flare with determination and defiance. “What’s between us shouldn't affect my training. In fact, you promised me it wouldn’t. You’ll be putting yourself in danger. How am I supposed to learn if you won’t let me share the risk?”

 

Anakin met her ferocity in the bond, though he kept his voice even, quiet. “The method we’ll be using for transport is too dangerous for beings who aren’t fully grown, which as a Togruta younger than twenty you aren’t. we have outdated maps, incomplete information about the various traps and challenges we may encounter, and the Citadel’s very location will disrupt our connection to the Force. This is not a mission for learning. You either do, or you die. And that’s not a risk I’m willing to share.” The last few words came out practically a growl and he thought, as he said them, that she would understand. But her face fell, and her side of the bond was suddenly shuttered to him.

 

“I thought…you wanted to share everything with me.”

 

“Ahsoka -” Anakin started, and he reached a hand toward her, but she backed away. Right as his comm pinged that the clones who would be coming along had arrived in the hangar. “We…Ahsoka, I do want -” Another ping. “Kriff. We will discuss this when I get back, but it’s not about my faith in your skills or my not being willing to -”

 

“As you said, we’ll discuss it when you return, Master.” She didn’t let him back in over the bond, but she did manage to meet his eyes. “May the Force be with you.”

 

And then he was watching her back as she walked away.

 

~~~~~~~~ 

 

“Hey, Snips.”

 

“Hey, Master.”

 

Nothing more natural in the universe these days than waking up next to Ahsoka Tano. Wait, what? In the seconds it took his mind to thaw from the carbonite, he remembered she had no business being here. Yet here she was, rolling the stiffness from her shoulder because - because behind her was the carbon block she’d been frozen in to get her to the mission he had expressly told her she would not be coming on.

 

“I must have carbon sickness, because I could swear that’s Ahsoka.”

 

Anakin wasn’t sure he was ready to get back to casual quips with Obi-Wan, but he let it slide for now. “Your eyes are fine. It’s Ahsoka’s hearing that needs help.”

 

Ahsoka had prepared for this, right up until she went into the meditative state that allowed her to come out of the carbonite unaffected. Mostly. There was slightest blurring of her vision, but she wasn’t about to admit that to her Master. It was already clearing up. She spoke carefully, keeping herself measured and calm in the bond. “I received orders to join the team. I thought you knew.” 

 

“Orders from who?” Anakin demanded, though he was careful not to raise his voice. 

 

“I discussed it with Master Plo.” And she had. In a sense. Ahsoka had found him in the hangar and talked around her frustrations with her Master as lover by noting the unfairness in his refusal to bring her on the mission, to choose when and how she risked her life instead of leaving that choice to her. The conversation had ended up being more of an ethical debate about the line between a Padawan’s agency to judge their capabilities and a Master’s responsibility toward safety than anything else. Interesting, but not what she needed - advice for how to deal with an overprotective Master/ lover. It also didn’t get her the necessary results: an assignment to this mission so she could prove it was something she could handle. But Anakin didn’t need to know that. Not yet.

 

“Well he didn’t tell me.” Her Master responded, referring to Master Plo’s supposed orders.

 

“You must have already been in carbonite.” Ahsoka responded, doing her best not to blink too rapidly as her vision cleared up, and to sound as casual as possible. Anakin had been in carbonite, that was how she’d managed to sneak her way onto the mission.

 

Anakin saw Ahsoka blink a few times. Was something wrong with her eyes? Something that shouldn’t be because - “I gave you a specific order not to come.”

 

Ahsoka could sense that the clones were not all having as easy a time as their Jedi officers recovering from carbonite. They needed help, the mission was time sensitive, she couldn’t afford too many questions about what she was doing here, and she knew what might halt the conversation.

 

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned from you, Master, it’s that following direct orders isn’t always the best way to solve a problem.”

 

Anakin couldn’t exactly argue that. He had taught her such things explicitly. But that statement made it clear she was full of poodoo when she claimed to have been assigned. Lover or not she was still his Padawan , and such disobedience demanded consequences, which he would ensure she faced. 

 

Provided they made it out of here alive.

“You hanging in there, Snips?”

 

“Couldn’t be better!” Ahsoka called up to her Master. It was mostly true. She knew he was worried about her ability to manage the free-climb up the cliff face to the Citadel. Despite Force enhancement, a couple years of fighting on the front lines, and even some weight training Anakin had insisted on, at the end of the day Ahsoka just didn’t have the same upper-body musculature as everyone else on the mission. But she didn’t have their bulk to haul up the cliff either. 

 

“I could do without the wind though.” She mumbled to herself as a nasty gust tugged at her grip. She could also have foregone the mines, which zapped the air with purple shocks of electricity at random intervals that left very little clearance for flailing or struggling or even just having one’s back a little too arched out from the cliff-face. One touch of those charges, and this went from a stealth mission to something else entirely. Success, for now, depended on getting in undetected, and stealth happened to be one of the things Ahsoka was best at. To think Anakin had wanted to leave her behind. She wished he would reach back to her in the bond. Ahsoka understood he was angry, but this planet…

 

There was no plant life. No animal life. The Living Force was stripped here, down to just the Jedi and troopers climbing together, and maybe a few scattered life forms deep in the fortress. One was so dripping with malice Ahsoka kept her senses far from it; she assumed that particular signature belonged to the Commandant running this place. As her Master had warned, all that emptiness made the Cosmic Force harder to call on. They needed every chance at connection they could manage if this mission was going to be a success. Ahsoka needed Anakin. And though he was too stubborn to admit it just yet, he needed her too.

 

At a hand signal from her Master, Ahsoka and the clones around her hugged close to the rock. Someone or something was performing a security check at the platform a few meters above… When it was safe, Ahsoka climbed again, catching her Master and Obi-Wan exchanging words about a ray-shield at the door that had not been in the plan. She hauled herself close to the platform, gripping a handhold tighter as she leaned out to observe the area, hoping - yes!

 

~~~~~~~~

 

“There’s an opening up there.”

 

“We know.” Anakin told Ahsoka, following her gaze to the tiny, slanting side of the platform. “They’re ventilation ducts, but they’re far too small for us to gain access.”

 

“Too small for you, maybe. But I think I can squeeze through.” 

 

Anakin looked at the narrow edge she’d have to vault onto in order to make that work. He didn’t like it, didn’t like that she was here at all, but the Force whispered of possibility. 

 

Obi-Wan seemed to sense it too. “Well, we didn’t consider the ducts because we hadn’t planned on Ahsoka being here. Perhaps she’s right.” 

 

Anakin took another moment, just one. His men were still hanging on for dear life below them, and they needed to move. He nodded once to Ahsoka, giving her the go ahead, and tried not to hold his breath as she leapt up the last few meters of the cliff in a few acrobatic flips, and landed on the ledge. From there she made quick work of the vent cover, and disappeared into the wall, shimmying her hips through. Not a bad view, Anakin found himself thinking, and shook the absurd thought away. They had no idea what she’d encounter on the other side with no backup. Thank the Force, Anakin was worried for nothing. Climbing up to just below the platform, he caught the sound of the ray shield deactivating at the same moment that a wave of smugness came to him over the bond.

 

“See.” His Padawan said as he joined her at the entryway, “I can handle myself after all.”

 

Anakin chose not to dignify that with a response, and he didn’t send any pride over the bond, though he was grateful she’d gotten them in. Whether she should be on this mission, whether she could truly handle it, was still up in the air as far as he was concerned. He was just starting to discuss sending her ahead to scout the hallway when he felt desperation in the Force, a voice cry out only for the wind to swallow it, and a life snuffed out as the crackle of electricity from the mines outside activated. 

 

He and Ahsoka whipped around to face Obi-Wan and the troopers, taking account quickly. 

 

“Oh, Charger…” he heard Ahsoka mutter just before klaxons rang out.

 

“Well, they know we're here.” Obi-Wan called, as if anyone was unclear on that.

 

There went about half the plan they had made. Maybe it was good Ahsoka was here, after all. They did some of their best improvising together. The group moved with a careful blend of speed and precision down winding hallways. When they lost Longshot to a trap - a wall of electricity he couldn’t outrun - Anakin at last brought down his blocks and reached to Ahsoka.

 

Ahsoka shivered slightly at her Master’s intensity, but welcomed it. It was always hardest to lose troopers in close missions and smaller groups like this. Charger…Longshot… no time to mourn, no time for their brothers to grab tokens of their armor to take back. There was only the mission, and those whose lives could still be defended. And so Ahsoka sent back to Anakin exactly what she felt from him; pure determination. They were a team. Whatever was ahead, they would face it together, and do all they could to make sure everyone made it home.

 

The team continued down the hallways. So far, they’d been lucky; their route wasn’t so different from the maps they had had access to. But something was…she shuddered, a sense of nausea she usually associated with pain coming over her, along with a subtle but inescapable buzzing in the walls. “Master, is that -”

 

It was Obi-Wan who responded. “It’s one of the Force-based technological… innovations shall we say that the Citadel employs.” He looked a little pale as he said this, clearly fighting the effects himself. “Somewhere, someone is being tortured, and these particular devices let them force us to sense it. Try to block it out as best you can.”

 

Anakin knew there was wisdom in what his Master had said to Ahsoka, but he had a different idea. Time was of the essence now that their break-in had been discovered. They didn’t have hours to search the entire prison for Master Piell. And so Anakin would do what he was good at - taking risks and getting results.  As he had the idea, his Padawan whipped her head toward him, looking concerned.

 

“Master?”

 

“Ahsoka, I need you to keep our bond wide open in the Force. To anchor me.”

 

“ Anchor you?” Obi-Wan said incredulously, “for what purpose?”

 

He didn’t look away from Ahsoka’s frown and furrowed brow as he spoke “It’s likely that Master Piell is the one being tortured. They want the information he has. If I can trace this pain we all sense, I can find him.”

 

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan said sternly, “pain is a path to the dark side. Such risks -”

 

“Are the kind we take when the mission calls for it. We don’t have time to argue. Ahsoka, are you with me?”

 

Ahsoka knew her Master toed a line when it came to the darker side of the Force. She trusted him to do so, and she would help him however she could. “I’m with you, Master.” She clasped arms with him and opened herself wide in the bond, letting him feel all the goodness and love she could muster, all the while trying to make sure it seemed like nothing more than the usual feelings a Padawan might have for her Master in case Obi-Wan caught any of it floating around in their aura.

 

Anakin gritted his teeth as he turned in the Force from the light that was Ahsoka to the darkness of this artificially amplified pain. It was a struggle not to double over as the nausea grew worse. He could feel, like needles pricking him everywhere, the anxiety of his troops, of Obi-Wan. Ahsoka’s faith in him was a balm to all of that, and it gave him the strength he needed to chase the pain’s path to a cell block a ten minute jog from where they were. More pain, red hot, seared through his being and then -

 

“Master, you can do this. Come back to me.”

 

That voice, and with it, light. Anakin let just a thread of his aura stay connected to the direction the pain came from as he rushed back into himself, opened his eyes, and saw Ahsoka’s staring back.

 

“I know the way.”

 

~~~~~~~~

 

As Ahsoka covered her ears only for the horrible ringing sound to echo worse in her montrals, it occurred to her that nothing ever went according to plan. Getting to Master Piell after being discovered should have been the hardest part. But now there was a captain to rescue too, and he was equally as valuable since his mind held half the Nexus Route coordinates. Part of Ahsoka was grateful for that, or they would have been left making the potentially horrifying choice of whether to leave the captain and the other officers in this awful place. Not the kind of argument Anakin and Master Kenobi needed while they were still working things out after the Hardeen incident. 

 

Still, in tense situations Ahsoka was used to finding it much easier to draw on the Force for guidance. Not so on this dead world, somehow worse than a battlefield of droids. And then she was left without her lightsaber too, a powerful magnet snatching it from her hand and also catching her Master’s mechno arm. The visual of him rising into the air and getting stuck on the ceiling would have been funny if it hadn’t been so awful. Of course it only got worse - meters above her Anakin convulsed with the force of an electric shock. And then her sense of him in the Force cut out. “Master!” she cried.

 

Anakin had only meant to keep Ahsoka from sensing, even tangentially, the pain he did. He’d had his share of run-ins with electricity before and this was…best to keep her from it. But he hadn’t thought through how terrifying the sudden near-disappearance of his presence would be. As the stream of electricity ceased, he just managed to stay conscious and make eye contact with his Padawan, and saw her shoulders ease slightly in relief.

 

Ahsoka practically glared at her Master. She was worried about him up there, but pissed off that he had cut her out. The Chosen One and his record-destroying midichlorian count were her best source of connection to the Force just now. And their partnership would keep him going to, even if she had less in the way of power and training. He must have gotten the message, because Ahsoka felt the bond ease open as she, Master Piell, and Obi-Wan did their best to disrupt the droids’ aim from striking their clone troopers without lightsabers to block bolts. She heard another crackle of electricity, and this time sensed her Master’s pain.

 

Oh hell no, Anakin wasn’t letting something as simple and annoying and stupid as a magnetized ceiling and a few volts of electricity get the best of him. Obi-Wan said there was no such thing as luck, but how else did one explain that he’d landed - so to speak - right next to a connector grid. Slice it, and both magnet and electricity would cut out. Now all he had to do was stay conscious and bear the pain long enough to reach…his…saber…YES!

 

He only just remembered to cushion his fall moments before he crashed into the floor. He’d have a nasty bruise down his whole left side, and there were random spikes of pain from hisws right arm - the initial impact with the ceiling had damaged the armor casing. He was pretty sure he hadn’t broken any bones, though that electricity could have given Dooku and his Sith powers a run for his credits - he would need a dip in the bacta tank when they got back to the Temple to fend off lasting damage. He felt the press of worry from his Padawan over the bond, and sent back all the reassurance he could as Tup offered him a hand he didn’t need and didn’t take to get to his feet.

 

“Are you all right, sir?”

 

He spoke more for Ahsoka’s benefit than anyone else’s. “I’m fine.”

 

But would she be, if she had to face down that kind of torment or worse? And could he protect her from it?

 

~~~~~~~~

 

Ahsoka could sense that her Master wasn’t letting go of his worry about what else they might face in the Citadel. She knew that all she could do was prove she could handle herself. And so as they approached the cell Master Piell sensed his officers in, she took second point position behind Anakin when he knelt, feeling his acknowledgement over the bond. He stabbed straight through the droid opening the cell door, and she swooped high on the doorframe, practically levitating over him to take down another droid and ending it with a lightsaber to the chestplate. I can handle myself Master. You need me here. We’re a team.

 

“Captain Tarkin.” Master Piell’s rough voice cut through her thoughts and she looked up to see - quite a coincidence. Captain Tarkin was the unfamiliar officer who had made a point of approaching her to offer his condolences at Obi-Wan’s faked funeral. Now she could put a name to the face and -

 

“I never thought I’d see you again. And you’ve brought friends.”

 

And the pretentious voice too.

 

“Captain,” Master Piell continued, “This is Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker.”

 

Ahsoka should really be used to it by now - being an afterthought whenever the Negotiator and the Hero with No Fear were introduced. She knew the ego that led to her annoyance was something a Jedi should let go of. Still…

 

She noticed a slightly prolonged stare between the Captain and her Master, an odd… something in the Force, not quite recognition. But if either of them knew each other they didn’t say anything. 

 

Tarkin. 

 

Anakin could have sworn he’d heard that name somewhere before, that it was important he remember…but nothing came to him.

 

“Now that you’ve found us, how do you expect to get us out of here? After the racket you lot have made getting in, the Commandant is sure to have locked down the facility. Who knows how many droid squadrons are on their way here, or what sort of traps have been activated. It’s going to be impossible to escape”

 

Anakin narrowed his eyes at the Captain. It was unusual to encounter a Republic military officer more interested in making demands than working as a team toward solutions. He sensed, in Tarkin’s words, a test of some sort, and Anakin didn’t take kindly to tricky tests, especially from people he was trying to help. 

 

He was spared from having to find a… diplomatic way to express all that when Obi-Wan suggested splitting up. Which, naturally, Captain Know-it-All had a rebuttal to.

