SHADES OF GREY.

(Set during Star Wars Clone Wars, Ahsoka is Obi-wan's Padawan.) Padme never admitted her love to Anakin.

With the loss of his mother and the aftermath of Geonosis, Anakin left the Jedi and disappeared... After his ship crashes on an uninhabited planet, Obi-wan is rescued by a group of 'Resistance Fighters' lead by Anakin; but his former Padawan is changed, angry and bitter - can Obi-wan help him find peace, or will Anakin turn to the darkside?

CHAPTER TEN

Padme looked on in concern as Anakin moved feverishly in his sleep. She could do little for him at the moment... but at least she was doing what she could. Putting a cold cloth on his forehead, she sighed. 'Why must you be so stubborn, Ani?' She thought to herself.

Ahsoka came in, and stood by Padme. "How is he doing?" She asked.

"Not too good... he's burning with a high fever." Padme sighed.

"I guess he is as stubborn as Master told me."

Padme chuckled weakly, "he's very stubborn." Annoyingly so at times,

"He seems so different from what Master told me he was like." Padme turned her head to look at Ahsoka.

"He's had a very hard life, Ahsoka. Maybe you should ask him about his past sometime. You never know what you might learn. It might even benefit you as a jedi padawan." She said with a light chuckle.

Ahsoka sat beside Padme, "I still don't understand why he was so angry."

"He was really just angry in general. Probably mainly at himself. That's how he is."

"He seemed happy to be with you," She'd seen them before Anakin had collapsed, "I think you helped him."

"I wish I could help him more... but there is only so much I could do." Padme said as she replaced the wet rag with a colder one.

x

"He didn't say when they were coming?"

Obi-wan shook his head, "No, but I would guess fairly soon from his reaction."

Master Windu frowned, "What exactly did Anakin say happened?"

"Basically, he said that he had seen Maul and Savage attacking the clones and children aboard the Resolute."

"Then prepare for an attack, we must." Obi-wan and Windu looked behind them in surprise as Yoda walked towards them. They continued on and began to plan.

x

Anakin opened his eyes once again, even though he still felt awful, it wasn't as bad as he had felt before. He noticed Padme wasn't in sight, but Ahsoka was. She smiled at him and replaced the wet rag.

"Hey there, Skyguy," Anakin's eye twitched. "Padme is taking a little rest while I watch over you."

"That's nice to know, Snips." Ahsoka seemed almost unaffected. "But I can take care of myself."

"Right, and you've been doing such a good job at that."

Smiling at her, Anakin rolled his eyes, "Everyone has an off day occasionally." Closing his eyes, he sighed. "What's happening with the preparations for Mal and Savage's attack?"

"Master Obi-wan, Master Windu and Master Yoda are putting a battle plan together."

Yoda. Anakin let out another sigh, raising an eyebrow, Ahsoka chuckled at his expression. "You really don't like Master Yoda, do you?"

"He's the reason I left the Jedi Order," Anakin told her, opening his eyes, he saw he confused expression. "I went to him after my Mother died," Anakin explained, "his advice was... less than helpful."

"And because of that, you left?"

Anakin shrugged, "I was angry and grieving, it seemed like a good idea."

"What did master Yoda tell you?" Ahsoka asked, "For you to leave the Order it must have been-"

"He told me that I shouldn't mourn or miss Mom, that I should rejoice that she was gone instead."

Ahsoka blanched, "I'm sorry."

"You didn't know," Anakin smiled, "does Obi-wan still give long lectures every time you do something wrong?"

Laughing, Ahsoka nodded, "I thought that was just me."

"Apparently it's 'just him'." He smiled as he thought of some of the adventures he had with Obi-wan. "Have you had to save him yet?"

"A few times already... although he won't admit one or two of them. Seems I got us in the mess in the first place." Anakin laughed at that fact.

"That happened with me too. Although if memory serves me right, it was only once."

"You sound like you have had a lot of adventures. Maybe you'd be willing to share some with me sometime?" She asked curiously and hopeful at the same time.

"Sure thing, as long as you share yours with me too." Anakin grinned, closing his eyes as he yawned.

"You're supposed to be resting."

Opening his eyes, Anakin smiled at Padme, "I am resting." He told her, "Look, I'm lying down and everything."

