Sigh…
I feel like the quality of these chapters peaked around chapter 3, and they've just been tumbling downhill since then.
I'm just going to apologize in advance for the jarring tonal shifts in this chapter, of which there are like 3.
I'm sorry
"Ahsoka?" Anakin climbed through the wreckage of the explosion. "We need to go, Rex will be here soon." He came to the place where Ahsoka's house used to be. The walls were still standing, but the roof had caved in and fallen, and the door had been blown off its hinges and now lay in front of the doorframe like some sort of welcome mat. Anakin walked up to the entrance and stuck his head inside.
Ahsoka stood in the middle of the hallway, which was now filled with rubble and dust. She was holding one of the photographs that used to line the walls. Now, there were broken picture frames littering the floor.
Anakin entered the house and walked up to here, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We've got to go," He said softly.
"I know," Ahsoka sighed. "I'm sorry." She was holding the picture of her and her parents.
"Don't be," Anakin said.
"I didn't even know them for that long,' She said. She tried to laugh, but it just ended up sounding sad.
"We'll keep them safe, Ahsoka."
"Yeah." She looked back down at the picture. "I guess I'd better leave this here, huh?"
"I don't see why you can't keep."
Ahsoka scoffed. "Anakin, Jedi aren't supposed to-" she faltered, realizing what she had just said.
Anakin looked down at the ground, her words weighing heavy on his heart. Slowly but surely, he was getting comfortable with having Ahsoka in his life again, and most of the time they were able to continue on like nothing had ever happened. But every once and a while, there would be moments like these. Anakin knew that he shouldn't complain; he was so glad that she was able to find happiness with her parents. That was a luxury that Anakin would never be able to have. But still, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness when he remembered that she hadn't found that happiness with him.
"Keep it," Anakin said, breaking the silence. He walked out of the door and waited, leaning against the outside of the hut. The wood of the front door creaked beneath his feet. In a few moments, Ahsoka appeared next to him, the photo still clutched in her hand.
Anakin allowed the heavy feeling to float away as he stepped off of the door and into the sand, Ahsoka by his side.
When they reached the primary shipyard, Obi-Wan was already there waiting for them. The twilight stood next to him, untouched since Anakin had arrived.
"Good, you two are finally here," Obi-Wan smirked.
"Just because you have to be 20 minutes early for everything doesn't mean we do too, master." Anakin joked.
"Oh no, I wouldn't dream of it. In fact, you seem to always be 20 minutes late."
"Only 3 minutes this time, master Kenobi," Ahsoka said.
"Yes, and Rex still hasn't arrived. It appears that your Captain is about as punctual as you are."
"What can I say?" Anakin smirked. "He learned from the best."
"You and I have very different definitions of that word, Anakin," Obi-Wan sighed.
"That's because Skyguy doesn't carry a pocket dictionary in his robes," Ahsoka grinned.
"Nice one, Ahsoka."
"It happens to be a very useful tool," Obi-Wan protested. "You never know when you might need it."
"Have you ever actually used it?" Anakin pointed out.
"Yes, in fact, I have. I have to come up with new and exciting ways to say 'foolish' and 'reckless' whenever I'm graced with your presence."
Anakin was about to respond when his comlink beeped. He raised his arm. He was getting a call from a secure comink channel; one that he knew well.
"I've got to take this," He said, walking towards the Twilight. He entered the cockpit and closed the door, answering the call.
"Anakin here," He said. "I'm alone."
"Ani, It's so good to hear your voice," Padme said.
"You too," He said, sitting down in his chair. "I miss you. These last few days have been really weird."
"What happened?" She asked.
"Ahsoka's here," He said after a moment, staring out of the windows of the Twilight at his former apprentice.
"Oh," Padme said, shocked. "I certainly wasn't expecting that. How are you feeling about it?"
Ahsoka laughed at something Obi-Wan said and Anakin sighed, closing his eyes and leaning his head back. "I don't know," He admitted. "I'm really happy to see her again, but it's just…" He trailed off, not knowing how to finish the sentence. Weird? Depressing? Painful? "Hard," He said, opening his eyes and gazing up at the ceiling.
"I'm sorry, Ani," She said. "I wish I could be there."
He could almost feel her pressing up against the chair behind him and snaking her arms around his neck. He could imagine the smell of her perfume as she kissed the top of his head, running her fingers through his hair.
"I do, too," He said, his voice sounding small in the empty cockpit.
"Have you and Ahsoka talked about it?" She asked.
"We did," He said, "And usually we just act like nothing's wrong. But there are these moments when I'm reminded of everything that happened."
"I think you just need some time," Padme soothed.
"I do too, but I don't have time," He said sadly. "after this mission, I'll be coming back home and Ahsoka will be staying here. I don't want to waste what little time I have."
"I understand," She said. "I'm really sorry that things are like this."
"I just wish that she had never left," Anakin said, half talking to himself.
"Kriff," Padme cursed. "I'm so sorry, Anakin, I have a meeting. I completely forgot."
"Oh, ok," He said, sitting up and hunching over.
"I'll call you tonight?"
"Sure," Anakin stared down at his wristcom.
"I love you, Ani." She said. He closed his eyes for a moment, holding on to the sound of her voice.
"I love you, too," he said softly, disconnecting the call.
Anakin sat for a few more moments in the silent cockpit of the Twilight, listening to sound of his chair squeak. He watched his former master and his former padawan as they talked, imagining the smell of Padme's perfume.
Then, Ahsoka pointed upwards, grinning. They must be here, Anakin thought, standing up and exiting the spaceship. He reached the other two just as the LAAT's touched down.
Ahsoka was staring at gunships with a mixture of excitement and guilt on her face. The doors began to slide open, revealing the familiar faces of the 501st.
Rex stepped out of the nearest gunship, his eyes sliding over the terrain. He stopped dead in his tracks when his saw Ahsoka.
"Little 'un?" He said as if he couldn't believe his eyes. "Is that you?"
"Commander Tano's here!" somebody said, an excited murmur spreading throughout the 501st."
Ahsoka ran forward and pulled Rex into a hug. After a moment, he hugged her back. "You've gotten so much taller," Rex muttered.
"'Soka?" Anakin heard Fives's voice call out from another gunship. Ahsoka barely had time to pull away from Rex before she was nearly tackled with a hug.
"Hi, Fives," She said, laughing.
"Vod'ika!" Jesse exclaimed.
"It's good to see you Commander Tano," Tup said, grinning.
"Well that explains these," Rex said, handing Ahsoka 2 a lightsaber and a shotosaber. "General Kenobi asked me to bring them here, but he neglected to tell me why." Rex gave Obi-Wan a pointed look.
Ahsoka ignited the lightsabers, grinning ear to ear as the blue lightsaber and green shotosaber cast a glow onto the surrounding troopers.
The clones crowded around Ahsoka, whooping and laughing as they reunited with their old commander. Anakin smiled, chuckling as Fives and Jesse lifted her up on their shoulders.
However, Anakin was aware that when Ahsoka left, she never said goodbye to the clones. He suspected that there was a much more serious conversation coming between Ahsoka and the troopers that she was close with, especially Rex.
"Excuse me, might I have a word?" Anakin and Obi-Wan looked over to see that Daaro and a few Police officers had approached them.
"Of course," Obi-Wan said politely.
"As of now," Daaro began, "We don't have any leads on where these Droids are or who the Boss may be." She looked at Obi-Wan. "You said that your investigation this morning didn't reveal any useful information, correct?"
"Unfortunately so," Anakin confirmed.
"In that case," an officer said, "our best course of action is to station the troops outside of the bunkers to defend them."
Daaro produced a small holoprojector and turned it on, a small blue bunker appearing over the device.
"There are two, one on either side of the city." She said. "Each bunker has a control center here," She pointed at a spot on the projection, "And the main hold is not connected to the control center. However, the control center is the most vulnerable part of the bunker because it houses the shield generators." Daaro put away the holoprojector. "Please move the troops there as soon as you are able,"
"It shall be done," Obi-Wan said.
ahhhhhhhh I just realized that I don't know how to write Padme or the clones
Just so you know, this is not intended to be Rexsoka (or Ahsoka x any clone); I don't really like those ships. But like interpret it however you want my guy
I'm not planning on having Ahsoka and Rex have that conversation in this book, but I'd be down to post it separately if people are interested
Also, headcanon- when Anakin left to talk to Padme, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka Were totally just talking about how they knew it was Padme and how bad Anakin is at keeping their relationship a secret. F in the chat for Ani.