Chapter 9
The Duel of Friends
ILUM
Master Yoda sealed the doors to the Crystal Caves behind him, his thick jedi robe keeping the small Master warm against the cold. The storm on Ilum had passed leaving a blanket of fresh white across the landscape for him to tread. Reaching for the inside of his robe he removed a small comlink pressed a button on it, in less then a minute a small green Jedi Starfighter flew out from behind the mountains covered in snow which quickly dissipated from the snow and landed in front of him. It's windows were iced over and the astromech droid in the copilot spot was already defrosting them when Master Yoda approached.
The snow was so deep it went up to his ears that he had to carve his way through it with his cane like a plow before reaching the ship which had made a small opening in the frozen powder from the heat of its engines.
"Go it is time." Master Yoda said up to the droid before climbing aboard.
"A long journey ahead of us there is, get back to Coruscant before… before…" Master Yoda dropped his cane and almost collapsed if he hadn't caught himself against the glass of the cockpit.
Master Yoda, the Grand Master of the Jedi Order who had faced wars, Sith, corruption and all manner of darkness was feeling a pain and anger he'd not felt in almost a hundred years. Looking up into the blue sky over Ilum the Master knew that two jedi, two friends would be facing their greatest test yet, each other.
Far from Ilum now, the Crucible was flying through space and inside it's halls, Leo and Ahsoka were dueling to the death.
Their sabers locked once more, face to face between the lasers Ahsoka beamed into Leo's sith eyes while he held his guard strong. Suddenly she broke it and parried, he blocked her head. Slipping away she came back from the left, Leo blocked with a reverse grip before throwing her attack back at her.
Ahsoka dropped low and slipped past him to try and outflank the apprentice but he was ready, activating the other end of his lightsaber. Leo used the short space to his advantage, spinning the lightsaber in a fan formation the edges of the red lightsaber clipped the metal hallways causing sparks and exhaust to spray everywhere. Ahsoka backed off with a cartwheel while Leo chased her. They rounded a corner and the duel resumed Ahsoka used both her lightsabers to guard against the double bladed attacks coming from Leo
Meanwhile, the younglings had locked themselves in the training room, cowering behind the door hearing the sound of fighting outside.
The two former friends continued their duel hacking and slashing at one another with such ferocity the force itself seemed to trimmer, all the times they had play fought or roughhoused now had a ring of irony to them.
Ahsoka suddenly grabed him by the neck and putting him into a headlock "Leo Rock, Captured, tortured and freed once more to fight for the Jedi and the Republic." She said rubbing her knuckles into his red hair.
"Quit it, quit it, quit it." Leo tried to break free but the torgurtan was too strong as they spun around before Leo stuck his leg out behind her leg. Ahsoka fell backward dragging Leo onto the floor with him, in another second Leo was on top of her before she flipped him bending his arm behind his back "Say it, say it?" She asked.
"Never." Leo stammered while he pinned him.
Their lightsabers locked once more, the blue eyes of the jedi and yellow ones of the sith not breaking contact. "I won't let you take them, I won't let you take anything else from us." Ahsoka barked at him.
"You can try." Leo replied callously before she broke the lock and delivered a kick right into his chest, Leo was knocked off his feet and rolled back onto them but Ahsoka was on him. She became a tornado of green and gold to parry her blocks Leo turned off one end of his lightsaber and held one arm out to block her onslaught. The two had trained together, grown together, fought together, each knew the others moves, their strengths, their weaknesses.
Leo smirked seeing he had knocked out another one of Ahsoka's figures "What… oh come on" she said as she looked at her hologram dissolved into the board. "Hey, I made a fair move screaming about it won't help" he pointed out, Ahsoka rolled her eyes "Fifteen times we've played, and fifteen times you've won your cheating!" Ahsoka accused him pointing at him with one of her red fingers. Leo made a pfft sound "Serious, maybe it's because you're just really bad at this'' he snapped back as Ahsoka's angered expression was replaced by one of guile, she smirked as she waved her hand sending all the pieces off the table and onto the floor, "What was that for?" Leo asked, looking at all the pieces hit the floor and vanish. Suddenly Ahsoka turned on her green saber and stabbed it into the middle of the table "How about a new game", she said over the buzzing lightsaber burning the table, Leo got up and whipped out his white saber and gave similar smile "No quarter will be given".
