Chapter 9: Chapter 9 Clone Wars Part 2
"Am I a slave owner?" Anakin wondered a couple of hours later when the separatists, unsuccessful in their ambush, had deployed their army in earnest and would soon come at them with everything they had.
The separatists had the upper hand in space, and they had only had a stealth ship to bring reinforcements and supplies, which was no longer there because Republic resources were very limited and had already been sent elsewhere. Right now, they were on their own.
This planet was an industrial center, and as always, they couldn't allow it to fall into the hands of the separatists.
"Master, I'll infiltrate enemy territory, capture their leader, and the war in this place will be over," Anakin said. "I've done it dozens of times when someone thinks they're setting a trap for me."
"Anakin, we have heavy artillery, tanks, and a clear path. Plus, our supplies are sufficient, we won't starve waiting," explained Obi-Wan, who preferred to wait. "I'm also awaiting my new Padawan…"
Anakin didn't hear anything else after that. "She's here," Anakin thought, and his heart raced before he could shift his focus to the Force.
"Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked.
"I'm fine. I think it's best to wait for supplies, and I'll go see what I can do in the meantime," Anakin said, hurrying away to find a corner and meditate.
Ahsoka Tano, the Padawan who was about to arrive, was Xion's favorite Star Wars character and also his favorite Jedi. She had personality, like Anakin, but unlike him, she faced and overcame all her trials. She was fun, human, and approachable, as well as being a survivor and headstrong. Xion had fallen in love with her in the first season of the Clone Wars, although he didn't like the animation style and it was very different from reality. She was on this planet and he didn't even know it…
Anakin shook his head vigorously. He wasn't Xion, he was Anakin, and he wasn't going to let a fan's feelings dominate him.
Anakin wasn't okay, his feelings were a mess. "Those miserable elders know that Ahsoka is my weakness," Anakin growled in his mind. He wondered if they had sent her there just to disturb him, since he had already made it clear that he didn't want an apprentice. The fact that Ahsoka had been assigned to him and Xion's feelings were out of control didn't help at all.
That day, more than ten years ago now, he had lost all self-control when he saw her, and she was just a baby. He didn't even realize he had formed a bond with her. He was so blind at that moment that he didn't notice Yoda and Yaddle had used the Force to trouble Ahsoka and force him to intervene. Those two trolls were very sinister…
Anakin shook his head again. In the series, Ahsoka Tano was designed to be a sort of daughter for Anakin, since he already had Padmé… His heart raced at the thought of her.
"Leave me alone, a woman who will die if I pursue her and will lead me to the dark side, and a teenager, seriously, you're killing me here!" Anakin scolded his own heart. If his divine cells weren't decades away from assimilating his body, he would suspect that Xion ATG's lust was attacking him.
On the other hand, since Xion came to this world, he hadn't been with a woman. Anakin was too busy, and getting rid of his desires had been too easy in recent years. The Force was proving to be very useful in simple things. Perhaps it wasn't a power on the level of a god, but it was very useful.
Anakin shook his head one last time before reaching his room and starting to meditate. He didn't even know who the hell he was anymore, but he knew he wouldn't have peace in the near future because it would be impossible to rid himself of these feelings. He was in love with Padmé, even though he knew it would end badly. It wasn't even a good idea if she wasn't a tool of Palpatine to tempt him. They weren't compatible.
When it came to compatibility, he and Ahsoka were soulmates, they were practically the same character. Ahsoka was wild, rebellious, restless, impatient, and eager to prove herself. They were like two peas in a pod, which is why they were his two favorite characters…
Anakin felt like crying, and he promised himself that the Council would pay for his suffering at the hands of this damn fanboy… "I love myself," Anakin thought.
"Aaaaaaah!" Anakin screamed in his mind. "Elders, you're going to pay for this!" Anakin shouted in his head, focusing on his meditation and forcefully dismissing everything, even his own thoughts. He didn't even want to hear himself anymore. If he kept doing this, one of these days he would wake up and she wouldn't be any different from other women to him…
"It's a shitty plan, I still can't get rid of my feelings for Padmé and it's been a year since I got rid of all my feelings for her, but she screams, and I go running to wag my tail," complained Anakin in his mind.