 

“General Kenobi, I think it’s best if we stick together. There is strength in numbers, and a stronger force has the best chance of protecting…” he glanced at Master Piell briefly “ the information.”

 

Himself. Anakin thought. He meant himself, as keeper of half that information.

 

Ahsoka spoke up beside him. “Numbers may not be our greatest strength in this situation. If we’re in two teams, even if the worst happens and one of you gets captured the Separatists would only have half the Nexus Coordinates. That is why you split them in the first place.”

 

Tarkin’s eyes slid toward Ahsoka and he slowly turned his head. She didn’t notice any spark of recognition in his narrowing eyes. “And you are?”

 

She straightened her shoulders, not about to be intimidated. “Commander Ahsoka Tano, Jedi Padawan. At your service Captain.” She inclined her head. Obi-Wan’s plan was a good one, and Ahsoka’s Master had taught her to speak her mind, even to so-called “superiors.” But with this man, Ahsoka did find it slightly difficult. She’s seen him take in the montrals, the head-tails. What, has he never seen a Togruta before?

 

“Obi-Wan and Padawan Tano have a point.” Master Piell said, drawing eyes to him. He nodded in Obi-Wan’s direction. “Two Jedi to a team. I will go with Obi-Wan, create a distraction en route to the airstrip.” He fixed his captain with a pointed stare. “You go with Skywalker and Tano’s team, take the long way round, and we will rendezvous with you at the fuel lines.”

 

Tarkin didn’t look happy about the decision, but he didn’t argue it further.

 

“You two will be alright?” Anakin asked. “The Force is hard to call on here. Ahsoka and I have a bond, we can stay connected over distance.” He hated to offer this, to be apart from her, but - “Maybe she and I should split up, it might help all of us stay stronger.” 

 

Obi-Wan clapped him on the shoulder. “We will make do, Anakin. It is precisely because you and Ahsoka have such a strong bond that you should stick together, for the time being at least, and guard the more vulnerable of our two brave keepers of the coordinates.”

 

Was it just Anakin, or did Obi-Wan take some glee in the way Captain Tarkin stiffened at the implication he was vulnerable.

 

Master Piell gave a smirk. “The Republic may have built this place to hold lost Jedi, but I am not lost yet, Skywalker.”

 

Anakin couldn’t help but smile at that. Master Piell was never on Coruscant often, less so during the war, but Anakin had a few fond memories of the man from his youngling days. He saw a similar smile on Ahsoka’s face and knew she did too. Despite his gruffness, he had a fondness for Initiates, in particular for guiding their rare excursions out of the Temple.

 

The teams went their separate ways, and Anakin’s stopped briefly to pass around their limited rations and carefully measured out water supply. Neither would be found in the Citadel itself. After sending a message to Artoo back on the ship with coordinates for the rendezvous points of each team, Anakin took the opportunity to sit alone - or at least out of earshot - with his Padawan. 

 

“So, breaking into the impenetrable Citadel as exciting as you thought it would be, Snips?”

 

She nudged him with her elbow, and a lick of flirtation came across the bond. “Couldn’t let you be the only one getting into impenetrable places, Master. I have to keep up.”

 

Anakin quirked an eyebrow. “Oh, you know some fortresses are impenetrable, some it’s just…frowned upon to enter but their doors are wide open.”

 

Ahsoka took a long swallow from her canteen as she willed her head-tails not to flush. “How’s your arm?”

 

“It’ll do what I need it to.”

 

“Uh-huh.” She eyed him skeptically, but resisted the urge to insist he let her take a look at it. “You know, you were awfully worried about how I would fare here considering you’re the one who’s been magnetized to a ceiling and electrocuted and -”

 

“Don’t get cocky, Ahsoka.” Anakin warned. “We haven’t made it out of yet.”

 

“And when we do make it out, will you get cocky about penetrating any fortresses Master?”

 

That flirtatious edge was back, and Anakin was just formulating a response when a distant explosion sounded. He turned from Ahsoka to address the whole team. “That’s our cue. Let’s move.”

 

They took off down the hallway, running along its edges in two single file lines each with Anakin and Ahsoka in the lead. For a moment Ahsoka could have sworn she felt eyes on her. She turned her head slightly, ready to admonish her Master over the bond for trying to get a glimpse of her ass when he should be focused on what lay ahead. But his eyes were, in fact, pointed directly in front of him. So who… it was just clone troopers behind her, and -

 

And Captain Tarkin. But that was ridiculous. She shook the thought from her head as her Master brought the group to a stop, checked his map, and ignited his saber to carve through the wall to reveal -

 

“The old passageways.” a trooper murmured behind her as she flipped through the opening, avoiding the molten edges. Ahsoka was immediately hit by a wall of heat and the stench of sulfur as she took off down the tunnel ahead of the group to make sure no enemies were lurking. 

 

Anakin stepped through the opening he had made, trying not to cough at the heat and smell. He was closely followed by Rex, the Captain, and the rest of the team. “One good thing about outdated maps. They show you the hiding places people like the Commandant don’t think to check anymore. Everything’s going according to plan.” Ahsoka’s confidence was starting to catch - he couldn’t help but sound a little pleased with himself.

 

“It is when things fail to do so that I become concerned, General Skywalker. What happens when we are caught, outnumbered, faced with failure?”

 

Anakin turned to face Tarkin, who he was quickly losing patience with. “The worries of any military leader. Jedi cannot concern ourselves with what ifs, we focus on the present moment. But it is when things don’t go according to plan that we are at our best, and our troopers as well. I’m sure you’ve seen that yourself from your troopers and Master Piell. You’ll just have to trust me, my men, and my Padawan.”

 

As if on cue, Ahsoka’s voice sounded from up ahead. “The tunnel is clear!”

 

Anakin had just turned toward her when he heard Tarkin answer, in the same above-it-all tone he’d used the entire short and grating time that Anakin had been in his miserable company. “I reserve my trust for those who have proven themselves, not children and so-called heroes who make a career of disobeying direct orders, General Skywalker.”

 

“Then let me remind you,” Anakin said, not bothering to turn around or to keep the frustration out of his voice, “that we rescued you back there. Did the impossible and pulled you out of a cell in the Citadel on Lola Sayu. And while we’re on the subject of trust,” he all but hissed, “ mine is reserved for those who can work as part of a team. If any brilliant ideas for our escape or gratitude for your rescue occur to you, I’ll be happy to hear them, Captain Tarkin.” 

 

Anakin started down the path, not caring if Tarkin followed, or wandered off to find his own escape route. He still couldn’t place where he had heard the man’s name prior to the mission, but he was suddenly, viscerally aware of what it was about Tarkin that had him so on edge; somehow, the Captain reminded him of every sleemo who had ever called themself “Master” on Tatooine.

 

~~~~~~~

 

“I am beginning to admire the design of this fortress. It’s a rather formidable place to evade.”

 

Said “evasion” was slow going, picking their way carefully along a narrow path surrounded by yellow lava, checking around every corner for guards or probe droids - Ahsoka heard the tell-tale sound of her Master dispatching a third one at the back of the group. They had limited food, water, and time, not to mention the longer they were here the more she picked up on the echoes of pain, suffering, and hatred of the long-gone prisoners, and the millenia-long breaking apart of Lola Sayu itself. Though truth be told, Ahsoka would rather face all of that than conversation with Captain Tarkin.

 

“How can you admire such a horrible place?” She didn’t even try to keep the incredulity out of her voice.

 

“Ah,” the captain almost smiled as Ahsoka got a sense from him that was not unlike a performer warming up. “You reveal your short-sightedness. It is to be expected from one such as yourself.”

 

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. It wasn’t the first comment from him in that vein, and she hadn't figured out yet whether it was her being a Jedi, her age, her species, or her gender he was so casually yet aggressively dismissive of. Puffed up on self-importance, he didn’t notice how fed up she was with his bantha poodoo.

 

“This ordeal, tedious though we may find it, only demonstrates how effective facilities like the Citadel are. Pity it ended up in Separatist hands, and not ours.”

 

That stopped Ahsoka fully in her tracks. Facilities like this? Made for creating misery? Why would he want that in the Republic’s hands? …Then again, the Citadel had been built by the Republic, allowed on a concession from the Jedi after the last war against the Sith. Somewhere to put Jedi who lost their way. She remembered her Master’s concerns, and the very real possibility that being intimate with him would lead many to think the two of them had lost their way, and shuddered. Right as her Master, who seemed to have caught the last of Tarkin’s words, stopped beside her, looking thoughtful. 

 

“He has a point.”

 

Ahsoka's jaw dropped, and she stared her Master down, giving a confused shake of the head. She had been certain he disliked Tarkin as much as she did. She couldn’t imagine why he would casually defend anything the man had to say, let alone out of context. She opened her mouth to demand he explain only to receive an order.

 

“All right, Snips, I need you to lead the group.” 

 

Tarkin heard the name and glanced her way with one eyebrow raised before staring ahead in grotesque curiosity of his surroundings. 

 

Ahsoka flinched, and Anakin saw it.

 

“What’s -”

 

“Master, may I speak with you privately for just a moment.” She kept her voice free from emotion as she said it. 

 

“Uh sure.” Anakin’s brow furrowed at Ahsoka’s unusual response to the nickname. “Rex, keep an eye out.” At a nod from the captain, he led Ahsoka to the back of the group.

 

“What’s wrong, my Padawan.” In his voice he let creep in just a little of the tenderness that was only for her, and that had to be so hidden here. He didn’t push as she stood silently in front of him, gripping one arm just above the elbow as she did when she was nervous. He could afford a bit of patience while she found the words.

 

“Could…” Ahsoka sighed and finally met her Master’s eyes, speaking haltingly. “Could you not call me ‘Snips’ in front of Captain Tarkin? He already thinks I’m a joke, because I’m not human, or because I’m only a Padawan, and a girl. I think. Please, Master.” 

 

As Ahsoka looked up at him imploringly, Anakin realized some part of her was afraid he wouldn’t understand. And while he couldn’t explain why Tarkin made him uneasy too, he could give her what she needed now.

 

“Of course, Commander Tano.”

 

Ahsoka let out a breath she hadn’t quite realized she was holding. “Thank you Master.”

 

Anakin nodded once. “Now, I need you to lead the group.” he passed her the data orb containing the maps. “Keep heading down the path marked here. I’ll catch up.” He turned, and she caught his arm.

 

“Hey, where are you going?” She asked in a curious voice. 

 

“Obi-Wan’s busy being a distraction, so someone has to protect our flank. I don’t like all these probe droids flying around, I’m going to make sure they keep their distance.” He laid a hand on her shoulder. “I trust you to keep the mission moving forward.”

 

She smiled back at him smugly, pride clear as the light of day in the bond. “I guess it’s a good thing I came along after all.”

 

Anakin wasn’t so sure about that. But while he doubted seeing her put in charge would change Tarkin’s attitude, he did feel confident it would give her what she needed to shake off the jerk’s judgement.

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

Rex wasn’t sure exactly what Captain Tarkin hoped to get out of dismissing his Commander as nothing but a child, but he grasped that his personal favorite comeback about him being only twelve wouldn’t fly in this case. Conversation with the two Clone officers from Master Piell’s battalion had made it clear to Rex he should thank his lucky stars the 501st hadn’t crossed paths with Tarkin before. The man was lauded for his military tactics and diplomacy skills from his time as Eriadu’s senator, but he was also known for a general callousness, brutality in battle, and not being someone whose attention - positive or negative - a soldier particularly wanted pointed at them. Soldiers he seemed to view more as tools, less as people.

 

At any rate, he knew there was nothing he could say to change the man’s mind about Commander Tano, so what he said was for her benefit, in case her Togruta hearing let her catch the conversation. 

 

“It’s been my honor and privilege to serve beside Commander Tano for years. I trust her completely, Captain, and so does General Skywalker. She’s a skilled leader.”

 

Up ahead, Ahsoka smiled to herself as she caught Rex’s words, only to frown as she turned the corner and was met with a solid wall of rock. “Uh-oh.” she murmured as Rex stopped beside her.

 

“Dead end.” He said.

 

Yes. It very well could be.

 

Ahsoka didn’t have time to check the map, figure out where she’d made a wrong turn.

 

“Look out!” She heard Fives yell as blaster fire - clone and droid alike - erupted behind her.

 

Captain Tarkin was smart enough to duck for cover as Ahsoka activated her lightsaber and deflected the blasts. She could see in the distance more droids approaching, some with personal shields. And here they were, pinned down. Easy targets. 

 

A slash of bright blue out of the corner of her eye brought relief. Her Master, taking out three droids in one swoop and moving in close. That relief was short-lived, however.

 

“Why didn’t you blow the wall?” he demanded. “That part of the plan was your job.”

 

“I thought it was a dead end, and the droids were on us before -”

 

“Just do it, now!” He continued to deflect bolts as his Padawan took the ordnance pack from Rex and ran around the corner to set the explosives. Anakin did his best to ignore the rage he felt. This particular rock wall had been a key part of the plan - and therefore part of the mission brief. Which she claimed to have received from Master Plo. He’d been sure she was lying almost from the moment they’d come out of carbonite, but as she’d proven herself on the mission and he’d been reminded of how deeply he trusted her, he’d pushed that suspicion aside. Now Ahsoka and his troopers and the information were all at risk , and it was due entirely to the recklessness of his Padawan sneaking onto a mission without all of the information. He bit back his sense of betrayal. Would it feel this awful if she was still just his Padawan and not also the one he loved? There was no time for that now.

 

Ahsoka tossed two bombs into the melee of droids, quickly dispatching them. A bigger explosion did away with the rock wall and knocked everyone off their feet temporarily. As they got up to make their way down the cleared path, Ahsoka had the gall to tilt her chin up in victory as she strolled past him. Anakin promised himself there would be strong words and some kind of punishment for her later. Disobeying orders was one thing, but this? People could have been hurt. Luckily, for now, no one was. Not even Captain Tarkin.

 

Ahsoka did her best to keep the hints of shame she felt from passing to Anakin over the bond. She focused instead on the fact that, yes, while technically she had caused the problem, she had also solved it. That had to count for something, right? She only hoped her Master would forgive her when he learned the whole truth. If he hadn’t put it together already, that was.

 

The fuel line they had to make their way through for the rendezvous smelled worse than the sulfurous tunnel had, and it was hotter, but the near-darkness was a kind of relief from the glare off the lava. For most. When they stopped briefly for water, Tarkin of course took the opportunity to complain.

 

“How much longer are we going to wander through this tunnel in the dark?”

 

Ahsoka was the leader down here - she had the best night vision of anyone in the group by a long shot. She glanced absently in the direction they’d come from, unable to see the ladder and guardrail she’d leapt up rather than climbing, to show off a little. Her Master did have eyes after all, and she liked them on her. And there had been a moment where she sensed herself being watched, but not by Anakin…it had been when she leaped over Tarkin. What, did he think she was going to bite somebody? Was he going to hold the dead end against her, watching her every move to see if she would mess up?

 

She glanced once at her Master over her canteen, leaving him to field Tarkin’s complaints.

 

“Captain Tarkin,” Anakin said, trying for some lightness because, frankly, this place was steeped in misery and he couldn’t afford to give in to even minor annoyances if he wanted to keep his balance in the Force. “Haven’t you learned to trust me by now?”

 

Tarkin’s face did what Anakin assumed passed for a smile. “You don’t remember me, do you General?”

 

Anakin frowned. “ ‘Scuse me?”

 

“We’ve met before, though you were just Padawan Skywalker then.”

 

There had been that threat of a memory at the edge of his consciousness when he’d first heard Tarkin’s name. “I’m…afraid I don’t recall.”

 

“Strange. It was, I suspect, quite a singular mission for you, though I admit our time together was short. On Zonoma Sekot.”

 

Anakin made no outer show that the name of that place affected him, but his heart skipped a beat. “I’m afraid my memories of that particular assignment are unclear. Part of how the planet and its people operate. Operated. Those lucky enough to build a living ship didn’t keep all memories of the process, and my age and the stress I was under scrambled things a bit.” 

 

He felt Ahsoka’s curiosity, but wasn’t about to feed it. The mission was Temple - and Republic - legend. Living ships. A disappearing planet now haunting the galaxy. The Blood Carver named Ke Daiv who Anakin had killed just by touching him. Not that anyone else knew about that last thing, and Anakin intended to keep it that way. It wasn’t a power he’d ever replicated, no matter the war’s toll. It had been of the dark side, and brought about, he’d decided, by the strange magic of the place he could barely remember but knew had changed him somehow. Anakin yanked his mind back to the present, where Tarkin surveyed him expectantly. Was that a sense of relief Anakin caught from him? The man was hard to read. But that stare…yes, he did remember…

 

A hand running over the hull of the ship Anakin had made…the same hand ruffling his hair in an extremely unfriendly and patronizing way…

 

“Learn some manners, boy.”

 

“As I recall I was rude to you.” Anakin said.

 

Tarkin’s eyebrow twitched, just a fraction. “Well, some habits die harder than others, do they not?”

 

Yes, that was definitely relief that Anakin had said he didn’t remember everything. And just under it, fear. Another flash of memory, Tarkin’s hand on his shoulder, then whipped away as though burned, then yes, fear…

 

“A pity, the loss of Zonoma Sekot. Living ships and their pilots would certainly have been quite the weapon in this war.” 

 

Anakin again stopped chasing memories. It was clear Tarkin must have been as odious then as he was now, and he wasn’t sure he needed to remember more. He stood, and signaled that it was time to get moving again. “I suppose I have to agree with you. The clones or the Jedi armed with Sekotan ships could have beaten the Separatists into surrender long before now. Isn’t that right Rex?” Anakin called to his captain across from him.

 

“I dunno, General, living ships?” Rex shook his head. “The mechanical ones gimme enough trouble.”

 

“Perhaps you could have done it, General Skywalker.” Tarkin said behind Anakin as they continued on their way.

 

A vote of confidence? There was a surprise.

 

“But my faith in your comrades is still lacking.”

 

Anakin resisted the urge to turn and glare at the man. He was letting his negative emotions flow through and out of him right now. Or something. “I think my men and Padawan Tano have more than proven themselves on this mission.” He meant that, even with his concerns about Ahsoka’s recklessness.

 

“I’m afraid I mean your Order at large.”

 

Now Anakin did face the captain, only for a moment. “You lack faith in the Jedi.” It was a statement, not a question.

 

“I find their tactics ineffective. The Jedi Code and the Order’s commitment to mediation has its merits in most places, but not in war zones. And we are at war, after all. So long as the Jedi are Generals, the GAR is led by Generals and Commanders who cannot lead us to victory. They restrict themselves from doing whatever it takes to win. Peacekeepers should not be leading a war.”

 

Anakin didn’t respond immediately. How many times had he had this extremely frustrated conversion with Ahsoka, with Obi-Wan, occasionally members of the Council. He wasn’t quite so condescending about it as Tarkin, but…

 

“Have I offended you?” 

 

The man almost sounded like he hoped he had. “Not exactly. I have found it’s our very nature as Jedi that leads to complete victory being elusive.” And to so many Jedi dead.

 

“Well,” Tarkin said, almost sounding offended himself. “I see we agree on something.”

 

Up ahead, Ahsoka ran faster along the top of the pipeline. The sooner they got out of here, the sooner she would be free of overhearing her Master “agreeing” with a man who thought prisons for Jedi were a good idea and that the Jedi shouldn’t be leading the war and…and the sooner she could knock some sense into her Master. It looked like she was going to get her wish; up ahead was a ladder like the one they’d climbed to get up here, which meant… she darted back. 

 

“I think I found the way out, just a few meters ahead.”

 

“Great job, Commander.” Anakin said as he and the clones hoisted Tarkin up and then helped each other climb to meet her at the ladder. “You up for risking the first look?”

 

“Happy to serve, Master!” She chirped. No one who heard it would mistake it for flirtation, but her Master would know. What he’d been saying to Tarkin made her skin crawl but the running and sneaking around, the fact that they were succeeding at the impossible - escaping the Citadel - had her blood up. As she climbed the ladder and released the hatch, she thought of getting home, convincing Anakin to forgive her for what she’d done to get on the mission which he would basically have to since she was doing so well, and then…

 

She peaked out over the edge of the opening, sensing nothing. It was dead silent. 

 

“I think the coast is clear. But I don’t see Obi-Wan, Artoo, or the shuttle.” She lifted the hatch a little higher, and found herself staring into battle droid blasters. “Kriff.” 

 

Ahsoka vaulted out of the pipe, igniting her saber as soon as she was in airways from the flammable fumes, and sliced through the droids in moments. But there were more on the way, cresting a hill a few meters to the south.

 

“We’ve gotta go!” she called down to her Master and the rest. Anakin was by her side in moments, swinging his saber as she did to deflect bolts while the clones got Tarkin and the information he carried safely down the other side of the pipe and toward the rendezvous point, then leapt after them. The droid blasts kept on coming as they knelt behind a rock formation for cover. Tarkin was so close Ahsoka could feel his breath on her arm.

 

“The plan’s been compromised, the shuttle’s not coming!” 

 

No one dignified the Captain with a response, but Anakin did call to Rex for a charge, doing three impressive somersaults - Ahsoka counted - and tossing it straight into the very explosive fuel line, which neatly took out the remaining droids. She could have done without the giant crab-shaped one landing in front of her and Tarkin in a cloud of shrapnel and dust she did her best to deflect with the Force. 

 

“Come on.” Her Master addressed the group, all easy confidence like he did this every day. Which he did. “It’s time for Plan Besh.”

 

“There’s a Plan Besh?” Tarkin said so incredulously Ahsoka almost laughed. Her Master had taught her to always have plans aurek through zerek ready to go, and be ready to make them up if you didn’t. Wasn’t that pretty much what Anakin had said to Tarkin earlier? Ahsoka couldn’t help but feel smug as she followed her Masters steps over the ruined six-legged droid. Together, they’d show Tarkin that Jedi tactics worked. 

 