The Sith used a powerful force push on Ahsoka, she crossed her arms over her front to catch the brunt of the force skidding her feet across the metal floor before she drove each lightsaber down to stop herself.
Leo now on the offensive came at her from every side, left, right, a spin attack followed by an underhand slash that she barely dodged. "That's the best you got?" He asked.
"Hardly." Ahsoka said before she drew her hands back and Leo knew what was coming, Ahsoka unleashed her own force attack that sent Leo straight off his feet and through two of the ships walls before he staggered to get back to his feet seeing Ahsoka's green lightsaber coming right for his head. Moving out of the way at the last second it was like their duel on Mortis only this time Ahsoka wasn't under any spell.
"Come try and save me like the others." The possessed Ahsoka said while Leo fought her.
"No." Leo smiled at her.
"What?" Ahsoka asked in a snarl "I can't save you, because you've never needed saving. Ahsoka you're the strongest person I know." Leo said to her.
"Well you will, from ME!" Ahsoka rushed him taking her lightsabers and hacking away at him, Leo dodged each of her strikes spinning around her keeping low on one kneeled leg and one out stretched before he rose up "I won't, because I know you'd never hurt me." He said holding up his lightsaber and turning it off.
Anakin was about to run in "What is he-" But again Anakin stopped him "What… what is this, you want to die?" Ahsoka asked him.
"We're Jedi Ahsoka, there is no Death, only the Force." He said holding out his hand to her, Ahsoka looked at his hand, her sith eyes and discolored face confused "This… this is a trick!" Ahsoka snapped at him holding up her lightsabers as Leo took a step toward her.
"No it's just me Ahsoka, it's Rusty remember you gave me that name." Leo said as she lowered her guard "Yeah cause of your… your stupid…. ugly red hair!" Ahsoka said in a half scream trying to get angry but Leo only kept his literally glowing smile on her.
Leo kept his hand out to her "You're stronger than this Ahsoka, stronger than me, you will always be stronger than me."
Ahsoka tried to use her shoto to impale Leo's head like it was meat on a lance, but when he was on his feet again they resumed the fight. Her attack had carried them into an access corridor with many pipes and tubes on every side. The close quarters forced them use a narrow guard and attack to keep from striking the pipes, try as they might every once and while they'd cut open a pipe spewing hot steam into their faces.
The heat and sweat churned around them, almost like when they were on Mustafar when Leo was being brainwashed by Ventress.
Only this time there was no Ventress and no one was doing something they didn't want to do.
Leo drove his teeth into his right arm before he could sever the beam making the Jedi and younglings fall into the lava. It gave Ahsoka and Anakin the time they needed to leap back onto Leo's side and cut the mask off the back of his head.
He almost lost his balance when both his friends steadied him, "General, Ahsoka…." he said with relief "I-I knew you'd come for me." he gasped.
"Always Rusty." Ahsoka said with a smile "Reunion later, escape now!" Anakin barked as the whole compound would soon follow the rest of itself.
Leo retreated down the narrow hallway out into an open circular room, his face was covered in sweat from the steam and he saw Ahsoak chasing after him. She jumped up and brought down her lightsabers like a hammer, Leo caught them with both ends of his double bladed lightsaber, holding it with one arm.
With the other outstretched he ripped a piece of machinery off the wall and hurled it between them to get some space.
Grabbing more machinery off the wall ripping it out causing sparks to fly, the missiles flew at Ahsoka who proceeded to cut them down like they were nothing. Her eyes were on him the whole time locked on target practically ignoring the projectiles like they weren't even there.
As the two padawans soared through the dog fighting, Leo looked around at some of the droids, as clone fighters shot them down Leo could hear something in the force. "Ahsoka, somethings not right?" he said as he spun his fighter over taking out another fighter.
"Relax Rusty I'm here." Ahsoka said.
When Leo was out of things to throw they resumed the contest of skill, Leo swung from the left and she parried him again, this time she tried to cut at him from below but he jumped over the blade. In the air Ahsoka grabbed Leo in the air with the force and slammed him on the floor.
