Chapter 13: The Padawan

Many Separatists victories. Across the entire galaxy, many clones and Jedi were being wiped out and the survivors were traumatized. The Clone Wars has indeed grown worse, and the Republic was losing allies every day. Many worlds were raided on and consumed into the Separatists' cause, forcing the Jedi Council to take drastic actions and to send out children in the thick of the battlefield, and that is causing more people in the Republic to distrust the Jedi even more.

The youngest Jedi Knight of the Order, Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano, ran her first lightsaber through the torso of a B2 battle droid and slashed the head off another with her shoto. Sweat trickled down her forehead as she moved on to the next assortment of battle droids.

Ahsoka watched as the battle droids raised their blasters and fired at her, blocking each of the shots back into the battle droids with impressive defense. Any shot that nearly grazed her in almost any way was intercepted by the young Togruta's lightsabers.

The Togruta had grown older and her abilities have developed throughout the months, thanks to her having listened to the Holograms of her old Master that she had brought to the Outer Rim that demonstrated his abilities. She had wanted to continue the legacy of her Master and have wanted to end the war for him.

Now, she has a cloak that wasn't that different from her Master that she wears frequently, and she had managed to convince Senator Padmé Amidala to help her dye her clothing in a darker color.

The clones of the 501st ran forward, blasters in hands, shooting down battle droids. This was an operation on the planet of Tirahaan where they are helping the 313th Legion which has substantially contained heavy casualties and nearly lost this planet when Ahsoka and the 501st arrived and began to cut down the battle droids in the hopes to assist the overwhelmed clones on the planet.

Ahsoka deactivated her two blades and place them on her belts before raising her hand and blasting a handful of battle droids off of the platform, quickly shifting to the side just as a blaster shot flew in her direction and kicked the user back.

It was none other than her target, Aurra Sing. She had a hatred for her after she had prevented her from assassinating Senator Amidala, but she had killed plenty of Jedi after the Confederacy decided to send attacks after attacks against the Republic since they have lost their "Hero With No Fear" and it was certainly making an effect as Anakin Skywalker was usually the one who stopped bounty hunters of the Confederacy on many operations which had struck fear among them.

Many of the bounty hunters failed to assassinate Skywalker because he was extremely skilled before he'd left, resulting in either the deaths of them or their capture, provoking disagreements and refusal from the bounty hunters of the Confederacy, but after it reached out that Skywalker has left the Jedi Order spreading throughout the galaxy, they agreed to carry out missions for the Confederacy and had killed even skilled Masters.

Many wanted to know where the "Hero With No Fear" is located, but he completely disappeared without a trait or a clue where he is.

On her travels with her men in the 501st to stay away from Coruscant, the Togruta decided to read into many of these bounty hunters backstories, Aurra Sing included.

Aurra Sing was born in the slums of Nar Shaddaa to a spice-addicted mother named Aunuanna and a father she never knew. It was also rumored she was once owned by Sennex slavers. She was brought to the Jedi Order as a candidate for Jedi training. In an attempt to control the young woman's overtly aggressive instincts, the Council assigned her to the Dark Woman, a mysterious and secretive Jedi Master with a track record of training difficult apprentices. However, the two did not get along well, and Sing never progressed past the stage of Padawan.

Around the age of nine, she was kidnapped by Sennex pirates on Ord Namurt, who played on her deep-seated fears of abandonment and betrayal to shake her trust in the Jedi. They raised the conflicted young woman as a fellow pirate. Tragedy struck again when she was eventually captured by the Hutt crime lord Wallanooga, who in turn lent her to a group of Anzati assassins. The Anzati trained her to be a remorseless killer, even equipping Sing with a bio-computer that fed her additional sensory data. Her training was paid for by the family of Hutt crime lord Urdruua, something which set his family back a generation in debt.

It made Ahsoka nearly felt regret for her, but she had killed many innocent men and good Jedi throughout the war.

"Aurra Sing," Ahsoka growls, pointing to her with her lightsabers, "in the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic, you are under arrest for murder, homicide, and many other crimes. Come quietly or I would have to subdue you by force and drag you to a cell on Coruscant."

"You haven't beaten me before, kid. You won't do so this time either."