~~~~~~~~

 

It was the Jedi way to be focused on the task at hand. When one sank into the Force, followed its flow moment to moment, and kept the mind and emotions clear of all but what needed to be done, one could forget the cost of war. Anakin and Ahsoka noticed, of course, that Obi-Wan had fewer troopers with him than when they’d split up. They knew the names of the lost but didn’t stop to think them. They saw the relief on Rex’s face that Cody was still there. They felt the sudden loss of one spark in the light that was the Force when a clone leapt in front of Tarkin and took a blaster bolt for him. There was information to protect. That was the mission. 

 

They heard Five’s agonized scream when Echo was engulfed in a blast that also destroyed the shuttle they were supposed to have used to get home.

 

No time to stop. No time to mourn. They really had to get the hell out of here.

Notes:

Welcome to creativside's first draft of an official novelization of the Citadel Arc but make it ACTUALLY particularly awful to be a Jedi there instead of just another mission! Creativside wrote the bulk of this arc, and is very proud of it. Creativside WILL be posting a separate, longer version of this that is more canon compliant (and less Anisoka) some day.

Tarkin and Anakin met in the EU in a novel called Rogue Planet that is REALLY COOL and creativside highly recommends it. Made all the sense in the world to bring it in here. Did anyone catch or guess that Tarkin was the officer who approached Ahsoka at the funeral?

EDIT 8/7/2025: Thank you to DarcAngellover for pointing out the chapter initially said Tup instead of Fives calling out at the end! it's been fixed

Thank you so much for reading, and for all the comments and kudos. We'll be sharing Chapter 10 two weeks from today, and Chapter 11 two weeks after that! We are so excited to share the rest of this arc and what immediately follows. We're really getting into the plot now!

You can find us at:
tinytogrutafemale on tumblr
creativside on tumblr
Creativside on YouTube (I make Anisoka amv’s!)

Chapter 10: Into the Dark

Notes:

Mild Spoilers for the EU novel The Cestus Deception

Content Warning for non-explicit sexual predation

Recommended Listening:
I'll Follow You Into the Dark - Death Cab for Cutie AND as covered by Daniela Andreda
The Moon Will Sing - The Crane Winves

"I shine only with the light you gave me..."

-  The Moon Will Sing, The Crane Wives

 

Back into the tunnels they went, stopping again for sips from their ever-dwindling water supply. Between more beings to rescue than initially planned and the entire mission dragging out longer than it had been meant to, Anakin took over deciding when and how much everyone drank. Life on a desert planet had him equipped to make that call in ways even the best Jedi survival classes couldn’t.

 

The mood was grim. This had been meant to be a covert operation, but with the shuttle lost they would need extraction. The level of military defense on Lola Sayu meant said extraction would need to be performed by an entire Jedi fleet. And to get to the extraction point, they’d be traveling across near impossible terrain with outdated maps hunted by battle droids who wouldn’t get hot or tired or thirsty even this close to lava. 

 

Ahsoka knew now her Master had been right to scold her imagined glory at completing this mission. She heard Master Piell say with his usual stern determination they would beat the droids again if they had to. But that “victory” had them hiding like rats and had cost them good men. Still, she did her best to be bolstered by the confidence she could feel in Anakin, the usual for him; inexplicable, unshakeable determination that he would make everything come out right.

 

“Who knows what traps might be laid down here for fugitives?” Obi-Wan said as they reviewed the maps. “I must admit, this is feeling too easy. Not that I’m not grateful, but one does wonder where the Citadel’s horrors of Force-based technology are. We’ve not so much as run into JK droids.”

 

“JK droids?” Ahsoka asked.

 

Anakin turned, walking backwards to answer her. “They’re -thank the Force - a footnote from the first few months of the war. A planet called Cestus was manufacturing JK droids for bounty hunters. Short for ‘Jedi Killer.’ Powered by Force sensitive eels.”

 

Ahsoka raised an eye marking. “You’re kidding.”

 

“I’m afraid he’s not.” said Obi-Wan. “Master Fisto and I had quite the adventure on Cestus ensuring manufacturing of the JK’s was ended and that Cestus did not ally with the Separatists. It was the actions of a particularly brave clone trooper that saved the day.” His eyes took on a haunted look, but he quickly shook it off. “I wouldn’t put it past Dooku to have found some errant JK’s and placed them here to make trouble for us.”

 

Master Piell grunted. “I heard whispers when they were attempting to extract the information from me. They were merely using pain, but there was talk of some cell that was ‘just for Jedi scum.’ No idea what they meant by it.”

 

“Lucky for us,” Anakin said, “we’re out of the Citadel proper. It’s highly unlikely they’ll have such things here in the abandoned back tunnels.”

 

“Be careful, Anakin.” Obi-Wan warned, “We shouldn’t be overconfident.”

 

Anakin visibly bristled. “I’m not. But it doesn't really matter what’s ahead of us does it? We have to face it one way or another, not just stand around talking about it. Those of us with the benefit of the Force will keep ourselves open to it and do our best to sense dangers as they come. Let’s move.”

 

Ahsoka got to her feet, tilting her head first to one side and then the other to crack her neck, and sighed heavily as she fell into step with the group. So on top of everything else her Master was still mad at Obi-Wan. Where did he find the energy? All she could think about right now was the low-grade headache forming from squinting in the lava’s glow and her tongue starting to feel like sandpaper because she was thirsty and if she could just -

 

“I don’t know about you,” Obi-Wan offered in a friendly way beside her. “But I’m craving nothing so much as a moment to meditate and collect myself right now.”

 

Ahsoka gave him a small smile. There were jokes in the Temple that she actually had two Masters, and while Ahsoka whole-heartedly disagreed, she valued Obi-Wan’s teachings. It was good, just now, to remind herself that he wasn’t only his mistakes. Even if he wouldn’t admit to them.

 

“I don’t know, I think I’d give my left head-tail for a cold glass of meiloorun juice. Though I could certainly do with a moment of peace, too. Master Skywalker is right, we have to stay open to the Force, but this place…”

 

“It’s difficult, yes, not to get lost in its misery and darkness. There has been much pain and suffering here.” He looked around with sympathetic eyes.

 

Tarkin was just passing them on the left, and he overheard Obi-Wan. “Not too distracted by the misery of ghosts, I hope?” He didn’t wait for an answer, just sauntered ahead. Ahsoka resisted the urge to glare at the back of his head.

 

“You know he actually admires this place?” she said as quietly as possible. “Why’d Master Piell have to share the information with him?”

 

Ahsoka didn’t really think Obi-wan would offer an answer. In fact she half-expected him to reprimand her for her attitude. Instead, he looked thoughtful.

 

“In an emergency situation, one does not always have the luxury of choosing who to rely on. The Force works in mysterious ways.”

 

Ahsoka raised one eye-marking at him, and he sighed, then offered her a smirk. His voice was barely above a whisper. 

 

“Tarkin’s an ass, but someone had to keep the other half of the coordinates, and he was likely the highest ranking officer nearby.”

 

Ahsoka couldn’t quite hold back a snort of laughter, and she saw her Master’s head whip toward her, his voice curious. 

 

“What are you two laughing about?” He asked, quirking an eyebrow and nudging her in the Force. 

 

“I’ll tell you later, Master, I promise.” The chat with Obi-Wan had distracted her from her physical misery. She was reminded once again of the luminosity of living beings who, after all, made up the Force. And there might not be much to draw on for strength here, but there was that, and first and foremost the bond with her Master, who she loved. She inhaled deeply for possibly the first time since she’d gotten to Lola Sayu, feeling a lightness in her gait as she took a step forward.

 

And then the floor opened up under her and she was plummeting down into darkness.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

It happened so fast, and, somehow, without any warning in the Force. Anakin had sensed a brightness in Ahsoka unlike any since they’d arrived and then -

 

“Ahsoka!” He screamed as she vanished down a hole that disappeared by the time he’d run up to it. He’d tried to snatch her in the Force, but even he wasn’t as strong as he should be here on Lola Sayu. No, no this was not going to happen, he was not going to lose her to this place. 

 

“Look alive!” he heard Rex say as everyone suddenly became painfully aware that the ground under their feet might be dangerous.

 

He tapped on the rock with a foot but it didn’t sound hollow. Anakin got on his hands and knees to feel for a seam of some kind but couldn’t find any. He’d have to break it open with the Force. But what if the debris fell on Ahsoka? No, he could control that if he was careful, even though he was drained, even though he could feel Master Piell and Obi-Wan reaching into his strength like flowers toward suns. 

 

This time he felt a shiver down his spine, a warning, as though maybe he was about to be swallowed up too. Instead, blaster bolts started whizzing by. He didn’t even think, simply let his body flow with the Force to ignite his lightsaber and block them.

 

“Anakin!” Obi-Wan called. “We have to go!” 

 

They deflected blasts into droids, drove lightsabers through metal chests while Tarkin and the clones shot right back, and the group moved steadily - unwillingly, for Anakin - away from where Ahsoka had vanished. Anakin knew there was a mission at stake, but damnit his Padawan was down there somewhere and he loved her and he swore he would find her, reached across the bond to make sure she understood that -

 

And found, to his horror, he couldn’t feel her in the Force.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

“Unnnghh…” Ahsoka groaned as she woke in the near dark - scratch that, the darkness was total. Even Togruta eyesight was no help. She may as well have kept her eyes closed. She was sore pretty much everywhere and managed to catch herself before sitting up. Not a good idea if something was broken. Instead, she took a few deep breaths - no broken ribs, good start - and reached out in the Force. It was harder than ever, now, to do so, but Ahsoka needed to see if she had injuries from that fall, or drop, she supposed. She didn’t remember hitting the ground, and maybe it hadn’t been that far because apart from the soreness, she seemed fine thank the Force. There was a wetness on her side which she worried at first was her own blood, but feeling around revealed the rocky ground had smashed a hole in her canteen.

 

“Great.” She murmured, giving in to the urge to chuck the damn thing into the darkness. It impacted with stone, making a clank noise that rang in her ears and vibrated into her montrals. Such frustration was not becoming of a Jedi, but then who was here to see it? Unless….

