Author's Note: 500 FOLLOWERS AND FAVOURITE...ERS APIECE! Y'all really are too much! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the support, I wouldn't be here without any of you and I mean it! Extra special shoutouts go to anthonym3 for the lovely little letter and to SAK-96 who helped to inspire part of this arc! Now. Enough from me, read on and enjoy!
-Chapter 66: Stranded Part 2-
Location: Scarif
"The greatest obstacle to change, improvement, or anything similar, is ourselves."
The small, four-eyed rodent scampered across the jungle floor, nibbling on fallen leaves and fruit as it went. It was a creature of simple-mind, one minute focused on finding food, the next running from something that had spooked it, back to finding food again. With keen and acute senses, the creature could hear things well-before it saw them. It's long tail flicking back and forth, the critter paused to nibble on a leaf, even though it feared for its life.
That fear was so rich and intense that other beings could sense it, just from looking at it. A sixth sense, heightened to an incredible magnitude, could feel the fear rippling down the creature's spine, see the stark terror in its big, black eyes as it was frozen in place...
The spear suddenly plunged through the creatures side and pinned it to the ground, causing it to briefly screech before going completely still. From the foliage, Wraith emerged to retrieve his prize. His own trained senses had come in handy with this one... but for some reason, it seemed to him as if he could almost sense exactly what the creature was feeling, the standing hair on the back of his neck evidence enough.
Brushing that aside, Wraith collected his spear and what would be lunch, and headed back to the beach, whistling to himself with his catch slung over his shoulder.
It was another day on Scarif, and the stranded Wraith and Ahsoka were making the most of their situation. Wraith had devoted himself wholly to their survival and took charge of making sure they had enough food and water, as well as the materials necessary to build anything they needed. Ahsoka was content with tagging along and helping him however he needed, but she did seem to want to keep her distance and spent some time by herself.
Wraith didn't mind, though. Having smoothed over the issue about Sereva kissing him, Ahsoka seemed to have lightened up and slowly returned to her old self, before his dip in the bacta tank. This pleased him greatly, and he was certain they were on the right track to repairing their friendship.
Ahsoka, on the other hand, was less convinced things were getting better. No longer was it a question about Wraith and that Twi'lek. Now it was a question of his intentions and motivation. She still wasn't convinced his thoughts regarding her were completely wholesome and was writing for further proof before making up her mind.
That was proving a little hard, though, as Ahsoka realized she was slowly slipping into an old mindset. This had come about after she'd seen Wraith virtually naked... and he. Was. Handsome. But she was determined to stay faithful to the Jedi Code, no matter what.
The young Togruta was seated on one of the driftwood logs that surrounded the their fire pit, using the Force to carefully place some pieces of kindling. It was another sunny, balmy day on Scarif. The weather perfect and the scenery pristine and serene.
"Ahhhh... another day in paradise." Wraith mused, setting his prey down on a small table he'd managed to construct.
"I mean, it's nice. But I don't want to be stuck here forever." Ahsoka responded, her gaze on the final pieces of wood.
"Still, appreciate the gift we've been given for the time being, my dear. Take this as an opportunity to relax, to ease your mind for a little while." Wraith suggested, brandishing his second shiny, silver knife. That caused Ahsoka to pause and remember everything she was likely missing... and the people she needed to get back to.
"I'm... I'm not sure if I can." She softly answered. "I have to get back. There are people counting on me-"
"They will get along fine without you." Wraith calmly interjected. "Your Master handily took control of Florrum after those Trandos captured you, did he not?" He pointedly asked. Ahsoka knew that he had and understood Wraith was trying to make a point.
"I mean... he did..." She slowly answered.
"Then I think he will survive without you for a couple more days." Wraith stated, setting to work cleaning his catch. "If he cannot, then he needs to learn to appreciate the gift he's been given." He added. Ahsoka paused, head rising as his words registered.
"...what, me?" She asked, turning to him.
"Yes, you." He clarified with a nod, meeting her gaze. Wraith was soon back to cleaning and preparing the creature, but Ahsoka found herself with a light blush on her face and a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
What a nice compliment.