"Everything but sleeping," Padme sat opposite Ahsoka, reaching out, she held a hand to Anakin's forehead, "well your fever's down." Anakin sighed as he subconsciously leaned into her touch. Ahsoka seemed to be the only one to notice at the time.

"You see, nothing to worry about." … Maul and Savage at the controls of their ship... The Resolute... Maul attacking as the clones tried to defend the terrified children... A little girl screaming as the red lightsaber stabbed her... It was the same vision, only this time he knew that the attack was imminent. Gasping, Anakin pushed himself up and swung his legs out of the bed.

"What are you doing?!" Padme tried to push him back down, "You need to rest-"

"They're coming now!" Anakin told her, pushing passed Ahsoka as she tried to lay a hand on his shoulder.

xx

Obi-wan frowned as Anakin strode towards them, if he hadn't known that he was injured and feverish, he would have sworn he was fine. "You should be resting."

"Well if I was resting, I wouldn't be able to tell you that Maul and Savage are coming now."

Master Windu closed his eyes, "We need to get ready."

Looking around, Anakin raised his eyebrows at the assembled clone troops, "What are you doing?"

"Preparing for their attack." Obi-wan said, looking confused.

Anakin snorted and let out a dramatic sigh, "You still choose the most complicated way to do things." Shaking his head, Anakin rolled his eyes as Obi-wan continued to frown, "They're coming here."

"Know that, we do," Master Yoda commented, "why we are preparing, that is."

"They're coming here," Anakin repeated, "which means they're in a ship." Anakin said, speaking very slowly.

"And?"

Looking at Obi-wan, Anakin shrugged, "Why don't we just blow their ship up before they get here?"

The three jedi masters frowned, Obi-wan cocked his head, "It would be easier than fighting them after their on board." 'Why didn't we think of that?'

"Do you know when their coming?" Ahsoka asked, her face clearly showing her worry.

Anakin nodded, "In just under five minutes." Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and-

"What are you doing?"

Anakin sighed at Ahsoka's question, "I'm trying to see where they'll be coming out of hyperspace."

Ahsoka whistled, "You can do that?"

"When I'm not being distracted by annoying padawans," He snapped lightly. As Ahsoka fell silent, he breathed deeply again, concentrating on the vision, he focused on the moment they appeared.

Obi-wan watched as Anakin began to move, his eyes still closed, he walked slowly, steadily until he stood facing the glass of the bridge, then he turned to the left...

"Over there," The entire Resolute jolted for a moment, then began to turn.

Ahsoka gaped, "He's controlling the entire ship with the Force!"

Blinking, Anakin nodded, "They'll come at us head on now."

"That was amazing!" Ahsoka gasped, "How can you do that?"

Smiling, Anakin shrugged, "I practiced." Grinning at Obi-wan, he nodded to the guns, "We did agree to take them on together."

Laughing, Obi-wan nodded, "We did." He smiled, moving to one of the blasters, "I thought you might have forgotten."

Anakin's expression grew serious, squaring his shoulders, he took a deep breath, "Ten seconds."

Frowning, Obi-wan raised his eyebrows, "You can't be serious."

"He's never wrong on a countdown," Ayleth interjected, "if he says ten seconds then-"

"Four," Anakin looked at Obi-wan, "get ready," in his head he slowly counted down, three, two, one...

As the ship entered the system, Ahsoka shook her head, "That really is amazing."

"Thanks Snips," Glancing at Obi-wan, Anakin grinned mischievously, "maybe sometime your Master could teach you." Ahsoka looked hopefully at Obi-wan who gaped at Anakin.

"Really? That'd be great!"

Obi-wan looked away thinking this would be trouble later on. "Maybe some other time, my Padawan." 'Perhaps after Anakin teaches me.'

Anakin flashed him a grin, "Are you ready?" He asked, nodding toward the approaching ship. Obi-wan nodded in response. "Keep them busy, would you?" Anakin asked his former master who then began to fire at the ship. As he had expected, the blasts were dodged.

Watching how they moved and dodged each blast, Anakin finally fired. The ship exploded with his single shot.

Everyone one seemed stunned as they look at Anakin, but Ahsoka recovered first. "Well, that was anticlimactic..."