-Chapter 65: Stranded Part 1-

Location: Scarif

"Necessity often breeds ingenuity."

Barrelling through hyperspace, the Providence-class Separatist dreadnought was making good time. Which was a commendable thing considering its mission. Having been entrusted by Count Dooku to ferry an important passenger to a staging ground deep in Separatist territory. That passenger was Captain Rols Umar. He was a veteran captain with a near perfect record of ship command and had been serving the Confederacy's Navy since its inception. It was because of these facts that Count Dooku had selected him and five others to helm the mighty Subjugator cruisers and replace the super tactical droids currently in command. This decision had been made during a meeting between Dooku and several naval heads, including Admiral Shak, and a list of eligible individuals had been drafted.

Rols Umar was a short, human man with graying features and deep hazel eyes. But his very presence commanded attention, the captain carrying himself with a sense of pride and honesty, knowing his position and the responsibilities that came with it. He was honored to have been chosen to captain a mighty Subjugator and was determined to proudly take part in whatever glorious plan Count Dooku had in mind.

His unwavering loyalty and steadfast courage prompted Dooku to ensure Rols was well protected, giving him the best bodyguard in the whole Separatist movement.

As he stood on the bridge, hands clasped behind his back and watching hyperspace pass by, the door behind Umar slid open, followed by heavy metallic footsteps.

"Captain, how's things?" The Wraith inquired.

"Never better, soldier." Umar replied. "I've seen this same view too many times to count. And yet it still continues to impress me." He said, looking out at the seemingly endless tunnel of light stretching on before them.

"I know how you feel." Wraith agreed, crossing his arms. "It's a beautiful sense of monotony."

"Well put. Ever considered taking up poetry?" Umar wondered with a small grin.

"I haven't practiced nearly enough to consider it 'good'." Wraith responded. "I was coming to check as we should be nearing the end of this jump."

"Indeed we are. We'll be making a brief stop in the Abrion Sector before inputting our next coordinates." Umar stated. Wraith had already memorized the route outline. He was never a fan of making multiple jumps, preferring to take a direct route that simply took longer. But there was some merit to how multiple jumps ensured a ship could never be properly tracked.

"Pausing to take in the view?" Wraith jokingly wondered.

"More like throw off any pursuers who think that this is our intended destination."

"I know."

"We're coming up on the Abrion Sector now, sirs." A navigational droid reported. "Exiting out of hyperspace in three... two... one..." He counted down, the tunnel slowly shifting to resemble streaks of light before they once again morphed into pinpricks of starlight on the black canvas of space. Off to the right, a small, pale blue planet floated stationary nearby, the sole source of life in this area. "Should I input the next set of coordinates, Captain?" The same droid inquired.

"Not yet. Let's give our engines a chance to cool. There's no rush. Not yet anyway." Umar answered.

"Roger roger." Rolling his shoulders, Wraith slowly exhaled. All was normal.

"Want some caf?" He wondered.

"If you're offering, yes please." Rols politely replied. With a nod, Wraith turned to leave...

But was stopped in his tracks as multiple alarms sounded.

"Captain, we've got a ship dropping out of hyperspace on our port side!" Another droid reported. The sudden news prompted Wraith and Rols to spring into action.

"We're in the middle of nowhere, are you expecting someone?" The super-soldier questioned.

"No. This trip was known only to you and I." Umar responded, quickly entering the leadership posture he knew so well. "Raise the shields!" He ordered.

"Uh, sir? There seems to be a malfunction with the shields, the system is not responding!" A battle droid gravely informed him.

"Then take evasive maneuvers, move us now!" The droids did as asked, the destroyer moving slowly as the engines were brought back to full power.

As they did, a massive Venator-class cruiser suddenly warped in beside them.

"A Venator..." Wraith observed, knowing the triangular design by heart.

"Indeed. Bigger than us and has plenty more guns." Umar grimly added, knowing that this fight would be far from fair.

"We're outmatched." Wraith growled. "Why the Republic be here now?"

"Either someone's tapped our comms and is giving the Republic classified information, or this is the worst case of coincidence in the history of the war!" Rols responded, none too pleased with the situation. "Have our cannons give them a full broadside! Aim for the shield generators and communication array!" He instructed. The droids quickly obeyed, and red laser bolts could be seen streaking towards the enemy seconds later. Blue rounds came towards them in retaliation and the whole ship shuddered with every impact. Wraith and Rols nearly lost their balance, managing to catch themselves before they hit the floor.

"We should contact the nearest Separatist fleet, get reinforcements over here now!" Wraith suggested, thinking of Rols' safety.

"An excellent suggestion, I only hope they'll get here in time." The Captain agreed.

"That's what escape pods are for." Wraith responded, dashing over to a droid. "Put out an SOS, priority signal! Tell anyone listening we're under heavy fire and require immediate assistance." He instructed.

"Right away!" The droid affirmed, keying in the order. But his screen flashed a warning and prevented him from properly executing it. "We're being jammed! I can't get a signal out!"

"Dammit!" Wraith growled. "Captain, what are your orders?" He asked, standing up and turning around.

"Without shields there is very little hope for us, Wraith." The Captain responded. He knew this was a losing fight, the odds were against them.

"What if I was able to get over there? I could shut down their guns from the inside." Wraith suggested.

"A wild notion. How would you do it?"

"I'll use one of our escape pods and use it as means to cross the distance. If I seal my helmet, it'll buy me enough time to cut open a hole in the hull and enter the ship. I'll take out their reactors and then use one of their escape pods to get back to you." The super-soldier answered. He'd pulled crazier stunts in the past. He was made to do the impossible, and now was his time to shine.

"Providing there is something left of us by the time you're done and that our tractor beam would be working." Rols added.

"I'd be willing to take that chance." Wraith told him. Hearing the sincerity in his voice, Rols knew that had no other options.