Going about their respective jobs, the meat was soon ready to cook, skewered on the spit and roasting over the fire, ignited by Tyth. They sat there in relative silence, Ahsoka's hungry growing every minute as Wraith keenly watched the portions cook, waiting for the telltale signs it was nearing completion.
After a few minutes of this, Ahsoka broke the silence.
"What would you do if you weren't a Separatist?" She pointedly asked. She wasn't entirely sure why she'd asked such a question, supposing she was simply trying to make conversation. Wraith did not immediately reply, but the shift in his expression and posture indicated to Ahsoka that he was doing some thinking.
"I've never known anything else." He quietly replied, his gaze on the turning meat. "I suppose I would just be... nobody." He answered. Part of Ahsoka wanted to respond to that, but she decided against it in an attempt to honor the Jedi Code. Her question was too personal and she didn't want to involve herself to such a degree. But Wraith had done a little more thinking and popped a question of his own. "Let me put a spin on your question," he started, "if you could be anything other than a Padawan, what would you want to be?" He inquired.
"That's easy: a Jedi Ace." Ahsoka replied with a smile. Wraith turned to her with a curious look.
"Really? Someone who flies starfighters for a living?" He wondered. Ahsoka nodded.
"Yep! I... enjoy working with ships and getting to fly them. All I need to do is put in a little more practice and score a few more kills and I'll be there in no time." Wraith could tell Ahsoka was passionate about this subject, sensing a sort of love for flying and for mechanics. The Togruta, on the other hand, noticed her rather energetic response and internally berated herself for having slipped so easily into a casual, excited tone.
Such was not how Jedi acted.
"Well, I wish you the best on your endeavor." Wraith cordially responded. "But isn't the Five-Oh-First a grounded army?"
"It is," she confirmed, "which makes finding opportunities to fly harder, even if my Master enjoys it just as much. Whenever I get antsy about it, he manages to pull me back in." There she went again. Why did she keep doing that?
Better yet, why was Wraith just so approachable?
"Then... just strike out on your own, carve your own path." He suddenly suggested. "Anakin's just slowing you down." To him, the best path to one's goal was the direct one, especially in cases like this. But Ahsoka seemed to blanch and differ from his opinion.
"Wraith, I'm just a Padawan!" She exclaimed. "I can't just... do something like that! It's not how Jedi work!" Her words struck a chord with Wraith. something about the rigidity and inflexibility of the Jedi tat he didn't like.
"Yes, I know you are a Jedi... but why? Did you make that choice? Was there some... reasoning as to why you wished to become a Jedi?" He inquired in a musing tone. Ahsoka said nothing, avoiding his gaze and he continued. "You don't even know why, do you? Why you fight, why you even are a Jedi, these answers elude you. You've been blinded by what others tell you. What they want you to believe... you believe." He suggested. "You've bought it all, no questions asked. You took the bait, hook, line and sinker." Something about what he said resonated with some small part of her soul, and Ahsoka vehemently fought to deny it. "I hate to say it, especially to you, my dear Ahsoka... but you are living a lie."
"No! Stop it!" She cried, desperate to quell the feeling inside of her that sought to agree with him.
"You deny me... because you know I speak the truth." Wraith pressed.
"I joined the Jedi so I could help people!" Ahsoka retorted, looking to him with wide eyes.
"My understanding is that you had little say in joining them." Wraith responded, his amber gaze fully locking with hers. Ahsoka knew her own history to know he was pretty accurate. She had been discovered by Plo Koon when she was just three and had been raised by the Jedi ever since. They were all she knew... and she really didn't have a say in whether she wanted to be a Jedi or not.
But she liked being a Jedi! And that was something Wraith didn't seem to understand.
"But supposing you did, why do you fight for the corrupted Republic? Why do you fight for a way of life that hurts people?" He asked. Ahsoka had heard enough about this issue to have a very concrete stance.
