If you think I discontinued this story, you are mistaken. Instead I got 20 hours of out of class work to do. It's on the packet stating that how long it should take me to complete however it's a subject I'm not good at sooo… updates will be slow.
BIG THANK too KingpenguinJG. Your comment is very much appreciated. To answer your question, I was debating on giving her a reverse grip.
I'm so glad people enjoy this. This whole story as been for entertainment for myself and an experiment of playing with ideas and practicing my writing!
"I can't sleep…." Her voice had dragged out with a long sigh while she laid hear head sideways. Her big blue eyes were aimed toward him. "It's too quiet." She merely whispered. Liar. One look in her eyes and one could have seen that was not the reason she couldn't sleep.Anakin could not help but rolled onto his side to stare back at her. He had knew it was pointless to try to ignore her, to pretend he was asleep. Maybe when it was back in the beginning days of their partnership he could pull it off but now she knew him to well. "It's always too quiet." A smirk had taken control of his lips. He might had been tired, and worn looking. Almost as if he had aged by a few months. Yet It was Anakin Skywalker and the man was never tired enough not to be cocky, especially toward her. He watched through the dim light of the room as she had pushed herself up into a sitting position, and he swears he could have felt the way Ahsoka's eyes rolled that night in response to him.
Moment's of silence had swept between them, more or less hovered in the room like an unwelcome guest but neither one of them were up to the task of confronting it. The mission they were going home from was brutal. Violent shakes of the ground, followed by screams and flying limbs had been witness by both of them. Everyone had been tense after it and anyone that was still alive felt a small sense of victory that they had survived to see another day.
The Separatist had won that battle. Anakin's troops were outnumbered, him and his Padawan had struggled keeping droids back as they just kept coming. Then came tanks that they were not expecting which only had fueled the bloodshed. All except few clones had survived that day.
The Jedi part of him made his throat tight; Clones were made to die, they were expendable. It was their duty.
Yet he would swallow that lump and…. "They were men… Who deserved better." The words had cut through the slice sharper than a lightsaber ever could and Ahsoka's voice had caused a shiver to run down Anakin's spine.
Of course she had felt it. Of course she had knew what he was thinking because she had thought it too. Her eyes lingered on his and they sat in a moment of quietness, listening to each other's breathing.
Anakin was lost for words for a minute. Ahsoka eyes had gripped him as if he was trapped by them. "I know, Ahsoka." He nearly choked finally and urged himself to h look down. "They were honorable men… who died doing their duty."
He wanted to wince when those words had left his mouth. What such a Jedi thing to say. Those men deserved far better then any words he could have managed to blurt out. To hell with Duty.
Duty was what kept the belief that clones were nothing but soldiers. It was the reason why he couldn't save his mother. Why him and Padme were forced to be kept in secret and why Ahsoka Tano; his Padawan, a child of sixteen was out on a battlefield witnessing the gruesome scenes of war.
Fuck Duty.
He clutches his fingers around Ahsoka's braid unable to remove his eyes from it. In the background, he listens to the sounds of the water running while Kairi takes a shower and tries to focus on that and not the memories of the girl he used to call 'snips'.
It is easier said than done. He's older, not by much since her leaving but yet he's wiser. Which was also not by far however enough to know that war changed people. He already knew this information. He knew it when he was still Obi wan's Padawan because those were the days he discovered that change for himself.
Anakin first witnessed it when Qui-Gon died. How Obi wan stepped up to be the youngest Jedi knight to take on Padawan in order to train him. How there were days where doubt filled Obi wan, making him question himself and his teachings to Anakin.
However it's not until Ahsoka was his apprentice that he fully recognized the damage caused. Damage was not the correct word. Maybe it is both a blessing and yet curse to change due to war. It makes a person smarter but also can make any good in their souls to darken or dim.
It's what happened to him, he thinks that may have happened to Obi wan; yet Obi wan is Obi wan. A man who is always surreally calm to the point it is almost infuriating. He at least knows it took affect onto Ahsoka and if this new girl, Padawan Remex is truly his Padawan. He feels almost fearful the same paths will lead her.
