A/N: words in italics are thoughts, characters speaking to themselves in their head. This story takes place at the end of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, just after Ahsoka Tano leaves the Jedi Order.

Thank you for reading this story! I had an opportunity to write a Fanfiction as an assignment for my Fantasy Literature class and chose Star Wars as my topic, filling in a plot hile that I've been dying to have a story to fill. So here we go! Also, in case you didn't know this, I don't own Star Wars or any of its original characters, nor am I attempting to collect money from the use of someone else's IP.

I can't believe this is happening to me…

All I've known and worked hard for… gone…

The council didn't trust me or have even a glimmer of faith…

It's like they didn't even know me…

"Ahsoka! Wait!" Ahsoka heard Anakin call out to her, full knowing she had just crushed him, but had to keep going. "Ahsoka! I need to talk to you!" Ugh. She really didn't want to talk to him, but this would be her last chance to say goodbye. She stopped, took a deep breath, and allowed her former master to catch up, steeling her nerves to confront his inevitable pull back towards the Jedi Order, whom she had already set herself on never returning to.

As she heard his running footsteps on the cold stone walkway come to an end behind her, Ahsoka turned around and looked up into the eyes of her best friend, the only one who had never given up on her, the one person she had never wanted to hurt. Slightly out of breath, Anakin asked the only question that his boggled mind could put words to, "Why are you doing this?"

Ahsoka had prepared for this question, but had hoped that he would understand why without her having to say it. She answered, sounding more frustrated than intended, "The council didn't trust me, so how can I trust myself?" Anakin knew that she had good reason to leave after being accused of and almost imprisoned for several crimes that she didn't commit, but couldn't let her slip away just on that. She was more than a friend to the young Jedi; though he would never say it outright, he didn't need to. "What about me?" he asked, knowing it was selfish of him but putting that aside. "I believed in you. I stood by you!" Anakin didn't want to sound angry, but this flood of emotions was getting the better of him and he felt betrayed by his best friend, even above Obi-Wan. Ahsoka, always one to have a level head about her, looked down momentarily in sadness, not wanting this conversation, but knowing she had to force herself to continue and hold back the welling tears replied, "I know you believe in me, Anakin, and I am grateful for that, but this isn't about you. I can't stay here any longer, not now." She looked away, unable to bring herself to look Anakin in the eyes.

Pulling out the last stop he could think of, unable to come up with any reasons besides himself for Ahsoka to stay, retorted, "the Jedi Order is your life, you can't just throw it away like this! Ahsoka you are making a mistake." Now his desperation to hold onto his student and partner was getting the best of him. She heard the pleading tone in his voice and could sense his feelings of dejection, but forced herself to steel her nerves just a little longer, looking Anakin in the eye once more and speaking with a false confidence to end this conversation quickly—she had to get away from him, or she wouldn't be able to refuse him any longer. "Maybe, but I have to sort this out on my own, without the council, and without you." Now she was breaking and for the last part of that statement, she had to turn around and face away from the man that mattered to her more than anyone else in the world; both of their pain growing deeper and deeper.

Anakin, followed suit, unable to look at his padawan, and opened his heart to her one last time, in one last attempt to hold on. However, he was holding on by a thread and knew it all too well. He would have left in a much more uncivilized manner than she if the same treatment had been given to him. "I understand." He started, Ahsoka already knowing where this was going. "More than you realize. I understand wanting to walk away from the Order." "I know," Ahsoka replied, glancing over her shoulder to see her closest friend in his depressed state. She had known about Padme for quite some time, unable to confront him about breaking the Jedi code for her own desire to do the same.

Surprised at first, Anakin quickly realized that he couldn't hide anything from Ahsoka and it made sense that she had figured out his biggest secret. He glanced over his shoulder, making eye contact with Ahsoka for just a split second before she turned back around and continued her path towards the streets of Coruscant. Anakin didn't try to stop her this time—he knew she was right and couldn't stay if she were to find herself.

As Ahsoka walked towards the edge of the massive Jedi temple, her façade broke and tears started rolling down her cheek. He was right, after all. She was leaving her entire memorable life behind, was losing her best friend and, if she were honest with herself, the man whose side she never wanted to leave, she had no place to stay, and she had no money for food, shelter, or transportation. Not that transportation was high in her priorities, she just didn't want to be on the filthy streets of the Republic capital any longer than necessary.

Descending the temple's stairs to the bustling streets below, Ahsoka pondered what her next step would be. Where will I sleep tonight? Would someone just let me in for the night? No, and I wouldn't trust just anyone here. Do I have any friends to stay with? I guess Ventress would count, but that isn't desirable. Padme? It would be weird after what happened with Anakin today, but I know she would let me in.

Deciding that the loved one of her former master was also her best option as a place to spend the night, Ahsoka made a sharp right at the bottom of the stairs. She felt cold and lonely as she wandered down the dusty street. Glad she was in one of the nicer parts of the city-planet, Ahsoka let herself blend in with the relatively few others walking about the street. Looking up, she saw the many lanes of traffic whizzing past. They made her think of Anakin. She looked to a lonely man huddled between two buildings, a hair parlor and a head shining shop. She had been to both before. That was where Anakin regularly visited for a haircut and he once dragged her along to get a shine (quite a useless treatment to her). Dangit! There I go again, thinking about him. All the years on this planet, all the underworld scumb we put away, all the memories with Anakin. I just can't escape them! Now her sorrow turning to anger—anger at herself—and she tried to stop the onslaught of tears and squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn't let herself break down, not now. She was done with the Jedi. Done. No going back. She had to make it to the apartment complex of her second best friend before she broke down.