 

“Hello? Master? Rex?” No response. “Anyone?” She called louder. Only her own words, and they didn’t even echo. In fact, they didn’t reach very far at all. It was like being in a vacuum; her voice wouldn’t carry. 

 

“Okay, first things first, gonna need some light.”

 

Ahsoka felt at her belt, only to discover that her sabers had fallen off it.

 

“This day just keeps getting better.” she murmured sardonically. 

 

So she would need to crawl around to find her sabers. In the complete darkness. With no way to know if she was turned around or feeling at a spot she’d already searched or -

 

Maybe she could call them to her with the Force? She’d only ever seen other Jedi call for a saber they couldn't see, but they were all trained in blindfolds. Ahsoka prepared herself, pushing aside her frustration, calming the concerns that this was taking too much time and proving her a liability, or that her Master would hold it against her. Ahsoka did her best to let go of all of that, and reached into the Force.

 

Or…tried to because there was a -

 

wrongness like water closing over her head but wrong and everything went somehow quieter inside and outside of her and she didn’t even really understand what that meant but she knew it felt wrong everything was wrong what was wrong what was happening -

 

The Force

 

Ahsoka couldn’t feel the Force. Not singing quietly in her blood not around her not from her Master she might as well have been dead but she was alive wasn’t she but then where was the Force and she had never in her entire life felt so afraid or so, so alone -

 

Formless, panicked thoughts bubbling up in her mind, Ahsoka gripped her head in her hands, fell to her knees, and screamed. 

 

~~~~~~~~

 

“We have to go back! Rex, keep trying to raise her.”

 

“Anakin, I care for Ahsoka as well, but we -”

 

“Do not tell me to abandon her.”

 

There was a horrible silence as Obi-Wan stared at Anakin with - oh, kriff no, that was not pity.

 

“Anakin, you said yourself you cannot feel her. Surely you know -”

 

Anakin dropped his voice so that only Obi-Wan would hear. “This isn’t like on Mortis. Obi-Wan, I know what it feels like when her…when she…this is not that, I’m sure. This is something else.”

 

Obi-Wan looked straight at him with that discerning gaze Anakin had seen so many times as he grew up, but he didn’t shrink or hide from it now. He let his Master see the determined honesty he felt. It was quiet again, except for Rex continuing to ping Ahsoka on his comm, and Tarkin performing neutrality despite the smugness Anakin couldn’t help but notice pouring off him in loud waves. 

 

“You are certain?” Obi-Wan said at last. 

 

Anakin didn’t even nod. “She’s alive. Ahsoka is alive here somewhere.”

 

Obi-Wan surveyed their small, worn out team. Anakin could do the math himself, it wasn’t promising. 

 

“We don’t have the numbers -”

 

“Obi-Wan, she’s my Padawan , my responsibility, I can’t abandon her.”

 

“There is a mission, Anakin. Ahsoka would understand that.”

 

“Then I’ll go alone.” The words were out of his mouth before he’ed even thought them.

 

“Anakin -”

 

He knew that tone, and he did not have time for it. 

 

“Obi-Wan, we don’t know where she is or what’s being done to her I have to -”

 

A piercing sound rent the air around them. Hands flew to ears trying to block out the nearly unbroken wail. Anakin’s stomach lurched; he knew that voice, even distorted by great pain.

 

“It’s Ahsoka!’ 

 

But where was it coming from? Just when he thought he had a bead on the direction, it changed, coming from behind them instead. And then it just seemed to be coming from everywhere.

 

“It’s a recording!” Obi-Wan yelled over the cacophony - the screams were layered now, like some twisted, macabre symphony. If Anakin ever found himself face to face with the Commandant, he was going to gut the bastard like a Rokarian dirt-fish -

 

Focus. Somewhere, Ahsoka was having these sounds torn from her throat. And he was the Chosen One, most gifted in the Force, he could find her and he would. No other alternative could be allowed to exist. Rex was going around now with strips of fabric from somewhere torn in little pieces for everyone to shove in the ears and muffle the sound. Anakin refused to accept them. Instead he let the noise wash over him. Recordings. Obi-Wan was right, these were recordings, which meant he couldn’t follow them to Ahsoka. But Anakin wasn’t just an expert in his Padawan - he was also an expert in machines. What most beings forgot was that machines were made of minerals, metals, things that carried the essence of the Living Force. So if he could find the machine…

 

Anakin breathed deep and stood his ground, barely hearing Tarkin make some snide comment to Obi-Wan and Master Piell hushing the Captain. He made himself hear the screams, sink into them, into each wave of sound coming not from his Padawan but from a device. Anakin followed the arcs of those sound waves forward toward him at first, but then back, back down the path they had come from. 

 

“This way!” He called and gestured before taking off.

 

If he couldn’t feel Ahsoka, she probably couldn’t feel him either. All the same, Anakin reached where she should be at the other end of the bond.

 

Be strong. I love you. I’m coming. Hold on.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

A pitiful sound that wanted to be a scream scratched its way out of Ahsoka’s raw throat. No use screaming anyway. Nobody could hear.

 

She was all alone. She would always be alone here. 

 

This place had broken her, taken the Force, taken her self . 

 

She didn’t feel the heat in the air, the hard stone beneath her, not even her breath tearing out her. 

 

She had almost thought she felt her Master for a moment, but no, because he was of the Force and she…wasn’t…

 

She was alone.

 

And all she wanted was for the emptiness to end.

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

“Generals Kenobi and Piell, I must ask that you bring General Skywalker to heel. His behavior jeopardizes the entire mission -”

 

“We are none of us much good as long as this noise continues.” Master Piell rasped out as the group ran on behind Anakin. It was clear to Obi-Wan Anakin could be going faster with the help of the Force, but had elected not to leave the group behind. He was stunned Anakin had had the wherewithal to make that decision.

 

“All the more reason” Tarkin insisted “to continue toward our rendezvous destination. The loss of Padawan Tano is regrettable -”

 

Obi-Wan spoke as sternly as he could manage while yelling to be heard. “Our mission was to rescue those imprisoned in the Citadel. Ahsoka is now imprisoned, and so it is well within the purview of our mission to retrieve her.”

 

Tarkin only looked at Obi-Wan like he didn’t know what to say to that. A welcome response from the man who always managed to say exactly the wrong thing.

 

“I have great faith in General Skywalker’s capabilities.” Obi-Wan said, before nearly bumping into Anakin who had stopped around the next corner. “Anakin, what’s -”

 

Before them was a dead end.

 

“Great faith, indeed.” Tarkin said from Obi-Wan’s right.

 

He didn’t dignify the comment with a response, only reached to put a hand on Anakin’s shoulder. “Anakin, if -”

 

“Just wait.” 

 

And that was when Obi-Wan looked at his former Padawan’s face and saw in his eyes a familiar and eerie sight. Anakin was deep in the Force, in a way only he, with his unparalleled strength and midichlorians, could be. He stepped out of Obi-Wan’s reach to run a hand along the craggy rock face in front of them.

 

Anakin could feel it there, just inside these rocks - machinery. Carefully, so carefully, he sliced a square of the rock away. Yes, there they were, lights and wires and the smell of electricity heating it all. He undid the buckles on his left glove as fast as he could and reached into the tangled mass, not caring how the heat scalded his skin.

 

“They do not take good care of you here do they? It’s almost luck you’re running at all. I wish I could say I was going to treat you any better.” The machine seemed to speak to him, and he spoke right back, figuring out which wires were running the complex speaker system and sending a jolt of the Force to damage them enough that the sound - he had ceased to think of it as part of Ahsoka, and it had become just “the sound” - cut off. Around him, everyone relaxed a little, seeming to take a collective sigh of relief.

 

“Now how are you keeping her from me?” He murmured, too quietly for anyone but himself to hear. He meant both whatever hole Ahsoka had been tossed in and how she’d been cut off from him in the Force. Ahsoka Tano was his and Anakin Skywalker wanted her back, damnit. “Come on, I know she’s close, we didn’t run that far, and you’re on your last electrical legs.” He reached his hand further into the tangle of wires, opened himself to the sand and rock and metal that had become this machine after being taken from the ground. “Give her to me.”

 

There, he could feel it now, the so-called heart of the machine, and he wrapped himself around it in the Force as though he were a hand around its throat. There was a frantic beeping, and a heavy sliding sound as behind him what had looked like a rock formation slid aside to reveal a cavern, dark as night. He slid his arm free and darted toward the opening, igniting his saber for light, which didn’t seem to stretch as far as it should. In fact, his own senses in the Force felt deadened, so he kept them reaching back toward the light as he carried forward in the darkness. Up ahead, he felt the tiniest prickling of… her…

 

“Ahsoka?” He called out. No response. And then he saw her, curled on the ground, her back to him. She flinched every now and again, like the air itself was hurting her. 

 

He knelt at her side and reached out his left hand still ungloved. “Hey Snips, it’s me.” Gently, he lay his hand on the bare skin of her shoulder. 

 

~~~~~~~~

 

She had stopped feeling anything she didn’t feel scared or alone those feelings had gone the way of pain and discomfort not asleep but not conscious her eyes flinched shut at the sudden brightness without her willing them too she had no will something was nagging at her though, tugging, but she had been alone so long she didn’t know what it was, or what it wanted -

 

And then something touched her and all at once Ahsoka was back in her own skin and there it was, the Force, and there he was, her Master, and she flung herself into his grasp, her emptiness vanishing, filling with him. He was warm and alive and solid and safe as he held her close. 

 

“Master…” she murmured. It hurt to speak.

 

“I’ve got you, Ahsoka, I’m here. I’m getting you out of this place.” 

 

She was being lifted in the air, and she didn’t like that at all because it was like not being in her body again. Ahsoka gripped her Master tighter, buried her face in his robes as it got brighter still. The glare hurt to look at. But her nose was full of her Master’s scent, and that she liked, so she focused on it with all her might.

 

“Ahsoka! Is she -”

 

“She’ll be alright. Give us a minute.”

 

Obi-Wan, that had been Obi-Wan talking just now. Everyone was okay. That was good. But there was noise now, and it was so loud she whimpered.

 

And then her Master was shifting and she was blinking rapidly as her eyes watered when they were forced to adjust to the light. There was hard stone under her again, but she was sitting this time, and where there had been nothing now there was so much, too much -

 

“Ahsoka.” 

 

Anakin knelt before his Padawan and took her face in his hands. In the same moment, her own hands came up and gripped his wrists. She did it hard enough he worried she was going to bruise the flesh arm and hurt herself on the mechno one, but he said nothing about it.

 

“Your connection to the Force was disrupted, but the Force itself never left you. And we’re together now. I can sense you’re overwhelmed. Focus on me, on the sound of my voice.”

 

He had never seen her this terrified before, but he forced his voice to stay calm, to keep the connection wide open, to shove aside thoughts of how finding her there on the ground and seeing her jolt upright had reminded him of Mortis. She needed him steady, just now. 

 

“Bring attention to where we’re touching. Feel my skin and my glove under your hands.” He nodded a little as her fingers moved over his wrists, still gripping hard. “That’s it. Notice the difference between how they feel. Now feel this.” He tapped on their bond, ever so gently. She gasped. 

 

“It’s okay. It’s supposed to be like that. Us together.”

 

~~~~~~~~

 

“What, exactly, are they doing ?” Tarkin drawled behind Obi-Wan. He indulged in a single, exasperated roll of his eyes before turning from where Anakin - his back to the group - completely obscured Ahsoka, to face the captain.

 

“What they must.” He said. “Commander Tano has been through a short but terrible ordeal. As her Master, General Skywalker is acting on his responsibility to help her stabilize her connection to the Force, disrupted as it was by…” he gestured toward the cell she’d been pulled out of. “That.”

 

“Hm.” Tarkin looked back at the cell with an appraiser’s eye. “Intriguing.”

 

“In a barbaric sense, yes I suppose.” Obi-Wan was a being with a heart. Even with a fellow Council member present, he found that he couldn’t entirely keep the sarcasm out of his voice. It shook him, to see Ahsoka so harmed. To see Anakin sunk so deeply into the darker side of the Force to end it. He could only hope they would put what had happened on his last mission behind them and let him in to help if they needed it. Hope, and pray to the Force. While he was at it, he prayed that they all made it off this horrible world very soon, and that when they did he might have the good fortune to never be in Captain Tarkin’s presence again. 

 

~~~~~~~

 

Ahsoka was vaguely aware that her knuckles were paling as she gripped her Master’s wrists tight. The warmth of his skin on one side of her face and the supple leather of his glove on the other were about the greatest sources of comfort she had ever experienced. Or at least that’s how it felt right now.

 

Normally, focusing directly on her Master in the Force was a bit like looking directly into a supernova, but just now he was somewhere to focus, and she needed that after…after. So she let herself be enveloped in the coolness of him, noticing his thoughts, open to her as they were. That he was relieved of course. A bit of pride that he had figured out how to help. Mortis…

 

Mortis? Why was he thinking about Mortis? She reached, unconsciously, toward that thought in him, but it slipped through her senses like it was covered in oil, leaving her with only her own thoughts. 

 

“Master, are you mad at me?” She choked out.

 

“No, Ahsoka.” He said solemnly. “That trap could have gotten any of us.”

 

Ahsoka wasn’t so sure. She’d started to wonder if his theory was right; she had, after all, been thinking how she loved him right before she stepped into the trap. “You ordered me not to come and I -”

 

Anakin’s thumbs stroked her cheeks. “This mission is a challenge for everyone, and there’s nobody I’d rather have by my side when facing it all down than you. Nothing will change that. Now, it’s time to let the galaxy back in Ahsoka.” he murmured, their foreheads pressed together. 

 

Ahsoka resisted the urge to nuzzle against him. They were on a mission. But her eyes had adjusted to the light, her Master wanted her here, and she was breathing easier, feeling calmer, ready to face the mission again. Almost. 

 

“I wish you could kiss me.” Ahsoka told her Master in a rasped whisper. 

 

“We could.” He responded just as quietly. “No one can see. They’re all keeping their distance.” 

 

Ahsoka closed her eyes, gave a single nod, and accepted the press of her Master’s lips against hers. It was short, too short, but it was exactly what she’d needed. That intimate nearness. She craved it ever since…Mortis…

 

Chasing the thought away, keeping herself in the present as she’d been taught, Ahsoka released a shuddering breath and with it the last of her tension. She met her Master’s gaze resolutely. “We better get moving.”

 

They broke their hold on each other at the same moment, and she rose with his support in the Force, but all by herself. Her Master had always brought out the strength in her.

 

Anakin held out a banged up canteen. “Here.” He said fondly. “You dropped this.”

 

Ahsoka could have sworn she remembered it breaking. But then, the events of the last hour weren’t the clearest. She accepted the returned canteen and took a grateful swallow. “Thanks. That does wonders for the sore throat.” 

 

“I figured.” Anakin gave his Padawan one last fond smile, and then jerked his head toward the rest of the group. “Come on, let’s get going.”