"General Skywalker, the supplies have arrived," a soldier reported. Anakin swallowed.
"Just be polite, follow protocol, don't do anything crazy, forcibly dismiss everything you feel, and everything will be fine," Anakin advised himself.
Five minutes later, he found himself face to face with a skinny teenage Togruta, with big eyes, who was a Padawan. Anakin approached calmly, examining every feeling that came to him and forcefully dismissing anything that seemed inappropriate. The excitement of meeting her was forcefully pushed away. She was beautiful… before he could even form that thought, all emotions tied to it were dismissed.
"Anakin, it seems there was a little confusion and the Jedi Council…"
"Assigned me a Padawan by mistake? Even though I was very… extremely specific in saying that I didn't want a Padawan and that I would resign from the Order if they assigned me one?" Anakin asked with a sigh. Obi-Wan cleared his throat.
"Well… um… this… this…" Obi-Wan stammered.
Anakin shook his head with regret and placed his hand on the shoulder of the young Togruta, who seemed increasingly afraid of being rejected.
"Ahsoka Tano, welcome aboard, I hope this ends well for both of us," Anakin said with total sincerity. He withdrew his hand calmly while forcefully dismissing a flood of emotions without even examining them. Then he looked at Obi-Wan.
"Master, you and the Council are going to be the death of me," Anakin said with a sigh.
"Anakin, everything will be fine. You'll do well," Obi-Wan reassured.
"Fine my ass, you just made my life very difficult, don't expect a Christmas present," Anakin scolded in his mind.
"Master, how did you know my name?" Ahsoka asked, frowning. Obi-Wan blinked, realizing that Ahsoka hadn't introduced herself to him at any point.
"Ahsoka, sometimes the Force shows me things, tells me things, or warns me about things. And the fact that you arrived at this place is something I had already seen," Anakin said without telling the whole truth, but all his words were true. Obi-Wan instantly regained seriousness.
"Anakin, have you seen something bad?" Obi-Wan asked, remembering the future visions he had had and that had come true, even the Jedi Council now took him seriously for this. Anakin sighed and placed his hand back on Ahsoka's shoulder.
"Ahsoka, as my Padawan, it's necessary for you to know certain truths about me," declared Anakin. Ahsoka mentally prepared herself to receive tragic news. Obi-Wan, who knew Anakin better than anyone, looked at him strangely. "Ahsoka, your master is a lazy good-for-nothing who doesn't like responsibilities," explained Anakin. Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, and Ahsoka was stunned. "So no matter what you've heard out there, don't have high expectations of me or you'll suffer a great disappointment."
"I'm extremely stubborn, and the Council knows it. They even named Obi-Wan a master just for managing to train me and turn me into an acceptable Jedi Knight," Anakin explained sincerely. Obi-Wan shook his head and also placed his hand on Ahsoka's shoulder.
"Young Padawan, just remember there are worse destinies," consoled Obi-Wan. "I used to tell myself that," he added as he walked away with drooping shoulders, as if recalling something traumatic. Anakin smiled at a frightened Ahsoka.
"Don't worry, there are many advantages to being my Padawan. I'm very strong, and the droids, who are the main army of the separatists, have never been able to stand up to me. You'll be safe by my side, and they say security is the most important thing," comforted Anakin as he removed his hand from Ahsoka's shoulder. "Now follow me, we have to finish this battle," Anakin ordered and set off behind Obi-Wan to establish their battle plan.
…
"Our enemies are only a few thousand, and we have the advantage of range, a clear view, and a free shot. Once our troops regain the space, we'll have won," explained Anakin. Obi-Wan grimaced.
"A few thousand? Aren't we only a few hundred?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Calm down, master. I'll take down the big ones," Anakin declared, and as if the enemies had heard him, they began their march towards them.
The troops hurried to form up, and their artillery cannons, which were their advantage in this place, began to fire. Anakin marched at the front, alongside Ahsoka, who was nervous about her debut as a padawan.
