Chapter 2:

Green clashed wildly against blue, in the blinding vibrancy of their lightsaber duel. The Jedi wielders glided across the open training platform, as Coruscant's skyline backdropped their lithe frames.

Anakin bore down on his Padawan's ignited blade with full strength, causing her to break form.

"More patience, less recklessness, Snips." He cautioned.

Ahsoka caught her step and recovered her stride, jumping backwards in the nick of time as he advanced. The pair gracefully swept across the training floor, with the humming glow of their sabers clashing on impact, reverberating tiny waves of the Force in their wake.

Anakin beamed inwardly. His Padawan had come a long way since they first met on Christophsis. Yes, his Padawan; she was his. Pride was not exactly a Jedi virtue but his heart certainly swelled with it for Ahsoka. He loved her as a father loved his daughter, and watching her gracefully transform into a powerful, young Jedi under his tutelage, certainly stroked his ego.

Breaking into his iconic, reverse-saber flip, Anakin blocked another of her attacks. Seamlessly, she countered his steps at lightning speed, her dual sabers colliding into his with another blow.

"Nicely done." he encouraged, "but don't get cocky."

An unexpected flick of his wrist brought his saber bearing down from an angle Ahsoka had not anticipated, catching her off her footing. In seconds, she found herself on her back, flush against the training platform with his blue saber glowing just short of her face.

Anakin powered down his weapon, before hooking it to his belt and extending his mechno-arm. "Now that was a great spar."

Ahsoka grabbed hold of him, pulling herself up. "I'll agree when I finally beat you Master."

"Well done Commander, your form was exceptional." Rex called as he walked by.

Ahsoka flushed slightly at the compliment, as she settled onto her feet.

Gracing a small smile, she acknowledged him. "Thank you Rex."

The blonde clone was easily her favorite; he was a steadfast presence in her life, and her rock of support through this war. If she was honest with herself he was also her first crush, but he was an even more impossible pairing for her than the tryst she was currently caught in.

Unbeknown to Rex, he had escaped her passions by a twist of fate. When her heat cycle first began, her Master hadn't been around to guide her through it. Unfortunately, Anakin with all his proficiency as her Master, sometimes waned in his attentiveness to the more 'sensitive' parts of his Padawan's development. Whether due to genuine naivety, or his reluctance to accept that Ahsoka was growing into a woman before his eyes, he had effectively failed to educate himself on the inner workings of Togruta physiology and development. Their version of the talk had been curt, no different than battle briefings on the bridge of the Resolute. Her Master had been clear: 'Attachments are forbidden for all Jedi. Sexual relations are forbidden for all Padawans prior to the success of their Trials. I don't care which young fool catches your eye Snips, as long as you're my Padawan, there will be none of that. Am I clear?' Handed to her as though they were orders, there had been no further discussion about his guidance on the matter since.

Anakin was still very much attached to the pre-pubescent Jedi that once stood beside him, and was woefully ill-prepared to accept her development, beyond anything unrelated to her capacity on the battlefield. A grown-up Ahsoka, would mean it was time for her Jedi Trials, and the Trials would signify the end of her Padawan journey, thereby removing her from under his direct care. With detachment being his eternal weakness as a Jedi, he was not so keen on letting her go.

There was none more aware of this than Ahsoka. She knew her Master wasn't perfect, but he did his best with her. She accepted that, and was resolute in her decision to figure out the missing gaps on her own.

She would deal with this herself. While perhaps she had not been taking the wisest course of action, her choice of reprieve was doing what she needed it to. Her 'outlet' helped her rut out of the erratically, libidinous hormones, priming her focus. Had the 501st been on-planet, or had she been on the Resolute at the time, said outlet may very well have been Rex. She watched the sharp outline of the captain's profile as he conversed with a few brothers in the distance. His impressive form was eclipsed only by the setting suns. 'Yes', she mused, 'it would definitely have been Rex.'

Anakin stretched. "It's been a long day, Snips. You ready to head to the refectory for dinner?"

Ashoka's gaze snapped back from Rex to her Master, "You go on ahead Master, I still have some incomplete research to get done in the Archives, I'll catch up afterwards."

Anakin raised an eyebrow. "How is research the first thing on your mind after training? And what have you been researching anyways?"

The question seemed to catch her off guard.

Ahsoka swallowed. "Umm…kyber crystals, I'm just getting a mental refresh before the next youngling lightsaber initiation."

She hitched her sabers onto her belt. "Can't be too prepared I guess."

Anakin raised an eyebrow. "Okay…just so long as your studying doesn't lead to you running off after curfew again."

She chuckled.

"I'm serious Ashoka, be within the walls by nightfall."

"Yes Master." And with that, she was off.

* a rotation later/

Tonight was another 'temple night' as Anakin and Padme nicknamed them. A few nights at a time the young General and his wife would catch up earlier in the day time, so that he could be back at the Temple for a full night. Hiding this marriage wore on them in many ways, but their respective duties to the Republic came before all else. It was required, and they would make this work, they had to...

Anakin had seen Ahsoka check-in to her quarters before curfew, seemingly "retiring" for the night. But on his return from the hangar maintenance room, to his surprise, the small cleaning droid was trekking out of her vacant room again. It seemed she had pulled her own version of 'temple night'. He rolled his eyes before activating his comms.

