„Oh man, what's happened? Why do I feel so sick? Where am I?" She felt increadibly light-headed, and every inch of her body ached. Ahsoka slowly openned her eyes. The first thing she saw were her arms, laying on her chest in front her. But something was wrong with them…"Wait, wy are my arms white?" as she blinked, and managed to focus her sight, she realised, they were wrapped up in medical bondages. „Okay, this can only mean that I got injured, and I'm in a sick bay. That at least explains why do I feel so washed-up. But what has exactly happened?" As she was thinking, whispers of two men hit her ears. She didn't hear what were they talking about, but based on their annoyed tones she could tell they were arguing.
She tried to force herself up into a sitting position, but a sharp sting of pain in her chest made her change her mind.
„Anakin, I think she's awake." a familiar, masculine voice said loudly. „Is that Master Kenobi?" As she tried to focus onto the two blurry masses, that were standing infront of the door, one of them quickly ran up to her, and step-by-step took the form of her master.
„Hey Snips, how're you?" he asked, with deep concern in his voice.
„Not as bad, as you look like, Master." she replied when she finally could recognise Anakin's features. His face was paler than her bondages, his eyes were sunk and surrounded by black rings. His movements betrayed how weak he felt himself. Ahsoka never saw him so…tired? Broken? „Are you all right?" she asked.
„Me? Why wouldn't I be? You should see yourself, then you wouldn't say I look bad." he answered with a grin, that was only a shadow of the well-known smile, he used to send her as a compliment. In addition, she had a feeling he was trying to cover something from her.
„Welcome back, Ahsoka." Obi-Wan said as he stepped to her bed. „You sure gave us a scare."
„Why, what did I do?"
„Oh, just what your Master has taught you to do: like trying to track down and catch two dangerous fellows by yourself." Anakin sent him a hurt grimace upon hearing this. „What was that expression on his face? Was that…guilt?" Ahsoka wondered, but since her Master didn't mention it, she asked instead:
„Dangerous fellows?"
„Don't you remeber?"
„My memories are blurry. Wait…yeah, I remember now. That guy, Helllrider, and his witch girl-friend who stole Ala's body."
„WHAT?" Ahsoka shrieked from the shout of the two Jedi.
„I thougth you had watched the security holograms." she replied confusedly.
„Well, we've tried, but the cameras made only a few seconds of blurry records before they went completely wrong. They didn't record a single noise." Anakin said.
„Oh yeah, now that you mention it, that witch said she was able to hide themselves with the Force, so she must have done something to the cameras too."
„Do you feel strong enough to tell us what has happened?" Obi-Wan asked
„I'll try." she winced, and told them the story. She could clearly see the indignation and anger in Anakin's eyes when she described how she had been „backstabed", as well as the disgust on both Master's faces, when she told them about the body-thievery.
„After they finished their story, they attacked me. That witch used the Force to summon flames –I've never even heard about something like this-, while Hellrider stayed with the 'usual' Force-lightning... I was lucky, I guess. If you had arrived just seconds later, I would have became a crisp." Anakin and Obi-Wan looked at each other bewilderedly, which took Ahsoka by surprise:
„Did I say something?"
„Why do you think, we've saved you?" Anakin asked with an uncomprehend expression.
„Why, did you not?" Obi-Wan replied her this time:
„We were alarmed just by an explosion in the hangar." he said, and Ahsoka could hear the awkwardness in his voice „We've found you just after that, with that uncoscious girl, and Hellrider's corpse." Ahsoka felt like the Negotiator suddenly had started into an avoiding manouver.
„Do you mean, I… beat them?"
„Well yes, unless you have a better explanation to why you're the one alive, and not Hellrider."
„Isn't it possible, that the explosion killed him?"
„No, I don't think so. The droid who examined the body said, he was most likely shot on the head by a lasercannon, but we didn't find anyoneelse there, just the three of you. Then who could've shot him? What are your last memories?" Ahsoka wrinkled her eyebrows. She was thinking furiously: „I think there was something I had just realised, before I lost my consciousness. What was it?…Oh ye…oh noo!" as the memory of the recognition struck her, she felt blood rush in her cheeks, and she was glad that her orange skin hide her blush.
„I-I don't know." she lied. To hide her nervousness, she grasped her head, not caring with the pain the movement caused in her arms, and tried to remember anythingelse afterwards, but to no avail. Anakin gently grasped her right wrist and pulled her arm down.
