~Intrepid's POV~
You've been gone precisely twenty-five days, Ahsoka, too long, if you ask me. I hate to admit that I'm dreadfully bored without you, though I've mentioned that about twenty times in the past twenty-five letters. Have I also mentioned I miss you?
I can see the stress on Anakin's face every day you're gone. He regrets his choice, I can tell. We all have mercy upon his poor soul, but force, my sister, can you hurry up and destroy the base already so you can come home? Jedi or not, you'd better not go and get yourself killed for a couple of slaves and Lux. I absolutely forbid it.
All of a sudden, Intrepid perked up, her senses flaring with recognition. She had not been able to talk or sense that being for almost a month. She froze, unbelieving. "Padawan!" Then Nava was in her doorway, her hair tussled and breathless. Yet a huge smile was on her face.
"Guess who's on her way here right now?" she asked. Intrepid turned, her eyes pleading. Please, she prayed. Please let it be Ahsoka, please. Nava smiled as the force signature so dear to them both walked in the door. "Who missed me?" Ahsoka called from downstairs.
Before Nava could move, Intrepid had already raced past her and down the stairs, where Ahsoka was extracting herself from a tight hug with Padme.
The second Intrepid's foot hit the last step, Ahsoka whirled, her eyes searching. Despite Jedi code, Intrepid felt tears sting at her eyes. She grinned.
"Hello, Ahsoka," she chirped. Ahsoka grinned. "Hay, Intrepid," she said. Intrepid smiled and crossed her arms. "Welcome home," She greeted.
Ahsoka laughed and held out her arms. Intrepid rammed into her in a hug. "Good to be home," Ahsoka whispered. "Yah," Intrepid agreed, or rather, choked. "Yah, it's good to have you back, too."
Two weeks later:
~Obi-wan's POV~
"Blast it!" Ahsoka slammed a hand down on the table, her azure eyes aflame. Lux, next to her, sighed and looked down, his face features screwed into disappointment.
"We didn't even kill Sidious, Dooku, anyone?" Ahsoka demanded angrily. "How did he survive?" She sneered. "Starkiller is alive, too," Lux added, most unhelpfully.
Ahsoka sent him a hot glance. Intrepid put a hand on her friend's shoulder comfortingly, though her face was grim as well. "Ahsoka, it's done," she said softly.
"She's right, Snips," Anakin agreed, though his voice was strangled. "You tried your best, and there's nothing that you can do now. Sidious just decided that he didn't want to die, I guess," he shrugged indifferently. Obi-wan shook his head with a small smile and glanced outside, where the night stars glittered.
"I just wish I could have blown someone up," Ahsoka groaned, laying her head on the table in front of them. The multiple bruises and cuts she had on her arms and back showed plainly wherever she was not covered by clothes. Anakin smiled at her choice of words.
"How do you suppose they all got out in time?" Nava wondered. Obi-wan stroked his chin. "I've no clue, but they all managed. And we did succeed in killing a few," killing, death, if only he did not have to participate in it.
"Great," Ahsoka sighed. "I got married to a Sith for nothing?" she hissed. "Not nothing; Ahsoka," Padme soothed, walking up and massaging the miserable spies hardened shoulders.
"You've become a legend. Even on the public holo-news you have a new nickname, 'The charlatan queen'" she quoted dramatically. Anakin nudged Obi-wan.
"I wish I had a nickname like that," he mumbled. Obi-wan smiled and shrugged, half the time he still wondered why people gave them nicknames.
"And you gained us valuable information, Ahsoka," he piped up, when Ahsoka gave Padme a: 'I really don't care about the nickname' look. She and Lux looked up.
"Did I?" Ahsoka asked, cocking a white eyebrow. Obi-wan folded his hands behind his back and grinned. "Invaluable information," he answered. Ahsoka eyed him suspiciously.
"You're hiding something," she said plainly. Obi-wan wondered when he had become so transparent. "You're not easy to read, Obi-wan," Nava assured him, laughing at his bemused expression.
