Rebirth of Light – chapter 1

Note: this is a sequel to Ahsokanerd's story "The Time left to leave." If you haven't read it yet, stop reading this story right now. If you haven't read "The Time left to leave", you won't understand this sequel at all.

I'd like to thank Ahsokanerd for letting me write a sequel for his story. I really liked his story. It was really well-written. I thought of something that could make a nice little sequel to it and Ahsokanerd let me write it.

This will be a short story that I'll work on besides my other stories. I think that it will be about four or five chapters long.

Update 29-09-2014

Ahsokanerd decided to continue to fanfiction, so you can read the original story on his page again.

Summary of Rebirth of Light: Two days have passed since that awful moment. After learning of an awful truth, Anakin Skywalker sets out to prevent more injustice. He thought he was prepared, but he was wrong. What he will find will change him forever.

;-

A man wearing a long robe with a hood covering his face walked into the building. One of the staff walked up to the hooded man to find out what he was doing there. The moment he saw who the hooded man was and noticed the expression on his face, he backed off immediately.

Anakin Skywalker simply stared around the room from underneath his hood. The others in the place quickly stepped aside, they had no intention of getting in his way, no desire to get hurt.

Their concern was well justified, Anakin was in a very bad mood. To say that he was angry was an incredible understatement. It had been two days since his Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, had been unjustly executed by the Republic after a scam of a trial, filled with corruption and false evidence.

He had known that she was innocent from the start. Being forced to watch her die, unable to do anything about it, had been agonizing for him. He had failed to save his mother and now he had failed to save his Padawan, his sister. The mere thought of it tore him apart.

What enraged him even more was the news that had been released following her death. Little over a day after her execution, some people in the Republic just so happened to release a few recordings to the public. These recordings came from the Republic prison where Ahsoka had been held. They were recordings from just before she broke out of the prison. On them, another person was seen beating down and killing the clone troopers, as well as leaving behind a key card next to Ahsoka's cell for her to use. At the same time, the recording of her cell showed her asleep on the bed. These recordings instantly proved that she was innocent.

As he walked further into the building, Anakin's anger flared again as he thought back to the moment where he had heard that news. Those recordings had been in the possession of the Republic from the start, but for some reason, they were never checked before and during her trial. The recordings would've cleared her name instantly, but they were never shown. Someone had deliberately kept them hidden.

He wasn't the only one outraged by the news. Protests had broken out all over Coruscant. A great deal of Senators were horrified by the news as well. Padmé, his wife, had already contacted numerous other Senators. She, along with Lux Bonteri, Ryo Chuchi, Mon Mothma, Bail Organa and several other Senators, were planning on raising quite a bit of hell at the next Senate meeting. What had happened was simply beyond horrifying.

The Republic had murdered an innocent child.

There was no other way to look at it, no way to lessen the damage. Because of a rushed trial, faulty evidence and a pushed sentencing, a young girl who had been innocent all along was forced to endure a horrible nightmare ending with her execution. Thanks to the war, the entire trial had been performed way too fast without even correctly checking all of the evidence, let alone seeing if all of the evidence was present at the trial.

It was an unacceptable failure of the Republic court. Bail Organa was going to make sure that they got to the bottom of this. Someone was responsible for this atrocity and they would be found. No one deserved to go through such a horrible nightmare. Especially not an innocent child that had fought to protect countless others for so long.

Anakin reached the elevator and waited for it to arrive. The door slid open, revealing someone inside. One look at the angry Jedi's face and the woman quickly stepped out of the elevator. Anakin stepped inside and pressed the floor for his destination, the morgue.

Ahsoka's body had been brought there after the execution. When he learned what they were planning to do with her body, he had to use every trick he knew to calm himself before he got creative with his lightsaber.

They were planning on cutting up her body into different parts and sending it to some school, to be used as a meat puppet for tests and whatnot. He clenched his fists angrily. The Council had already destroyed her entire life. They had taken everything away from her, everything that she worked to achieve in the past fourteen years, all gone. They had taken it all from her and completely destroyed her name. They had completely eradicated her life and now, in her death, they were even planning on denying her a proper funeral?!