"We will see about that."

She tore out her blasters and begins firing at the young Togruta Jedi Knight, causing her to intercept the blaster shots before dashing forward, sidestepping to the right, jumping behind cover the rubble provides as the bounty hunter continued to fire at her, attempting to shoot her down.

With a raise of her hand, the rubble was sent at Sing with such speed she was swiftly knocked back onto the ground, groaning for a moment as the Togruta approached before she holstered her weapon, revealing a knife and she snarled and lunges forward, nearly cutting her arm, but the Togruta kicked her in the thigh before slashing at her blade, her blades intensity leaving a long slash across the bounty hunter's hand.

Aurra looked down at her hand and she chuckles at seeing the blood coming out before staring up at the Togruta not with a glared but with a humorous look as she slowly drew her two blasters. "You are just like your former Master, kid. Isn't that why he left you without a moment of hesitation? He was so willing to abandon you."

Something snapped in the Togruta at that moment.

Ahsoka roared and her blades came up and she swiped at the bounty hunter's weapons, destroying them immediately before she sliced her across the chest, causing Aurra to screeched and fall to the ground before she was kicked in the hips and then Ahsoka kicked her in the face, glaring at her like a predator who has just caught her prey.

Seconds later, a tight weight was around her neck, provoking a yelp from the bounty hunter who begins squirming, kicking her legs up and down as the Togruta was so close to killing her.

"Co-General Tano!"

Even though all their voices were the same, she knew it was Rex who was yelling at her, and immediately common sense returned as she released the bounty hunter onto the ground and watched as she begins to cough wildly, gasping and breathing heavily as the Togruta deactivated her sabers, turned, and raised her hood over her head, walking off.

Ahsoka walks up to Sergeant Fives and outstretched her hand. "Fives, your helmet please?" She asked.

Fives nodded and removed his helmet. She had known that the likelihood of Obi-Wan coming to her quarters after either completing or failing in his accomplishment on this assignment is extreme, and as she walks back to their barracks on this planet, back to their highest posts where dozen of troopers scattered about, Ahsoka couldn't help but think about the knotting feeling that was rising inside of her.

Ahsoka walks inside of the quarters, leaving Fives to keep cover as she lowers down to her knees, planted the holo-communicating device there before touching the button, causing the form of Lux Bonteri to appear.

"You're late again," Lux declared, smiling at her, causing her head tails to darkened slightly and for her to blush.

"How have things been back on Coruscant?" The Togruta inquired.

"Good. I have heard rumors of Senator Amidala clashing with the Jedi Council. I'm not certain for what reason or why." Lux replied, mirth in his voice.

Ahsoka felt like the Council deserves it. She hadn't had much care for the Jedi Council anymore. The only reason why she hasn't left the Order and follow down her Master's path is that she had made a promise to her Master.

And that promise was to be the Jedi she could be.

Despite the fact that she encountered many challenges when she became General of the 501st, Captain Rex was of assistance to her and had taught her Anakin's technique of leading.

Originally, she had almost considered making Rex the leader of the 501st as she had hated how they had lost men in her first week as General of the 501st since she hadn't been exactly the best during their first assignment without General Skywalker which was odd for many of the 501st troopers, but thankfully, her time as a Commander along with the teachings of Rex made her improve and she is now living up to her Master's legacy to the fullest.

"I'm going to get going soon... I have some matters to tend to." Ahsoka declares, face becoming grim.

"What do you have to do?" Lux inquired.

Ahsoka's face hardened, showing the Senator of Onderon he isn't going to get the answers he requires. "My apologies, I cannot tell you, Lux. I will be alright-it's just something I would do on my own. I will see you on Coruscant soon."

"Very well. I-" the senator didn't know what to say. I love you to a fellow teenager and a Jedi isn't a good idea, though he had been tempted to say that as the two would usually talk and hang out on Coruscant in her free time whenever she wasn't full of pain and full of shame. He had chosen to say, "I would see you soon."

Ahsoka nods and turns off the communicator, pocketing it and walking over to a bench and sitting down.

She reaches out for him. She needs to know if he is alright as she had felt something wrong happening before the mission through their strained bond that had dimmed since he had left the Jedi Order only two months ago.