…
"Ahsoka, I'll take down the big ones. You take care of the little fries that come our way," explained Anakin.
Ahsoka blinked as she saw the enemy ranks of thousands of droids advancing in formation with tanks and spider cannons among them. Their reinforcements were hundreds of meters behind them, and from what she could see, her master was about to launch himself into their midst. She was about to protest, but Anakin grabbed her waist and jumped into the middle of the avenue. Ahsoka kicked in the air and closed her eyes with a sigh, expecting her death as they were shot by the army. However, a second later she was still alive and unharmed, while the tank in front of which they had fallen exploded, wiping out nearby troops.
Ahsoka opened her eyes to see dozens of droids shooting at them, but the shots didn't reach them because spheres floated around them forming shields, three around Ahsoka and five around Anakin. These spheres were ten centimeters in diameter and floated around them. Additionally, there were four larger spheres in front of them that were twenty centimeters in diameter and had shot down the tank, blowing it to pieces.
"Ahsoka, those shields aren't unlimited. If you don't start taking out those little droids, you'll end up burned all over," warned Anakin, controlling the large spheres and concentrating his will and strength on them to aim at a mobile cannon advancing on a giant tripod platform.
The spheres fired a energy similar to lightsabers, and two legs were easily cut off, causing the cannon to fall and explode, while their shields protected them from the fragments. Ahsoka, who had already reacted, was cutting down droids using jumps and powerful saber strikes in the Shien style, shouting with excitement. Anakin smiled, knowing they were very compatible, but shook his head vigorously in his mind, he couldn't lose his head in the middle of a battle.
…
"Master, that's incredible! It's like an extension of your own body. I thought the spheres were droids. How can you maintain your focus in battle and control these spheres at the same time? How is it that you don't exhaust yourself from deploying shields for so long? Why is the firepower of the four larger spheres so overwhelming? How can they cut through a tank like it's butter? How were you able to disarm that battalion of droids?" Ahsoka asked non-stop as they returned to their camp after the droid army retreated due to the disaster they had caused in their ranks.
The droids barely engaged In combat with the clones, and their losses had been massive, so they had to retreat. Anakin smiled, and Obi-Wan put his hand to his face in frustration.
"This may have been a bad idea," Obi-Wan said.
"Ahsoka, I possess a great deal of Force. I'm the most gifted Jedi in this aspect throughout the Order, so I use it to my advantage with the shields, which are actually just repulsed Force, not real shields. As for the firepower, it's a kyber cannon that I designed myself to harness the kyber crystals that the Sith have donated to me this year.
"They are more cooperative and less finicky than the Council, which decreed that anyone who facilitated my access to the kyber crystals would be severely punished," Anakin explained. "But the Sith are good people. They've gifted me four, with which I can use the Death Stars, and in the future, they might give me more gifts, and I'll make you your own death spheres. Although the Council has banned their use unless it's a critical situation, so we'll have to throw ourselves into the thick of battle to try them out," Anakin continued. Obi-Wan grimaced.
"If the Council disagrees, why do they allow it?" Ahsoka asked with confusion because the Council was absolute to her, and the Jedi did what they said.
"Ahsoka, your master has political influence. There are few things the Council can forbid me from doing in war, as officially we are the Republic's army, and this war is directed by the Senate. Therefore, if you get the support of the right people, the mighty and powerful Jedi Council can only threaten you with not making you a master and vetoing any possibility of you holding a position on the Council. And as I would rather pull my own teeth out with my hands than be a member of the Council, you could say they have nothing to pressure me with.
"As for you, if you're asked anything, you're my padawan and you simply obey orders," Anakin explained. Ahsoka looked at him in amazement while Obi-Wan continued to grimace.
"Rex, report," ordered Anakin, returning to war matters.
…
A couple of hours later, the enemy redeployed troops, this time using a shield.
"This will be endless," said Ahsoka.
"That's evident. They're just scrap metal, their generals don't care if they're destroyed," said Anakin. Obi-Wan sighed.
"Go for their general, I'll watch over this position," said Obi-Wan dejectedly, finally conceding to his plan.