 

~~~~~~~~

 

“Anakin’s just given Ahsoka his canteen, hasn’t he, Captain?”

 

Rex heard the usual exasperation in General Kenobi’s voice - the kind that meant he approved of something General Skywalker had done on principle, but was concerned about the consequences. “Yes Sir.” He said, then stepped forward to return his Commander’s sabers from where she’d dropped them in the cave.

 

General Kenobi simply nodded once, straightened his shoulders, and, now that everyone was reunited, rallied the team for the next leg of the mission.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

“No time” had been a common enough refrain on the battlefield from the moment the war started. But this mission had Anakin feeling particularly exasperated by rushing around trying not to get shot as they left two more clones dead. No time to bury them, no time to honor their loss, no time to even think about it as he followed the Force’s urging on pure instinct, leading the group to an underground cavern. He saw Ahsoka pause for the barest moment before leaping into the darkness ahead of him. Clearly she was still touched by what she had experienced, and he couldn’t blame her. 

 

But the tunnel they now found themselves in was inaccessible to the enemy droids and their blasters. For now. And thank the Force, it broadly followed the direction of their rendezvous point with Master Plo and the rest of the rescue fleet. The absurdity of the fact that their team had been sent here on a rescue and now needed rescue was not lost on him. And they had two hours to make it out, or said rescue would be off the table.

 

Conversation started up in the group, as it tended to even in the toughest situations. Tarkin asked Rex for clarification on who exactly would be coming with the fleet.

 

“That’ll be Generals Plo, Gallia, Tiin, and Fisto, Sir.” Rex responded with all the removed efficiency of the soldier he had been bred to be. 

 

“And what if your Jedi friends are not there when we arrive?” Tarkin drawled.

 

Ahsoka rolled her eyes so hard it hurt. They were all dragging themselves through caverns, hot, hungry, exhausted, not mention what she had recently been through. Would Tarkin’s complaints never end? Did he think he was the only one worried? And she had never heard such disrespect from a GAR officer toward esteemed members of the Order.

 

“Keep moving,” Master Piell all but spat over his shoulder, “and you won’t have to worry about that, Tarkin.”

 

Clearly, Ahsoka thought, he appreciated Tarkin’s tone about as much as she did. She briefly caught her Master’s gaze turn toward the conversation and back, then jogged a couple meters to catch up to him at the head of the group and spoke quietly. 

 

“What is with that guy? ‘Jedi friends?’ Those are Masters on the Council he’s talking about. It’s like he doesn’t even understand what a feat it is we’ve gotten this far, and how much skill in the Force it will take to get us all off this rock.”

 

Anakin shrugged. “Captain Tarkin has…not entirely incorrect criticisms of the Order.”

 

Ahsoka looked down at the ground, watching her steps. “I did overhear you two talking about something like that back in the fuel tunnel. That maybe the Jedi should be… relieved of leading the war effort. But that’s ridiculous.”

 

Anakin turned to her and quirked a curious eyebrow. “Why so, my Padawan?” 

 

“Well…”Ahsoka paused, searching for the right words, and straightening her shoulders a little. The phrase “my Padawan” asked for more of her now, was a greater challenge, after hearing it murmured and groaned beneath him in his bed. “I mean, the leader of the Separatists is a Sith, and we did win the last war against them after all.”

 

“We did.” Anakin said with a nod, “A thousand years ago in a completely different context, after which the Jedi decided our place in the galaxy was as peacekeepers, not. Soldiers .” He sighed. “Ahsoka, we’ve talked about this before, you know my stance on the issue. The Jedi Code often prevents us from going far enough to achieve victory, and that’s part of why we’ve lost so many Jedi on the battlefield.

 

He was right, they had talked about this before. Before they had been lovers. Before she had known about the Tuskens. Now she had to wonder what exactly “far enough” was to him.

 

“A rather simple point of view.” Obi-Wan said from Anakin’s other side, reminding Ahsoka that this wasn’t necessarily the time or the place for this conversation. 

 

“Is it?” Her Master challenged. “Or is it simply something most of the Order is too afraid to consider? I, for one, am not going to let my life be ruled by fear. I don’t think Captain Tarkin’s or anyone else’s concerns about this should be dismissed outright.”

 

“If we sacrifice the Code, we risk losing the most important thing of all; Our honor.” Obi-Wan insisted in a voice that sounded like he was ending the argument.

 

There was something very important Anakin had learned, something one couldn’t come to know from the Temple’s teachings, and that he doubted Obi-Wan would understand. But he dared to say it anyway. “Some things are more important than the Code.” He was very careful not to look at Ahsoka as he said the words.

 

Ahsoka kept her breathing even, showing no reaction to her Master’s words. She knew he was right in a way. If it was so serious to break the Code loving each other, wouldn’t it feel awful, instead of right? 

 

She actually happened to enjoy ethical debates, sometimes. Ethics courses had been some of her favorites in her Initiate days, and she appreciated the occasional advanced seminar when she was on leave at the Temple. But not right now, not about her love life, and not where anything remotely involving Tarkin was concerned. She opened her mouth to say something to that effect only to stop in her tracks at a distant howling. 

 

“Did you hear that?” she asked no one in particular, unable to keep the dread from her voice. 

 

“No.” Anakin said, looking at her with a furrowed brow. “What is it?”

 

“I’m not -”

 

“It couldn’t be.” Rasped Master Piell, and all eyes turned to him, his large, pointed ears twitching. “There were rumors recorded in the Masters’ library of the vornskr; hounds from an unknown world that hunt Force-sensitive beings. There were writings also that suggested some had been brought here. I did not think it could be true.”

 

There was a heavy silence as that news sank in; legends come to life, hungry, howling legends ready to devour every Jedi here.

 

As was his way, Master Piell stood straighter with grim determination. “They are too far yet for human ears, but they won’t stay away for long. We are going to have company. And if they’ve caught our scent, they’ll lead the droids straight to us.”

 

Anakin felt smugness roll off Tarkin in waves. Valid concerns about the Jedi or not, Anakin didn’t appreciate that he seemed ready to gloat when they turned out to be a risk in this instance.

 

“We shall have to split the party then.” Tarkin said authoritatively. “You Jedi going one way, and the rest of us the other. It will keep the information split and -”

 

“All respect where it is due Captain,” began Master Piell, “but we Jedi have a responsibility to get everyone we can safely off Lola Sayu. We will split the teams, but evenly.”

 

“I’m inclined to agree.” Chimed in Obi-Wan. “Given the limits of our strengths here, and our increasing weariness, I do think we ought to reverse our plan from before. Ahsoka, you should go with Master Piell, and draw on your bond with Anakin to keep the two of you going.”

 

Ahsoka looked toward her Master, who she could sense didn’t care for the idea, but he also didn't argue it. He inclined his head, and she nodded at Obi-Wan. 

 

“I was thinking, Masters,” Ahsoka said, “that we could use the cave system to confuse these vornskr. All that heat and sulfur and molten rock has to exhaust them, and obscure their sense of us in the Force.”

 

“Good idea, Padawan.” Master Piell said to her with a subtle nod. “You and I will take the caves and -”

 

“And with all the midichloreans lighting me up like Coruscant at night, the vornskr will chase after me as a distraction.” Anakin said, ignoring Obi-Wan’s clearing of his throat at the levity in his tone. He felt concern from Ahoska, and looked up to see her eyes on him. Anakin offered reassurance over the bond. As far as he was concerned, keeping vicious hounds from hunting down his Padawan was a perfect use of his inborn strength in the Force.

 

“If we’re that sure you’ll draw the hounds away, Master,” she said, and he sensed a tone of distant assessment in her voice was hard fought, “Master Piell and the Captain could probably stay together with me and the men, and you and Obi-Wan go alone.”

 

“She has a point.” Obi-Wan conceded with a nod.

 

“I agree with Commander Tano as well.” Anakin said. “She and I will use our training bond to trace each other and find a safe meeting point once the vornskr are dealt with.” 

 

Ahsoka nodded confidently. “Yes, Master.” 

 

It was an unspoken custom for a Master leaving their Padawan in the care of another Jedi to exchange words with their stand-in about looking after said Padawan as though she were their own. Despite his concerns about how Ahsoka was faring after that awful, Force-empty hole in the ground, and his practically confirmed suspicions about her not actually being assigned to the mission, Anakin remembered their earlier conversation and figured in earshot of Captain Tarkin was not the place to make her sound as though she was someone who needed looking after. And he did have the utmost confidence in her skills. But he loved her, and so he worried. Hell, he worried about Obi-Wan being left on his own even after…

 

He gave Ahsoka a squeeze on the shoulder and exchanged a solemn look with Master Piell, who gave the order for the two teams to move out.

 

~~~~~~~

 

Artoo had insisted on coming with Anakin, and the droid began to shake back and forth right as a warning in the Force sent a chill up Anakin’s spine. Howls had been a warning sign for the vornskr when they were far, but up close they were nearly silent. Still, Anakin was sure they were just out of sight, in the mist. Waiting. He could sense that they were hungry.

 

And then they were one him. Two, Five, Seven of the creatures, slavering and snarling and snapping huge teeth. Obi-Wan was a blur to his right as he lured two away, but the rest were focused on Anakin.

 

“Yeah, that’s right, I look pretty tasty don’t I?” He teased as one made to leap and he easily dispatched it, then threw another two with the Force. In order to pull off keeping track of each other, Anakin and Ahsoka were holding the bond wide open, and he could feel her strength bolstering him even as he did hers. 

 

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a vornskr try to tackle Obi-Wan only to get kicked into the smoldering lava below. Damnit, he’d let himself be distracted by worry just long enough that one of the remaining hounds jumped him, knocking him to the ground, his lightsaber clattering out of his hand. He struggled with one arm to keep gnashing teeth from taking his face clean off and with the other stretched, physically and in the Force, toward the pinprick of his lightsaber though he couldn’t see it physically. The saber landed in his grip and he ignited it through the beast's skull, then kicked the carcass off of him, ready to face down the last one. It was regarding him with a gaze almost too intelligent to be that of an animal, and he didn’t like that one bit. Then the creature threw back its head and howled, a chilling scream that made Anakin’s blood run cold. Before he could slice its head off to make it stop, the vornskr had leapt away into the haze.

 

“Well,” Obi-Wan said, coming up to Anakin. “That wasn’t so bad.”

 

“I -” Anakin cut off abruptly as a warning stabbed through his heart in the Force. “Oh no…I think…no I’m sure of it -”

 

“Of what?” Obi-Wan asked, his voice thick with concern.

 

“If those things can trace the Force, they can probably trace it in the bond.” He met his Master’s concerned gaze and saw horrified understanding dawn there as he continued.

 

“They’re headed straight for Ahsoka.”

 

~~~~~~~~

 

Well, Ahsoka thought to herself, Tarkin got his wish. When droids started blasting at them, Master Piell had called for the Captain to run ahead with the remaining clones, that he and Ahsoka would track them after dealing with the droids. She was fast, and good, but being by Master Piell’s side in battle was a privilege, especially as someone who benefitted from the techniques of others used to fighting bigger opponents. He dipped and flipped and slashed, and she adopted his methods, getting on top of the droids, flipping through the air to slice off legs.

 

She was so focused on the droids, even her Togruta hearing didn’t pick up on the sounds of vornskr running their way. She caught the Force’s warning just before one leapt from behind a rock face and tackled Master Piell off of the droid he had just finished off.

 

“Master Piell!” Ahsoka called, but another warning had her turning to face a monster of her own. The vornskr snarled, and Ahsoka growled right back, baring her own albeit less impressive fangs and sinking into a low crouch. She didn’t know who leapt first, only that she cloaked herself in the strength of her bond with her Master and felt completely in tune with the Force, with her Togruta hunting instincts, with life and death itself, and that when the tumble was over, it was she and not the beast that remained standing. 

 

The moment of triumph was short lived, however, as Ahsoka heard a cry of pain behind her and turned to see the other vornskr had slashed across Master Piell’s chest. She ran at this one too, not with a snarl but with a battle cry. Master Piell was hurt, badly, and she needed to end this. Ahsoka slashed at the beast, beckoning it back until it was closer to the edge of the rocks, and then with a shove of the Force sent it tumbling over into the waiting molten rock below. Wasting no time, she rushed to Master Piell’s side, pressing her hands to the wound too near his heart. Despite the pressure, blood seeped through Ahsoka’s fingers. She could sense Master Piell’s life ebbing away.

 

“I have to get -”

 

“There is no helping me, Padawan.”

 

Ahsoka knew there was truth in his words. Maybe if they had a Jedi healer, but…

 

“Listen to me carefully, Ahsoka. I am going to give you my half of the coordinates. They must only be entrusted to a Jedi.” He paused, calling on strength Ahsoka could hardly conceive of to keep speaking as his life soaked the ground at her knees. 

 

“You must pass them on to the Council -”

 

“It really should be Anakin - or Obi-Wan - hearing this.” She reached to her Master over the bond, calling to him that she needed him, that something terrible had happened. She got back his urgency, his love, but knew he was too far to make any difference. Guilt made her blurt out “I wasn’t even assigned to this mission. I lied to be a part of it, and I proved myself a liability when I fell into that trap. I’m not the Jedi worthy of this trust.”

 

“The Force works…” Master Piell seemed to be struggling for breath now, and reached for Ahsoka’s hand. It was doing no good stopping his blood, so she gripped his shaking, paling fingers instead, and met his gaze, so intense despite what was happening to him.

 

“The Force works in mysterious ways, child. You say you were not…meant to be here…not worthy…yet here the Force has placed you…and you are now the most important part of the mission… Remember this …”

 

Ahsoka felt the truth of his words, the weight of them, settle over her. The Force worked in mysterious ways. It was not for any one person to understand. Someone needed to be here, and Ahsoka was. She took a deep breath and leaned close. “I will. Give me the information.”

 

“These coordinates must be revealed…” he squeezed her hand even harder “to no one but the Council.”

 

“I swear,” Ahsoka said, pulling the Force around her words, “I will keep them safe, and repeat them only to the Jedi Council.” She felt oddly steady, given what was happening. Master Piell began to murmur the lengthy series of numbers to her. She repeated them back twice, perfectly, and he nodded with satisfaction. He was so pale now, but Ahsoka sensed a kind of peace in him, just as a Jedi was meant to have when facing death. Blood darkened his lips, and his gaze seemed distant as he spoke one final time.

 

“May the Force…be with you.”

 

And then Master Even Piell was gone, becoming one with the Force.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

After dispatching the vornskr, Anakin and Obi-Wan had caught up with Tarkin and the others while Anakin was actually racing to Ahsoka, who had gone from frightened in the Force to oddly calm and determined. It should have impressed him, but instead he was just worried. More attacking droids kept them from moving toward her, but Anakin could sense her heading in their direction. A decisive blast from Cody ended the most recent squadron of droids on their tail, and then Anakin felt Ahsoka so close he knew he’d be able to see if it wasn’t for the blasted haze - there! But what was that over her shoulder?

 

“Oh no…” Anakin murmured as Ahsoka came more clearly into view. She was carrying the body of Master Piell, staring at the ground until she was right in front of him. Then she solemnly met his eyes and he helped her ease the Master’s remains to the ground. She stayed on her knees before him, her clothes and arms streaked with his blood.

 

“He died honorably.” She said with quiet determination.

 

There was silence as sorrow swirled into the Force. There were clones here who had served under Master Piell the whole war. Obi-Wan had known him as a colleague. Anakin and Ahsoka had learned from him as younglings. And Tarkin…well Anakin wouldn’t call what came from him sorrow, but he was at least curious, as they all were, about the secret Master Piell had carried.

 

Anakin wrapped Ahsoka in his Force presence as much as he dared with Obi-Wan nearby, and spoke in a voice he hoped straddled the line between sympathy and stoicism. He sensed Ahsoka was drawing some strength from the latter.

 

“Did the information die with him?”

 

If it had, this whole mission, all its risk, the exhaustion, the lost clones and Master Piell, would be for nothing. 

 

Ahsoka met his eyes once more. “I have it.” she said steadily. “He entrusted it to me and only to me.”

 

No. Oh no, that was almost worse. It meant Ahsoka was precious now, that clones would be going out of their way to protect her, that he would too. He had tried to keep her off this mission, and now she was the very center of it.

 

His eyes flicked to Tarkin as he sensed something unpleasant from the man. But all the old and fresh pain in this place was exhausting even Anakin’s skill in the Force, and he would focus it where it was most needed just now; on his Padawan.

 

“We don’t have much time.” Obi-Wan said, gesturing to Cody and removing his own cloak from the pack the clone commander carried, then carefully wrapping Master Piell’s body in it. For once, Anakin was grateful for his former Master’s calm in the Force.

 

“The lava will serve well-enough for a pyre. Let’s take this moment to honor him, and then we must be on our way.” 

 

Right. Because the rendezvous time was quickly coming up, and if they didn’t meet Master Plo’s forces they’d be trapped here. Anakin looked down at Ahsoka again. He wanted to offer her a hand, but this whole mission had been about her proving herself, and she wouldn’t appreciate him robbing her of the opportunity now. Still, he bolstered her over the bond as she rose to her feet.

 

Ahsoka felt…she wasn’t sure, actually. Sad, yes. But somehow that sadness was grounding. It cut through everything else but the next task ahead of her. Get to her feet. Help Master and Obi-Wan lift Master Piell’s body into the flaming lava that would consume it. There were many Jedi lessons about moving with the flow of life and not against it. If the Citadel and Lola Sayu were steeped in misery, perhaps misery was the flow of life here. It should have felt dark, frightening. But even as she had done for him earlier, her Master was an anchor for her now, and so Ahsoka could let herself feel the weight of Master Piell’s loss and the important information she now carried. As the team traveled through the caves, she repeated the numbers, without thought, in the back of her mind like a meditation. That helped too, having something to focus on. She only slipped up once - when yet another of the seemingly endless squadrons of droids descended on them, and a clone jumped in front of her to take a blaster bolt aimed in her direction. 

 

He was from Piell and Tarkin’s squad. She hadn’t even known his name. 

 

Minutes later she felt a shift in the Force coming from high, high up above, and then felt her Master perk up over the bond as he sensed it too.

 

“That’s Master Plo and the others with the fleet!” She called to him. “We don’t have much time,”

 

“We don’t need it.” Obi-Wan said with all the confidence she’d grown accustomed to from him. “There’s the meeting point.”

 

Ahsoka followed his pointed hand to a tiny island in the center of the nearest lava flow. No smaller rocks to help them cross. It would be all cable launchers, and care, and enough speed not to get singed. The team wasted no time, and Ahsoka, had she been less grimly focused on her duty, might have taken some smug satisfaction in the fact that Tarkin, in his determination to be first across, almost slipped off the cable. She left that smugness to her Master, and felt him rise to the task. She and Tarkin were partners in a way just now, and Ahsoka had to be more magnanimous.

 

So close. They were so close to putting this mission behind them, and so of course here came yet more droids. This time, the Commandant in charge of the Citadel had deigned to show up to do the dirty work himself, proving he knew his way around a STAP. As Ahsoka climbed across the lava she saw her Master leap onto a STAP himself, Obi-Wan close behind, and even Artoo boosting his jet packs to get in on the action. Ahsoka pulled herself again to the task at hand - crawling across the cable launcher. A few more feet and - yes, solid ground. There wasn’t much she could do down here but block blaster bolts. A crash behind her had Ahsoka turned in time to see a confrontation between the Commandant and Tarkin, the former gripping the latter by the throat and lifting him in the air. 

 

“I’ll do what I should have done in the first place. If I can’t have the information, it will die with you!” 

 

Ahsoka, open to the flow of the Force, reacted on pure instinct, leaping into the air, igniting her saber, and landing on the Commandant’s back from where she plunged her saber through his skull. As his body sank she leaped again, landing solidly on her feet beside the corpse she’d created. She stared down at it. It was supposed to be an honor to witness another being pass into the Force. It hadn’t felt like that was the case with Master Piell, and it didn’t feel that way now. 

 

“My thanks, Padawan Tano.”

 

Ahsoka’s head whipped toward Tarkin, her only outward show of shock. Gratitude? From him ? She gave him one curt nod. “Just doing my duty as a Jedi.”

 

Tarkin’s gaze seemed to slide right off her and he met her Master’s eyes as Anakin came to stand by her side. Taking the life of a sentient being was hard, and part of her wanted to reach for his hand but she didn’t. Instead she just kept repeating those numbers in the back of her head.

 

“I see you’ve trained her well.” Tarkin drawled to her Master. Because Force forbid he pay anyone beneath him a comment. And Ahsoka realized now that it didn’t really matter what the particular reason he felt that way was, only that it was true - he considered her beneath him. But then, she got the sense that was true for his opinion of most beings, and she tried not to take it too personally.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

“Ahsoka, go! ” Anakin yelled at his Padawan. They were the last two on this Force-forsaken rock and he wasn’t about to get on the transport Master Plo and his men were keeping hovering behind them until she had safely boarded. That would have been true whether or not she carried irreplaceable secret information in that brilliant brain of hers. He felt her hesitance to leave him alone, even for a moment, with crab droids closing in and firing fast. I’ll be right behind you he urged over the bond, knowing his feelings were clear but wishing for once he could give her silent reassuring words. I love you, we’ll make it through this, together.

 

It took sheer force of will for Ahsoka to obey Anakin, but she managed. She opened herself to the milliseconds between blaster bolts to leap without looking onto the transport. A steady, clawed hand landed on her shoulder - Master Plo, who she almost collapsed into in relief. Instead, she gripped the strap over her head so tightly her knuckles paled. Barely a moment later, her Master - with an impressive backflip - landed at her side, close enough that they were pressed together. She felt a little ease at last, but he stayed tense.

 

Everyone left alive was on the transport including the most precious cargo - Ahsoka…and Tarkin, of course, with the coordinates. But now they had to make it to the fleet. Anakin ground his teeth as they whirred through space toward Master Plo’s transport. Master Tiin and skilled clones soldiers were in the fighters defending them, but what Anakin wouldn’t have given to be in one himself, keeping Ahsoka and everyone else safe instead of just stuck here waiting to -

 

And then they were onboard, and Plo was giving the order to jump into hyperspace, and they were finally, after what felt like weeks, on their way home.

 

