Disclaimer: Disney owns Star Wars, not me. All the characters and places (except for my OC Analise) belong to them.

"aaaa"-talking out loud."aaaa" (bold and italics)-talking through a holo or com. 'aaaaa'-inner thoughts. aaaaa-talking through a Bond. "aaaa" (bold)-another language.

AN: Here it is! The last chapter until after Christmas. A quick reminder that I will not posting between December 23rd and December 26th. I will also not be posting between December 31st and January 2nd.

So enjoy today's chapter and I will be back December 27th with an all new chapter!

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays:)

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Chapter Thirty-Five

At least the door to the hold opened.

The front of the G9 was half-buried in the sand, smoke drifted lazily from the ruptured wires and engines. Ahsoka just knew that somewhere, out beyond her sight Jawas waited for any survivors to walk away from the freighter. They would have to too. Even if they didn't need to return Rotta to Jabba. The supplies that the G9 had was limited and it was foolish, deadly to remain in a broken ship with few supplies.

Ahsoka cradled Rotta in one arm while she shaded her eyes from the harsh glare of the suns.

Nothing...

Just sand and sand and more sand.

"Welcome home Stinky." Even as she spoke the words Ahsoka wondered just how much of a home any being could have among the hot sands. She knew Anakin had grown up in what passed for a major city on a planet where few were brave enough to live and those who did were either moisture farmers and legal traders who grew old before their time or those whose dealings took them into beyond the legal realms of the law.

What was life like for her big brother growing up in such a desolate place? A place where hope seemed far and defenders few? Questions raced through Ahsoka's mind, questions; questions that she knew while she might ask him, Anakin would not answer. Not until he was and he felt that Ahsoka was ready.

Are you ready to head out Snips? Anakin came up next to her, Artoo right behind him. He had gathered what supplies he could and had Rotta's pack slung again on his back. There was no way he was letting his baby sister lug the Huttlet across the sea of sands they had to cross in order to reach Jabba's palace. Jabba's palace is across the Dune Sea and we'll need to move fast if we want to cross that in one night.

I guess...He frowned at the almost sad tone in her mental voice and saw her looking behind them at the ship.

What's wrong Ahsoka?

It's just that...I know the Jawas are out there waiting to tear the ship apart if they can...But I was really looking forward to helping you fix it up and make it better. To spending time with you not as Master and Padawan, but as brother and sister. Anakin felt his heart and soul sink a little at the soft words.

Reaching out across their Bond, Anakin studied the feelings that were leaking through it from her. There was fear...A fear she was trying so hard to hide from him. A fear that now that they were Master and Padawan, something she had been excited for ever since she could remember; that they would no longer act like siblings.

He shook his head and reached out, pulling her into his arms for a loving hug. Again he found himself flooding their Bond with love and reassurance, confidence. Anakin wanted her to know that no matter what, he was her big brother and always would be. We will always be brother and sister Ahsoka. No matter what. It won't change just because our titles have changed and we've grown up. You're stuck with me Snips. Ahsoka giggled as he dropped a kiss on top of her head. Now get Rotta settled and we'll head out...And remember to stick by my side unless I tell you not to. There was no way Anakin was letting her out of his sight unless he absolutely had to.

Ahsoka's face was bright now, a smile from ear to ear. She carefully placed Rotta in his pack, tickling what passed for the Huttlet's chin just to hear the squeaks that he made for laughing. With Rotta safely settled, Anakin leapt from the platform and giggling Ahsoka followed.

Artoo did not. He rocked back and forth on his struts, all too well recalling from his last two visits the sand working its way into his openings, scratching and filling him. He disliked sand. Disliked it as much as a droid could. His unhappy whistles echoed in the open air, making his feelings about the situation very clear. There was no way he was going to get down on that sand.

"Oh don't be such a baby Artooie! It's just endless tracts of gritty, abrasive sand." That didn't make him feel better. "If you come with us, I'll do a deep cleaning of your servos and even give you an oil bath when we get done with the mission."

Well...Maybe Artoo could handle the sand just this once more.

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"Are you really sure that you want to do this on your own?"

"If I show up with even Threepio Ziro won't want anything to do with me. Besides, why are you trying to talk me out of this? You've done crazier things."

"But I am a Jedi. You are..."

"Be careful Father Jinn." Padme smiled impishly as she left her bedroom, heavy shawl in hand. "You always say that Analise and I are tougher than we look." the Jedi Master gave a mock groan from his seat on Padme's couch.

"I knew my words would come back to haunt me." His eyes were worried though. "You know Palpatine is most likely betting on Ziro doing something to you if you push him to far and our suspicions about Palpatine are correct."

"I know and I'm ready." She smiled and tapped her head where a number of pins kept her hair swept up in a simple looking, but complicated hairstyle as was traditional among Naboo women. "I'll have my com, but even if they take it away or destroy it I'll still have the pin that Ani made for me." The pin that Anakin had made for her that when she pushed on the top would trigger a signal that her security forces could track.

Qui-Gon leaned back, smiling at his son's protective nature so similar to himself and Obi-Wan when it came to their girls. Analise had a hair pin like Padme's. "I bet Anakin attaches some sort of tracker to Ahsoka's Padawan braid when she gets it."

"When will she get her braid?" Padme had pulled up the tight hood of her outfit so that framed her face and kept every strand of her hair hidden from her view. "I thought the Council would have given it to her already." She began to drape the heavy shawl around her shoulders. Qui-Gon shook his head.

"They would, but Ahsoka and Anakin have always made it clear that Anakin is the one who will attach her braid to her headdress and no one else." He smiled. "He wants to follow in the tradition of our family. Obi-Wan did Anakin's braid, I did Analise's, Anakin wants to do Ahsoka's. They'll probably do it on her thirteenth birthday."

"Thirteen...I haven't known her very long and I can't believe that she will be thirteen."

"Time flies by especially in war...Plo and I only hope that even as she fights in battle, she doesn't grow up too fast." Padme frown at her father-in-law. He looked so old to her eyes now. Not at all like the strong, daring, and rebellious warrior that he had first appeared to her as when she had been a fourteen-year old Queen facing a bleak future for her planet.

"Don't worry Father Jinn." She bent down to place a loving kiss on his cheek. "With all of us around, we'll make sure that no matter how many battles Ahsoka is dragged to she'll have a proper childhood and be a perfectly rebellious teenager."

She laughed happily as his raised eyebrows even as his eyes twinkled in amusement. "If Ahsoka is a teenager like you or the twins...I think we're going to be in trouble."

"Yes...But the Separatists won't know what hit them."