"The Republic doesn't hurt people!" She stated. But then she suddenly remembered other situations and less-recognized circumstances that most people wouldn't be familiar with. She'd been to Coruscant's lower levels with Anakin, seen the squalor and destitution that got worse and worse the further down they travelled. She'd seen hopeless looks on dirty faces, the light gone from people who had come here looking for a new start... only to find themselves even more worse off than they were previously. "At... A-A-At least... not like the Separatists do..." She hesitantly added, for reasons unknown to her.
"Ah... there it is. The moment of hesitation." Wraith said aloud, believing he had scored in some regard. He'd found it, the proverbial 'chink in her armor'. She knew the Republic had its issues but was willing to readily overlook them... unlike him. "The moment where you stop and think and realize... I'm right." Ahsoka looked away from him, feeling ashamed for even thinking negatively about the Republic. They were the good guys in this war! They were fighting for things the Separatists wanted to take away! "I do not call you wrong Ahsoka. I call you trapped. I call you blind. You've let others guide you, teach you... control you." Wraith continued.
"They don't control me!" Ahsoka responded.
"Then why do you act on the whim of your so-called 'masters'? Why are your actions tempered by those who are supposedly 'superior' to you?" Wraith fervently asked. He'd seen it himself, even now. The fiery and energetic Ahsoka he saw for the first time on Felucia was a far cry from who she was now. Ahsoka's head lowered as she held it in her hands, as if trying to make his counter-arguments go away. "You are not yourself. You are trying to be what others want you to be."
"Would you just stop?!" Ahsoka shouted, standing up. His words were getting to her. She couldn't think straight... it were almost as if Wraith were trying to corrupt her. "It's bad enough I have to put up with condescending masters and overzealous training and warzones and the Urge and the-"
"Wait, what's the Urge?" He calmly asked, genuinely wondering. Ahsoka paused and softened, suddenly realizing she'd mentions a very embarrassing fact about herself that was really quite a private thing. Wraith's gaze brightened moments later. "Oh! I remember! Doesn't that have something to do with your hormone cycles?" Ahsoka felt her face flush.
So he knew about that...
she supposed it was common knowledge and a part of every Togruta's biology as they matured. That didn't mean it was easy to talk about.
"Y-Yeah..." She nervously replied. Wraith nodded in understanding.
"Are... you feeling it right now?" He hesitantly inquired, wondering if there might be some correlation between her attitude and her hormone cycles. Ahsoka gave him a look of raw horror.
"NO!" She shrieked, mortified. "But I do get horny! A lot! And it make everything... so much harder to do because I can't kriffing focus!" Did she just say that out loud? Force almighty! She really needed to take control of her thoughts and how they translated to her mouth.
"I can only imagine." Wraith sympathized with a nod. He hadn't felt the effects of puberty much, due to his enhancements. But he could only imagine what it was like to be so preoccupied with an unnecessary hormone rush.
"Can we... Can we stop talking about this?" A clearly embarrassed Ahsoka stammered, meekly sitting down.
"Yes, of course." Wraith quickly agreed, seeing her adverse reaction to all of this. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you. If it makes you feel any better, I don't view you any differently because of this." He apologized. Ahsoka silently nodded in acceptance before they both grew lost in their thoughts, silence falling over them again.
With this new information accidentally revealed, Wraith was slowly putting two and two together. Ahsoka was going through a lot which would likely contribute to her shift in attitude. Maybe hormone-induced mood swings were part of the trouble... but Wraith couldn't help but think there was something more he didn't know about.
Ahsoka couldn't help but think that Wraith was trying to convert her, attempting to whittle away her resolve and her convictions about the Republic and the Jedi.
That was something to be on guard about. He could not be trusted...
"Meat's done." Wraith announced after a while, lifting the spit off the fire. "Tell me how it tastes. I need to know if I should be hunting more of these." Using the Force to grab a piece, Ahsoka took a bite, her sharp teeth easily cutting through the flesh. She swallowed after spending some time chewing.
"A little tough... but it's smoky. Not bad." She told him. Wraith nodded as he bit into his own slice.
"Guess we can alternate between this and fish, depending how many are on the island." He determined. Ahsoka nodded in agreement and they ate in relative silence.