The Togruta saw a version of her former Master, yet something was off about him. She saw him activating a red saber. She saw the golden eyes. And shouts of unfamiliar beings before they were cut down seconds later.

She saw Anakin collapsing onto the ground and releasing cries of terror and horror.

All become black after that, and she was helpless as she had tried desperately to peak through the dark barrier that was formed around their bond that wasn't formed before!

She had needed to find Anakin! Did the Jedi Order knew about something happening to Anakin?! They always said that visions guide one yet she can't barred herself from accepting Anakin becoming a Sith!

He would never forgo years of teaching despite the Jedi's betrayal of him and submit to the dark side of the Force and become her enemy! She knows it! However, how else can she explain the darkness through their bond?!

Ahsoka's eyes widened as she had attempted to use their bond to finally find his location. If Anakin has indeed fallen to the dark side of the Force then the Council is to blame. Hopefully, she can save him if he has indeed submitted to the ways of the Sith and the dark side.

How can Obi-Wan have the heart to remain on the Jedi Council when they coldly cast out his former apprentice? At least the man hasn't chosen to get another Padawan when offered the chance but it hurt her that he isn't willing to admit the mistake of the Council.

Ahsoka grabbed a picture of them that she would always keep close to her. It was of their latest picture that was at least a year old. His hand was on her shoulder, and they both were smiling with Appo standing at Skywalker's side while Rex stands at hers, and the other troopers stand behind them, all with smirks on their faces.

Tears slid down her eyes, her watery eyes hitting the picture frame. She strokes her Master's face in the picture, shaking her head as she lowered it down.

The doors opened from behind her, making her tensed slightly, but once she had sensed the presence of Rex, she calmed.

His helmet was off, showing the face of many of his brothers.

"General Tano, the troopers are on the Venators, taking a breather, and am preparing for our take off to Coruscant," Rex reported to the Togruta, but upon seeing her slump form, he had approached. "What's wrong, sir?"

"Rex, did you ever wonder what this war was for?" Ahsoka inquired painfully, her lip trembling and tears sliding down her cheeks onto the picture.

"Excuse me, ma'am?"

Rex hesitated. Ever since that Cut Lawquane incident and what happened on Umbara, Rex has been doubting the Republic and the Jedi Order. Rex was on the verge of deserting when his General had left the Jedi Order, yet General Tano had lost enough friends on the battlefield like Denal, Hardcase, and many other clone troopers. If he just up and disappears and joins Cut in deserting and hiding, Ahsoka would lose nearly all of her friends.

Besides, rumors of clone assassins have been heard lately. Clone assassins were a specialized class of clone troopers created by the Kaminoan cloners on the planet of Kamino. These troopers were commissioned by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, through a special order during the Clone Wars. The assassins were trained specifically to eliminate Jedi by utilizing Teräs Käsi, a form of unarmed combat, but to Rex, luckily, that Order would never be executed. Through training duels with Padawans of the Jedi Order, the clones developed greatly enhanced speed as well as an aptitude for anticipating strikes and the ability to resist Jedi mind tricks.

Clone assassins were known to hunt down and execute clone troopers that had defected or gone AWOL. Luckily, Cut has hidden away on a planet in which anything involving the Republic was rarely deployed at Saleucami as the Confederacy of Independent Systems hasn't chosen to attack that particular planet much if at all.

"It's just this entire war feels pointless. Thousands of men who are used as weapons by a corrupt system is wrongfully losing their lives. I feel like the Jedi are sending out children who they once taken from their parents, having sworn to protect with their lives, out into a war with no end in sight." Ahsoka declared, thinking about the Gathering Clan who she helped get their lightsabers crystals that are undoubtedly soon going to be deployed on the battlefield.

Truth.

Rex and so many clones have always been secretly disturbed with how the Jedi were so willing to send out children onto the battlefield. Throughout this war with lost battles, many of them had witnessed children being gunned down by battle droids.

The sounds of explosions and children screams echoed in his head, and all the clone captain can do is grimace as he had known many Jedi Masters refuse to acknowledge their wrongdoing in sending out children onto the battlefield and allowing them to perish, and Appo once told him he had to resist the urge to chuckle when Master Windu stated: "It was the will of the Force" to grieving clone troopers who lost a Padawan which nearly made him chuckle not of humor of course but out of bitter many clones are beginning to feel for their Jedi Generals.