"Ahsoka, where are you?" His agitation was unmistakable.

The receiving frequency buzzed in reply. "At the Archives Master, just as I said."

Ahsoka huffed inwardly, watching her tone, but Anakin could feel her annoyance filtering through the Force. "Well if you'd been where you were supposed to be, I wouldn't have to keep tracking you down."

"Hey," she protested. "You were the one that said 'be within the walls' Master. You didn't specify where."

Anakin's eyes narrowed in irritation. "Just get to your quarters soon. And don't make me have to comm you again."

"Yes Master." The comms buzzed off.

Entering his quarters, Anakin knew without even trying that sleep would be a fight.

He couldn't quite place it, but something didn't seem right with Ahsoka. There was an uncomfortable resistance inside their Force-bond. Almost as if something was intentionally being withheld from him. He didn't like it. Unable to shake the feeling, he decided a quick stroll to the Archives wouldn't hurt.

/ Meanwhile in an Upper Coruscanti Residential District /

When her comms buzzed off, Ahsoka pulled away from their seated embrace hesitantly, hating the feeling of their warm bodies parting. She was out of time.

"I have to get back, if I'm not in my quarters soon Master will be on the warpath."

"Let him come." her companion groaned lazily, inciting a giggle from her.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes playfully. "You don't want that. Trust me."

"Wait…just another moment" he pleaded, as his arm snaked around her slender waist, pulling her back to his chest.

She sighed into his embrace. "It's time, I'm afraid."

With one last peck between her montrals, he released her reluctantly, following her to the balcony exit.

"We'll finish this tomorrow then?" he asked hopefully.

"Count on it." Ahsoka winked as she leapt off to the nearest billboard, gracefully gliding from this building to that, as she retreated in diagonal leaps, all the way down to the surface. He watched in awe as the nimble Jedi touched down gracefully, and in a moment broke into a sprint towards the speeder cabs that routed to the Jedi Temple.

/ Back at the Archives /

"Ahh, Young Skywalker, how may I be of assistance?" Madame Jocasta crooned, as he entered the monumental library. Her neat robes fell regally around her, as her arms folded behind her back.

"Madame Jocasta," Anakin bowed slightly. "I was wondering if you had seen Ahsoka?"

"Hmmm. I'm afraid not. I haven't seen Padawan Tano for several rotations. Is something the matter?"

Anakin forced a strained smile. "No, not at all, I just thought she stopped by here. Thank you Madame Jocasta."

She nodded unconvinced, as Anakin stalked angrily off towards his quarters. He was right. This confirmed his suspicions that his Padawan had been keeping secrets from him. And what's worse…she had been lying to his face.

'Like Master like Padawan'

Anakin shook his head as Obi Wan's annoying jest replayed in his memory. It was true, she was much like him, too much like him - and in many ways, he hated it. His Padawan was smart and resourceful, and while he was upset that she was clearly deceiving him, he decided he would play along with her silly, little game.

Anakin resigned to sitting in the lounge between their rooms. His Padawan would be home at some point and he would face her when she arrived. Remaining upright he allowed himself to rest his eyelids for just a moment...or so he told himself.

- Bzzz -

Anakin was unsure of the time when he stirred awake at the sound of the pad door opening. His eyes shot open just in time to catch his Padawan's surprised expression, at finding him asleep in the lounge. As per his intention, she had been caught off guard, not expecting this.

"Well, well, well, look who finally completed their research." Anakin seethed inwardly, but gave none of his emotions away.

"Oh…hey Master, yeah that took longer than expected." She rubbed her elbow nervously, subtly averting her gaze. "Why are you sleeping in the lounge?"

"I must've dozed off…have you been holed up at the Archives this entire time?"

"Yes Master, I was." She seemed exhausted and visibly uncomfortable as she stubbornly refused making eye contact with him. He had certainly caught her red-handed, but doing what he wondered.

Anakin's anger built slowly within him, bubbling to a crescendo which he concealed carefully just beneath the surface. It bothered him how easily she lied to him. As easily as he had lied about Padme to Obi-Wan a thousand times. He hated it, but remained stoic.

"Alright then. Get some rest. It's late and we have training drills tomorrow. We'll discuss this later."

"Yes Master." Ashoka all but sprinted towards her door, awkwardly fumbling the hatch open, almost as though she couldn't remove herself from his presence fast enough. She knew lying to her master was dangerous. But in this instance, there was no choice.

She swiftly whisked into the room, zipping the metal doors shut behind her. Shedding her gear, she ignored the dull soreness in her lower abdomen, testament of the night's activities. Peeling back the bed covers, she settled under the thick sheets dozing off in moments. Anakin waited in the lounge until he was sure she had fallen asleep. Then, sliding the door to her quarters open, he listened for her steady breathing before slipping inside.

He found his targets on the floor by her meditation mat. The twin lightsabers lay adjacent to one another neatly. He forced-pulled one and then the next toward him until they both sat in his palm. Turning their undersides upward, he quickly stuck two micro tracking devices beneath them. When each blinked once signaling activation, he force-pushed the sabers back onto her mat and slipped out of her room, sliding the door behind him. She could keep lying if she chose to, but her lightsabers would uncover the truth for him soon.