Chapter 14 - Continued Fear

Sulani spent several hours helping Rex and the clones with the tasks that needed to be done. When her assistance became no longer required, she retreated into her quarters to meditate, something she had been having trouble with recently. She could feel Anakin and Ahsoka as they went about their business, and if she reached far enough, she could feel Obi-Wan on the ground. She could feel the flutter of his varying emotions as he and his clones went through with their assault. She pulled into herself, trying to find a peace that she had not felt in a while. It was as she was finally finding it, that it happened.

"Mother, you have to believe I would never do such a thing." "She's innocent Mother, I know that for certain." "At this rate, Ahsoka will be found guilty and we'll lose her forever." "She left the order Mother, and I couldn't stop her." "Anakin killed Dooku? Why? Was it necessary?" "I always believed his relationship with the Chancellor would bring nothing but misfortune." "Ahsoka and I have Maul, we're on our way to Coruscant." "Initiate Order 66." "Rex, what are you doing?" "Mother, why have the clones turned on us?" "Ahsoka, we have to leave." "Anakin would never, Maul was lying." "You were my brother, Anakin." "ANAKIN!"

Sulani fell to the floor, and though she had been sitting, it felt as if she had fallen many stories. She gasped in the air she thought she was lacking, but she was really hyperventilating. She only remembered impressions, but she knew it was related to her nightmares, the nightmares she still feels, though never remembers. She felt Obi-Wan send a pulse through the Force, he had no doubt sensed her fear. She sent back a reassuring one, but she knew he did not believe it. However, his more pressing matters meant he had no choice but to drop it. She stayed where she was on the floor, daring not to move a muscle. She knew that her nightmares always seemed to centre around Ahsoka and Anakin, but without remembering what actually happened, she has no way to know what to do about it.

She lay there for what felt like an eternity, but had only been several minutes. It was at that moment that her door opened with a whoosh and Ahsoka stepped in, "Mother?"

Ahsoka seemed apprehensive as she spoke, but as she saw Sulani lying on the ground, she frowned and rushed to where she was, "Mother, are you okay?"

She allowed Ahsoka to help her sit up, and even let herself have the luxury of leaning on her former youngling's shoulder, "I'm okay Ahsoka, just a vision."

"I know," she said, holding her, "I felt it, your fear, it slammed into me like a solid wall. I think Master felt it too, because we were together and I could see the look on his face. I came alone though, he was busy talking to Masters Kenobi and Windu."

"I see," and she did, for she remembered that before the visions had hit her, she had brushed up against their presence in the Force, which no doubt linked them to her stronger emotions. Such as abject fear. "Yes, it was a terrifying vision, but I don't remember much I'm afraid."

"It's okay Mother, I don't think I want you to remember something that causes you fear simply by feelings its aftermath."

"Yes, I suppose so," she says before attempting to stand, "come, help me up and then we'll join Anakin on the bridge."

Ahsoka does not bother arguing before helping her Mother stand.

When they entered, Obi-Wan was gone, but Master Yoda, the Chancellor and the Senator of Ryloth were now present from Coruscant. Sulani felt a shudder come through her from looking at Chancellor Palpatine and given her recent vision, she was not sure how to take it. When her and Ahsoka walked further into the room, Anakin sent a look her way, it was clear he was trying to determine if she was okay with simply a glance. The Chancellor speaking brought his attention back to the conversation, "What is your progress Skywalker?"

"My fighters have secured control of the space surrounding Ryloth. We have the Separatist cruisers on the run."

"Very good, General Skywalker," Palpatine say.

Having nothing else more to say, Anakin cuts the call to all other parties. Clearly they had been mostly done when Ahsoka and Sulani had entered the room. With that over with, Anakin turns his attention back to Sulani, "Mother, are you okay? I felt a sudden fear coming from you, it almost felt like my own."

Sulani did not answer immediately, she simply stared at him, or at least in his general direction. Though she could not remember details, the impressions she got were still there. The fear, yes, but also the sorrow and sense of betrayal. She knew that something happened to Ahsoka based on her nightmares, at least what she could remember of them. She also knows that the biggest parts of her visions centre on Anakin, but she was yet to determine what happens to him. All she knows is this, that if she ever has a vivid vision, that she happens to remember, it was definitely something she would want to prevent in the future. The rules be damned, if what she saw was as fearful as the impressions made it out to be, she did not want it to happen.

She must have been staring off into space too long, because she came back to the present by the touch of Anakin's palm to her cheek, something she had done for him countless times when he was a child, "Mother, tell me truthfully, are you okay?"

She reached for his hand on her cheek and brought it down to be held in both of hers, she took a few breaths to centre herself before finally answering, "I'm okay Anakin, really I am. The visions, I don't remember them and I know they cause me fear, but without knowing what was in them. Well, I can't dwell on them. The fear has passed though Ani. You have to remember, I've been having visions such as these for my entire life, I've learnt to live with them and certainly, I've learnt to deal with them."