"Consider it captured," declared Anakin and looked at Ahsoka. "Ahsoka, your master will now teach you how to attack a battalion of tanks and come out unscathed," said Anakin.
…
Two hours later, a quarter of the enemy tank battalion protecting their general was destroyed, most by friendly fire, and their general was captured after the tank he was taking cover in was split in two by a shot from his death spheres.
By capturing the enemy general, he deactivated his army, and the city was liberated. They barely lost a couple of men in the entire battle, thanks to Anakin causing a ruckus in the middle of their ranks so they never reached their troops cornered at the end of the avenue where they were deployed.
"Ahsoka, it's time to train so you can assist your master in the moment of obtaining gifts from the Sith. And bear in mind that I'm a demanding master," said Anakin. Ahsoka nodded enthusiastically, even though they had just come out of a battle.
Anakin led her to an empty warehouse and pointed to his backpack behind him, which opened and released eight small spheres. Then, it fragmented and formed the four Death Stars. Anakin sent three spheres towards Ahsoka, sat on his legs, and gestured for her to sit in front of him. She complied.
"Ahsoka, your lightsaber technique is not bad, and considering your age, you even surpass many padawans," praised Anakin. Ahsoka puffed out her chest and swelled with pride. "But lightsaber skill alone isn't everything for a Jedi, and I see that you also understand this, as your control matches your ability. As your master, I can only advise you to keep practicing in these two aspects, and you will undoubtedly progress.
"Nevertheless, I can do more to keep you safe in this war, and I will do so by teaching you to control these spheres, which although you've only seen me use for defense, can actually also be used for offense.
"The other skill I plan to teach you will help with your control technique for the spheres and is the one I used to disarm the droids and their weapons. But this skill, despite being useful, requires great perseverance and precise control of the Force, so you won't be able to use it in the short term. However, it will improve your control and, above all, your perception of your surroundings and your own body," said Anakin, and Ahsoka blinked.
"My body?" asked Ahsoka, not understanding. Anakin nodded with a sigh.
"Yes, there's a part of your body that you don't consider yours, so when your emotions are stirred up, you lose control over it disproportionately. Do you know what I'm talking about?" asked Anakin. Ahsoka widened her eyes, and he could feel her shock.
"You're that kid…" Ahsoka shook her head and looked him up and down.
Anakin discarded all his emotions and thoughts to the Force, becoming a stone statue to Ahsoka's senses. He knew what she was talking about, but he refused to think about it.
"Master, please, forgive me, I'm imagining things and I've mistaken you for someone else," said Ahsoka, trying to use the bond he once created to feel him, but Anakin blocked it completely. This girl was also rude, just like a kid, he was an elder.
"Ahsoka, you lose focus too easily, but I see that you already know something about the subject, so our work will be easier," said Anakin, and Ahsoka nodded.
"Ahsoka, the number of Jedi who don't embrace the Force as part of themselves is alarming, and those who lose focus on the Force at the slightest hint of danger are concerning. Sometimes, just aiming a blaster at a Jedi is enough for them to immediately forget about the Force and resort to their lightsaber, forgetting that they can simply take the blaster without anything opposing them," explained Anakin. Ahsoka thought for a second and then nodded in agreement.
Anakin had avoided mentioning the bunch of idiots who died at the hands of Grievous in the last year, charging at a cyborg with superhuman reflexes and, in a panic, being instantly dismembered, when any Jedi would be capable of sending Grievous flying without any effort, snatching away his lightsabers and any weapon he could use. But being scared, they convinced themselves that their lightsabers were the best option, when in reality it was an external tool, while the Force had always been a part of them.
Even masters fell into this logic flaw because in Xion's memories, the same Obi-Wan who pushed heaps of droids at every moment with the Force, turning them into scrap, in Xion's memories faced Grievous with his lightsaber, putting on a pitiful show, and in the end, had to resort to using a blaster. Anakin could only feel ashamed to see his master do something like that.
"Ahsoka, the best way to not forget that the Force is part of you when you lose your cool is by facing danger, and for that, it would be advisable for you to confront about thirty clone soldiers until you can dodge and stop all their shots.