Leo let out a gasp feeling the wind knocked out of him, when he started to get up Ahsoka kicked him in the side before she tried to stab down on him with her lightsabers.
He fell back into another room in the cafeteria where they jumped onto the tables fighting furiously.
We can't trust the Masters, we tell them we could alert Primus and I won't lose that chance." Leo said crossing his arms again looking out the window "What's this all about, really, why are you acting this way?" She asked him.
Giving her his attention he answered "I have to prove myself Ahsoka, to the Masters and… to myself."
Ahsoka and Leo landed on another table, their footwork keeping them on the narrow stretch of metal while keeping in a combat circle against one another.
I'm not sure how they found out about the crystal." She said in a hushed voice "Let them talk, I have nothing to fear." He said, starting to walk more briskly.
"Leo, they could expel you from the Order." She said, hurrying up to follow him.
Leo frowned irritated at the notion "I don't care, I'm tired of hiding what I've done so I had magic rock in my pocket when I was a kid they want to kick me out for that go ahead." He grumbled when they saw Jinx and O-Mer talking with Barriss across from them.
They jumped off the table and started to run through the cafeteria jumping back and forth at one another their blades sparking in the air. They landed back onto the floor turning to face each other "I stood up for you Leo, everytime the Council or the other Jedi were after you I wouldn't let them talk like you were evil."
"And now you do this, why did you have to go and prove them right." She barked.
Leo held up his lightsaber "They pushed me to this, not you." Leo said back before she shouted and attacked him again.
Leo glared at the Miralian but Barriss appeared unfazed "Barriss." Ahsoka said looking at how rude she was being "It's fine Ahsoka, I doubt there's much Master Yoda could teach me at this time."
"Overconfidence does not suit you Leo." Barriss said "Is it overconfidence to say I succeeded where other Jedi have failed, besting Grievous, defeating not one but three Sith Acolytes."
"No, it just sounds like you're just bragging, pride and vanity boosting your ego." Barriss added before Leo walked up past her and cut her off in the middle of the room "So I should say that doesn't matter, I should hide in fear of my accomplishments?"
Ahsoka noticed a few other jedi and padawans were starting to take notice of the intense discussions turning more and more into an argument. "I'm saying you do not need to remind us." Barriss said calmly "I think I do." Leo said in front of her.
"Because I'm tired of always looking like the padawan everyone has to tiptoe around, afraid of my own power because others are?"
Tumbling away he opened a nearby door and retreated through it "Running and here I thought that wasn't you Leo!" Ahsoka snapped.
Leo stopped in his tracks and turned around "You want to fight, fine LET'S FIGHT!" Leo turned around and held up both hands sending a storm of force lighting straight at Ahsoka.
"No?" she asked him as she rubbed her hands up and down his strong back, Leo's cheeks flushed as he felt her hands.
"I don't know." he said shaking his head, she came around doing his other arm "I'm done with your back." she said coming around to do his chest, Leo looked away from her to hide his red cheeks "So what then you just can't run away from a fight is that it?" She asked.
The padawan caught the storm with both her lightsabers letting them take the full force of the attack off her, at first she was just pushed back but then she replanted her feet stopping.
Leo winced, feeling her touch one of his deeper wounds "It's not that, look it's complicated."
"It's always complicated, try okay?" She asked.
She started to push forward against the storm, the lighting bouncing off her lightsabers and into the walls of the ship damaging it even further.
"It's just… it's just who I am." Leo said standing up suddenly walking to the edge of the temple "Just who you are, you run head first into battles because what, you can't run away?" she asked him, getting up her tone, very insistent.
"No I just… I just don't know how to do anything else." he said "Leo, you're a Jedi there's plenty more you can do then just fighting, I used to think the same thing but look at what we did, we saved O-Mer and Jinx and ourselves." she expressed trying to get him to turn around.
Leo kept up his force storm concentrating on her trying to get her to stop but Ahsoka wouldn't be denied, her eyes were on him always on him and she was heading straight for Leo.
But it fell on deaf ears "You saved us, I let myself get captured tortured, again because I was to stupid to think when I didn't have this." Leo said holding up his lightsaber, he set it down looking across the city.
