"Go, go."

"On your right, move."

"Follow me through."

Anakin Skywalker led his top squadron of clone troupers through the dense forest of Nal Hutta. The ringed, marshy bog planet controlled by the huts had been a hotspot of criminal activity for years past. Now that the war was over, it was time for the Jedi Order to step in. Their mission was solely an observe and report back task alone. No side jobs, no sneaky ambushes or plans. Observe and report. Anakin was good at taking orders now. Since his Padawan had abandoned him he'd been different. Less confident, less sure of himself. Now he just took his orders and reported back. Clean and simple. His men still had trust in him, and he refused to let them down, too.

Anakin had missed Ahsoka from the first night she left to the present moment. They had a special bond. A bond between Master and Apprentice that went past the point of respect, it was pride and admiration. It bordered on something stronger, something forbidden for the Jedi. Sometimes he accepted it was for the best. She would have suffocated remaining at the Temple, and he feared he would've grown too attached to her. Things happened the way they needed to, and that's all there was.

"We've been spotted!" Rex shouted, and Anakin snapped out of his cloudy thoughts. Autplot took over and he took off back the way they came.

"Alright, time to go," he called behind him. He led his squadron back the way they came and to a transport that had been hidden at the bottom of a cliff face. They had gotten what they came for, and seeing as they'd lost their cover it seemed like an ample moment to take their leave. They reached the transport, and one of the men fired up the engines as Anakin and the others climbed in. The transport lifted into the sky before shooting out of the atmosphere as if it were never there.

Anakin rubbed his temples as he dragged his feet back through the Jedi Temple. Since losing his Padawan, the temple constantly reminded him of his failure as her master. A place of learning, a place of knowledge, and passing sacred information down to new generations of Jedi – it made his heart drop to a pit in his stomach. He took a deep breath as he entered the council chambers.

"Skywalker, you have returned earlier than expected." The disapproving tone of Mace Windu never seemed to waver, and although Anakin used to resent the condescending tone of the Jedi master, he'd grown to respect his wisdom and thus gained his respect in return. But of course, no one had ever failed a Padawan like Anakin; that much would always be part of him now.

"Yes Master, we were…discovered earlier than planned but we acquired the sufficient knowledge we set out to find." Long gone was Anakin's volatile attitude and irrational decision making. He'd become the knight he'd always wanted to be. For his mother, for Obi Wan, and for Ahsoka.

"I see," Windu mused. "Well, submit your mission report and we will determine our next move."

"Yes Master," Anakin replied. He bowed before the masters and began to take his leave. But before he'd left the room, he felt a change in the room.

"Skywalker," said the familiar green master's voice. Anakin turned to face Master Yoda, the wisest of the Jedi. "Clear your mind, you will. Unmindful, you have been." Anakin did not know what to make of this. Clear his mind? He'd lead dozens of successful missions the last year. He'd been a better Jedi than ever before. Even if he wasn't happy, he was selfless.

"Yes Master," he replied, despite not knowing what the wise master was referring to. He bowed once again and walked out of the chambers. Another deep breath, and he started back towards his chambers. His head was throbbing, and he was looking forward to a good night's sleep. Just as he was about to grasp the handle to his dorm, he felt something. Something through the force that he hadn't felt in a long time. He hesitated and felt his breath hitch. Could this be true? The world fell silent around him, he could hear his heartbeat throbbing in his head. All he could think about was this door, and what was behind it. His hand flinched as the door opened. Sitting at the edge of the bed was an all too familiar face, with all too familiar eyes staring back at him.

A.N – I didn't edit but hope you enjoyed :) More to come.