Besides, if anyone could do this, it would be him.

"Very well. You have my permission, soldier." The captain relented. "Should your plan work but still fail this ship, I will set up a transponder beacon on the planet below. Find us." He added. Wraith nodded.

"You are my charge, Captain Umar. I will not abandon you now." He promised.

"It's been an honor to serve alongside you." Captain Umar saluted.

"Likewise." Wraith agreed, returning the salute.


Having made his way to the escape pods, Wraith strapped himself in and hit the eject switch. The door to the craft sealed behind him and Wraith was shot out from the destroyer. Captain Umar had seen to it that the ship was angled to give Wraith an optimum opportunity to make landfall somewhere on the cruiser.

Looking out the rear viewport, Wraith could see that the destroyer had sustained serious damage, fires burning out of control all across the ship. Such was the consequence of having no shields to defend against an assault.

Maybe Rols was right. Maybe the next time they met would be on the planet below.

Suddenly, a bombardment from the Venator struck the command tower, splintering the paneling holding it up and causing the piece to begin collapsing.

"No! Umar!" Wraith cried, watching horrified as blue bolts struck the bridge, turning it into a fireball and utterly destroying it. Wraith slumped back into his seat. Captain Umar was dead.

He had failed his mission.

Then his thoughts turned to the Republic and whoever was manning this cruiser that had given that order. That filled him with a fiery passion and pushed him to continue on, if only to destroy this entire ship in Captain Rols Umar's name.

His mission had just become one of vengeance.

Quickly scanning the ship, Wraith could tell his pod was heading for the side, specifically the little divet in the characteristic design. He could use the docking port there, that would be an easy entrance. All he'd have to do then would be to fight his way through the crew to the reactor and then overload it.

No problem.

He waited until the double doors came into view before pressing a switch opposite his mouth guard controls. The panels around his head tightened, completely sealing him off with a limited oxygen supply. He was grateful Scipio had considered installing such an extra, as it was about to come in handy.

Overriding the door controls with his blaster, Wraith punched open the door and let himself be sucked out into the vacuum of space, propelled by the force of his ejection towards the Venator's docking port. Drawing Tyth, Wraith lit the blade and plunged it into the paneling as soon as he was close enough and started to carve a hole, a glowing trail of molten metal following in its wake. As he did, Wraith calculated how long he had left on his helmet seal as well as how long he had before the Venator's emergency block-off systems kicked in a sealed his entry wound.

Hopefully, he would be fast enough.

Having cut through both doors to make his hole, Wraith moved in time for both pieces to be sucked out into space before maneuvering inwards, crawling inside the ship just before a steel plate closed off the leak and gravity was reestablished. Hitting the ground, Wraith rose with a burning look in his optics.

It was time to cause some havoc.


Clone troopers casually walked through the cruiser's corridors, uninterested in the battle raging just outside. It was in capable hands, a smaller Separatist vessel easily dispatched of. There was nothing to watch, unless someone was interested in some fireworks.

So none of them were expecting blaster fire to ring out and for several of their brothers to fall dead from wounds to the head. Nor were they expecting the hulking form of Wraith to turn the corner, a soaking blaster carbine in hand as he loomed over him.

Then the panic set in.

The Clones scrambled to react, many without their blasters, as Wraith methodically cut them down. They didn't stand a chance, falling in droves as Wraith powered through them. Stowing his weapon, Wraith charged on, drawing a hilt from behind as he did. Rounding the corner, he swung his unfolded blade and decapitated a common crew member, startling the Clones as he went into action, hacking and slashing as he tore them apart, their blood splattering the walls and floors as parts of bodies flung in every direction.

No one could stop him, especially when he was this angry.

Stabbing his way through the Clones, Wraith wound his way through the Venator's halls, leaving brutally murdered Clones lining the floor behind him. His rampage went unstopped, but it had no doubt been called in. Wraith considered this and decided to simply terminate their fun.

Barging into the engine room, Wraith blasted the Clones in the area with his pistols before approaching the central terminal. He'd performed this reprogramming very recently while on Mon Cala, so the procedure was still fresh in his mind. "Minimal countdown." He mused. "Everything will go." Uploading a virus from a chip stored in his belt, any immediate warnings would be disabled until a mere minute before the overload went critical, ensuring everyone on this damn ship paid for killing Rols Umar. With the upload complete and the countdown started, Wraith mentally mapped out the quickest route to the cruiser's escape pods. He'd have to launch them all to prevent any Clones or crew from escaping.

Charging his carbine, Wraith cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders. "Time to get to work." He growled.

The pods were a few levels up, down the length of the Venator's hull and easily accessible from the crewed rooms of the ship, giving Wraith plenty of targets to get rid of. At first, Wraith assumed he'd have to venture clear to the other side of the ship and launch the pods over there. Fortunately, he found a terminal which, courtesy of some of his own tech, enabled him to remotely access the pod programming functions. Another keyed command quickly sealed and launched every pod on the Venator, save one at the end of the row he was working on. Just as he finished his dirty deed, an alarm resounded throughout the ship, indicating the reactor had reached a critical level. "Time to bail!" He mused, breaking into a sprint and flying down the hall. His destined pod was at the very end, he could see it from here. It would be no problem for him to reach and jettison well before the reactors overloaded and detonated.

But just as he neared the pod, someone got in his way, darting out from an opposite hall. Unable to stop in time, Wraith saw a recognizable flash of orange and white before crashing into them and they both tumbled into the escape pod. Wraith's heavy body slammed into the central console, hitting the launch button by accident and launching the pod with both him and his newfound guest within it.

