"Good to see you on your feet, sir." Commander Cody saluted to Anakin as he headed towards the Trooper.
"Has there been any word from Obi-Wan?" Anakin asked, "Anything at all?"
"No." Cody sighed, the bags around his eyes apparent, "This whole operation's been a nightmare."
"We could still turn things around. Let's try the same plan as last night now that we'd be flying in clear weather." Ahsoka suggested.
"That'd just make us an easier target." Anakin reminded her.
"Better than being struck by lightning." she mumbled.
"Perhaps you should rest up, General Skywalker. You barely made it back in one peace." Cody raised.
"I'm no use to anyone sitting on the sidelines." Anakin dismissed.
As Anakin and Cody continued their conversation, Ahsoka's eyes wandered to her and Anakin's Starfighters, which hadn't moved since they'd landed.
"Let's take our fighters." Ahsoka spoke.
"Huh?" Anakin turned to her.
"Let's take our fighters." she repeated, "There's no way we'd get shot down then."
"Actually, that's not a bad plan." Cody nudged Anakin.
"But we'd have no backup." Anakin argued.
"All we'd have to do is disable the Separatist's EMP, then lower the gate." Ahsoka insisted.
"It's worth a shot." Cody agreed.
When Anakin didn't respond, Ahsoka spoke again, "Unless you have a better plan."
"No, you're right." Anakin sighed, "I don't-- it's a good plan."
"Alright, what's up?" Ahsoka asked over the comms as her and Anakin flew through Scarif's atmosphere.
"Hm? Oh, I've just got a lot on my mind. I'm sorry for brushing you off like that." Anakin replied.
"Like what?" Anakin heard the smirk in Ahsoka's voice.
"You'll see soon enough." Anakin teased.
"Suspenseful." Ahsoka giggled.
"Get ready to switch to autopilot." Anakin said, "We're getting close to the drop zone. We're aiming for the EMP emitter first, right?"
"Yeah. Or one of us could go open the gate for the Clones and one of us could disable the emitter." Ahsoka raised.
"It'd be best to stick together." Anakin countered, "Less risk of being... y'know... shot."
"Good point."
"Alright, switch to autopilot."
Ahsoka flicked a switch next to her onboard computer before letting go of the controls. "You ready?"
"See you down there, Snips." Anakin teased. Ahsoka saw him open up the top of his ship, give her a thumbs-up, then jump. She laughed to herself, then followed him.
"This is the second time today I've jumped out of a ship after you!" she yelled over the whipping wind.
The two fell through the clouds. "There it is!" Anakin pointed down at the outpost, "I think that's Obi-Wan down there!"
"Cody was right about the walls." Ahsoka commented, "And that is a shield generator, isn't it!"
"Looks broken!" Anakin squinted, "Get ready!"
Anakin landed first, leaving a crater as he hit the ground - using the Force to cushion his fall.
Ahsoka landed close behind him. "Jedi! How'd they get here?" a droid pointed at them, before aiming.
Both Anakin and Ahsoka drew their weapons, using them to deflect the incoming blaster fire. Ahsoka threw her shoto lightsaber, using the Force to send it spinning around her, decapitating most of the attacking droids.
Anakin rushed at the remaining Clankers, swiftly cutting each of them in two.
"Is that all of them?" Ahsoka breathed.
"Probably not." Anakin answered.
And as if on cue, three dozen or so more droids piled out of the buildings.
"Jedi!"
"Jedi!"
"Jedi!"
Ahsoka raised her lightsabers to block again, but Anakin grabbed her wrist and lead her into a small space between two buildings. "Up there!" he said, jumping up onto the top of a building.
Ahsoka followed. The droids below them were searching around for them. "We've lost them!"
"Have you seen them?"
"I saw a Jedi outside the wall!" one droid raised.
"You idiot, that's not the Jedi we're looking for!" a droid commander slapped the back of the other droid's head, accidently knocking it off.
"Droid down! Droid down!" the now-headless droid yelled.
Anakin and Ahsoka stifled laughs. "While they're, uh, distracted, let's find this EMP emitter." Anakin said.
"General Kenobi, General Skywalker and Tano have breached the Clanker outpost." Rex looked down at his datapad.
"Ah, good." Obi-Wan sighed, "I was beginning to wonder if they'd ever show."
The General was sitting behind cover just outside of the Seperatist outpost, a bandage wrapped around his shin from a failed breach attempt.
"According to Commander Cody, this wasn't their first attempt. Looks like they had some trouble with the weather last night." Rex outlined.
"You must be itching to get in there." Obi-Wan commented.
"Was it that obvious?" Rex chuckled.
Then, there was a deafening slam. Obi-Wan leaned out of cover to get a better look, spotting the gate into the outpost toppled over, with Anakin and Ahsoka casually stepping out.
"Go." Obi-Wan ordered. Rex nodded, before grabbing his twin blasters.
"Let's show these Clankers we mean business, boys!" Rex called, following his brothers through the gate.
Obi-Wan climbed to his feet, before limping over to Anakin and Ahsoka. "Master." they both greeted him at the same time.
"I can't wait to have this rubbed in my face at every opportunity." Obi-Wan sighed.
"We would never." Ahsoka teased.
"Why didn't you just jump over the wall?" Anakin asked.
"I tried. Didn't go well." Obi-Wan motioned to his wounded leg, "Sorry to interrupt your vacation."
"It's ok. I wasn't convinced it'd last anyway." Anakin joked, "So, what is it now... eight times I've saved you, Master?"
"I wouldn't know, I'm not the one keeping count." Obi-Wan dismissed.
"It's eight." Ahsoka confirmed.
"So, are we done here?" Anakin asked.
"I suppose so. Unless you feel like helping with the smaller outposts scattered around."
Anakin and Ahsoka both looked at eachother. "Not really, no." they both said.
Ahsoka sat cross-legged on the sofa, now back at home. "So." she grinned expectantly.
"You want something to drink?" Anakin asked, heading to the kitchen and pulling off his armour.
"Skyguy." she groaned.
"Alright, I'm coming. I'm coming." Anakin chuckled. He knelt beside Ahsoka on the sofa, "Face me."
She shifted until they were facing eachother.
"Close your eyes."
Ahsoka did so. She felt Anakin gently moving his hand to the back of her lekku. Then, he slowly pulled her head closer until their foreheads were touching.
"This isn't what I was expecting." Ahsoka whispered, opening one eye.
Anakin shushed her. Ahsoka shrugged, closing her eye again.
She felt something heavy on her forehead that travelled down through the rest of her body, stopping at her stomach. Then, the darkness of her closed eyes began to brighten into a pale blue.
And now it felt like she was somewhere completely different - on a bright open mountaintop in the middle of summer. She recognised the scenery as the one from when she meditated. Her body felt light and her breathing was slow and calm.
Anakin was standing on the grass on the highest point of the peak, looking out over the horizon. Ahsoka glided over to him. "How did you do this?" her voice echoed.
"I strengthened our bond and let you into my mind." Anakin answered as a warm breeze swept through his hair.
"I've never been... I guess... conscious in here before. It's always felt like a dream when I meditate." Ahsoka sighed, "It's peaceful."
"When you become a Knight, it'll be like this all the time. It's a little jarring at first, but you get used to it."
"What are those?" Ahsoka noticed a pack of crimson vultures soaring overhead.
"Don't worry about it." Anakin dismissed, waving his hand. The birds quickly faded.
Ahsoka stepped out in front of Anakin, blocking his view. She wrapped her hands around his lower torso, standing on the ends of her feet to try and match his height.
Anakin smirked, mimicking her gesture and lifting her off her feet. Ahsoka giggled, moving her arms around his neck and wrapping her legs around his waist. "I've been looking forward to this." she grinned.
Then, she pushed her lips onto Anakin's.
"You're so short." Anakin laughed as Ahsoka's eyes slowly opened. Now back in the real world, she blinked to adjust to the light.
She exhaled, moving into a more comfortable position on the sofa. "I just-- give me a minute. I'll have to give you an IOU for a witty response." she sighed.
"You alright?" Anakin asked.
Suddenly, Ahsoka threw herself onto him, burying her face in his chest. Although muffled, Anakin could hear her laughing. "Oh, we have to do that again!" she looked up at him.