Deciding to try something new, something she had never been allowed to do, she used her wave of emotion to feel the force flow through her even stronger. She probably looked weird to the strangers walking by, but this would be worth all the strange glances in the galaxy! Feeling her inner sorrow, anger, resentment, and her hope for a new life even, she opened up all of them to the force!

Eyes closed.

Emotions intensified.

Power swelling.

Let it all out.

3…2…1…

Ahsoka opened her eyes, letting out all of her pent up emotions in one gigantic burst, feeling the force flow within her stronger than ever. It was warm and soothing, but yet cold and terrifying. This went against every bit of her many years of training, after all, but this was the first step to letting the Jedi fade away from her life.

Releasing the power that had been welling up inside her, Ahsoka jumped. Higher and higher she soared, higher than even the walls of the Jedi temple behind her. High enough to see miles and miles of the city around her. Higher than some of the traffic lanes. Oh no the traffic! As Ahsoka started to panic, she also started to focus, feeling out with the force to land on top of an oncoming speeder, just to jump off again. While not as high as her initial jump, she still soared higher than most Jedi could and certainly higher than any jump before today. She landed on another speeder, this one several lanes higher than the first, and jumped off just as deftly, not even alerting the driver to her activities.

Looking about the expansive city, Ahsoka found her target not far off her current course. Upon her third jump from a speeder, she focused all of her feeling into the force once more and focused her thoughts on her destination. She leapt, not up, but in a straight line off the rounded back corner of her impromptu platform, and soared straight for the top of Padme's building. Using the force to offset gravity, she flew like a hawk, feeling the rush of her newfound power in her emotions. She had been told this would lead to the dark side, but right now she didn't believe any of that. No Sith had flown like this before—not in the stories and experience of the Jedi anyways—and she felt no inch of darkness in this moment of freedom. No. She felt at peace for the first time since the start of the war, since she was meditating with Master Yoda.

As she drew ever closer to her target, she let gravity pull her towards the landing platform not fan below her current vector. She landed on the end of Padme's private platform, using a burst of power from the force to slow her before bending her knees and rolling once before standing up—a procedure she had performed innumerable times. Upon landing, she saw several guards rush out from the hanger, ready to protect their senator. Calmly, Ahsoka walked towards them and held her hands up. Not seeing any weapons on her, the guards slowed their approach and met her at the intersection between platform and the walkway to the building.

Before the guards could ask "state your business," one of them recognized Ahsoka from her many visits to the senator. He held out an arm in front of his comrade as he had started to speak, giving a reassuring glance. His companion let his voice fall unheard and nodded to the guard who recognized Ahsoka. Patiently, Ahsoka awaited his questioning, which never came. He just looked into her eyes. Unknown to Ahsoka, this guard had been there since Padme had become a senator and had witnessed all the times Ahsoka had visited, along with her recent trial. Mustering up his strength, the guard simply pulled Ahsoka into a hug. Startled by tis affection from a stranger, Ahsoka was initially shocked. Once she was just getting used to it though, he pulled back and resumed his solid façade. "It is good to see you, Ahsoka. More people had faith in you through that mess than you realize. I'm sure Senator Amidala will be glad to see you tonight. Follow me." Stunned by this guard's words, Ahsoka followed silently, unsure of what to say or even feel right now. As they entered the door to the Senator's home, they found her sitting on the couch reading a book. Always one for the old ways. Ahsoka laughed a little in her head and smiled as she gazed upon her close friend. "Thank you," she quietly told the friendly guard, pulling him into a quick hug. "Happy to help."

Padme looked up from where she sat and her heart nearly jumped out of her chest as she saw Ahsoka standing among three of her guards, two being left outside to continue their work. Her face lit up as she stood up and rushed across the room to her guest. "Oh Ahsoka I'm so glad you're here! I was so worried about you after I heard what happened at the temple!" she and Ahsoka embraced and the relieved Ahsoka found herself leaning into Padme's shoulder as tears started to flow once more, her rush from her flight having worn off and her emotions returned, albeit, less intense now than before. The guards let themselves out, returning to their duties and giving the women some space.

Padme broke the hug and walked with Ahsoka over to the couch she had been sitting at before the welcome intrusion, letting her young friend rest her head on Padme's shoulder. Breathing deep, Padme knew she had to get Ahsoka to talk about what happened before she could deal with it herself, having been in many troubling situations herself. "Ahsoka, Anakin told me what happened." Ahsoka flinched at the name of the man she had spent so long with. "I never wanted to hurt him," she mumbled as she struggled to maintain enough composure to speak, forcing back tears and her voice tried to stay locked up in her chest. Padme knew this was hard for the young woman, barely in her twenties and leaving the people she had spent her life with. This was certainly harder than any of her own challenges, but she also knew that if anyone could make the best of this, Ahsoka could. "Please. Tell me everything. You need to talk through it," Padme coerced, hoping Ahsoka had the strength to talk it through tonight. Padme became concerned though, as Ahsoka remained silent. Concerned, that is, until she heard how slow Ahsoka's breathing was. She had fallen asleep right there on padme's couch, leaning into her shoulder, finally able to rest after likely the hardest day of her life.

Glad that Ahsoka was resting, Padme made a mental note to have a memo sent to the Chancellor that she would not be in the morning session tomorrow for a personal emergency, and picked her book back up while not disturbing Ahsoka while she slept. Ahsoka may have found a place to spend her first night, but she had a lifetime ahead to figure out. That, however, could wait until morning.