Chapter One

Worms and Nightmares and Comfort

*This takes place soon after 'Brain Invaders' in the second season of Star Wars The Clone Wars.

Ahsoka's POV

I ran through the white corridors of the medical frigate TB-73; my lightsaber in Shein grip behind me as I ran, not entirely certain why, or if I was running away or from. I suddenly stopped and jump through the communications centre in the frigate. I tried to contact my Master, "Please Master"! I whisper to myself as despair started to spread into me to mix with my gut-wrenching fear. "Please Master, I need you"! I say it through the force this time, trying to reach out and contact him that way. I don't feel him through the force, I've always been able to sense my Master no matter how far the distance. Then I realise, I can't sense anyone, Obi-Wan, Master Yoda, Windu or Barriss. Barriss! She was infected by the parasites that were mysteriously spreading throughout the ship. I turned in time to see her suddenly advancing towards me, her own blue lightsaber glowing in the darkness of the room. I whipped my lightsaber in front of me and blocked a swipe to my head but was pushed back into third defence right near the top of my lightsabers handle. I had to get distance to get out of my last defence positioning. Her weight was being pushed down on my right-side so I stepped to the left and made her lose her balance and footing, I didn't attack her back, she wasn't doing this, the worms were, right? I deflected her attacks with growing fear, not for myself, but for the things that might happen to who knows how many others if I could not stop these parasites. I had no idea how to stop them, and no help was forthcoming. I extended my left hand towards Barriss to channel a force push to shove her back against the wall, but nothing happened. Where was the force? I tried to tap into it but felt nothing; I really started to panic, what was wrong with me?

Barriss spoke or at least the infectious worms spoke through Barriss; "You have no force-sensitivity, you are no longer a worthwhile asset to us, I will cut you down like a helpless child"!

A cruel smile worked across Barriss' face as she relayed the words. I felt a single tear run down my face as my comlink began to beep; "Ahsoka"!

The last words I ever heard from my Master, before Barriss struck me down with her glowing blue sword. With no intuition from the force, I was unable to look ahead; I was unable to stop the blow that stopped my heart. I didn't scream. I just apologized to my Master in a whisper.

I sat up in bed with a gasp. The room was dark and dead quiet, my bed sheets had been kicked right down to the end of my bed and my breath came in short gasps. No matter how many times I experienced the dream, I was still left shaken and terrified. I had told my Master when coming back to the Jedi Temple after two whole weeks of the repeating nightmare, his quarters were a few down from mine, and I usually shared a two bedroom room with Anakin but thought it best to go to an empty one, not wanting to disturb him with my cries in the night. He said I could always go to him with anything, anywhere, anytime. Wondered if this was one of those circumstances that he would count as necessary, or childish? I was a Jedi

Knight for force sakes! Or, close to one, I had seen may horrible things during my time as Master Skywalker's Padawan, I was suppose to take these battles and events in my stride, learning from them and I usually did, but something about my last mission had a huge impact on me. I had talked to Barriss about my nightmares and she understood, but did not experience the same thing.

"I really can't remember what happened Ahsoka", she had said to me in the medical bay after recovering from the mission, which, unlike my dream version, had been a success. But even then, after I had stopped the parasites and saved Barriss and the clones on board, and delivered the spice, even then, I still hadn't been sure my mission was a success, but Anakin had supported my actions and had comforted me after the whole ordeal, and he still was.

I would not break, I would deal with this like a Jedi, I would not seek comfort from him now, it was late at night, or early in the morning, probably the latter. I didn't want to disturb my Master's rest, if it was anyone else, yes, but Anakin rarely admitted weakness or defeat, apparently sleeping was betraying these ideals.

I tried to get back to sleep; it didn't work, like the millions of other times I tried. I was getting angry at myself, I wouldn't give in, I wouldn't go crying to him like a child, I wouldn't disturb him, I wouldn't, I wouldn't, yet, despite my efforts of restraint, I found myself getting up out of bed, carrying my pillow and soon standing outside my Masters door.

Damn it! I mentally kicked myself.

They door quietly opened, and Anakin laid there on his side facing the wall on his bed. I listened to his subtle calm breathes and I swore I could also hear his tranquillity. I was starting to get second thoughts, he looked sooo peaceful, I could just walk out again back to my room without disturbing him, he would never know, or so I thought.

"Snips", he simply muttered.

Damn him! I mentally kicked myself again, but I tried to keep the fear out of my voice that was still coursing through me from the dream. "Master", I whispered back, I'm so glad he couldn't see me; standing in front of his door, wide eyed holding a pillow, it was a pathetic situation for a Jedi like me to be in.

"Was it the dream again"? he said, so calmly and respectfully, like he knew what I was going through and it was fine for me to come crawling to him in the early hours of the morning.

"Yes", I whispered even softer and looked down at my bare feet.

He didn't sigh like any normal parent would with impatience or annoyance at their child, he didn't send me back to my own bed or come to mine and sit with me and tell me to think 'happy thoughts' till I fell asleep, no. The 'Chosen One', the 'Hero with no Fear' 'Savoir of the Republic' just lifted his bed sheet up to show his bare back and a spot for me, an invitation of comfort.

