Author's Note: Silly me! I forgot to shoutout anthonym3 last chapter, specifically for giving me the idea to include Trench! Guess that's what happens when you finish writing at 11pm...


-Chapter 70: Sweet Dreams-

Location: Unknown

"The best dreams are the ones that become reality."

Wraith slammed into he rock wall, smoke trailing from his glowing chest. These damn Titans and their kriffing rockets! With a growl he picked himself up, drawing his pistols and firing on the black-clad mercs as he booked it towards the nearest edge. The cybernetic SpeedFreak aimed his launcher and let three more projectiles loose towards the fleeing super-soldier. Wraith quit firing and focused on moving, hellbent on avoiding the incoming fire. He could hear the first one explode into the rock behind him, he could feel the heat of the second exploding right behind him, the third exploded right near his feet and sent him careening though the air, pitching him over a nearby cliff. Flying through the air with a shout, Wraith tumbled down the edge, causing a minor landslide in his wake before finally hitting the ground and coming to a halt. Grumbling as he shook off the impact, Wraith rolled over and forced himself up.

"Kriff me. I need a shield generator and I need grapples. Stat!" He growled, rising to his feet.

"Wraith?" A feminine voice called out. Gaze darting up to cliffside, Wraith quickly recognized Ahsoka standing before him.

"Ahsoka. Hello." He greeted, retracting his mouthguard. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing, but I don't think you had a say in how you got here." She replied.

"Indeed." He agreed, stretching and popping a few tendons. "Damn Titans."

"You okay?"

"I will be." Wraith answered, rolling the shoulder he'd landed on. "Just need a moment."

"Here. Out of sight, under the cliff." Ahsoka suggested, gesturing to the wall.

"Thank you." Wraith quickly joined her and pulled off his helmet before sitting on the ground beside her. They paused for a moment and listened to Corsair shouting orders from above. Hopefully, they would think he'd disappeared completely and would move in a random search pattern, bypassing his true location. Wraith knew he couldn't spend a whole lot of time here, but struck up a conversation. "How are you doing?" He gently asked.

"I'm okay. Thanks for everything on Scarif... and afterwards." Ahsoka replied, sincere in her thanks.

"Anytime, my dear." Wraith affirmed with a nod. The voices above grew quieter and Wraith knew he had to move, despite not wanting to. "I have to get back to the Separatist line." He said, planning on putting on his helmet. But Ahsoka's noticeable change in expression caused him to stop. She looked crestfallen, more depressed than when she'd come to him about her nightmare. "What's wrong?" He inquired.

"After everything you and I have done together... after everything you've told me... I guess I'm just disheartened to see you leave." Ahsoka softly told him. Wraith could see where this was going, knowing Ahsoka's penchant for wanting him to switch sides. But this time, he didn't feel any displeasure from her comment. His longing for her had been renewed tenfold. He wanted to spend more time with her, to pursue his desires... but could he...

"Being a Separatist is all I know. It's all I've ever known." He quietly spoke.

"But it was a choice that was made for you." Ahsoka emphatically replied. Reaching out, she touched his arm. "Wraith... I believe there's good in you, something the Separatists and others don't see... but I see." She told him. "I've seen the real you in the way you talk with me, how you help me when I'm down, how you comfort me when I'm at my weakest. I know the real you is more than what the Separatists want you to be. And I believe the real you can choose to do good."

"What makes you think I'm capable fo such a choice?" Wraith quietly wondered.

"Because I believe in you." Ahsoka whispered, turning his face towards her. "You put so much hope in me... now it's my turn." She said. "I believe there is good in you. I believe you don't have to be a force for evil... you can be a force for good." Wraith's gaze fell. Her words weighed heavily on his heart. Being a Separatist might've been all he knew, but he also knew he loved Ahsoka. Knowing that she cared about him in a similar fashion, Wraith wondered if he could forgo everything he'd been trained to do for the sake of being able to spend his life with the one he loved.

Ahsoka then stood and made to leave, but turned to give Wraith one final look of longing before she did. "It's not too late, Wraith. You can still make a choice." She told him. Ahsoka turned and continued on her way, leaving Wraith alone with his many, many thoughts.


Ahsoka rejoined the Republic lines just as the droid army was coming over the horizon. The Clones had been hit hard, half of their forces either dead or wounded, leaving the Jedi Generals as the primary defenders of this point.

If they fell, it was all over.

Anakin, Obi-Wan, Master Windu and Master Secura were all there, standing firm and staring down the droid advance while the few Clones still in fighting shape got ready.

"Master!" Ahsoka called as she joined them.

"Ahsoka, glad you're back." Anakin greeted. "We're gonna need all the help we can get."

"What have you learned from your reconnaissance?" Mace inquired.

"It's as bad as we thought, Master Windu. The Separatists have enough droids to hit us more than once with a full force." Ahsoka responded.

"This doesn't look good." Obi-Wan grimly stated. "We need to get out of here."

"Gunships are on their way, but our wounded have to take first priority." Aayla replied. "We have to hold this line until we can be evacuated."