"When I was a Padawan under Pong Krell, he would drop me on worlds like that all the time to train me, leaving me with nothing but my wit to survive and when I got my lightsaber I used that, it's what I always used battle after battle I always had my lightsaber and the one thing I wanted more then anything like Jinx and O-Mer, I just to survive." Leo said, looking up at the stars.
Up on the bridge the force storm was wreaking havoc with the ships systems making Artoo withdraw from the console or suffer the same short circuiting goin on through the ship. Even the younglings could feel it and see it with the lights flickering on and off. All while Ahsoka pushed forward, not giving Leo an inch of ground.
He raised his lightsaber to the sky and turned it on "All my life I've moved from one fight to the next, I do that because it's all I've known for so long and in truth I know that's not how someone should live there life." he said lowering his lightsaber turning it off.
"Leo?" Ahsoka started to say
"Soon it was about fighting to keep the people I care for safe, you, Master Kenobi and Anakin too, letting them pick a reason for me to fight as long as it kept them safe in the process and let anyone else find me a reason but now… now I look out and see all the possibilities of what could or couldn't happen, if I…. if I…." she reached around his arm and put a hand on his chest over his heart where a scar just so happened to be, one she was putting medicine on. He looked at her, she was listening but busy with her work she didn't notice he was so close.
"If you what?" she asked him.
"If I wasn't a jedi." he whispered.
She was five feet away from him now only a few more steps, Leo tried to get her to stop but his heart wasn't in the fight, it wasn't in the attack it was somewhere else entirely.
"But if you weren't a jedi what would you be, oh yeah a restauranter." she said as she rubbed his chest. Leo noticed Ahsoka press down on her lip, she was hiding her own cheek "I could… we could be anything?" he asked.
"We…." she asked looking up at him leaning closer "We could be anything we wanted?"
Ahsoka let out a strong burst of her own power sending the lighting right back at Leo, his own power turned against him Leo had no choice but to take it and get staggered back before Ahsoka came at him once more. "All that talk, all those times we said we had each other's backs." She said through attacks.
The Sith raised his red lightsaber to catch her attacks but he was still too stunned from the lighting to hold her off for long "They were all lies Leo!"
Sighing Ahsoka sat down next to him looking up at the sky like he had earlier that day, now the two of them, the only jedi left in the training room "I swear Leo one of these days you'll be the death of me."
"I'd never do that." Leo said still exhausted "Then why do you always do these things, throw yourself at the biggest baddest enemy you can find, do you want to die, but what can I expect when you've got that… thing?" She asked him not to bring up the red kyber crystal.
Leo looked at her "... I got rid of it, the 'thing'." He admitted.
A wave of relief rushed over Ahsoka "You did, good." She told him, Ahsoka waited till Leo was ready, he looked up at the sky which was a mix of black and orange from the city lights.
"You know you don't need to worry about me so much Ahsoka, I'm pretty selfish actually." Leo said dismissively looking away from her "Bane, Geonosis, even just now I don't do it for you or General Skywalker I was doing it cause I wanted to, it's who I am." Leo said.
"So that's why, you chased after a bounty hunter across the city, fought a hundred warriors and challenged a Jedi Master to a duel you couldn't win because it's who you are?" Ahsoka asked him looking at the training ground floor holding her knee resting her chin on it. Leo's eyes focused on her and she looked into his green eyes and he into her pale blue ones, both of them for a long time.
"Yeah pretty much." Leo said looking away again as he held his lightsaber "But to be more honest, before we left for Geonosis, Master Yoda asked me to not forget you all or forget who I was in these days ahead… I'm not really sure what that meant?" He said thinking out loud "It's given me pause to think about what you said, about what comes after." He said.
Leo locked his lightsaber with hers again but she drove her forehead between the headbutting him. He stumbled back and when she came for him, he smiled.
It was a trick, Ahsoka had fallen right into his trap.
Leo deactivated his lightsaber and through his fist forward right into her gut
Ahsoka felt the wind fly from her lungs before she grabbed the scruff of his robes and drove her knee directly into his groin "Your no the only one who knows how to fight dirty Rusty."
She fell back pulling him with her before she slammed him onto the hard metal floor, the two padawans had a chance to catch their breath. But Ahsoka took half that time, without thinking off her lightsabers she smashed her boot straight toward Leo's head if he hadn't dodged her.