Ahsoka Tano had been on the opposite side of the ship when the pods started launching by themselves. The personnel with her started to panic and she dashed ahead to check and see if the others were still there. She hadn't expected Wraith to come barreling into her and knock them both into the only pod remaining. Nor did she expect the pod to suddenly launch before she could even get her bearings. Picking herself up with a groan and confident she'd be nursing a bruise or two after the impact, Ahsoka managed to pull herself into a seat as the escape pod left the ship and was ejected into space. Wraith himself had yet to recover and she remembered a distinct metallic clang as he slammed into the console. Looking out the rear viewport, Ahsoka looked on in dismay as a fireball blew out the back of her cruiser, the secondary reactors exploding. The flame quickly raced through the Venator, multiple explosions blowing external hull plating to pieces before one final explosion running from bow to stern blew the entire cruiser to smithereens. The ensuing shockwave shoved their little pod hard, forcibly changing its direction. Ahsoka grunted and cried out as she was knocked about in her seat, the pod taking on a new life of its own as it began to descend. Looking out the forward viewport, the pale blue planet she'd seen before was now getting quite large.

They were caught in its gravity.

Realizing they had little choice, since the escape pod couldn't be controlled like a starfighter, Ahsoka cast a mournful look at the ruins of her ship as the pod began its descent towards the world below...


By the time Wraith came around, the pod had quit moving... quite suddenly. A jarring, jolting shaking brought him back to full consciousness and he picked up the subtle beeping of a terminal processing new information, as well as the hissing of systems shutting down and steam being vented.

"Ow..." He rumbled, shaking his helmeted head. Clutching his head, Wraith registered what felt like the mother-of-all headaches, his head simply throbbing non-stop. His memory was blurry and his thoughts hazy, having been neither unconscious nor conscious during the descent.

How hard had he hit his head?

Glancing around, he saw no blackness of space but sunlight. Evidently they'd made landfall, but where?

"Ow is right." Ahsoka grumbled, freeing herself from the restraints. Wraith slowly remembered what had transpired back on the Venator.

"Ahsoka..." he groaned, hesitantly speaking her name, "Hi."

"What a way to say hi." She retorted, looking none too pleased with his presence.

Clearly she was still upset with him... for reasons still unknown to him.

"You destroyed my ship, didn't you?" She demanded. Her voice was not raised, but the look in her eyes told him she was very mad.

"Your ship?" He repeated. "As in you were in command of it?"

"Yeah. At least, I was." She responded, adding some emphasis to the last word.

"My apologies." Wraith replied as he picked himself up. "Had I known it was you, I-"

"Yeah right." Ahsoka cut him off. Moving to the back of the pod, she forced the door open, revealing blinding sunlight and the sounds of the ocean. Emerging first from the pod, Ahsoka found a pristine stretch of white beach, lush green foliage off to the right and a gently rippling ocean seaside to their left. Crawling out of the pod, Ahsoka couldn't help but look around in awe at the sheer natural beauty of this place. This was the absolute definition of perfection!

Except, of course, for the deep trail in the sand left by their escape pond.

Wraith crawled out right behind her and was equally impressed.

"Well now," he mused, voice sounding chipper as his mouth guard retracted, "I can think of worse places to make landfall."

"Me too..." Ahsoka agreed. "I think the maps marked this place as 'Scarif'."

"So it's a known world." Wraith said aloud.

"Part of an old survey, I think." Ahsoka replied. As they continued to take in the tropical wonder before them, a question arose in Wraith's mind.

"That reminds me, how did you know the Separatists would be here?" He asked.

"We didn't! We just came here!" Ahsoka replied. Under his mask, Wraith raised an eyebrow.

"Huh..." It appeared the late Captain Umar's latter notion was correct. "So it was a coincidence. Damn." He muttered. Of all the times, on all the days...!

"You weren't expecting us, either?" Ahsoka wondered, though her tone of voice indicated little concern or interest.

"No. We picked a route we thought would be far from any activity." Wraith answered. "Did you get off a distress signal?" He then inquired.

"No. One of your guns shot up our communication relays before we were fully shielded." She answered, sounding a little perturbed by that. "You?" She then, reluctantly, asked.

"No. You were putting out a jamming signal. We couldn't." Ahsoka's eyes widened a little as the realization dawned on her.

"Oh yeah..." She'd forgotten about that. "So neither of us put out a distress call."

"Nope. Guess now we'll have to wait for someone to realize we're missing." Wraith affirmed. Striding over to a nearby piece of driftwood, Wraith had a seat on the medium-sized log. Still suffering from his migraine, he withdrew a pill from his belt and swallowed it, hoping the effects would kick in soon.

"Providing someone knows where to look." Ahsoka gloomily replied, wandering over to him. She'd rather not, but the anxiety that came with her loneliness dictated otherwise.

"Indeed..." Wraith mused, drawing a mental map in his head. "Abrion's pretty far out."

"Yeah. It is." Ahsoka agreed. Then she noticed Wraith's thoughtful, focused expression. "What is it?" She wondered.

"Our encounter was a random one. And since neither of us got our a distress signal, that means it'll take time before word of our disappearance gets out and search parties come looking for us. Then they'll start retracing our paths and search each world we visited, assuming you made multiple hyperspace jumps." He stated. Ahsoka nodded lightly. "I give us... eight days or more before we're rescued." Wraith added, his mental math confirming as much. Ahsoka's eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

"Eight?! EIGHT DAYS?!" She repeated in exclamation. Eight whole days was too long for her to be out here. She had work to do! Missions to go on! Battles to fight!

And to be stuck here with him for over a week?! This paradise had suddenly become hell!

"Could be nine, worse case ten. Maybe even two whole weeks or more." Wraith suggested, adjusting his initial guess to compensate for any potential variables he'd forgotten about. When Ahsoka didn't respond, he looked to see her livid expression, her expression playing somewhere between shock and fury. "What?" He wondered.