"But when you pipe in at the middle of the conversation, we have good reason to not listen to a word of what you say. You're awfully good at diversion," she said, not helping him keep the secret.
Then again, he had not told her about it yet. The only one who knew what the council had asked was Anakin, and that was because the council had asked him. Obi-wan suddenly wished the clones were there to hear the decision he was sure they would have to tell now.
Why the Cody and Rex weren't there was a mystery. In the two weeks Ahsoka had been back, she had not been left alone by either the 501st, Anakin, Intrepid, Padme or Lux.
"We might as well tell them now, master," Anakin said, crossing his arms. He laid warm yet sad eyes on Ahsoka. Obi-wan remembered the pang he had felt in his gut upon making this decision, shortly after Jabiim. Yet the pride one felt was also incalculable.
"Tell us what?" Intrepid asked, turning to them. All eyes were set on them, questioning. Obi-wan took a step back, allowing Anakin the stage. Anakin shot him a harsh glance. Oh, so now he didn't want the spotlight? Too bad.
Obi-wan had waited too long for this.
Anakin took a deep breath and put a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder. His face was unreadable. "A few days after your return, the council held a meeting. Your bravery and self-sacrifice had earned you the right of knighthood in their eyes, Snips," his smile was genuine, and proud. "They asked me what I thought," he sighed. "And I agreed," he told her, grinning from ear to ear.
For a moment there was pure silence as shock rippled through the room. "I… I'm going… I'm going to be…?" Ahsoka licked her lips almost nervously, eyes large.
"She's going to be a knight?" Lux gasped for her. Anakin nodded, his sapphire eyes sparkled with joy and pride. The force around his fairly blinded them with his pride. But sadness touched the edge of their awareness too.
I suppose I'll find out whether or not he meant it when he said he'd let her go, Obi-wan contemplated. "Yes," Anakin did not get to have all the fun though. Obi-wan wanted to be the one to say it. Ahsoka was his padawan too.
"And she's going to be the third Jedi in our line to be knighted without the trials," just to let them know. He had been excited about that. First, he had been the youngest Jedi ever knighted at nineteen, and Ahsoka had just beaten Anakin at nineteen as well.
Anakin put both hands on her shoulders, probably to hold both her and him upright. Both were equally pale. "Your ceremony is in a few days," he informed her smugly.
There was a dead silence as this news was taken in. Ahsoka nodded slowly, and suddenly, she flung her fists up and let out a mighty whoop, completely breaking all composure. She turned to Intrepid.
"IN YOUR FACE!" She shouted, jabbing a hard finger into Intrepid's forehead.
"I am the greatest! Youngling my boot! Where's Jinx? And O'mer? Force, where's Rex? This kid is getting knighted, boys!" She shouted excitedly. Anakin laughed with the others.
And then Ahsoka turned to him. "And You, Anakin Slow-walker! I beat you! I'm getting knighted at nineteen, gramps, you hear me? Nineteen!" Anakin stumbled back, surprised by the force of her statement.
Obi-wan laughed. He had been waiting for that her whole apprenticeship.
"Come on!" Ahsoka continued, every scrap of dignity having fallen away into pride and childish delight. She grabbed Intrepid's hand.
"Let's go wake up the clones and tell them!" Intrepid opened her mouth, about to disapprove when Ahsoka grabbed Lux's wrist and dragged them both along. "Wait for me, Ahsoka!" Padme called, snatching her coat and hurrying after them.
"My ears," Anakin groaned, grabbing Obi-wan's arm with one hand while the other clutched at his sore appendage. "She broke it," he groaned. "And I'm sure she had fun," Obi-wan chuckled. Nava laughed and put a supportive elbow on Anakin's shoulder.
"Get ready, little Ani, because she is going to keep you up the whole night with this. And we get to sit back and laugh," she put an arm around Obi-wan's neck as he smiled. "Call it pay-back." She advised.
And there we have it. Obi-wan just finished his revenge (we all know that's why he gave Anakin a padawan) and just to let you know, we have one chapter left. The next story will be longer.