He stands up, shoving the braid down deep into one of his pockets and leaves the room before he can hear the water turn off. He moves swift down the halls of the cruiser. Clones pass him and they share nods yet no words are said because Anakin can't find any to start any sort of small talk. The day is moving far to fast and he can't manage it.
Hot water rains down from the head of the shower and lands on her skin, making it burn. She lathers soup onto her body by the handfuls and partly leans against the cool and wet tiles on the wall. Her usually fair skin is now bright pink making the scars that painted the canvas that is her body, stand out and creates a burning desire to try to scrub them away. She slouches down to sit on the floor of the shower, letting the nearly boiling water wash over her.
How the slightest touch leave her defenseless. How does fear shake her body till she stills in a matter of seconds? And yet she manages to move herself to an empty room with a laugh, a false sense of a playful manner till she's safe by herself.
Her heart is racing, it feels as if its about to pop and she can't tell if she sweating simply by her own feelings or the temperature of the water she's sitting in. Both, she concludes with a shaky breath and brings her hands to her hair, combing her fingers through down to the ends that reach the small of her back.
She thinks she's one, maybe one and a half standard hour is left before they reach Hoth. Time had pass faster than she thought it would on the cruiser. Then again, mediating for long periods of time in silence, followed by sparring, maybe that why time had pass so fast. Either way, their arrival was just around the corner and she knows in the pit of her stomach that she's not ready but she wants to be.
With slow movements she turns the water off, rings out her hair and steps out into the chilly feeling refresher. Her wet feet stand bare against the cold of the floor and her hair drips making the tiniest puddle.
"When the day comes I'll teach you."
The memory echoes through her mind like a lullaby yet doesn't sooth her worries. It only adds too them.
"Really," The younger pitch of her voice is cheery. "You pinkie swear?" She chirped happily, her hand wrapped on the fabric of a Jedi master's robe. "Aalto, you gotta promise, okay?" She remember pestering him by tugging down the cloth of his robe.
She pulls a towel around her, and shivers softly at the sudden warmth hugging her and the water that sits on her skin. She steps towards the counter and begins to search the drawers till she finds a brush and runs it through the small tangles that knotted her dripping hair.
He chuckled, his large form shaking from his full body laugh. His violet eyes moved down to meet with hers as he out stretched his hand before focusing on his pinkie finger. "Always so childish aren't you?"
Kairi rolled her eyes playfully and intertwined her pinkie with the tall, orange Zabrak man. "What wrong with being kiddish?" She eyed him carefully and believed that she might have witness a glimpse of sorrow flash in his purple eyes.
"Nothing," Aalto patted her head, and ruffled her hair. "Absolutely nothing." She remember him standing up, and bringing his hand back to his side. "Stay how you are, little one."
She scans over herself in the mirror and takes another deep breath as she works on putting her hair up, double checking to make sure no stray stands will fall and cover her eyes while she's in battle. She tugs at her clothing, noting how she never fully dried herself and how it was now ever slightly sticks to her yet shrugs off of the feeling and steps out from the refresher, seeing the small room of two cots now empty.
"Hey, wait!" She called out as she watched him trail forward to the entrance of the temple. Kairi picked herself off the temple steps and stared at him. "Where ya goin'?"
He slowed, turning his head over his shoulder to glance back at her. "I have a mission I need to prepare for." He motioned her to follow. Kairi eyes had lit up at his smile and raced toward his side, walking with him to the council chambers. "Perhaps I will also bring up the idea of padawanship to the masters."
The memory of those words still caused shivers to race down her spine.
Kairi trails over to the desk that held what seemed to be a padawans braid but nothing was on it, and Master Skywalker was gone. She let out a sigh, puffing up her cheeks with air before blowing it out. "Where is he?" She mumbles to the emptiness of the room and heads for the door, escaping out into the hall. Turning her head both ways yet no Anakin is spotted in the distance.