~~~~~~~~ 

 

Everyone was gathered around a holotable, and a meeting was called with the Council; Masters Plo, Tiin, Fisto, and Galia, who had been with the fleet, and Masters Windu and Yoda back at the Temple. Yoda seemed weighed down as he spoke. A weight they all felt.

 

“Of Master Piell’s loss, we are sorry to hear.”

 

“He will be missed.” Master Windu added grimly.

 

“Thanks to his great sacrifice,” Master Plo said, “we now have the Nexus Route Coordinates. Padawan Tano and Captain Tarkin have each memorized half.”

 

“Debrief them both, we must.” Master Yoda said, his quiet voice no less authoritative.

 

“With all due respect, Master Jedi,” Tarkin interjected, “I was instructed by Chancellor Palpatine to bring the intel directly to him for debriefing.” He looked at Ahsoka, as though expecting her to go along with this.

 

No chance of that. Anakin thought to himself.

 

Ahsoka stood up straight. “I promised Master Piell that I would deliver it only to the Council. And that’s what I will do.” She said this as decisively as she could, knowing that Tarkin technically outranked her and she was surrounded by Council members and her Master. Ahsoka Tano kept her promises.

 

“Hm.” Yoda looked around at them all, considering the situation. Wrong, it seemed, for one so young as Ahsoka to be burdened with a secret of such magnitude. Yet she bore it as a Jedi should, he noted.  “Personally meet with the Chancellor, I will. Decide what is best to do, we shall.” 

 

~~~~~~~~

 

Ahsoka was given quarters on the Triumphant, and, blessedly, a chance to wash off the dirt and blood from herself and her clothes. When she was done, she sensed her Master dozing in the cabin next door, and was grateful for that. They were safe now, but the mission wasn’t over for her, not until she’d communicated what she knew to the Council. And then of course there would be the conversation about her sneaking onto the mission, which Ahsoka was not looking forward to. Restless to have it all over with, she was grateful when they finally entered Coruscant's orbit, and found herself pacing the hangar bay, continuing the meditative chant of the numbers that could save lives in the back of her head, and eager to step onto a landing shuttle. 

 

“It appears I was too quick to dismiss you, Commander Tano.”

 

Ahsoka had been so inwardly focused she hadn’t even sensed the Captain approach. Truth be told, she was looking forward to being away from his drawl, his dismissiveness, his judgement, even his insistent Core-accent mispronouncing of her last name, with the sharp “a” instead of “ah”. She offered the captain her best neutral Jedi stare and tone.

 

“I’m used to being underestimated, Captain.”

 

“I rather imagine one of your…standing is. A pity.”

 

Yes. she thought with no generosity whatsoever, a pity that human men like you dismiss women and young people and Togruta and -

 

“I’m curious,” He continued, unaware - as Ahsoka intended him to be - of how very fed up she was of being in his presence, “I admit I understand little of the Jedi ways. I heard talk of a ‘Master-Padawan bond’ between yourself and General Skywalker.”

 

“Yes.” Ahsoka acknowledged, and when he didn’t leave or actually ask a question, only stared at her with practiced expectation, she sighed inwardly, straightened her shoulders, and explained. “It’s an invisible connection that allows us to communicate, and is key to a Padawan’s training. We can share strength, emotions, intentions.”

 

“And thoughts?”

 

Ahsoka shrugged. “That’s debated in the Order. Some pairs who have been together for a long time say they can, others think it’s merely their intent or feeling being so clear it only seems to come through clearly as words. At any rate Master Skywalker and I aren’t there yet.”

 

They were at the point where she could feel him stir, wake up, and reach for her instinctually in a way that warmed her from head to toe - despite the fact that connection was tinged with frustration from the hard conversation that awaited them.

 

“So,” Tarkin said, “General Skywalker is not privy to the space lane coordinates you carry or any other secret and inappropriate Padawan thoughts you might have?”

 

Ahsoka’s brow furrowed. That had been an…odd phrasing. “No, only I know the coordinates. In my mind they’re safe even from my Master, though he is more than worthy and capable of keeping high-stakes secrets.” She knew that herself first hand now.

 

Tarkin looked her up and down once, and something about his gaze made Ahsoka’s skin crawl. 

 

“You proved yourself a glowing representation of the Jedi on this mission, and the GAR as well.

I believe we would both benefit greatly from a private discussion about your advancement in the military. I would hate to see your many talents go to waste.” 

 

Ahsoka blinked. Had she heard correctly? Or rather…understood? The emphasized words were barely that, carefully delivered as though they were rehearsed. Familiar. And suddenly it all clicked together for Ahsoka; his eyes on her throughout the mission. He thought she was inferior, certainly, but not without… value. As a girl with curves and headtails, she had gotten plenty of this aimed at her, but never, thank the Force, from a GAR officer. Until now. Ahsoka clenched her jaw, and refused to let what she felt into her voice. Any disrespect on her part might hurt more than it helped, especially since she knew she had understood his meaning perfectly. Men like Tarkin were dangerous. It suddenly occurred to Ahsoka the malice she had felt in the Citadel may well have been him.

 

"Captain Tarkin," she said, all feigned civility. "I appreciate the acknowledgement of my skills, which I accept not as an individual, but as a member of the Jedi Order. But I'm afraid Master Skywalker has insisted that he be present for any discussion regarding my advancement. He already thinks I've come too far too quickly for someone as young as I am." 

 

Tarkin gave her an almost conspiratorial smile. "Surely one so capable as yourself can handle a one-on-one without your Master looking over your shoulder. You don't, Commander Tano, strike me as the type who eagerly follows every rule."

 

Ahsoka smiled tightly. She had seen Padme speak confidently if primly to any man who dared go up against her, and she did her best to mimic that now "You're right, my Master and I have a healthy disrespect for the chain of command, from Captain to Admiral to Jedi High General and everyone in between. That's what's kept me alive this far. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have reports to make and Master Skywalker is less than forgiving when I turn them in late. And believe me, you would not want to meet Master Skywalker in an unforgiving mood. Or me , for that matter. I trust this will be the last conversation you and I have on the subject of my advancement. Or on any other less subtle subject. " 

 

Ahsoka couldn’t stop herself from all but hissing out the last few words, but she did keep down the growl that bubbled in her chest as she turned and walked away. She had to tell Anakin, right? But she couldn’t because, well….she knew Anakin, and what she’d said about him in an unforgiving mood was true, and she couldn’t have him getting himself into that kind of trouble. It was unlikely Ahsoka would cross paths with Captain Sleemo again, and if she did, she had the Force as an ally. This was one thing she couldn’t bring herself to share with her Master, and so as a call rang out over the loudspeaker for transport to load, Ahsoka tucked the encounter away where she kept other things she wasn’t ready to share. 

 

Her kiss with Barriss under rubble on Geonosis.

 

Her Master’s yellow eyes on Mortis.

 

Mortis…he had been remembering Mortis while they were in the Citadel, when he’d found her in that cave…Ahsoka set the thought aside for now as Rex and her Master stepped on the transport beside her, the latter regarding her sternly.

 

“I just had a very interesting conversation with Master Plo.”

 

“Oh?” Ahsoka asked. She could guess what about, but saw no reason to hasten her doom.

 

“Yep. Asked him if he assigned you to the mission.”

 

Ahsoka took a distinct interest in studying her boots. They were in serious need of a polish. “And…what did he say?”

 

“He said ‘Apparently I did.’”

 

Ahsoka’s head snapped up to meet her Master’s gaze. If Master Plo had really said that, it was practically a lie. She knew there were those who said good Jedi never lied, but as a Padawan she had seen through that adage dozens of times.

 

“Sooo…” Ahsoka let her voice taper off as Anakin studied her with a gaze that could turn her legs to jelly for a couple of reasons. 

 

He faced ahead once more. “So I guess you got lucky. You’re off the hook, Snips. If you hadn’t been there, Master Piell would have died alone and the Nexus Route Coordinates with him. It must be the Force’s will that brought you to his side, and who is any one Jedi, even the Chosen One, to question the Force’s will?” 

 

So casually no one else noticed, Anakin switched arms so that one one opposite her held the support strap, and leaned close to say, just above a whisper. “But you and I need to trust each other, my Padawan. No more secrets between us, am I clear?”

 

Ahsoka swallowed. “Yes Master.” 

 

No more secrets? But he had at least one, hidden in a time she had no memory of on a wolrd that may or may not exist, and Ahsoka wanted answers.

Notes:

And that's a wrap on The Citadel! WOW ten chapters in and we couldn't be more grateful for your readership. Thank you!!!

The eel-powered droids mentioned are from the EU novel The Cestus Deception, which we highly recommend. The vornskr are first seen in Heir to the Empire, another EU story.

Tarkin is gross whether you're in canon, the EU, or anywhere else in Star Wars. We could tell you for sure he'll get what's coming to him in our fic's verse, but that would be spoilers.

Thanks as always for reading, leaving kudos, and especially for comments! Next chapter will post on September 3rd.

You can find us at:
You can find us at:
tinytogrutafemale on tumblr
creativside on tumblr
Creativside on YouTube (I make Anisoka amv’s!)

Chapter 11: All of This Silence and Patience

Notes:

Suggested Listening:
She Looks So Perfect - 5 Seconds of Summer
Shut Up and Dance - WALK THE MOON
Teenage Dream - Katy Perry
Come My Way (slowed and reverb) -Plvtinum
Dress - Taylor Swift

All of this silence and patience, pining in anticipation

My hands are shaking from holding back from you (ah, ah, ah)

All of this silence and patience, pining and desperately waiting

My hands are shaking from all this (ah, ha, ha, ha)

- Dress -Taylor Swift

 

Anakin stopped short when he saw the bundle of clothes rolled up on his bed, and a note on top addressed to “Master” in Ahsoka’s handwriting. He was pretty sure the paper had been torn from one of his sketchbooks, and that made him laugh a little and shake his head as he turned it over.

 

Master,

Please put this on and meet me at the usual entrance.

- Ahsoka

 

The “usual entrance” meant the back south side of the Temple, where they had snuck out their first night together. If Anakin was guessing correctly, this was a clever way of asking him out on a date. Not a bad way to spend their whole three days of leave. He unfolded the clothes, raised an eyebrow, and started to change.

 

If she wants a date, I’ll give her one.

 

Half an hour later, he stepped out of the Temple wearing the outfit that had been left for him and the jacket he wore when he needed to look like a civilian. Ahsoka was nowhere to be seen, but Anakin traced her energy a few dozen yards to an alley. 

 

“This isn’t a trap, is it Snips?” He drawled at her silhouette, just visible through the shadows.

 

“If it was, you’ve sprung it, Master.” Ahsoka murmured in a smooth tone that gave Anakin the shivers in the best possible way, and stayed exactly where she was.

 

“What, exactly, do you have planned, my Padawan?” He responded, making no move to go in her direction either. 

 

“Oh, I just figured out what to do with those credits I won from Dex awhile back.” She took a couple of steps in the darkness, and Anakin could hear the sultry smile in her voice.

 

“And what might that be?” He stepped closer himself, and heard Ahsoka gasp.

 

Anakin looked even hotter than Ahsoka had imagined in the clothes she’d left for him. They were things she’d dug out of the back of his closet, rejects, she assumed, from some canceled undercover mission. All black, the pants tighter than what he usually wore, and the close-fitting shirt that zipped up the back and left his arms - those arms that often held her so, so close - gloriously bare excepting the glove, as she’d expected. But that wasn’t all. 

 

“Are you -” she had to pause to clear her throat - “Are you wearing eyeliner?”

 

“Yes.” Anakin smirked. “I know things, Snips.” 

 

She giggled. Force, he could bring out the silliest, girliest sounds in her. It looked good, the smudged out makeup rimming his eyes, making the dark specks in the blue even deeper. “Where in the universe did you learn to do that?” She looped her arm through his and started to lead him to the speeder bike she’d hidden earlier.

 

Anakin couldn’t help but notice that Ahsoka was taller than usual, and he followed the line of her legs down to a pair of heels she’d gotten from…somewhere and, despite the fact that he was pretty sure she’d never worn them before, seemed to be balancing in them with ease. And while he appreciated the view of her legs on display, they were all he could see, her torso covered by a poncho with the hood up, so he hadn’t even seen her face clearly in the dim light.

 

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” he tugged his Padawan’s arm to stop her.  “Don’t I get a look?” 

 

Ahsoka smirked, though her Master couldn’t see it. “You will. When we get where we’re going.”

 

“Which would be…?”

 

“It’s a surprise, Skyguy. You’ll like it, I promise.” 

 