"What?! WHAT?! YOU KNOW WHAT!" She shrieked. "YOU TEARING THROUGH MY SHIP IS WHAT GOT US STUCK HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE! IF IT WEREN'T FOR YOU AND YOUR KRIFFING DROIDS WE'D ALL BE DOING JUST FINE TRYING TO GO ABOUT OUR JOBS AND NOT BE STUCK HERE TRYING TO SURVIVE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE! MY ENTIRE CREW IS DEAD, MY SHIP IS DESTROYED AND I DON'T HAVE ANY EQUIPMENT TO CALL FOR HELP, MEANING I'M GOING TO BE STUCK HERE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE UNLESS BY SOME RANDOM CHANCE..."


One or two minutes later...

"...AND WE JUST MIGHT NEVER BE ABLE TO GO BACK TO OUR RESPECTIVE SIDES BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE WE ARE! SO DON'T 'WHAT' ME WHEN YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON AND THAT WE'RE HERE BECAUSE OF YOU!" Finishing her tirade, Ahsoka caught her breath while still glaring daggers at Wraith. The super-soldier had silently taken her shouting without rebuttal or complaint, simply maintaining eye contact with her.

"Are you done?" He quietly wondered.

"MAYBE!" She shouted before storming off in a huff down the beach. Wraith watched her retreating form for a moment before sighing and rising to follow her.

"Ahsoka..." He softly called after her. She kept walking, arms crossed. Wraith didn't need the Force to tell she was mad. By the time he caught up to her, she had stopped and was facing the sea. "Look. I didn't know you were on that cruiser. But you inadvertently killed the captain I was escorting so... maybe we're even now." He said.

"You think trading lives makes us even?! The majority, if not all, of your crew are droids! Mine were living, breathing men!" Ahsoka exclaimed. Wraith quickly chose to backtrack, realizing he'd said the wrong thing.

"Alright. Then... I'm sorry."

"Are you?" She questioned, her blue eyes narrowed in an accusing frown.

"Well, what do you want me to say?!" Wraith asked out of exasperation. "'No, I'm not sorry, I'm a big bad killing machine and enjoy seeing blood fly'?"

"That is what you are, isn't it?" She coldly wondered.

"Ouch." Wraith growled. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that and forgive you anyway." He mused, turning and walking away. Evidently, Ahsoka was in no mood to talk things out and Wraith decided he'd try again later. The Togruta huffed and returned to her sour state. Sitting down and crossing her legs, Ahsoka glared out at the endless expanse of ocean before her, not at all thrilled with her current circumstances.

She sat like that for some time, tapping into the Force to meditate for a while and try to calm herself down. She could hear sounds of activity going on in the background, but didn't really care for whatever was happening. Immersing herself in the Force, Ahsoka did her best to tune out everything. "I wouldn't mind some help." Wraith called to her. Ahsoka refused to answer, maintaining her meditative state. "Fine. Stay there and sulk. But I'd appreciate your assistance... eventually." He sighed. Squeezing her eyes, Ahsoka exhaled heavily.

While she was busy doing her thing, Wraith decided to make the most of their situation. Returning to the escape pod and took stock of their supplies. They were well-equipped, the pod having two weeks worth of food, water, survival shelters, medpacs, breath masks and glowrods. Deciding a lot of these would come in handy, Wraith put most away but pulled out the survival shelters. Shedding his armor and helmet and piling it together on the sand, he set to work constructing the tents. It was a straightforward process and, with time and patience, Wraith had two set up a few feet apart from each other, next to the driftwood log. Wandering a ways down the beach, in the opposite direction of Ahsoka, Wraith picked up some stones for the purpose of building a fire pit. "Yeah, these should work." He mused, carrying a bundle of eight back to their camp. Placing them in a circle before the driftwood log, Wraith realized he'd need more wood to complete this. Fortunately, there was another piece of driftwood nearby, one big enough to make a decent seat for either him or Ahsoka, and he hefted it over his shoulder and brought it back with him.

The next step would be to collect some wood for both the fire and other materials. He didn't want to explore this island just yet. Their basic needs had to be met first.

Venturing into the foliage next to the sand, Wraith scrounged up a few bushes and twigs to use as kindling and spied quite a few large palm trees he could probably make use of. In fact, he already had an idea for what he could use one of them for.

With his fire pit arranged, Wraith strode back into the jungle with a katana in hand. He chopped down a shorter, more slender palm tree, and then used one of his knives to whittle it down and shape it into the long, cylindrical shape of a staff. Using some leaves, he tied his knife to the end and completed his spear. "Now... here's hoping the fish are out." He said to himself, leaving the green behind for white and blue. Wading into the water, Wraith was knee-deep when he decided to stop and hold up his spear, looking down and waiting for a flash of movement. His training was about to come in very handy, as hunting quick and cunning animals required a lot more focus and concentration than cutting down bumbling, hapless Clones.

Offering a quick glance up, he saw Ahsoka sitting cross-legged down a ways. Her eyes were closed and her hands were clasped in her lap.

At least she seemed relaxed now...

His gaze back down, Wraith focused on waiting for a fish. Surely the metallic shine from his boots would attract something, reflecting under the water like that. He waited and waited, exercising seemingly infinite patience.

And then, a long red-scaled fish slowly wound its way around his legs. He waited a few seconds, waiting for the fish to stop... to pause... to stare at his boots...

SPLASH! He drove his spear down hard, his reflexes quick and his arms snapping like a piston. Raising his spear again, Wraith found a fish on the end to his delight. "Perfect!" He remarked, feeling quite proud of himself.

Now he just needed to catch a few more.

Looking around for something to put this fish on, other than the ground, Wraith snaked his head. "Oh! I didn't think this through..." He realized, seeing nothing. "Sithspit!" He grumbled, leaving the water and shoving his spear into the sand before walking off to build a rack of some kind.


Later that evening...