Kairi remembered gasping at him. "You think they may say yes?" She had questioned that day. Her voice was small, quiet and unsure.
"They may agree if I confirm that I'm willing to train you." He strokes his chin that holds no bread but instead black markings in the shape of three sharp diamonds. "Of course that wouldn't begin till after my latest mission." He glances down with a smirk.
"That soon?" Kairi exclaimed, tone loud enough to echo gently through the nearly empty halls of the temple.
Aalto chuckled. "Yes," He placed a hand on the small of her back. "That soon."
She moves pass clones and the tension is there, she can feel it. She knows they can too. She assumes that if Anakin Skywalker did have a former Padawan, it is the reason to all the awkwardness and she can't blame them. Yet when she passes, she lowers her eyes to the floor until she knows they're far enough away to lift her head again. It twists her stomach into a knot as all she wants to do is talk to them but do they want to talk to her?
"How's your new Padawan?" He barely gets his foot onto the bridge of the cruiser and Obi wan already asking him a question that he does not want to answer.
Anakin strides over to him, watching the colors of light-speed from the windows before slowly turning his attention to his former master. "She's...Well."
Obi wan sighs, "You could at least try to act amuse." He gestures his hand at him. "I'm sure the girl isn't that bad, Anakin."
Anakin shakes his head, "Master," he moves his finger through his hair. "I didn't say that."
Obi wan chuckled, folding his arms. "Might not have, but your face says otherwise." He stands staring that the dusty blonde before him, and tries to find his words. "Anakin... " He begins. "You have to let go."
Anakin closes his eyes, tightens a fist and can't help but think; Oh, force. Not this again.
Anakin clears his throat, "Who says I'm not." His voice is tight, how it usually gets when he's about to start an argument or when he's already in one.
Obi wan fights off an eye roll and wonders why he begin such conversation. It was Anakin after all. "You are." He places a hand on his former padawan's shoulder. Anakin looks away, focusing his eyes to the window and watches at the ship leaves light speed.
"Wha-why are we...?" He changes the topic, removing Obi wan's hand.
Obi wan strokes his beard. "We're ahead of schedule." He stares at Hoth that's visible in the distance. The large and white mixed with grey planet is already causing both grown men shivers at the thought of the cold.
"We are?" Kairi's voice rings out behind them. She walks farther into the bridge and stares forward at the planet. She begins to feel her heart race with excitement yet her palms grow clammy with fright.
Obi wan turns to face her, and greeting with a warm smile, "Yes, we are Padawan…." His voice trailed off, eye flickering towards the ceiling in search of her name.
"Padawan Remex." She giggles softly watching as the older Jedi's face seems to almost light up with the recall.
Obi wan nods. "Ahh, yes." He pauses, eyebrow raising. "Isn't that a name of a planet?" He quarries to her. Anakin looks at her as well, each pair of eyes made the girl look as if she wanted to squirm. This time, it was Anakin's turn to cock a brow.
Kairi rubbed the back of her neck with a silent shrug before skipping her way over to the window. "It's covered in snow right? The whole planet?"
Anakin moved till he stood beside her. "As we answered before. Yes."
Obi wan almost winced at Anakin's words but Kairi seemed unfazed.
Kairi hummed and spun on her tip of her foot to face her master. "Mister Skywalker, are you excited! It's our first mission together!" She nearly squealed.
Her eyes followed him as he distanced himself away from her, yet motion him to follow. "I'm sure it'll be interesting, Kairi."
Obi wan joined the group of two, walking with them out of the bridge. "All supplies should be counted for by the shuttles."
Anakin nodded, "Then all we have to do is get down there and meet the boys."
Kairi's attention bounced back and forth between Anakin and Obi wan listening to the two of them. However while they walked, her gaze fell to Anakin's robe, witnessing the small glimmer coming from his pocket. Her eyes widen at the realization. "Hey mister." She reaches out and tug on Anakin's robe from behind. "Why do you have a Padawan bead in your pocket? Whose is it?" She tilts her head as she waits for answer.