~~~~~~~~

 

It felt good, having Ahsoka wrapped around him on the speeder bike. She tapped his left or right side to tell him where to turn as they zoomed through Coruscant’s streets and went down a portal about 50 levels; enough not to be recognized immediately but still considered the relatively “respectable” part of Coruscant. With the outfit she’d contrived for him, Anakin figured she wasn’t taking him out for a fancy dinner somewhere. 

 

“Pull over here.” Ahsoka called over the wind, and Anakin did, locking the bike up. They were at the entrance to a nightclub of some kind, and Anakin could hear pounding music inside. People dressed not dissimilarly to him were milling around or smoking outside. There was no line, but a bouncer stood by the door. 

 

Anakin turned to Ahsoka just as she whipped off the poncho, and his jaw dropped. He had never seen her in something like this before. The…outfit if it could be called that - there wasn’t much of it - was all black, a color he’d never seen her wear, but she looked good in it. All over the dress were horizontal oval cutouts of varying sizes; they were tiny on the arms, allowing her to keep her natural markings there hidden, and over her crotch and breasts, but otherwise left little to the imagination. Of course, Anakin didn’t have to imagine, he knew exactly what was under there, just like he knew the markings on her face and -

 

Oh, her face. Her eyes were lined, not as heavily as his, but enough to make them stand out. A shimmery something the exact shade of blue as her irises was on the lids. Her lashes, usually long and thick, looked more so than ever as she blinked up at him through them and stepped close.

 

“Like what you see, Master?”

 

His title on her tongue when she looked like that was both thrilling and perverse. He looped an arm around her back, gloved fingers skimming the bare skin there. “I do. Very much. I’ll be beating the rest of them off with my lightsaber tonight.”

 

“Dance with me first?” Ahsoka murmured, then took his hand to pull him into the club, dropping credits into the hands of someone at a small podium on the way in.

 

Inside everything was dark red or black from the cushioned seating arrangements, the lighting, what the guests wore, even the drinks. Whether it was a themed night or the place always looked like this, he didn’t know and he didn’t care, letting Ahsoka take the lead for once as she tugged him onto the dance floor. He had danced with her before, but around campfires, not like tonight. Tonight she was swaying and gripping and grinding against him, and he did the same. Aankin felt some tension ease out of him as he gave himself over to the pounding music and the beautiful woman who had brought him here. Ahsoka lost herself too, in the music, in the drinks Anakin got them both - just a couple, she had been drunk enough to get sick once and once was enough. They couldn’t really talk over the music, but they didn’t need to - the bond did that for them. 

 

At the bar they were also handing out blindfolds. As the night wore on Ahsoka saw more and more beings wearing them, being guided around by one or more partners. When Anakin came back, he was carrying one. A small gasp escaped Ahsoka at the sight. The memory of Anakin putting the training blindfold on her the night she gave herself to him still made her pulse between her legs. She had wondered, from time to time, if he might ever do it again. Swallowing hard, she nodded at his quirked eyebrow. Yes, please Master. He motioned with one finger for her to turn around and she eagerly obeyed, reaching up to brush the blindfold with almost reverent fingers as her world went dark and her Master settled the fabric over her eyes. 

 

It was impossible to miss how Ahsoka’s every move shifted once he became her eyes. She stuck closer to him as they danced, kept one hand on him always. A little thrill went through her when he twirled her away, so close to being out of his grip. He tugged her back against him, and she nuzzled into his chest. I’ll never let you go. He swore over the bond, knowing the feeling would come through loud and clear.

 

Oh yes, Ahsoka felt Anakin’s possessiveness alright, wrapping around her just like the blindfold did. She felt all of him, in the Force and under her hands. Without her sight, she relied on these more heavily. And the scent of him, that smell that was all Anakin mixed with his sweat and desire…She looped her arms around his neck, as she had done countless nights ago on the battlefield, but here she could stay pressed close, and better, reach up for a kiss. Lips met hers, tender at first but growing in ferocity. And then the pressure was gone, and Ahsoka pouted. 

 

Anakin laughed at the betrayed downturn of Ahsoka’s lips when he broke the kiss. He swept his mouth over her knuckles before pulling her to his side to guide her off the dance floor to one of the booths. They all had sound dampeners, so the music was audible but muffled, and their conversation would be too. Once at the booth, he pulled Ahsoka into his lap, and kissed her again. 

 

“Mmmm!” Ahsoka’s own breathing and her Master’s was loud in the sudden quiet. The seat beneath her was fine veda, plush, soft. Anakin’s lips were soft too, and… kriff he tasted good.

 

“Ahsoka…” Anakin murmured against her lips as he came up for air. “You’re catching an awful lot of attention in that outfit, you know. So many eyes on my Padawan.”

 

She growled quietly at his words. “What are you going to do about it, Master?”

 

“Oh, nothing too drastic.” He murmured as he flipped her around so her back was pressed to the booth and pinned her hands above her head. Her breath came faster now.

 

“Just give all of their drinks a little shove with the Force.”

 

“That,” she said through panting, which really ruined the false primness she’d been going for, “is a petty way to use our power.”

 

She felt Anakin shrug. “I think it’s worth it.”

 

His knee pressed between her legs then and she panted faster, gripping it with her thighs.

 

“Tell me, Snips, if I reached down and put my hand on you right now, would you be wet for me? If I slipped my hand down your panties would my fingers get covered in you?”

 

“You wouldn’t -”

 

“Oh I would.”

 

“I know Master. I mean you wouldn’t have to reach into my underwear.” She managed a smirk, and spoke in a sing-songy voice. “I’m not wearing any.”

 

If Anakin had thought he was hard before, he was stiff as a rock now. He’d already put together her tits were basically free under the tight dress - her nipples had hardened and made themselves known an hour ago. But no underwear either? And that had been true the whole time they’d been here, every time she’s pressed that ass against him or grinded on his knee…

 

“Kriiiiff.” He bit out. He needed her, and he needed her soon. “Are you ready to get out of here?”

 

A part of Ahsoka wanted to say no. She was enjoying the dance floor, the blindfold, the drinks and the music. But she did have more plans for the evening. “Yes, Master. Um… I got us a room. It’s just a block away.”

 

Anakin kissed her then, eager and pleased by her brilliance, which he let her feel over the bond. Force, he wasn’t going to have to wait the whole trip back to the Temple, they wouldn’t have to sneak back in. “I really do have the most amazing Padawan.” 

 

Even with her eyes still covered, Ahsoka’s proud smile was dazzling. “I hear all the best ones let their Masters play with them in hotel rooms.”

 

Anakin laughed as he took her hand, helped her to her feet, and prepared to guide her out of the club. “I’ll let you have your eyesight back once we’re out of here.”

 

~~~~~~~~

 

The hotel room was several steps above the one they’d gone to their first night together. Just about everything in it was dazzlingly white or cream, from the sheets to the curtains to the carpet. Even the bathtub, big enough for two this time. 

 

“Make yourself at home.” Ahsoka gestured, heels in her hand, “I’m going to go fill the tub!” She chirped, and darted into the refresher. A moment later he heard water running. “See if there’s any wine! We can drink it in the bath like we’re in a holoromance.”

 

Anakin shook his head, but it was sweet, watching her create this romantic evening. 

 

“I just realized,” Ahsoka called over the water, “this is our first real date!”

 

“Hm.” Anakin thought about that. “We went to Dex’s -”

 

“Burgers after a fake funeral don’t count!”

 

That made Anaikin chuckle as he looked around for drinks like she’d asked him to. Sure enough there was a small bottle of something dark red and two glasses for it, which he carried into the ‘fresher. He stopped to lean in the doorway and watch Ahsoka add bubbles to the steady stream, then survey the other small containers on the counter. Anakin set the bottle and glasses down next to her with a clink and picked one up, reading the label.

 

“Here, add this one. It will keep the hot water from making our skin so dry we don’t want to touch each other when we get out.”

 

“Hm…” Ahsoka surveyed him with a mischievous look. “Some older and wiser woman teach you all about bath oils, Skyguy?”

 

Not actually, no. At least not how she meant it. This had been a sudden, vague memory from when his mother had been the mistress of Gardulla the Hutt’s obscenely overindulgent baths. But Ahsoka didn’t need to know. “Something like that.” 

 

She shrugged and poured the tiny bottle’s contents into the water. Anakin stared appreciatively at her as she bent over to mix it in, trying to catch a glimpse of her cunt which he now knew was practically bare -

 

“I can still feel you, Skyguy, I’m not that drunk.” She flicked him with water, which he dodged with a smile. This night felt so good, so right. He opened the wine and poured two glasses, then turned to find Ahsoka looking at him expectantly.

 

“Did you want to undress me, or..?”

 

Anaikin considered his options. He closed the distance between them, running his hands - one gloved, once bare - over her arms, her back, down her sides. It was fun to watch her shiver and shift as his touch ghosted over the places her flesh was exposed. “Why don’t you do the honors of showing me what you’ve barely covered up tonight.”

 

Ahsoka knew a command when she heard one, and she brought both hands to the hem of her dress, pulling it up in one slow, careful motion, arching her back just a little as she did. She was rewarded by a hot blast of lust from her Master. When the dress was on the floor she batted her lashes at him as she had at the beginning of the night, and repeated what she had said to him then. “Like what you see, Master?”

 

“I do.” He said, voice gone gravelly with need. “You are so damn beautiful Snips.”

 

It was silly, Ashoka knew, that it still made her head-tails flush to hear that. But she had decided tonight was one for boldness, and so she continued to stand unabashedly before her Master, letting him drink in the sight of her as she stretched out her hands, which shook lightly with the effort of holding back from tearing his clothes off. “Can I undress you too?”

 

“Ask nicely.” Anakin whispered with a smirk that was pure wickedness and had Ahsoka shivering. 

 

“Please.” She ran her hands over his chest. “Please Master let me take off your clothes. I want your skin on mine. Don’t you want to feel me too?” Some more explicit ideas to tease him with popped in her mind, but Ahsoka resisted the urge to say them out loud. She wanted to enjoy the bath, not get thrown down on the mattress and ravaged. Yet.

 

“If we’re going to feel each other, and get in that tub, I guess you had better help me out of these clothes.” He turned, and Ahsoka undid the zipper down the back of the shirt he wore, pushing it down his arms to reveal the taut muscles of his back, which she couldn’t resist running her hands over. She reached around him to undo his belts, tugging his pants and boxers down in one motion and then rising as he turned and closed his arms around her.

 

They moaned at the skin contact in unison. 

 

“Ahsoka you -” 

 

“Ah-Ah!” she twisted playfully out of his grip and snatched up her wine glass. “You’re the one who got me hooked on baths in the last hotel room, Skyguy.” She turned off the water and put one foot over the edge of the tub, then another, and sank into the warm water and many bubbles. “I want to enjoy this one.”

 

“Fine.” Anakin said grabbing his own glass and climbing in to join her. “But after, I get to enjoy you.”

 

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Ahsoka said as she settled against him.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

“It’s strange.” Ahsoka murmured a few minutes later as she held up her glass and swirled around the wine she’d decided she didn’t like the taste of, watching the lights through it and sloshing a little over the side.

 

“The wine?” Anakin asked. 

 

“No. I…well, everyone in the Temple, they know nothing about what we are to each other.” she frowned. “It used to be that was the one place everyone saw me for who and what I really was.”

 

Anakin was quiet, not holding back his concern at her words, but trying to keep her from fully catching the lick of fear. “It’s not an easy position to be in. Keeping secrets.”

 

Ahsoka shifted so that she could face him. “I don’t regret loving you, Master. This feels so right, like it’s where I’m supposed to be, what I’m supposed to do. The Temple was like that, before the war. But now…it’s not us that made everything change. It’s the galaxy.”

 

Anakin sighed as Ahsoka settled against him. “I remember, a couple years before the war, there started to be this - I don’t know, fever pitch in the Force. Padawans like me getting more agitated. Knights and Masters all seemed so worn out. We’d been getting stretched thin for years as unrest grew across the Republic, but the - at the time - new Separatist movement really escalated the feeling. And we all knew the dark side was growing but -”

 

“But no one really talked about it.”

 

At Anakin’s nod, Ahsoka sighed too.  “We could sense it as younglings and Initiates. And now the Sith are out there, for the first time in a millennium, and we still don’t talk about it, not really. We just keep fighting.” She looked up at him with a wry smile. “I swear, arguing with you about the Code and what it means to be a warrior or a peacekeeper is about the only honest conversation I ever have about” she gestured broadly, “all of it.”

 

Anakin stroked her cheek, remembering the words he’d said to Obi-Wan when they’d argued on Lola Sayu. “There are more important things in this galaxy than the Code.”

 

Because the love he and Ahsoka had broke the Code. But it felt just as sacred, maybe more. He saw understanding of that, agreement, in her eyes and felt those things from her in the Force too. Leaning forward, he kissed the marks on her forehead, then her cheeks. Something warmer, needier, came from her over the bond then, and she shifted to press her lips to his. 

 

“You up for moving to the bed?” He asked, already knowing the answer.

 

“Yes, Master.”

 

~~~~~~~~

 

Ahsoka took a moment in the ‘fresher before she went out to join her Master. She looked in the mirror and reminded herself that after the Rako Hardeen mess they had sworn to be trustworthy, that Anakin liked her bold. And he had opened up to her, told her about the Tuskens. He still didn’t talk about his past, but that felt more like a boundary than a secret. And what she had to ask him about tonight wasn’t a secret either. It was a memory. One they shared, or should.

 

“You coming, Snips?” Anakin called from the other side of the door. Ahsoka squared her shoulders and walked out to meet him in her towel, then decided she was better off without it and let it fall away. 

 

“Actualy, Master, I was thinking we both might like it if you came.”

 

Anakin was still in his towel, but she saw his cock twitch through it. “No reason it can’t be both.”

 

“You first.” She took his hand. “Will you sit on the edge of the bed, please?”

 

Anakin dropped his own towel and Ahsoka bit her lip at the sight of him as he did what she asked. She plopped a pillow on the floor between his legs and knelt there, running her hands up his legs. 

 

“I love you Master.” She said, meeting his eyes once more as she began to wrap her mouth around him.

 

“Mmm. Oh Ahsoka, I love you too. And not just ooooooh because of this.” 