„Hey, take it easy! You'll remember, but not if you force it. Relax!" Ahsoka looked in his eyes, and she suddely felt like the cool air of the bay turned hotter than the fire, that she had just described. She quickly turned her eyes away from his, and cautiously moved her hand, signing her Master to release her. This seemed to surprise him, but let go off her regardless. To break the awkward moment of silence, Ahsoka continued:
„At least we don't have to worry about neither Hellrider nor his 'lover'. If she really needed his help to survive in Ala's body, then she should be dead too, right? That also means we can trust Ala from now on."
„Well, I wouldn't count on that. Even if this 'witch' who possesed her, really is dead –if she existed at all at the first place- we can't be sure how much effect her presence had on Ala's soul and personality." said Obi-Wan.
„I told you Master, I felt that witch! She was totally different in the Force, than the girl I had spoken with!"
„Allright, I trust your judgement. But being cautious can't hurt, don't you agree?" Ahsoka looked down on her arms. She understood very well the edge in Obi-Wan's voice. If she didn't trust 'Ala' so blindly, she wouldn't had fallen into their trap.
„You're right, Master Obi-Wan." she replied „How long was I unconscious?"
„Twelve hours." Anakin said. This surprised Ahsoka. With all the medicines they had, she thought she had been out for two-three hours at the most. Obi-Wan continued:
„We'll tell the medical droid you've awoken. Try to relax. Anakin, I think you should have a sleep as well. Remeber, 2-1B ordered you to rest, until your organs can compansate the blood amount you donat…"
„OBI-WAN!" Anakin yelled at him angrily, but it was too late.
„What?" Ahsoka couldn't believe what she tought she had just heard. „Master…you…you donated blood to me?" Anakin sent an angry glimpse to his mentor, and nodded.
„Thank you." she whispered. Anakin gave her an encouraging, but tired smile while replying:
„You had internal bleeding, and you needed blood. It was the least I could do. Now have a rest. I'll do that too." As he turned around to leave, Ahsoka couldn't help but notice, how vulnerable he seemed to be –at least compared to himself. „Did he gave me more blood, than safe? And why did he try to keep it secret from me?" she wondered, as the two Jedi walked out of the sick-bay. As she watched them, she suddenly felt an urge to tell Anakin about her…"Feelings?"
„Master!" she called out as loudly as her sore throat could do, before the door could close behind them. Anakin turned back to her.
„Yes, Ahsoka?" he asked kindly. Ahsoka wished she had shut her mouth up. „What was I thniking? If I tell him, it will ruin everything…We wouldn't be able to get along ever again. It's even forbidden by the Code. He wouldn't have other choise, than handing over my training to another Master." all of these ran through her mind in a moment.
„I…I'd like to know how's Ala doing!" she said with a sudden idea, trying to cut herself out of the situation. Anakin raised an eyebrow:
„We locked her up in her quarters. We didn't know how was she involved, so we decided to be cautious with her." Ahsoka was a bit frightened, and quickly continued:
„Please tell me, you didn't hurt her! She's innocent. She was a victim of Hellrider and..." she paused becasue her side started to hurt, and she needed to cough. Before she could continue, Anakin interroupted:
„Hey, hey slow down, you shall rest for now. Don't worry, she's allright. A medidroid examined her, and it said she was sleeping very deeply. But I believe you wanted to say something else, didn't you?" Ahsoka blushed, and once again she was grateful for her togrutan skin colour. „Oooh, what should I say now? I really can't tell him…that. Esspecially not after all what I said to him last time." as she recalled their 'argument', she finally found the way out. „I should do it anyway, and at least I don't have to lie to him. I just hope he'll belive that's really all."
„I…just… wanted to apologise." she said nervously. The pain in her hands made her realise that, she'd grasped her blanket, and quickly released it, before her Master could possibly have a chance to see it.
Anakin seememed to be surprised:
„For what?" he asked.
„For how I had spoken with you. I'm sorry Master."
When Anakin heard Ahsoka's apology, he went back to her, and carefully put his hands on her bound shoulders, and looked in her eyes:
„Ahsoka, there's no need for you to feel bad about that. I can't even count how many times had I said worse things than that to Obi-Wan, when I was at your age." at this point he laughed himself weakly „Who am I kidding? I stopped being hubristic with him, just after the war had begun, not long before we've met." he said, trying to ease the girl's nervousness, but Ahsoka didn't even smiled. In fact, she seemed to feel more uncomfortable than before. „What's got into her? Why is she trying to avoid eyecontact with me? Is she really that ashamed of herself, for that argument we had?" as a last effort he added: „You know what, Snips? I promise I'll forget it, but only if you promise to do the same. Deal?" this finally made the trick, and Ahsoka laughed herself.
