"Jabba won't let up, it's either Ahsoka over see's the construction and superives it for a few months and leaves it to a trusted team or it doesn't happen." I told the council once Ahsoka and I were back on the ship.
"Hmm, I think that would be acceptable." Master Koon said.
"We would be setting Padawan Tano's training back by months if we were to do so." Master Windu commented.
"If it is for a greater purpose than my own, I am okay with it." Ahsoka chimed in.
"Very selfless of you little Ahsoka." Master Koon said. "We shall send scouts out immediately to the moons of Tatooine to find an acceptable location for the watch tower."
"Very well Master. Until then Ahsoka will go back to Mandalore to finish teaching her class and we will go from there." I told the council.
Once the chat had ended Ashoka and I took off for Mandalore. Almost immediately I could sense Ashoka was uneasy.
"What's going on Snips?" I asked her.
"We're lucky everything is going along as planned so far, but I don't want to go through this pregnancy alone." She confessed.
"You're not alone Ashoka. I want to be as involved as I can." I told her.
"I know you do Anakin, but there's no way the council will let you be with me while I watch over the construction of the watch tower. The last few months of my pregnancy I will be alone."
"I don't like it either Ashoka, but we don't have much else of an option here. I will try my hardest to be there physically as much as possible." I said reaching out and holding her hand.
"I don't want to give birth without you there." She whispered and took her hand back from me.
"I will try my hardest to be there Ashoka, but Tattoine is at least a day in a half travel from Coruscant, more than likely I won't be able to make it, you're going to have to be okay with that." I told her.
"I am tired Master, if you'll excuse me I would like to get some rest before we return to Mandalore." She said getting up and leaving the bridge of the ship without another word.
I opened my mouth to try and talk to her but she was gone. I understood why she was mad at me and the situation but there was no way to get past it. I gave her some time alone before I decided to get up and go talk to her. Slowly I made my way to the small room on ship to find her laying in the bed wide awake gently rubbing her stomach. When she saw me Ahsoka turned to her side facing away from me.
"Ahsoka…" I said as I made my way to sit on the edge of her bed, "I know you're upset with me but-"
"I am not upset with you but with the circumstances of everything." She interrupted me.
"I understand that, but you need to remember this is the best option for us and our baby."
"I understand, it doesn't mean I like it." She said still not facing me. "I would like to get some rest now."
"Are you sure?" I asked her. "Once we drop you off at Mandalore I don't know when I'll be able to see you again."
"I am sure." She said, I sighed before I got up and left her to get some rest.
I left her alone for basically the rest of the trip to Madalore, it wasn't until we were about to enter their solar system when she came back into the bridge and sat down next to me. Instead of saying anything to her I stayed silent and let her be the one to initiate anything. She remained silent but instead she put her hand out and I gladly took it. She smiled at me and I smiled back. When our ship started to land I gave her a small hug goodbye and set off back for Coruscant.
Almost as soon as I got back to the Jedi temple I was sent off on another mission. This time it was a war mission. A Republic fleet protecting one of the biggest medical centers in space was being attacked by s Serpratist fleet and they needed immediate help. I didn't have any time to contact Ahsoka and tell her where I was going because my need on the battlefield was too dire. When I got there our fleet was almost completely destroyed. I brought a few cruisers of my own and we engaged almost instantly in battle, the chances of us winning were slim, we were being almost completely overrun by the separatist. I sent my fighters out as soon as we got there and contacted the Jedi temple and told them we were going to need a lot more help than just me and my fleet; they told me they were going to send reinforcements immediately but until they got there I had to do my best. Which is what I did.
I sent a squadron of fighters out to protect the medical center for the separatist that were able to get through all of the fighting. My squad of fighters were going for the main ships, trying to take out their guns so we could have better odds in the fight. Unfortunately my clones weren't as good of pilots as I was, I lost about half of them before we even got close to a separatist ship. But my skills in the battlefield were far better than any of these droids, they were no match for me. By the time Jedi reinforcements had finally come I had managed to take down an entire deprivation cruiser basically by myself, maybe with the help of a few of my clones. When the rencofrments got to us it became clear to the separatists that we were going to win this battle. They tried to take off and flee but Obi-Wan, who was my reinforcement was almost as good in battle strategy as I was, he went for their hyperdrive and turned those evil droids into sitting ducks for us, just waiting to get shot down. After our victory I wanted to celebrate with Obi-Wan and give Ashoka a call to let her know what was going on but again I was sent off on another mission.
For the next few weeks this is how things have been happening. Battle after battle. As soon as one mission was over I was being sent on the next one. I was trained to be a peacekeeper not a soldier, but that's all I had been doing lately. Fighting in brutal battles, losing good men for a war that never seemed to end. Ashoka's teaching on Mandalore has extended the original week into three weeks, and right after that she was sent to Onderon to help establish a republic treaty since she was the one who helped overthrow the separatist with the rebels there. We were barely able to talk to each other so it wasn't until she was already on Onderon for two days before she was able to inform me about her new mission. It had been nearly six weeks since I had last seen her in person, and our hologram talk had been shortened to maybe 5 minutes every few days.