 

Ahsoka would have laughed if her mouth had been free. It was okay, if this was a little bit why he loved her right now. She opened herself to him in the Force as she relaxed her throat and took him deeper. Over the bond his presence was winding through and in and out of hers. His left hand came up to cup under her back headtail, warm and calloused but she didn’t mind the rough spots, and she moaned around him at the tender touch, then louder as he squeezed.

 

“You like…” he spoke roughly, “Master’s cock down your throat don’t you?”

 

“Mm-hm.” Ahsoka said, letting the sound vibrate through him and, when that made him jerk in pleasure, making more noises. Yes, she loved this, loved letting herself become filled with her Master, loved the hardness of him and how she had to work not to scrape him with her fangs, not to gag when he forgot himself and thrust a little or shoved her head against him. It made her feel wanted and loved and capable of anything. She used her hands on his balls the way he’d shown her, and his moans grew deeper, louder, and that sweet possessiveness infused her being, born from him. 

 

Mine…

 

Lost in pleasure, Ahsoka’s Master didn’t say the words but she got the message. His. All his. His to protect. His to use. His to love. His. 

 

Ahsoka kept going, doing all he had shown her, letting him feel what she did over the bond, that she wanted all of this so much, and then her Master’s whole body was stiffening, a tell-tale sign he was about to -

 

“Ahsoka! Kriff I’m -”

 

And he did, right down her eager throat as she gulped at what her Master offered, looking up at him from her position on the floor. She felt safe somehow, down here looking up at him. Woken up to who she was and all she could be. She relaxed her jaw and let him slip free as he stilled, and basked in the contentment of him after climax, her cheek pressed to his leg as his hand stroked her headtail once more, rhythmically now. She felt the shift as he came back fully to himself, and turned to meet his eyes as he offered her a smile. 

 

“Well done, Snips.”

 

“Thank you. Um…” Ahsoka swallowed, her throat suddenly dry, and forced herself to keep speaking. It was now or never, and she sensed she needed these answers and now was the time. “Master,” she met his eyes solemnly.  “I need to ask you something, and I need you to be honest with me.”

 

Anakin was on alert immediately, sitting up straighter and taking her hands in his. “What is it, my Padawan?”

 

Ahsoka took one last deep breath, and asked the question that had been haunting her.

 

 “What happened on Mortis?”

~~~~~~~~

Notes:

More notes at end of chapter 12! Enjoy the double post. :)

Chapter 12

Notes:

Suggested Listening:
Not the Ghost - The Crane Wives
The Moon Will Sing - The Crane Wives
Look After You - The Fray

"Oh-ooh-oh, oh-ooh-oh

Be my baby

I'll look after you..."

- Look After You, the Fray

 

“What happened on Mortis?”

 

Anakin’s blood went cold at Ahsoka’s words. It had been some unspoken rule that the two of them and Obi-Wan never spoke of Mortis. It was generally agreed, after the Council’s assessment of their briefs and the fact that supposedly they’d been there - if there was a there - for days yet disappeared for only seconds, that the whole thing had been a vision in the Force. Not real. So it didn’t matter. The beings and experiences and the things Ahsoka had done he’d left out of his report didn’t matter. 

 

On her knees before him, hands clasped in his, Anakin’s Padawan needed an answer. It seemed to matter very much to her.

 

“We…both have gaps in our memory-” He started. What, was he going to lie to her face?

 

“I know.” Ahsoka said calmly, matter of factly. She stuck to that tone as he continued. “And if you really can’t help me fill mine, I will go ask Obi-Wan. But I think you know, Master, what I don’t.”

 

Anakin shook his head, one short jerk like he was waking suddenly. “Why is this suddenly so important, Ahsoka?”

 

Ahsoka sighed. She had expected this, for him to skirt the issue. It was all they’d ever done, after all, but no more. “With our bond so much stronger now, I’ve…there have been some moments it was on your mind and I could sense it, though I don’t think you meant me to.” She answered before he could ask, “In the speeder after Obi-Wan’s fake funeral, and in the Citadel when you pulled me out of that cave. Both times the almost-memory was so thick with fear.” She looked up at him, eyes wide. “Please, Anakin, I need to know.”

 

Anakin wanted, so much to deny her. To insist it didn’t matter, it wasn’t real. He wanted to spare her the pain he knew this knowledge would cause. But that would be a betrayal of what they had sworn to be to each other; honesty. So instead, he squeezed her hands harder, and didn’t shy away from her intense gaze. “Are you sure?”

 

Ahsoka nodded slowly, solemnly.

 

Taking a deep breath, Anakin nodded. “I think I can show you, if we focus on keeping the bond wide open. Can you do that?” 

 

“Yes, Master.” A task before her, Ahsoka straightened her shoulders, raised up on her knees a little. Both she and her Master had entirely forgotten their nakedness. His hands felt warm as they settled on either side of her head, and she kept herself as free to him in the Force as she could, and felt his intensity coming back at her. Then he touched his forehead to hers and his hands seemed to get warmer and then she wasn’t Ahsoka anymore but looking at Ahsoka, back to her, and -

 

“Are you…proud of me Master?”

 

Ahsoka is so closed off from you in the Force. That’s why it took awhile to find her. But she doesn't seem hurt. The question is absurd, given the context.

 

“What?” you almost chuckle. “Uh, course, Snips, of course I’m proud of you, now let’s get out of here.”

 

The Son’s temple gives you the creeps. Maybe not as much as your Padawan’s voice as she keeps talking, something about joining forces with the Son. When she turns to you her eyes are yellow.

 

No. No no no. No this is not happening. 

 

“I don’t need you anymore.”

 

Those words may as well be daggers of ice in your heart.

 

“Ahsoka…Ahsoka listen to me. He has done something to you, snap out of it.” She can do that. She’s strong, you’ve made her strong. “This isn’t you Ahsoka.” This isn’t your Ahoska.

 

“I feel more like myself than I ever have. He asked me to give you a message. He said if you don’t join him, he will kill me.”

 

She laughs at that.

 

“I won’t let him.” Your words have no heat behind them, they are simple, matter of fact. You will not let anyone kill Ahsoka Tano.

 

And then you are fighting. Your Padawan swinging one of her sabers at you with all her might,  kicking you in the chest. When she threatens to kill you, you joke.

 

“Getting ahead of yourself, aren’t you Snips?”

 

But it isn’t funny, not in the slightest. It's just that your options are joke or scream. She is close enough your foreheads could touch if your sabers weren’t crossed between the two of you, your weapons and your will in the Force battling each other. 

 

“Don’t call me that! I hate it when you call me that!” 

 

…Is that true, you wonder?

 

This is not happening. This cannot be happening.

 

“Two Jedi. Finally, a challenge.”

 

Your Padawan. With yellow eyes. Attacking you and your Master, who you didn’t even hear approach.

 

It’s hard to fight when you are trying so hard not to injure your opponent. You throw Ahsoka off, far enough it will take her a moment to charge back, her sabers digging into the ground and kriff are you wishing you’d never let her start using a second one but then who would have ever thought she would turn them on you?

 

“Any suggestions?” you grit out to Obi-Wan.

 

“Yes,” he says, like it’s obvious, and holds up an ancient-looking knife. “We cut her free.” 

 

Like hell. You’re not slicing into or stabbing your Padawan, there has to be another way, she’s strong, she can fight this. The choice is taken out of your hands. Literally, when Ahsoka snatches the knife away and hands it over to the Son. You hear the Son demand the knife, and Ahsoka looks back at you. 

 

“Ahsoka, no.” It’s a plea.

 

But she turns away, and puts the knife in the Son’s hands. Then you see her fall, feel the bright spot that is Ahsoka in the Force snuff out, and hear yourself scream.

 

“NOOOOOO!”

 

You turn Ahsoka’s body over. Her eyes are wide open, rolled back, light gone out of them. You barely hear yourself beg for a solution, insisting there is always hope. You numbly follow Father’s instructions sensing what he does not say as you touch the forehead of Daughter, and a second fingertip to that of your Padawan. As the bodies before you begin to glow, you feel something move through you from Daughter to Ahsoka. Your whole being trembles as the Force pulls itself around you, into you. The bodies float, land. 

 

Nothing happens. 

 

Then Ahsoka coughs.

 

Then she is in your arms.

 

She’s okay. 

 

She’s okay. 

 

She’s okay. 

 

What did I just do to her?

 

“Hey Snips.” 

 

She looks confused. “What’s…going on?”

 

You share a pointed look with Obi-Wan. Maybe it’s for the best she doesn’t remember. Being brainwashed by Son. Fighting you. Whatever else happened. 

 

“Not much. It’s good to see you.”

 

- and she was Ahsoka again, breathing hard and stomach rolling and getting up to run to the ‘fresher, a roar in her ears that all but drowned out her Master calling her name behind her. She dry heaved into the gleaming sink, feeling her skin prickle all over with sweat, unable to get the image of herself falling, her blank eyes, herself sitting up again out of her head.

 

Dead. She was dead. No wonder Anakin didn’t want to tell her. Anakin, who brought her back, somehow. Chosen One and all that. Anakin who was padding into the bathroom now, and she met his eyes in the mirror, not bothering to ask if she was okay when she so very clearly was not.

 

“....I died.” Ahsoka squeaked out, her voice thin and weak, her breath slower now, but shaky. 

 

Anakin opened his mouth a couple of times, trying to find the right words. There were none. “It was a Force vision, it didn’t -”

 

“I felt it. Or your memory of it, me…disappearing from the bond.” She gripped the edges of the sink, staring at her paling knuckles. “That’s why you were furious with yourself when we thought Obi-Wan was gone, because…because you know, sort of, that you can…because you did, for me…” She met his eyes again. “And in the Citadel, that cave cut me off from the Force, you must’ve thought -”

 

“Yes. For a moment. It was different.” Anakin’s words were clipped, spoken through a tight jaw as they talked of his most recent worst memories and his Padawan’s presence riled in the Force, sporadic and unmoored.

 

“And you knew that I wasn’t dead because you knew what it felt like when I did die because I did die and…and….” Her knees shook as she suddenly understood, the emptiness she had often felt since Mortis. The way she had had trouble sleeping, almost afraid to close her eyes and not knowing why. The something wrong that had only felt right in his presence. Her voice broke and tears streamed down her face bringing streaks of eye makeup with them. “If I was dead, Master, then what am I now?”

 

Anakin didn’t break eye contact with Ahsoka’s reflection in the mirror, and he didn’t let himself feel pity for what she was going through. She had never responded well to pity. He answered her sternly, confidently. That was what she needed right now, for him to be steady ground while she wobbled. He placed his hands over hers on the counter, letting her feel his body close. “You are Ahsoka Tano, my Padawan, and you are alive.” 

 

Ahsoka took another shuddering breath. She heard what Anakin said, but she didn’t feel it. She wanted to though, but she couldn’t manage to get the words out. So she relied on the bond, so raw and open right now. Show me, Master. Help me. And then out loud at last, “Prove it.”

 

There was a challenge in Ahsoka’s words, and Anakin Skywalker had never been one to back away from a challenge. One hand - his right hand - stroked up Ahsoka’s arm, and she shuddered. When his fingers ghosted her collarbone her breath stuttered for a reason that had nothing to do with what troubled her. And when his hand settled around her throat she went still.

 

It never ceased to amaze Ahsoka, that the metal casing for her Master’s mechno arm could be as warm as flesh. But it was, and at its touch she felt her pulse race, beating against him in her jugular vein.

 

Pulse. She was alive.

 

Her Master wasn’t done with her yet.

 

Anakin’s other hand roamed. Up her arm, down a headtail. He held it gently in his hand and stroked the tip with a skilled thumb, going around and around in circles. He didn’t look away from Ahsoka’s face in the mirror as he rubbed, using her reactions and their bond to guide him through her desires, her needs. Needs only he could fulfill.

 

Briefly, Ahsoka glanced at her Master’s face in the mirror, seeing pure determination there, his expression set and his eyes intense. She was already trembling at his ministrations to her sensitive headtail, and he wouldn’t stop, she sensed, until he decided she’d had enough.She leaned - no, grinded back against him, feeling the pressure of their bodies so close.

 

Pressure. She was alive.

 

Moving from headtail to nipple, Anakin kept up his circling, fingers getting tighter and tighter. His mouth was in on the action now too, tongue tracing a hot, wet trail across the same quivering headtail his fingers had teased, down to her shoulder. Ahsoka, his Ahsoka, his Padawan, was going to feel her entire, living body, damnit. Mercilessly, he bit into the flesh there, at the same moment pinching Ahsoka’s nipple between two fingers.

 

“Oh!” Ahsoka would have lurched, but she was held fast by the hand on her throat, the fingers tight on her hard nipple, the teeth in her shoulder. That was going to leave a mark. Ahsoka welcomed it, the pain and the promise of a bruise later.

 

Pain. She was alive.

 

Anakin guided his hand lower still, gently parting soft lips slick with desire to make way for his cock. “Feel that Ahsoka?” He murmured as his hips pressed into her, and groaning as he felt her core shape to him. “You feel me inside of you? Do you feel how your body -” he punctuated with a thrust - “reacts to mine?”

 

Ahsoka did feel it, those deft fingers holding her wide, that warm piercing, that fullness and rightness as her Master took her. She needed more, yet all she could manage was a moan. But Anakin understood.

 

“That’s right Ahsoka, I’ve got what you need…” More thrusting, more slickness, sliding deeper and hands gripping and moaning in unison and her clit under his fingers because he wanted her to feel everything.

 

Ahsoka felt more caught than before, a strong arm between her breasts and that mechno arm, so powerful but so careful, around her throat. The other arm leading down, to where her clit was circled and stroked and pressed by relentless touch, and then there was everything else happening between her legs, just as powerful, just as ceaseless. Ahsoka was playing with her own breast now, the nipple her Master had left sore, a low growl bubbling up from her chest. Her Master’s name left her lips like a sacred word. “Anakin…Anakin…”

 

“That’s it, Ahsoka, help Master make you feel good.” Anakin had meant for Ahsoka to come first, but somehow he sensed she needed to see him, feel him, before she would be ready, and so he drove his hips harder, the mirror over the sink shaking as he pushed their bodies into the counter, and pushed himself over the edge.

 

“Ahsoka!” Came Anakin’s strangled cry in her ear, and she felt the flood of his essence, full of midichlorians as his blood would be, his pleasure flooding her even as her own built until she could take it no longer, but it was nothing like death, no.

 

Pleasure. She was ALIVE!

 

“ANAKIN!” Ahsoka screamed his name, knowing it would leave her throat raw and not caring, and as she gave in to the crashing wave of her pleasure, over the bond she witnessed what Anakin did; her very being white-hot with light and heat and life. When the vision faded, she was shaking, but not from horror this time. Her Master’s grip eased, and she braced herself on the counter, panting. He kept one arm around her waist, and she heard breath tearing out of him too. For a moment that was the only sound, then they calmed. 

 

“I will always be here to give you what you need.” Anakin swore, a solemn vow. One he had proved on Mortis, and at the Citadel, and now. 

 

Ahsoka mewled, both weary and still very, very aroused. “And if what I need is to lie down, and then to do all of that again but in bed?” 

 

She yelped as she was swept off her feet and into Anakin’s arms, then nuzzled into him.

 

Anakin relished the feel of Ahsoka’s arms around his neck, her contentment and desire in the bond. “Whatever you need, my Padawan.”

 

And he sealed the promise with a kiss.

 

~~~~~~~~

Notes:

We hope you enjoyed getting two chapters at once, even if they are a little shorter! It just felt right to pair them. If you haven't already, now is a good time to go and read Touch Starved, our prequel to this fic! Life happened and we got these chapters out later than expected, thanks for your patience.

So Ahsoka KNOWS now, what happened. An important step in her and Anakin's relationship for sure.

The next installment is something we only ever outlined parts of, but we are hard at work drafting! We hope to have Chapter 13 out to you in a month, but that's a hope/loose goal, not a promise.

Where else to find us:
tinytogrutafemale on tumblr
creativside on tumblr
Creativside on YouTube (I make Anisoka amv’s!)

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of After the Darkness Shines Through the Light