I walked over to his bed quickly; he looked incredibly warm and comfortable in there and so I laid my pillow down and slide in behind him as he let the blanket cover me, we were back to back and I suddenly felt completely safe with my strong, protective Master lying there so close, he was giving off heat like a heater pack, my own personal heater, and guardian. He was tough and strong, he wouldn't let a nightmare worry him, and I respected him so much right now to have that will power.

Anakin's POV

I woke up with a jerk from a nightmare, a premonition of the future technically, the same kind I had had about my mother before she died. But I hadn't taken it to heed and was too late to save her. Over my mother's grave, I swore that I would never let anything like it happened again. I hadn't been strong enough to save her, that would not be happening for a second time, no one else I cared for was to die if I was able to prevent it, and no one else was going to go through the torment of having your heart ripped apart from the loss of a loved one, no one.

So it was expected that after having a premonition of such a death of my Padawan Ahsoka, that I didn't shrug it off.

She had been drowning, sinking towards the dark depths to the bottom of some vast ocean; she drifted away from me, faster than I could swim, bubbles from her emptying lungs floating silently up to the surface. I swam deeper and deeper after her, she was fading into the dark a-bliss, I couldn't reach her, my lungs were burning, but I kept diving down, I reached out my hand towards her as she vanished from my sight.

I then woke up with a jump and wet from sweat; like I had actually been swimming after her, gasping for air as if I had been holding my breath the whole time. No, it wasn't going to happen, I wouldn't let it happen!

And yet, you couldn't save your own mother. A little voice inside me whispered; even then you had had a glance at what the future installed for your own dear mother and you had not acted.

I had to agree with the voice, my conscience that was so often right and had saved me a million times, but also had almost gotten me killed.

It won't be repeated, I told myself again. She is safe and can hold her own, right?

Wrong.

Oh shut up, I've heard enough from you. Telling my own conscience to be quite wasn't done so simply though. It kept whispering unpleasant thoughts to me; but what of the dreams Ahsoka had been having? Were they connected, were they also premonitions of the future? Or where the just nightmares from her recent mission which had gone so tragically wrong, yet she pulled through.

I discovered a smile crossing my face as I thought of how my Padawan had saved the day and had managed to overcome all the odds and danger stacked against her. I had been, and was, so proud of Ahsoka, she will be a great Jedi one day, and I'd make sure of it.

It was then that at that moment I sensed my fearful Padawans' presence standing at the end of the room. I wondered if something had come up for her to come and wake me at such an early time, then I relaxed as I remembered her latest sleeping troubles and the bad dreams she had been experiencing every night since the medical suppliers delivery Padawan learner Barriss and Ahsoka had made.

Right now, I understood completely how terrified and frightened she must be feeling. I knew she needed comfort, and that I was the only one who could give it to her.

"Snips", I muttered quietly without rolling over, I lifted up the warm blanket I had been under and invited her in for comfort. She responded and slid in behind me, I immediately felt her relax and take a deep breath. I laid there sensing her calm herself through the force and trying to get back to sleep.

I followed her lead and closed my eyes, pondering whether I should tell her about my dream or not, or if it would just increase her worries and support her fears.

I'll decide in the morning I thought to myself as I sensed her finally drift off to sleep. I did decide to stay awake though, in case another of her nightmares disturbed her again, but she seemed to feel safe in my presence. Too bad I wasn't so convinced, my own premonitions kept me awake, just as I thought of giving up on sleep; it must have slowly crept up on me, for I don't remember drifting off when I woke up late the next morning.

I woke up but didn't open my eyes; I was lying on my side and could feel the rays of the morning sun upon my face. I inhaled deeply and let it out with a rush through my nose. Something moved beside me and I froze, I slowly blinked open my eyes, everything was bright and blury, I turned my head to look over to my Padawan, she continued to sleep peacefully, she had had an uneventful night after she came into me, and though it was highly un-orthodox, I had felt it was okay in this circumstance, for it had given her a well needed rest.

I sat up slowly, trying not to awaken Ahsoka, I sighed quietly and rubbed my face, my un-gloved metal hand, still felt foreign to me and was expectantly cold, the circuits whirring as the mechanics moved like a natural for-arm.

My bed was up against the wall and so my normal exit was blocked by the sleeping form of my Padawan. I rolled my eyes in annoyance and slide to the open end of the bed, I stretched my stiff muscles from staying crammed on one side of the 'much too small for two people bed' all night and headed over to the refresher station.

My shower was long, hot and steamy, the perfect thing to wake you up, well, actually if anything it makes you almost fall back to sleep, which I almost did.

After the wonderful excitement of not being able to hold the soap without it slipping out of my grip every time, I sensed though the force that my Padawan was still sleeping soundly, I decided she'd had enough sleep and wondered how I was going to wake her up nicely.

Singing really loudly and badly and all the wrong words in the shower?

Maybe not.