When he tried to get up she tackled him back onto the floor where they started to wrestle fists and elbows flying. She was on top punching at his arms while he tried to block when he caught her arm he twisted around her trying to get her into a headlock.
But Ahsoka never let him get a tight grip; she bit down hard into his left arm making him yelp before he let her go.
Now both on their feet she spat onto the floor, each of them panting hard Ahsoka raised her fists and so did Leo, it was a brawl.
"I'm sorry about Master Krell. I wish it was different but-" "But it's not, he's gone and abandoned me because I was a terrible Padawan." Leo yelled at her cutting her off over the storm she tried to grab him before he could get any further away from him. Ahsoka was about to say something "Didn't you hear me GO, GO AWAY!" Leo screamed at her holding his hand up and a wave of the force pushed Ahsoka back, Ahsoka was knocked off her feet and tumbled into the wet training ground. Leo didn't even realize what he did when he saw her hit the ground Leo froze petrified in fear as Ahsoka got up "... I'm sorry Leo." She said turning away, "I just wanted to help…" He watched her go inside as the storm drowned and he wanted to follow but his legs were like jelly, he slumped against the training ground tree and dropped to its roots and closed his eyes listening to the storm around him.
A left hook from Ahsoka, a right returned by Leo, she blocked his right and tried to grab his arm but he came at her left. She threw three strikes at his chest first punches then an elbow.
When she tried to press the advantage he blocked and swung his leg around kicking her in the shoulder, she blocked but his weight and size knocked her off balance into a nearby wall.
Leo tried to kick again but she evaded him and was able to throw a kidney punch before Leo hit her with a wild elbow, they hadn't fought this hard since their reunion.
"Yield…" Ahsoka painted "Never…" Leo replied sarcastically out of breath before she dropped hers and ran at him "It's wonderful to see you again Rusty." She said jumping up wrapping her arms around him, tackling him to the ground.
"But I still win." She said "Hahah- what- How?" Leo asked her.
She gestured to herself "I'm top, remember."
Leo rolled his eyes as he laid there in the courtyard "Am I still a good pillow?" He asked.
Ahsoka blushed a bit then when she noticed what she felt between his robes wasn't a soft young boy's body anymore "Eh little stiff." She said getting up.
Back in the training room the younglings were still cooped up "We can't just sit here, we have to help Ahsoka." Katooni declared.
"Are you insane, we don't have lightsabers, we just have rocks." Zatt protested.
"Katooni's right, we have to help Ahsoka." Petro declared.
Back outside the training room, the fight wasn't even close to slowing down, Ahsoka and Leo were madly throwing punches and kicks at each other. Ahsoka had gotten some space on Leo and she ran up and through a knee he caught it but she wanted him to.
Wrapping her leg around his head she spun forward using her weight to slam him onto the ground where she grabbed his right arm and started to pull. Leo grunted in pain feeling her about to break his arm
Leo and Ahsoka looked out at the city "She's gone." Ahsoka moaned.
"We'll find her Ahsoka." Leo said, touching her on the shoulder, "She killed that man, with my lightsaber." Ahsoka said in shame "But you weren't the one who was holding it." he said, trying to ease her pain.
Ahsoka shook her head "But I-" "But nothing Ahsoka." Leo said, grabbing her "You are not responsible for this, you're a good person- no you're the best person I know next to General Skywalker." Ahsoka fought her smile before she gave in to his cheering she leaned her head on his shoulder and squeezed his hand tightly.
The sound of Leo's arm snapping out of place was louder than his muffled scream, he focused his pain in a surge of force lighting that engulfed Ahsoka making her let go.
Leo scrambled away and grabbed his dislocated arm while Ahsoka recovered "That was just a taste traitor." Ahsoka stammered getting up.
"Then bring it on." Leo said near a corner of the wall where he then smashed himself against relocating his arm back into place.
The two of them locked eyes "You're going to pay for everything you did Leo." Ahsoka said her face was bruised and lip bleeding.
Leo had one eye swollen shut and the other side of his face was almost entirely purple, but he didn't say anything back, how could he. Leo bent down and picked up his lightsaber Ahsoka picked up hers and turned them on.