"Of course, I'm your master and would never be so cruel as to send my newly arrived padawan to train in that manner," said Anakin. Ahsoka widened her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. Anakin smiled.
"Ahsoka, first I'll teach you the method I've developed so you can control these spheres the same way I do, without mentally exhausting yourself by using the Force constantly," explained Anakin, moving one of the spheres with his mind. "First, this is the simplest way to move the spheres, and it's what I do in emergency situations, when the scenario suddenly changes or I need to cover an area that isn't programmed. This method is very easy, but exhausting. You simply push with the Force, which for someone with your level of Force and control over it, will leave you drained in a few minutes.
"The other way to do it is this," said Anakin, and all the spheres began to rotate slowly around him. "Can you see what I'm doing?" Anakin asked calmly. Ahsoka frowned, but as she was about to respond, she noticed something strange and refrained from speaking. Anakin waited calmly. It was a pleasure to watch… Anakin forcefully discarded those feelings.
"Master, you're not controlling these spheres," Ahsoka said after ten minutes of focusing her concentration to the maximum, but still looked incredulous.
"Yes, if you exert your influence over the Force, it will maintain control for you as long as you give instructions. But every time you change these instructions, you'll drain your mental strength, so the effectiveness of these spheres depends on the experience and senses of the Jedi using them," explained Anakin, and Ahsoka looked at him incredulously.
"Master, if this is true, those shields…" Ahsoka trailed off, stunned.
"That's right, the shields that protected us can't be active all the time. The spheres are only extensions; I'm the one who activates the shields centered in a specific area. As for how the spheres change position to intercept the shots," Anakin raised his hand and tapped one of the spheres lightly with his finger. The sphere was pushed and then moved normally. "In battle, that little tap must be done by you," explained Anakin, and Ahsoka nodded solemnly, understanding that this was not easy and would be a very difficult skill to use.
"For the second skill, there's no point in explaining it now, you just need to train," said Anakin, raising his hand and bringing twenty small debris fragments closer, turning them into dust and then into hundreds of tiny spheres no more than a millimeter in diameter.
"From now on, you'll hold onto these little things around you at all times, and your task will be to prevent them from colliding. You also have the task of playing with them and moving them according to the first explanation. When you get used to it, you'll be ready to undergo training to withstand the soldiers' weapons," ordered Anakin. Ahsoka widened her eyes again.
"Master, the Jedi Council…" Ahsoka began, but Anakin raised an eyebrow.
"I'll tell them it was your orders," Ahsoka said with regret.
"Excellent. As soon as we get gifts from the Sith, I'll create Death Stars for you. They're very useful in emergency situations," explained Anakin.
"Master, aren't Sith crystals contaminated?" asked Ahsoka.
"They are, but I can purify them quickly. However, if this information reaches the Council and they ask me to cleanse Sith artifacts, I'll cut your tongue out. Our official response to these crystals is that they're not contaminated," explained Anakin. Ahsoka blinked.
…
In the evening, they received the call from the Council. They received it in the command center, where Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, and he were. They looked at the hologram of Masters Yoda and Windu, who fixed their gaze on Ahsoka, who was training with hundreds of small spheres. Windu frowned, but said nothing, as the training of the padawans was the business of their master. While they could reprimand Anakin, he would simply ignore them, so there was no point in complaining.
"Master Kenobi, Knight Skywalker…"
The Masters informed them that the fleet had regained control of the airspace easily since the separatists were still expecting a stealth attack and their shields were worn out. Now, the planet was theirs. But the war was not over, and the Supreme Chancellor had another mission for him and the 501st he commanded.
The mission was a rescue mission, as a Hutt's son had been kidnapped, and the Republic wanted to use this to gain unrestricted passage through Hutt territory. Of course, Palpatine himself was the kidnapper, and whether the Republic or the rebels gained control of the Hutt routes, he would win.
If the rebels won at the end of the war, Palpatine would win. And if the Republic won, Palpatine would also win. It was a war whose purpose was for Palpatine to seize power. Anakin would make the miserable old man pay when he got his hands on him, but he couldn't do this until the war ended.