„Ok Skyguy, deal." As she finished, the door slid open and 2-1B came in to examine Ahsoka.
„I have to go now. I'll come back later. Have a rest, Ok?"
„Yeah, sure." Ahsoka nodded. She was smiling. Ankakin left the bay, and headed to his own quarters. Altough he felt worse, than after Boba Fett detonated the bridge of the Endurance on the top of him and Windu, he smiled too. He felt extremely relieved. „At least Ahsoka's okay. I don't know what would I've done if she had died -because my fault."
Obi-Wan entered the Operations Room, and activated the holo-table. Instead of the life-sized hologram of the three-four other Masters he usually consulted with, the miniaturized image of the whole High Council in the Council Chamber appeared infront of him. It seemed he was the last one to arrive.
„With all of us may the Force be, and may the peace of this temple be ours, a place open to thought and speech, a realm of mutual respect, and a haven of shared noble purpose. Let us take these seats together, with no one above the others. May we work together, free from the restraints of ego and jealousy, at this gathering and all others to come." he spoke the mantra with the others, and sat down with them afterwards.
„Troubled you seem to be, Master Kenobi." Yoda greeted him. „Young Ahsoka Tano, how is she?"
„She'll make a full recovery. She's regained her consciousness an hour ago, and gave us some important news about the deceased Hellrider. And we found out a few other things as well. First of all, we were finally able to connact our computers, with the one on the captured ship." he pushed a button, and above the holographic-map of the Galaxy appered Council. „It appears Hellrider has visited several Crime Lords of the Outer Rim, including the Hutt Council, many well-known pirate wordls, Cartao, the Kessel and other spice mining colonies, all over the last five months. But those are not surprising I guess." as he spoke many planets lit up with red light. „What's more concerning, is that he also visited Kamino. Apparently he made an order to them, or at least tried to do so."
„Why didn't the Kaminoians reported this to us?" Windu asked.
„Cloning is a business for them, and the Republic is just one of their customers. They don't feel like they should bother with informing us about every order they receive." Shaak Ti said. Her tone left little doupt about that she didn't agree with this mentality any much, than the other Council members, but she accepted it, as it wasn't like she could do anything against it.
„Shall we report this to the Chancellor?" questioned Kit Fisto.
„No, not yet, at least." Shaak Ti replied „Let me talk with Lama Su first. Maybe he'll reveal whether they made a contract with Hellrider or not, from his free will. We should warn Palpatine just if they did, or if the Prime Minister isn't willing to answer. This is primarily a Jedi business, until it doesn't threaten the Republic directly. I'm more concerned about how did he pass by the blockade surrounding Kamino without being noticed."
„We don't know. His ship must have some sort of advanced cloaking device installed on it, but we couldn't find it yet." Obi-Wan replied „However, we've found out more about his past, thanks to Ahsoka, who discovered his escape attemp, and stopped him, and his 'girl-friend' so to speak." Obi-Wan could feel the tension as clearly as he was in the Council Chamber personally, not just through the Holo-net, as he repeated the story Ahsoka told him. Stunned silence followed his report. Apparently, not even such seasoned members like Oppo Rancis or Mace could believe that someone, could cheat death on such a level, or merge his soul with someone else's, and they were esspecially thrown off-guard by the fact a sixteen-year old Padawan had been able to defeat such opponents. Yoda and Plo Koon on the other hand didn't seemed to be surprised, albeit Obi-Wan saw something on the latter, that made him worry a bit. The Keldor clearly felt uncomfortable. Ultimately the old Grand Master broke the silence:
„Master Plo, to tell this Council, what you had told me, after your mission on Shili, the time has come."
„Indeed Master Yoda, if it's not too late already." he rubbed his mask absently „Before I start, let me apologise for keeping this in secret from you my friends. It was essential that as few gain knowledge about what happened that day as possible."
„Those of you, who were Members of this Council at that time, might remember the disappearance of the newly knighted rouge Sul Caas in the Outer Rim, and that I took it upon myself to find her." he continued „It wasn't easy to follow her trail, because by the time I started my search after her, she had been missing for over half a year, and I was worried, I was too late. I was desperate for any clues, but each times I've found one they only fed my worries, which turned into panic, when I realised the place she headed for: Korriban, the homeworld of the Sith."
I hope you were entertained. In case I won't do any updates this year, have a Happy New Year!
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Constructive critiques are extremely welcomed!