Chucking on some fresh pants I then went back into my room, towel drying my wet hair and searching for the rest of my clothes. They were soon located, all except my boots, I shrugged; I'll look for them later. Putting on the rest of my clothes I continued to glance over to my Padawan, not wanting to deal with what will come of me waking her up on our day off so "early". I glanced at the time, ten-ish. "Okay", I said walking towards my messed up bed and Padawan, grabbing a pillow I stood over her. "Time to wake up Snips", I grinned down at her unsuspecting peaceful form, and then brought the pillow down on her face with a loud whump!

Ahsoka's POV

I sat up quickly with a yell from a frightful awakening from a pleasant sleep. Someone had whacked me with a pillow or something similar; I looked up to see my Masters' grinning face. It took me a second to remember why I was in his room but then relaxed and responded by whacking him hard in the stomach in with my pillow. He doubled over then ducked under my second attack; he rolled to the end of my bed, grabbed my bare feet and started pulling me off.

"No Master, Don't"! I laughed as I got dragged towards him. He let go just as I fell off, I landed on the floor, not to softly, I rolled over and glared at him.

"I told you it was time to get up", he said laughing at me as I lay on his bedroom floor.

I raised an eyebrow at my Jedi Master, "No you didn't".

"Oh", he said smiling. "I meant to tell you".

I rolled my eyes and chucked a fallen pillow at his face; he ducked it easily and then turned to walk into the main entrance room. I reached out under the off-floor bed behind me and grabbed something, it was his boot. I fumbled around and found the other one. I chucked them both at his retreating form. I knew he would sense the missiles approaching him though the force, but it was mainly to enforce my annoyance.

He turned just as the heavy boots were about to make contact, catching them easily in each hand, he smiled. "My boots! You found them", he said pulling them on. "And here I was thinking I'd have to go down to breakfast without them".

"Was that a hint"?

"Yes".

"Fine", I groaned and headed towards the refresher station.

"And be quick about it", he said sitting down on the couch in the entrance room.

I emerged from the shower fresh and clean from the previous long night; I was still much to tired. I glanced up to the couch in the main room to see Master lying down on his back, holding up his un-gloved mechanical hand in front of him, and tinkering with it.

"What's wrong with your hand"? I asked standing over him, inspecting the foreign object which replaced Anakin's hand.

"Nothing", he said pulling his glove back on. "Just making a few adjustments to my previous adjustments". He stood up quickly and grinned, flexing the false arm.

I wasn't sure whether he found it extremely interesting and cool, or despicable and shameful. I'd had to ask him one day. I followed him out the door as he proudly explained his improvements on the limb.

"...which features electroastic fingertips which afford me with some sensation, alloy ligaments for movement, and interface modules that link the prosthesis to the surviving nerves. Over time, I've enhanced it to make it better suited to my purposes; as a result, the cybernetic prosthesis became much stronger than my natural arm". He looked at me when he finished, waiting for a praising positive response on how highly talented and smart he is, he wasn't going to get it, for I had halfed phased out, just nodding when he stopped for breath. We continued walking towards the mess in the Jedi Temple, passing younglings and Jedi Masters alike.

I noticed he was still looking at me, waiting for a response, so I told him the truth; "Ummm...what"? It was the truth; I hadn't really understood a word of his fast talking gibberish.

He sighed, "I've basically got super-human strength in my false right arm".

He held it out in front of me as we entered the kitchen, "Oh, right", I said distracted. "Good for you".

He sighed again as we headed for the line to get our food, well at least I did, while Anakin just cut in-between two younglings and quickly grabbed a yellow-and-cream-coloured shuura fruit, juicy and sweet. I rolled my eyes at him; taking advantage of the younger individuals. He ignored me and walked over to an un-occupied table at the very back off the room against the vast wall. He sat on the table leaning against the wall casually waiting for me, taking a bite from his pitiful breakfast.

After the night I had, I didn't feel like eating at all but I knew I should eat something, so I decided to follow his lead, grabbing a drink and then pulling the same kind of fruit towards me from further up the line.

He was just finished his own breakfast when I sat down on the seat near where his legs were hanging over the edge of the table. He stared at me with those incredibly fantastic blue eyes of his, no; he was starring at my juice.

"Can I have a sip"? He asked breaking the silence of me munching on the shuura fruit.

"No, get your own," I said quickly taking a sip. "Besides, I've drank out of it". I said smiling with confidence that he would now cease to insist on sharing, I was wrong.

"Oh, eww, gross"! He said sarcastically and pulling a face, then went all humourless. "Ahsoka, we just slept a night in the same hideously undersized bed, you really think I care".

I sighed, "Here", I said passing my drink to him.

"Awww, thanks Snips", he said smiling then took a huge swig.

"Hey"! I grabbed for the drink, but the cup was almost empty. I couldn't be bothered arguing and didn't even try to protest when he left I was too tired, so I sat there alone. I started shifting through my thoughts of last night, my nightmare, what did it mean? As I sat there trying to figure it out, I didn't notice as another glass of juice floated next to me, only to land carefully next to my right arm. I turned around, only to see my Master disappearing though the doorway, I smiled. My worries eased, Anakin was protecting and helping me through this, I felt suddenly calm as I gulped down my drink and hurried through the doors after him.