After their lunch, Wraith told Ahsoka he was going to the spring in order to fill their drinking canteens and to have a wash. Remembering the last time he'd done so, without telling her, a red-faced Ahsoka gave her affirmation without looking at him. She had used the spring late last night, well after he was done. It had been a rather confounding experience, knowing she was standing where he had been and remembering the sight of his incredibly muscular body. But shed managed to finish and returned without a fuss.
Thank the Force for quick little meditation mantras to calm her nerves.
Knowing that Wraith was going there, this time, made things a little easier so she could avoid any surprises.
She had other plans for the moment, though, like removing her boots and sticking her toes in the sand. Sighing in contentment as her feet came in contact with the warming sensation, Ahsoka had forgotten what it was like to feel such an earthy substance underneath her. Togruta believed in having a spiritual connection to the land on which they walked, and many on her homeworld of Shili went around barefoot. Being a Jedi and a military commander, it had been a while since Ahsoka did that and now she was getting to enjoy such a pastime. Folding her arms behind her head, Ahsoka leaned back and closed her eyes, taking a moment to simply enjoy her surroundings. Wraith was right, she should enjoy this peace and quiet while she could.
Just no overindulgences. They had no place in a Jedi's life.
Opening her eyes, Ahsoka took in the cloudless blue sky above... until a bright light suddenly shined directly into her eyes.
Reflexively squeezing them shut and grimacing, Ahsoka sat up to see what was disturbing her moment. She soon found out that Wraith had left his utility belt behind, and the metal components were so shiny they were reflecting the sun. His holsters were filled with both his pistols... and Ahsoka suddenly got curious. Getting up from her position, she walked over and knelt next to his tools, slowly reaching out and tracing the smooth handle adorning one of the blaster pistols. Intrigued, Ahsoka used the Force to slowly lift it out and into her hands. She eyed the long barrel, the hard, mechanical components all polished and in place. It felt heavy in her hands, very weighty and likely packing a real punch. Captain Rex had shown her his twin DC-17's once before, but Wraith's DE-20 looked so much bigger and more... powerful. She'd seen him handle and fire them before, but had never gotten a good look at them.
What grabbed her attention even more, though, was the slugthrower holstered alongside it. Putting the DE-20 back in its place, Ahsoka lifted out the second pistol. This one was a lot shinier and was strikingly different in terms of design. The barrel had more edges, shaped like a hexagon, save for the very circular hole at the end. The rest of the pistol was very rectangular and was very different from the blasters she'd seen. From the grip, a magazine extended well past the bottom, indicating it contained more ammunition than the average. This one felt a lot lighter in her hands and, ever the mechanical snoop, Ahsoka was keen to learn what she could about it. She hadn't seen a lot of slugthrowers in person, especially such a unique and custom design like this.
Standing up, Ahsoka smirked and held the pistol like she'd seen Clones do, looking down through the ironsight at the distant horizon. She suddenly wondered what it'd be like to fire it and Ahsoka's finger found its way to the trigger, touching it ever so slightly. Feeling a little nervous about handling such a gun, Ahsoka gripped it with both hands and continued to mock fire at invisible targets.
"Boom! Down you go... Boom! Gotcha!" She said to herself, rocking the weapon back on her wrists as she feigned scoring a kill. "Boom! Headshot..." She'd seen Wraith use such weapons plenty of times before. They seemed to be his favorites.
Now she really wondered what it would be like to fire them, Ahsoka gripped the handle even tighter and pressed her finger against the trigger a little harder. She knew about things like knockback and recoil and was a little fearful of what the results might be. Wraith had plenty of arm-strength, likely honed over the years, he could handle such things.
But her, who had never used a pistol before... she likely couldn't handle it.
Closing one eye and tensing, Ahsoka pulled the trigger.
A burst of three rounds shot out into empty space, Ahsoka's wrist flicking ever so slightly. Opening her eyes and relaxing, she realized there was very minimal recoil involved with his gun, a fact that surprised her. "How interesting." She said aloud, looking the weapon over. What she didn't realize was that these slugthrowers were sporting custom vents at the front to disperse gases and eliminate recoil almost completely, ensuring someone as inexperienced at her could aim and fire without much trouble.