Anakin shook with anger. He was not going to let them do that, especially not since Ahsoka had been proven innocent after all. He had stormed angrily into the Council chambers when he had learned of their disgusting plan. He had brought the evidence of her innocence with him and played it in the Council room. None of them had given him a reply to his angry questions. He had stormed out of the room even angrier than he had been before.

He and Padmé had had a long talk about this whole disgusting situation. Lux Bonteri had also joined them via the holocom. He had also been tremendously upset when the news reached him. Together, they had agreed on a plan: they were going to take Ahsoka's body and see to it that she received a proper funeral. Anakin was going to take her body from the morgue and then run to Naboo with Padmé. Lux would join them there so they could all properly say their goodbyes. They were planning on trying to locate any relatives that Ahsoka might still have. Depending on that, they would either hold the ceremony on Naboo or Shili.

Anakin had managed to slip away from the Temple unnoticed. Almost everyone on the Council and plenty of other Jedi were all too occupied with the events in the city. He and Ahsoka were both very popular Jedi amongst the public. When the news came out that she had been unjustly executed due to a hasty and improperly conducted trial, the public was on the verge of rioting. They, like him, Padmé and the others, demanded answers as to how this could have happened and who was responsible.

With that as his cover, he had made his way to the morgue to take her body. Lux Bonteri had informed him of a ship the young Senator had hidden away in a small hangar quite close to Anakin's current position. The ship was there to make an emergency exit from the planet if necessary. If Anakin was unable to follow with his original plan, he would take that ship and leave Coruscant, then later meet up with Padmé and Lux on Naboo.

He would see to it that Ahsoka received a funeral worthy of her, no one was going to get in his way. She was his Padawan, his sister and he would make it so that what was left of her would leave this world with the respect she deserved.

The elevator reached the floor where the morgue was. He slowly got out of the elevator and started walking. Memories of their time together started flooding his mind. He saw her walking down the ramp of the transport when they first met, the missions they had been on, the two of them training in the Temple, hanging out, visiting their friends and simply having a good time together. He had to pause a moment to wipe the tears from his face. He looked at the dark, cold halls of the morgue. This place was a nightmare, simply walking there send shivers down his spine. "Don't worry Snips, I'll get you away from here." He swore to her.

A few minutes later he reached his destination. Before he had departed, R2-D2 had sliced into the building's employee timetables. At this time of day, no one was present in the morgue. So far, he had not encountered anyone at this floor. Not that he really cared, he wasn't going to let anyone get in his way. No one would stop him, certainly not some annoying lab coats.

He stopped in front of the door and took a deep breath. He knew what he was going to find inside. He didn't like it, not one bit. But he was going to get Ahsoka out of there, no matter what. He took another deep breath and mentally prepared himself for what he was about to see. With a small wave of his hand he opened the door, stepped inside and immediately recoiled in shock at what he saw.

He had counted on seeing her lifeless body lying in there. He had prepared himself for that, for the horrible truth that she was no longer with him. No longer would she be at his side, she was gone forever. He shut his eyes and rubbed them roughly, not believing what he just saw. Slowly he opened his eyes again and stared in shock at his Snips sitting upright on one of the examination tables.

Anakin stood there in shock as he watched Ahsoka sit there. Her body was trembling as she stared at her shaking hands. He could sense mass confusion and fear radiating from her. "A-Ahsoka?" He asked slowly.

Upon hearing his voice, her head reared up a bit. She turned around a bit and looked at him. "A-A-Anakin?" She asked softly, her voice hoarse. Her eyes were watery and filled with confusion and sadness.

Anakin could barely believe it. He quickly made his way to her side and gently took hold of her wrist with his flesh hand. He could actually touch her! He then checked her pulse and found that her heart was beating strongly. "You're alive…" His voice was barely more than a whisper. He pulled her into tight hug, a few tears running down his face. "You're alive, you're really alive." His voice was stronger and happier now.

It wasn't an illusion. It wasn't a trick of the Force. It wasn't his emotions trying to mess with him. Ahsoka was alive! She was really alive. He could feel her presence in the Force and he could feel her heartbeat as well. He could barely believe, he couldn't understand it, but that didn't matter to him. She was alive, that was all he cared about right now.

A moment later he pulled back from the hug, keeping his hands on her shoulders. "W-what…is…" Ahsoka stuttered out in a hoarse, broken voice. "W-where…" She looked around weakly, eyes filled with great fear and utter confusion.