What the hell is the will of the Force?! He always wanted to ask the Jedi. Is it the so-called will of the Force to watch fellow brothers be shot down?! Is it the so-called will of the Force to watch innocent civilians and children perish?!

Hell, they were considered even children themselves, having accelerated aging which forces them to age faster than any other being that comes.

It was no secret that many of the clone troopers were growing tired of the war, and the Jedi appear to want them to fight their war for them. To the Jedi, they were just droids that were easily expandable.

"I agree, General. I'm tired of all the fighting. I feel like each time we go on the battlefield and assist a Master and Padawan, we have to witness that inexperienced Padawan who should never be on the battlefield be shot down." Rex's voice was blunt. Despite how humorous the fact that the Jedi apparently makes children's death "the will of the Force", nothing about it was humorous.

"Exactly. As a Jedi, we were meant to be keepers of the peace, not soldiers, but all I have been since I was a Padawan is a soldier." Ahsoka said, her voice immediately becoming sharper than before. "They even wanted to use Anakin's framing as a lesson, a damn lesson to many other Jedi."

Rex's hands bold up into fists. How dare they?! He had known once Appo and many other troopers of the 501st find out the reasoning of his anger, the Jedi are going to have grim and angry men accompanying them probably the rest of the war! Well, all accept Tano and Kenobi!

"Yes, I have a feeling they would use that to cover their mistakes," Rex said, his jaw clenched, and his teeth flashing furiously. He had felt the urge to use the members of Jedi Council as targeting practice.

How!

Dare!

They!

"I'm afraid for Anakin, Rex. Our bond, even strained after he'd left the Jedi Order, never completely weakened, but now, I can feel him in great pain." Ahsoka declared

Rex clenches his fist involuntarily, replying with a sigh. "It's war, Ahsoka, everyone suffers, even those who are no longer working alongside the Galactic Republic. Pain is extreme but unfortunately normal."

"Not physical pain," the Togruta corrected curtly, calming herself a second later. "Emotional pain."

"Oh well..." Rex sputtered for a response to that. He has never understood how Kix was excellent at being a therapist but Rex was definitely not. "Maybe the Council would send us after him and retrieve him immediately to give him assistance as the Jedi are meant to help innocent beings. Certainly, if you can sense him in pain, General Kenobi can as well, and certainly, both of you can find him."

"I just hope he ain't doing something reckless, something stupid, or something that would place his life in danger," Ahsoka responded. She knows that is highly unlikely as her former Master is always surrounded by adventure. He just craves it.

"Don't get your hopes up, General. We all know that General Skywalker would do all of those things and much more. There's a reason why many Jedi considered him reckless." Rex quipped, a chuckle in his voice.

Ahsoka follows suit.

As Rex left the room, the Togruta stopped chuckling and looked back with a smile before she turns away from the door, staring at the picture before staring upwards with gritted teeth, her face expression full of pain and full of worried.

Deep down, she had known, that Anakin Skywalker has fallen to the dark side.

Arthur's note: Most of you wonder how Ahsoka could sense Anakin's fall here and not in the Clone Wars; I like to headcanon thinks Anakin permanently sever the bond with Ahsoka just as he bows to Sidious so she wouldn't see what he was about to do, so she could sense what was coming to some degree, and so the likelihood of her surviving is high as they were said to be close. I don't even if have to use that as an excuse; the thing is Anakin's bond with Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, and Padmé is simply a void of black and their bond was disrupted.

Right here, he didn't sever the bond either intentionally or accidentally so I feel like Ahsoka could sense his fall to the dark side as could Obi-Wan and Padmé to some degree. Can they sense his location exactly? Well, no, as Anakin is purposely blocking his location from them, all except Padmé who he had told earlier where he was going.

The next chapter is going to be extremely fun to write. Be prepared for an all blown out war.

Forgive me for being late in this chapter. My internet is playing moo the goose so I had to write this on my phone so forgive me if they are noticeable grammar mistakes in this chapter. Like other chapters, I would read afterward and make sure that will be remedy.

May the Force be with you all.