Turning around, Ahsoka took aim ata distant tree through the ironsights and squeezed the trigger again. Another three rounds burst from the barrel and slammed into the tree half a second later. The splinter of wood directly where she was aiming told Ahsoka she wasn't a bad shot. "Maybe I could become a Jedi sharpshooter too... if they had such things." She mused with a small grin before firing again. There was something about the easy nature of this weapon that was comforting in a strange, backwards sort of way. Maybe it had to do with the sound this made, such a heavy and distinct noise. Blasters had a very distinct pew pew sound, while this had more of a ratatat. It was so much different than what she was used to.
Taking aim at the tree again, this time above her first hit, Ahsoka continued practicing...
Wraith returned when the sun had reached its apex, his hair freshly damp from his bathing session. Breathing in the fresh air, which bore just a hint of salty seawater, Wraith felt rather invigorated.
"I'm back." He announced, striding into the camp.
"Hey Wraith...? Could I... borrow you for a moment?" Ahsoka hesitantly called.
"Sure. What's up?" He asked, wandering over to her. Then he stopped. "Oh..." The table he had just recently prepared their lunch on had fallen over, with one of the legs broken off. A sheepish Ahsoka stood by holding the broken limb, presenting it to him.
"Yeah... I, um... I accidentally broke it." She admitted, leaving out the teeny, tiny detail that one of the slugs she'd been firing earlier had ricocheted into the table and blew the leg off. "Do you think you can fix that?" She innocently wondered. Eyeing the break and considering the available materials, Wraith reached a quick conclusion.
"Give me one second." He replied.
One second later...
"Okay, that should do it." Wraith stated, dusting off his hands as he rose off his knees. It was a fairly simple repair job and the table was upright once more.
"Really? That's it?" A surprised Ahsoka wondered, thinking the slug had done a lot more damage.
"Sure. See for yourself." Wraith replied. Dropping to her knees, Ahsoka eyed his patch job. Having made some crude lashings out of nearby leaves, Wraith had tied the leg to the table and successfully made it stand.
Just when she was ready to accept his job well-cone, she felt someone's gaze roaming across her body, and realized that, once again, her butt was sticking out somewhat. With Wraith a little behind her this time, there was no mistaking it. Ahsoka jumped up and turned around with a frown.
"Could you not?!" She demanded. Wraith recoiled, apparently startled.
"What? What'd I do?" He wondered.
"I can feel you staring at me! I don't appreciate being ogled, you know!" She retorted, crossing her arms.
"Ahsoka, I swear by the Force, I'm not staring at your butt!" Wraith replied, defending himself. "I mean, if you wanted me to..." He quietly added as an aside.
"NO!" Ahsoka shrieked. "If you're not looking at me, then who is, huh?! I can feel it! I can feel someone looking at me!"
"I'm telling you, I'm. Not. Looking at you!"
"I don't believe you!" She cried, storming off in a huff. Wraith let out an exasperated sigh.
"Force almighty...!" Deciding he needed to take a walk himself, Wraith started moving don the beach and away from the campsite. "What the actual hell is going on with her?" He asked aloud, once he was confident he was out of earshot of Ahsoka. "It's like she's paranoid about something."
But what? Voice suddenly wondered. Wraith freaked out for a second before catching his breath.
"Don't scare me like that!"
Sorry. Look, we need to talk-
"What makes you think I even want to talk to you?"
For multiple reasons. Not only is Ahsoka not going to talk to you right now, but I've also got news for you. Voice explained. That had Wraith's very mild interest.
"What kind of news?" He begrudgingly wondered.
Alright, so you know how I've been kind of dormant for a while? Voice inquired. Wraith nodded, the noticeable lack of constant chatter appreciated. Well, there's a reason for that. Something strange is happening.
"What do you mean 'strange'?" Wraith asked with eyebrow raised. If there was something wrong with his head, he needed to know about it.