"The Separatists aren't making it easier, either here or in the air. We just have to survive long enough." Anakin declared, drawing his lightsaber. "If we hold them off and buy our troops some room to punch a hole in their lines, we might stand a chance."

"Good thinking Anakin." Obi-Wan praised, igniting his blade and joining his friend. "Everyone, form a line!" He called. Aayla, Mace and Ahsoka did so, their blades blazing brightly as they stared down the advancing droids. The Jedi stood ready, valiant and unwavering, never ceasing in their duty.

The droids opened fire as soon as theit targeting systems registered a lock, red blaster bolts raining down on the Jedi. For them, this was easy deflection practice, something they'd all engaged in millions of times prior. Ahsoka had even more fun, her saber and shoto working in tandem to send twice the number of lasers back at the incoming droids. Plenty of rounds streaked past them, some of which might've been aiming for the Clones entrenched behind the Jedi, but missed by a mile.

The five fought bravely, deflecting bolt after bolt and taking out a droid with each one. But the droids just kept coming, unstoppable and far outnumbering the Republic forces. Soon the droids got far too close, the Jedi now cutting them to pieces with each swing.

There were simply too many.

"Onwards! Push them back!" Obi-Wan called, he and Anakin charging together and cutting clean through the approaching mechanical hoarde, leaving severed, glowing metal scrap in their wake. Mace, Aayla and Ahsoka followed suit, working to push the droids back. Super battle droids cut loose with their dual arm cannons, keeping up a steady stream of heavy fire that blitzed the Republic lines. Ahsoka raced ahead, quickly carving through droid after droid with her twin blades. This was easy! She could last a long time against these clankers.

But then powerful blaster fire hit her feet and knocked her onto her back. The sudden explosion wreaked havoc with her senses, her vision blurring and a constant ringing dominating her hearing. She managed to looked up and see her attackers. Two B2 super droids with cannons in place of arms stared her down through their monochromatic photoreceptors, taking aim with jerky mechanized movements. Ahsoka couldn't recover in time, she couldn't quite muster the energy to focus, to grab her lightsabers.

It looked like it was over...

But then, two red blaster bolts slammed into the droids, felling them with glowing, smoking holes blown clear through their processors. That snapped her out of her haze and Ahsoka turned in the direction the bolts had come from.

First her eyes widened in surprise, jaw dropping open in shock, before the corners of her mouth turned upwards in an open smile and she gave a breathily, joyful laugh.

A helmetless Wraith charged in with pistols drawn, gunning down two more droids before barreling into one with a shout, his shoulder sending it careening through the air. He swiftly turned his blasters on the other droids and started firing, quickly creating a space between Ahsoka and the Separatists. The Jedi looked on in sudden shock, amazed by what they were seeing. Wraith drew his carbine and mowed down more droids, annihilating successive waves of droids and forcing the Separatists back. Dozens upon dozens of droid husks littered the battlefield by the time he'd finished. With his weapon in one hand, Wraith turned to Ahsoka and offered her his other.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Better now." Ahsoka replied with a genuine, almost giddy smile as she took his hand. He helped her up as the Jedi crowded around. Before they could say another word, Wraith started talking.

"They're gearing up for another assault. Stay here, hold this line, tend to your wounded." He ordered, quickly slipping into his troubleshooter role. "I'll hold them off." He made to leave when Mace stopped him with a question.

"Why are you doing this?" Wraith turned back with a steady gaze.

"Because after all this time I finally realized I have a say in this. That I have a choice." He answered, casting a glance at Ahsoka. "And I've made my decision." With that, he turned around and charged the regrouping battle droids, drawing a bead with his carbine and firing as he did. He attacked without hesitation, showing the same steely determination he always had when fighting Clones.

Only this time, things were very different.

Wraith gunned down droids right and left, the opposing Separatists struggling to recalculate now that their former ally was attacking them. They finally did adjust to the fight, after Wraith had offlined dozens of droids, and attacked him en masse. Dropping to one knee, Wraith used his gauntlets for protection against the droid attack, firing back with his pistol as his carbine was no longer proving effective. The Droids closed in on him, shelling him with everything their blasters could offer. Wraith caught sight of two B2 droids with missile launchers instead of blasters on their arms.

One direct hit and this would be over.

Suddenly, two lightsabers, one green and one yellow, flew through the air and shredded both droids, their components hitting the ground as the lightsabers swung back around and cut clean through the rest of the droids on their way back. Wraith turned and watched as Ahsoka caught her weapons, stowing her shoto before offering Wraith a hand up.

"Welcome to the light, Wraith." She said, with a broad smile. Wraith warmly returned it and accepted her hand as Anakin and the other Jedi charged past them, closing in on the droids and cutting deep into their lines. Wraith stowed his lightsaber and ignited his firesaber.

"Come on, let's do this... together." He remarked.

"Gladly." Ahsoka agreed and they both charged the droids, fighting back to back as the couple cleared out the Separatist forces... finally fighting together for the same side.


Months later...

It took a great deal of apologizing, convincing and explaining before things changed. But when they did change, everything couldn't have been more perfect.