…
Anakin and his battalion set off to the place where Palpatine's spies said the Hutt baby was, a peak in the middle of a forest where an old monastery was. Anakin supposed Asajj Ventress was there…
The Force confirmed Ventress' presence, and Anakin could already pinpoint her exact location.
"Rex, it's a trap, the baby is in Dooku's hands," informed Anakin as they were arriving with some climbing tanks to invade the supposed pirate nest.
"Sir, who sent us that information?" asked Rex, who was monitoring communications but didn't see anything.
"Allied spies, the information is reliable, so you'll stay in command, while my Padawan and I infiltrate, capture the baby, and get out. Then you simply withdraw," explained Anakin.
"Sir, how are…" The spheres deployed, and Anakin grabbed Ahsoka by the waist.
…
Ahsoka blinked as her master held her by the waist and, quite literally, flew to ascend the mountain. Ahsoka could only blink.
Jedi couldn't fly, at least not on their own. If another Jedi launched them, that was different, but flying on their own was impossible. A support was needed while using the Force. But there she was, held by the waist, while the most powerful Jedi she had ever known in all her existence flew to the top and also concealed his and her presence, passing by the droids without them noticing him. His infiltration skills were absurd.
…
Five minutes later, they reached the top of the peak, but her master didn't stop there; instead, he went to the roof, opened a hole with his lightsaber, and they both entered.
"There's a Sith apprentice in this place. Find and capture him, I'll go secure our objective," said her master and disappeared from her side, blending into the shadows. Ahsoka blinked.
"What?" whispered Ahsoka in disbelief.
"Her, to search for and capture a Sith apprentice when she had only been a Padawan for a few days?"
Ahsoka trembled slightly. Her master seemed to be as crazy as the rumors said… or he was so powerful that capturing a Sith apprentice was nothing to him, Ahsoka thought bitterly. But there was nothing to be done; the order had been given, and she was in the wolf's den.
Ahsoka hurried to retrieve a sphere from her backpack. These spheres were technology developed by her master and were an extension for the Jedi who used them. If one's control over the Force was good, the things that could be done were incredible. Unfortunately, Ahsoka could only partially control one without it affecting her concentration with the lightsaber. Ahsoka had already tested it with her master.
The sphere floated around her with a predefined orbit, and Ahsoka took a deep breath. She released her emotions to the Force, calming herself and sharpening her senses around her. She wasn't going to sit idly by with a Sith apprentice lurking around.
Ahsoka walked through the dark corridors, diminishing her presence in the Force while tuning her senses. She moved through the dark floor. She was on the top part of the temple; the Sith apprentice should be hidden on the first or second floor, so she had time…
"Master, the Jedi have arrived, but they seem to have suffered some malfunctions," said a serpentine voice that even lisped. Ahsoka could only blink at her bad luck.
"Fool!" reprimanded a deep voice. "He should already be there by now. Get the baby out. We won't accomplish anything if we don't even know when they've taken it," ordered the deep voice.
"Yes, master," said the lisping voice.
Ahsoka could only sigh resignedly and move forward to meet her enemy, who, upon revealing her presence, hurried to get into a defensive stance and draw her lightsaber, so Ahsoka finally saw her face. It was pale as a corpse and also had a certain snake-like air, illuminated by the red tainted light of a lightsaber.
"Ah, a little mouse approaches my den," said the Sith apprentice.
"I am Ahsoka Tano, and my master Skywalker has ordered me to capture you. So, if you surrender now, there will be no need for violence," informed Ahsoka.
"Skywalker, I'll kill you!" growled the Sith apprentice with a hiss of pure fury.
Ahsoka could only attack her as well, but barely a minute after engaging in combat, she knew there was no way she could capture this Sith apprentice, as they were evenly matched…
They weren't evenly matched; she was better with the lightsaber, but Ahsoka was using the defense sphere, which equalized them, as she needed fewer defensive moves that she could invest in attacking, leveling the playing field.
"Jedi trash, fight honorably," reprimanded the Sith apprentice, chastising her for using the defensive sphere.