This whole time I've been active, I've been able to see what you're doing, sometimes feel what's going on in your head too. But recently, I've started to, well, feel other things.
"Explain."
Remember when you were getting shot up on Takodana? Wraith slowly nodded with much reservation. He hated recalling anything that had to do with that day... it was one of the worst in his whole life. Okay, maybe that was a bad example. BUT, I didn't feel any of the pain you were feeling in that moment.
"Your point being?" Wraith growled, his patience slowly wearing out.
My point being, I kinda lapsed in and out of consciousness after that... but I DID feel it when you hit your head on the escape pod's terminal a couple days ago! Voice excitedly revealed. Wraith dropped his arms, floored by the revelation.
"Can you feel this?" He asked, pinching his arm and wincing in response.
Yeah. Felt kind of stinging, like a pinch does. Voice responded, describing the sensation perfectly. A stunned Wraith clutched his head and tried to make sense of this.
"What the hell is going on?" He muttered.
You ask me, I'd say something happened during that dip in the bacta tank. Voice replied, stating his opinion. How long were you in for?
"One month exactly." Wraith answered. "Have you felt anything else? What about when we were over Sluis Van and I was fighting the Titans again?"
Nah, I was out cold for that one. Wraith was starting to see a pattern, recalling Voice's sudden appearance while escorting Sereva across Aliston Nor.
"Okay..." he slowly replied, thoughts entering overdrive as he dwelt on this situation. "Have you any other theories?"
Well, considering how I can feel everything you're feeling... I'm starting to think our separate consciousness' are slowly... well, merging. Even as Voice was speaking, Wraith could hear an uneasy tone in the way he spoke.
"You speak with some hesitation." He observed.
With good reason. You and I are opposites, there are things you agree with that I don't. If we fuse together, then what?
"A... troubling notion for sure." Wraith slowly said, dwelling on what might happen if two totally different entities were fused together.
Look, the reconditioning hasn't helped to stop me, not like you've had a whole lot recently. Voice continued. So I really don't know what to do about this.
"I've decided Scipio doesn't need to know everything. Some things I can handle on my own." Wraith answered. "As for what to do... I don't know either." He grimly mused. "I suppose we should just take this as it unfolds." He reluctantly answered, not knowing what else to do. "If we take it to Scipio... who knows what will happen."
Yeah, I'd rather not dwell on my potential doom in that manner. Voice agreed. So... how's Ahsoka? Been a while since I've seen her.
"If you've been active at all, you'd understand things are... rocky." Wraith replied.
Have you told her? Voice wondered. Wraith said nothing. Don't play dumb, you know what I mean. Voice pried.
"Now is certainly not the time to do so." Wraith rumbled in response. "I mean, we're alone and this setting is perfect, but until I can find out what's bugging her, I don't think I should." He reasoned. Voice sighed.
You really enjoy putting this off?
"No... I don't want to put it off, but I have no choice. Unless I can get some sort of inkling she feels something positive towards me, I would prefer it if she didn't know." Wraith answered.
Really?
"Weren't you listening when I recorded that log a few days ago? Unless you blacked out for that too." Wraith retorted, crossing his arms.
Being a disembodied voice stuck in my own head is tough work. Voice shot back. I'm out cold a lot. Wraith rolled his eyes at the detected sarcasm.
"Right... like this is your head to begin with." The super-soldier mumbled.
Hey, if it wasn't my head, I wouldn't be here. Voice reasoned. I'm telling you, you're the body snatcher here!
"Would you shut up about that?!" Wraith grumbled. "By the universe, everytime you-"
"Uh... Wraith?" The feminine voice caused Wraith to stop in his tracks and whirl around, veins frozen with fear.
There stood Ahsoka, an eyebrow marking raised as she looked at him with a look that mixed curiosity and concern.
"AH! A-Ahsoka! Hi..." Wraith stuttered out a response.
"Hi..." Ahsoka hesitantly replied. "Um... who are you talking to?" She wondered. Wraith realized he was quite strapped for an answer... and how this was making him look.
She thought he was crazy.
