Gone, but Not Forgotten
A/N- Takes place during Star Wars Rebels S2/E2 The Siege of Lothal: Part 2
Ahsoka Tano was adrift in cold darkness, unable to move.
Out of the dark abyss came a voice she hadn't heard in fifteen years. "Ahsoka!"
Ahsoka gasped. "Master Anakin?!" She closed her eyes. I have to be dreaming...he's gone!
Moments later she opened them, and found herself laying in rubble, putting immense pressure and pain on her body. Her clothes, along with her white montrals and lekku with blue stripes were the same as during the Clone Wars. And the very air was frigid on her orange skin.
Her weary, pain filled blue eyes took in her hazy surroundings. From the heavily weathered ancient Jedi statues lining the walls, the millennia old writings beside them etched into stone, and the equally old intricate carvings on the wall pointed to an ancient Jedi Temple on the frozen desert moon Jedha.
Ahsoka's eyes laid on the cratered hole in the ceiling, the missing part now rubble that partially buried her.
She closed her eyes and flashes of memories from before flew across her mind's eye.
Her first meeting with Anakin during the Battle of Christophsis, first battles together, and the way he nicknamed her 'snips'.
Before long, they had a good Master-Apprentice bond, and they fought in and were the heroes of many battles. Many Jedi fought alongside them at different times; Anakin's own master Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Jedi who found her as a young child Plo Koon, her friend Barriss Offee, Barriss's own Jedi Master Luminara Unduli, too many to name.
It was a year and several months after the Battle of Christophsis, when the Mission to Jedha came.
There had been attacks by a mysterious order of Dark Jedi, Jedi who had fallen to the Dark Side but were not Sith. And Dark Acolytes, practitioners of the Dark Side who were never Jedi in the first place.
They had suddenly arisen a month before the Mission to Jedha, and were responsible for devastating attacks. But Mace Windu and the Jedi Order's best had gotten two steps ahead of their attackers. And discovered where they were coming from- the moon of Jedha. And more importantly an ancient Jedi Temple which according to the group hid an even older Sith Temple below.
Ahsoka herself, Anakin, Plo Koon, and many Jedi she didn't recognize were sent to the field of battle on Jedha to put a stop to the threat.
It was there they discovered the full scope of the threat- a powerful Dark Jedi Master leading several Dark Jedi and Dark Side Acolytes with a mission- to be the new Sith, and defeat and replace the current two Sith. But they had a major problem- they didn't know who the two were but had a guess that Count Dooku was one of either the Sith Lord or Sith Apprentice.
The battle was the hardest fought she had so far. And the Sith Acolyte she had defeated, in her final dying moments, collapsed the ceiling and trapped Ahsoka herself under the rubble. And even before then she had been injured, the Acolyte had a sadistic streak for she lanced her lightsaber inflicting superficial burns on the Togruta's skin, saying she was going to make her suffer by inches.
She had sensed the deaths of the other Jedi except for, thank the Force, her Master Anakin and Plo Koon.
Anakin's desperate voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "Snips! Ahsoka! Where are you?!"
Ahsoka coughed, her voice strained. "Master...over here..." She reached out through the Force.
Anakin heard, and sensed her. "Ahsoka!" Running footsteps and he was quickly by her side, on one knee. "I'm here." He noticed the collapsed rubble, stood up, and raised his hands. His palms faced the rubble, face focused in concentration.
Ahsoka saw the state he was in- his brown hair was damp with sweat that surely was freezing cold by now, several slashes over his torso and his arms; some wounds were identifiable by streaks of red on his blue Jedi uniform. And a trickle of blood from his lip. There were sizable blood splatters on his front, she wasn't even sure if it was his own, or the enemy's blood.
With great effort, Anakin moved the ruble, grunting and groaning with the strain and dropping the rubble some distance away. He stood panting with his hands on his legs, his knees nearly giving out from under him; he was clearly at the limits of his own strength.
Ahsoka no longer felt pressure, only the pain of broken bones, and her arm and leg felt numb from pain. "Master, I don't think I can move, think something's broken."
Anakin gave her a quick look over. "I'll take care of it." And pressed a finger on his wrist comm, activating it. "Plo Koon. You still there? I found Ahsoka..." He coughed. "Will have to carry her, broken arm and leg from a ceiling collapse."
Plo's voice was heard over the comms. "Glad to hear she is alive. The Healers will get that easily mended." Wheezing and coughing followed. "Kenobi and Unduli are on their way, their ships are in orbit. We all need medical attention."
Anakin had a look of concern. "Are you okay, Master Plo?"
The Jedi Master's wheezing was heard, the effort to talk was taking its toll. "As long as they get here soon. My antiox mask was damaged, but the Force is holding it mostly together, though I won't last any more than another standard hour at this rate."
Skywalker's voice was full of determination. "Hang in there, we're going to get through this. No one else is dying." He carefully knelt down, and picked up his Padawan, one arm supporting her back and the other under her legs, mindful of the broken bones. And stood back up, staggering slightly. He turned around slowly, and walked towards the steps leading up to the ancient temple's grand hall.