"Wow that stuff does feel good." he said leaning his head on the pod and yawning about to fall asleep.
Ahsoka smiled "Told you, Leo you need to trust people more." she said as she also yawned.
"I trust you." He said with a smile before Ahsoka rested her lekku on his shoulder "Good, and you always can."
Lightsaber sparks flew from one blade to the next, each time they struck the other tried to parry out the counter. When it looked like one was gaining ground the other came back twice as strong
The years of training together.
Fighting together.
Being together.
It was like they never happened.
Leo made his way back to the Padawan dormitory to his own room when he walked in and Leo smashed his fist into the nearest wall "Raaaaahh!"
After he punched the wall both Barris and Ahsoka walked in "That could have gone better?" Ahsoka said.
"Better, better he wants me to fail, he wants me to get angry at him. I'm tired of all this?" Leo snapped at her "Tired, tired of what the Masters only want to help us?" Ahsoka asked him.
"Ahsoka they've been you and General Skywalker a million times and now they keep treating me like I'm some sort of criminal." Leo told her.
Their fighting took them down the hallway till finally Ahsoka was able to break through Leo's defense and slice him across the left shoulder. But she over extended herself and Leo cut her up the right leg, the two young warriors retreated for a moment wincing in pain but attacked again soon after.
Ahsoka parried Leo's next strike and swung her shoto upward, cutting him across the right part of his chest. Leo threw his shoulder into her and was able to knick her across the cheek with a punch.
"Why is it you always let this happen to you?" She asked him.
The medic finished up then leaving them alone "Let what happen to me?" He asked to take some of the medics bandages he left behind to wipe some of the blood away.
Ahsoka proceeded to slap Leo across the backside of the head "Ow what was that for?"
"That, always letting yourself take the hardest hits when you don't have to Leo, you always act like you have to be the one to do it you have to carry the burden?" She asked him, Leo looked down at the floor of the platform before he took her hand into his own "Ahsoka?"
"Yeah Rusty?" She asked, watching him lean his head up against the wall the crate was next to, he looked up at the sky that was a mix of colors from the sun setting and the night shroud covering the other end of the sky, "I'm really tired."
Ahsoka curled her fingers into his and rested her head against his both of them propping themselves up against the wall "Me to Leo, I think we need a vacation more than Skyguy."
"A vacation would be nice." Leo said.
Ahsoka and Leo had fought across the ship and back again, both of them were out of breath barely able to lift their lightsabers. The fight was finally starting to take its toll on the two of them as each winced raising their weapons.
"Is that it?" Leo asked horsley.
"I thought you said you'd… hunt me to the ends of the Galaxy… snips?" Leo said, holding up the lightsaber.
"And here you are… Rusty." Ahsoka said summoning what little strength she had left to rush him.
"I wish we could stay here." Leo said looking up at the fireworks "Me too, so let's just stay in this moment a little longer." Ahsoka said squeezing his hand watching the fireworks go off.
Leo raised Exar Kuns blade to catch her attack but Ahsoka then took Leo by surprise, she turned off her lightsaber and at the last instant she turned it back on cutting right into the heart of Leo's lightsaber aiming for the crystal "-no." Leo gasped.
The second the laser touched the crystal the entire ship was caught in a crimson blast of energy which sent ripples of red dark side energy through the ship in the form of red lighting making it go dead in the water. All the lights turned off and the engines went dead, the younglings and Artoo were locked in their rooms as Ahsoka started to get up.
Coughing she could see the remains of Exar Kun's lightsaber scattered across the hallway and Leo on his back, lying still like when they were on Wakassah.
She knelt down and turned him over cradling him close "Leo… you fool why did you have to be so stupid?"
Ahsoka started to weep "you can't go… not like this, I won't let you" she begged holding him close eyes closed tight, curling her fingers through his and squeezing. She closed her eyes tight and didn't see the light coming from her hand flowing into him.
Her eyes opened when she heard a gasp and saw his green eyes looking back at her the light coming out of them "I knew…. I knew you'd come for me." He gasped.
Climbing to her feet with the wall for support, Ahsoka winced and looked down a rogue piece of metal had lodged it into her hip. She didn't pull it out feeling the blood seep down her leg before she limped over to Leo.