Better come up with something... and make it good. Voice mused. Wraith seriously wanted to punch him.
"Uh... M-Myself." He quickly answered. It was half true.
"Yourself." Ahsoka repeated, offering a look that told him she didn't entirely buy it.
"Yep...!" Wraith replied with an emphatic nod. "Sometimes it's the most intelligent conversation I'll have all day." He added with a chuckle.
"Oh... Kaaaaaaaay." Ahsoka slowly answered. Yep, she thought he was crazy. "Are you sure you don't have some sort of communicator on hand?" She wondered. Then her gaze hardened. "You don't, do you?" Seeing she was demanding an answer, Wraith went for full honesty this time.
"Of course not! If I did, I would've let you know right away." He answered. "Go ahead, search me with the Force. I'm telling the truth." He suggested. Ahsoka did... and he was right once again.
"Alright..." She slowly answered. "You know, answering yourself is considered bad for your mental health." She then added.
"But if you won't talk to me... then who will?" Wraith quietly wondered, trying to win her over. His expression attmpting to convey a sense of sadness and poor spirit. Ahsoka didn't say anything more and went on her way, leaving him behind to breathe a heavy sigh. "She thinks I'm crazy..." Wraith muttered.
Well, you are talking to a disembodied voice in your head. Voice added.
"Will you shut up?! This is your fault!" Wraith growled, temper flaring.
That night...
With dinner cooking on the spit, Wraith and Ahsoka sat in silence. The awkwardness of the afternoon had lasted all the way until now, and the tension was quite unbearable. Wraith knew exactly what was at the source of it and knew he needed to say something. But the way Ahsoka had her arms crossed and refused to look at him wasn, honestly, intimidating.
Swallowing whatever fear he had, Wraith opened himself while mentally braced for the worst.
"I swear to you, cross my heart and hope to die, that I was not ogling you." He said.
"Then what did I feel?" Ahsoka wondered, her response coming quite quickly and surprising Wraith.
"Well, I have a suggestion... if you promise not to bite my head off..." He slowly responded. Ahsoka threw him a quizzical look, eyebrow marking raised, but didn't say anything. "Maybe you're being a little paranoid." He suggested.
"Me. Paranoid." She repeated, incredulous. Wraith shrugged.
"Maybe?" He wondered. Ahsoka said nothing, her blue eyes fixated upon him. She dwelt on his suggestion, pondering the possibility that, in her determination to figure out his true motivation behind claiming to care for her, she might be simply trying to find something to blame him for.
Once again, her hotheaded emotions had gotten in the way. Such was not like a Jedi.
Her expression softened and her gaze fell with a sigh.
"Maybe." She relented. Wraith gave a slow nod and silently thanked the Force for the progress made.
"Ahsoka... I don't know what's bugging you, but I want to help." He softly told her. "I don't know if it's something that has to do with me or someone else, but you can talk to me about this." Ahsoka slowly shook her head.
"I can't Wraith. It's private, it's personal." She told him, not wanting to reveal the true reason. "It's something only I can deal with."
"I understand." Wraith said with a nod. "Still... humour me," he continued, lifting the spit and offering her a piece of cooked fish, "understand I have no ill-intentions towards you. Only the best." Ahsoka nodded, smiled a little, a levitated a piece of fish into her hands.
"Okay." She might not trust his words... but was pleased he was at least making an effort. At least that was progress.
When dinner had ended and both were full, Wraith opted to turn in while Ahsoka decided to stay up late and do some stargazing. Crawling into his tent, Wraith was thankful the small shelter was long enough to cover his entire body, nothing sticking out of the entry flap. Stretching out on the thin blanket he used for a mattress, Wraith removed his shirt and boots before settling in for the night. After another day dedicated to ensuring his and Ahsoka's survival, Wraith gratefully fell asleep not long after lying down.
And as he slept, he dreamed a dream...
The darkened landscape of his subconscious was nothing new to him. He'd spent enough time in this place to know its pale illumination all too well. Sitting up and then rising to his feet, Wraith wondered what was going on.