Ahsoka rested her head against Anakin's shoulder, too exhausted and sore to move. "Did anyone else make it?"
Anakin's tone was grim. "Afraid it's only us and Master Plo..." He stifled a groan of pain, he was hurting.
Ahsoka looked around as much as she could, and saw the same ancient Jedi statues in the grand hall she had seen earlier. Many were damaged, others fallen, from the battle. Her eyes drifted to the floor, and gasped, tears escaping her eyes. There were corpses of Jedi, Dark Acolytes, and Dark Jedi strewn about. "Master...we lost so many..."
Anakin kept walking to the final staircase leading to the surface. "Which is why I am not losing you, or Master Plo."
Master Koon was waiting at the bottom of the staircase. "Anakin...what in the name of the Force..."
Anakin paused for a moment. "You don't look well either. I know we're spending a few standard weeks healing at least."
Ahsoka moved her head enough to see the state the Kel Dor was in. "Master Plo...you're alive.." His orange thick leathery skin had splatters of blood, some were visible cuts. While his gray protective googles over his eyes were intact, the same couldn't be said for the antiox mask; it was cracked in so many places that if he wasn't a Jedi Master and master of the Force, it would have fallen completely apart. His Jedi tunic was ripped in many places, and his torso armor had pieces missing.
Even with Plo Koon's mask and googles covering his face; one could tell from the feeling in the Force and his body language, looking down slightly at her, betrayed his concern for her. "Little 'Soka..."
A familiar voice was heard through the wrist comms. "Master Kenobi here, we're landing just outside the entrance. Are you able to get up here on your own, or do you require assistance?"
Anakin sighed. "Never been more happy to hear from you, Master Kenobi. We can get up there." He continued up the steps, Plo following close behind.
Upon reaching the top, they were greeted by familiar and unfamiliar faces alike.
The familiar blue-eyed and bearded face, white armor, and Jedi tunic of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
The graceful Mirialan style hood and dress, green skin, gentle blue eyes of Luminara Unduli.
And a few Jedi Healers Ahsoka didn't recognize.
Clone Captain Rex took a step forward, dressed in his familiar white armor with a blue collar. "By the Force...General Anakin...you are a mess! What happened down there?"
Anakin sighed. "It all went to the sarlacc pit. But at least some of us made it out. The darkness here is no more."
Luminara sprang into action. "Get them on the gunship, now! We're going to the Tranquility." She activated her wrist comm. "Barriss, get all the Healers and Medics on standby!"
Plo nearly stumbled, being caught by a Twi'lek Jedi Healer. "I don't know how, but Anakin took care of their top commanders, and their leader. I...can't explain it..." He coughed again violently. "...it was as if he was one with the Force. Like he knew when their next moves would be. One by one, I felt the evil presence vanish...until I felt it no more."
Luminara looked him over, then Anakin. "Something does feel...different." She walked to Anakin, and she along with Obi-Wan helped him to the gunship.
Anakin stepped inside, and carefully laid Ahsoka on a bunk, with Luminara helping him into a chair, and getting a first aid kit with some bacta for wounds she could deal with now.
Plo Koon was assisted to another chair, and given an emergency mask, replacing his heavily damaged antiox mask, with the Healer assisting telling him to take deep breaths.
The Clone pilot turned back to the passenger area. "Everyone in?"
Luminara turned to him. "Yes. Get us to the Tranquility. Fast."
"Yes, ma'am!" He turned his attention to the controls. He shut and locked the doors magnetically. And soon the ship lifted off the ground and took off for orbit. It was only a few moments later when the noises outside quieted, leaving only the activity inside and the steady quiet hum of the engines in space. "ETA Tranquility three minutes.
Ahsoka sighed, they were now safely away from that place, and closed her eyes.
She soon heard mechanical wheezing and breathing, and snapped her eyes open. What?!
Anakin looked to her. "Are you okay, snips? We're almost there."
She craned her neck to look towards the pilot seat, and gasped. The pilot was laying dead, a burned hole through his torso that could only be made by a lightsaber.
And a dark figure loomed over them all, that horrible mechanical breathing. A black helmet and suit, long cape, and the snap hiss of a red lightsaber. "I am who you think I am." His helmeted face took notice of Anakin.
Anakin stood up in defense of his Padawan, taking his lightsaber off his belt and igniting it. "Take one more step and-"
The figure thrust his red lightsaber through Anakin's torso, the red blade erupted out his back.
Anakin cried out in agony then the blade was removed, he fell silently and limply to the deck.
Ahsoka screamed.
Tano awoke with a startle. "No!"
Hera Syndulla, the Twi'lek pilot of the Ghost, had been gazing out at the hyperspace tunnel. Upon hearing Ahsoka, she had swiveled her seat quickly to face her. "Are you okay? We're safe, thanks to all of us working together." Her jade green skin matched her eyes. And her pilot uniform was a tight orange jumpsuit with armor padding on her torso and shoulders, and matching gloves and sleeves. On her forehead were her googles, and her two lekku trailed down her back.