He had started to wake up and was beginning to rise, grunting and groaning. Already weak and wounded Ahsoka limped over quickly and fell down on top of him "You're not… going… anywhere." She gasped, she grabbed Leo by his collar and pulled him up to punch him across the face such pain he hadn't felt since his time in the Lurmen colony.
In the colony, Ahsoka used the force to repel a dozen droids before she retreated again, to see Tol breaking Leo's bones "LEO!" She screamed at Tol Skorr who sensed her coming and held up his lightsaber while still holding Leo in his force grip "Another one, is the Jedi so desperate they have children fight their battles?"
She punched him again with her other arm, and then back with her right. Ahsoka kept punching him but every blow hurt her more then him, why wasn't she enjoying this, why wasn't she feeling proud of herself for beating Leo, for winning why was she so afraid like on Naboo.
She was quiet for a very long time, Leo almost thought she'd cut off the communications before she took a deep breath, "I don't want to die down here."
"You're not going to, I promise." Leo said firmly "Thanks Rusty." Ahsoka said before she really did cut off the communications.
Here she was Ahsoka Tano, the pride of the Jedi Padawans, she'd done it, she was winning against a Sith, a traitor, a friend. Yet she felt no pride, she felt none of the emotions she thought she'd feel when this day came, all she felt was a hole in her heart and needed something to fill it so she kept punching him, killing him.
Leo and the fighters broke through the first wave right behind Ahsokas "You still with me Rusty?" Ahsoka asked him.
"Now and forever Snips." Leo said as he and her flew side by side, "Alright boys, let's make a run for the command ship."
Leo spat out blood with every punch she gave him, every strike a reminder of the years of friendship he'd thrown away all for power, all for the Sith. Was that all Leo wanted, he never wanted anything from her. Not her trust in going on his stupid secret mision, not her friendship when he betrayed her and not her love when they kissed on Coruscant.
But he didn't say anything he just kept walking "Leo talk to me, please?" She tried to grab his hand but he pulled it out of her grasp as he headed to the boys side of the dorms.
"What do you want me to say Ahsoka?" He asked stopping at the doorway putting one hand on it, his back to her.
"Tell me what happened to you on Ryloth?" She asked.
He still refused to look her in the eye showing on his back "... I failed."
Ahsoka hit him again while she was on top of him "... come on… come on Leo fight me." Ahsoka barked at him but Leo just coughed up more spit and his own blood "Fight me dammit I want to feel it, i want to feel your pain!" She said, smashing her fist on his chest "I want to feel something- anything." She yelled.
Leo looked up at her, bloodied, beaten and all he could do was smile. He wasn't sure if it was because he was concussed or because he was losing so much blood. But he was reminded of when they were on Geonosis.
Running over to the dirt Anakin dropped to his knees and grabbed the hand squeezing it before he pulled out from the dirt like coming back from the dead was Leo covered in more dirt then everyone put together. His green robes were smothered in the red powder sand, coughing up an extra cup of dirt Leo blinked a few times seeing the faces of Anakin and Ahsoka in front of him "... what took you so long?"
Ahsoka brought him back to the present, hitting him again, but her arm was losing its strength and she could barely keep up the attack "Fight me." She said again, while she kept pummeling him power returned to the ship. The younglings rushed out of there room seeing all the carnage the duel hat wrought and started to follow it. Back in the final spot Ahsoka threw her hands around his neck and squeezed "Fight me or I'm going to kill you dammit Leo, do you want to die!" She screamed at him, fighting back tears. The two of them were almost transported back into their memories at that question.
"Leo?" She asked trying to get him to say something "That's the thing Ahsoka, the reason I never did it to save anyone… anyone but myself?" Leo said holding up his lightsaber.
"So long as I have my lightsaber I've always survived, battle after battle I keep proving that thing to be true, that's what drove me; my battle meditation or whatever you want to call it before I met you and General Skywalker I always made it in whatever battle Master Krell put me into." He said raising his lightsaber hilt skyward looking at the basic lightsaber construction with no unique traits about it other than the scuffs and scratches running down its hilt.