Ahsoka jumped into the trench alongside her master and Rex, a hail of droid fire pounding their position.

"Anyone wanna tell me how the hell the Separatists got a turret up just now?" Anakin shouted over the din.

"Hard work and determination?" Ahsoka jokingly suggested.

"Real funny Snips." Anakin responded with a roll of his eyes.

"General, we can't make a move without some help!" Rex stated.

"Obi-Wan's still clearing out the Separatists in his area. He can't spare anything until his position's reinforced." Anakin responded.

"We can't make a move without reinforcements." Rex replied.

"Then you'd better hope the droids run out of ammo by then!" Anakin remarked, knowing they were stuck in a stalemate until further notice.

This wasn't going well.

Suddenly, a flash of white shot over their trench and the trio poked their heads up to see what was happening.

"Looks like your reinforcements have arrived, Rex." Ahsoka mused with a grin.

Sprinting down the battlefield, The Wraith was a far cry from who he once was.

His armor, studied and refurbished by Republic scientists, was now bright white with a bold black Republic emblem emblazoned to the left of his chest. His shiny silver helmet now sported bright blue optics instead of red, and a lack of mouthguard completed his hew appearance as a good guy. Drawing his pistols, blue blots shot from the muzzles as he counterattacked, the droids training their weapons on him instead of the 501st. With quick, precise shots, he blew the heads off droid after droid, eliminating those manning the heavy turret before chucking an explosive disc at the nest and blowing it to pieces. As smoke and flame poured from the ruined entrenching, Wraith turned back to the Republic lines with a smirk.

"What're you all waiting for?" He called. "Come on! We've got a war to win!"

"You heard him men, charge!" Anakin shouted as he climbed up and started running. Ahsoka was right beside him and soon joined Wraith as they attacked the crumbling Separatist lines.

"And what took you so long?" She cheekily inquired.

"Obi-Wan needed some help clearing out a line of tanks. You'd be surprised how dug-in the droids are near the city." Wraith reported as he blitzed a line of droids. "On your left, Rex." He called, sniping a droid beside the Clone captain.

"I got it Bucket-head!" Rex remarked, his twin DC-17's blazing away. It was more a playful nickname nowadays rather than an insult. He and Rex were slowly learning to get along since Wraith was inducted into the Republic Army, as part of the 'community service' Chancellor Palpatine had charged him with at the end of his war criminal trials.

The sound of humming and explosion of short-circuiting metal drew Wraith's attention to a cut-up B1 droid and a smirking Ahsoka.

"On your right, big guy." She stated. Wraith grinned.

"Glad you've got my back." He replied. Together, Wraith and Ahsoka stormed the remaining Separatist forces, leaving a trail of dismantled droids in their wake as they helped carry the Republic to victory. "I couldn't have done any of this without you Ahsoka. You've saved me." Wraith remarked as the last droid fell.

"Bit of an odd time to bring that up, isn't it?" The Togruta inquired.

"But I want you to know. Every single day is so much more brighter now, thanks to you." Wraith told her. "I'm glad you made an effort, I'm glad you convinced me I could change." He said, pulling off his helmet. Ahsoka gazed at his amber eyes, now a very friendly and romantic sight whenever she saw them along with his grin. "I love you and I can't thank you enough for helping me." He honestly told her. Ahsoka warmed, feeling a tad bashful. "Still feel like this is the wrong time?" Wraith cheekily wondered.

"I feel... so happy I could kiss you." Ahsoka genuinely responded with a smile. Wraith chuckled.

"What's stopping you?" He inquired...


Ahsoka's eyes slowly fluttered open as she awoke, revealing her dimly lit quarters.

It had all been a dream.

She was still en route to Coruscant, still in the same quarters aboard the same Venator. The only noticeable difference was that Wraith was gone, having disappeared sometime after she fell asleep. Sitting up, Ahsoka accumulated her senses and made sense of her reality. Nothing had changed, Wraith was still a Separatist and wasn't on their side. She sighed dejectedly, depressed that such a wonderful reality was not hers to enjoy. Rubbing her eyes and breathing deeply, she was just about to lie back down when her communicator started to beep. Calling it to her with the Force, Ahsoka powered it on to reveal Anakin.

"Morning Snips. Sleep well?" He cheerily wondered.

"I guess so." Ahsoka replied, yawning as she did. "Glad to be back in a real bed."

"I can only imagine." Anakin agreed with a smile. "Just wanted to let you know that we're coming up on Coruscant. You'll have to give a report about what happened on Scarif, likely to the Chancellor and the Council." He informed her. Ahsoka nodded.

"Got it Skyguy. I'll be up and dressed in a moment."

"Take your time. You don't have to do anything until we land." Anakin assured her before cutting out. Tossing her communicator back with her belongings, Ahsoka stretched and sighed, silently wishing Wraith had been here when she woke up. She wished he was on their side and wished she could spend more time with him. That dream had been so pleasant, so perfect...

Unfortunately, it simply wasn't meant to be.


Author's Note: Gonna take a bit of a break, as I'm almost finished my BA degree. I'll be back in time for Christmas, that's a promise!