I had just finished with yet again another battle, losing nearly half of my men, when the council had wanted to send me on another mission. I told them no. I told them I needed to pull myself together again and this war and being thrown into so many battles and losing so many great men was starting to get to me. They immediately understood and Master Yoda apologized for constantly sending me out to battle, he said my tactics were far better then most Jedi and the council had been using that to their advantage. They told me I should return to Coruscant to take some time off before I would be sent on my next mission. I told them I would be on my way there but in reality I was going to Onderon. It was much closer than coruscant and I missed Ahsoka too much. I didn't let her know I was coming, I wanted to surprise her.
When I had landed I landed near the main city where the true King was ruling. Without stopping I made my way to the palace because I knew Ashoka was staying there while creating a treaty with Onderon. After asking a few servants of the palace where to go they informed me where Ashoka's room was, when I got there she wasn't there. I roamed the halls of the palace and was then escorted by one of the guards to where she was last seen. When I got to the room she was in she was at a large table eating a meal with Lux Bonteri, someone who I knew Ashoka had a good relationship with in the past. As soon as I saw her my face lit up, I was so excited to see her. She didn't notice me at first, she was too into her conversation with Lux, laughing and smiling. At first it didn't bother me but the look on his face when he looked at her was all too familiar with me, it was the look of someone who cared too much for a person, romantically. Ahsoka was laughing at something she said then turned her head and finally saw me. At first she was in shock but her face lit up when she saw me.
"Master Skywalker!" She said excitedly and stood up. I looked at her and she was wearing a cloak completely closed around her, probably trying to hide her stomach. "I didn't know the council was sending you out here." She said and came over to me and gave me a small bow, we were in the presence of others and that meant we were teacher and student right now, not boyfriend and girlfriend.
"They don't know I'm here. They asked me back to Coruscant and I made a detour here to check in on my young Padawan." I told her, "Lux, it is good to see you again."
"You too general Skywalker, Onderon owes your many thanks for lending us Ahsoka to help overthrow the false king and for us to join the republic." He told me sticking out his hand for me to shake.
"Of course." I responded by shaking his hand. "If you don't mind I would like a word in private with my Padawan."
"Of course." Lux said.
"This way Master." Ahsoka said and left the room and I followed her.
She was making her way back to her room and on the slow walk there it was incredibly hard to not stop her as we walked and picked her up and embrace her. When we finally made it to her room she made sure the door was locked before she threw herself into my arms and buried her head into my next. I wrapped my arms around her and held her tightly.
"If I hadn't have told the council I needed a break from all the war I fear it would have been even longer until I got to see you again." I told her then gave her a light kiss on the lips and put her down.
"I've missed you Anakin, I wish I could be out there on the battlefield with you." She told her.
"As do I, no one knows my battle strategies as well as you do. But you have a very good reason to stay off the battlefield." I said getting down on my knees in front of her.
As I got down on my knees Ahsoka opened her cloak and revealed her growing belly to me. It had been weeks since I last was able to see Ahsoka and her growing stomach in person. The last time I saw her she was completely flat but not she was sticking out at least three or four inches. I looked up at her and asked with my eyes if I could touch her stomach and she just rolled her eyes and laughed before taking my hands in hers and put my hands on her stomach to feel her bump. As I felt my growing child I felt nothing but warmth radiate through me. I loved this child so much and to see it grow in the woman I loved was the best feeling in the world, I thought I knew what it felt like to be truly happy, but Until this moment I didn't. This is what happiness was. I smiled and placed a kiss on her stomach before standing back up.
"Have you felt any kicks yet?" I asked her.
"No not yet." She answered rubbing her stomach.
"I wish I could have been here when you started to show."
"I do too."
"So are we going to talk about the way Lux was looking at you?" I asked her.
"What do you mean?"
"Ahsoka I'm not stupid. I know that look he gave you. Do I have anything to be concerned about?"
"No, you don't Anakin. You know I love you and only want you. Lux and my relationship is in the past. Nothing-"
"Relationship?" I asked cutting her off. "He was the one you were with before me!?"
"That was a long time ago Anakin, that ended way before you and I even got together." She explained. "We're just friends."
"How much longer are you going to need to be here for the peace treaty? I'm not sure how comfortable I am with you and him together."
"Excuse me? I have given you reason to doubt my loyalty to you. I never told you about Lux because you never asked. I am risking my status and a Jedi knight by carrying your child, the only life I have ever known or wanted. More than once have I been okay with you going to visit Padme when you guys were in a longer relationship then Lux and I were ever in. And now you're uncomfortable with me being in his company while I work out a peace treaty for the Republic?" She all but yelled at me.
I stayed silent and looked at my feet. I knew I was in the wrong.
"I'm sorry." I said to her then sat on her bed and put my head in my hands. "I've just been so stressed out lately and under a lot of pressure. And not being able to be with you these last few weeks have been hard on me."
"Then stay here for a few days with me and cool your head. Tell the council you were on your way back and I called you to help me with the treaty." She offered and sat next to me.
"Okay." I told her and leaned in to kiss her but she pulled away from me.
"I'm still mad at you for that comment though."
"I'm sorry." I said again.
"I know you are. But I'm pregnant and hormonal right now so I get to be mad. I'll come find you later." She said then hit me on the head before leaving