Ahsoka ignored her nonsense, as the apprentice had two sabers and she only had one, and she wasn't complaining. She was also older than her and seemed to have more experience.
"Jedi trash, if that's what you want," said the apprentice with a hiss as several droids advanced from behind her.
Ahsoka knew she was in trouble and assumed a more defensive posture, as she was also good at Form III, the problem was she wouldn't get out of this defending herself, and with the support fire from the droids, combined with the Sith apprentice's lightsaber attacks, Ahsoka was in real trouble, as the blaster shots deflected weren't taking down enough droids, and she had to invest more force in the sphere's shields and keep retreating…
The Sith apprentice stopped attacking, and the droids stopped firing. A second later, Ahsoka felt footsteps behind her, and her heart calmed, as she knew those steps. Strong, as if he were a giant, and steady, like an immovable army.
"Intimidating my Padawan with numbers, Ventress?" asked her master, arriving behind her and placing his hand on her shoulder to draw her towards him in a protective gesture.
Ahsoka had to admit she would have been angry if any other Jedi had done that, as she didn't believe she needed anyone's protection; she was content with their support, but…
In reality, this Jedi who was behind her… He didn't need any support; he was too powerful. It was absurd to think he could be her companion in battle, Ahsoka thought dejectedly.
"Skywalker!" hissed Ventress. Ahsoka could sense the fear in her.
"Ventress, I'm glad to see you. I was just telling my Padawan that when she receives more gifts from you, I'll do something special for her, so I'm happy to see you," he said sincerely. He didn't hide his joy at seeing Ventress, but she extinguished her lightsabers and placed them on her back protectively.
"Skywalker! I'll kill you one of these days," said Ventress and ran off, using the droids as cover.
"Master, she hadn't actually left," said Ahsoka with some relief, looking up to see her master give her a confused look.
"Ahsoka, I must pursue your gifts. Take care of our target while I return," said her master and dashed off, cutting down all the droids in his path that began shooting again, but it was futile against his onslaught.
Ahsoka didn't understand what he meant until she turned around and saw a baby Hutt crawling on the ground. "He really left me to face a Sith apprentice alone; he wasn't looking out for me," thought Ahsoka stunned as she saw the rescued baby Hutt.
Ahsoka could only pick up the baby Hutt. She didn't know what to think anymore. She felt like she couldn't understand her master. He seemed kind, but he was capable of threatening to cut out her tongue, and he had also left her in a very dangerous situation without hesitation. On the other hand, when they were together, he seemed protective, but then he would suddenly leave.
It was as If he didn't even know what he was doing with her… Ahsoka thought that was absurd and decided to stop thinking nonsense.
Her master returned ten minutes later with a big smile, holding two crystals in his right hand. Ahsoka guessed he had raided Ventress. Her master approached and handed her the crystals, which had already been purified and emanated a strange familiar feeling. Ahsoka frowned as she looked at them more closely…
…
Her master hurriedly withdrew the crystals, and his smile disappeared as if by magic; he was back… not cold, but serene and distant. Furthermore, Ahsoka would swear she saw him flinch when she tried to examine the crystals.
Ahsoka had to admit she was starting to get scared.
"Ahsoka, I'll give them to you when the Death Stars are finished," said her master. "Now we have a mission to accomplish. Follow me; there's a ship on a nearby peak," said her master and ran towards where they came from.
Ahsoka ran behind him to the hole they entered through initially. Her master jumped, and she jumped behind him. Then they ran towards a canyon where her master grabbed her backpack and jumped to fly to another nearby location.
"I'm going to die," Ahsoka concluded with absolute certainty. Her master was a guy with two personalities. Both personalities were equally kind and used the same tone of voice to speak to her, but their way of acting towards her was completely different.
As an example was that protective personality that took her by the waist to climb to the monastery. Ahsoka had to admit she felt embarrassed, but she also had to admit it felt very safe. Then when they arrived, her master stepped away from her, and the protective personality was gone. He sent her to face a Sith apprentice without hesitating for a second.