Ahsoka thought he was done. "I don't want to die, but I don't want to live without meaning either and if I'm to fight it has to be for something more than just this war to end. I need to know all this death and destruction will mean something in the end."
She looked at Leo intently her mouth ajar "I… never knew you thought so much about this?"
Ahsoka squeezed tighter around his neck and Leo's hands finally started to move.
"Heh yeah if you haven't guessed it I'm not really good about talking about my feelings?" He said snickering the last part before he got up on his own wincing a pit "Anyway this must all sound pretty dumb, sorry for talking your ear off it sounds pathetic now that I hear myself blabbing." He said trying to forget what he just said and how awkward it had made things.
Ahsoka got up to hold her hands out to help but it didn't look like he needed it "No, it doesn't. I don't know what I'll do with myself after the war."
"There's always exploring?" Leo said to her "Yeah, by the way you still never told me what you wanted to be, if you weren't a jedi?" She asked him.
Leo rolled his eyes, shaking his head "That again."
He grabbed onto her wrists, it was a weak grip not strong enough to break her hold on his neck.
"Either tell me now or I'll let you limp to the medical wing on your own." She said offering him an ultimatum.
Groaning Leo turned to her "Fine and you promise you won't laugh?" He asked her.
"Jedi's honor." She said one hand over her heart the other fingers crossed behind her back.
Leo sighed "... Restaurateur."
"A what?" Ahsoka asked "I'd like to own my own restaurant, cook food, serve drinks and listen to people talk about where they've been… maybe you'd come by and tell me of all the things you've seen." Leo shrugged.
Tears dropped from Ahsoka' eyes onto Leo's bloodied face washing some of it off, he could taste the salt in her tears the pain and anguish she felt even more than her strong klamp around his neck 'Ahs...so...ka." He wheezed.
Ahsoka looked at him blankly before giving a soft giggle "You said you wouldn't laugh." Leo snapped "I wasn't laughing I was giggling there's a difference and besides that sounds great I mean last thing I expected, just make sure the foods are good." she put her hands on his shoulder "Now come on, time to make that doctor's night miserable." She laughed as the two of them headed back inside.
She didn't let up, she couldn't, her duty to the Jedi was absolute, she couldn't show him mercy not him even if it was the Jedi way, she had to do this.
Her master would do it.
Right, Anakin wouldn't show mercy to a traitor, to a friend.
"It's not…." Leo tried to say "What, its not the Jedi way- what would you know about the jedi way." She berated as he she saw his right hand reach up and touch her on the cheek "It's not you… it's not you… your not a killer, not like me"
"You don't know me- not anymore." She said reaching for the piece of metal in her hip.
She reached for it and tore it out holding it over Leo like a dagger.
Ahsoka felt his hand on her cheek, she was taken back how warm and soft it was "Don't be like me… don't…" he said, Ahsoka looked down at him and for the first time she hadn't noticed it, Leo's eyes, the one that wasn't swollen sut weren't yellow they were green. She looked next to Leo's head to see the contact lense in the eye that wasn't swollen shut lying there on the floor, knocked out by her punching.
"PADAWAN TANO!" Ahsoka heard the shouting of the younglings and looked down at Leo, his eyes were closed and he was unconscious on the floor beneath her, defeated.
She dropped the piece of metal and stood up clutching her bleeding side as the younglings came in and stopped to see the hallway was absolutely ruined, and when they saw Ahsoka they could only stare at the victorious Padawan who looked like she'd gone through hell.
"It's over younglings, it's alright." She was walking toward them "Is everyone okay?" She asked.
"Ugh yeah we're fine but… but what about you?" Petro asked in shock "I'm fine." Ahsoka winced out.
"And… and… and the Sith?" Ganodi asked looking out from behind her at the unconscious Leo.
Ahsoka looked back "He's no threat, not anymore." She said unsure of what comes next or what was going through Leo's mind while he slept.
"Yes sir, Padawan Commander Leo Rock at your service General." the boy named Leo said standing at attention then bowing "Well met Padawan Rock this is my padawan, Ahsoka Tano." Anakin said, introducing her.
Ahsoka raised her hand and gave a casual wave "Hey."
Leo was a bit taken at how casual she was "... hey." he whispered back.
A/N: Same as before you decide what happens next