Anakin gently took hold of her chin and turned her head towards him, her watery eyes meeting his own. "Snips, you… you're in the morgue." He replied softly. "You were executed, but you're alive." His voice was shaking, but now it was with happiness instead of anger.

He could feel her emotions shift violently as her mind processed his words. Her body started trembling again, her fear increasing. "Ahsoka, look at me." Anakin said to get her attention. "You're going to be alright now. I'm here, I'm going to get you out of here and no one will stop me!" He wiped away a tear that threatened to run down her cheek. "I'm here with you and I won't leave you again." He hugged her again, trying to comfort her as much as he could.

Right now he had to fight not to give in to his anger. Ahsoka needed him to be strong right now. He wanted to yell, he wanted to curse that Council and those responsible in the Republic for the condition she was in right now, but that wouldn't help her. He had to remain strong, for her.

He sensed that she calmed down, even though it was just a little bit. He pulled back again and looked at her, a warm, comforting smile on his face. He then became aware of something. He hadn't noticed it before in his great joy and happiness at seeing her alive. He felt his face heat up and he quickly turned around. Anakin quickly scanned the room, looking for something useful. He spotted a set of medical robes lying at the other end of the room and called them towards him with the Force. "Uhm… Here, Snips…" He said embarrassed.

Ahsoka looked at the robes without really understanding what he meant. Her mind was in complete disarray, her thoughts scattered and erratic. At the sight of the robes and the chill running down her spine, one coherent thought managed to form in her mind: she was as naked as the day she was born. Her shaking hands found the robes and she started putting them on. It proved to be a lot more difficult than she thought. Her limbs were stiff and her muscles weren't responding the way she wanted them to.

Anakin wondered how this was possible. Ahsoka had died, there had been no signs of life at all. Yet, here she was now, alive. He figured that the Force was connected with this. There was no other explanation he could think off. Somehow, thanks to the Force, Ahsoka was alive. He didn't know how it was possible nor had he ever heard of such a thing. But right now, it didn't matter to him. She was alive, that was all he cared about.

It took her a few minutes to get dressed, her body wasn't responding the way she wanted to. When she was done, Anakin turned around again. Ahsoka was sitting on the table with her legs hanging off the edge. Anakin noticed that she was still shaking, her skin was paler than normal. He moved to the other side of the table so he was standing next to her. Ahsoka slowly pushed herself off the table, trying to stand up. Her legs didn't want to cooperate and she almost fell over. Anakin noticed it and caught her.

Anakin gently helped her sit down in a nearby chair. He then kneeled down in front of her. "How are you feeling?" Anakin asked softly. It was a stupid question, he knew it. But Ahsoka seemed too understand just what he meant.

She took a shaky breath. "My body is sore, my muscles aren't really working with me." She replied in a hoarse voice. "I'm really cold and my throat really hurts." Her voice was barely more than a whisper.

Anakin took of his robe and helped her put it on. With a quick use of the Force, he ripped the fabric of the hood so it would fit better with her montrals. Ahsoka managed a small smile as thanks. "You've been in this cold room for two days, you'll feel better when we get out of here." He said as he comfortingly squeezed her hand. He could sense a wave of panic from Ahsoka at the mention of leaving. "What's wrong Snips?" He asked concerned.

Ahsoka's eyes were full of worry. "What…" She coughed several times. "What will happen if I…" She coughed a bit more violently this time.

"Ssh, don't talk anymore." Anakin quickly said. Ahsoka gave him a worried and scared look, a look he'd never seen on her before. He rubbed her hands comfortingly. "It's going to be alright. You're innocent and everyone knows that now." He told her. He saw her confused look and sighed. "Little over a day after you were executed, a couple of recordings were released to the public. These recordings came from the prison security system and were already in Republic possession." He clenched his metallic hand tightly, causing several objects in the room to shudder and break. "Those recordings instantly proved that you were innocent. They had them, but they weren't shown at the trial. They kept them hidden so that you would be found guilty." He explained to her, his voice filled with anger.

Ahsoka could barely comprehend it all anymore. This whole situation, it was becoming too much for her. She lowered her head slightly and sobbed a bit.

Anakin could sense the strain on her mind. She needed to get out of this place, the sooner the better. "You're going to be alright, Snips, don't worry." He told her as he locked eyes with her again. "You're innocent, so no one can do anything to you. In any case, I won't let them." He stood up again, still holding her hand. "Do you think you can walk?" He asked.

Ahsoka looked down, thinking about it a moment. After moving her feet and her legs a bit, she looked up at Anakin again. "I…I think so." She said softly. Her throat burned and merely talking took her great effort.

Anakin nodded. "Alright then, let's get out of here." He replied with a warm smile. "Come on, I'll support you. We'll take it easy, no need to rush it. If you need to rest, just squeeze my hand, okay?" Ahsoka nodded back and Anakin helped her stand up. It took her a few seconds to find her balance, but then she stood firm on her feet. "There you go, now let's ditch this place. You'll feel better once we get outside in the warm sun." He said in a supporting tone of voice.

Ahsoka wrapped both of her arms around his flesh arm and held him tightly. Anakin could sense the wild storm that was Ahsoka's emotions, fear and confusion were the strongest among them. He send her some positive feelings through the Force and the two of them began walking towards the door.

They left the room and walked slowly down the long corridor. Anakin supported Ahsoka as she walked. Moving her legs again gave her back more feeling in them, but she needed a short break after two minutes of walking. Anakin picked her up and sat her down on an empty stretcher that stood in the corridor, allowing her to rest for a bit.

Ahsoka lightly swung her legs back and forth, trying to warm up her muscles more and restore the feeling in her legs. In her shattered state of mind, a question managed to form itself. She looked at Anakin with a confused gaze. "Why were you down here?" She asked quietly.

Anakin sighed and took a deep breath. "I learned what the Council was planning to do with your body." He replied. Ahsoka felt a few shivers run down her spine as she recalled what Shaak Ti had told her. "I wasn't going to let them do that to you." Anakin continued. "After everything they did, I wasn't about to let them deny you a proper funeral. So me, Padmé and Lux came up with a plan to get you away from here and off this planet so we could see to it that you received a funeral worthy of who you were." He explained their plan as he gently rubbed her hand.

A tear rolled down Ahsoka's cheek. "Thank you." She managed to say in a hoarse voice.

Anakin smiled at her as he wiped away the tear. "Of course Ahsoka, anything for you." He replied. "But now that you're alive, things will be different." He said in a happier voice. "I'm still going to get you off this planet and I'll see to it that you're safe. We'll just see how things work out, but no matter what, I'm right here with you." Ahsoka managed a small smile at his words.

"Are you ready to keep going?" Anakin asked a short moment later. Ahsoka checked her legs and nodded 'yes'. Anakin nodded back at her. "Alright then, let's go." He helped her get off the stretcher and they continued down the corridor.

;-

About ten minutes later they were both in the elevator. Anakin studied Ahsoka again. She was in a terrible condition, he knew that much. Seeing as she was still able to walk, he hoped that her body wasn't too damaged. Right now he was worried if the combination of that gas and lack of oxygen would cause long-term damage to her lungs or something like that. Simply speaking caused her throat to hurt greatly, so that really was one of his major concerns at the moment.

Her mental condition was a completely different story. This whole situation had messed her up immensely. Her Force signature just radiated all kinds of emotions. Through their bond, he tried to give her as much mental support as he could. It felt more difficult than it was before this whole mess. Nevertheless, he was capable of supporting her.

They were almost at the ground floor where the exit was. Anakin send a quick message to R2. His trusted friend was waiting close by the building with a speeder, ready for a quick getaway. He was going to see Ahsoka safely to Padmé's apartment. There, they would be able to see to her condition.

The elevator bell rang and the doors opened. A worker of the building was about to step inside but paused when he saw Anakin. His gaze shifted to Ahsoka standing next to him. His eyes widened in shock and he ran away screaming.

Ahsoka looked at Anakin even more confused than she already was. "You were dead, Snips." He said in a sad voice. Ahsoka looked down again. "Just ignore them and let's get out of here." Anakin said as he lightly patted her shoulder with his free hand. In response, she held onto his arm a little tighter.

As they walked into the entrance hall of the building, they were immediately greeted by silence and shocked looks. Everyone in the room paused when they saw the Jedi Knight standing there with his supposed-to-be-dead Padawan. The silence was broken by the sound of office materials clattering on the ground and coffee mugs shattering.

Anakin ignored the looks and started leading Ahsoka towards the exit. She hung on to him tightly as they walked. The shocked workers silently moved out of their way, not knowing what to make of the whole situation.

As they stepped outside a speeder landed nearby. The speeder had a roof and concealable windows in order to hide who was inside it. The door on the side opened up and R2-D2 rolled out. The moment the astromech spotted Ahsoka he immediately rolled up to her, letting out wild, enthusiastic beeps.

"That's right R2, she's still here." Anakin told the astromech. "But right now, we need to get over to Padmé's as soon as possible." R2 beeped a few tones and moved back into the speeder. Anakin helped Ahsoka get in before seating himself at the wheel. Once he made sure that Ahsoka was seated safely, he took off, eager to leave that awful building.

;-

Outside the 500 Republica

Obi-Wan Kenobi stood in front of the 500 Republica. He was there with Mace Windu, Shaak Ti and Plo Koon in order to hopefully prevent a riot from breaking out.

Admiral Tarkin was standing on a nearby speech platform, addressing the large crowd of protestors. When the news of recordings and Ahsoka being innocent after all had come out, a large group of protestors had formed demanding answers from the Republic.

Obi-Wan was experiencing quite some mixed feelings. Ahsoka had been innocent all along and none of them had been able to sense it. Then again, they never even gave her a change to speak her part. They hadn't believed her when she said that she didn't do it. As a result of their failure, she had paid the ultimate price.

Right now, he had no idea how he was supposed to feel. This whole situation had been immensely confusing. "Why didn't we speak up? Why didn't we investigate this matter further ourselves?" He silently wondered. "We made too many mistakes and let ourselves be blind to the Force. And now Ahsoka is no longer here…" The mere thought of the cheerful, young girl no longer being around made him feel incredibly sad.

He looked at his fellow Council members. Mace Windu was being his usual indifferent self, but Shaak Ti seemed to be filled with regret. The Togrutan Master had been the last person of them to see Ahsoka alive. The fact that she had been unable to sense the young girl's innocence had upset her greatly. She had treated Ahsoka like she were an enemy, refused to even properly listen to her and now Ahsoka was gone. It had caused a great deal of pain to Shaak.

A little bit behind them stood Plo Koon. Obi-Wan looked at the Kel Dorian master. He had no idea how Plo was doing right now. He had known Ahsoka the longest of them all. The fact that he had lost her because of a faulty trial conducted but the Republic had affected him very deeply. Obi-Wan wouldn't say that the Kel Dorian was angry or furious, but it was something very close. He had no way of knowing for certain how Plo Koon really felt.

His comlink went off so he stepped aside for a moment. "Obi-Wan." He said as he activated the transmission.

"Sir, it's Cody." The familiar voice of a clone trooper replied. Obi-Wan had asked Cody to keep an eye on Anakin. His former Padawan had been incredibly angry with just about everyone ever since Ahsoka was proven innocent. Watching her die at the hands of the Republic had devastated him. Obi-Wan was worried that he would do something to get himself into trouble.

"Cody," Obi-Wan said. "Anything to report on Anakin?" He asked.

"Yes sir," Cody replied. "General Skywalker just entered the morgue, but he…" He paused, not knowing how to explain it.

"What is it, Cody?" Obi-Wan asked. "Don't worry about it, just tell me. I'll handle Anakin later."

"Yes sir." Cody replied. "General Skywalker entered the morgue where they brought Commander Tano's body. He left a few moments ago, but… he wasn't alone, sir." Cody paused momentarily. "I… don't know how to explain this to you General, but…"

Obi-Wan sensed Anakin's presence approaching his location. He looked around and spotted a speeder flying their way. "Thanks for the message, Cody. Anakin is almost here, I'll talk to him." He informed him.

"Alright General." Cody replied and the transmission ended.

Obi-Wan walked back to Mace Windu and Shaak Ti. "What was that about?" Mace asked.

Obi-Wan sighed. "I asked Cody to keep an eye on Anakin." He told his fellow Jedi. "You know that Anakin is not happy about this whole situation."

Shaak Ti nodded sadly, but Mace Windu remained indifferent to it all. "So what did he just report?" Mace asked.

Obi-Wan took a deep breath. "Anakin just paid a visit to the morgue where Ahsoka's body was brought. However, he didn't leave alone." He replied.

"Anakin didn't agree to what the plan was for his Padawan's remains." Shaak Ti said sadly. "Especially now that she was proven to be innocent after all." She shook her head slowly, her lekku swaying along. "Is it even acceptable that we still allow it to happen?" She asked softly.

Mace ignored her question. "Skywalker has always been far too attached to others. This just shows that he still has a long way to go as a Jedi." He simply stated. Shaak send a look at him that Obi-Wan was unable to place, but Mace didn't see it.

In the meantime, the speeder was about to land near the entrance of the 500 Republica. Obi-Wan started walking towards it. "I'll go and talk to him." He said, not wanting to give any other response to Windu at the moment.

The speeder landed and a moment later Anakin got out. The moment he saw the other Jedi and Obi-Wan walking towards him he shot his former Master a look that said he wasn't interested in talking.

Obi-Wan sighed and walked closer. "Anakin, I know that you're upset about Ahsoka, but what you're doing now won't help anyone." He said. "You will only…" He paused, stunned by what he saw next.

Anakin stood aside and helped Ahsoka get out of the speeder. Obi-Wan stood by in shock. Everyone else in the area went silent as they saw Ahsoka standing there, very much alive. At the sight of the other Jedi and Admiral Tarkin standing at the speech platform, she grabbed Anakin's arm again and slightly hid herself behind him.

"She's alive?" Shaak Ti asked in shock. A part of her was relieved, but she was mostly just shocked to see the young girl standing there after they had all seen her die little over a day ago. "How is this possible?"

Next to her, even Mace Windu was stunned. "I…I have no idea." He said in confusion.

When Plo Koon saw Ahsoka emerge from the speeder he stood absolutely frozen in shock. He had no idea how it was possible, but his Little 'Soka was still alive. He felt immensely relieved at the thought of not having lost her.

"Anakin…how?" Obi-Wan managed to ask after a short moment.

Anakin looked at Obi-Wan. "I don't know and I don't care." He replied in a slightly angry voice. "Let's go Ahsoka." He told her as they began to move towards the building.

"General Skywalker, hold it right there." Anakin frowned angrily as he heard Tarkin call to him.

He slowly turned around to face the arrogant admiral. When he locked eyes with him, Anakin send him a murderous glare. "What do you want?!" He demanded angrily.

Tarkin was a little startled by his outburst, but quickly regained his composure. "I would like an explanation from you." He said in an official voice. "And former Padawan Tano will need to be brought in for questioning."

Anakin felt Ahsoka squeeze his arm a little tighter. "Don't you dare go near her!" He warned Tarkin angrily. "Ahsoka is innocent! And if you dare go near her again," He grabbed his lightsaber with his free hand and activated it. "I will cut you down myself!" He threatened angrily as he pointed his lightsaber in Tarkin's direction.

Anakin could sense a slight hint of fear from the admiral. For what he had put Ahsoka through, he really wanted to rush up to the arrogant bastard and cut him clean in half. His anger with the man increased and he tightly clenched his lightsaber.

He would've dashed towards Tarkin immediately, had it not been for Ahsoka still holding tightly onto his arm, reminding him of what was far more important. He deactivated his lightsaber and put it away. "Come on, Ahsoka." He told her. "Let's get inside."

Ahsoka looked up at him and nodded slightly. Anakin nodded back and started leading Ahsoka into the building, ignoring the sounds of protest from the others present. He would see to it that she remained safe, no one would prevent him from doing that.

;-

That's the end of the first chapter.

Thanks again to Ahsokanerd for allowing me to write this.

I'm working on the Battle of Kiros chapters for "Tale of a Togruta" and "A Mirialan's Story" as well. However, I'm having some trouble with writer's block at the moment. The general part of both chapters is finished and I've written a few of the scenes for Barriss. I'm stuck at the rest of the chapters, though. I decided to take a little break from the chapters. When I read Ahsokanerd's story this idea came to my mind.

I will alternate between this story and my other stories. I will try to finish the Battle of Kiros chapters as soon as I can, but I won't upload them if I'm not yet happy with the chapters. I don't want to rush them and upload two weak chapters.

Until next time.