Then the protective personality returned, and without caring at all, he almost cradled her in his arms. Then he went to get her gifts and returned with a sincere smile. A second later, that smile vanished, and she was dragged by her backpack.
In conclusion, her master treated her in two completely opposite ways. And Ahsoka was sure that this guy dragging her now didn't care at all and would one day send her to fight alone against a Sith Lord and have her head chopped off because he didn't care about her safety. Before, being taken by the waist was embarrassing but very safe, and there was a world of difference in being carried by her backpack, which could break and throw her to almost certain death.
Ahsoka swallowed hard as they arrived where the ship her master mentioned was, and a somewhat frightened droid came out to greet them. He didn't even look at the droid, just passed his lightsaber and casually cut off its head, as one would cut a rock, like the guy who grabbed her by the neck…
Her master turned to look at her with a furrowed brow.
"Ahsoka, I sense anxiety. What's wrong?" her master asked.
"Master, have I offended you? I feel like your treatment of me changes to something… Dismissive. You're kind, but it's the kindness of someone dealing with a rock," Ahsoka said apprehensively.
Her master went pale, although his emotions remained serene, or maybe she couldn't perceive them. Still, he was already… "discarding everything about me," Ahsoka realized incredulously.
"Master, if I've done something wrong, I apologize. Please, don't dismiss your feelings towards me," Ahsoka said, before processing what she was saying. But it was too late because her master stood frozen, and she was frozen too.
Ten endless seconds later, her master offered her a sad smile.
"I guess that's evident. Ahsoka, I'm sorry. Actually, I already knew you before seeing you that day," he said with a sigh. "Come, we can't stay here. I'll tell you this on the way," he said and walked towards the old ship with his shoulders slumped as if he felt tired… or defeated. Still, Ahsoka couldn't overlook that her metallic backpack broke into four spheres that flew and became part of the ship's hull.
The smaller spheres became part of her clothes, sticking to her like patches. None of this was technology; it was all done with the Force, and Ahsoka felt it, but she couldn't understand anything.
Ahsoka shook her head and hurried to follow him. The ship was junk that could barely move, but her master got it running in less than five minutes, despite leaving the astromech droid behind, and soon they left the planet to set course for Tatooine. After confirming everything on the ship, her master sighed and looked at her beside him.
"Master, did you have visions about me? Is that why you didn't want an apprentice? Will I do something wrong?" Ahsoka asked apprehensively.
"No!" her master reprimanded. "You haven't done anything wrong; you're perfect," he said with a sigh of regret. "Ahsoka, as I told you before, I already knew you, and yes, that's why I didn't want Padawans, because I knew you would be assigned to me, but that's not right because…" her master leaned back in his seat and sighed.
"Ah, I can't say this!" he said with obvious frustration. "I'm a terrible master," he complained.
"No, you're a great master. In just a few days by your side, my skill has already matched that of a Sith apprentice with a lot of experience," Ahsoka said. He was a bit crazy, but he was an incredible master. "Master, I understand. You don't have to say anything," Ahsoka said. Her master sat back down, frowning at her.
"What do you understand?" her master asked.
"You have feelings of friendship and trust towards me, even attachment, one could say, and you believe that expressing them wouldn't be appropriate," Ahsoka said. Her master seemed surprised, and Ahsoka felt satisfied with herself because that meant her insight was outstanding. Ahsoka nodded.
"Master, it's true that it's a bit strange, and I've felt somewhat embarrassed before because you've made gestures too close to me, but it hasn't been inappropriate in any way, and now that I understand it, I can accept it. I feel honored that you have such great friendship towards me," Ahsoka said sincerely.
Her master offered her a sincere smile, the same one he gave her when he showed her the crystals he had stolen for her. He lifted his hand and stroked her face before sighing.
"You're so real now. In my memories… It's not real. I'm sorry, don't hesitate to hit me if I act weird and scare you, I'll try not to overwhelm you by confusing a dream with the real world," her master said with a sadness that pierced Ahsoka's heart, and she could feel his pain, but not understand it because that was impossible since she hadn't had this vision. Her master withdrew his hand, and she felt secure again, but not comfortable.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone