Shock tears through his knees, resulting in several cracks and pulses of pain as he brings the limp girl into his lap. Ahsoka's eyes are closed, tear tracks on her cheeks which match his.
Trembling, Obi-Wan reaches for her neck and begs.
"Master…" her voice is as weak as her pulse.
He presses a hand against the lightsaber wound and smiles down at her although it probably comes out like a grimace. The wound is hot, and her skin is cold. "It's alright, Ahsoka."
"No, Master…" she shuts her eyes again, her head lolling into the crook of his elbow. "I don't… have long…"
"No, Padawan, keep your eyes open!" He says sternly before lifting his head to address the civilians of Naboo who have started gathering around them. "Call the Senator! Get a medic!"
"Master!" He hears Anakin jump down behind him- he hasn't called him that in days. His former student is soon looming over his shoulder, "Ahsoka…"
"Anakin…" Ahsoka rasps, her body weakly squirming. "Please…. I'm sorry…"
"Snips." Anakin drops to his knees on the other side of her and although he's trying to sound confident, they both know her life is slipping through their fingers. There's no point holding on too tight. "Don't apologise."
"I…" Ahsoka reaches out, her fingers brushing the silka braid hanging on Anakin's belt. She's rasping now. "I never meant to…"
"Relax," Anakin encourages, taking the braid and attaching it back onto her headdress- where it belongs. "It's okay."
His voice cracks.
"I never… imagined…" Ahsoka tries to laugh- somehow- and it erupts into a cough. "Dying like this… Isn't how I pictured dying…"
Anakin leans forwards to tell her she isn't dying, so Obi-Wan puts a restraining hand on his shoulder. He gives him a look, silently asking if they want to lie to her again.
They don't.
"Ahsoka," Obi-Wan looks down at the girl who's struggling for every breath. He can't save her. "You know there is no death-"
"Only the Force…" she finishes, looking up at the night's sky, "Dying isn't as… scary as… I…"
Anakin runs his flesh fingers down the side of her face, drawing her attention back to him. "You're fearless, Snips, you always have been."
She huffs a laugh; her whole body seizes and Obi-Wan uses the Force to get her to relax. He uses the power internally, forcing her cells to stop fighting this inevitable death. It's mercy-killing.
"We're sorry, Ahsoka," he says gently, "for everything."
"For everything." Anakin confirms, half-holding her on his own lap.
Obi-Wan spies the Nabooian medics dropping down in a speeder, rushing towards them. He wants to keep Ahsoka's send-off as peaceful as possible. There's no saving her, even with the Force.
"I… forgive you…" she starts to wheeze, "I… you guys are… the best…"
With a sob, her head falls back, and her eyes close. The medics swarm them, starting to push needles into the back of her hand and tinkering with machines that are hooked to her head and chest.
It's too late.
Your time is not up, young one.
Her soul fights against her body, begging for release. It wants to feel no more pain, it wants to be free, but something's stopping her.
It isn't her body stopping her soul from leaving. Her heart has stopped, courtesy of a lightsaber wound to her chest. Her brain hasn't had fresh oxygen pumped to it in over a minute, no matter what the Nabooian medics are doing to force oxygen into her lungs.
Her body's dead. She doesn't know why they're trying to save it. They shouldn't bother. It's nothing but a waste of resources. They should gift her body to a science laboratory and be done with it; don't even bother with a Jedi funeral. The cost of shipping her bones and skin to Coruscant just isn't worth the hassle.
Bodies are kind of useless when she thinks about it. Really, they're just soul carriers. Without her limbs and torso and head and spine, Ahsoka is still Ahsoka. She still feels her admiration for Anakin, her respect for Obi-Wan and love for her clone brothers. A body can't do that.
Now she looks back at it, there was no reason to be upset about losing her leg. She could lose every limb and still feel like herself.
It's ironic that she needed to die to realise this.
Anakin never thought he'd lose Ahsoka. Yes, she's had too many close calls for a girl of her age, but he never actually thought she might die one day. That day is today.
When the Blue Shadow Virus ravaged his men, Ahsoka survived. When she was kidnapped by Trandoshan hunters, Ahsoka survived. When she was shot by a bounty hunter and fell off a rooftop, she survived.
Why now?
Masters always die before their Padawans, and if their Padawans die first, it's the sign of a bad teacher. He's failed her.
"I've failed her," he mutters, tears blurring his vision as he sits on his hands and knees.
Padmé's never been a good sprinter, but she runs like the universe is ending.
It is.
She heard the call come through from a nearby Nabooian Guard: Count Dooku has just killed Commander Tano.
She picks up her speed, heels wobbling in the cracks of the cobblestones as she passes through the corridors, pushing unknowing citizens out of the way without apology. She wishes she misheard the bulletin, but the impending sense of doom in her chest tells her that Ahsoka Tano is dead.
The Jedi Padawan who is months away from taking her Knight Trials. The Commander who soon will become a General. The Chosen One's student who will teach her own Padawan someday. The girl who has her entire life ahead of her…
Gone.
Padmé feels the smack of cobblestone against her knees before she registers herself falling. She pants, feeling herself losing control of her emotions as she staggers to her feet and starts to run again. Her palms sting, and her knees are definitely cut and bleeding, but none of that matters.
Ahsoka Tano has just been killed.
Her heart has stopped.
She's dead.
You are not dead, young one.
Ahsoka fights the voice in her head. The Force wills what it wills. From the day she was born, this was her fate. She was supposed to die in the arms of Anakin and Obi-Wan. Really, she couldn't fault the way she died.
She always wanted a lightsaber to kill her, and Dooku delivering the killing blow is just the icing on the cake, as cliché as it sounds.
I will not let you die, young one.
Bog off, she wants to say, but without a body, she can't speak. It's quite nice, just floating with her thoughts. She wonders if eternity will be like this, or will her thoughts die too? Ahsoka doesn't like the sound of that.
I saved your life once, young one, and I will do it again. Now, live.
Something washes over her like water, but it feels light and warm.
Every cell in her body crackles with life, making her cringe as her heart starts thudding erratically in her chest. She goes dizzy as oxygen reaches her brain, and she can finally hear the thunderous chaos surrounding her.
No, she cries in her head, desperately clinging onto the peace she's found, don't make me.
Live, child.
There are fingers pressing against her neck, and she hears someone gasp beside her.
"Pulse!" He hears behind him- background noise.
Anakin looks up at his deceased student. Her eyes are closed, her chest is still. She's dead. Truly, truly dead. She has no pulse, Anakin checked himself.
"Are you sure?" Someone demands, authority strong in their tone.
"Strong and healthy. Feel!"
It's disgusting. These medics are treating Ahsoka's body like a piece of meat. Obi-Wan should've never pried his white-knuckle grip off Ahsoka's limp form and pulled him away.
Anakin stands, swaying slightly. He moves towards Ahsoka's body like a predator stalking its prey, except the prey is already dead and he didn't kill her. Not directly, anyway.
"Out of my way!" He growls, flicking his wrist to push a medic away with the Force. He kneels next to Ahsoka, removes the glove from his flesh hand and presses two fingers to the side of her neck, just to confirm she's dead.
This can't be happening. She was dead, but now she's alive. That's impossible.
Nothing is impossible through me, young one.
Her heart beats strongly under Anakin's fingertips.
His own skips a beat.
Not fully convinced, he lowers his cheek to her lips, feels warm breath tickling his skin. Impossible. He taps their bond, feels it's still limp, but Ahsoka's life force- which was all but gone a few minutes ago- has somehow returned.
He doesn't know what's happening, but he knows his student isn't dead.
"Obi-Wan," he lifts his head to look at his former Master, his entire body trembling, "She's alive."
Padmé's throat stings like she's starved of oxygen when she finally makes it to the courtyard. Smoke from the fireworks is still lingering in the air, along with the familiar stench of burnt flesh.
Nabooian civilians are keeping their distance, their haunted eyes locked on the bustling huddle in the centre of the courtyard. Some women have their hands covering their mouths, whilst men stare with clenched jaws. Nannies hide the children from the sight, wrapping them in their thick coats or turning them away.
In the centre, Padmé sees a pair of marron boots sticking out from the cluster of Nabooian medics. The moonlight makes the prosthetic leg glimmer.
She doesn't realise she's gripping her skirt so tightly the delicate netting is tearing. She hasn't had a panic attack this bad since she was Queen.
"Anakin!" She shouts, moving forwards. She's not worried about the civilians making subtle links between her and the Jedi Knight; their attention is diverted right now.
"Padmé!" Anakin breaks through the group, coming towards her with open arms.
She tries to read his expression, but she can only see his eyes in the dim light. She expected Anakin to either run and hide or start smashing things when his student died, but she didn't anticipate him sweeping her into his arms.
"Ani," she reaches her foot down, catching her shoe on the ground to stop her husband from turning with her in his arms. She puts a hand against his cheek, savouring its warmth, "I'm so sorry. I don't know what to say."
"Padmé, it's a miracle." He says, making her frown when he takes her hand from his cheek and places it against his chest. "She's alive."
The shock she feels is similar to the rush of adrenaline after dropping a wine glass and watching it shatter on the floor.
"What?" She half-turns, trying to peer over the Nabooian medics. "What are you talking about? I just heard the emergency bulletin."
"The Force, my love," Anakin's voice goes to a whisper, "it saved her, just like it did on Mortis."
Ah, Mortis. That place.
From Padmé's understanding, Ahsoka died on Mortis when this son-Force-thing killed her. Anakin managed to revive her with someone called the Daughter, who gave up her own life force to save Ahsoka.
Padmé looks over at the cluster of medics hovering over Ahsoka, "I don't understand."
"I don't either." Anakin admits, exhaling softly. She can feel him trembling. "All that matters is the Force decided to save her. I can feel her again. She's going to live."
That's all Padmé needs to know.
"Rex, you should probably sit down for this. Don't... don't panic when you see the news. Ahsoka's fine; she's alive. I... don't know how, but the Force wanted her to live. I'll bring her back to the Temple when she's ready. Until then, I'm going off the radar. Skywalker out."
Cody sighs, glances at the chrono on the wall of his office. It's only 0900, and he's heard this voice recording so many times he can recite it.
Rex is pacing. As long as Cody's known the Captain- most of his life- he's always paced when perplexed. He'll wear a hole in the floor if he isn't careful.
Cody watches as his best friend walk over to the desk he's leaning against, reaches over and presses a button.
"Rex, you should probably sit down for this. Don't... don't panic when you see the news. Ahsoka's fine; she's alive. I... don't know how, but the Force wanted her to live. I'll bring her back to the Temple when she's ready. Until then, I'm going off the radar. Skywalker out."
After the recording stops, Rex starts pacing again. This is getting ridiculous. Cody has jobs to do, and with Commander Tano out of action, Rex needs to be getting his troops ready for the next campaign, whenever that is. By the sound of things, Skywalker is taking some extended leave.
Rex steps up to the desk again, but Cody's faster. He grabs the man's reaching hand, and within seconds, has him in a headlock. He keeps his voice low as Rex grunts in his grip, "If I have to listen to that recording one more time-"
He hits the floor as Rex overpowers his hold, throwing him over his back. Cody grunts, feels a knee press against his back and then hears the beep of the commlink.
"Rex, you should probably sit down for this. Don't... don't panic when you see the news. Ahsoka's fine; she's alive. I... don't know how, but the Force wanted her to live. I'll bring her back to the Temple when she's ready. Until then, I'm going off the radar. Skywalker out."
"Kriffing hell, Rex," Cody spits out, shifting underneath his brother's weight, "Ahsoka's alive; why can't you get that through your thick skull?"
"Did you see the HoloNet?" Rex asks, pushing him into the floor one last time before getting off the Commander.
Cody sits up, rubbing his jaw, "The media tends to exaggerate things. If Skywalker says she's fine, then she's fine."
Rex scoffs, leaning his back against the desk, "You can't exaggerate a lightsaber wound to the chest. It hit her here," he points to a spot just below his breastbone, "That's where we're trained to hit droids if we can't hit their heads, Cody."
"Ahsoka's a hell of a lot tougher than a clanker, vod." Cody shrugs, "Remember Saluecami? You didn't like it when Ahsoka fussed over you then, so don't fuss over her now."
"It's different." The Captain hisses, "A commando got the better of me there, not a Sith Lord."
"They're all fruits of the same tree." Cody says, reciting an idiom Obi-Wan once taught him.
Rex shakes his head, "I need to call the General."
"No." Cody orders, authority raining in his voice. "Skywalker said he was going off the radar; he won't appreciate you calling."
His brother chews his lip, "Do you think he blames me?"
Cody frowns, "For what?"
"For not realising this was all the Council's doing." Rex leans his head back, closing his eyes. "I should've noticed something was off when Kenobi asked me to keep an eye on Skywalker. I thought he was just concerned about the General coping with Ahsoka's injuries."
"The Council were smart." Cody replies, leaning back on his hands. "They knew what they were doing, and they didn't want anyone to find out. Skywalker doesn't blame you for not picking up on what was going on."
His vod says nothing.
"Rex," Cody could laugh, "you and Skywalker have been working together since the war began. Has he ever blamed you when things have gone wrong?"
Again, no response.
"He didn't blame you for Teth, or the Blue Shadow Virus, or Umbara?" Rex flinches at the mention of that planet. "Skywalker knows you'll follow him to the ends of the galaxy. He can't be mad at you for not knowing something that was purposefully hidden from all of us."
All of us. Cody was lied to too.
There's a long pause, and Rex proposes a question, "Have you thought about what would've happened if Hardeen hit his target and Kenobi faked his death?"
Now, it's Cody's turn to close up. "I try not to."
He has thought about it, often late at night in his bunk. He despises the dark voice in the back of his head that whispers, Obi-Wan was keeping his mission a secret from you, his dear Commander.
"General Kenobi had his reasons for agreeing to this mission." Cody says, "I might not have agreed with them, but we all have to do our duty to the Republic."
"To the Chancellor." Rex corrects, sneering.
"That's a dangerous attitude to hold, brother." Cody says, a slight warning in his tone.
Since Umbara, Rex has held more hostility towards his superiors. Cody's starting to worry his closest vod is being radicalised by the more free-thinking clones who question every order and wouldn't lay down their lives for the Republic, even though that's exactly what they were bred to do.
There's a knock at the door, and both officers stand before it swishes open, revealing Boil. "Commander, Captain, sorry to interrupt."
"It's no problem, Sergeant." Cody replies, giving Rex a look.
"We've been given our orders, sir." Boil passes him a datapad.
Cody scans it, "Without the General?"
"Kenobi's escorting the Chancellor back from Naboo; we've just heard from General Windu."
The Commander frowns. Skywalker said Ahsoka's fine, but her condition is probably serious. Why's Kenobi returning so soon?
Rex steps forwards, "What about Skywalker and Commander Tano? Any news on when they'll be returning?"
"Negative, Captain." Boil shakes his head. "Windu said Commander Tano is in a stable condition, and she'll be recovering on Naboo. I guess Skywalker is staying for as long as she is."
Rex looks over at Cody, "The 501st will be grounded for a bit longer, then."
"Not if I can help it." Cody waves the datapad, "This sounds like a two-Battalion job. I'm sure General Kenobi won't mind if the boys-in-blue come along."
Rex smiles- for the first time in weeks, "I'll get my men ready, Commander."
Inhale. Exhale.
Anakin pushes away his negative thoughts, surrendering them to the Force.
He used to not trust anyone with his mental pain- not even his former Master- but now his relationship to the Force is stronger than it's ever been before. He feels safe sharing his thoughts and feelings.
You trust me now, Chosen One. You have been tempted by my Brother since you were young, but now, you have overcome the temptation.
The Daughter. He can almost hear her angelic voice.
She saved Ahsoka's life on Mortis, giving up her own mortality, and now she's saved his Padawan again. She has to be the one behind Ahsoka's resurrection which left the Nabooian Doctors scratching their heads. Only the Force can bring someone back to life.
She was dead. Ahsoka's skin was going cold, and there was no stirring her. He felt her life force flicker off across their bond.
Inhale. Exhale.
Ahsoka's not dead, he reminds himself, pressing on their stable bond as if to prove it to himself that he didn't lose her. Even in her comatose state, Ahsoka reacts to the pressure on their bond with a dull pulse. It's not a lot, but it's there.
Suddenly, he senses someone standing in front of him, and his eyes snap open from years of training his reflexes.
Padmé stands a few feet away from where he's sat, a meek expression on her face, "Sorry for startling you, Ani."
"Don't be." He gracefully rises to his feet, walks over to Padmé and takes her shoulders. He presses a kiss to her forehead before noticing her rigid posture, "What is it, my love?"
She sighs, resting her cheek against his chest as he envelopes her in his arms, "Obi-Wan and Mace are returning to Coruscant this afternoon."
Anakin closes his eyes, breathing in the scent of her hair. He knew this was coming.
With the threat against the Chancellor's life dismantled, the Jedi have no reason to stay on Naboo. He's made it perfectly clear to his former Master that he'll be remaining here with Ahsoka, and they shan't go back to the Temple until she's recovered.
Padmé leans backwards and cups his cheek, pulling his eyes down to hers, "Will you speak to Obi-Wan before he leaves?"
Anakin frowns, "Why?"
"Because" she looks at his chest, "he's your best friend, and you may have forgiven him, but you haven't acted like you're ready to fix things between you two."
"Love," he manages to keep his frustration out of his voice, "my Padawan's in a coma after being killed and then resurrecting. Pardon me if I've been a little preoccupied."
Padmé smiles, "Ani, you haven't been at Ahsoka's side like everyone expected you to be. What's going on?"
He looks away, "I feel different."
"Different how?" She enquires, brushing her thumb over his cheekbone.
He sighs, taking her hand from his face and giving it a quick squeeze, "It's hard to explain." Padmé only raises an eyebrow. "I don't feel as worried as I was when Ahsoka first got injured. I feel calm, and I don't know why."
"Maybe the Force decided that whilst it healed Ahsoka, it would do some healing on you too."
He clenches his free fist, puts Hardeen in the front of his mind and struggles to find the anger he once harboured towards that man.
Nothing.
If anything, all he feels is some slight guilt for killing the bastard.
What's wrong with him? Anakin Skywalker doesn't feel guilt for killing bad people, especially when they've hurt people close to him.
"Anakin." Padmé draws him back to the present. "Please, speak to Obi-Wan. I think you need someone to talk through this Force stuff with."
"Okay." He breathes, leaning down to kiss his wife's cheek before creating space in between them.
Obi-Wan rests a hand on Ahsoka's forehead, sending gentle waves of physical and mental healing across their bond. In her comatose state, Ahsoka accepts the help lazily.
His gaze drifts down to her heavily bandaged chest. The fact that she's alive is a miracle, but good Force, this girl has been through the wars.
It's all his fault.
Obi-Wan takes a shuddery breath, knowing that blaming himself does nothing but aggravate the situation. It makes Anakin feel uncomfortable and no doubt Ahsoka will be the same when she wakes up.
"The Doctors plan to bring her out of it in a week."
He jumps at the sound of Anakin's voice behind him and turns, trying to seem collected, "How long will it take her to recover?"
Anakin shakes his head, already knowing where this conversation is headed. "She'll be rehabilitated here, on Naboo, and I'll get her back into fighting state when she decides that's what she wants."
Obi-Wan knows his mind is made up, but he still proposes, "Master Che could-"
"Master Che terrifies Ahsoka, and she banned the clones from visiting her." Anakin interrupts, crossing his arms over his chest. "Unless Ahsoka begs me, she won't be returning to the Halls of Healing when she wakes up."
Anakin's irritated, but his tone doesn't change. Somehow, Anakin has calmed more in the past 12 hours than he has in ten years.
He can't help but fear what Anakin is suggesting. He knows it's unlikely, but last night's events may just push both him and Ahsoka away from the Order for good.
Reading his thoughts, Anakin speaks, "You always promised you'd never force me to stay, Master. I won't force Ahsoka to stay either."
Obi-Wan drops his head, "I can't remain in the Order if you and Ahsoka never come back."
They lapse into silence, both men contemplating life without the Order. Anakin and Ahsoka would be fine; they're sociable and skilled in a variety of trades. Ahsoka could make a comfortable living from fixing speeders, and Anakin could finally pursue his childhood dreams of professional pod-racing.
Obi-Wan, on the other hand, would be helpless in the real galaxy.
Still, he'd rather be with Ahsoka and Anakin in the big, wide galaxy than remain in the comfort of the Temple without them.
"I'll call you once a week." Anakin says, breaking the silence, "When I think she's ready, I'll suggest returning to Coruscant."
His shoulders sag in relief. This isn't goodbye.
The air is knocked out of Anakin's lungs as Obi-Wan ploughs into him, making the younger Jedi gasp as he's pulled into a bone-breaking hug.
"Uh, Obi-Wan," he rasps, "I'm not making any promises."
"I know." Obi-Wan replies, his voice slightly muffled against Anakin's sleeve. Hesitantly, Anakin returns the embrace, patting his back gingerly. "I truly am sorry, Anakin. Really, I wish I never agreed to this mission."
Anakin softens his tone, "I believe you, Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan releases his brother and grasps his shoulders, "Take care of her, Anakin, and yourself."
"You don't need to worry about us." Anakin reassures. "Go easy on yourself too, old man."
"I will." Obi-Wan promises.
He's hurt Anakin and Ahsoka beyond words over the past week, but he's also hurt himself. All of them could use some healing.