The setting sun cast a wondrous myriad of red and golden hues across the surface of the sea, creating a picture-perfect moment that Wraith couldn't help but marvel at. Having erected a simple spit-roasting system, Wraith divided his time between watching the peaceful sunset and rotating the meat from four fish he had on there. His fire was burning brightly and the fish was cooking well. "Yes... I know how to survive." He said to himself, very pleased with his abilities. Deeming the fish ready to eat, he now came to the hard part. "Ahsoka, I've got food ready. I know you don't want to talk to me, but I'm pretty confident you're hungry." He called to her. She was down the beach, where she had been all day. Half-expecting her to not get up, Wraith got what he anticipated and returned to a few final turns of the spit. He'd leave a few for her, but he'd worked up an appetite and was too hungry to wait.

The fish he'd caught were big, big enough to be worthy of gutting and cleaning before he skewered the meat and started cooking. Now he removed the spit from over the fire and pulled off one of the pieces. Just as he was handling it and getting used to the heat, he heard footsteps approaching. Looking up, Wraith was genuinely surprised to see Ahsoka arrive and sit down on the opposite driftwood log. Wraith offered her the spit and she used the Force to pull off a piece.

"Thanks." She quietly told him.

"You're welcome." He replied, setting the spit back. They ate in relative silence for a while, Ahsoka internally enjoying the well-cooked fish, until Wraith felt awkward with nothing being said. "Nice sunset, isn't it?" He commented.

"Yeah. It is." She softly agreed, her voice emotionless. Wraith expected that to be that, but then Ahsoka inquired, "Why don't we just use the provisions in the pod? There's rations and water in there."

"Yes, but that stuff is designed to last a good while. We should save it for a last resort because it will keep." He replied, explaining himself. "Why? Don't like fish?" He jokingly wondered.

"I was just wondering." She bit back, her emotions now evident and simmering beneath the surface. Wraith sighed, shaking his head. Her remark seemed characteristic these days. She was short with him and he didn't like it. He didn't like this phase or whatever it was Ahsoka was going through and he wanted to get to the heart of the matter.

He'd had enough of this.

"Alright. Spill it." He finally stated.

"Wha-?" She tried to say, but Wraith had anticipated such a remark.

"Don't 'what' me, Ahsoka. I can tell something's off with you. You've been giving me the cold shoulder ever since I got back into action and I want to know why!" He stated. "Now what's bugging you?" He asked.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe the fact that the guy who supposedly cares about me had the gall to kiss a Twi'lek in front of me!" She retorted, glaring at him. Wraith slowly nodded, his suspicions confirmed.

"So that's all there is?" He asked.

"Yeah. It is." Ahsoka snarkily shot back.

"Will you hear me out? Because I have an answer all lined up and ready to go."

"As to why you kissed her?" She sardonically wondered.

"I didn't! She kissed me!" Wraith revealed. For a split second, he treasured Ahsoka's look of surprise and the sudden softening of her expression. "You know, I'm actually starting to think someone's trying to set her up with me in order to make me forget about you." He explained. Ahsoka fell very quiet, leaving her fish alone as she processed this. For a split second, she readily accepted his answer. But something told her she needed to make sure. "Well?" Wraith wondered after yet another awkward silence.

"How do I know you're not lying?" She replied. Wraith thought about that, taking a bite of fish and wondering to what lengths he'd have to go to in order to fully convince her of his genuine feelings.

Finally, he had an answer.

"Use the Force. Search me. When I say 'I didn't kiss her', I didn't." He responded. Ahsoka did... and discovered he was indeed telling the truth.

"I... I see." She stammered, confirming he was in fact telling the truth. Now she was confronted with the reality that she had been wrong this whole time... as were Corsair and Anakin.

"Y'know, I could've explained all this if you had just given me a chance to. Instead you just... assumed you knew what was going on." Wraith said. His tone was gloating nor was it accusatory. Just soft as though he were trying to teach her something. "And you know what happens when you assume..." He added, trailing off. Ahsoka looked up at him.

"What?"

"You make an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me'." Wraith replied with a smile. The play on words was funny, he thought. But Ahsoka didn't react in the slightest. She was likely still processing this, he determined, and needed a little more reassurance. "If it makes you feel any better, I have no feelings for her."

"Well how the kriff was I supposed to know that?!" Ahsoka wondered, feeling quite flustered.

"Why did you just assume that I was... I dunno, with her? Force, Ahsoka, what kind of monster do you think I am? Do you seriously think I'd tell you I care and then pull the rug out from under you?" Wraith replied. Ahsoka turned away, not wanting to answer that. The kind of dreams she'd had about him lately, coupled with the course of action she was desperately trying to cling to, it made anything and everything relating to Wraith difficult for her to think about. Her answer would come out all jumbled and twisted, and that was not how she wanted to portray herself right now. She was a faithful Jedi and did everything through reasonable, logical means.

This one matter might be resolved, but that still didn't explain his motivation.

"Ahsoka, I promise you, you have nothing to worry about. There's nothing going on between her and I."

"I-I'm not worried. Not at all." She replied, sounding rather indignant. But the slight stutter in her voice told Wraith enough. He read her emotions well and came to a single conclusion, based on her apparent attempt to sound disinterested in the subject,

"You're jealous." He said, turning back to his food. Corsair had said the same thing and Ahsoka immediately flew into a tizzy.

"I AM NOT!" She shouted, getting up and storming off down the beach. Though startled by her outburst, Wraith reviewed it with a discerning mind and had to wonder if this topic had been broached before, either in her own, private moments or by someone else.

"Sounded pretty jealous to me..." He quietly mused with a smirk.

"SHUT UP!" Ahsoka shouted again, evidently hearing him again.

He'd forgotten just how good her montrals were.

Having finished his first piece, Wraith pulled off a second one and started eating, leaving the other for Ahsoka.

"Your fish is getting cold." He said in an even tone, not necessarily anticipating an answer.