He looked unsure, but knew there was no point in pressing the matter, "Very well, Mother, but remember, I'm always here for you if you need me. And if you ever need something to be done about any of your visions, I'll be there too."

"Thank you Ani," she says, sending him a warm smile. "Now enough about that, how goes it for the ground assault, I assume things are going well if they had time for a meeting."

"Yes," he says, "Obi-Wan has successfully taken over a small town, they were able to free the Twi'leks there and allow Master Windu to land the larger transports. Master Windu is now leading the assault on the capital, which I'm unsure of its progress as Master Windu had yet to explain it, but he does not appear worried, so I imagine things are going well."

"When I walked in, you told the Chancellor we had finished with the enemy cruisers," she mentions.

"Yes," he nods and uses the holotable to show her the end of their battle, "we were able to take out two more cruisers, thankfully with minimal losses. With us being only one ship, but still managing to hold our own, the remaining cruisers must have gotten scared so they fled."

"Anakin, it could be a tactical retreat," she admonishes, "never assume what the enemy is thinking."

"That may be so, but I certainly got the feeling of a dog with its tail tucked between its legs," he laughs.

"Whatever you say Anakin," she sighs. "I'm going back to my room."

"Mother," he calls before she leaves, "are you…are you meditating again?"

"No," she replies, "I'm going to sleep."

"Okay," he says, watching her go.

He did not need to know that sleeping was usually not any safer.

Sulani had managed to have a nightmare free sleep, and she awoke well rested the following day. She was currently getting herself ready for the day when her comm went off, it was Anakin. "What is it Anakin?"

"Mother, I hope I haven't woken you, but I need you on the bridge," he says.

"Very well, I'll make my way there now," she says before ending the call.

She quickly finished getting ready and made her way to the bridge. It was while she was on her way that she realised something was going on as clones were hurrying everywhere. She entered the bridge and noticed that Ahsoka was not there, and Anakin looked ready to go as well, "Mother, good, I'll let Admiral Yularen fill you in, Ahsoka and I are getting in our fighters."

She did not have a chance to reply before he was out the door, so she turned towards Yularen and gave him an asking raise of her brow. "General, we received a transmission from General Windu stating that the enemy had sent bombers to various villages on Ryloth. General Skywalker and Commander Tano are taking a few squadrons of fighters to deal with them."

"So we're tactical support?"

"Yes, General."

So tactical support she presented, she watched the battle, giving advice to pilots if she felt it necessary. However, despite her, Admiral Yularen and Anakin when he could, giving advice, it was overwhelming with their lessened forces. Anakin decided to contact Master Windu, "General Windu? Do you copy?"

"I hear you Skywalker," Master Windu replies.

"My fighters are taking out the bombers as fast as they can, Master Windu, but there are just too many. I doubt we can stop them all, I suggest you get the people away from the cities."

"You must destroy those bombers, Skywalker," Master Windu urges, "Then meet me at the capital."

"I'll do what I can," Anakin says.

So he and Ahsoka continued to do what they could to destroy the enemy bombers. There truly were many of them and it was getting harder and harder to deal with them.

For a while, all Sulani could do was watch and she knew from intermittent messages that things on the ground were going well. She then noticed a sudden change in a small group of droid bombers, they appeared to have changed course. She quickly predicted their flight path and realised where they were going, "Anakin, there's a small group of bombers heading straight for the capital, I think they're going to bomb it to cover their losses."

"Alright Mother," he says, "Ahsoka and I will head there now."

The bombers continued to get closer and closer to the city, but thankfully, Jedi fighters are a lot faster, Anakin and Ahsoka were able to handle the bombers before anything could happen.

"Whoa," Ahsoka said in wonder, "That was close, Master."

"Isn't it always, Snips?"

Sulani simply shook her head at their exchange, but internally, she had a laugh. "General," Rex says beside her, "There's an incoming call from General Windu."

"Put it through."

The image of Master Windu appeared before her, "Master, have things been taken care of?"

"Yes Mother, we have taken back Ryloth and Wat Tambor is in custody," he says, "We have achieved victory here today."

"That is good news Master," she smiles.

Another wonderful victory for the Republic and freedom for the Twi'leks of Ryloth. Sulani felt the joy, not only from herself, but from the people of Ryloth below her as they celebrated their new freedom. However, in the back of her mind stayed the looming threat of her visions and what they entailed.

A/N: and here we have the last chapter in the Ryloth arc, I've been getting in so many updates lately, mostly because I've been using it to bolster my NaNo word count when I get stuck in my actual project or if it's late and I can't really think about what happens next in that. Anyway, I'll leave it at this, it'd be nice to get some reviews from peeps, cause I know you guys are reading haha, if there's things you like or don't like, let me know hey, can't make it a good story if there's things that need improvement, but until next time

Seza, out.