Ahsoka brought her breathing under control, arms folded and hands on her white and blue striped nearly waist-length lekku. "Okay wouldn't be right. Promise me you won't tell anyone else."
Hera paused. "I won't. Tell me."
Ahsoka moved her hands to her elbows over her torso. "When I reached out through the Force to that individual...I don't want to believe it...but I detected a trace of Anakin Skywalker...my Jedi Master."
Hera gasped. "I heard of Anakin Skywalker, he was a hero in the Clone Wars. My father met Jedi Master Mace Windu when he helped to liberate Ryloth during the war."
Ahsoka looked down, a saddened expression on her face. "Yes." She paused, hesitant. "Anakin Skywalker was a great Jedi. A good teacher, though considered unorthodox. Took time for us to get along but we became one of the best Master-Padawan teams out there." She looked to Hera. "I dreamed of one particular battle. The Battle of Jedha. You know of the place?"
Hera nodded once. "It is said to hold some of the oldest Jedi Temples, and thought by some to be one possible birthplace of the Jedi Order."
Ahsoka continued. "During the Clone Wars; Anakin and I, along with Plo Koon and about a dozen other Jedi headed there to stop a dangerous uprising of Dark Jedi and Dark Acolytes. We discovered they wanted to be the new Sith and overthrow the current Sith. We fought bravely, but at a great cost. Everyone but Anakin, I, and Plo died, we were injured. The Jedi Healers said Anakin and I had the worst of it." She paused, in thought. "In the dream, at the end, what I presume to be the appearance of the individual strong in the Force was on the ship. He killed the pilot, declared that I knew who he was, and stuck down Anakin. That's when I woke."
Hera looked slightly horrified. "I...am sorry. My father presumed he had died during the Purge or trying to take down the Sith."
Ahsoka sighed. "I hope that is true...but I have heard horrific rumors. And I sensed something horrible right before Order 66...I just don't want to think about it." She looked to Hera. "What really happened after that mission, we were brought onboard Luminara Unduli's flagship, the Tranquility. Given emergency medical care, and transported back to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Anakin and I spent nearly a month recovering from that." She paused, a sad smile. "Though it wasn't without adventure, we stopped yet another attempted theft from the Jedi Temple, but not without help from Obi-Wan Kenobi and Plo. Those sorry wanna-be thieves weren't the brightest lightsabers in the galaxy."
Hera chuckled. "Sounds like catching them was easier than most of your missions."
Ahsoka nodded once with a smile. "It really was, they were sort of cowardly too. Plo informed over the intercom of what Anakin did on the last mission, many of the thieves promptly surrendered. And a few stubbornly thought they could escape, Anakin cut off their escape route. And when Obi-Wan came back from his mission, the remaining thieves had realized how screwed they were. They begged for mercy, literally crying in cases, and one tried to take the easy way out before Anakin Force Pulled the blaster away. Obi-Wan and I helped to put them in cuffs for the security guards." She paused, shaking her head. "Their leader was a total sleemo and abandoned his comrades. It bit him in his behind, his buddies were madder than caged rancors and told us everything. Before three days had elapsed, the dirty coward was in custody thanks to Shaak Ti and her fleet's hyperspace route passing right by their hideout. She called it one of the easiest missions she has had as a Jedi Master."
Hera smiled with Ahsoka. "Sounds like Anakin was as great as the stories have told."
Ahsoka expression became forlorn. "I need to find out who this individual is. What I sensed...so troubling. I know what I might find at the end might be a truth I don't want to know...but I must find out."
Hera nodded in sympathy. "I understand. The truth can be horrific at times...but it is better to find out than to have an enemy use it against you."
Ahsoka nodded once. "Spoken like a Jedi." She looked to the Twi'lek. "When we arrive at our destination, can you go tell Kanan and Ezra I wish to speak to them?"
Hera smiled slightly. "No problem. Anything else?"
"I am good. Just need some time with my thoughts." Ahsoka heard Hera swivel her chair. The Togruta looked to the view-screen. She closed her eyes, arms resting on her lap.
Whatever you find at the end, don't let it tarnish the memories of Master Anakin Skywalker. Not even the Dark Side can take those memories. Let those memories and the man he was reside in your soul and heart, but don't get too attached and fall prey to the temptations of evil.
She opened them and looked out into the hyperspace tunnel.
No matter what, we'll keep fighting for what is right. For the galaxy needs us and is depending on us to free them.
A/N- A glossary of terms used for those that need it, all are from either canon or legends continuity-
"In the name of…!" - or in this case "What in the Name of the Force.." can be used as an exclamation of shock.
"Not the brightest lightsabers in the galaxy" - used when calling someone unintelligent.
Antiox mask – a specialized breath mask which includes sealed goggles over the eyes worn by Kel Dor like Plo Koon to survive in any other atmosphere other than their homeworld Dorin's atmosphere which had Dorin gas and helium.
Lekku – long, fleshy appendages that protruded from the heads of Twi'leks and Togruta, they can either go down the back, or be draped over the shoulders.
Montrals – sensory organs that sprouted from the top of the heads of Togruta, they look like horns almost.