Obi wan eyes meets with Anakin's for a brief moment. "I need to talk to my squadron." He announces and almost seems to rush forward to leave Anakin and his new Padawan alone.
Anakin watches him leave before looking down at the blonde. "You shouldn't snoop in other people's pockets." He slows till he standing still in the middle of the hall, Kairi now beside him with her own brows furrowed.
She shakes her head. "I wasn't snooping, I just happened to catch a glimpse of it, that's all." She defends herself, eyes narrowing at the accusation.
Her master reaches his hand into his pocket, grasping at the beads. "It's not your business Kairi." Anakin huffs out. "Leave it alone." His voice is cold, and rises slowly. He not yelling, not yet but it seems as if he's about too.
Kairi steps back, the raise of his voice intimidating but her wonder strikes at her louder. "Is it your former padawan's?" She watches his face change but she does not completely registers the way his face seems to pale. "It must be right? It can't be yours." She peers over his uniform that seemed to dark and moody for such a braid. "You would simply braid a piece of hair, and even if you had beads… those colors don't seem to match your personality. Maybe I'm wrong but seems very unlikely." She rambles and Anakin's fist clutches tighter around the braid to the point where beads may spill from the string that held them.
"Enough!" He snaps, gaining looks of passing clone troopers but he pays them no mind as his eyes are dead set on Kairi's. Her green eyes are widen and her fingers seem to anchor around the ends of the scarf she wears around her neck. He feels his heart thumping in his ears and tries to fight back the expression of regret that washes over his face whenever he thinking about Ahsoka leaving. "You don't get to ask those questions." He steps towards her, his upper body towering over Kairi's small form till she's force to step back in order to have personal space.
She gulps, her throat is suddenly dry and but she finds the nerve to stare up at him. "You are my…" Her voice dies for second. Mister Skywalker. I can ask whatever I want. It is you..." Kairi's voice slowly thickens with a sense of anger mixed with fear. She doesn't understand why he must yell at her.
It isn't fair, she thinks to herself.
"You! Who does not need to answer!" She continues, trying to keep her voice stable and her tone at a level that seems to be neither calm nor angered. Simply just what it is. "All I am trying to do is to know you. I did not mean to strike a nerve." Her brows knit together as she frowns deeply trying to understand.
Anakin closes his eyes tight for spilt second before locking his with hers. "Why do you call Master's by mister's?" He launches the words at her like a punch, trying to knock her off her feet. It's immature of him, if Obi wan was he would be sure to achieve an ear full or a small lecture about it later. However it was just the two of them and Anakin knew how to fight back.
His victory shows in her face, the way it softens. How her eyes fall or how her lips part with no words to speak that he won and caught her off guard.
A moment swipes over them. She opens her lips a tad widen but all their is silence. "See…" Anakin slips his hand out of his pocket and gestures to the now empty how with both hands. "You have secrets and I have mine." He makes a turn to begin walking again but a shaky breath is sound behind him.
"No," Kairi shakes her head, dropping her hands from her scarf. "That doesn't even make sense!" She cries out, voice shaking with frustration. "You had a Padawan! I'm not stupid! It's no secret!" She steps towards him. "I-I Just…." She tugs at the few locks of hair that weren't tied up with a groan.
Anakin watches her, slowly feeling his stiff form unclench itself at the sight of Kairi looking as if she may rip out her own hair. He's almost is about to apology but a small beep from his comlinks grabs his and Kairi's attention and is smoothly followed by the sound Obi wan's voice. "I suggest you two hurry and get down here. You'll already late." His calm voice is heard by the two. Anakin glances down at Kairi before walking pass her, no words shed as he leads himself to the shuttles.
Kairi watches him, eyes focus on her back. She shakes her head gently to herself and follows him. All previous fear was now adrenaline and she was more then ready to slice down some droids.
Hope you all enjoyed. Again, if you would be so kind to comment or fav/follow if you enjoyed it would really make my day! Please take care! ps. Sorry about grammar errors. Trying to find a beta.