"I LIKE IT COLD!" Ahsoka shouted back, now back down the beach in her original spot. Rubbing the bridge of his nose with his free hand, Wraith sighed,

"Why do I get the feeling there's something else...?" He wondered to himself. It now seemed quite obvious that Sereva's kiss wasn't the only thing on her mind.

So what was the other thing?

Wraith kept eating until his piece was finished and the sun had sank below the watery horizon, leaving only a red streak in the distant, cloudless sky. Standing up and stretching, Wraith figured it was going to be a quiet night. He'd get up early enough tomorrow, as he wanted to explore this island and find out just how big it was. "Alright, Ahsoka, I'm going to bed. I don't know how much longer you're gonna do that for... but your fish is here. And if you could put out the fire when you're done..." He called to her. She didn't answer, but was standing now. With a shrug, Wraith continued, "Your tent is closest to the grass." He told her, moving into his own tent closer to the pod.

Ahsoka stood by herself, watching the gentle waves roll in from the sea and wash along the beach before receding. The teenage girl was thoroughly flustered and in a state of mind where she simply didn't know what was going on... either in her head or all around her.

Wraith had resolved one question on her mind... seemingly. Ahsoka still had to wonder if he really meant it, or was just saying that in order to win back her favor. Sure she had tested him through the Force, but maybe he'd learned how to manipulate his output to fool her...?

She didn't know. She didn't know anymore. Wraith saying one thing and her Master and Corsair saying something else... it was confusing to no end. But she trusted her Master and knew she could rely on his word. For the most part. While Wraith claimed to care and to have her interests in mind as well, she would simply have to wait until he proved that to be so. A small part of her wanted to believe him and take him at his word. But she was stubborn and was determined to wait until he did something significant.

If he did care about her, then he would respect her.

She recalled how angry she had been just now and how Wraith's little remark reminded her too much of Corsair. She wanted nothing to do with that mercenary and Wraith had simply reminded her of him for a split second too long.

She needed to get her emotions under control. She was not acting like a Jedi should. Surely Wraith didn't mean what he said and she was just overreacting.

Knowing he'd gone to bed by now, Ahsoka turned and headed back to the campfire. She sat down by herself and collected the last of the fish, taking a bite. As she chewed, she detected the distinctly smokey flavor and how it was cooked just right. As a carnivore at her core, Ahsoka knew what proper meat should be like.

"It's good fish." She said aloud.


The next day...

Such warm closeness felt so lovely. To feel his strong arms wrapped so tightly around her, her small, lithe body hugged to his... it was a sensation unlike any other. To simply be close to him... to simply be held by him...

She could feel his lips on her neck... Warm puffs of breath caressing her lekku, making her shudder uncontrollably. But it felt so good. She shouldn't want this, but she did.

Ahsoka suddenly awoke, the dream fading into nothingness. At least I'm not jerking awake in a cold sweat. She thought to herself.

Ahsoka hadn't gotten much sleep last night. What she'd just awoken from was the latest of three dreams and this one had been the... tamest of them all. The content of the other two were likely enough to make someone as stoic as Shaak Ti blush.

And all of them featured Wraith.

They tried to appeal to her carnal, primal heritage, to use the weakness that was her changing biology and hormone-addled thoughts. She had woken up from each in a cold sweat and more than a little flushed. She'd press her legs tightly together and try to go back to sleep, only to suffer another one. She was thankful morning had come, but in her disheveled state, the last person she wanted to encounter was Wraith... especially after all the thoughts she'd had about him.

Crawling from her tent, Ahsoka shielded her eyes as the bright morning sun momentarily blinded her. Her eyes adjusted, and she heard,

"Good morning," as Wraith softly greeted her. Of course he was awake. Lowering her hand, Ahsoka found him sitting on one of the driftwood logs, his amber gaze transfixed on her. His armor was still in a pile and he wore only a simple shirt, one that was both lose enough yet tight enough to tease her with the barest hint of the physique underneath. She hoped she didn't look too out of sorts. She swallowed nervously.

"Morning." She replied in as even a voice as she could muster.

"You sleep well?" He wondered. A flashback to an earlier dream caused Ahsoka to freeze.

"Y-Yeah... I did." She quickly answered, cursing her stutter.

"You sure?" Wraith asked, picking up on it. Ahsoka quickly fabricated an excuse.

"I'm... just not used to sleeping in a tent. That's all."

"Would you like me to build you something?" His offer surprised her, but Ahsoka quickly assumed Wraith would say anything to win her back. That was what she'd been thinking before going to sleep...

"You-?" She feigned being taken aback, before shaking her head and responding, "No, it's okay. I'll get used to it." Wraith nodded in understanding and handed her a canteen of water as she came to join him. "Thanks." She took a sip. It was cool and refreshing, just what she needed. "What, no breakfast?" She wondered, looking around and seeing no fire and nothing cooking.

"I was hoping to explore the jungle and also crossing my fingers and hoping to find some fruit of some kind." Wraith replied. "If not, I'll figure something out when we get back." It was then that Ahsoka noticed he had his belt strapped on and all the weapons with it holstered. "Care to join me?" He wondered. Taking another sip from the canteen, Ahsoka nodded as she screwed the lid on.

"Yeah. Okay."


Five minutes later, the pair were trekking through the jungle, Wraith leading the way and parting branches and leaves for Ahsoka. The green foliage all seemed to blur together, but Wraith's honed hearing picked up on the flutter of wings and the distant skitters of smaller creatures scrambling through the underbrush. Maybe he could take up hunting around here As they walked, the Togruta was thinking. Even if she didn't fully trust Wraith, she should atone for her unnecessary actions the previous night.

"Wraith? I'm sorry about freaking out last night." She said, breaking the silence. "It's just... Corsair said something similar, out loud, and Jedi aren't supposed to be jealous or feel any similar emotion." She told him. Wraith nodded as they walked side by side.