And then he heard the giggling that sickened him.
"Well now... looks like there's trouble in paradise." A familiar, feminine voice teased. Turning around, Wraith saw the sickly, darkened Ahsoka standing not far away. Her pale orange skin, blackened veins and sickly yellow eyes haunted many of his waking moments... but her mind was his playpen, and she loved to play after dark when he was most vulnerable. Ever since seeing her on Celanon, she refused to leave him alone.
"That is not your concern." He replied in a low voice.
"Maybe not... but it is yours." The Ahsoka replied, starting to circle him. "And what have I been telling you? It'll never work about between you two." She jeered with a pointed smile.
"Given time and determination, it will." Wraith countered. "This is but a rough spot." The dark Ahsoka laughed again, a hideous, mocking tone that made Wraith sick to his stomach.
"Oh, grow up super-soldier!" She hissed. "Do you still think she might love you?" She wondered in a patronizing tone. "What a helpless, naive fool you are! She doesn't love you, and she can't!" She cackled. "She could never love a monster like you, after what you've done to her troops? To her friends? You're lucky she still talks to you!" Wraith said nothing, balling his hands into fists and closing his eyes, trying to blot her from his senses. But she was a persistent torment. "You push me all you like, Wraith... but the truth I speak remains. I hate you!" She declared.
"You have no right to attest to her wishes!" Wraith growled, fuming that this... abomination would try to assume what Ahsoka wanted and didn't want.
"I have no right." She giggled, mocking him. "What makes you say that, super-soldier?"
"Because you are not her." Wraith growled. Turning around and rearing himself to full height, Wraith towered over the twisted version of the girl he adored so much, his anger slowly growing like a flame being fanned.
He'd had enough of this.
"You have no place here, in my thoughts. I refuse to let you twist me any further. If you are what's holding me back, then it's time to end this!" He rumbled. Taking a few, heavy steps towards her, the twisted Ahsoka shrunk back suddenly. Something Wraith couldn't see was making her fearful.
Without knowing it, his veins began to glow, like a liquid fire was shooting through him, causing his body to slowly glow red. The dark Togruta whimpered and covered her headtails as Wraith's voice grew in tone and volume.
"You are nothing compared to her! You are nothing more than a twisted product of irrational fear, designed to torment me at every opportunity! You will no longer control my thoughts, you will leave. My. HEAD!" Wraith bellowed, his eyes glassing over and glowing red as well. "I WILL ACT AS I PLEASE, FREE OF FEAR AND FREE FROM YOUR INFLUENCE!" His voice took a turn, becoming beast-like and... demonic. "LEAVE! MY! HEAD!" He thundered. The dark Ahsoka turned to him with a frown, trying to remain defiant despite his obvious power over her.
But then her gaze widened... as she saw something behind Wraith.
Coming to his senses, Wraith saw a mighty shadow looming over them and tilted his head back, looking straight up.
What he saw took his breath away.
The head of a great Krayt Dragon, with silver, metallic scales and shined horns encompassed his entire view, blotting out whatever else was above him. The great dragon suddenly turned its head down to reveal glowing, pupilless red eyes that were fixated on Wraith. The super-soldier couldn't move, couldn't think. What was this thing? Where had it come from? Had his sudden rage brought it forth? If so, what did it mean?
Wraith had no more time to wonder as the Krayt's mouth opened wide, revealing row upon row of sharp metallic teeth, before it descended upon him, a fiery glow rising from the back of its maw...
Jolting awake, a cold sweat matted Wraith's hair to his brow as he panted for air. Shaking his head, the super-soldier rubbed his temples, the visions from his dream still fresh in his mind.
What the hell had he just witnessed?
A dragon? Made of silvery... metal? What did it mean? Was it some sort of symbol?
He simply had too many questions and not enough answers.
Rubbing his eyes, Wraith blinked a few times. Light was streaming through the cracks in his tent flap, indicating the morning sun had risen. The dream was so vivid he felt like he'd hardly slept, and now another day was upon him.
"Another day in paradise..." He sighed, slowly shaking his head.