"He was trying to get under your skin." He correctly deduced. "Wait, who's Corsair?" He wondered, not familiar with the name.

"He's the leader of the Titans; those mercenaries who attacked you on Takodana." Ahsoka explained. That was news to him, now he knew exactly who that merc was... and maybe had enough information to do a little digging after he was rescued.

"I see. Good to know." Wraith quietly mused, taking those details under consideration for a moment. He soon moved on, to more important matters."I apologize for making you mad, that wasn't my intention at all." He added. Ahsoka could sense he was being truthful.

"I forgive you." She replied. Wraith smiled warmly at her, she offering a smaller grin, feeling just a little awkward with being around him given her recent dreams.

Another five minutes later, and Wraith parted the brush to reveal a most tranquil yet unexpected sight.

"This... This is a spring." He stated, intrigued by the fact this even existed here. Ahsoka joined him by his side and paused to marvel at the scene.

It really was quite pretty. The water was pale blue, the flat rocks around it gray and smooth, the very air seemed to sparkle and shimmer above it all, giving off an almost magical feeling. Wraith advanced and knelt by the pool, scooping up some water in his cupped hands and taking a drink. It was refreshing and easy on his throat, lacking the burn of salty seawater. He turned back to Ahsoka, "It's fresh, not salty." She quickly joined him and knelt to drink some for herself. Ahsoka soon concurred that the water was quite tasty and hit the spot to parch her thirst. Apparently they wouldn't have to worry about their water supplies and, with Wraith's hunting abilities, they would be set until they were rescued.

Whenever that was...

Looking up, Ahsoka took note of the tall wall of rocks lining the back of the pool, where the waterfall openly flowed down and into the spring.

"It looks like it's being fed by that waterfall." She observed. Wraith nodded.

"It does... then we should circle around, see if there's anything worth looking at on the other side before continuing." He determined.

"One more drink?" Ahsoka wondered as she bent over again.

"Sure." Wraith agreed with a nod. Ahsoka was soon lapping up some more of the crystal-clear water, humming slightly as she thoroughly enjoyed it.

But then she felt a disturbance, her senses registering something staring at her. Honed over countless experiences, Ahsoka knew when someone was looking at her even if she couldn't see them. Straightening a little, she tested her senses and focused on any signs of life radiating through the Force. Everything gave off a signal, like a blip on radar. But the only other being around was Wraith. She looked up at him, his gaze seemed to be fixed on the waterfall and nowhere near her, on anything but her. It was at that moment Ahsoka remembered what kind of position she was in, and how her butt was pushed out due to being bent over.

Had he been ogling her while she wasn't looking...?

He'd done so on Mon Cala, so she wouldn't put it past him to do so again. But his distracted, distant look seemed to dictate otherwise. She could've sworn she'd felt his eyes on her, but maybe he hadn't. But the Force couldn't be wrong...

Recalling Anakin and Corsair's words about him wanting her for the bragging rights, Ahsoka determined that someone who wanted her in such a lowball capacity wouldn't hesitate to ogle if given the chance. And so with a narrowed, wary gaze that lingered on Wraith, Ahsoka had another drink.

She didn't trust him...

When she was finished, they both rose to their feet and Wraith directed them to circle the spring on opposite sides, looking for anything of interest. They met again behind the waterfall to find nothing, Wraith concluding that the waterfall must be fed by some sort of underground deposit. With that question settled, they continued their trek through the jungle, Ahsoka lingering a little behind Wraith as they did.

Nearly twenty minutes later, they emerged onto another beach that faced a vast, empty sea much like where their camp was.

"Well... this looks familiar." Ahsoka mused. "So this island isn't very big at all..."

"No. It took us maybe a half-hour to cross it, and we were travelling in a pretty straight line." Wraith agreed. "The only thing of interest is that spring."

"I guess that's something." Ahsoka slowly agreed, crossing her arms. Even if Wraith's initial calculations were right and they were here for just over a week, they would soon have every inch of this island explored, meaning things could get monotonous and dull quickly.

Little did she realize that destiny had things that were anything but boring in store for them...

"If anything, we can use that for bathing as well as drinking." She suggested.

"Well... I am overdue for a shower." Wraith mused, looking himself over. "But you're right, we can probably make use of that waterfall to refill our canteens." He agreed. "Could call, milady. You've got a knack for this survival thing."

"When you get sent on long and boring missions often enough, you tend to memorize the survival manuals that come with." Ahsoka answered with a smirk.

"Do you spend a lot of time alone?" Wraith asked, his voice indicating genuine, heartfelt feelings. Ahsoka's expression softened and slightly fell.

"Not really. But... there are times when I..." she started to say, before shaking herself out of it. She didn't want to talk about it, not right now, not with him. "Nevermind. We should try heading back." Her switch did not go unnoticed, but Wraith was willing to let is slide for now.

"Alright. But first, I want to do another pass by the spring."

As it turned out, his reasoning was to examine the nearby trees and it soon proved fruitful. Literally. Wraith was able to get some decent sized fruits for them both which led to a tasty late breakfast.


Returning to their camp, Ahsoka told Wraith she was going to explore the beach surrounding the island. He agreed and told her he was going off on a material run, to collect some more firewood as well as enough wood for a couple of other devices he had in mind.

For nearly an hour, Ahsoka followed the beach around the island, discovering an assortment of rocks, shells and driftwood, but not much else. She took her time, though, using the Force to seek out any creatures that might also be on the island. Apart from a few skittering critters around the border of the jungle brush, she didn't find much. Not even bigger sea life worth noting.

What an island to be stuck on. Alone with Wraith of all people...

Sitting down, crossing her legs and closing her eyes, Ahsoka reflected on the facts presented to her. Wraith may very well have resolved the issue with the Twi'lek Admiral, but his intentions towards her were still a little foggy. With that incident involving her sixth sense, the Togruta had to wonder where Wraith's motivations truly lay. After all, he had looked up her skirt once before, even if he'd claimed that to be by accident. He didn't accidentally ogle her on Mon Cala and it seemed to her his gaze didn't 'accidentally' linger on her butt at the spring. Still, it could've been her imagination... but she wanted proof. Until she understood his motivation in full, she would rely on what Anakin had to say. Above all, she knew he could be trusted without a shadow of a doubt.

The loneliness of the moment getting to her, Ahsoka picked herself up and went off to find Wraith, feeling more than a little antsy.

She thought he'd be easy to find and, using the Force, he was. But the Force didn't tell her everything about where he was...

Arriving at the spring, Ahsoka parted the leaves and found a startling surprise awaiting her. To the left, where her gaze landed first, were Wraith's clothes, laid out on the rocks. Before her, in the spring, was Wraith himself... bathing.

"Eeep!" Crouching down and holding up a hand to obscure her vision, a red-faced Ahsoka stared wide-eyed at the foliage in front of her as her mind froze up. She had just witnessed Wraith stark naked in the middle of a bath!

Well, not entirely naked. If anything, she saw his unclothed back, and could only guess the rest of him was in a similar state of undress.

Her breathing quick and shallow, Ahsoka closed her eyes and sincerely hoped he hadn't seen her. There would be no end to the embarrassment if she were caught. She should leave right now, before anything else happened.

But while her mind was screaming at her to move, something deep within caused her to stay put... and entertain a far more sinful thought.

That single thought slowly ate away at her resolve, doing away with every intentional desire to be a respectable and a good Jedi and give him his privacy. It crept through her mind like a shadow, slowly consuming her until it was all she could think about... what did Wraith look like under all that armor? She knew what the soldier looked like, what did the man look like?

No. I can't... i-it's wrong. Decency stated.

A Jedi does not indulge such notions. Doctrine added.

I bet he's really really hot... Her hormones declared.

Curiosity getting the better of her, Ahsoka straightened up just a little bit and shifted her obscuring hand a little lower, allowing her to see Wraith's upper body. He'd turned around now and was running his hands through his hair, ensuring his entire torso was on display. The young Togruta felt her face flush even further, cheeks turning blood-orange, as his form was exposed to her, her montrals darkening so much their blue stripes were almost black. She felt her eyes unconsciously widened as she registered what she was seeing. Ahsoka had only ever seen a hint of his muscular body whenever he removed his armor, like today, but... now...

She had seen Clones, even Anakin, shirtless before. But their bodies paled in comparison to the display she was currently witnessing.

Wraith's chest was broad and thick, made up of perfectly formed pectoral muscles that looked indestructible. His shoulders were equally large and round and his biceps were perfectly sculpted, thick like the leg of a scout walker. Each one of his abs was taught and rigid, and a pair of slow, sloping lines leading from his hips down to... well, Ahsoka had taken biology. She knew exactly where those lines led. Never before had Ahsoka seen muscles so... so big. Or so perfectly formed. His abs looked like they had been cut from kriffing stone for crying out loud! The longer she looked, Ahsoka realized that from neck to waist he was covered in scars, both big and small, and they only seemed to add to his handsome appearance. He gave his head a shake, hair and water flying as time seemed to slow.

Oh sweet Force... Ahsoka thought to herself. H-He's perfect. The longer she stared at his muscles, which she was increasingly convinced were the absolute zenith of organic potential, the more she felt her inhibitions fade, becoming replaced with a sense of curiosity... and desire...

She'd felt these feelings before, back when she first saw Wraith without his helmet. Something stirred within her then, her heart quickening whenever she thought of his admittedly handsome face every time afterwards. A dull ache settled in her stomach, like a weight that was dragging everything down. A tingly rush, starting at the very tip of her montrals, worked its way down through her body, causing her to swallow nervously. Every single dream she'd had recently, all the naughty ones starring him, suddenly hit her full-force and Ahsoka froze in place. No matter how hard she tried, she simply couldn't take her eyes off the shirtless, muscle-bound human before her. She knew exactly what her feelings were. They'd been covered ever-so briefly during one of her health classes. She knew every autonomic function, every bodily process that was unfortunately at work right now.

She was feeling attraction. She was attracted to Wrai-

What am I doing?! She mentally realized. This is Wraith, the mon-... guy who's plagued the Republic and killed Jedi! I can't possibly find him attractive! I can't! Get it together Ahsoka! Remember the Code. Vehemently forcing herself to deny any possible attraction to him, Ahsoka closed her eyes and breathed deeply as she fought to recompose herself. Opening them again, her gaze was drawn back to his robust and masculine body. Ahsoka bit her lip nervously and pressed her legs together, trying to ignoring the feelings welling up inside her and the thoughts filling her mind.

Force, those muscles though!

Her entire body felt like lead, heavy and impossible to move. But by some miracle, Ahsoka was able to drag herself, and her eyes, away from the rather irresistible sight of a shirtless Wraith and take off into the jungle again. Clutching her chest as the pounding of her heart in her hearing died down, Ahsoka gasped for air. The redness of her face was still there and her body and mind were still running hot... but at least she was out of there.

Never before had she felt so... impure.

Releasing a shuddering sigh as she walked back to the beach, Ahsoka couldn't believe what she'd just scene... and what she'd just done. She had given in to her hormones, let her selfish, teenage desires override her mind in a moment where perfect faithfulness to the Jedi Code could've won out. To make matters worse, this was the man she was taking issue with! The one being in the galaxy she didn't fully trust, the one she really should be keeping her distance from, and he looked... that... hot...

Ahsoka shuddered, closing her eyes and counting to ten as the sudden rush of hormones through her body died down. But to spend the rest of her time here, knowing that was within range...

Rescue couldn't come soon enough!